Do I need reminding that I live in a Catholic country? Well, obviously I did when I rolled up in Zaragoza this morning to find my favorite cafe the Levante was closed and much to my dismay, everything else by the look of things. I got that sinking feeling that somehow a fiesta was going on and no one had told me and despite living here for ten years I can't be expected to remember all of them. One of the reasons I moved here was on learning that every day somewhere in Spain there is a fiesta, but I had completely forgotten about San Valero who very little is known about but is celebrated every January 29th or today as it is better known. Part of the problem, or my problem, is not really knowing what day of the week it is especially if Henderson decides to do something against the grain like go shopping on Friday instead of Saturday. I suppose I should be glad that I live without the constraints inflicted on the rest of society and it was just for a few seconds that I felt like giving up when it dawned on me my trip to old Valero's hometown was fruitless. So I caught the bus back to Huesca and chose a bemused state to fight off the carefully concealed irritated one. There are moments when you think 'God, what a waste of time, all the things I could be doing now', and then you remember that some of those things might include the hoovering or bleaching and washing the tea towels, two things I have been putting off now for weeks.

Anyway, the journey back wasn't so bad as it always involves getting glimpses of the many birds we have here. The feathered kind I may add, this time in the form of a Milano Real, or Red Kite, which was flying close alongside the bus and then an eagle just a few yards away was glimpsed for a few seconds too. I took the Huesca-Jaca bus back and it was full of teenagers off to the Pyrenees to ski and those that didn't chat were on mobiles or watching DVDs and using laptops. I seemed to be the only one admiring the view but then I guess I have always been the type to be amused by what's in front of me, regardless. So apart from the wildlife I got a sneak preview of a film with Leonardo de Caprio, and enough gossip from all the chatting to last me a lifetime.

Lastly, probably because he felt sorry for me, Henderson took me to one of my favourite restaurants here called Hervi where the rabbit and bottle of Reino de los Mallos did the trick.