Autumn (water) colour

It was such a glorious day today that we just had to go out for another walk -- this time just along the river from Aínsa. It was actually uncomfortably hot for walking, and very poor conditions for photography -- a cloudless sky and harsh, contrasty light. So I took another opportunity to try out the watercolour function on the Sony, which works particularly well with foliage. See extra for what the trees really looked like.

Back in Aínsa, we stopped off for a much needed cold beer and a slice of tortilla, on the terrace of the Hostal Pirineos. It was like being on a summer holiday. So back at the house we spent the afternoon reading in deckchairs on the lawn. "Usana has the perfect situation," our landlord's son told us. On its west-facing slope overlooking the valley, it soaks up the very last drops of evening sunlight -- which we enjoyed with some drops of cava, jamón, and cheese-stuffed cherry peppers  until the sun finally slipped below the top of the hill at about 5:30. November records are being beaten all over the place -- it was 24C here, and 29 in St Jean de Luz.

Yesterday evening, after looking at the badly lit photo exhibition, we paused to admire the sunset from the city wall. It wasn't dramatic, but it was rather lovely to watch the light slowly change from our vantage point.