Sad news

The father of one of our Spanish friends; sadly died yesterday.

We have never been to a funeral here and had to ask what the protocol was to be able to give her our condolences.

It is different here with regard to funerals.

They are usually held either the same day, or at the latest, the following day. I always thought this to be very quick.

It does however, mean that the agony of waiting for the day of the funeral isn't prolonged, as so often can happen in the UK.

Greg and I went to the funeral parlour. Our friend was sat sobbing quietly.

A few family members sat by her.

They had held vigil all night and looked very tired.

She held us, saying how sad she was. We didn't know what to say, in case we said something wrong. We simply said, "lo siento", meaning, I am so sorry.

We left after a few minutes, both feeling awkward that we didn't say more.

The grave yards here are very elaborate.

They do not put the coffins into the ground. Instead they are in raised family crypts.

There are always many flowers on them. From a distance they look like little whitewashed villages.

The day after we would celebrate Halloween is a special day of celebration here in Spain, when family members all visit the family crypts, armed with huge bunches of flowers.

They take a picnic and spend the day amongst their loved ones.

I suppose although most would find it a little strange, it is a nice way of remembering and celebrating a life.

On a happier note, the boys did add to their bird collection.

They are now the proud owners of a breeding pair of dark silver Java Sparrows.

They are very pretty and seem to settling into their new home.

They are currently upstairs in Bens' room, but will be added to the aviary over the next few days.

If anyone has any suggestions for names, we would love to hear from you.