I was reflecting on the rainy "verano irlandés" that I read about in the newspaper and commented on recently. I've been keeping a kind of weather record since late July, very hit and miss and not exactly the most accurate in the world. However, if my "records" are anywhere near correct, we have had no more than five days rain since around July 20th and even then it didn't rain all day. It may not be quite the scorcher that some people require but I bet the Irish would love a summer like this! Todo es relativo, as they say.
The other day we finally visited Castrelos Park, more formally known as Quiñones de Leon, here in Vigo. We go there each time we are in Vigo but it's taken us a while to get round to it this time. I have no idea what "quiñones" are but the name explains the lions' heads on the fountain by one of the entrances. There is a river walk to the park starting from Vía de Madrid, one of the main thoroughfares into Vigo. It's a lovely walk from there. But first you have to make it to Vía de Madrid. We were trying to retrace the route we had taken in the opposite direction some time last year but, of course, we had no map with us. Nor had we made a note of street names. Consequently we did rather go out of our way. But it's almost impossible to get lost and we made it in the end.
I said the river walk is very pleasant. It is, except for a stretch that goes through an industrial park. And it doesn't really bear comparison with the river walk in Pontevedra. However, it is quite nicely organised with large notices every so far along the way to let you know which wild life you should look out for. All in Galician, of course! No concessions! Anyone who walks along the Río Lagares should be able to understand Galician. That is generally understood, isn't it?
One of the first things we saw on entering the park was a signpost about running routes in the park. I notice that "el footing", which has been in use in Spanish for "jogging" for ages, has morphed into "el running". I wonder how they pronounce it. By analogy with their pronunciation of "pub" ("pav" with that final consonant somewhere between "v" and "b") it will probably be "ranning". Maybe after you have done "el running" you stop for a while and do "el resting". In fact, I believe we saw a runner doing just that. Or maybe it was simply someone who likes to sunbather stretched out on a stone bench by the path. My other thought about this notice was that people surely don't really NEED to be told where to run in the park. A couple of summers ago I ran regularly round the Castro park and didn't need any advice on what my route should be!! Anyway, the Castrelos park was quite delightful.
The box hedge maze is STILL undergoing treatment and is out of bounds but that is not a problem. There are some lovely roses. 
Some of the modern "art work" is a bit suspect, in my opinion. One that might be intended to echo the pattern of roots of trees looks, to my eyes anyway, as if someone has dumped scrap metal on the grass. 
Other work provides some nice reflections but then reflections of trees are perhaps even better.
On the whole though, the park looked pretty good.
And then we caught a bus back home, tired but happy as they say at the end of the best children's stories.
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