HERCULES AND JULIUS CAESAR AT THE ALAMEDA. ON THE LOOKOUT FOR ANOTHER PARADE. We've gone an entire week without seeing some sort of parade in Sevilla. It's very disappointing. I wonder if we should be looking for a new, more exciting place to live. Of course, the street musicians never stop — but in some cases I wish they would. Especially the bad accordion player (and it's not the accordion itself that's bad) with his twice-daily repertoire out on the plaza. How many times can one hear a medley that begins with "Those Were the Days [My Friend]" and ends with "Cielito Lindo"? SEEN (BUT NEVER HEARD) THE OTHER DAY ON THE PLAZA DE LA ENCARNACIÓN. The apartment has really come together. Usually after a move, we've got all pictures hung and everything put away within the first month. When you only stay in one place two years at a time, it's important to settle in quickly. We've been a bit more relaxed here and still haven't finished hanging pictures in the bedrooms or hall. (Maybe that means we're here for the long haul.) But the main rooms are pretty much done... just in time for the arrival of the cats, which has "required" us to move chairs in front of the balconies so they can see out the windows, as well as to move the plants within our view when we're sitting in the living room so we can catch Dudo and Moose trying to eat them. (We don't yet let them out of the back half of the apartment unsupervised.) BEFORE CATS. I'm hoping that San Geraldo will eventually get Dudo and Moose's names right. He usually goes through four or five variations before landing (sometimes) on the correct ones — Dodo, Dodie, Doo-Dah, and Mouse. It's gotten to the point that I now have to think before I say their names (Dodo and Doo-Dah are kind of catchy and, sadly, so is Mouse). MOOSE & DUDO. EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN. The temperature has climbed into the low 90s (around 34C) today and it should climb to 96F (36C) tomorrow. My allergies have been making me miserable with flu-like symptoms, which is always the case with each new season my first year in a new environment — as I well know from many first years in new environments. So, I haven't been doing much. I have a couple of minor events outside each day — breakfast, lunch, a trip to the post office perhaps — do about an hour's worth of work around the house, maybe a load of laundry, and then I hop into bed with a good (last week, a fair) book or my Kindle, and snuggle with the cats. I'm currently re-reading "The Scarlet Letter." It's actually been kind of pleasant now that I think about it. And I'll be feeling better soon enough to enjoy all the glorious sunshine. Maybe I should stop whining.