A pile of rocks

Actually, it isn't. It's the back view of this borie (shepherd's shelter). Having slogged all the way up there on this afternoon's walk with S, I was peeved that the tree didn't even have any buds on it, let alone blossom, when the almond trees on the plain below have been flowering for a month. And it was too cloudy to see Canigou. 

As I hauled myself up the last few metres, I did wonder if the mountain walking holiday in May was a wise decision ... a walk that S does in 33 minutes on his own took us an hour. In my defence I'm still fighting off the remnants of a cold. Thank goodness for my magic shoes, and I also got to use the feather-light carbon fibre walking poles S gave me for my birthday.

On a sad news note ... French jazz violinist Didier Lockwood died of a heart attack at the weekend. He was only 62. I will forever be glad that we got to experience the concert he did with Richard Galliano in November. A musical genius and so clearly a lovely man as well. Here he is playing the blues.