In the last few days we have had some rather spectacular storms in Galicia, which I guess is quite normal for the time of year. Last Friday for example, I was sitting at my desk in the Bodega listening to a storm that was getting closer and closer by the second. As a safety measure I decided to switch off all the computers, despite the fact that they are fitted with surge protection and back up batteries. Within two or three minutes there was a very load bang and simultaneous flash as the storm passed directly overhead – at the same time there was also a strange cracking noise in the aluminium window frame of the office. That must have been close!

I did not realise at the time, but this lightning strike had actually wiped out our telephone lines (we still have old fashioned overhead cables – none of that new fangled fibre optic cable here you know!) So, as I sit writing this post, three days later, on a computer at home, we still do not have any telephone, fax or DSL line in the wine cellar, and once again we find ourselves cut off from the outside world. Fingers crossed that we don’t miss any important pre-harvest orders……

Another footnote about the photography: The first photo was taken on Friday evening from a terrace in the local seaside resort of Sanxenxo as yet another storm approached. The second photo was taken a few moments later. The unusual light trails in the second photo were created when I picked up my tripod and ran (with the shutter still open). I had decided that a guy on an open terrace with an aluminium tripod would probably make a good lightning conductor, so I just picked up my kit and made a quick exit. I still consider myself too young to die for my art!