Happy Easter everyone! The project of the day is to get Aitana to Finestrat with a nice Easter bonnet. She has worn hats before – summer hats, Christmas Santa hats, and even flashing antlers – and she seems to enjoy dressing up. Or to put it less enthusiastically, she didn’t object quite so much as the other three donks.
The Chinese supermarket in Vilajoiosa provided a suitable straw hat for 1.50 Euros and some rather convincing fake flowers. We can’t use real flowers because the hat will get quickly eaten by the donkey. Here are the standard stages for the Easter donkey bonnet procedure:
The basic bonnet with holes cut out for donkey ears. A bottle of Estrella Galicia beer is an essential part of this stage, to summon up courage: the donkey may object to the trying on of the hat.
Testing the basic bonnet on Aitana before adding the flowers
Adding an absurd quantity of (non-edible) fake flowers
After half an hour’s work and a bottle of Estrella Galicia beer, there is obviously a temptation to try on the bonnet
Success! Aitana likes the bonnet. Doesn’t she look stunning!
Now we are going to go up the hill to the view of Finestrat and Puig Campana for the classic Easter bonnet donkey fashion shot
Here is the shot: Puig Campana and Finestrat village in the background. Retweeted immediately by @FinestraTurismo but not yet booked for the cover of Vogue magazine. We’ll make you a cover girl one day, Aitana: just be patient.
Aitana showing off the Easter bonnet outside the Bar Cantonet, Easter Sunday evening. She attracted scores of admirers.
Unfortunately, the mirror window at the town hall proved too much of a challenge. Aitana suddenly saw a donkey wearing a weird hat and took fright.
Rubí has been there before, so didn’t get spooked by the mirror. She just admired herself and wondered if it was Tuesday.
Update 8th April
For all the admirers of Aitana in her Easter bonnet, here is an earlier picture. I just found an old photo of Aitana as young foal in January 2012, being groomed by Alys. (I notice it is still the same old green headcollar and lead rope too.)
Very fetching!
No one could ever wear it better:) Happy Easter to you and the lovely donks.
ahhh doesn’t she look sweat ……. a very Blessed Easter to your Rabit and your wonderful donkeys !!
Isn’t she a calm and well behaved donkey! Either that or she is storing up some real trouble for you later.. By the way, why are you and your donks walking in opposite directions in your header?!
HappyEaster everyone. Why are we walking in opposite directions in the header? Ah the mysteries of pilgrimage… Actually, the donks are pasted into a photo of me walking to Santiago in 2008. I just wanted a nice road pic with Rioja landscape to put the donks into. The road is somewhere between Logroño and Burgos (I think). The donks were walking up from the beach in the shot that I photoshopped into it.
Ahhh lovely Aitana…she looks gorgeous. Wishing you a blessed Easter and I hope the donks get a special Easter treat after their Lenten fast!
Yes, the donks had breakfast cereal: special slimmers bran with dried red fruit. My preferred breakfast cereal always has a powdery gritty last few bits in the pack, so I save it all up in a plastic tub and give it to the donks as a treat for Christmas and Easter.
She is Tres Chic!!
And a Happy Easter to you and the donkeys!!
Thank you, Grace.
Just beautiful!
Thanks, Sandy. Now there are more Aitana bonnet photos with our newly arrived friend Rosemary, coming from Assisi to stay for her third Easter with the donks.
Wow! Lovely, just lovely. 🙂
Irrisistable! She will be remembered. Did bees visit the hat?
Only plastic bees who like plastic flowers.