Aitana’s Easter bonnet

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.)