Now I know some folks don’t like potentially venomous creatures like spiders, and indeed my wife has a serious phobia about snakes. I tell her there are no snakes in Spain so she is fine, even though she has seen more upon the high-ways and by-ways than I have. And phobias concerning snakes and spiders apparently operate upon the same cognitive lines.

But I love them all, and I loved spotting this little creature Eresus cinnaberinus in the walled garden today. He (as all males have the impressive display) is the decorative one, but smaller than the female who is plain and black. He was quite aggressive as you can see in this display. If you need more then look here.

And before I go, notice the orange lichen on the rock and how the colours are exactly the same as the spiders abdomen.