Butterfly park in Benalmadena

One of my favourite places in our corner of Spain is Benalmadena's butterfly park. They are sooooooooooo beautiful! Initially me and my camera were a bit sceptical about butterflies freely fluttering about. And sure they do have a mind of their own which doesn't make them the easiest of models but one does get surprisingly close to them. Armed with a good lense and some serious patience...

Number one rule for the visit is not to touch butterflies. Under any circumstances. Ever.

But can I really blame them if they can't keep their hands off The Gentleman either...?

Butterfly's psyche isn't really my field of expertize, so I'm not entirely sure of what's going on over here...

... though this on the other hand is apparently exactly what it says on the tin. Yep, butterfly porn.

The atmosphere in the park is very tropical, so don't forget to bring a water bottle. Owing to the hot and humid climate the park houses some tropical flora too.

And some equally exotic creatures. I know where my next bag is coming from...!

There's a chance all that heat-induced dehydration has made my brain go all mushy. Or it could be the rampant spirituality the nearby Buddhist temple has aroused in me. Or maybe time has come to admit that in spite of all my Luis Vuittons and pearls I might be a big tree-hugging, Universe-embracing hippie at heart. But for something that small, the butterflies sure teach big some lessons.

Such as the fact that there is room for diversity.

And that together we are more.

And though the unknown might seem scary, it's worth taking that leap.

And that when shared with someone special everything is more fun!

And that we should treat others with care...

...because we don't want this to happen.

And most importantly: why hide and try and blend in a world full of mediocrity and beige...

... if inside you have all this beauty to show and share!