The scourge of the spurge

On my last day in France, I stumbled upon a small garden that I had visited once (also while wandering around a bit lost) almost six years before.  I remembered the garden as being full of bright flowers and buzzing insects, but on this cold spring day everything seemed green and still.  However, as I continued along the narrow path, I discovered that not all of the green was simply foliage.  All along the back of the garden, spurge (Euphorbia sp.) plants were topped with light green inflorescences full of little flowers...

One of the many flies that I found visiting the spurge (Euphorbia sp.) flowers.

... and also surprisingly full of large flies, given the lack of pollinators everywhere else I had looked.  I began to get my hopes up -- where I could find flies, I might also be able to find a spider.  A few plants later, there it was: a small spider, but with a good chance of growing larger very soon.

A small spider lurking amongst the spurge flowers.