It´s really peaceful here...

We knew that work was due to start on the ermita and last Friday and Monday we had this little vehicle, a "bobcat", clearing the site at the front and back.


Also due to start was the replacement of the water pipe from the water tanks to go down the road and into the village so another digger started at this end today.


Meanwhile, a rather larger JCB is making it´s way up the road towards us and cutting the trench for the new pipe - it should be right outside our door tomorrow - can´t wait!



Meanwhile, it´s time for the farmers to collect their almonds in the fields. This video shows the easy way to do it. The attachment on the front of the tractor grips the tree then shakes it. Almond trees don´t need much shaking - the same method is used to collect the olives in December only olive trees need to be shaken vigorously, so everything around shakes.

The 7th plume...

The last pampas plume is out, and it´s pink! (It´s the one on the left.)

What´s his game?

On a trip down to Cambrils we came across these gentlemen playing a version of "petanque/skittles" in the park. The chap playing was throwing his clubs at his opponent´s clubs, the aim being to knock them over.

If you want to play "spot the skittle", just click on the picture to see it full size - it is there. Also, if you know the name of this game, then let me know.

Pampas plumes

The pampas grass we put in 2½ years ago has produced 6 plumes with a 7th on the way.

Click left on the image for a larger view

It looked so nice with the ermita behind, I had to take a photo of it. By the way, it´s not snow on the ground - as part of our work on the garden this summer we had all the earth covered in pebbles with porous membrane underneath to stop weeds growing through.

Around the trees is white and then the remainder of the garden is covered in rosa pebbles, pink, although they look "pinker" when they are wet. It seems to work though and means no more muddy paws for Hona.

Our leaky pump

Sunday 31st August. After the meal in the Plaza Mayor we could all see the very dark clouds over the mountains to the south and hear the rumbles of thunder, indeed in the evening, the lightning was quite spectacular, but it didn´t rain very much because we were just on the edge of the storm. Then, at around 2:00 am, Monday morning, there was an almighty flash and a crack of lightning followed instantaneously by a boom of thunder, no rain, just the 1 thunder bolt hit the village and then it moved on and we heard rumblings in the distance. The electricity tripped off and was easily reset but the telephone line was dead so Telefonica came out on Tuesday and fitted a new bit. Unfortunately, the modem had also blown so that was replaced on Thursday.

Another casualty of the lightning strike was the water pump which gave up working early on Monday morning. Our house is just a bit too high in relation to the village water tanks although we have a water supply to the ground floor so the pump is needed to provide water on the first and second floors. The plumber took it away to be repaired but when it had been repaired and was refitted on Thursday, it leaked so the plumber took it away again. The only problem then was that the shop in Alcañiz couldn´t repair it before closing for their fiesta which lasts all of next week. So the plumber brought the leaky pump back yesterday and fitted it up as shown in the photo below.


The pump is at the top left of the picture and the drip is being "funneled" by the yellow container and down the blue tube into the bucket on the ground. We just hope that this system will be satisfactory until Monday the 15th when the repair shop in Alcañiz opens after the fiesta. All part of life in Spain! It's great!!

Sunday 31st, the feast of San Ramón

This afternoon at 14:00 everyone is in the Plaza Mayor for the paella seen here whilst being made by the special cooks.


We all sit in our peña groups for the meal which lasts for the remainder of the afternoon...


...after which it´s home for a well deserved siesta and that´s the end of the fiesta for this year. We should be given a t-shirt which reads "I survived the Torre del Compte fiesta, 2008!"

Saturday 30th, San Ramón´s eve.

It´s time for another meal for the peña but this time it´s at our house and Margaret has made a giant lasagne. Before the meal, people from the group help prepare the salads and starters...


...and Floyd does a splendid job setting the table, so good in fact, that here´s a photo of it before the group got to it and made the usual mess.


At midnight, there was a group playing in the Plaza Mayor - the lead singer also played lead flute!


Just what you need to get rid of some of those calories!