Cuckoo!

I've just heard the first cuckoo of the year!

X Marcha por caminos

Today in London 37,000 people were running the marathon while here in Torre del Compte around 350 were doing something equally difficult, the tenth walk on the tracks in the countryside around the village, around 15 kms.

For the large view, click left.

Everyone met in the Plaza Mayor at 8.30 where we were given cake, chocolate and a strong drink before we set off.


It was a perfect day, hardly any breeze and not too hot in the shade of the forests or river valley we were walking through. As usual it was superbly organised with 3 points along the route where we stopped for refreshments. The first for a bag of almonds, the 2nd a bocadillo and finally an orange all with drinks of water or wine.

The views were spectacular as we came out of the forests into the open.

All around, the wild rosemary, thyme and gorse were in flower with their wonderful scents in the air.


Finally, back to the Plaza Mayor for the meal - this year a fidueá (again), cooked in the same way as Jamie Oliver has just "discovered" as shown on Channel 4 TV last Wednesday. For more details on what the meal consists of, see the blog entry for the IX Marcha, (same time last year).


Back home, one last shot of the irises in our garden in the evening sun at the end of another superb day.

Día de San Jorge

St George is the patron saint of Aragón so here, the day is a holiday to celebrate. He is also the patron saint of England but is only acknowledged in a very small way.

Click to enlarge.

And the best way to celebrate is to have a meal with friends, in this case up to 30 although due to the size of the room and the spaces around the table, not all at the same time.

The venue was Jorge's house, which he has been restoring to it's current "museum like" condition, very appropriate for this particular day. It certainly was a house warming not to be forgotten!

A day out in Zaragoza.

An early start, for us, and it's off to Zaragoza to meet our good friends Georges and Annie.

Click left for full photo.

After a short walk from their apartment we were in the Plaza de las Catedrales and we popped into the Basílica del Pilar for a quick look.

Inside it is even more phenominal than outside.

At the other end of the Plaza is the Catedral de La Seo de San Salvador which is not so striking from the outside apart from this wall, shown in the photo above, which is part of the north wall being an "outstanding example of Aragonese Mudejar art". The cathedral was built in different phases and dates from the 12th century.

Inside it is decorated in a "sober manner" except for the 16 chapels which are positioned around the outer walls of the central hall. Many have baroque facades and are truly magnificent. The High Altarpiece, above, is quite breathtaking.

Before leaving the Cathedral there are 3 large rooms upstairs housing tapestries from the Middle Ages. These are enormous works of art covering very large parts of the walls they hang on. Every picture tells a story and these stories are most complex.


One of the nice things about this city is that just across the river in the newer districts the architects have designed the layout of the apartment blocks, shops and roads so that they are very pleasant areas for the people to be in with very good use of space.


After a splendid lunch it was back across the river to see the Palacio de la Cortes de Aljafería. Parts of this building date from the 9th century and therefore have Moslem architecture. Zaragoza was reconquered in 1118 when this building became the palace for the Aragonese monarchs and further expansion and restructuring took place. There has been much restoration carried out in the latter half of the last century.

Unfortunately, it was closed today in preparation for St George's Day later in the week.

If we had been able to get in, this is what we would have seen.

So instead, we walked a short distance into the centre of the city, the Plaza España.


One of the projects currently being undertaken in the city is the introduction of a tram system with a line of 12.8 kms and 25 stops, the first part opening in early 2011. I'm not sure about one of their tram drivers though!

A great day out.

A wedding in Alcañiz.

It's Saturday afternoon, 5.00 pm, and we are on the steps of the Iglesia Parroquial de Santa María la Mayor Collegiate in Alcañiz. The church is so large it is often referred to as a cathedral, it's certainly the biggest and best around these parts. However, the weather is damp and there is a very cold wind blowing which is a pity as out of the 250 people gathered here, we are the only ones wearing coats. The men are in their best suits and the women are wearing their finest party dresses - not much against the elements today, more suited to the outdoor fiestas during the summer or indoor parties for this sort of weather.

Click on any image to enlarge.

However, Mª Pilar, (Maria Pilar), and David are getting married here right now and that is what matters the most.


David enters with his mother and Mª Pilar with her father as everyone greets them and produces a barrage of cameras - but Mª Pilar looks in our direction with the smile she manages to wear throughout the day and well into the night.


After the service the newly married couple exit the Church to be greeted by fireworks and lots of rice!



The photos of the family have already been taken inside the church. Now it's the turn of the guests.

And there are lots of them...

...so family and friends gather around the bride and groom...

...until everyone has been in at least 1 photo!

At the reception in the evening, the girls have thawed out and are in party mode.


It's a magnificent meal with a plate of mixed seafood followed by pineapple and mint sorbet, then a large veal chop and vegetables, ice cream and finally...

...the six tier wedding cake, tarta nupcial.

The party went on into the early hours.

We wish the young couple every happiness in their future lives together.

Up the camino

It really is very beautiful around Torre del Compte and at this time of year, when everything is blossoming and so fresh, it is at it's best.

To see each photo full size, click left with the mouse.

Right now, the almonds have flowered, some late ones are still in blossom, and they are covered in their bright fresh green foliage.


Where the farmers haven't been with their ploughs, the ground is covered with a weed with small white flowers. Very picturesque.

BBQ at Arnes

This year we went to the public BBQ area at Arnes after doing the shopping in the morning at Alcañiz.

To see any picture bigger, click on it with the mouse.

It was the traditional meal of berenjenas, aubergines, pimientos and calabacines, peppers and artichokes, costillas and chuletas, lamb chops and cutlets, all roasted on the BBQ, served with bread and homemade alioli, garlic and olive oil sauce, instead of butter.

It was a superb day and the area was very popular with a lot of people.

After the meal, it was time for a walk along the banks of the river which at this point divides Cataluña and Aragón.


On the left bank, as in photo above, we were in Aragón and so we could almost understand the people speaking Castellano. However, on the other side, where they spoke Catalan, we didn't have a clue!

A great day out!

Another celebration!

Sausages cooked on the BBQ and a ham carved thinly served with olives and sliced cheese followed by a choice of cakes and plenty to drink - sounds like another fiesta! In this case the eve of Santa Pilar.

Inside Rosie and Pablo's garage is a great place for a celebration.

It's fayre time!

Yesterday, Margaret spent around 5 hours helping the rest of the women to prepare some delicious "cakes" to be sold on their stall this morning.

Click left on the picture for a bigger image.

Today at 9.00am she set off to man the stall. There are a lot of people in the village for the Easter weekend so business has been brisk.


Another delicacy being cooked this morning was deep fried battered green leaves, (above), then served covered with local honey. Delicious!


Although it was bright and sunny, it still takes a while to warm up.

A birthday treat.

This year we celebrated Margaret's birthday by having a day out to Vinaros on the coast about 1¾ hours away. We did this 1 day early as Margaret was planning to be busy the following day which was her actual birthday.

Click left on the photo to see it full size.

Part of the visit was lunch in a rather nice restuarant on the front at Vinaros which helped to make the day a very special occasion.