A day at the races!

You have no doubt heard of Silverstone, Le Mans and the Nürbürgring. Well this weekend, having been to these other venues during the season, the Renault World series came to Alcañiz, or to be precise, Motorland, which is just outside Alcañiz. Quite a catchy name isn't it?

To see any photo full size, click left on it.

It was so packed out and there were no seating places left in the tribuna, the stand, although we got a good view from the top of the paddock building and saw what was happening just after the home straight as the cars roared off over the hilltop and then returned on the long straight and rounded the hairpin to go up the home straight again.


Also in the photos are not only the formula Renault 3.5 series cars blazing around the track but the many lorries which brought them there. There were people from far and wide and of all ages. Babies had wisely been given earplugs to wear as the noise from the cars was extremely loud.

For more information about the event, click HERE.
It was certainly a day out with a difference.

Maxxy, 12/5/02-13/10/09

We noticed that one of our 2 cats, Maxxy, wasn't well on Monday 5 October and took him to our vetinary practice in Alcañiz that afternoon. After much testing and eventually some x-rays, Olga, the vet, decided that his abdominal organs were not in the correct place and had found their way through the diaphragm into his lung cavity. She immediately contacted another vet in Zaragoza who could carry out an operation to correct this situation.

Click left on any picture to see it full size.

We took Maxxy to Zaragoza for his operation the following day. He was diagnosed with a torn diaphragm as half of his intestines, liver, etc, were in his thorax and his lungs were deflated. This was the result, according to the vet, of an accident such as being hit by a car or being kicked but that is very unlikely around here, so maybe he jumped from too great a height somewhere.


He had the operation where all of his organs were put back in the correct place and his diaphragm was sewn up and we collected him on Thursday. We took him to our vets in Alcañiz for injections on Friday and then on Saturday fed him through a syringe and tried to give him his pills but he was so upset by this that he bit me on the hand very hard! (I am recovering!) This is the only time he has ever done this and I had no idea that a cat could bite so hard!


On Sunday he seemed so low that Margaret phoned the vet and we took him back to our vets in Alcañiz where he was put in an oxygen chamber, given his vacinations again and a feeder drip into his paw. On Monday, a holiday here, Margaret phoned the vet and they said he was OK and eating well.


However, on Tuesday the vet phoned to say that Maxxy had stopped breathing and had died that morning as they were preparing him for further x-rays. The postmortem revealed that he had liquid in the lung and heart cavity and this had stopped his heart. We collected his body yesterday evening and buried him in the garden this morning.

He had a great life here as he had total freedom to come and go as he pleased enjoying the countryside and his favourite pastime of hunting yet always knowing what time his meals were being provided by us. He will be sadly missed.

We've been awarded!

Not much has happened this last month.

Work is gradually progressing on the improvement of the road into Torre del Compte. However, it currently is no longer a "road" - more like a rough track now that the tarmac from the existing road, where it still exists, has been dug up and the new bits, where the bends have been straightened, are being driven on before being finally surfaced. It will be a big improvement when it is completed.

We have enrolled for the Spanish language classes again in Valderrobres but these don't start until after the 13th of October.

I have given 2 of the 4 drawing classes I have offered to do in the village school on Saturday afternoons. Although the classes are for people who can't draw, of which there are many, there is only a handful of people turn up for the classes. Next Saturday there will be no class as it is a holiday weekend to celebrate La Virgen del Pilar. To find out more about Pilar, click HERE.

When I came to check on the blog this morning I found a comment added to the last entry, for the fiesta in August, saying that we had been given an award by The Daily Reviewer of Spanish blogs - here it is below, so thanks to all the people who have looked at the blog and those who submitted it and voted for it. We hope you enjoyed your visit and will return on a fairly regular basis.

Top spain Blogs

San Ramón

For the eve of San Ramón we had another meal at the peña; ham, carved by Pablo, bread, cheese and olives.

Click left on any picture to see it full size.

The bread is not buttered but spread with garlic and tomato.

This morning, Monday, (not Sunday), we had mass in the church at midday. Margaret, as well as others, had arranged to dress in traditional regional costume, an opportunity to try out the newly made outfit.


To see the procession in a little more detail click HERE to see the video on YouTube.



Meanwhile, the paella had been started in the Plaza Mayor.


Below is Margaret and Jordi posing with a member of the village with a 300 year old shawl.

After we had changed, it was back to the Plaza for lunch.

Once again, it was a meal for the entire village in the Plaza Mayor. This is a 180º view of everyone eating! A meat and seafood paella, delicious!

This event signals the end of the fiesta period for the village. Now, all the holidaymakers, relatives and friends who came here for the summer, return to the cities of Barcelona and Zaragoza, (some have already gone), and the village returns to its normal tranquil state. Until next time!

Fiesta day 4

In the ayuntamiento, the town hall, there had been an exhibition of the work produced by the "amas de casa", housewives, in their various enterprises undertaken during the year. Some paintings produced by a course run by the "pensionistas", pensioners, (but not necessarily exclusively for pensioners), were also being exhibited. Some of our first attempts at "still life in oils" was on show - that's ours at the left hand end.

To see each photo full size, click left.

Another course run by the amas de casa was "patchwork" and Margaret had produced 2 cushions, shown below.

Other people had turned their patchwork into bags.

Also on exhibition were wedding dresses as worn by the ladies of the village on their big day.

Our peña meal that evening was a ham with all the trimmings that go with it. A true delicacy.

Margaret is wearing a tiara in the photos above and below in order to get into character for the evening ahead.



Eva, standing on the bench, is explaining the choreography for the activity which we will all be involved in.


32 of us, in addition to the 2 "clocks" above are to be involved in the activity. Have you guessed what it is yet?


After playing the part of the black king for "three kings" in January and Lina Morgan for the entertainment for Santa Agueda in February, it is a small step for Floyd to play a cross between the two - the black queen!


While we dressed as chess pieces, other peña groups also dressed as part of the competition which was to take place that evening.

This was another activity which crossed all generations, (and genders)...

...with groups playing the part of different characters with such imagination...

...and enjoying a carnival like atmosphere.

Spirits were high as each group entered the Plaza Mayor to be judged...

...and others patiently waited their turn.

Our group had put so much work into making the costumes...

...and everyone had a vital role to play.

The result of the competition between the 11 peñas would not be announced until later that evening...

...but we were declared the winners, the prize being another ham! To see the video on YouTube, click HERE

At the end of the day, all the pieces from the king to the pawn, go back into the same box but we came home to our casa majestuoso.

Fiesta day 3

To see a full sized view of the photo, click left on it.

This evening the meal was going to be different, or at least where we ate it was. The idea was to make the meal as usual at the peña but to set up our tables and chairs for our group to eat it in the Plaza Mayor along with every one else in their groups.

The meal for tonight was Fideuá, a traditional Catalan dish made with noodles and sea food. Click HERE to see an explanation and a recipe for this dish.

Our seafood was mainly langostinos and calamares, shrimp and squid, and it was certainly well received by everyone.


Where else could you get around four to five hundred people of all ages, eating and drinking in their own groups in the open air at this time of night?


Before the music group for the evening made an appearance, there was a special turn by a drag artist, simply billed as "¡una sorpresa!", "a surprise!", on the programme of events and the main reason we had all been told to eat our meal in the Plaza.


You never know what to expect! The act was good but not a patch on our very own Lina Morgan!

Fiesta day 2

At midday there was a mass for San Ramón which concluded with his statue being paraded around the streets of the village. You can spot him in the picture below.

Click, with the left button of the mouse, on the picture to see it full size

There were more people than ever at the mass, some wore traditional costume.


Later, in the evening, we gathered in the school yard to see the group "Braulio Foz" perform their jotas, (pronounced "ho-taz"). To see a video of one of their dances from the performance, click HERE.


They were even better than the last time we saw them. The 4 musicians played a guitar and 3 bandurrias, (similar to lutes). There were 3 female and 2 male singers and a group of 8 very energetic young dancers all dressed in regional costume.


To see a second video of one of their dances from the performance, click HERE.

Very entertaining.

Our meal later in the evening was again at the peña. This time it was another dish typical of the region, rancho, usually prepared for workers or soldiers. It started off with costillas de cerdo, (pork ribs), being cut up and fried in olive oil with garlic, then diced peppers, potatoes, artichokes, asparagus, peas and rice were added.


Just what you need to warm you on a cold winter's night - the only trouble is, it's mid summer!
However, it went down very well!