¡San Juan!

Although it was John the Baptist's "official day" on Tuesday 24th, it was celebrated here on Saturday in order to enable people to get to the village for the celebration from the cities. There was the customary service in the ermita de San Juan, (opposite our house), at midday during which Margaret read a short prayer, in Spanish, along with 5 other congregants.

Click left on any picture to see it full size.

After the service it was back to our house with friends from the peña we belong to for a meal in the bodega...

...and it was my favourite dish of paella.

In the evening the "group" arrived and we had dancing in the street in front of our house - not quite Glastonbury but it was a perfect evening and there were free drinks, Cava and soft drinks, and cakes and pastries being served. Can you spot Margaret in this photo?


The "group" used electricity from our house and positioned themselves just in front of the heap of pebbles which hadn't found their way onto the garden around the trees yet - more on that topic soon. Watch this space!


As the sun got lower in the west, the ermita became a lovely golden colour. (Margaret is on the right hand edge of this photo.)


After the dancing it was back to our bodega for ham, carved here by Pablo, and bread with tomatoes rubbed on along with cheeses, olives and crisps as well as plenty to drink until the early hours.

Well at least they seem to be enjoying it!

It's quiet here, but...

It's quiet here, (apart from during the summer when everyone visits,) but this last weekend we have had a wedding on the Saturday, and on Sunday, a baptism, a funeral and a recital by 3 local "brass bands". The wedding and baptism were both held in the ermita directly opposite our house which is only used normally about twice during the year.

Click left on any picture for the full size view.

The tradition with the wedding party is for everyone, including the bride and groom, to walk up from the village to the ermita which is a steady incline on a rather uneven rough road - not easy in high heels so I am told. It's rather like Christ's last outing to be crucified only all the bride has to carry here is a bunch of roses.



On Sunday evening we had "brass bands" from 3 local villages to play in the Plaza Mayor.


The young flautist above is Lilian, the 11 year old son of our good friends Georges and Annie who are French and live in the village.

There was a most appreciative audience of a few hundred and the young musicians gave the performance all they'd got which made the 3 conductors feel deservedly proud. Lilian is in the centre of this photo too!

It's holiday time again!

This year we decided to take 2 overnight stops on the way down and another 2 on the the way back from our timeshare week on the Costa del Sol at Calahonda. So, on Thursday morning we set off with our 2 cats and dog plus suitcases to drop the pets off at their kennels / cattery near Tortosa and made our way down the coast to our first overnight hotel which I had booked in Benidorm.

Click left on any photo for the full size image.

As you can see from the photo Benidorm is still being built but it has a very good selection of hotels.

The next day, Friday, we had an easy drive to the Parador at Puerto de Lumbreras. Despite being called "Puerto" it is 33 kms from the sea. So we have crossed yet another Parador off the list, hardly one of the best we have visited but the food was good.


Saturday, and we arrived at our apartment for the week. The weather was generally fine, it was quite warm but not as hot as it has been on previous visits due mainly to a strong wind blowing along the coast. However, quite a few brave Brits managed to sunbathe around the pool.

Below is the traditional photo of "Margaret in the window". I have taken this photo each time we have visited over the last 20 years - must put them together for comparison one day!



Having said that, I have sorted out 2 photos - the one on the left from May 1990 and the one on the right from May 1991. Although we bought our "week" in 1987 and we went there the following year, we stayed in a larger apartment as we took my mother - that was a week to remember! The following year, 1989, we exchanged and had a week in the Algarve, so the first time we stayed in "our" apartment was 1990 and we have been back several times since. You can see from the photos how the fig tree has grown. Say no more.

The gardens are always well tended. I bought this hat from the market in Fuengirola last year, it's Australian. This year the same guy was there selling them and I bought another style and yes, it is made from kangaroo leather.


On Wednesday we visited the village of Mijas where there is a flamenco display at noon.


After our week we stayed on the Saturday night at an hotel near Cordoba which had great views of the typical Andalucian countryside.


Our last night was in the small town of Almansa which had it's 4th century castle open for tourists on Sunday afternoon.


On Monday it was an easy drive up the coast to collect the pets from their holiday and then home after a thoroughy enjoyable break

Fiestas and Puentes

A couple of weeks ago we had St George's day on the 23rd April. Because he is the patron saint of Aragon, everyone here had the day off to celebrate. As you know, this is not the case in England where the same St George is the patron saint. Also, because this took place on a Wednesday, many people took the Thursday and Friday off to make a long weekend of it. These extra days are known as puentes or bridging days.

Last week, it was the 1st May, another national holiday to celebrate the workers. Because it was on a Thursday, Friday was a puente. Although May Day is celebrated in England, it is always held on the first Monday in May so a puente could not exist.

There's another day off coming up on the 12th May but that is a Monday this year so no puente!

The fiesta at La Pobleta D'Alcolea

Because it was the 1st May, it was a national holiday and that means fiestas taking place in many villages. We had been invited to La Pobleta D'Alcolea which is 45 kms away by our Spanish teacher Beatrice, 7 months pregnant, and her husband Miguel. Miguel is the baker in their village nearby and they were arranging the catering for this fiesta.

Click on any picture for a larger view.

First was the mass in the church in the village at 12.30 pm then a parade up the highest hill for blessings by the priest and a piece of "bread" which had been made by 25 women helpers at Miguel's bakery.


On the top of this hill we were at just over 1000 metres, there is a wind farm nearby - we could see why!


After the service up the hill it's back down to the village hall, the old school, for a snack for about 200 people. There are only 5 people living in the village these days but it is a very popular fiesta.


When all the food has been devoured people depart leaving around 40 or so close friends and family and the "proper" meal is prepared. Chops and cutlets of 2½ lambs are barbequed which are eaten with bread and salads.


This is then followed by fruit and pastries, special hot brandy and coffee.


On the way back we stop to take a photo of our village - people who have visited us will be able to identify our house.

Click on this photo for a full size view.

And if that wasn't enough, the local flock wanders past us next to a field of poppies. I'm glad I had my camera!

VIII Marcha por Caminos

Yes, it's that time of the year again when the hiking boots and walking sticks come out for the village walk. This year Margaret had managed to get out of the walk itself by volunteering to make bocadillos at the 2nd checkpoint. We all assembled in the Plaza Mayor around 8.30am for chocolate and a drink and then set off on the 15 km walk.

Photo from Floyd - click on any image for a bigger view.

Once again, the views along the walk were wonderful. Below is the old railway bridge across the river with the village of La Fresneda in the background. It was around here that I heard the first cuckoo of the year.

Thankfully, this year the going was dry and if anything, the route kept more to the caminos, rough tracks, for most of the time rather than cutting through the undergrowth and up and down steep rock faces.



The route was also very clearly marked, which was just as well as the majority of walkers were behind me and those in front had disappeared into the distance.

Floyd's photo

At the first checkpoint we had water and a bag of almonds and at the 2nd checkpoint, above, we were given a bocadillo with tomato spead, chorizo, sausage, or jamon. At the 3rd checkpoint it was an apple and / or orange and then a 4th checkpoint appeared further along the route for a drink and a chocolate Easter rabbit - obviously someone had a surplus somewhere to get rid of.

Floyd's photo

After a shower and a change back home it was time for lunch in the Plaza.

Floyd's photo

It was the local dish of white bean stew with pig's trotters and black sausage cooked in a very large cauldron on an open wood fire on site.


Everyone sat in their groups and some groups were very prepared with salads before the meal. Our group however, concentrated more on the postres after the meal with plenty of drink to wash it all down which was very typical.


All this, as well as a gift for completing the walk which this year was a hikers waterproof, for €12. Remember, this isn't the U.K. and people didn't do this walk because they were sponsored and were raising money for charity. They did it as a social event.

I can hardly wait for next year!

Easter Monday BBQ

Traditionally, the Easter Monday BBQ is held at Rosi and Pablo's farmhouse which is situated 15 minutes away along the river valley. However, we have been having a strong, cold wind for the last few days, so it was agreed that it would be better in our bodega.

Click on any image to see it full size.

We all went shopping in the morning for the meat, fish, bread and vegetables and prepared them when we returned. Pablo and Manolo cooked the artichokes, alcachofas, which we ate after the first course of ham, prawns, olives and cheese.


The lamb cutlets and chops, chuletas y costillas, were served with a mixture of roasted red peppers, pimientos rojo, and aubergines, berenjenas...


...followed by a variety of cakes and pastries, delicious!