I am officially a student again. I even have a student card that gives me discounts on public transport and entrance fees to museums. I must make use of that this year.
This is the first year the school in Almonte offers Spanish for Foreigners, even though they are established 15 years, teaching French and English.
We got off to a rather rough start, with no teacher, then the teacher sick for several weeks until we got a replacement and have now settled down with Elena.
Our class consists of 2 hours twice a week and we are some Germans and quite a number of Moroccans. So we learn about Moroccan culture and they learn a bit about German customs, apart from learning Spanish.
This course will give us a certificate if we pass the exams at the end, which will be impossible for some of our Moroccan students, as they only started to learn how to write and read the European style letters.
Some of the Germans have been doing their own studying, like me, and it will be achievable.
Alas, our group has shrunk to about 3 Germans and two Moroccans, as the strawberry picking season is in full swing and Ramadan has also started.
The question is now, if a follow up course will come together, as a minimum of 10 students will be needed.
As you can see below, the folks from the EOI celebrate every occasion ;0)
Camino del Rey
At the end of March we finally fulfilled another point on our Spanish exploration list; to walk the ‘Caminito del Rey’ between Malaga and Ronda.
There is so much to see in that region it is no wonder that tourists flock to Malaga, the coast and its hinterland.
This year it was already quite warm in March, and it is wise to pick an early hour for the trip to the Camino del Rey, as the sun will beat down on you while you await your access. Tickets should be booked well in advance as we only got the guided tour when booking a fortnight before going, which is no harm as we learned a lot from the very nice guide.
Take your time; you probably need the whole day, from driving up to the car park, taking the shuttle bus, lining up at the entrance to your return journey on the shuttle. There are stalls with food and drink at the exit, so enjoy a little picnic.
First, it is well worth it for the landscape, the craggy mountainsides and deep gorges. Unfortunately, even there a lack of rain has resulted in a rather miserable trickle of water what should be a gushing river, certainly at that time of year.
The caminito started out as a rather dangerous pass through the mountains to connect two hydroelectric sites [https://www.andalucia.com/province/malaga/el-chorro/caminito-del-rey-history.htm]. Before that water channels, acequias, ran alongside the mountain towards the other side of the mountain, which you can still see.
Now however, it is secure, nearly too safe for the adventurous mind, but if you suffer from vertigo, maybe not the place to go.
Ronda
Ronda, one of the oldest towns in Spain, is an amazing town, full of history going back to the Neolithic period, as is evident through cave paintings found nearby. First came the Celts, then the Phoenicians, then the Romans fighting the Carthaginians and finally, in 711 the Moors arrived in Spain with their wonderful architecture. Ronda started to thrive and Roman and Visigoth buildings were replaced by Muslim mosques and buildings. A lot of these buildings can be visited now, for example the Arab Baths, the Mondragón Palace and the water mine.
This remarkable feat of construction can be seen when visiting La Casa del Rey Moro and was constructed by the Moorish king Abomelic. To this day it is not clear how the water mine worked, but it did draw water from the Guadalevin River and supplied the town with fresh water even when being under siege.
To get to the bottom of the gorge it takes 300 steps, unfortunately there is no other way up then to climb them again to reach the lush gardens above and then reward yourself with a nice cool drink in the cafe.
From 1485 the Christian kings re-conquered Spain, converted all Moslems to Christianity or else expelled remaining Jews and Moslems, with that a great number of highly educated and knowledgeable scientists, mathematicians, doctors and architects.
A deep gorge spanning the ‘El Tajo’ river slices the town in two. Worth visiting is also the impressive bull ring with museum, if you want to learn something about the bullfighting history and skills involved.
We stayed outside of the town in a camping site with hotel and restaurant ‘Hotel Rural El Cortijo’, which was deserted and closed on the Monday we arrived. They still checked us in and even gave Nigel a beer. But Beware, Monday is a bad day for most things are closed, even restaurants.
We also went to Setenil de las Bodegas, a town in the province of Cadiz, but only 40 minutes from Ronda, which is famous for the cave houses, which are a tourist magnet.
The cave houses are constructed under the rock overhangs and provide a pleasant climate all year round. We came past a piece of paper inviting tourists to visit No.5, giving a donation of €1 to the old man inhabiting it and earning himself a few Euros. He had three bedrooms on two levels and his sitting room, bathroom and kitchen downstairs. He had raised his whole family there, one wall made of natural stone, dry and climate controlled.
There are a lot of caves in the area dating back as far as the Stone Age. Many of them are still used to store wine, olives and other goods.
Even there we could not find a place open and had to return to Ronda. It is not easy to find parking there and we did not fancy getting lost in the small cobbled streets of the old town. We were tired from all the traveling and ended up eating roast chicken and chips in the car.
And now, at Pentecost, this year in May, the biggest festival in Almonte, or rather El Rocio, is upon us, The Romeria. A massive pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin, La Paloma Blanca, in El Rocio. The preparations have started a year ago and are reaching fever pitch.
Our town will shut down for the week and its time to brush your horse, polish the bells of the harness and don the flamenco and flamenca outfits.
Spain’s highest mountain on Tenerife, Canary Islands
Friends of ours kindly asked us to join them on their holiday on Tenerife. Since our olive harvest was over and a change of scenery would be nice, we agreed to come for a week. Alas, I messed up the flights, first the airport, as there are actually two airports on the little isle, north and south. Then I got the dates wrong, Ryanair offered cheap flights from Seville to Tenerife North on a Saturday. However, our friends were going to leave on the Wednesday from the Tenerife South Airport.
But as is often when you take a wrong turn, you end up discovering lovely byways you would not otherwise have known.
Montaña Grande conefirst days walkRobert & Karina mermaid?crashing wave
Karin and Robert have been to this lovely island many times before and know the walking routes very well. They broke us in gently on our day of arrival with a 6.6 km coastal loop walk, called Malpais de Guimar around the volcanic Montaña Grande cone, which is with merely 10,000 years relatively young.
The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, bringing a picnic with us, we set off from the car park at the village of Las Vegas. Las Vegas meaning floodplains, where rain and level areas are predestined to grow wine, potatoes and vegetables and not casinos, hotels and theatres; you will find nothing of the sort here, not even a restaurant, shop or bar. [see https://siebeninseln.de/en/tenerife/las-vegas/ ].
This was a rather pleasant hike, uphill, along a relatively smooth hiking trial, up and down stony steps, sometimes under pine trees, with views over valleys, up mountains and a glimpse of the south-east coast and the glittering Atlantic.
On the way you can see the cave houses carved into the mountain, which used to keep humans and animals cool during the hot days.
Along the hillsides you can see water channels, tajeas, carved into the mountain side. These tajeas, similar to the acequias in the Alpujarras, transport mountain water or snow melting water to the agricultural areas and villages.
Nigel and I sprinted ahead to see the ‘Risco el Muerto’, the wall of death, where climbers can exercise their death defying sport.
After a refreshing picnic break we all wandered on. The paths are twisting and turning, going up and down, around boulders, trees and rock formations. The trail is marked by stones and signposts are positioned at junctions, so you should not get lost.
Then it was on to the highest mountain in Spain, the El Teide, 3,718 meters above sea level. Measuring the volcano from the ocean floor, it is the third highest volcano on earth with 7,500 meters.
It was not supposed to be a very long walk, but because we left the hire car at a different car park as almost all were already full, we had to add another 3.5 kms to get to the accent to the El Teide.
Our path was no.35, Minas de San José – Tramo Base de Montaña Blanca, then we crossed the road and took path no.7, Montaña Blanca – Rambletas, for ca. 7 kms. We stopped at the base of the Montaña Blanca, because we had left our friends behind, they had done this trek many times before, and also this was supposed to be a day of rest. So in the end we walked around 18 kms this day and saw spectacular volcanic landscapes, all manner of shapes and colours of rock formations.
And this was just to warm up for the real grand trek for Nigel and Robert on day three, 30 kilometers in ten hours, up to the brother of the El Teide, 2,800 meters above sea level.
We girls chauffeured them up to the starting point in Las Vegas, and then we went for breakfast and some shopping in Guimar. Clothes had to be washed and the dinner prepared, then at 17.00 we got the call to collect the boys at Arico Arriba, Ortiz at 18.00 and they needed food, drink (a lot ) and a hot shower. Well done them, but this rather extreme exercise took their toll on them.
By the way, Arico is the premier climbing area on Tenerife, at least in terms of numbers of routes (250), and also one of the first to be developed (over 30 years ago). It even gets the coveted 6 karabiners rating in Donde Escalar [follow link https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2019/12/21/arico-arriba-y-abajo/ for more information].
I am glad I pulled out due to my aching back, because it would have felled me for a week or more. As it was, the boys got a chill descending through the damp, cold cloud layer.
I would have loved to do more hiking, but due to my schedule mix up, Robert and Karin left the next day and we took the bus to Santa Cruz and onto a lovely stay at Finca El Trazo near Tacoronte on the north-east side very near the Airport North.
The accommodation is a really nice, charming cottage full of curiosities in a well kept garden with hens, tortoises, giant yuccas, free oranges and avocados and a host that will look after all your needs and is at hand to give advice or even print the flight tickets.
well kept gardensBonsai collectionresident tortoisesCestrumcurious henspossible investment?AvocadoBindweedHibiscusEl Sauzal
The bus is in walking distance, so we didn’t need to hire a car for our three days. We took the bus to the next seaside town, El Sauzal and had a lovely lunch at a restaurant in a park with view of the steep coastline. Two rather strong Mojitos relaxed my back and the steps back up were not as bad. But we were both not in great shape to explore more of the North side of the island, just rested our weary bones, heads and backs, which is also a legitimate way to spend your last two days of your holidays.
I would like to see more of this island as the climate is so mild, even day and night temperatures don’t differ much which is a perfect environment for plants to flourish. I never knew avocado trees can grow so big and poinsettias (the Christmas potted plant) grow into bushes and whole hedgerows. They are actually native to Mexico and I usually keep my potted plant alive until well into the autumn of the next year, but never for another season. I keep trying.
Bougainvillea on terraceone garden radish‘Jack’3 of 4 young peacocks
We now enter the third month of 2022 and this is my first blog this year.
What does that mean? Am I too lazy or tired or simply too busy?
All of the above, in fact.
If I don’t do my writing in the morning I am either too tired at night or the laptop is used for watching sports on TV, or indeed I watch my favourite soaps, Heartbeat, Doc Martin and Vera, all English. This happens only in the winter and if we have no guests.
And we do indeed have a lot of guests, so much so, that I have to block days just to keep up with the washing.
Only last week we had continuously guests from Thursday to Monday, which included breakfasts and dinners and the usual housekeeping and corresponding before with the arrivals. And sometimes Nigel even takes the guitar out and sings a few old Irish ditties.
Last night then, the gate was locked and we were looking forward to a quiet night, as my mobile rang and two French motor bikers informed me they just booked and were in front of the gate.
My biggest challenge this year was the group of five Belgians, all bird watchers and nature lovers, who stayed with us for four nights. Daily breakfast at 7.00 am, packed lunch and dinner was provided with the additional requirement of one vegetarian and one Keto-diet, i.e. No-Carb-diet. So I devised meals to please them all, which is what I like doing, creating a meal to suit my clients palate and dietary preferences.
We received another well deserved Booking.com award, which is nice to know our efforts to give people a warm welcome are recognised.
In between keeping guests happy we try to find new places to go, several of which are nearby and important to know as local information for guests.
La Rocina y El Acebrón is one such board walk and just after crossing the bridge at El Rocio on the A-483.
It’s a really lovely walk through umbrella pine woods, leafy forest, dotted with observation hides and gives you lovely views across the lagoon and river La Rocina with its many birds like the Purple Gallinule, herons, ducks, Spoonbills, rails and flamingos. The landscape changes into dry scrubland with herbs like rosemary, thyme, lavender and cistus shrubs. And this time of year the dreaded Pine Processionary Caterpillar (Thaumetopoea Pityocampa) are hatching and climbing down the trunks to pupate. The hairs and bristles are poisonous and can lead to allergic reactions like a rash on the skin, dogs and cats may even die after contact.
We did not follow the 7 kms road towards El Palacio del Acebrón this time.
Much nearer to us are pine woods where we can take a ramble in the shade or follow the path along the Eucalyptus plantation and heath.
Cycling Loop
My last foray on the bicycle lasted ca. 3 hours and had 33.5 kms. The first part runs along the back road through pine forests, which is tarmac but a bit rough, towards Hinojos, passing by the Camping Doñarrayan Park. From there a nice concrete cycling path winds its way towards Hinijos/A-474. Unfortunately, the way back is along the A-474 towards Almonte with all the traffic whizzing past. And then it’s 3 kms on our dusty camino.
Olive Harvest 2021 – How much did we make?
This was our 4th season at Finca Casa Halcón and sadly it was not the best. This was due to the bad weather and the wind beating the blossoms off the trees in April and the whole harvest of the Verdial olives was condemned as a new type of fly got into them, so they went as oil olives, which is a very small payment of €40 cents per kilo as opposed to €85 cent/kilo, which we should have had.
This year, as last year, we brought in Moroccan workers to help with the harvest, as it needs to happen quickly to prevent the olives from turning black.
We received two top-ups after the main payment, as our agents sell the produce and then hand on the increase in price, when the market price is good. We are happy about this system. All in all, our olives received a premium for being clean (no leaves), disease-free (due to the spraying against the olive fruit fly and the olive leaf spot disease which is caused by fungus Spilocea oleaginea) and size. Because we have a relatively small amount of fruit on the trees our fruit tends to be bigger, even without watering. We were paid 85 cents per kilo for the Manzanillas and €1.10 euro for the Gordal and 40 cents/kg for the molinos, the black olives.
Looking at our figures, it means we made no profit last year if we take the cost of spraying and labour off, in fact we lost money.
Our overall yield increases slightly each year, due to the constant pruning and cutting back and it will be another few years to really be optimal, as we had to cut a lot of diseased wood out and therefore our trees are carrying less leaf mass.
Our first year, 2017, we just arrived on this unkempt, overgrown finca and proceeded to take the olives down without having a clue. The amount was not so bad, as no pruning had taken place and it was a good year. In 2018 we started pruning, but we harvested ourselves and took forever to take all olives down, three months in fact, and they turned black, so we didn’t get paid a lot.
In 2019 the guy with the sprayer let us down and the trees got diseased. It was absolutely horrendous to see the leaves dropping off and the fruit turn into squelchy brown blobs. Now, that did teach us that our location is a rather humid place with a lot of morning dew, that can bring on the fungal disease, if not preventative treated with a copper fungicide. The spraying with a copper sulphate or copper hydroxide is even allowed under organic standards and needs to be carried out here at least four times a year. Fortunately, the application of the insecticide against the fruit fly only happens once in the year. Although, now that a new variety of fruit fly later in the season has attacked the Verdial, there might be another treatment due.
So although the olive is a rather easy crop, as it does not carry thorns, does not need irrigation (although some farmers do), regrowth is vigorous, is self-pollinating and native to here, it has its problems and like all agricultural crops, the money is not hectic. The yield changes from year to year and there is a lot of annual manual pruning required.
enjoyingcuttingstackingWarmth from olive wood
Best of all then, because the black olives only get a payment of 30-40 cents a kilo, as opposed to 80-100 cents a kilo for the green olives, Nigel now uses some of the black olives to make olive oil, which attracts a premium price of €30 a liter!
He does this what I call the stone-age way. In a 25-liter tub he simply stamps on the olives and let the mash sit until the oil comes to the top and drains it off. Then the oil is let to settle and he drains it off several times to get rid off the organic bits that collect in the bottom of the bottle. The simplest method instead of filtration. No machines involved, just honest-to-goodness manual, or in this case, pedipus work.
Well, at least that was what he has been offered by an ex- Almonteña, who now is a chef in a restaurant in France. He now sells the liter of home-made olive oil for €20.There is only 8 liters of the stuff, so it’s a rarity.
And of course we have the lovely olive wood keeping us warm in the winter and a delightful fire on in the chimney at night in the winter months.
Second Hand Furniture – Restore – Reuse
Our local scrap merchant, MetAlmonte is a treasure trove for used anything and everything, big or small, from forks, plates, garden gates, cement mixers, wash machines, mattresses, bicycles, garden ornaments, tables, chairs, chains, curbstones, you name it , he has it at some point.
This is our first port of call, and if he does not have it, well, then there are other alternatives or buy it new.
When we moved in, we had an assembly of old tables, but not a single chair, so we sat on the stairs or an upturned bucket while we were working to rejuvenate the olive trees, setting up the gardens or renovating the house. Then we were given used garden plastic chairs, which I painted in primary colours and we still have them.
We bought a lot of our (new) furniture locally in Almonte, helping the economy and transport is easy. Some electrical items are cheaper in Carrefour, but their customer service leaves a lot to be desired.
For our outside terraces we by second hand sturdy stuff, as I ordered once a seating arrangement online and it turned out to be a disaster, disintegrating after only 6 months!
Madrid – Toledo
In February we got away for two nights to research the possibility of buying either a caravan or a camper to drive to Ireland and other places in another few years. The internet told me there were major businesses around Madrid, Malaga and Barcelona. So we went north to explore.
What we learned was that due to the Corona restrictions imposed during the last two years, people preferred to travel independent of hotels and airports and also to keep their distance to other travellers and so the market for campers and caravans of all sizes is booming.
So much so, that the Germans come to Spain to buy a camper and manufacturers can’t keep up with the production. To order a bespoke camper you need to wait at least two years and any second hand caravans or campers are immediately snapped up.
With the price of new and even second hand campers we were quoted, that idea is a non-runner.
Casa Halcon at night under the full moon, peaceful and quiet
Life as a Guesthouse owner
After three years of opening our home to complete strangers, we have many tales to tell.
What seems to be on repeat is that some guests stop in from of our neighbours gate, just after passing ours, with the name Casa Halcón written in big letter. This gateway is also as the main photo on booking.com, where the majority of our guests book. And yet, they phone me up and ask to be let in and that there are some big dogs.
It is true; our neighbours have four humoungus mastins and a sign that says ‘Finca La Tremosilla’.
I can only guess that just because they do not see a house through our gate, they keep going to the next one with a house.
We also have the occasional worker staying here in the single beds room for a single-person rate. The last one also called for help, and then at 22.00 he asked for food. So I made him two toasted sandwiches and a salad.
I was up the next morning shortly after six to prepare breakfast for our guests that booked a tour through the Doñana National Park. These buses leave at 8.00, so breakfast needs to be ready at 7.00.
In between I receive bookings, make contact on Whatsapp to give directions, receive phone calls, make beds, clean rooms and go shopping, cook lunch and sometimes dinner for guests and tend to the garden.
Nigel’s part is to make the guests relaxed, make sure the lights are on outside at night, the gate is unlocked in the morning and sometimes he cooks an Irish breakfast and plays the guitar and sings. He also lovingly keeps the lawn watered and luscious green, a nod to the green fields in Ireland.
So here guests get individual attention and even entertainment. We only have the three bedrooms for rent, but six strangers coming and going every day can be quite exhausting and it is basically a 14-hour job for me and Nigel clocks in more time as the night porter, waiting up until all guests are in their beds.
More excitement is provided every year by the forest fires, this was only 800m down the road from us. Thanks to Steffi, our neighbour calling the fire brigade immediately it was brought under control quickly.
The road to Mazagon , The further you go, the farther you are away….
The kilometer signs from Almonte to Mazagon on the Camino de los Cabezudos are a bit confused. They tell you it us 32 kms to Mazagon, the next signs says 35 kms, then we are down to 28 kms only to go up to 30 kms again.
This road goes through the national park area and sports 53 speed bumps. Otherwise it would be a quick drive to Mazagon, the seaside town with a yacht harbour.
We went there on a Monday after the guests left to have some tapas and a drink in the small bar, but it was closed. So we just watched the small boats and some fishing vessels coming in and going out. It was the most relaxing time, as they glided slowly on the water, it was mesmerizing. Even the unloading of the incoming fishing boat had to happen slowly as the bins were heavy and full of fish and ice water.
Now is high season for the tourists, but there in the harbour was nobody, so I really got to chill.
Later we went for a meal and spent an hour on the beach to round off the day. From the beach in Mazagon you can see the tankers of oil waiting to come in. Every day several are lined up on the horizon to supply Spain with oil and gas.
Isla Cristina
dig
dig
Impressions of the salt marshes and a tired dog.
This island is connected via bridges to the mainland, seven kilometres from the Portuguese border and has, according to Huelva turismo, eleven beaches, the marshes, marismas, protected nature reserves and salt flats, and more important one of Spain’s most important fishing harbours.
We like the contrast to our olive groves and agricultural land uses. It is interesting to see the rather small fishing boats getting ready to go out to sea. It will take them over an hour to go along the channel to reach the Atlantic sea.
There are numerous restaurants that serve the daily landed fish; it is hard to make a choice. We selected a smaller place away from the crowds in the centre not far from the actual fish market.
Beware of the whole fish, the price is per kg and you do not know the price before the fish is on the plate! We had fried anchovies as a starter, tuna in tomato sauce, some sea food croquettes and a sole, a flat fish with a very delicate flavour, which costs itself the princely sum of €25. Altogether we spent €53, which we might do twice a year to treat ourselves.
Here is a little story in photos of fishermen boarding to go to sea. It is amazing how many people it takes to bring in the fish from the sea. At the end there were twelve men on board.
a few men boarding
more men on board
quite e few in a small boat
rowing to the fishing vessel
that makes more sense
here come the barrels
finally ready to go to sea
fishing boats heading out to sea at 8pm
barrels for fish
More Guesthouse Stories:
When The Sun Gets Too Much
We had just had our first serious heat wave of this year with temperatures of over 45 degrees, in the shade.
And yes, of course the Sahara is not far, about 850 kms and we are in the South of Andalucia. It just depends how you deal with those sorts of temperatures that feel as if the hot breath of a dragon breathes upon you. That is the reason why we have siesta and everything shuts down from 14.00-18.00.
Even our solar system that depends on the sunlight to generate our electricity had enough and shut down. The fault message was 2: overheating, even though it sits in a shed with door and window open. There was a slight panic as we had four guests in the house that did not wanted to leave the premises and preferred to rest. And we could provide no water as the pump (for toilets and taps) did not run, no fans worked and the fridge and freezer were also off.
In the case of bad weather, no sun or if the need for electric heaters arises we have a generator. Unfortunately this is directly connected to the solar inverter so it starts automatically when the battery bank is low on wattage.
In our case we had more than enough power generated but it was not delivering into the house or anywhere as the inverter took a well needed break. This prevents the system from overheating even further.
We tried cleaning the fan of the inverter box, switching off the whole system, fanning the control unit and praying to the Holy Virgin of El Rocio. After about four hours she heard us and all suddenly sprang to life again.
To keep me from panicking I started preparing the dinner for six. Cooking does relax me, it takes concentration and if the end result is pleasing for all concerned then this is time well spent.
And after all that we got a very glowing review in booking.com, so our efforts paid off.
What did we learn?
There is a reason why a solar powered system needs a back up, just in case. In most places it is the connection to the grid, in our case it is the generator. We will now add a direct line from the generator to the house, circumventing the solar control unit. So in future we have total control when we want the generator to take over; which is probably a smart move for when we need to carry out work on the system like replacing the batteries, the control unit or for repair.
A Case of Mistaken Identity
This August we hardly have a day without guests coming or going or staying. It is not always possible for the two of us to go away, unless the guests have a key, which we only give out to guests that stay longer than one night.
For Sunday we were invited to a ‘pool party’ at Tina’s to give a farewell to our German friend’s son and girl friend. As Nigel did not want to miss his favourite football team’s match, we decided to split our attendance. I would go earlier and then return when his game was over, so he could go, so then there would always be one of us at home.
I gave him instructions about the two couples that would arrive that afternoon and where to put them, the Italians upstairs and the Madame, Spanish, downstairs in the room with private bathroom. I went happily on my way, promptly taking the wrong exit for Tina’s house and taking another twirl down the motorway when my mobile rang. The first guests had arrived and where sitting in front of the closed gate. I instructed them to open it by hand and called Nigel, three times. Another call from the guests, they could not get in. I told them Nigel was coming to open, but I still had not reached him. More heat then was already in the car crept up my body.
Where was he? Fallen asleep in front of the TV? This would not be surprising as he puts himself on night porter duty every night, staying up until all guests have returned to lock the gate and switch off lights.
I tried again, no answer. Then I ask our guests where exactly they were? They sent a photo of the entrance on Whatsapp. It was our neighbour’s gate, again.
What is it about people? Our gate has the name ‘Casa Halcón’ in big letters on it. A photo of it is on Booking.com’s website. What else can we do?
By the time they had reversed I had finally spoken with Nigel; he had been out given water to the horses and naturally did not see a car.
Anyway, all was now sorted, or so I thought. Shortly after I arrived at Tina’s and after a cool drink of cucumber soup I checked in with Nigel to see if all went well. Yes, he showed them the room upstairs and they were happy.
And then the Italians arrived on a motorbike. Well, he is Italian, she from Paraguay. It turned out Giuseppe had lived and worked in Ireland for 20 years and he and Nigel hit it off at once.
So they took the bottom bedroom with private bathroom. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately for them, this was not what they had booked. Nigel had switched them around because he maintained the first fellow definitely looked Italian, but was Spanish.
When I came home later that night they were all happily sitting outside, chatting. Which is all very well, but when you pay twenty Euros extra to ensure you have a private bathroom and discover somebody else had been given this room, you want an explanation.
In fairness, they were very nice about it. They asked if it was a fault with booking.com. No, I replied, it’s a fault with Nigel assuming things and not asking. So I let them have drinks and breakfast gratis and in the end they left us a really good review. They even said they would return. He acts as a bodyguard to politicians and even showed us his badge and gun. He was used to bringing it around with him, a habit that he cultivated due to the ETA threats from years back.
our entrance
Priests Having Lost Their Way
We have all kinds of people and couples here, in all sorts of combinations, from all sorts of countries. And then there were the two priests in the big double bed….
They could have booked the single beds, but the Spanish do seem to see all things catholic a bit different. I prefer this to the cleric putting their hands on children any day, but we should not jump to conclusions either. They were to go praying to Almonte in the evening, where the Paloma Blanca, the venerated Virgin of El Rocio still resides, according to Nigel because she has not been given the jab, the Covid vaccine.
On the way back they must have decided to take the scenic route and then relied on Google maps for a shortcut home. They must have been back at around 2.30 in the morning. Nigel met them at 8.00 on the stairs and they asked for his help to tow their car out of an olive grove, where it was safely sitting in sand. With the help of the jeep he got them out, but how and where they got into this place was a mystery as it was fully fenced and Nigel had to find a place to open the thorny wire fence.
Rio Tinto
Sometimes we get away on a Sunday or Monday evening, when no more guests are expected and explore more wonderful places around here.
The last outing was to the Rio Tinto, which is a red river that ends in Huelva port. Nigel brought me to the Embalse de Corumbel Bajo, a reservoir forty minutes from us. It is quite pretty and this is where the mountains start. From there he went off-road on a track that goes up and down and around and ends along the railway line, which transported minerals and metals from the mines to the harbour in Huelva. Part of the line is dismantled, parts have been turned into a Via Verde, a cycling path, and some parts are still intact.
It is a fascinating place with its many colours of reds, rusts, browns and yellows. Mineral deposits can be seen where the water recedes and old workings, going back to Roman times, are also still in place. There is so much more to discover along the Rio Tinto and we will have many more explorations. In fact, in the spring Nigel cycled with Robert on their mountain bikes from Bollullos up to the mountains and along the Rio Tinto over some of the old railway bridges and it was none so pleasant I am told.
artificial pond
red iron disolved
mineral deposits
fishing cove?
the author
Rio Tinto
And then we went for some delicious tapas in La Palma De Condado, a small bar that was a meeting place for the pensioners, but they still served us ;0). As usual we were way too early , but after an hour the place was full.
We are trying to discover all places of interest to tourists visiting the area. So one Sunday we set off to discover if there are any further points to access the beach. We stopped at a place called Acantilado del Asperillo, meaning ‘bitter cliff’. I am not sure this is the actual translation as often words and expressions here are very much local and no translation can be found in dictionaries. The area has a car park and is accessed through a gate. And then you can walk up and down on sandy paths through pines, scrubland (maquis) until you get to see the dunes and the coast. It is not an easy walk and some people come to mountain bike there as we could see by the tracks. There is no access to the beach, but a grand view over the coast when you scale the dunes.
Culinary Delights
We had a lovely young couple staying for two nights here. She was from India, he was from London but has Indian parents. He was engaged in the Brexit negotiations regarding agriculture as an assistant negotiator and she was starting a PhD in business. We had very interesting conversations at the dinner table. One evening Sughanda made us a nice authentic Indian dinner and the following night I cooked us a vegetarian three-course meal. It is nice to have strangers become friends and we learn so much about what goes on in the world without it being filtered through a news medium.
Almond-Pumpkin Cake
This is one of the loveliest cakes I have ever tasted, not because I baked it, but because I can actually enjoy it, as it is gluten free, lactose free and even fat free. Additionally it has my favourite cinnamon and spice flavour, is moist and easy to make. This is an adapted recipe, because what I found on the internet was either too complicated or had lard as an ingredient or no actual pumpkin. Ok, yes, you do have to make the pumpkin jam first. But I am working on a version where you could also use peach puree or other fruity ingredients.
Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients for 2 cups
15-ounce can (425 g) pumpkin puree or 3 pound pumpkin
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or fresh root
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups (425 g) granulated sugar
(I also like to add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.)
Instructions
Combine pumpkin puree, orange juices, spices, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat until the mixture begins to boil. Continue to cook while stirring constantly for 10 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to sterile glass jars, seal and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
The jam will keep for up to 3 months stored in the refrigerator.
If you don’t have canned pumpkin, you’ll need to cook and puree the fresh pumpkin first. Then measure out 15-ounces to be used in the jam. A 3-pound pumpkin should yield enough puree for the recipe.
Almond Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients (for 8 portions)
150 grams brown sugar (or light brown)
5 eggs, beaten
200 grams ground almonds
1/3 cup (4 tbsp.) pumpkin jam.
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
Almond flakes to sprinkle on top.
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Beat eggs and sugar together until frothy.
Add everything else and mix until creamy.
Transfer to cake form (I love my silicon forms as nothing ever sticks to them),
Sprinkle almond flakes on top.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes.
Now that all, and this time I mean all, olives are finally taken down, we have time for other things; although Nigel of course is always busy pruning the trees and cut fire wood from that. In our climate zone this is now gardening season for leafy greens and root vegetables. So I am out to tend to the now exploding encroachment of weeds, which are lovely wild flowers when they are in the right place.
I even managed to sow courgettes, of which two are producing fruit! The peppers are also still continuing and I have peas, french beans and a huge amount of rocket, from my own seed, growing. There is also lettuce, onions, garlic and beetroot, kohlrabi, sweet potato, carrots and leeks coming on.
This year my olive pickling has gone upmarket a notch with a gadget that scores the olives so that the soaking period is greatly reduced, the bitterness also and the finished result should be a lot milder than last years product.
Criminal Activity
I won’t go into the (other) C-Word, suffice to say that we are all confined to our communities, not allowed to travel without a good reason, like work or medical appointments, to other towns or provinces. We are however privileged in so far, as our community encompasses not only Almonte, but also El Rocio and Matalascañas. So we are allowed to walk the beach.
Out of reach is Lidl, which is in Bollullos, but I needed to stock up on our magnesium supplements and wanted to say goodbye to our Schwedish-German friends. Since Robert cycled over to return Nigel’s bike and I dropped him off half way I figured I might as well go the whole way and sneak into Bollullos the back way, using the agricultural caminos. All worked well, I had a coffee with Karin, his wife, and nearly got stuck in a huge puddle on the way back.
Out of reach of course is Sevilla and Huelva. Luckily I had my main clothes shopping done before the lock-down. But I had tickets purchased online way back in October for a nice intimate Candlelight concert ‘Bandas Sonoras’ at the Fundación Tres Culturas del Mediterráneo and after hearing our Italian guests and our neighbour travelling the country with no problems, no check-points, I was determined to see that concert. Yes, I am a non-believer or Querdenker, as they call people in Germany that do not believe this virus justifies such stringent restrictions of people’s life to the detriment of the economy, or more important, their livelihoods and generally being human to each other.
The other reason is that the concert operators were instructed by the government not to scrap the performance but merely change the time to afternoon rather than evening, all safety measures of course in place like mask wearing, 2 meter distance and temperature check.
Anyhow, Steffi and I set off on a Sunday and the roads were deserted. It was like after an apocalypse had taken place. The venue was at the outskirts our side, so we did not have to traverse the whole city. Opposite the lovely Arabian-style hall was a cafe, full of families enjoying a nice, sunny autumn afternoon, common sense was prevailing. As you can see from the photos it was a really nice, safe and wonderful experience, four musicians playing tunes from famous films transporting us away from the madness for a little while, soothing the soul. Condemn me if you will, but I have no regrets, (which would probably be different if we would have been stopped and fined), but I am happy to have been able to support those artists and they were delighted of the crowd of about fifty people to have turned up.
In December it is time here to pay the taxes for our vehicles and house and the land. For that we had to make an appointment in the local tax office and receive the dockets, this year to be paid in the bank. The banks seem to have a lot of extra responsibility other than taking your money, loaning you more and selling insurance. They are also involved in taking your tax payments. In our bank this is only possible up to 10.30 am. And at that time the queue is usually so long that it would take over two hours. I tried their banking machine outside, without success. While walking up to the post office I spotted another banks laser light bar code reader (ours didn’t have that) and proceeded to get the business done.
Then we heard it – English spoken, with a Northern Irish accent, here in Almonte! You never hear much English here, the place is shared between the local Spanish, Romanians, Moroccans and Germans, never English.
We hung around until the lady had finished her mobile phone call and Nigel walked up to her, saying “What a nice Irish accent you have.” “Yes, straight from Ballymena, County Antrim.” What a surprise, the same town Nigel hails from. Well, he wasn’t going to let her get away and invited her for a chat and some tapas, which we had planned on having anyway.
Nigel even got to chat to her father on the phone then, running through names of the Ballymena football teams from over forty years ago. And since Roisin herself was happy to have found someone to talk to in her language amidst the Arabic, Spanish and Romanian we brought her to our finca for a nice cup of tea I was going to say, but in fact it was a Gin & Tonic on the terrace. She was delighted to have found someone to share her story and background with, and so is Nigel as she can reconnect him to the place he has left at nineteen years of age, over forty years ago.
The Casa Halcon Diary 