Today, I've walked for nearly 6 hours.

I haven't played a full round of golf since Christmas when my brother was here. I've done a couple of 9 holes but that's all. Not because I've gone off golf but at the beginning of the year we had such strong winds it was pointless trying to play and so I got out of the routine.

Before playing golf I take the dogs for a long walk so that they settle while we are out. Somehow, when it's still dark in the mornings, it's easier to stay in bed. But it's now daylight by 7.30am and so I made a determined effort this morning to get up early, walk the dogs and then intended to play 9 holes and work my fitness back up to doing a full 18 over the next couple of weeks.

So, that was half an hour walking with the dogs and then 2 hours to do 9 holes, only I was enjoying my golf so I carried on to do the back 9. Now, as all golfers know the game is about 50% skill 40% concentration and 10% luck. Well, I certainly had some luck today. On the long Par 5 14th we have a ravine in front of an elevated green. I managed to get about 70 yards before the ravine and took an 8 iron. I hit a beautiful shot that dropped just short of the green, hit the rocky wall at the back of the ravine, bounced backwards and hit off the rocks on the front edge of the ravine and ricocheted up into the air and dropped at the back of the green - on for 4! Down in 2 putts, thank you very much - 3 points! ( I get 2 shots on the 14th)

I finally finished with 30 points and every joint in my body aching. I was exhausted but feeling very pleased to have completed the full course for the first time this year.

Our course isn't overly long but it is very hard to walk. Earlier this week a new friend went out for a game with the guys. He's half the age of the regulars and despite being advised to take a buggy, when he heard that everyone else was walking decided he would too. Well, he found it tough and once back at the villa, he slept for the remainder of the day. I never understand why people don't listen to advice about buggying.

Once home, I collapsed into the hot tub for about an hour to try and ease the aches and pains. Then I realised we were going out for dinner tonight so the pups would be left for a couple of hours so would need another good walk before we went out. I wandered down to the front, along the prom and then back up and realised we'd been out for an hour so all in all I've walked for about 6 hours today. Fortunately it was all in circles otherwise I'd be a long way from home by now!

I'm off to collapse into bed now.

Burying the Sardine!

Shrove Tuesday is well known as the eve of lent and in the UK we traditionally have pancakes - but do you know why? Well, the BBC website says.....

According to Christian beliefs, Lent commemorates Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness, and observant Christians mark this period by fasting. So Shrove Tuesday was cleverly invented to use up the ingredients that were given up for Lent - milk, butter and, particularly, eggs - which may not be eaten again until Easter. (Presumably that's why we gorge ourselves silly on Easter Eggs)


Pasted from <http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/news_and_events/events_pancakes.shtml>



So, in keeping with tradition we have had pancakes tonight - and we even made a smaller pancake for the pups - and boy, did they enjoy the treat!



I decided I should have a look at what is traditional in Spain on the eve of lent. There are Carnivals all over Spain in the run up to lent, as the Spanish enjoy a good party and if they are going to be giving up for lent, they have several days of partying ending on Shrove Tuesday. It was then I came across the ceremony of Burying the Sardine! or to give it it's correct title
El Entierro de la Sardina.

There are 2 different stories as to the origin of this tradition, yet no one seems to know for sure when one is true. The first story dates back to the XVII century, when Charles III, King of Spain, who wanted to celebrate the end of the festival with the commoners, ordered sardines and wine to be served at the countryside picnic. The weather that day was hot, very typical at the time of year, and the sardines began to smell foul due to the heat. The people wanted to get rid of the bad smell and realized the only way to achieve that was to bury them. The king consented to this. The people wept at the thought of no longer getting free food and having to begin the observant period of abstinence.

The other story goes that in past years when Cuaresma was dutifully observed by all, a breed of pig called “sardine” was buried on the first day of this Saintly period, in representation of the meat they would have to forfeit eating during the religious observation period. This pig’s breed name sardine became popular.

What follows next depends on the city celebrating the burial. Cities that are not near water do not bury the sardine, they burn it in a symbolic cremation, similar to Valencia’s cremá de las Fallas. In cities nearer the sea or rivers, the sardine is buried or it may also be burned. Its “ashes” are scattered into the sea, or it is taken out to the open ocean on a boat symbolizing the sardine’s return “home” and the close of the carnival festivities.
Pasted from <http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/fiestas/entierrodelasardina.asp>

I think I'll stick with the pancakes.

Ever get that feeling that no matter how hard you try it's never enough?

Craig & Kelly have just gone back to a cold chilly UK after spending a few days with us. We did manage a few days of warm sunny weather and on the day they went home they even managed a few hours on the beach and braved the cold sea long enough to take a photo.

They arrived in time to celebrate Valentine's Day with us and we had a fantastic Valentine's dinner and dance at our local Bistro - Danny & Annika prepared a fabulous meal - the starter of salmon and asparagus was even arranged to look like a flower on the plate. We had decided we were going to get glammed up for the evening as there are not many excuses to put on a posh frock and Kevin turned up in full Kilt ensemble - and we have to acknowledge that none of us are in any doubt anymore what may or not be worn under a kilt! I don't think Kelly will ever get over the image!

Sunday was always scheduled as a quiet day due to the anticipated excessive levels of alcohol that would be drunk on Saturday night but Craig had asked if we could do some sight seeing while they were over. Knowing that the waterpark would be closed as it's still too cold, I asked a few people for a suggestion and was told Mini-Hollywood would be worth a visit.

Now for those of you old enough to remember the Spaghetti Western's you may not be aware that they were filmed very close to us in Almeria due to the desert like conditions. About an hour away from us is a Theme Park based on the filming of these westerns - A Fist Full of Dollars, A Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad The Ugly, etc and there is a Western Town where the cowboys come out of the salon and have shoot-out's etc. It's said to be a good day out.

So, all recovered from the weekends excesses we decided we would take a drive there on Monday. As we drove inland we came across lots of the Pine Trees which have the problem with Processional Caterpillars and we could see all the nests we had previously only read about on the internet and could see that some areas have a big problem with them.

Anyway, an hours driving brought us to Mini-Hollywood and as we drove into the car park we got the feeling that something was wrong - mainly due to us being the only car there. Yep, it is currently only open at weekends, doesn't open during the week until April. So, we decided to take the road back to Mojacar and have some lunch by the beach. Normally it only takes half an hour to get to Mojacar - this time it was over 2 hours, hey ho - anyone can get it wrong.

We had done our usual tour on Saturday and after the market we had gone to sit in the square at Aguilas for coffee and told Craig & Kelly how busy it is at night and how they may want to come in one evening to try a few of the bars and get a feel for the vibrant night life.

So, Monday having been a bit of disappointment, they decided they would have a night out that night. We took them into Aguilas at 9pm as the Spanish don't tend to go out any earlier and told them to ring us when they were ready to come home, no matter how late!

It was a bit of a surprise to us when they rang less than 2 hours later to say they were ready to come home. But, as we drove into Aguilas it soon became obvious why they were not wanting to stay too late - the town was absolutely dead, it was like a ghost town. With Carnival week only a few days away the locals were obviously all staying at home and saving themselves for some serious carnival partying.

So Monday was definitely a bit of a write off.

Tuesday was a bit grey so I suggested we too a drive down the coast to Villaricos and had Menu del día at El Mar y Mar, where they do an excellent lunch including wine for about €12. As we approached the restaurant I got that deja vu feeling as the car park was empty - yes, it is closed on Tuesdays! So it was back to the villa for one of Neil's currys. We stayed local on Tuesday Night and had a few drinks in La Venta.

I had been promising all week that Wednesday would be sunny and true to form the sky was clear blue and the sun was warm. We were all set for a Barbecue about 5ish before we took Craig & Kelly back to the airport. After a couple of hours on the beach they were chilling in the hot tub when we got a call from friends to say they were going in to Aguilas for Fish & Chips - did we want to go. When I asked the others, Kelly said she really fancied Fish & Chips so we put all the BBQ stuff in the freezer for another day and set off to meet the others at 4.00pm. Now, we've all been for fish & chips a number of times so you would think one of us would know that the kitchen is closed beteen 4 & 7pm, wouldn't you? But did we think about it? No - we all turned up only to find that the BBQ had been the better option. Of course now there wasn't enough time to do the BBQ before going to the airport so it was a quick baguette and off.

So, did they enjoy their few days in Spain? Well, they enjoyed the relaxation, they enjoyed the sun and they enjoyed the Valentines dinner - but they probably didn't enjoy the hours and hours spent in the car for no reason and they probably are firmly of the opinion that they came to Spain, and it was shut.

But we did try, honest!

February is Carnival time in our nearest town, Águilas

Spain is big on festivals and every town has it's own festival week. Our nearest town is Águilas, about 10 minutes away. This weekend see's the regatta at the harbour/marina - so we may see some of that tomorrow when we take a trip in after the market.

Then from the 18th February, Carnival week starts. Now, the only drawback to the Spanish festivals is some of them start so late at night - very often not until 11pm, so we are all going to need our siesta's in the afternoon in order to stay awake long enough to enjoy the parades. However, there will still be plenty to see if we decide to drive in.

One's to make an effort to see are:

FRIDAY 27TH: EXHIBITION OF CARNIVAL MAKE UP AND DRAG QUEEN CONTEST. 23.00 H. - Apparently this is a real scene to see.

SATURDAY 28TH: FOURTH CARNIVAL PROCESSION THROUGH THE TOWN AND IX NATIONAL COMPETITION OF CARNIVAL GROUPS

SEIZURE OF DON CARNAL IN THE PLAZA DE ESPANA FROM WHERE HE IS LED TO THE PONIENTE BEACH WERE HE IS EXECUTED BY FIRE. FOLLOWED BY A MAGNIFICENT FIREWORKS DISPLAY MARKING THE END OF THE CARNIVAL.

Time to get the camera batteries on charge I think!

Full list of events:

CARNIVAL FEBRUARY 2009


SUNDAY 15TH: “XV DUATHLON CARNIVAL OF AGUILAS” SPORT HARBOUR. 11.00 H. BOAT RACE. “VIII COMPETITION OF PAPER SUITS” FEDERATION OF PENAS

THURSDAY 19TH: “MUSSONA” PROCESSION FROM THE CASTLE TO PLAZA DE ESPANA 23.45 FIREWORKS 24.00 H.

FRIDAY 20TH: BATTLE BETWEEN CHILDREN SUPPORTERS OF DON CARNAL, DONA CUARESMA USING CONFETTI FILLED EGGSHELLS. INAUGURATION AND WELCOME SPEECHES BY A CELEBRITY, MUSA 2008 AND THE MAYOR. PLACE: PLAZA DE ESPANA. 21.30 H.
SALSA MUSIC FESTIVAL. PLAZA DE ESPANA 24.00 H.

SATURDAY 21ST: BATTLE BETWEEN ADULTS SUPPORTERS OF DON CARNAL, DONA CUAREMA USING CONFETTI FILLED EGGSHELLS. INAUGURATION AND WELCOME SPEECHES BY A CELEBRITY, MUSA 2008 AND THE MAYOR. PLACE: PLAZA DE ESPANA. 22.00 H.
SALSA MUSIC FESTIVAL. PLAZA DE ESPANA 24.00 H.

SUNDAY 22ND: FIRST CARNIVAL PROCESSION THROUGH THE MAIN STREETS OF THE TOWN BEGINNING AT 18.00 H.

MONDAY 23RD: SECOND CARNIVAL PROCESSION THROUGH THE TOWN. CARNIVAL CHOREOGRAPHY/DANCING COMPETITION. 17.00 H. NIGHTLY CARNIVAL COMPETITION

TUESDAY 24TH: THIRD CARNIVAL PROCESSION THROUGH THE TOWN 18.00 H.

FRIDAY 27TH: EXHIBITION OF CARNIVAL MAKE UP AND DRAG QUEEN CONTEST. 23.00 H.

SATURDAY 28TH: FOURTH CARNIVAL PROCESSION THROUGH THE TOWN AND IX NATIONAL COMPETITION OF CARNIVAL GROUPS

SEIZURE OF DON CARNAL IN THE PLAZA DE ESPANA FROM WHERE HE IS LED TO THE PONIENTE BEACH WERE HE IS EXECUTED BY FIRE. FOLLOWED BY A MAGNIFICENT FIREWORKS DISPLAY MARKING THE END OF THE CARNIVAL.

Maybe it's time for mañana to arrive.

It's been over a year since I stopped work and retired very, very young. It's been over 6 months since we packed up our house and moved over here. Since arriving we have done very little other than relax, get used to retirement and enjoy ourselves. We've made a few good friends, had a few drives around the area and I've managed to complete the Professor Layton & the Curious Village Nintendo DS game.

Apart from registering on the padron which we had to do to buy the car....we have done zilch!

Once Christmas & New Year were out of the way I really began to feel I ought to be doing something. OK, so I am still working hard at my Spanish and I'm starting to see lots of progress but what about the important things like...

... isn't it time we registered with a doctor out here - and then a little thought trickles through my mind about what happens to our medical records from the UK, where will they be?

... isn't it time we started to look at our residency situation....... at the moment we aren't really residents of either country - and we need to belong somewhere. We will always be UK citizens but residency is a different thing.

... and isn't it time I sorted the dogs microchip details out so that if they did go missing they would be returned to us here in Spain and not shipped back to Sheffield.

While there will always be tomorrow and we have embraced the spanish attitude with open arms - maybe it's time I stopped being on holiday and started living here.

Well, I'll have a think about it....... mañana!

Danger: Processional Caterpillars & others.

There are a number of nasties from the insect world in Spain, but theProcessional Caterpillars are a real terror and I've just been made aware that they are here and living in trees on our campo where we all walk our dogs.

I first became aware of these when doing research about moving to the south of Spain last year. The Eye on Spain website http://www.eyeonspain.com/ is full of useful information about moving and living in Spain and someone who lives about half an hour away from us in Vera had posted that she had come across these caterpillars while out walking and her dog had been affected. Fortunately they had taken him to the vets quickly where he was treated and was OK.

Taken from http://www.practicalspain.com/spanish-arthropods.htm

Caterpillars (Processional Pine Caterpillars)

Pine Caterpillars (Latin name thaumetopoea pityocampa) are probably one of the most unpleasant creatures you will find in Spain, certainly in areas where pine trees grow in abundance. They are found throughout the warmer regions of Southern Europe, the Near East and North Africa. As well as causing much damage to pine forests, they are a major danger to animals and, to a lesser degree, human beings.

Do not touch them. Warn your children that they are not like the

friendly English caterpillars. The very fine hairs on these creatures

are poisonous and most dangerous. They can be seen living in silk

cocoon style nests hanging in the pine trees to which they are most

harmful, stripping them of their pine needles.

When hungry, they leave their cocoon to seek another uninfested tree on which to feed. They travel nose to tail in a line, hence the name Processional. They are most noticeable from January to mid April and are at their most dangerous in mid/late February. The caterpillars are often seen in the evenings, walking in procession from tree to tree.

If they drop onto you or your pet, don't brush them off with your hands because the effect is most unpleasant, causing great irritation, rash and pain. Dogs, cats and people can suffer from shock. The hairs of the caterpillars are still virulent even when the creatures are dead. Do not hit them with sticks because hairs flying in the air are just as dangerous. Burn them, but be careful of floating hairs. If the caterpillars are in the tree cocoon state, first spray the nest with hair spray (to seal down the hairs), cover the cocoon and the affected part of the branch with a plastic bag, cut down the branch, place it on clear ground and burn it.

If the caterpillars are on the ground marching, it is better first to spray them with lighter fuel and then set them alight. This reduces the risk of flying hairs.Take care to only do this where you cannot inadvertently start a forest fire because during the summer months the undergrowth and trees are very dry.

If you live near pine trees, it is recommended that you keep Anti Histamine tablets handy as an early treatment. In particular, avoid ingesting the hairs. Dogs are most at risk by sniffing the ground where the caterpillars have marched.

Take particular care with your eyes. If affected the result is serious, causing pain and swelling similar to a bad case of conjunctivitis.

Treatment: If a person or animal shows signs of shock, get them to a doctor, hospital or vet immediately.

If you have children and are considering buying property, take the above details into consideration.

Golfing. When these caterpillars march across golf courses, play ceases immediately because it is too hazardous to try to clear them away.

Apparently here, February is the bad month for them so it looks like the pups will be going for walks well away from the campo (countryside) and will be staying on their leads to make sure they don't wander into a line of these accidentally. As soon as the threat of processional caterpillars is over we'll be starting towards the time for sand flies, another nasty for doggies.

From the same website:

Sand Flies (Leishmaniasis)

Your Pet Dog needs protection, otherwise it can be in serious danger
Dogs that regularly travel abroad may be exposed to Leishmaniasis (also known as Kala-Azar) which is carried from dog-to-dog by a bite from a Sand Fly.

The name 'Sand Fly' is misleading as the Sand Fly's natural habitat is in wooded and garden areas.

Dogs can be bitten up to 100 times an hour during the sand fly season which begins in May and ends in October. August is the worst month. The flies are mainly active between dusk and dawn. Early morning, 2 to 4am, is the worst period. They are not high flyers so your dog is better off in an upper room or flat at night. Fitting a preventative collar will protect your pet from approximately 95% of sand flies bites for the whole season. Dogs left out in the garden as security guards are particularly at risk.

It is thought that there may be very rare suspected cases of the disease being passed to humans; this is currently being research by the World Health Authority.
Prevention: The best preventative treatment up to now is , "INTERVET" invented a year ago and based on mosquito repellents It is impregnated into a very effective collar called "SCALIBOR" (Yes, both ours have them and we renew tem every 4 months all year round - just to be on the safe side)

Please note, this collar lasts for one season only and needs replacing each May. Do not let children play with the collar, we have also found the smell somewhat unpleasant.

See your Vet about a collar before you travel to Spain. Mosquito repellents, sprays and some mosquito nets etc help to keep them out of the house. These flies are very tiny.

Things that the owner can do to prevent are:
Keep the dog inside the house when the sun starts to set, and keep toilet breaks short before bedtime.
Don't give night walks where water runs
Use of mosquito nets to keep flies out of the house.

There have been very few cases of Leishmaniasis "Kala-Azar" in Spain. When they occur they can be fatal if not treated.

And while we're on nasty beasties we also need to be aware of heartworm's in dogs. Again, this is found in warmer climates where mosquito's are found and again I owe my knowledge of it's existence from postings on the Eye on Spain forum. The disease is transmitted to dogs by mosquito's.

Heartworm - taken from http://www.pethealthinfo.org.uk/dogs/health_heartworm.html

Heartworm is a severe, often fatal, disease spread from host-to-host by mosquito bites. It can affect dogs, cats and foxes. In Western Europe, heartworm is particularly prevalent in southern France, Spain, Italy and the Mediterranean.

Symptoms take many months to several years to develop and include a cough, lethargy, weight loss and loss of condition.

Heartworm is caused by a parasitic roundworm called Dirofilaria immitis which is spread from dog to dog by mosquito bites. The parasite travels through the bloodstream and in the final stages of its lifecycle, resides in the heart of its host. The parasite can kill its host through congestive heart failure.

Unfortunately, treatment is often costly and complex, so preventative measures are advisable if you’re travelling abroad with your pet. For further information, contact your vet.

A variety of preventative treatments are available to help avoid mosquito bites and eradicate heartworm. For further advice and information, contact your vet.

Well, I think that's enough scarey details for one post - but at least we can protect our beloved pups by knowing about these dangerous insects, thanks to the internet which allows such information to be shared.

Roman Night - another chance to dress up!

Last week was Roman Night at our local bar. They have a themed night every month so that they can try different foods on us. This time they had been researching Roman foods on the internet so we would be have chicken and stuff cooked as it would have been hundreds of years ago.

Anyway, it was to be fancy dress. Now it was probable that most men would be draped in a spare bedsheet with a few leaves attached to their heads and going as Ceasar. I couldn't begin to think how the women would dress but always happy to join in we agreed we would sort out costumes for the evening.

As it happens my friend Lucy had bought a costume when she was up in Lorca at Christmas but the date of the dinner had been changed and she was unable to go, so she said I could borrow her dress. We're not dis-similar in height and size so fine - I was sorted, we just needed to get something for Neil - other than a bed sheet.

We decided to visit the Fancy Dress place in Lorca and see what they had. As always, it was last minute and so we had to hope they would have something suitable - and did they.

A Roman Centurian - oh, images of Brad Pitt in Troy sprung to mind!

We did have a small problem when we finally found the helmet -it was missing it's fine plume of feathers. No problem, we'd improvise with a red feather boa!

And so, we were set for the evening. And here's my Roman Centurian for the night, my Brad Pitt.

We were greeted by a sea of Ceasar's - All but one guy had opted for the bedsheet look. Here's out host for the evening - Danny.

The ladies seemed to have struggled a little with what Roman women would have worn as can be seen from these photos:

But I was fine, I had my lovely costume borrowed from my friend Lucy - maybe I should have tried it on before the night - it only just fit!

We all had a good night with good food, a lot of drink and a good laugh. Next party night is on February 14th, Valentine's Day.

What a cooking disaster!

Ok, so anyone that knows me knows I am no a cook, but I can survive. I could never bake a cake but used to be ok at pastry. Deserts are difficult but I can do stew - basically if I can chop it, slice it and bung it in an oven - it's usually edible. I say usually because I did once serve a stew with raw chicken to my Dad because I hadn't realised the oven hadn't been working . Yes, I know I should have noticed there were no homely cooking smells - but I didn't - OK?

So, I have been quite please at my recent cooking attempts using local produce, namely Kumquat jam with fruit from my own tree and Lemon Curd from lemons from a neighbouring villa. I have even given some of my lemon curd to friends who are coming back for more!

Word of my culinary skills with preserves has obviously spread and my new neighbour, who has a small orange tree asked me if I wanted some of the oranges for making marmalade. Now, although their tree is small, it has some really lovely large oranges on it and I was surprised that they didn't want them for juice, we certainly would if it was ours. Anyway, I explained that I had never actually had a go at marmalade but if I could find a simple recipe, I was willing to have a go. After all, what better way to start your day than to sit under the spanish sun on the sun terrace, sipping coffee and eating toast with real homemade marmalade from spanish homegrown oranges.

So, I Googled marmalade recipes by Mrs Beeton and found a really simple recipe - how could it go wrong? It doesn't mess with pectin to make it set, or anything silly - it is simply oranges, sugar & water. You can add a lemon to make it really special if you want to.

So, I gathered all my ingredients together yesterday, yes, including a lemon - after all let's aim for the best!

'Peel the orange and boil the skin for 2 hours' it said - easy. I can even manage to change the water the desired 3 times during boiling - not a problem.

Next take the juice and flesh from the oranges ready to add to the sugar. Messy but simple.

After the skins had been boiling for 2 hours I started the next stage. Add the water to the sugar and bring to the boil. Now this was an interesting part. I had 150ml of water and 900gms of Castor Sugar - you wouldn't think there was enough water - but it worked and all mixed together and melted down to a white syrup. The recipe said 'boil well and skim until clear' - now does that mean boil rapidly, or boil for a long time - and skim what? - the bubbles from the top or anything that looks like it shouldn't be there. And pay attention to the comment about boiling it 'until clear' - that's important later on.

Anyway, I boiled and I skimmed and it all seemed ok, but I wouldn't say it looked clear. So far it seemed to be going fine, if a little by chance.

THEN THE DOGS STARTED BARKING AND BARKING AND BARKING OUTSIDE.

It sounded like World War 3 was starting so I had no choice but to leave what I was doing and go and find out what the problem was.

No, of course I didn't leave the pan on the ring and have it boil over, neither did I leave it on the ring and burn the sugar - much too obvious. No, I thought to take it off the heat and leave it to one side while I went outside. When I came back I was presented with a pan with a rock hard pan-sized sugar cube in it.

Simple enough, I thought, I'll re-heat it and melt it again and pick up where I left off. Only this time it didn't melt back to a nice whitish liquid, it went treacle coloured.......

BUT IT WAS CLEAR!!!

Now, I'm not a cook, I didn't know it wasn't supposed to be this colour, it didn't say 'boil until pale and clear'.

Anyway, I carried on thinking it was all ok. I added my orange juice and pieces and the lemon juice and zest, boiled it for half an hour and poured it into a container for it to set.

And, to be fair to myself, it has the consistency of marmalade, it has the flavour of marmalade - after you've set fire to your toast.

But it has the appearance of Chutney.

Needless to tell you the shop bought marmalade is on the left. But I am nearly there, just the next time I try it (and yes, there will be a next time, I still have oranges left) I'll just let the dogs bark!