La Vida Serrana

2011-07-04T12:49:00.003+02:00

Mia Dabrowski and Laurence Creamer have just left for their honeymoon at Caños de Meca after a fabulous wedding weekend.

The weather was perfect; after a hot day the air cooled as the sun sank into the pink horizon, over densely forested misty blue hills.

Guitar music played as Daniel Dabrowski walked his daughter down the steps to the mown meadow where the wedding guests were waiting to hear Mia and Laurence take their vows. Melissa Marshall read "A Vow" by Wendy Cope and Hannah Roberts read "I Carry Your Heart" by EE Cummings.

After a romantic ceremony, bride and groom were joined by friends and relations for tapas and pink Castell de Vilarnau Cava on the terrace, before sitting down to hear the speeches from groom and best men Gregory Cooke and Robert Osbourn, before tucking into dinner (see my facebook page for the full menu details!)

2011-05-02T20:15:00.002+02:00

At last we have started working on the Finca Buenvino book, which will have a mixture of recipes, anecdotes and fabulous photographs by Tim Clinch (http://www.timclinchphotography.com), who will be running this year's food photography courses at the finca. Courses are filling, but we have a space or two left on our September course. To find out more got to http://www.naturallightnaturalfood.com

Autumn Activities; harvesting, cooking, eating and drinking!

2010-11-19T13:38:00.016+01:00

October was an interesting month; beautiful Indian summer weather punctuated with days of rain, made it the perfect time to start sowing the winter vegetable garden. Leeks, broccoli, broad beans, peas, and winter salads have gone in and are flourishing.

We were kindly invited to dine at Sally Clarke's restaurant in London, by our good friend Johnny Grey, the famous kitchen designer. The occasion was not only the celebration of 30 year's work in the Kitchen design field, but the launching of a new book of Elizabeth David recipes, At Elizabeth David's Table: Her Very Best Everyday Recipes, published by Jill Norman, in order to bring her recipes to a newer, younger audience.

After dinner, pheasant with apples, pears in red wine and spices, perfect madeleines and chocolate truffles, Jill Norman spoke of her friendship and years working with Elizabeth David, and I spoke, perhaps more flippantly about the early days, when Johnny and I met in that deeply mystical rural idyll which were the South Downs on the Hampshire/West Sussex border in those days of the early 70's.

Here's a short exerpt to give you a flavour of the place then.....there was something akin to a Withnail and I atmosphere to the cottage:

"In late 1970, I was lucky enough to be allowed to rent for a peppercorn, a knapped flint cottage which was hidden away in a secret fold of the Downs, near South Harting.

Except for a few alarming and boozy dinners with an angry cousin of Samuel Beckett who lived on the next hill, and carried with him a miasma of Soho drinking dens, it was very quiet on my side of the hill.

On spring days there was the silence of the bluebell woods and on winter nights the wind whispered it’s sinister Cold Comfort Farm type message through the kale fields which rose darkly to the horizon.

There was also a ghost apparently; a baby which cried in the cupboard from time to time, but it could only be heard by women so I wasn’t bothered.

After a quiet month or two I began to wonder where the action was. In spite of importing guests from London every few weeks, writers, photographers, art students and debutantes who veered towards hippiness, silence reigned supreme for 90% of the time. I could almost hear the weeds growing.

Over the busier weekends, my cooking skills improved; road-kill venison, arrived in the back of the police van and was butchered in the bathtub by the village bobby; it was cooked with cream and coffee and apple jelly; to be followed by wild plums stewed with vanilla, the juice thickened with egg yolks,and the whites beaten to a meringue with sugar, the whole, baked in the oven. Thick yellow raw Jersey cream came from a mad hatter of a woman down the road towards Nywood.

She took to bringing me cream and staying for a cocktail, her muddy boots leaving good clods of heavy clay down the passage to the living room. Undoubtedly these hills were filled with loons and strange passions."

So much for 1970-71 in an ancient cottage in West Sussex, now back to the Sierra de Aracena 2010.

This month is the month when HelpX saves our lives. We have the chestnut harvest to cope with, hills to clear of scrub, and now that the first rains have fallen we are allowed to have bonfires to get rid of the heaps of Cistus, Gorse, and Broom which have been uprooted from the damp earth. If allowed to run riot, these plants can take over the hillsides, grow to a height of almost two meters and become a dangerous fire hazard. Today we let out the sheep onto the cleared hillside, so that they can benefit from the chestnuts overlooked by the gatherers.

First arrivals were three graduates of Sewanee, the University of the South. Patrick, Matt and John were with us for a couple of weeks and worked hard on picking chestnuts during the early stage of the harvest, when the first nuts fell to the ground. Then came Mark and Melanie Slagle from Buffalo New York, both with great restaurant experience and an easy manner.IThey got down into the stream to find some of the biggest and roundest nuts, and are surely responsible for improving the overall quality of the pick! In Early November, the Dunphy family, Ed, Brenda, Jacob and Rebecca arrived from Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island they pretty much finished up the harvest, bringing the total to about 2 metric tonnes. Now we have Daniel and Adam, from Birmingham, Alabama, taking huge pride in the beautiful clear chestnut forest. This morning the smoke of their fires was wafting down the valley.

The chestnut trees have turned from yellow to red, and leaves are falling rapidly. The poplars along the stream bed are now bare of leaves. Nights are getting cold, and soon frost will put an end to what has been one of our best wild mushroom seasons. Boletus Edulis (Porcini), Caesar's Mushroom (Amanita Caesaria) and Saffron Milkcaps (Lactarius deliciosus) have been plentiful, and if the frost keeps away over the next two weeks, we should start finding chanterelles.

In early November we hosted a five day cookery holiday with Sue Clark and Joanie Ott from Denver, and Judy Lozier from St. Louis.

We were joined by Emma and Clive Gilbert from Sintra and we worked intently in the kitchen, but also had time to go down to Sanlucar de Barrameda and visit Javier Hidalgo's charming Bodega, and sample some of his fine La Gitana Manzanilla Sherry and his Napoleon Amontillado and Wellington VOS Palo Cortado.
The weather was wet and windy, and the swollen River Guadalquivir ran greyish brown with silt,where it emerges into the Atlantic Ocean.

Still we had a bright moment and were able to take some snaps in front of Restaurante Poma, where we had an excellent fish lunch. Gambas Blancas de Huelva, Sepia en su Tinto, Salmonetes a la Parilla, Puntillitas, all washed down with that fresh Cadiz white wine, Tierra Blanca, in which the Palomino grape is blended with Riesling, to give it a helping hand.

We also had a morning visit to Juan Mateos Arizón at Sanchez Romero Carvajal, in Jabugo. Here is a picture of him checking over the Jamón in the cellars.

25th-28th November 2010 we are expecting the arrival of London Chef and food and travel writer, Nick Balfe who is bringing a group of cooks for a long weekend of Spanish cooking using amongst other things, the local Jamón Iberico de Bellota.

For 2011 we are planning a new series of week-long workshops on food photography and styling. The courses will be run in spring and Autumn under the title Natural Light, Natural Food, and will be an extension to the courses already run in Gascony, France by well-known photographer Tim Clinch
at Kate Hill's Gascony farmhouse the centre for working with La Cuisine du Sud Ouest. This is the region for Agen Prunes, wonderful orchard fruits, Classic sweet wines such as Monbazillac, and pork and duck rillettes, various duck and goose products, such as foie gras, and confit....Heaven!

Our Natural Food, Natural Light courses will concentrate on the products of Andalucia and Southern Extremadura, which is very close to Finca Buenvino.

Dates for these courses and four our own cookery weeks or long weekends, will be published in this blog and our website shortly www.fincabuenvino.com

Skye Wedding

2010-10-14T12:15:00.002+02:00

Early October, and we flew up to Skye for Jack Elles' and Amy Russell's wedding. The weather was perfect; Skye was a dream; all golden mountains floating in a blue sky, the water of the sea inlets like a mirror. Jack and Amy run their own catering company, The Laughing Stock, and have a fleet of mobile catering vans. They attend Glastonbury, and the Edinburgh festival, where they did all the food at the Udderbelly venue.

Jeannie's Birthday

2010-06-18T12:02:00.002+02:00

The day started with a delicious breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled egg, coffee and Buck'sFizz on the terrace with the kids and Sophie Bligh from Australia, who was staying.

Then Surprise birthday barbecue up at the poolhouse, with 14 for lunch.

Oberesque Luggage!

2010-06-13T11:04:00.006+02:00

Just had to put in this photograph to show how Stephanie Oberoi , owner of the Bombay Duck special gifts website, travels en famille! Vikram, her husband , meanwhile roared around the Iberian Peninsula on his fab scarlet Ducati. It was a wet, wet week so not the best biking weather, so perhaps driving the family bus was a better option after all .

The Organic Garden

2010-04-08T11:51:00.003+02:00

At last the soil has dried out sufficiently for us to put a couple of mules into the orchards to turn over the soil. Francisco is one of the few young muleteers still working in the sierra. The soil will be allowed to lie roots to the sun for a few days, then we will start to rotovate to obtain a fine tilth, and start planting the potatoes.

Seedlings of tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, garlic, onions and peppers are growing in the greenhouse and will be planted out before the end of April.

The villages of the Sierra de Aracena

2010-03-14T13:17:00.009+01:00

I thought it would be a good idea to provide a link to a local website which gives a description (in Spanish) of all the local villages and their history. Finca Buenvino lies between the villages of Los Marines and Fuenteheridos.

To learn more visit: http://www.sierradearacena.net/menu_general/pueblos/pueblos.htm

Danza de la Lanza
From the 1st to the 3rd of May there's an opportunity to see the curious Danza de la Lanza in the church of Hinojales, (click below to get an idea of what it is like to see 100 men or so dancing with castañets inside a church.) The seven leading dancers, all young men from the village, are dressed in starched 17th century petticoats, and blue plus fours.

We are running four short (4 night stay) cookery courses in June this year, if anyone is interested please get in touch. The cost is 800 Euros, including all food, drink, excursions and collection from airport.

You can find more details on our website. (Http://www.fincabuenvino.com) In June, you can mix the cooking experience with a lazy alternative: lying by the pool every afternoon. Courses are for 4-8 people only. Bring a group, and the leader goes free!

Splendour and Squalor

2009-10-29T16:26:00.006+01:00

Marcus Scriven is here, recovering from the final polishing of his brilliantly narrated book, Splendour and Squalor, which is to be launched in late November, early December.

We're all a bit worried about Mrs. Slocumbe on the cover, who seems to be disporting herself with the village butcher....but then tits do sell.

Marcus needs a new image. (We've had frayed shirts, sole-flapping shoes and starved author wardrobe for 7 years now - Come on Marcus! It's time to invest in a lightweight Prince of Wales check for your visits to the sun!)

Please click on the link above to order the book from Amazon and subsidise a new wardrobe.

A visit from Pri and Rhea

2009-10-29T16:11:00.005+01:00

This is Jeannie and I with Pri, scrubbed-up for the city, and rid of the mud from potato-lifting!

It already feels like a different world to the one in which, in lashing rain, we waded across the street to meet the bus in Aracena, to collect our two delightful volunteers from India; Priyanka Shewakramani and Rhea Batliboi.

The girls have made a radical change from office life in New York and did a fantastic job for us in the orchards, gathering the last of the tomatoes, the peppers and the aubergines, and digging up the last rows of potatoes in thick mud on the first few mornings after the rain. Now they've left us to continue their travels through Spain and South America, and we sorely miss them and evening laughter over the mosto bottle.

We've put the sheep in to finish clearing the ground and in a couple of weeks we hope to sow our winter crops; broad beans, brassica and leaks. Then winter salads in the greenhouse.

I got into a serious veggie session, making hot green tomato and chilli chutney, imam bayeldi, roasted pepper salads, and tomatoes roasted in yoghourt and crême fraiche. Yum, no wonder we eat too much here.

A Never Ending Summer!

2009-10-29T14:51:00.008+01:00

Joanna Saville joined us
for a week of cooking,
swimming walking,
sightseeing....and eating.

Kirsty Pilcher came with Jean Arnot and Janie to join the first day's hands-on session.

Autumn has been extraordinary this year. After a long blazing summer we have started to benefit from the soft warm golden days which come after the first rainfall. It's just heaven for walking now, with the leaves changing colour, chestnuts falling to the ground, and the smell of quinces ripening in the orchards.

There have been fewer mushrooms than usual, since it has not rained much, but we have found Caesar's mushrooms (Oronge fr. Ovoli it. Kaiserpilz ger.) and Penny Buns (Ceps fr. Porcini it. Tentullo local.) and some delicious shaggy ink-caps/lawer's wigs which went into a risotto.

We escaped for a couple of nights to Ronda, then back for a cookery week with Jo Brown in which Jeannie taught breadmaking, salmorejo, romesco, rabbit with cream and mustard, mussels in saffron cream with spinach, zarzuela de pescado, solomillo of Iberian pork with peppers, and of course rosemary and chocolate cream with fino sherry, and lavender panna cotta.

Polly and Jesus's Wedding

2009-10-04T14:41:00.008+02:00

In mid July we had 80 guests for the Anglo-Spanish wedding of Polly Wibberley and Jesus Revaliente.

Jago and Trent built a gazebo of poplar poles and then lined it with ruched voile supplied by the bride. Their stints at Greenfield Marquees stood them in good stead, and it looked rustic but professional!

The bride wanted a country look, and tables were decorated with small zinc buckets and cans of lavender and herbs and white roses. As it was a nighttime wedding feast, the tables were lit with old fashioned paraffin lamps.

The marriage took place at sundown on the lower field (I shan't say lawn; there are too many moleholes and summers are too hot for perfection!)

Afterwards, guests came up for Cava, rebujitos or manzanilla, and miniature hamburgers of iberian pork, home cured jamón, fried quail's eggs, hot feta and pastry puffs, sea bream pancakes, quail drumsticks, and foie gras mousse.

Dinner was served well after 11 pm and we sat down to purple figs and jamón with a honey vinaigrette and fresh mint, roast lamb with gratiné potatoes and green haricots. The puddings were ginger roulade, chocolate profiteroles, berry fruits in syrup, and there was a selection of cheese both British and Spanish. We served a soft and fruity mencia varietal red, from the Bierzo, from the Agribergidum Bodega, and our white was a magnificent sauvignon blance from Victoria Pariente's bodega which is named for her father Jose Pariente.

After dinner, coffee and petits fours, the soul band struck up with a very small singer belting out Aretha Franklin numbers and keeping us going until 8 in the morning!!

Carin King's Cookery Club

2009-10-04T14:11:00.004+02:00

We had a fun weekend with Carin King's group, who came to cook and sunbathe by the pool! We did get some cooking done, including this delicious shellfish paella; but we also made breads, learned how to carve jamón, and how to make panna cotta infused with cardamom.

Tim Clinch's visit

2009-10-04T13:34:00.005+02:00

In the last week of June, photographer Tim Clinch came to take pictures of the house and the pool at dawn. He also photographed the redecorated bedrooms, and took some images of the countryside, orchards and self-catering cottages. To view the whole thing go to http://gallery.mac.com/timclinch, and then click on Finca Buenvino.

Emily Fortune was our intrepid early morning model. Thanks Ems!

Martin Randall Travel walking group.

2009-10-04T00:46:00.011+02:00

It's rather late to be catching up with the year, but now that autumn is here, there is a chance to sit down and struggle with the internet, which in these remote parts is very slow at times, and drives me to distraction!

Gaby McPhedran and Adam Hopkins brought a group of walkers and seekers of Spanish knowledge to the finca for lunch on Easter day. They had been visiting the processions of Holy Week in Carmona, a more intimate affair than that in Seville, and they were on their way to the Extremadura, to stay in Zafra for a couple of nights.

Finca Buenvino is almost midway between the two, and proved a perfect place to explore villages, walk the trails, attend Easter Mass, or visit the caves of Aracena.

We gave them tapas; Our home-cured jamón, fried quails' eggs, pimientos del padrón, blanched almonds fried in olive oil, and olives, then everyone sat down to a lunch of grilled goat's cheese, with salads from our greenhouse, and roast Sierra de Aracena lamb, followed by lavender panna cotta and fruit coulis.

Fiestas, Romerias and Other Dates for 2009

2009-03-02T12:08:00.008+01:00

Here is a list of some of the most accessible and fun Fairs, Pilgrimages, Fiestas and processions in the Sierra de Aracena.
Times mentioned are driving times from Finca Buenvino.

March 6th-9th FICAR (International hunting and shooting fair) Rosal de la Frontera (40 mins)

March 20th&21st Fiestas de la Encarnación, Carboneras (15 mins)

March 22nd Romeria de Nuestra Señora del Prado Higuera de la Sierra (25 mins)

April 1st-5th April Iberian Pig and Hunting/Shooting fair Santa Olalla del Cala (40 mins)

April 3rd Good Friday

April 5th Palm Sunday The Borriqita procession 6pm Aracena (10 mins)

April 3rd - April 5th The horse and mule fair Puerto Moral (25 Mins)

April 5th- 12th Holy Week. There are processions most days/nights in Aracena (10 mins) The most beautiful and moving are on the night and early morning of Thursday to Friday.

12th April-19th The Virgen de las Flores is carried from her chapel and returns 19th. All week is fiesta (Encinasola - 50 mins)

30th April-3rd May Fiesta de la Virgen de la Tortola in Hinojales (45 mins) Here, on the 1st May you will see the men of the town assemble to dance the extraordinary Danza de la Lanza

May 2nd & 3rd Fiesta de Las Cruzes Almonaster la Real (35 mins)

May 6th-8th VIth International Congress on Jamón Aracena (10 Mins)

May 10th Romeria de Nuestra Señora de la Coronada Cortelazor (20 Mins) If the weather is fine, this is a beautiful romeria in spectacular scenery.

May 15th-17th Spring Livestock Fair Aracena (10Mins)

May 23rd-24th Romeria de San Mamés Aroche (30 Mins) very fine route through dehesa. A day and a night of roistering.

May 31st Our own Romeria de la Virgen de Gracia Los Marines (2 Mins) the best(see former blogs)

June 7th Romeria de Nuestra Señora del Prado Higuera de la Sierra (25 Mins) the chapel is set amidst beautiful countryside.

June 13th Fiesta del Chopo Los Marines (2 Mins) the young men of our village go out to the countryside, fell a huge poplar tree and carry it back to the main square of the village, where it is erected with some difficulty. Much drink taken.

June 13th Fiesta del Carro Fuenteheridos (4 Mins) only for the young and well-oiled.

June 19th-20th Velá del Cercado de Reyes Aracena (10 mins) Night time street party.

June 26th - 28th Fiestas de San Juan Bautista Linares de la Sierra (Bullfight on 27th) (20 Mins)

June 26th-28th Velá de San Pedro Aracena (10 mins) night time street party on thr saturday. exhibitions of art and handicrafts..

June 27th Velá de Poesia Erótica Galaroza (15 mins) Readings and discussions of Erotic Poetry.

June 28th - 30th Fiestas de San Pedro Castaño del Robledo (15 mins)

July 10th- 12th Cultural and Environmental Days "Amigos del Castillo" Cortegana (25 mins)

July 20th - 26th IIIrd Music Week Zufre (30 mins)

July 24th-26th Velá de Santa Lucia Aracena (10 mins)

August 1st-3rd Fiestas de Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza Castañuelo (20 mins)

August 1st National open-air painting competition and meeting Cortelazor (20 mins)

August 6th-9th Mediaeval fair Cortegana (30 mins)

15th August Romeria de Nuestra Señora de Esperanza Castañuelo and Corterangel. (20 mins)

15th August- 18th August Fiestas e la Virgen de la Fuente Fuenteheridos (3 mins)

15th - 17th August Fiestas de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Cortelazor (20 mins) "el toro de fuego" runs about on saturday night....a man with horns and covered in fireworks.

20th August-24th August Feria de Agosto Aracena (10 mins)

22nd August-23rd August Romeria de San Bartolomé Alajar (10 mins)

6th September Los Jarritos Galaroza (15 mins) water is thrown about all morning so wear bathers and bring a bucket.

8th September Romeria de la Reina de los Angeles Alajar (10 mins) Spectacular romeria to a mountainside hermitage. (Fireworks the night before the romeria)

18th September Fiestas y Feria de la Virgen de Gracia Los Marines (2 mins) Fireworks on the Saturday.

18th- 20th September FEGAR Livestock fair Aroche (30 mins)

Preparing for the 2009 season

2009-02-22T17:23:00.006+01:00

This week in spite of being officially closed until April, we ran our first newlyweds cookery course, which was huge fun, Andrew and Kelly Benitz of Titan Properties came up from El Rompido, along with Sarah and Robert Barclay from Seville, and Polly Wibberly and Jesus Revaliente, who are planning to get married at Finca Buenvino in July.

We baked wholemeal bread, and sundried tomato bread, and pumpkin seed loaf; then cooked a three-course lunch of grilled aubergine, goat's cheese and tomato pesto followed by chicken, saffron, lemon and olive tajine then we prepared a bitter orange marmalade soufflé and almond praline to go on top.

When the weekend is over we will return to our noisy hammering and thumping as the builders get back to work: this year we have closed for three months, which gives us time to make some improvements.

Our old hot water cylinders and solar panels were removed, and an entirely new system of high temperature vacuum tube solar panels installed.....today was our second day of operation and the water cylinder showed 50ºC at 7pm, which is one in the eye for the electricity board. New shower and steam cabinets are going into some of the bathrooms. Now we have two rooms with tubs and two with steam showers in the main house. and the pool room also has a steam shower unit.

Bedrooms have better reading lights, and new 90% goose-down pillows, 398 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, both from Mitre Hall and Letts.

With econonomic gloom forecast for the year ahead, we decided to drop our prices back to our 2002-2006 level, and keep our fingers crossed that some guests will come and stay. Come on, you out there! It is only 70 Euros per night per person for bed and a delicious breakfast. If you stay three nights or more, then it drops to 60 euros per person per night. VAT is a mere 7%

A bulldozer and a roller have been spreading stones and gravel on the drive, so now the cottages are accessed down a kilometre and a half of smooth track. Let's hope this lasts, as we cannot lay tarmac in the nature reserve.

The cottages will each be getting solar panels next week, as well as new mini Hifi centres with i-pod docks, MP3 connection and cd players. Pepe has built a wonderful high stone wall along the edge of the walking trail, and he will be putting in permanent stone-built barbecues for each cottage. These will make it safe to barbecue even in high summer, as they are on brick floored terraces where sparks should not escape into dry undergrowth (as long as holidaymakers are careful).
In order to be even more eco-friendly, cottages will be supplied with composters, so that all vegetable waste will be returned as fertiliser to the organic orchards and veggie patch. Summer tenants are welcome to pick their own tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, peppers and beans.

We open again on the first of April.

A rush through 2008

2008-09-12T17:54:00.005+02:00

It's unbelievable, but two whole years have gone speeding by since I last touched this blog. We have been so busy with cookery courses, visits to the Rio Tinto Mines, tours of the Sanchez Romero Carvajal Jamon secadero and wine tasting at Gonzalez Byass that I have hardly had time to sit in front of the computer.

This year kicked off to an auspicious start when were given the chance to host a two day seminar workshop for Phyllis Krystal. It was an enormous privilege to see her working and bringing encouragement and advice to some 30 students from all over Spain. Phyllis is life-affirming, encouraging, mentally sharp and full of energy, even in her mid 90's. Workshops were held up at the pool house, and Ernestine Lüdeke of the Fundación Monte Mediterraneo translated simultaneously from English into Spanish.

Jim Lyman helped us coordinate everything, and was instrumental in bringing this group to Finca Buenvino. He also runs our Reiki healing weeks and flute master classes for professional musicians, using play and neuro-linguistic programming techniques to overcome perceived obstacles to perfect interpretation. This year we held the classes in May, and we had a dozen musicians attending from all over Spain.

Liz Walker came out to visit us in March; rather earlier than her usual summer visit so we had a quick burst of fashion gossip to make us feel less like country cousins. As usual, there was plenty to do on the farm and in the greenhouse, and the sun shone, perhaps a little too relentlessly until spring rains, after which we were able to plant out the vegetables which we are now harvesting.

Melanie Denny who's new funky boutique hotel, La Casa Noble, in Aracena was too full to accommodate her own mother, sent her to us for a few days for R&R. The peace was shattered when the whole group walked over (8Kms) for lunch and a swim, arriving about 2 hours late as they simply had to stop and talk to every Iberian pig or donkey and photograph every wildflower on the way. This was entirely the fault of the irresistibly enthusiastic Peter Ott, who was leading the group.

We had a quick visit to London in July when we caught up with Vanessa de Lisle and enjoyed a Mediterranean lunch in her garden in Balham, where we met fellow food-blogger Renée Finch, from Rome. We then tore down to Eastbourne for Christo Pyemont's surprise 60th b'day weekend; two days of sea-air, walking on Beachy Head, and delicious food, including organic vegetables from Pinkie's allotment garden. We toured St. Bede's Prep School where he was headmaster for many years and now teaches maths.

A summer visit from Johnny Grey and his family allowed me to catch up on 30 years! He designed my insane Gothick kitchen (quirky, rustic and made from cherry wood, plane, beech and oak) back in the mid 70's in London, but now has an entirely different spin on Kitchen design, delving profoundly into ergonomics and neuro science.....don't ask me, ask him; I'm only a cook. Johnny is currently working on Dexter's kitchen in Gramercy Park New York City

Sarah Gellately-Smith, our public relations guru was married last week to Rob Barclay her mother and God/stepfather threw a great party in Oxfordshire last week-end at the bride's parents' house in North Moreton, so we have been recovering gently over a glass or two of fino and working up to the Los Marines fiesta which starts tonight! It's the last village party of the season and marks the beginning of the autumn weather.....Indian summer is on the way; perfect for walking and mushroom hunting.

Romeria Arrival at the Ermita

2006-05-30T12:41:00.000+02:00

Jairo y Aurelio

La Mesa de los Guiris

Anne, Jeannie, Nick, Candy, Janet

Jeannie, Jackie, Penna, and Hughie

About halfway there.

Arriving at the Ermita

La Romeria. El camino

2006-05-30T11:43:00.000+02:00

Aurelio plays his guitar for the singing and dancing. Later he and his wife will direct the choir at the ermita.

Sanchez Sanchez en buena forma y mas joven cada año

Rockets are launched as we turn onto the Cortelazor road.

¡Olé olé Judith!

The mules tow the cart with the sin pecado banner.

The Romeria

2006-05-30T11:13:00.000+02:00

Every vehicle carries a trailer of supplies; beer, wine, tortilla, jamón and sausages of various kinds.

Jeannie and Fidel

Estéban with Cruzcampo

Tengo un Tractor no Amarillo

Grania, Eli and Angel

Los Tonto-er-Culos

Romeria de Los Marines 2006

2006-05-29T15:25:00.001+02:00

Every year, on the last Sunday of the month of May, we celebrate the Romeria (pilgrimage) of Our Lady of Grace.

She is the patroness of the village and her image is kept above the altar of the village church, on the gilded and carved baroque reredos.

Once a year, however she is taken out to the countryside to spend the day among her people.

Fabian and Jeannie

The main entrance to the village is thronged with romeros

The statue of Our Lady of Grace is carried through the village square.

Fernando and Fabián

The national anthem is played when she comes out onto the street.

The bells are rung.

Everyone is waiting to follow Nuestra Señora de Gracia as she is carried out of the church, through the streets of the village, to the little country chapel, about three kilometres distant.

Another year, another Romeria

2006-05-17T18:05:00.000+02:00

¡Viva la patrona de Los Marines!

¡Viva la Virgen de Gracia!

The Benefits of Computer Translation

2006-05-17T17:52:00.000+02:00

We had lunch today with our cookery students, on the banks of the Guadalquivir by the Triana market. One of the best things about the restaurant is the English translation of what is most probably not on offer.

Roses

2006-05-17T17:30:00.000+02:00

The hot weather arrived early, bringing temperatures of 30ºC to the mountains. The cork trees are shedding their old leaves as well as drifts of yellow pollen which are driving us all mad with hay fever. The patios need constant sweeping; however the roses have never been so prolific as they are this year.

Sunday Lunch in Losma

2006-05-10T12:27:00.000+02:00

It's Sunday 7th May and Jeannie deserves a rest from the kitchen so we went into Los Marines to Bar Carlos with the family.

Carlos Jr. was frantic, with the place full, so Judith kindly set up a table for us in the street. Carlos lent me a hat, courtesy of Legendario Rum, and Jago ordered Solomillo de Cerdo Ibérico for us, which was delicious as usual, but after a minute or two of blazing sunshine we had to move into the shade of the palm tree in the main square.

Liza's Birthday

2006-05-10T11:28:00.000+02:00

Manolo and Millie are getting married in July!

Liza was 19 on the 6th May. It fell on a Saturday so it was a great excuse to celebrate with a gang of our friends from Sevilla and the UK. Jago baked a chocolate cake and filled it with raspberries and cream.

Paddy, Jeannie and Rob. Teaser, the dog is trying to get in on the act!

Broad Bean Slavery

2006-05-05T20:01:00.000+02:00

The first tiny broad beans came up from the huerta a couple of days ago. Jeannie, Bertie, Dorelia, Lucy, Liza, Grania and Sarah all dug in to the task.

Nobody is looking quite so smiley on day three!

Half of the beans are picked small, and the plants are pulled out to make way for the tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, and courgettes which have to go in soon. The rest of the beans will be left in the ground to swell to full size.

Recipe for Tender Broad Bean Stew

The bean pods for this must be the the very youngest,about as thick as your small finger. Take about 1Kg of these, and snap of the tops and tails.

Slice 4 or 5 cloves of garlic into a large pan with a lid. Tip in 20-30cl of virgin olive oil. Add a glass of water, a finely sliced onion and the broad beans.

Turn the heat up until the liquid begins to simmer, add salt and pepper to taste, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Turn down the heat and allow to cook gently for about 30 minutes.

Check that there is enough water from time to time. When the beanpods have changed colour to a sort of grey-green, add one small can of tomato puree, and two teaspoonfuls of sugar. Stir around with a wooden spoon until well amalgamated. Reduce liquid until you have an oily, shiny appearance, and then turn off heat.

Taste again for seasoning. Eat tepid.

At Buenvino we serve this for a spring lunch, perhaps along with tomato and almond salad, local cheeses, chicken schnitzels with turmeric and sesame, and a rocket salad.

La Danza de la Lanza

2006-05-05T16:46:00.000+02:00

On the last night of April, Jeannie and I had been to Sergio's Christening party in Los Marines, where we hatched a plan with Mariano and Juli to drive up through the hills to the beautiful and remote little village of Hinojales.

On the first of May, the young men of the village perform a dance with castanets, in front of their patroness La Virgen de La Tórtola.

The 7 young men wear a strange costume with embroidered cummerbunds and head-dresses, and pleated starched broderie Anglaise petticoats to their shirts. The dance and the costumes are thought to be Celtic in origin, and were brought here after the villages were repopulated with families from Galicia and Leon after the reconquista.

Everyone puts on their best clothes and the image of Our Lady is carried around the village

A young girl throws rose petals.

We drove north through a blaze of euphorbias, pink phlomis, poppies, blue pimpernels and arrived just in time to see the Virgin being carried from the church of La Consolación. We followed the processions, and when the Virgin was placed once more in front of the altar of the church, all the men who when young had danced in the church (those of them who were fit enough!, removed their jackets and joined in the dance, which turned into a fantastic rout. It was very moving to see people who had left the village to find work in the cities, returning to join in with the festivities.

Spring has arrived!

2006-05-01T20:25:00.000+02:00

Spring has Sprung in the Sierra de Aracena, and the meadows of the dehesa by the lake are purple and blue with Viper's Bugloss.

It's only 20 minutes or so from Finca Buenvino, where we live, so today we drove there and picnicked on goat's cheese from Aracena, and Serpa sheep's cheese (from just over the border in Portugal) and home-cured jamón and salchichón, homemade sourdough bread, and home grown salad leaves with lemon mayonnaise. Our owns eggs too, but I wish we had made the wine! As yet, we have no vines on the farm except for some eating grapes down in the orchards.

Afterwards, Grania, our daughter, and Liza, who is wwoofing here, braved the cold water, whilst we lay in the long grass beside Willy and Anne who were staying with us, and snoozed as the bees droned around the flowers.

On the way home we stopped to pick some wild peonies which grew in a field where cattle were grazing.