I believe cats to be spirits come to earth

People who belong to Siamese cats must make up their minds to do a good deal of waiting upon them

Your favorite chair is vacant now...
No eager purrs to greet me
No softly padded paws to run
ecstatically to meet me

But I will miss you little friend,
For I could never measure
the happiness you brought me,
the comfort and the pleasure.

Mickey
25/02/91 - 02/01/09

Un Pez Gordo

I'm handing over the reins for a few days. 'Ol Duende is off to the old country and has taken the camera with him, so I'm going to take leave of my senses and party for a few days. Bliss. I've invited Carmen round for a late supper on Friday. If I'm lucky I might catch the big fish and get all sticky with her and not her doughnuts. Me? MickeyBiscuit? Here? In the casita with Carmen? At three o'clock in the morning? With my reputation? What were they thinking of?

Factoid: Spanish Words & Phrases - Pescados - Fish & Seafood.

boquerones > fresh anchovies
calamares > fried squid rings
gambas > prawns
almejas > clams
angulas > baby eel
atún > tuna
bacalao > dried salt cod
bonito > type of tunny fish
calamares en su tinta > squid cooked in its own ink
gambas a la plancha > grilled prawns
langosta > lobster
langostinos > king prawns
lenguado > sole
lubina > bass
mejillones > mussels
merluza > hake
mero > grouper
platija > plaice
pez espada > swordfish
rape > monkfish
salmonetes > red mullet
sardinas > sardines
trucha > trout
zarzuela de mariscos > assorted grilled seafood

Tremendo

Tremendo. Oh aren't I the funny one. My Spanish is getting really local now. Anyway, had a tremendous day in the woods. Isn't it amazing just how many different species of tree there are. I counted 158 and then gave up. Saw a few Pine Processionary Caterpillar nests. Nasty little buggers they are. Tell you about them one day. In the meantime stay safe. Besos.

Factoid: The Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster) is a pine native to the western Mediterranean region. The range extends from Portugal and Spain north to southern and western France, east to western Italy, and south to northern Morocco, with small outlying populations in Algeria and Malta (possibly introduced by man). It generally occurs at low to moderate altitudes, mostly from sea level to 600 m, but up to 2000 m in the south of its range in Morocco.

Refinería De Azúcar

Carmen the Bonita Senorita I've got a soft spot for popped round today with some doughnut nibbles. What a kafuffle, first the little blighter got stuck to my paw. It was dripping with sticky sugar. Then I dropped it on my tummy. It got stuck to my whiskers, my nose, everywhere. And it didn't even taste that nice when I finally got it to my mouth. I didn't let on to Carmen that it was quite yucky. Just grinned like a Cheshire cat and licked my lips, and my paws, and my tummy, and and. I wish Carmen had offered to help. That would have been nice.

Factoid: Around the towns of Motril and Salobrena, on the southern coast of Spain, sugar cane is still grown, an interesting remnant of a regional agro-industrial complex that has existed for a thousand years. Unfortunately the practice is about to come to an end with the closure of the last remaining sugar mill to produce sugar in the whole of Europe.

The Muslim Umayyads first introduced it in the tenth century, and it persisted throughout the medieval and modern centuries, despite rather marginal growing conditions. In favoured valleys, such as the Vega of Granada, the countryside around Seville, and along the rivers near Motril and Málaga, sugar cane found a warm climate that in most years escaped freezing temperatures.

Agua Tranquilo

Took a stroll down to the river and waterfall today. It's all so different there since the storm. All my old pontificating spots were washed away, but I'm slowly finding new ones. I really like this spot where the river almost stops. It's really tranquil. Well it was until Boots appeared. Peace shattered. "Go on chuck it, go on, yeah, yeah, I'm ready." Be on your guard against a silent dog and still water.

Still water. Walk with me. Take my hand. Debajo de las aguas inmóviles.

Factoid: Sant Aniol is a still water from a 40,000-year-old spring in Spain. The Aigua de Sant Aniol company has their spring in Sant Aniol de Finestres (Girona - Spain) in the privileged setting of La Garrotxa Volcanic Park . Aigua de Sant Aniol rises to the surface from 55 meters depth after slowly filtering over time, providing unrivalled purity.

Capullo De Rosa

Ahh, fin de semana. Sabado. Clear blue sunny sky. Empty casa. What shall I do today? I think I'll have a day butterflying. You get a sense of achievement from butterflying. Start 100 things, finish none, but hey you started them. Nope, I'm going lie on the terrace, all day. I'll probably take a break and have some tapas y agua. It's cool being a cat in your senior years, no one cares what you do. They expect you to siesta all day. Highly recommended. Ooh, look a rose.

Factoid: Motril Earthquake Day. On the 13th January there is a procession to give thanks for the scarce damage caused during the earthquakes of 1804 and 1884. This is one of the oldest annual traditions when the town remembers when a series of earthquakes caused serious damage in the municipality. The images taken out in procession are the Virgen de la Cabeza and Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno. During the earthquakes the inhabitants prayed to these images to bring an end to the tremors and at last they came to an end.

The was also another event on this day, the tremors are still being felt ;-)

Playa Salobreña

“Among the many thousands of things that I have never been able to understand, one in particular stands out. That is the question of who was the first person who stood by a pile of sand and said, "You know, I bet if we took some of this and mixed it with a little potash and heated it, we could make a material that would be solid and yet transparent. We could call it glass." Call me obtuse, but you could stand me on a beach till the end of time and never would it occur to me to try to make it into windows.” Bill Bryson quotes (American Writer, b.1946)

Need I say more!

Factoid: The jewel of the Costa Tropical. Salobrena is a whitewashed town clinging to huge lump of rock just back from the shoreline, topped by a Moorish castle and surrounded by lush sugar cane plantations.
Salobrena has eight kilometres of coastline about half of which are made up of the popular beaches of La Guardia, La Charca and Salobrena Beach. To the west of Salobreña the coastline is peppered with small coves and beaches. A mere 45 minutes from Granada, and just over an hour to the Sierra Nevada, Salobrena is also ideally situated for exploring the Alpujarra, some forty minutes away. From October to April, you could be in the happy position of being able to ski during the morning and sunbathing and swimming in the afternoon.

Calentamiento Global

Glory, glory, glory. Out on the terrace at 9 this morning. Woken up early by the butano man. Why does the butano man have the loudest horn in the world and why does he have to use it to its full extent? We all know the butano man comes on Thursday morning! I'm going to spend the day in the sun doing zilch, nada, nuffink. I'm in heaven.

Factoid: Scorcher in Spain this Summer. The year 2006 was the hottest for Spain in almost 150 years, but 2007 will be worse, with the warmest summer since the 17th century, the Weather Institute reported. Last year was the hottest year in history with temperatures 1.34 degrees centigrade above the average, according to the INM. That number exceeded those of 2003 by 1.32 degrees, which up to that moment had the record with a heat wave that caused thousands of deaths in all Europe. The Weather Institute assures that the four biggest heat waves in Spain have been since 1995 but affirms 2007 could beat records. The reason is in the climate change, experts reported.

Planta Con Puntas

There's been a lot of talk recently in the news about global warming. Being the botanist that I am, one thing I've noticed on my travels this winter is the number of plants in bloom. Blooming plants in January! Has spring come early? This spiky chap is in Antonio's garden. Bet its spikes are not as sharp as my claws though.

Factoid: Climate change could affect long established patterns, the study says A Europe-wide study has provided "conclusive proof" that climate change is responsible for spring arriving earlier each year, researchers say. Scientists from 17 nations examined 125,000 studies involving 561 species. The season was beginning on average six to eight days earlier than it did 30 years ago, researchers said.
In regions such as Spain, which saw the greatest increases in temperatures, the season began up to two weeks earlier.

Hormiga Gigante

I don't believe it. Went out this morning and there crawling around the terrace was a giant ant. I mean giant, really, really, really big. It did give me a fright, scared the mierda out of me. After I'd calmed down and on closer inspection I realised it was Don D. playing silly buggers. Got my own back by spending the morning pacing around meowing as loud as I could. Boy do I have a loud meow, he was not happy.

Factoid: A species of Argentine ant introduced into Europe about 80 years ago has developed the largest super colony ever recorded. It stretches 6,000 kilometres - from northern Italy, through the south of France to the Atlantic coast of Spain - with billions of related ants occupying millions of nests. While ants from rival nests normally fight each other to the death, ants from the super colony have the ability to recognise each other and co-operate - even if they come from nests at opposite ends of the colony's range. The Argentine species (Linepithema humile) probably came into Europe on imported plants, pushing back the 20 or so indigenous species of European ant.

Toca El Timbre

So you've heard the tale about being crapped on by a bird being a sign of luck, si? Well I think my luck was in today. Ring the bell. Out for a stroll and wham, splat, just missed being flattened by a pile of stork poo. As you may also know, storks are not small birds, they are big blighters and therefore being hit by a discharge from a stork would be somewhat detrimental to my wellbeing. I won 20€ in the El Nino lottery so that was lucky then. Yo no voy a misa.

Factoid: In Spain, one often observes Storks nesting in the upper reaches of cathedrals and bell towers. Of course, storks are easy to spot…because they’re enormous! They have six-foot wingspans. And if you think the birds are big, you should see their nests. Spaniards seem to embrace the stork. Churches and other towering municipal structures actively encourage their presence by erecting platforms on which they can more easily build their nests.

Cerdo Salado

It's matanza time. There is an air of excitement throughout the village. The knives are being sharpened, the garlic and onions peeled. It's going to be feast and fiesta for the next three weeks. Didn't we just finish three weeks of feast and fiesta? Oh, I almost forgot, I'm in Spain. It's 52 weeks of feast and fiesta. Tummy's grumbling, must away.......

Factoid: The first stage in the jamon curing process is when and the hams are packed in piles of salt to help dry and preserve them. The length of this salting process depends on temperature and the weight of the ham but is usually around one to two weeks. The minimum amount of salt is used because a Serrano ham that is over-salted becomes heavy and tough over time. The salt is then cleaned off and the hams are hung up to dry, for between one to two months, at a temperature of between 5ºC to 10ºC and a high humidity of 75% - 80%. This period is called 'asentamiento' and concentrates the flavour by drying out the moisture and infusing the ham with the remaining salt. Next comes the real curing process which turns the white fat to yellow, transforms the meat into its deep ruby colour, and gives Serrano ham its characteristic aroma. This lasts between six to twelve months with the meat adapting to the temperature and humidity of spring and summer. After the first month or so of this, the hams are covered with a blue-grey mould. It does not look very appetising but this is what gives it its aroma because in the summer, as the hams sweat off the fat, the odour of the mould infuses into the meat. During the last month or so of the curing period the hams will go through 'maduracion'. This is when the temperature and humidity is dramatically increased to spread the fats throughout the ham and increase the flavour. After this carefully controlled process the hams will have lost 20% to 40% of their weight and will be considered ready to enjoy.

Los Reyes Magos

Ouch, ooohhhhh, my head hurts. Joined in the procession of los reyos magos suitably attired in hard hat. You don't really stand a chance when hard boiled sweets are raining down on you by the '000's. I ducked and dived but to no avail. With bruised eyes and sticky paws I made it to the church square where I drowned my sorrows with copious cups of sweet hot chocolate. Yummy. Must work on a protection plan for next year.

Factoid: While most of the world has already begun packing up the Christmas ornaments, throwing out the tree, and finding a place for all of their gifts, Spaniards are continuing the celebration. January 6, Three King’s Day, is the long awaited day in which the three Kings bring their gifts. On January 5, children go to a parade where they see the three kings arrive to their city, and take the opportunity to ask them for gifts. Later, before going to bed, children leave their shoes out in a visible spot in the house or on their balcony, go to bed hoping that when they wake up they will find gifts left by Mechior, Gaspar, and Balthasar. For breakfast or after lunch, families often have the typical dessert of the day, the “Roscón de los Reyes”, a large ring shaped cake that is decorated with candied fruits, symbolic of the emeralds and rubies that adorned the robes of the three kings. Somewhere inside the cake there is a surprise, and the person to find it will be crowned King or Queen of the house for the remainder of the day.

Terremoto

Had just snuggled down for the night when I felt a series of judders. Huummmmm me thinks, has my diet changed? Nope! Didn't give it any more thought and drifted back to my dreams. Scanning through the news in the morning I discovered that there had been a minor earthquake just up the road. I'm going to build a shelter next week.....just in case. Have another earthquake to deal with this evening, los reyos magos will be in town chucking gazillions of sweets to all and sundry. Where is my hard hat?

Factoid: A small earthquake registering 3.8 on the Richter scale struck parts of Malaga and Granada early this morning. There was no serious damage or injuries, but nearly two hundred people called the emergency services. The epicentre of the quake was in Santa Fe to the west of Granada. Hundreds felt the tremor in Granada, and the town of Armilla, Loja, Santa Fe, La Zubia, Ogíjares, Cijuela and the city of Malaga and some parts of Murcia. Residents in Santa Fe said they felt "nervous and worried" but were reassured by police. It is the strongest quake to hit this part of Spain for the past three years. The region is no stranger to seismic shocks. Spain’s National Geographic Institute states Granada experiences an average of three earthquakes each day, although most of these are not strong enough to be noticeable. In 1884, an earthquake tore through the town of Alhama de Granada destroying 5,000 homes and leaving 800 people dead. The disaster, which created Alhama’s dramatic gorge, is thought to have been the worst of its kind in Spain’s history.

Hojas De Caramelo

Toffee managed to get me away from the comfort of my bed today. He had this mad idea that he wanted to play hide and seek. He also managed to hoodwink Don D. y Señora Comecocos into his game plan. He picked the short straw so we all went and hid. I found a great place up an oak tree. Don D. went to Bar Olivo and Señora Comecocos found a tranquil spot on the river. The only things Toffee had found after an hour were 5 oranges, 17 walnuts, 8 avocados and 12 lemons. He gave up trying to find us. I was the only one who appeared from hiding. I told him to go and hide. Like a puppy with a bone he scampered off. I counted to 50, looked over the ledge and there he was. He had made so much noise rustling in the leaves it wasn't too difficult. He got all sulky. Still haven't seen Don D.

Factoid: 1528, Chocolate Arrives in Spain: Cortès presented the Spanish King, Charles V with cocoa beans from the New World and the necessary tools for its preparation. And no doubt Cortès taught him how to make Chocolate. The Spaniards mixed the beans with sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. The results were tantalising, coveted, fashionable, and reserved for the Spanish nobility which created a demand for the fruits of his Spanish plantations. Chocolate was a secret that Spain managed to keep from the rest of the world for almost 100 years! It is no secret that Chocolate has enjoyed a reputation as an aphrodisiac ever since Conquistadores first became aware of the "pagan" ways of the Aztecs who regarded chocolate as a medicine, but probably not as an aphrodisiac.

Naranja Balón De Playa

Spent a couple of hours on the beach today. The beach in early January I hear you cry. Si, la playa. Warm and calm. We walked, we talked and we chased balls, well Toffee chased balls. We watched the sun go down. Toffee tried to chase that too. We got cold. We went home. T'was jolly pleasant.

Factoid: “Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer the goal.”

El Ultimo Suspiro Del Moro

Had a very lazy day, slept in my igloo on the terrace for most of it. Need to recharge my batteries to be ready for Three Kings.

Factoid: On January 2, 1492, King Boabdil surrendered Granada to the Catholic Monarchs, Isabel of Castile and Fernando of Aragón. It signalled the end of nearly 800 years of Moorish civilisation in Spain.

Boabdil reined in his horse and surveying for the last time the Alhambra and the green valley that spread below he burst into tears. "You do well," said his unsympathetic mother, "to weep like a woman for what you could not defend like a man." The spot from which Boabdil looked for the last time on Granada is still shown, and is known as "the last sigh of the Moor" (el último suspiro del Moro).

Feliz Año 2007

¡Bienvenidos 2007! They do know how to party here, the celebrations went on through the night, fireworks were still streaking into the dawn sky at 7am. We all had a good night, I managed to avoid the 12 grapes. How many resolutions will be kept? I don't make New Years resolutions, with my holistic lifestyle and no vices there is nothing that I need to change. Spent a very pleasant afternoon with amigos enjoying a few copas y tapas enjoying the sunshine.

Factoid: On January 1, 1999, Spain, along with ten other countries in the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) decided to give up their own currencies and adopt the Euro (EUR) currency: Euro bank notes and coins began circulating on January 1, 2002. At that time, all transactions were valued in Euro, and the "old peseta" notes and coins were gradually withdrawn from circulation. The peseta ceased being legal tender on 28th February 2002.

ESP / 166.386 = EUR

EUR × 166.386 = ESP

La Noche Vieja

Another year is almost over, what a year it's been. I've had a pretty full year, there hasn't been a week gone by when there hasn't been a fiesta, party, barbacoa or similarly enjoyable social gathering. My loafing time has been seriously impacted. Así es la vida. It's been a great year though.
¡Adiós 2006! Feliz Año Nuevo to you all.

I'm off now to hide under the duvet before Don D. makes me eat 12 grapes.

Factoid: Having a unique touch and style, New Year in Spain is celebrated with with a traditional custom. People keep 12 grapes ready and as soon as the clock strikes 12 at midnight, they eat the 12 grapes symbolising the 12 months of the year. With the first strike of the clock, millions bite the first grape and continue to do so for the next 11 seconds in sync with each chime of the clock. This tradition was started by the king of Spain ages back, when he gave grapes to everybody to eat on New Year's Eve and till now it's followed with full jest and enthusiasm by Spanish people.

Fuego De Turrón

What a cracking day I had. Up bright and early for a long walk. 30th December, cloudless blue sky, very warm, Juan told me it was 23 degrees, I think it was more like 25. Had only been back at mi casa for a few minutes when I was advised that lunch was to be had at mi amigos. A most pleasant afternoon dining on the terrace. How much did I eat, mucho carne y Turrón. I made a quiet exit when the impromptu singing started.

Factoid: Turrón is a nougat confection, typically made of honey, sugar, and egg white, coated in crushed, toasted almonds, and usually shaped into either a rectangular tablet or a round cake. While turron is available all during the year it is a treat that everyone eats during the Christmas season. There are many different kinds of turron made of many different items. Examples of different kinds of turron are Turron de Almendra (almond), Turron de Cacauete (Peanut) and Turron de Avellana (roasted hazelnut). The two most famous kinds of Turron come from Alicante and Jijona.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños Cariñoso!

Today is my favourite aunts birthday. When I first came to Spain she flew with me & Don Duende. I remember how exciting it was sitting on her lap in the car all the way from the airport to the new casa. It was the first time I had seen the sea and she was explaining to me about Spain. We practiced Spanish. It was such a fun journey.

This is a picture of my cousin Charlie. She lives with Summer puddin' & mi cariñoso.

Factoid: Alfonso XII of Spain (November 28, 1857–November 25, 1885), was king of Spain, reigning from December 29, 1874 to November 25, 1885, after a coup d'état restored the monarchy and ended the ephemeral First Spanish Republic. He was son of Isabella II of Spain. His biological paternity is uncertain, though his legal paternity is not: his mother was married to her (presumed) homosexual cousin Francis of Asissi de Bourbon.

Gotcha. El Día de Los Santos Inocentes, falls on the 28th December. What does it mean? Well, it is the Spanish equivalent of April Fool's Day. This day recalls the killing of the "innocents" by King Herod whose intention it was to eliminate the recently born baby Jesus.

Día De Los Santos Inocentes

Out for an evening stroll around the estate when I was startled by a horrific noise emanating from the barranco. I rushed to investigate and almost collapsed in shock. Happily chewing away at an olive tree was a most fearsome creature, the like of which I had never seen before. I have heard tales that a fearsome creature of lore stalks the misty hills of Los Guajares in search of feline prey. Some kind of huge creature with slashing claws and huge fangs. The fearsome creature is reportedly golden and has a piercing scream, much like that of a woman in distress or a baby crying. It is reportedly as tall as a man with claws strong enough to scrape bark off trees, and as swift as the wind. Sound scary? Ha, ha.

Factoid: Humongous plant-eating dinosaur unearthed in Spain. Scientists in Spain have found the fossilised remains of one of the largest animals ever to walk the Earth, a gargantuan plant-eating dinosaur up to 37 metres long and weighing between 40 and 48 tonnes, or seven elephants. Turiasaurus riodevensis, named for the region and village in Spain where it was found, lived about 145 million years ago and was a sauropod, that familiar kind of dinosaur with a long neck, long tail and massive body that walked on four stout legs and was probably Europe's biggest ever dinosaur. Turiasaurus riodevensis was a herbivorous dinosaur, in spite of the ferocious appearance of its teeth.

Copas Y Tapas

After the past few days excitement I had intended that today was going to be a recovery day. Not so. I did manage to get some shut eye but then mi casa was full with the sound of music and chattering voices of amigos. Don Duende was in full swing in the kitchen preparing tapas while Señora Comecocos was in full swing with the copas. She also did a good job recharging glasses of gathered amigos. I do like being fussed over and purred away much to everyone's delight.

Factoid: It has been said that the wine of La Rioja in Spain is "the best wine in the world in terms of value for money." This region in the north of Spain produces red, white and rosé wines, as well as the idiosyncratic clarete. The red wines are those of most interest.
La Rioja wine is classified into four types, according to its quality and aging. For red wine, the types are:

_____________________Aged in barrels____Aged in bottles

Vino de crianza min._______1 year min.______6 months
Vino de reserva min.______1 year min._______2 years
Vino de gran reserva min.___2 years min______3 years

Rioja Wine

Titanic

I don't believe it. I was downloading photos from the camera and came across some taken on the Titanic. I was initially confused as Don Duende, although showing the passage of time, does not look old enough to have been on the Titanic. It then clicked, the scoundrels had secretly gone off last week to the exhibition being held in Granada. I've never been on a boat. Looking at the pictures though, I could imagine myself strolling up the stairs and dining at the captains table. Rather charming, don't you think?

Factoid: The Parque de las Ciencias in Granada is an open-air museum. There is over 30,000 m2 of outdoor space holding different premises and scientific experiences. The main building, with the most up-to-date facilities, is divided into two separate areas, joined by a large glass hall. The rooms in this building hold the permanent exhibitions: Biosphere, Eureka, Perception and Explore. Outside, the Marie Curie Plaza is surrounded by the other buildings: the Observation Tower, the Astronomy Garden, the Tropical Butterfly House, the Botanical Walks, the Plant Labyrinth or the "Almazara" (oil mill).

Parque de las Ciencias Granada

The only European exhibition about the most luxurious and mythical ship of all times, Titanic

Día De Navidad

¡Feliz Navidad! Don Duende wasted no time in getting el espíritu navideño. Nochebuena at various watering holes, he crept in at 4:30. The rest of mi casa were up bright and early and in full spirit. Don D took some time to warm up. Señora Comecocos prepared a fine comida de Navidad. El pavo and all the trimmings followed by the most exquisite ice cream sundae. Un gran dia. Even Toffee was Christmassed out and took a powernap by the fire.

Factoid: Christmas day in Spain is more or less a continuation of what began the day before. People spend time with their families, they eat another large meal, although not as big as the one the day before, and in many families, children enjoy the gifts that they have received from “Papa Noel”, the Spanish equivalent of Santa Claus. The custom of giving gifts on this date is not as popular as it is in many countries, as Spaniards traditionally wait until Three King’s Day to exchange gifts.

Nochebuena

Don Duende & Poca Muñeca and many amigos took Toffee into the mountains to play in the snow. Señora Comecocos and I passed, we don't do snow. DeathMetalMunchkin stayed in bed. It was Toffee's first experience of snow and he loved it. He was bounding about, snuffling head first looking for snowballs.

I feel it's going to be a long night ahead.....

Factoid: Christmas Eve in Spain, called “Nochebuena”, just like in many parts of the world, is celebrated with two very important traditions, eating an enormous and decadent meal, and going to Christmas mass. There is a wide variety of typical foods one might find on plates across Spain on this night. Each region has its own distinct specialties. Among typical dishes served on Christmas Eve and during the days that follow are roast lamb and suckling pig (typically served in the regions of Castilla León, Castilla la Mancha, and Madrid), foul like turkey or duck (commonly prepared in Andalucía), and an enormous variety of seafood, including shrimp, lobster, crab, and various types of fish like hake, trout, sea bream, sea bass, and salmon (common in many regions, but mostly on the costs). For dessert, there is quite a spread of delicacies, among them are turrón and marzapan, desserts made of honey, egg and almonds that are Arabic in origin, as well as polvorones, a sweet bread kind of like elephant ears, and a variety of nuts and dried fruits. To drink, one must have a glass of cava, the Spanish equivalent of champagne, although the Spanish say that cava is much better. After the meal, many Spaniards get their second wind and go to midnight mass, known as “La misa del Gallo”, or “Rooster Mass”, named such because the Rooster is known as the first to announce the birth of Christ.

Blanco y Negro

Don Duende, Antonio and Horatio went to collect some jamón today. It's a bit of a trek into Las Alpujarras and started snowing as they climbed the mountain road. It didn't deter them though, they were on a mission. As the snow was so bad they then had to spend a good portion of the afternoon in Resturante Haza Del Lino sampling fine pork washed down with local wine. One can assume they had a fine day. The jamón tastes good.

Factoid: Jamón Ibérico de Pata Negra. Pata negra is a type of jamón serrano and is considered to be of the highest quality. Pata negra literally means black hoof in Spanish. It is produced from a venerable strain of Iberian hog, native only to Spain. Jamón Ibérico is the formal name. Some people also call it 'Jabugo' as the most famous "Pata Negra" comes from the town of Jabugo (Huelva) in the region of Andalucia.

El Gordo

It's El Gordo. It's the most boring and monotonous TV show in the world. Just a handful of little orphan children with sleek hair and Sunday-best clothes chanting an endless series of numbers into a microphone. Yet for five non-stop hours on December 22 it holds Spain enthralled. Those who can't get near a TV set follow the hymn-like singing on radio. Bars, factories and offices grind to a standstill as millions of people strain to catch every vital numeral. The interminable pop number will never make the Eurovision song contest, but for Spain it is the greatest hit tune of them all. By the time the singing has finished, the lives of thousands of Spaniards will have changed for ever. Many will be millionaires. Whole villages will begin a new life of prosperity. Children yet unborn will stand to inherit fortunes.

If my number 12069 had won I would have ditched the macrobiotic diet and lived on biscuits made with smoked salmon and fine caviar and hand rolled by one legged midget monks from the San Jose de Compelosta de Santiago monastery. Bollocks, stupid El Gordo.

Factoid: Ticket sales El Gordo, or The Fat One, reached EUR 3.5 billion. As every year, students from the San Ildefonso School in the Spanish capital read off the winning numbers when the draw takes place in what is regarded as the world’s richest lottery. Punters usually buy a 10th of a ticket, or “decimo” which costs EUR 20 and if the number wins the top prize, the ticket holder will be richer by EUR 300,000. With 153 million “decimos” in play, chances of winning even one of the smaller prizes are infinitesimal. Started as a way to raise revenue by King Carlos III in the 18th century, the yearly lottery has since been held 196 times and is seen by Spaniards as the start of the country’s long Christmas season.

Solsticio De Invierno

Poca Muñeca was on stage again today. This time it was as la Pastora in the school nativity. I translated from the Spanish as best I could.

Angel Carmen: Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news. Tonight, in Bethlehem, a baby has been born who will be the saviour of the world. You will find him in a stable, under a bright star.
Pastor 2: Okay, let's go find the new baby.
Pastora 3: Hey, what are we gonna do with all the sheep?
Pastor 1: I don't know. We'd better take them with us.
Pastor 2: What all one hundred and fifty eight and a half of them?
Pastora 3: And a half? Are you sure you counted them right?
Angel Carmen: So the shepherds set off to Bethlehem, with their 158.5 sheep. It didn't take them long to find the baby because there was a bright star above the stable, showing them the way.

Today was also winter solstice. Yippee the days start getting longer. More time to sun myself on the terraces.

Factoid: As the Earth travels around the Sun in its orbit, the north-south position of the Sun changes over the course of the year due to the changing orientation of the Earth's tilted rotation axes with respect to the Sun. In the northern hemisphere, the Winter solstice is day of the year when the Sun is farthest south. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, respectively, in the sense that the length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is a minimum for the year.

In Spain there is one tradition, not at all common elsewhere. The tradition of making "Hogueras" (bonfires) originated long before Christmas itself. It is connected to the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and the beginning of winter. It is characterized by people jumping over fires as a symbolic protection against illness. This fire-jumping can be seen primarily in Granada and Jaen.

De Belén En Belén

Took Toffee to see the Nativity scene. He was very confused. "How can everyone be so small Mickey? Look at the little cat, the little donkey, the little dog. They're soooooooooooo small" I was in the process of explaining the meaning and concept of the Nativity scene when Paco walked past. I turned to talk to him. Big mistake, very big mistake. The second my back was turned Toffee started to devour the small plastic figures. Paco shouted at him to stop, but it was too late. Toffee raced up the street with a cow and a wise man hanging from his mouth.

Having spoken to my legal council I decided it was best not to post the photo taken after the carnage.

Factoid: One symbol of Christmas that still maintains much importance throughout Spain is the Nativity scene. These scenes occupy plazas in cities and small towns throughout the country, and can also be seen in the doorways and entrances of many Spanish homes, as well in storefront windows, and they can be quite elaborate. In many small towns, during the nights just before Christmas, plazas might even have a live Nativity scene, with actors and actresses playing the parts of Mary and Joseph and the three wise men as well as live animals that are often associated with the birth of Christ, like lambs, sheep, and donkeys.

Papá Noel Es Ladrón Que Escala Paredes

A new crime wave is about to reach Spain. It is one that the mainstream media and authorities do not appear to be concerned about. All over Spain criminals disguised as Papá Noels can be seen scaling buildings. It appears that everyone just thinks they are part of Christmas and therefore just smile and continue to go about their business. I know better. Remember you read it here first.

Factoid: Christmas was once a more religious holiday in Spain. But in recent years, as Spain has broken from its cultural isolation behind the Pyrenees and become more a part of Western Europe, the more familiar celebration and commercialisation of Christmas has spread here. Today, Christmas and the Day of the Kings are equal competitors, merrily stretching out the season. Papá Noel, as Spaniards call Santa Claus, has grown in stature with the higher profile of Christmas. Apart from climbing walls you will probably not find the jolly round man in attendance. Rather, it will be the three wise men, sitting in a row in Arab robes listening to the wishes of children.