Los Nombres Comunes

They say that if you stand in any crowded street in Spain and shout “María!” half the women will turn round to see who’s calling them. Half could be a bit of an exaggeration though, because the latest figures show that only 28.5 per cent of Spanish women have “María” as part of their name, and only three out of every hundred are called simply “María”. Carmen is the second most common name for Spanish women, and is often tacked on to the top favourite to make María del Carmen, or “MariCarmen” - tacking names on is such a frequent phenonemon that it is often abbreviated in writing, for example to Mª José or Mª del Mar. Could this be Antonio?

Factoid: The Spanish National Statistics Institute has just published a list of the most common names in Spain since the 20’s. Most common names across the country currently are María and Antonio, followed by María del Carmen and José, Carmen and Manuel, Josefa and Francisco, and Isabel and Juan. Regarding surnames, García is the Spanish equivalent of the Smiths and the most popular, followed by González, Fernández, Rodríguez, López, Martíne, Sánchez, Pérez, Martín and Gómez.

There are important regional variations and the details can be found on the the INE webpage of Spanish names

Depósito De Agua

Agua, agua. Good news today, one of the main water reservoirs that supplies the village is back on stream. Full pressure has been restored. The lining had been damaged during the storm and had to be replaced. How long will it take to fill a 3,000,000 litre tank with water?

Factoid: Spain gets 346 billion cubic metres of rainfall each year, of which 109 billion remains after evaporation. This should be enough to meet an annual demand of 35 billion cubic metres. Spain’s 1,070 big dams already make it the world’s leading country in terms of proportion of dam-created lakes to total land mass.

Luz Del Alba

Diego dusty bin was on form this morning his enthusiastic beeping had me awake early, in fact so early for me that I caught the dawn light. Very picturesque. I must make more effort to get up early. On second thoughts I’ll take a rain check until summer.

Factoid: Granada is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous region of Andalusia, Spain. It is situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of two rivers, Darro and Genil, at an elevation of 738 metres above sea level. The Alhambra, a Moorish citadel and palace, is in Granada. It is one of the most famous items of the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian historical legacy that makes Granada a hot spot among cultural and tourist cities in Spain. The Almohad urbanism with some fine examples of Moorish and Morisco constructions is preserved at the part of the city called the Albaicin. Granada is also well-known within Spain due to the prestigious University of Granada and, nowadays, wild night-life. In fact, it is said that it is one of the three best cities for college students

Espetos de Sardinas

What a fine day to take a stroll along the beach, the grey from the past couple of days had gone and had been replaced by blue skies and sunshine, it was very warm. An essential feature of almost every beach in Spain are the Chiringuitos (beach bars) Following my nose I ended up sitting by a burning boat, a few seconds later I realised why I was here. Espetos de Sardinas (open fire roasted sardine). Many people relate the smell of grilling sardines with Spain. Delicious on a hot Summers day, done outside over a barbecue and eaten with a cool beer.

Factoid: There are a number of different kinds of small saltwater fish that are referred to as « sardines ». In fact, there are more than 20 varied species sold as sardines worldwide. The sardine was first canned at the beginning of the 19 th century, when Napoleon recognized that there was a need to preserve food, and the sardine was the first fish to be preserved in oil or tomato sauce. Sardines used to be abundant just off the coast of Sardinia, an island, in the Mediterranean, hence the name “sardine”.

Sardinas a la plancha
Basic ingredients: 12 sardines (serves 4) salt
Steps:
1. Remove the scales from the sardines and season with salt (you don´t need to remove the heads or guts)
2. Heat a griddle pan and place the sardines on it when hot
3. The sardines will need about 2 mins on each side
4. Serve with a chunk of white bread & cold beer.

La Cazuela

I may have mentioned this before, if so, tough. A fantastic aspect about Spanish living is the love of dining. As I’m a fat cat and dining is a firm favourite of mine, I’m perfectly suited to living in Spain. Today was no exception on the dining front. We joined our amigos to partake in a rather tasty cazuela washed down with the seasons first wine. I passed on the wine, but Don D. very kindly made up for my absence.

Factoid: Andalucía, like all the regions of Spain, has developed over the years a huge variety of local dishes. Being such a hot region it’s not surprising that it is home to gazpacho. (a cold tomato soup well known now throughout Europe), but you will be surprised, just how many other cold soups are on offer – and all equally delicious. With the 900kms of coastline, taking in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, fish is always well represented on menus. Andalucía’s exceptional climate also makes year round harvesting possible and there is an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The whole process of eating is taken very seriously here, whether it be a bar crawl with tapas., or a sit down meal with seafood and paella.. It should be done just right. It is not just a case of sustenance, but relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere are equally important. So while knowing a little of what to ask for is a good idea, the where, when and how are equally important.

Cazuelas de habas One pot dishes made with a variety of beans, chorizo, bacon and pepper sauces or a variety of fish with parsley. The key word is Cazuela - on menus it usually means a stew of something cooked with beans and fish or meat

Gaviotas

A grey day on the beach today, heavy rain this morning. I did have fun chasing the gulls. I was testing the accepted theory that gulls are highly intelligent with complex communication methods. From what I could ascertain this is quite untrue. Stroll up near them, meow loudly and bush up my tail and one takes flight and they all follow. Being a copy cat does not demonstrate intelligence to me.

Factoid: Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns (family Sternidae), auks and skimmers, and more distantly to the waders. Most gulls belong to the large genus Larus. They are in general medium to large birds, typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Most gulls, particularly Larus species, are ground nesting carnivores, which will take live food or scavenge opportunistically. The live food often includes crabs and small fish. Gulls — the larger species in particular — are resourceful and highly-intelligent birds, demonstrating complex methods of communication and a highly-developed social structure.

Tres Puentes

There’s always lots of building going on around here. Two big projects are the construction of motorways, one that runs along the coast and the other that comes down from Granada to Motril. This is a new bridge near Lanajaron. If traffic continues to increase will there be 33 bridges here in the future?

Factoid: The Autovía A-44 is a highway in Andalucia, Spain. It is also known as the Autovía de Granada / Sierra Nevada. It starts on the coast at Motril at the junction of the N340 initially being called the N-323. It heads up the gorge of the Rio Guadalfeo into the Valle de Lecrin with Las Alpujarras to the east. The road heads through the Sierra Nevada passing over the Puerto del Suspiro del Moro (865 m). It then passes to the east of Granada the north of which is a junction with the Autovía A-92. The road heads north through the Sierra de Lucena by the Puerto del Carretero (1,040 m). It then follows the valley of the Rio Guadaldulón to Jaen. It then joins the Autovía A-4 at Bailén.

Día de Acción de Gracias

Our buen vecinos from Estados Unidos invited us over for Thanksgiving lunch today. What a feast, pavo not to be had yet, so it was cerdo cooked just right Alfredo style. Yummy desert of pastel de calabaza. How stuffed was I?

Factoid: The lingo
el arándano rojo — cranberry
el budín, el pudín — pudding
la cazuela — casserole
la cena — dinner
comer — to eat
el Día de Acción de Gracias — Thanksgiving
la festividad de la cosecha — harvest festival
gluglú gluglú — gobble gobble (turkey sound)
las gracias — thanks
el maíz — corn
la mazorca de maíz — corn on the cob
el noviembre — November
el ñame — yam
el otoño — autumn, fall
el pavo — turkey
el panecillo — dinner roll
el pastel (o la tarta) de calabaza — pumpkin pie
el peregrino — pilgrim
el puré de patatas — mashed potatoes
el relleno — stuffing, turkey dressing
la salsa de carne — gravy
las sobras, los restos — leftovers
las verduras — vegetables

Juguete Grande De Los Muchachos

Don Duende went playing today in some freaky machine, a big boys toy. It was a bit like some moon buggy. Having done some Googling I discovered it was a bug rider. Smiling from ear to ear when he got back. Funny how tooth aches can disappear so quickly. Bet it’s on his Christmas wish list.

Factoid: Bug Riders are the ''next big thing''. Officially a quadricycle (aka quad bike), they have a steering wheel and look like a souped up, stripped down version of a beach buggy. Off-road or on, they''re exciting, they''re fast, they''re relatively cheap. A Buggy is the way to go!

Dolor De Muelas

Poor Don D. Had a few glasses of vino and some tapas last evening at Antonio's. Would appear that the chorizo was a tad tough and he woke up this morning with tooth ache. I know how he feels, they are not pleasant. He did manage to see the dentista but that didn't stop him being like a bear with a sore head all day. I kept to my igloo.

Factoid: Voy al dentista
He / She has toothache > Tiene dolor de muelas
It hurts (me) > Me duele
I need a dentist > Necesito un dentista
Can you give me something for the pain? > ¿Puede darme algo para el dolor?
It has to come out > Hay que sacarla
I'm going to give you an injection > Voy a ponerle una inyección
Filling > el empaste
Crown > la funda
Temporary repair > un arreglo provisional

Cueva De Bin Laden

Out for a stroll this afternoon when I happened across this cave. Not being quite as agile on my feet as Toffee I suggested he scamper up and take a look, being the mountain dog that he is. Off he charged and disappeared inside into the blackness. Seconds later he came charging out and was back at my side panting. Between gulps for air he whispered that he had some really exciting news “We’ve found him Mickey, we’ve found him” “Who” “Bin Laden” “BIN LADEN” “shhhhhh, si, Bin Laden. I heard that Rumsfeld guy talking about him. We do know of certain knowledge that he is either in Afghanistan, or in some other country, or dead." "Toffee, my dear chap, would you believe a lunatic who said, Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know." "What?" "Exactly"

Factoid: 500 euro Bin Laden. In Spain, the 500 euro banknotes are sometimes called bin ladens, because everybody knows about their existence, but nobody knows where they're hidden. In some regions of Spain, euro is called leru after the The Lord of the Rings parody, El Señor de los Lerus

Nube Lenticular

Did some cloud watching today. Clouds here are not an everyday occurrence, when they do appear they are usually quite plain, but on rare occasions you get some really weird and funky formations. These ones are Lenticular clouds and have been mistaken for UFOs (or "visual cover" for UFOs) because these clouds have a characteristic lens appearance and smooth saucer-like shape. Cool.

Factoid: Lenticular clouds, technically known as altocumulus standing lenticularis, are stationary lens-shaped clouds that form at high altitudes, normally aligned at right-angles to the wind direction.
Where stable moist air flows over a mountain or a range of mountains, a series of large-scale standing waves may form on the downwind side. Lenticular clouds sometimes form at the crests of these waves. Under certain conditions, long strings of lenticular clouds can form, creating a formation known as a wave cloud. Lenticular clouds are frequently observed over the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Mozart - Genio De La Música

Poca Muñeca took to the big stage this evening for her performance of G de Giovani. What a performance. The lights came up, the music started, the crowd went crazy as she hit the stage. The delivery was impeccable.

"A Visual and aural spectacle" (The Stage)

"Enormous energy and plenty of class" (The Times)

Factoid: Mozart - 250 Years of Sheer Genius. While many of his contemporaries have faded away, Mozart is often the first name on our lips when we speak of classical composers. As the years have gone by, it seems that his music is more popular than it has ever been, and he has today, during the 250th anniversary of his birth, become the most beloved composer who ever lived.

Mozart 2006 Official Website

Atardecer

Don Duende and Señora Comecocos had amigos come to visit today. Amigos from the old country. There was much catching up and laughter. I left them to it and went for a bimble in the garden just in time for sundown. They decided to take a sundowner at a local watering hole before returning to dine “a la cocina Don Duende”

Factoid: Wines and beers:

white wine is "vino blanco",
red is "vino tinto",
a small glass (25cl) of draught beer is "una caña"
a medium glass (33cl) of draught beer is "un tubo"
a large glass (50cl) of draught beer is "una jarra"
a small bottle (20cl) of beer is a "quinto"
a small bottle (33cl) of beer is a "tercio".

Fuente De La Juventud

Lluvia fuerte a hoy. It was one of those days, grey and endless rain. Suffice to say I didn’t venture far. Even Toffee had little enthusiasm for going walkies and chasing oranges and avocadoes. Pontificated, Fountains, are they Water Wasters or Works of Art?

Factoid: Fountains are a distinguished feature in Spanish architecture, derived, in part, from Moslem influences. There are fountains in every village, town and city. As Spain built its colonial empire in the New World, fountains were installed within plazas and courtyards, as early as the 16th century.

A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source, fills a basin of some kind, and is drained away. Fountains may be wall fountains or free-standing. In fountains sheets of water may flow over varied surfaces of stone, concrete or metal. Basins may overflow from one into another, or the overflow may imitate a natural cascade. Many fountains are located in small, artificial ornamental ponds, basins and formal garden pools, and often they include sculpture.

Vacunas Contra La Rabia

Had to go for my annual rabies jab today. Whenever I go to the vet I always cause a bit of a stir. They obviously don’t get many fine looking creatures in, as all the staff come in and wonder at my stunning looks. “Mickey es muy guapo” I had reprogrammed my chip with a very simple bit of PHP code. The vet almost died when she did the scan and it came up as a snow leopard. Ha ha. Toffee had his 1st rabies jab and he was chipped. Not very impressed with the injections. Big woose.

Factoid: In some parts of the world one in every ten dogs is infected with rabies. In Spain a tough vaccination campaign has eradicated the disease. Rabies disappeared from Spain during the 1960s when obligatory vaccinations came in to force. Local town halls now run summer prevention campaigns when jabs are offered at a fixed cost.

So what is rabies? It is a virus usually transmitted via the bite of an infected animal and is difficult to diagnose, even now. But during the 18th century rabies sufferers were frequently mistaken for blood-thirsty ghouls and became the inspiration for the vampire legend. People with rabies have symptoms that are very similar to the traits ascribed to vampires.

Clase De Español

Don D. spent most of the afternoon doing his Spanish homework before his class this evening. He was studying parts of the body. “No le veo ni pies ni cabeza a esta deberes, me duele la cabeza” he kept twittering. He'll have a sore head if he doesn't do his homework. I did my blog.

Factoid: Parts of the body - Partes del cuerpo - English - Spanish

ankle el tobillo
arm el brazo
back la espalda
bone el hueso
chin la barbilla
ear la oreja / el oído
elbow el codo
eye el ojo
finger el dedo
foot el pie
hair el pelo
hand la mano
head la cabeza
heart el corazón
kidney el riñón
knee la rodilla
leg la pierna
liver el hígado
mouth la boca
nail la uña
neck el cuello
nose la nariz
stomach el estómago
throat la garganta
thumb el pulgar
toe el dedo del pie
wrist la muñeca

Puerta Azul

Went to Paco the toms’ house for lunch today. He lives in the old barrio in a very old house. He had prepared a classic bacalao (salt cod) dish. He has a very old blue door on his house. Apparently it dates from Moorish times. He does talk a load of twaddle does Paco.

Factoid: The word Moors derives from the Latin mauri, a name for the Berber tribes living in Roman Mauretania (modern day Algeria and Morocco). It has no ethnographic meaning but can be used to refer to all Muslims, Berber or Arab, who conquered the Iberian Peninsula.

These Moors, who were religious fanatics, arrived in Spain in the year 711 and thus began a period of history which would shape Iberia differently than the rest of Europe as the land adapted to a new religion, language and culture. Hispania became a part of the caliph of Damascus which was the capital of the Muslim world.

Setas

Don Duende and Poca Muñeca went wild mushroom picking in the mountains today. There were about 20 in the picking gang. I didn’t join them as I’m not really into mushrooms and I wouldn't have felt very comfortable picking “oreja del gato” (Ear of cat) or as some call it “Black Saddle Mushroom” They returned with baskets loaded and then proceeded to cook up a cornucopia of tasty dishes. By all accounts it was a fine day.

Factoid: If you are lucky enough to be in Spain during the wild mushroom season (Autumn), you are in for a treat. The diversity of wild mushrooms is as great as the diversity of Spain itself, and Spaniards use all kinds in their cooking. Here is a simple baked wild mushroom recipe.

Baked wild mushrooms

Ingredients:
1kg fresh wild mushrooms
50g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
bread crumbs
fresh parsley
salt and pepper
Steps:
1. Clean the mushrooms (try not to get them too wet) and chop them up roughly into quarters
2. Mix the garlic (crushed), chopped parsley and breadcrumbs
3. Place the mushrooms in an ovenproof baking dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top
4. Finally pour over the olive oil and place the butter (chopped into cubes) on top of the mixture - season with salt and pepper and place in a preheated oven (200 degrees) for 15 - 20 mins

Leña

Firewood piles are sprouting up all over the place. It must have been my post yesterday that triggered all the activity. For the majority of the year there isn’t much call to heat our homes, which is nice, it’s only for a few months a year that we need some extra heating.

Factoid: Here's a poem about firewood that I wrote

¡ Quiquiriquí!

¡ Quiquiriquí!
¿ Qué tiene el gallo ?
¡ Mal en el papo!
¿ Quién se lo ha hecho ?
¡ El escarabajo!
¿ Dónde está el escarabajo ?
¡ Debajo la leña!
¿ Dónde está la leña ?
¡ El fuego la quema!
¿ Dónde está el fuego?
¡ El agua lo apaga!
¿ Dónde está el agua ?
¡ La abuelita se la ha bebido!
¿ Dónde está la abuelita ?
¡ A lavar se ha ido!
¿ Dónde está lo que ha lavado?
¡ El río abajo se lo ha llevado!
¡ Pues que le den, que le den
Con el culo de la sartén!

Femeninas En Las Señales De Tráfico

We may be in the campo, but we’re very progressive. A town council in the big big city, Madrid, recently passed a law that half the road traffic signs in the suburb should show female silhouettes. We have had females on our sign for ages. I was discussing the matter with Paco the tom and we both agreed it is quite mad.

Factoid: Spain Rages Against Sexism With "Gender Bender" Road Signs. Spanish feminists rejoice, your traffic signs are going co-ed! In an effort to fight sexism, the town council of Fuenlabrada has decreed that half of all signs in the Madrid suburb must have female silhouettes. What makes silhouettes female, you ask? Why they're the ones with cute pony tails and ribbons, wearing skirts instead of pants (since girls don't have short hair and never wear slacks, silly!). The effort to battle "machismo" by enforcing stereotypical gender imagery is the brainchild of the ruling Socialist and United Left parties who have also added a clause to civil marriage contracts requiring men and women to share the housework and childcare (does this include breastfeeding?) . As far as the street signs go, about the best thing you can say is that perhaps now male motorists will actually start paying attention to them for a change.

Primera Nieve

The first snow of the season fell on the Sierra Nevada yesterday. I don’t do snow, I don’t do skiing, I don’t do cold. I do keeping warm and snuggling up in my igloo or duvet. At least it’s nice and sunny during the days, I still get my requisite sunning on the terrace. Drops a few degrees when the sun goes down. Don D will be getting all macho soon and doing his fire building. Yippee singed whiskers.

Factoid: Sierra Nevada is located in the Penibetic mountain range in Andalucia. It is Europe´s southernmost ski resort and is endowed with the Iberian peninsula´s highest summits. The resort is situated in the municipalities of Monachil, Guejar Sierra and Dilar near Granada´s Costa Tropical (100 km.) and the Costa del Sol (150km.). The resort´s village, Pradollano is at an altitude of 2,100 meters.

Sierra Nevada´s ski courses have been designed by European and American specialists, guaranteeing superb conditions for the skier. With a total of 61 kilometres spread over 39 runs, plus 6 sensational off-course trails, Sierra Nevada offers the visitor a wide choice of activities.
Sierra Nevada has a vertical drop of 1,300 meters, and snow areas for all types of skiers, from beginners to experts. The highlights of its courses were those used in the World Alpine Ski Championships held in February 1996, which more adventurous skiers will be able to enjoy this season.

No Apacar Cocheras

The sun has taken his hat off and refuses to come out to play as summer becomes a distant memory, along with your tan and flip-flops. As autumn sweeps in and the colours of the leaves change, the heavens open and Spain had a good drenching. I was quite happy tucked up in my warm igloo but these poor folks had a bit of a problem getting into their garages.

Factoid: South-eastern Spain has some of the most popular destinations for tourists from the UK and other European countries. Tourism employs 9.5 per cent of the workforce in Spain and is treated by the government as a key economic sector with good prospects. Spain's climate at present provides the ideal antidote to northern European weather: warm summers, a lot of sunshine, low rainfall and mild winters. But climate change will bring with it a likely rise in temperatures, for example, September in 2050 may well be as warm as a present day July. Other impacts of climate change in Spain are likely to include flash floods, heat stress and more forest fires.

BBC in depth report on climate change

Satamonte o langosta

Taking in a few rays this morning when I came across this chap. He said his name was Ahmed and lived in Marbella. He was passing through on his way to visit his family in Barcelona. Being quite informed I told him he was talking a load of crock, with a name like Ahmed and being a locust he had probably just arrived off the Granada coast in a fishing boat from North Africa. His insisted he was a grasshopper and had been born in Cadiz and was Spanish through and through. Really.

Factoid: Spain's formerly relaxed attitude to immigration has changed. Ten years ago the immigrant population was negligible; today some 10% is foreign born, mainly Eastern European, North African and Latin American. Romanians are already the third-largest minority after Moroccans and Ecuadorians.Illegal immigration has become big news. TV screens have carried the almost daily drama of wretched boat people from Africa, some already dead, arriving on Spanish shores. Immigration is now rated as the top political issue by some three-fifths of voters in Spain.

Sol de Otoño

Eh, ain't it brilliant these days? Sunny autumn days, fantastic. The skies are blue but it ain’t too hot, brilliant. What about them animals you can get, you keep 'em in your 'ouse, and they're all furry, and you can stroke 'em, and make up names for them and they're called 'dogs', and smaller ones are called 'cats'. It's brilliant, everything's just fantastic.

Factoid: The angle at which sunlight strikes the earth, which varies by location, time of day, and season, is an important factor in the amount of heat energy received at any location on the globe. Seasonal change in the angle of sunlight, caused by the tilt of the earth's axis, is the basic mechanism that results in warmer weather in summer than in winter When sunlight shines on the earth at a lower angle, the energy of the sunlight is spread over a larger area, and is therefore weaker than if the sun is higher overhead and the energy is concentrated on a smaller area. Fantastic.

Pollo Asado

Ahhhhh, the smell of fresh pollo asado. Nothing quite like it. Been on a pollo asado overload this week. Don Duende says he has eaten a chicken a week almost every week of his life. That’s over 2300 chickens. That’s a lot of chicken. I’ve eaten 15, but then I do have a macrobiotic diet. Barriga llena, corazón contento.

Factoid: Pollo Asado con limón y ajo (Recipe for roast chicken with lemon & garlic) This Spanish roasted chicken dish has a tangy lemon flavour and makes a change to traditional roast chicken.

Basic ingredients
1 medium sized whole chicken
a chunk of bread from the day before
4 cloves of garlic
2 large potatoes 1 whole lemon plus juice of one lemon
olive oil
200ml white wine
100ml water
salt and pepper

Steps:
1. Prepare the chicken for roasting place it in a roasting tin and season with salt and pepper
2. Rub one whole garlic clove over the chunk of bread and place inside the chicken
3. Cut the whole lemon into quarters and also place inside the chicken then pour a generous amount of olive oil over the chicken
4. Peel and cut the potatoes before placing them in the roasting tin around the chicken also put the whole garlic cloves (without peeling) in the tin
5. Pour the lemon juice and water over everything and place in the oven at 200 degrees
6. While roasting, open the oven and baste the chicken and potatoes several times
7. After an hour, pour the white wine over the chicken and then return to the oven to roast for another 15 minutes.

Edredón Caliente

Bit of a grey day on the weather front, I suppose it has something to do with the low pressure front that is over Northern Europe at the moment. Went for a bimble but not a lot was happening so retired to my duvet. Had just sat down with Señora Comecocos to watch the X Factor, when the power went. Learned later it was due to those pesky Germans causing a surge on the power grid, they managed to take out half of Europe. Suppose they were having a mass Jaegerschnitzel und Zucherkuchen seasoned with Feinkostgewürzsalz cooking session.

Factoid: A transsexual who had a brief brush with fame as the lover of some D-list celebrities is quizzed about her glory days and her silicon-enhanced bust. At one point, her obviously distressed mother is wheeled on as a surprise guest to recount how they had not spoken for years. Welcome to a typical night on Spain’s telebasura, or “tele-rubbish”. The word sum ups a phenomenon whose popularity has become the stuff of television executives’ dreams and an advertising goldmine. In a country where the television or caja tonta (silly box) is on for an average of three hours a day in every home, there are 18 telebasura programmes on weekly, nine with shows every day. They feature a diet of matadors’ ex-lovers recounting stories about their lurid love-lives, or minor celebrities telling how they fell from grace at the hands of drugs, alcohol or a deceitful lover. Typically, a panel of “journalists” will shout questions along with the audience until it is hard to know who is talking or what they are saying.

Tiene Duende ¡Fantástico!

Out for a stroll with Toffee this morning. The early morning mist was rolling over the mountains. Toffee was busy sucking on an orange when there was rustling in the trees just above us. I looked up but couldn’t see anything. It happened a couple more times. Toffee didn’t even look up from his orange. The next minute Duende came hurtling down the rugged path, nearly knocked me off my feet. Toffee was totally spooked, he dropped his orange and gave chase. The Duende just vanished into the mist. The look on Toffee’s face. TieneDuende.

Factoid: The most elusive word in the Spanish language is Duende. Like a breeze or moonlight, it is more easily experienced than explained. In stories, it means simply an imp or goblin, or a poltergeist-like force that disturbs the spirit of a house. But it runs much deeper than that; Duende is almost a blood-type. Someone who has it in their veins is likely to be creative, fey, prescient, spontaneous, captivating, maybe melancholic, volatile. Or none of these. One of Duende's charms is that just when it seems grasped, it slips away like a trout; makes a chord change; turns quick as a small child from laughter to tears.

Corteza Del Pino

Tree bark is really amazing stuff. November is a visual treat, a bouquet of brilliantly coloured foliage and fruit. A veritable cornucopia of colours and patterns. I am slightly obsessed with the variety and beauty of tree bark, by the fact that the smoothness of a sapling is no more beautiful than the ridges and folds in the bark of a mature tree. Am I loosing the plot?

Factoid: In 1837, during one of his exploratory visits to the south of the Iberian Peninsula, the Swiss Botanist Edmond Boisser discovered a new species of tree: Abies Pinsapo, popularly known as the pinsapo pine or Spanish fir.
The tree can grow up to 30m tall and live as long as 200 years. It has tiny needle-like leaves, which are extremely sharp and cylindrical in shape, and although this foliage appears lightweight, it throws out a very dense shade on the ground.
Found only in the southern mountains of Andalucia and in the north of Morocco, botanists discovered that the pinsapo had been around since the Tertiary geological time period - before the Ice Age! How could it have survived?

El Día De Todos Los Santos

Another fiesta day. They have a lot of holidays in Spain. Good thing really as it gives me time to take a break from my busy schedule. We loafed on the terrace and joked about it being the 1st of November. While the the old country was shivering we were sunning in a sunny 25. It's truly glorious here.

Factoid: El día de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day) is an extremely important feast in the Catholic calendar. It is a relatively sad day rather like Good Friday where most shops and restaurants tend to be closed. On this day people commemorate the death of their loved ones. People go to the cemetery to take flowers. In Andalucia the norm is to have a meal of Broad Beans in a marinade. This is made by:
Simply boiling the beans and then adding the marinade.

The marinade consists of:
olive oil
paprika
crushed garlic
salt

This can be eaten either hot or cold and it`s best if left to marinade for a while before consuming.