First chocolates in Spain

First things first - it is cold here, it is really very cold. We've had a week of falling temperatures where the walk to the bus stop to collect the children at lunch time has resulted in ears that hurt, despite scarves and various 'wrappings'. And on Thursday evening, as Cesar and I were driving back (again) from the garage - more car fixing - it started to snow. Swirling, big-flaked, blizzarding snow. And by coincidence, we were listening to AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell' as it began.  (However, we made it back home without incident despite my still lingering sense of doom every time I get in the car.) That's not my story here.

No, with the arrival of snow, I felt a welcome affinity with all of you out there who have been hit by the white stuff recently. Not that I want any of us to suffer but there is a firmly-held belief that Spain is hot - always hot - and I am pretty sure no one believes me when I'm asked what the weather is like over here and I say, "oh, a bit chilly". Here - it snowed on Thursday - look!

Look, I'm not trying to compete. I know there is a minimal covering here - but that morning, when I took Nemo out for a walk, was one of the coldest I have encountered anywhere. And at least now, my children don't feel like they are missing out either! How they have envied the thought of their English friends their snowball fights, sledging, skating and snowman-making - to say nothing of the days off school! (Though I do know their old school has remained open more or less throughout - nothing closes Rowley Lane!) So they made the most of the snow and icy conditions here - having great fun chipping away at the icy bits with hammers and throwing some rather dangerous 'ice balls' about until we decided that someone might get hurt that way.

My great joy yesterday wasn't the snow, but the fact that I made some chocolates. (I have to say that again..) I.. made.. some.. chocolates... I'm savouring the sound of that sentence. I made some chocolates yesterday.  A special recipe for Amelia with a centre of chopped walnuts, dark chocolate, thick cream and an orange liqueur.

I made the centre in the morning and let it set:

Then, later in the evening, I melted several blocks of rich dark chocolate using the microwave method. (Half power, a minute at a time, stirring to speed up the melting and distribute the temperate across all the chocolate - otherwise, it can burn and spoil.)






This is when I really start smiling - I just love the smell, the sensation, the texture and the process of stirring chocolate!


The next stage is to temper the chocolate, to get it to set nicely with a shine and a 'snap' - which I do over a large bowl of cold water to bring the temperature down to almost setting again. Then the slightly risky period getting it back to ultimate temperature for dipping - risky because I was doing this without any of my usual equipment, including my super accurate laser thermometer. Would I get it right??

I think I did OK!

I'm happy enough to show a close up, though I can see a couple of air bubbles in the chocolate itself....hmmm

Soft creamy centre with a little walnut crunch and a slight alcohol kick!

 I am SO happy to have made them and so pleased they turned out delicious. I can't wait to get settled somewhere with all my proper equipment around me to make some more!

The small world of bloggers.

I am feeling so jolly pleased that I started a blog.  I began in April this year following the big decision to leave work early and 'retire' (such an inappropriate word for what I did) and for about a month, I didn't dare go public. I really wanted to write an online 'diary' designed for others to read - anywhere in the world - but when it came to it I was afraid of sharing it; it felt silly somehow to publish my thoughts; and worse - someone I KNEW might read it! Heavens, it was such a nervous moment when I eventually took the plunge and pressed the buttons to share. I think I only did it because a friend had done it as part of 40 things he wanted to do in his 40th year - and we're sort of kindred spirits (eh, Andy) so if he could, I could. And I did!

To start with, I only confessed to a few people and still felt rather embarrassed to think that someone was reading anything that I had written, despite loving the act and art of writing. I think part of the embarrassment is from having kept a diary from the age of 14 to 19 that was very personal and very confessional - I know I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to read any of that. 

But a blog isn't a diary - and that's something I have learned since starting. It's a wonderful communication tool - and it's not just one way. I am starting to get comments on my blogs, which is THE most exciting thing ever. And comments from people I don't even know! And there's a whole community of bloggers out there with similar interests to me, who write about the things and people that are important to them and with whom I feel I share a small part of their lives. And it's because they blog.

And since June, here on 'Blogger', it has been possible to track how many visits I've had and from which countries and it's fascinating! Why, I'm positively famous all over the United States as well as in the UK, Spain and Australia. And now I have had readers from Latvia, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Israel, Russia, Canada, Taiwan and China!! Wow - that's just amazing.

I love stats! I really do - my job prior to my 'retirement' (that word again) was in management information and statistics and I do enjoy poring over the details of my visitors. But I am not an inhuman 'numbers' person - oh no, I like to get to know my numbers personally!  When I worked in a hospital doing various statistical returns such as counting all the different procedures that patients underwent, I noticed one poor man - a heart patient - had gone through more procedures than anyone else and was still on the ward. So I went to visit him. Bless, he was half blind, totally deaf and very, very poorly. He had no clue who I was or why I was there and I couldn't really explain, so I just held his hand for a while and then left again. And when I worked in Education, analysing the results of examinations, I can still remember names and results of individuals (though I confess, only those who did extremely well or those who really did not.)

And whilst I don't know all of my visitors, if you've left me a comment, I will check out your website or find out as much as I can about you. And if you blog, I will follow you (if I like the look of what you write, of course) and then, by looking on my little map, I might be able to imagine when you visited and read my blog. And it makes everyone seem so much closer somehow.

THANKS FOR READING!

Pines!

To the south of Valladolid, there is a huge pine forest where we often go to walk. Yesterday, we took Nemo with us when we went to collect pine cones to burn on the oven range that we use at home in the winter months. And boy, has it been cold this week! Everyone at home says, 'I bet it's warmer there than here'...no, it's not!
This morning it was 5 below zero in Valladolid (and that's centigrade, I'm talking) and has only just got up to zero. However, yesterday was sunny and it felt lovely as we wandered through the pine forest, breathing in some wonderful smells - of pine and thyme and just the natural, outside smells of a forest.

It's like being a million miles from anywhere else.













And the trees, which are the most endearing shape,

 

 go on as far as the eye can see.

Romy, focused and a bit on the competitive side, (known to half-inch a couple of pines from my own bag) applied herself diligently to finding pine cones and filled about three bags full. Ruy didn't pick up any pine cones at all, but wandered around with his toy gun chasing hidden spies and baddies and generally protecting us from the unknown and unseen. Mateo managed a few pine cones but the pull of nature was irresistible for him and I found him staring intently at tree trunks most of the time. And his special eyesight managed to find a bird's nest in amongst the dry grasses on the ground. 

We came home absolutely ravenous and made a nice big fire with our pine cones and then ate huge amounts of my famous pasta con chorizo y tomate. And Sunday was peaceful and just as it should be.

The seven severed hands of Simancas

More than 12 centuries ago, when the Moors ruled much of Spain (and don't worry, this isn't a history lesson just a bit of local colour), taxes were demanded of all the villages. When a village didn't pay up punishment was meted out in various forms. To cut a gruesome story rather short - though not to cut out the cutting part - the punishment on this particular village was that seven young women were taken away and had one of each of their hands cut off.
A 'manco' or 'manca' in Spanish is someone missing a hand or arm. The name of the village 'Simancas' comes from the seven - or 'siete' mancas who came from there.
A form of retribution came later in a battle on the ancient Roman wall took place between the Moors (Moros) and the Christians in 939, when the Moors were well and truly defeated.

Plaza Mayor

General Archive of Simancas

Simancas is about 5kms away from La Flecha and about as different in tone and atmosphere as you could imagine. La Flecha is all modern apartments, straight streets, shops and supermarkets - Simancas is ancient, impressive, tiny, twisted streets and attention-calling corners. It is also the national Archive centre of Spain, holding documents, records, manuscripts and information of all sorts that are important to Spanish history. It's many a moon since I've been but we went again this weekend and I'm really impressed at the recent reform and improvement works that have gone on here in the past few years.

Facsimile of a document held in the archives

Illustration done in Winchester, England

Only scholars and pre-booked visits to the inside - but lots of information outside.

Music School

The old hospital - very old!

Simancas is a lovely place to visit and I shall go many more times whilst we live here in La Flecha as it brings me a lot of calm during this time of things 'unknown'. Down by the river, there are some spectacular walks, which leads me on to introduce the new member of our family. Nemo.

Nemo - found

With his favourite little person

He is a rescue dog, rescued not by us, but by Cesar's parents last year. He is extremely timid, quiet and has a damaged back leg following an accident with a car. (Wasn't me!) Since he came back to La Flecha in October with los abuelos and has experienced a bit of fun with the children, he has really come out of his sad little shell. I adore him and I do believe it's mutual. And now, he goes everywhere with us and is as good as gold. He came to Simancas; I take him to the bus stop to meet the children everyday; he came to the pine forest today and Mateo gets up and takes him out in the mornings at the weekend. And we have just received the good news that he can come with us when we go!

Hunting pine cones

He's ours!!

Not a Chickenblog!

With deference and acknowledgements to the real Chickenblogger, I post this blog about the beauties that we have here. I'm not known as a chicken-fancier (if that is the right term - seems to work for pigeons) but los abuelos have a number of hens and cockerels pecking and strutting about the place, and some of them are really rather gorgeous.
There have been hens here since we arrived and we've been eating the delicious eggs most days - the children often go and collect them when they're not at school. The cockerels came back from Valdepolo with los abuelos in October. When we visited during the summer, they were cute little things, fluffy and chirpy.
Well just look at them now!

In the past two weeks, they have discovered their 'crowing' voices and to start with, they sensibly didn't start practicing until about 8 in the morning. However, as their confidence and skill has increased, they start earlier and earlier and this morning, it was about 6.30am.

I suspect they may not be around much longer. It won't be long before a neighbour makes a complaint - it has happened before and then, curtains for these poor creatures. It's a real shame because they are so handsome and none of us really like to eat them. Not for sentimental reasons; I'm not one to be sentimental over a chicken; but because the meat is actually quite strong, quite hard to eat. They are birds full of energy from sunlight, freedom and exercise and they have a taste so unlike the chickens I have eaten all my life, it's difficult to equate the two. It does make me think more about the chickens I have eaten though....and whilst in recent years, we have always bought and eaten free-range, I suspect they were not quite free-range enough!

Anyway, whether we eat them or not is another story but for now, you have to admit, they are a handsome group! And this one is definitely the most handsome, the most photogenic, the most proud and the most noisy of them all. I really do fancy him!

What the eye sees

My dearest, darling eldest son lives in a world of his own most of the time. He is one who if he should turn right, will turn left. Who can mistake up for down. I am not totally convinced he can tell the time.

He is careless about details and leaves important books at school and forgets to tell us about meetings; but he's soft-hearted and honest and knowledgeable about all sorts of big things and whilst he is frustrating to a parent who wants to be able to trust him to do the small and simple things in life, he is an absolute treasure, a unique and individual thinker. And one day, he'll be happier with himself too.

Two things have happened this week that sum him up completely.

On Monday, he came home from school really pleased as he'd been invited to the cinema by his friend, Gabi and his family. I asked if he'd met any of the family and he told me he'd gone to school that morning with Gabi and his uncle in the uncle's car.  I wasn't too happy that he'd got in the car, rather than taking the bus. But then he told me he'd missed the bus so it was lucky for him that Gabi had come along after. How had he missed the bus? He hadn't gone late, had he? No, but somehow, despite there being a whole crowd of kids that get on the bus together, the bus had come, everyone had got on and Mateo 'didn't notice'! And he was left behind. He did manage to remember that he thought the bus that came was blue and orange, not the usual grey, but he didn't clock that all the kids got on it or that he could have asked. Poor thing - though he didn't seem concerned at all. Good for him that Gabi did come along with his uncle!

Then this morning, he and Cesar set off to walk down together (Cesar only goes as far as watching him across the very big and busy main road.. he doesn't usually wait to watch him board the bus!) - already they were a bit late and hurrying. When Cesar came back, he had with him a teeny, tiny gecko. Mateo had somehow spotted it on a wall as they rushed down to the bus stop - can't recognise a school bus but can spot a camouflaged creature at ten paces.

Cute - we like geckos!

Look how tiny, next to a ladybird mouse..?

In Slough

I have often been to Slough - I used to live near there - in another beautifully named town of England - Staines (home of the delightful character, Ali G). Slough and Staines... and don't forget Bletchley, which always sounds like someone throwing up to me. Who thought of these names?

Now, where was I or rather, where am I? Well, for much of this week. I WAS in Slough, in the Slough of Despond to be exact. This is a place in Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress (but suits Slough the town pretty well too. Sorry if I offend any Sloughians (pronounced Sluffians?) but honestly, it was never one of my favourite places.)  Ah yes, the Slough of Despond - a bog that Christian has to cross in the allegorical tale. I'm not going to try and carry an allegory through this posting, only to say that I've had a bad week - we all have them from time to time - and I'm through it now and it does feel a bit like I've trekked through a bog.

Nothing bad has happened to me or to any of us, I'm glad to say. However, last week, Mateo and I heard some awful news from home which, although didn't directly involve anyone we know well, did upset us both and we shared many a hug and appreciated each other a bit more than usual. Then - and this is GOOD - Cesar received an email asking him to apply for funding for a year's post-doctoral research.... at an English University. Now, I say this is GOOD, because it's very good. The timing is mind-blowingly bad not helpful. (Neat way of saying what I really mean, thanks Natalie of the lovely Chickenblog fame!) And whilst it's good to be asked to apply - applying itself will not guarantee the funding. And the outcome of the application will not be known until next May. And he's applied.

So now we have what appears to be conflicting options:

• of finding the place in which to spend the rest of our lives together here in northern southern .. in Spain; linked to which is the logistics of finding a place to rent so we can house hunt at leisure; furnished or unfurnished to start with? checking out prices for hiring trucks for moving whatever furniture/belongings we would need to take with us; before new term starts or wait another school term? trying to predict weather forecasts for journeys; trying not to upset family who don't want us to move; 

• of facing the possibility that at least one (or maybe all of us) might need to move back to England for a period; how much of the above should we continue to pursue? should we stay here in the meantime; what would be best for the children; what if he gets the funding; what if he doesn't;

As an ENFP, I should relish these options - the changing landscape unfolding ahead of me, the countless options available to choose from! BUT!! I need to add a few factors that have tipped the balance.

I have discovered I have a deep-rooted aversion to driving our new car. The Volvo thing of my past obviously has a deep psychological hold. It was bad enough driving the Fiat again after the accident; then there was the collision on the first outing with the new one - I am feeling like a bit of a target around here! I have had some other minor calamities this week too.

The food situation needs a whole blog to itself. Needless to say, it's complicated. 7 people with rather different body clocks and timetables; children who don't relish lentils; beans or overcooked and vinegar-drenched vegetables; abuelos who consider food cooked by an English woman to be too foreign to even try; complicated cooking facilities, including limited oven usage. And whilst we usually eat extremely well - it's more by luck than management. Last week there must have been less luck, culminating in a number of less than successful dishes prepared by yours truly - nothing awful, just not greeted with any enthusiasm by (ungrateful) diners (grrr). And then, the hardly-ever used gas oven exploded as I was cooking on it, causing me to temporarily lose my hearing. Turns out that there was a cigarette lighter inside it which we hadn't noticed (hadn't checked for!) when we lit the oven. I guess that could have been worse - and my hearing is back OK now!

And the final additional skewing to my lovely life I put down to hormones. Lots of the little buggers. Whoremoans, as I like to call them. They rose up inside me, they turned me into a screaming harpy for several days, turned everything I touched into dross, set my mind awhirling into doom and gloom.......then upped and left! Just like that.

And we're back on track - and come what may in May, we are continuing our plans to rent a place in Granada and Cesar will be going down there - weather permitting - in the next week or so to view a few very interesting options. So, goodbye Slough - glad to have left you behind yet again.