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 OUR
REGULAR NEWS FEATURE FROM
 SUNNY SPAIN |
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September 2010 |
and remember, to
find any diary month from our Newsletter, just click
DIARY DAYS IN SPAIN
... read on ... |
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September saw the
beginnings of a change to a colder climate, for despite the fact
that it began as a worthy follower to August (one of the hottest
on record) in the middle of the month we had another one hour
downpour which gave our new concrete drive a thorough testing...
but
this time it was largely hail rather than rain which fell.
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The
hail storm was reported to be centred on Arboleas but some
British residents informed The Press that the hailstones were
the size of golf balls!
As you
can see from the photograph this is an example of true British
hyperbole in action.
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After
that it settled down again to balmy autumnal weather, albeit the
days are getting shorter, nights longer and the mornings
colder.
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Our
local
Museum Pedro Gilabert in
Arboleas held an exhibition during September with the subject
The Legacy of El Andalus.
It is
perhaps interesting that this was a travelling exhibition which
journeys from museum to museum rather than people having to
travel a long way to see it.
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In the
love hate relationship between man and bull two people died
after being gored during Bull Runs.
Whilst, in Catalonia
which has “banned” Bull Fighting, they are proposing to
protect the “Bulls of Fire” who are run through the streets of
towns with blazing torches clamped to their horns. |
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The debate
reflects complex Catalan identity politics to put it simply the
Fire Bull is Catalan, so it's OK, the Fighting Bull is Spanish
so its not OK.
There are distinct parallels with England and
the other countries in the British Isles!
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The
Guardia Civil
are revolting for the first time (as in
revolutionary activity not personality!).
Although this
paramilitary organisation looks the fiercest of our police
forces it is not always appreciated that they are the lowest
paid. Whilst during the Franco years the Guardia was above the
law they are now back to being public servants. Although they
are banned from strike action it is reported that the Guardia
are having a distinct effect by down pens action. In other
words far fewer tickets are being issued during this period.
At the
root of their complaints lies that they work 13 hours a week
longer than policemen in the National police but earn 200 Euros
less. It appears that some officers choose to augment their
income as it has been reported this month that 2 officers are
facing charges of Prawn extortion in that they accepted 2
crates of prawns worth 300 Euros for not reporting the arrival
of an Algerian boat in January 2007 .
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In the
Spanish way, if the officers are found guilty they face fines of
500 Euros each and a possible 3 year suspension from the police
service.
However, unlike the UK they could then resume their
law enforcement activities!
One of our local police was
suspended for a year or two but he is now back swaggering around
the pueblo.
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Athough alien to the British way of thinking, if
you think about it then it is not a bad idea, why throw away
years of expensive training and experience for the sake of
revenge. A fully trained officer who's had his knuckles rapped
is perhaps more likely to be an efficient and reliable police
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The British continue to amuse with their funny little habits.
For
example, in our local supermarket recently an Englishman said
to his wife “ these tomatoes look a good price (that is tinned
ones). Oh no, she said, we won´t have local stuff we will have
proper English ones. With that they went to the separate
display of English goods where she was able to buy English
tomatoes. They happened to be Tarentella from Italy! |
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The
Spanish canned tomatoes are absolutely excellent as might be
expected from a country so awash with the fruit that they even
fight with it!
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However, there are some
British things that I do still enjoy and
it is coming up to the time of year for processed peas. I
always feel a certain nostalgia when I see that they are almost
all canned in Long Sutton or Bourne Lincolnshire because both of
us being brought up in South Lincolnshire it's a taste of home.
Of course it does mean hunting out a tin opener because despite
the fact that for over 20 years continental tinned stuff has had
ring pull lids, the English still persist in old fashioned can
opener style. Is this because the can manufacturers have shares
in the tin opener makers?
I think we should be told! |
click
Lincolnshire Peas
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In the
garden the autumn weather has brought things to life and we have
stripped the vines of their remaining fruit, on the one hand
because we are fed up with grapes
and on the other the wasps
aren’t. |
Looking at the supermarket window the other day the
posters confirmed to me the false economy of making wine at home
– cheap wine was advertised at 60 centimos a litre alongside a
poster offering milk at 85 centimos per litre.
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Back to
the garden.
After a 2 month respite the Bird of Paradise flower
is back in bloom with plenty more to come.
We were told a few
years ago that to get the best out of the plant the roots should
be confined and the plant given occasional watering and
fertilizing.
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This has certainly worked for us and if you can
grow them I would certainly recommend taking them out of the
soil and pushing the plant into a reasonable sized pot.
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back soon... |
 cheers
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Sue says
remember to click
for more in her
Spanish Garden:
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REMEMBER! To find
a DIARY MONTH from our Newsletter,
just click
DIARY DAYS IN SPAIN
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And
see more recipes at
MIKE'S TAPAS BAR |
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©
PLUS
keep looking ...
2006