SOUTH OF SPAIN, GO ON HOLIDAY

It has been quite a long time since my last posting but there is a good reason for that. I was in the 10 days seminar in Los Romanes a small village about 40min from the Malaga airport. It is an old rustic village that has been carefully restaured back to it's beauty. During year the owner has put lots of efford to these buildings with a help of some skilled people... We had the whole village for our groupe but you can rent a individual house for your family or friends and browse the Andalusian country side. The mountains offers you hot springs that I would one day like to experience in that natural beauty. The village is surrounded by olive farms and you are surrounded by nature even the small village or restaurants are not too far... An excellent get away for a week or even for a long weekend. Just enjoy all the photos I had taken while staying there...
Find on the side bar the address details to this beautiful place...

                                                 This is the view you get from the village

                                            The entering to the village by the parking area

                                                                     The view of the village

                                                             On the way down to the pool area

                                            The pool with a view surrounded by the garden

                  Last houses and the path way down to the olive farms...Nice walk down to the lake area...

                  And what a sun rise we had there the sky even changed the colour of the lake to the pink...

                                                      Olive trees and the nature walks...

                                                                      Cosy village feeling...

The flat where I stayed had a big kitchen and a dining area, with the fire place...

Each flat has their own name... The moon house...

A moment captured on the window...

One of the different windows...

So many different details in these buildings...

On the roof top...

A part of the broken pot used to decorate the surrounding garden wall...what a brilliant idea...

There are even some fruit tree growing in the garden...

One house had this beautiful stone wall inside...

Some of the houses still had the old ceilings that the owner could safe and restore them in their original

beauty...

     

In the lounge area we had a book shelve that was hidden behind these beautiful old doors...

A small plant pot on one of the windows ...enjoying the warm sun...

Birds in the early morning sun shine...

Spring time baby...

I was told that, years ago all the buildings looked like this, but you can see the owner has put lots of effort to this place but he has added plenty things from his soul too...

COOKING POTS

Today I went to buy a gift for my friend, and I had to drive half way through the whole country,  I Andorra that takes only 30 min even you drive according to the speed limits, which mostly is only 60km/h. On the opposite side of the gift shop I saw a typical Spanish pottery shot, so I went in to have a look. They had these earthenware cooking pots that can be used in the oven or even on the open fire. And they are really cheap from 1 -17 euros. I bought few of them to complete my collection and the 32cm diameter, the biggest one on the photo cost me only 7 euros and it is 100% natural... These are the best ones to cook food in the oven. The lady who was taking care of the shop was at least 90 years old, a small lady with hundred of wrinkles on her face and hands that look like she has been working hard all her life, she counted my shopping on a piece of paper and I could see her mind was still so sharp... The Andorrans has the longevity record before the Japanese...Healthy food, fresh mountain air, clean water, no crime, no tax, people walk a lot...

WELCOME TO THE SPANISH FOOD MARKET

Fruits, ham, bread, olives, mushrooms, cakes, more cheese etc. The photos tell more than the words... Bon Appetit...

"SAY CHEESE"

Today we went to Spain to the town of Seu d'Urgell just 10km from Andorran border. In Seu they have this weekend a cheese fair. All the cheeses are from the Pyrenees, both sides, the French and the Spanish. We tasted plenty different cheese varieties with some nice Spanish wines. There were also a jury to give prices for the best cheese in it's category. What a nice way to learn more about products produce locally in the area we live.

RIOJA WINES

Since we are living in Andorra, we are drinking more Spanish wines. Here, in the shops we have much more choice of all kind of Spanish wines and we have a lovely neighbour that teachs us more about Spanish wines. This month while riding with our bicycles from Andorra to Santiago de Compostelle we rode through the Rioja. We even visited one of the vineries near Logrono, see previous postings.

Rioja wines are found in four different categories:

Young Wines:Wines in their first or second year, which maintain their initial freshness and fruitiness.

Crianza Wines: Wines which are at least in their third year, which have spent at least one year in barrel and few month in the bottle.

Reserva Wines: Select wines are from the best vintages which, given their excellent characteristics, have been aged for three years, with at least one year in barrels.

Gran Reserva Wines: Wines selected from exceptional vintages, which have spent at least two years in barrels followed by a further three years in the bottle.

DARIEN BODEGAS

We went for wine tasting at Darien Bodegas an avant-garde vinery...