The following story is one which a Guatemalan friend gave me permission to publish. It makes very interesting reading.
Christmas in Guatemala
After having lived in the United States for six years I realized that my Christmas traditions are different from everyone else's, even those in Latin America. I realized how pagan my grandmother’s Catholic rituals are, from hanging palm leaves in the shape of crosses on the wall, and laying a bed of pine needles under our feet. Pine needles are commonly used in place of hard wooden pews in provincial churches in the Mayan Highlands along with strong copal, frankincense, and mirrors on the effigies of the saints. That goes back to before it was a Catholic church that stood on that ground. They also use Coca-Cola to burp out evil spirits, which is a much more recent custom.
The scattered Ortiz family gathers at my grandmother’s house in a poor neighborhood of Guatemala City, the same house where my mother and a plethora of aunts and uncles grew up, and some were born there. Preparations for Christmas start early with mixing the masa (a corn meal) in a huge pot for the tamales. Mixing the masa takes as long as rowing to Bermuda, and is as tiring. A day later it will be portioned into banana leaves with turkey and an olive and boiled for half a day on a wood fire.
This year my little cousin got attached to the turkey tied up to the avocado tree planted 30 years ago, now yielding avocado bigger than my fist. He pleaded with Granmami not to murder it but to take all his money in place to go buy a frozen one from the supermarket. At dawn the bird is given 2 shots of tequila and hung upside down while the oven heats up. Is that Kosher?
The carport is transformed into a banquet hall as the cars are emptied and the pine needles are spread out under a long table we sit around for 2 days and nights. A basket with fresh fruit is laid as a centerpiece. Granmami got mad at us for throwing grapes into the air as they represent the blood of Christ. Apples are given to friends who drop in to wish us a Feliz Navidad, as they represent the body of Christ.
At dusk Posadas make their way through the neighborhood. This procession of candle lit vigilists go door-to-door with decorated statues of Joseph and Mary each evening for nine days singing re-enactments of their journey. Times weren't much better then when a pregnant woman can’t find a bed for the night, my sister gave birth in a barn after riding a donkey all day. Be him a messiah or not, that commands to be remembered. On the 24th, Christmas Eve, La Noche Buena, the family set out early towards the El Salvador border. We pack what we can from the three rooms filled high with bags of clothes and toys that represent the HQ for The Guatemala Relief Fund - our organization that gets donated clothes from California and Bermuda to those who can use them in Guatemala.
Half way there is a gas station where we always stop so my dad can put on his Santa Klaus suit. In the past Santa and his helpers have stopped at orphanages, retirement homes, and a coffee plantation that uses the labor of children born to unwed mothers (who probably did give birth in a barn.) There is so much joy and life in these children's eyes, they get so exited to see Santa. The word travels fast in the jungle and people come out from all around to receive a bundle of clothes, bread, and toys. Either that or they come by to see the craziest sight of their lives. A Santa Klaus and helpers in santa hats, obviously not local, sweating in the sun, giving away Christmas cheer amid the pinapple vendors and stray dogs. It feels like getting out of a space ship and meeting foreign beings, they can't stop giggling at us and I can’t stop staring at them. I talk to the kids and play with them, trying to communicate however I can. When hugs happen that's what makes it real, human, sacred. The ride back is usually joyful as we pull up into a supermarket at the edge of town. All heads turn as Santa grabs a cart. More kids are staring, as well as their parents, the security guards get on their radios. "Here they come again."
Exhausted we return to the table for a tamal and a beer. The rest of the day is spent in the shade eating and drinking until eventually everyone has sneaked off for a siesta. At 6pm on the dot the silence is broken by fireworks being set off all around. Kids are out on the street setting off rockets of all sorts from the glowing embers of a log from the tamal fires as cars are trying to get to where they are going, having to keep aware that they are not in the path of a rocket gone astray, it’s beautiful madness. Not surprisingly rocket wars emerge with the kids down the street, this is when the wise uncles shed their knowledge on how to use pvc pipes to launch accurate rockets. This goes on for several close calls until all sides run out of ammo and everyone goes back inside to eat.
Now the candles are lit, the music starts and the table comes alive again as we wait for midnight. Close to midnight I was summoned to help in the preparations for bringing out baby Jesus. The house was smudged with copal and the 4 baby Jesus' Granmami takes care of are cleaned with a tomato slice and dried with utmost care and reverence. One I learned is over 100 years old. They are brought out to the nativity scene under the Christmas tree where the family has gathered for quiet prayer until Granmami speaks for all of us, to all of us about being good to ourselves and others, spreading love, and always doing the right thing. After the blessing there are hugs all around as it is now Christmas, not until now did I realize everyone’s cheeks had tears running down them, not just mine.
Explosions start in the street again, we must go out in the street with a burning log and more fireworks and rejoice His birth. This is when the big ones come out and the night sky is filled with colours and cheers. People honk their horns as everyone is celebrating in the street enveloped in clouds of smoke. The noise in the street goes on all night as we have a traditional midnight tamal (who knows why) and sing Christmas songs as visitors stop by for a drink and the kids open their presents. On Christmas Day I am slow to rise to find a turtle in the back yard for the race. Yes, we decorate and race turtles on a track Christmas Day, what else is there to do while sipping a mimosa? This year my turtle didn't even cross the starting line, so I gave up and dug into the ceviche, my vuelve-la-vida, to bring me back to life, the New Year is coming.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Saturday, July 24, 2004
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Barcelona - April 2004
Impresiones de Barcelona.
I am writing this quickly because Alfredo and I decided to shelter from the rain a while - yes, the weather is not quite as expected. It is pouring with rain today and we are both totally soaked through. However I am enjoying myself immensely despite the lack of Spanish sunshine I had hoped for!
The flight from Bristol was smooth - apart from a rather bumpy landing. Coming in to land was beautiful, to see the wide bay and city of Barcelona laid out below. We hovered over the bay before coming in to land and it was a lovely warm day down on the ground - 18 degrees centigrade. Alfredo was there to meet me and in no time we were in a taxi and on our way home. They live on the airport side of the city which was convenient.
At the flat it was lovely to meet Melba, who I have written to off and on over the past few years but this was the first time we had met. I could not get over her resemblance to Aquiles and in fact she told me that in the days when Aquiles wore his hair long and was slimmer, everyone thought they were twins.
I also met Aquiles´ elder sister Nancy who lives a couple of miles away, so was able to give out the presents I had brought which they all liked.
Most people here live in apartments and on the day I arrived the water pipes were being changed in the whole block and so we were without water supplies until the evening, so we had a snack lunch and then Alfredo and I set out in the afternoon to do a bit of sightseeing. A few minutes from the flat we caught the tram into the city. This is a new form of transport which has only been available for the past month. The tram-lines are on the grassy central reservation of the roads, a quick and speedy way into town without traffic jams. We then caught the metro and changed once to another line, eventually exiting at a very touristy part of town - La Rambla. I wanted to try out the Spanish beer and we went into a tapas bar and enjoyed Estrella Damm which is the beer of Barcelona, along with a few delicious tapas. We then explored a nearby shopping centre called Corte Ingles, which indeed had many shops we see in the high streets back home.
I was very impressed with the beauty of the city which has very wide avenues, impressive looking buildings, the avenues lined with either tall palm trees or the Canary Islands style of palm trees or other pretty trees whose name I don't know. I noticed too that my favourite car - the Toyota Corolla - is very popular here.
By the time we got back to the flat it was 8 pm and our feet were aching with all the walking we had done.
Melba had cooked a delicious meal and we decided to open one of the bottles of cava I had bought to go with it. Unfortunately those bottles must have got shook up a bit walking along because when the bottle was opened the wine shot up to the ceiling and we were all drenched! There was only half the wine left in the bottle. We all had a good laugh over it though. After the meal we watched a DVD on television but both Alfredo and I were so tired we could hardly keep our eyes open.
They live in a very quiet part of town and we all had a peaceful night's sleep. For breakfast Alfredo made his special concoction of milk, porridge oats, chocolate and cinnamon which was really delicious, made thin enough to pour into mugs and drink. I might try making this at home myself in the winter. We also had ham and toast with it. Then Melba, Alfredo and I took the metro to San Ildrefones, a couple of stops away where Nancy lives - this time to go to a latin shop and then the nearby indoor market. In the latino shop I bought two jars of aji amarillo and other spices as well as 5 sachets of chicha morada, a fantastic Peruvian soft drink that I can make up at home. I also bought a large jar of ready prepared chicha morada for us to drink back at the flat. I was really impressed with the market which was similar to the ones in Paris near where Leo lives and also reminiscent of those in Peru. The high quality and seleccion of meats, fruits, veg and fish etc was astounding. I bought nearly two kilos of pork loin and everything else needed as I am cooking for 8 of us tonight, and it will be interesting to see what they think of my Peruvian cooking!!!
We then went back to the house and Melba prepared aji de gallina, a delicious spicy chicken dish from Peru, which was excellent. It is served on a plate of crunchy lettuce with sliced cooked potato and egg slices, topped with this delicious chicken in creamy sauce - something I have not made myself yet but definitely plan to now.
Afterwards Alfredo and I set out again. The original plan had been a day at the beach but the weather was cooler with a breeze so we decided to leave it until today - now deferred until next week because of the rain. This time Alfredo insisted that I lead us to the metro to see if I remembered the way - which I did - it's about 15 minutes walk from the house. I also remembered where we had to get off and change to the next line. Unlike London, when you change lines here there is a very long walk to the next train. We were joking that by the time we reached our destination we were already footsore before even leaving the station.
We exited not far from the sea which you could just see in the distance. We then went into another huge shopping centre and spent an interesting couple of hours there, including a huge hypermarket called el campo where prices were very reasonable indeed. We got home about 8 pm again and were happy to see Nancy who had arrived earlier and Melba´s Colombian husband John was playing some lively Colombian music which was great and he nearly fell over with amazement when I recognised the song ´La Gota Fria´- which is in fact one of my favourite songs - I know it because quite a few Andean bands have played it. We had another lovely supper together and Nancy said her goodbyes afterwards.
Today the plan had been a day at the beach taking a picnic with us as it is quite far by train, at least 40 minutes if not longer, but we woke up to pouring rain and now almost halfway through the day it is still pouring with rain. Alfredo and I came out again and were soaked through even before reaching the metro. We are in Sagrada Familia at the moment which has the most beautiful cathedral imaginable with very high towers that one can go up if one wishes. We will be visiting other places of interest when we leave here and hope to get back to the house by 5.30 or 6 so that I have enough time to cook the meal before Nancy and her husband and children arrive around 7.30 to 8.
Tomorrow afternoon I am taking the bus to Lleida which is a village in the countryside, about two and a half hours journey from here. Melba said it is very pretty there. I am staying the weekend with Rosa, a new Spanish pen friend. I will be meeting up with Rosa this summer in Argentina so it is great that we can meet each other beforehand. I come back to Barcelona on Sunday and will then remain with Alfredo, Melba and John (from Colombia) until my flight home next Thursday. With any luck the weather will improve after today as this is not the hot Spanish sunshine I had formerly envisaged! It was 18 degrees centigrade the day I arrived and yesterday in the morning, but probably more like 14 today. I will try to write another email next Monday or Tuesday. There is a computer in the house but it is a laptop which I cannot get on with. I make typing errors in every word because the keys are closer together than the keyboards I am used to.
More Impressions of Barcelona.
The weather has proved quite a disappointment. Apart from the day I arrived it has been quite variable weather and on one day it rained really hard until the afternoon and we were out in it and got soaked through. Instead of the hot sunshine I expected, the weather here is only a few degrees warmer than it is in England! The day at the beach has now been postponed to next week in hopes of better weather!
We went out yesterday to get my bus ticket to Lleida and it is a good thing we did. We tried really hard but simply could not find the bus station, only stations with buses leaving for other countries. In the end in desperation I bought a train ticket instead as at least I know I can get there okay in one journey on the metro from home.
The day before Alfredo and I went to La Rambla again and walked down as far as the sea passing lots of interesting stalls on the way, including stalls selling birds. I have seen a book on Spanish cooking written in English which I plan to buy as it has the recipe for a brilliant seafood dish called Zarzuela in it. We took lots of pictures. Melba had made us some excellent Tuna salad baguete sandwiches which we enjoyed in the park in the centre at Catalunya and fed various birds at the same time. The pigeons didn't have a hope at getting any food because the sparrows were much quicker than they were.
We got back to the flat at 6 and I just had time to cook the meal before Nancy, Omar and the children arrived and we had a really enjoyable evening and this time we managed to open the cava without losing any!
My train for Lleida yesterday left at 5.03 in the afternoon and I was looking forward to relaxing on the train with a book so you can imagine my dismay to see so many people waiting on the platform, even more so when the train arrived and it was already full. I ended up having to stand in the aisle as did many other people and judging by the amount of suitcases up in the racks it did not look hopeful that I would get a seat anytime soon. Luckily I had my mp3 player with me so listening to some great music took my mind off things. The passing scenery was very interesting - we were soon outside Barcelona and travelling through countryside, farms and little villages and at one point stopped at a beautiful seaside town which was full of visitors, people still relaxing on the beach. The train travelled beside the sea for quite a distance.
Finally an hour and a half into the journey, the people next to where I was standing got up to get off at the next station and I was very relieved to sink into a seat and relax. I had no way of knowing if Rosa had got my email sent earlier in the day telling her I would be arriving at the rail station instead of the bus station. I tried to get her by phone using my mobile but had no success even dialling the 34 needed for numbers in Spain, according to the message from Telefonica in my mobile. It was almost dusk by the time the train pulled in at Lleida at 8.20 so you can imagine my relief when I got off, Rosa was there waiting and she recognised me straight away. Next minute she introduced me to her husband and elder son, Paul aged 11, and we went to a travel club they belong to for an hour before going home, picking up their other son Marti aged 10 on the way. Rosa's husband is a mountaineer and goes climbing every weekend, his most recent adventure having been a climb to the top of a mountain in Alaska with temperatures below 30 centigrade.
We then drove to their home which is about a mile from the edge of town and on a plot of land set in beautiful countryside. The house is beautiful, built of red brick with dark wood windows, doors etc, complete with a huge veranda with table and chairs to eat outside and plants in pots everywhere. I really fell in love with their beautiful house and Paul gave me a tour of it when we got inside.
Soon we were sitting around the kitchen table while Rosa made us all pancakes filled with a delicious concoction of finely diced pineapple, grated cheese and chopped ham, accompanied by salad and San Miguel beers.
This morning we woke up to a fine day and enjoyed a breakfast of croissants, sliced cheese and charcuterie and orange juice, and after making preparations for our lunch later we set off into town. We parked and walked beside the river which flows through the town, where people were jogging or just relaxing on the grassy embankment. High on a hill I could see what looked like a castle and Rosa said that it was an ancient cathedral and we would go up there later.
We then crossed a bridge into town and walked through a street lined by little shops each side. Unfortunately they were all closed as today being the 1st of May is a bank holiday and unlike back home, everything closes here like it does in France. We then came to what they call the new cathedral, which itself is several hundred years old, but new compared to the old one up on the hill which recently celebrated its 800th birthday. We went inside and Rosa showed me the Saint of Montserrat which is the saint of Catalan country. In front of here were hundreds of bunches of flowers offered by the people of the town.
I took a couple of close up photos as we were able to climb the steps and take a close look and Paul told me about her history. He is learning English at school and is enjoying being able to practise speaking English with me. He speaks it very well too. The image of Christ in this church is very old, in the Romano style. Rosa said it goes back to the tenth century.
Back outside afterwards we went into the ancient hospital which now houses exhibits and today being the day of the puppet festival it contained exhibits from the puppets used in an opera (details of which I will supply later as I cannot remember right now). Then on a sunny patio inside the hospital, like a quadrangle in the middle, the space was filled with rows of seats already filling up with families and children ready for the puppet show and we stayed and watched the show which was very funny. All day in venues all over town different puppet shows were being held and after this one we headed to a different place to watch one from Argentina. In schools in the area as a lead up to this puppet festival, all the children had made puppets and these were displayed in shop windows everywhere with the names of the children who had made them. The Argentinean puppet show was brilliant and very funny as well. It began and ended with a John Lennon song, first with the John Lennon puppet sitting on a little stool in front of a little piano and even the mouth moved as it ´sang´ and the end song was with the puppet playing a guitar and all the movements of dancing as it ´played´. Then the puppet show in between had more dramatic style music accompaniment and was a really brilliant show that everyone enjoyed.
From here, we made our way back to the car and drove up to the ´castle´ (old cathedral) which was really impressive as you got close and even included a real drawbridge that one walked over to get inside. We walked up to the ´battlements´ and there had a fantastic panoramic view of the city of Lleida and Rosa said that on a really clear day one could see right to the Pyrenees. We went inside the cathedral but it was closing 5 minutes later so we did not have long but we might go back there later today to see more of the inside. When we got back outside there was a stage set up and a gypsy band playing - three guys on guitars and two girls singing and dancing and we stayed and listened to three or four songs as it was really nice music. We may have stayed longer but by this time we were all really hungry...
We then drove back to the house and prepared lunch. In the morning Rosa had already cleaned the little sea fish that would be our lunch and these were lightly covered in seasoned flour and then fried in olive oil and served with an excellent salad, preceded by an excellent homemade vegetable and pasta soup. We were really hungry by this time and got through a huge packet of olive oil crisps and a San Miguel beer each whilst preparing it.
Tomorrow will be my last day here and we are hoping for a sunny day as the seaside is only about an hour and a quarter from here and weather permitting that is what we are going to do tomorrow. I do hope it will be sunny as I am dying to spend some time on a sandy beach and see the sea!!!! My train back to Barcelona leaves at quarter to six and gets back to Sants Estacio at six minutes past eight, so is a faster train than the one coming which took nearly three and a half hours. Some of the trains here are double-decker ones - I have never seen those before.
Another observation I forgot to mention before is the fact that two different Spanish languages are spoken here - Catalan being the made language spoken everywhere with Spanish (Castellano) as a second language, and English as a third language. Children learn all three languages at school. The television programmes are in Catalan which makes it difficult to understand the news programmes etc, but main films are in Castellano which I can understand. However some Catalan has similarities with French and although I don't understand it spoken I can get an idea of the meaning by seeing it written. There is a Catalan flag flying alongside the Spanish one too.
I will probably write once more before returning to England next Thursday, maybe starting a message on Monday and sending it on Wednesday! Needless to say I am really enjoying my visit here - first with Aquiles lovely family in Barcelona and enjoying that big city, and then meeting Rosa and her family and seeing another part of Spain - Lleida is actually the main city in this Catalan area - and then tomorrow I will be back with Melba, John and Alfredo again.
It has been great to meet Rosa so that we already know each other when we meet in Peru this summer. It seems likely we will meet in Puno and travel to Bolivia and Argentina together rather than the other way round as she will only be there for 3 weeks. This weekend we are going to coordinate where to meet.
Hi Again From Barcelona.
This is the first chance I have had since Saturday to write an email. Even though the weather has not been that brilliant I have continued to have a lovely time here. I am staying with the most wonderful family and it was fantastic to meet Rosa and her family as well. Right from the first moment I felt really at home in both Lleida and Barcelona.
My last email was sent from Lleida early Saturday afternoon and the rest of my weekend there was great. After our morning in town, the puppet shows etc we went back to the house for lunch - another excellent healthy lunch. Rosa said that if I stayed at her house a few weeks I would definitely lose weight and she is right. She knows a lot about healthy eating and has given me some excellent ideas.
Before we set out again her husband - Anton Ramon - returned from his mountain climb so the children stayed with him and Rosa and I went into town on our own. We went back up to the old cathedral in hopes of visiting inside, only to find that out of high season it closes at 5.30 and it was after 6 pm by the time we got there. Looking at the view from there Rosa pointed out the park called Champs Ellysees and said the Feria dÁbril was going on there and I asked if we could go. We drove back down but it took quite a long time to find a parking space but it was worth the wait.
The Feria dÁbril which means the April Fair in English is a fair which comes from Seville, an Andalusian custom with flamenco dancing, music, fairground, stalls, food and bars. We watched some lovely flamenco dancing on the main stage and then walked through the whole fair. Then we both fancied coffee so took a lengthy walk into town until we reached the coffee shop which had a variety of world coffees on offer. We enjoyed some nice cakes there too. I was asking Rosa what the trees were in all the farms I had passed in the train and she said that some would have been vineyards or olive groves but that most would have been orchards. She said that most of the pears, apples, peaches and nectarines grown in Lleida´s province supplied the rest of Europe.
We got home quite late and enjoyed supper with Anton and the children and our next task was to find flights for Rosa this summer. We ended up spending a couple of hours on the internet looking for flights - those to Peru were astronomically expensive - thank goodness I reserved mine back in January because the later you leave it the more expensive the flights become. I suggested we checked out cost of flights to Buenos Aires and this proved a better option. After much searching, the cheapest we could find was 710 euros, 478 pounds, with Lufthansa, and she was just going to compare it with local travel agents and then book it early this week.
Rosa is flying to South America the same date as me but as she only has 3 weeks I have changed my itinerary somewhat (Javi, Jorge, Huj Mayas - voy escribir mas luego con los cambios de nuestro inventario). While I am in Ilo the first week Rosa will be in Argentina, taking a flight to Juliaca to arrive the same day as I arrive in Puno, hopefully later than my arrival so that we can go and meet her there. Then for the next two weeks it will be three of us travelling together, heading for North West Argentina via Bolivia and this is where my plans change. Instead of the 10 days planned in Puno I will only be there for 2 days, plus 2 days in Moho before the three of us set out for Bolivia (Rosa, Javi and me). We will stay just one night in La Paz and another night in Oruro before taking the train to Villazon.
Our plan then is to head south, first to Buenos Aires and spend one night there (and hopefully meet Mirta who is a friend to both Rosa and me). Then we will head south to Patagonia, our destination being Comodore which is below Los Pampas. I cannot let go this great opportunity to visit Patagona whilst I have travelling companions to go with me! Rosa's flight home will mean us arriving back in Buenos Aires by 25th July which is where we will part company - Rosa to fly home to Catalonia on the 26th, Javi and I continuing back to the north west and ultimately our mutual friend Jorge and his family who live in San Salvador de Jujuy. We will be staying a week with Jorge and his family and then possibly just one night in Salta before heading back to Peru via Bolivia again. If there is time we will hopefully spend a couple of nights in La Paz because I want to see friends there - at least Adrian Villanueva and Saul Callejas even if there is no time to see more. Javi will also want to see his uncle who lives there.
Anyhow, to get back to the present, we woke up on Sunday morning to great weather. We had a delicious typical Catalan breakfast of a thick chocolate type of cereal, yoghurt etc and then we drove to a nature reserve on the other side of the city. We spent several hours there walking, following various paths, crossing the river over various bridges, watching the birdlife from bird watching huts, all the while the sun shining beautifully. We finally came to rest by the river and enjoyed an hour of rest watching the ducks and enjoying the sunshine.
Then back to the house about 2.30 for lunch and a rest until going to the station for 5.30 as my train back to Barcelona at 5.45. I thanked Anton for such a fantastic visit and he said he was pleased I had been able to visit them and that I was welcome any time in the future to come again, which I thought was very kind. I thanked Rosa too at the station and she said how much she looked forward to her first visit to South America and knew already that we would be great travelling companions. The train was already on the platform when we got to the station so I was able to get on and have a window seat. Ten minutes later all the seats were full and by the time the train left there were people sitting in the aisles as there was on the outward journey, so I was very grateful to have a seat. The journey back to Barcelona was very pleasant and on a much faster train than the one coming, only taking two and a half hours instead of the nearly three and a half on the outward trip.
At the station I soon found Alfredo as we had prearranged to meet by the entrance to platform 5 and then we were on our way back to the flat. When we arrived Melba and John were out - they had got to the Catalunya fair - another Feria dÁbril - but her sister Nancy was there and she gave us dinner which she had cooked earlier, another delicious Peruvian dish.
Yesterday morning, Monday, we woke up to pouring rain and groaned but that did not prevent us from going out. I wanted to buy some useful kitchen items that I had seen in Rosa's house so Alfredo suggested a visit to Carrefour, a fairly short train ride away. I really enjoyed looking around there and found all the things I wanted and a few more that I caught my eye, all at fairly reasonable prices. I could not find the magnetic version of Scrabble but found another similar board game to take with me to Peru. I bought loads of cheese and chorizo and Jamon serrano, Iberian products that I absolutely adore.
Back at the house we had a salad lunch and then Alfredo and I set off again, this time to the Catalunya fair - Feria dÁbril as Melba and John had had such a nice time there on Sunday. We knew it began at 5 pm and continued late into the evening but we made the mistake of arriving there too early. When we got off the train, there was a free bus service taking people to the fair which was situated at Selva del Mar, right on the sea front. The fair was a disappointment because hardly anyone was there yet and most of the places were closed and no live music or dancing going on. There were stalls selling Iberian products but at highly inflated prices so we didn't buy anything. We both fancied chicken and chips but even after a tour of the whole fair they were still not serving food and said it would be at least another hour. The best part of the visit was the fact that I saw the beach for the first time even though it was drizzling with rain with grey skies, windy and the sea really wild crashing onto the shore - most definitely not a day to go swimming!!! With no chicken available I suggested to Alfredo that we had chips instead and he didn't look too amused having set his heart on chicken (!!) so I suggested we find somewhere outside.
We got the bus and then train back to fairly near where they live, but the place selling chicken in the popular barbeque style was not offering chicken on Sundays!! We ended up in a nearby Chinese restaurant instead and had a nice meal there, finally ending up back at the flat around 10.30 pm, where John presented me with a huge bar of speciality chocolate from this region. I was really touched to receive this gift from him.
After all the walking both Alfredo and I were totally exhausted. I have done more walking in my visit here than in the past 6 months I reckon. Hopefully all this exercise means that I will not have gained weight whilst on holiday here!
Today was a really brilliant day. After breakfast Alfredo and I set out for a whole day excursion to Monserrat. This meant travelling on different trains. When we got to the first place to change trains it was to learn the train to Montserrat only left hourly and we had just missed one. So we had quite a long wait until it eventually arrived. This is a special train that goes all the way to the mountain. I was really looking forward to this trip because Alfredo said it was almost like going to a mini Machu Picchu. When we reached Montserrat station Alfredo suddenly noticed we had arrived and we leapt off the train as the doors were closing, but only to find when we got into the station we should have travelled on to the next station, but I did not mind. Our ticket price included going up the mountain in a funicular railway but by getting off at the station before we had to pay another 4 euros each to go up in a cable car. I would not have missed this wonderful experience for worlds - it was fantastic going up the mountain in that cable car with the wonderful views, eventually arriving almost at the top of the mountain where there is a monastery and sanctuary. We spent the whole day there and it was wonderful. First of all we went into the cafeteria for coffee and cakes and thus fortified explored. We were able to go right up to the niche where La Virgen de Montserrat is, which is in the Basilica (church), which is one of the most wonderful religious places I have ever seen. I bought a book full of photos of this wonderful place. In my final email about this trip which will be written this weekend, after my return home, I will write more about Montserrat, La Seu Vellieu (the old cathedral at Lleida) and hopefully explain the wonder of these places.
After we had visited all over the sanctuary, our next destination was the cross placed higher up the mountain. This meant climbing the mountain but by a manageable path and we did this slowly stopping to take photos of the wonderful views. I used more than a whole film of 36 shots today in that fantastic place. The sun was shining all day which made everything even more magical and we learned later that the temperature was 20 degrees centigrade, the best of my whole visit. After the 18 degrees the day I arrived it descended to 14 or 15 degrees the other days and was unusually rainy for Barcelona.
When we descended for lunch, poor Alfredo was disappointed again as all the hot meals were finished and only sandwiches, salads and cakes available. So we sat down to a sandwich and yet another cake - but hopefully all the climbing and walking will have counteracted any weight gain! During our climb up the mountain Alfredo was telling me about the mountains in Switzerland where his other son Carlos lives and the plan is that when he is there in future I too will visit Switzerland. He is in fact going to Switzerland next month but I cannot afford another trip so soon, not with South America coming up in 2 months time, but the next time he visits Switzerland I too will visit - which will be fantastic as I have never been there. And before that I will have the pleasure of welcoming Alfredo to Bath as he hopes to visit England in September. Instead of climbing up the last part of the mountain we could have taken another funicular train but we were put off as watching it climb at a snail's pace vertically, one had the impression that it could just fall off the track and fall down the mountain! It would have been quite scary I think.
Finally we caught the funicular train back down the mountain which again gave us fantastic vistas as we slowly descended, eventually arriving at the bottom where we connected with another train to take us into Barcelona which again was a pleasant journey. The transport system here is absolutely fantastic. One can travel on a variety of trains in all directions, buses, metro, trams etc and travelling is cheap too. It costs 6 euros, 4 pounds, for a ticket which is good for 10 journeys and interchangeable on all the forms of transport, even the ordinary train. We arrived back at Cornella (the area of Barcelona where they live) at 8 pm, and here I am at the internet cafe with just two blocks to walk home afterwards when I leave.
A Final Hola!
Well I am back safe and sound after the most fantastic holiday with wonderful Peruvian and Catalan people and tomorrow I will be back at work as usual.
After writing on Tuesday evening I had a two block walk back to the flat but when I got outside everything looked unfamiliar in the dark. I found my way to Euroski and should have known the way from there but took a wrong turn and ended up completely lost! After a while I saw a woman walking towards me and asked her the way and she was really helpful. She did not know but asked other people on my behalf and then accompanied me right to the door. We had quite a laugh over it when I got inside, with Alfredo unable to believe I had got lost in such a short distance! I was never too worried though because as a last resort I could have phoned them.
On Wednesday three of us went out after breakfast for the day, Alfredo, Melba and me. We went by metro as usual, changing direction once and ending up at Espanya. The transport system in Barcelona is absolutely marvellous - one can buy a ticket called a T-10 (pronounced tay dee-eth) for 6 euros (£4) which is good for ten journeys on either TMB bus and metro, ordinary bus, FGC train, tram or RENFE rail and you never have to wait more than a minute or two for the train. Also using the ticket in one of these forms of transport entitles you to a free ride on another form of transport if the journey takes place within an hour and a quarter of the first one, allowing one to undertake a really long journey for only 60 centimes which is about 40p.
When we exited the station at Espanya which is pretty central, our destination was Montjuic - off to one side was an old bull-ring which is presently being refurbished - bull-fights mainly taking place in the summer months. Montjuic itself is really special and well worth a visit to the discerning visitor. It is a magnificent building and to reach it one walks along an avenue which has fountains all the way down on both sides of each approach, left and right, a huge square in between. Unfortunately I could not see the weekend spectacle which takes place on Fridays and Saturdays because I was away in Lleida, but anyone visiting Barcelona over a weekend should not miss it. The fountains come to life in millions of colours which 'dance' accompanied by musical performances - but only on Friday and Saturday evenings. In the summer months it also occurs on Thursdays and Sundays. Definitely I will make sure to see this on my next visit - which will probably be in November because I will be going back for the christening of Melba and John's baby girl which is due in 2 weeks.
But despite having missed seeing this in the evening, it is well worth a visit by daylight too - Montjuic itself is a spectacular building reached by several sets of steps and from the top you get a fantastic panoramic view of Barcelona and hopefully one of the pictures I took of this vista will appear on my webpage at some future point. For those interested in museums and art galleries there is an art exhibition going on in Montjuic at the moment - which brings me to another handy tip for Barcelona visitors - you can buy the Barcelona card which entitles you to entrance into as many museums and art galleries that you can fit in during your visit. For example a one day Barcelona card costs 17 euros but a 5-day one is only 27 euros. The five day one is probably a great investment for those who wish to visit all these places and a tremendous saving over paying the individual entrance prices.
After visiting Montjuic we went for a late lunch and found an excellent place right in the centre offering a brilliant 3-course set lunch for 9 euros which we all enjoyed. Then we went window shopping in the centre and both Melba and I bought summer tops in boutiques along the way and I bought sandals as well.
Coming out of one boutique we could smell the delicious ice-cream in a nearby Italian ice-cream shop, offering about 40 different flavours of ice-cream and we enjoyed four scoops each of different favourite flavours, all of us being great lovers of ice-cream.
Then we walked down La Rambla as I was looking for a Spanish cookery book I had seen earlier in my visit and luckily managed to find it, with the delightful surprise that an English version was available. I bought it because of one wonderful recipe - Zarzuelah (which I had in restaurants in Pays Basque and found it unforgettable) and at the end of this email you will find the recipe. It is a brilliant dish for a really special occasion and easy enough to make.
Then we had to hurry homeward and finally got back at 6 o'clock where I quickly changed clothes and then had time to read my emails before we set off for Nancy's house as we had been invited there for dinner that evening. One of my emails was from a friend in Argentina asking if I could find any magazines on Patchwork and I tried to find one on our way but unfortunately could not. There were loads of magazines on cross-point and embroidery or crotchet but nothing on patchwork unfortunately. I wished I had had more time to look for one because of it being in Spanish. I am sure I can find one here in England but being able to read it might prove a problem. I will be looking for one in town this Saturday.
We had a lovely time at Nancy and Omar's house - Nancy cooked us a wonderful meal which we enjoyed with wine and took lots of photos and had fun with the children aged 3 and 10 - Kelly the older one enjoying practising her English with me. Earlier in the day Melba had given me presents to take back for Aquiles and Nancy gave me another lot! When we finally went home later we went by bus which meant a shorter walk at the other end, the metro station being a good 15-minute walk from their home.
This morning I was up quite early as it was a mammoth task packing everything into my case and rucksack. I ended up with my case being so full I could barely close it and knew it was a lot heavier going back than the day I arrived. Also the rucksack was full and a large carrier bag was also full of Spanish products being taken home. We left the flat at 11 am as I wanted to allow plenty of time to get to the airport, not knowing the regularity of the trains from Sants Estacio station to the airport and Alfredo kindly accompanied me. This meant the long walk to the metro, taking a detour up a hill to avoid having to carry the case up a very long flight of steps. The case was easy to roll along on wheels but had to be lifted up any steps. Highlighted by the fact that until then I had never noticed how many flights of steps up and down were involved in both stations! By the time we made it to the Renfe platform for the train going to the airport my case had started to split on one side, the split getting bigger every time I lifted it! I knew that unless something was done about it I would end up losing half the contents on the flight home. When I checked in the case I asked and was relieved to find they did a case wrapping service nearby - for 4.5 euros per case one could get it heavily wrapped in Clingfilm on a machine. It weighed exactly 20 kilos on the way back compared to the 13 kg on the outward journey and although my hand luggage was far in excess of that allowed I was lucky in that they did not charge me any overweight fees. The journey home was on time and uneventful and I landed this afternoon to temperatures cooler than the sunny day I had left behind - accordingly to the pilot 11 degrees centigrade compared with around 17 in Barcelona.
In a couple of days one final email will follow which will explain more about the history and legend of the mountain sanctuary at Montserrat and something about the Catalan traditions, which will be of especial interest to anyone visiting Barcelona. My day trip to Montserrat with Alfredo was one of the most magical experiences imaginable and I highly recommend it.
Also, anyone interested in art would enjoy the various exhibitions celebrating 100 years of Gaudi, 1904 to 2004, whose famous paintings, sculptures and architecture are evident everywhere in the city, one of the best examples of his architecture being Sagrada Familia cathedral which is stunning. Barcelona has 6 million inhabitants and is known as the capital of the Mediterranean. The exhibition I visited in Lleida was to celebrate El Retablo de Maese - a Perez opera by Falla combined with images (in large puppet form made of metal and leather) from the book of El Quijote (Don Quixote) by Cervantes - and the 800 year old cathedral high on the hill there is called La Seu Vella de Lleida which translated means 'the old cathedral of Lleida'. The latter part of this email will also include something about the history of this ancient building.
Leaving you now with the Zarzuela recipe which is sautéed mixed seafood.
ZARZUELA (Sautéed Mixed Seafood).
Serving 6-8 people:
Ingredients:
1 lobster or crawfish,
one dozen scallops,
one dozen fresh scampi,
about 500 gm of mussels,
500 gm of large clams,
lean cured raw ham in one piece,
about 100 gm,
6 or 7 ripe tomatoes,
3 onions,
2 sweet peppers,
2 cloves of garlic,
1 lemon,
100 gm shelled almonds,
saffron,
bouquet garnet of bayleaf, parsley and thyme,
dry white wine,
salt and pepper,
olive oil.
Method:
Clean the mussels (scrape the shells an remove the 'whiskers' between the valves and rinse well but do not dry them). Clean the clams and scallops (extracting the 'nuts' which is the white part of the scallop - remove the black and brown bits). Scald the lobster in slightly salted boiling water, then open the shell to remove the flesh but eliminate the intestinal tract.
Prepare all the vegetables by trimming, rinsing and drying them. Slowly sauté the finely chopped garlic and onions in a large pan with olive oil; add the diced sweet peppers and the ham cut into thin strips.
Rinse and dry the scampi and toss fry them in a pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil for 5 minutes. Add these plus the diced tomatoes, 2 glasses of wine, the juice of the lemon, the bouquet garnet and finely chopped almonds to the large pan, adding salt and pepper to taste and allow the flavours to combine for 5 minutes over high heat, then add a sachet of saffron diluted with a little water, the clams, mussels, the scallop 'nuts', the lobster flesh cut into pieces and the scampi.
Stir, lower the heat and cook gently for about 10 minutes until the clams and mussels have opened.
Reduce any excess liquid, remove the bouquet garnet, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
I am writing this quickly because Alfredo and I decided to shelter from the rain a while - yes, the weather is not quite as expected. It is pouring with rain today and we are both totally soaked through. However I am enjoying myself immensely despite the lack of Spanish sunshine I had hoped for!
The flight from Bristol was smooth - apart from a rather bumpy landing. Coming in to land was beautiful, to see the wide bay and city of Barcelona laid out below. We hovered over the bay before coming in to land and it was a lovely warm day down on the ground - 18 degrees centigrade. Alfredo was there to meet me and in no time we were in a taxi and on our way home. They live on the airport side of the city which was convenient.
At the flat it was lovely to meet Melba, who I have written to off and on over the past few years but this was the first time we had met. I could not get over her resemblance to Aquiles and in fact she told me that in the days when Aquiles wore his hair long and was slimmer, everyone thought they were twins.
I also met Aquiles´ elder sister Nancy who lives a couple of miles away, so was able to give out the presents I had brought which they all liked.
Most people here live in apartments and on the day I arrived the water pipes were being changed in the whole block and so we were without water supplies until the evening, so we had a snack lunch and then Alfredo and I set out in the afternoon to do a bit of sightseeing. A few minutes from the flat we caught the tram into the city. This is a new form of transport which has only been available for the past month. The tram-lines are on the grassy central reservation of the roads, a quick and speedy way into town without traffic jams. We then caught the metro and changed once to another line, eventually exiting at a very touristy part of town - La Rambla. I wanted to try out the Spanish beer and we went into a tapas bar and enjoyed Estrella Damm which is the beer of Barcelona, along with a few delicious tapas. We then explored a nearby shopping centre called Corte Ingles, which indeed had many shops we see in the high streets back home.
I was very impressed with the beauty of the city which has very wide avenues, impressive looking buildings, the avenues lined with either tall palm trees or the Canary Islands style of palm trees or other pretty trees whose name I don't know. I noticed too that my favourite car - the Toyota Corolla - is very popular here.
By the time we got back to the flat it was 8 pm and our feet were aching with all the walking we had done.
Melba had cooked a delicious meal and we decided to open one of the bottles of cava I had bought to go with it. Unfortunately those bottles must have got shook up a bit walking along because when the bottle was opened the wine shot up to the ceiling and we were all drenched! There was only half the wine left in the bottle. We all had a good laugh over it though. After the meal we watched a DVD on television but both Alfredo and I were so tired we could hardly keep our eyes open.
They live in a very quiet part of town and we all had a peaceful night's sleep. For breakfast Alfredo made his special concoction of milk, porridge oats, chocolate and cinnamon which was really delicious, made thin enough to pour into mugs and drink. I might try making this at home myself in the winter. We also had ham and toast with it. Then Melba, Alfredo and I took the metro to San Ildrefones, a couple of stops away where Nancy lives - this time to go to a latin shop and then the nearby indoor market. In the latino shop I bought two jars of aji amarillo and other spices as well as 5 sachets of chicha morada, a fantastic Peruvian soft drink that I can make up at home. I also bought a large jar of ready prepared chicha morada for us to drink back at the flat. I was really impressed with the market which was similar to the ones in Paris near where Leo lives and also reminiscent of those in Peru. The high quality and seleccion of meats, fruits, veg and fish etc was astounding. I bought nearly two kilos of pork loin and everything else needed as I am cooking for 8 of us tonight, and it will be interesting to see what they think of my Peruvian cooking!!!
We then went back to the house and Melba prepared aji de gallina, a delicious spicy chicken dish from Peru, which was excellent. It is served on a plate of crunchy lettuce with sliced cooked potato and egg slices, topped with this delicious chicken in creamy sauce - something I have not made myself yet but definitely plan to now.
Afterwards Alfredo and I set out again. The original plan had been a day at the beach but the weather was cooler with a breeze so we decided to leave it until today - now deferred until next week because of the rain. This time Alfredo insisted that I lead us to the metro to see if I remembered the way - which I did - it's about 15 minutes walk from the house. I also remembered where we had to get off and change to the next line. Unlike London, when you change lines here there is a very long walk to the next train. We were joking that by the time we reached our destination we were already footsore before even leaving the station.
We exited not far from the sea which you could just see in the distance. We then went into another huge shopping centre and spent an interesting couple of hours there, including a huge hypermarket called el campo where prices were very reasonable indeed. We got home about 8 pm again and were happy to see Nancy who had arrived earlier and Melba´s Colombian husband John was playing some lively Colombian music which was great and he nearly fell over with amazement when I recognised the song ´La Gota Fria´- which is in fact one of my favourite songs - I know it because quite a few Andean bands have played it. We had another lovely supper together and Nancy said her goodbyes afterwards.
Today the plan had been a day at the beach taking a picnic with us as it is quite far by train, at least 40 minutes if not longer, but we woke up to pouring rain and now almost halfway through the day it is still pouring with rain. Alfredo and I came out again and were soaked through even before reaching the metro. We are in Sagrada Familia at the moment which has the most beautiful cathedral imaginable with very high towers that one can go up if one wishes. We will be visiting other places of interest when we leave here and hope to get back to the house by 5.30 or 6 so that I have enough time to cook the meal before Nancy and her husband and children arrive around 7.30 to 8.
Tomorrow afternoon I am taking the bus to Lleida which is a village in the countryside, about two and a half hours journey from here. Melba said it is very pretty there. I am staying the weekend with Rosa, a new Spanish pen friend. I will be meeting up with Rosa this summer in Argentina so it is great that we can meet each other beforehand. I come back to Barcelona on Sunday and will then remain with Alfredo, Melba and John (from Colombia) until my flight home next Thursday. With any luck the weather will improve after today as this is not the hot Spanish sunshine I had formerly envisaged! It was 18 degrees centigrade the day I arrived and yesterday in the morning, but probably more like 14 today. I will try to write another email next Monday or Tuesday. There is a computer in the house but it is a laptop which I cannot get on with. I make typing errors in every word because the keys are closer together than the keyboards I am used to.
More Impressions of Barcelona.
The weather has proved quite a disappointment. Apart from the day I arrived it has been quite variable weather and on one day it rained really hard until the afternoon and we were out in it and got soaked through. Instead of the hot sunshine I expected, the weather here is only a few degrees warmer than it is in England! The day at the beach has now been postponed to next week in hopes of better weather!
We went out yesterday to get my bus ticket to Lleida and it is a good thing we did. We tried really hard but simply could not find the bus station, only stations with buses leaving for other countries. In the end in desperation I bought a train ticket instead as at least I know I can get there okay in one journey on the metro from home.
The day before Alfredo and I went to La Rambla again and walked down as far as the sea passing lots of interesting stalls on the way, including stalls selling birds. I have seen a book on Spanish cooking written in English which I plan to buy as it has the recipe for a brilliant seafood dish called Zarzuela in it. We took lots of pictures. Melba had made us some excellent Tuna salad baguete sandwiches which we enjoyed in the park in the centre at Catalunya and fed various birds at the same time. The pigeons didn't have a hope at getting any food because the sparrows were much quicker than they were.
We got back to the flat at 6 and I just had time to cook the meal before Nancy, Omar and the children arrived and we had a really enjoyable evening and this time we managed to open the cava without losing any!
My train for Lleida yesterday left at 5.03 in the afternoon and I was looking forward to relaxing on the train with a book so you can imagine my dismay to see so many people waiting on the platform, even more so when the train arrived and it was already full. I ended up having to stand in the aisle as did many other people and judging by the amount of suitcases up in the racks it did not look hopeful that I would get a seat anytime soon. Luckily I had my mp3 player with me so listening to some great music took my mind off things. The passing scenery was very interesting - we were soon outside Barcelona and travelling through countryside, farms and little villages and at one point stopped at a beautiful seaside town which was full of visitors, people still relaxing on the beach. The train travelled beside the sea for quite a distance.
Finally an hour and a half into the journey, the people next to where I was standing got up to get off at the next station and I was very relieved to sink into a seat and relax. I had no way of knowing if Rosa had got my email sent earlier in the day telling her I would be arriving at the rail station instead of the bus station. I tried to get her by phone using my mobile but had no success even dialling the 34 needed for numbers in Spain, according to the message from Telefonica in my mobile. It was almost dusk by the time the train pulled in at Lleida at 8.20 so you can imagine my relief when I got off, Rosa was there waiting and she recognised me straight away. Next minute she introduced me to her husband and elder son, Paul aged 11, and we went to a travel club they belong to for an hour before going home, picking up their other son Marti aged 10 on the way. Rosa's husband is a mountaineer and goes climbing every weekend, his most recent adventure having been a climb to the top of a mountain in Alaska with temperatures below 30 centigrade.
We then drove to their home which is about a mile from the edge of town and on a plot of land set in beautiful countryside. The house is beautiful, built of red brick with dark wood windows, doors etc, complete with a huge veranda with table and chairs to eat outside and plants in pots everywhere. I really fell in love with their beautiful house and Paul gave me a tour of it when we got inside.
Soon we were sitting around the kitchen table while Rosa made us all pancakes filled with a delicious concoction of finely diced pineapple, grated cheese and chopped ham, accompanied by salad and San Miguel beers.
This morning we woke up to a fine day and enjoyed a breakfast of croissants, sliced cheese and charcuterie and orange juice, and after making preparations for our lunch later we set off into town. We parked and walked beside the river which flows through the town, where people were jogging or just relaxing on the grassy embankment. High on a hill I could see what looked like a castle and Rosa said that it was an ancient cathedral and we would go up there later.
We then crossed a bridge into town and walked through a street lined by little shops each side. Unfortunately they were all closed as today being the 1st of May is a bank holiday and unlike back home, everything closes here like it does in France. We then came to what they call the new cathedral, which itself is several hundred years old, but new compared to the old one up on the hill which recently celebrated its 800th birthday. We went inside and Rosa showed me the Saint of Montserrat which is the saint of Catalan country. In front of here were hundreds of bunches of flowers offered by the people of the town.
I took a couple of close up photos as we were able to climb the steps and take a close look and Paul told me about her history. He is learning English at school and is enjoying being able to practise speaking English with me. He speaks it very well too. The image of Christ in this church is very old, in the Romano style. Rosa said it goes back to the tenth century.
Back outside afterwards we went into the ancient hospital which now houses exhibits and today being the day of the puppet festival it contained exhibits from the puppets used in an opera (details of which I will supply later as I cannot remember right now). Then on a sunny patio inside the hospital, like a quadrangle in the middle, the space was filled with rows of seats already filling up with families and children ready for the puppet show and we stayed and watched the show which was very funny. All day in venues all over town different puppet shows were being held and after this one we headed to a different place to watch one from Argentina. In schools in the area as a lead up to this puppet festival, all the children had made puppets and these were displayed in shop windows everywhere with the names of the children who had made them. The Argentinean puppet show was brilliant and very funny as well. It began and ended with a John Lennon song, first with the John Lennon puppet sitting on a little stool in front of a little piano and even the mouth moved as it ´sang´ and the end song was with the puppet playing a guitar and all the movements of dancing as it ´played´. Then the puppet show in between had more dramatic style music accompaniment and was a really brilliant show that everyone enjoyed.
From here, we made our way back to the car and drove up to the ´castle´ (old cathedral) which was really impressive as you got close and even included a real drawbridge that one walked over to get inside. We walked up to the ´battlements´ and there had a fantastic panoramic view of the city of Lleida and Rosa said that on a really clear day one could see right to the Pyrenees. We went inside the cathedral but it was closing 5 minutes later so we did not have long but we might go back there later today to see more of the inside. When we got back outside there was a stage set up and a gypsy band playing - three guys on guitars and two girls singing and dancing and we stayed and listened to three or four songs as it was really nice music. We may have stayed longer but by this time we were all really hungry...
We then drove back to the house and prepared lunch. In the morning Rosa had already cleaned the little sea fish that would be our lunch and these were lightly covered in seasoned flour and then fried in olive oil and served with an excellent salad, preceded by an excellent homemade vegetable and pasta soup. We were really hungry by this time and got through a huge packet of olive oil crisps and a San Miguel beer each whilst preparing it.
Tomorrow will be my last day here and we are hoping for a sunny day as the seaside is only about an hour and a quarter from here and weather permitting that is what we are going to do tomorrow. I do hope it will be sunny as I am dying to spend some time on a sandy beach and see the sea!!!! My train back to Barcelona leaves at quarter to six and gets back to Sants Estacio at six minutes past eight, so is a faster train than the one coming which took nearly three and a half hours. Some of the trains here are double-decker ones - I have never seen those before.
Another observation I forgot to mention before is the fact that two different Spanish languages are spoken here - Catalan being the made language spoken everywhere with Spanish (Castellano) as a second language, and English as a third language. Children learn all three languages at school. The television programmes are in Catalan which makes it difficult to understand the news programmes etc, but main films are in Castellano which I can understand. However some Catalan has similarities with French and although I don't understand it spoken I can get an idea of the meaning by seeing it written. There is a Catalan flag flying alongside the Spanish one too.
I will probably write once more before returning to England next Thursday, maybe starting a message on Monday and sending it on Wednesday! Needless to say I am really enjoying my visit here - first with Aquiles lovely family in Barcelona and enjoying that big city, and then meeting Rosa and her family and seeing another part of Spain - Lleida is actually the main city in this Catalan area - and then tomorrow I will be back with Melba, John and Alfredo again.
It has been great to meet Rosa so that we already know each other when we meet in Peru this summer. It seems likely we will meet in Puno and travel to Bolivia and Argentina together rather than the other way round as she will only be there for 3 weeks. This weekend we are going to coordinate where to meet.
Hi Again From Barcelona.
This is the first chance I have had since Saturday to write an email. Even though the weather has not been that brilliant I have continued to have a lovely time here. I am staying with the most wonderful family and it was fantastic to meet Rosa and her family as well. Right from the first moment I felt really at home in both Lleida and Barcelona.
My last email was sent from Lleida early Saturday afternoon and the rest of my weekend there was great. After our morning in town, the puppet shows etc we went back to the house for lunch - another excellent healthy lunch. Rosa said that if I stayed at her house a few weeks I would definitely lose weight and she is right. She knows a lot about healthy eating and has given me some excellent ideas.
Before we set out again her husband - Anton Ramon - returned from his mountain climb so the children stayed with him and Rosa and I went into town on our own. We went back up to the old cathedral in hopes of visiting inside, only to find that out of high season it closes at 5.30 and it was after 6 pm by the time we got there. Looking at the view from there Rosa pointed out the park called Champs Ellysees and said the Feria dÁbril was going on there and I asked if we could go. We drove back down but it took quite a long time to find a parking space but it was worth the wait.
The Feria dÁbril which means the April Fair in English is a fair which comes from Seville, an Andalusian custom with flamenco dancing, music, fairground, stalls, food and bars. We watched some lovely flamenco dancing on the main stage and then walked through the whole fair. Then we both fancied coffee so took a lengthy walk into town until we reached the coffee shop which had a variety of world coffees on offer. We enjoyed some nice cakes there too. I was asking Rosa what the trees were in all the farms I had passed in the train and she said that some would have been vineyards or olive groves but that most would have been orchards. She said that most of the pears, apples, peaches and nectarines grown in Lleida´s province supplied the rest of Europe.
We got home quite late and enjoyed supper with Anton and the children and our next task was to find flights for Rosa this summer. We ended up spending a couple of hours on the internet looking for flights - those to Peru were astronomically expensive - thank goodness I reserved mine back in January because the later you leave it the more expensive the flights become. I suggested we checked out cost of flights to Buenos Aires and this proved a better option. After much searching, the cheapest we could find was 710 euros, 478 pounds, with Lufthansa, and she was just going to compare it with local travel agents and then book it early this week.
Rosa is flying to South America the same date as me but as she only has 3 weeks I have changed my itinerary somewhat (Javi, Jorge, Huj Mayas - voy escribir mas luego con los cambios de nuestro inventario). While I am in Ilo the first week Rosa will be in Argentina, taking a flight to Juliaca to arrive the same day as I arrive in Puno, hopefully later than my arrival so that we can go and meet her there. Then for the next two weeks it will be three of us travelling together, heading for North West Argentina via Bolivia and this is where my plans change. Instead of the 10 days planned in Puno I will only be there for 2 days, plus 2 days in Moho before the three of us set out for Bolivia (Rosa, Javi and me). We will stay just one night in La Paz and another night in Oruro before taking the train to Villazon.
Our plan then is to head south, first to Buenos Aires and spend one night there (and hopefully meet Mirta who is a friend to both Rosa and me). Then we will head south to Patagonia, our destination being Comodore which is below Los Pampas. I cannot let go this great opportunity to visit Patagona whilst I have travelling companions to go with me! Rosa's flight home will mean us arriving back in Buenos Aires by 25th July which is where we will part company - Rosa to fly home to Catalonia on the 26th, Javi and I continuing back to the north west and ultimately our mutual friend Jorge and his family who live in San Salvador de Jujuy. We will be staying a week with Jorge and his family and then possibly just one night in Salta before heading back to Peru via Bolivia again. If there is time we will hopefully spend a couple of nights in La Paz because I want to see friends there - at least Adrian Villanueva and Saul Callejas even if there is no time to see more. Javi will also want to see his uncle who lives there.
Anyhow, to get back to the present, we woke up on Sunday morning to great weather. We had a delicious typical Catalan breakfast of a thick chocolate type of cereal, yoghurt etc and then we drove to a nature reserve on the other side of the city. We spent several hours there walking, following various paths, crossing the river over various bridges, watching the birdlife from bird watching huts, all the while the sun shining beautifully. We finally came to rest by the river and enjoyed an hour of rest watching the ducks and enjoying the sunshine.
Then back to the house about 2.30 for lunch and a rest until going to the station for 5.30 as my train back to Barcelona at 5.45. I thanked Anton for such a fantastic visit and he said he was pleased I had been able to visit them and that I was welcome any time in the future to come again, which I thought was very kind. I thanked Rosa too at the station and she said how much she looked forward to her first visit to South America and knew already that we would be great travelling companions. The train was already on the platform when we got to the station so I was able to get on and have a window seat. Ten minutes later all the seats were full and by the time the train left there were people sitting in the aisles as there was on the outward journey, so I was very grateful to have a seat. The journey back to Barcelona was very pleasant and on a much faster train than the one coming, only taking two and a half hours instead of the nearly three and a half on the outward trip.
At the station I soon found Alfredo as we had prearranged to meet by the entrance to platform 5 and then we were on our way back to the flat. When we arrived Melba and John were out - they had got to the Catalunya fair - another Feria dÁbril - but her sister Nancy was there and she gave us dinner which she had cooked earlier, another delicious Peruvian dish.
Yesterday morning, Monday, we woke up to pouring rain and groaned but that did not prevent us from going out. I wanted to buy some useful kitchen items that I had seen in Rosa's house so Alfredo suggested a visit to Carrefour, a fairly short train ride away. I really enjoyed looking around there and found all the things I wanted and a few more that I caught my eye, all at fairly reasonable prices. I could not find the magnetic version of Scrabble but found another similar board game to take with me to Peru. I bought loads of cheese and chorizo and Jamon serrano, Iberian products that I absolutely adore.
Back at the house we had a salad lunch and then Alfredo and I set off again, this time to the Catalunya fair - Feria dÁbril as Melba and John had had such a nice time there on Sunday. We knew it began at 5 pm and continued late into the evening but we made the mistake of arriving there too early. When we got off the train, there was a free bus service taking people to the fair which was situated at Selva del Mar, right on the sea front. The fair was a disappointment because hardly anyone was there yet and most of the places were closed and no live music or dancing going on. There were stalls selling Iberian products but at highly inflated prices so we didn't buy anything. We both fancied chicken and chips but even after a tour of the whole fair they were still not serving food and said it would be at least another hour. The best part of the visit was the fact that I saw the beach for the first time even though it was drizzling with rain with grey skies, windy and the sea really wild crashing onto the shore - most definitely not a day to go swimming!!! With no chicken available I suggested to Alfredo that we had chips instead and he didn't look too amused having set his heart on chicken (!!) so I suggested we find somewhere outside.
We got the bus and then train back to fairly near where they live, but the place selling chicken in the popular barbeque style was not offering chicken on Sundays!! We ended up in a nearby Chinese restaurant instead and had a nice meal there, finally ending up back at the flat around 10.30 pm, where John presented me with a huge bar of speciality chocolate from this region. I was really touched to receive this gift from him.
After all the walking both Alfredo and I were totally exhausted. I have done more walking in my visit here than in the past 6 months I reckon. Hopefully all this exercise means that I will not have gained weight whilst on holiday here!
Today was a really brilliant day. After breakfast Alfredo and I set out for a whole day excursion to Monserrat. This meant travelling on different trains. When we got to the first place to change trains it was to learn the train to Montserrat only left hourly and we had just missed one. So we had quite a long wait until it eventually arrived. This is a special train that goes all the way to the mountain. I was really looking forward to this trip because Alfredo said it was almost like going to a mini Machu Picchu. When we reached Montserrat station Alfredo suddenly noticed we had arrived and we leapt off the train as the doors were closing, but only to find when we got into the station we should have travelled on to the next station, but I did not mind. Our ticket price included going up the mountain in a funicular railway but by getting off at the station before we had to pay another 4 euros each to go up in a cable car. I would not have missed this wonderful experience for worlds - it was fantastic going up the mountain in that cable car with the wonderful views, eventually arriving almost at the top of the mountain where there is a monastery and sanctuary. We spent the whole day there and it was wonderful. First of all we went into the cafeteria for coffee and cakes and thus fortified explored. We were able to go right up to the niche where La Virgen de Montserrat is, which is in the Basilica (church), which is one of the most wonderful religious places I have ever seen. I bought a book full of photos of this wonderful place. In my final email about this trip which will be written this weekend, after my return home, I will write more about Montserrat, La Seu Vellieu (the old cathedral at Lleida) and hopefully explain the wonder of these places.
After we had visited all over the sanctuary, our next destination was the cross placed higher up the mountain. This meant climbing the mountain but by a manageable path and we did this slowly stopping to take photos of the wonderful views. I used more than a whole film of 36 shots today in that fantastic place. The sun was shining all day which made everything even more magical and we learned later that the temperature was 20 degrees centigrade, the best of my whole visit. After the 18 degrees the day I arrived it descended to 14 or 15 degrees the other days and was unusually rainy for Barcelona.
When we descended for lunch, poor Alfredo was disappointed again as all the hot meals were finished and only sandwiches, salads and cakes available. So we sat down to a sandwich and yet another cake - but hopefully all the climbing and walking will have counteracted any weight gain! During our climb up the mountain Alfredo was telling me about the mountains in Switzerland where his other son Carlos lives and the plan is that when he is there in future I too will visit Switzerland. He is in fact going to Switzerland next month but I cannot afford another trip so soon, not with South America coming up in 2 months time, but the next time he visits Switzerland I too will visit - which will be fantastic as I have never been there. And before that I will have the pleasure of welcoming Alfredo to Bath as he hopes to visit England in September. Instead of climbing up the last part of the mountain we could have taken another funicular train but we were put off as watching it climb at a snail's pace vertically, one had the impression that it could just fall off the track and fall down the mountain! It would have been quite scary I think.
Finally we caught the funicular train back down the mountain which again gave us fantastic vistas as we slowly descended, eventually arriving at the bottom where we connected with another train to take us into Barcelona which again was a pleasant journey. The transport system here is absolutely fantastic. One can travel on a variety of trains in all directions, buses, metro, trams etc and travelling is cheap too. It costs 6 euros, 4 pounds, for a ticket which is good for 10 journeys and interchangeable on all the forms of transport, even the ordinary train. We arrived back at Cornella (the area of Barcelona where they live) at 8 pm, and here I am at the internet cafe with just two blocks to walk home afterwards when I leave.
A Final Hola!
Well I am back safe and sound after the most fantastic holiday with wonderful Peruvian and Catalan people and tomorrow I will be back at work as usual.
After writing on Tuesday evening I had a two block walk back to the flat but when I got outside everything looked unfamiliar in the dark. I found my way to Euroski and should have known the way from there but took a wrong turn and ended up completely lost! After a while I saw a woman walking towards me and asked her the way and she was really helpful. She did not know but asked other people on my behalf and then accompanied me right to the door. We had quite a laugh over it when I got inside, with Alfredo unable to believe I had got lost in such a short distance! I was never too worried though because as a last resort I could have phoned them.
On Wednesday three of us went out after breakfast for the day, Alfredo, Melba and me. We went by metro as usual, changing direction once and ending up at Espanya. The transport system in Barcelona is absolutely marvellous - one can buy a ticket called a T-10 (pronounced tay dee-eth) for 6 euros (£4) which is good for ten journeys on either TMB bus and metro, ordinary bus, FGC train, tram or RENFE rail and you never have to wait more than a minute or two for the train. Also using the ticket in one of these forms of transport entitles you to a free ride on another form of transport if the journey takes place within an hour and a quarter of the first one, allowing one to undertake a really long journey for only 60 centimes which is about 40p.
When we exited the station at Espanya which is pretty central, our destination was Montjuic - off to one side was an old bull-ring which is presently being refurbished - bull-fights mainly taking place in the summer months. Montjuic itself is really special and well worth a visit to the discerning visitor. It is a magnificent building and to reach it one walks along an avenue which has fountains all the way down on both sides of each approach, left and right, a huge square in between. Unfortunately I could not see the weekend spectacle which takes place on Fridays and Saturdays because I was away in Lleida, but anyone visiting Barcelona over a weekend should not miss it. The fountains come to life in millions of colours which 'dance' accompanied by musical performances - but only on Friday and Saturday evenings. In the summer months it also occurs on Thursdays and Sundays. Definitely I will make sure to see this on my next visit - which will probably be in November because I will be going back for the christening of Melba and John's baby girl which is due in 2 weeks.
But despite having missed seeing this in the evening, it is well worth a visit by daylight too - Montjuic itself is a spectacular building reached by several sets of steps and from the top you get a fantastic panoramic view of Barcelona and hopefully one of the pictures I took of this vista will appear on my webpage at some future point. For those interested in museums and art galleries there is an art exhibition going on in Montjuic at the moment - which brings me to another handy tip for Barcelona visitors - you can buy the Barcelona card which entitles you to entrance into as many museums and art galleries that you can fit in during your visit. For example a one day Barcelona card costs 17 euros but a 5-day one is only 27 euros. The five day one is probably a great investment for those who wish to visit all these places and a tremendous saving over paying the individual entrance prices.
After visiting Montjuic we went for a late lunch and found an excellent place right in the centre offering a brilliant 3-course set lunch for 9 euros which we all enjoyed. Then we went window shopping in the centre and both Melba and I bought summer tops in boutiques along the way and I bought sandals as well.
Coming out of one boutique we could smell the delicious ice-cream in a nearby Italian ice-cream shop, offering about 40 different flavours of ice-cream and we enjoyed four scoops each of different favourite flavours, all of us being great lovers of ice-cream.
Then we walked down La Rambla as I was looking for a Spanish cookery book I had seen earlier in my visit and luckily managed to find it, with the delightful surprise that an English version was available. I bought it because of one wonderful recipe - Zarzuelah (which I had in restaurants in Pays Basque and found it unforgettable) and at the end of this email you will find the recipe. It is a brilliant dish for a really special occasion and easy enough to make.
Then we had to hurry homeward and finally got back at 6 o'clock where I quickly changed clothes and then had time to read my emails before we set off for Nancy's house as we had been invited there for dinner that evening. One of my emails was from a friend in Argentina asking if I could find any magazines on Patchwork and I tried to find one on our way but unfortunately could not. There were loads of magazines on cross-point and embroidery or crotchet but nothing on patchwork unfortunately. I wished I had had more time to look for one because of it being in Spanish. I am sure I can find one here in England but being able to read it might prove a problem. I will be looking for one in town this Saturday.
We had a lovely time at Nancy and Omar's house - Nancy cooked us a wonderful meal which we enjoyed with wine and took lots of photos and had fun with the children aged 3 and 10 - Kelly the older one enjoying practising her English with me. Earlier in the day Melba had given me presents to take back for Aquiles and Nancy gave me another lot! When we finally went home later we went by bus which meant a shorter walk at the other end, the metro station being a good 15-minute walk from their home.
This morning I was up quite early as it was a mammoth task packing everything into my case and rucksack. I ended up with my case being so full I could barely close it and knew it was a lot heavier going back than the day I arrived. Also the rucksack was full and a large carrier bag was also full of Spanish products being taken home. We left the flat at 11 am as I wanted to allow plenty of time to get to the airport, not knowing the regularity of the trains from Sants Estacio station to the airport and Alfredo kindly accompanied me. This meant the long walk to the metro, taking a detour up a hill to avoid having to carry the case up a very long flight of steps. The case was easy to roll along on wheels but had to be lifted up any steps. Highlighted by the fact that until then I had never noticed how many flights of steps up and down were involved in both stations! By the time we made it to the Renfe platform for the train going to the airport my case had started to split on one side, the split getting bigger every time I lifted it! I knew that unless something was done about it I would end up losing half the contents on the flight home. When I checked in the case I asked and was relieved to find they did a case wrapping service nearby - for 4.5 euros per case one could get it heavily wrapped in Clingfilm on a machine. It weighed exactly 20 kilos on the way back compared to the 13 kg on the outward journey and although my hand luggage was far in excess of that allowed I was lucky in that they did not charge me any overweight fees. The journey home was on time and uneventful and I landed this afternoon to temperatures cooler than the sunny day I had left behind - accordingly to the pilot 11 degrees centigrade compared with around 17 in Barcelona.
In a couple of days one final email will follow which will explain more about the history and legend of the mountain sanctuary at Montserrat and something about the Catalan traditions, which will be of especial interest to anyone visiting Barcelona. My day trip to Montserrat with Alfredo was one of the most magical experiences imaginable and I highly recommend it.
Also, anyone interested in art would enjoy the various exhibitions celebrating 100 years of Gaudi, 1904 to 2004, whose famous paintings, sculptures and architecture are evident everywhere in the city, one of the best examples of his architecture being Sagrada Familia cathedral which is stunning. Barcelona has 6 million inhabitants and is known as the capital of the Mediterranean. The exhibition I visited in Lleida was to celebrate El Retablo de Maese - a Perez opera by Falla combined with images (in large puppet form made of metal and leather) from the book of El Quijote (Don Quixote) by Cervantes - and the 800 year old cathedral high on the hill there is called La Seu Vella de Lleida which translated means 'the old cathedral of Lleida'. The latter part of this email will also include something about the history of this ancient building.
Leaving you now with the Zarzuela recipe which is sautéed mixed seafood.
ZARZUELA (Sautéed Mixed Seafood).
Serving 6-8 people:
Ingredients:
1 lobster or crawfish,
one dozen scallops,
one dozen fresh scampi,
about 500 gm of mussels,
500 gm of large clams,
lean cured raw ham in one piece,
about 100 gm,
6 or 7 ripe tomatoes,
3 onions,
2 sweet peppers,
2 cloves of garlic,
1 lemon,
100 gm shelled almonds,
saffron,
bouquet garnet of bayleaf, parsley and thyme,
dry white wine,
salt and pepper,
olive oil.
Method:
Clean the mussels (scrape the shells an remove the 'whiskers' between the valves and rinse well but do not dry them). Clean the clams and scallops (extracting the 'nuts' which is the white part of the scallop - remove the black and brown bits). Scald the lobster in slightly salted boiling water, then open the shell to remove the flesh but eliminate the intestinal tract.
Prepare all the vegetables by trimming, rinsing and drying them. Slowly sauté the finely chopped garlic and onions in a large pan with olive oil; add the diced sweet peppers and the ham cut into thin strips.
Rinse and dry the scampi and toss fry them in a pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil for 5 minutes. Add these plus the diced tomatoes, 2 glasses of wine, the juice of the lemon, the bouquet garnet and finely chopped almonds to the large pan, adding salt and pepper to taste and allow the flavours to combine for 5 minutes over high heat, then add a sachet of saffron diluted with a little water, the clams, mussels, the scallop 'nuts', the lobster flesh cut into pieces and the scampi.
Stir, lower the heat and cook gently for about 10 minutes until the clams and mussels have opened.
Reduce any excess liquid, remove the bouquet garnet, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
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