1,600 Euros raised for Rosie and her stable mates.

This week we visited El Paraiso del Burro (The Donkey Paradise) in Arobes to hand over the total monies raised for the Caring for Rosie Challenge. It has been a wonderful three months with 50 people making donations and many more helping us to promote the cause and spread the word about the wonderful work Marleen and and the team of volunteers do at the sanctuary.

Through Go Fund Me, we sought sponsorship for Luis' three sporting challenges; mountain cycling, mountain walking and endurance cycling. We managed to raise a fantastic £1250 which after Go Fund Me fees translated into 1,600 Euros. The money will help to care for Rosie, her stable mates (24 other retired and abused donkeys), help to feed and shelter the volunteers and enable some maintenance work to be undertaken at the Sanctuary.

Rosie is doing well with her prosthetic hooves and daily leg massages and despite her walking problems she manages to wander around the lush verges and fields on a daily basis and live a happy and content life amongst other donkeys in paradise.

The sanctuary still needs your support and it would help if you would consider becoming a member of El Paraiso del Burro or sponsoring one of the donkeys, details of which can be found here: www.paraisodelburro.com Or maybe you fancy volunteering in this beautiful region of Spain? If you do, give us a shout.....

Thank you, your kind thought and generous acts were respectfully received.

Best wishes

Luis and Ian x

Caring for the Donkeys at El Paraiso del Burro

Luis successfully completed his second sports challenge last Saturday in his efforts to raise monies for the donkeys at El Paraiso del Burro here in Asturias. So far we have raised over £1000 and would like to thank everyone who has donated or helped us to promote this fundraiser. As we near the final challenge on the 6th June, please help us to achieve our new goal of £1250 by helping us to spread the word or by making a small donation.

He was joined by his younger brother Ruben and 10,000 others who were taking part in El Soplao - cyclists, walkers and marathon runners all taking part in various events starting from Cabezon de la Sal in Cantabria. Unlike the UK, not many people use these events to raise money for charity and in the main is is used as a personal challenge and experience.

The route Luis and Ruben completed was just over 47km in total on foot, through beautiful mountains, valleys and woodlands. They both completed the route in 11.5 hours which was a great achievement.

Rosie the donkey and her stable mates at El Paraiso del Burro (the Donkey Paradise) lead a tranquil and cared for life in a beautiful lush valley in Arobes, Asturias. For many it is in stark contrast to the life they previously led. Many arrive at the sanctuary badly nourished, mistreated, with numerous health problems and over-worked. Rosie arrived at the sanctuary unable to walk properly as her hooves had overgrown causing her to have muscle and tendon problems. She was depressed and in a poor general state of health. With daily massages, regular grooming, hoof care, good food and regular check-ups she has blossomed and now spends her days wandering the lush valley, socialising with fellow donkeys and enjoying the hands on care she receives daily. The monies raised will help to feed her, pay farrier bills, and contribute to the general running costs of the sanctuary. With 24 donkeys, several rescue dogs and many volunteers to feed and shelter it doesn't come cheap so every penny/cent/dime counts. You can contribute here: Caring for Rosie

Luis' third and final challenge will be  a 160km cycle ride on the 6th June following the route of the Canal de Castilla. Once again this is an organised event in which he will participate with his brother Ruben. Following the event we will keep the fund-raising page open for one week as we know there are some people who want to contribute once all three challenges are finished.  After that, we will close the page and make arrangements with Marleen Verhoef at the Donkey Paradise, to hand over the monies raised. We will let everyone know via this blog and the dedicated Facebook page how much money we raise. Once again, a big heart-felt thank you to everyone who has contributed it means a lot to us and we couldn't have done it without you. Here is a short film of Rosie and another of some of here stable mates enjoying life in their autumn years:

The fundraising page at: http://www.gofundme.com/CaringforRosie will close on

 Saturday 13th June

The lusty month of May...

It's May, it's May, the lusty month of May...

What a start to the month, its been extremely busy with lots of jobs to do in and around the garden. The seedlings are progressing well and we'll soon be planting beans, marrow, cucumber and squash and kohlrabi. The peas, potatoes and beetroot have been in the ground for a few weeks now and are growing with vigour but the tomatoes have just not moved, probably due to the unseasonal cold weather and overcast days. The two new apple trees we planted are doing well and have set fruit so hopefully we will have an extended season of apples from this year on.

We've had an eventful month so far with Luis venturing out into the mountains both alone and with his brother Ruben, both in training for a 50 Km mountain walk on the 23rd May organised by El Soplao. You may remember Luis is seeking sponsorship for this and two other challenges he has set himself this Spring to raise monies for The Donkey Paradise here in Asturias - more of that later.

Earlier in the month it was World Nude Gardening Day and of course, Luis participated as he has done for the past three years. Fortunately, it wasn't too cold on the day and I managed to sneak a photograph when he wasn't looking...

The garden is looking very colourful at the moment with lots of plants in full flower both in the beds and rockeries. Lots of dead heading and cosmetic pruning takes up a bit of time but it extends the flowering period and helps keep debris and invaders down such as slugs, aphids and black fly. Fortunately we seem to have a healthy colony of ladybirds this year which is a great natural control.

We were rather disturbed to see a European Hornet in the garden. I managed to get a shot or two but I was wary of venturing too close as they have a nasty sting and can be aggressive.

Wentworth and Gawber the cats are recovering well from their recent illness although Gawber has ongoing eye problems that require regular check-ups and daily eye drops. He is such a timid cat and despite our efforts to re-assure him, he freaks at the site of the cat carrier and now is wary whenever we call him as he thinks the eye dropper is close at hand but it needs to be done.

Luis had a bike accident this week and managed to knock himself out. He ended up stopping in hospital overnight for neurological observations but was discharged the following day with some residual concussion and a few cuts and many bruises. He was given strict instructions to rest. I have told him the gardening will wait until the weekend...;-)

The Caring for Rosie Challenge to raise monies for Rosie the Donkey and her stable mates at El Paraiso del Burro is going great and we are overwhelmed and grateful to the many people who have donated and helped us to promote this worthy cause. So far we have raised £1000 and hope that with two challenges left to complete, we can raise another £250. We visited the donkey sanctuary today and it was great to see the donkeys out in the pastures enjoying the lush spring grass. If you could help us reach our target, please follow the link below on the photograph of Rosie or click on the Go Fund Me button.

Rosie enjoying the lush pastures at El Paraiso del Burro

Back to the lusty month of May, for those of you who don't know it it is the title of a song but do you know which one and from which musical (extra points if you can name the composers)? The lyrics sort of sum up our May but with only half the month gone, there is still time for more lusty goings on as the weather warms up and life in and around La Pasera brings with it new adventures and lasting memories.

Now back to that World Nude Gardening Day photograph...if you really want to see it scroll down..................................Surely that's worth a few £, € or $ towards the donkeys?

An update from Toriello

It has been full on here for the past seven days with lots of gardening, general maintenance, cycling challenges and visiting family.

This recent spell of bright sunshine and warmer weather has brought everything on at a pace and we now have lots of blossom on the peach and greengage, the pear is just about to bloom and the orange tree is full of tiny white buds. The vegetable plot now has 100 potatoes planted, several rows of peas and mange tout, a new lavender hedge (for the bees, soap and hand cream making) and, the remainder of the compost has been added around the raspberry canes. The ground also is prepared for the onions which will be planted next week. We are currently harvesting broccoli, leeks, celeriac, ruby chard and the last of the kalettes.

Luis' brother and his family came to stay this past week as Ruben planned to join Luis on the first of his challenges in the Caring for Rosie challenge (read more here). Last Tuesday Luis and Ruben set off from home at 8am and caught the train to Arriondas from where they commenced their cycle ride to the Lakes of the Picos de Europa mountains. They decided to start from Arriondas as there was a strong head wind on the day and they needed every drop of energy to tackle the 12 km ascent and the other 90 kms of road cycling.  They completed their epic ride and in total covered 100km with a total ascent of 2,827 m. So far We have raised over £750 for the Donkeys but with two further challenges to go I am confident we can meet our target of £1000.

It was good to spend time with Ruben, Veronica and the children and show them some of our local beaches and sights. The baby, Sara, is delightful and such a content and happy child. Kelan and Haizea are full of energy and really enjoyed playing in the garden and running wild on the sands. As for Luis and I, time to rest and recuperate over Easter in preparation for a busy Summer ahead.

Luis, a donkey called Rosie and a pair of high heels

Yes you read it right...high heels, read on.

In the nine years we have written this blog we have never used it as a platform for fundraising but we feel this is such a good cause we want to share with you our idea. Here in Asturias there is a donkey sanctuary that takes care of retired, abused, neglected and older donkeys. It is owned and run by a lovely lady called Marleen Verhoef from the Netherlands. We have known Marleen for about 7 years and really admire what she is trying to do at El Paraiso del Burro - The Donkey Paradise.

This Spring Luis will face three tough sporting challenges in an attempt to raise £1000 for the care of Rosie and other donkeys at the sanctuary. We'll tell you about the challenges later in this post but first let me tell you a bit about Rosie the Donkey.

A concerned member of the public first contacted Marleen and told her about his neighbour's plans to have their old donkey euthanized because they no longer had a need for her. Marleen and her volunteers investigated further and found Rosie to be in very poor general health, subdued and neglected. Her front hooves had not been trimmed for some considerable time resulting in her being unable to walk. She was about 25 years old.

We don't know the history of Rosie but like many of the donkeys at the sanctuary (24 in total) she had probably led a hard working life, used as a pack horse to carry supplies or people around the fields or bought on a whim and never taken care of. Kept outside in all weathers without shelter and never wormed, had dental or hoof care or groomed. Her front hooves had overgrown and curved inwards underneath her chest, she could not walk, she stumbled resulting in her being unable to feed properly although we doubt she was fed anything much other than scraps.

She was taken to the sanctuary and her life began to change for the better. Initially, Rosie just curled up on the ground as standing was painful. After extensive work over a long period of time, the Farrier was able to correct her posture by building her specially fitted high heeled supports that would, with physio, help release contracted tendons and muscles. With a healthy diet, regular grooming and good general care, Marleen and the volunteers helped her to walk again. Her general health improved tremendously and with veterinary, farrier intervention and dedication she has become a different donkey that can now socialise with her peers and roam the extensive pastures at El Paraiso del Burro.

Hooves trimmed and ready for another fitting

Rosie showing off her 'high heels'

Each donkey at the Sanctuary costs about £500 per year to care for. Marleen and her team of volunteers work tirelessly to care for, feed, and rehabilitate these delightful animals to give them a comfortable and pain-free life in their autumn years. Many need regular veterinary care and all need regular hoof care from a local farrier . The volunteers need housing and feeding and the land, 8 hectares of pasture and woodland, needs regular maintenance to keep the donkeys safe. We are now looking for donations to support this worthy cause.

Luis has challenged himself to three tough sporting events to help raise much needed funding for Rosie's care. Details of which can be found in the page above (under the header). This spring he will cycle to the mountain lakes in the Picos de Europa, a tough 100km ride involving a 12km ascent of 1100m. He will undertake a challenging 50km hike in the mountains in a day and he will cycle 160 km in a day along the canal of Castille. Further information about these challenges can be found on a dedicated facebook page: Luis' Caring for Rosie Challenge 2015 

Any donation no matter what amount will help Luis to keep motivated and keep him focused as he faces these challenging sporting events. It would be great if you could donate some money to help us reach our goal of £1000 - enough to provide basic care for Rosie for the next two years.If you wish to give an off-line donation please contact Ian or Luis directly and it will be added to the total amount donated as an off-line donation or you can donate anonymously. Please sign up for updates as we will publish more about Rosie and her life and updates on Luis' training programme and events over the next 4 months.

Donations can be given here - just press the gofundmebutton:

Anything you can do to support us will be greatly appreciated. Please share this post amongst your friends on social networks. For the time being there will be a page dedicated to this good cause which can be accessed through the link at the top of this page under the main banner. Thank you in anticipation. 

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

Mahatma Gandhi

Stepping into spring - two tales

Ian:
After being in the UK for a while it is always good to return to Asturias. The weather in the UK has been cold, damp, wet and snowy whereas Asturias has been cool, damp, wet and...snowy, but in a different way.

UK...

In the UK the weather persists for weeks, in Asturias it can change on a daily basis. I enjoy my time in the UK and witnessing the worst snow falls for over 40 years was certainly a treat if not inconvenient and prohibitive to my plans. Dad missed his 90th Birthday dinner as the roads were impassable and the hotel and restaurant was inaccessible.

Asturias

On my return to La Pasera it is cooler than usual with intermittent rain and infrequent glimpses of blue sky. Daily walks are between showers and short cut but we have had the chance to catch up with friends from England and friends living here in Asturias. We have been to the Donkey Sanctuary for the open day and it was great to see a few familiar and a few new faces up there.

www.paraisodelburro.com

The landscapes are vibrant at the moment with vivid greens and yellows as the grass in the meadows becomes peppered with wild flowers. A lovely time of year out here despite the wetter than usual weather.

Luis:

I love Spring as it brings longer days, rapid plant growth, and explosion of colour as well a chorus of birds singing  and warm showers during which to go for a walk and enjoy the changes the new season brings. Spring in Asturias usually arrives several weeks before the equinox takes place. This year, it has being particularly wet and cold and the new season is advancing slowly.

This slower pace is more noticeable by the subdued blossoming of the many wild cherries both within La Pasera and the surrounding countrywide. Another indicator of the later and slower Spring is noticeable by how late the Asturias wild daffodils and alpine flowers are making a full display as the snow persists at relatively low altitudes.

Within the coastal planes, some of the wild flowers are slowly coming into blossom and it would be a while longer before the apple orchards come into full bloom. I guess we will wait for the cuckoo to return bringing the new season as the ancients used to think. In the mean time, we will continue enjoying the new season as it slowly advances while dreaming of the joy of apple scent as we walk past the numerous apple orchards as we walk along the country lanes.

Trasgu?

A day out at the traditional market in Porrua

Fiesta season is in full swing here in Asturias. August, being the main holiday month, is busy with tourists enjoying the warm summer sunshine and families returning to their village or family homes for a summer break. With lots of people around, there is no better time than August to organise a traditional Asturian market.

Porrua is a large village nestled between the coast and the mountains about 15 minutes from La Pasera. It has an old charm about it with many Indiano-style houses built at the turn of the century and quite few new small hotels and holiday homes.

Each year Porrua hosts a very popular traditional market. This year like previous years, it was spectacular and well worth a few hours soaking in the atmosphere, watching the street entertainers, admiring the many craft stalls (and resist buying) or sampling the delights of the food and drinks stalls.

We arrived early and parked up in a local field that had been given over to parking. As you approach Porrua, you can appreciate its position with a panoramic, green and rocky backdrop. People were already gathering and drinking coffee in one of the very few bars in the village.

We wandered though several narrow twisting streets and admired the quaint village houses and barns, some restored whilst others remain untouched and neglected.

The market takes place over two days in the centre of the village which boasts a large circular meeting place. With its mature plane trees grafted together forming perfect shade, this communal space in the centre of the village is magical. The craft stalls are sited around the outside whilst the food and drink stalls occupy the shady central part.

At events like these I always wonder how the crafts people can make enough money? The stall rent is very expensive and being over two days, with travel and accommodation, the cost of materials and their time, that is a lot of money to re-coup before making a profit. Some people think that hand-made goods are expensive but taking everything into account, they are not.

As you enter the market, the atmosphere starts to build, it doesn't take much to imagine yourself in medieval times. Going along to market days with the hustle and bustle of travellers and traders, farmers and locals gathering to barter and trade their goods.

All the roads, footpaths and passage ways are strewn with straw and each stall is decked out in hessian, ferns/bracken and other natural products. All the stall holders are in traditional dress and many of the local children also take the opportunity to dress in costume.

The craft stalls, many with live demonstrations, were busy setting up when we arrived and setting out their wares which included leather goods, pottery, fibre crafts, jewellery, soaps, musical instruments, book bindings, puppets, miniature sculptures, spoons, models, ironworks and paintings to list a few.

As the market came awake, wood smoke from the massive barbecue permeated the morning air and the official opening commenced. A street parade gathered and oxen and carts, giant comedic characters, donkeys, musicians, and a range of street entertainers took up position and made their way merrily through the narrow streets towards the market.

 

The parade is accompanied by dancers and musicians dressed in traditional costume. It is a busy time for these performers as they have many fiestas to attend. The women wear heavy woollen skirts and handwoven shawls. The pipes here in Asturias are a type of bag pipe called the Gaita and played by a Gaitero. You can hear some of the music in the video below.

Throughout the day, the street entertainers perform much to the delight of the growing crowds. The smell of roasted costillas (ribs) and chorizo coming from the gigantic barbecue trigger people's appetite and the food stalls begin to feed the masses as children ride around the atrium on the backs of donkeys and on carts pulled by oxen.

Visiting Porrua will be an annual pilgrimage for us. It is such a wonderful way to pass a few hours, with time to sit and watch the world go by and appreciate its magical atmosphere. Its gentle rhythm, its constant hum and its colourful spectacle occasionally punctuated by dancers, musicians, jugglers and characters.