Walking in Asturias

Picos de Europa Mountains - Western Massif

Walking is a hobby that we have always enjoyed and since arriving at La pasera, we have continued to enjoy. Asturias has a very varied, beautiful and dramatic countryside - nestled between the Cantabrian Sea and the Picos de Europa Mountains. You can choose to walk along the coast with its magnificent cliffs, cross its numerous pastures, venture into its lush woodlands, climb one of its many peaks, or follow the Camino de Santiago (St Jame´s Way) running the length of the north coast and a just few meters from La Pasera.
One of the limitations of walking in Asturias is the lack of good descriptions and detailed maps. In terms of the paths, some are very good and well marked but overall, especially when you head into the mountains, remote areas or less well known trails you need to have a good map as the path often follows the tracks that animals use and the waymarking is not very clear. On future blogs we will be sharing with you some of the walks we know and have done.
Many people visiting Asturias tend to head for the mountains and aim to walk along the very popular and well known Cares Gorge Path, it is very impressive and runs within the heart of the Picos National Park. Another well known walk as previously mentioned is the Camino de Santiago.
Her at La Pasera, we continue to enjoy and discover many walks both locally and around the region. Starting at La Pasera, we have some impressive walking opportunities along the cliffs, through the many villages and across the countryside near us. Within a short drive we we have enjoyed different walks in the Picos National Park and the many beautuful beaches.
Walking gives us an opportunity not only to discover new areas but also to appreciate the abundant wildlife, flora and culture.

Blackberry and apple jam

As you know, we have been making our own bread from some time. For breakfast, we enjoy home-baked bread, toasted with a good helping of one of our home made jams. With the arrival of the first ripened blackberries we are busy picking them regularly from the hedgerows along the Camino de Santiago (St James' Path) near home at La Pasera.... we have started the jam making season.

The first batch of blackberry jam is already cooked and bottled up. Our jams are made using fruits and sugar, there are no additives or preservatives. To make the jams, we add sugar to the fruit in a ratio of 500g of sugar for every 1kg of fruit, 250g of apple per kg of blackberries was also added this time, in total we used 2.5 kg of fruit. Once the jam has been boiled and cooked we test it to ensure it sets before it is put in the jars. In previous years we have sealed them and used a bain marie to create a vacuum to help preserve the jam. A reduced amount of sugar in our jam recipes makes it healthier (if you do not end up eating more of it!) but requires extra care to preserve it.

Last year we discovered that in Spain many people use wax to seal and preserve the jam once in the jars. This year we are giving it a go for all the Jams, as last year we experimented with a few jars and it seemed to work very well. In addition to blackberry and apple jam, we will also make jam with a local small and very tasty peach, figs, plums, greengage, quince, raspberry and orange. Fig jam is an all time favourite followed by orange jam (that also goes extremely well in a chocolate and orange cake we sometimes bake). It is a big job to make all the jam but we think it is worth the effort, it is so much better that commercial jams often made with added preservatives, colourants and a greater proportion of sugar, besides they do not taste as good as our own....




La Pasera seen from the bottom field:

First steps

Hello to everyone. I hope that you are enjoying the Summer and that the weather is good. Here at La pasera we continue having a hot Summer in spite of the regular and short lived rainy spells that help to reduce the amount of watering we need to do. We have just said goodbye to Laura my youngest niece, 20 months old, who came to visit us with her parents Cesar (my brother) and Dioni. Laura loved Wentworth and Gawber but the cats kept their distance as they found the baby was too boisterous for them. She is a very lively baby and was fascinated by the flowers, the insects and the animals that surround us. We had to keep her well away from the pond as she loves water as you can see from the short clip showing Laura´s taking her first steps on the beach and also running along Santa Marina beach in Ribadesella, 5 km from home.

Water for the wildlife

Having lived with a garden pond for many years, it was always our aim to create one here at La Pasera. We bought pond liner before moving here in the knowledge that one day we would create a small watery haven for wildlife. The area has few natural fresh water areas but an abundance of amphibians including frogs, salamanders and toads. Whilst out walking you can often see tractor tyre tracks with numerous tadpoles fighting for survival. We have designed the pond to encourage amphibians, water beetles, dragonfly and damselfly, birds and other creatures that need a constant supply of fresh water. The short slide show illustrates the construction of the pond and shows various environments that allow access to the water - a pebble beach, rocks and pebble outcrops and grass verge. The pond is small but large enough to sustain water levels and balance. We have installed a small solar powered fountain to help maintain the oxygenation of the water and planted several types of water loving plants including a large bundle of oxygenating weed that I got from my Dad's pond. The fountain is gentle but helps to add sound and movement to the area. With the addition of a small bundle of Barley straw, we have soon seen the water become crystal clear and teaming with insect life including water beetles, water boatmen and water snail. Sadly there doesn't seem to be any evidence of developing tadpoles - maybe they have been eaten by the beetles? We have however, spotted several tiny baby toads in the bog garden that now adjoins the pond. The bird life frequently use the pebble beach to bathe and drink with the Jays being the most acrobatic - holding onto the grass bank with one foot/claw whilst dipping in and quickly out of the water. The pond area now needs planting up and allowing time to establish. We sited the pond in an area that enables the bog garden to thrive and which is the natural drainage area for water that will drain from the patio and higher garden. Wentworth and Gawber have now decided to use the pond as a daily source of drinking water preferring it to the flouride rich tap water that serves the village. Throughout the build of the pond Gawber has been with us at every stage, carefully examining every new stone, sniffing every new plant and deliberating just how far he can venture into this mirrored moving mass that has swimming beetles and insects that can walk on water.

Freshly picked vegetables

I recently read a news item reporting on research that looked at whether or not there was any differences between organically and non-organically produced vegetables from a nutritional view point. That particular study showed that there are no nutritional differences, I personally question the results and would find it interesting to be able to read the research to make up my own mind regarding its validity.
Eveyone has a choice to make but for me, knowing that it has been produced organically, free from pesticides and other chemicals is reassuring, as the news item never reported on the long term effect on health of such chemicals. And as for the nutritional value, I know that our freshly produced organic fruit and vegetable always, without exception, tastes better than under-ripe and bland supermarket produce - Nutritionally different? Maybe not according to the study, but we know which type of vegetable we will always favour.
Summer continues to be busy with each morning having to pick a range of seasonal produce. At the moment we are gathering french beans, celery, carrots, salad crops, beetroot, leeks, peppers, tomatoes and raspberries.

Summertime and the living is easy...

Today I would like to tell you some of the things I have done or seen while Ian has been in the UK. Not all has been work, in fact I must confess that I have done little work as the weather has been very nice and hot. I have been swimming in the sea at Torimbia beach several times. The beach shown in the pic is Torimbia as you approach it from the east, the nicest beach in Asturias. The photo does not do justice to it. I have been cycling to get there as it is a few miles away, a nice 90 minute run with a challenging up hill stretch. I have also been walking with a neighbour around the lanes leading to the coast. On less hot days I went cycling and one day I cycled along the road that runs parallel to the river Sella, very nice and not a difficult run. I extended this ride further than first anticipated and ended doing 40 miles before lunch. It was a treat to stop for a snack outside the pre-romanesque church of Saint Peter of Villanueva at the Parador of Cangas de Onis.

In the garden I have done a bit of work before it got too hot - improving and preparing the soil behind the front wall to create a herb garden. The garden is looking very good and in the photo of the garden you can appreciate the beauty of Ian´s design.
What has been very pleasant has been to sit and relax during the midday hours away from the sun relaxing with some music and a book. Wentworth and Gawber have also avoided the midday heat and several days they "fell asleep amongst the flowers for a couple of hours on a beautiful day" as the song goes. I hope you are also enjoying the Summer.

A few surprises

I would like to tell you what has been happening while Ian is visiting friends and family.
To start, here in the north we have escaped the very hot temperatures that some other regions in the country have experienced, up to 43 C. Here the thermometers reached a much more comfortable 28 C with the occasional and cooling rainy day.
My sister Rita and Alfredo spent a few days at La Pasera taking some time out from their busy lives at work and in Barrios. They enjoyed the walk on the Toriello cliffs. The Photo shows Rita and Alfredo in the area locally known as "St Michael´s Bridge", an impressive part of our costal walk.
The vegetable plot continues to surprise us with how well everything is doing. The tomatoes start going red and the first cucumber that I picked yesterday was very juicy and tender. There is a glut of French beans and marrows at present and I think that I need to take the butter nut squash in hand as it has gone rampant, its flowers are very impressive. Some vegetables are producing a glut but it is nice to share some of the produce amongst our neighbours.
The wild life in the garden continues to increase in numbers and variety, some of the visitors are more welcomed that others. We recently had some wild boar in the bottom of the garden but one early morning this week I discovered that the boars had visited us again and although they have not entered the vegetable plot, they churned up a lot of turf in search of orchid and bluebell bulbs. Let us hope is the last we see of them.
On the warm Summers evenings, I have been watching the glow worms at the bottom of the garden, it is as if someone had dropped an LED. Unfortunatelly, they are difficult to photograph. I am pleased with their sighting as we have seen many glow worm beetles through the year.

2 Years Old - Wentworth and Gawber

Did I mention our onions?

They have done really well this year........



Who says size doesn't matter?

Drying and Preserving

Herbs drying in the store room

Lemon Verbena (Herbe Luisa)

Summer at La Pasera is a busy time. Suddenly there is a glut of everything. Mange Tout, Lettuce, Onions, Pots, herbs and so on. Daily collection of fresh produce usually means at least a few hours cooking, freezing or preserving. We have been busy collecting and air-drying various herbs ready for later in the year when fresh are not always readily available. Oregano (loads of it) is grown in abundance and we collect enough for Luis' sister to add to the chorizo she makes at the end of the year. Sage, thyme, rosemary and bay are also collected but in much smaller amounts as they survive most of the year. Lemon Verbena and mint (three types) are collected and dried to make herbal infusions to drink instead of tea. Rosemary also makes a refreshing cuppa as well as it's many uses in the kitchen. We are soon to experiment making various creams and tonics with herbs and hedgerow plants.
2 Kilos of pickled walnuts have been processed and put away to mature for a couple of months - really easy and can be done in any amounts. If you want the recipe - get in touch. Happy to share. Similarly, we have made about 2-3 kilos of Onion marmalade - perfect with goat's cheese and salad or bean burgers.
Making pickling syrup for the walnuts

The flower garden

Gardening at La Pasera continues to be rewarding and a challenge, we are still getting used to the mild climatic conditions and the generally heavy soil. To grow plants that like these conditions we have tried to create a manageable garden rather than fight nature to grow plants that would struggle and take up more resources in terms of water, time and effort.
Amongst the plants, seedlings and seeds that we collected from our garden in Greenfoot Lane, some have adapted very well to the conditions here at La Pasera like the Acers and the Canary Islands lavender. Others like Love-in-a-mist need a strong hand as they self seed very freely and can become a weed - a beautiful weed. A few others we brought with us were lost to weather conditions and slugs or the snails.
The hardy geraniums and foxgloves have given us such a spectacular show this year. We have just cut the wild flower meadows that have been stunning this year with a variety of wild flowers including orchids that have been much appreciated by a variety of wild life.

Another perfect pea

Nine peas in a pod...



Sweet and tender...will they make it to the pan?

















All gone......must pick more!

Three 'P's

Firstly there are Potatoes - Great crop this year from non-commercially sourced seed potatoes. Cropped today:



Then there are Peacocks - up to 6 at a time on a feeding frenzy:

Click > to view:

And finally......Peas, lots of them, sugar snap and pod peas:


All in a days work eh!

Summer Fruits - 'Spot the Odd One Out'

This week we have cropped our first raspberries of the season - delicious with greek yoghurt or just by themselves. It is wonder we have any to crop as Luis can often be seen 'raiding the bushes' as he finishes work on the plot. It will be a good year for fruit bushes but not so good for apples - more of that another time.

The Gooseberry bushes are also bearing good amounts of fruit as are the red currents with black currents not doing so well. We think that the black current bushes need moving to a better location with higher quality compost - a move is planned for later in the year. This year we have also planted a couple of blueberry bushes and they too are fruiting well to say they are such young bushes. As in the UK, there is a pick your own farm not too far away that has raspberries and blueberries but we were disappointed with them when we last went there so having our own supplies will be great. I doubt we will have enough gooseberries to do a great deal with this year but hopefully we can grow them on enough to make one of my favourite pickles: Gooseberry and Mustard Seed Pickle - absolutely delicious.


A quick and easy 'trifle-type' dessert we often make during summer is: layers of home-made chocolate and orange cake, with layers of raspberries, Greek Yoghurt and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds. The layers are built up in a tall sundae glass and as a special treat we sometimes soak the first layer of cake with home-made blackberry brandy. Oh...and the 'Odd One Out'? The young walnuts at the beginning of the post. Technically a nut but green, young and ready to be pickled - summer fruit. This year we are going to reduce the spices a little when making the pickling vinegar as last years were just a little over-spiced.

Artesania La Pasera - New Blog

We have started a new Blog for Luis' mosaic making and chair seating restoration. The link is displayed on the sidebar.

The Blog is written in Spanish so not many of you will be able to read it but for those of you who can.....please let your Spanish contacts know of this new venture. Maybe you know some garden designers, people who need a new name plaque for a house or someone who would like an old chair restored? For those of you who cannot read Spanish.....there are some interesting pictures for you to look at! We will let you know how we get on.

The cycle has begun- Trying new things

Toms undercover for protection:

Seedlings

Luis here:
This year´s vegetable growing season started during the Winter months with the ordering of organic seeds and the sowing of some seeds that we collected last season from a nice sweet pepper called "Isla" and a medium hit chilly pepper. We have started gathering salad leaves from the seedlings we grew. Others have been planted in pots and are awaiting to be planted in the ground over the next few days. Over all we are pleased with the results - the peppers and chillies are still a bit behind but the tomatoes that we raised from seed already show some flower buds. This year we are trying two different varieties of tomatoes one is called Alicante and the other Brandywine which is supposed to be an old variety and the tastiest of tomatoes from the 1800's. This season we are also experimenting with sowing some seeds of carrots and beetroot in PVCu pipes cut in half, once the seedlings get to a certain size, you open a shallow trench in the ground and slide down the compost containing the seedlings into position. Hopefully this will prevent decimation by a grub called a Leather Jacket. We will let you know if this technique works. We have also experimented with chitting certain seeds and this has worked well with the butternut squash, cucumber, marrow, sweet corn and french beans. We also buy seedlings from a local market: onions; leeks; cauliflower; aubergines.

Drain pipes make a handy seed drill:

Orchids

We have two orchids growing outdoors on a sheltered bedroom terrace. These were brought with us from the UK and have survived well and cuttings successfully grown on and given to neighbours in the village.


Wild orchids have become a special treat each spring as they emerge around the garden.



This time of year brings a flush of orchids amongst the meadows and grassy verges. May is the time to see Asturias come to life with large areas of unspoilt lowland and highland meadows. We are lucky to have some native orchids growing in our garden and take care each spring not to cut them. We encourage wild unkempt areas to enable a range of native species to grow and become host to insects and spiders. Later in the year the birds gather grass and wildflower seed.

Artesania La Pasera

Part of the plan when moving to Spain was to carry on the chair restoration work we had developed in the UK. We had built up a reputation for re-caning and re-rushing antique chairs at various craft and antique shows. We brought over 60 chairs and stool with us to Spain, bought in preparation at various antique fairs around the country. These were stored at Rita's (Luis' Sister), in one of the many outbuildings. We have since developed our contacts here and now enjoy a steady stream of clients including local antique dealers,furniture restorers and individuals. In addition, we demonstrate at two fairs locally - a street market in Nueva and a furniture and trade fair in Arriondas. Luis demonstrates rush seating and I demonstrate either seagrass or bergere cane work. We are allowed to take along various chairs and stools to sell, so throughout the year we gradually repair, renovate and re-seat some of the stock in readiness for the fairs.
A Thonet Two-seater for a private client


A Seagrass Stool for the Fair


A Child's Rush Chair in progress


The finished Thonet


More chairs lined up for restoration


Ready for the Fair - A Pair of Armourial Victorian Chairs

Parts of the picture...

Spring is very much here with warm sunny days, cool early morning mists and low cloud on an evening. We have been on several walks in the Picos and surrounding areas, taking full advantage of the weather. The cats are both well now with Wentworth having the few 'off' days when he has been in a fight or is in need of deworming! Gawber is very solitary but is more affectionate either in the openness of the garden or within the security of the house.

Luis is as busy as ever with his crafts and tending to the vegetable garden. We have decided to try and market his mosaics in much the same way as we did with the cane and rush seating: to specialists - in this case garden designers, gardening companies and garden centres; to individuals through various public markets and fairs. The house-name plaques and pebble mosaic paving will be the main focus to begin with. We think that there will be a few interested people out there so we will give it a go and see. He really has developed his artistic flare and understanding of the materials and had become technically competent over the last few months. We will set up another blog/site in Spanish to promote the mosaics and the chair seating. Watch this space.
The last picture is of some planters we made from left over concrete. They have just has a coating of yoghurt to encourage lichen and moss. I think they look rather good.