Artesania La Pasera

Well here it is.......Sue's House Number Plaque that she completed whilst here before Christmas - and doesn't it look good?
Since starting Luis' blog in May last year, we have built up a terrific following. With over 1000 hits per week and 20,000 hits in total, needless to say we are really pleased with its popularity. Given that it is only available in Spanish, that is a great result. Some translation gizmos will do a poor job of converting it to English if you are really interested, otherwise you can just look at the pictures from time to time. This next week or two we are developing a link to Flickr so that more pictures can be shown. The link to Luis' Blog is: www.lapasera.wordpress.com


In addition to ongoing chair restoration Luis is busy planning a series of mosaics to incorporate into the drive - a project we hope to complete these next few months.

Fennel

The fennel has done really well this year - sweet, crisp, fresh, with a slight aniseed flavour, tender......


We discovered (can't remember how!) that if you cut the fennel at ground level, leaving the main root in the ground, you get a second crop of baby fennel later on in Spring. Now that is the sort of vegetable growing we like.

Snow on the beach - Logs on the fire

La Pasera is just half a mile from the coast, nestled between a small mountain range and the sea, we rarely experience freezing temperatures or snow. I understand from fellow villagers that is was nearly 10 years since snow settled here. This week we saw lots of snow, hail stones, rain, ice, strong winds, thunder and lightening. The weather was bizarre to say the least. The snow didn't stay for long but never-the-less came, covered and thawed within the day. In anticipation of the cold spell we took the opportunity to stock up on fuel. We mainly use wood to heat the house and workshop so a quick telephone call and friendly negotiations with the woodman, brought us a load of good quality (oak, beech, ash etc) logs that will ensure we have sufficient stock to see us through the winter. The wood we buy, together with wood we are given locally, is a great renewable energy source and very efficient at providing heat. Recent storms have provided us with a couple of trees from neighbouring plots - Chainsaw and wheelbarrow beckons when the weather improves. Meanwhile, along with Wentworth and Gawber, we'll be keeping warm and toasty until spring arrives.

Oink

We have just had our good friends Sue and Sam, Mother and Son, to stay for a few days just before Christmas. Despite the dreadful snow and ice in the UK, they managed, just, to get both out here and home again. We had a really chilled time and didn't feel the need to be dashing about. Sue and Luis decided to make a mosaic number plaque for Sue's house. For anyone who knows her, it doesn't take a genius to guess what Sue choose as an accompanying decoration....a Pig. For anyone who knows Luis, it doesn't take a genius to work out how he felt about the opportunity to talk Mosaics. Teacher and Pupil, Guru and Groupie or Mork and Mindy....take your pick. Needless to say Sam and I welcomed the break and took the occasional opportunity to irritate where possible. The goggles and hats were just for show - they both love posing.

The fruits we grow

One of our dreams at La Pasera has been to produce organically, as much fruit as we possibly can. To help us achieve this we have spent some time creating a small orchard. I was once told that to be able to say that you have an orchard you need a minimum of 6 fruit trees, we certainly have a greater number than that.

When we first moved to La Pasera, we inherited some mature fruit trees including 5 apple trees, two very old and hugh cherry trees, a walnut tree and several wild hazels. Of all the apple trees, we were lucky enough to have two varieties of nice eating apples, one of which is a russet (my favourite apple), the others are cider apples. With biodiversity in mind, we have planted two different types of pear (Conference and Manteca Hardy), a greengage and an orange tree, in addition, a selection of soft fruit bushes. The greengage and pears are still a bit young and we are hoping to start getting some fruits from them in the near future.

The orange tree was a birthday present from Ian´s parents and after blossoming last May for the first time, we now have a few oranges still hanging from the branches that hopefully will be ready for picking towards early Spring. The orange tree is an interesting tree as you get at the same time: blossom, very young fruits and fruits ready to be picked. As the weather gets colder, we are keeping an eye on when the locals start protecting their young orange trees so that we can do the same - they seem to have the experience and local knowledge to know these things! Last Winter we put a temporary frame that protected the tree during the few days we get, of light ground frost and, from hailstone. The photo shows some very healthy young oranges that we hope to taste in the future.

This time of year turns our minds to pruning, something that we are also slowly learning and putting into practice. The raspberry canes will need cutting, the apple trees further pruning and the young blueberries, gooseberries, red and blackcurrant bushes will all need tending and top dressing if they are to produce to their best this coming summer.                                              

Gawber on Patrol

Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, Feliz Navidad.....

We have had a good year here at La Pasera with bountiful harvests, welcome visits from friends and family, good health and breathtaking walks. Luis' craft blog has also exceeded expectations with over 750 visitors a week. We are constantly amazed at the number of people who look at and read our blog. From the UK, America, Malaysia, India, Romania...etc etc...30 different countries since the start of November.Why not get in touch or leave a comment, we would love to hear about your life and ideas. We wish you all a prosperous and healthy 2010. Have a great Christmas.  From all at La Pasera. x

Reduce, re-use and recycle

Our green credentials are open to question on so many fronts however, where possible we try and have as little impact on our environment as possible. We were recently given the opportunity to have a tour of the Cogersa Plant near Gijon and Aviles. This is the main processing plant for refuse in our part of the world. This came about as we are a part of a pilot scheme they have intiated on composting. After a few presentations from key people within Cogersa and from a regional government representative, we were toured around the plant and exhibition. We were impressed with their efforts - especially the sheds for composting massive amounts of green waste - equivalent to 4 or five football pitch sized buildings. Another highlight was the demonstration of Falconry by the resident Male and Female Falcons used to control the potentially huge population of seagulls. They were flown and enticed the dive to catch a lure.....very impressive birds. The refuse processing plant currently puts into landfill any waste it cannot process - this site is almost full and European Law prevents further sites being considered. The only solution being considered is an incinerator.

A rainy day at La Pasera

The rain in Spain falls mainly.... Well, let me tell you that at times it seems that it should be: "the rain in Spain falls mainly in Asturias" That came to my mind this afternoon when I decided to go for a cycle ride in the rain. It had been raining all day and I wanted a change from mosaic making and chair caning. When I first set off, it looked as if the rain would stop and I thought that if it continued it would be nice to cycle in the warm rain. At the end it rained almost all the way. Todays route took me up some villages off the beaten track and to a small mountain. I would not like to guess how high but it was a smallish mountain to get me started on my training regime before I have a go at cycling up to the lakes that you find in the heart of the Picos National Park. It appears that the cycling route up to the lakes is the toughest in the cycling tour of Spain (La Vuelta ciclista) and I have decided to do it this month after Ian returns from his latest visit to the UK. Ian will provide my with an easier alternative way of going up as he will follow me with the car. In total, the route is about 20 K climbing nearly 3000 feet with an average 6'87% inclination and the greatest incline is at the site known as "La Huesera" (place of bones), 800 m between 12 and 15% ascent. Wish me good luck. If I succeed I will let you know when I do it. Needless to say how much I enjoyed a hot shower when I got back.
In spite of the rain and dripping with rain, I could not resist stopping at Saint Antolin´s beach on the way back to admire the views on a day when the sea was very rough. The photo shows the beach I am talking about on a sunny day.

A walk to the cliffs of Hell

One of the pleasures of life at La Pasera is the beauty of the landscape that we explore on a regular basis. One of our favourite walks takes you to the Cliffs of Hell - Acantilados del Infierno and Tomason (Tomason is shown in the photograph above).

Starting from La Pasera, we walk down the lane for a few meters until we join the famous pilgrim´s route to Galicia or "Camino de Santiago" (St James´ Walk). This is the coastal route that starts at the border with France, there is also an alternative route that takes you through the heart of Spain.

To walk to the cliffs we join the Camino de Santiago and soon leave behind the apple orchards that line the first part of the route. The apples have just been harvested to make the famous Asturian cider. Within a mile or so, we join a path to the right that leads you straight to the coast. As you walk past the meadows and hedgerows, you may come across some domestic animals grazing and if you are lucky enough a variety of wild animals and birds such as song birds, pheasant, deer, insects, lizards, snakes and a variety of raptors. With regards to the flora, it is very interesting to see many wild forms of plants and flowers we had in the garden in the UK. The wild flowers you come across on this walk are a treat and there is always some to be admired regardless of the season. The best time of the year for the meadow flowers is late Spring before the farmers cut the grass when the abundance and variety of flowers and especially the orchids is very impressive.

As you get closer to the coast, you can smell the sea and hear the waves pounding against the cliffs especially if the seas are rough and the waves crash over the cliffs.

This walk is very beautiful on a nice sunny day when we enjoy the tranquillity and beauty of the sea views. If you turn your back to the sea, you can admire the mountains. At times we just let time pass by while we observe the fishing boats and distant mountains. During a storm when the sea is rough, this walk offers a completely different experience with the drama of the sound and views of the rough sea as the next photos and video show. The coastline is littered with Bufones (blow holes) where sea water is forced through holes in the limestone - some of them are extremely dangerous and people have died in the past being blown of their feet - thrown up in the air and land on sharp jagged rocks.

Ladybirds in the garden

There is no doubt that since we started gardening at La Pasera we have altered the nature of the original meadow where our home has been built. This change has been inevitable and to compensate for it, we try to garden in an environmentaly friendly manner incorporating practices that encourage biodiversity in the garden. To achieve this, we have created different environments or areas of interest to different sets of animals, insects and plants. A sign of encouragement is an increase in the number of ladybird sightings that we are experiencing. Let us hope that such an invaluable gardener´s ally continues to thrive in the garden.

The Chestnut Fair

Each year in Arriondas there is a large fiesta and fair to celebrate the chestnut harvest, vegetable produce and crafts. Running along side the chestnut fair is a two-day furniture and wood exhibition where local craftsmen and women exhibit their crafts and demonstrate their skills. We had a stall for chair seating restoration where I demonstrated Bergére cane work (under the watchful eye of Luis of course!) and Luis demonstrated rush work. We also took along various antique chairs that we had previously restored to sell. The weather this year was appalling with torrential rain and storm like winds, this resulted in fewer people coming along than previous years but never-the-less, many people did brave the storms and came along to see what was happening. We had a really productive fair making many contacts for future restoration work and we managed to sell a few chairs as well despite the downturn in the economy. The chair seating demonstration always attracts a crowd as it is a craft that has been lost over the past 3 or 4 generations. Many older visitors are thrilled to see us at work as they remember their fathers and grandfathers doing similar work. My dread is always being asked a load of questions that I am unable to either understand or reply to. Luckily I have a few stock phrases I can resort to otherwise it is over to Luis to answer the more detailed questions. The other artisans at the fair included wood carvers (a big tradition of woodcarving here in Asturias), furniture restorers, model makers and furniture makers. This year we took along a collection box for the Donkey Sanctuary we are involved with and made a point of asking for a donation if the visitors wanted to take a picture of us at work. Other aspects of the chestnut fair included exhibition of chestnuts and garden produce (I never realised there were so many different varieties of chestnuts), general crafts, cheeses, traditional Asturian games and dancing, music and drinking. All in all, despite the weather everyone had a great time. Nigel from the Hotel Posada del Valle has written a great overview of the fair on his blog which is worth reading. We are already booked for next years fair.

Mushroom Hunt

The autumn weather is perfect for mushrooms and fungi. Each year we endeavour to seek out and find edible mushrooms that we are 100% sure of. Basically, there are only 3-4 varieties that we would be confident in collecting and eating and only then with set criteria that is verified by our guidebook. The cliffs near La Pasera are great hunting ground and with a short burst of autumnal rain followed by warm humid sunshine the timing was perfect for the hunt. Setting off early in the morning with knife, binoculars, basket and guidebook, we took the Camino de Santiago (just down the lane from La Pasera) and made our way across the fields and meadows. It wasn't long before we spotted in a corner of a distant field something that we recognised as Macro Lepiota Procera - the parasol mushroom (this is where the binoculars come in very useful). We didn't find much else that day but were pleased with the harvest - cleaned, sliced and sautéed, sprinkled with a touch of sea salt - perfect. Unless you are 100% sure about picking wild mushrooms, then stick with the greengrocers - many people die or become seriously ill each year through over confidence or ignorance.

El Paraiso del Burro

We recently met lovely a Dutch lady called Marleen who has relocated to Spain after retirement as a teacher in Holland. She bought a large area of land here in Asturias and opened up a sanctuary for old and retired Donkeys. We have decided to try and help out a bit by promoting the sanctuary and helping her and the volunteers to raise funds and attract other volunteers. Marleen works extremely hard and not only looks after 17 Donkeys, 3 horses, 4 dogs and two cats, but also cooks for and looks out for the volunteers she has visiting and helping out. There is always a lot of land management work to be carried out such as repairing fences, collecting apples, clearing brambles, tending trees and excavating dumped rubbish. The Donkeys also require daily care: grooming, feeding and watering, stables need to be cleaned and healthcare needs are monitored. The Paradise for Donkeys (El Paradiso del Burro), is situated in a lush green valley covering 8 hectares and has extensive meadows, large apple orchards and several wooded copse. We are currently working on developing the website and preparing a bi-lingual blog so have a look at the link and bookmark it for future use.

One of our coastal walks

We are lucky that our house is very near the Oriental Coast of Asturias, a well known stretch of the asturian coast that is famous both for its numerous sandy beaches and its dramatic limestone cliffs, over 50km of coast stretching from the boundary between Asturias with Cantabria in the east to Ribadesella further west, Ribadesella is the municipal district where we live. If you continue along the coast from Ribadesella, further west, you will enjoy many long sandy beaches but the cliffs are not as impressive.
We have always enjoyed walking and from La Pasera there are several walks that we can choose from that will take us along the coast.
One of our favourite walks takes us to a bay where the Guadamia river meets the sea, where there is a nice picnic area, a lovely sandy (but tidal) beach, excellent views of the mountains, the cliffs and the coast. Sometimes we walk there following the quiet country lanes whilst other times we walk through our village and pass the little chapel to a path that will lead us to the spectacular cliffs and eventually to the picnic area were we can sit and enjoy the views. It is always a pleasant and enjoyable experience to walk to Guadamia whether you do so along the cliffs or the lanes. Sometimes when we conicide with low tides we walk along the beach and river banks where we occasionally see a kingfisher, quite often you just notice its bright blue plumage as it flies along the river. In Summer we sometimes take a towel and go for a swim in the sea before we return home.
The views of the sea, the cliffs and the mountains are always impressive. Today we are having rough seas and we decided to walk up to the coast and enjoyed watching the strong sea crashing againts the cliffs with the waves coming over the cliffs. Today we also had spectacular Bufones, these are plumes or blow holes of sea water vapour coming up the ground, through fissures in the limestone - mostly when the rough seas coincide with the autumn and Spring high incoming tides. You can also hear the noise that the water and wind make as it rushes through the numerous bufones near Guadamia. We can hear them at night breathing like a distant dragon. In a different blog entry I will tell you of another of our local walks further west towards Ribadesella that takes us to The Cliffs of Hell.

Autumn Harvest

The winds have arrived together with brilliant sunshine and spectacular clouds. There is an early morning and late evening chill in the air and the leaves are losing their shades of green. We have collected many walnuts and hazelnuts from around the caminos and picked figs for jam from trees around the village. No-one locally uses very much fruit apart from apples for cider and a few for eating, therefore lots to be had for free. We have undertaken several walks in the Redes National Park, the coast and the woodland of Peloño in Ponga. We were hoping to see the autumnal colours in the beech forests but we were probably a couple of weeks too early. We did however see some beautiful semi-wild horses and some fantastic landscapes.

Autumn

The light has changed recently and now has an Autumnal glow that has altered the colours of nature. Here are few pictures taken on local walks. Click on each picture to get a bigger view.

Dragonfly

Now the pond is becoming established: pond weeds, fish, water-skaters, water beetles, larvae....etc, we have noticed a growing number of dragonflies checking out the pond and the most appropriate places for it to lay its eggs. There are several varieties visiting regularly however, the most spectacular at anything up to 8cms long is this little beauty. A daily visitor and egg layer at the moment. This lady and others, face and have faced arial cat fights with Gawber - sometime the cat wins, sometimes the dragonfly. Beautiful creatures.

Food

September is a busy time of year with food processing taking up many hours in the kitchen. There's tomatoes to skin, de-seed and pulp ready for Passata (concentrate of tomato with onion, oregano and garlic) Beetroot to boil and bottle, Soups aplenty to concoct and freeze, aubergines to stuff, slice for Moussaka and dice to make pâté from. Herbs to harvest and dry, along with Beans ready for stripping later in the month. Bread is a reoccurring event with 5 large loaves made at a time using a mix of white and wholemeal flour, seed mix and occaisionally added herbs. Sloes to be collected for Sloe Gin and blackberries for jams and blackberry brandy. Jam season continues as various fruits ripen: damsons, greengage, figs, apples and green tomato for jam. Pickles are high on the food agenda as well with a large batch of Piccalilli, Indian Spiced fruit chutney and pickled chilli peppers. We have also started to make our own stock cubes comprising of parsley, red and green pepper, onion and garlic, blitzed in a processor and then frozen as quenelles to add to sauces, soups and casseroles as required. With salt, pepper, herbs and spices to taste they are a convenient and healthier option to the bought cubes.


Qué aproveche!