El Salto de Roldán

Yesterday we drove to Huesca, to visit some friends. It was a beautiful sunny morning; until we approached Huesca, where it was like driving into a grey blanket. Nasty thick, wet fog. Typical of Huesca and Zaragoza. People often say to me: "Like in London, isn't it?" and I have to reply that I've never seen fog in England like we get here, London fog being a thing of the past.

Anyway, it cleared up during the day. In the afternoon we went with our friends to the "Salto de Roldán", a rock formation a short drive from the city. (short but very winding and narrow).I's the Sierra de Guara in the pre-Pyrenees, vertical columns of red-gold rock towering above the planes of the Hoya de Huesca. As in Cataluña a few weeks back, we could look out over the fog in the valley. On some distant ridges you could see windmills standing just clear of the fog. Geat crowds of raucus black birds which I think were jackdaws on the cliffs above us.
Spectacular.

No smoking!

As of 2nd January, smoking has been banned in Spain in all public places....bars, restaurants, hospital doorways, children's playgrounds etc. Poor smokers! Poor bar owners! Good for non-smokers, at last!
It's lovely going into bars and nobody's smoking; being able to eat a meal in a restaurant without smoke drifting over from another table.

No snow!

We went cross-country skiing yesterday in Somport just over the border in France. You can see how little snow there is in the top photo. There were places where rocks and grass were exposed on the tracks, and others which were solid ice, but we managed to ski round the circuit.

Just as we were leaving, the sun came out. We really need it to snow in the mountains.

Red October

Here´s another photo from the outing last month to the Tena Valley, the brightest autumn colours on a wall!

Autumn colours

The trees are just beginning to look pretty in their autumn colours. This was from the village of Hoz de Jaca in the Tena valley, where we went last week.

Yesterday we went to the Aragón valley, where the changes weren´t so advanced. Until we entered the Rioseta footpath there was a high wind blowing, but where we walked was protected from the bitter weather; we could see the clouds being dragged over the mountaintops. In our secluded walk we saw many bright red rose hips, some bright red mushrooms, but no bright red leaves. Those will come soon.

Toad in the hole

Whenever I talk about English meals with students it´s fun to say that one typical dish is toad in the hole.....it sounds shocking when you translate the words, but it´s neither toad nor hole, but really sausages in batter. And  it´s quite easy!
Beat 125g flour, an egg and 120ml milk together into a smooth batter.

Put sausages in a dish in the oven and cook them at a high temperature.

When they are cooked, add the batter and cook until it´s risen and brown.
Serve with roast potatoes, gravy, etc.
Enjoy it!

Autumn

They call it St Michael's little summer; at least earlier this week when it was the feast of St Michael. There have already been a few very mild frosts up here where we live- it´s about 900m above sea level, but now it´s mild and almost warm. The clouds have gone and the sun´s out. It´s very dry. Last Saturday we spent a few hours in Olorón Sainte Marie, a couple of hours´drive away in France. It rained on the way, and the river which runs through the city was very full indeed. There's a great difference in climate between the two places.