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.

Cambrils 18th August 2010

This is one that got left out; I've just found it on my Netbook, along with all the email addresses that I lost when the laptop's hard drive crashed.

We arrived on Sunday at 13.30. It was warm and quite dull. There were lots of people because it's August and because Monday was a holiday in a number of communities. Today is Wednesday and it's quietened down a bit, although there are still lots of cars and at peak time the beach gets full. And then there are the bicycles.  There's a cycle path which goes from one extreme of Cambrils to the other. It's not an unbroken path but it's quite good for Spain, and it's been full of cyclists of all shapes and forms, from little kids on tiny bikes with stabilisers to big adults in stretch shorts, helmets and fast sports bikes. I've borrowed a bike which my brother-in-law found in a rubbish skip and reclaimed; the one I abandoned in Bognor was better, but this one has taken me to the port and back twice. The brakes work and the pedals, although they are crooked, move it along at my normal, slow speed. You don't want to go much faster, what with scatty pedestrians wandering onto the cycle track, skaters and scooters, not to mention dog-leg bends so sharp that they've got convex mirrors for you to check if anyone's coming the other way-if you see someone coming it's too late. Spain is a good place for champion cyclists-there have been plenty of really good sportsmen; at times the best in the world, but there's not much idea of using a bike to get about, to do the shopping and move from place to place. They are just beginning to have cycle tracks in cities, and rental systems where you can take a bike off a rack, cycle to your destination and leave it on a rack for someone else to use.  

Tomatoes

It's that season again! 

Garden tomatoes in Jaca are the best. They don't look so great, but one bulky, split fruit is enough for a salad for three people, and they are sweet and delicious; just how a tomato should taste. At the moment there are local tomatoes, figs, muscatel grapes and claudia plums. Delicious!