June 7 – 13 Deluge!

This week's theme!  Do listen!

Clouds brewing up!

No daily diary this week, but you can be sure that there was a routine mainly getting up around 5:30 to talk to Nick via Skype (10:30 pm Peru – 7 hours behind) then every other day a jog for 3 to 4 kms, shower, breakfast, a visit to Mercadona: 3 kms round trip. Preparing  lunch, siesta, reading/studying, 4:30 afternoon tea (Earl Grey) more reading study, aperitif, supper, concert on radio at 8pm, reading, bed around 10pm.

However, this week saw a spectacular cloudburst on Thursday around 6pm, which is the usual time for a short thunderstorm, but Thursday was an absolute deluge. One minute the pathway outside the house was dry the next it was a torrential river!  I was amazed to watch a literal wave of water come hurtling down the road. The house is two-thirds up the “Hill of the Blacksmiths”  I just couldn’t imagine how it was at the bottom, especially after many other pathways would have joined it. It was just too heavy for me to satisfy my curiosity by actually going and looking – next time maybe.

I have been pondering the whole idea of this “Sabbatical Year” as, because my estate agent is on honeymoon (“luna de miel”, I actually have nothing to actually do.  Except to simply “be” … it is strange. I have enjoyed getting back to reading this week I have read:

Ken Follet:  World Without End – 14^th century saga surrounding a Priory and life of several families. 1237 pages.

Patricias Cornwell:  Cruel and Unusual – Scarpetta mystery. 437 pages.

Christoher Tansom: the Birthing House – Ghost story. 407 pages.

Thomas Harris :  Hannibal  -  Dr Lecter sequel to Silence of the lambs. 562 pages.

So 2643 pages WOW!     And so enjoyable and a real return of my reading habit.  

And currently I am reading  C.J.Sansom - Revelation - 16th century murder mystery.

Not necessarily what I would immediately choose, but I am limited to what is available in the "book exchange" says lots about my fellow Brits reading habits!   (if I was into "chick-lit"  I would have a ball!) Sadly the section of past Booker prize winners is non-existant.  Now there's a surprize!

Also this week I am enjoying having the time to cook.

Fun with Flags - The flag of Murcia one for Big Bang Theory!

Tuesday turned out to be “Murcia Day” and a local holiday, I only realised when on my walk to Mercadona at 10:00am the streets were empty and the shops were shut, but I walked there anyway wondering what I had missed (only found out by internet search) so extended the walk to the supermarket and took in another part of new Cehegin and made it a 6km  walk.  But as it was a weekday the place was empty as the old town only fills up at weekends. 

My problem was that I needed to shop as the fridge was looking a little empty, so returning empty handed I had available potatoes, a red pepper, onions, eggs ….. all a bit like Ready, Steady, Cook and I had salad ingredients …….. so I improvised a Frittata!!! A jolly tasty it was too!

Wednesday was market day so more flat peaches and pears, and ingredients for Chicken and Rice, a kind of Paella without the fish, but put off making this until Thursday as there was a lot of frittata left!   

So The Chicken was Thursday.   

All set for a lovely FISH FRIDAY lunch!

Spoke to Martin who then emailed me to say I had inspired him to make a real Paella which in turn inspired me to do the same on Friday.  Here you can buy a kind of “Paella fish kit”  consisting of squid rings, uncooked large prawns, clams and mussels, I had some Chicken left so made the Paella – lovely as you can see! Washed down with a glass of Fino Sherry.

Remains of the day!

I made another purchase from Amazon this week  “The Spanish Bible”  a DK Cookbook 120 recipes “fresh and bold” of Classic Spanish Cuisine, it was on Amazon.es  for €7.32 (£5.25). My €20 prime membership gave me free shipping and the book was due to arrive on Thursday. I was sent tracking information from both Amazon and from the Courier service down to a last email telling me that the book would be delivered between 2:30 and 3:30  - it arrived at 3:05.  But it had come from Inverness – Glasgow – Madrid – Murcia – Cehegín.  The guy delivering it looked relieved, it was his first delivery to Cehegín and had had to abandon his van a long was away and find his way through the maze of passageways to my road. I think it was a smile when I said well you will know the way for next time!

From both my books I have been reading about important ingredients and have rediscovered Pedro Ximénez sherry. Cloyingly sweet, like drinking raisins, but lovely with ice! (try it) – it is not a bit like British Cream Sherry by the way -  deep flavours, that explode on the tongue and with a richness that reminds you of Christmas pudding.  But it is a classic ingredient in many sauces here and I am probably going to have Roast Pork Loin (Lomo de Cerdo), with Serrano Ham, Rosemary and Pedro Ximénez sauce for Sunday lunch along with papas doradas (roasties) and courgettes.  Alongside a bottle of Sabatacha – Jumilla Reserva 2007.

(And all this is before I get my new “dream” kitchen!!!!!)

Nick is in charge of sales for tinned (bottled) products at DanPer (amongst other products) and I am amazed at the variety of bottled vegetables on sale here, especially when there is an absolute abundance of fresh available. But I was happy to spot some Pimientos product of Peru on the shelves and now in my store cupboard.

On Friday I spent my siesta awake but listening to Handel Messiah and realised that I know every bar of this work, and fondly remembered back to a complete performance I gave with friends way back in my college days in St. Anselm’s Church Hayes. Amazing how I can remember absolutely every bar and all the entries of both instruments and voices.#

 After this I came across a most enchanting work, thanks to it being listed next in my i-tunes library of 8300 plus works …… Howard Hanson’s Concerto for Organ, Harp and String Orchestra; delightful and so interesting to balance the grandeur of the organ with the delicacy of the harp. 

You can have a listen here:

This was followed by another work by a famous American;  The Third Symphony of Roy Harris (1939) in one movement and probably one of the 10 most significant symphonies of the 20^th century.

The joy of having the time to listen, intently and peacefully. (And when I dump this heap of rubbish Acer notebook and get a laptop, I can follow the scores of which I have over 500 downloaded.)

Haven't quite got this "selfie" thing sorted yet!

Hoping that the estate agent will be back so we can complete the purchase agreement and I can get on.   I found out this week that the necessary permission I will eventually need to work on the house is no great problem– all work on any house in Spain must be certified by the municipality – even down to DIY jobs. I will have to list what I want to do and pay €25 and I get a certificate valid for 6 months, renewable for another €25.  Basically it gives the council the right to inspect work and to ensure that the integrity of the old-town (especially) is not compromised.  Actually looking around it is pretty compromised in places.  But as all my intended work is internal it will be a formality.

My plan for Sunday lunch, pork loin, Sherry sauce and roasted pears.

In this already quiet place, things are beginning to wind down for the summer, from July many shops will not open after lunch and the siesta in July and August stretches from 2pm to 8pm as it is simply too hot to do anything outside in the afternoon.   Now I understand why the old houses have small windows and rooms at the back with no windows, it was the simplest way to stay cool.

Quality of life ......

So I have been wrestling with thoughts about this new slower life and of course the following was my guiding precept, after it intruded into my thoughts one day ……… (see video at top of this posting)

Ouch!   On my run this morning (Saturday) as I was running down a slope and gaining way too much momentum I slammed my foot down to break my speed and managed to pull a tendon in the back of my lower leg between my heal and my calf.  I had to limp home, decided that I could walk on it so went shopping as there are no shops open on Saturday afternoon or Sunday and am now resting it. Hope to be running/jogging again by Tuesday.

More soon.   Do write.