January 18, 2016 Back in Trujillo.

What?????  There is another 45 minutes ..............??????    

(all will be revealed later)

Back in Peru. On reflection, the last two months have whizzed by. After leaving Peru, due to my visa expiring and returning to the little rental house in Cehegin, Murcia, Spain. My sabbatical was restarted, but the return was somewhat different, part of me didn't want to be there and I was still sore with the interview process for the conducting position in Trujillo.

Anyways, I quickly decided two things: 1. I would make a trip to the UK and 2. I would plan a spectacular time for Nick and I over Christmas.

Since leaving a very hot Cehegin in October, the temperature had dropped and I needed to buy half a tonne (500kg) of logs and if I was to be warm the wood burning stove was a necessity. 500Kg of logs seems like a lot, but as it turns out was just sufficient to last until I left on January 7th. The also seemed a lot as they had to be transferred from the path outside the house, through the house and upstairs and stored on the terrace. About 50 return journeys! I had to buy a hefty axe and a saw as the logs were in the main way to large for the small door of the stove.

I was also grateful for the fact I had bought a 13.5 tog duvet, thanks to Amazon.

I left for the UK on November 27th, flying BA from Alicante to Gatwick and headed down to Hove to spend a few days with Andy, before heading to Birmingham, via London (friends and gin tasting) to stay with Martin and Jean. As always I was unable to see everybody and time was never long enough, but it was good to catch up with Barrie and also David and Heidi and all their mini-coopers.

Andy and I went to London on the 29^th in order to take a walk on Hampstead Heath and go to the Advent Carol Service at Saint Paul's Cathedral. I was a typical November day but great fun and the music at the service was excellent.

Another highlight was the spectacular lunch laid on by Rebecca and Shaun, amazing food including a huge Swedish Christmas Desert and some truly mind numbing cocktails. With the added attraction of seeing their many cats including my old two, Mr. Moggs and Dame Kitty.

I returned to Hove for a few more days, just to relax, managed to get to see “The Lady in the Van” vintage Alan Bennett, I remember reading the story years ago and maybe reading the script from the stage play. The film was first rate and it was interesting to see some of the minor characters, for instance Ursula Vaughan Williams (the very much young wife of the late Ralph Vaughan Williams the composer) and also interesting to recall the the Lady in the Van had started life as a concert pianist before her tragic decline.

I returned to Cehegin with just under a week to prepare for Nick's arrival on December 20^th. Actually preparations consisted of buying some Christmas lights, collecting some fur cones – (a vital Christmas decoration ingredient, when available) and getting most of the booze and tinned and packet goods. It was also a week of drawing-up and testing recipes.

Soon I was on the bus to Murcia, then another to Alicante airport, then a taxi to El Altet where I was to stay the night as Nicks flight arrived at 08:20 in the morning. He arrived, tired and weary, having flown from Trujillo to Lima, been holed up in Lima for 12 hours and then, Lima to Madrid (12 hour flight) and then Madrid to Alicante.

We duly transferred ourselves to the 4* Spa Hotel in Alicante on the Marina where we were to relax for 2 days. Suffice it to say were had a marvellous time in Alicante, walking, ice-skating, talking, eating and drinking. We had excellent food and found an amazing Tapas bar, as well as a very authentic Italian restaurant!

Alicante boasts an excellent Contemporary Art Gallery and also some beautiful buildings and a two huge “El Corte Ingles” departmental stores.

After a good meal on Monday night Nick and I went to the casino opposite the hotel, where I demonstrated my boring but safe technique for playing French Roulette. We had a good hours fun and left with exactly the same amount of money as we had arrived with! So that was a win in my eyes!

Tuesday we took the buses back to Cehegin and immediately downed tools to go food shopping. Wednesday was taken up with local sight seeing and a visit to the fruit and vegetable market.

Thursday was Christmas eve and it dawned a sunny day, so we decided to walk to Caravaca del la Cruz, and have a lazy day returning in order to make the NocheBuena meal. I had decided on Pork cooked in Pedro Ximenez sherry with cranberries, followed by Crema de Catalana (crème brulee). Having finished our meal around 11:45 we decided to go out for a walk and welcome in Christmas Day.

For some reason we both thought that we would meet others doing the same, but no. The streets were deserted but all the Christmas lights were on. It was a bit chilly but we took with us thermos mugs of camomille tea!

Christmas Day and a lazy morning then British Christmas Dinner except chicken not Turkey but including spouts and a flaming Christmas Pudding!

We also had Mince pies and Christmas cake all of which met with 100% approval from Nick. We could hardly move from all the food.

Monday 28^th up bright, and early and down to Murcia to catch the bus to Madrid – I had booked the seats early and the ALSA bus company is owned by National Express so early bird fares were available. Our tickets to Madrid cost us €8 each which is under £6 for a 5.5 hour trip.

Our hotel in Madrid was a pensione on the 6^th floor of a grand building lining the Gran Via, clean, quiet and so central. We easily negotiated the very excellent and  cheap Metro system, so after a quick change of clothes we were off out to explore.

I have never experienced pavements and streets so full of people! It was like the whole of Madrid was out walking, shopping and enjoying themselves. We got into the spirit of things and found a very authentic restaurant and Nick decided it was time to try Paella. Duly ordered and enjoyed!

On Tuesday we went clothes shopping: Primark Madrid is their biggest store in Europe, 4 floors each 14000 square metres 

and then out to visit Marco and his family on the outskirts of the city. Marco's mum, dad and sister were over from Mexico and his mum Pilar cooked us a splendid Mexican lunch. It was great to see them all again. We returned to town and after a rest went out to explore some of the less busy streets and find a nice bar for a few drinks, we went to a hotel bar where the hotel advert above was “Do you want to wake up with me” or words to that effect……… 

 

Wednesday dawned very cold, but Nick had his new duffle-coat from Santa and we headed off to El Prado. The queue was very slow moving but we managed to get in after about 45 minutes and headed for the El Greco's et al and then took in many of the other rooms. It is an amazing gallery, but so crowded, especially with guided tour parties.

By this time excitement was mounting and we needed to get lunch then head off to what some would say was the main event, so by 2.30 we were waiting for Gate 53 of the Bernabeu stadium to open. Yes, we were going to see Real Madrid play.  Apparently it is a bit like visiting the Gods!

Now, whilst football is not my thing, the match was enjoyable, the seats although up high (second cheapest at €65 each!) the view was perfect and the heating system meant that people were actually taking off their coats. The crowd was well behaved and thankfully Real Madrid won.

After the match 60,000 people seemed to be heading for the Metro station so we decided to walk back into the city centre, a long walk, but enjoyable especially as in so doing we saw and entered the Bristol Bar (a British Gin Bar)

and enjoyed some fine G and T's.

Next day back to Cehegin and luckily we made a teh local bus connection so that we were back in the house by 5pm and immediately went out to buy yet more food, as it was New Years Eve and the next day was a public holiday. WE decided on pasta for supper and also that I would make a Paella “par excellence” for New Years day.

After a lovely walk in the morning and with fine weather we had the Paella on the terrace and then spent the rest of the day playing cards and just chilling.

Saturday, 2^nd of January and Nick was departing back to Peru, so I put him on the bus to the airport at 5pm, I didn't go to Alicante with him as I couldn't get back. Poor guy had a terrible time going back as his Lima flight was delayed almost 4 hours.

So I had until Thursday by myself and it was all a bit cold and miserable and I was just waiting to get my own flight on Jan 7 to arrive in Peru on Jan 8.

Hasta luego Cehegin!

It is amazing that Air Europa in 2016 on 12 hour flights does not have in seat entertainment systems. I was unable to sleep as I had pulled a muscle in my back as I sat down in my “lumpy” seat and had to keep changing position every 2 minutes to relieve the pain. Not a happy bunny!

On arrival in Lima I had 15 hour wait for my flight to Trujillo, but went into the city and stayed at a hotel in posh part of town where you could book a room for 12 hours only (you can work out what type of hotel it was for yourself) – it was clean and cheap and on the back of the door was a notice that I thought said in Spanish “Do not paint the walls, furniture and sheets – Fine S.200” - I checked with Nick and my translation was correct!

Anyways, I went walking to see the cats in Kennedy park, got sun burned but eventually arrived in Trujillo, to be met by Nick, at 10:30pm.

I am now back in Trujillo, in my rooming house, in the same room I have occupied twice before and also back into the routine of teaching afternoons and seeing Nick in the evenings. Except that last Thursday Nick left for San Francisco on business, he is back on Friday. 

Oh yes..... got weighed and need to loose around 12 kg!!! Another weighty project!

I am a bit anxious as I am hoping that tomorrow will be published the requirements for the Third Set of Interviews for the position of Artistic Director of the Symphony orchestra and I shall apply again, hopefully this time no falling foul of some stupid administrative procedure…….. wish me luck.

(Loads more pictures on my Facebook Page) 

Nov 23. Back in Cehegin for 2 months.

I arrived in Cehegin as planned at 10.30pm and was met by the house owner Patricia, who had kindly offered me a lift to the house and in any case had the keys and a litre of milk. “The place is exactly as you left it except that the bed is made for you."

In the few weeks since I left, thinking I wouldn't return, I was glad at how I had left the house. There was tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits and a pretty well stocked provisions cupboard. Having paid the rent plus €10 for some logs, Patricia left and I was back “in situ” - I wanted nothing but a cup of hot chocolate, a biscuit or six and then bed.

The journey from Trujillo had been uneventful, 29 hours door-to-door, lengthened by the 8 hour wait at Lima. Flight from Lima to Madrid had plenty of empty seats so I slept.

Back in Cehegin, on waking the first thing I noticed was that it was dark, and 7:30 and chilly. Patricia had mentioned that the middle of the day was around 22ºC but that mornings and evening where decidedly chilly and I would be thankful of having the wood burning stove.

By 9am. I had showered dressed and was on my way to Mercadona for provisions sufficient for the weekend – remembering that except for Mercadona everywhere shut by 2pm Saturday not opening again until Monday. Sunday trading – gotta be joking!

I was a choir-boy and never a boy scout, but I knew that lighting a fire had a technique, just as singing “Brewer in D” had a technique.. However I also knew that “firelighters” were a good short cut. Whilst I had logs what I didn't have was “kindling” so after buy a small hand axe (a hatchet ?) I decided that a walk was called for and I would assert the ancient right of collecting kindling wood so went for a forage down by the river. An house later and I had a bag full of twigs, and was ready to start “pyromania 101” my first effort lasted maybe 40 minutes probably less, but did include filling the house with smoke. Suffice to say that it was only by attempt number 4 that I managed to get the stove up to heat and it was gobbling logs at an alarming rate – but I was as warm as toast.

I had received a lovely welcome back from Andrea the Welsh owner of “Cosa-y-cosas”, the second hand furniture, book swap and British mini-market. She is the repository of all knowledge, Cehegin's Delphic Oracle, she waxed lyrical about the right way to light a stove and keep it burning 24/7 – however I had already “you-tubed” the problem and was pretty clued up, but it was nice to have the reinforcement. By Tuesday I realised that four bags of logs was going to go nowhere, and my local garage wanted €5 per 10kg bag of logs. Andrea, of course, pointed me in the direction of local farmer Gines who sold me 500kg of logs for €50 and delivered them the same day.

500kg of logs is a lot, especially when they have to be carried from outside the house, through the house, up the stairs and stacked on the terrace. Also they were pretty hefty chunks of Apricot wood and way beyond the capabilities of a hatchet! An axe was required! Having searched every “ferreteria” (ironmonger) in town Amazon came to rescue – I am a “prime” member here in Spain – and I ordered my 2.7kg log splitting axe with rubberised handle at 17:00 and it was with me by 15:00 the next day and only €17.

It looks so easy. Let em say here and now, log splitting is not easy! After nearly smashing up the tiled floor of the terrace I have realised that I need to have a dedicated area for this “art” anyways, without pulling too many muscles I managed to split enough logs for maybe 3 days and immediately got to making a real fire.

In July it was on average 14ºC hotter and this week it is on average 14ºC lower. Today for instance it is maximum 7ºC for the day and a possible – 4ºC during the night. Just chilly! Clear, clear skys, weak sun and dry. But, I can wander round my house in just a tee-shirt (well not JUST a tee-shirt) but no need for jumpers. However, that 500kg of logs may not last me until Jan 7. So two things; 1. I am not attempting to keep the stove burning 24/7 and 2. I plan not avoid lighting it until after lunch, as morning as usually taken up with chores: shopping, washing, cleaning so I am saving the stove until I am ready to settle down to some reading. On that score I am having a bit of a “Patricia Cornwell-fest” this week.

Of course being back also means nice walks when the sun us shining and I am suitably wrapped up and cooking!

Do not be put off by the garlic quantity.

Yesterday I cooked a whole chicken over a bed of 40 cloves of garlic with an orange, garlic and parsley stuffing, all basted with orange juice and cooked covered by a tent of foil. The orange steam generated make the chicken so, so tender and infused with the garlic and orange. After cooking the garlic cloves a squeezed and the super-sweet puree and orange juice make a wonderful sauce. I had this with vegetables in cheese sauce and a jacket potato.

I have enough food left to see me almost to Thursday. Friday I depart at 06:00 for Murcia and Alicante airport en-route to the UK and a few days with Andy followed by time with Martin and Jean taking in other friends on the way.

Also planned is the AGM of FOMCAS (Friends of Michael Cat Appreciation Society) which will be held at dear friends Rebecca and Shauns house, with their 6 cats and the gourmet food provided by ace-chef Rebecca. I get to catch up with my two lovely moggies: Mr Moggs and Dame Kiri who were re rescued by the said Shauna and Rebecca and now live a wonderful life along with 4 other cats including a new addition I am looking forwards to meeting “Mr. Van Diesel” - a monster cat or small tiger apparently.

Plan to buy some Christmas goodies, to take back for my special Christmas with Nick.  Christmas Cake, Christmas Pudding, Mince Pies ....etc.     All very traditional.

"Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat!"   (except these days it's a Turkey!)

A guide.