An Asturian Apple Harvest
Apples are to Asturias as grapes are to La Rioja. As harvest gets underway here in the ‘Comarca de la Sidra’ (the cider ‘shire’) the orchards that densely carpet vast swathes of hillside are shaded under a heavy canopy of apple-laden branches. The apples are plentiful this year (they come in two year cycles – […]
Straddling Centuries
Yesterday was a fairly typical Asturian Diary day, probably best described as a straddling of centuries (not as painful as it sounds). It started, as is newly customary, with an early morning walk to the bus stop where Jack boards his taxi to school. Eager to leech some benefit out of being out and about […]
Sky
The photo I posted on Sunday prompted a flurry of cloud-related comments. The hypothesis was proposed, seconded and swiftly carried that Spanish skies are far more interesting than their English counterparts. A quick glance out my window does nothing to dispel this notion. Right now, the sun is setting off to the west and the […]
Spanish Street Theatre: Of Culture and Community
For the last three weeks the sleepy village of Santolaya de Cabranes (pop. 174) has been home to 26 university students drawn from the four corners of Spain, participants in a summer theatre workshop camp which culminated in a hugely successful performance of ‘teatro en la calle’ on Friday night. The picturesque village served perfectly […]
Delicate
I took these photos on an early morning dog walk. It had rained the night before and the day had dawned damp and misty. The light was dull and the normally spectacular views were masked. My eye was drawn down and in to the hedgerows, which suddenly revealed themselves to be laced throughout with delicate […]
Today in the Village
Today was a day like many others, lived to the rhythm of the village. Jack and I hit the garden early – we were out with wellies on and tools in hand by 9am. A good time to be digging before the full heat of the day beats us back indoors to the cool of […]
The Sunshine After The Rain
Well, April has lived up to its local billing – ‘en abril las aguas mil’ goes the Spanish refrain – and it has rained a LOT. On reflection, not the best month to choose for my 5 Goals. I’ve only managed to get out climbing once (seeping limestone is no fun, unless you’re a caver), […]
5 Goals for April
I am always full of goals and projects to the point where sometimes instead of being uplifting they weigh me down. I am the eternal optimist (dreamer? lunatic? you decide what you want to call it – me, I’m sticking with optimist for reasons of self-preservation.) I can look at a 2,000m2 steep-sided cow field […]
