Category Archives: holiday

Conejo en Salsa de Almendras

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Orion

Orion

Tuesday was a damp and cold day, drizzled most of the day, clearing up a little in the evening. Rosemary and Carol visited the market in Jalon, finding it rather wet and cold. John and Steve went to Benissa for the evening provisions, meeting up with Rosemary and Carol in the Hallelujah Bar for beers and coffee.  No pictures from today, so have inserted one from previous day to colour up the blog.

Chef was on form today with and excellent rabbit stew in an almond sauce (Conejo en Salsa de Almendras).  Nothing was left over for the dogs or cats.

Riverside walk

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Orange Grove

Orange Grove

Very cold today, thermometer was at two degrees this morning.  When we got back at mid morning, it still had not risen above 10.  The day was mainly sunny, though there appeared to be some threatening clouds in the distance.

Hoopoe

Hoopoe

Today we walked along the river from Jalon, hoping to cross over the river to Alicalali for a drink in a bar.  We eventually found the crossing over the river, only to give up because the water was a little too deep and would have come over the tops of our boots.

Egret

Egret

The walk took us through lots of vines, olive groves, orange groves and almond groves.  There were some other trees, such as carob, but others were unrecognisable.  Place was teaming with birds, including a hoopoe, an egret, chiffchaffs and Crag Martins.  Some intriguing climbers were on some of the oranges.  They had very large seedpods one of which had sprung open to reveal a multitude of tiny seeds each with a parachute attached.  Parasites?  Who knows.

Not a Santa

Not a Santa

We retraced our steps back via the Hallelujah Bar to the supermarket and stocked up on more essentials such as gin & mananzilla sherry.

Tonight the meal is some excellent pork meat balls cooked by the Chef.  At least I hope so, as I have blogged before eating!!!

Nearer to Benidorm

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Benidorm from Altea

Benidorm from Altea

Up again for breakfast by 9.00.  Quick drive into town to buy some black pudding and eggs, but were

An alleyway in Altea

An alleyway in Altea

defeated; nothing was open at all.  So home again for a store cupboard raid, ending up eating the intriguing mushrooms from the market on toast, thin slices of fried black pudding, fried tomatoes and potatoes and Heinz baked beans, oh and of course some Cava to celebrate Sunday.

Church bell

Church bell

Into the charabanc and a drive to the seaside resort of Altea.  Altea is just North of Benidorm.

The Villa after dark

The Villa after dark

Saw the large boats in the harbour, a fish farm out to sea and the tall skyscrapers of Benidorm in the distance.  We walked up the hill to the church, through lots of nice, narrow, winding paths, streets and alleyways.  Arriving at the top with a rather disappointing view of the closed church.  This area was filled with rather posh shops, and lots of restaurants, and we were enticed into one such place for a glass of beer each.

On the way back, we stopped off at Calpe in the hope of viewing the flamingos from a nearer spot.  Rather difficult to get near the water’s edge from that side.  Ended up Steve walking

Halon centre

Halon centre

down to the rushes on the edge, not seeing the flamingos.  Drove around to the other side and found the little pink beggars had already flown off.

Housing estate

Housing estate

Home and back to the warm fire, with a Sunday evening roast of chicken, potatoes and flat and the red mottled beans form the market (which had lost their stripes in the cooking).  Early to bed, but Steve undertook a little bit of nighttime photography first – but of views, nothing else!

Razor shells

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Bernissa fountain

Benissa fountain

Saturday, another dry and sunny day.  Not quite what the weather forecast predicted.  It did though start to rain in the evening.

Market in Benissa

Market in Benissa

Today we went to Benissa and the local market there.  Here knitting needles (I am reliably informed they were a set of rare five double-ended 2.5 variants) were triumphantly purchased, along with the vegetables for the evening meal.  Popped into the local church where there was an excellent Nativity display.  Carol bought two poinsettias, but what to put them on?

Nativity scene

Nativity scene

Lunch back at the house, but it was beginning to cloud over and was getting a little cool, so an early start for the fire today.  A swift visit to Jalon revealed the ideal poinsettia saucer, miniature paella pans.  The Christmas decorations have arrived.

Supper was razor shells in butter and parsley sauce (Steve ate these in great trepidation after his last experience), followed by  Bonito with potatoes and spinach.

Walk up from Senje

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Terrace

Terrace

Local Cooperative in Jalon

Local Cooperative in Jalon

Up for breakfast at 9.00, and then out to Senje for a walk up the local hill.  The walk takes us around the back of the hill and to the top where there is a white cross.  The land around here looks terraced, but in fact it is where the rocks have been removed and piled up in rows to allow plants to grow.  We did pass by old wells and a deserted farmhouse on this walk.

On the way home, stopped at a supermarket to buy some prawns for lunch, which were eaten with garlic and (Chris’s) lemon flavoured mayonnaise.  After a few glasses of wine, into Jalon where Rosemary & Carol went scrubby thingy shopping and the men to the local wine co-operative to replenish our stocks.  Ended up buying a bottle of sweet wine, and 5 litres of rose for a satisfyingly ludicrous price.

Back at the ranch, Chef prepared an excellent repast of pork chops with a caper sauce, those being the female-chosen ingredients for Chef’s latest Ready, Steady Cook test.

Calpe and Scamp

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Father Christmas

Father Christmas

Calpe rock

Calpe rock

Today we went to Calpe for a wander around the fishing port.  Lots of fishing boats in port, nets being repaired, and a boat being filled with ice in preparation for a fishing trip.  A walk through the town took us to a lagoon with pink flamingos, and an island filled with herons.  Alas the flamingos were a little too far off to make a good photograph.

On the way back to the car we took a walk under and part way around Calpe Penon de Ifach, the rock.  Here we saw some scuba divers in training, followed by a flying display of starlings.  On the Calpe rocks there were a group of midgets scaling its dizzy heights.  We will be meeting them at the top on another, less windy day.

View of Benidorm

View of Benidorm

Flock of birds

Flock of birds

Back home for lunch, and then a visit to Chris, Yvonne and Scamp.  Plans were laid for a Thursday wine tasting and tapas lunch. Afterwards a drink in the Hallelujah bar  to meet Jim  followed by shopping in the local Jalon supermarket.

Early morning rush to Spain

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Vineyard in Lliber

Vineyard in LliberView from Villa

Up unnecessarily early to catch a flight from Luton to Alicante, Rosemary is a bit of a worrier when it comes to catching flights.  Flight left Grande Britannia in sunshine and landed in Alicante in bright sunshine, early and without the fan fare of Ryan Air.   We were met, greeted and promptly ferried to the Villa in Lliber where Carol and John were staying.  On route we had a good view of Benidorm and Calpe rock. I do admit Benidorm is quite an impressive view, when seen from a distance.

Quick settle-in and then lunch followed by a walk through the local vineyards, back to the Villa, more wine and drinks followed by Rabbit Paella cooked by

Rabbit Paella

Rabbit Paella

View from Villa

View from Villa

Chef Juan.

The wall replastered

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Walls replastered

Walls replastered

Plaster drying out

Plaster drying out

Friday evening and the walls had been re-plastered, Saturday morning and the coving had been stuck to the walls to cover up the cracks and missing plaster in the ceiling. It’s amazing the transformation achieved by the neat walls.

Sunday was spent by me applying two coats of white emulsion to the ceiling. Alas a third coat is required. I also had to apply a layer of gloss paint (oil based) in one area. This was to seal an area of ceiling where a pipe had once leaked. This, though dry for years, still stained when a coat of emulsion was painted over the area. Hopefully problem has been solved.

Cooking

Cooking

Eating has been a problem, mainly evening meals in a restaurant, but very kindly John and Carol took pity on us and invited us over for an evening meal on Sunday. We have set up the camp stove in the lean-to, and have treated ourselves to bacon and eggs for Sunday breakfast.

Robin’s 50th

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Saturday 30th August saw us complete with tent at a party to celebrate Robin’s 50th birthday. 

How he and Tessa managed to pick the one decent summer’s day & evening, just shows the calibre of people they are.  We could write it up, but John has already done so – http://www.curdhome.co.uk/2008/hog-roast-blues/ – but at least Steve got to take one or two piccies – https://www.blasdale.com/blog/picture-albums/2008-picture-gallery/2008-robins-50th-birthday/.

We woke early Sunday to a lovely view over a misty field which Steve rather ruined with his mutterings about “damn birds are all tweating too loudly” (no double glazing in a tent), but at least he cooked bacon rolls & fried eggs.  

Now just about everyone must know that Robin has reached his half century.

How can they top that one for his 60th?  We’ll report back in 2018.

A day in London & a night in “The Mousetrap”

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On Friday morning, after gasping at the price of rail tickets and underground tickets (& giving up trying to work out cheap deals) we arrive in London.  We go first via a walk along by the Thames to The Tate Modern and admire their crack (https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/salcedo-shibboleth-ii-p20335).  We decide on an early lunch in the museum Café 2 where we, from indoors, smugly watch everyone walking around outside getting sodden.  They have amazingly tall metal vases topped off with Singapore orchids on the bar, which look very classy.   We have fried broad beans and bread with olive oil as snackrell-type starters and I opt for a quiche while Steve opts for a mezze plate for mains. 

Then to our Radisson hotel near the BM.  This strikes me as disappointing; I know it’s London but why can’t it be a larger, nicer room for all those points?  And the lift is so slow, too, and the breakfast not included but £16 each extra.   

Amazingly, Steve has spotted a Jessops nearby and we end up in there and he gets a discount off a Tamron 18-250 lens and is exceedingly smug and announces he can sell two of his existing ones. 

We visit the close-by British Museum and admire the wonderful hall, which always impresses.  We have cake & tea and watch the visitors. But we are here To See Things not just Eat Things, so we visit the Lewis chessmen (having seen the Edinburgh based ones we feel we should complete the set) and I end up drooling over the jewellery.  However, one piece of pure Victoriana is so frightful it makes me squeak out loud – a necklace made of the mounted heads of hummingbirds.   

In the evening we finally see “The Mousetrap” in a minute theatre with many empty seats near us (which was just as well cos I swapped at the interval so I could see the whole of the stage).  Very mannered and of its times and I guessed The Murderer, but an experience. 

For some reason, as we walk back, Steve wants more food, so we eat in an Italian place (although The Ivy was opposite!) and both decided we cook better than at home, but the staff are more pleasant.