Wednesday, August 27, 2014
El Masroig Festa Major 2014
Please look at the YouTube video on the post below. It will give you an idea of the noise and chaos surrounding the final event of the Festa Major. I think my favorite part is Susan's laughing and squealing. "Los Diablos" always show us a good time. The first 20 seconds or so are a little blurry because of the smoke bomb. You'll hear our traditional town band that plays at most public events. Toward the end of the video, Los Diablos head up toward the Plaza Major while spreading mayhem before them. The street is only about 10 feet wide and many people drape wet cloths over their doors and windows to prevent damage. As you can see, the kids are living it up!
Monday, August 25, 2014
Chelsee, Becky & Sarah
My cousin, Chelsee, and her friends, Becky and Sarah, came to visit us last Tuesday and left for Barcelona this morning. They've known each other since high school. Chelsee and Sarah just graduated from college.
We had a great time with them and they were able to get some much-needed rest. They've been "couch surfing" with an internet service and have had some adventures in Greece and Italy.
Susan went into hostess mode and prepared a bunch of great meals for them. The ladies really enjoyed the home cooking because they've been traveling on a budget and it can be difficult to find good food when you're on the road like that.
All three of them are accomplished artists. Sarah and Becky did a lot of painting and drawing while they were here. Susan joined in and you can see their work below. Sarah did a portrait of me at Susan's request. We took them to the vineyard, beach, Tarragona and Miravet. The ladies also attended a dance during the Festa Major.
They will go to Paris tomorrow and then on to Heidelberg, Berlin, Amsterdam, Ireland and England.
¡Buen viaje, Chicas!
We had a great time with them and they were able to get some much-needed rest. They've been "couch surfing" with an internet service and have had some adventures in Greece and Italy.
Susan went into hostess mode and prepared a bunch of great meals for them. The ladies really enjoyed the home cooking because they've been traveling on a budget and it can be difficult to find good food when you're on the road like that.
All three of them are accomplished artists. Sarah and Becky did a lot of painting and drawing while they were here. Susan joined in and you can see their work below. Sarah did a portrait of me at Susan's request. We took them to the vineyard, beach, Tarragona and Miravet. The ladies also attended a dance during the Festa Major.
They will go to Paris tomorrow and then on to Heidelberg, Berlin, Amsterdam, Ireland and England.
¡Buen viaje, Chicas!
Monday, August 18, 2014
Lunch with Gerard and Joelle Guez
We were invited to lunch today by Gerard and Joelle Guez. I met Gerard at the wine supply store in Falset. He is a French osteopath and bought a beautiful finca west of Ametlla del Mar about 46 years ago. It's an extraordinary place.
There are several residences, a pool and a commercial kitchen. Gerard began planting hillside vineyards a few years ago and has garnatxa, garnatxa blanca, macabeu, syrah, monastrell and muscat established. He plans to put in some malbec and pinot noir. He built one of the most interesting wineries I've ever seen. It's a combination winery and wine museum.
Gerard designed it so that the museum displays can be moved out of the way when it's time to harvest or do other processing. The winery is built on two levels so that the fruit gravity feeds into the cellar. His production is small and he makes a number of fresh and unique wines. He makes a muscat in the manner used in Amarone. He picks the fruit and places the clusters on beds of straw arranged on wooden racks inside the winery. The clusters are turned daily and, after slowly dehydrating for a few weeks, are then processed and fermented. The result is a concentrated yet delicate wine with a wonderful floral character.
The museum displays are not large but offer a comprehensive overview of the history of winemaking. Gerard gives a lively presentation while escorting you through the museum. He has tremendous energy and enthusiasm. He sleeps an average of 5 hours a night.
Outside, there is a fascinating collection of old vineyard and winery equipment. He has two phylloxera killing machines made in the mid-1800s. They are some of the only surviving examples. In my wildest dreams, I never expected to see one on the hoof. The idea was to inject super-heated water into the root zone of the vines in order to kill the root louse (phylloxera). They were widely used in France and, although it was a valiant effort by the French, didn't work. If you have any interest in grapes and wine, you should read The Botanist and the Vintner by Christy Campbell for the whole story.
Gerard walked us up to the top of his vineyard where he has a large underground water storage tank. He also has a station where fire-fighting helicopters can fill up with water. Talk about public service! Catalunya should give him a medal. From the top, there are sweeping views of the Med and the coastal mountain range.
We were joined on our tour by Ana and Manel of Restaurant La Bodeguilla in Barcelona. They own a fabulous restaurant and wine shop and we can't wait to visit them. At the moment, they're on vacation at the beach in Miami Platja (not far from our favorite beach). They're a delightful couple.
For lunch, we were also joined by a young Latvian man, Janusz, who is doing an organic farming internship with Gerard. He speaks excellent English and is lively company. As you can imagine, lunch was spectacular!
There were so many parts to the meal, I hesitate to list them all. Instead, I'll describe a few of the most memorable:
1) There was a starter that featured what appeared to be long barnacles. They looked like the legs of a toy dinosaur. Once you peeled off the tough outer part, a sweet and tender cylinder of meat was revealed. They were smaller around than a pencil and absolutely delicious.
2) Gerard prepared a fresh (as in laid this morning) egg omelet and topped it with a piece of foie gras the size of a hockey puck. I heard a chorus of Angels shout "Hallelujah"!!!
3) For dessert was a just-out-of -the-oven apple and fig tart. It had a thin, sweet crispy crust and was served with lightly chilled ruby port styled wine. ¡Perfecto!
I sat next to Joelle for the entire meal (when she wasn't working). She is so attractive and gracious and I wish I spoke better French. Joelle is the seventh of fifteen children in her family. With two children of her own, she is the picture of equanimity even while serving and preparing an elaborate meal.
After lunch (three hours but who's counting) Gerard informed us he was jumping in the pool and then the bed. Since we were all closing in on a food coma, we thanked them and headed for home. What a memorable afternoon!
There are several residences, a pool and a commercial kitchen. Gerard began planting hillside vineyards a few years ago and has garnatxa, garnatxa blanca, macabeu, syrah, monastrell and muscat established. He plans to put in some malbec and pinot noir. He built one of the most interesting wineries I've ever seen. It's a combination winery and wine museum.
Gerard designed it so that the museum displays can be moved out of the way when it's time to harvest or do other processing. The winery is built on two levels so that the fruit gravity feeds into the cellar. His production is small and he makes a number of fresh and unique wines. He makes a muscat in the manner used in Amarone. He picks the fruit and places the clusters on beds of straw arranged on wooden racks inside the winery. The clusters are turned daily and, after slowly dehydrating for a few weeks, are then processed and fermented. The result is a concentrated yet delicate wine with a wonderful floral character.
The museum displays are not large but offer a comprehensive overview of the history of winemaking. Gerard gives a lively presentation while escorting you through the museum. He has tremendous energy and enthusiasm. He sleeps an average of 5 hours a night.
Outside, there is a fascinating collection of old vineyard and winery equipment. He has two phylloxera killing machines made in the mid-1800s. They are some of the only surviving examples. In my wildest dreams, I never expected to see one on the hoof. The idea was to inject super-heated water into the root zone of the vines in order to kill the root louse (phylloxera). They were widely used in France and, although it was a valiant effort by the French, didn't work. If you have any interest in grapes and wine, you should read The Botanist and the Vintner by Christy Campbell for the whole story.
Gerard walked us up to the top of his vineyard where he has a large underground water storage tank. He also has a station where fire-fighting helicopters can fill up with water. Talk about public service! Catalunya should give him a medal. From the top, there are sweeping views of the Med and the coastal mountain range.
We were joined on our tour by Ana and Manel of Restaurant La Bodeguilla in Barcelona. They own a fabulous restaurant and wine shop and we can't wait to visit them. At the moment, they're on vacation at the beach in Miami Platja (not far from our favorite beach). They're a delightful couple.
For lunch, we were also joined by a young Latvian man, Janusz, who is doing an organic farming internship with Gerard. He speaks excellent English and is lively company. As you can imagine, lunch was spectacular!
There were so many parts to the meal, I hesitate to list them all. Instead, I'll describe a few of the most memorable:
1) There was a starter that featured what appeared to be long barnacles. They looked like the legs of a toy dinosaur. Once you peeled off the tough outer part, a sweet and tender cylinder of meat was revealed. They were smaller around than a pencil and absolutely delicious.
2) Gerard prepared a fresh (as in laid this morning) egg omelet and topped it with a piece of foie gras the size of a hockey puck. I heard a chorus of Angels shout "Hallelujah"!!!
3) For dessert was a just-out-of -the-oven apple and fig tart. It had a thin, sweet crispy crust and was served with lightly chilled ruby port styled wine. ¡Perfecto!
I sat next to Joelle for the entire meal (when she wasn't working). She is so attractive and gracious and I wish I spoke better French. Joelle is the seventh of fifteen children in her family. With two children of her own, she is the picture of equanimity even while serving and preparing an elaborate meal.
After lunch (three hours but who's counting) Gerard informed us he was jumping in the pool and then the bed. Since we were all closing in on a food coma, we thanked them and headed for home. What a memorable afternoon!
Friday, August 15, 2014
That's Farming, Part 3
I mentioned there was some weeding to be done in the vineyards and I've been out there the past couple of days working on it. As I drove into El Molar this morning at about 8:00, there were groups of young people hanging around the pool and the adjacent municipal grounds. I remembered that the Festa Major in El Molar started last night and the first night is usually devoted to young people's activities.
I pulled up to Finca Alta and went to work with Mr. Shovel. The weeds are not bad this year but there are some in the vine rows I want to knock down. I can't get a Clemons hoe through there because the vines are trained so close to the ground and are narrowly spaced. Additionally, this is not the best time of year to stir up dust because of mites.
As I was working, I noticed a low "burring" sound coming from the middle of the vineyard at regular intervals. At first, I thought it was some kind of bird. When the sound continued for twenty minutes, I decided to investigate. I walked about twenty meters down and three rows over.
I discovered a Young Couple fast asleep in the vineyard. The "burring" sound was the Young Man's snoring. He was lying on his back and a Young Lady was snuggled on top of him. I noticed they were both pretty well covered in dust. I also noticed that, somehow, the Young Lady had lost her shirt and her bra was unfastened. Before you get too excited, I'll tell you right now there won't be any pictures with this post.
I took a few discreet steps away and called out to them "Bon dia! Bon dia!". The only response was more snoring. So, Mr. Shovel and I returned to our task. I finished the row I was working on and started back down the vineyard toward the Young Couple. As I approached them after about 45 minutes, I was happy to see the Young Lady had found her shirt and was sitting up.
She was chattering brightly and giggling while her companion's contributions were rare and semi-monosyllabic. As I passed by, I once again called out "Bon dia! Como estamos?". They replied "Bon dia!" and I continued down the row. About 10 minutes later, they stood up and started walking through the vineyard toward El Molar. As they passed me, they held their hands up to shield their faces in the manner of someone leaving a Federal arraignment. I remember thinking "It's a little late for that, now, Chicos."
Many of you have heard me brag about the agricultural paradise we enjoy here. We've tried to honor the concept of agricultural diversification and avoid mono-culture. I'm happy to report that:
1) We can grow wine grapes.
2) We can grow almonds.
3) Evidently, we can make babies.
Now, that's what I call farming!
I pulled up to Finca Alta and went to work with Mr. Shovel. The weeds are not bad this year but there are some in the vine rows I want to knock down. I can't get a Clemons hoe through there because the vines are trained so close to the ground and are narrowly spaced. Additionally, this is not the best time of year to stir up dust because of mites.
As I was working, I noticed a low "burring" sound coming from the middle of the vineyard at regular intervals. At first, I thought it was some kind of bird. When the sound continued for twenty minutes, I decided to investigate. I walked about twenty meters down and three rows over.
I discovered a Young Couple fast asleep in the vineyard. The "burring" sound was the Young Man's snoring. He was lying on his back and a Young Lady was snuggled on top of him. I noticed they were both pretty well covered in dust. I also noticed that, somehow, the Young Lady had lost her shirt and her bra was unfastened. Before you get too excited, I'll tell you right now there won't be any pictures with this post.
I took a few discreet steps away and called out to them "Bon dia! Bon dia!". The only response was more snoring. So, Mr. Shovel and I returned to our task. I finished the row I was working on and started back down the vineyard toward the Young Couple. As I approached them after about 45 minutes, I was happy to see the Young Lady had found her shirt and was sitting up.
She was chattering brightly and giggling while her companion's contributions were rare and semi-monosyllabic. As I passed by, I once again called out "Bon dia! Como estamos?". They replied "Bon dia!" and I continued down the row. About 10 minutes later, they stood up and started walking through the vineyard toward El Molar. As they passed me, they held their hands up to shield their faces in the manner of someone leaving a Federal arraignment. I remember thinking "It's a little late for that, now, Chicos."
Many of you have heard me brag about the agricultural paradise we enjoy here. We've tried to honor the concept of agricultural diversification and avoid mono-culture. I'm happy to report that:
1) We can grow wine grapes.
2) We can grow almonds.
3) Evidently, we can make babies.
Now, that's what I call farming!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
A New Beginning-Our Third Year
We arrived in El Masroig this morning for our third season in Catalunya. We're getting a later start this year because of delayed marketing opportunities but it's good to be back. As you can imagine, I went straight to the vineyards. All things considered, they look pretty good. This summer has been relatively wet and cool so there's always a chance of powdery mildew. I didn't see anything amiss in that regard but I can see a couple of weeks worth of weeding to be done. There appears to be a larger crop than last year and that's good because the birds have already started to pick on the fruit. In spite of my efforts, I would estimate we lose about 5% of the crop to them in a average year. There isn't much to be done because of our proximity to the village. Some of those pigeons and doves look like they're close to 10 pounds (almost too fat to fly!). Right now it doesn't look like we'll need to irrigate.
Maria seems to be doing well and is happy we're back. I went to the Cooperativa to refill our "bucket" and was happy to see some familiar faces. Most of the folks at the Cooperativa take vacations sometime in August and, of course, the whole town knocks off for Festa Major which will begin August 24.
We're expecting some guests later this month. My cousin Chelsee (Jennifer's daughter) and two of her friends just graduated from college. They're doing eight European countries in eight weeks. We're looking forward to seeing them. They will just miss the Festa Major.
Thanks for keeping in touch and please stay tuned!
Maria seems to be doing well and is happy we're back. I went to the Cooperativa to refill our "bucket" and was happy to see some familiar faces. Most of the folks at the Cooperativa take vacations sometime in August and, of course, the whole town knocks off for Festa Major which will begin August 24.
We're expecting some guests later this month. My cousin Chelsee (Jennifer's daughter) and two of her friends just graduated from college. They're doing eight European countries in eight weeks. We're looking forward to seeing them. They will just miss the Festa Major.
Thanks for keeping in touch and please stay tuned!
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