Russell in Spain: September 2018

   It's been a busy time here in El Masroig since I got back on August 25. The Festa Major was in full swing and I went both Saturday and Sunday nights. The bands were good and it was fun to see all of the neighbors.
   You will be happy to learn that Marc Tost, my farmer, is now a card-carrying Diablo. There was a smaller than usual turnout this year for the Diablos but they did a fine job. They accidentally set a planter box on fire so there was a little more excitement than usual since it was on the second floor. They put the fire out quickly so no harm was done. Make sure to check out the Facebook video at the bottom of this page. El Masroig now has a Facebook page if you want to see what's happening here.
   Philip has gone to England for two weeks and I've been looking after his garden. I made another batch of fig preserves. They're delicious!
   My vineyards are looking good but harvest will be late this year. We had a couple of big rains since June and the sugars are not building as usual. The wines in Montsant will be a little leaner this year. I'm very happy with my 2017 wine and will bottle it in the next few weeks.
   My longtime friends, Bill and Kathy, came to visit for a few days. We had a great time going around and seeing the sights. We had Pilar and Philip to dinner one night. I prepared a typical Catalan meal. We started with foie gras and fig preserves. The main course was longanisa (local sausage), white beans with onion and garlic, roasted pepper then melon with Iberica for dessert.
   Kathy and Bill were here for the Festa on September 11th (the Catalan national day). We went to the Plaza Major for the annual sardine breakfast. On the way up, we ran into the band coming down my street. They turned around and followed us back to Plaza. I haven't been at the front of a parade in a long time!
   We had a great time cooking and eating the sardines. Bill tried his hand at the porón and did a creditable job. We stayed for a couple of hours and met a Belgian couple who bought a place here a couple of years ago. They don't come here very often but I hope to see them again.
   That night we drove over to Cornudella for Sandra's birthday party. Her friend, Judith, was there. Judith works at Scala Dei Winery and is a lot of fun. They fixed a nice dinner and I took some deviled eggs. The people here seem to like them and I'm always happy to spread a little Texas culture.
   Bill and Kathy left on the 12th. They are going to Rioja, the Pyrenees, Costa Brava and Barcelona. It was wonderful having them here and I hope they come back. ¡Muchas gracias, Amigos!