April 2007 letter from Spain

Learning reams of vocabulary is fine, but it is very important to learn expressions and basic sentence construction, right from the start with a couple of useful verbs thrown in for seasoning. Take 3 different simple sentences and write them down with as many different variations with your word list of the day.

Last night Jordi came back all excited, after walking one of the German Shepherds down to the village saying Jesu`s were having football practice. Well, we have to see about you joining. He looked downcast, "How will I understand what they are saying".

What a great line for a lesson on Excel in "home schooling!" This produced a simple, yet useful spreadsheet with all the possible football terminology we could think of in English along with 2 blank columns; one for Catalan and the other for Castellano. His touch-typing is also improving. So tomorrow when we pop down to Rembrandt's internet café we will ask Leo`n or Ricardo to complete the respective columns for him. They just love to help him out and at least he gets the correct local pronunciation off them.

The past few weeks have been a waiting game for Jordan as the paper trail began with a police check, d'apardronament and registering with the Education authority.We still await to hear which school he will be attending.

Meanwhile back on the finca he has got to grips with the concrete mixer ( I am now redundant on that job, my back sighs in relief!). The old terrace monstrosity at the end of the house is being built in as a workshop. Hopefully, it will soon be water tight and no more expensive tools will be damaged.

Jordi is so strong and (all that boxing training in UK is beginning to pay off) he knocked the walls of the old dilapidated kennel / pen down with that enormous lump hammer. A job I have procrastinated over for 2 years. Now all the rubble from that he is smashing up for the base for an outside aviary for his granddad and a base on top a weed-lining, before pebbles are laid on top (behind the dip pool) awaiting the caravan being moved.

Benson and Heidi are enjoying long walks on alternative nights with Jordi. That mountain bike was a good idea too. So he is not "housebound" and most days sets off galantly, exploring different routes up Terra Roig, to els Regeurs or along the Xerta dry canal. Some days he turns left out of San Bernabe` and heads for the village of Jesu`s or trails along the Via Verde (the Greenway.)

This is the wettest spring I can ever recall in Catalonia, but the olive trees love it. It took me 3 weeks before the Christmas clan arrived to get all the meadows down to lawn level, seems some what in vane now as my "elephant grass" is taller than me in a lot of places. Groan! Why did the strimmer choose now to pack up the ghost!

Oh well, can't do out about that now, find something else to do that doesn't need money pouring into it. There is another way out... shall we borrow a goat or three? A friend of mine has 3 baby kids and I keep hinting to "him indoors", but it is falling on deaf ears. Pity that old pen was so close to the house - would have made a lovely goat shed, maybe next year…

Most evenings greet us with "trueno, rayo y una tormenta grande" -thunder, lightning and a big storm and the skies are fascinating to watch the lightning chasing across the skies. Though tonight the sunset was tinged with pink, after the downpour, so we could have a sunny day tomorrow,which will be ideal for Mom and I to weed.

Earlier on this month we were busy making lemon curd, whiskey seville marmalade and a new recipe from my Rugby cousins for fig, lemon and orange marmalade. The 3 fruit one was delicious and unusual, but do try it.

The other day I received a charming email from the "Jamlady" herself who had been surfing the internet (www.jamlady.com). I can now look forward to receiving her e-newsletters with tasty ideas to try out and she does offer some really good advice. She is a published writer in her own right and will soon have a book out called Pickles with Relish. Can't wait to buy that one! Fabulous out here where we have a glut of one fruit or veg., you can just swap with a friend, who will in turn do likewise with alternative crops later on.

"Jamlady" came up with a tempting idea for storing figs in white wine. They can be used as a starter with a difference or a dessert, plus or minus a scoop of vanilla ice-cream (sugar-free of course!)

Jordan arrived after the local fiesta X11 Terres d'Ebre Olive Oil Fair.(23rd to 25 Februay) www.jesus.altranet.org. Culinary events, plus tasty morsals of varied cheeses, sausages of all kinds and a pleasant young couple selling bottled anchovies and other "tasters", to name but a few. It was very well presented and the streets were throbbing with folk - a wonderful chatty environment, comparing all the different types of olives and oils, along with the wines. The Art Section provided some very talented displays of paintings.

Wherever, Jordi goes everyone proudly tells him his famous Saint's day is the 23rd April, San Jordi - the patron saint of Catalonia. The quaint traditions here on that day are regarded somewhat like Valentine's Day, here and in Valencia, where the men are given a book in exchange for giving the ladies a red rose. (Can't I have a book instead? I have red roses in the garden already!)

Whereas on St. Mark's Day, Masde Barberans in Montsia, saw the first of the bull season. Further north in Mont Blanc, they kicked off the first of the regions Medieval Week Celebrations. Allegedly, this was the site of the dragon slaying, according to local legend.

The Rice Culinary events that commenced in February continue on through April up until May 31st.The menus are displayed in the restaurants' doorways, where they promote both the cultural and culinary delights of rice - "Arroz" , dishes of different and distinguished flare from across Terres de l'Ebre.

When we went up to our local pets food shop "Centre Verd", between Roquettes and Els Riguers, we bought a lovely little book, called "Poetes de l'Ebre"- antologia 2006. The poems that are beautifully written in Spanish or Catalan and all the contributors are from this area. Robert Botella had four poems published here and is the nephew of "Centre Verd", but he takes time out to chat to Jordi in Spanish and make him feel very welcomed.

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