As we approach the New Year, it’s time for a quick update on December which has been a busy month for us.
It started with a few days away in the camper, we had been trying to go for a week or so but things kept delaying us. As we only intended to be away for a few days we weren’t going far and decided to head to Caravaca de la Cruz, just an hour and a half away, an interesting old town and a birdwatching spot mentioned in our Murcian bird book.
We didn’t arrive till dusk and as we pulled into the Aire we noticed signs for a Mediaeval Market all around us and stalls being set up. We stayed anyway, not within our normal comfort zone as it became very busy but we enjoyed the change of scenery and had a couple of walks around the market and the old part of the town.
distance that we climbed up to next day
And a stroll without the dogs up to the castle on a bit of a cloudy day.
Then a couple of days later we moved to a nature reserve for a day or two which the dogs enjoyed, although by the time we were leaving the weather had declined and it was a bit wet and gloomy the day we left.
I was supposed to be flying to the UK to spend a weekend with Andrew, Alana and the grandchildren a couple of days after we got home. Packed and ready and getting very excited, the day before I was due to fly I got the sad news that Alana’s grandma had died that night and it was therefore not appropriate for me to go. I was very disappointed but of course understood completely. As it happens it coincided with the very cold snap that the UK had with snow and icy pavements not to mention the rail strikes that might have made the journey to and from the airport a bit fraught. So this trip is now on hold till some time in the new year when it is convenient for them.
In the meantime I have been going to Spanish classes with a neighbour on Monday mornings and it has given me a bit of a boost to continue with my online learning which had got a bit stale.
A few days before Christmas we met up with an ex colleague of Nigel’s, Michele and her husband, Mike who we only fairly recently discovered had moved to Spain just a year ago and live just 45 minutes away. We picked them up at their house and took them to one of our favourite beach walks at San Pedro del Pinatar and we enjoyed a stroll along the beach with the dogs before heading back to their home town of Los Alcazares for lunch at a restaurant they had not been to but had heard good things about. It was very nice to see and spend time with them and we will see them again when they are mobile as at the moment they can’t drive as they are still waiting to exchange their UK driving licences.
Next on our December agenda after much research and deliberation, has been the installation of 16 solar panels to our roof. This is primarily to attain continuity of supply, we have a lot of mini (and some not so mini) power cuts and we decided to invest in these to improve the situation as we have plenty of sunshine! We still use power with care, making sure not to have multiple appliances running at one time. We’ve had a few teething troubles but so far so good!
We enjoyed chatting over Whatsapp with all the family on Christmas day, our Christmas dinner was a steak and ale pie with lots of vegetables bought from the mobile shop at the campsite on Christmas Eve. Such good value.
Nigel had spotted a recipe in the Guardian for a party size pork pie a few weeks ago and dropped heavy hints, so as these are not readily available here I decided to have a try. On Boxing day I set to and it was a long slow process but we were pleased with the result. I gave a portion away to neighbours, we had a piece each as a sort of ploughman’s tea the next day when the jelly had set and the remains is now sliced and in the freezer. Michele, Nigel’s colleague had given us a present which included a jar of home made tomato chutney so that complemented the pork pie perfectly. As with all new things it was a learning curve, I will roll the pastry a bit thinner next time. So what with the pies and the brownie wedges I made as gifts for the neighbours, our solar panels have already been put to good use powering the oven much more than usual. I now feel the need for salad days to come again!
The garden is getting the heavy handed treatment at the moment with much tidying and pruning going on. The fig trees have been shedding daily since September yet still retain some leaves. Most days I rake and collect and take buckets of them away down the rambla or to the ecoparque if we have a car boot full of other garden waste. But they are now being heavily pruned so hopefully next year there won’t be quite as many to shift. Nigel is lopping branches and putting the smaller ones through the shredder. And he is also tidying the trunks of the palm trees which look much smarter with all their waste trimmed off. Time consuming work.
We are enjoying fresh orange juice every morning and it looks like we will still be doing so for at least a couple more months.
It’s warm enough to sit outside most days so we continue to count our blessings.
It only remains to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year as we look ahead to 2023. Hasta Luego, todos.