stewartwillsher
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 15, 2017
- Messages
- 1,111
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- Location
- Western Spain and Costa de la Luz
Having produced huge tomes for a living, and a fiscally fortuitous one at that, I now, and since the millennium, write for the pleasure of it, or to merely pass the time.
When provoked or sometimes just to inflict my words on the unexpected, I aim a WAFFLE occasionally at this forum.
This WAFFLE is a resurrected scribbling from a few years ago, but may be of interest, showing the rich variety of experiences in the Wild Western region of Spain.
A friend of a friend, invited us to visit their finca for an afternoon/evening get-together.
Fincas come in all shapes and sizes; ours is a couple of acres, the one we were visiting was perhaps ten times the area or more, of ours, and at a higher altitude.
We followed instructions and persisted even though the track climbed and got more and more indistinct, and there we were at huge steel gates with cameras and communications panel.
We were spotted and the gates swung open and in we drove, with the roadway inside far superior to outside.
A short distance and we were at the house, a large sprawling single story structure with extensions and a huge partially covered patio, which is where we sat with our hosts.
Loads of chat and a refreshment and introduction to their dogs.
This was significant, as these were the enormous mastins that guarded their livestock and property and had to know we were friends.
Once accepted, they flopped down and were immediately used by the cats as very comfortable heaps of fur to snuggle up to.
After a bit, our hostess appeared with walking staffs; poles, about two metres long which are very practical hiking type aids.
Righty ho then, off for a stroll.
You have to be joking, because this was no flat piece of farmland.
Up a bit from the house was a small lake and near it an arrangement of barns and sheds.
These housed some animals - a herd of goats, some cows and I think there were pigs and hens.
Next up was a large heavily fenced enclosure, separated into sections.
In this area were at least three ostriches, the females being rather dull and uninteresting, whilst the male displayed and seemed to take exception to our presence; I was glad there was a strong fence between us humans and the male bird.
After this visit to see these oddballs, our host went into the enclosure and our hostess said we would now go up the mountain, but on their land.
Off we trudged onward and upward following an irrigation channel, which was the only form of path, so we were using our pole into the water and walking on the edge.
At this point we noticed we had company; the two mastins were with us and no doubt watching for any threat.
Fortunately, we had comfy practical shoes, as advised, because we all might be going for a "little" walk.
Up we went, and eventually, after perhaps an hour, we came to a point where the irrigation channel was fed from the mountain stream.
Our hostess announced that we were at the limit of their land heightwise, and we would follow a different route down alongside the gorge and see a couple of waterfalls.
This we did, threading our way through trees and undergrowth, following the edge of a drop into raging water.
At one point the noise was deafening as the river dropped, maybe, fifty feet or more, crashing into a pool formed below.
Then we stepped back away from the edge and all was silence, muted by the woodland.
In another couple of hundred metres or so there was a track, and waiting for us was our host with his four-by-four; climbed aboard and in no time we were back at the house.
Drinks and nibbles whilst we discussed our trek, which we then realised had been three hours and not setting foot off their land.
The dogs looked as if they had hardly gone anywhere; whereas we, not our hostess, flopped into comfy chairs near a sort of barbecue type arrangement.
The lady admitted we had done one of her favourite circuits on the finca which, weather permitting, she will do twice a week, just to check things out.
A gas ring was lit, and a largish shallow paella pan put on it with a little oil.
Then our host appeared with two surprising items - a hand held battery dremel type craft drill, but with a small circular saw in its chuck.
Then from under a cloth, hidden as a surprise, he held forth, like a conjurer, an ostrich egg.
He proceeded to saw, with the tool, the end off, like you might to eat a soft boiled egg.
Once the shell had been cut through, the membrane was cut with a knife, and the entire contents tipped into the hot oil.
It was then gently stirred and very quickly it was transformed into an omelette, the largest possible, I imagine, from a single egg.
Bowls of salad appeared, prepared by their live-in cook/housemaid, plates laid on a long table nearby, with benches, and the omelette dished out.
I was most surprised that the taste and consistency was so close to hens' egg omelette.
I have had goose's and duck's egg in the past and they both had a distinctive flavour, but no, the ostrich's was not.
Much chatting and on came the lights, and as we had finished eating we moved to a raised, sort of, chill-out patio with decorative pots, plants and lighting, and more comfy chairs, which we all collapsed into.
Nothing much to report on with regards to the small talk, but all of a sudden the huge mastins let out a gruff low bark, not loud but serious.
Up they got and with surprising haste for such large animals they were off at a pace.
Our host explained that there were predators up here, mainly foxes, but also genets.
I had heard of them but was not aware they were in this part of Spain; they are up to about four foot long nose to tail and are, in appearance something cat-like but with a long tail.
Whilst many of their animals could fend them off, the chickens and even some young kids or piglets would disappear, for their dinner.
I don't think a genet's teeth could get into an ostrich egg though!
Not sure who would come out best with a cat - genet confrontation.
The mastins never returned whilst we were still there.
A few more snifters and the chill night air had chilled us out and we bade our farewells, and headed down to our normal altitude and home.
A very pleasant afternoon and evening with some new experiences, including a very good egg.
When provoked or sometimes just to inflict my words on the unexpected, I aim a WAFFLE occasionally at this forum.
This WAFFLE is a resurrected scribbling from a few years ago, but may be of interest, showing the rich variety of experiences in the Wild Western region of Spain.
A friend of a friend, invited us to visit their finca for an afternoon/evening get-together.
Fincas come in all shapes and sizes; ours is a couple of acres, the one we were visiting was perhaps ten times the area or more, of ours, and at a higher altitude.
We followed instructions and persisted even though the track climbed and got more and more indistinct, and there we were at huge steel gates with cameras and communications panel.
We were spotted and the gates swung open and in we drove, with the roadway inside far superior to outside.
A short distance and we were at the house, a large sprawling single story structure with extensions and a huge partially covered patio, which is where we sat with our hosts.
Loads of chat and a refreshment and introduction to their dogs.
This was significant, as these were the enormous mastins that guarded their livestock and property and had to know we were friends.
Once accepted, they flopped down and were immediately used by the cats as very comfortable heaps of fur to snuggle up to.
After a bit, our hostess appeared with walking staffs; poles, about two metres long which are very practical hiking type aids.
Righty ho then, off for a stroll.
You have to be joking, because this was no flat piece of farmland.
Up a bit from the house was a small lake and near it an arrangement of barns and sheds.
These housed some animals - a herd of goats, some cows and I think there were pigs and hens.
Next up was a large heavily fenced enclosure, separated into sections.
In this area were at least three ostriches, the females being rather dull and uninteresting, whilst the male displayed and seemed to take exception to our presence; I was glad there was a strong fence between us humans and the male bird.
After this visit to see these oddballs, our host went into the enclosure and our hostess said we would now go up the mountain, but on their land.
Off we trudged onward and upward following an irrigation channel, which was the only form of path, so we were using our pole into the water and walking on the edge.
At this point we noticed we had company; the two mastins were with us and no doubt watching for any threat.
Fortunately, we had comfy practical shoes, as advised, because we all might be going for a "little" walk.
Up we went, and eventually, after perhaps an hour, we came to a point where the irrigation channel was fed from the mountain stream.
Our hostess announced that we were at the limit of their land heightwise, and we would follow a different route down alongside the gorge and see a couple of waterfalls.
This we did, threading our way through trees and undergrowth, following the edge of a drop into raging water.
At one point the noise was deafening as the river dropped, maybe, fifty feet or more, crashing into a pool formed below.
Then we stepped back away from the edge and all was silence, muted by the woodland.
In another couple of hundred metres or so there was a track, and waiting for us was our host with his four-by-four; climbed aboard and in no time we were back at the house.
Drinks and nibbles whilst we discussed our trek, which we then realised had been three hours and not setting foot off their land.
The dogs looked as if they had hardly gone anywhere; whereas we, not our hostess, flopped into comfy chairs near a sort of barbecue type arrangement.
The lady admitted we had done one of her favourite circuits on the finca which, weather permitting, she will do twice a week, just to check things out.
A gas ring was lit, and a largish shallow paella pan put on it with a little oil.
Then our host appeared with two surprising items - a hand held battery dremel type craft drill, but with a small circular saw in its chuck.
Then from under a cloth, hidden as a surprise, he held forth, like a conjurer, an ostrich egg.
He proceeded to saw, with the tool, the end off, like you might to eat a soft boiled egg.
Once the shell had been cut through, the membrane was cut with a knife, and the entire contents tipped into the hot oil.
It was then gently stirred and very quickly it was transformed into an omelette, the largest possible, I imagine, from a single egg.
Bowls of salad appeared, prepared by their live-in cook/housemaid, plates laid on a long table nearby, with benches, and the omelette dished out.
I was most surprised that the taste and consistency was so close to hens' egg omelette.
I have had goose's and duck's egg in the past and they both had a distinctive flavour, but no, the ostrich's was not.
Much chatting and on came the lights, and as we had finished eating we moved to a raised, sort of, chill-out patio with decorative pots, plants and lighting, and more comfy chairs, which we all collapsed into.
Nothing much to report on with regards to the small talk, but all of a sudden the huge mastins let out a gruff low bark, not loud but serious.
Up they got and with surprising haste for such large animals they were off at a pace.
Our host explained that there were predators up here, mainly foxes, but also genets.
I had heard of them but was not aware they were in this part of Spain; they are up to about four foot long nose to tail and are, in appearance something cat-like but with a long tail.
Whilst many of their animals could fend them off, the chickens and even some young kids or piglets would disappear, for their dinner.
I don't think a genet's teeth could get into an ostrich egg though!
Not sure who would come out best with a cat - genet confrontation.
The mastins never returned whilst we were still there.
A few more snifters and the chill night air had chilled us out and we bade our farewells, and headed down to our normal altitude and home.
A very pleasant afternoon and evening with some new experiences, including a very good egg.
Attachments
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genet.jpg -
ostrichegg.jpg -
mastin.jpg
