A Quiet Day

Stef drove to Santiago to pick up a friend who had finished the camino (Nikolas from Eugenia’s party) and take him to his village near Tineo, so I spent most of today alone. I slept until noon (I was awake till 2 a.m. talking to Alexander) then did some laundry. I booked my hotel in Madrid for when I return and played around on the computer a bit.

Around 4 p.m. I went for a walk in the forest and was gone about two hours. I did more laundry and started dusting the downstairs. Stef came home and said he hadn’t eaten all day so I started dinner. Stef had left the garlic at Eugenia’s and had to go get it. Dinner was Pasta and Spinach Pesto topped with Fried Mushrooms and Hard-Boiled Egg.

Luz-Dary and her daughter Jessica came over and brought No Cheese Cheesecake. It was pretty good. After dinner we played Parchesi. Jessica won and Luz-Dary came in second. Poor Stef lost big time. It was actually kind of brutal. Tomorrow Stef is going to buy apples so I can make Curried Butternut Squash and Lentil Stew.

Locked Out and the Consequences

So I am sorry to leave you guys hanging but I was getting very frustrated. Montse tried climbing the ladder and getting in the window but she couldn’t get it to open. She tried the credit card trick on the door, except she didn’t have a credit card but a thinner piece of plastic. (I don’t think it would have worked anyway; the lock was too substantial.) Eventually they broke a pane of glass on the window and opened it, and then someone (at a guess Carlos) climbed in and opened the door. I missed some of it; there comes a time when the best thing you can do is get out of the way. Eugenia missed almost ALL of it; she was asleep in the garden. Going out to the garden was the whole reason we were outside to begin with.

So apparently in trying to get the window open, Montse damaged it so it won’t completely close. (Either that or it was her fault we got locked out in the first place; I’m not completely sure.) Anyway, she and Stef were on the terrace and Stef said, “I am very upset with you!” and slammed, and I do mean SLAMMED the door. Montse said not quite in her face but almost. So she and Norbert have left.

This is Norbert. The note says, “Hello. I am Norbert. I sing for you, but you, what do you give me? Cauldrons! Hello, Norbert. I am Juanita. I would never give you cauldrons. You sing too pretty. I will miss you and your friend Montse. Keep singing

Yesterday Stef drove her to her house. She at first said she would be a long-distance consultant, but she has apparently changed her mind and withdrawn her support altogether. This is a minor problem with the Guardia Civil, the agency that manages the camino among other things. They had given Montse a certificate for the albergue, but it was in her name. Since she has withdrawn her support, Stef has lost the certificate. Since this is a donativo, it mostly means that each day Stef has pilgrims he has to go down to the Guardia Civil office and give them the register. I’m thinking if that gets to be enough of a pain for them they will give him a certificate in his own right. But they can’t stop him from hosting pilgrims because no one can tell you who can stay in your house. All they can do is keep him from charging a specific amount.

So that was our drama. We all went to Eugenia’s bar the day after it happened, and I told everyone this was my fault. I had Carlos translate on his phone because I hadn’t gotten on the bar’s WIFI yet. “I don’t look for drama,” I said. “It just finds me.” Eugenia laughed. “Drama buscando Juanita,” she chuckled. She laughed, but it’s true.

Today Stef and I went to Eugenia’s house to make empanadas. Eugenia is from Argentina, and I asked what was the difference between an Argentinian empanada and a Spanish one. No one could really tell me. I told Eugenia I wanted to try filling an empanada. (No one makes their own dough, Stef said.) The first one I made was decent. Here is the second one.

I gave up after this

Eugenia said she wasn’t a good cook, but she is. Here she is making an empanada.

Here they are all done.

Well I Go Walkin’…

I don’t walk at midnight; it would be far too dangerous. But I have started heading into the forest (bosque) on a regular basis. Two days ago I took a different path that dead-ended here. Can you guess what these are?

They’re bee hives
There are two small villages within walking distance. No reason to go there though

Behind the house is a recreational area. It has a walking path with exercise machines at various intervals. On one side of the path is empty grass. On the other side are these.

There is a bridge across the river, and on the other side is this.

No, that is not a swan or a duck on the other side of the river. It is trash

When I got back we had some excitement. The front door used to not lock, so if we left we locked the second floor (where everyone except Carlos slept and where the kitchen is) and sometimes the third. Well, there has been a Ukrainian refugee around, although we all think he was homeless before his country was invaded. So somebody shut the door to the second floor with the key on the inside. We could not get the door open even with the spare key because the other one was in the lock. We tried all sorts of ways to get in.

The offending door
The ladder

Just as an aside, putting in so many pictures is extremely frustrating. I know you guys like them, and they make the blog better, but damn is it work. I have to go to my pictures to see what I want to talk about. Then I talk about it. Then I save the draft on my computer. I go to my phone and insert the picture I want. I save the draft again. I close the program on my phone. I go to the computer and type some more. Repeat the process for every picture. And if I EVER get the process wrong, I can lose what I’ve just done. Which I just did. And since it is 11:49 p.m. I am giving up for now and going to bed. I’ll try again tomorrow.

Cangas de Narcea

I never told about this trip. Cangas, as they call it, is the closest large city or town. Kind of like Navasota and College Station, if Navasota was 400 people and College Station only a few thousand. There are several supermercados there as well as “chinese stores.” These are kind of like Dollar Generals. We went to two because Montse wanted incense. Carlos got it for her.

It was Carlos, Eughenia, Stef, me, and a woman named Luz-Dary they also call “the Columbiana” because she is from Columbia. Montse does NOT like Luz-Dary because when Luz first came over, she looked at Montse, who was washing the dishes, and asked, “Who is the dishwasher?” Montse took umbrage at that, and to be frank it was kind of rude.

Eughenia was shopping for the month, so it took a while. Carlos, Stef, and I all got snacks while we waited. Actually, I got lunch, since mine was a pastry with ham and cheese. I bought some brushes, colored pencils, and a mechanical pencil at a chinese store. Haven’t used them yet, but I will. Here are some pictures of Cangas.

An old bridge
The bridge from the other side
The car. We “bottomed out “ twice on the way home

Snow!

So it has been snowing off and on since April 1st. It did not snow today, but it did yesterday. Here are some pictures.

Here is the mountain when I arrived
Here is the mountain now

The first day it snowed I had some upsetting news the night before, so I went for a long walk. The snow didn’t last a super long time; it would sleet instead or sometimes stop altogether. But I took this video while it lasted.

That’s snow all right!

Yesterday Carlos, Stef, and I went for a two hour walk. That’s something Europeans do. I had a hard time getting up the hills, and I was SO glad I wore my hiking boots instead of my tennis shoes.

Carlos made a snowman.

Okay, guys, there wasn’t a LOT of snow.

I’ve told you Carlos can juggle. Here is proof.

And now it is 2:36 a.m. and I am super cold. I’m making another hot water bottle and getting in bed. Goodnight.

Nothing Momentous, Just Life

I can’t remember if I’ve told this story here or not. Montse told me that when she told someone an American was coming to cook for them, they said, “Her signature dish will be ‘hamburguesa’ (hamburgers.)” Boy, were they wrong! So far I’ve cooked Italian (eggplant parmesan,) Egyptian (kushari,) Cuban (black beans and rice,) Mexican (Mexican Chicken Soup,) and…American, I guess (sauteed butternut squash with caramelized onions, sauteed spinach with garlic and hardboiled egg.) I also made a salad tonight and created an orange/ginger dressing that only Carlos and I ate. Carlos made no comment, but I liked it.

Tonight was another “we have to eat the leftovers so there will be room in the refrigerator for more food” night. Montse had chicken noodle soup and eggplant; Stef had eggplant, black beans and rice, and a tortilla; Carlos had lentils, salad, eggplant, and a tortilla; and I had kushari, eggplant, and salad. We all had chocolate pudding for dessert.

I worked on the mural today. Here is a picture of my progress.

It’s harder than it looks

I also practiced with my ball. I am getting better. I gave up on the regular juggling that Carlos wanted me to learn. He knows how because he did Workaway with some hippies and they taught him. He gave me some balls to practice with but I was awful. I mean really bad. So I gave them back.

Today, while I was practicing, the light was behind me and I was watching my shadow. Suddenly, I saw my hand move the ball from my palm to the back of my hand in a fluid motion that was EXACTLY what you want in contact juggling. I gasped so loud the others, who were in the kitchen, came to see what was wrong. I told them nothing and tried to show what I was reacting to. Of course I could no longer do it. But I am starting to have hope that I might master this thing by November. Carlos, of course, could do in two minutes what it has taken me two months to even approach. But that’s okay. Hard work can make up for a lack of natural ability.

Tomorrow we are going into Cangas de Narcea, which is the nearest large town. It was my other option for getting to Pola de Allande. There isn’t a bus from there to here, but it is only 25 kilometers or so. I could have taken a taxi or Stef could have come and gotten me. I’m happy with what I did though.

Oh, and on Saturday we will have a pilgrim! She is from Estonia, which might explain why she is walking in this weather. The other day it was 63 degrees, but lately the high has been in the 40’s. Tonight the low is 38 and on Sunday the low is going to be 25. 25! What am I going to do? Ya’ll, there is not a single moment I am awake that I am not cold. I warned the others, once it gets that low the only part of Juanita they are going to see is her “nariz.”

I knew this was going to happen. In Texas right now it is spring. I guess it is here too, but spring here is winter there. So by coming here I made winter last two extra months. And I don’t like winter much. It will be a real shock to me when I go back to the states and it is hot. I will have gone straight from winter to summer. I’m hoping to get some spring in April.

Mom was like, “You didn’t bring clothes for that kind of weather, did you?” Actually, I brought two pairs of long underwear, my silks and my regulars, and I figure I will wear both. I don’t have any gloves and my hat is just a ball cap, so she is in part correct. The one I’m worried about is Norbert, the canary. He is still on the terrace, and today he was all fluffed up. Norbert is cold too. I don’t think Montse brought him in tonight; I hope he will be okay.

Montse said that when she has taken him places before he took three days before he started singing. Here, he was singing the next day. If I ever settle in one place again, and I will, eventually, I’m getting a canary.

I was going to use the tortillas de trigo (Trigo is a type of flour; nasty stuff, if you ask me) to make something but Carlos and Stef have eaten most of them. Carlos was unfamiliar with tortillas, so Stef told him to dip it in water then microwave it. So he did.

He first wore it as a hat(it was that crisp and the black part stuck up like the crown of a sombrero) then ate around the burned part.

Today Montse gave me a shopping bag, and I realized I brought nothing from America as a thank you gift. I feel awful. Mom will have to help me think of something Texan and then send it here. I’ll get the address from Stef. I don’t think I could sneak it.

Well, that’s all that has happened today, guys. I’ll see you tomorrow.

My First Tortilla

I have figured out Montse likes to eat light in the evenings. No one here eats a lot of meat, and not just because they can’t afford it. They really don’t like it that much. But Montse doesn’t like beans or other proteins in the evening, so I’m trying to plan meals accordingly. I made Kushari for lunch, which everyone loved. It was pretty good, if I do say so myself. Kushari is Egyptian: lentils with rice, pasta, caramelized onions, and tomato sauce.

I was a bit worried because the bottom of the pot was just black after I cooked the onions, and I thought it was going to make the rice taste burned. It didn’t. It didn’t used to, but then I went through a period where it always did.

Anyway, after lentils for lunch I said I was going to attempt tortilla de patata for dinner. Ya’ll, this is the national dish of Spain. Cloti had shown me how to make it, but I looked up a recipe anyway. The writer said she lived in Spain for THREE YEARS before she even attempted it. I’ve been in Spain one week. I was so nervous attempting this; I can’t even tell you.

But I was really glad I looked up the recipe because Cloti had fried the potatoes in a LOT of oil, and I thought, “I’m not going to do that; I’ll save the calories.” You have to use that much oil; the potatoes don’t so much fry as poach. Cloti cooked her onions at the same time as the potatoes but my recipe said to use a separate pan. I did, but I couldn’t tell a difference so I probably won’t next time.

I let the potatoes cool before mixing them with the eggs, but, having never made a tortilla before, I hadn’t timed it properly and if I had let the mixture rest fifteen minutes, as the writer wanted, we wouldn’t have eaten until after 9 p.m. I gave it five. I also salted the potatoes after cooking. However, the salt was perfect!

Sliding the tortilla onto a plate in order to flip it was more than a little tricky, since everything was slick with oil, but I managed it. It didn’t land on the floor and I managed to not burn it. I was worried it didn’t cook through but it did. Some people don’t cook it through; they leave the middle a little runny. I’m too American for that.

Guys, it wasn’t the best tortilla I’ve ever had, but it was equal to most. My very first one! I am so happy I can make this dish. In part because I ADORE Tortilla Espagnola, as it is also called, but also because pilgrims love tortilla. I fueled most of my camino with tortilla and cafe con leche. So I was worried that I would not be able to cook this most essential of Spanish dishes. But I can.

So now, when we have pilgrims, I can make tortilla the night before to have in the morning. But someone else will have to make the coffee.

My first tortilla

Eugenia’s Housewarming Party

Eugenia is a young woman who used to stay with Stef. She said, “I think I will find a job and stay in this village.” Stef thought that was extremely unlikely given the size of Pola de Allande. But she found one, got an apartment, and lives here now. For how long, no one knows. She is originally from Italy.

Last night we went to her place for a housewarming party. She has a three bedroom apartment, fully furnished, with a beautiful terrace, which is what they call a room on the end of building that is mostly windows, for 250 euros a month! That’s it, guys. I’m moving to Spain. Of course, you’re only going to pay prices like that in a little village like Pola. Madrid would be something else entirely.

Here are pictures from the party. Cloti sent them to me.

Nikolas, Cloti, me, Stef, Carlos, Montse, Siriena
Same people plus Eugenia

Cloti is very much an “early to bed, early to rise” person, so she left before the party got good. Montse brought her guitar, and after dinner we all sat around and sang. Everyone but Stef, Montse, and I passed around some marijuana as well. Montse only smokes cigarettes. Carlos only smokes marijuana. Stef and I don’t smoke at all. I taught Eugenia and her friend Siriena, who is from France, the chorus to “In These Shoes.” They loved it. “No me gusta caminar. No puedo montar a caballo. Como se puede bailar…” they sang.

Montse knows “The House of the Rising Sun” and learned a version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” just for me. It is one popularized by some Hawaiian singer with a ukulele. It’s not like the original. The words are all out of order and the “One day I’ll wish upon a star” part has the wrong melody. I said something about it and Carlos said, “But that’s the best-known version, right?” and I was like, “Well, yeah, maybe, if you don’t count Judy Garland’s…”

I sang “Never Enough,” or a modified version of it, and gave everyone chills. Eugenia came for lunch today and seemed to think (It’s hard for me to know because my Spanish isn’t that good) that it was the marijuana and not me. I didn’t set her straight.