Autumn in Galicia – The time of plenty

Another autumn has arrived. It is our second in Galicia and this year although work never stops we are very much aware of it and are making the most out of it.

It is the time of year when waking up (yes not too early) fog is covering the landscape and depending if one can see the trees or not it tells us that the sun will be beating down sooner or later.

Having the advantage of height here in Mer we tend to have sunshine from about 11 o’clock onwards. Boy, when the sun powers through you are very fast out of the warming morning jacket or sweatshirt – the temperature jumps from 10C to 25+ in no time.

This year, having had a cool spring and a not to brilliant summer, with rain always at the wrong time – sorry if I already sound like a farmer, but this is unavoidable living rural, some crops are on the meager side.

The grapes are late, apples this year are not plentiful, pears are far and few between, damsons thrive and are just right, quince again is a bit hit and miss, the last carrots are being pulled.

For the tomatoes late rain meant lots are split but still they are great for cooking and the yellow ones used for a sauce on chicken make it look like a curry and your taste buds are sort of surprised when it’s not hot but smooth and tomatoy.

Paprika due to lack of rain at the right time are a bit on the skinny site but the ones that where sold with a flaming warning sign still do require the fire brigade on standby whilst eating them.

As always at this time of year, this is all cramped into just a couple of weeks. There is simply no time left, between harvesting, making liqueurs, preserving, jaming (my word for making jam and marmalade), cooking, freezing and building a green house, whilst entertaining friends, going to fiestas and ongoing renovation.

Although today is a bit of relaxation. Just some finishing touches to the new greenhouse (details next article), keeping our Internet sites up and running we’ll soon get changed give English conversation lessons to two great kids in Sober and will spend the rest of the afternoon ambling through Monforte probably ending up for tapas at the railway station.

Hasta luego

 Expat