Monday 10 September

I've just been up to the bees to treat them for varoa - a little mite that has wiped out most of the bees in Europe. The idea is that if they are treated now in the Autumn they stand a better chance of getting through the winter. The varoa strips were different here. Whereas in the UK they are flexible and can be bent over the frame to hold them here they were completely rigid so just the comb was supporting them. The idea is that the bees will become treated as they walk over the strips and the mites will drop off. Maybe the strips are slightly different here as well because I had read that the mite had become resistant to some treatments. I have to remove the strips after so many weeks which is what a lot of people have not done hence they have built up a resistance.

The experiment with no wheat and no tea has been failing. I enjoy making bread and enjoy eating it even more but at least I'm making my own - now don't be rude, yest that is a loaf of bread in the picture. I managed to cut out the tea but find by mid-morning I'm looking for an excuse to have a large milky coffee! What I have stuck to has been going raw up to midday thanks mainly to the variety of fruit and juices and milkshakes.

In the garden the pumkins are coming in. I chose a variety from HDRA for their flavour rather than size but I've yet to taste them. I've got potatoes coming out of my ears from all my neighbours and my neighbours who come to stay here in the village where they grew up have been visiting for the fiestas and have given me a basket of peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes. Have to find time to do something with it all!

Talking of fiestas there was a big one this weekend at a place called Cadeiras. Now Cadeiras is a beauty spot on a hill with picnic tables a church and a bar. It is usually deserted but this weekend it was packed. I went along with some English friends but we decided we need a lot more practise with the whole food thing. We did a typical picnic thing but we were very out done by the Spanish who had taken large tables, chairs, tents, lamb, pies, salads, lots and lots of wine, cakes etc. By the time they had decided where to put their tables we had already finished eating. Next year 'must do better'. Having said that we were the only ones walking up the hill to the event. There was not one other pedestrian or cyclist and we had three kids between us - mad English! This fiesta lasted three days with lots of food and various bands. It was lovely to see huge tables surrounded by families and friends from all over the Sober region. There are yet more fiestas to come. What great traditions and a great way of promoting the culture of the region through food, music and coming together.