La Semana Verde de Galicia 2015 June 11-14

photo Davd Mendez

The big exhibition of Galician heritage breeds and all things agro is this weekend in Silleda.

Schedule of events here.

Lacon con Grelos

The traditional Galician fare during Carnaval/Entroido is pork.  Chorizos, ham, pancetta, heads, ears, cheeks, trotters, tails, accompanied by tender new beet greens, boiled potatoes, drizzled with olive oil and washed down with local wine, it is a time of celebration and feasting before lent.

Now that we have a functioning kitchen, with a gas stove and a sink and everything, I thought I´d try lacon con grelos (beet greens).  I bought a small lacon (the front leg sans trotter) for 2, greens and potatoes at the Sunday market, and after consulting the meat vendor and my go-to source for Galician traditional cuisine (one of V´s aunts in Coruña) de salted it in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water 4 times.

The lacon went on the boil, and 2 hours later the chorizos were added.  I pre-boiled the greens to remove some of the bitterness, and then added the peeled potatoes half an hour before serving and the greens for the last 10 minutes.

Results - the lacon was still on the salty side for our taste.  Next time I´ll de-salt for 48 hours.  The potates were a tad overdone, they really should have been bigger.  But the results were reasonably authentic for a first try.

I´ll be making bubble and squeak a la gallega today with the leftover potatoes, greens and chorizo for lunch.

Happy Carnavales everyone!

Galiña Piñeira

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More chickens to look for.  They are a heritage breed, predating the Romans, called Galiñas Piñeiras and were in danger of extinction but are now recovering numbers.

(Re-)Discovered by a vet acting as a poultry judge, Jesús García Rodríguez, who was tired of awarding prizes to foreign breeds.  He found a local variety, never entered in contests, and after interviewing and visiting the older residents of the area in central La Coruña, he got together a small number of representative examples. In 2004, the ACIVEGA foundation took on the project with the support of the provincial government and began selection, typing, and reproduction of the breed. 

Smaller than the Galiña de Mos, they are supposed to be much better layers - 180 eggs of 50 to 60 grams per year v.s. the 70 or 80 of other heritage breeds.  Cocks weigh in at 3 to 3.5 kilos and hens from 2 to 2.5 kilos.  The meat is dark, lean, concentrated in the thighs and legs and similar to that of game birds.

They come in 3 color variations, aperdizado, silvestre, and white.

 aperdizado

  silvestre

 white

Reputed to be thrifty keepers and excellent foragers, and they fly.

The Fiesta de Galo Piñeiro is celebrated each year between July 31 and August 1 in O Pino, where the birds were first rediscovered, in the province of La Coruña.  
 

Pierre de Ronsard

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There is a rose that is ubiquitous in images of european style country gardens, especially French country.  Pierre de Ronsard, or Eden rose, is achingly romantic, full petalled, blush pink rose, demurely nodding while spilling voluptuously over arching, lush arbors in images all over the internet.

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Introduced by Meilland in 1987, Helpmefind describes the rose as:

Climber, Large-Flowered Climber.  

Cream, carmine-pink edges.  Moderate fragrance.  55 to 60 petals.  Average diameter 3".  Large, very full (41+ petals), borne mostly solitary, cupped, globular bloom form.  Prolific, continuous (perpetual) bloom throughout the season.  

Tall, climbing.  Medium, semi-glossy, dark green foliage.
Height of 39" to 12' (100 to 365 cm).  

USDA zone 5b through 9b.  Can be used for cut flower, garden, landscape or pillar.  Vigorous.  heat tolerant.  rain tolerant.  Disease susceptibility: very disease resistant.  

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But I didn´t really know who Pierre de Ronsard actually was until I read a piece on the always interesting art blog The Blue Lantern, Ronsard: A Romance Of The Rose.  It includes this lovely translation of his 16th century poem Derniers vers pour Cassandre (Last Poem for Cassandra).

"Mignonne, allons voir si la rose
Qui ce matin avoit desclose
Sa robe de pourpre au Soleil,
A point perdu ceste vesprée
Les plis de sa robe pourprée,
Et son teint au vostre pareil.

Las ! voyez comme en peu d'espace,
Mignonne, elle a dessus la place
Las ! las ses beautez laissé cheoir !
Ô vrayment marastre Nature,
Puis qu'une telle fleur ne dure
Que du matin jusques au soir !

Donc, si vous me croyez, mignonne,
Tandis que vostre âge fleuronne
En sa plus verte nouveauté,
Cueillez, cueillez vostre jeunesse :
Comme à ceste fleur la vieillesse
Fera ternir vostre beauté." - A Cassandre by Pierre de Ronsar, 1545

"Mignonne, let us go see if the rose

that this morning did disclose

her purple robe to the Sun,

lost just before the day was dead

Her color as bright as yours?

Ah, See how quickly,

Mignonne, she loses them (her petals)

Ah, how her beauties drift down!

Ôh, truly monstrous Nature,

that such a flower only lasts

from morning just to night!

Therefore, if you believe me, Mignonne

While your youthful bloom

Is in its green freshness

pick, pick the flowers of your youth:

Before, like a flower, old age

will tarnish your  beauty." - translation mine, J.A.L.

How beautiful is that?

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According to Wikipedia:

In general, Ronsard is best in his amatory verse (the long series of sonnets and odes to Cassandre, Pikles, Marie, Genévre, Héléne—Héléne de Surgeres, a later and mainly "literary" love—etc.), and in his descriptions of the country (the famous "Ode à Cassandre[1]," the "Fontaine Bellerie," the "Forêt de Gastine," and so forth), which are graceful and fresh. He used the graceful diminutives which his school set in fashion. He knew well too how to manage the gorgeous adjectives ("marbrine," "cinabrine," "ivoirine" and the like) which were another fancy of the Pléiade. In short, Ronsard shows eminently the two great attractions of French 16th-century poetry as compared with that of the two following ages - magnificence of language and imagery and graceful variety of metre.

I´ll have to look for translations, since I speak no French.  But whomever named the rose after the Poet certainly seems to have captured that fresh, graceful romanticism.

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Una Granja para el Futuro

This is a lovely (Devon is gorgeous) and important documentary on the future of farming from the BBC.  Now a link with Spanish subtitles!

Fiestas del Apóstol

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July 25th is the Day of St. James, or Santiago, and Gallegos dedicate almost 2 weeks of concerts and events in Santiago de Compostela, finished off with a giant multimedia fireworks display over the cathedral. 

For the complete Fiestas del Apóstol - Program
But what I´d really like to see is the Diá do Traxe Galego, with the runway and parade.  The variety of regional costumes from the mountains to the coast is really fascinating, some of them being family heirlooms.  This year it´s Sunday the 20th.

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from 2009

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 from 2011

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 2011

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El Cacho de San Xoan

It´s San Juan again.  The most poplar activities associated with this holiday are leaping over bonfires and then taking a dip in the ocean, or roasting and eating sardines.  But there is another, less well known pre-christian tradition, making a preparation called el cacho made from seven herbs and water from seven springs, used to banish witches. 

Tradition dictates that during the June 23, the eve of San Juan, the Galicians collected seven different herbs with three basic qualities: they must have a special smell, multiple applications in medicinal remedies and be the best to drive away evil beings.
 
Although possibilities are many, the seven traditionally are fennel-called Fiuncho, St. John's wort, lemon verbena, male-fern or Fento, rosemary, mallow and laburnum.
 
Along with these herbs water from seven different natural sources is collected and everything mixed in a bowl to make the cacho, which used to remove the devil from the body, ward off witches and cure envy.

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After being left outside all night to collect dew, the scented, green cacho is used to wash on San Juan, and after air-drying, guaranteed a healthy year and the absence of witches.  After San Juan, the herbs are left in the sun to steep further and the resulting infusion used throughout the year in home remedies.  Others gather the herbs and hang them over the door, or burn them on the bonfires.

Close call

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The Glasgow School of Art suffered a terrible fire Friday.  Fortunately, there were no injuries and everyone was evacuated safely.  The latest statement indicates that the damage wasn´t as bad as had been feared.

Assistant Chief Officer Dave Boyle, director of service delivery on the west, said: "Crews have been working absolutely flat out throughout this very challenging incident and it is clear their effort and skill has saved this treasured building and many of the items it housed.

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The Mackintosh building is a Scottish cultural icon.  Charles Rennie Mackintosh (7 June 1868 – 10 December 1928) was a Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist. He was a designer in the post impressionist movement and also the main member of the Glasgow School art movement.  Relatively few of his architectural designs were built, making this structure even more important.

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As an Arts and Crafts fan, it´s a relief that the damage wasn´t as bad as it first appeared, and that no one was injured.  Congratulations to the firefighters on their great work.  Let´s hope there´s support for reconstructing as benefits such a treasure.

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The Winter Rose

Camellias are a big deal in Galicia.  They started bringing them from the orient centuries ago, and they thrived in the humid, temperate climate.

Pontevedra is hosting the International Camellia Society Congress this week:

The Congress sessions will cover different fields, which enable the participation of the different sectors involved in the camellia world: tourism, ornamental, nursery field, landscape gardening and scientific sectors, trying to deal with all aspects related to the camellia plant.
Sessions will be held on Wednesday and Thursday morning and on Friday afternoon. The rest of the days include visits to the gardens, nurseries, exhibits and other attractions.

Attendees will be going to the Estación Fitopatolóxica do Areeiro 

one of the most important camellia research centre in the world, gathering an important camellia collection with more than eight hundred camellia cultivars. Their studies are mainly focused on camellia identification using morphological and molecular markers, on the viability and profitability of tea and oil camellia production in Galicia.

I have a spot picked out to try a couple.  I´m intrigued by the camellias grown for oil, although a couple of camelia sinensis for tea might be a good idea too.

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Other Galician Ruins

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Hispania Nostra, an organization dedicated to the identification and preservation of historical patrimony, has listed 12 abandoned properties in Galicia out of 300 in all Spain.

The Castillo de Pambre is the closest to us in Palas de Rei.  It's scheduled for renovation next year, though I'm not sure what they've decided to use it for.

This Sanatorium in Cesuras is especially creepy.

 The rest of the slideshow here.

El Museo da Terra de Melide

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The Ethnological Museum, installed in the former Sancti Spiritus Pilgrim Hospital, features both temporary exhibitions and has an interesting selection  of artifacts, some dating from the neolithic, including a spectacular blacksmith/cobbler/carpintry/homecraft display upstairs.

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But from January to Semana Santa of 2014, the museum will close for lack of funds to pay the 2 staff members.  After the provincial government cut their 2013 grant from 30 to 20,000€, associate dues and the government subsidy aren´t enough to keep the museum staffed and maintained.

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In addition to the collection of area artifacts, the museum houses the Centro de Estudios Melidenses, whose members have been working for the protection and study of the area´s artistic and historic patrimony since the 1970s.  After opening in the newly renovated space on the central plaza in 2001, by 2008 the museum received 12,000 visits, growing to 22,000 in 2010.

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V and I both enjoyed our visit, and recommend it to friends and family who are in the area.  You can have a virtual look-see here.

I am a huge fan of museums housing real stuff that reflect the lives of real people.  The National Decorative Arts Museum in Madrid is one of my favorites (a somewhat dizzying panoramic of the tiled kitchen here).  The Museo do Pobo Gallego in Santago de Compostela is on my list of places to go (they have boats!).

OENACH ATLÁNTICO 2013 - July 26 - 28

OENACH ATLÁNTICO 2013 is a festival celebrating the lifestyle, arts and customs of Galician celts in Naron. Sounds both interesting and fun.

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Friday July 26 - Relighting the flame of the new solstice in the celtic village.
22:45 Night of Galician music with traditional songs and instruments.

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Saturday July 27 - 11:00 Fair opens:  Artisan Fair.  Open market.  Play area. Gastronomy demonstrations. Wine tasting and food court.
13:00: Alxbera ethnological exhibition of music.  Exhibition of traditional dancing and costume.
17:00: Popular games demonstration
22:30:  Dramatic recreation  in the Castro de Eravedra presented by the Grande Compañía de Teatro Comunitario Aldeano de Sedes and awards presentation.

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Sunday July 28 -  11:00 - Living recreation of celtic village life, with thematic pallozas including stone work, basket weaving, ceramics, weaving, leather, metalworking, Artisan fair, open market, play area, and food.
12:00 Demonstration Cans do Palleiro and training
13:00  Dramatic recreation village field
13:30  Municipal Pipe band Padroado de Cultura of Naron
17:00  Popular and country games demonstration
19:30  Castro de Eiravedra Open race  for all ages (registration until 30 minutes before race time)
20:00  Closing Ceremony Oenach Atlántico 2013.

 

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Pazo Eidián

A heatwave is affecting Galicia this week, just like the rest of Spain, but I still think longingly of those thick stone walls while we swelter in our piso.

On one of our jaunts around the Melide area we headed south toward Agolada and saw a sign ¨Pazo¨.  Well, why not.  So we drove around some back roads, got lost, turned around and, after asking a friendly farmer, found the unmarked turn-off we´d missed.

The Pazo Eidián has been turned into a lovely hotel.  They did a beautiful job, we were shown around by the caretaker who was nice enough to interrupt his aperitivo and show us the grounds and interior.  He said despite the crisis their events business was doing well, weddings and communions, etc.  I wonder how long it takes grapevines to cover a patio. . .

We were especially taken with the lareira and the old beams they´d kept in place.

They have a pool and tennis courts, in short all the amenities people look for, in a very pretty setting.  Not least when it´s 90 degrees. 

Tweed Ride Madrid 2013 - June 9

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The Tweed Run was invented in the 90´s and enthusiastically adopted by urban hipsters everywhere in the last few years.  The objective is a leisurely cycle outing whilst dressed in period appropriate clothing - namely plus fours.  Any pastime that eschews lycra is OK in my book.

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This event combines all things awesome - vintage clothing, retro bikes, and conviviality so it´s easy to see why they´re popular.  In London entries are limited to 500 and they hold an auction.

And I finally found out about something in advance.  That never happens.

So FYI - The third annual Tweed Ride Madrid is scheduled for June 9. There´s a ride, picnic, photo op, swing dance demo and mustache contest planned.

source and more pics from 2012