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Andalucia – burnt by sun and wind

It’s time for another Spanish lesson, this time in the weather department.

Have you learned the word “terral”? It comes from the Spanish word for “earth”, which is “tierra”. It refers to that hot, dry wind that blows off the inland plains out to see from time to time. In the summer time, “terral” is a real scorcher and brings with it the highest temperatures of the season.

You’ll know we are in the middle of a “terral” when you go to bed at night and it’s so hot you can’t sleep. Then you wake up feeling like you were trying to sleep in an oven and no one has yet turned down the temperature.

“Terral” is a throat parching, skin cracking phenomena that can go on and on for days on end. But then, just when you think you can’t take it any more, the wind direction might change and bring with it the cooler “levante” breezes from the Eastern seaboard.

More on the weather next week…

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Enjoy the Beach in Andalucia

I can’t help it. Safety is such an important topic I’ve got to post just a bit more information for those of you who enjoy spending summer holidays at our lovely local beaches.

Here we are along the calm, passive Mediterranean. What a delight, with warm currents bringing perfect temperatures for swimming, and long stretches of sandy beach feeling so good under our bare feet.

Have you seen those red flags they raise at certain points along the shore? It’s hard to believe that there could really be danger off such placid shores. But in fact, every year – and let me repeat: every year – local papers report drowning off the beaches of the lovely Andalucian Coasts. What really amazes me is how often people drown when the red flag is flying – as if the alarm it signals really couldn’t be true.

It is essential to mind the signals at the beach, even if the weather seems perfect to you. In fact, there could be vicious currents ripping offshore.

It’s also a good idea to protect your feet when exploring rocky areas of our coast. A species of prickly sea anemone inhabits these beaches and if you step on one and the spine breaks off in your foot, you could suffer the consequences for weeks to come.

One last thing to watch out for is the jelly fish. These come and go and in recent years there have been literal invasions along the coast. The stinging variety does cause ample irritation. Should you suffer a sting, visit your first aid station immediately for treatment. Also, you might consider bringing a bottle of vinegar to the beach with you for first aid purposes as this is a local home remedy for treating stings right away.

Spanish beaches are packed with holiday makers every year – and clearly they are generally safe places to play, sunbathe and swim. The key is to follow the rules and watch out for yourself and your loved ones. It only takes a few simple precautions to ensure all your memories are good.

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Pool Safety in Andalucia

Andalucia is a sunny, beautiful paradise, a land of endless holiday. This is known as a “safe” tourist destination and, by all practical estimations, it surely is. However, there is one danger that is so often underestimated – and that is found in many easily accessible swimming pools that are open this time of year.

Last summer I was shocked to see a child who couldn’t have been more than three years old alone at the edge of a swimming pool in a nearby villa. It was very early and it appeared the rest of the family (visiting on holiday) was still asleep. I couldn’t help keeping busy outside in the garden with an eye on the girl until a sleepy eyed family member wandered outside some time later.

Every year children drown in swimming pools in Spain. Like anywhere in the world, the accidents take many forms – everything from a moment’s distraction to outright neglect – but each one is just as tragic as the last.

If you come from a country where swimming pools are not the norm, be advised that drowning is a silent accident that only takes minutes. It is hardly possibly to be too careful with children and pets around the pool.

Barriers to the pool – such as walls, fences, gates, alarms and safety nets – are helpful for keeping children and pets safe, but they are never to serve as a substitute for adult supervision. If you’re staying near a pool this summer, be sure you always know where your small children are.

Read more about Swimming Pool Safety.

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A Final Taste of Summer!

Time now for our last recipe in this summer series and I’ve saved the best for last (although they’re all excellent). This is truly a magnificent summer salad. Thanks to our close proximity to Morocco, this recipe migrated to Andalucia through the family of a close friend of mine.

Claudia’s Authentic Moroccan Couscous Salad
2 cups of couscous – prepare according to instructions and chill
1 ½ cups cooked, drained garbanzos – chilled (you can buy these canned)
½ large red pepper, chopped
1 tin black olives, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, chopped
1 cup feta cheese, drained

Couscous Salad Dressing
Puree all these ingredients together:
3 plain yogurts
2 cucumbers
1 clove garlic, peeled
Fresh mint leaves – to taste
Fresh cilantro leaves – to taste
Squeeze of vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Chill the salad and the dressing. Serve cold. This fresh, healthy dressing can be enjoyed on a variety of other salads as well. Enjoy!

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Another Taste of Summer!

Keeping with the flavourful summer series I began last week, let’s get another recipe. This time it’s time to make a nice cold “Ensaladilla Rusa”, or Russian Potato Salad. As a side note, I asked a Russian friend of mine if this dish really originates from that country and she said she’d never heard of anything like it. This then, is the Spanish idea of what a Russian salad might be like – and it’s a very tasty dish to enjoy in the summer time.

Ensaladilla Rusa
5 large boiled potatoes, cold and chopped in small squares
4 or 5 carrots boiled (with the potatoes, if you like), cold and chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, cold and chopped
1 cup of frozen peas, boiled and cooled
4 tins of tuna packed in olive oil
Fresh tomatoes, chopped – as many as you like
Salt and pepper - to taste

Now the healthy version of this salad is dressed with virgin olive oil. However, you can also mix it up with mayonnaise. In Spanish supermarkets there is a special, thin, squeeze-able bottled mayonnaise designed especially for mixing into salads like this.

Chill your salad and enjoy it with a bowl of gazpacho and maybe fresh yogurt for dessert. Light, satisfying and cool.

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Taste a Spanish Summer

Spanish cuisine changes dramatically in the summer time, and it’s no wonder given the intense heat. Not only is it too hot to cook, but it’s also too hot to eat a steaming bowl of soup or stew.

You’ve probably heard of gazpacho, the Spanish cold tomato soup that is so refreshing in the summer, but that’s not the only tempting cool dish to enjoy this time of year. Other favourites on my list are cold pasta, potato and couscous salads.

This month I’m going to feature a little series of favourite summer dishes. Let’s start with my version of Spanish pasta salad:

Padilla Pasta Salad
500 grams curly vegetable pasta cooked and cooled
2 small tins of corn
1 tin black olives, sliced
4 tins of tuna packed in olive oil
Chopped fresh tomatoes – as many as you like
Salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to suit your taste

If you like you can add feta cheese or even grated cheddar. Mix everything together and chill before serving. Enjoy!

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A Spanish Style Summer

So it’s summer and the beach is ready and waiting, but you’re not a beach person! Or, let’s say you’ve had it with the crowds at the beach and you’d like to get away. Is it really too hot to go inland?

Not always.

Think about it, millions of people live inland and put up with the heat. There are ways to enjoy inland destinations right now, at this time of the year. You’ve just got to take a few hints from the natives – like living at night.

Travelling to inland Andalucia in the summertime requires an open mind, flexibility and… and air conditioned room to sleep in at night – and during the siesta. That’s the trick. After those conditions are met, then it’s a matter or organising your day around the heat, just like the natives do.

Plan to get up early in the morning to explore your destination. By 1:00 it’s time to start looking for a nice, air conditioned restaurant. Have a long, leisurely lunch and then head back to the hotel to hide out, napping, reading and watching television until at least 7:00 or 8:00 in the evening – or later.

Now it’s time to hit the streets again, and you won’t be alone. As the sun sets, the streets will fill to capacity and the fun begins. It’s time to stroll about and see the sights. Top off your evening with a late dinner and you’re on a roll.

This may not be the Spanish holiday you’re used to, but you might just find it’s fun for a change.

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Chiringuitos Endangered Species?

cheap cipro Owners of “chiringuito” beach bars and restaurants along the coasts of Andalucia are worried that a new set of coastal regulations could spell the beginning of the end for many.

In reality, they should have little to fear because the regional government has taken a stand on the issue and pledges to back an industry that directly employs 40,000 people in our region.

As environmental awareness increases we can hardly blame coastal authorities for reviewing and upgrading their regulations, but at the same time both locals and millions of visitors could hardly imagine the beaches of southern Spain without the smell of spit roasted fish and other delicacies wafting out from the nearest “chiringuito”.

Ranging from simple seasonal structures to all season facilities, these bars are the lifeblood of the Spanish beach culture, providing not only local cuisine, but often music, entertainment and… toilets!

While I’m a firm supporter of environmentally friendly and sustainable living, I can understand the frustration of “chringuito” owners (there are about 4,000 of them in Andalucia) who have made substantial investments to meet current regulations (the estimated cost of setting up one of these bars is around 400,000 euros in order to meet all the regs) and yet, it never seems to be enough.

In the end, let’s hope the regional Junta de Andalucia is able to successfully mediate in order to keep the coastal authorities happy while still letting us enjoy fried fish on the beach.the sun don t lie download mp3 lamisil rosacea robitussin and clomid nextag cialis

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Spain’s Summer Schedule

Get ready for “Horario de Verano”. That’s one Spanish phrase you should know. It literally translates as “Schedule of Summer” and means the opening hours for many businesses will change to accommodate the heat.

When I first learned about “Horario de Verano” so many years ago, I thought it couldn’t be true. How could we change opening hours just because it was summer? Impossible.

But in fact, it was true, not only true, but necessary! Just imagine trying to work through the heat of a southern Spanish summer. Survival requires a shift in living habits in order to stay up and enjoy the cool of the night. Strangely you can wake up early and feel ready to go in the early cool of the morning as well, but by mid-day – forget your plans! It’s time to hide from the heat.

This summer schedule often has workers in to the office as early as possible and then stretches their patience until 3:00 rather than the usual 2:00 break for lunch. Therefore, many put in a solid seven hours in one shot just to earn the right to go home, eat a good lunch, enjoy a much needed siesta and stay up half the night.

If you find that the summer schedule gets in your way, try to put yourself in the shoes of those trying to carry on working at this time of year. This new perspective will certainly change the way you feel about that “Cerrado” (Closed) sign hanging in the shop window after all the trouble you took to get there in the midst of stifling heat!

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Join the World March for Peace in Andalucia

Now this is exciting news:

The World March for Peace and Non-Violence, organised by the NGO World without War, is coming through Spain starting on the November 13, 2009 in Barcelona. Participants will march south to Madrid then on south to Andalucia. The march will continue across our region before heading into Morocco on November 17, 2009.

This event may seem to be a long way off but numerous high profile personalities from around the world are already working hard to promote this march. Thus there will be no excuses regarding late notice!

If you’d like to find out more about the World March for Peace route across Andalucia, visit the Spanish Information and Map page oasis supersonic health non-formulary cost net viagra difference between zovirax and valtrex .

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