Long Hours Culture

The year is racing by at an alarming rate and despite having returned recently from a holiday, just a few days back at work makes me want to request that the merry-go-round slows down so that I can draw breath.  I don’t subscribe to the Nigel Marsh view that “people work long hard hours at jobs they hate to earn money to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't know”  but I certainly identify with working long hours. It’s time I took responsibility for the type of life I want to lead and said “No”, more often.

 

Paella

We’re trying out our new paella pan this weekend, but whether we can recreate the splendid dish we ate at the Playa Arenillas campsite bar in Islares is a different matter.  Neither Andy nor I had ever eaten genuine Spanish paella so it was a “must” when we saw it on the menu at the campsite bar.   The waitress indicated it would be freshly cooked so we’d have a 30 minute wait allowing us to enjoy a beer and  indulge in a spot of people watching until it arrived.  And we weren’t disappointed when it did.  It was simply delicious

Hola

Mis Glis is home after her spell of working in Spain.  She was sad to leave but is now enjoying the luxury of a lie in each morning; for the next week or so at least.  It has been a great experience for her with her previously non-existent Spanish now very impressive. I set myself a challenge earlier in the year to try something new each month and I have generally managed to achieve that doing a variety of things.   Now I’m tempted to learn Spanish myself as speaking another language well is one of those things that really appeals

Jam or preserves?

Stirring in the sugar

I find the process of jam making to be somewhat unpredictable, the alchemy of reaching a setting point involving a mysterious science that requires a greater deal of precision than I usually apply when cooking. But, I’m delighted with the results of the jam I made yesterday. Saturday afternoon saw me topping and tailing the gooseberries ready for the big boil!. Despite following  the recipe instructions to the letter, particularly over the wrinkle test, I still fretted about the texture for most of the afternoon and was completely taken aback when a spoonful of the cooled jam appeared perfectly set

Wrinkle test

It's set

GOOSEBERRY JAM

Ingredients

1 kg/2lb 4oz gooseberries

1 kg/2lb 4oz granulated sugar

150ml/5fl oz water

Preparation method

1. Wash, top and tail the gooseberries, discarding any that are damaged. Place a saucer into the freezer.

2. Put the gooseberries and 150ml/5fl oz water into a large pan or preserving pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until the fruit is softened.

3. Stir in the sugar and cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.

4. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 8-10 minutes before testing to see if set.

5. To test whether the jam has set: take the saucer from the freezer and drop a small spoonful of jam on to it. Allow it to cool for a minute then push your finger through the jam – if it wrinkles it’s ready; if not,

boil for a few more minutes. Continue testing until the jam is ready.

(Always remove the jam from the heat while you’re testing so that if it’s ready you won’t overcook it.)

6. Meanwhile, sterilise the jam jars - first wash the jars in soapy water and rinse in clean warm water. Allow them to drip-dry, upside down, on a rack in the oven set to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Leave them there for at least half an hour while you make the jam.

7. Once the jam is ready, turn off the heat, skim off any scum and leave to stand for 15-20 minutes.

8. Spoon the jam into clean sterilised jars and seal tightly with screw top lids while the jam is hot.

Extreme Fruit Picking

It’s official. Picking gooseberries is an extreme sport requiring specialist training, clothing and equipment. The only salvation to my wounding experience was that the leaves on the bushes had been completely stripped by sawflys who had been feeding their insatiable appetites quite contentedly while we were away on holiday. Consequently, both the fruit and thorns were more visible than usual.  Despite that, the extent of injuries sustained appeared to be rather excessive for a mere 4lb of fruit. It’s to be hoped that the jam, which was made yesterday, is sufficiently delicious to dull the pain by way of compensation!

 

Catch of the Day.

 I love fish.  It’s absolutely one of my most favourite foods and certainly my protein of choice.  So, when we were on holiday, it was simply heaven to be able to eat some of the wide variety of fish available in local markets and from harbour side catches.  In the UK, it seems as if too few people want to buy, cook and eat fish and as a consequence, fish availability is limited at best. But in France and Spain, fish is clearly a prized food with all the cooking options seriously discussed and considered before purchases are finally made

Simple Pleasures

Despite the Guggenheim, along with the monastery at Angers being on our list of places to visit during our holiday, we did neither, preferring to maximise the outdoor living opportunities afforded us by the superb sunny weather.  Sitting at a street cafe in the delightful Basque city of Vitoria enjoying a home made icecream or sipping a glass of something chilled at a waterfront bar in the historic town of Castro Urdiales, we reflected on the positive effect that good weather, bright light and sunshine has on individuals. And that when the weather is good, simple pleasures are beyond riches

Driving "on the continent"

Our drive to Vitoria was comparatively stress free as a consequence of  the capable driving of Mr Glis (and my navigational skills, she added, modestly!). That said, with only one or two exceptions, the general courtesy shown by the French and Spanish road users was of a very high standard, with little lane hogging or cutting in. We were surprised, as it has been several years since we last took the car to Mainland Europe and we thought that there would have been an inevitable decline in driving behaviours, just as has happened in the UK.  Maybe we were lucky?

Atlantic Waves

We spent a lot of time swimming in the Atlantic, Mr Glis and I!

We both really enjoy sea swimming and despite the extreme contrasts between the air (34 degrees), water temperature (23 degrees) along with sand hot enough to burn the soles of the feet, it was a refreshing yet relaxing way to spend a few hours each day.  Normally, the Medoc coast is renowned for its surfing, the usual  low pressure out in the Atlantic creating “wind which means waves”, but the recent protracted spell of high pressure meant gentler waves than normal which were  perfect for swimmers

 

Swimming at Soulac

Our drive to Soulac sur Mer was enlivened by the afternoon  ferry crossing from Royan.  Mr K loves boats of all sorts and he’s always happy on a ferry.  We pitched our tent on the campsite before heading out for our first look at the Atlantic Ocean.  The beach was stunning with superb views North and South along the coast.  And although it was late afternoon when we arrived, it was still warm enough to swim. Because the tide was just retreating, the sands were people free, creating a feeling of space and tranquillity only ever experienced on deserted beaches

Low key Le Mans....

Others visit Le Mans for entirely different reasons but for us, it was merely an ideal place to stop on our way through France to Spain.  After an uneventful journey from Dieppe, the fun began. We thought we’d find no end of campsites or pensions in the surrounding region but unbelievably, we seemed to be out of luck.  Just as we’d resigned ourselves to an uber expensive hotel, we spotted a camp site sign.  Once we’d pitched the tent and eaten, we enjoyed a short walk to a nearby river with a geocache hide and found our first French cache.

Pont Romain

On our way

We were on our way. As the Newhaven-Dieppe ferry, MV Cote D'Albatre left on time, we watched  the English coast recede into the distance, the white cliffs iridescent in the shimmering sunlight.  After Mr Glis had made his inevitable prowl around the boat, we headed to the Bar Corneille  in search of coffee and croissants to get us in the holiday mood.  Suitably replete, we returned to the outdoor decks to enjoy the voyage across a channel as calm as a mill pond.  Mr Glis, king of the iphone Apps followed our progress assiduously.  Well he would, wouldn’t he?

Congratulations to Andy Murray

I can’t have been the only person in the country who missed Andy Murray’s final game at Wimbledon. Banished to the dining room in case he lost any more points when I was watching, if I was a nail biter, they would be considerably shorter than a week ago.

I thought that the semi-final against the petulant Pole was stressful enough but the final was almost unbearable to watch.  But, I am in awe of his achievements, his total focus throughout the game, with a resilience and determination that belied the 3 straight set win over the gracious Novak Djokovic

York

The white magnesian limestone walls of York were glittering like a diamond tiara in the brilliant sunshine last week.  York is one of my favourite cities so it’s never a hardship to visit, even for work. My professional life being dominated by teleconference calls, I was delighted to find, thanks to geocaching, a delightful  little haven where I could sit and enjoy the glorious weather, Blackberry earphones in situ while dialled into a call.  To any curious onlooker, I no doubt appeared to be mumbling away  to myself but from my perspective, it was a most enjoyable outdoor office alternative