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Anna Nicholas's Newsletter November 2013

Posted: Nov 07, 2013

Hot enough for June?
Here we are in early November wondering – with fingers firmly crossed behind our backs – how much longer this glorious summer weather will continue. In fact the heat is so strong that doors and windows are all flung open and the cats are basking on the front lawn under a brilliant sun. Of course our poor plants are out of sync and in the absence of rain, constantly parched. Our bougainvillea, plumbago and oleander are still in full bloom, a rare occurrence at this time of the year. Our frogs are normally off early October for their winter hols, but delayed their departure, happily in time to see our fat cat Doughnut catch Hissing Sid, the dreaded viperine snake plaguing the pond. Still alive, we took the miscreant far away to a nearby stream where hopefully he’ll find himself a new home.

Bonfire of the vanities
While many expats –and a few Mallorquis – celebrated bonfire night last month, our rural Solleric neighbours were more concerned with creating their own early morning blazes. During the summer there is a ban on bonfires and a few sneaky farmers try to get round the problem by rising early and killing off the fire by the time most of their neighbours rise. The local council does actually offer permits to those unable to keep their hands off a match until the Autumn. In the spirit of ‘if you can’t beat them..’ the Scotsman has been cheerily rising early and playing bonfires in the field. Little boys, little toys!

Soller’s own garden of Eden
For the last few years we have been supporting a local Mallorcan consumer group in Soller which produces and sells organic and eco vegetable and fruit. In 2011, our friend Mariló Ribes together with Toni Pons and Rosita Gomez went a step further and decided to launch a quite brilliant initiative. It is called
Hort Solidaris Sóller a community project on a strip of donated land which invites the jobless to come and create their own produce in a shared environment. Locals are warmly encouraged to help tend crops, support the project and pick up a spade! Now there are fantastic agricultural courses for adults, educational programmes for children and produce is sold to regular clients on a weekly basis. It is in effect a thriving community market which also extends to the sale of organic eggs, locally produced flower honey, goat and sheep cheese, organic flour and even cleaning products. The overall aim of the project is to keep alive the agricultural heritage of the island and provide work and purpose for those in need. If you are frequent visitors to Soller and would like to purchase weekly boxes of products at 10, 15, and 20 euros when here, do let me know.

Music and lyrics
It’s amazing what comes my way via the website. Recently I was contacted by a young Mallorcan songwriter who asked whether I’d consider working on the lyrics of some of his compositions. I haven’t penned any poetry for donkeys years and was on the point of dismissing the idea when I decided to listen to one of his melodies. It was so beautiful that I changed my mind. So now whenever I have a few spare hours of an evening I sit humming and playing with words. We’ve worked on two songs together already and have met in Palma. Sometimes it’s good to enjoy a little diversification!

A touch of Dost
Soller is quite a magnet for real estate agents but a recent addition to the valley is Dost & Co whose area director, Jaime Roig, has been successfully buying and selling properties on behalf of his clients in the Soller Valley for many years. In fact while he was director of another popular agency, he sold us our wonderful old finca so we have him to thank for having prompted our move here from London. Dost handle property island-wide so if you’re on the hunt for a good quality island property contact Jaime at Jaime.roig@dost-co.com

A load of rubbish
Few would consider a visit to Son Reus the island’s incinerator an edifying experience but for me it was. I am always dubious about emissions from these vast stations and having got completely lost en route, ended up seeing a lot more of the site than originally planned. A swish yet odorous monorail took me around the various sections, where to my surprise I discovered that a great deal of waste was separated by hand. Medals all round for the employees of Dexailles who do this messy sifting without masks while searching for recyclable items. When the plant was originally built it was supposed to have capacity to burn 300,000 tons of waste but by 2011 the capacity was increased to a whopping 736,000 tons. Why? Son Reus claim it’s to meet tourist demands (10m visitors per year) and the increase in waste but for all that it is now shipping in general waste from other countries in Europe to keep the massive monster fed during the winter months. There are two good aspects to Son Reus: it has more or less stopped the local erstwhile bad habit of scattering waste around the countryside and it is also hugely keen on re-cycling. It’s at least a step in the right direction.

Isabel Guarch in Palma
I had the pleasure of getting to know Isabel Guarch this year, a glamorous yet down to earth and hugely talented Mallorcan designer who is making a name for herself in international circles with her elegant jewellery creations inspired by the traditions and culture of Mallorca and the Mediterranean. You can find Isabel’s collection at El Corte Inglés stores in Palma but now she has also opened her
first chic showroom at 16, Plaça del Mercat in Palma. With its distinctive blue and white frontage, it’s hard to miss.

The Devil’s Horn
After a few final revisions and a quick glimpse over the manuscript by my eagle-eyed former editor, my gentle Soller whodunit, The Devil’s Horn, is winging its way- finally – to the literary agent in London. But there’s no time for repose because meanwhile I’m about to start penning a new adventure and have a stack of book concepts a mile long waiting to unfold!

First in a simple guide to quick & easy recipes that work for me!

Potaje (Serves 6-8 generous helpings)
The Mallorcans love their soups at this time of the year and one of my favourites- simple, delicious and warming- is good old vegetable soup. Whenever I roast a chicken, I boil up the carcass the following day to make stock and either freeze it or use it immediately in the preparation of soup. For non carnivores, vegetable stock is just as good for this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 litres chicken or vegetable stock (cheats can use 1 or 2 stock cubes!)
4 medium carrots
3 leeks
2 celery stalks
A big handful of green beans
A mug of frozen or fresh peas
2/3 large potatoes, peeled
Half a cauliflower
Half a Savoy cabbage
Tin of tomatoes puréed (or carton of tomato passata) No sugar or additives
1 medium sized Spanish onion, peeled
2/3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
Dessert spoon of tomato puree & teaspoon of Marmite if you like it!
Handful of fresh parsley
Black pepper & salt
A few glugs of olive oil
Half teaspoon of ground cumin
A few pinches of mixed dried herbs

Method:

Note: Some people might like to add a stock cube for extra taste. For non veggies, do add any left over chicken snippets to the mixture if so desired.

Competition – Latest edition of the Rough Guide to Mallorca & Menorca
I’m delighted to announce that after a random lucky dip, Keith Parry was selected as the winner. Congratulations, Keith!

Next month I will be offering copies of
The Taste of A Place Mallorca by Vicky Bennison. Watch this space!

Wishing you all a safe and toasty Autumn.

Warmest regards,
Anna