Hazy lazy summer days.

Dear blogging friends.  I would like to say a big thank you to all of you that have so kindly left your comments on my blog.  Taken the time to read them.(often having blogging blanks and not knowing what to blog about), you have read them and commented.    Its without a doubt, that I have learned much since knowing you all.  Each one of you  have  added a new dimention to my life.  

  Its that time of the year, when life becomes a little hectic around "Rose Cottage."  guests arriving for their little holiday getaway in the country.    Attending the  garden , some new plants in the pots and taking some days off for myself.. Its chilling time. Grandchildren on holidays ..fun time is arriving. Alentejo is the hottest province in Portugal.  Its 38o at the moment and rising. 

This blog is to wish you all some happy weeks of summer.. Great days with your family and friends. 

Lazy Hazy days of summer are here..      Best wishes and love  from Val at  Val's Alentejo..

I started this morning off with a nice cup of coffee, sitting out on the patio and looking at how lovely I think my garden is looking. I finished my coffee and with camera in hand went around the garden.  I thought i would make a post I started to take photos,  three of which i have put on the post below. 

Beautiful red velvet double rose...The next one a very tall stemm with tiny little white /yellowy flowers  I have no idea what the name is!    And to my great delight the third one is my first sucsessful lilly!  Imagine two heads and a third on the way.  I am elated as I am not a flower expert.  Each year I try to add something new to my garden. 

As I was taking the photos the phone rang., I attended and became distracted. I had to go to the village to the bank. I thought I would take more photos on my return. I dressed and went drove off to the village.

                  Upon approaching the little square where my bank is.  I was amazed to find figueres dressed up like the farm workers around the area .   It took my by surprise.  As this month of June is festivity month.  Saturday and Sunday the village held marches .  I didnt know it was going to happen. As there is always something happening.  Its 20 years however, that the village hasnt had marches.                      

houses were decorated...just around the square area.

       As I  parked my car and walked to the bank.. i got the fright of my life.. there standing against the little water font was this couple above.  At first sight, I thought they were real.  
I have learned to take my camera whereever I go now.  To my joy, I was able to take photos.  I thought it was just wonderful.

                                                    Donna Maria

                                                            Snr. Padre Manuel.. this lady had decorated her little patio.

                                                 Manuel and Maria dancing..  You can see my little car and the bank at the back..

                                         Flimsily made little bench.. you cant sit on it..as its only for this coming weekend..as its the festive day of St. Pedro.. (st. Peter) here.

                                                     Snr. Jose and Donna Felicidade

                                                     Snr Jeremias e donna Lucinda dancing their hearts out.

                                      Even the little window sills had flower baskets.

                                                  A flower basket.

                                                 Donna Maria's husband  Snr Miguel..he is a little shall we say "upps tipsy"

                                            One of our little chapel's.. its opened now and again. The priests are becoming less and less and have to go miles to serve other parish's. Our main church says mass on Sudnay's.

                                              Here is Dom Sebastian.  He is watching over his group.

  Seems everyone had a merry time.   There is something special about this event.  I found out just as i was about to leave.  The lady responsible for this excellent show, told me that she and her daughter and two other ladies had done all the work..   All the flowers are made out of recycled plastic bottles and cups and orange bags and plastic cartons.   I was amazed.  The silver you see on the trees are from the inside of cartons or something.. it was all so well done.    The lady told me that everyone had a good time and the marches were very good.   I suppose i will go to the municipality to see the photos.

What i would like to mention, is this.  This is what the lady donna Maria said.    We are in a terrible economic crisis as we all now.  Its 20 years since we had the marches.. we are all tired of the austerity measures and thought that it would be a good thing for us all to have some fun. To be able to forget our wow's and our bills.   I said my good bye's after very much agreeing with her, and said that I was sorry I hadnt been there.

I spent the rest of the afternoon with friends.  Arrived home and here is my post.
I love village life for the simplicity of it all.   No rush no fuss.

Wishing you all a happy week.

Summer sardines

 Summer is here .    During the months of June, July, and August . August is the best month to really eat the sardines, they are very fat and simply divine.  Hugo buy's  fresh Sardines  at the market.   Yesterday was an exceptionally hot hot day.  My dear friends from the restaurant in the village , decided to have charcoal fresh grilled traditional  Sardine lunch.  Portuguese style. 

It was a perfect grill .  Fresh iced home made sangria.. the Portuguese drink it too!

Potatoes picked by Hugo's grandad from their little quinta..they are boiled with the skin on them. then its peeled off, they taste delicious with olive oil and a little vinigar.

                                          Sardines on the bread..delicious. The juices fall onto the bread.

                                             My plate.  I could eat them every day during summer    

                                                8 of us at the table.. cucumber,tomato, onion salad with fresh oreganum

                                             Caraffe's of divine iced Alentejo red

                                                  grilled green peppers in fresh olive oil

                                         curtains drawn at the back.. tomorrow 125 guests. Groups of traditional Alentejo singers.  They are competing in the village hall.  I will go and see a couple of them sing. Its an annual event.

  

                                            Young Barbara, pouring our drinks.

                                                Our chef  Hugo

                                                   Hugo's lunch. He isn't partial to sardines Bacalhao with fresh garlic ,potatoes with olive oil.

                                        our little waiter Kiko .. he was handing us our coffee.

Summer is a wonderful month here.   Its a month of celebrations and fiestas and bull fights , markets , pickniks and fun. The old village folk, sit outside their front doors to relish in with the evening breezes.
It doesnt go dark until 9.30pm , So after work there is lots of movement . People going out to eat , or have their coffee , children eating their ice creams.
Weddings take place too.
I have been friends with the "Camoes" family for more than 20 years.  Young Barbara was'nt born then. Hugo and my youngest son Filipe, went to the same school. They are great buddies.
When my family come down for weekends.. its usually saturday or sunday lunch at "Camoes".
The Portuguese are very family oriented people.  The children play around , there is lots of laughter and joy.  Its one of the reasons I love living here.  They know how to make the best out of life .. They are a happy people.

Wishing you all a happy weekend.    lots of lovely eats and laughter.

Every 9 years

 The Ancient Greeks and Romans discovered how to use cork.  I am no expert on this matter. Today I decided to write about what can be produced from cork and some information on how its stripped from the trees.

HANDBAGS, PURSES,CLUTCH BAGS, SHOES, SLIPPERS, UMBRELLAS AMONGST SOME OF THE ITEMS MADE. 

WEDGE HEELED CORK SLING BACKS.  I AM SURE MOST OF US HAVE A PAIR ON OUR SHOE RACK!

Before you can take the bark of the cork trees it takes 25 years for the tree to grow.  The first cutting is called virgin cork, and is harder . The second stripping takes place between 9 to 12 years later, here in with our Iberian cork.   In Portugal its known as the "Sobreiro" -Quercus faglhea.

The tree grows on the Iberian Peninsula, mediterranean areas, Balearric Islands and up in the Atlas mountains of North Africa.

Normally stipped in May to June. 

The bark has already been stripped off this tree and it now waits for its next stripping.

                                                                A virgin tree..testing the bark

                                                  Professional cork strippers.  The price fo the cork is stipulated on the open market. These men live only from stripping and are very proud of their work. Its a very lucrative business. To grow the trees and for the strippers..

                This weekend started the stripping of the cork trees at my son's Herdade "Alfange" Its a busy time and occassion .  One has to be close at hand , as the men like the owners to be there.  The photo above shows Alfanges cork trees of which there are many.

                              Second generation cork stripper !   Whew!! I am learning

                             Look what I have done in an afternoon.  Gosh I am so tired.


Besides shoes and clothing.  Cork is used for firewood, beams, posts, flooring and other uses.
Acorns from the cork oak are the staple diet for our black free range pigs.  Alfange had at one time 150. . now there are a couple roaming around.  Not to mention the wild boar who like them too.

Cork is unique. Up until this present day, no other tree has the same characteristics and can be used in this way.

Sunday we celebrated with a big family lunch ..another 9 years to wait for the next  stripping.

Wishing you a happy tuesday.  Enjoy the trees around you.  They are precious.. A cork tree is never cut down.

No Factories -No Looms

Not far from my village are the villages of  Ferreira do Alentejo and the village of Arriolos.  Both lovely villages, although I have to say that Arriolos is one of the loveliest places to visit.

The province of Alentejo is made up of many villages belonging to districts.  Each district and village have their own unique artisan and craft work.       Its what makes Alentejo attractive.
 When we take a drive out to one of these villages, we know what we are going to see, thats the great part about it.  

                                        FERREIRA    DO      ALENTEJO

The images below are hand made artisan work from Ferreira do Alentejo.

 The art of painting these intricate unique designs have been handed down through the generations.

 

hand painted bed head

                                               childrens doll house bedroom set

Ready to assemble a child's bed

                                                It is a tradition to have two of these small little chairs at the side of the large fireplace.  In some of the old restored farmhouses, the owners still like to keep this tradition . I have two plain red ones.

      

                                              Wardrobe  and other items a beadhead leaning on the wall.

                                            Hand painting a door.  The designs are now also being used in country farmhouses that have been restored.

                                                 All hand made .  The items are made to order. No two peices are alike. unless requested.

                                                     A traditional Alentejo bed and bedcover

                                            Some of the designs used

green hand painted kitchen chair.

These images are of the old designs that if you are lucky enough to find are very valueable-

chest of drawers.. so lovely is the design.

For many many years I had a blue kitchen table and chairs with this above design on the chest of drawers.. everyone loved it, we had many great meals and pow pow's on that table.

...................................................................................

ARRIOLOS.

T

hand stitching working from top to bottom.

Beautiful intricate designs. No looms are necteslsary in the making of these carpets . They are highly sought after .  

                                                             The begining of a design

                                                                   Carpet shop in Arriolos

 The ladies of a summer evening sit outside their front doors with the children playing around and sew. Most of the designs are of oriental moorish designs. The ladies use their own interpretation. They are beauty in the making.  Its wonderful to see the ladies at work on their carpets.  They are sold in Arriolos and in Lisbon. As you can imagine, they cost a fortune.

                                                     Some of the village girls prefer to stay with their mothers when they leave school..and continue the tradition. here a young girl is showing her handywork.

Queen Elisabeth ll  was given an arriolos carpet..as a gift from the portuguese government.
They add class to any home .  Are seen hanging on walls or adorning the floors of the palaces and stately homes of portugal