With the start of Spring we have been expanding the garden - temperatures over the last few days have been touching nearly 30 degrees in the sun so we thought it was about time to plan ahead for the summer.... Out in the campo the earth is not the best for gardens, you can find compost in any good hardware store which normaly retails for €1 a bag.
When it rains the normal topsoil creates a mud like consistancy and when the sun comes out this hardens to a near concrete shell - in short only the most hardy of plants will thrive. The best solution is to source manure, our neighbours on the other side of the hamlet sell horse manure, suprisingly the locals dont use it. We have now "turned" our garden with this manure and have seen the results from the year before at the house where we bought it from....
This is what they grew:
Beans
Peas
Potatoes
Red/green/chilli peppers
Tomatoes
Herbs
Onions
Normally, given the quality of the soil this would not be possible so a fertilizer is required, this will obviously differ greatly depending on area. Horse manure is available and will help promote any garden ranging from a simple raised bed or something more complexed.
Favour for a friend!: If you are looking for a fertilizer and live in or around Orce/Galera/Huescar etc then you can purchase 40litre bags of manure or it can be delivered by the trailer. Email or pm me via the new forum.
CR
3/18/06
3/12/06
Floors and beer bottles.....
I came across this idea when we visited some neighbours who have also reformed their own cave by themselves. Its a bit of an obvious one but an effevtive workable idea.
When they laid there concrete floors they decided to insulate the floor too - to do this they used beer bottles. The bottles were laid top to tail creating a "floor of bottles" then the whole lot were covered in concrete. The end result was an insulated floor with the air trapped inside a few inches underneath. The difference, apparently is noticable.
Pro,s and cons: Obviously many many bottles of beer are required! this may take some time to collect them all but an enjoyable task in any case :)
This idea and others like it came from a book/website detailing ecological living. Simple ideas that cost very little and using recycled materials can be applied to caves very effectivly.
When they laid there concrete floors they decided to insulate the floor too - to do this they used beer bottles. The bottles were laid top to tail creating a "floor of bottles" then the whole lot were covered in concrete. The end result was an insulated floor with the air trapped inside a few inches underneath. The difference, apparently is noticable.
Pro,s and cons: Obviously many many bottles of beer are required! this may take some time to collect them all but an enjoyable task in any case :)
This idea and others like it came from a book/website detailing ecological living. Simple ideas that cost very little and using recycled materials can be applied to caves very effectivly.
3/7/06
Carnival Time!
In March of every year the local villages have a carnival. The photo below is the one we went to with our son, its a great way to meet people and indulge in something that we would not have found in the UK. Not knowing what to expect we went along and found the village hall ready prepared for a live band, tables laid out for the kids party etc etc.
The younger kids were all dressed up....lemons, strawberries, oranges, pirates, super-heros etc. To begin, there was dancing to the music provided by the local band. One of our local shop owners was a hit as a singer and trumpet player - we had no idea!!! There followed acts performed by the little ones and groups of children, dancing and singing.
It was a great afternoon and the kids loved it which is the most important thing. For us another opportunity to sample village life was greatly enjoyed.
The younger kids were all dressed up....lemons, strawberries, oranges, pirates, super-heros etc. To begin, there was dancing to the music provided by the local band. One of our local shop owners was a hit as a singer and trumpet player - we had no idea!!! There followed acts performed by the little ones and groups of children, dancing and singing.
It was a great afternoon and the kids loved it which is the most important thing. For us another opportunity to sample village life was greatly enjoyed.
3/3/06
Winter to Spring in the mountains
Sunny Spain......? Well that all depends on where you go, here in cave country you can either enjoy or tolerate the extremes in temperature. Many cave villages are 3000ft above sea level and as general rule hold a temperature lower than that of the coastal regions. In winter you can expect -20 degrees overnight and in summer daytime a very hot 47 degrees+ in August. Spring is very short here in the Sierra de Maria, indeed blink and you will miss it, the photo below was taken 3 days ago but come next week the whole campo will come alive with colour and life.
The caves however maintain a steady temperature - this is true but dont expect a constant 18 degrees all year round, this simply is not the case. The reality is that a cave is warm in the winter and cool in the summer but you will need a fire or alternative heating in the winter. In March you can BBQ during the daytime but may still need a cosy warm fire come the evening.
The fresh air first thing in the morning at this time of year is a joy, as is the landscape and snow-capped mountains, sometimes you feel close to nature and a world away from artificial heating, traffic jams and crowds milling around the ever lasting January sales. Sound good? well its not for everyone, for those considering cave life permanently its a good idea to visit at different times of year if you can especially in the winter to actually see and experience the region at its coldest time.
The caves however maintain a steady temperature - this is true but dont expect a constant 18 degrees all year round, this simply is not the case. The reality is that a cave is warm in the winter and cool in the summer but you will need a fire or alternative heating in the winter. In March you can BBQ during the daytime but may still need a cosy warm fire come the evening.
The fresh air first thing in the morning at this time of year is a joy, as is the landscape and snow-capped mountains, sometimes you feel close to nature and a world away from artificial heating, traffic jams and crowds milling around the ever lasting January sales. Sound good? well its not for everyone, for those considering cave life permanently its a good idea to visit at different times of year if you can especially in the winter to actually see and experience the region at its coldest time.
2/26/06
Orce Caves
Some excellent examples of caves to rent. Situated in Orce these caves have been reformed recently and were renovated from scratch. Some of the caves used be used as animal housing and have been extended using the local JCB. Most have 2 bedrooms, kitchen, diner and ample living space.
The owners own a local restaurant and offer a package where you can take advantage of their eating establishment too. Both the village and restaurant are 5 minutes walk from the caves.
For further information visit www.restaurantelamimbrera.com
email : info@restaurantelamimbrera.com
The owners own a local restaurant and offer a package where you can take advantage of their eating establishment too. Both the village and restaurant are 5 minutes walk from the caves.
For further information visit www.restaurantelamimbrera.com
email : info@restaurantelamimbrera.com
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