A longstanding tradition in Spain is the Sunday trip to the countryside (el campo). Many families have their own finca, and usually it’s been in the family for generations.
On Sunday we were invited to the campo by Emma’s dance teacher Maria Jose. It is rare for a finca to lie very far away from town, and her slice of Spanish countryside is about 15 minutes away from Arcos. We followed her car down a pot holed track for a few kilometres and arrived to find members of Maria Jose’s family (she doesn’t lack relatives!) already busying away with lunch preparations.
The finca has a few acres of land and a small house with a makeshift kitchen, a main room (which had a roaring fire on the go when we arrived) and another room at the back. Nobody lives there and it’s just used for these weekend family get togethers.
What a feast of a barbecue it was. While a sumptuous paella was being readied - the previous Sunday it had been meat on the menu - a delicious offering of prawns, olives, cheese, sardines and more was laid out as tapas.
The atmosphere was extremely friendly and relaxed. You can see in the picture that one of Maria Jose’s relatives is holding Maggie. It’s a real pleasure to observe how the different generations of a Spanish family interact with each other. Children, parents and grandparents all treating each other with respect and fondness. Delightful!