It is now the start of December and while we are experiencing lots of brilliantly bright sunny days, it has turned cold. Especially in our house - in fact sometimes I am so wrapped up inside when I go out into the sun I have to peel off a layer or two!
I even opted for lunch on the roof terrace yesterday instead of the dark, cold kitchen! Our house is geared up for HEAT I cover the ceramic floors in winter with rugs in an attempt to keep us warm. And I’m forever telling Joe and Maggie to “PUT YOUR SLIPPERS ON!” (Any potential guests reading this - don’t worry your room is nice and cosy!)
Yesterday we returned to see our old friends Paco and Paca (just one name to remember - great!). They have an enormous orange grove down at the bottom of the cliff and from now until May we will make an almost weekly pilgramage to pick a sack of oranges (10 kilos for 10 euros). Joe took it upon himself to count them and there were over 100. I immediately set about making freshly squeezed orange juice - yummy (keep the oranges in the fridge and you can enjoy cold freshly squeezed orange juice). The pictures shows some oranges just before juicing.
The oranges aren’t sweet yet, but we still don’t feel the need to add sugar, they are a delicious combination of sweet and sour.
Expat friends, Roy and Ethel, who also have an orange grove told me yesterday that their oranges are ready and are deliciously sweet (I have to say Roy and Ethel’s oranges are the best I’ve ever tasted - too good to juice). There seems to be some difference in opinion as to why and when the oranges turn sweet, Roy said it may be something to do with the cold snap we’re having… my study continues.
Emma