January

January started, for us, with cava and ended with a woohoo!

We had asked around at the various bars we go to and, without fail they were all shutting before midnight to share the New Year celebrations with family. So, we asked friends and said if they wanted, we had open house. Understandably, they wanted to do the same as us, stay inside in the warm and comfort. So, we got the cava out, oh no! We forgot the grapes! The Spanish tradition is to eat one of twelve grapes with each chime of the midnight clock. Turning on the TV, when it was approaching the magic hour, we found a Spanish programme that was showing the famous square in Madrid, la Puerta del Sol, where grapes are eaten to the chimes of the Real Casa de Correos clock. Without grapes we just swigged our cava, kissed and wished each other a healthy and happy 2025.

On the 2^nd January we gave up smoking, not a New Years Resolution, just a decision to stop when our cigarettes ran out. Unfortunately, the wish for a healthier 2025 was soon dashed for me as I caught a very nasty cold that left me coughing for weeks! However, now the cough is gone, I am feeling healthier and we have more money in our pockets!

Many people think that winter in Spain is sunny and warm. While it is true that, many days are sunny and it can be very pleasant outside but, inside the house it is cold, and we therefore need some form of heating. Sat at the dining table we tend to use a gas heater, as it is easy to move and can be turned on and off instantly. In the sitting room we heated the area with a wood burning stove, storing the logs under a tarpaulin on the front patio. It was John's job to clean the stove every morning, which meant removing the ash and cleaning the glass in the door. Again, we had a problem as we live in an old Spanish house. The ideal way to vent the stove is a pipe going straight up out of the roof. However, with our roof John has spent years trying to make waterproof, the last thing he wanted to do was make a hole through the roof. So, we had a pipe that went up and out at an angle sideways, then upwards from outside the wall. Nonetheless, it still was not the best solution, last summer a bird’s nest blocked the chimney, causing a real problem, and a room full of smoke! Then when it was a completely calm day, without wind, again the chimney did not have a good draw, and we would get some smoke in the room. The other problem was that, with my small hands, I found it difficult to add logs and position them where they needed to go, for the best effect.

So, John looked at the benefits of having a wood pellet stove installed, and that is what we now have. Some of the pellet stoves look a bit austere compared to the cottagey look of a wood burning stove. We bought our pellet stove from Italy, and chose a round one, with red sides. The pipework is much smaller and neater, and cleaning and operating are an absolute delight. Load up the pellets and press start, when you go out or go to bed, press stop. Fantastic! In the morning, John hoovers the ash out and gives the glass a wipe.

So, that is the summary of our January! Oh, yes sorry! I forgot the woohoo. Well, finally on the 31^st of January 2025 the Spanish version of ‘A Woman Scorned’ - ‘Una Mujer Despreciada’- was published, and that definitely deserves a woohoo, don’t you think?

How did your January go, let me know any exciting things that happened, won't you?