Entre Calles Charabanc Beano to Vidalma Bodega

Rebecca and Manu, the owners of our local bar, Entre Calles, invited us to join them and several other regulars, for a trip to Ourense to visit Vidala Bodega, the vineyard which supplies them with Treixadura wine.  We all met up on 17th January for a coffee, before meeting the coach which had been sent to collect us and take us to Ourense, a province we had not been to before.

Manu and Rebecca on the coach

On our way to Ourense, a two hour drive away

Ourense is further north to us, and is known for it´s natural thermal spring waters.  We drove through thick fog to eventually arrive in warm sunshine at the Bodega, where we were taken for a walk around the vines by the proprietor, who explained the different varieties of grapes used in the production of the wine.

We arrived in bright sunshine after driving through thick fog

When we arrived at the Bodega 2 sheep came to welcome us

The view of the Bodega from the vineyard

Views from the vineyard

Walking through the vines

The local cemetery next to the Bodega

Me with Rebecca

Jonathan and I enjoying the sunshine

The Entre Calles group taking a break

Jonathan and I with Manu

After our tour around the vineyard we went inside the bodega where Paco, the owner, explained how the wine was made.  It was really interesting to learn about the mixing of various varieties of grapes to produce the different varieties of wine.

Our group in front of some of the vats

After our tour, we were ushered into another room, where two large tables were laid for lunch.  The food and wine kept coming, starting with soup, followed by a typical Galician dish, cocido, then several desserts, liquors and coffee.  We all had a great time, courtesy of our host Paco, who had laid all this on to thank his customers for selling his wines in their bars. Everything about the day was perfect, the weather, the company and the food.

Tucking in to our food

Cholo and Henri

Me with a bottle of Treixadura

Jonathan had a good lunch!!!!

It was a fantastic day, and we are grateful for Rebecca and Manu for inviting us, and for Paco for having arranged the tour and lunch.  When we got back to Moaña Rebecca decided we would all go to a furancho and eat and drink more!!!! What a day!

Early morning in the Ria

Jonathan on the beach. The weather has been fantastic recently and we have walked on the beach in sunshine most days

 

Christmas, New Year, and 3 Kings 2016/17

Once again another year passed very quickly, and before we knew it Christmas was upon us once again. It was our first one in our new apartment, and the weather was really sunny and warm throughout December and most of January, just being chilly in the early mornings and the evenings.  We had heard that the Christmas lights in Vigo were very good so Jonathan and I hopped on the ferry one evening to go and have a look.

Me in front of one of the displays in Vigo

Christmas lights

The Christmas tree in Vigo, which you can walk through and they have local musicians playing inside it

Musicians playing inside the tree

We stopped for a tapa before getting the ferry back to Moaña

We spent a very pleasant couple of hours looking at the shops and lights before heading home. Vigo is much bigger than Moaña, but we also liked the decorations here, although they were on a smaller scale.

The Christmas tree in Moana

Rosie, Susi outside Entre Calles with a baby dressed in her Christmas outfit

My pilates class having a pre-Christmas drink

On Christmas Day we were once again invited to Agus´s parents house in Vigo, along with Bea´s parents.  Noa had received a pet rabbit as a present, so she came too in her carry case. The table was groaning with seafood and beautifully decorated, and before long we were groaning with having eaten too much.

The lovely table setting on Christmas Day

Bea, Agus, Jonathan and me around the table

Noa with her baby rabbit, which came along to Christmas lunch

I could not resist a cuddle with the rabbit which is called Canela, which means cinammon

People taking a stroll along the walkway by the beach in Vigo on Christmas morning. The weather was exceptional this year

People and dogs enjoying the beach in the sunshine

We were invited to Bea´s brother Manu´s house with the family for New Year´s Eve again, which turned out to be a really entertaining night, eventually arriving home around 4.30 am.

Jonathan and I at Manu´s house on New Year´s Eve

Seafood is very popular at this time of year, and we really enjoy it

Everyone watches the midnight countdown on the television, and with every stroke of the gone you have to eat a grape, and then all the party hats and accessories come out.

Agus

Me getting into the spirit of things

Ruben and Raquel, Bea´s nephew and niece

Bea´s parents

Nando, Bea´s brother in law

We thought this was quite a good image of jumping into 2017

After New Year, we had a few days to rest before the next fiesta on 6th January, the 3 Kings, which is the date here where most people exchange presents.  We took advantage of the good weather to take Dolly to the beach where she loves to charge around in the sand.

Dolly and I on the beach

Dolly even ventured into the water to cool down

We quite often see this guy exercising his horse on the beach

When the tide is out its lovely to walk across the exposed sand

Watching the sun come up while having our early morning coffee

We were amazed by this beautiful sky one morning

On 6th January there were processions for the children through the streets of the towns, where the 3 kings ride on floats dressed up in their gowns, and throw sweets to the children.  The one in Moaña is quite small, but the one in Vigo is always spectacular, and we were particularly impressed with the dinosaurs made out of balloons.

One of the floats in Vigo

The dinosaur made from balloons was really good

The 3 Kings greeting the children

Yoba´s mother was kind enough to invite us to join her family at her home in the evening, where another feast was spread before us. The Galicians really like large family get togethers, and the food is amazing.

Yoba´s uncles and cousins enjoying their meal

Yoba´s mother with 2 of her nieces

Our object was to have a “dry January” to prepare ourselves for the week long carnival fiesta at the end of February, but that did not materialise.  It is very difficult in a country where the culture so very sociable and you are always invited to join friends for tapas and wine.

Me with Fon and Yoba having a tapa at Cibeles Bar on their terrace in the sunshine

The other day Fon´s mother knocked on our door and gave us a huge box of fruit and vegetables from her finca. The people here are so generous.

Me with the box of fruit and vegetables Fon´s mother kindly brought round for us

Jonathan and I with Bea, Agus and Noa

Dolly loves sitting in the sunshine on the terrace

One morning I came down to find these 2 kittens curled up on our doormat

A neighbour´s cat we have called Halfly, as she looks so much like one we used to have. She is so sweet and really affectionate and loves a cuddle

A new cycle path has been constructed along the bay

Here in Galicia the weather in 2016 was the best they have had for over 50 years, with no rain for weeks. In December and January the temperatures were often in the 20´s and we ate lunch outside on our terrace nearly every day.   This area managed to avoid all the storms and floods they had in the south of Spain, but they say we need rain now to fill up the water reservoirs which are nearly empty.  Hopefully it will not all fall during Carnival week.