Inntravel Discovery Day 2014

All ready with the stand prepared and ready for the people to enter

I got back from the UK yesterday where Sam, Andres, Joe and I had been to exhibit at the Inntravel Discovery day. Inntravel is the major travel agent with whom we work and they specialise in independent holidays, with a bias towards people who are interested in walking, good food and authentic accommodation.

At the end of the day once it was quieter

Every three years they organise a travel fair where all their suppliers (destinations and hotels) are invited to exhibit their products. This year they celebrated it at the Harrogate International Centre on Saturday the 6th.

Our own apple juice and Cabrales cheese for the people to sample

In total there were about 70 stands (including ourselves) and it was attended by over 1,400 people, not bad considering entrance is by invitation only. The hotels supply information about what they have to offer; the accommodation, destination, activities etc. and normally have some products for the people to sample. This year we took our own apple juice and some local blue Cabrales cheese and homemade apple jelly for people to try.

The gala dinner in the evening

All in all I think it was a very successful event, with lots of interest being shown by people about Asturias and what we are doing. In the evening there was a gala dinner with music by the excellent New York Brass Band (from York) and all in all we had an enjoyable, if not tiring, time.

The New York Brass Band

The 3 Senses Gathering

Satish and Ignacio talk for the guests and the radio at the 3 Senses Gathering

Last week we celebrated a most amazing event at the hotel; the 3 Senses Gathering with Satish Kumar. This multi-lingual and intercultural gathering was organized by our son; Sebastian and his partner; Lidia and inspired by Satish Kumar’s life journey and his grand new book; “Soil, Soul and Society.”

Relaxing and talking around the hotel

Relaxing and talking around the hotel

There were various activities for the participants including walks through some of the beautiful Asturian Landscape, creating art, helping with the cooking and in the vegetable garden, as well as meditation and yoga and not to forget, enjoying lots of lovely food.

Eating and talking over the evening meal

Open circle under an ancient yew tree a short walk from the hotel

The major message from Satish is that we are members of a one earth society and caring for the earth and the soul is interrelated.

Ignacio Abella leading an inspiring walk in a beech forest

Ignacio Abella a local author whose works embrace many books on trees including “The Magic Life of trees” accompanied us some of the time and also led an inspiring walk in a local beech forest.

Playing "games" in the forest

At the train station ready to start the pilgrimage to La Ventuca

The culmination of the gathering was on the Saturday with a full day event for all the public at La Ventuca in Coya and included talks by Satish Kumar, Ignacio Abella and Gustavo Duch a writer on food sovereignty. There was also an eco espicha where everyone brought along some food and shared it at lunch time.

Satish talking at the gathering at La Ventuca

Pouring cider at the eco espicha

With over 170 people attending the event on Saturday it was a great success and everyone appeared to enjoy the gathering.

Enjoying the eco espicha 

The National radio programme El Bosque Habitado (The Inhabited Forest) was covering most of the events with different bilingual interviews and talks.

Time to enjoy the coast

We hope to be able to repeat the event, may be next year and bring together again so many wonderful people to share their love and care for the earth.

The participants of the 3 Senses Gathering outside the hotel

For more information on our son's company Gaia Y Sofia which specialises in non formal education click here.

A time to enjoy our creative nature; Collagraph Printmaking.

One of the courses run at the hotel is on Collagraph Printmaking. This Art Work Shop is run by Lidia and this blog entry is written by her about one of the recent courses;

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When our guest Sandy sent me an email to book an art workshop, I had a mixture of feelings. 

First, I was very enthusiastic, as I always feel when it comes to sharing artistic techniques, and painting with others. I love that explosion of creativity, those "unspoken" conversations that take place, with our hands, our imagination. Then, I felt I had to compromise between the spontaneity I like to work with and the structured process of a lesson on a printmaking technique. 

Eventually I got carried away with my initial enthusiasm and started organizing the workshop full of energy; and the 3 hours workshop with Sandy was more than inspiring! it was full of patience, love for all beings and the Asturian land, and full of wonder. 

Do you know the "white paper" fear we all have somehow when we start to paint something, to create something?; 

and how about the fear, at least my fear, to attend an art class full of rules, with a teacher telling you what to do, what is a good result and a bad result?

Well, my most sincere intention in my workshops, is to change that!, to share some

"Magic" with

Collagraph Printmaking.

And that magic happened! and you will discover how..

..A challenge! Sandy was thinking a lot before the workshop, she had some clear ideas on what she wanted to do, and came with a challenge: let's recreate this photo! and I thought, wow!! this will be difficult!.

Collagraph Printmaking technique consists in gluing different materials, organic, recycled materials with different textures into a cardboard model. Materials and shapes will be revealed in a different way, they will absorb the ink and retain it differently, leaving a darker or clearer colour print.  

So with some observation on results everyone can make an idea about what is going to happen, how the print is going to emerge; but for the first time, it is quite a difficult task. 

Usually, we start printing some already made designs, and try creating a simple and purely experimental model. But this time it was different, we had a picture, so we had an expectation on the result,..a real challenge! A cow in the mountain! :)

In a 3 hours workshop, Sandy had time to carefully and slowly design her model with some help, but you know a "teacher" cannot say everything from the beginning, so some little mistakes and big realizations happened, moments to learn and discover the magic of this technique that is like a mirror, like a specular image. The result is always a joyful and creative surprise!

Magic happened! we used a few old pieces of cardboard, some oregano, a piece of old sandpaper (first time I've ever thought of using it!), glue and coffee.  

We created the 5 layers that the landscape of the photograph had, and added volume to the cow with an extra one!..

And after prinking 2 old designs of my own, to get familiar with the printing process, Sandy ended up with 3 beautiful and different versions of her cow in "El Sueve"! (the mountain range that rests behind the hotel)

More information on this Art Workshop can be found here

New Cookery workshops

We have been running cookery workshops at the hotel for over 5 years, and with the experience we have gained plus the feedback from participants we are now going to be offering three different one day workshops;

• Asturian cuisine
• Farm to fork
• Posada del Valle's Food Specials

All the courses are informal and hands on, and each course will be led by a different chef from the hotel. There are three special chefs at Hotel Posada del Valle, each one with a different interest and experience in cooking

Andrés preparing "tortas"

Asturian cuisine; Chef Andrés Caso. 

Andres is from Cangas de Onis and comes from a family of farmers who also used to make the local blue Gamonedo cheese. He studied cooking in Asturias and has been working in the hotel for 5 years. In this food experience Andrés will take you on a tour of a local food market (or around some local shops if there is no market that day) and explain a little about the Asturian food culture. 

The sunday food market at Cangas de Onis

Then you will be cooking such typical dishes as Fabada Asturiana (bean stew,) tortas (maize pancakes) and a tortilla de patata (Spanish omelet.) You will then have time to sit down and enjoy all you have cooked with a glass of local cider.

Samantha examining some of the farm produce

Farm to fork; Chef Samantha Burch 

Samantha was born in Alicante but has lived in Asturias for the last 18 years. She is an excellent self taught chef specializing in vegetarian food. Her particular interest is in vegetarian and vegan food and the creative use of local and home grown produce. In this work shop you will have a guided visit of the hotel vegetable garden, help pick some of the produce and then subsequently use it in different imaginative ways. 

Participants with their freshly picked produce

Imaginative recipes making the most of the home grown produce

The particular recipes will depend on the time of year and what’s growing on the farm and of course there will be time to sit down and enjoy the food you have prepared with a drink.

Joann in the kitchen talking about food

Posada del Valle's Food Specials; Chef JoAnn Burch 

JoAnn studied cooking and worked as a chef in many different countries before starting the restaurant at the hotel. Due to her experience, talent and work the restaurant has gained the fame it is now renowned for. She has also trained other chefs who have come to work and learn about the local and organic food we produce at the hotel. 

Joann demonstrating how to make a roulade

In this workshop you will learn how to prepare some of the most popular dishes served at Hotel Posada del Valle as well as some different techniques which can be used to create a variety of recipes. At the end of the morning there will be the chance to sample the food you have prepared with a glass of wine.

Fun time learning

Join us on one of these courses and discover "what is behind the scenes" when cooking local, organic and wholesome meals at Hotel Posada del Valle. We have a special marked date for each experience; if you are interested in other dates please contact us. For all courses there will be a minimum of two participants and a maximum of six. 

Beneath is a resume of these three cookery workshops with prices and dates and on our web you will find information about the other courses we are offering.

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Asturian cuisine; Chef Andres Caso. 

Enjoy learning about Asturian local food.

Program of activities

09.30 -11.30 guided visit to local market or shops

11.30 – 14.30 preparing local dishes; fabada, Spanish omelet, maize pancakes

14.30 – 15.30 enjoying the food you’ve prepared.

Price 45,00 Euros / person Fixed date 30th of August; for other dates please consult us

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Farm to fork; Chef Samantha Burch 
Learn about home grown vegetables and how to use them in imaginative cooking

Program of activities

09.30 – 11.00 guided tour of the hotel vegetable garden and harvesting of ingredients for cooking

11.00 – 14.00 preparing a variety of vegetarian dishes from the freshly harvested produce

14.00 – 15.30 enjoying the food you’ve prepared

Price 40,00 Euros / person Fixed date 21st of September; for other dates please consult us

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Posada del Valle's Food Specials; Chef Joann Burch 
Learn how to prepare some of the most popular dishes served at Hotel Posada del Valle

Program of Activities

10.30 – 14.00 Preparing a variety of dishes and learning different cooking techniques 

14.00 – 15.30 enjoying the food you’ve prepared

Price 40,00 Euros / person Fixed date 27th of September; for other dates please consult us

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Another day at the hotel

The hotel Vegetable garden

Whilst picking the vegetables this morning our son Seb said to me “we must try and get a responsible travel award next year” I replied “yes… but they give so much importance to quantative data” and after a little thought he replied “but just look what’s going on today,” and that inspired me to write a short blog on what's happened at the hotel today

It was Joe’s breakfast this morning so she was in the hotel before eight o clock preparing breakfast. Our home made bread and cakes have to be cut and put out on the buffet along with local and organic cheeses, yoghurts and marmalades. Then there is the final check to see if every thing is in place; cold apple juice made from our apples, organic and fair trade coffee and teas, cereals, nuts, fruit etc

During breakfast its time to check if our guests need any help planning their day, handing out information on our self guided walks, maps, train time tables etc. Today a couple of guests went for one of our local walks leaving their car at the hotel whilst others went further a field in to the mountains and some went for a swim in the sea.

Meanwhile I was out on the farm with Sebastian and Andres, we had cut a Eucalyptus tree and were splitting the wood and then had the hard job of wheel barrowing it down to the house and hotel. This wood will keep us warm in the winter. Towards the end of the morning we picked the fruit and vegetables that needed picking; beans, courgettes, raspberries, beetroot, letuce and then I started lifting our bumper onion crop to let it finish drying ready for winter storage.

Bumper onion crop this year

Actually this isn’t just another day at the hotel as Lidia a local ecologically sensitive artist was preparing her exhibition at mid day in the hotel ready for the inauguration this evening. We always try and buy our decorative elements from local artists and it was great for us to be hosting an exhibition from a local artist.

Lidia preparing her art exhibition in the hotel

Mid afternoon and I took a box of our potatoes down from the cold store to the kitchen where Samantha and Joe were planning how to use the fruit and vegetables we had picked for the evening meal. With most of our fruit and vegetables being grown less than 100m from the kitchen and picked only one hour before being used I think this sets a new standard for the meaning of fresh and local food!

Oh and today is Tuesday so like every Tuesday at about six o clock three small local organic farmers will be bringing their produce to our old house by the hotel where members of the consumer group will prepare vegetable boxes for 24 local families who form part of this Community Supported Agriculture. This is another initiative we are very proud to be part of.

 

Back at the hotel

Back in the hotel the smell of the freshly baked bread is filling the air and guests are mixing with some of the locals who have come to see Lidias art (and I am writing the blog)

Then it will be time to serve dinners, relax, have a glass of organic wine and think about another day. And even if we don’t get any more environmental wards its just nice to do what we do and see so many people enjoying it.

Photo Competition 2013, judging and the results.

We would like to thank everyone who participated in our Photo competition and to say what a difficult task it was to decide on a winning photo. To help evaluate the pictures in a structured and objective manner we developed a scoring system which is explained below.
 

The winning Photo taken by Simon Lancaster in the Rockies British Colombia

But first the winning photo which was taken by Simon Lancaster in the Rockies (British Colombia) Canada whilst on a family holiday in September 2012. According to Simon the photo shows the incredible waters of Lake Moraine cradled by just as incredible peaks, and “the image embrace’s the spirit of freedom found both within an environment and within one’s self when out walking in such areas of natural beauty.” Congratulations Simon.

The other photos shown here were all highly commended and all the photo entries can be seen on flickr clicking here

Highly commended; Photo taken By Alejandro Collia in the Sierra de Vizcarres en Asturias

The judging process

In the information for the competition we asked for beautiful, evocative and uplifting photographs associated with experiences in the outdoors, so for each of those characteristics; beautiful, evocative and uplifting we awarded 0 to 3 points to each photo and then the option of awarding an additional point for creativity and technical merit. This gave the possibility of a maximum of 11 points for each photo. We gave the option of awarding only one point for technical merit as we didn’t want the competition to be too biased in favour of the “professional” photographers.

Highly commended; Photo taken by Julie Andrews "Autumn Patchwork" Taken on the road between Portilla de Reina and Posada de Valdeon in Northern Spain

The five judges to whom I am very grateful for their time and help were;

Juan Iglesias from www.photowild.es 

Lidia Fanjul from www.sense-experience.com  

Gavin Owens from www.whereisasturias.com  

John Shackleton from www.wildasturias.com

Nigel Burch from www.posadadelvalle.com

To me what was most surprising was the difference in the number of points awarded to some of the photos by the different judges which just goes to show beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Highly commended, Photo taken by Julie Tesse; "The Turquoise Lake" Patagonia Chile

We have certainly enjoyed running the competition and have learnt a lot and are already planning for the 2014 competition.