End of Season Meal

Opening presents at the end of season meal for 2012

Each year after the hotel shuts; we have a meal with all the staff from the hotel and their partners. Its a small way of  thanking everyone for their help in contributing to the success of the hotel and without whose help we would never be where we are today. We celebrated this year’s meal last Friday in the Restaurant Posada de Antriago.

Starting on the right and going round the table the people in the photo are as follows:

Samantha (our daughter) who has now been working in the kitchen for over three years.

Patricia (Mari Carmen’s daughter) who helps with the cleaning and in many other ways including, reception and in the kitchen.

Joe (hiding behind Patricia) chief cook amongst many other jobs.

Eduardo; Patricia’s husband

Sebastian (our son) who amongst many jobs helps organize different events and workshops at the hotel

Lidia (Sebastian’s partner) who also helps with different events and workshops organised at the hotel.

Montse who helps in the kitchen and cleaning rooms at weekends.

Chichi Montse’s husband
Mari Carmen (looking away from the camera) who has been working with us the longest, does many jobs including; receiving guest, preparing breakfasts and cleaning.
Andres (Samantha’s partner) who also helps in the kitchen

And finally here are a few photos from previous year’s meals.

December 2009 in the same restaurante and with all the same staff plus Hugh who worked on the farm and his partner Alice

December 2008 with the same people plus Maria who helped in the kitchen

10 years earlier; December 2002 with Mari Carmen and myself in the foreground plus Mari José, Joe and Mari Gel

December 2001 with Joe and the three Marias; Mari Carmen, Mari José and Mari Gel

Sowing Summer Vegetables in the Winter

Seeds germinating on the boiler on a cold winter's day

Despite the snow and rain over the last couple of days it’s time to start sowing some of our summer vegetables. It takes at least three months for us to produce a respectable Aubergine or Pepper plant suitable for planting outside. Although it might be cold outside we trick the seeds into thinking that there is good weather by placing them on top of our boiler to germinate, and they do so in no time!

Germinated seeds in the greenhouse

 At the first signs of the germinating seedling emerging from the soil we rush them into the greenhouse so the light will stop them going weak and lanky. So far we’ve sown peppers and aubergines for planting outside and tomatoes for planting in the greenhouse.

Lettuce plants in the green house ready for planting outside

Recently planted strawberry runners

We’ve also got lettuce plants ready for planting outside, and have just planted up some strawberry runners which we will plant outside in a few months time. Out side I sowed the first beetroot a few days ago and we’ve got a seedbed of onions braving the cold along with an autumn sowing of broad beans and mange tout peas. Bring on the warm weather.

The onion seed bed outside, on a sunny day last week