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.