Because of the fine, warm weather, everyone was out and about this weekend in Guájar Alto, and there were parties of ramblers, cyclists and other visitors filling the bars and bringing some welcome trade.
The villagers decided to have a picnic at a recreation spot along the river Toba, where there are barbecue facilities, tables and seats. It is shaded by tall pines, and there are steep banks carpeted with wild flowers. Lots of people turned up, and there was a good atmosphere with everyone enjoying themselves.
Migas was cooked in big pots, and served with fried peppers and barbecued sardines. Migas was traditionally breadcrumbs fried in garlic, but nowadays you can buy a bread based preparation, resembling couscous, in packets. Most people have heard about the healthy Mediterranean diet (fish, olive oil, fruit and vegetables) but in former times the diet was very poor, and consisted mainly of bread, hence the migas.
This being the orange season, there were bowls of orange salad, mixed with wild thyme, onions, vinegar and seasoning. Local wine was handed around, as usual on these occasions, and the merits of each compared and discussed very seriously.
Communal picnics have been the custom in our village for generations, and in the town hall archives there are photographs from bygone times of these events. Nothing very much changes here.
No comments:
Post a Comment