We met Jesus in the beach of Torredembarra today!

We were walking in the sunshine enjoying the beach and the music of the wawes. Then all of a sudden Patrik stopped...."Look" he said "Jesus has passed on the sand". I looked down and saw a crown of thorns laying there. Patrik took it up and put on his head. "I am Jesus" he smiled.

 I asked why he said so and he answered "Jesus is in everybody. You and me. You only have to find the spirit!" Then he lay down the crown on the beach, streched out his arms and made his shadow into a cross with his head where the crown was laying.

 "Wait!!!" I exclaimed. "I must take a photo with my mobile, oterwise nobody will belive this".
I have got a PROPHET in my family..................

Christmas day in our home!

A nice, quiet and calm Xmas day in our home in Torredembarra. The fire has just gone out and the house is warm and cosy. Frank is reading, Patrik is drawing and making works of art... The Xmas tree is blinking and in the middle hangs one of the angels I made in lace...

The grandchildren have been here to admire the Nativity Scene

and and just in this moment life is good to us.









This morning opening the doors to our terrace I got a nice Xmas present: Our red roses are beginning to bloom!. These ones have the most wonderful deep colour and a real oldfashioned roseperfume.

Here on the 25th it is a tradition that one goes out strolling and meeting friends before the big Christmas Lunch. And one goes to a bar to have a Vermouth. So of course we did that too. The sun was shining and the sea was glittering blue.



Here we are. Patrik enjoying his first Vermouth in life!
Afterwards he was singing all way home...

The fishingboats layed lazily on the sand and it was a nice Christmas atmosphere!



Cin-Cin!

 

Frank also enjoying the day thinking of the good Christmas lunch
waiting at home!

Fransk chokladkola!

JULAFTONSMORGON
Lkväll kommer Franks barn och barnbarn hit på middag och plötsligt fick jag för mig att göra kola!
Jag har sparat ett flera år gammalt urklipp från Svenska Dagbladet med julgodisrecept, där bland annat denna franska chokladkola finns med. Urklippet sitter inklistrat i min julreceptbok, men jag delar såklart gärna med mig av receptet. Gooooooood Jul!




400 gram mörk choklad

1½ dl socker

2 dl vispgrädde



100 g honung



Hacka chokladen. Koka upp socker, grädde och honung under omrörning i en tjockbottnad kastrull. Tillsätt chokladen och rör tills allt har blandats. Koka tills massan håller för kulprovet eller är 122°C. Häll ut kolan på en bakplåtspappersklädd plåt. Låt kallna i kylen och skär sedan i bitar. Vira in kolorna i cellofan.

El Tió, a Catalan Christmas tradition

In the Northeast corner of Spain lies the region of Catalonia were we live. The capital is Barcelona.

In old times in Catalonia when, like everywhere else, life was mostly rural, late in the night in Christmas Eve families were waiting for the moment to leave for the church to attend the “Missa del gall” (“Cock's Mass”) thus named due to the time at night when it was and still is celebrated.

One of the problems for the families was to keep the children awaken, since they were also expected to attend the Mass, one of the highest moments of the year.
In Catalonia, the great Christmas meal, with all the family around, is the lunch on the very 25. Therefore one could not rely on the dinner on the 24 “to gain time”.

To keep the children entertained by the fire, somebody, somewhere, decided to pick up one of the logs (“tió” in Catalan language!) intended for the fireplace and managed to convince the children that, if they hit it, the tió was going to poop out some presents, mostly sweets like turrons and golosinas (sweets).




different types of torrones






Torrones



Golosinas



That´s why it is called “Caga tió”. (To poop is cagar) The children sing or say a verse while hitting the tió with a stick. The verse is, more or less like this:
 "Poop Tió, poop torrones, almonds and pinenuts,
don´t poop herrings, they are too salted, poop
torrones that they are better.
Poop Tió, poop turrones, if not I will
hit you with the stick.

In Catalonia, like in all Spain, important presents for the children are traditionally brought by the “Reis Mags” (“The Three Wise Men”) on the night of January 5.

In the old times they came by foot and on camels. And still they arrive in style. Here in Torredembarra they come by boat and then, by charriots, they proceed along the promenade by the beach when their Majesties give presents to the children who wait for them at a big tent. (The presents have been brought there by the parents beforehand). They also throw out tons of caramels while passing. Nowadays they also arrive from the Orient by plane!! Here they are, just arrived at the airport:

The tradition of the “Tió” was thus born and it continues today with every family adjusting it to its own customs. Children begin to feed the tió about 2 weeks before Xmas with peels of mandarins and other things from the table. All to make him fat, so he will poop a lot! Then, when the moment comes, one has to make the children go and do something, while one hides small presents and sweets under the blanket of the tió. In our house we tell the children to go to the bathroom and wet the stick well, otherwise it does not work!

Another funny custom that has to do with pooping is the “caganer”. A person who sits and poops in the Nativity scene.. The story is that when Jesus was born the world went on as usual and of course there were also some people doing their needs.
 
 

  Here the wise men pass a "caganer".

 
 
Now it is very popular to show famous people as “caganer”. Here for example Barças football player Messi!

Skating at Xmas!!

What is this?? Well, Today we were at Franks granddaughters artistic skating performance for Xmas. Laia, 6 years old, is the most beautiful and most clever of all small elfs in the middle dressed in green and red and carrying a parcel of gold at the end of the video. Frank was a very proud grandfather and applauded all the time....:)

The sportsarena here in Torredembarra was full of mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, oncles, cousins and many, many friends. Of course everybody was photographing and filming their own little star and the stars were shining! They made a nice performance with all the joy in the world.. Soon they will all perform like this...

Lacemaking in Torredembarra. Another nice day in our small town!

It is a bit curious that one can be so proud of such a small thing!!

Finally I managed to finish my "angel" for the Xmas tree, as a matter of fact I have made 2!! Here they are together with other friends in the tree in our studio for lacemaking.

Our professor is Maria Rosa who is a fantastic lady with golden fingers.

Here she is helping one of the students...

In our workshop they manufacture the most beautiful laces for all occasions, like this one:

Patrik was also helping me by putting needles in the pincushion...

 This are two more of the fantastic works works that are made here in our

"Taller Fil i boixets" by  Maria Rosa Pastor.

The lighthouse of Torredembarra

and the "puntaire" which is "lacemaker" in Catalan.

Julmarknad med SWEA i Barcelona!!

Oj, vilken dag! Solen sken och fåglarna kvittrade och det verkade mer som en vårdag än dagen före första advent och julmarknad på Skandinaviska Klubben. Men så fort man tog sig upp för trapporna så slog en doft av glögg, saffran och pepparkakor emot oss. Mycket folk och mycket fint och frestande att köpa.

SWEAs julbord var fyllt av godsaker och det vattnades i munnen bara att titta på det som  SWEAs pysselgrupp med Gunilla Häll i spetsen åstadkommit. Många roliga julgranssaker och smått och gott fanns också att handla.

"KOM OCH KÖP" ropade Margaretha, Maina och Gunilla. "Allting gjort med smör och kärlek" lade Margaretha till för säkerhets skull. Och köptes gjordes det så det stod härliga till!!



Swean Barbara Taube sålde också sin egenhändigt illustrerade bok "Två feta taxar i Skene och andra limerickar" samt tavlor med illustrtioner.

Här ser vi några kunder:

Gunilla i försäljartagen!


SWEA Barcelonas ordförande Margaretha Bernsten Persson, Anna Krossling och Kristina Mäcs såg så här glada ut:

Vid 15-tiden vandrade vi kånkande på kassar med hembakt bröd, kakor, godis, lussekatter och ljus och julgransprydnader m.m. några kvarter ner till den svenska restaurangen Pappa Sven

De hade preparerat ett överdådigt svenskt julbord till SWEAs sista månadslunch för året!!

Vi var femton stycken som lät oss väl smaka. Vi började med sill, hembakt bröd, ost, leverpastej, lax ägg och räkor m.m. till och med kräftor fanns uppdukat på buffébordet. Sedan följde skinka, Janssons, revbensspjäll, köttbullar bara för att nämna något av överdådet.

Till efterrätt bjöds på mandelmusslor med vispad grädde och hjortronsylt, knäck, tryffel, kola, ris a la Malta, samt goda ostar. Allt sköldes ner med öl, snaps och julmust ackompanjerade av glada snapsvisor såklart.

Vi hade också en visserligen tidig men dock Lucia i Lars...:

SKÅL!!

 

Anette och Annika sjöng också mycket vackert!

Lunchen avslutades vid halvsextiden efter en lång och mycket trevlig dag med glada vänner och vad vi gjorde sedan är en helt annan historia!!