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!

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.

What a party!!

Really I have not written for such a long time!! I have spent all my time on the beach and in the sea, but now I am back to reality!! Today we have had a visit from the Association of Lacemakers of Catalonia. Here we are standing outside the Town Hall. (Yes, I am there too..)
Here some lines in Catalan:
Trobada de Puntaires de tot Catalunya a la Torre
Trobada Puntaires a Torredembarra. L'Associació catalana de Puntaires ha celebrat a la Torre la Festivitat de Santa Úrsula la seva patrona. més de 100 puntaires de tot Catalunya han estat a casa nostra, han visitat L'Església on han estat rebudes per mn. Cañas, l'Organista torrenca Montserrat Miracle els ha ofert una petit concert de l'orgue barroc desprès han visitat el Castell on han estat rebudes per la Regidora de Cultura i Patrimoni Sra, Rosa Maria Guasch, seguidament, han fet la ruta dels Indians en especial han visitat el Patronat Antoni Roig, aquesta han estat explicada per el Jordi Guasch, historiador local. aproximadament a les 2 s'han dirigit a un restaurant torrenc Clamar per dinar.
 

Our professor of lacemaking: Maria Rosa Pastor who has the workshop in Torredembarra.

We celebrated Santa Ursula, the patron of lacemakers, and there came 100 visitors from all over Catalonia. First there was a visit to our "taller", that is the workshop were we learn how to make lace.
 

 
 They were shown around and listen to the fantastic barock organ we have in the curch and saw the miraculous painting of Santa Rosalia which also is hanging in the church. Afterwards we went to have an enormous lunch near the sea. ALL my Weight Watchers points for 1 week was spent...!!!
 
 

Some of the ladies are waiting for lunch!

Our two "Roses" :
Maria Rosa Pator and Rosa Maria Guasch , responsable for the Culture of Torredembarra!

Clams in oliveoil, parsley and garlic as an apetizer!

Delicious fish-croquettes

Sallad with Serranoham

Here comes the Paella!

What a small portion!!

Then when I thought it was finished ...

they served a really good fishplate!

I said that I absolutely could NOT eat this Crema Catalana...

BUT...

after some minutes it looked like this! Wonder who ate it??

A coffee was a MUST after this lunch. They served cognac and liquers also but I

manged to say no to that anyway...

Here we are happy and satisfied!

 Pilar, the president of the womens organisation in Torredembarra, me and Maria Angela.

If you think that I then went home and had a loooong SIESTA, you are absolutely wrong. When the others continued up in the mountains to visit a place where they make lace-bobbins, I went for 2 hours Line-dance!!! But that is another story.