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The Wild Asparagus Hunters are Out and About

It´s that time of year. Cars parked in odd places, the solitary person - usually a man, popping up above a bank or from behind an olive tree. The hunters of the wild aparagus are here. The plentiful rain scattered with a day or two of sunshine has brought them out in droves. Some have their route, others instinctively know where to go. They appear, walking back to their cars, with a huge bundle of foot long green spears of asparagus. And off they go, probably not to be seen for another year - or another week if the rain continues. No matter how hard the shoots try and hide the older men hunt them down with stick in hand, to fob off the spiky old growth, and uncover the tender new stems of wild asparagus. Everyone has their favourite way of cooking them but the most common seems to be in a Tortilla - the thick Spanish potato omelette to which you can add anything that comes to hand - or is hunted down. My one or two shorter stem finds don´t come close to the experienced hunters catch. I...

Gardens, Hotels and Self Catering in Las Alpujarras

Adding to my trip list I´m planning on popping in for coffee at Hotel Los Berchules in Las Alpujarras and the gardens of Cortijo Opazo if they´ll have me.

I´m particularly looking forward to the gardens as I have just received a copy of the Handbook of Canary Folk Medicine - The Secrets of our Old Herbalists by José Jaén and it is fascinating - but I don´t know lots of the plants and flowers they are talking about so maybe I can get some advice from those in the know.



Containing everything from baldness cures (yes he needs that) to curing alcohlics and drug users it makes great reading and I shall be putting bit of it into practice. Maybe not the rubbing stinging nettles on bald pates though - wouldn´t be allowed!





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