Hurray! I'm back! My computer needed a major upgrade. My computer guru is a genuis, and consiquently, is much in demand! I had to be patient and wait in the queue for his services! My life used to function perfectly well without a computer, but now I have much basic information stored on it, like addresses and family birthdays; so I'm lost without it!
Since my last post, our local Gardening Club arranged a visit to the nearby Aloe Vera plantation. The thick fleshy outer leaves were being harvested. The 'baby' plants around the base are collected and planted for the next crop.
For reasons of hygene, the girls working on the aloe leaves worked in a glassed off area, and wore overalls, plastic aprons, caps, gloves and rubber boots. We were able to watch each step of the preparation process. The leaves were scrubbed individually. Then both ends were sliced off before being passed to the next cubicle. There, the side spines are trimmed off.
Next, the girls used VERY sharp knives to 'fillet' the leaves, to remove the inner jelly from the tough outer skins on either side. The knife was used towards the left hand, so I was glad the girls wore a protective metal chain-link glove to protect it! The aloe jelly is put into a plastic box ready to be sent to Germany, for processing into medicinal and beauty products. The trimmings of the leaves are not wasted! They are chopped up, and are returned as an organic mulch to fertilise the growing aloe plants!
We were invited to taste the aloe gel cut into cubes. I had heard of aloes being very bitter, so I expected it to be quite unpalatable! I was surprised! It was quite bland, more or less tasteless. However is not put on the market in this form. Many products are made with it. We were invited to taste the delightful fruit drinks that have excellent anti-oxydent effects. We could also buy the skin care products, and the leaves or plants. Visitors are welcome, and the website of the SantaVerde company is
http://www.santaverde.es/
The beach next to Bahia Dorada is crowned with a powerful square tower; the Torre de la Sal. Literally, it means the Salt Tower. Sea spray collects in crevaces and hollows. When dry, small amounts of pure salt can be scooped up. I'm doing it (rather inelegantly) in this photo!
The beach has pebbles of many interesting shapes and colours. Its impossible to walk along the shore without picking up a few curiosities! There are not many shells; a few little green sea urchins and some battered oyster shells. Just occasionally I find a gorgeous ormer! This is a type of abalone, with seven holes down one side, and a pearly iridescent lining. The question is; why do bi-valves have such showy linings? When the creature is alive the lining would never be seen, so what is their survival value?
My eldest daughter, Nikki, came out to Spain for a visit to clarify the boundaries of some land that the family owns. Recently the local authorities have taken aerial photos of the whole province, and drawn in an approximation of owners boundaries! So it is necessary for everyone to check their survey maps, and agree boundaries with their neighbours. We found that our registered documents were expressed not only in Hectares but also in archaic measurement forms! Instead of square meters, we have Fanegas, Celemin, Aranzada, Areas and Centiareas. We had no idea what their equivilances were. Thanks Goodness for Google!
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