A Taramona Spring
This Spring we have had the highest rainfall in over 100 years with a consequential explosion of wild flowers and water springs that had never been seen before popping up from the ground. It’s been breathtaking and not only a treat for us but also for the horses who are still enjoying the well earned grazing and rest after the season.
We are delighted to have welcomed a little girl to the family. Her name is Talulah, and so far she’s settled into farm life beautifully, swinging in her Indian hammock with 4 dogs, a kid, an orphaned foal, a brood of hens and of course Fernando our African grey parrot by her side!
A highlight from this season was the last picnic lunch which our team decided to set up in the river. Guests were elated to take off their hot boots and let their feet cool down in the fresh shallow water as they were served Lemonade and Fino on ice. Our team was also overjoyed as they too were obliged to take off their boots in order to serve lunch!
We’ve been busy in the vegetable garden over Spring and look forward to the arrival of buckets of local heritage tomatoes for fresh homegrown gazpacho all Summer, as well as fried zucchini flowers and chargrilled aubergines from the parrilla. Every year our patch grows as we aim to feed the freshest home-grown produce to all who visit. Look out for future videos on how we preserve fruit and vegetables to last us the whole year.
With the close of the season there is always a sudden surplus of eggs. Our wonderful hens lay at least 20 daily in an array of speckled browns and blues to keep up with demanding breakfast orders. So now a Tortilla is a staple for cold picnic lunches and I can guarantee that this Flan recipe from Nacho’s archive will make it irresistible for your dinner guests to not lick their plate. My grandfather always said if you do wish to lick your plate, you must politely excuse yourself from the table, slide underneath it with said plate and enjoy the last delicious slurp before returning to your chair and continuing conversation. Good luck!
Whats New?
If you’d like to come and stay with us over the next months, the house is open and ready to welcome you with famous cool summer nights of the Sierra, dinners under a canopy of UNESCO world heritage stars and the promise of a refreshing dip in our natural pool. Our favourite thing to do at this time of year is fill a cooler box with ice and drinks, ride to a special spot and enjoy the evening breeze or early morning sun. You can find out about this and other idyllic, romantic, wonderful things to do with us this summer by inquiring on our website. Think full moon rides, candle lit dinners in rivers, day trips in vintage cars packed with picnics, visits down old roads to nearly forgotten roman amphitheatres, pétanque on the square with cold beer and freshly fried crisps from the village kiosk, Feria, flamenco dresses and more!
So now we begin to prepare our gowns and horses for our village Romeria which is taking place the second weekend of August. The most authentic show of tradition in the area, Romeria is a day of pilgrimage, sherry-drinking, singing and dancing all the while following the processions of bullock carts, carriages and crowds accompanying the Virgen Mary, beautifully adorned in flowers and candles. Precariously balanced atop the shoulders of 20 village men, she sways back and forth with each collective step, carried from her sanctuary in the hills through to the village Church, where she takes up residence for the next few months while her adoring crowd pay her visits. Please join us by horse or carriage to see the spectacle from the 8th - 11th of August.
To find out more about upcoming events, please visit our events page.
We’re so happy you’re here and excited for what’s to come. More soon.
Héloïse and Gigi