Keeping simple traditions form our youth alive????…Sometimes wonderful childhood memories can help you through the darkest times ????#repost @salvelio・・・As a child in Spain in the 1970s, for breakfast, lunch and supper we always had one of these dense village breads, typical of Castilla, on the table.????????????For breakfast my grandmother would fry a few slices in olive oil and sprinkle some sugar on top. With a large cup of breakfast coffee it was heaven on a plate.????????????For lunch and supper, people would break a piece off the loaf and use it to dip into their sauce or simply to clean their plates. Butter was never found on a Spanish table, and the bread was broken and placed directly on the table with no need for a side plate.????????????For many years I’ve searched for a way to make a proper Castilian village bread. Last week I finally decided to give it a go.????????????The water content or hydration of this bread is very low, so the dough is quite tough to knead, but hey, a person needs a good workout in lockdown. My first attempt malfunctioned, but when this one came out of the oven all I could say was OLE!!!????????????The beauty of this bread is its simplicity and characteristic compact quality. Each village and baker will put their own signature on the bread by way of cuts and pricks. They will also make sure all the air is released during baking.????????????My dad loved baking bread and it was his life’s mission to perfect this one, but somehow he never did. This is my ode to himBy Salvelio Meyer|2020-05-24T10:46:04+02:00May 24th, 2020|Read More 0
The nightmare will pass and the return to the Karoo will be a joyous one #repost @salvelio・・・It’s with great excitement and at the same time sadness that @louiseliebenberg74 and I bought the last print edition of this iconic South African magazine ????????????????????????Thank you @karoospace for the wonderful feature on Prince Albert Open Studios and the creatives who inhabit this small piece of paradise in the Karoo. Thank you so much for mentioning @casamilorca in the article too.????????????????????????Chris and Julienne, you are legends, your stories have done so much to promote the beautiful and magical Karoo and its people… I’m sure your voices will never be silenced and that you’ll find new platforms to continue sharing your journeys with us.????????????????????????I dedicate an excerpt of a poem by Antonio Machado to you both…Traveler, your footprintsare the only road, nothing else.Traveler, there is no road;you make your own path as you walk.As you walk, you make your own road,and when you look backyou see the pathyou will never travel again.Traveler, there is no road;only a ship's wake on the sea.By Salvelio Meyer|2020-05-22T14:18:49+02:00May 22nd, 2020|Read More 0
The beauty of nature cannot be surpassed by anything man made…Once we start embracing the natural world again, we will find the balance that we have lost over time ????????️By Salvelio Meyer|2020-05-19T16:08:15+02:00May 19th, 2020|Read More 0
Will bartering become a normal activity in the new world order..???????????? #repost @louiseliebenberg74・・・How’s this for successful bartering with the neighbours ????????????By Salvelio Meyer|2020-05-09T18:55:39+02:00May 9th, 2020|Read More 0
Getting back to basics… #repost @salvelio・・・After various attempts at making sourdough the little critters are finally alive and eating… the sound of bubbling is to my ears ????…………Thank you @easycooking for your patience and advice????By Salvelio Meyer|2020-05-06T17:42:52+02:00May 6th, 2020|Read More 0
When lockdown prevents you from going to Prince Albert one has to be creative at home…#repost @salvelio・・・Project kitchen courtyard began towards the end of December 2019; little did we know what 2020 would have in store for us…Last week we hung the final picture on the wall of this newly repurposed area, bringing a back-breaking but enormously satisfying DIY project to a close.What was for many years nothing more than a dumping ground and a small space (under 10m2) for our rubbish bins and washing line, is now a soulful space bringing a little bit of Spain to our home in Essexvale.Seeing that Louise is minister of finance in our home, I was told the total budget for the project could not exceed R10,000 and this had to include everything, even the roof…The labour part we did ourselves and it was exactly that – a labour of love.????????Now that it’s finally done, and with all the renovation costs, upcycling of furniture, plants, thrifting and reinventing included, the final cost came to just under R6k It goes to show that beauty really need not come with a hefty price tag at all!By Salvelio Meyer|2020-04-11T08:10:07+02:00April 11th, 2020|Read More 0