La Serrania

So, after a warm and friendly departure from Lin's, with sentiments, a good meal and farewells, I went to Palma with the next leg of the journey to explore.

Now I have the pleasure to be working in a wonderful place, a charming and idyllic retreat in the picturesque mountains of northern Mallorca.
Tim and Martina, the owners, have become both friends and surrogate parents and I help them in the great kitchen learning all sorts of tricks and secrets to Spanish and world cooking.
At lunch and evenings I set a big table for the retreating guests, who enjoy long meals between walks, yoga and poolside sunning. I offer full service to my table of mostly ladies and help make entrees, salads and deserts, and refill wine glasses and coffee cups. In the kitchen I get the stories and history of the place, of the people who have come through, of the pleasures and challenges of moving from Canada and Austria to make a life of the retreat business in the secluded and mountainous regions of an island, surely there's some good stories amongst these hills and pines!

So I am here for a month or so, learning recipes, helping out, feeling useful, and enjoying the good company of seasoned healers and yoga teachers who always have something to share and stories to tell. There is time for me to paint these mountains and valleys that change with the light and the coming of autumn, that turn lavender in the dusk and rose coloured in the dawn. Right now they are deep and richly green after a nights rain, clouds cushion the tops, and some sun breaks through to illuminate valley edges and rock faces. I can hear the clang of the heavy bells that hang from the necks of neighbouring sheep and their casual bleats. The sparrows softly chatter, and a rooster crows somewhere. The 14 Danish woman say goodbyes and after the seemingly endless slamming of hatchback doors they roll out in succession, the crunching of the driveway gravel indicating their mass departure, now we wait and prepare for the next flock of retreaters to arrive. This week is a Tai Chi and Reiki week, with various mountain walks, morning yoga, and organic food.

I sit on the terrace in this new silence and watch the fit Argentinian gardener tend to hedges, and I copy some recipes. Perhaps I will put one up on here for you! Salt encrusted monkfish? Chorizo and chickpea tomato soup? Nut and cheese loaf? Dorado and pepper Paella? Stuffed capsicums, endive and apple salad, rich lamb and apricot stew??! YUM.

Rx