Surprising uses for olive oil

Why is (good) olive oil the best Christmas present you could ever treat yourself to? 

It's a beauty product

It makes your hair shine

Just a tiny drop in the palm of your hand - gives you a very long lasting wet look. 

You can use it as hair conditioner
20 minutes and rince. 

Skin moisturizer 
20 minutes and since with plenty of hot water. 

Clear up acne

Make a paste of mixing 4 teaspoons salt with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Apply it to your face and leave it for 2 minutes. Apply daily for 1 week. Mind: this is the one use we haven't tested ourselves - it seems that some swear by it though. 

(But obviously the real and long term 'beauty advantages' of olive oil sit in its nutrients and the healthy diet that goes with it: beauty, as they say, comes from within, not from what you apply on your facade from the outside). 

It prevents hangovers

Going out and pretty sure you might drink too much? Then have a teaspoon of Virgin Extra half an hour beforehand. 

Then again, if you've become very Andalusian, you know that 'soakage' is the very best way to prevent being drunk - sip, tapa, sip, tapa, drink, a portion… one of the reasons why Spaniards hold their liquor so well. 

Every day use… all day long  

Shining leather shoes
Well, you will still have to shine them with a brush. Or buff onto your leather shoes with a cloth. Bye bye forever to potentially toxic    

Rejuvenate wooden furniture

Just very common and cheap olive oil will do. Mind: aceite is so oily that you better never use more than a small drop. 

Ease stuck zippers, fix squeaky doors, use it as aftershave,… everyone has got their own olive oil tricks. We didn't try or test them all - but with what we tested, it's for sure none of it would surprise us in the least. 

And at the very same you support the local industry in Jaen or Cordoba, help reducing the carbon footprint by skipping the mass transport of the olive oil that is stocked in supermarkets… and last but not least, your health will be grateful to you. 

The original mediterranean diet is the best 'social security' you can subscribe to. 

www.inlandandalucia.com 

Jamón Serrano? Jamón Iberico? Pata Negra?

Always a winner, at every party or reception: Jamón Serrano. 

But what's the difference with that Jamón Iberico we so often hear about? Or the famous Pata Negra? 

In fact it's simple: the difference sits in the color of the pig:

Serrano ham comes from the typical white pig. And Iberian ham from the black pig with the black hooves. Hence: 'pata negra' or black paw. 

The latter is much more expensive, and thus has a reputation of being a delicacy. 

The first one is the more popular ham you will find in every bar, at every family gathering and fiesta. 'Inexpensive'... but impossible not to touch. 

Jamón Iberico derives its name from the black pig that lives in both countries of the Iberian peninsula: the west and south west of Spain as well as in south and central Portugal. 

Jamón serrano then means 'ham from the sierra'. Ergo: Mountain Ham. 

Both: finger licking good!  

www.inlandandalucia.com 

How to make Andalusian Gazpacho?

In fact, 'Andalusian Gazpacho' is a pleonasm. For the origins of this soup of raw vegetables are, yes, Andalusian.  

The most widespread theory is that it was a soup of bread, olive oil, water and garlic that arrived in southern Spain with the Moors. 

Today, if you're anything like the average northern European arriving in Andalucia, it's that cold soup you first dislike - before you start to love it, can't live without and prepare it for a whole month. 

As health drink, soup or dish: you make it according to your taste. 

The most modern way to make gazpacho:

There are many modern variations of gazpacho, including adding grapes, watermelon or seafood. Let's stick to the most traditional taste though. 

What do you need?

Stale bread, olive oil and vegetables. To be precise: a blender + stale bread + vegetables as tomato, cucumber, onion, bell pepper + garlic, olive oil, wine vinegar, water and salt. 

How to make it? 

1. Wash the vegetables and peel the tomatoes, garlic and onions. 

2. Chop all herbs and pound everything in a mortar (traditional method) or purée them in a blender. 

3. Add soaked, stale bread (optional)

4. Blend until liquid until you have the desired consistency. Some like it to look as a purée, others as a drink. 

5. Ad water, olive oil, salt and vinegar. This is your experimental phase, where you keep adding and stirring until it's up to your taste. 

(If you prefer not to purée but to leave some texture, then only start blending now). 

6. You can garnish the soup with diced tomatoes or tiny slices of cucumber or other fresh ingredients. 

Fun facts about gazpacho

• The word 'gazpacho' is of Arabic origin and means soaked bread. 
• The 2 main ingredients, tomatoes and peppers, were only added after the discovery of the New World. 
• Gazpacho is so popular it even has its own National Gazpacho Day: December 6th.  

But what with the heat, any summer day is Gazpacho Day. 

Disfruta! 

www.inlandandalucia.com 

3 surprising and Super Easy tapas

Once again a Spanish restaurant is named Best Restaurant in the World (El Celler de San Roca in Girona). 

With another 6 restaurants in the Top 50, there can't be much debate about it: Spain is a culinary paradise. 

Let's hope that our visitors this summer (for obviously: nothing makes a person so popular as living in Andalucia) do not have too high expectations! 

If you discover they do, here are 3 tapas that are both surprising as well as incredibly easy. 

3. Melon cubes with jamon serrano

The title says it all. No further ingredients needed. 

2. Chicory boats with herb cheese

This one doesn't take more than 2 minutes: 

Grease leaflets of chicory with herb cheese. Done. 

That in itself is delicious. 

Even if chicory can be found in any larger supermarket, people often do not know what to do with it and when they see it on the table they're surprised. 

For an extra touch, you can add chestnuts or berries. 

1. Goat cheese and honey

An underground classic. Loved by all. Even for breakfast. 

All you need is: 

French bread

Goat cheese

Honey

Slice the bread. Slice the goat cheese. Put the slices of cheese on the slices of bread - and then in the oven until the cheese melts and the bread is crispy.  

A top of honey on the cheese and done, it's ready to be served. 

For an extra touch, ad almonds. 

A tapa dinner conversation

"Did you know that the word tapa comes from the verb tapar, which means: to cover"? 

(Gasps for air): "No, I didn't". 

"Yes. To avoid leaves falling in the drink, they put a small plate on it. Which could be used as well for a small bite to whet the appetite". 

"You are so cultured! You are such a good host"!

Admittedly, I dreamt up this conversation. It is the origin of the Spanish tapa though, which used to exist of olives, cheese and ham only - and over time has been influenced by trends and foreign habits. 

Use frozen strawberries or pineapple cubes as ice cubes?

Today anything goes. 

Grill peach? 

Grill salad on a stick? (A skewer of tomato, pepper, onion…). 

If you've got something in the house, you can create a tapa with it. Try it today - or every day - when you're rummaging for a bite at 4 PM. 

Good luck and enjoy - and do not hesitate to post your suggestions or recipe here. 

www.inlandandalucia.com 

  

Losing weight in Andalucia: our tips

The healthiest air of Europe, hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails, and steep alleyways galore:  

It seems that in Andalucia you just have to leave the car at home to become slim. 

Sometimes, facing another never ending staircase leading to a church or castle, you wish you'd carry a few pounds less. 

Couple this with the incentive of the beach- and pool culture, and you know why gyms all over Andalucia tend to fill up by March (and are again very empty - and very inexpensive - by the end of October). 

Did you know that most villages, even the small ones, tend to have a small or even very well equipped gym… and that the prices are nowhere near to those in the north of Europe? 

The Internet is saturated with tips to lose weight: with the beach season approaching, we thought of asking around in our office and let you know...

Our most popular weight loss tips 

Popular, for they're either very easy or fun. 

- Eat when it's time to eat.  Do not wait until you're hungry. For the simple reason that you'll eat less and will still feel satisfied. 

- Always have breakfast (fruits). Simply to avoid that your body goes into the mode of 'oh my god, there will be a famine, I better hold on to my fat'. 

- Always have a jug of lemon water on the table. Squeeze half a lemon (or a whole one if you prefer) into a liter of water. Besides a dozen other health advantages, lemons contain pectin fiber, which assists in fighting hunger cravings.

- Teach yourself to like healthy snacks. Olives, almonds, carrot sticks… if that sounds like a bore the first time around, it only takes 3-5 repeats for something to become a habit, more: something you really like and start to look forward to (the same applies to: educating yourself to like coffee without sugar, … try it 4 times and you start to love it). 

- Build a little group. You would say it's not difficult to lose weight or get into shape: all it takes is motivation. 

But there you go: self-motivation is a difficult hurdle. It really helps if you can enthuse a few friends. 

To go walking once a week. Why not, slowly turn it into a weekly run. You can teach each other new exercises. Apart from being healthy, this is great fun, a social event you'll quickly start looking forward to. Before you know it this is the highlight of the week. 

- Go to those Sevillana lessons. Dancing is not only a shortcut to happiness and laughter, also to a lean body.  

- And finally… climb that mountain! You know which one we mean. The one you see from your kitchen window or always drive past and that forever makes you say: 'One day I should explore that area'. Forget about the headaches of planning the next exciting excursion: almost anywhere in Andalucia you can see the perfect excursion from your rooftop. 

Even if you don't actually get a lot of energy out of yourself, you are still in that great, healthy air of Andalucia, in a country with one of the highest life expectancies in the world (approx. 2 years longer than in the axis UK-Germany)… and those are very good for your health and morale, even without lifting one arm. 

If you have a fun, easy or original tip… let us know! 

We will share it here.  

www.inlandandalucia.com 

The Season is starting!

This Sunday, March 29th, marks the start of Semana Santa 2015 and thus of... summer! 

Summer? Aren't there 4 seasons in Andalusia too? Yes, there are - and still people mainly divide the year into Summer and Winter only. 

For these 2 periods come with a remarkable and very noticeable difference: it's 6 months wintersleep versus 6 months of life, so to speak.  

Life with a capital L

Summer in Andalusia, that is T-shirts and flip flops, barbecues and fiestas. Summer means people coming together in the streets, cafés and around swimming pools. Summer stands for beach, concerts and excursions. 

What with the beach-and-pool culture of Andalusia, youngsters have been going to the gym for 2 months now. Summer wear has been prepared. 

Minds are opening and are slowly starting to think about planning that birthday party or barbeque. Energy is back! 

Sure, it's not a 6 month long beach party: the real heat only starts by the end of June. This makes that...

The months of April and May are for city tripping

For property viewing trips, for walks and hiking, horse back riding and shopping: everything that takes energy.

The grand cities of Andalusia - Seville, Codoba and Granada - are located inland and that means it can be insufferably hot in the top summer months. 

So they are most popular in April and May, and again in October, when the weather is sunny and pleasant and doesn't make you want to sit in the shade and keep still. 

Sports? April and May are the word.

Or, greatest excursion of them all: just taking the car and cruising through Andalusia without any plan? April and May! 

June to September is for beach life

Or, in inland Andalusia, for a true swimming pool culture. 

Especially July and August are the peak of summer. 

The breeze coming in from over the sea and the healthy air makes everyone go to the beaches of the Costa del Sol. 

You don't like busy beaches? No worries. Andalusia has got something for everyone. just hop over the mountain range and in a matter of 15 minutes you are in a different world, a world of nature and tranquility, beautiful views and sleepy villages. 

And what about the natural beaches of the Costa de la Luz? 

From Tarifa and all the way up north you will find one calm, natural beach after the other, punctuated with campings and little beach bars for the hip surfer crowd coming from all over Europe.

Naturally, every month comes with its specifics. 

Together they are The Season, The Summer that half of all Spanish songs sing about, from La Macarena (set in Marbella) to Asèrejé (video made in a beach bar in Estepona).

We wish you a great summer! 

And for the part of the property viewing trips, contact us.

www.inlandandalucia.com 

The 4 phases of expats in Andalucia

There are 2 kinds of people: those who don't live in Andalucia and those who do. 

One group has got watches, the other has time. 

This is such a big difference, implying so many things, rattling the doorknobs and windows of your usual self, that as an expat in Andalucia you usually go through 4 phases: 

Phase 1: you love it

You FLY through the whole first year. 

Forget about Xanax, forget about psychiatrists or self-help books: the fresh air, the views, the colours, the relaxed pace of life… you seem to feel alive up to the tiniest corners of your body and mind. 

All of a sudden you feel a rush of creativity, of ideas, hope, calm, being at peace with yourself: life is looking so bright you need shades, pairs of them, in all colours and shapes. 

Phase 2: you hate it

You start to get used to the permanent state of beauty, it wears off, your old self pops up again. You get stressed by that lack of stress. 

Your northern European internal watch foresaw 3 minutes and 15 seconds for buying bread… does it really have to take 20 minutes? You go to that shop for bread, not for padding a dozen toddlers on the head and an extensive overview of all the local news! 

And what's with that 'mañana'?!

Andalusians can tell you it's a prejudice, and still you hear that word left, right and centre. Your computer will arrive mañana, the boiler will be repaired mañana, and mañana the boss will be there - Mañana is such a gorgeous, mood-lifting day solving all the world's problems. You're going to dance like it's 1999. It's a carrot leading you through this day to that heaven of tomorrow. 

For sure there's also a very punctual, severe, austere, hard working, noble Andalucia, but somehow the one that you see merely seems to exist of cha cha cha, olé and mañana. 

Does time even exist??

"When does the procession start"? 
"O, in the afternoon". 
"What is that? 2 PM, 4 PM, 5 PM, 6 PM, 8 PM, 9 PM… what"? 
"Yes, something like that". 

Somehow, miraculously, everybody comes out at precisely the right time. Nobody knew at what time it would start, but then collective consciousness hits and everybody knows. What do you need the Internet for - if something happens in the village, you will feel it. 

That is: Andalusians do. 

We expats though are the only ones standing in the rain two hours in advance, thinking we must have got the dates wrong. Or we sit alone in that bar at 10 PM, with only a cat and 3 other expats, thinking that the evening has started. By the time we start to yawn, feeling that the night is over, the locals are only still planning their outfit for the night. 

Or other rules? 

So you walk down to the local fiesta, in jeans and sneakers, only to discover the rest of the town is dressed as though they need to present the Eurovision Song Contest. 

You remember that, dress up to the nines when attending a funeral - and everyone around you has got paint splotches and muddy shoes for coming straight from the construction plot. 

There just seems to be… no rule at all. You forever feel as though being pushed on a stage where everyone knows the lines, except you. Then it hits you: you are going to educate them. This town needs to be like yours, the one you grew up in and that is SO much better.  

Yip, you risk to forget the reason why you came to Andalusia in the first place. 

Phase 3: you live it

You 'see the light'.
You convert to Andalusia as to the Islam. 

Suddenly you realize what 'an other culture' actually is, where the habits are coming from and what they achieve - and just how amazingly well they fit you. 

You no longer study life, life is studying you. 

At 7 AM you sit in a local bar for a coffee and Pacharan, like normal people do. You speak of Andalucia, not Andalusia with an s. You go sit in the sun and then suddenly it seems to be 11 PM and you start wondering whether it wouldn't be a good idea to go out in a few hours. You meet up with 5000 of your most intimate friends. You say 'yes' which means 'maybe', and that headache question is for mañana. 

You go to a job interview in flip flops and open shirt, looking like a gypsy with a sunstroke, and promise you will be very punctual, if it doesn't rain. Or if the colleague of the mother-in-law of your third cousin doesn't need help that day. 

By the end of this year, you're calling relatives abroad to ask for money, because somehow, for some mystic reason, there seems to be a hole in the hole in your wallet. 

Phase 4: the new you

Just as any other Andalucian: you find your balance. 
Very slowly, step by step, you mold a piece of art: 

What you like and love of Andalucia sips into your system, while you mingle it with what you need and love of your personal background and customs. 

This phase comes with a risk: you are in serious danger of no longer being able to live anywhere else. 

All the advantages of that other place do not matter: Andalucia has enriched you, taken your personality, temperament and feel of well being to a next, higher level. You've become a better you, one that you like more. 

Some extraversion has been injected into your introversion, a too high stress level has learned how to let go from time to time, social obligations no longer feel like a strait-jacket, and after too much work stress there's always a view or encounter ironing out the creases. 

And you, where are you in the circle of Andalucian life? 

www.inlandandalucia.com