Journey To A Dream

Note from the editor: Welcome to a new issue of the Canabal Chronicle, a light-hearted take on life in Canabal: a rural village in the province of Lugo, Galicia, Spain.

Watch out, there’s a thief about. Authorities have warned local residents to be on the lookout for an opportunist thief preying on unprotected properties. Earlier in the week, a local bird by the name of Jay was questioned about the crimes but later released without charge. The night-time stalker seems particularly partial to ripening tomatoes. One local resident commented “mira, mira!” (look, look!).

Villagers reacted quickly, sending out search parties to find the culprit but efforts have so far proved fruitless.

With the offender still at large, vigilantes are taking matters into their own hands. Terry the Terrier (a reference to his sporting elegancies to newly promoted Huddersfield Town FC) was one of the first to volunteer. As the sun sets over Canabal a chorus of “Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough” echoes over the surrounding countryside.

Hopes were briefly raised when Terry apprehended a suspect. The accused is known locally as Harry the Hedgehog but immediately pleaded his innocence, “I don’t like tomatoes” he said. After a thorough investigation he was later released without charge. Apparently, hedgehogs don’t like tomatoes.

Authorities were quick to issue a statement telling villagers “Don’t have nightmares. Do sleep well.”
 
A New Arrival. In happier news, earlier in the week local residents Craig and Melanie Briggs became proud parents thanks to the generosity of their neighbour Pepe. The new delivery weighed 13lbs 5oz on arrival and was christened Calabacin by the lucky couple.

To thank Pepe for his generosity, Melanie set to work baking. She started with Pan de Calabacin (Zucchini bread) and finished off with courgette and carrot muffins.

Pepe was surprised and delighted to receive his gifts.

Later that day, Craig put his culinary skills to the test, bringing a whole new meaning to the “Happy Meal”.

Terry Touts for Tenner’s. As well as becoming a night-watchman and big game hunter, Terry has been out and about in Santiago de Compostela, Spain’s second most visited tourist sight.

People were delighted to see him at this historic venue and huge crowds quickly gathered.

Given his Yorkshire heritage, Terry made full use of his opportunity charging adoring fans a tenner for autographs. It wasn’t long before a snaking queue formed eager to take advantage of Terry’s generosity.

Doorstep Delivery. Local dairy farm Casa da Fonte goes from strength to strength. Owner Xosé (José) has recently invested in a mobile milking parlour to keep the business moving forward.

Not only do local residents get a doorstep delivery but so too his herd of cows. In the middle of summer when good pasture is at a premium, the mobile parlour allows him to graze the herd in fields that would otherwise be impractical due to their distance from the farm. Keep up the good work Xosé.

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​This issue of the Canabal Chronicle was brought to you by Craig Briggs, author of The Journey series of books.

Amazon links

To purchase copies of my books, click these titles:

Journey To A Dream - Beyond Imagination - Endless Possibilities

Find out more about Craig, and Galicia or look him up on Facebook

Craig and Melanie also own and operate a luxury farmhouse rental property called Campo Verde. To find out more about a stay at Campo Verde and Galicia in general, visit their website getaway-galicia

Note from the editor: due to the unprecedented success of issue one, I’m delighted to bring you the second issue. Some said this project was doomed to failure. One anonymous source was quoted as saying “People aren’t interested in happy news”. Here at the Chronicle we disagree and after just one issue our headline story proves that where the Chronicle leads, others follow.

BBC Jumps on the Bandwagon Earlier in the week, unconfirmed rumours began circulating that top brass from the BBC had been seen skulking around the offices of the Canabal Chronicle searching for their next big scoop. The story gathered pace after BBC Points West ran an article featuring a Terry the Terrier lookalike. It seems that Terry, in association with the Chronicle, has started a social media trend that looks set to go viral.

Terry was unavailable for comment. He was busy consoling his friend Gerry the Wolves who’d called round on the off-chance that some of Terry’s Premier League magic would rub off on him – no such luck Gerry.

Fit to Drop The Sober Keep Fit Society, including the Canabal chapter, celebrated their annual end of course dinner at the restaurant O Regata here in the village. Over seventy residents attended, most of which were over seventy.

To ensure the continuing success of the society, instructor Dunia (centre and slim) chose the menu - churrasco Gallego (mixed grill) and chips. Copious amounts of red wine ensured that everyone went home with a smile on their face. 

No Hard Feelings And finally, to show executives from the BBC that the Canabal Chronicle is not one to hold a grudge. We’d like to share another global first – a grapevine called Jeremy. Earlier in the growing season a thick frost devastated local vineyards. At the time, it was touch and go if Jeremy vine would survive. Thanks to well-wishers from all over the world, Jeremy vine has made a full recovery. Such was the sentiment felt by the general public that people from as far away as California, Nottingham, Chelmsford and Wolverhampton have visited during his convalescence. Thank you, one and all.

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This issue of the Canabal Chronicle was brought to you by Craig Briggs, author of The Journey series of books.

To purchase copies of my books, click these titles:

Journey To A Dream - Beyond Imagination - Endless Possibilities

Find out more about Craig, and Galicia or look him up on Facebook

Craig and Melanie also own and operate a luxury farmhouse rental property called Campo Verde. To find out more about a stay at Campo Verde and Galicia in general, visit their website getaway-galicia

Note from the editor. Welcome to the first issue of our Some-day supplement, a sister publication to the critically acclaimed (more critical than acclaimed) Canabal Chronicle – The home of happy news.

In this issue you’ll find, what we hope will become, three regular features; Canabal Cuisine - a mouth-watering international recipe, Travel – tips and ideas on Spanish getaways, and #normalwisdom – a thought provoking quotation from the editor (that’s me).

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Canabal Cuisine - Tuna Empanada

Ingredients

For the pastry

1cube fresh yeast (25gms)

2.5 tablespoons tepid water

1 teaspoon sugar

250gms plain flour

125mls warm milk

1 egg yolk

Pinch salt

For the filling

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion

2 tablespoons tomato sauce (frito or similar)

125gms tinned roast pepper (chopped)

190gm tin tuna fish

Saffron

1 beaten egg

Method

Dissolve the sugar in the tepid water and add the yeast.

Sift the flour and add the salt. Then add the egg yolk, warm milk and yeast mixture.

Make a dough.

Knead well and divide into two. Cover and leave to rise for about 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven 200°C

To make the filling.

Heat the oil and saute the chopped onion.

Add the peppers, tomato sauce, tuna and saffron. Cook for a few minutes. Cool and add the beaten egg.

Roll out one piece of dough, into a circle.

Place on a greased baking sheet. For an evenly cooked empanada use a pizza sheet with holes in.

Put the filling on top.

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Travel - Why put off today what you can do Zamora?

Rome wasn’t built in a day and ‘No se ganó Zamora en un hora’ (Zamora wasn’t won in an hour). A Spanish proverb that’s as true today as it was in the 15^th century.

The old town of Zamora occupies an elevated position on the banks of the river Douro in the province of Castile and León, 50km from the Portuguese border. The city has an abundance of architectural delights from the grand Romanesque cathedral with its intricately carved dome, to the medieval bridge that spans the slow-moving waters of the river Douro. One of my favourite buildings is the Ramos Carrión Theatre located on Calle Ramos Carrión in the heart of the old town. When the building fell into disrepair, the local council ran a competition to give this once grand theatre a new lease of life. The work was completed in 2011 and the new modernist design has created a unique and usable space while keeping the theatre’s original 1916 façade.

If you’re looking for somewhere to stay, the boutique hotel Horus Zamora is comfortable and reasonably priced with an excellent evening menu at a low fixed price. It’s located in the Plaza Mercada and is within easy walking distance of the Plaza Mayor and all the main attractions. Directly opposite the hotel is the farmers market, Mercado de Abastos built in 1902, where locally produced products are sold daily.

Should you decide to visit this diamond on the Douro, why not let the train take the strain. Zamora railway station is part of Spain’s high-speed train network.

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And finally - #normalwisdom

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The Canabal Chronicle Some-day supplement was brought to you by Craig Briggs (with a little help from wife Melanie) author of The Journey series of books

To purchase copies of my books, click these titles:

Journey To A Dream - Beyond Imagination - Endless Possibilities

Find out more about Craig, and Galicia or look him up on Facebook

Craig and Melanie also own and operate a luxury farmhouse rental property called Campo Verde. To find out more about a stay at Campo Verde and Galicia in general, visit their website getaway-galicia