Spring & Latin American Party

Gillies hill

Michael and I went another bike ride on my week off through the woods at Gillies Hill - a lovely woodland behind the village Cambusbarron where we first lived when we moved to Stirling. We ended up carrying our bikes up an almost sheer muddy hill trying to find a way up it in the woods. They used to quarry here and now they want to re-open the quarry which would mean that a large part of the woodland would be blasted into oblivion along wth all the wildlife including red squirrels and badgers. If you want to support the campaign to save it go to http://www.savegillieshill.org.uk/

Taking a rest on bike ride in Gillies Hill woods - it's a cycle helmet, not hat!

We spent a while carreening through the trees and then headed off down country lanes through farmland eventually coming out south of the city in the Whins of Milton. We then returned home on the roads since it was a downhill ride taking that route, although not as scenic.

Latin American party 11 April

Don't remember what we were laughing about but the food was great!

Roser hosted another party at her flat but this time the chefs were Jennifer and Jairo from Venezuela and Nicki who lived in Guatemala. Some of the guests provided a few extra dishes like nachos. I had a yummy vegetarian rice dish made with coconut milk and kidney beans- there was even some left so I took a bug tub home and ate it for lunch and dinner for the next 2 days!

The menu included:

arepas - fried corn bread
caraotas negras (black beans)
carne molida (mince meat)
pepian de pollo (chicken dumplings)
Caribbean rice and beans with coconut milk
guacamole chapin
platanos fritos (fried plantains)
quesillo (dessert similar to a flan)
mojitos & wine

Yummy Latin American flan - 'quesillo'

After stuffing ourselves I'm surprised that anyone was able to move let alone dance but dance they did - salsa and merengue. We also had an impromptu poetry recital in Spanish from Jairo of a famous Latin American poem which has hundreds of verses - thankfully he didn't recite them all, just the first one or two.

Merengue dancing Ailsa, Jenny, Sergi & Jairo

Salsa dancing Latin American style