Since we moved to Spain we have bought and thrown out a lot of plastic bottles, and I mean A LOT!! The tap water has a distinct taste of chlorine and it’s not recommended to drink directly from the tap. Becoming more and more aware how much plastic we consume every day, we decided to try to make a small difference. To bring our own shopping bags and always decline the plastic bags in shops, supermarkets etc. Three months ago we stopped buying plastic bottles, but only glass bottled water. Now this week we took it a step further and invested in a water decalcification system (our tap water was measured to contain 35% calc). Futhermore we have had a reverse osmosis water system installed to remove large majority of contaminants from our water. Now we can drink water directly from the tap and tastes great.
I’m so happy that we finally had it done! But the big question is: “Why didn’t we do it years ago!?” I don’t know, but videos like one in the link below, made us realize it was time to make a change. Even though it is just a small drop in the sea, it’s better than doing nothing. And I enjoy my water more today than I did a week ago!

See video: https://vidozz.com/Uj

One of the many squares of Jerez de la Frontera

When you move abroad you find yourself missing out on many of the special Christmas traditions of your home country. In Denmark; Christmas time is also the time of darkness, cold weather, snow and staying indoor. Therefore it can be a bit difficult to get into Christmas spirit living here in Southern Spain. This year even more; we still have temperatures between 16-22 degrees, blue sky and the sun is shining bright. Is Santa going to wear shorts this year? But we do our best and have keep the traditions that suit us the most: We bake Christmas cookies, decorate the Christmas tree, watch the yearly Danish Christmas television serie(one episode every evening until 24th of December) and the kids get a small gift every Sunday of Advent.
But we have also adopted some Spanish traditions. Celebrating the Three Kings on 6th of January, visiting nearby villages when they “dress up” as ancient Bethlehem. And from this year adding one more: ZAMBOMBA! A zambomba is an instrument, made out of a clay pot, fabric and a stick, that is used to keep the rythem while hords of people sing Christmas carols.

Zambomba is also the decription of the sing-a-longs you can experience in Spain, and especially in Jerez de la Frontera during December. If you vist the town during the weekend you can’t avoid bumping into the Zambomba choirs on every corner of the bigger squares (Plazas). Young and old join in on the singing, clapping and even flamenco dancing. It is joyful and you can’t help yourself joining the party.

Visit Jerez de la Frontera and zambomba your way into the spirit of Christmas.

Autumn is mushroom season. This year I’m planning on going hunting mushrooms in the nearby woods. But while I’m waiting for the chance to go foraging, I’ve made these! To decorate my Christmas tree…

You need: cardboard, fabric (red colours and beige), thin rope, thread, rice, cushion filling