tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34188855646568573182012-01-19T10:12:36.758+01:00Observing the mad in MadridKeefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.comBlogger3031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-36768015628621540372012-01-16T20:19:00.002+01:002012-01-16T20:46:14.887+01:00

No, not 'your mammy', 'oomaaaahmy'. Umami is alleged to be the fifth taste, after salt, sour, sweet and bitter, and it's a Japanese word that is variously translated as 'savoury' or 'deliciousness'. Before we go any further, I should explain that 'taste' is what we can detect with our tongues. This is augmented by many thousands of aromas that our noses can experience. It's all a bit complicated

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-29936202840295183412012-01-09T23:09:00.000+01:002012-01-09T23:09:08.752+01:00

Here it is then. The bottom part is a BLT - bacon, lettuce and tomato sitting on a blob of mayonnaise and topped with melted cheese. The top part is Dijon mustard, the burger patty, sliced gherkins, tomato ketchup and more melted cheese. Possibly a bit over the top.

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-86792475628893757962012-01-08T18:54:00.000+01:002012-01-09T18:43:27.460+01:00

There are few things on this earth that can beat a really good beefburger. Sadly, like pies, some of the things that get passed off as 'good' burgers are anything but. I remember to this day the very first 'hamburger' I ever had. It was at a Wimpy in Doncaster (MacDonald's and their ilk were still a few years away from hitting UK shores, and burgers did not exist in Brit 'cuisine'), and it was

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-62846181233330592652011-12-23T21:36:00.000+01:002011-12-23T21:36:01.148+01:00

I'm really sorry for my abysmal posting record this month - I have 3 or 4 half-written posts that only need (usually) a photo or a few more words to finish them off. Ho hum. And now Christmas is upon us. I'm off to London first thing tomorrow, but I promise when I get back there'll be lots more posting. Can't wait, can ya? I wish youse all a fab Christmas and a splendid 2012, despite what crap

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-54004915682196125702011-11-07T18:08:00.001+01:002011-11-07T18:08:24.944+01:00

I love Tiger, I really really do. They sell silly stuff, hobby stuff, party stuff and herbs and spices. Most items cost 1 or 2 Euros. I doubt they have anything over €10. But it's nothing like a £1 shop in the UK - shopping in Tiger doesn't make you feel like a loser. If you don't have one near you - go to their website and complain like a complainy thing. Because then you'll be able to get some

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-4491306838461634442011-10-19T12:22:00.000+02:002011-10-19T21:06:14.511+02:00

We've known for about six months that one of the clan would be celebrating his 50th birthday in the Netherlands in mid-October. But did anybody book any flights when they were cheap? Nooooo, of course not. So we ended up organising the most bizarrely impractical itinerary for the weekend just gone. We had basically given up on the idea of the Holland trip because we had no money and the fares

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-50152929027814364922011-10-10T22:05:00.001+02:002011-10-10T22:05:12.370+02:00

I hesitate to say, out loud and in public 'I quit', because I will then look like a weak and feeble arse when next I pick up a cigarette, set fire to it, and suck its evil contents down into the fetid depths of what remains of my lungs. So what I will say is, it's been 4-5 days since I last smoked a cigarette. And you know what? Quitting isn't killing me. Sure, I get the little craving monster,

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-40672511658929034972011-09-14T18:37:00.000+02:002011-09-14T18:37:37.779+02:00

I rarely post on here about books I'm reading / have read / have hurled into the street below because the author just can't effing write. But I really have to share a little rave-ette with you, having just finished reading David Mitchell's extraordinary 2004 novel, Cloud Atlas for the second time. Why it took me 7 years to come across this book, I'll never know. I was talking to a writer-friend a

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-33168889296350669762011-08-07T16:26:00.001+02:002011-08-07T17:26:48.069+02:00

I actually made a Molecular Gastronomy recipe today that I was quite proud of. It's Agar Agar Tomato Soup Spaghetti, invented by Ferran Adría of El Bulli. There are two essential bits of kit needed for this recipe - a big chunky syringe, and lengths of plastic tubing. The tubing has to fit very tightly over the nozzle of the syringe, otherwise all your efforts are doomed to failure. After quite

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-14982568880636306142011-07-21T09:52:00.001+02:002011-07-21T10:37:19.891+02:00

I've been to England twice in the last two months, the first time flying into & out of Stansted, and the second, Gatwick. Up till now, if I've had to go to London, Stansted has been my airport of choice. Luton is too much like a municipal bus station, while Heathrow and Gatwick are a national disgrace (well, two national disgraces, or six if you count each terminal separately). But for the most

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-34752487481416017172011-06-30T17:28:00.000+02:002011-06-30T17:28:56.229+02:00

Those of you who read my drivel on Facebook will have an idea of the bizzyness I've been going through for the last couple of months. I've really had no time to blog at all. The thing that was driving me nuts was trying to move house. We actually found a place we liked last October, but our landlady said we could only move when the lease has expired (I'm still not convinced this is actually true)

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-58697283681425328562011-05-22T11:36:00.000+02:002011-05-22T11:36:26.890+02:00

This post is about Gala Pies and Long Eggs. If you don't know what either of these, I will now elucidate. A Gala Pie is a long version of a pork pie, typically baked in a bread tin and about the size, shape and weight as a brick. But far more tasty, unless of course, you're a troll. Gala Pies have a boiled egg running through the centre and are designed to be served in slices. Magically*, no

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-83339001443979195392011-05-04T22:29:00.000+02:002011-05-04T22:29:08.510+02:00

Last night I went out to watch the second leg of the Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The pub we went to was nearly empty - I guess none of the regulars expected to have anything to celebrate, so they stayed at home with a cup of cocoa. Personally, I was expecting a goal-fest for Barca, but it was not to be. In the absence of the loudmouthed José Mourinho (currently

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-14401015023967663702011-04-28T16:32:00.000+02:002011-04-28T16:32:42.494+02:00

After last night's 2-0 loss to Barcelona in the Champion's League Semi-Final 1st leg, über-brat and crap actor Cristiano Ronaldo had this to say in a press conference: "Messi?" he replied, when asked about the Argentinian's two goals. "It's easier against 10 men. I would like to play against 10 men too, like he does. It is no excuse but they always play against ten men. "I don't understand why

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-66079660538361650052011-04-26T22:52:00.000+02:002011-04-26T22:52:27.163+02:00

Having lived in the Middle East, I'm a big fan of hummus, which is pretty much a staple of the diet there. In case you don't know, it's a puree of chick peas (garbanzos) and tahini and a little bit of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. I have bought hummus once or twice since we moved to Spain, but not been impressed. And I've made it once or twice, but the price of tahini here is incredible - €6

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-86213599094343326932011-04-21T18:56:00.000+02:002011-04-21T18:56:04.738+02:00

They do say that moving house is up there with divorce and the death of a loved one in the stress stakes. And they're not wrong. We've moved twice in Madrid, and now we're onto our third one. Or maybe not. I'd mentioned to my mate the property rental guy that we would be looking to move to a bigger place - at the very least we wanted 2 bedrooms so we could have guests. This was back in September,

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-87041730856891239372011-03-08T23:19:00.001+01:002011-03-08T23:31:12.505+01:00

One week today is St Patrick's Day. I've had this date rattling round in my brain for at least the last month, because, obviously, a special pie will be required for it. And I've thought about what this pie should be, but never actually got round to doing anything about it. What I thought was, it should be a steak and Guinness pie. Irish stew would have been nice, but the traditional version of

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-20566154554835741342011-03-05T13:56:00.002+01:002011-03-05T14:40:15.477+01:00

I've had a growing discomfort in the tooth department for a few weeks now, but tried to ignore it in the hope that it would just go away. Of course, it didn't, and by last Wednesday it had reached the point where lots of Novocaine and some attention from a dentist would be required. I haven't actually been to a dentist in Madrid (*hangs head in shame*), but I remembered a mate telling me he knew

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-75691747774810209542011-02-17T22:43:00.001+01:002011-03-07T11:44:02.849+01:00

I had a huge amount of buggeration with an ISP called Jazztel after we moved to our new flat almost two years ago. This was because they had been supplying internet ADSL to our previous flat in Chueca, and refused to accept that we would no longer be needing their service once we'd moved. I actually paid them for about three months' worth of service that I never used, and had one hell of a time

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-89785706677815810702011-02-04T03:06:00.000+01:002011-02-04T03:06:59.803+01:00

As if Mubarak's refusal to just go away, and the murder of several protesters yesterday weren't enough, the Egyptian 'government' has ordered mobile phone operators in the country to send this message to all of their subscribers: “The Armed Forces urge Egypt’s loyal men to confront the traitors and the criminals and to protect our families, our honor and our precious Egypt.” Traitors? Criminals

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-41169231679211373562011-01-26T15:03:00.002+01:002011-01-26T15:14:09.482+01:00

A friend of mine is going through a phase of liking gin and tonics - the more exotic, the better. He is enthused by G & Ts served with cucumber, strawberry, and whatever else the creative barperson can think of. But the definitive additive is juniper berries. He'd discovered this before Christmas and (as a dude who knows his way around food shops and markets), I promised to get him some. Well, it

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-38880405052781671392011-01-21T12:59:00.001+01:002011-01-21T14:37:45.190+01:00

Seabee nominated me to do this. Apparently half the world's population will die* if I don't. *Timescale not specified. 1. If you blog anonymously, are you happy with this? If you aren't anonymous, do you wish you started out anonymously so that you could be anonymous now?I began blogging in Dubai at about the same time as Secret Dubai Diary, and also with a bit of a critical edge. I had no

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-60763291058630048872011-01-15T18:58:00.003+01:002011-01-16T11:51:26.266+01:00

I've mentioned my brief forays into Molecular Gastronomy, but haven't posted any of my stunning successes yet. Mainly because there haven't been any. If you read the blogs of people who dabble in this stuff, it seems the first thing everyone wants to try is Spherification, and I'm no exception. The basic idea is to create blobs of intensely-flavoured liquid encapsulated in a gel skin that melts

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-35423046540356737912011-01-08T14:03:00.002+01:002011-01-24T00:25:36.390+01:00

First of all, Happy New Year to you all: let's hope it's a good 'un, despite all evidence to the contrary. And apologies for the lack of posting - the pie biz went insane in December (I must have sold 400-500 mince pies!), and then it was Christmas, and now the web biz has gone crazy. Moan, moan, whinge, whinge. Our Christmas kicked off about a week early when we had our traditional mince pies,

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-61554490091268391172010-12-16T01:44:00.002+01:002010-12-20T21:05:22.898+01:00

Me and Heston have many things in common - we're both great cooks, both a bit geeky, and both suffering from a shortage of candied orange. In Heston's case, you might have read the story in the news. He occasionally creates dishes for the upmarket UK supermarket chain Waitrose. For this Christmas season, he invented a large (12-14 people) Christmas pudding with a whole candied Seville orange in

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-54075009066665775752010-11-24T17:07:00.001+01:002010-11-24T20:30:00.685+01:00

In recent weeks I've become quite interested in what I think of as Cooking 2.0, but which the rest of the planet calls Molecular Gastronomy. In case you haven't stumbled across this, it's a method for high-profile chefs to make vast sums of money by serving miniscule portions of chemically-engineered food at staggeringly high prices. The preparation of food, of course, has always been about

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-89054411540812751052010-11-14T00:09:00.001+01:002010-11-14T00:09:28.863+01:00

We went to San Sebastian de los Reyes today. If you've ever been there, you'll be wondering why. It doesn't seem to have any historical interest, and not even the most optimistic town councillor would describe it as pretty. It's a kind of newish dormitory town to the north of Madrid. The reasons for the visit were twofold:1) To check out a shop selling British products thereand2) It's time for

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-20129208981148874892010-10-23T18:37:00.002+02:002010-11-06T00:23:54.847+01:00

Some time ago, my MacBook decided it couldn't connect to the WiFi router two metres away. My old PC laptop can connect to it, and so can my phone and MamaDuck's netbook and laptop. Not having a WiFi connection didn't bother me too much, apart from the blue cable crawling across the floor, until yesterday when I was in a Skype call with Offspring and wanted to show him something in the kitchen.

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-62008387797954884302010-10-05T19:32:00.000+02:002010-10-05T19:32:51.870+02:00

Dubai Rental Property have been comment spamming this blog and my Dubai blog, neither of which are about property rental, at least in Dubai. I asked them to desist yesterday, and in response they left me five fresh comments. I know that off-site links from other blogs and websites are good for search engine rankings, but this is going too far. I will be watching the results for Dubai Furnished

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-18655314601028540902010-10-05T12:40:00.002+02:002010-10-05T12:40:42.735+02:00

Do the ironing. All of it. Without being asked to.

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-4310602139534147592010-09-26T12:43:00.000+02:002010-09-26T12:43:49.903+02:00

There are several ways of doing this, but here's a new one I discovered yesterday. 1) Go shopping, a few hours earlier than usual. 2) Notice that the professional kitchenware shop that is nearly always closed, and whose windows you normally gaze longingly into, is actually open. 3) Spend half an hour lusting after all the bits of kit you want, but only buy a slightly exotic Cook's Hat. 4) Do

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-58823549116328100372010-09-11T11:51:00.001+02:002010-09-11T11:51:23.545+02:00

Invertirencine.com is now live ('invertir en cine' is Spanish for 'invest in film'). It's the Spanish version of the Film Production Investments site I mentioned last week - oh, and anyone who had trouble viewing that, there was a glitch with the server DNS, which is now fixed. So now we're working on the German version. All good fun.

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-3586639468000887092010-09-03T09:04:00.002+02:002010-09-11T11:46:35.211+02:00

For the last month, I've had my head deeply immersed in work, creating a website for a new client. They're in the film production business, and what they do is find independent film projects that look like they could make money, and then find people to invest in them. We launched the site yesterday (several bottles of Diet Coke were consumed), so now I'm getting busy on the Spanish version, with

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-23429132120253336532010-08-31T19:06:00.001+02:002010-08-31T19:08:06.375+02:00

Segovia was the first place we visited outside Madrid after we arrived three years ago. We had a pretty crummy time, as described here.  I'd always wanted to go back, and when the offspring arrived a few weeks ago, it seemed like the perfect time to do it. I decided to splash out a bit and book tickets on the AVE (Spain's high-speed train). In case anyone's interested, it took 27 minutes from

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-5905920650403070832010-08-08T17:46:00.000+02:002010-08-08T17:46:16.175+02:00

Unlike all other European capitals, Madrid does not sit astride a big river. It does, however, sit beside a little one, the much ignored Río Manzanares. The lack of flowing water was always a downside to Madrid for us, so I was interested to hear the plan by Alberto Ruíz Gallardón, Mayor of Madrid, to bury about 6 kilometres of the M-30 motorway, which had previously formed a fairly impenetrable

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-71015394225076741692010-08-05T22:25:00.000+02:002010-08-05T22:25:53.426+02:00

Having been married for almost 25 years (yes, really!), most of our kitchen stuff is about that old. The pans, well, Prestige said they'd last a lifetime, and even though they never specified whose lifetime (the pan's, or the owner's), their little copper bottoms and stainless steel sides are still in fine fettle. The same cannot be said for my chef's knives: dull, dull, dull, and almost

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-6559700365980620942010-08-05T19:23:00.000+02:002010-08-05T19:23:42.663+02:00

I'm not an economist, politician, or banker. If I was, I would probably be infinitely richer by now. But it intrigues me when politicians whitter on about deficits and so on. The numbers seem to be huge (because, well, they are). But we never get to see them in context. So I did a little Googling, and found this page. It tells us the UK's current deficit is £159.2 BILLION! That's an

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-49342265692439956932010-08-03T19:51:00.000+02:002010-08-03T19:51:16.785+02:00

Yes, yes, I know I haven't posted for a coupla weeks. But I been busy, see. Gotta monster web-design project onna pretty tight schedule. Anyway, here's the new post. Which follows on from an earlier one. Phones powered by Google Android have been crashing out of the skies in a rain-like manner. So a couple of weeks ago, I'd seen the one I wanted on the Interwebz. It's the HTC Desire (stock photo

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-38560380281462074072010-07-11T23:44:00.003+02:002010-07-13T09:21:30.469+02:00

Well, we did it! Bloody hard work, it was, though. I don't know if it was a deliberate strategy by the Dutch, but they seemed to want to injure any Spanish player they could get a boot to. I don't think I've ever seen such filthy play from a European team in a major game. De Yong should have been sent off in the first half for kicking Alonso in the chest. As the game continued, Spain showed

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-39832208478490174672010-07-11T18:50:00.000+02:002010-07-11T18:50:06.698+02:00

Still about two hours to go before the World Cup Final kicks off. I've just been down to the shop to get some supplies in, having decided to forsake the atmosphere and dodgy viewing angles of being crushed in a bar somewhere, and watch it at home in the company of MamaDuck and possibly one or two mates. The main street is full of people wearing red-and-yellow shirts, shorts, flags and caps, and

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-84238690404300115562010-07-09T15:26:00.000+02:002010-07-09T15:26:23.403+02:00

...the psychic octopus predicts Spain will win the World Cup Final on Sunday. Woohoo!

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-15331859210745849812010-07-07T23:31:00.002+02:002010-07-07T23:31:22.608+02:00

Well, who'd a thunk it. Spain 1, Germany 0. Off to the finals we go. I can't begin to describe the atmosphere here in Madrid right now. Let's just say we're happy.

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-28316871800897702582010-07-07T16:03:00.002+02:002010-07-07T16:13:44.604+02:00

One of the fascinating things about running your own little business is that you pretty much have to do everything yourself, unless you have stacks of cash and can afford to hire people to do things you're no good at. So with Great British Food, I've had to design order forms, posters, flyers and packaging, as well as the website. Not a problem - I've been doing that kind of thing pretty much all

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-11272490561570604642010-07-06T15:19:00.000+02:002010-07-06T15:19:05.653+02:00

And why the hell not. Story here.

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-88290255944641440192010-07-05T15:50:00.000+02:002010-07-05T15:50:06.769+02:00

If you've been following the plot, you'll know that our fledgling pie business got a bit of a boost a few days ago when InMadrid (monthly English-language paper) published an interview with me. Naturally, as a web-savvy kinda dude, I checked the SERPS (Search Engine Results Pages) to see what impact this had on our website. If you Google 'pork pies Madrid', huzzah! Number one already! But the

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-91212649339928818992010-06-30T17:52:00.000+02:002010-06-30T17:52:51.627+02:00

So last night I donned my Cruzcampo cap, slapped a flag on each cheek and went off to find my buddies to watch the Spain vs Portugal match at a terrace bar near the Bernabeu. I've never been to this place before ('Boulevard'), and it would have seriously helped if they'd had some signs up announcing their name. I must have walked round it two or three times (and I'd forgotten my phone, so I was

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-87664365762677706552010-06-29T18:45:00.003+02:002010-06-30T00:37:16.398+02:00

So the corrupt old tosser (I'm gonna Google that phrase later) in charge of FIFA has said IFAB will reconsider the GLT (goal line technology) issue at their next meeting. Video replays. however, are still not on the table. Article here. I have to come clean. I think sporting operations should be totally transparent, and should not be dominated by individual assholes. But Blatter behaves like he

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-18981621474369309552010-06-28T22:07:00.000+02:002010-06-28T22:07:54.042+02:00

FIFA have really got themselves in the mire over their refusal to consider GLT (Goal-Line Technology) and Video Replays in top-level games. A couple of incidents in this World Cup have confirmed just how untenable their position is. Because now, more than ever, worldwide audiences can see video images from dozens of cameras around the ground of what exactly happened, and with things like Twitter,

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-15244570603079486362010-06-28T15:50:00.003+02:002010-06-28T19:05:40.538+02:00

FIFA Communications Director says goal-line technology will not be discussed. It was hard to hear what he said because his head was buried in the sand. Disgraceful, dishonourable, disreputable, disgusting. Pick any three words to describe FIFA. Speaking of Argentina's offside goal against Mexico: "There was a controversial action shown during the game on the giant screens last night at Soccer

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-35970134557879236292010-06-27T19:42:00.001+02:002010-06-27T20:10:50.540+02:00

That's it then, England thrashed 4-1 by Germany after a shamefully bad start to their World Cup campaign. I really don't know what happened to England (although Tim Newman has some pretty good ideas). Whether the players are good or bad, they lacked fire and they really didn't hang together as a team. Manager Capello seemed clueless. Here's my plan: 1) Capello must go. If he has any morals,

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-42043494512286347042010-06-26T15:13:00.001+02:002010-06-26T17:16:54.979+02:00

If I'm honest (which I am, sadly, most of the time), I'm not much of a football fan. I enjoy the big games, but I'm a floating voter when it comes to supporting any particular team, although I always enjoy it when Real Madrid don't win. So maybe that makes me an anti-fan of RM. In this World Cup, I'm secretly hoping England do well (despite 44 years of evidence to the contrary), but I'm pretty

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-21634363034003503612010-06-24T13:53:00.000+02:002010-06-24T13:53:16.412+02:00

The waiting is over and the website is now up and running. If you live in Central Madrid (inside the M-30 motorway), you can now order our fabulous pies: pork and pickle, chicken and ham, beef pasties, steak and kidney, chicken and mushroom, and a little apple one for your pudding. Oh, and we're also doing scotch eggs. Great British Food. You know you lurve it.

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-8616318327986178762010-06-22T18:31:00.000+02:002010-06-22T18:31:05.119+02:00

Just seen a news story saying that England will play in an all-red strip tomorrow, and it reminded me of a post I wrote five years ago: Red Always Wins. Well, let's hope so, 'cos they've been shamefully shite so far.

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-75487302664204700162010-06-21T18:44:00.000+02:002010-06-21T18:44:22.945+02:00

I've never been keen on Spanish cheese, and the English and French cheeses I've bought in Spain never seem to have travelled well. Ho hum. And I've always been interested in the idea of trying to make my own cheese, but it looks pretty complicated, so I never did anything about it. However, a couple of weeks ago, we had a Greek salad (at a Turkish restaurant - go figure). One of the essential

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-42039812006224145582010-06-18T18:38:00.001+02:002010-06-19T02:14:38.606+02:00

As you may have gathered, my beloved Daddy-In-Law passed away about ten days ago. It had been expected for several months, but was still a horrible shock when it finally happened. The cremation was set for Wednesday, so we flew to Bristol on Monday, and returned to Madrid yesterday (Thursday). And we had a fantastic time. I think the DIL would have approved. Here's the thing, see. When I married

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-21264915463028195992010-06-14T11:12:00.000+02:002010-06-14T11:12:05.991+02:00

A friend of ours is the lead singer in a new band (Cat's Mother), and we were invited to attend their debut gig. Only problem was, it was in Chinchón, a small town about 50km southeast of Madrid. We've never been there before, but I had heard of it because they produce an aniseed liquor of the same name there (I could have said eponymous, but that would have been showing off). A spot of internet

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-37664339912397558852010-06-07T22:21:00.001+02:002010-06-08T10:37:41.890+02:00

How I lurve booking stuff online. Especially 'low-cost' flights. We have to go to the UK next week for a funeral (the DIL - RIP - I'm devastated - maybe a more complete post later...). Ryanair don't fly direct from Madrid to Bristol (it is possible to do it via Alicante, Malaga, Sevilla, Reus (eh?) or Valencia), but the buggeration factor is just too high. So that leaves EasyJet. We need to be in

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-82012329173440053882010-06-01T18:42:00.001+02:002010-06-01T19:15:01.386+02:00

I mean, come on, exactly what does it take for Israel to provoke a truly international outcry? In case you missed it, yesterday Israeli commandos rapelled from helicopters onto a ship carrying humanitarian aid to the imprisoned population of Gaza and killed between 10 and 19 unarmed (unless you think a stick is an arm) civilian activists. Get this: the ship was in international waters about 70km

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-11737171651386837672010-05-27T16:58:00.000+02:002010-05-27T16:58:20.730+02:00

After my rant about Google last week, I think it's only fair to have a go at Facebook. The founder of FB, Mark Zuckerberg, has been in the news this week after being forced by public outcry to roll back the privacy settings for FB users. Apparently a new, simpler to use system is being released to users over the next few weeks (why not all at once? I have no idea). Anyway, I thought I'd check my

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-1900387441492250922010-05-18T21:58:00.001+02:002010-05-22T16:53:43.245+02:00

I used to admire Google as an innovative opponent to the lovely Microsoft. I especially liked their motto: Do No Evil. Sadly, they seem to have forgotten about that motto. Either that or they can't tell right from wrong. I suspect the latter is the reason for some of the things they have done / are doing / will continue to do until somebody stops them. They've been accused of being 'autistic'

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-63243013937682309992010-05-14T22:17:00.001+02:002010-05-14T22:20:51.545+02:00

Having moved to Spain from the Miggle East, I do find the availability and prices of herbs and spices to be a bit of a problem. For sure, there's a short list of stuff you can get in any supermarket for almost nothing, and there are herbalarios that sell the same things and a few others at a somewhat higher price. And anything else you want, you get it when you're in England or order it from some

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-3417029600534173352010-05-06T13:12:00.001+02:002010-05-10T13:56:33.025+02:00

I posted a couple of weeks ago about a visit or two to my doctor. This eventually resulted in a referral to a specialist medical centre up the road. The appointment was for this morning, and I put the previous horrible experience out of my mind. My positive approach worked: a young lady came out of the consulting room and told us who was who in the queue. I was actually seen at the appointed time

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-74868223900351235822010-05-02T17:25:00.000+02:002010-05-02T17:25:00.193+02:00

Like most of the slobs on this planet, I am quite capable of staying in bed until noon or beyond on a Sunday. But this morning was different. I was awake at five a.m., and began thinking about my new project. In my head, I was designing the workflow for the production facility, and even had an idea for how the façade should look. Then I moved on to directing the CGI animated TV commercial. Sleep

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-56049815942427972862010-05-01T19:26:00.001+02:002010-05-01T19:43:39.615+02:00

Next Thursday is the General Election in the UK, and for the first time in decades, I don't think anyone can reliably predict the result. If I was voting in it, I would normally vote for Labour, or tactically, LibDemSDP or whatever they were called on the day (which I did a few times when I lived in Weybridge in Surrey, where a vote for Labour was a wasted one). Basically, anything to keep the

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-30862752008202034872010-04-24T12:20:00.001+02:002010-04-24T12:22:21.497+02:00

You know my pork pies are fabulous (because I keep telling you they are), but just for a change, last night I invented the chicken and ham pie, and, oh my God, it is stupendous! Really, unbelievably fab. It's not the sloppy beige mush in pastry that you'd get from your local bakers. My chicken and ham is alternate layers of solid meat, seasoned with black pepper and fresh cilantro (coriander).

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-5806294948778378822010-04-19T17:41:00.002+02:002010-04-20T15:04:52.259+02:00

MamaDuck rushed home from her knitting group last Friday night and hid in the bedroom. Ten minutes later she emerged with a bright orange-gift-wrapped parcel with my name on it! It was about the right size to be a pair of cowboy boots, but she wouldn't let me open it till the next morning. [The following is unsuitable for vegetarians - but if you want to send cowboy boots: size 44 (UK 8.5)].

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-31112038147846623372010-04-15T15:22:00.001+02:002010-04-15T15:36:41.783+02:00

I haven't been to see a doctor since we arrived in Spain, but MamaDuck and I have decided well (well, okay, she told me) that I need to have a checkup and see if they can do anything about my nocturnal nasal conciertos (being on the wagon doesn't actually make much difference, so we're prolly looking at a bit of surgery in the sinus department). So yesterday, I went and registered at our local

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-15609183788911846902010-04-08T16:37:00.000+02:002010-04-08T16:37:56.834+02:00

Patatas Bravas is a fairly common dish in Madrid. It consists of chunks of fried potato topped with a spicy tomato-based sauce. We've been to the café that claims to have invented them, but nobody seems to know why they bear this name ('brave potatoes'). Sometimes, you'll see patatas written as papas. Papa also means father, and there's a Holy Father in the Vatican who is known as El Papa. So I

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-52424047746289662772010-04-04T14:05:00.002+02:002010-04-04T14:54:52.348+02:00

We're just coming to the end of Semana Santa - Holy Week in Spain. The week leading up to Easter is as important as Easter itself, and MamaDuck had a week off work. We were invited to spend the week with some friends of ours at their place in Ocentejo, a tiny village (permanent population 25, but weekend and holiday population somewhat larger) about 150 kms north of Madrid. We've been there

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-2056434607753560622010-03-23T14:55:00.000+01:002010-03-23T14:55:40.031+01:00

MamaDuck returned from The Land That May Contains Nuts last Friday. Bearing gifts, she was, including a bunch of DVDs. She brought two serieseses of The Mighty Boosh, the first series of Spaced (are there any more?), and a couple of Doctor Whos. And the following day she bought me 'And Another Thing' - the sixth instalment in the HitchHiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Eoin Colfer, and 'Unseen

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-55227416248769977792010-03-15T10:50:00.000+01:002010-03-15T10:50:48.235+01:00

This will be the last story about pork pies, I promise (for now, at least). So, I'm here in a little village in the mountains of Guadalajara, enjoying a relaxing long weekend. The village is very small, and has one bar/restaurant. It's owned and operated by José-Luis, who loves Brit food and trained as a chef in England. Having eaten there a few times, I can tell you he is an excellent cook.

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-64621102530156441162010-03-13T00:14:00.000+01:002010-03-13T00:14:14.920+01:00

I gave one of the first batch of pies to a mate. He loved it, and told another dude about it. A few days later I was out with this other dude, who said he would pay a good bottle of wine for one of these pies. So I made another batch and gave him one (and first friend got another one). And they both got a little jar of pseudo-Branston pickle that I made. Got a text from other dude today, 'wow

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-61482518147881975002010-03-05T20:02:00.002+01:002010-03-06T00:50:17.045+01:00

Pathetic, really, the things we wish for. Two days ago, I wished for a meat grinder, and if it had nozzles to stuff sausages with, that would be even better. A few days before that, I’d been in an industrial catering shop and asked about picadores de carne. They showed me what they had, and I got the impression that the manual ones were 23 Euros. I had no cash on me at the time, and resolved to

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-10324266263818040862010-03-03T18:37:00.001+01:002010-04-24T19:50:40.920+02:00

So, here it is: I'm the first to admit there's room for improvement, but it was still better than edible. The pastry needs to be firmer to help it hold a better shape. The filling I think will be better once I've got me a grinder and can do it with proper meat. I actually put too much pepper in, and it could have done with a pinch of salt (I try to avoid using salt, but sometimes you've just

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-57748442668691850682010-03-03T00:23:00.001+01:002010-03-03T00:39:34.166+01:00

The pork stock jelly finally looked like it was nearly ready - everything in it had disintegrated. At this point, you strain the liquid off, and then put it on a high heat until it reduces to about one-third. Then slap it in the fridge. Now make the pastry. I don't do quantities, I do proportions, and I reckon you want about 2 parts flour to one part liquid*. Put your plain, ordinary flour into

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-25899904697168414812010-03-02T18:47:00.002+01:002010-03-02T18:57:01.241+01:00

First of all, you might want to skip reading this if you're a vegetarian or in any way pork-averse. Who's left? Probably only The Fat Expats. I discovered yesterday (via bloody Twitter, of all things) that we are now into British Pie Week. Actually, BPW is a thing invented by Jus-Rol (makers of frozen pastry for lazy people) to increase sales. On Twitter, you can follow #britishpieweek. Now,

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-79884550345550053962010-02-16T14:10:00.002+01:002010-02-18T15:33:18.320+01:00

Once again I find myself apologizing for the lack of posting on this blog. I'll blame this on several factors. 1) Nothing much happening - well, nothing positive, anyway. 2) Ongoing family crisis in the UK that has us all depressed. 3) I've been posting a canny bit on my new writing blog. I was going to do a post about our trip to the beautiful town of Alcala de Henares just before New Year.

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-63930429717149216592010-01-18T14:43:00.005+01:002010-01-18T15:06:29.843+01:00

I've been hard at work for the last couple of months creating a website called Author Online. The idea was to create a system whereby authors (published, self-published or aspiring) could get a fully-featured custom-designed website for an affordable price. We use a standard database and admin back-end, and custom-design the front-end for the customer.And I've spent the last few days using the

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-58713634891014286592010-01-14T18:19:00.005+01:002010-01-17T12:30:08.780+01:00

It's been over a year since I first heard about Twitter, and I thought at the time what a mind-numbingly braincell-destroying waste of time it was. I have enough ways to waste time, what with FaceBook, LinkedIn, Authonomy and my blog. Why do I need to sign up for another?Anyway, I can't explain why, but I signed up yesterday. I've almost figured out how it works. I am Keefieboy, if you want to

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-73416234156185810462010-01-05T16:17:00.004+01:002010-01-05T16:47:37.717+01:00

I've just noticed my last post was a couple of weeks ago, so I guess an update is due. Our son visited us for a week over Christmas: a splendid time was had, and he managed to avoid being caught in the wave of snow and cancellations that more or less crippled the UK/European airline industry (oddly, while EasyJet cancelled hundreds of flights, Ryanair merrily carried on flying on the same routes)

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-18640080118707325152009-12-21T20:13:00.002+01:002009-12-21T20:19:43.572+01:00

Woohoo! It was bloody cold yesterday, and the roads around us were gritted around 10pm, so I wasn't entirely surprised to wake up to see an inch or so of snow sitting on the ground. I rushed down to the little park at the end of the main road to get some piccies.And when I got home, the flat had been invaded by hornéd Vikings (well, just the one, and she was quite cute).

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-19744733796759700082009-12-19T14:21:00.004+01:002009-12-19T16:51:57.572+01:00

This is gonna be a rant about architecture and fake bricks. Sorry.When we moved into Plaza de Chueca, Madrid a couple of years ago, there was a fenced-off hole in the ground directly opposite the entrance to the Plaza, on Calle Augusto Figueroa. A sign announced it to be the site of the new Mercado de San Antón (I have no idea if there had previously been a market on the site, and if there had

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-88656963246747155272009-12-12T13:00:00.006+01:002009-12-12T13:53:20.067+01:00

Say what? Meh-hi-yo-nes. Mussels. I've fallen in love with them again. When we had our visitors a few weeks ago, I made a paella, and bought fresh mussels and langostinos from Mercadona (a supermarket near us: not quite near enough to visit every day, but well worth a trip for special things). I was amazed, nay, gob-smacked, at the prices of their seafood. And yes, I know I should have gone to

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-44736465833773502422009-12-09T19:13:00.004+01:002009-12-09T20:34:31.237+01:00

I've been using this MacBook for a bit over a year now. I think it's probably the best thing I ever bought, but the one thing I missed after making the transition from frustrated PC user to almost-evangelical Mac-user was the Google Chrome browser. This had been released a few months before I moved to Mac, and I loved it. No worries, though, a Mac version was in the works, and would be released '

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-23843276589647098592009-12-02T13:54:00.008+01:002009-12-04T21:13:12.570+01:00

I've been wanting a new phone for quite a while now: quite apart from the lust factor of a shiny new gizmo, my current phone is pretty knackered. Of course, being a geek, I don't just want any old phone, I want a top o' the range number that does all kinds of useless stuff. I want one that's as stylish and funky as the iPhone. In fact, I want an iPhone, but since Tellyfuckingfonica have exclusive

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-71153695659967666202009-11-28T16:23:00.005+01:002009-11-29T16:28:59.300+01:00

I could get very bitter and twisted in this post: if I do, please forgive me. I lived in Dubai for thirteen years before moving to Spain a couple of years ago. We knew, about eight years ago, that Dubai was committing financial suicide. Nary a month went by without some new and totally barmy mega-project being announced. The Emirate had opened itself up a bit so that foreigners could buy property

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-34394833147625722052009-11-23T19:13:00.004+01:002009-11-24T11:37:18.492+01:00

Weird title, eh? But for the last four-ish days, that's what I've been (also fairly expert cook and bottle-washer). We've had visitors from England. The lady visitor (we'll call her V) was our very bestest buddy for our first two or three years in Do-Buy, but, as often happens, got screwed by her employer and had to leave in a bit of a hurry. She visited us a couple of years later in Dubai, but

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-67399856819785114022009-11-12T20:34:00.002+01:002009-11-12T20:43:48.806+01:00

All I know is, I was building a paella. I hadn't managed to buy a red pepper, because the supermarket I went to (yes, I know, I shoulda gone to the market, but it was the middle of the afternoon, so they were siesta-ing) would only sell me a bag of five, and we can't eat that many before they rot. So I bought a jar of pickled peppers.I was struggling to open this jar when my phone rang. It was

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-41814571364179036702009-11-10T21:14:00.002+01:002009-11-10T21:37:55.732+01:00

My shopping bag is this green:Okay, maybe you think it's orange, but the printing on it says 'this bag is green'.Yes, this Guardian-reading, tree-hugging, eco-minded person now does not leave the house without this thing stuffed in his pocket. And when he gets to Dia, he smirks at their offer of advertising material at 3 centimos apiece. If he goes to Carrefour, they are welcome to keep their

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-7370477452793511772009-10-28T19:18:00.006+01:002009-10-30T16:24:38.683+01:00

For fairly easily-guessable reasons, my mobile phone bill didn't get paid this month. It's not a big deal, and I've been trying for the last few days to find out how to pay the outstanding balance. I finally managed to speak to an English-speaking agent at Orange who gave me an account number and told me I could pay it at any Banco Santander branch.So I went to my friendly (not) local Santander

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-29699232771750934912009-10-24T20:49:00.003+02:002009-10-24T21:34:34.468+02:00

One of the things MamaDuck got me for my millionth birthday a few days ago*, was a bar of Lindt & Sprungli 90% dark chocolate. I've been consuming dark chocolate with red wine for a few years, ever since my buddy DubaiBilly (now QatarBilly) introduced me to the concept a few years ago. But I've never had 90% chocolate before, and now I know why. The stuff is inedible. It's basically compressed

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-6690008262648498802009-10-19T20:04:00.003+02:002009-10-19T20:25:21.586+02:00

Well, it could be another reason to be grumpy, but it's my birthday tomorrow. I hear you asking: why grumpy, Keefie? I reply: 'cos 52 sounds like a helluva lot to me.MamaDuck has been on several secret missions over the last few days, and this evening she made my mouse mat unusable by plonking this load of stuff on it:Talk about temptation! I've never been good at waiting for Christmas and

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-20228035989191830342009-10-19T16:00:00.005+02:002009-10-19T18:22:59.413+02:00

MamaDuck's cold, which has been incubating for a while, burst into its full glory this morning. So she hasn't gone to work, and needs to see a doctor. In our usual lackadaisical way, we haven't registered with the local Health Centre since we moved in April. And that's because we didn't get a new Empadronomiento* when we moved. We nearly did: we got as far as downloading the form and filling it

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-43496862241150657512009-10-12T11:42:00.003+02:002009-10-12T11:53:40.634+02:00

If you're an expat refugee from the UK (Contains NutsTM), there's two stories in today's news that should make you glad you left.1) Mother refused wine at Morrison's in case daughter (17) drinks it2) UK quality of life poor

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-44530669170683116072009-10-02T12:18:00.013+02:002009-10-02T19:04:50.349+02:00

'Tengo Una Corazonada' is the slogan for Madrid's bid for the 2016 Olympics. It means 'I have a feeling'. Today, the IOC will make its decision. I have a feeling that Madrid has no chance for the very simple reason that 2012 is in London and they never have consecutive Games on the same continent. Still, we live in hope...Shall I venture a prediction? On the basis of almost no evidence: Rio,

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-23610681806088405072009-09-20T11:09:00.003+02:002009-09-20T11:32:43.895+02:00

Last night was La Noche En Blanco (White Night). This is a thing that's been happening in Madrid for the last four years, but it's the first time we've actually been. It started in Paris in 2002, and now happens in Brussels, Riga, Bucharest, Valetta and Amsterdam and other places. It's basically an all-night arts festival. Traffic is banned from the centre and the streets are thronged with people

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-36229979679381602472009-09-12T21:40:00.005+02:002009-09-12T22:10:12.903+02:00

The day after MIL's cremation, those of us who hadn't had to rush off home went up to Richmond in North Yorkshire to scatter the ashes. MIL was a great fan of 'All Creatures Great And Small', and we all felt she would have loved this idea. One of my brother's-in-law had arranged for us to have lunch at the Frenchgate Hotel in Richmond. Despite my Yorkshire/Geordie roots, I'd never been to

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-60903058112300692222009-09-11T17:53:00.002+02:002009-09-11T20:13:47.054+02:00

I got back from a week in England yesterday. I actually enjoyed this trip, mainly because I wasn't on my tod. The reason for the trip was sad - MamaDuck's mama passed away a few weeks ago and we had gone for her cremation and then scattering the ashes in 'Herriott Country' in North Yorkshire. So I had a couple of days with my dad and his girlfriend, and then carried on to MamaDuck's ancestral

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-44013151196062357792009-08-25T15:52:00.003+02:002009-08-25T16:14:22.472+02:00

The fares may look cheap in the adverts, but by the time Ryanair and easyJet have done with you, you pay through the nose.I bought tickets on easyJet a couple of months ago, for MamaDuck to spend a couple of weeks in England. Something came up recently, and we needed to bring forward her departure date a few days. No problem, says the easyJet website, it'll cost you €75. That's almost as much as

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3418885564656857318.post-46093731373931387712009-08-22T10:28:00.006+02:002009-08-22T11:18:46.111+02:00

I was tidying up my computer this morning, and found this blog post which I wrote while I was in England in June, but never published because I couldn't get online. But I know you enjoy my rants, and this is definitely ranty, so here goes...I left Liverpool this morning. Train to Doncaster. Being Mr Super-Organised, I had booked a ticket in advance. Being a suspicious foreign git, though, the

Keefieboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820411415545249138noreply@blogger.com0