Farmhouse self catering accommodation in Catalonia, Spain

The reason I chose to buy the farmhouse is because of what the property naturally is and demands, and the outstanding, unspoiled beauty of the local area. The olive trees are there for a reason – to provide olive oil and I donate my crops to local farmers in return for care the trees. I am fortunate to have Cal Viudo in El Perello that makes Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the traditional method. Given all the olive wood available it made sense to build both a large barbeque and wood-burning oven which are in keeping with a traditional way cooking and make the most the incredible local produce.

The local people follow a similar, traditional way of life to their ancestors and are fiercely proud of the Catalan heritage and language. I have enormous respect for them. They teach me so much in terms of their values, what is truly important life, and simple pleasure of working and living in harmony to nature, eating only local and seasonal produce. They are even teaching me their language and although I speak Castillian Spanish, Catalan is quite different. Jan and Tony, while they live locally are the only non-Spanish/Catalan people I work with. They are both retired from the north of England so we are philosophical kindred spirits. They look after the house, maintain the garden and land and are on call for guests if any help is need.

This is a hunting area and unlike many ‘extranjeros’ I respect this and will not impose my will on their culture. I come from a farming family in the Lake District and so understand the importance of not only ethical husbandry but also that the land feeds us and this includes game, which forms a large part of Catalan cuisine. There is however, no  livestock or hunting on my land.

I offset carbon emissions by contributing financially to the nature and bird protection reserve – the Delte d l’Ebre. Water and energy are the two most precious commodities in this area of Spain. Energy comes from solar panels with a bio-diesel generator as back up if necessary. Over the next year I will add more solar panels to take advantage of almost year-round sun. All light bulbs are energy efficient; all appliances are low energy consumption. The dishwasher and washing machine are set to minimum temperatures and energy consumption. All appliances are configured not to be left on stand-by but switched off when not in use. Water comes from a natural spring on the land. Rainwater is collected to water the garden. The house has hot showers to minimise water-consumption and a dishwasher for the same reason. The sustainable energy frees me from the tyranny of utility bills with small running costs.

There is no rubbish collection, which makes recycling of plastic, paper and glass a matter of course. There are multitudes of recycling collection points next to general rubbish collection points. Food waste is recycled to local livestock or can be recycled into compost. There are a number of baskets and bags at property and guests are encouraged to use them when they shop rather than plastic bags.

The mild year round climate means cooking can be done on the barbecue or the wood-burning oven using olive wood from the vast log supply on the property. The wood is chopped and comes from my own trees. The ash is used on the land. The kitchen has a regular gas hob and large oven. The thick insulating walls mean the house is cooler in summer and warm in winter. Two wood-burning fires, one in the living room and one in the kitchen provide heat. Again the ash is used on the land.

The land is unsprayed and strimming has been employed in preference to spraying. The land is also graced with pine trees that shed a permanent bed of pine needles, which not only make it difficult for weeds to appear but also are collected to use as natural firelighters. Approximately 1/3 of the land has been left untouched, encouraging wild flowers and herbs and wildlife and a bird table encourages birdlife.

To retain the rustic style of the house and continue with the sustainable philosophy much of the interior and exterior furniture and decoration were sourced in the Rastro in Madrid and from local antique shops and markets. The house was restored by my neighbour, Francisco. It was his first restoration project, which then enabled him to establish his now successful construction business. Francisco has continued to restore the property.

A neighbouring retired farmer, Antonio showed me how to prune the olive trees (like an umbrella) and return the land to its current perfect condition. Two local farmers in return for the olive and carob crop tend the olive trees. Jan and Tony take care of the house and tend to the garden and general maintenance of the land. Tony also installed the sustainable energy system, constructed the stone barbeque, wood-burning oven and storage shed so they were sensitive to the style of the house. He also constructed the wrought iron railings on the interior and exterior stairs of the house. Jan and Tony are my guardian angels. They are on-call for guests should any advice or information be required. The local ironwork designer in El Perello hand-made the wrought-iron double bed, tables and railings. Cleaners are local Catalans and Spanish. They are encouraged to use ecological products where possible and re-cycle grey water from hand cleaning on the garden.

All produce is sourced from local markets (there are over 17 weekly markets) and independent shops in the near-by villages of El Perello and L’Ametlla de Mar. I buy my fish direct from the fisherman in L’Atmella de Mar and Ampolla. Eggs come from Jan and Tony’s free range chickens. El Perello is the honey-making capital of Catalina. If I need a supermarket I tend to use Mercadona in the Delta del Ebre. Mercadona is a wholly Spanish supermarket; all produce is drawn from Spain and the local area. All employees are from the local area and they trained for one year. Mercadona does not advertise and the own-brand products are better quality than leading-brand products. While Mercadona is incredible value, it is a store based on traditional Spanish values of quality produce and service. If I decide to eat out I only patronise local-owned bars and restaurants of which there are many (this is Spain). Information on restaurants, markets, bars, shops and suppliers is available at the farmhouse.