La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
With all the beautiful oranges on the trees here this time of year, as in Seville, it’s inevitable that a tourist will pluck one and give it a try. They immediately spit it out and I’m sure they go home and tell their friends that Spanish oranges are awful. They’re Seville oranges, aromatic, sour, and bitter. Not meant for eating, not meant for juicing, but meant for orange marmalade. I love orange marmalade. How about you? I also love seeing tourists bite into the oranges.
Do you remember the Umbilicus rupestris (wall pennywort or navelwort) that was thriving in the trunk of the palm tree across the street (click here)? It misses the cold and damp and is quickly dying off.
That’s adorable, skinny Dudo above. We’re waiting for an appointment with the new vet.
A locksmith got me out of bed this morning before 9. He came to fiddle… with our front door, which wasn’t locking properly. It does now. Nice guy. Worth getting out of bed for.
I washed whites today, which was a bigger job than other laundry because it included a bunch of San Geraldo’s huge T-shirts that he sleeps in, 21 handkerchiefs, and a comforter. I deserve a siesta.
Con todas las naranjas preciosas que hay en los árboles en esta época del año, como en Sevilla, es inevitable que algún turista coja una y la pruebe. La escupe enseguida y seguro que se va a casa contándoles a sus amigos que las naranjas españolas son horribles. Son naranjas de Sevilla, aromáticas, ácidas y amargas. No son para comer, ni para hacer zumo, sino para hacer mermelada de naranja. Me encanta la mermelada de naranja. ¿Y a ti? También me encanta ver a los turistas morder las naranjas.
¿Te acuerdas de la Umbilicus rupestris (centella americana) que crecía en el tronco de la palmera de enfrente (haz clic aquí)? Echa de menos el frío y la humedad y se está muriendo rápidamente.
Ese de arriba es el adorable y flacucho Dudo. Estamos esperando cita con el nuevo veterinario.
Un cerrajero me levantó de la cama esta mañana antes de las 9. Vino a toca la puerta de entrada, que no cerraba bien. Ahora sí. Un buen tipo. Vale la pena levantarse de la cama.
Hoy lavé ropa blanca, lo cual fue más trabajo que otras coladas porque incluía un montón de camisetas enormes de San Geraldo con las que duerme, 21 pañuelos, y un edredón. Me merezco una siesta.
• Otra muerde.
• Umbilicus rupestris en las últimas.
• Pasé por esta casa, hotel, Airbnb… no sé qué. Pero fíjense en la placa a la izquierda de la puerta.
• Casa de San Perfecto. ¿Podrías vivir con él? Yo no. Tengo las manos llenas con el santo que tengo.
• Los caracoles anuales han vuelto con fuerza. Con una vez nos bastó.
• Las fuentes vuelven a fluir y todos los parques están abiertos.
• En una terraza del Mercado Victoria. El martes abundaba. El jueves se acabó.
• Los dos gatos serían San Perfecto si no hicieran caca y vomitaran todo el tiempo y exigieran un aperitivo cada hora (y luego no la comieran).
Saint Perfect? How very camp.
We’re great fans of Seville orange marmalade, too. Remarkably, it’s a specialist product of… Dundee in Scotland, of all places! Jx
Jon:
I’d love to know the person and story behind the sign. I always had the best orange marmalade when I visited my sister.
I wonder if dudo has kidney failure? My old Boud looked like that. But there’s hydration and various ways to manage it.
I love marmalade, Dundee particularly. Funny that tourists don’t realize in Spain you’re going to get Spanish oranges, niche fruit. Not Jaffas. Boud, the human one.
Boud:
Dudo had a hyperactive thyroid and his meds aren’t working the way they initially did, so there may be more to it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Moose now has kidney problems. We’ll know this week, I suppose.
I love marmalade! Orange, grapefruit, calamondin, kumquat. I also love guava jelly. Not related, I know, but have you ever had it? Another tropical fruit made into a delicious condiment.
Now I could be wrong about this but I have always heard that the sour oranges we do find here were originally planted by the Spanish. I also believe they use those as a rootstock upon which to graft more desirable citrus.
I hope you can get those almost-San Perfectos of yours to a good vet soon. Maurice would be perfect if she didn’t try to kill us with her claws and teeth. Other than that- oh yes. She is a saint.
Love…Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
I’ve never had all those varieties of marmalade. I’ve had guava jelly and love it. It would make sense that Florida would also have Spanish oranges. I think Maurice’s patron saint is Saint Jerome (hot-headed with a fiery temper).
Without a doubt. Plus, as they say around here, she did not have good home raising.
It bothers me that the oranges are just discarded onto the ground, but maybe birds or other critters clean them up. And I guess many do just drop to the ground straight from the trees.
Kelly:
The oranges mostly go to waste. I suppose they make good compost. Apparently, the majority of oranges in Sevilla are also simply decorative. They sure do make a show of harvesting them.
I loves me some Dudo face. That gave me a lift after a stressful day.
I loathe orange marmalade of any kind; we have friends who gift us with Seville Orange Marmalade that’s homemade and we always regift it.
That said I’d love watching tourists try to eat them; what a giggle.
Bob:
I don’t think SG is a big fan of orange marmalade. I love it. You could regift it to me, although it would be kind of strange to send the oranges back where they came from.
It’s called the Great Circle of Life–very cosmic.
I do like Seville Orange Marmalade…..Ron’s mother used to make it with Seville oranges.
I do like the look of Umbilicus rupestris. It would probably thrive here.
Spring has arrived there, I see.
Jim:
We did a lot of canning, but never orange marmalade. I suppose because SG doesn’t like it much.
NOT a marmalade fan, I’m afraid. But you can have my share! Guess I’m just San Perfecto that way.
Debra:
I’ll happily take your share, San Perfecto!
My mom used to love bitter orange marmalade… which I came to understand meant Seville orange marmalade… and, then, when I started following you, I realized they were really from the place, Seville, and that wasn’t just some kind of name for a treatment in creating the marmalade or something 🙂 I liked that 🙂
Judy C:
I don’t know when I finally realized the oranges came from Seville. I hope I knew before we moved there. Your mom had good taste.
I’ve never had marmalade. I assume it’s different from orange juice.
Kirk:
Just a bit! I’d like to see you spread orange juice on your toast.
I like marmalade, I haven’t had it in years. Calamondins and kumquats can be grown in Florida. They look like these cute little oranges. When I was a teenager, someone tossed me one and said, “oh they are so good, try one.” At least one of us laughed.
David:
I had to look up Calamondin. Now I understand.
I do like orange marmalade, been ages since I had any. Jelly, jam, preserves, marmalade is not something we eat or keep in the house. Someone gave us some wild grape jelly they made, it went in the pantry. I looked at it the other day, several years old and finally tossed it.
When I feed Minnie in the evening, Cat says she wants some of wet food too until I give it to her. She licks the juice/gravy and walks away from the solids. No more for Cat.
ellen abbott:
Dudo is apparently starving. Then the food arrives and he barely touches it or doesn’t touch it as all.
I was sorely tempted to try one of those oranges while I was there — they just LOOK so good. Even after you told me they’re sour I wanted to try one just to be sure. Oh well, next time!
Steve:
I’d like a video of that!