I thought Rice came from China ?

(What's he on about now ?)Well it does, as well as many other countries in the Far East and elsewhere, but I'd guess that not everybody puts the words Rice and Spain together as a matter of course.The Spanish consume an average of about 8 Kilos of rice per head per annum, much of it in Paella type dishes and a lot of it is locally produced.The biggest growing area is the Delta of the River Ebro.So what's all this got to do with the price of chips ?Well my pad is very near the Delta so hopefully it will help to put the previous description in context.Catalonia is the North Eastern most region of Spain.It's much greener than Central and Southern Spain which is officially classified as desert, and is very unlike the popular tourist image of the Costas.It's the beginning of a green and very beautiful strip of regions that extends Westward. Next door are Aragon, Navarra, which border the Pyrennes and the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia which face the Atlanic.The River Ebro Delta is close to where Catalonia becomes Valencia. Arriving on the Delta is a surprise. Being very flat, it's like being in Holland but with paddy fields, which are irrigated by a complex canal system sourced by the Ebro, North of Tortosa.The rice which is being harvested now, is processed and packaged in two huge plants, one in the centre of the delta and one in Amposta.There is one town, Deltebre which straddles the river as it starts to widen.The remaining buildings are scattered few and far between.The Delta is also home to a wetlands bird sanctuary.Here's the Google Maps Ref if you want to explore the area.
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