Barcelona Tea House

Every year, we travel a bit. Probably less then we would like to, but studio keeps us busy. Despite the fact that we call those trips Holiday it somehow usually includes ceramic or/and tea world. Last year it was Festival of Fire in France, this year we visited our friend Antonio, who runs the tearoom named  Čaj Chai Tearoom. 

But first, let make stop at empty beaches. Living in landlocked Czech Rep, enjoying sea is always more then welcome...

Our plans for (our first) Barcelona visit were quite simple: art museums, old city downtown and the tearoom. Antonio asked us to bring selection of new teaware for his customers. We have also arranged small ceramic workshop. A opportunity for those, who would like to get closer look to how we work. This Sunday workshop had two parts. First there was demonstration of "how I finish a teapot".  I showed live, how spout and handle are made - how basic body is changed to the final teapot. There was small, but very enthusiastic group of people, so it was quite easy to talk about types of clays, glazes, firings for more then two hours.

The second part of the event was focused on preparing water on charcoal. Yes, I like this topic. Mirka started to work on stoves more regularly. I create kettles. I still keep testing all of them and it helps me to get more experiences on this field. So the topic of this "charcoal workshop" was not only to show some of our stoves-kettles, but especially to share those experiences. It was fun to watch how people are fascinating by fire. We light up two stoves and tried to boil water in ceramic as well as in glass teapot. I was glad that the tearoom was just lightly scented by charcoal aroma and not smoked - the oak charcoal I brought was good quality. I prepared several infusions of young sheng. After second infusion, a participant in front of me has declared "I never liked pu-ehr. But this one is very tasty! I am going to give it another chance".

If you will be in Barcelona one day, I would recomment to stop by. Despite of the name of the tearoom Čaj Chai (chai- the Indien mixture of red tea and spices) you will find there wide selection of exellent teas. I can confirm that after seeing Juan Miró, Pablo Pissaso or Antonio Gaudi a cup of Ali Shan oolong is going to round off your day in very pleasant way.


Thank you for reading!

Terra Mano

After quite busy summer we decided to accept nice invitation from France. Terra Mano is name of festival hold every year in small town in Corréze deppartment, Meyssac. We were invited to participate on festival and also to spent few day before festival in this wonderful area. We needed vacation and it was pleasant to leave our daily routine behinde us. But I took this traveling, as I usually do, more like oportunity to learn and bring new inspirations in to my live.

Back home, I remember people and their lives more then sights. I am always more curious to see how craftsmen work then lie on the beach. Hearing story of a castle I see lives of people in the landscape around. We enjoyed stay in the area very much. It was great to watch how local potters throw on the weel. It was factinating to see how glassblower is blowing in to a pipe, creating wonderful vase. Farmers in walnut orchard are picking up this year's wealth. There are goats on slope and goats cheese on the table. Driving thru vineyard in the morning we enjoyed red wine during evening.

There are few villiges in the area called "red stone villiges" From pictures you can see why this nickname. What fascinates me as a potter was the clay used by local potters. It is stoneware with almost the same color as those sand stones houses around - iron red.

The clay is mined by Dordogne River and it was joy to try work with it there. Such joy that I asked Meyssac potter Laetitia to give me chunk of this "Dordogne treasure" to try it at home. I am looking forward to see how my hands and our kiln are going to deal with it. At the top of my head I have few tea pots named "French Autumn" (I know, not too inventive...). And the process have already started. So please, curious reader, be patience and stay tune.

Thank you for reading...

Is this going to be our Dragon Well ?

 I belong to that smaller part of earth dwellers with pretty good and sufficient water supply. I can hear, time to time, people around grumble about high water tariff and bills but I know it is nothing. I can freely drink, bath or even fill my swimming pull (if I would like to have one, which I don't) -and all that with safe, drinking water! And that is not because I work hard on it. I was just born in to it. I can be thankful of it, I can be thrifty when using that liquid gold and What else??

One of many ponds of our countryside.

When we brought our property, it was unused for many years, in very bad shape but with quite interesting history and energy. It made us (among others) to choose it like a place where to work and live. We got lucky at several things but the water was probably one of the most important. There was water supply network going to be finished just after we have bought this old stonework building. It saved us from digging our own well. It is also nice to know that this water conduit is full of water which garnered directly from forests and hills around the village. Great! Good water is first half of good cup of tea.

One day, cleaning wild bush on our future garden we found this hole. Hided under mud and two big stones there was old well! It was almost full of dirty water. Under one and half meter of water there were another few meters of mud. When we sucked up all water it was nice to see how this old fashioned dug well is slowly refilled with new water. And the idea was born -We should clean it, repair it and try to make it live again. We have enough water around so we do not need it. Actually small brook makes border of half of the property. But who knows what can happen in the future? One extra well can be useful reserve.

I know, the cement isn't so nice. But sometime you have to make compromises...

Neglected plot is slowly changed in to the garden...

I hope to clean this old companion of our building before winter. I look forward to see how the water will turn out then. Is it going to be drinking water for plants on our garden? Support for our work with clay? Or it will be useful for cooking and drinking? Or is it going to be our Tiger Spring?  The best water for leaves in my teapot? For fresh, spring Dragon Well of 2012? Anyhow - I feel blessed to have this old well here.

reflection of the heaven...

Spring afternoon...

Yesterday was the first day of the astrological spring and we were glazing and preparing pots for first spring kiln.

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) - I found the first spring flower growing from the mud

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I brewed first spring tea in our garden.

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1998 Xi Ping Tie Guan Yin - good choice for sunny, but still cold afternoon.

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Wood is already prepared...

Break is over. Loading of the kiln just began...

Dragon of the East Sea part II.

As dragons in Korea are part of mythology and as many wars went through the country you can meet some scents of them only occasionally. Places were you will find them for sure are budhistic monasteries and temples. Wonderfuly carved, dragons are members of guarding crew around roofs.

 Main hall of  Daeseungsa temple...and the dragon holding fish in its teeth is under the roof in the corner

When I was preparing this post I had in my head several pictures, details cought by my camera in few monasteries. But then, while searching the hard disk I found out that all those pictures got lost when our external hard drive broke down few months ago...hmm what a surprise, technique is not the "blue chip". Never mind. So I decided to show you few pictures from Ssanggyesa temple and share with you story of the tea I had bought there. For those who are interested to learn about the history and meanings of Dragon in Korean Buddhism I would highly recommend this .PDF paper from buddhism.org


About our trip to Hadong county you maybe have already read on Morning Tea Crane blog. One of the finest memories from our trip are from Ssanggyesa temple. Even though it is quite famous place for its tea festival and large numbers of visitors go there every year, we have spent there very calm moments.

Remarkable minutes spended with SangHun, monk who invited us for cup of tea.

Although before our visit it the tea temple we have already bought enough tea (ok, there is no term like "enough tea" but our baggage were far over weight...), I was so impressed by nature of those moments that while visiting the "dharma shop" there, I looked for something special to help me keep the spirit of this place alive, when I return back home.

 I have chosen balhyocha made in the temple. So how it is now, seven months and eight thousends kilometers away?

The tea was three times more expensive then all balhyocha there. My guess was that the reason for this price was that leaves come from under-bamboo tea plantation. It probably comes from semi-wild, shadowed tea bushes. When I open fancy package and then air proof bag the strong, spicy aroma surprise my mind. Now after seven months it is not so intensive but still key distinguishing feature from others Korean oolong I have at home. There were attractively shaped, only slightly broken, brown to gold-green leaves. 

The water for first infusion I use is around 80°C.  

After "rinsing" infusion the spicy fragrances again hit my nose. Cloves oil with sweet orange peel. In first infusion there is a little bitterness in the taste but fragrances are sweet and winsome. Scent from fair cup have take me twice longer then drinking...

 The color of the brew tells us why another name for this kind of tea in Korean is Hwang Cha where hwang means yellow. Yellow tea that what it is. In second and third brew I find more and more sweetness and basic taste become heavier. Honey and aroma of some "heavy" flowers maybe orchids with hint of chocolate. Hm...I like it.

 

 

Energy of this tea is strong but not aggressive rather balmy and soothing. Also the sweetness becomes really strong. Drinking this tea I feel honey but the sweetness is more like from sugar-cane

The cup is work of Korean potter Oh Soon-Teak. Beauty of pots is highlighted when we are using them. Glaze is very thin, high iron clay and light white slip decoration under the glaze inside the cup.

Study leaves after tea session I see strong, pretty long (compare to balhyocha I know) individual leaves. Sometime for balhyocha are used tea leaves which are too weak for Nokcha (green tea) or leaves from latter harvest - but this was not this case here. I used relatively big amount of dry leaves and enjoyed seven, eight good (and really sweet) infusions.  


To learn more about Korean oolongs - Bylhyocha - pleace visit and search on Matt and ChaDao blogs.

Dragon of the East Sea part I.

Dragons in mythology of Europe are different from dragons of Asia. Dragons of Asia are related to element of water and live under water compare to dragons of Europe with their fires and caves. Even more, dragons here in Europe are connected to the evil but on Far East there are for protection. Dragon brings rain and clouds. Dragon is important for agriculture -for rice, for vegetable, for tea.

When I have visited Korea for the first time the dragon has been given to me.

It is both symbolic and wonderful companion during my more ceremonial tea sections. It is related to agriculture and water. That is what is tea about, don't you think?

   It was very plesant gift from potter and tea master Oh Soon-Teak. Even among Korean potters I met he is extraordinary for me. I had an opportunity to be a part of his tea serving for several times and there was all. He was just preparing the tea for us.

And I was wondering: Is his tea ware so well done because he masterly goes on the way of tea or he understands to tea so well because he masterly goes on the way of tea ware ? 

Those of you who have already hold some nice Korean tea ware know, that there is something what we can call "Korean feeling“. Simplicity and softness. But in works of ....we can see also childlike happiness on details with sophisticated and deeply heartwarming impressions from each piece.

So next time when you will see the dragon on my blog - don't worry, it is here to protect the tea.