FURTHER SOUTH OF GRANADA

something for the weekend

2012-02-09T17:19:00.001+01:00

Josh decided to stay over at a friend's house last weekend, their village fiesta was on and a party night was planned with lots of....no, wait, I'd rather not know...!

The village in question was Cherin - a short trek of about 40 kms over the mountain on the other side of Ugijar, home to our 'local' supermarket so tied in with a restock of the fridge Stan took him.

I went along to pick him up on Sunday morning, we got to the bridge before town where we were flagged down by a young chap who asked if we were looking for Josh - I guess not too many guiris there then! He directed us to the 'venta ' and there we found Mr Bleary Eyes trying to look cool - and sober - so leaving him to gather his bags and his wits we decided to have a quick beer as we were parked outside the bar - rude not to after all.

The coldest bar I have ever been in was the scene - with a long marble counter and the whole village and local band grouped around it so we joined in. Ordering our Alhambra especiales we were asked whether we wanted tapas, and what we would like, as the chap gestured to the blackboard.

There was a long list, from Cheese to Chiperones - we chose 2 plates of croquettas which were home made and garlicky, served with their own little olives. Joined by Josh he ordered a coke - rehydrating?! - and a hamburger which came with chips, same for Stan, I had Morcilla - my favourite. Made by the owners it was nicely spicy with more than a hint of Chili and Aniseed, a hint of cinnamon - yum.
Another 2 beers to wash it down.

I forgot about feeling cold as we soaked up the food, the beer and the atmosphere....and the bill? 4 bottles of beer, 1 coke and 5 plates of food....€9. I kid you not. As if we needed yet another reason to love it here!

Morcilla - blood sausage
Chiperones - cuttlefish
Croquettas - potato with ham or cheese rolled in breadcrumbs and fried.
guiris - foreigners
venta - roadside inn
En Ocasiones Veo Bares

Da

2012-02-06T11:32:00.000+01:00

Five years have slipped by in a whisper. Today it´s my father´s anniversary, and the sun shines warmly this morning as I remember him.
An older Dad, 40 before I came screaming into his life, he was always the one on the block for shortening skipping ropes and fixing punctures, me his able assistant with the basin of water and the eagle eye for the telltale bubble.
Christening me Cinders on the many occassions I was let down or disappointed in childhood, on the 22nd June 1991 as I stood alone in the house with him in my wedding dress, he announced: `` You shall go to the ball...´´!
From him I inherited my bunions and double ankle joints - great for spraining - a love of books, Beefeater and a preference for animals over people.
My stubborn streak, short temper and solitude over silliness seems to be from the same gene pool!
Of the many hands shaken at his funeral, nearly everyone commented on the fact he was a quiet man, a private man. One local auctioneer - estate agent - remarked he was small - in stature - my answer was to agree, but to add he left an enormous space...
Today, I´m not sad - life is for living and the final chapter comes to us all, but I miss sharing a good wine, making silly moustaches from burnt cork (try it!) and the ultra short conversations when he answered the phone - I´ll get your mother ...
So tonight, I´ll raise a glass...x

A man of Murtas - Rosendo

2012-01-17T21:44:00.000+01:00

A man of Murtas, sadly missed - 17th January 2012
Un hombre de Murtas - le echaremos de menos

Is your barrel half empty?

2012-01-17T15:16:00.000+01:00

Despite it being noted this week that almost all of my posts contain reference to the Demon Drink - (Thanks David, love, Rach. x) you´ll just have to put up with another...

Bought a little grape crusher - not for inflicting pain on Stan - and a barrel for making wine (from a local expat who has now absconded to sunnier climes and a better life - we wish him well.)....of course the wine never transpired, a dream of our own bodega.....that would involve work - and it languishes in our stable downstairs.

The stable is not for a horse, or even a mule - although the stray dog has taken up residence - and yesterday Stan heard some noise coming from there.

Opening the balcony doors he shouted down and out popped the head of a neighbour, followed by his body carrying the Barrel.

- Just taking this - he shouted up.
- Er - okay...for what? - asked Stan
Neighbour makes his `Doh these guiris are really thick´ face
- Well, it´s a wine Barrel
- Uh huh
-Sooooooo - I want to put 20 litres of mine in it for you, a gift like.

- oh - Cheers!

Reason # 1 million why we love it here ;)

A Fine Romance - Valentine's Day in Spain

2012-01-17T15:05:00.000+01:00

A Fine Romance - Valentine's Day in Spain
What are you planning for Valentine´s day?

Will it? Or won't it?

2012-01-16T09:09:00.000+01:00

Still waiting for the snow that was forecast - then the village will look like this...

Las Alpujarras Holiday House Rentals, Costa Tropical / Granada, Spain | Alpha Holiday Lettings - Holiday Rentals Worldwide

2012-01-11T15:48:00.000+01:00

Las Alpujarras Holiday House Rentals, Costa Tropical / Granada, Spain | Alpha Holiday Lettings - Holiday Rentals Worldwide

Feeling Fit? Head for Jaca in Aragon

2012-01-07T18:07:00.000+01:00

Feeling Fit? Head for Jaca in Aragon
Fancy a bit of fun in the snow ? A lively town near the slopes of the Pyrenees Mountains in the north of Spain - far from the costas but just as much fun! Click on the title for more!

Sticking to my Gins

2012-01-04T17:49:00.003+01:00

Well, that´s New Year over and done with, just Christmas all over again here in Spain for Three Kings still to come - the Spanish party gene is so strong!

So, New Year´s Eve we waited until 11:30pm to head out - as we have learned from previous years the locals party late - and headed to the Bar first which was amazingly deserted...

-Beer? Asked Stan.
- Nope G&T for me -( I had two...to use up my tonic of course...and a little tapas.)

Wishing Antonio Happy New Year we headed to the village Plaza and the tent for the Uvas y Cava just as the clock struck midnight. This year the committee spent more on champagne and less on fireworks - ideal, no?
However, Cava does give me a horrendous hangover, if I mix it so when I was passed a glass I passed it on to Stan Spongepants and requested another G&T instead. Have a beer, he coaxed - No way I insisted - I am sticking to Gin and Tonic - absolutely no beer for me tonight..

Off he went to the makeshift Bar and an old man of about 120 leaning on a stick stood to attention :

-¿Que quieres? - (what do you want?)
-una cerveza, y un Ginebra y tonica - (beer and a gin and tonic)
-Que?
-cerveza...
-Sí
-y un Ginebra y...
-Que?
-Ginebra y...
-Como?
-Ginebra
-No, espere....(nope, not a bloody clue - wait here a minute foreign idiot)

another dumb waiter.....

-Cerveza
-Sí
-y Ginebra y tonica
-Que?

his wife...

-Ginebra
-Como?

Finally the out of town ex pharmacist clearly used to dealing with deaf foreigners

-Ginebra y tonica POR FAVOR
-Ah GinTonic - why didn´t you say??

Next round I had a beer...

Wow! And thank you!

2012-01-03T14:23:00.001+01:00

5551162 hits so far on this website! Blimey!
A BIG New Year thanks to all who read regularly - I'm glad you enjoy reading my rambling from Spain - we're here nearly 6 years now and it feels like 6 months - but then again time does fly when you are enjoying yourself!

Lots has happened in that time - we made a business and lost it to La Crisis - we made friends for life and friends that came and went - but everything happens for a reason and all the right decisions have been made. Sometimes y'all gotta clear out the junk!

I discovered social networking and my world took off , with job offers and new virtual friends - some I hope to meet in the flesh in 2012.

So let's hope for a fantastic new year for EVERYONE.
Health first, then happiness, and a little wealth always goes a long way!
Altogether now....¡Salud!

Goody hoo!

2012-01-03T14:11:00.000+01:00

That's what it's called - or Gwdihw in Welsh - the muscle soother that arrived as part of my review package for the natural beauty products company My Pure in December. Predicting aching muscles after the party shenanigans, and not knowing Stan was going to `do his back in' it actually came in very handy!

Bright blue lotion, in a recycled cardboard box and a handy pump dispenser, it was weird but in a good way! Witch Hazel Camphor and Menthol mingled to produce an easily absorbed lotion, which once on the skin feels cold and hot at the same time - guess I'm confusing you slightly, a bit like Deep Heat but nicer - and much, much better - results in one hour and one on the re order list. Only 10.95 for a decent 250ml too.
Gardeners, sporty types, achy types - buy it now!

The other item in the box was a glittery type of body oil - sparkly shoulders and legs for the festive season...not delighted with it, it took a good shake to mix it up and it was quite separated - I think it'll be better in the summer months with a light tan underneath - I'll be happy to write another review for it then. On a plus note, it is a dry oil formula and soaks in well, without leaving marks on clothes - and it's brand new from the Acorelle range of products. Glittering Body oil retailing at 14.99.

Hope you all had a great New Year - we still have Reyes to come here in Spain so it'll be Christmas all over again - there's no end to it eh?
After all the festive fun, treat your skin and yourself to some of the revitalizing products from the lovely folk over at the My Pure website, follow them on Twitter and Facebook too!

Off broadway! - on Gran Via, Madrid

2011-12-30T14:43:00.000+01:00

Off broadway! - on Gran Via, Madrid
Strictly for Night Owls! An evening in Madrid if you're planning a trip to his great city in the next month or so...a short piece on theatre life published by Spain Holiday

Party time for January in Spain

2011-12-28T13:59:00.000+01:00

Party time for January in Spain
the party never seems to stop! At least not here in Spain....here's a piece I have written for Spain Holiday - what will you be doing next month?

New Year Resolution - Spain....sunshine guaranteed!

2011-12-26T18:21:00.000+01:00

New Year Resolution - Spain....sunshine guaranteed!
What New Years Resolutions will you be making?

A shining star

2011-12-23T09:59:00.001+01:00

2 days to go da da da da da - and I have been mostly bad so shall expect nothing, hee hee.
Stan and I went for our 'usual' last night - we like an early beer when the bar is deserted, the owners son and wife are there and their little girl.
Previously Stan's No 1 fan, since I won the Hello Kitty pram and passed it over she has transferred all her attention to me, and she is such a little doll.
Not yet two and a half she can count, knows her colours in English and her alphabet...a little bright star.

I was foxed into playing 'carro' again last night....plaintive calls of Carol, Carol - and worringly at one stage Mama - patiently explained - er No, at one awful moment of `Abuela .....I guess I am technically old enough to be an Abuela but have no intentions for at least 20 yrs or so. I wasn't exactly a child bride when I dragged the younger Stan up the aisle and was confirmed and labelled as a Mature Mother on the two occasions I gave birth - but thinking about it we seem to regress rather than grow old gracefully. Other folk our age are, well, settled - and can sit and chat about - cue Eastenders accent - Family.... or TV or The Weather. Or worse still, a sentence that starts with Back Home....

I'd rather stick pins in my eyes.

We still like to work hard and party hard and this is the season - yahoo.

So, with good hope for my liver and legs, we shall start the festive season tonight - good friend and neighbour celebrates her birthday, so without looking at the calendar I guess today is Santa Rosario...

Off to wave a mop half heartedly at the house,make some Bloody Mary prawns for the party, rouse the kids and do Christmassy stuff...

It's Friday! Throw down those tools and start the party!

CARRO - PRAM
ABUELA-GRANDMOTHER

Discovering Duende in Triana, Seville.

2011-12-19T12:42:00.000+01:00

Discovering Duende in Triana, Seville.
I love real Falmenco. Ever been to a show? Read all about where the non touristic flamenco is held - be sure to look it up when you visit Sevilla - here's a little information on Triana and the nightlife there...

Arévalo - The place near the wall!

2011-12-19T12:40:00.000+01:00

Arévalo - The place near the wall!
Ever wondered where Queen Isabella grew up? Why not pay Arevalo a visit - read all about it here...

Raise a glass of Anis, say cheers in Chinchón!

2011-12-19T12:39:00.000+01:00

Raise a glass of Anis, say cheers in Chinchón!
Do you say Cheers, Salud, Slainte or Chinchon?! Read a little about a fascinating place in Spain, written by me for Spain Holiday

How best to see Barcelona

2011-12-19T12:37:00.000+01:00

How best to see Barcelona
If you're thinking of heading oop north and want to know how best to get around - hen have a read of this post, written for Spain Holiday

Falling behind...

2011-12-19T10:27:00.003+01:00

I seem to be falling behind a little on posts both for here and for Toptapas my foodie blog - between setting up a new e-commerce shop for a local producer of all things delicious, watch this space, writing for the nice folk over at Spain holiday, Stan's trips away, falling down houses and burst drains, finishing our local magazine for Christmas....blah blah.

Hey? Did I say Christmas? Finally got the tree up yesterday, another last minute dashy type job, but it looks great. Hard to believe it is nearly here at least until the sun goes down and the chill sets in.

Winter in Las Alpujarras means great views, all the way to the coast of Africa, clear sights of the Rif mountains, blue sea and crazy cloud formations. December seems to have it all - even a little heat in the daytime at least if you go out into the sun, where it's warmer than indoors!
I have a faint memory of central heating and the little whoosh of the gas as the dial was turned up, but it is only faint!
Anyway I don' t think we would swap the Alpujarras for Wet Wales or anywhere we have previously lived...

I won a prize recently, unfortunately it was a Hello Kitty pram! However, one little girl in the village was made up with glee when she unwrapped it - such a good feeling! Thanks to Littlewoods Direct for the prize, they deliver all the way here to Spain - and other countries - for a low delivery fee, no matter how much you order and are also tiptop with customer service - recommended. Follow them on Twitter too for great prizes like mine...or you can follow me if you want! I'm right here, just tweet! I'll answer back..

I shall get another post or two in before Christmas, Baileys in hand of course....until then, have a great week all and enjoy the Gift shopping, wherever you are!

Isseys birthday

2011-12-04T13:55:00.000+01:00

A tale of corruption

2011-11-28T15:59:00.001+01:00

No not the latest election results, although I am sure there were plenty of shenanigans attached there, hmm?
We have had a few things a happenin´ here in Murtas lately - one of which was a large rumble last week around 7am causing Isobel and I to stop our breakfast/lunchmaking/finding-the-other-sock shouting routine and look at each other...

Did you hear that?

We asked Stan and Josh.

Deaf and Deafer shook their heads in unison, nope.

As we are located on a fault line here in Murtas - strangely the Estate Agent never mentioned it at the time - we had cause to be worried.
Later that day Stan wandered onto the roof to adjust the chimney from the Estufa and glancing behind him noticed casually that the (abandoned) house next to us was, well, gone...
It had - or part of it had - collapsed that morning into itself which was the ´earthquake´ Issey and I had witnessed.

Luckily it is owned by the nice neighbour next door so we casually asked him to come and look - as you do. With a laugh and a shrug he declared it banjaxed but as it is holding our house upright he agreed to fix it immediately and give Stan some work into the bargain as part of the gang....all good.

Wandering around the rest of the house with him Stan spotted some possible antiques in the form of a bottle and an old tin can and with permission took them home and we cleaned them up.

The tin is a gallon can of what once contained Soy Bean oil - 2 hands joined together over the stars and stripes of the USA with the inscription Donated by the people of the United States of America - not to be sold or exchanged.
Intrigued I headed to the Internet and looked it up to find a tale of an Italian Mafioso....read on for the story of Tino de Angelis and how his lucrative deals ended up with a tin of Soy bean oil in Murtas! Click here for the details...

eating eastern

2011-11-18T12:03:00.001+01:00

a new blohttp://www.spain-holiday.com/blog/eating-eastern-spanish-style.phpg post from my contributions over at Spain Holiday - the direct blog link has decided nott o work this morning, guess it´s a little cold! Will probably come up twice now!
Anyway - here it is...Eastern style eating in Spain

Coming soon...

2011-11-13T13:20:00.001+01:00

exciting stuff!....
A new online store selling worldwide...produce exclusively from Murtas, Las Alpujarras. A range of ecological and local products using the figs, almonds, cheese and wine from this village and surrounding area. Biscuits cooked in wood fired ovens, sweet dried figs, ´real´ almond marzipan for your Christmas Cake! Lots of work to do this week, will keep you all updated...

Snow Sun and begorrah...a Saint!

2011-11-09T18:30:00.000+01:00

People often ask what the weather is like here in winter, usually when enquiring about our lovely house to let Casa Duende and we do admit that it´s cold! Cold enough to snuggle up in front of the wood burner at night, to ski, but nice enough in the daytime sunshine to wear a t shirt and after all we are only 30 mins from the coast....

This morning we set off for a bit of shopping and lunch in nearby Motril - as we drove up the road the snow was glistening on the Sierra Nevada - luckily I remembered the camera!

It´s stunning, isn´t it?

The vines are all a russet red at the moment, and neighbours are still busy knocking Almonds...

As we passed Melicena on the Costa Tropical - I remembered the Peñon de San Patricio, so on the way back we stopped in the sunshine and took a few pics - it´s St Patrick´s Rock - legend has it where he landed up when he came to Europe, I guess on his holidays, you see we Irish really do get everywhere!

There was a little shrine at the bottom - I´d say a few prayers have been said there over the years for local fishermen, and a boat was grounde at the top near the road - although I can´t be sure it was Paddys Boat, wouldn´t that be green?! ;)

Anyway, just look at that blue sea - and just think, it´s Christmas next month - -how lucky are we?

Stop gnashing your teeth....