Storms to summertime

Almond blossom; our first visitor on the terrace; olive gathering

It was cold, very wet, grey wintry weather the day we left here for our trip home to England on 10th Feb. Just one week later we returned to find warm, sunny weather and spring had sprung! Beautiful patches of pinks and whites woven between the olive trees and along the roadside where the almond trees were heavy with blossom; clear blue skies; warm sunshine, the wonderful fresh green grass (though this will be short lived either killed off by the heat of the sun or spraying of the olive groves once the harvest is in), a plethora of bright yellow where the local wildflowers were boasting their beauty. It was hard to believe this was the same place we had left just one week previously! We wasted no time in organising our roof terrace kitchen, fridge and furniture ready to enjoy this wonderful weather and in preparation for all the visits of family and friends now firmly in the calendar over the next few months.

This summer weather wasn't to last sadly and within a week we had days of torrential rain and gale force winds which resulted in a very erratic supply of electricity for 2 days (fortunately all our heating and cooking is done by gas). We could hear things being hurled around outside and when the storm abated and we ventured out it was clear up time! Everyone was out repairing blinds, shutters, clearing the street of debris, a ceiling was down in one house - there was even a makeshift dog kennel that had been hurled up in the air and landed up in someone else's backyard! However, thankfully, the bad weather cleared after a few days and calm was restored - along with warm sunshine and blue skies and it now seems very settled with temperatures climbing daily. Trips to the lake have become more interesting with some fascinating pieces of driftwood to be found floating around the lake edge as a result of the stormy weather. A number of pieces now adorn our roof terrace! I'm still working on how I'm going to get some of the most beautiful pieces back home!!

The harvesting of the olives is now well underway, seriously hampered and delayed with such a bad long winter for this area. It's fascinating to see how they shake the trees so the olives fall onto the nets laid out under the tree - just one tree at a time which is some feat when you see the millions (trillions?!) of olive trees mile after mile in this area of Andalucia. Those obstinate olives that still hang onto the branches are knocked off with long sticks and when the tree is devoid of the fruit, the nets are gathered and the olives tipped into the trailers pulled by 4x4s, small tractors even saloon cars - anything in fact that will pull a trailer - though not seen a donkey yet! (We hear them all trundling through the village early every morning.) Once gathered the olives are taken to one of three sorting machines in the village where they are tipped onto what looks like a cattle grid and manually pushed/swept through the bars - they then go through a sorting process via various conveyor belts to separate the olives from branches, leaves, stones and they are finally washed and rinsed before tipping from the last conveyor into a hopper which is opened over a large open truck which then takes the olives to the processing plant for bottling or pressing for the oil.

We have discovered if one asks for vino blanco in this region you don't get what you expect! A glass of 15% sherry-like wine is served - and it's most delicious! We're hoping to be taken around a vineyard to see the process from start to finish and sample some Fino.

I have decided it might be rather fun to do a photographic project on people - there are some lovely characters around here. Take the other day when our elderly next door but one neighbour was sitting out in the sunshine in the street on her little kitchen chair just outside her front door doing some sewing - she was very accommodating when I asked if I could take a few photos. Yesterday she was there again - this time prepping some beans for supper but sporting a lovely little straw hat to shade her from the fierce sun (it's now reaching 50 degrees C in the sunshine). I couldn't resist another attempt at capturing a snapshot of life in this village. I took her a print of one of the photos I took last week and she was so tickled with it! Though I'm feeling very happy with the way the Spanish is coming along I still have so very much to learn of this language so it was with difficulty that I tried to understand all she was saying to me. However, she soon took me by the hand and led me inside her house to show me her home and family photos including the black and white wedding photo of herself and her now deceased husband which had pride of place in her home. She talked me through all the folks in the pictures, who they were, their names - excellent experience for me even though I couldn't understand all of it! Finally we re-emerged into the sunshine - she back to her beans so I could take the photos - it was difficult to capture a natural pose since she was thoroughly enjoying 'playing' to the camera! I eventually returned home and was no sooner inside relating all this to Michael when I heard her in our lobby - there she was with her straw hat full of fresh oranges and eggs! What a touching gesture - I so love this place and the ways of the folks here. It's so unlike anything I've known in my lifetime.

We are now looking forward to sharing our 'temporary' home and our life here with all the friends and family booked to visit

We've just returned from The Alhambra Palace - but that's for another posting - such an experience deserves a slot all to itself!