The Month of May

It was the wettest, coldest most miserable winter in 50 years in this area so not the warm, sunny winter we expected in the south of Spain! When we did have the odd day of sunshine during Jan and Feb (the worst 2 months) it was like a summer's day - but they were rare. As we moved through March to April there was a gradually transition as the days grew longer and warmer and the cold weather became just a memory. Now into May the weather is settled and beautiful - clear, hot sunny days just like the hot mid-summer days back home (when we get them!).

We have now decamped to the roof terrace which has it's own outside kitchen with all amenities minus a cooker - the only reason now to use the downstairs kitchen! We have our early morning (well, not that early!) cuppa on the terrace, breakfast, lunch, dinner and when the fancy takes us an evening drink as the sun goes down and then we light the candles. This of course assuming we're at home - much of our week is taken up elsewhere - Spanish lessons, shopping, housework (minimal!), socialising, my once a week flamenco lessons, walking, exploring........ But when at home, we're on the terrace - it's our kitchen, lounge, dining room and study all rolled into one and we love it!

The beginning of May saw the finish of the olive harvest and each morning dotted around the olive groves there were spirals of smoke curling up into the air as the prunings were burnt - removal of olive wood from the groves is prohibited because of the possible spread of disease. The trees are now heavy with their blossom - a rather dull uninteresting colour but with the promise of those large, black juicy olives which will be ripe for harvesting in November.

Through April and into well into May we enjoyed an abundance of strikingly beautiful wild flowers - apparently due to the unusually wet winter, better than ever before. I had no idea this area could be made even so much more beautiful with all those flowers - springtime was an absolute delight. However, as each day has dawned the temperature has crept up a degree or two and after a few days under the intense heat of the sun saw the flowers very quickly wither and disappear. The landscape, where colourful with wild flowers and green grass, is now brown and parched. With one main exception - the good old poppies! They still flower on, those deep red heads showing up against the parched scrub and we came across a field full of them:





However, we're not completely without colour - to replace the wild flowers the many pomegranate trees are profuse in their brilliant orange blossom and the prickly pear cacti showing off their bright yellow and orange paper-like flowers.


























If I thought I would miss the birdsong back home I was much mistaken! Sitting on the terrace we are surrounded by the busy house martins and swallows, having made their nests, had their young, now feeding the little fledglings. And the single palm tree beside the church not far from us is home to what seems to be hundreds of sparrows. We also have a couple of black birds - slightly smaller than the British blackbird, with ruffled feathers atop their heads and round their necks and stumpy tails but the most delightful birdsong I have ever heard! They have nested under a roof tile in a near neighbour's roof so we have a birds' eye (forgive the pun!) view of all their activities and are quite entertained as we watch delightedly when they sit on the chimney singing their hearts out.

Some very smart black wrought-iron benches have been placed along the pavement on the road leading out of the village towards Priego where the fellas like to sit awhile - when they get pushed out of the houses from under the feet of the wives determined on their daily housework routine. However, they still prefer to use the old bits of ply spanning a couple of tree trunk stumps - the new benches they say are uncomfortable, cold in the winter and too hot in the summer! No pleasing some!

So, now early June, we are well into settled (so far!) hot summer days. The village is a very quiet place now in the heat of the mid day - not a soul about and even the little dogs who usually seek the shade against the walls of the houses, now retreat inside to the cool.

I obviously wasn't the only one drawn to this rather lovely little blue wildflower I spotted whilst out walking this morning (there is still the odd one or two battling it out with the hot sun!) ~


......... and our flowering Aloe Vera plant with El Higueral in the background: