Sevilla

We are just back from a fantastic visit to Sevilla, in the west of Spain.


A beautiful city, well known for its Seville oranges grown for making marmalade, magnificent historical buildings, many restaurants and bars, and lots of international tourists, even out of the summer season!

The Bullring

The Cathedral

Feliz Cumpleanos - Happy Birthday

On Sunday afternoon, we were invited to a party for our friends' daughters' 3rd birthday.

The birthday girl

The party was held in their garage, with a dozen or so children, and lots of adults..rather strange to see the party table all set with snacks and fizzy drinks, and to watch the adults take their seats and start to eat, while children were running around in the garage, playing.

Lots of cheese puffs, crisps and olives! followed by salami sandwiches, and the centre piece, the birthday cake, a concoction of chocolate mousse cake with lots and lots of squirty cream!

Drinks flowed...cola, fanta orange, cerveza and whisky! (not to mention one spanish chap who was drinking banana milkshake with added green creme de menthe liqueur!)

Yes, we did sing Happy Birthday to you....Feliz Cumpleanos a ti...

Andalucia Day

Today is a Bank Holiday here in Spain...Dia de Andalucia was 28th February, but as that was a Sunday, today is the holiday, with schools closed. It appears it is the custom to decorate balconies and fly the Andalucian flag, green and white...but have not seen any in our village.

We have been for a walk around the village this morning, lots of amazing architecture, old town houses, that are usually reformed into something very modern, however, there are several on and around the high street that have survived.

Spring has sprung...at last!

A lovely morning in Illora, at last, after weeks, the rain has stopped and we have sunshine!

Neighbours gossiping on street corners, ladies cleaning windows and sweeping their terraces, washing blowing on the line...

The Rain in Spain ........

Do not believe anyone who tells you it doesn't rain in Spain!

Friends think the sun shines constantly, we have wall to wall sunshine..

Well Ok, we usually do from June until September, our HOT summer, the remaining time we experience the seasons, Spring, Autumn and Winter.

In January, Spain experienced the heaviest rainfall for years, damaging the precious olive harvest, and causing terrible floods in nearby villages.....thankfully, our house is on top of the hill!

These pictures were taken on the road we take to the airport, between Valderubio and Fuente Vaqueros

Our next week's forecast is for heavy rain... with a chance of snow on Saturday!

Friday 12th Feb...a quick update...SNOW arrived in Illora today....

Gym day....well, maybe Gym hour!!

In an effort to be a bit healthier..I have joined the local gym run by the town hall, the Ayuntamiento...

A bit apprehensive going for first time, didn't want anyone laughing at me gasping for breath trying to run on the treadmill! However, its brilliant, for most of the time I am the only person there; a personal trainer there to give advice if needed, early morning classes too, aerobics, step classes, spinning etc, not that I have tried these (yet)!!

So far so good, 3 times a week, and 3 kms each time.....

Casa Rozinante

We named our house after Don Quixote's faithful horse...

When the construction was complete, our builder Antonio bought a gift for the house...a statue of a horse's head, and placed it in a prominent position on the front gate post ....