Sheila's Walking Blog

Magical Scenery

2012-02-02T14:04:00.001Z

Winter has finally arrived but instead of the cold drearywinters I experienced in England, in Daimalos in Southern Spain it ispositively magical. Last week we had a couple of what we felt were very cold days. However,when I went for my morning walk up to the ridge and along side Mount Maroma Ifelt as though I had walked into Switzerland. The heights of Mount Maroma andthe rest of the Sierra Tejada were covered in Snow but the sky was a beautifulblue. As I walked further I could see that the summits of Mount Lucero and therest of the Sierra Almijara were also under snow, but looking equally fabulous.Today it was colder but when I struggled to the top of the ridge, I was rewardedwith even more fascinating views. The top of Mount Maroma was shrouded in heavyclouds as was some of the countryside. However there were patches of brightblue sky, where the sun was streaming thogh and other patches where there wasbright blue sky with lovely white clouds. I had only walked for about five minutesbefore I had rain on my sunglasses. The bright sun and rain created such abeautiful fabulous rainbow that I reallyfelt I could find the crock of gold!

www.sheilaspanishwalk.com

Search for Day Trips

2012-01-10T14:33:00.001Z

Search for Day Trips

Last week we had to be out of the house from 9 – 5 becausewe were having the floors in most of our little house retiled. Much though wewanted them done, it was not easy to live through and I had to take dogs fortheir morning walk when it was still more dark than light!

So we decided the best use of our time would be to go forlong drives in the hope of finding attractive places to take people on our daytrips. This is something we have been meaning to do for ages but somehow neverfind the time.

Our first day out was to Gibraltar. We have friends whoboast of shopping here and who say how much cheaper English goods are now.Having stopped at three tolls on the way, one would need to buy an awful lot ofshopping to recover the expense. It was still the Christmas holiday period sothe queues to get on the island were horrific. Still, once on the island itfelt like we were on holiday again, as we had visited Gibraltar many years ago.However Steve soon got fed up with traipsing around, so I walked up to thecastle and ape sanctuary on my own. It was a beautiful day with blue skies andblue sea and stunning views. I thought 10 pounds to actually enter the apesanctuary was a bit steep, as I was only doing research for future trips. Icould see an ape from outside the sanctuary but as soon as I got out my camerahe turned his back on me!

The next day we went to Sevilla. Again it was a beautiful day but it took toolong and we had difficulty finding any where to park, so poor old Steve had towalk along way again. Sevilla is fantastic but really needed much more timethan we had, especially as we got lost leaving the city. When we eventually gothome that evening Steve vowed he was never doing that again. I think it couldpossibly make a good day out if go again soon and learn from our mistakes,although if I were on holiday I’m not sure I would like to spend so long in acar.

Next we had an easy day and visited Velez Malaga which is acity about 20 minutes drive from us. Itis a large modern city and doesn’t feature in many guide books. However it hasa beautiful castle and historic centreand again fantastic views. We also visited the Holy Week museum , which isagain something I had intended to do for ages. It was absolutely fantastic.There is a little “cinema” with a video in English, telling the history of HolyWeek and Velez Malaga. Then the displays and the building itself which was amosque, then a church, before it became a museum are simply wonderful. Why hadwe driven so far looking for a day out?

Antequera was our next experience but we were stupid enoughto go on 5^th January, which is when Spanish people celebrate thecoming of three kings. So the city centre was heaving and we had to park in anunderground car park where the spaces and routes were very small. Our aerial kepthitting the roof initially making us think there was something seriously wrongwith the car, until we worked what had caused the noise. We were already familiarwith the centre of Antequera so all we had to do was take photos but Steve keptgetting creasinly annoyed by the very loud music playing everywhere. When wegot back to the car we found someone had bashed the front and the bumper washanging off! Still we then went on tovisit the Dolmens, which were unbelievable as well as well hidden.

Our last exploration was to find the Wild Life park of PenaEscrita, which is inland from Almunecar and therefore not very far for a daytrip. For the first time in our investigations this was not difficult to find.However it took much longer than we had anticipated because the last 11kms are on a very steep, very windytrack with steep drops on either side, which were quite enough to terrify bothof us! I got out and walked the last bit so I could admire large pens andfenced areas containing wild animals which used to be abundant in this area. Itwas great to see lots of goats, boar, deer etc at close range but looking natural. There were other areascontaining animals which are not native such as ostriches, hippopotami andbears, but they were still interesting. Once we have got used to the narrowroad, I’m sure this will make an excellent day trip.

Attached are some photos of Sevilla

http://www.sheilaspanishwalk.com

Brilliant Weather

2011-12-16T10:23:00.000Z

The last fewweeks have been absolutely brilliant for walking. We have had a few heavydownpours but most days have been clear and bright with beautiful sunshine.Also by the afternoon it has become hot enough to sunbathe. The views aroundhere are always stunning but everywhere looks better when the sky is deep blueand the mountains and sea are bathed in sunlight.

As a resultof the sun and some rain, the land is coming back to life and instead of thehorrible brown of the summer months; there are green shoots everywheresuggestive of Spring. However the ground under the olive and almond trees iscarpeted with tiny white alyssum. My first winter here, fresh from England,when I saw the tiny white flowers in the distance I thought they were frost.

Although wehave had great weather for walking I have only had a few walkers to guide,which is such a shame after the very wet Spring we experienced when we had lotsof walkers.

http://www.sheilaspanishwalk.com/sheilas-spanish-sightseeing-holidays.html

Thunder

2011-11-16T17:51:00.002Z

In this part of the world we do not get much rain. However,
when it does the heavens open and it absolutely pours down and often we will
have a thunderstorm as well. Last Sunday
was one of those days. Steve and I are very boring and old fashioned, so if we
are not organizing a holiday of some kind, we get up late and have a late
leisurely Sunday roast. This Sunday I had just stabbed the chicken and de cided
it would need another twenty minutes, when I heard our doorbell. Our bell is
literally a small bell which is pulled by a short string and so doesn’t make an
awful lot of noise. Also since we moved to this tiny village we get very few
visitors who just turn up and ring the bell. Anyway despite the thunder and
lightening I went out to check and found a small slight elderly Spanish
gentlemen trying to shelter from the storm. My Spanish is still dreadfull but obviously I had to invite him into our
house and away from the rain. At first I thought he was chilled to the bone
because he was shivering dreadfully, so I tried to offer him some dry clothes.
Eventually I understood him. He wasn’t shivering because he was cold – He was simply
terrified of the thunder! He sat with us for a while asking questions such as was our television broken. No it
wasn’t but we do not have it on all the time. He was also clearly very
surprised to see that our two rescue dogs have the run of the house. Anyway, by
the time our meal was a little over cooked, the rain had stopped and he thanked us graciously for our genuine
offer to share our meal and scuttled off. A chicken is much too much for just
two of us but I suspect my Spanish was not good enough to assure him.

A couple of weeks ago we took some Irish people on a walking
holiday. They said they enjoyed the holiday and certainly they were a pleasure
to meet. Usually when I guide walkers they take photos and promise to send me
some. Unfortunately I think 99% of people forget when they get home. However
these people sent me some lovely photos which I will try to add to this post!

Another Dog

2011-10-26T14:36:00.001+01:00

We have been adopted by another dog! She came about 6 weeks ago, when she appeared
from nowhere and blithely accompanied Manky ( our first rescue dog) and myself
on our regular morning walk. I thought one dog was more than enough so I did
not encourage her. However we had a repeat performance the following day. When
I asked some of the villagers if they knew where she came from, I was told she
was a stray from Arenas, which is a small town about 3 kms from the village of
Daimalos where we live. I was determined not to have another dog so the next
morning I took Manky the long country route to Arenas and as expected the stray
came with us. We wandered around Arenas hoping she would find home but she was
not going to leave us. So although I felt very guilty, I phoned Steve who came
to collect Manky and I and abandon the stray. Not much longer than an hour and
a half later, she was back outside our gate and I gave her food and water
because she had had a very long walk.
Despite taking photos of her and putting adverts in Arenas,
nobody claimed her! So we now have another dog, who we have called “Mutta” as
she is a female mutt! As she has now been neutered and had her injections, we
should have called her “Lucky”. Yesterday on our morning walk, I started thinking
she was becoming quite well trained. She stays close to me for much of the walk
but then races away when she knows we are returning home. Mutta is not stupid
and is determined not to lose me!
I was going to enclose a photo, but have not taken a recent
one and she now looks so much better than when I first took her photo for the
adverts in Arenas. But she is still too
big and not in the least bit pretty.

Completely Different

2011-08-15T11:15:00.003+01:00

This July I experienced the joy of being a grandmother. It is totally amazing and like nothing else in life, except having your own child.
One of the very few disadvantages of living in Southern Spain is that I am a long way from my children and consequently do not see then very often. So I had seen very little of my 16 month old little grand daughter, till her mother asked if I could help out and look after her for 11 days. Eleanor and husband Dave have recently moved to Paris where Eleanor has a new job. At first I felt really strange and my emotions were all over the place, because it seemed no time since I was a young woman with a baby girl, who looked very like Penny. However after the first day I calmed down and thoroughly enjoyed my lovely grand daughter, although I soon realized I had forgotten quite what hard work young children can be.
Paris itself was inspiring but very busy after my tiny village of Daimalos and I found pushing a buggy across enormous roads where the cars seemed oblivious to the “little green man”, quite terrifying. The other mothers and nannies I met on my frequent trips to the sand pit in the local park were very friendly despite my very rudimentary French.
I was very lucky that Eleanor had needed help in July when it is much too hot to take people walking but I must admit I enjoyed the deep blue skies when I returned and my memories of my beautiful granddaughter will stay with me forever.

Wild Horses?

2011-05-31T11:18:00.001+01:00

No more walkers until the end of June but I still need to check on walks I have not been on this year to make sure they are still passable. So one day last week I went on a long walk through the National park from Canillas de Albaida to Sedella. It must be few years since I last went on this route and it is obviously not used very much as some parts were very overgrown and others were very jagged. It seemed significantly more difficult than when I last walked it but I fear that was mainly highlighting the fact that I am less fit! However now that I was on my own, it was a beautiful day for a walk with clear blue skies and a light breeze. The views and the flowers were magnificent. I also met 4 horses with 3 foals. They were on the track possibly only a couple of hundred metres in front of me and I followed them for about 20 minutes before they raced up the hillside. They were not wearing any type of harness and we were very high up. I could not see any farm building anywhere, but there must have been one somewhere, although it was nice to pretend they were wild. Soon after I had another delightful surprise when 4 wild boar and 2 young ones ran across the track in front of me. Although I had been told they lived in the Park, these were the first ones I had seen in over 7 years walking in this area. Unfortunately they did not hang around long enough to let me take a photo!

April Showers

2011-04-24T09:28:00.001+01:00

Had three consecutive walking holidays this month and the weather, mainly rain, just got worse! Luckily the last people only wanted to spend three days walking and spent the rest of their time sightseeing. We were lucky because all the guests were great and determined to enjoy their holiday despite the weather, although it was pretty depressing when I repeatedly had to say things such as “the sea is over there – believe me!” However Steve and I worked very hard to discover things to do when it rains and the science museum in Granada was a fabulous find. This last week when it was “semana santa” or Holy Week in Spanish, everyone worked very hard to ensure all the small white towns were looking their best so it was such a shame when some of the wonderful processions were cancelled or postponed. I had hoped to take our latest guests to see the processions in the nearby city of Velez-Malaga but most don’t even start till midnight, which was far too late for people who wanted to spend the following day walking or sightseeing.

Too fat - too unfit

2011-03-29T16:43:00.003+01:00

Early March this year we had the worst weather so far this year and of course I was taking people walking! We had consecutive days of heavy rain and it was very cold. The guests came from Northern Scotland and consequently had appropriate clothing for the conditions, but I got soaked to the skin. However, much worse was the awful realization that I had become very unfit and suddenly all the hills seemed steeper and higher. I tried to kid myself that my guests were super fit but could not fool myself after I timed one walk and we took exactly the same amount of time, when several years ago now, I had walked it at a steady pace with a pedometer to measure the distance. All the extra pounds that have crept on over the years are taking their toll.

Unfortunately immediately after that walking holiday I spent a week with my daughter who lives in Dubai and much though it was wonderful to see her, I over indulged again! In our little village of Daimalos with its ladies all in black and men working their hillside fields on their mules, it can sometimes feel I have slipped backwards about a hundred years. In Dubai with its high buildings, fast roads and high metro I could have gone forward a century.

However when Lucy took me to an Irish pub I could simply have been in a pub in England before we left for Spain. While we were there the attached little ditty caught us by surprise and had us in hysterics.

In Training

2011-03-04T12:59:00.006Z

The weather this February has been absolutely amazing and of course nobody wanted to come walking. They have probably read my blog and were horrified at the major downpours we had last year, for most of the winter. Anyway from next week on I am going to be very busy guiding walks, which will probably guarantee the weather will change for the worse. However in order to prepare for upcoming walking holidays I have been going on longer and harder walks each day, but what is making them more of an effort is I have been taking our rescue dog Manky with me! I know it is my fault he is awful on a lead as obviously I haven’t trained him properly, but he is now a very healthy and strong dog, so when he pulls on the lead it is very tiring. The day after my first long walk I awoke the next morning and tested for any aches and pains. I was fine apart from my right arm and shoulder, which were suffering after holding Manky’s lead. For most of the walks I let him off his lead as we are very unlikely to meet anyone, but then he races ahead or climbs up and down hillsides so I have to keep calling to make sure he has not got lost. Also I had hoped he would calm down after a few kms especially as us people like to have a rest occasionally, but even after a serious walk of 25 kms plus with tremendous ups and downs, most of which he was off his lead, he pulled ferociously when I put him on his lead while we walked to the road, where Steve was collecting us. I think Manky is about 18 months old. Any suggestions on how I can train him to walk rather than pull on a lead?

He did enjoy paddling across stream - photo above.

What a fabulous place to live!

2011-03-03T17:51:00.002Z

For a few days now I have been "training" for longer walks which may be requested by future guests. Last year we had torrential downpours through much of January, February and March, so I have been busy reconnoitering previous routes. The photo above looks pretty horrendous , but actually it was a magnificent walk! Clear blue skies and seas and not a soul in sight! Still I have to admit that the ups and downs seemed much steeper than last year. However, my daughter phoned and suddenly I am off for a few days to Dubai and we are going to a concert given by my old friend Stevie Wonder, only drawback no time to sleep - who needs sleep!

Best Regards

Sheila

Short visit to UK

2011-02-22T18:43:00.001Z

Last week we made one of our short visits to the UK

Flying with companies such as Easy Jet can hardly be described as pleasant. When we were about to board our flight I was reminded I was only allowed one piece of hand luggage, and my tiny handbag had to fit in my case. This was entirely why I had such a small handbag – but I had simply forgotten to put it in my case.

When we boarded the flight we found many passengers had much bigger handbags and luggage than I had. Our arrival at Stansted was only a few minutes late and we proceeded to follow all the numerous signs. I had an anxious few minutes at the cash machine as I had not used my card to withdraw any money from my sterling account for over a year, but luckily it was accepted. We then had to pay for our train tickets. My daughter had advised me to take the Stansted express to Tottenham Hale and Steve wanted to go to Tunbridge Wells and we were told to buy this ticket actually at the station. I must have appeared exceedingly old and/or foreign when I had to be told how to use the machine that was pushed at me in order to pay. I was a little surprised I remembered my pin number, but it was much easier the 2^nd time when I paid for Steve’s ticket. The friendly ticket person informed us that a train to Tottenham Hale was just leaving and its final destination was Liverpool St where Steve wanted to go. Gratefully we dashed on to the train, only to discover this was certainly not the “express”. It was a grey miserable day and the train passed slowly through lots of drab, dinghy stations.

Eventually I alighted at Tottenham Hale and was relieved to find that Finsbury Park which is a 20 min walk from where my daughter Eleanor lives was only a couple of stops away. Unfortunately the ticket machines only took pound coins or “Oyster cards”. Cash machines do not dispense pound coins and although Eleanor had recommended Oyster cards I did not possess one! Having waited towards the rear of the assistance queue for at least 10 minutes I saw a little kiosk which in addition to sweets and drinks also sold oyster cards. I struggled through the hordes waiting in the queue and asked if I could purchase on oyster card for 3 days. The brown skinned lady looked at me as though I must have arrived from Timbucktu and simply said there was a minimum payment of 20 pounds and a deposit of 5 pounds which would be repaid when I returned the card . I tried to ask if I could pay with a card but as she blatantly did not understand I gave her cash. I felt very sorry for the other ‘real’ foreigners in the queue which I had just left. It was obviously going to take them ages to get a ticket/tickets on the tube as there was only one person making a very sad job of maning the assistance desk!

Well the 2 stops to Finsbury Park were very easy and I was congratulating myself on remembering the way, when I realized I had not passed through a ticket barrier or swiped my proud new Oyster card. Still it was wonderful to meet Eleanor, her husband and baby Penny. The following morning I was supposed to arrive outside Mile End tube station by 11am. Eleanor thought that as my Oyster card had not actually been swiped at Finsbury Park I should arrive in time to find a ticket person and explain. There was not a person to be seen on the station the following morning but after listening to all the announcements about delays, engineering works etc I jumped on to the first train to Holborn. Yes naturally I had not had my car swiped again! However at Mile End I met a very helpful ticket person, who explained that Finsbury Park was an unmanned station and simply opened the barrier and let me through. However the look on his face said it all – I was obviously some weird old foreign person.

The rest of the weekend passed pleasantly enough and it was wonderful to meet my grand daughter and Steve’s family. However, the best part of the whole 3 days was when we touched down at Malaga airport.!

Almond Blossom Time

2011-01-19T10:56:00.002Z

We had guests at the main house we look after in the village for the whole 2 weeks of the festive period. As a result the weather here was absolutely dreadful. It was cold and grey with tremendous downpours and thunderstorms. However the weather in the UK was even worse so my daughter and boyfriend could not come to visit. Although they live in Dubai, BA had such a backlog of flights they did not want to risk spending Christmas or New Year in the lounge at Heathrow!

Needless to say as soon as the guests left, the weather started to improve and the second week after they had gone the weather was perfectly glorious, with clear blue skies and temperatures in the low twenties. Unfortunately we had lots of boring jobs to do such as painting, cleaning and gardening to make the houses look vaguely respectable before the owners arrived for a 2 month break. The weeds had been on double time during the rain!

Still my morning walks were beautiful with the almond trees in full bloom and looking simply fabulous. Also the wild flowers are fast appearing and there is lots of alyssum under the almond trees which at first glance looks like a fine covering of snow. The Bermuda buttercups are also out in fell force. When we first saw them my daughter named them “yellow bells”, their resemblance to bluebells fades as the sun rises and the yellow flowers open wide. Although they are stunning growing on the sides of a mountain they are an awful nuisance in a garden as they would like to carpet everywhere very quickly.

Interest in our walking holidays seemed to fade to nothing during the autumn but quite suddenly I have got lots of bookings for Spring and Summer. So I will have to do some rigorous walking in February to get fit!

A dreadful day in Daimalos

2010-10-23T11:43:00.004+01:00

Nearly ten months ago we rescued the dog we now call Manky. He was in an absolutely dreadful state and so weak he could barely stand. A couple of days later the ladies who run the village shop found a dead puppy in the village and we think Manky must have been from the same litter. We had already acquired more cats than any sane person would take on although most are now outside cats (see photo) but see other photo for kittens whose mother was clever enough to have them on our top terrace, so a dog was the last thing we wanted. However, he recovered and soon moved from the out house to settee and was prepared to tolerate and ignore the cats. Unfortunately I have had difficulty training him and he is still a long way from perfect.
Yesterday I took him on our usual walk around the village, which since I have had Manky I now only go half way round and back again because that means we are very unlikely to meet a vehicle, so I can let him off his lead and he gets much more exercise. On the way up to the ridge Manky found a litter of tiny kittens hiding among some prickly pears, and although he went mad barking, he reluctantly followed me up the ridge. I find my morning walks make a nice time for reflection/meditation and so unfortunately I was not really watching Manky as we came back down the ridge, because it is too steep for jeeps even and he knows the way home. So imagine my horror when I saw him in front of me with a tiny kitten in his mouth. Even worse despite my shouts which all the village must have heard he refused to drop it and simply ran off. I didn’t know where he had gone so went home to find he had dropped the now dead kitten by our car! I will be much stricter with him in future but it is too late for the poor little kitten.

Sheila's Walking Blog: Why did I adopt him?

2010-10-05T11:53:00.000+01:00

Sheila's Walking Blog: Why did I adopt him?

Why did I adopt him?

2010-10-05T11:10:00.002+01:00

At this time of year we make lots of trips to Granada, but often recently I have been busy on other things. However on Friday I accompanied Steve and guests who were visiting the Alhambra palace. Granada is a truly impressive city in its own right, without even considering the magnificent palace of the Alhambra and so I couldn’t resist taking a few photos.

Today Steve is again taking guests to the Alhambra, so I thought I should do something about my own fitness levels and go for a long or demanding walk. Our rescue dog is still dreadful on a lead so I set off on my own down to the small town of Arenas and then back along the ridge. It is not a long walk but has lots of ups and downs, some of which are quite steep so I feel if I walk this route quickly it should be good for me. Unfortunately I had forgotten that the steep climb from Arenas to the ridge is totally without shade and even at 9.30 this morning, it was hot! When I arrived home puffing and drenched I discovered Manky, our dog had got bored. There had been a large bin bag of garden rubbish on our terrace. He had attacked this and the bag of potting compost underneath and strewn everything all over the terrace. Needless to say I was not overjoyed and decided I didn’t care enough about my own fitness levels to take my very naughty dog on his usual walk!

Harvest in September

2010-09-14T09:48:00.003+01:00

The weather has cooled a few degrees and is much more pleasant, although still a bit hot for walking. However it must still make the work of the local farmers more difficult as whole families can be seen working together picking the grapes. When they have picked the grapes they are spread out on drying beds as in the photo above to ripen or become raisins. This is a very labour intensive task as the grapes also have to be turned regularly. There are some drying beds very close to our house and the local farmer still transports his crates of grapes on his mule. This will always remind me of our first autumn in this village when I was woken early in the morning by the sound of a mule clomping past the house and because we were new here I had no idea what the sound was!

Unexpected visitor

2010-08-16T17:55:00.001+01:00

It has now become very hot in our little village of Daimalos in Southern Spain and so we definitely do not take people walking. However we look after two holiday homes in the village and one forgets what a demanding physical job cleaning is, although that may well be because in the past I have always done as little as possible. The other day we were relaxing on our terrace which is nicely shaded by a vine, after I had spent several hours ironing sheets, something I have never done before and is really awful in very hot weather, when Steve started pointing excitedly at something. There on the back of one of our plastic chairs was a chameleon. Steve went in for his camera and took a few snaps but the chameleon didn’t budge and eventually we got bored with it and forgot about it. A couple of hours later we heard our recently acquired dog, going berserk and rushed out on to the terrace to see what was the matter. The chameleon had almost got as far as our garden gate, so we pushed the dog away hoping it would escape. Unfortunately the stupid creature started to climb the garden gate but kept slipping back and all the time the dog was barking furiously. Finally Steve deciding we had all had enough excitement for one day wrapped the chameleon in kitchen roll and let it go farther up the path a decent distance from our terrace.

Progress

2010-07-15T10:38:00.002+01:00

I have been walking on the tracks around Daimalos in Axarquia, Southern Spain for six years now and recently they have been flattened and widened. Although this obviously makes them much easier to drive along, it also makes them an ugly scar on the landscape and I fear we may get more traffic. Instead of the narrow rough uneven tracks which they were six years ago they are now roads with passing spaces. Anyway I set off with my dog Manky for my usual walk this morning, aiming to take some photos of the new tracks and the first thing worth photographing was Manolo’s mule munching determinedly at the very dry grass. Perhaps not what most people would consider progress. In July the countryside is very brown and appears very barren but the sky is very blue and the views of the mountains and the sea still thrill me. However as I walked along blithely snapping photos I realised that the countryside is far from barren. The almond trees are bursting with round green nuts, there are shiny green berries on the olive trees and the vines are bowing under the weight of the grapes. As I returned home after meeting no car or person on my hour’s walk, I realized that the new tracks might not be attractive but this is still a fabulous place to live.

Not Guilty

2010-07-01T11:15:00.003+01:00

We have been acquitted!

This ought to have been obvious really as there was absolutely no proof of our neighbours’ accusations, but still we had an anxious couple of weeks. We took the photo above to show that the vine which grows across the terraces would have made it impossible to throw bottles over the wall but we didn’t need it.

It is much too hot for walking holidays at the moment, although I am still enjoying my walk round the village, provided I go as soon as I get up. I still enjoy the views of the mountains, blue sea and blue sky. Steve is making regular trips to Granada, which the guests still enjoy but I have been too many times now and prefer to stay at home doing boring jobs. The internet is a wonderful resource and I have a lot to learn in order to improve my website and of course my blog. Recently I discovered this excellent blog http://onetravel.wordpress.com/ and found out about “Guest blogging”, so if anyone would be interested in posting on my blog, please let me know.

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A dreadful few days in Daimalos, Southern Spain

2010-06-17T12:03:00.001+01:00

In summer our peace is shattered and life can become very unpleasant for many weeks. This is because our little village house is semi detached and the house directly adjoining is let out to guests during the summer. The neighbouring house has a small pool, which quite understandably causes guests and especially children to shriek and scream as they jump in the pool. We may not like this, but know there is nothing we can do about it. However when people come with large music systems with which they blast the village as well as us, we usually complain.

On Friday afternoon 11 people arrived. This number of people in a small terrace, cannot help but make a lot of noise, but they also brought their music etc with them. Later that evening I went round as usual asking them to make less noise, only to greeted with a fairly common reply. “We are on holiday and it doesn’t matter how much noise we make.”!

Mid-afternoon on Saturday a large group of people were clamouring at the gate to our terrace. They were our new neighbours who were claiming I had punctured a tyre on one of their cars. There was a lot of ranting and shrieking but my Spanish isn’t much good at the best of times, and is very poor when a lot of people are shouting at once. The partying next door got even louder and then on Sunday morning we were served a “Denuncia” by an officer of the Guardia Civil (police) and told we must be at the police station in Velez Malaga by 10am. We have been denounced before by the owner of the property who I will call X and so had learnt the hard way what this entails. We knew that he was charging us with something and if we didn’t reply we would be fined. A “denuncia” means that we have been charged with doing something illegal and will have to appear before a court and be duly sentenced. The whole process is free but whoever loses gets fined. Last time our case was thrown out and we didn’t have to pay anything.

To our relief the guests left early Sunday evening, but we had to appear at the police station the following morning. My husband and I had to answer the charges made by X and prepare independent statements laboriously typed up by the officer of the Guardia. The charges were absolutely ridiculous but we had to answer them. We were accused of making too much noise, puncturing the wheel of their car and throwing bottles and other objects over the wall. It is difficult actually remembering what happened when and who said what and so I felt like a criminal even though I had done nothing wrong! On Wednesday we set off for our court case feeling nervous, frightened of a large fine and feeling the whole affair was unfair. Luckily we had allowed plenty of time because the address on the forms we were given by the police, was out of date and the court had moved over a year ago. So we raced around in the heat of the day until we found the beautiful new court at 1.35 for our 1.30 appointment. Arriving very hot and bothered we had another 40 minutes to wait before we got into court, but in that time became even more worried because X had appointed a lawyer. The hearing was very short but we got the impression the judge thought the whole thing was a waste of time. The minimum fine is 200 euros which is a lot of money to us, but we have to wait until we receive our sentence, which could take a while as there is only one delivery a week to our little village. It is very hard to wait for a verdict because much though we believe we have done nothing wrong; can eight people telling one story mean the true version by two people is wrong???

Expectation

2010-05-29T09:28:00.005+01:00

These photos were taken from our favourite viewing point at the end of April. I was equally as surprised and disappointed as our walking guests who had very cold weather and lots of weird mist! All I could do was point and describe what they should have been able to see. Nevertheless I got some interesting photos.

Also our guests in April were equally surprised to find their guide had a mop of white hair. However, they were very charming about it so I saw no reason to explain that I was actually younger than at least one of their group. Perhaps if I had gone blonde as most of my female friends, I would have been less of a surprise. Anyway now we have no more bookings for walking holidays, the weather has become more as one would expect, with lovely clear blue skies but seeming to get hotter each day.

This morning as I did my usual walk around the village, if I am not taking people walking, I could enjoy the stunning views of La Maroma (the highest mountain), set against a perfect blue sky and if I looked the other way had equally stunning views of the Mediterranean. Just a few years ago I would have expected to be still working long hours in the city of London. Sometimes it can be absolutely wonderful when life does not turn out as we expect!

Is this sunny Spain?

2010-04-15T14:43:00.004+01:00

I thought the weather in February was bad but in March it got even worse. I was busy escorting walkers who had been hoping for "sunny Spain", but instead got heavy downpours, cold winds and masses of cloud and mists. There is nothing quite so awful as telling people "
there really are stunning views from here, if there were no clouds." Last year the authorities were issuing dire warnings due to the desperately low level of the reservoirs. This year there has been so much rain they have had to open the sluice gates.

Still is has been quite a challenge trying to find walks that do not cross streams or persuading walkers to paddle across quite deep rivers. On one occasion I went first using the old argument - if I can do it so can you. As the strong current swirled around my knees I was terrified, but afterward the walkers agreed that they had thouroghly enjoyed what had become an adventure holiday.

Bad Day

2010-02-25T10:24:00.003Z

Yesterday was one of those days! The first day of my first walking holiday this year and a major disaster. The photo on the left says it all. I was taking guests on the walk of the bountiful valley, which is a short but interesting walk with lots of changes of scenery, as well as lots of ups and downs. It is usually a good way to get to know one another and yesterday was no exception. We were walking well and chatting easily and I had already confessed I was out of practise due to the dreadful weather we have had this winter. Anyway, the sun was shining, blue sky and views wonderful so everything seemed to be going well. Then we came to the ford - see photo. Normally people just walk across this as the water is lower than the soles of their boots. Yesterday it was a raging, torrential river and clearly impassable on foot! I thought I knew this area very well, but I did not know how to get from what was formerly a ford to the metal bridge just a short distance up stream/river. Luckily the guests were great people and stoically faced the climb back to where we had started. However it is a steep climb and eventually they succombed and agreed to phone Steve and get him to come and collect us. Much though Steve is happy to collect people if they get tired or fed up of steep inclines, this was the first time guests had doubled back on themselves, so I had to race quite a distance uphill to a spot where he would find me easily and I could direct him to guests. Once again our guests were wonderful and happy to wait, but I must explore the area better before the next walkers come.

Walking in Almond Blossom Time.

2010-02-03T08:24:00.004Z

At last after the most dreadful December and January since we moved here, we have had some decent weather. So yesterday I set off for my first long walk (about 20 kms) since October. 20 kms may not sound far but this area is very hilly/mountainous and I had some steep climbs and descents and my poor old legs were out of practice! It was an ideal day for walking, quite cool but with clear, bright blue skies giving manificent views of the mountains and the Mediterranean. After all the recent rain the ground has come back to life and the almond trees in full bloom, ranging in colour from white to a deep pink, look stunning. The ground under the trees is carpeted with white Alyssum which from the distance looks like snow and there were early lavender and the infamous Bermuda buttercups, which look fantastic in the countryside but are a nightmare in the garden. I stopped to have lunch in the picturesque white town of Sayalonga siting on a wrought iron bench in a tiny square, where I enjoyed a few minutes of people watching. I marvelled at the skill of delivery drivers negotiating the very narrow streets and enjoyed the singing of the caged birds on the balconies. This part of Spain has been recycling for years and the house opposite where I sat, had freshly washed carriers bags out to dry ready to be used again and lovely geraniums growing in old paint pots. After lunch I set off home again rejoicing in my good fortune to live here.

Dreadful December

2009-12-30T11:07:00.004Z

This December the weather has been so bad the cats won't go out!

Luckily after the first week in December, which was lovely, I have not had to take anybody walking. I personally do not experience any pleasure in walking in torrential rain and gale force winds. In the past, I have taken mad English people out in such conditions, but it has only ever lasted for one day, as opposed to at least 14 consecutive ones this December. Last year soon after Christmas we had a heavy snowfall. This was also extremely unusual, but it only lasted for a couple of nights and was also very pretty. We thought we had escaped heavy rain and grey skies when we left England.

Happy New Year.

Dogs in Daimalos

2009-12-09T11:24:00.003Z

Dogs in our tiny village of Daimalos can frquently live dreadful lives. There are three pens which contain packs of 10 - 20 dogs, who have to survive in the most dreadful conditions. They are generally kept in a small fenced area with inadequate shelter from the weather and fed on stale bread. As a result of these conditions, the dogs become nasty and aggressive and fight among themselves. Occasionally they are let out from the pen to wander around the village. Two of our cats have been killed by village dogs in the last year. The owners claim they keep them for hunting and as guard dogs. A couple of weeks ago we found a very pathetic, scrawny dog trying to squeeze between the railings in the gate to our terrace. We shooed him away but could not help feeling sorry for him. That evening we found him huddled near a tall tree which did not really give much shelter and he looked so dreadful that I gave him some food. The following morning he was still there and soaked through as it had been raining all night. By now he was having difficulty standing and I just could not leave him, so took him down to our lower terrace, where we also have an outhouse. Two weeks later, he is much improved and depending on the cats, he could be here to stay!

Antlions and others

2009-10-21T08:37:00.002+01:00

Last week I spent walking with a lovely couple from England. They enjoyed the exceptionally hot October sun but I found it a little too hot for walking and despite lashings of sun cream became bright red again! They also drew my attention to small circles of sand as in the photo above. These are 'pits' created by the antlion and covered over with sand waiting for an unsuspecting ant to fall in and for the antlion to devour. Needless to say, once I saw one I realised they were everywhere. We also discovered an exotic tree with beautiful flowers which is the photo above. Does anyone know what this is?

Antlions and such

2009-10-20T12:43:00.003+01:00

A walk round Spen near Kirkham

2009-09-28T08:13:00.005+01:00

This August family illness caused me to return to the small town of Kirkham where I grew up. My brother has a large dog and I accompanied them on their regular walk "round Spen". This is a circular walk which goes down to the bottom of Kirkham follows Spen lane and takes us through the pretty village of Treales. The weather was obviously very different from Southern Spain and at first I felt quite cold. However the expanses of green fields made me feel a little nostalgic and I was delighted to discover that apart from a few new houses, the walk was very similar to the one I took regularly over forty years ago, with the family dog. I couldn't resist taking a photo of the phone box!

Daimalos in July

2009-08-04T14:55:00.003+01:00

It is very hot in Daimalos now so maybe I should move as slowly as this chameleon. I found him on our garden gate when I was trimming the hedge. He thinks if he doesn't move I can't see him.

July and August are much too hot for more than relaxing in the pool, but I still enjoy an early morning walk and watching the sun rise over the village. When it gets we keep out of the sun and have a wonderful time. Commuting into London on packed trains was dreadful. Just think - I swapped that for this!

Day tour from Nerja to Granada

2009-06-26T10:05:00.005+01:00

It is now the end of June and temperatures in Axarquia, Southern Spain reach the high twenties. I find this too hot for walking but some guests are prepared to start a walk at 7.30am, enjoy a lovely walk for three hours and spend the rest of the day in or by the pool. Mostly at this time of year, we are busy doing our tours. We can only fit four people in our old explorer, so we offer a very personal sevice and soon feel like old friends. Granada is a wonderful city and even though we have now been there numerous times we still enjoying exploring its streets and squares, while our guests visit the famous Alhambra palace. We always make sure we are back at the car park a good couple of hours before we expect to see our guests as people vary so much in the amount of time they want, but having to sit in our comfortable car and enjoy a good book isn't really too much of a hardship. The photo is of the Plaza Nueva, which is an attractive bustling square just below the Alhambra.

El Acebuchal. The village that was born again.

2009-05-25T09:28:00.008+01:00

Last week I went on a fabulous walk through the National Park from Competa to what was the "lost" village of El Acebuchal. In 1948 the Franco regime forced the 150 residents of El Ecebuchal to abandon their village as a means of preventing anti Franco guerillas from seeking refuge there. In 1953, some of these families returned, making charcoal from pinewood as a means of livelihood. However, the authorities forced them out once more in the sixties by refusing to supply basic services. But now some of their descendants have moved back and since 1998 the village has been carefully and beautifully restored.

Spring in Axarquia

2009-04-30T10:44:00.006+01:00

Spring is my favourite time of the year, when the edges of the paths and tracks become an absolute mass of beautiful flowers. This year I have been busy taking guests on walks and everbody loved the flowers and scents of Rosemary,Thyme, Mint and Sage. We had a dreadful winter, so a lovely spring has been much appreciated. The most popular flowers were a deep red orchid, beds of common red porry and some huge purple poppies. Maybe somebody could tell me their proper name???

Importance of Walking

2009-02-08T10:08:00.002Z

Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at £700 per month.
My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60.. Now he's 97 years old and we don't know where he is.
I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing..
I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks... Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.
Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise', I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.
The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they'll say, 'Well, she/he looks good doesn't she/he.'
If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years,...... just getting over the hill.
We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I 'm sticking to it. AND Every time I start thinking too much about how I look, I just find a Happy Hour and by the time I leave, I look just fine.

Freakish Weather

2009-02-05T11:49:00.006Z

Yesterday (4th February) was one of the few decent days we have had recently, so I set off for a walk. The beautiful clear blue sky and strong sun came as a welcome relief after the storms and gales of recent weeks. I set off up the steep track to the top of the ridge hoping to admire the almond blossom, but the gales in the last few days have blown most of it away and there were broken branches and signs of general devastation wherever I looked. When I got to the top of the ridge, the mountain La Maroma looked absolutely stunning, crowned with more snow than I have ever seen it before. Unfortunately the rest of the walk was a little spoilt by the sound of chain saws as the farmers were busy removing broken branches and clearing paths. Rather relieved that I had not had any bookings for walking holidays during the recent dreadful weather.

Global Warming?

2009-01-16T11:15:00.003Z

This certainly does not feel like global warming but it definitely is climate change! On Saturday 10th of January the weather went very very cold. Much colder than I had ever known it before in Southern Spain. Midafternoon we had the most tremendous thunderstorm, which continued for several hours and then we had a power cut. Luckily we have plenty of candles and some calor gas heaters. Before I went to bed I thought I ought to look outside to see if there were any lights to make sure it really was a power cut and not faulty electrics. I tried to open our top terrace door but could only open it a couple of inches because the bouganvillea had fallen across. The amazing reason why the bouganvillea had fallen down was because it couldn't cope with the weight of the snow! At that point there was 4 or 5 inches but I could here it thawing fast. However the temperature must have gone down to freezing during the night, because by morning we couldn't open the door because of ice. Now it has all gone but our plants and trees have been devastated.

A walk around Daimalos in December

2008-12-13T09:42:00.002Z

I am lucky enough to live in a small village called Daimalos, which is in the heart of Axarquia in Southern Spain. This is an area of outstanding beauty with high mountain peaks and fabulous views of the Mediterranean. Also the clement weather makes it an ideal place for walking. Most mornings when we are not busy I go for a circular work around the village. It is only about 5 kms but I never tire of the views which change with the seasons. It has been quite cold recently but we still have bright blue skies, so when I climbed up the ridge behind the village yesterday and saw the mountain La Maroma with snow on the top it was simply breathtaking. The link below will show some photos I took.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52820&l=1dbf1&id=633037182

Views of the Sierra Almijara

2008-12-11T06:30:00.004Z

October in Axarquia

2008-12-10T15:04:00.002Z

The weather is cooling down, but temperatures in the upper twenties and blue skies make this a very attractive time of year. It does generally rain in October but the ground and reservoirs need it after the heat of the summer. However we rarely get that awful English drizzle. Instead the heavens open and there is an absolute deluge for a few hours, but then the sun comes out again and every where is transformed.

On mornings when we are not busy I try to walk a 7km circuit, down to Arenas, up a steep climb to the ridge with its stunning views of La Maroma and the sea and then down the ridge to the village of Daimalos, where we are lucky enough to live. Temperatures in the upper twenties I find a little too hot for walking, but an 8 am start means I can walk before it gets too hot and start my walk watching the sun rise above the mountains and glisten off the sea. This morning it was quite cool as I set off in my sleeveless vest and shorts, but I soon warmed up as I walk at a good speed since I am doing this to keep fit, as well as enjoy the scenery. It was quite hazy and La Maroma which rises to 2065ms was swathed in white clouds and I couldn’t see the sea at all. However the mountain was quite impressive with lovely gleaming patches where the sun broke through the mists. Half way along the ridge there is a farm house which is quite close to the track and I missed my usual greeting with the lady who lives there. The weather must be getting cooler, as she has stopped watering the track to limit the amount of dust getting into her house.

Autumn here is very different to the “season of mellow fruitfulness” in England, although I found some shiny conkers which reminded me of my childhood. I don’t know if Spanish children play conkers. The almond trees have shed most of their leaves and those in the sun look wintry and could be dead they are so barren. However those sheltered from the sun still have a few yellow leaves and appear more autumnal. The olive trees seem even more dull grey green than usual, but from close up the colour is improved by the light fresh green of the fruits. The dwarf vines which grow in Axarquia have very recently been harvested and grapes can still be seen stacked up in crates by the farms or laid out to dry on the secaderos (drying beds) as they turn into raisins. I doubt I will ever forget our first autumn in Daimalos, when I was woken by a heavily laden mule clomping right alongside our house on his way to the secaderos. The dwarf vines are only just beginning to turn brown and provide welcome patches of green dotted among the olive and almond trees.

The rain we usually get in October was early this year and we had some torrential downpours in the end of September and these have created massive ruts in the tracks and make walking a little more difficult. It is amazing how fast a relatively small amount of water can begin revitalising the countryside. Today I came across masses of the lovely crawling bindweed with its huge purple/blue flowers which flourish in Axarquia. There are pretty yellow, white and pink large plants, which grow everywhere and are simply weeds to the Spanish, are also appearing in large quantities and I was surprised to find some lavender. Yellow ragwort is growing in huge clumps and so the land which in August looked dry and barren has already quite a lot of colour.

A walk in the Eastern Axarquia

2008-12-10T14:16:00.001Z

A walk in the Eastern Axarquia

2008-12-10T14:15:00.000Z

The Axarquia was the name given by the Moors to the swathe of land just back from the Mediterranean which stretches for some 50 kilometres east from Malaga towards the Sierra Nevada. Axarquia literally means “the land to the east”. It is a privileged climatic zone, with hot summers, cool winters and little rainfall on either side of its long dry season. Its advantages are provided by the huge mountain barriers which protect it from the North winds, and by its coastline, which cause mild temperatures both in winter and in summer. The most attractive part of La Axarquia is its eastern end, where a beautiful area of mountains and lush valleys surround the town of Competa and create a fabulous place for walking in all but the hot summer months.

My favourite walk begins in Competa which we leave on the track to the hotel Casa Mina. The white town looks very picturesque huddled against the mountain (La Maroma 2065 metres), which is called by locals the “sleeping princess” because of its distinctive shape from this view. We climb gradually up a good track through pine trees and the sad remains of a forest fire and into the Natural Park of the Sierras of Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama. There are fabulous views of the coast, mountains and Competa. After 3.5 kms we arrive at a fabulous viewing point, where we can rest and see a vast arena of peaks of the mountains of the Sierra Almijara, Torrox Costa, Frigiliana, and of course the Mediterranean. We turn left to continue the climb, at times quite steeply until we are directly below a look out station for forest fires (5.2 kms) The track is shingle and stones so can be a bit slippery, but if we are lucky we might see Ibex, the wild goat and eagles. We are very high so the views are amazing particularly of El Lucero (1,700 ms) and La Maroma (2,065 ms). Again it is lovely just to stand still for a while to absorb not only the views but also the total peace, disturbed only by birdsong. The variety of scenery we encounter on this walk is amazing and also the fact that we meet very few other walkers.
The track levels off and we continue for another couple of kilometres along gentle ups and downs, enjoying the staggering views, until we start to descend through lovely fragrances of rosemary and sage. The track is steep in parts and quite slippery on loose stones. Shortly after passing some beehives we arrive at a wide good quality track, where we turn left. A very gradual descent takes us to a tarmac road (13.25 kms). The walk becomes flat and easy taking us through cultivated land of olives, almonds, oranges etc. until we arrive at the Ermita at the top of the village of Canillas de Albaida, which has great panoramic views. This is a very pretty steep white village, and it makes a delightful place to stop for lunch at a lovely restaurant in the main square. (15.5 kms). After lunch we continue our walk by following a tarmac road which drops steeply to the river Cajula taking us past the chapel of San Anton and an ancient Roman bridge ( 16kms). Next we continue along the tarmac road which now climbs quite steeply until we reach the track of Los Eriales (18.6 kms) and we continue along this good quality track with beautiful views of the Sierra Tejada, Lake Vinuela and the coast. The Sierra Tejada takes its name from the yew tree (tejo in Spanish) which used to be widespread in this area but has largely been destroyed because it is poisonous to sheep and cattle The land here is cultivated, growing almonds, olives and vines, but in Spring there are fields of poppies and lots of other wild flowers such as Bermuda buttercups and wild lupins. We continue until we reach the steep climb down the ridge to Daimalos, where I am lucky enough to live (24kms).

A walk in the Eastern Axarquia

2008-12-10T14:11:00.002Z

A walk in the Eastern Axarquia

2008-12-10T14:07:00.000Z

Would you believe Walking Holidays?

2008-12-10T13:25:00.000Z

Would you believe WALKING HOLIDAYS?

2008-12-10T13:22:00.000Z

Escaped, I remember thinking as I said my final “bye” to Jane, my about to be, ex-colleague and walked through security and out of the office forever! My journey along Cannon street in London, with the other early leavers that Friday afternoon will remain in my mind for ever as one of the most blissful ever and the train journey to Sevenoaks passed in a similar haze. I really had done what so many of us dream of.

My husband Gordon had been having difficulty finding work for the last few years. His white hair certainly didn’t help. On the other hand I was working for an American company who gave me an ever increasing workload, but would not let me employ any more staff. As a result by the time I got home after a very long day, I was exhausted. There had to be a better way to live and simply changing jobs was not going to guarantee that.

On holiday a couple of years before I quit, I met a couple who had taken early retirement and were actually living in Spain. At that time the idea seemed more like a dream than a possibility, but my dream has come true. I had a couple of years to continue until I was fifty and able to draw down my pension, but that gave us time to work out whether we could afford it and plan selling the house and the actual move.

The first Monday after I left was also special, because it was actually quite difficult to believe that I was not going to the office ever again and also a bit frightening. However, we only had ten days before we completed on the sale of our house so there was quite a lot to do, although handing in my season ticket to claim a refund was one of the best. We had had our old car serviced and were praying that it would take us safely to Southern Spain, where hoped to buy a Spanish car.

Our journey to Competa in Southern Spain became the holiday of a lifetime. We spent our first night in Folkestone recovering from all the exertions of packing etc and then spent two weeks driving down. Apart from the first day we didn’t drive for more than three hours each day and stayed in grand but comfortable hotels it was wonderful to discover that Chartres was as beautiful as I remembered after nearly 30 years, but it was a shame we hadn’t allowed more than two days to view Barcelona.

After a brilliant six months living in a rented house in Competa, we moved into our own house in the tiny village of Daimalos, which although only being half an hour’s drive from the Mediterranean coast is surrounded by stunning scenery. I wanted to get fit and soon got into a regime of walking around the village each morning. The first climb up to the ridge was at first very difficult and I needed lots of rests, but the views at the top were stunning. I could see La Maroma on one side, the highest mountain (2080ms) in the Sierra Tejeda and I could look over the village and see the sea in the other.
The climb to the ridge gradually got easier and as I got fitter I began to explore further. There are numerous tracks in the “Natural Parks” of the Sierras of Tejada, Almijara and Alhama. A “Natural Park” is a protected natural environment. It is a large and rugged mountainous region of 40,663 hectares, which stretches across the provincial border of Granada and Malaga. It’s eastern part in Malaga province is known as the Axarquia and is famous for it’s attractive white villages dating from Moorish times.

Geologically, the area has some distinctive features. It is rich in quartz and gneiss, which date from over 300 million years ago. The Sierra Almijara has one of Spain’s most important areas of dolomite marble, which gives the landscape it’s characteristic grey and white hues, where erosion has broken down the marble into small stones. The main rock in the Sierra Tejeda is limestone, which has been severely weathered leaving a landscape riddled with steep sided ravines and plunging cliff faces
It’s relatively remote nature has meant that it has a high number of endemic species of flora and is rich in wildlife and mountain birds. It’s inaccessibility has also meant that historically, it has harboured bandits and later on, anti-Franco guerrillas during the civil war

We soon decided that there were so many good tracks it would be fun to invest in a 4 X 4 vehicle and explore them at our leisure. After a couple of years of exploring the park on foot or on wheels, we were ready to try a new venture. We also look after a house in the village which is owned by an English couple and let out during the summer. They agreed that it could make an ideal base for walking holidays. After an hour’s drive from Malaga airport, guests could stay in this distinctive, traditional village house. I would lead the walk and Steve my husband would collect us at the finish in our 4 X 4. Well we have just completed our first walking holiday and it was a fabulous experience, which I think we probably enjoyed nearly as much as our guests. I’m sure my former colleagues, in the office in London would never believe it!

Sheila Gard