Life between the mountains and the sea
We’ve just had a four day weekend here in Spain. I’ll be honest, I was slightly dreading it as I was going to be on my own with my four year old son for the whole time. That makes me sound terrible, doesn’t it? Possibly accurately. But really it was just a sense that 4×24 […]
Apples are to Asturias as grapes are to La Rioja. As harvest gets underway here in the ‘Comarca de la Sidra’ (the cider ‘shire’) the orchards that densely carpet vast swathes of hillside are shaded under a heavy canopy of apple-laden branches. The apples are plentiful this year (they come in two year cycles – […]
Today was a day like many others, lived to the rhythm of the village. Jack and I hit the garden early – we were out with wellies on and tools in hand by 9am. A good time to be digging before the full heat of the day beats us back indoors to the cool of […]
I love living somewhere with abundant wildlife. I cherish the fact that Asturias has healthy populations of animals and birds that are in danger of extinction elsewhere. But it’s not all Disney, it does have its downside. This week an industrious jabalí (wild boar) obliterated my potato patch overnight. 50m2 of potato plants completely disappeared. […]
Well, April has lived up to its local billing – ‘en abril las aguas mil’ goes the Spanish refrain – and it has rained a LOT. On reflection, not the best month to choose for my 5 Goals. I’ve only managed to get out climbing once (seeping limestone is no fun, unless you’re a caver), […]
I am always full of goals and projects to the point where sometimes instead of being uplifting they weigh me down. I am the eternal optimist (dreamer? lunatic? you decide what you want to call it – me, I’m sticking with optimist for reasons of self-preservation.) I can look at a 2,000m2 steep-sided cow field […]
Richie is away for a fortnight and I’m determined that Jack and I will have an extra-lovely time together to compensate for Daddy’s absence. Of course I’m delighted to have an excuse to put all non-essential chores on hold and devote myself entirely to playing. (Not that the lack of an excuse has ever stopped […]
