I was never very sporty at school. Small and studious, it was clear from an early age that I was never going to make it to the Olympics. Although I did attend a Maths Olympiad in University College Dublin when I was 15. Not quite the same levels of excitement. The first (and only) time […]
The Sunshine After The Rain
April 30, 2012 by · 7 Comments
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), […]
The Highs and Lows of Shopping with Amazon
April 16, 2012 by · 10 Comments
I have just received a delivery from Amazon, two weeks late. Let me put this into context for you. Amazon packages are a little like crack for the ex-pat. The anticipation is enormous. On receipt of them a change in normal behaviour patterns may be observed: a withdrawal into the home, with much time spent […]
Is It Really that Time Already?
April 11, 2012 by · 10 Comments
The application period for admission into state schools is now open here in Asturias. It’s a snappy 10 days, 10th-20th April, so there’s no time to hang about if, like me, you’re planning to pack your little darling off to school here for the first time come September. The Spanish government currently offers each child […]
Modesta
February 24, 2012 by · 19 Comments
My next door neighbour is called Modesta. She is 89 years old and she lives alone in her little house in our tiny hamlet perched atop a hillside in Asturias, Northern Spain. She doesn’t drive and she has never travelled on a train nor seen a plane. She has never visited Madrid, nor even Covadonga […]
Rules of the Road
January 21, 2012 by · 7 Comments
So, yesterday, I was driving in town and as I approached a Stop sign two Trafico cars (Spanish traffic police, as you’ve probably guessed already) drove past me. Cue accelerated heart rate and butterflies in my stomach. (I’m the same walking through Customs. I blame my Irish Catholic upbringing – it’s made me so good […]
