Self catering holiday rental accommodation in the Alpujarras, Andalucia, southern Spain

I live here at Cortijo Opazo, a self catering and guided walking holiday destination in the region of the Alpujarras, Granada, Spain. I sometimes take the guests for a walk but generally I just see they are all OK and give them random bits of advice. I have to maintain the high standards of the business.

April 28th 2010

April Showers and Silent Skies

The heavy rains of winter now seem a long time ago, although the scars pervade on the mountainside through slippages and cracks in the roads. As April advanced it started to feel as though the earth was getting dry once more and again we looked to the skies for rain bringing clouds - how fickle is our memory! Obliging as ever, the clouds gathered and we were treated to a selection of veritable April showers in true 'English' style. The temperatures were warm and the rain fell in short, ground drenching bursts. In a moment the fields and terraces turned emerald green and the flowers are currently emerging with surprising rapidity. One day it is the asphodeline that is in flower, the next a striking peony joins the front of stage. Rather than southern Spain it is more like being at the Chelsea flower show.

Back in the UK and most other countries in Europe the skies have been unusually silent. Apparently a volcano erupted in iceland and sent forth enough ash into the sky to be a hazard to flying. Quite unexpectedly all flights were grounded and those who wanted to reach the green shores of the Uk were forced to tackle the route overland. Now, I've done this route once, rolling about in the back of a Citroen Berlingo, and it's not as pleasant as some might think. Toilet stops happen only once every two hours and the rhythm of eating is entirely upset. Sleeping on the floors of strange hotels does not agree with my dachshund heritage.

Linda and Kevin who were enjoying their 4th holiday with us were flung into this chaos. On Saturday April 17th they were finally informed that their flight for later that day had been cancelled. It seemed that the next possible flight was not going to be for more than a week - supposing at that time that any flights would ever take off again - so they bravely set off to Malaga with the hire car, knowing that they were actually travelling in the wrong direction, geographically speaking. From Malaga they travelled to Barcelona on a train but alas the iron carriageway could take them no further since France was enduring a rail strike - there are some who might think the rail workers would have the compassion to cancel their action, but so be it. By now most of Europe seemed to be on the move and transport in whatever form was in seriously short supply. With another couple the only option open to them was to catch a taxi - from BARCELONA TO PARIS! What kind of a tip do you give the driver for this ride? From Paris they managed to get a ticket on the Eurostar back to the UK but had to pay for two of the few remaining 1st class seats. Once back in the UK they rested overnight with family in the south east before returning to Scotland the following day, Thursday 22nd April. A journey that would normally take just a few hours had taken nearly six days and cost the equivalent of more or less six pedigree dachshund puppies! Makes me wonder why people want to travel so much, but in the interests of maintaining my present standard of living, I'm very glad they do

Also, Matthew and his partner were unable to join us for their planned holiday, but we hope they will make it here one day.

Now, the showers have passed and as May approaches we are reminded once more of the close proximity of summer. For me, that means just one thing. Time to find my favourite siesta spot.

Your, once more in the shade,

Fergus

PS - Still waiting for those girls to do anything useful, like lay an egg!

Click here to see past blogs:

Blog from 2010

March

February

January

Blogs from 2009

Iris, now flowering wild throughout the local valleys and in the garden

To comment on this blog please click here

April 13th 2010

The Balance of Power

There's been an alarming shift in the balance of power here at Cortijo Opazo. For a number of years the pecking order has been clear; there are the two tall ones that I live with who seem to make most of the day to day decisions, there is myself at their right hand to give advice and a steady paw at the tiler, and then in recent years there has been Ella. Not quite sure what she adds, perhaps we could be kind and say she is in charge of entertainment. Like this we have been successful, three boys and one girl. But now, something has shifted this balance. William and Robert spent all last week at the far end of the wooden shed, banging, hammering and fixing. I should have recognised the signs. Then, on Friday, a cardboard box was carefully lifted out of the car and carried almost ceremoniously from the house to the area in which the work had been taking place. The box seemed to have a life of its own, and from inside emanated scratching and thumping sounds. Then, no mistake, I heard a 'cluck'. I knew, there and then, memories stirred from a country now far away. These were girls! The two tall ones had dedicated a whole week to building a home for these girls. A hen house! Ready for six new feathered occupants. What are they thinking? I know that fresh hen eggs taste like nothing you can buy from a supermarket and I also know of the value their droppings can add to the garden but did they stop to think? Seven girls to three boys? A potential for disaster! Ella is in her element, skipping and hooting all over the place.

As for the new arrivals, well, they seem content and harmless enough, but I'm on my guard to make sure they don't try to take my senior role by staging a coup. A chicken coup, it would be too much to imagine.

On to other matters. We've had a sixth visit from Tracie and Eric, and look forward to seeing them again. Linda and Kevin are with us for what must be a fourth time and they are already talking about their return - I feel there has been a little competition over the attentions of Ella whilst these two couples have been here but I have been patrolling around to make sure she keeps to the rule of not going into the accommodation. We have also been pleased to receive an account of a rather adventurous walk taken by Paul Philips, one of our recent guests. This dramatic ascent on La Veleta when snow was lying heavily on the ground, can be read by clicking here.

Paul along with some other past guests, have kindly made themselves 'fans of Cortijo Opazo' and have uploaded photographs, reviews and comments. You too can do this by clicking on the link to Facebook below and becoming a 'fan'.

Returning to the subject of balance of power, I have learnt that the general election has at last been called in the UK and will taken place on May 6th. Up until then there will be frenzied malady of electioneering from the UK media and politicians, but so far the Spanish news seems to have passed it by. Another good reason for this dachshund to stay put with his euros securely stashed where falling currency markets can't touch them - I'm planning to go into commodities, the debacle and fall out of the Greek economy can surely have now effect on the price of dried pigs' ears.

Yours, with a close eye on the coop, or coup should it come to this,

Fergus.