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.

May 31st 2010

Dream on!

You don't hear the expression 'Living the Dream' used quite so much these days in Spain. The housing market, as in many parts of the world, seems stuck and there is a surfiet of property for sale, much of it by overzealous or bankrupt property developers, but in our area, some of it is being sold by those for whom this 'dream' lifestyle has not been all that was expected. Not surprsing for to this dachshund, who usually enjoys a dream about chasing rabbits or such like but would certainly not have the energy to keep it up all day long. It was, though, on a touring holiday of Holland some ten years ago that a vision if not a dream was hatched by my two human companions. Whilst wandering in the gardens of Henk Gerritsen, Ton ter Linden, Piet Oudolf and Mien Ruys they decided that to plant a garden and open it up to the public would be a very fine thing to do. "Dream on", I said when they returned to England and explained their idea to me, but ten years later, this dachshund is eating his words. On Friday, May 28th, 2010, William and Robert opened the gardens that they have spent just over five years creating at Cortijo Opazo for the first time, under the name of 'Jardín de la Alpujarra', and so a kind of dream was realised for them.

The plan is quite low key and unobtrusive; they have chosen Friday as a regular day for opening the gardens but are also happy to do so on other occasions by prior arrangement. All they ask is a donation be made to Jardin de la Alpujarra, a non-profit making association, so that this work may continue to develop and be enjoyed by guests and visitors alike in the years ahead. As a donation vistors are asked simply to give what they think is appropriate, an amount that in some way reflects the pleasure they have taken from strolling around such an extraordinary venture, a flower filled garden planted at a height of 1250 metres on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Spain.

Ella and I wish the project every success and promise not to chase geckos through the planted borders and tread on all the flowers. We hope the vsitors will follow our example.

Yours, on the gate,

Fergus

Click here to see past blogs:

Blog from 2010

April

March

February

January

Blogs from 2009

May 20th 2010

I was ready for my close-up

The month of May is arguably one of the best months in the Alpujarras, and this year has been better than most. The much talked about rain of winter has brought forth those May flowers in abundance and never has the countryside looked as beautiful as this year. The sides of the footpaths are carpeted in wild antirrhinums, bugloss and cysts of pink and white. The garden, now maturing nicely, is looking stunning. What better time than to have a film crew come and record it for posterity.

As luck would have it this dachshund has been working hard for the family business and one of my contacts, a local writer you may have heard of by the name of Chris Stewart, put us in touch with a German film crew who are making a prgramme for the classy German/French TV channel, Canal Arte. The theme of the programme is 'gardens in Spain', so where better to visit than Cortijo Opazo.

They came with a camera man, a sound man, two directors and two men with a balloon - more of this later. Ella, as you can imagine, got very silly about the whole 'fame' idea and kept yapping on about Simon Cowel and when was Louis Armstrong turning up to help her audition, but I, of course, kept my cool and maintained a sense of decorum about the whole thing. The role of the German pedigree dachshund was clearly going to be essential in this production for German/French TV. My thoughts and musings on the creation and maintenance of such a garden of quality would surely be indispensable. When the time came, I was to be ready for my close-up.

They spent a great deal of time fussing around with their equipment, but this is, I am told, is the sign of a true professional. They had to rehearse William and Robert over and over again, entering the garden, snipping at the leaves of a box hedge and pretenting it was all in a day's work. William was interviewed discussing problems plants and Robert was asked to demonstrate how the irrigation water arrives at Cortijo Opazo. It was clear to me that my interview would be on the legacy of planting such an extraordinary project in the mountains of Andalucia, at a height of 1250 metres - where else in the world can you find this? I was prepared and had written some prompt notes. When the time came, I was going to be ready for my close-up.

Lunch was a splendid affair, prepared by Robert's mother, Margaret. The odd bottle of wine or two provided by the film crew meant that filming in the afternoon was a little more relaxed, if a touch more drawn out. Then came afternoon tea, a rather staged affair based around a white tea pot and some sponge cake. The end of the day was approaching and the light levels where improving as the shadows lengthened. Ella was banished to the house and finally it was my turn, time for my interview and close-up.

But no, nothing. The directors and the technicians packed up their gear and left, after having spent 10 hours filming the garden. They left me out, I was not even to find a home on the cutting room floor.

That evening I pondered long and hard over this and could only think that my fine German lineage and well featured physique would intimidate a modern TV audience. But I must admit I went to bed a little disappointed. I needn't have worried, though, for the next day they paid me the most supreme of accolades. When 8.00am arrived and the film crew returned, I realised that I was indeed the most important part of the project for there, for all to see, floating aloft in the air was an effigy of myself. They had spent all night creating a resemblance of a dachshund, long in body, elegant in design. Then, once finished, they inflated it with helium and suspended a camera from the mock belly of yours truly. No doubt they were filming the garden from above and are planning to add sound later. No close up for me, who would wish to be so vain? For me, to accompany the dachshund in the sky, they will surely be requesting a commentary. Yes, Mr DeMille, I am ready for my voice over!.

Yours, with lozenge in paw,

Fergus.

Planning the day's shooting

Preparing the close-ups

The Dachshund in the sky - a helium balloon filming an aerial shot of the garden

A slideshow of the day that they came to film the gardens of Cortijo Opazo, 12th May 2010