Life around Loja by Margaret Merry

LINKS & ART FAIR

2011-04-05T23:55:00.000-07:00

I have so many blogs on the go at the moment which means they can be repetitive. In future I will post all my local information on www.countryhouseinspain.wordpress.com.
Links to my other blogs -
www.margaretmerry.wordpress.com
www.margaretmerrypaintings.wordpress.com
www.paintingaofgranada.wordpress.com
www.paintingsofnudes.wordpress.com
www.countryhouseforsale.wordpress.com

This Sunday, 10th April, there is and arts and crafts fair at the Hotel Carlos Astorga, Salinas 1100 - 1500. I will be there with copies of my books for sale and some special offers on my prints

REDUCED PRICE

2011-03-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

Due to to exceptional circumstances that have recently arisen we need to complete a sale for our country house before the end of May. In view of this we are prepared to consider any reasonable offers.
The asking price is now 199,000 euros which is incredible value. This is an outstanding opportunity for someone to acquire a reformed country house of 250 sq. metres construction with 26,000 sq. metres of land, electricity, water and scope for further development at a bargain price.
Photo taken this morning
See www.countryhouseforsale.wordpress.com
All enquiries - digmerry@gmail.com

ALMOND BLOSSOM

2011-01-30T02:58:00.000-08:00

In late January the almond blossom comes into flower. For us, this is one of the first signs of Spring. We took these photos today in the morning sunshine. In one of the photos the heat of the sun is evaporating the overnight due. We have several different varieties of almonds on our land. The nuts vary in shape and size and so does the flavour, from bitter to sweet. The colours of flowers vary, too. Some are a dazzling white while others are the deepest shade of pink. Another sure sign of Spring is the sound of birdsong from our row of poplars this morning.

Last week we had a visit from some friends from Scotland who have a holiday home near our last house in Los Guajares. They were delighted to escape to some sunshine. We had lunch on the terrace of a restaurant overlooking Loja and after being snowed in for seven weeks they could hardly believe that they were sitting out in the sunshine in a temperature of over 20C.

If you click on the photos they will enlarge.

Some links that may be of interest.

www.paintingsofgranada.wordpress.com

www.fotosdegranada.wordpress.com

www.countryhouseforsale.wordpress.com

A TRIP TO GRANADA

2011-01-16T02:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the Asociación de Anglo-Parlientes de Loja organised an outing to Granada to see the Matisse exhibition at the Alhambra. We met at Loja station and boarded the 1020 train to Granada. It was a beautiful, sunny, winter’s day, perfect for a visit to the city. Disembarking from the train at Granada, we were greeted by a splendid view of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nervada, glistening in the sun like a giant meringue.
We walked from the station, through the bustling city centre and up the hill to the Alhambra. It was extremely busy with throngs of tourists enjoying the sunshine. Although the exhibition was free, we had to queue to enter as only so many people were allowed through at one time. The exhibition was magnificent. Matisse was the most famous of Les Fauves (Wild Beasts) and, although I didn’t really like the decorative simplicity of the paintings for which he’s best known, I loved the portraits and pencil and charcoal drawings. It gave me fresh inspiration for my own exhibition of paintings in Granada next month- www.paintingsofgranada.wordpress.com.
After the exhibition, we walked to the nearby Carmen de los Mártires and strolled around the beautifully laid out gardens. From here there were stunning views of the City and the Sierra Nevada.
We walked back down to the City centre for a late tapas lunch. We thought we would try the Calle Navas which we call the street of bars. This was packed with diners and all the tables outside were all occupied. We noticed that the temperature was displayed as 21C on the neon signs. We tried a couple of the bars before walking back to the station to catch the 1725 train back to Loja.

Private Mortgage

2011-01-05T04:27:00.000-08:00

Most of you know our country house is for sale. One of the problems with the property market at the moment is that banks in Spain have virtually stopped offering mortgages. I view of this we will consider offering a private mortgage of about 50% on our property (deposit 125000 euros). We can offer a 10 year mortgage at a reasonable rate - 5%. Another possibility is that the deposit would be paid but the mortgage payments deferred until April 2012. In this case interest would be charged on the outstanding amount and this added to the mortgage in 2012 which would run for 9 years. Also in the latter case, although it would be legally tied up in a contract, the escritura would not be signed over to the new owners until April 2012.

We have checked this out with our lawyer in Granada who considers it an excellent idea.

To view details of our property go to www.countryhouseforsale.wordpress.com.

CHRISTMAS PROMOTION

2010-10-28T08:06:00.001-07:00

Purchase one of my prints between now and the 15th December and your name will go into a prize draw. The prize for the winner will be my original framed pastel painting - La Romeria. If you purchase more than one print your name will be entered into the draw for each print purchased.

In addition if you buy two prints you will receive a signed copy of Digby's book Paisaje de Loja.

You can browse my recent paintings on www.margaretmerrypaintings.wordpress.com or look at my web site www.margaretmerry.com.

CON OTROS OJOS

2010-09-20T04:45:00.000-07:00

This is a joint exhibition of paintings and photographs of everyday scenes of town and country in the Poniente Granadino. It is being organised by the Asociación de Anglo-Parlantes de Loja. It is being held in the cultural centre El Pósito in Plaza Joaquin Costa Loja from the 30th September to the 16th October. I will be exhibiting some of my paintings and there will also be photographs taken by my husband Digby. There will also be contributions from two other photographers and another artist so it should be an interesting exhibition. The gallery is open Tue-Fri 6-9pm and Sat 11am-2pm. There will be an inauguration at 8pm on September 30th. Please come and visit us. It will be good to see you, particularly at the inauguration.
There have been a couple of interesting events at Huétor Tájar in the last two weeks. For a report and photos check out www.countryhouseinspain.wordpress.com

SIERRA DE LOJA

2010-09-07T08:10:00.001-07:00

On Sunday morning we drove up the track through the pine forests above Loja to visit the Sierra de Loja for the first time. This limestone karst is at an altitude of about 1,400 metres. It is a true wilderness and home to the famous Lojeña sheep and awesome wind turbines which can be seen for miles around. There are a few shepherds’ cottages, for daytime use only, and the landscape looked very parched at the end of a long dry summer. Even the Charco del Negro (Black Pond) had almost dried out. This nature reserve must be beautiful in the spring when it is carpeted with wild flowers and even at this time of year, dotted about the shrivelled grass, we came upon some delicately pretty autumnal colchicums.

The panoramic views are stunning and you can see for miles across to the neighbouring provinces of Malaga, Cordoba and Jaen. On our descent, a shadow passed over the road in front of us, and looking up, we saw a pair of golden eagles wheeling above a craggy rockface.

REAL FERIA DE GANADO DE LOJA

2010-08-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

The Sierra de Loja is famous for its sheep and today, next to the fairground, the farmers who are dedicated to the special breeds of Loja held their annual show in a giant marquee which housed pens of sheep, an information centre and, of course, a bar. Outside, a giant cauldron of lamb stew was cooking and everyone was given a generous plateful. The sheep are hardy creatures, bred to cope with all kinds of terrain, including the highest altitudes. They come in a variety of colours and there are even ones with black and white spots. Next to the marquee, in a row of loose boxes, were some beautiful horses of the pure Spanish breed.

The event may have lacked the glamour of the feria and the horse spectacular, but the country had definitely come to town and the place was full of characters.

ESPECTÁCULO ECUESTRE CUIDAD DE LOJA

2010-08-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of Friday night's horse spectacular.Never have I seen such beautiful horses. They musthave spent all day grooming them. The show began with individual riders performing choreographed routines. The commentator referred to the lifting of the horses’ front legs as the paso Español (Spanish Step). There were
sideways steps and reverse steps and a beautiful grey Arab horse was so
light on its feet that it seemed to glide over the ground with delicate,
dancing steps. One rider performed with a long pole, leaning right over in
the saddle and balancing with the pole while the horse made a circle
around it. There was also a pas de deux, with two riders on grey Spanish
horses performing another cleverly choreographed routine. One of the
riders in the solo acts was a very young boy, who looked about 8 years
old, and who must have been born in the saddle, I should think. The mare
he was riding wasn’t particularly large but because the little chap was so
small, she looked enormous. He controlled the horse wonderfully and with
such confidence and typical Spanish bravado. A far cry from those bossy
little English madams on their gymkhana ponies!

As well as the individual riders, there was a display of horse-drawn
vehicles, including a magnificent English carriage. There was also a pair
of what looked like Siamese horses pulling a carriage. They were a lovely,
burnished gold colour with sooty legs, manes and tails. What breed would
that be? One of the pics features a carriage driven by a very young lad
and with what seemed to me to be extraordinary skill. Some of those sharp
turns must be quite difficult to manoeuvre.

FERIA Y FIESTAS GRANDE DE LOJA

2010-08-23T04:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend Loja is celebrating its annual feria grande. Last night we went to a superb horse spectacular under floodlights in the San Francisco football ground and this afternoon we visited the fairground. Beautiful girls arrived in their flamenco dresses and proud men on their handsome Andalucian horses. Here are a few photos that Digby took this afternoon

LAS CHORRERAS

2010-08-14T07:30:00.001-07:00

For this Saturday’s guided walk, organised by the Patronato de Tourismo, we met at 0900 in Loja and drove to Venta de Santa Barbara, a little village about 10 minutes away, situated in a pleasant, sheltered valley.
The destination of the walk was to be Las Chorreras, the spectacular waterfall on the Rio Frio.
A clearly marked track from the village led us through olive groves and along the Rio Frio whose banks were lined with poplar trees and oleander bushes. Our guide told us that people used to use oleander as a means of catching fish easily. The plant is poisonous, so when branches were thrown into the water, the fish would die. Also along the riverbank were poplars, hazel trees, wild clematis and tamarisk.
Eventually we crossed the river over stepping stones and followed a path through blackberry bushes to the falls. The force of the cascading water has carved out of the rock below a deep pool. The water is cool, green and inviting, so many of the party, including all the children, couldn’t resist a splash and a swim.

QUEREMOS QUEDAR CONTIGO

2010-08-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday in August the Patronato de Tourismo de Loja organises a guided walk around Loja. The walks are conducted at 9am or 9pm to avoid the midday heat and each one has a different theme. Yesterday evening’s walk was the Route of the Personalities and led by the Mayor, Miguel Castellano. The group met at the Mirador Sylvania which affords the best panorama of the city, immortalized in the Marx brothers’ film “Duck Soup.”

The walk took us through the oldest and most interesting part of the town in which statues of some of Loja’s most important historical figures are situated. Our guide talked at length about the famous priest, Jiménez Campaña, member of the Spanish Arts Academy ( 19th century) and Narváez, known as the“Great Sword of Loja”, whose impressive bronze statue dominates the plaza.

We continued the walk through a horseshoe arch, once the passage to the fortressed quarter in Islamic times, and up to the Alcazabar where, across from the floodlight spire of the Great Church of the Encarnation, our guide the Mayor, recounted the history and legends of the castle.

Photos of Mirador Sylvania and the Mayor conducting the group.

Next Saturday there will be a morning walk entitled The Environment of Loja. For more information contact :
Juan Antonio Peregrina Coca
Patronato Municipal de Turismo de Loja*
C/Comedias, nº 2, Edificio Espacio Joven
18300 Loja (Granada)
Telf.: 958 321 520
Fax: 958 325 650
info@ lojaturismo.com

www.lojaturismo.com / www.aytoloja.org

SIERRA MARTILLA

2010-07-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to look at the archeological site in the Sierra Martilla in the north of the municipality of Loja. To get there you turn left at the top of the village of Ventorros de San Jose. It is signposted. After a few km down this road there is a track on the right with a notice board describing the site. We drove up the track to a rocky plateau which was protected on three sides by a vertical rock face - the perfect place for our ancestors to feel secure. From the plateau there are the most spectacular views of the Lake of Iznajar, the valleys below and the hills beyond. It was too hot to wander for long and there was nobody else there but we found some tombs from the Copper Age, an Arab watchtower and groups of large stones. This was once an important settlement and we will return to explore it more thoroughly when the weather is cooler.

VA DE CALLE

2010-07-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

The 19th festival of street entertainment in Loja, Va de Calle, takes place this weekend. There are six "espectáculos", which include contemporary dance and circus theatre being performed during the evenings of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Details from www.aytoloja.org or from the Tourist Information Office. There is also a theatre workshop on Saturday morning in the Avda. de los Angeles. We hope to post some photos later.
Talking about photos please have a look at our new blog www.fotosdeloja.wordpress.com

LOS INFIERNOS DE LOJA

2010-07-17T04:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went in search of Los Infiernos de Loja, the spectacular waterfalls of the Rio Genil close to the town. In the little village of La Esperanza, just to the north of the town, there is a signpost opposite the bar indicating Los Infiernos 600 metres. This lane ends after about 200 metres and one is faced by open fields with not a waterfall in sight. Fortunately there was a camposino ( agricultural worker ) working in a field and he indicated that we had to walk across a field to a pylon and from there we would see the falls. They are quite spectacular but difficult to photograph as it is somewhat dangerous standing on the opposite edge of the ravine. Further enquiries indicate that you can get to the bottom of the ravine by accessing the Rio Genil from the centre of the town. We will try this another day when it is not too hot.

ENGLISH IN LOJA

2010-07-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

On the first Tuesday in every month there is an informal meeting of the English speaking residents in the area of Loja at the Hotel Almazora - www.englishinloja.com. This lovely hotel is located in the olive hills near Venta del Rayo about 10 minutes drive from Loja. Here is a photo taken today of the gathering relaxing on the terrace which overlooks the pool and the view from the terrace.

We went along this morning specifically to discuss arrangements for an art exhibition, Con Otros Ojos, which is being held in Loja at the end of September and arranged by the Asociación de Angloparlantes de Loja - sites.google.com/site/loslojanglos. Three artists and two photographers have been invited to produce work for the exhiibition. As I am one of the artists and Digby one of the photographers we need to put our heads together to create some original pieces that reflect life around Loja.

EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS

2010-06-13T04:21:00.000-07:00

From next Saturday, 19th June, there will be an exhibition of my paintings at the Hotel Cortijo de Tájar which is just off the A92 junction to Huétor Tájar. The subject matter will be quite varied as I would like to see what appeals to the local populace and the media will be pastel and watercolour.
Also at the exhibition will be signed prints of some of my work, signed copies of my books and my cat pebbles from the Rio Milanos. I am particularly pleased with the quality of the prints as we have recently purchased a new Canon imagePROGRAF printer which uses 12 colour ink cartridges and is producing very good images on Arches 310gsm digital watercolour paper.
The two paintings here are a watercolour of Loja and a pastel study from the flamenco show "Aires de Raja Flamenca" which was performed during the recent Feria Chica.
Next Saturday I will be at the Hotel during lunchtime and for dinner in the evening.

FERIA CHICA DE LOJA

2010-06-02T04:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend, 3-6 June, is the Feria Chica de Loja. A fairground has been set up in the town but it is not as large as the Feria in Huétor Tája two weeks ago as the main Fiesta in Loja is at the end of August. On Friday night, though, we went to a special event "Aires de Raza Flamenco" in the football ground of the Barrio San Antonio.
The show began with two dancers and two horses, ridden by men in striking costume, performing a carefully choreographed dance in which the movements of the flamenco dancers complemented the actions of the horses. Two different horses, equally magnificent, performed a graceful ballet around long poles carried by their riders.
On the stadium, first class singers, guitarists and a flautist performed throughout theshow. Also on stage, two exceptionally good dancers gave a thrilling display. This was authentic flamenco, very different from the flamenco shows put on for the entertainment of tourists.
The performance ended, as it had begun, with dancers and horses. It was a wonderful show, enjoyed by everyone. Afterwards, we made our way home, stopping enroute at our nearest village, La Fábrica, for supper. Although it was past midnight, the terrace outside the bar was filled with villagers.
Unfortunately our compact digital camera was not able to capture images of the show so we would like to thank our friends Jim and Denise for these photos taken by them with their SLR.
During the summer months, the balmy evenings bring the people of Loja outdoors to fill the street cafés and pleasant, leafy squares which, at this time of year, saturate the whole town with the heady scent of lime blossom. We ourselves enjoyed a stroll around the lower part of the town and came upon a delightful square, canopied with trees, where we stopped for drinks and tapas before heading to the arena to watch theflamenco display.

FIESTAS IN HUÉTOR TÁJAR

2010-05-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Since Thursday Huétor Tájar has been celebrating its May feria and fiestas in honour of San Isidro Labrador (there always has to be a saintly excuse). At the Nuevo Recinta Ferial, a vast area on the edge of town reserved for fiestas and markets, a huge fairground has appeared and numerous large marquees have been erected, housing bars with kitchens to feed and water the multitude. Most of these have stages so that live music can be played all night.

On Saturday morning there was a Romeria (pilgrimage) through the town ending up at the fairground where, in the Town Hall’s marquee, paella and beer was provided for all. In the evening there was a horse fair and handsome young men arrived proudly riding their beautiful Andalucian horses. Others came in immaculately turned out horse drawn carriages.

The festivities go on all night but today, when we visited again at lunchtime, there were more children around and the fairground rides were busy while the adults were propping up the bars enjoying cerveza y pinchos (beer and kebabs). Tonight, after a mass in honour of San Isidro, there will be a firework display in the Plaza de Andalucia and then everyone will go back to the fairground to party all night once again. Not surprisingly tomorrow is a public holiday in Huétor Tájar and all the shops will be closed.

Despite the economic crisis and dire warnings from the EU about Spain’s financial situation, this country still seems hell bent on enjoying itself and spending money.

DIA DE LA CRUZ

2010-05-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

On the 3rd of May, Dia de la Cruz (Day of the Cross) is celebrated in many towns and villages in Andalucia. In Loja The children of the town created decorative crosses and gather in the Plaza de la Constitucion. They then carry their crosses through the Town collecting money for charity and end up in the Peña de Flamenca for a drink and sandwich. This is another noisy and colourful event typical of Southern Spain.

SUNDAY AT RIO FRIO

2010-05-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

Rio Frio, just off the A92 west of Loja, is famous for its trout hatcheries and clear river waters. On Sundays it is a popular outing for people from Loja who come to stroll along the riverside paths, visit the little craft market and enjoy lunch, particularly fresh trout in one of the many restaurants. Our grand daughters enjoyed the outing but Izzy lost a sandal when she paddled at the edge of the fast flowing river. Digby rushed downstream along the side of the river to where the sandal had got trapped in reeds on the opposite bank. He rolled up his jeans and waded across to retrieve the sandal. The incident proved amusing to the onlookers. One old boy remarked to Digby as he held out his walking stick to help Digby get out of the river “Now you know why it’s called Rio Frio” (Cold River).

ROMERIA DE AMISTAD

2010-05-01T08:47:00.001-07:00

Today, 1st May, Loja celebrates the Romeria de Amistad, Pilgrimage of Friendship, in the fields of Venta de Rayo. This is a pretty spot backed by the Sierra de Loja and looking towards the olive hills by the Lake of Iznajar. There are some good walking routes from here which we must try out later. When we arrived this morning many people, who had presumably arrived last night, had already set up camp and were enjoying picnics in the sunshine.
Soon most of the town seemed to turn up in a procession of brightly coloured floats blasting out traditional Spanish Sevillana music, or on horseback.
Although there were temporary bars set up on the site most of the public came well stocked with food and drink. Soon the umbtrellas and tables were erected by the parked floats and the crowd set about enjoying themselves. It has been a beautiful day and the occasion was full of colour. No doubt the festivities will continue late into the night when there will be live music to entertain the gathering.

A GASTRONOMIC FESTIVAL

2010-04-15T04:21:00.001-07:00

To celebrate the asparagus harvest our local hotel, Cortijo de Tajar, is holding a gastronomic weekend. Its restaurant, which is regarded as one of the best in the area, is offering 3 course dinners with 3 choices per course. Every dish includes locally grown asparagus and produce from the area. For example, one first course is crunchy cakes of langostine and green asparagus; a second course is lamb from the Sierra de Loja stuffed with asparagus and a pudding course is vanilla ice cream with asparagus marmalade. The cost is €32 per head but includes an aperitif, wines from the region, liquors and coffee.

At midday on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the hotel is offering a tasting of local wines, cheeses and tapas. For information about the hotel have a look at their web site www.cortijodetajar.es.

Today, Saturday, we attended the wine and tapas tasting. The wines were from the Bodegas Pago de Almaraes in the north west of Granada. Their white, elaboarated mainly with Muscatel grapes was superb and has won a gold medal. We shall visit the vineyard later and report in more detail. www.bodegaspagodealmaraes.es

Also on display for sampling were the vegetable marmalades from Casa Rufino, Huétor Tájar. The marmalades are produced from asparagus, artichokes, red peppers, beetroot and tomatoes. www.mermeladascasarufino.com.
We were also served with the most delicious tapas prepared in the hotel’s kitchen.

VIERNES SANTO

2010-04-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

Viernes Santo, Good Friday, is the most holy day in the Spanish Catholic calendar. All towns and villages have their processions during Semana Santa, Holy Week, but in Loja the Easter processions are amongst the most significant in Andalucia.

This morning the most important procession of the week started from the Ermita de Jesús and followed the narrow streets of the old town to the main church of Santa Maria de la Encarnación. Semana Santa in Loja is distinguished by its famous “Incensarios” ( incense carriers ) - groups of eight men who, in reverence to the images, perform an extraordinary dance comprising graceful curtseys punctuated by stampings. Their elegant costumes, one group in white and others in black, are crowned by tall, conical, richly beaded hats. The waving of incense is accompanied by haunting songs, very Arabic in influence, demonstrating the fascinating mix of Islam and Christianity which is so typical of this part of Spain.

The statue of Santa Marcela, which led the procession, was followed by the statue of Jesús carrying his cross, accompanied by Roman centurions resplendent in purple and gold. The images of the saints were followed by drummers, a band, penitents with covered faces and tall, black, conical hats and others from the participating “hermanidads”. The Virgen de la Angustias, adorned with white flowers, was the final image to be paraded.

The procession, which lasts all day, makes a circular tour of the town and we watched it from the main church and the Plaza Constitución. Although a solemn occasion, it was a quite spectacular event and full of colour beneath a cloudless blue sky.

ASPARAGUS

2010-03-31T03:59:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, the vega around Huétor Tájar and Loja is renowned for the production of asparagus. The harvest has now started and yesterday we called in at one of the many co-operatives, where they were packing it, to buy a bunch. The variety grown here is special to the area and is green asparagus. There is espárrago verde and espárrago morado, which has a slimmer stem. The price was 5 euros a kilo, which was good value, and it was so fresh that you could eat the whole stem.

I cooked the asparagus by covering it with a little water and putting it into the microwave for a few minutes. When it was tender, I seasoned it and added some butter. It was succulent and delicious and better than any asparagus I’d ever tasted before.

Now that Spring has arrived and the rains have stopped, the countryside is a hive of activity. As well as the asparagus harvest being in full swing, farm workers are busy planting, ploughing and weeding before the Easter weekend. We were able to take some good photos in th Spring sunshine over the last couple of days.

SEMANA SANTA DE LOJA

2010-03-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

As it is an historic town with eight churches and chapels. Holy Week is a significant event in Loja.and has been designated as being of important touristic interest by the Junta de Andalucia.
The processions start tomorrow evening, 26th March, with the Hermanidad de la Santísma Virgen de los Dolores from the Iglesia de Santa Catalina and continue for a week. The most significant one is Hermanidad de Ntro. Padre Jesús Nazareno which starts from the Ermita de Jesús Nazareno at 1030 on Good Friday and parades through the town visiting all the major churches and returning to the Ermita at 19.30. www.jesusnazarenoloja.com
We hope to post some photos next week.

BACK ROAD TO LOJA

2010-03-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

This morning we drove along the country lane from our nearest village, La Fabrica, to Loja. A very pleasant drive through the vega – the flat plain surrounded by mountains – and probably quicker than going into Huétor Tájar and joining the motorway. It was a lovely, warm and sunny Spring morning and stopped to take these photos on the way. One is of workers in a field of artichokes near La Fabrica and the other is of Loja from the northern side of the Rio Genil.
After some shopping in Loja we called in one of the jeans factories. There are several of these here and you can buy very good quality jeans at the factory shops for around 15 euros.

MARKET DAY IN HUÉTOR TÁJAR

2010-03-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

Even in winter the Tuesday market in Huétor Tájar is colourful and today’s welcome sunshine brought it to life. Fruit and veg, spices, sweets, shoes, clothes, leather goods and much more can be bought here at bargain prices. You will notice very few Northern European faces amongst the crowds but quite a few native South American. This is because some years ago there was large scale immigration here from Bolivia as labour was required for the asparragus plantations.

MONTEFRIO

2010-03-01T10:13:00.000-08:00

Today is a public holiday to celebrate yesterday’s Dia de Andalucia and we decided to take an outing to the historic town of Montefrio about 20 minutes drive to the north. One brief visit is not enough to take in everything there is to see in this fascinating place. An Arab fortress crowns a precipitous rock beneath which the oldest buildings of the town are clustered. Climbing the steep, narrow streets, we kept coming upon intriguing corners with glimpses of the distant panorama. No shortage of subjects to paint or photograph in this most picturesque of Andalucian towns.

ALMOND BLOSSOM

2010-02-27T10:05:00.000-08:00

The sun has been making an effort to come out, although there are still heavy showers. It is surprisingly warm for the time of year.

The countryside around our house is looking so pretty now that the almond trees are in full blossom and everything is so green. The olive groves, with the trees planted in orderly rows, make patchwork patterns on the landscape. I love watching the play of light and shadow on the hills.

With the advancement of spring, the birdsong gets richer every day. It’s always a thrill to see a new species for the first time, so I was delighted to see a flock of azure-winged magpies coming home to roost in our poplar trees alongside the river below our house. They are striking birds,smaller and more elegant than the more familiar, black and white magpies. Their wings and tails are azure blue and the adults have distinctive black caps.

Because of the persistent rains, there have been very few butterflies or bees about. It’s not good weather for beekeepers. Orchids, on the other hand, flourish in these conditions and already the bee orchids are flowering along the stony banks and rocky ground of the hillsides which havn’t been cultivated. This afternoon I picked up some almonds which have started to sprout and I shall plant them individually in pots.

The exceptionally heavy rains have eroded soil and caused the loss of a number of trees planted above steep banks. It is startling to see a mature olive trees being swept downriver at great speed. The terrapins which inhabit the sandy banks have a hard time battling against such a force of water.

RAGING TORRENTS

2010-02-23T08:51:00.000-08:00

By now I was hoping that I would have posted reports on several excursions and events in our area but the wettest winter in Andalucia in living memory has virtually marooned us.

The Rio Milanos in front of our house, which we have to ford to get anywhere, has turned from a trickling stream into a raging torrent. Most days it has been passable only with a 4x4 and somedays, like today, totally impassable. Nevertheless, we have been busy with the building work on our new house see www.countryhouseinspain.wordpress.com.

This morning, In nearby Huétor Tájar, the Rio Genil burst its bank and the bridge connecting the town with the motorway was closed. Here are some dramatic pictures of the scene.

HELLO

2010-02-13T04:20:00.000-08:00

Last month we moved from Los Guajares to our new home near Loja and Huétor Tájar in El Poniente Granadino. This blog will continue my accounts of life in Spain carrying on from www.guajar.blogspot.com. Here are a couple of photos showing our house and a view from the land. At the moment we are very busy with building work - see www.countryhouseinspain.wordpress.com but as we become more settled my posts will be more frequent.

Please also have a look at my other blogs - www.margaretmerry.wordpress.com and www.margaretmerrypaintings.wordpress.com also my web site www.margaretmerry.com.