The lesson of loss
For the past few weeks I have had the sorrow and also the privilege of spending the last days and indeed hours of my father’s life at his bedside.
I say privilege, because I have so many friends who have …
Wild strawberries, skinny-dipping and other tales of Norwegian midsummer
In some parts of the world the turn of the sun does not matter much. July is almost as light as January. But for Norwegians, the bi-annual ebb and flow of the sun is very much part of who …
Impromptu lesson in cooking paella for 50
Andalucians love to eat, drink and party, and no time is this more apparent than during social gatherings. Be it a religious celebration, a family affair, or simply a friendly get-together, any Spanish gathering is synonymous with lots and LOTS …
Edging the void on quivering knees
Last weekend, our hiking club Pasos Largos (large steps) arranged a 16 km climb of the Sierra de las Nieves. A national park and UNESCO Biosphere since 1995, this snowy mountain chain has barely seen any snow this winter. …
Birth at a Roman ruin
Living in a place with Roman and Arab ruins abound, one could become jaded. We had been told that Andalucia’s best-preserved Roman theatre laid merely 20 minutes drive away, yet we had been ‘too busy’ to go and explore it. …
A most ‘florido’ season
April is here and the fields have been transformed into a deep green colour, looking like a velvet patchwork carpet with stone fences as seams. Though the poppies won’t come out in their full splendor until May, the country …
Palm Sunday with the gypsies
In Norway, Easter is synonymous with spring skiing, while in Canada it seems to be all about bunnies and egg hunts. Nothing wrong with chocolate and skiing, of course, but Spanish Easter is certainly more spiritual.
Yesterday was Domingo de …
Food shopping in the ‘hood’
Since we moved to Spain, we are relieved that our 300 000-mile Canadian diet (wild guess…) has been reduced considerably. We use olive oil, cheese, meat, oranges and wine from Ronda’s own fincas and bodegas. In the winter months …
Mind over matter
It always amazes me how nature finds its way, in spite of our most concerted efforts to dissuade life with cement and concrete. Therefore, I love the way Andalucian roof-tiles and stonewalls seem to allow flowering neighbours to take …
Car Boot sale with Sunny and Cher
A car boot sale, as the name implies, is where people sell stuff from the boot of their car. These markets happen all up and down the coast, with the largest one held at the fairgrounds in Fuengirola. This weekend …