Last Tuesday, 8 March, was International Women's Day (Dia Internacional de la Mujer). Unless you never turn on the TV or read a newspaper, it would have been hard to miss. Daniel Craig, aka 007, donned a frock, high heels and a pretty blonde wig to star in an ad about sexual equality narrated by…

This week is Carnaval (that's the Spanish spelling, not a typo), and if you have children, you'll be dressing them up (if you haven't already) to go to school or nursery, or maybe just for your local town parade: so far this year, friends of mine have mentioned themes such as cartoon characters and…

If you drive in Spain - whether daily if you live here, when visiting if you own a second home, or occasionally if you hire a car while here on holiday - you should be aware of an important change in the law which will affect your road use, effective as of 7 March (next Monday). The speed limit…

This bank holiday weekend we're having fantastic weather here in Andalucia. It's unusually warm and sunny for the end of February - today is Dia de Andalucia. Which means that it's perfect weather for heading to the beach for the day. One of the great things about living in Andalucia is that there…

We're just coming up to the first puente of the year here in Andalucia - for Dia de Andalucia, this Monday - which is a three-day bank holiday, although many children also have tomorrow off school, giving a four-day break, almost like a shorter version of the English half-term. It's a great…

Any visitor to Andalucia - and even more so anyone who lives here, or who has spent any amount of time here – will be aware of the region’s rich multicultural past. Christians, Jews and Muslims all co-existed during the Moorish era, 700-1492, with the Jewish community being one of the most…

One of the must-have ingredients in Andalucian cuisine is olive oil. And not just for cooking, either. I've been told to use it for stretch marks (bit messy), children's constipation (prefer orange juice, that way they get vitamin C too). I usually buy mine from a local producer, El Molino de…

When you live in a city, you begin to feel some kind of ownership over, and loyalty to it, as I've mentioned before on this blog. You rejoice when it triumphs, and feel downheartened when it has a bad day. In my last blog post, I wrote about Malaga's next big art museum, opening next month. It's…

If you’ve ever been to the Costa del Sol for a beach holiday, you'll have been to Malaga, even if only to the airport. But what used to be simply a gateway city, glimpsed from the windows of your taxi, hire car or shuttle bus on your way to the Costa del Sol, is shaping up as the cultural capital…

POST BY GUEST BLOGGER CATHERINE CUNNINGHAM A night in a convent for only 15 euros The Monasterio Santa María del Monte Carmelo is perched on a hill outside Estepona; its accommodation is basic and clean, with a shared bathroom, communal kitchen, lounge and ample parking. The Mother Superior…