'Tis the Season… To be stressed out? It’s not too early to start thinking about the stress Christmas can cause in many families. Every year we read about how domestic violence statistics rise at this time of the year due to the stresses of the season. But we don’t have to talk about extremes of…

Charities in Andalucia About this time every year people start asking me about charitable organisations in the south of Spain. Christmas is just around the corner and we all start to feel more generous. The question then is how to find a reputable cause. In fact there is a plethora of good…

Salud responde Salud Responde Must say I’m impressed these days with the regional health services help line. I’ll never forget how I had to go stand in line just two days after the birth of my second baby because it was practically impossible to make an appointment by phone. These days I just pick…

Coffee Please! Everywhere you go in Andalucia you may need to learn a slightly different vocabulary in order to order your coffee just like you like it. As an example, here’s a guide to coffees in Málaga. Nube: Literally means “cloud”. This is just enough coffee to flavour your hot milk. Sombra…

Visit the Coast in Autumn I love visiting the beaches of Andalucia in the autumn – no matter what the weather. At this time of year there are so few people on the coast that it’s easy to park and the beaches tend to be deserted. Perfect! When else can you take long, quite walks on beaches that…

Día de los Santos Another holiday in Spain! It seems like we just finished the lovely “Puente de Pilar” (The Pilar Bridge Weekend) when everyone was celebrating the patron saint of the armed forced (and the rest of the world was celebrating Columbus Day). For those who are new to Spanish customs,…

War on Plastic Single use plastic bags are on their way out of Andalucia, thanks to the latest National Waste Plan (Plan Nacional de Residuos), which aims to cut the use of these handy helpers by the end of next year. According to a report in this weekend's Diario Sur newspaper, Spain is Europe's…

Add a fresh touch to your diet! Have you noticed the abundance of amazing fresh produce in the local markets right now? And talk about affordable! If you live in Andalucia and you're not eating your fresh fruits and vegetables every day, it's only because you don't want to! And we have every…

Summer returns to Andalucía? If you're connecting with us from a cold, wet, rainy region of the world, prepare to turn green! The weather in southern Spain has taken a turn for the warm, balmy better. Wow! These late fall "summers" are the best - not so blazing hot like July and August. And…

Birdwatching in Casarabonela I interviewed the organisers of this event on the radio last year and I can assure you it's worth travelling to Casarabonela to participate if you love birds. Your organisers humbly refer to themselves as "amateurs", but believe me, these dedicated non-professionals…