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…
Life in the Spanish fast lane
Spain, particularly the south of Spain, is especially attractive to expatriates from northern European countries not only because of the sun, but also the pace of life. Many are attracted to move here by what they see as a slower, more relaxed lifestyle. But would you…
"Autumn Changeover"
Spring cleaning is big where I come from. Everyone talks about it, but I’m not sure if anyone really does it any more. Here, on the other hand, the big annual “turn the house inside out” season seems to be autumn. And it is taken very seriously. I have a couple of theories for…