Competitor 501 – Did Not Finish
Twenty-five kilometres into the 40-km night walk, I concluded we were the last of the 806 competitors
Holding my head up high
Mantilla: a lace or silk shawl worn over the head and shoulders, often over a high comb. Peineta: (1) a large comb, with a convex body and set of prongs, used to
A bun-fight in Montejaque
More than 50 local and international dishes – from gazpacho to Teriyaki chicken to ‘Gypsy Arm’ – were waiting to be tasted by the villagers and tourists. The judges had just started
Spacious three-bedroom holiday home for rent… ideal for couples?
We, along with most of our foreign friends in our Spanish mountain village, are owners of holiday homes that we rent out to walkers, bird-watchers, and sun-worshippers. And we enjoy comparing notes
A backward glance
After four lessons to learn the ‘sevillana’ dance, I think I have finally mastered the steps. I’d been muddling my paso with my pasada, and turning right when I should have been
Cooking up a storm?
For the past three months Carolyn Emmett has been co-ordinating the design and production of a cookbook and guide for the village of Montejaque
Rio Carnival? It came close…
Six brawny men (three dressed as women and one in a chicken suit) won the jug-throwing contest - this was Carnaval day in Montejaque
My knickers are not wet!
Up the hill and down the dale, I walked the rocky mountain trail; I saw the plains... I’ve got the pains to prove it.
¡Buen provecho!
The foreign residents of Montejaque give the Spanish locals a ‘taste of the world'
The Michelin man in drag
I am wearing seven layers of clothing; I feel fat and uncomfortable; my hands are freezing
Joseph Heller is right – It’s Catch 22!
And IKEA is a four-letter word
Never a cross word
This week’s clues and answers had so much meaning to me that I decided the compiler must be someone I know
Remember when…
South Africa to southern Spain: A moving experience for Calliope
A gold shower?
With all the walls in place, Calliope was able to make interior design decisions at the new house
A woman’s prerogative
“We should enlarge that upstairs window and install French doors, to match all the other windows on the second floor.” The builder opened it up to accommodate the change. “That looks dreadful.
It’s all in the translation
Por favor, una horca,” I ask the señora in the hardware store. She looks horrified. I make digging motions to indicate I need a garden fork. She looks relieved, and says there
The Calendar Girls coming to Andalucia?
Find your favourite recipes and get ready to get your kit off! Calliope is coming to town!
Calliope/Carolyn comparison
Calliope, the eldest and most distinguished of the nine Muses. Carolyn, the second eldest and only slightly distinguished of the six Hill offspring, is constantly thinking about writing eloquent, epic or heroic