We arrived back from a cold, wet and snowy England to find a warm and sunny Santander, with one week to go to Navidad. Coming in by ferry was a real delight, especially after a marvellous night’s sleep, rocked by the unusually calm waters of the Atlantic. There had been a mix-up with the hire car but it soon got sorted out and we piled in with some provisions and our 4 suitcases (thank goodness they don’t weigh those on trains and ferries!).
The good weather did not last beyond Madrid. As we circled the capital (with no map, no sat nav and poor memories we wasted at least an hour), the rain began to fall. It became torrential after the Toledo area. Descending into Andalucia via Jaen we were plunged into fog and Granada was a welcome sight but still only seen through the windscreen wipers.
Finally we were on our own Alpurrajan mountain road, skirting fallen debris and small rocks and then realising that this was more than rain, this was una tormenta! When the storms hit, we really know about it, and we were lucky that nothing substantial fell on us as we wound our way upwards.
Rainwater had got into the house too because the builders are finally working on our little barn and had temporarily upset the balance of walls and shelter from the elements. The chimney area was leaking like a sieve. As we fell into bed at 2am we could hear the dripping of water into bowls and pans near the back wall of the sitting room/snug, and pondered sleepily on the fate of our cardboard boxes of clothes in the basement…we were too tired to care very much!
The next day we had to convoy back to Granada to leave the hire car at the airport, so I drove and Steve followed on the VFR. So then we just had the motorbike and it was with some trepidation that I got on behind him to go back home, as I was still feeling pretty vulnerable, ‘post-operative’ and protective towards my poor old body. In fact, it was a glorious ride. On our left the Sierra Nevada peaks rose up into deep blue-black rain clouds slashed with gleaming rainbows; on our right, towards the sea, lay flat washes of cobalt sky, bright with sunlight. We were heading straight down between the two and praying that we would get the best of the weather until we reached home. We had our wets on over our leathers but did not fancy the shingle-strewn high roads on two wheels! As it turned out, we were lucky and kept the sun and dry-ish roads with us until safely parked up in the courtyard.
It took a day or two to sort everything out and re-adjust to life here after 7 weeks in the UK. We had enjoyed seeing all our friends and family (many, many thanks to everyone for their hospitality, their kindness and their support) but now we were home! We were greeted enthusiastically by those villagers who spend the winter here - they thought we had gone away on holiday but soon understood that it was medical matters that kept us away, not an autumn cruise ship. Invitations came in for suppers over the festive spell and we shared a glass of anis and some chorizo tapas with Emilio our builder. I dug out the hot-water bottles, my thermal underwear, assorted sweaters and boots, and then watched in amazement as Steve put on his usual shorts and T-shirt and sauntered down to the land, bow saw in hand (the shorts have now given way to jeans so he is normal after all).
All our planting down on the land at the end of October has paid off - the beans, cauliflowers and winter lettuces are all doing well, also the pear tree, poplars and cypresses. This week we have put in 2 kg of garlic cloves (maybe 450 in total) which should last us right through the coming year (and lose most of our non-Spanish friends!!). Tomorrow we expect a delivery of 5 olive trees, 5 almonds, a walnut, one cherry and a nectarine tree. Steve will have his work cut out planting these while I, as an enfeebled patient, will just point with a stick where I think they should goJ .
We are having a quiet holiday compared to the mania of cities at this time of year, but we are not bothered by that. The sunshine is with us by day and coffee on the terrace is very pleasant indeed. We know this will not last and more storms will arrive, but we are feeling pretty snug and looking forward to 2011. I wish you all Uno Feliz Ano Nuevo.