Biking & Baking in Las Alpujarras

It's been a long time (too long) since I posted a new Blog and for that I apologise.  Life has been busy (my health, the horse, writing, gardening) and my focus has been directed elsewhere.  The motorbiking has taken second place (except for watching Marquez of course) and the baking comes a long way down the list of priorities at the moment...but life in our little village continues and we are still happily chuntering along.

Right now, my partner Steve is somewhere on Mulhacén, or on his way to Veleta, in the company of Chris Stewart (Driving Over Lemons), Fit Nick and Glenn, Nick's brother.  These heroic chaps are walking the famous Integral to raise funding for a good cause...Acompalia is a newly-formed charity planning to build and run a palliative & hospice care unit in Granada...a new idea here in Spain but much needed by expats and locals alike.  I might need it myself one fine day!

Anyway...the 4 day walk should include as many peaks over 3000m as they can manage (15 is the target, 8 would be good), sleeping out under the stars where possible and keeping up some kind of reportage as they go along.  The SpanishHighs website has a 'yellow brick' live route map running and has provided crampons and ice-axes (it's due to snow up there tonight) and if you want to donate, go to the Acompalia.com website.  I did have the fine idea of riding my horse up there, taking a roast chicken and a bottle of wine, to surprise them on the last day, but it would be too easy to miss them and have to chomp/gurgle my way back down the mountain on my own.

Talking of horses...my lovely girl is doing well though we're back into mosca season  so fly masks are us...and she will be 6 in July!  That's quite mature for a horse but also means that she's entering her most robust decade...I had a fall before Christmas (cantering too fast through the woods when she got a fright) so I must remember to slow down and keep control.  We ride once a week with friends so she's getting a bit more 'socialisation' than previously.  Next Blog will tell the tale of her encounters with my neighbour's  'bloody donkey' and its shennanigans.  And I might even manage a recipe for...wild cherry pie!