Biking & Baking in Las Alpujarras

We are enduring some very high temperatures and stifling, humid conditions; high cloud obscures the sun at times, which is helpful, and no doubt it's cooler higher up in the mountains, but this is real August stuff.    Coming back from a delicious lunch with a French girl friend (a glass of white wine, paté of course, with fresh salad leaves, a little brown toast and haricots verts, followed by my homemade chocolate and beetroot brownies*), I trudged along the dusty path as though wading through treacle; the air was so warm that I had to have a cold shower when I got in, to try and cool off a bit.   It is a surprise that many plants can survive these conditions, and we do have a few very sad-looking trees now, their leaves wilting and branches drooping.   Perhaps a thunderstorm will arrive to freshen things up.

This is the Musica en Las Montañas season, so we have various flautists, cellists, pianists and guitarists strumming their way around La Taha.  Last night was piano and clarinet at the Hotel Maravedi, by the light of a full moon, and the renowned cellist Bernard Gregor-Smith will play in Pitres ayuntamiento on Saturday.  Later the same evening we have Jazz in Busquistar and, I think, Flamenco in Pitres.  Only the Jazz carries an entry fee, so plenty of free entertainment of the highest quality for those who choose  to come.

* I cannot claim anyy credit for the brownies...have a look at Hugh F-W's website and make your own...they were our own home-grown beetroots however.