Finally the house is finished - only a few more pictures to put up and we are there! The boxes are unpacked, which must be about the first time in 13 years, although there are a few we are using for storage. The shed is up, the dog fencing is (as I write this) almost finished, the agility area is getting organised and the pool is almost ready for swimmers! It finally feels like we are getting somewhere and we have been able to get out and about and discover a few more beautiful places - Lake Bermejales being one of them and only about 15 minutes from Alhama.
The local Feria of San Juan also starts this week (Thursday) and runs through to Sunday. A great event for kids apparently and I see on the schedule there is a "foam" evening. There isn't a bullring in Alhama so I wondered if there was such a thing as a portable one when I saw the adverts for the coming bullfighting events and lo and behold - there is! It has been erected on a bit of scraped field along one of our dogs walks not far from town and is visible from the house. It's quite a thing and a tad larger than the portable round pens I'm used to!
Portable bullring (Plaza del Torros) on one of our
regular dog walks
Lake Bermejales is the most spectacular colour
in the sunlight!
The lake is very peaceful and so far whenever we have walked there, apart from one or two people in the parking areas, we have met no one on our walks! There are large fish that can be seen close to the surface and with the water, it's a dog walking heaven. The girls love it and dive, splash, play and swim whenever they get a bit hot. They love to race in for pine cones and then jump on top of each other. the walk we did at the weekend was around 7km and a nice gentle Camino practice.
We also finally discovered the gorge walk and a lovely little legend within it. Just outside of Alhama there is a little chapel built to celebrate the story. The photos of the chapel and story are included below.
Chapel of Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles
Here out dog visitor (Rose) with her human (Bryan) explore the gorge with us. It's a lovely shady walk although a couple of very steep bits to bring you back into the town!
View of the church/convent from along
the gorge
Inside the chapel
I have also finally ordered two harnesses from Daphne Lewis of ChaloSulky (take a look at her website http://chalosulky.server271.com/). There is also a tab on our website about "Driving Dogs" and I plan to teach the girls to pull and later invest in a Sulky. I really hope to promote us with it and maybe attend a few events - my plan is that I will do another Camino once I have finished the walking one, with the dogs and sulky and raise sponsorship for a couple of the dog rescue groups I have helped out here.
The ChaloSulky Suspension Sulky! Hopefully soon
to be seen in Spain!
Watch this space for training news and video clips and information on the sponsored pull when we eventually get to it. Hopefully some of you might like to contribute when the time comes. However, first things first and we need to finish our walking Camino first and get training!!
The girls enjoying a swim at the stream a little below
our house. We call them Bourkes Luck Potholes after
a place near to where we lived in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
The potholes are interesting shapes carved out by the
water and these are a mini version
Rose - our first dog visitor, checking
out the facilities
Rose getting acquainted
Akina and Ndzilo at "the potholes"
The last pieces of fencing to go up and the pool looking
more welcoming each day!
The dog areas - fencing almost done
gates in, each with their own
mini play area in addition to
the main play/agility area and
country walks
We still have some strimming and weeding to do to get the area of the kennels finished, but our neighbour's cat has had kittens under an old chair that had been dumped in the back of the garden and so we can't go there until he is ready to move them up to his house. We have a HelpX helper arriving this week - due Thursday for about a week - and hopefully we will be able to get on top of all these last things when he arrives!
Well, we are two weeks in and I can't believe how settled we are already. The house is almost completely organised, just the guest bedroom to finish off and the downstairs bathroom and we are there! Partly these will still be a bit disorganised until the shed and kennels go up as there will be a dog equipment storage space so we can move it out of the house.
The walks for our own and guest dogs is just superb and anyone wanting their dogs to get great walks and a home away from home, then this really is the place (see the clip below of Kaishi and Akina playing). The play/work area is a lovely space and the landlords will be putting the main fence in soon. We will put in the additional fencing.
Walks that are made for dogs! This is really the most perfect place for them and far exceeds what we had hoped for
View back toward Alhama (left) and the farm centre from
the Olive groves and almond orchards on the opposite
hill to the house
We have also found some great houses for the dogs - safe wood, safe weather proofing, chew proofed, hoseable for disinfecting down, easy to clean and access and with an entrance porch and inside wall that protects the dog from all weathers including snow. They are also insulated against cold and heat - warm in winter, cool in summer plus they are raised off the ground. This means rather than converting our own dogs' kennel into guest ones and buying a new area for ours, we can give our own dogs their original home and create a feed/store room out of the area that used to house the running machine and our overflow! The roof will be extended to give separate feed areas and there will be a secure entrance area with access directly from the house for us - so that even in bad weather we will not have to get soggy visiting the dogs. Of course, for guests who request it, all the dogs will get "home/family" time with us but in bad weather they too will be able to have a quick dry access to the house.
The perfect picnic - about 5 minutes stroll from the house!
The dogs and Cleo are settling
in so well - they were at home
from day 1
We have also found dog paddling pools and a really lovely big one for the play area that the dogs can use in summer to cool off in and it has a cover for when it is not in use or for safety. The area is actually shady at various times of the day due to the height of the house and the back wall and there are trees all around for additional shady training places. We will put in some additional shade in the work area but we don't need anywhere near as much as we thought.
Cleo-potra as our friend
Ron has renamed her and
plant pots do seem to be
one of her favourite resting
places!
There will also be raised lounging areas and sand pits for the dogs to play and dig in - but these can also be watered down in hot weather as we know how much our own dogs love to lay their bellies in damp sand on a hot day. The roof of the work area will be extended to provide additional shade and protection to the dog's houses, but with the insulation this is additional rather than essential.
The dog's gate bell!
I am so looking forward to welcoming dogs and owners here and to hopefully running the first Leadchanges workshop once we are all set up. I want to get the website finished next and get out the info to the rescue centres - as of course we will be looking for our next rescue dog to welcome for a stay until he or she finds a new home.
Entrance as you come in - lovely wild garden all around.
We are busy weeding the gravel area and planting up
pots of herbs and little veggies. A bigger veg patch
has been identified but will come later!
We have also started a bit on the garden, weeding (it is terribly over run) and located an area for the veggie garden although the big veggies are more likely to be going in for next year. Antonio our neighbour and the farmer has many hens, so right now we get eggs from him weekly and we may not have our own as the hens are everywhere and with sufficient eggs. Maybe I will put in an area for our own with regards to the training of dogs to hens, but there is so much livestock here and access to ways of training, that it may not be necessary. We will see.
The next stage of Sulky training should start when I can get my double harness - so I'm hoping that might be possible soon. Ideally the next step will see if we can get a HelpX person to blitz the garden and help us get it ship shape sooner. The ad will go out soon. A week should actually do it for now with another week in a couple of months maybe for some extra painting or re-proofing the shed.
The main square
Convent and Church - Iglesia
del Carmen
Alhama de Granada is a delight! It has a lovely little sports centre with what looks like it might be an indoor pool! I am going to investigate and there appear to be physios at the centre too. The larger shopping town is Loja about 25 mins by car - actually not that far in km's but it's a bit of a windy road. The views however are stunning!!! You could pretty much walk from the house here, by farm tracks, all the way to Loja without crossing another road or finding another house. It is far above and beyond what we could have hoped for in a location for the dogs and what we want to do here.
The gorge running through Alhama
The town also has a stunning gorge running through its centre and a hot springs - with spa and old Arab baths. There is also GR7 long distance walking route going through the town and other lovely walks along the gorge plus the "Washington Irving Ruta" - a literary trail a bit like the Quixote trail, but for the man maybe most known for his writings - Rip van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow! More about him and Alhama below from the official websites and Wikipedia.
Alhama de Granada is a town in the province of Granada, approx. 50 km from the city of Granada. The name is derived from the thermal baths located there, which are called al-hammam in Arabic. In 1482, the fortress town was taken from the Moorish Sultanate and Kingdom of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs.
Michael with Antonio in the Café-Bar "El Tigre".
What a fabulous place and anyone visiting must call in.
Friendly, great food and you can organise Tapas Tastings
and private Flamenco evenings - min. 10 people
Alhama’s position between Málaga and Granada gave it strategic importance for the Moors but they also had a particular fondness for the town and its thermal waters. The cry of sorrow, ¡Ay de mi Alhama!, uttered by Abu Al-Hacen following the battle of 1482 when the town was lost to the Catholic conquerors, entered the Spanish language as an exclamation of regret.
At a convenient distance from the town centre nestling in a poplar grove lining down the banks of the river (also known as Merchan) you will find a hot springs. Prehistoric remains found in the neighbourhood, show the antiquity of the human settlements.
Just lovely - El Tigre: Specialise in Desayunos, quesos, jamones
and carnes a la brasa - Plaza Constitución, 1
Alhama de Granada - 958 350 445
There are also clear evidences of the way Romans used the waters.In the 15th century, the Arabs consolidated the town next to these hot springs and it was believed that they built the termal baths there but the real origin of those baths is roman as is proved in the book of Salvador Raya Retamero a local historian in his book "Reseña histórica de los baños termales de la muy noble y leal ciudad de Alhama de Granada" (Brief history of the hot springs of the most noble and loyal city of Alhama de Granada)[1] a short interview to the author explain the details.[2] The strategic influence of Alhama de Granada made vital the fall, in 1492, of the Arab empire for the conquest of the Kingdom of Granada, which lead to the beginning of a flourishing age, because of the patronage of the Catholic Monarchs. The bath house in the Almohade style of the 12th century that is preserved in the SPA is a good example of Arab baths’ construction. The magnificent horse shoe arcs were built over the remains of Roman construction and are covered by a vaulted roof, pierced by star-shaped openings that let the daylight filter in. Under the vaulted roof of the baths it bubbles up the oldest warm spring of Alhama de Granada. The newest one, which springs up a few metres from the other, was discovered in 1884, many centuries after a terrible earthquake whose epicentre could have been very near the area. Alhama looks out over some of Spain's most spectacular scenery. In winter, the view to the majestic snow-capped Sierra Nevada is uninterrupted. Close by is the vast and beautiful Bermejales lake, 12 km from town and reached by a road lined with poplars and Mediterranean black pines. There are sandy beaches, safe swimming and plenty of non-motorised water sports. There are also a couple of cafes at the edge of the lake. Many of the local population spend evenings and weekends barbecuing at the water's edge, it is a great location. (Wikipedia)
From www.thegrapevine.es: Walking in Alhama de Granada
Over the mountains from Cómpeta the historic town of Alhama de Granada nestles in a valley and is a great base for exploring the great outdoors. Only an hour from the coast, the scenery changes dramatically from the high peaks of the Sierras Almijaras, Tejeda and Alhama to a more rolling countryside. The peaks of El Fuerte (Frigiliana) and El Lucero (Cómpeta) can be seen in the distance as you approach Alhama de Granada, and the passes of Puerto de Frigiliana and Puerto de Cómpeta loom in the background ready to be walked and explored. There is, however, a lot to see near the town itself. For the culture and history buffs, the routes of the romantic writer Washington Irving passes through the town, and the Arab traveller and writer Ibn Batuta. The effects of earthquake of 1884 can be clearly seen in Alhama de Granada – the book “Los Terremotos de 1884, Arenas del Rey y Seco de Lucena” by Andrés García Maldonado documents its devastating effects on Andalucia. It was the same earthquake which rocked Cómpeta and damaged the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Plaza Almijara. The tourist office offers tours at 12 noon every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
As to the geology, the gorge of the Tajos is reminiscent of the Grand Canyon on a smaller scale, and the walk through the gorge to the local beauty spot El Ventorro is well worth a visit. Starting in Alhama de Granada from behind the Nunnery Church Nuestra Señora del Carmen (16th 18th century) and the tourist office, follow the track down the steps called the “Cuesta del Carmen” down to the river Alhama. Continue along the path which leads to the Molinos de la Acequia Alta Mills, and the Camino de los Angeles. This route passes through the Tajos and is part of the GR-7 (Gran Recorrido No. 7) – just one of the network of long distance paths in Andalucia). At the time of writing (early March 2008) the almond blossom is still in full flower – the town is at over 1000m whilst Cómpeta is at 636m so spring comes a little later at that altitude. At this time of year, the chasm is full of flowers, wooded glades of deciduous trees and birds nesting on the cliffs.
Continue along the chasm with Puerto de Cómpeta in the distance – this is known as the Pantaneta route and there is an interpretive board about the geology of the area (in English and Spanish) which explains the activity of the European and Iberian tectonic plates over the years. Moving on, you will pass the shrine of Los Angeles – have a look inside - you will be surprised at how it has been decorated. After another .5km you will come to a crossing over River Alhama on the left over a wooden bridge. This is a favourite picnic spot for locals and visitors alike. Cross the river and continue along the track, on the left you will see the remains of a hydroelectric system. Eventually you will come to the Alhama – Jatar road – cross the road, and turn left (keeping on the path and take care as traffic goes very fast on this stretch). To the right is a road bridge and take a moment to have a look at the dam and the lake. Continue then to the left, and pass a secluded house with conifer trees outside, and when you come to the clearing you will see El Ventorro, a great place to stop for a drink or a meal (book up at weekends, especially for lunch). El Pato Loco (the Crazy Duck!) is next door and has a swimming pool and more outside space. Across from both establishments is the lake with a wide variety of ducks, coots and other water fowl. There is an information board with pictures explaining the best time to see which type of bird. If you stay overnight in this idyllic spot you will hear foxes barking in the dark. Inside El Ventorro there are magnificent paintings of the countryside covered in snow. It is 10km to Jatar and the turquoise waters of Lake Bermajales.
There are many walking tracks in this area, and the Ruta de los Angeles goes right through to the hot springs (balnearios) which is definitely worth a visit. From the town it takes about half an hour, and again the going is good underfoot.
It is also possible to climb Maroma (2066m) from the Alhama side, and through the Puerto de Cómpeta and Puerto de Frigiliana. We can provide information on accommodation in the Alhama de Granada area – contact us for a quotation. More information from http://www.spain.iberacal.com.
Walking Group
Alhama de Granada: Terry Mottershead – http://www.alhambrarambler.com
Getting there:
Bus: Alhama – Málaga: 16:30 via Torre del Mar Málaga – Alhama: 09:00 via Torre del Mar
Car:
From Cómpeta – drive to Canillas de Albaida and turn left past Bar Cerezo. By the shrine, turn right and follow the zig zag road past Finca Cerillo and at the end of the road, turn left (the right hand fork takes you to Fogarate) then right on to the tarmac road towards Salares. Follow the road through Salares, Sedella and Canillas de Aceituno, using the by passes for each village. After passing through Canillas de Aceituno you will be able to see Lake Viñuela. At the end of the road turn right and pass through La Viñuela (the little vine). You will join the Velez Málaga – Zafarraya road – turn right and head for the pass.
Follow the A335 / A340 from Velez Málaga to the pass at Zafarraya, then bear right after passing through the village. It is signposted to Alhama de Granada.
Tourist office:
Paseo Montes Jovellar s/n Tel. y fax 958 360 686 www.turismodealhama.org Email: turismo@alhama.org
Washington Irving Walking Route:
This route traces the steps followed in 1829 by the romantic North American writer Washington Irving, who was fascinated by the wealth and exoticism of the Spanish-Muslim civilization. A communications artery established many centuries before, which served as a trade route between the Christian south of the peninsula and the Nazarite kingdom of Granada.
The trajectory links the capitals of the two traditional Andalusias, the Lower and Upper; two plains, the Open Country and the Fertile Plain, separated by an evocative and rugged journey. The route swings between Seville and Granada, the two obligatory stops on the romantic journey which the image of Andalusia projected in Europe, attracting a multitude of artists, writers, the curious and all kinds of travellers.
With all this walking and hill climbing I will certainly be Camino fit for October! The town is only 15 minutes on the bicycle too - all off road. Psychologically it seems further because you can't see the town from the house, but it's actually quicker to get to Alhama than it was to go to Consum via the cycle route in Chella!
I hope we see some of you here soon! More later, but I will crack on with the preparations for now!
Just a quick one to say that we are on the move tomorrow - May 1st. The truck has already delivered most of our things to Alhama de Granada and we leave with the dogs, Cleo and the remaining bits and bobs! A bit scary and we are not sure yet how we will all fit - the cat box is just the wrong size! However, we just want to get going now, settle in and get started with our new ventures. I have already had some interest in the dog holidays and workshops and all thanks to the new Leadchanges website - www.leadchanges.net (which is looking good but not yet finished) and a great group called "Costa Women".
Costa Women is a social and business networking community for women living in Spain. It's super friendly and proactive and I would thoroughly recommend joining! The website address is www.costawomen.ning.com/
I have been very honoured to be a "featured woman" this week and you can read the fun Q&A I did with them on the Costa Women website.
We will be without internet for a short while until we get set up, but will catch up with the blog and website asap so watch this space and I will post pics soon! We also look set for the next Camino stages to be held over a couple of weeks in October - around 11th to 29th with a short stop over and break at a 4* pet friendly in Ávila before heading on to Zamora. The new place will be excellent for preparing for our walk as there are kilometres of walks we can cover from the house!
Hot enough in Chella for the dogs to start swimming
again. They are taking a holiday from the Camino
while we relocate!
I'm sure a number of friends and those who have been following my Camino have wondered what is happening now and if I am about to start the next leg of the walk. However, there is news and change in the air, so the Camino is on hold for a few months - sadly and a little frustratingly although all for good and exciting reasons!
The first reason for a delay is that the snows up on the hills toward Cebreros were still there well into March and the second - we have decided to make a move! Where we are headed, there are more options for Michael with his solar work (already with some projects on the go) and there are more chances for Leadchanges, running workshops along with helping and boarding dogs.
Our new residence will be about 2.8km from Alhama de Granada in the Province of Andalucia. A great location in easy reach of Granada, Malaga, Seville and Cordoba! It is a stunning town and full of history. A big plus for us is that the property is in rolling hills, with some olives and almonds surrounding it. It is rural but close to all amenities and has the most amazing dog walking country. The best part - it's not pine tree country! Something we have been desperate to find since moving to Spain as dog walking in Chella is so restricted for almost 5 months of the year! Even in many areas of Andalucia, there are pines in the hills and we wanted to find somewhere where we did not have to stress on every walk about processionary caterpillars.
I hope to contact the various dog charities shortly once my new website is up and running as often their adopters need to kennel when holidaying or heading off to visit family, especially if they have settled in Spain from other countries.
I also want to continue fostering dogs and will put whichever one is currently with us on the website. As usual, this gives the dog a better chance of finding a home. We plan a three level service of accommodation, something like Gold, Silver and Bronze and for those who adopt a resident foster dog staying with us, they will be given the Silver entry level and one weekend during their first year, as a free stay.
I will also be able to help with rehab cases as well as help owners understand their dogs better. We want to offer a day sitting/creche type service for those who are holidaying with their dogs or who might normally go out with their dogs, but want to do a city break or day trip where it is much harder to have a dog with them. We personally understand the need for this as often, when walking the Camino for example, we have wanted to add on some site seeing but are strapped for time or unable to do so because the dogs re with us. For a trip to the city for example, the day is often too long, the city too hot, you can't hang out at a nice restaurant or suddenly decide to stay on a bit longer to see one more monument or take in a movie because you have dogs waiting.
If you have been able to find somewhere to leave your dog, then you worry that they might be getting unsettled as it is an unfamiliar place, or that they have been alone too long. If they are in the car, even if only for a short time, is it getting too hot, has the shade moved, has their water run out? We want to be able to give owners the peace of mind, that they can spend the day touring without worry.
Set in open farmland
Another option we plan is to offer a pick up service - possibly an hour's radius from the property - and include collections from just outside of Malaga and through to Granada. We will offer small scale, personal service with no more than 4 dogs at any one time and for those who are happy for their dogs to socialise and play, this will take place with our dogs only (I know how ours respond).
Guest dogs will get one on one time, training given and issues addressed (where required and this option taken), walks, play time and time to be a family dog and join us in the house (again where owners are happy for this and one at a time only with our own dogs). So many kennels just offer an exercise area, not much personal attention and very few offer walks. We want to offer a place where we would be happy to leave our own dogs.
Perfect dog walking country!
My usual Leadchanges dog/human psychology workshops will continue to run and which help owners understand more about their dogs, more about themselves and the relationship between the two. I have been working on the format to a "new and improved style" which people seem to like and there the workshops will also be suitable for those who just love dogs and want to have a fun day out.
For more information - go to our website (currently under construction so not everything is listed yet - please bear with us) and have a look at what is on offer: www.leadchanges.net.
If you are looking for somewhere a bit different to kennel your dog or if you have questions or requirements for help on behaviour, do get in touch.
We plan to be open from mid-June 2013 once we have put in the working, shade/playground areas and finished the accommodation and fencing.
And After:
The finished result! Tree/fire of San
Antoni
Before... building the
enormous tree that will
become a fire
A couple of months ago I wrote about the amazing fire built in Canals, Valencia Province, to celebrate San Antoni. The information about the festival tells us that the fire is built as tall as the church and I planned to go back to Canals to see for myself. I was therefore fortunate enough to see how they build the fire and to then witness the lighting of it on September 16th.
The pine logs and branches fill the whole of the square outside the church and even spill out along the pavements leading to the church. There is a huge team of people who build the fire with great humour and passion and they construct it so that it will safely collapse in on itself as it burns. When the square is packed with people it is very important and the crowd gets incredibly close to the fire! We were in fact only about 2m from it when the priest lit the firecrackers which surround the tree and start the celebrations and the fire.
The fire starts to take
The houses and church next to and surrounding the tree have metal covers over windows and doors to stop the glass shattering or the wood catching fire. There are a few police (all in good humour) to check on the order of things and a fire engine or two to make sure all stays in control and who also spray water at intervals to keep things cool and make sure buildings are safe. Many of them were also filming the events. It is the most amazing spectacle and well worth attending if you are visiting the area. It takes place on September 16th and usually starts around 21.00hrs. We attended the little service in the church beforehand - packed with people - and where a choir sang throughout. It was a wonderful "occasion" and very beautiful with a great energy among all those there. One really experiences the passion and joy of the Spanish people at these events and how they are also happy to share with all those who are interested in learning about the culture.
Oranges around St Antoni
Around the door of the church there are oranges decorating the statues and alcoves and on top of the fire/tree itself are orange leaves and more oranges. I am guessing because oranges are a very big part of the region's agriculture.
The fire takes hold and
once about half way up
really spreads quickly
After the service the priest walks with one of the big church candles out to the fire and lights the tree with great ceremony. He was also smiling and amused by the whole thing - enjoying the tradition and this important role!
As the flames grew higher and hotter, the crowd moved back - all very politely and without panic - totally in an "orderly fashion" and something that I'm not sure would have been the same in the UK! Not only that, but you'd never have been allowed to light such a huge fire in the middle of a town in the UK!! Not without a 10m barrier around it anyway - here there were people from the crowd virtually leaning into the flames to have their photos taken - until it got too hot! The bell towers rang out in magnificence and glowed orange in the light of the fire. Every now and then the cross on the top of the church could be seen through the thick smoke and it was a very dramatic scene. It reminded me of the photographs of St Paul's Cathedral in London during one of the air raids during the war - surrounded by smoke and flames, but still standing proud and strong and in defiance of the enemy, a symbol of resistance to oppression and defying defeat.
Every now and again the cross on the top
of the church would appear through the
flames and smoke. You can also see the
bell tower (right) glowing in the flames
The orange leaves and oranges on top
of the tree/fire and the cross boldly
standing above on top of the church
The fire really taking hold and the size of the crowd who turned out to watch. Apparently the next day everyone comes to cook breakfast on the embers - or that is what we were told. I would think you could continue to cook on it for several days! I have also included below a couple of videos - one of the building of the fire and one from the fire itself.
In addition to this festival, and something that takes place in all the villages, there is a blessing of the animals. It does not always take place the day after, some towns do it on different days, but as one Spanish news item notes:
"If you like animals, there is no entertainment quite like seeing hundreds of pets, dogs, cats, horses, and even iguanas, snakes, and roosters, all converging in one square to be sprinkled with holy water! January 17th, is yet another important Saint’s Day in Spain, that of San Antonio Abad, patron saint of animals.
Naturally there’s an important backstory to Antonio Abad, also known as Anthony the Great. He was a Catholic (Coptic) monk born in 3rd-century AD Egypt who was known for spreading monasticism, but is now most famous for being the first to practice the asceticism of going into the wilderness to renew one’s faith through nature. This is how he became associated with animals. (Odd side note: He is also the Saint to whom you appeal to get rid of skin diseases, i.e. “St. Anthony’s fire”!)"
The website for Canals gives you all the details about the event and it is worth taking a look at it: http://www.canals.es/santantoni/index.php/component/content/article/25-sant-antoni/180-crema-de-la-foguera-en-honor-a-sant-antoni-2013.html
Finally the house is finished - only a few more pictures to put up and we are there! The boxes are unpacked, which must be about the first time in 13 years, although there are a few we are using for storage. The shed is up, the dog fencing is (as I write this) almost finished, the agility area is getting organised and the pool is almost ready for swimmers! It finally feels like we are getting somewhere and we have been able to get out and about and discover a few more beautiful places - Lake Bermejales being one of them and only about 15 minutes from Alhama. 
The local Feria of San Juan also starts this week (Thursday) and runs through to Sunday. A great event for kids apparently and I see on the schedule there is a "foam" evening. There isn't a bullring in Alhama so I wondered if there was such a thing as a portable one when I saw the adverts for the coming bullfighting events and lo and behold - there is! It has been erected on a bit of scraped field along one of our dogs walks not far from town and is visible from the house. It's quite a thing and a tad larger than the portable round pens I'm used to!
