It feels like summer…

I`m back! ( by popular demand, I hope too). I did actually read on one of the local Spanish facebook pages someone talking about my Blog , and I felt really guilty for `abandoning` it.

So apologies for the radio silence. It`s been a tumultuous few months. Lovely times and horrible times! We had the dreaded `calima`, the red dust ( well vile sticky mud like stuff), that shrouded our villages ,and gave my husband a ten day job repainting our house, terraces and sorting out our murky swimming pool, the like of which has never been seen before. I hope it doesn’t happen again, but each time there is even a wisp of wind it still seems to bring with it a red covering. We have a white car, so we now tend to judge the extent of it,by what colour it has become!

We have travelled -mini breaks to Malaga, my birthday trip to Tarifa, and London, Cambridgeshire, Isleta del Moro in Cabo de Gata ,and a most wonderful trip to Corfu, which was much needed, and third time lucky as it had been postponed twice. We have had the ongoing disappointment of our build being moved twice-don’t ask, but now it is very much in the diary to start in the second week of October. We have been to a Platinum Jubilee party, a 4th July party, and had plenty of friends here for supper. A cooking frenzy.

And very sadly, both my parents have died in the last three months. My mother just four weeks after my father. So sad times indeed.

But we have had some fun times too, friends to stay , other friends who have houses here, dip in and out, and we continue to love and appreciate living here in this beautiful place.

On Sunday afternoon, crashed out in the sultry heat, reading on La Herradura beach, I was very much conscious of the sounds of , well summer here, I guess.

The sea breaking on the pebbly shore, a favourite sound of mine, laughter from the huddles of people and happy children splashing in the water, (the Spanish most definitely come out to play in July), the background soundtrack of Ibiza style music playing at Bambu Chiringuito, love it, and the incessant squawking of the now, ever present parakeets.

So life goes on in Maro, and with our build shifted forward , we do at least have the luxury of the pool for the summer , even though the water is a warm 30 degrees-not the cool drench that we really need after being in the hot sun. That was the best thing on Sunday at the beach-the sea,so cool and refreshing.

Jam making has been going on with a vengeance-we have had the most delicious cherries and rosy apricots, and now have a dozen jars of each , looking jewel-like through the glass. Yum.

Summer means music in the square here in Maro every Saturday night, a real treat, with local singer and guitarist Placido Vera Galvez playing from 10-12. There is always a rush to book a table, and I love that a huge amount of the village are out in force. A great atmosphere. Lots of dancing goes on-mainly by the older ladies of the village, but the men who strut their stuff are excellent dancers too. I love walking up the road back to our house with the music still playing as we head for our bed.

Last saturday two young couples were dancing ( and I mean proper dancing together),in the street. Such fun.

The heat starts to take its toll, the usual mutterings of `mucho calor` by the Grannies ,are heard , and their house shutters are firmly clamped down, ensuring that the ( Spanish`) houses are cool and dark.

The lovely `herby` smell of Maro has kicked in. I love standing on the roof terrace at night, looking over the campo to the mountains and sea, and drinking it all in. It’s a sort of rosemary, wild fennel , mint , flowery, ( the acres of miniature roses and stephanotis flowers over the wall next door ) , dry earthy sort of smell. Always on the breeze on the evenings. Unique.

And so it is… It feels like summer.

The famous market in Malaga

Tarifa

Isleta del Moro

Corfu

The dreaded Calima-before and after photos.

Music in the square

It`s a beach life

Jam making

Beautiful Maro

Photo by Clare Millar.

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