What can this unassuming church in a tiny village tell us about village life centuries ago? Well, it turns out that sometimes the most unassuming location or building can tell you a lot if you only dig a little deeper.
Olive Harvest in the Alpujarra
When December rolls around it’s time to harvest olives destined to be pressed for their oil at the local olive mill.
Alistair: A Profile in Gentle Living
I admire Alistair; he’s found his way to a fulfilling, gentle life. He doesn’t look forward with anticipation or backwards with regret.
Our Three Year After Action Review
After three years we hadn’t quite worked out all of the “We’re retired and what the hell are we going to do with ourselves now?” details. So we spent some time…
Walking to Ugíjar
Every morning while Susan and I are sipping coffee and waiting for sunrise, the street lights of the white villages beckon us from the coastal mountain range across the valley. The largest village, in the …
Castañas Asadas or Roasted Chestnuts
We’re all familiar with the December classic that begins, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…” Funny thing, I didn’t know the song is titled “The Christmas Song,” neither did I realize that roasting chestnuts was …
Morning coffee
I was on my second cup of coffee at the Starbucks in downtown Corvallis Oregon when I noticed a cute woman walking a pair of dogs. It was Friday morning the day after Thanksgiving. That …
Granadas (Pomegranates) in Granada Province ES
Pomegranate season is officially over in the Alpujarra. When we arrived in late October we had only a couple of weeks to get our fill of these extraordinary fruits. Most of the beautiful fall foliage …
Ashes to the Universe
“Old friends cannot be created out of hand… For years we plant the seed, we feel ourselves rich; and then come other years when time does its work and our plantation is made sparse and …
Tranquil the Whole Day Through
Our casita here in Mairena has a south facing terrace. It’s a pleasant place. I especially enjoy watching as clouds across the valley arise, linger for a while, and then fade. The quiet spectacle always …
1st Impressions: Mairena, an Alpujarran Pueblo
We’ve been in Mairena Spain for just over a week having arrived a few hours before the borders closed between the autonomous communities in yet another attempt to control the pandemic. This tiny village has …
Joy is Good Enough
With time looking both more precious due to the pandemic and more endless during the recent lockdown, I decided to take up a new activity: oil painting. It was actually round three for me. Once …