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It’s been a long old slog but today we can reveal the results of our Rolser shopping trolley research. Over the last three months we’ve stopped to speak to 800 people on the streets of Órgiva to ask them about their Rolsers – specifically, how full they are at any given time. Readers may recall … Continue reading
In an interview once, we stated that costs here were around 10-15% cheaper than the UK and 25% than Ireland. It got retweeted several times, so people seem interested in the cost of living in Spain. There was nothing scientific behind our percentages but it did make us wonder how much we spend on meals. … Continue reading
If our language learning was a car we’d be a piece of paper with a child’s drawing of one – you know, the side view with two wheels and a smiley face staring out. Possibly a steering wheel of sorts and maybe lights. There’d be no structure, let alone a finished vehicle. So imagine taking … Continue reading
We were wondering just when the optimum time to pick the grapes was. All was made clear today when the man who looks after the land arrived laden with boxes, buckets and a wheelbarrow. Two hours later and he’s still at it. Each box weighs about 15 kilos and there have been a few, perhaps … Continue reading
If you’re lying in bed at 6am with a mild hangover (we blame our friends who came to stay) you can do without your cats making unusual noises outside the bedroom. Not a request for food or a desire to use the litter tray, but a tapping sound interspersed with scampering paws. In darkness we … Continue reading
We suspect Pampaneira gets a little overlooked in favour of the other ‘white villages’ of Las Alpujarras – like Bubión and Capileira. Maybe because it’s the first you come to after leaving Órgiva – a snaking 25 minute drive – and people may have an urge to head higher. But we like it and it’s worth … Continue reading
Thursday is market day here in Órgiva. We made this short (1 minute) recording of various sounds we came across last time we went. They range from the drinking fountain to barking dogs, via a didgeridoo. The market is well-known for its eclectic mix of local Spaniards, ex-pats and people living in nearby alternative lifestyle communities, … Continue reading
Like many towns, Órgiva is a mix of the old and new. Certain streets have beautiful, but dilapidated buildings, imprinted with decades of births, laughter, arguments…and deaths. The Barrio Alto (high quarter) is to the north of town and it’s lovely to stroll through its narrow streets. OK, it’s a bit rough around the edges – for … Continue reading
Our goal: to open a Spanish bank account, get a debit card with an image of the Alhambra on it – and be offered free sweets. We found a bank on Calle Doctor Fleming, here in Órgiva. Our NIEs, which we’d sorted beforehand, were needed. The English-speaking bank manager guided us through the process in about … Continue reading
These are our entries for Marianne’s (East of Málaga blog) CBBH Photo Challenge. The first one was taken on our trip to Lanjarón yesterday, as we waited for the bus back to Órgiva. The chairs were outside a block of rented apartments. Stepping inside the cool, dark hallway was like going back several decades. The … Continue reading
Here’s a lovely walk over the mountain paths from Órgiva to Lanjarón. It takes around two and a half hours. The GR-142 (Las Alpujarras route), running 144km between Fiñana in the province of Almería to Lanjarón, is the main part of the walk. Some of it is part of the 1900km GR-7 route (Senderos de Gran Recorrido) which goes from Spain to Greece. … Continue reading
Up early, we headed to La Herradura – less than an hour away from Órgiva on the Costa Tropical. It has a marina which was recommended as a spot to have lunch. We could look at boats and pretend we were rich. But we never made it. La Herradura is a pleasant place helped largely by … Continue reading
The serious business of researching wine-making went a bit awry earlier today when, instead, we decided to make a picture out of a fig and some grapes. Kids these days spend hours on their computers, don’t they? Pac-Man on Wikipedia. Related posts: Grape Expectations Young grapes (photo) © con jamón spain
If you drive into Órgiva from the direction of Motril, this will be a familiar sight – the 2013 photograph that is. The old photograph – date unknown, but perhaps 100 years ago – was taken from roughly the same spot, just up from the old school. It shows a different town but with recognisable buildings, … Continue reading
It seems odd, in mid-October, to be planting a herb garden – but it’s 30 degrees and it didn’t take much persuasion to make sure we have a supply throughout winter. We found a spot next to the wall of a old building – a crumbling oven and chimney open to the elements. Once a … Continue reading
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