A Quiet Time of Year

I'm conscious of not blogging very frequently just at the moment. This is the quietest time of the year. The Three Kings is behind us, so too is San Sebastian our (secondary) patron saint's day. The first visitors aren't expected for another two or three weeks yet - our eldest daughter is coming over for half term with her two children. They're going to keep grandma company while granddad goes to England for a week. I think, quietly, grandma was looking forward to a bit of time on her own, but she's more than happy to swap that for a visit from her grand daughters!
Life is quiet around the village, too. The time of year is combining with continuing rainy and cold weather to discourage day visitors and so the shops, bars and restaurants are struggling to cover their overhead costs. It'll be pretty much like this now until Holy Week when the village will fill up to overflowing and another year will properly get under way.
One positive change, my Spanish classes have finally started again! The college requires a minimum of four students to run a class, and so three of us who are all at an advanced level have been twiddling our thumbs since September. Now, a fourth member of last year's class has returned to the area, plus we've picked up a new student, so we are a pretty safe 5 right now. Of course, that also means I've got homework to do again. Ah well, all in a good cause.

It is the Mediterranean after all

Well, the rain has stopped, the wind has dropped, the clouds have dispersed and suddenly you realise just how much power there is in the sun down here even in mid-January, so today we sat out on our side terrace to eat lunch, the first al-fresco meal since mid-November. Lovely!

Happy New Year

Well Christmas is behind us and so is New Year, but that still leaves Los Reyes, the feast of the Epiphany which is when traditionally Spanish children get their presents, although it has to be said that they nowadays get two bites at the cherry with a delivery by Papa Noel as well.
The Kings are due in the village tomorrow evening when they will ride to the public hall where they will listen to gift requests. I fear this year the procession may well be a literal wash-out. According to Sur, the Spanish newspaper for Andalucia, we have just enjoyed our wettest December for 60 years. Given that the rains didn't start until the 18th, that's quite some going. And of course the weather is unaware of the fact that December is over and so continues pouring rain onto us into January. The forecast is not good for tomorrow and pretty bleak for the next two weeks.
However, on the positive side of the coin, it is the right kind of rain this year - steady without ever being too torrential, so the reservoirs and aquifers have benefitted hugely; the same edition of Sur also reported that we now have enough water to meet all requirements for at least the next two years. Plus, it is after all the Costa del Sol, so we can be confident that before too long the skies will be bright blue once more.