Pauline and Jim

There we were, just pottering around, popping into the Correos to post a birthday card back to the UK, when we unexpectedly met up with Pauline and Jim, with whom we had had some previous correspondence via the blog.

Pauline and Jim have, like us, taken the plunge and moved out a week ago to live permanently here in Olvera and we were happy to go off for a coffee and chat.

We look forward to meeting up again, as we surely will in our wanderings out and about, and we are sure they will be as happy here as we have been. Just look at those beaming smiles!!. So much to look forward to.

Peppie's walk

Our lovely old girl Peppie is definately showing signs of her age; she'll be fourteen next month. She spends most of her days sleeping and our walks with her are now a slow stroll.....not that they've been a fast trot for a quite a few years anyway.

So just a few images, taken at four this afternoon, on our walk starting up in the old town.

The views looking west towards Cadiz.



























Looking up Calle Garcia Lorca.














Me and my lovely old girl in Calle Maestro Amado.
















Calle Pozo.

Lara, the lovely grandaughter of our near neighbour Carmen came running up as soon as she saw Peppie. She adores all animals.

The start of Calle Moron on the left with Calle San Ildefonso on the right.



























The view down Calle Salada towards the distant mountains of the Sierra de Grazalema.

Jus' strollin' along

All pretty quiet at the moment. The temperatures are rising slightly and it doesn't seem as cold as it was before Christmas. I took these few pictures this morning on our walk down into town to buy a new pedal bin....I know the excitement is overwhelming!.

The mists were settled into the valleys around Olvera. These pics were looking north towards Pruna.

Looking down upon Calle Bellavista.













Calle Victoria.













The local police were out and about this morning, checking on illegally parked cars.












Looking down Calle Maestro Amado.













I never tire of the fantastic view of the Church as you walk through the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Today was no exception.











Looking down Calle Azuaca towards our house at the very bottom.

Ronda in winter

A chilly (4°) but sunny morning saw us heading on our first outing of 2009 to Ronda, a town about 45 minutes drive south of Olvera. The main reason to go was to visit a large supermarket called Supersol to get some Patak's curry sauces and also to visit a craft shop so that Anne could buy a decorative plate to hang on a wall in the house.

We arrived about 10.15 and parked the car in a Plaza in the old part of Ronda and walked up into the main town. The shops and cafe's were only just opening up so we carried on over the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) to the new part of town to have a coffee....and warm up.

This is a view of the Restaurante Don Miguel. which in summer months is packed with people admiring the view of the bridge from the terrace. Not a single person braving it today though!.

Looking back towards the old part of town.

After coffee we walked the short distance to the Plaza del Socorro, a pleasant square just off the main shopping street. This is the Iglesia del Socorro.

Walking back into the old town we turned off immediately over the Puente Nuevo bridge to walk down the cobbled Calle Santa Domingo. The craft shop is at the top of the street but it was closed.

This street also leads down to the Puente Viejo (Old Bridge), one of the two original crossings across the river.

A view of Ronda and the Iglesia de Nuestra Padre Jesús in the centre from the bottom of Calle Santa Domingo.











This is the Archway of Philip V built in 1742.

The Puente Viejo, built in the 16th century, to join the old Moorish settlement with the newer quarter across the river.
Just across the Old Bridge is the entrance to the Jardines de Cuenca which wind their way by a series of terraces up the side of the gorge.

The view of the Casa del Ray Moro (House of the Moorish King) seen across the gorge from the park.

Just posing..........trying to pretend it's not freezing.











The Puente Nuevo from the top of the gardens.

We left the park via a small gateway and walked back over the bridge hoping the craft shop would be open. This is definately the best time to visit Ronda, as in summer this area is generally packed with cars and tourists.







Much to Anne's delight, the shop was just opening up. So with mission accomplished we headed back to the car and home to Olvera.
This picture is of the Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor in the Plaza Duquesa de Parcent.

Fiesta de los Reyes Magos

The festival of the Three Kings is the traditional time throughout Andalucia and Spain for the giving and receiving of gifts, much the same as Christmas Eve is in the UK. It recalls the time when the Three Kings presented their gifts to the baby Jesus.

In Olvera, the fiesta is celebrated with a colourful procession through the town.

The fiesta started at three in the afternoon with a gathering of horsemen and women in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

Musicians and jugglers entertained the assembled crowd prior to the appearance of the Three Kings.

The Three Kings leaving the Ayuntamiento to start the procession through town.

Before the procession left the square, sweets were thrown from the carriages......much to the delight of the local children and Anne, who says she was collecting for our friends daughter Laura.

The procession leaving the square.













We rejoined the celebrations at about six in the evening at the bottom of town.

The Three Kings now had individual floats, each with their own attendants who were throwing sweets and gifts to the assembled crowds, many of whom had carrier bags to collect the goodies.

As always on these occasions, it was a lovely family and community event, particularly for the children involved.......and also for quite a few adults.