My experiences of living as a seasoned immigrant in Cordova (Andalusia): humour, culture, history, illustrated. Also includes poetry, quotes, thoughts, and nature.
This morning was very misty and damp, just the right weather to go for a walk especially after having sat all day yesterday hunched up at the computer, teaching then illustrating my book.
The damp and humidity always remind me of Richmond Park, the area near where I grew up before moving to Cordova in southern Spain. (Why and how I made this move is explained inthis illustrated summary!)
A misty day by Adams Pond in Richmond Park near the Sheen Gates entrance. This was taken in November last year when I was there visiting my mother and brother and I am longing to return as soon as this Covid rubbish is beaten! There are some lovely photos of the park in their Facebook pageAnyway, the morning here in the countryside of Posadas (Cordova) was fresh, dewy and the mist was out…
as was the verdigris lichen
and dew on the prickly, wild asparagus bush.The cows were also out, some sheltering under the olive trees……and the flowers on the wild rosemary that was growing between the cracks in the schist were also out……as were the small, wild ‘acebuche’ olives……and myrtle berries……on their fragrant bushes.The coppers were out too…
…and the humble acorns on the holly oaks.
The wild boar’s out as well and the earth next to my vegetable patch is all hoofed up again! And not too far away, as the mist lifts…
…the lads are out picking the young arbequina olives by hand (‘milking’ the trees)
So these were some of the things that were out early this morning, as well as me!
But to end on a literary note, and with reference to the myrtle in the above photos, I’ve included a poem about this bush. It was written by Mary Robinson, a very fascinating lady.
Hello! I was born in London but moved to Cordova (inland Andalusia) thirty-two years ago. Although I qualified as a geologist, I had to retrain, and I now teach English and work as a freelance translator, writer and artist (sort of!).
I have written and published two books: Edward’s Secret and the Enchanted Throne for young teens, available from Amazon, and also 'An English Lady in Cordova - the Alternative Guide' which tells of my experiences (both humorous and harrowing) of living in Cordoba and later on, in the countryside location of Posadas. I describe the culture, history, geography and emblematic sites of Cordova, Posadas, the neighbouring villages and local Sierra — (hence the ‘alternative guide’ bit!)
My blogs talk about my experiences here, my day-to-day life, and also include poetry, quotes, literature, art, photos, nature, and thoughts and reflections. (In other words, it’s a bit of a pot pourri, but unfortunately, I still haven’t learnt how to house these categories into the different pages that appear in the menu!)
I do hope you enjoy reading my blogs, and I welcome your comments and questions, as I love to interact with people.
Thank you for visiting — bye for now!
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2 comentarios sobre “A misty walk and things were out…”
It looks like a beautiful morning. How long will the olive harvest take to bring in? Is it all picked by hand? Thank you for the poem, I was not aware of Mary Danby Robinson. She sounds to have had quite a life, although not a long one.
Hello! The trees will take at least a couple of weeks to be carefully picked by hand. That’s because they are young still and the branches too tender for the the trees to be to shaken, but hopefully next year they will be more hardy so that the branches can be moved by a pole, allowing the olives to drop down into a net on the ground. Like this they can be gathered up easily and tipped into the trailer.
Yes, Mary does sound intersting and has produced some nice literature. Thank you for your comments!
An English Lady in Cordova 
It looks like a beautiful morning. How long will the olive harvest take to bring in? Is it all picked by hand? Thank you for the poem, I was not aware of Mary Danby Robinson. She sounds to have had quite a life, although not a long one.
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Hello! The trees will take at least a couple of weeks to be carefully picked by hand. That’s because they are young still and the branches too tender for the the trees to be to shaken, but hopefully next year they will be more hardy so that the branches can be moved by a pole, allowing the olives to drop down into a net on the ground. Like this they can be gathered up easily and tipped into the trailer.
Yes, Mary does sound intersting and has produced some nice literature. Thank you for your comments!
Me gustaMe gusta