It was me who cried!
I had an appointment with the "orientador" - that's a person who assesses your child, a psychologist by training who is there to help - and I had my meeting with her today after her assessment of Zack and I cried!
Not because of anything she said about my son - far from it - he is absolutely normal, doing great and not failing on any levels ... But when I spoke about some challenges I have had, I suddenly burst into tears! Not what I expected, but probably not helped by some sleep deprivation recently ...!
I'm pleased with how the meeting went though - she was very compassionate, gave me all the time I needed, and was extremely supportive with my own thinking about how to help Zack get the most out of his education here in Spain.
I felt for the poor woman - I don't think she expected that though! Hey Ho !!
Monday, February 02, 2009
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Holy Crap this is a brain drain ...
Thanks to a fabulous friend sending me a three mile long email on how to make blogging work for me and encourage people to want to come and stay in our gorgeous B&B in Spain or to buy my paintings, I am now up to the nostrils with being freaked out ....
RSS feeds, Twitterdecks, Twitpants, oh GOD this is enough to make this technophobe have a hissy fit ....
Will do best to stay calm but
AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!
RSS feeds, Twitterdecks, Twitpants, oh GOD this is enough to make this technophobe have a hissy fit ....
Will do best to stay calm but
AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!
Monday, December 22, 2008
If you'd like to know how I'm feeling today, this perfectly expresses it ...
Music deeply, movingly and tenderly heals even the most painful places ....
A TOTALLY BEAUTIFUL SONG!
A TOTALLY BEAUTIFUL SONG!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Snow Boarding holidays in Andalucia
Thanks to a local young man with a lot of nerve and a great deal of experience, Casa La Celada is now thrilled to offer
SNOW BOARDING DAYS !
In the Sierra Nevada mountains, you'll be taken through your paces by our guide and mentor Steve.
The package includes all rental equipment, transport to and from Casa La Celada's front door, ski passes and any necessary coaching on the mountainside.
Why not couple it with a pamper day the next day to ease out any aching muscles?
It's all available here - all you have to do is ask : 0034 957534939 or visit http://www.casa-la-celada.com for further information.
SNOW BOARDING DAYS !
In the Sierra Nevada mountains, you'll be taken through your paces by our guide and mentor Steve.
The package includes all rental equipment, transport to and from Casa La Celada's front door, ski passes and any necessary coaching on the mountainside.
Why not couple it with a pamper day the next day to ease out any aching muscles?
It's all available here - all you have to do is ask : 0034 957534939 or visit http://www.casa-la-celada.com for further information.
Barefooted, on knees, candles in hand ....
Barefooted, on knees, candles in hand ....
On Monday night, with a huge group of friends and acquaintances, I joined the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of devotees to watch Iznájar's annual spectacle celebrating the day of the Virgen Piedad - literally translates to "Piety", and is one of the most popular Saint Days encompassed every year by our Feria Real (Festival de la Virgen de la Piedad) from 7th - 11th September.
The streets are coated in sand.
The houses adorned with brightly coloured scarves and banners.
The people dress in their absolute finery.
The bouncy castle owners set up their stalls.
And at 9.30pm, the immense procession begins.....
Iznájar's band lead the devotees - drumming rhythmically, hypnotically, dressed in their military style uniform, looking sombre and focussed. The crowd all sway together awaiting the passing of the immense effigy of the Virgen, supported on the shoulders of more than forty men, many walking with tears pouring down their faces at the honour of being selected as one of the chosen few to steady this immense weight.
Down the steep and narrow winding streets of Iznájar the Virgen passes, some twenty feet above our heads. She is cradled in a golden cage, her face beatific, her robes exquisitely bright - red and gold, fringed with white, cascading out behind her and surrounded by an immense quantity of the sweetest smelling white flowers.
"Viva .... Viva ..... Viva" comes the chant from the people behind the Effigy. It's almost as if they are in another world of the deepest reverance. Some of the devotees can be seen barefooted now, and you will still see some of the oldest villagers following on their knees - a promise made to the Virgen in prayer to save the life of a dying friend, for crops to flourish, for a grandson to pass through school ... And if the plea is answered, the devotee follows the procession as promised to the Virgen.
To say it is moving would be a gross understatement. It makes the hairs on your body stand up all over and your mouth go dry. The pure adoration, the effort made, and the incredible quantity of people who fill the streets, spilling out of every balcony, travelling from all over Spain to spend these few days here ....
It's my second year watching, and I will definitely be back again next year. I wouldn't miss it for the world. It is humbling.
On Monday night, with a huge group of friends and acquaintances, I joined the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of devotees to watch Iznájar's annual spectacle celebrating the day of the Virgen Piedad - literally translates to "Piety", and is one of the most popular Saint Days encompassed every year by our Feria Real (Festival de la Virgen de la Piedad) from 7th - 11th September.
The streets are coated in sand.
The houses adorned with brightly coloured scarves and banners.
The people dress in their absolute finery.
The bouncy castle owners set up their stalls.
And at 9.30pm, the immense procession begins.....
Iznájar's band lead the devotees - drumming rhythmically, hypnotically, dressed in their military style uniform, looking sombre and focussed. The crowd all sway together awaiting the passing of the immense effigy of the Virgen, supported on the shoulders of more than forty men, many walking with tears pouring down their faces at the honour of being selected as one of the chosen few to steady this immense weight.
Down the steep and narrow winding streets of Iznájar the Virgen passes, some twenty feet above our heads. She is cradled in a golden cage, her face beatific, her robes exquisitely bright - red and gold, fringed with white, cascading out behind her and surrounded by an immense quantity of the sweetest smelling white flowers.
"Viva .... Viva ..... Viva" comes the chant from the people behind the Effigy. It's almost as if they are in another world of the deepest reverance. Some of the devotees can be seen barefooted now, and you will still see some of the oldest villagers following on their knees - a promise made to the Virgen in prayer to save the life of a dying friend, for crops to flourish, for a grandson to pass through school ... And if the plea is answered, the devotee follows the procession as promised to the Virgen.
To say it is moving would be a gross understatement. It makes the hairs on your body stand up all over and your mouth go dry. The pure adoration, the effort made, and the incredible quantity of people who fill the streets, spilling out of every balcony, travelling from all over Spain to spend these few days here ....
It's my second year watching, and I will definitely be back again next year. I wouldn't miss it for the world. It is humbling.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Driving through the olive groves we stumbled upon Zuheros ...
I had the absolute pleasure yesterday of driving my nephew and his charming new wife back to Córdoba train station for their night train to Barcelona.
I don't normally look forward to the drive so very much as it is mostly motorway, but we decided to leave in plenty of time and take in a few of the local villages "off the beaten track".
We drove through Cabra without stopping ... Cabra means Goat in Spanish, and this particular town is one where I have determined to spend more time - the architecture is lovely - there are big open parks with pergolas under which you'll often find outdoor performances going on - and the road that winds down to it competes with a ski resort's access ....
But we went to have sangria and tapas in one of my fairytale destinations here - Zuheros.
About 40 minutes' easy drive away from our Guest House, skirting around the western side of the Sierra Subbética mountains, and absolutely accessible in a small car without wheel insurance (!), this village is a treasure. It is perched in a plunging ravine which splits through the Sierra and would have originally been the basis of inhabitation - an obvious water supply.
The swallows were swooping and chittering, and the crows (my personal favourites), cruising around chattering as the sun made it's way to the horizon and the castle lights came on, throwing everything into the most romantic lighting relief imaginable.
It has views stretching up to the Sierra Norte north of Cordoba with Baena in the middle ground, and the sunset from the castle is out of a fairy story, especially when enjoyed with a jug of freshly made sangria and local cured ham.
After wowing our socks off and taking lots of photos, we left shortly after 8.30pm to take the back road into Cordoba itself and the AVE / Renfe station which took us through several gorgeous villages - but the one that really stunned us was Espejo - Spanish for Mirror - because the light had become that late evening rich royal blue with smatterings of the darkest red as we rounded a corner to find the crescent moon hovering just to the right of a beautifully lit up castle, with a carpet of white houses spreading out at the castle's feet. It was, to quote my nephew's gorgeous Australian wife, "totally awesome".
The train station in Cordoba was a dream to find and had me driving through the "new" area - something I haven't done before and something I am determined to do again - wonderful wide open spaces and some of the most striking fountains I have seen in rural Spain ....
For another time I think.....
I don't normally look forward to the drive so very much as it is mostly motorway, but we decided to leave in plenty of time and take in a few of the local villages "off the beaten track".
We drove through Cabra without stopping ... Cabra means Goat in Spanish, and this particular town is one where I have determined to spend more time - the architecture is lovely - there are big open parks with pergolas under which you'll often find outdoor performances going on - and the road that winds down to it competes with a ski resort's access ....
But we went to have sangria and tapas in one of my fairytale destinations here - Zuheros.
About 40 minutes' easy drive away from our Guest House, skirting around the western side of the Sierra Subbética mountains, and absolutely accessible in a small car without wheel insurance (!), this village is a treasure. It is perched in a plunging ravine which splits through the Sierra and would have originally been the basis of inhabitation - an obvious water supply.
The swallows were swooping and chittering, and the crows (my personal favourites), cruising around chattering as the sun made it's way to the horizon and the castle lights came on, throwing everything into the most romantic lighting relief imaginable.
It has views stretching up to the Sierra Norte north of Cordoba with Baena in the middle ground, and the sunset from the castle is out of a fairy story, especially when enjoyed with a jug of freshly made sangria and local cured ham.
After wowing our socks off and taking lots of photos, we left shortly after 8.30pm to take the back road into Cordoba itself and the AVE / Renfe station which took us through several gorgeous villages - but the one that really stunned us was Espejo - Spanish for Mirror - because the light had become that late evening rich royal blue with smatterings of the darkest red as we rounded a corner to find the crescent moon hovering just to the right of a beautifully lit up castle, with a carpet of white houses spreading out at the castle's feet. It was, to quote my nephew's gorgeous Australian wife, "totally awesome".
The train station in Cordoba was a dream to find and had me driving through the "new" area - something I haven't done before and something I am determined to do again - wonderful wide open spaces and some of the most striking fountains I have seen in rural Spain ....
For another time I think.....
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
My favourite Bodega in Malaga ...
Yesterday, having some time on our hands, we explored Malaga in ways I have never done before. We found a truly spit and sawdust sherry bodega - in fact the owner's contempt at the very suggestion that it was "Sherry" made me feel like I'd frozen over ... MALAGA WINES he bellowed at us, causing us to shrink back in fear.
Row upon row of vast wooden kegs lined the rear wall, each with a name chalked or taped onto the front of the keg.
As you bought, so your bill price was chalked onto the ancient wooden bar in front of you - scrubbed out with a gnarled hand each time the clientelle changed.
The atmosphere is magical, surreal - the Malaga wines warm, rich, evocative of Christmas while being completely in place in the warmth of a Spanish Summer.
We supplemented our large schooners, priced at a mighty 1€ per glass, with a plate of the freshest prawns - whose shells, heads, legs and tails were traditionally discarded roughly into the bins that appear along the length of the bar.
An absolutely unforgettable experience and a total must for all guests from now on - and I haven't mentioned the gorgeous tapas or our grilled sardines on the beach yet .....
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Best Pamper Day Of My Life
Yesterday probably ranks as one of the best "me" days in living memory - and something I will definitely be repeating again and again and again …..
I drove the 15 minutes from home to Adelantado - a beautiful drive winding down and around Iznájar and the lake, then up the other side and into the campo where I was pampered beyond belief in the most beautiful house set in a rolling valley of silvery green olive trees.
Starting at 11am, I had a full body exfoliation in a treatment room that truly felt like I had walked into a loving, healing womb - sofas covered in rich royal blue accentuated with soft blues, purples and silvers, rich deep purple towels on the treatment couch, and gentle music playing in the background complimenting the soft whirring of the ceiling fan.
Having had my entire body gently scrubbed and polished, I then nearly died and went to heaven with the deep back, neck and shoulder massage. Sarah Jackson, our local extremely highly qualified and experienced therapist, is without a doubt the best masseuse and beauty therapist I have EVER encountered - and I have travelled a fair bit and always had treatments wherever I have gone - over a period of 20 years!
After my massage, it was pure bliss to have a wonderful, deeply cleansing and stimulating facial with collagen and lavender mask which made my skin feel so alive and tingly while gaving my hands a massage and mask before starting on my feet with a luxurious pedicure. By this time I'm practically floating away ...
Once the face mask was off we adjourned out into the cool shade of the terrace overlooking the pool and on down through the olive groves, where my pedicure was completed with a final paraffin and wax foot dip which rehydrates and soothes sun-scorched feet. Delicious! While that was doing it's work, we had a lovely chilled glass of Freixinet - my favourite Spanish Cava, and a delicious lunch prepared by Jenny who owns this glorious pamper retreat.
Languishing over our lunch the company was perfect - the balance of laughter and quietness just right, and towards the end of lunch Jenny offered me the opportunity of experiencing a psychometric test. I have never had this, and have always been deeply skeptical of such things, but I have to say that it was very useful, the results absolutely reflected me in every way and helped me see some areas where I can be more focussed in managing my time - so I rated it as being an extremely useful exercise.
And then it was the pool !! Oh my !! Swimming in the late afternoon sun, lounging on the deck chairs, the only sound coming from the trees being lightly ruffled by a gentle breeze ….
I feel so relaxed I could MELT …….
It was such an amazing experience that we have decided to team up so that we can offer it as an option to our guests here at Casa La Celada too - I can imagine that for anyone spending a few days taking in the Alhambra, the Mezquita, or climbing our Sierra Subbética's mountains, such a blissful and completely recharging experience would send most people into paroxysms of bliss ...
I drove the 15 minutes from home to Adelantado - a beautiful drive winding down and around Iznájar and the lake, then up the other side and into the campo where I was pampered beyond belief in the most beautiful house set in a rolling valley of silvery green olive trees.
Starting at 11am, I had a full body exfoliation in a treatment room that truly felt like I had walked into a loving, healing womb - sofas covered in rich royal blue accentuated with soft blues, purples and silvers, rich deep purple towels on the treatment couch, and gentle music playing in the background complimenting the soft whirring of the ceiling fan.
Having had my entire body gently scrubbed and polished, I then nearly died and went to heaven with the deep back, neck and shoulder massage. Sarah Jackson, our local extremely highly qualified and experienced therapist, is without a doubt the best masseuse and beauty therapist I have EVER encountered - and I have travelled a fair bit and always had treatments wherever I have gone - over a period of 20 years!
After my massage, it was pure bliss to have a wonderful, deeply cleansing and stimulating facial with collagen and lavender mask which made my skin feel so alive and tingly while gaving my hands a massage and mask before starting on my feet with a luxurious pedicure. By this time I'm practically floating away ...
Once the face mask was off we adjourned out into the cool shade of the terrace overlooking the pool and on down through the olive groves, where my pedicure was completed with a final paraffin and wax foot dip which rehydrates and soothes sun-scorched feet. Delicious! While that was doing it's work, we had a lovely chilled glass of Freixinet - my favourite Spanish Cava, and a delicious lunch prepared by Jenny who owns this glorious pamper retreat.
Languishing over our lunch the company was perfect - the balance of laughter and quietness just right, and towards the end of lunch Jenny offered me the opportunity of experiencing a psychometric test. I have never had this, and have always been deeply skeptical of such things, but I have to say that it was very useful, the results absolutely reflected me in every way and helped me see some areas where I can be more focussed in managing my time - so I rated it as being an extremely useful exercise.
And then it was the pool !! Oh my !! Swimming in the late afternoon sun, lounging on the deck chairs, the only sound coming from the trees being lightly ruffled by a gentle breeze ….
I feel so relaxed I could MELT …….
It was such an amazing experience that we have decided to team up so that we can offer it as an option to our guests here at Casa La Celada too - I can imagine that for anyone spending a few days taking in the Alhambra, the Mezquita, or climbing our Sierra Subbética's mountains, such a blissful and completely recharging experience would send most people into paroxysms of bliss ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
