Acorn Antiques in Andalucia

With time on my hands yesterday and a new sculpture in the pipeline, I decided to visit the last remaining old fashioned ironmongers in Rute (ROO-tay). It is an extraordinary shop – similar to Arkwrights in that it will have Fork Handles and Four Candles as well as air conditioning machines and wheel barrows.

I feel, as I enter this homage to the olden days, that I must morph into a mole, because there is not one single light on in the whole shop, and a smell of damp pervades the air. Through the murk you can make out everything from chairs to heaters, watering cans to coffee makers – all dredged in a thick layer of dust.

I cough, call “Hola”, and wait. And, as ever, from around a mountain of tiny boxes housing every size of screw, nail, washer and bolt, comes the owner – a man in his 90s, who has not a hair on his head. And from the mountain of boxes to the counter, all of two steps, I watch him, quivering and shaking, as he takes minutes to cross the gap to greet me.

He gathers himself and looks into my eyes with his own rheumy blue pair.

I tell him that I have come to buy wire – the thinnest possible, and that I am in a bit of a hurry.

He explains to me that he can sell me however many metres I want, while trundling back to a vast pair of wire cutters. I am ordered to follow him so, remaining behind him, we walk, more slowly than the growing speed of an oak tree, to his back rooms, him shaking with a regular, almost soothing monotony, as he goes. He fumbles around for what seems like an age for a light switch, potters on – another light switch – potters on until eventually we arrive in a dusty damp infested room with cement bags and chicken wire.

I’m really beginning to realise that I should never have come here, and yet I am practically having an out of body experience with the surrealness of it all. Here I am, in some dank and dark back room with an extremely elderly man who is no gentleman, but I feel entirely safe as I could walk faster than he could run.

And he shows me his prized wire – huge rolls of oxidized and galvanised totally unsuitable stuff which I won’t be buying – so I thank him and say No, sorry to have taken your time, I need a much finer wire …..

I thought I had my opportunity at that moment to escape, as my eyes fell on the dustiest sewing machine for sale next to a chemical loo and floor rug – but he says No! Come here, I have more … and we walk back, achingly slowly, back to the very place we started where he shows me his thinnest wire – 0.6mm – too thick and galvanised …. But nevertheless presented with a pride you rarely see in shops these days.

And he starts the same conversation we had the last time I went in – you’re not Spanish are you? But not English either … Oh? You are English? Well, you don’t look English, and you don’t speak Spanish like an English person ….

Bye Bye, Mr Acorn Antiques …. Til next time ….

Córdoba in May

For any of you thinking of visiting Córdoba, May is the time! Córdoba hurls itself into the Party Spirit from now until the last day of May with every kind of attraction for the young and old alike ...

Here is a brief glimpse :

Starting today, Córdoba celebrates the Fiesta de Los Cruxes - the Cross Festival - Crosses are erected all over the city, festooned with flowers, and around each cross you will find revellers partying in their own way - enjoying the weather, the visitors, and the river flowing along the south banks to the sea.

This year, the Fiesta de Los Patios, I am informed, begins next Thursday 7th May and runs til 18th May. It is an extravaganza of flowers - Córdoba is reknowned for the beautiful decoration of the Patios and more than 70 open their doors to visitors during these two weeks ... Some die hards recommend that you spend the evening before exploring the "Old Quarter", and visit again the following morning in order to visit the more out of reach Patios ...

And then at the end of May, 24th - 30th, we have Córdoba's annual Fair including the Fiesta de la Battalla de Flores on the first day to open proceedings, Bulls in the Streets, Circuses and Shows as well as some traditional Spanish riding skills, Flamenco Festivals and Flowers being hurled from balconies at the passing traffic below.

Children's NON Health and Safety Playgrounds - the BEST!

Sitting here waiting for guests arriving this morning, I am remembering yesterday's excursion to "the play ground" which my son Zack wanted to take me on ... together with his lovely friend Lucas.

We packed water and several plastic bags for "treasure" and set off in the direction of our lovely 8 sided church.

Walking through the olive groves, just coming into flower now, we dipped down through the silver trees, birds and wild flowers everywhere - the wild garlic is absolutely beautiful at this time of year.

All I could see was what looked like a roped off quarry, so my hackles were up for signs of danger ... but as I relaxed, I started to notice that the ground all around us was sparkling and twinkling in the afternoon sun.

Stopping and paying more attention to what was underfoot, we all started to find crystals - quartz, mica, citrine and pyorite - turned and churned by the ploughs working the land between the trees! It was amazing - I have never found crystals "in the wild" before and was secretly hoping to come across an amethyst cathedral at any moment.

Zack then told us that he wanted to go down to the playground ... and shot off with little Lucas bobbing along behind him. He looked back at me, beaming his bright sunny smile, and said "Look Mummy, here's our slide!" ...

And there, next to an abandonned plough with jagged edges everywhere and all manner of items that in the UK would make the place deemed unfit for children, was an earth bank, with a very clear earth funnel smoothed out of it heading vertically some 25 feet down to the grove beneath .... down which shot Zack, bumping all the way to the very bottom, whooping with glee all the way !

Who needs plastic?!