Sunday, August 24, 2008

Cortegana, Andalucia

We're settling into our new town now and beginning the next stage in our search for a permanent home. Never easy searching in rural areas and more difficult when you're looking for the exact spot as we are. BUT, at least this area has lots of the important things like height and relatively cool temperatures because of the hills. Cortegana is one of the small towns in the Picos de Arancena area of Huelva. There are chestnut, olive and oak trees lots of big areas of cork trees and lots of little 'huertas' where local people grow vegetables.

Not long after we arrived here the annual fiesta Jornadas Medievales took place; a four day extravaganza celebrating the cultural past of the town. Everyone dressed in costume, streets closed to traffic, stalls selling exotic eastern cakes and coffee and masses of crafts.
Live music, fire eaters, dancers, jousting, archery and fireworks. What better opportunity to introduce our Monkey and Sofia goodies to our new neighbours and friends?
The stall looked fab and provided us with a marvellous opportunity to chat with people we had started to recognise in the little streets.


Added to this four day, or should I say mostly night time experience, our life in Cortegana has already been enhanced by the arrival of our first Spanish kitten! Plush, as we have called her because her sparse black fur is as short and soft as velvet, is wonderful. She was tiny, starving and howling to be rescued. Born, according to neighbours on the first of June, the very day we boarded our flight from Vancouver, so was obviously meant to be ours!


So, life is coming together. Looking after Plush, trying to find a real home and making things for our next catalogue is keeping us busy.

More news soon.