Here Comes the Sun Oh dear, I seem to be rather weather-obsessed, don't I? I blame my mother, who being a typical Englishwoman, is never happier than when discussing what sort of wind is blowing, where it's coming from, and whether there's going to be a frost tomorrow morning. The weather…

Linked In, online and in the loop Very exciting to read last week that high-speed internet access will soon be extended to every village in Andalucia. Apparently, the 600 villages that aren't currently connected to the net will be able to do so using mobile phones. This is a terrific idea, when…

Light in the Darkness It has been incredibly heartening to see the positive stories coming out of last week's earthquake in Haiti - the two-month-old baby revived by American doctors, the two-year-old girl pulled from the rubble of her nursery school by British firemen working without their…

Snow in Sevilla Hello, it's Monday and for many people it's the first real work day of the year. Yes, I know, there were some 'dias laborables' last week, but it's hard to get back into things properly when Reyes chops your week in half. So this is our first full week, and it's tough after all…

The Rain in Spain… Hello, Happy New Year - and New Decade. I´m taking over from Brenda as chief blogger here on andalucia.com. Like Brenda, I am married to a Spaniard and have children, although I´m a relative newcomer compared to her, so you´ll have to let me off any cultural faux pas or…

Doesn’t that sound optimistic? Here we are in the midst of one of the deepest economic crisis ever and I’m talking about hope for 2010. And no, I’m not planning to go into politics this year! In fact, as I write my last entry for the Andalucia.com blog (I’ll be handing over the baton to a new…

Every year it’s the same thing. Because I’m fully immersed in Spanish culture I have to go through this same old debate once again: Santa or “Reyes Magos”? And you might be surprised to learn just how strongly many Spanish families feel about keeping Santa out of Spain. Many, many families I know…

Now that I have your attention… But isn’t that what’s on everyone’s mind this holiday season? And saving money during the holiday season is really just a matter being creative. When you think about it, the things that really make the Christmas season special don’t have to be expensive – and might…

To be stressed out? It’s not too early to start thinking about the stress Christmas can cause in many families. Every year we read about how domestic violence statistics rise at this time of the year due to the stresses of the season. But we don’t have to talk about extremes of violence to agree…

About this time every year people start asking me about charitable organisations in the south of Spain. Christmas is just around the corner and we all start to feel more generous. The question then is how to find a reputable cause. In fact there is a plethora of good organisations to give to in…