Tarifa Life

2009-05-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

We occaisionally head down to the Hurricane Hotel for a spot of lunch or to have a beer or two. The views are great and it really makes you want to hop on the old sailboard and windsurf off into the sunset. I'm sure I will put away the golf clubs and attempt such a feat once the weather gets a little warmer.

Grasshopper

2009-05-12T03:43:00.000-07:00

One of our buddies contemplating a leap of faith.

Donkeys

2009-05-12T03:36:00.000-07:00

Apart from the cows, pigs, chickens, horses, lizards, spiders, storks, owls, eagles, vultures, smaller birds, snakes, insects, frogs and toads, dogs, cats and sheep wandering around our land we also have donkeys who are terribly friendly; especially when you have a french stick you wish to part with.

Here they are making friends with Choppy.

Algeciras

2009-05-12T03:24:00.000-07:00

Algeciras station. We picked up our friend visiting from Australia here. He had come down from Madrid on a very efficient and spacious Spanish train for a few days. I have always found the Spanish transport system very good and rather comfortable; it makes long journey's extremely bearable.

Nugget

2009-04-02T03:33:00.000-07:00

This is Nugget; a new addition to our family. She was rescued from a dog rescue centre where she had been for eight months!! Bonkers! Nugs is the sweetes dog with a lot of love to give. She has been discovering the joys of the beach and chasing seagulls. Chopper has had her nose put out of joint but she is coming to terms with having Nugs around. They seem to be getting on better everyday.

Summer Season

2009-04-02T03:22:00.001-07:00

The summer season has started in sunny Tarifa. April 1st and all the bars and shops which were closed for the winter have now rejoined society. A few early stragglers have come to town seeking a bit of sun and some serious kiting but in general it is still very quiet.

Tarifa mornings

2009-01-10T06:10:00.000-08:00

I like this photo; not for its quality but for the cloud formation over the mountain. This preceded a most monumental downpour; three days of continuous rain in fact. Gotta love Spain.

We have decided that all the wet weather is prelude to a historically hot summer. I promise I will not complain about the heat.

Sunrise

2009-01-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

Each morning we awoke before sunrise, made tea and watched the dawn appear over the mountains. I tried to capture the moments in my own inimitable, amateurish style in the hopes of getting a cracker. One day dear boy; one day.

Pug attack!

2009-01-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

Choppy going bananas.

2009-01-10T05:56:00.000-08:00

Well Feliz Anos to all! Despite the weather, we had some relatively decent spells which we enjoyed by taking Choppy to the beach. The water was beautiful and there was an abundance of Kite and regular surfers doing their thing. Choppy adores the beach so it's ideal for us being only a few yards done the road.

The Rain in Spain

2009-01-10T05:50:00.000-08:00

The rain in Spain falls mainly on Tarifa!!!

Crikey! What weather we have had! The heavens opened; for two months!

As you can probably see from the above picture a new river has formed at the base of the mountain. The animals are not best please and quite frankly I'm amazed that our house didn't wash away. I am being slightly dramatic because the house is bone dry but I think we accidentally moved to the Amazon basin.

Kite Surfing do's and don'ts.

2008-10-24T00:53:00.000-07:00

So the question is, do I take up Kite Surfing once in Tarifa? Well I suppose I have to try it. After windsurfing a lot as a kid and spending a bit of time falling off skatebaords I reckon I can crack this one fairly quickly; watch this space.
There are a few horror stories about out of control Kiters flying around the country but as long as I don't end up in Morocco I should be fine. I'll take my passport just in case.

Vejer

2008-10-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

Vejer; a beautiful hill top white village on the road west to Cadiz. Winding cobbled medieval streets make it a very special Andalusian town.

The are some excellent eateries in Vejer but if you choose to go for Lunch in the summer it can reach very high temperatures; best to go for dinner.

I'll publish the names of some f our favorites as soon as I can remember them. Very good Merlin!

Chopper

2008-10-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Our dog Choppy is going to become a beach babe. she's a big fan of Spain especially running in the sand and chasing the waves. Luckily we'll also have some land so she'll have the best of both worlds which is more than I can say for our pad in the UK.

Choppy is five and the most popular pug in town. Wierdly, nobody really spoke to us until we got Chops and now we get stopped in the street regularly; everyone knows Choppy.

The Blog

2008-10-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

What I would like to do here is create not only a travelogue or diary about our move and experiences but also an informational site for people who are visiting the area such as bars, restaurants, beaches, attractions, golf etc.

I invite people to add to this blog their local knowledge which fellow visitors to the region can utilise. Share and share alike.

The picture here is of one of the rooms at our friends hotel La Sacristia in the heart of the old town. It is a converted monastery. The rooms are beautiful, simple and comfortable. The atmosphere is chic and very laid back.

A New Life

2008-10-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

After several years of deliberation , we have decided to move to Tarifa, Andalucia, Spain.
We may find that once moved we should have done this far sooner or we might come screaming back to dirty London with our tails between our legs; only time will tell.