People who know me are well aware that for years I have wanted to report from a ‘war zone’.  Saturday the 21st of June 2008 was like living in one. At around 7pm I became aware of the smell of burning, then the police cars etc., could be heard around the village. Smoke was everywhere. The hills opposite were on fire!  It has been very hot the last few weeks and really it is a wonder that this hasn’t happened before.  During our time here, we have seen a couple of hill fires, but nothing on the scale of this one  At one point, the scene opposite our roof terrace was completely obliterated by the smoke and the sound of the flames was horrendous.

Two water helicopters were called to the scene..at one point I thought there were going to land on our roof and ask me for water! They were that close. Thundering overhead with their rotary blades whirling.  They were circling and coming at the hills from both ends of the valley, dropping their ‘buckets’ of water as they were flying.  I can’t make a guess of how much water was used or even where it was coming from, but the helicopters were coming around every 3 or 4 minutes (or so it seemed) and the process must have lasted for a good couple of hours. Torrox is a terraced village situated on one side of a valley with the Rio Torrox flowing through, so the fire was right opposite the village.  Houses on the lower level had to be evacuated because of the smoke.  Eventually the electric went down in the village and what with that and the noise of the helicopters I really thought I was living in Iraq!

 This is the scene the morning after. A vast area of the hills blackened. At what cost to the local economy and to the local wildlife.

I have heard..and I don’t know how true this is..that the Police have arrested 3 young boys..of what nationality and on what charges I don’t know.

SCRAPBOOKING RETREATS………….come, indulge, enjoy.

A very different (and most enjoyable) kind of retreat!

Scrapbooking Retreats are a wonderful way to recharge your ‘worn out’ batteries, make new friends and boost your creativity. AND to do all this in “the best climate in Europe”, amidst the beautiful scenery of Andalucia, just 3K from the beach…….well, what more could you wish for?

The week(s) can be as easy or as difficult as you want. We will ensure you take breaks; we will take walks around the village, into the countryside and along the beach – so bring your camera! OR for the very keen, we could do nothing but Scrapbooking.

The Scrapbooking Retreat is offered on a self-catering basis, with accommodation to be chosen from a selection of village houses (www.Spanish-hols.com).  Torrox Pueblo is a traditional Spanish white village offering the perfect setting for likeminded people to pursue their hobby of Scrapbooking.  Even a novice ‘Scrapper’ will find an atmosphere of total serenity to discover the intriguing new way of collating memories and displaying them in beautiful albums and/or self-made books.  Here you will discover friendly people, a welcoming atmosphere, peace and quiet, warm evenings, good food and long cool drinks!

The activity can be as organized or as simple as you wish – this is something we can discuss.

Included in the price is reasonable access to a collection of materials OR you could bring your own (or just bring memories plus your chosen album – but why load up your luggage?) OR maybe an on-going project which you just can’t somehow manage to finish? I will be on hand to offer help and guidance – in fact I will be Scrapbooking alongside you.  There will be ample time if needed to explore the local area and lunch will be included plus tea, coffee and a range of soft drinks will be on hand.

You are welcome to come on your own (no single supplement), with a crafting partner or in a group.

PRICE:

One week of Scrapbooking plus lunch and refreshments ₤150 per person

Self catering accommodation from £150 per week per house

Airport Transfers (if needed) 50 euros per trip

FLIGHTS NOT INCLUDED and Malaga is the closest Airport.

CONTACT abizzyb@hotmail.com for more information and/or booking

We drove up to Lucena a few months ago after I had read that at one time it was a very Jewish town.  First port of call was the Tourist Office, where I couldn’t find one piece of paper relating to when the majority of the population was Jewish.  I spoke to the Tourist Officer who told me they had nothing available but if I called back he would run me something off from the computer…which yes he very kindly did but he had run me off a translation from the Spanish sites and to tell the truth it was awful!!!  So what you read below is my  ‘version’ of that translation, which I hope you find interesting.

During the 9th and 11th centuries. Lucena was recognised as a City of Jews, and was known to the Hebrews as ‘Eliossana’.  It was reputed to have a large population at that time as was quoted ‘to be without any heathens’!! In correspondence at that time between the city and the spiritual directors of Jewish Academies in (what is now known as the Middle East), intellectual prestige was granted, resulting in an authority covering questions of moral, theological and human relationships.

In the year 912 Abd al-Rahman  ascended to the throne and Hasdai ibs Shaprat took over religious jurisdiction, between them exercising the Caliph’s power on all the Jewish communities of Al-Andalus, increasing the importance and influence of Jewish Lucena.

This state of contentment for the Jewish community lasted until 1013 when a pogrom was unleashed on the inhabitants of Cordoba and many of that city’s intellectuals left and took up residence in Lucena.  Around this time there seemed to exist a state of confusion, the Caliphate disappeared and Al-Andalus began to slowly disintegrate, with Lucena falling into the orbit of the Kingdom of Granada.

Twenty years later, in 1033, the last spiritual director of the Sudra Academy in Cordoba, Rabbi Hair, died and most of the remaining Codobian Jews abandoned the city and again headed for Lucena.  Eventually the Caliphate totally crumbled amid fights for political power.

The end of the 11th Century (i.e. 1099ish) saw the beginning of a rebellion within the Lucena Jewish community against huge increases in taxes, imposed on their successful trading practices which had made them second in the fundamental pillars of the Lucena economy and, by fighting their own corner,  having strong trading links with other large Spanish cities and developing ties with the Middle Eastern countries (in particular Egypt), the next two centuries could be considered as the Centuries of Gold for Spanish Judaism. during which time Lucena bloomed as a centre for Hebrew intellectuals. Many poets and teachers were born in the town, amongst them being Ishaq ibn Gayyat (the first of many Sefardic Teachers who conserved the Hebrew intellectual tradition), Ishaq ibn Levi Sea Saul (poet) and Ishaq ibn Chicatella (philoligist).

In the second half of the 11th Century, Granada began to exert pressure on Lucena and it was due to the influence of these Jewish intellectuals that Lucena was able to hold on to self-government.  However, this led to the imposition by rules and regulations being imposed by the Jews over the Muslims, who were forced to live outside the City walls and the maintenance of a Jewish military force.  By these means, Lucenca  theoretically became a Republic.

The 12th Century saw the beginnings of the forced conversion of non-Muslims e.g. you converted or were put to death. This terror covered the whole of the AL-Andulus region and concerned all the non-Muslims, including the Jews, who had inhabited the land for centuries.  In 1148 the Academy of Lucena closed forever and the Jewish inhabitants of Lucena sought asylum in the rest of the world. This was a terrible time for Judaism in Spain and the Sefardic Jews (as the Hebrew of Spain became known) settled and flourished in Eastern Europe until pogroms began again and the Holocaust of the 20th Century took its horrendous toll on these people.

……………………………………………………..

Lucena…..as we know it today ……..is quite a thriving area.  It can be reached by car within a couple of hours from Torrox Pueblo.  We know it as a centre for furniture making and lighting shops.  On the main approach road to the town you pass numerous trading outlets, all stacked full of whatever type of sofa, table, chair or cupboard you could ever want (but where it is made? This is question we always ask ourselves because we have never seen any evidence of trees!) and the lighting shops look like Blackpool illuminations if you pass at night.

The town itself hasn’t retained any of it’s Jewish heritage, which is a shame, but it has a good Tourist Office situated in the Castle of the Moral, where there is an Archaeological and Ethnological Museum.  However, as you can image, there are many Catholic sites of importance, with the main one being San Mateo’s Parish, situated very close to the Museum.  This is considered nowadays as The Cathedral of sub-Andalucia and it’s altarpiece and the Sacrarium stand out as importance.

Lucena is also renowned for its production of oil and wine, being part of the official Route of Oil and Wine.

Since writing the above, I have discovered that only twenty years ago, Lucena was also famous for its hand-made pottery. However, within the past decade almost all of the businesses have disappeared in the face of massive commecial competition. It is all the more remarkable that one of the oldest of these concerns still survives and thrives in the heart of Lucena.

This is the the Alfareria Sarten, founded in 1727, and still in the hands of the same family.  Today, Paco Sarten continues the tradition inherited from his father, Pascual.  Everything is made by hand, thrown directly on the wheel and then embellished with spouts and handles.  Some of the more utilitarian shapes are left biscuit-fired i.e. ewers, vases and massive flower pots.  The majority of the pieces  however are glazed and painted in pale yellow, soft shades of olive green, amber and a rich dark green.

The traditional decoration is a single spray of olive leaves within circles, loops and other simple geometric motifs. The forms themselves, such as the trefoil spouted jugs, are timeless and are constructed in exactly the same way as they were for thousand of years all over the Mediterranean and the Near East.  Although many of the popular items are made in quantity, it is difficult to find a single piece which is an exact duplicate of its neighbour.

TORROX: the only place I want to live

The pueblo (village) I discovered in 1992 has changed in the last few years and has reached the title of ‘small town’ BUT up in the older part of the village you can still find the old pueblo with its old streets, its hidden secrets and its mysticism.

The coastal image of The Costa del Sol often overshadows the fact that just a couple of miles inland are the white villages of Spain’s other world. Torrox, in mind opinion, is a little gem, in that unlike its neighbouring villages of Competa and Frigiliana, it is still a working class village which retains its links to an old, though disappearing way of life. With its wonderful history, fantastic views, hidden corners Torrox is the only place I want to live.

There is a rich and varied history belonging to Torrox, although it did not become a recognizable entity until after the reconquest around 1487, when the village, like many others, surrendered to the Christians. Torrox at this time was made up of various farming areas situated around its castle (and you can find one of its torrents being used now as The Tourist Information Office situated in Calle Baja)

Torrox had a reputation many centuries ago for its silk production. This is going back before 1487 to the time when the Muslims, who were master silk producers, controlled the area.  There were dozens of silk farms in and around Torrox and as silk worms need food, the terraces one can still see today, were covered with Mulberry trees.  These were extremely difficult to cultivate and eventually they died out along with the demise of Muslim culture in general. However, when silk production was at its highest, the women of the village made anything you could image being produced from silk and their products were said to be of the finest quality and commanded high prices.  The terraces are still being productive to this day, but instead of Mulberry trees you see olive trees.

The three great silk centers of the world during the 12^th to the 15^th centuries were Baghdad, Damascus and Torrox….not bad company for my little pueblo! And the center of the silk trade in Torrox was the Paseo de las Moreras, morera meaning Mulberry tree in Spanish. The Paseo is still a popular spot on Torrox today.

Torrox has witnessed many variations in population due to regular calamities and disease.  Yellow fever broke out during the first 10 years of the 19^th century, wiping out more than 30% of the population. A series of 25 earthquakes within three hours on December 26, 1884 killed a quarter of the population.  Within months of this devastation, King Alphonso XII came to visit the village and stayed during his time in Torrox in the Casa de la Hoya which still stands in the main square today.

There are a series of mosaics around the older part of the village, depicting the history and lifestyle of those bygone times and amongst the historical highlights are the church of San Roque and the Hermitage of the Virgin of the Snows (reported to be the birthplace of Almanzor, who held high office under Caliph Al-Hakim). Almanzor actually made himself ‘hijib, taking on both the trappings and power of Caliph himself, keeping the official and nominal Caliph isolated, and becoming effectively the ruler of Muslim Spain from 978 to 1002. He fought many battles against the Christians, leading victorious campaigns both in 982 and 984 and mainly transforming the role of Caliph for ever.  There is a large bust of Almanzor in the main square of the village.

Torrox also saw some of the brutal times of the Inquisition which officially lasted from 1480 until 1834, when neighbours were encouraged to spy on neighbours mainly for the crimes of heresy, blasphemy, non Christian activities and adultery, with 99% of people being found guilty and where common punishments ranged from whippings, beatings, hanging and burning. A popular one being skinned alive and dipped in brine. Believe it or not, it is reported that about 70% lived through various degrees of ‘purification’ and it was all done in any case in the name of ‘pure blood’

Christopher Columbus engaged another citizen of Torrox to travel with him on his journeys, one Luis de Torres.  Luis de Torres was engaged as a linguist, being fluent in Arabic, Hebrew, Chaldean, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Latin. Word has it that he was a Jew, or rather a “Maranao’ (damned Jew), who to escape persecution at the hands of the Inquisition converted to Christianity (but at heart remained faithfully to the Jewish faith) In 1492 Ferdinand and Isobella commanded that everyone accepted Christianity or be expelled from Spain and Luis de Torres converted on August 2^nd 1942, the day before he set sail with Columbus.

When Columbus reached Cuba, he sent Luis de Torres on a mission to try and find the leader known as ‘the great Khan of Tartany’ and so it was that de Torres headed the first overland expedition in the new world.  Luis de Torres reported on a native custom of a burning leaf being put in the nostril and of inhaling the vapors, thus becoming the first European to smoke tobacco. He fell in love with the island of Cuba and asked to stay there, where he was named as the Royal Agent, married the daughters of many different local chiefs and lived a long and happy life as the first European settler in the new world, a native of Torrox.

So, that’s a little of the history of the area of Torrox, but what of now?.  Well, life goes on and like most other Andalucians, the citizens of Torrox love a good fiesta and there are many of them held throughout the year. The traditional Easter celebrations are celebrated in an appropriate somber mood, the other festivals are celebrated with gusto, good food and the local well known wine.  Strangers to the village are encouraged to partake of the local produce, but believe me be very aware of the wine. It is lovely and well worth a try, but it certainly has a ‘kick’ which if too much isdrunk it hits you the next morning!

Please come and visit this lovely part of Spain, where you will find its hidden corners and secrets, its friendly people, its beautiful weather and peace and quiet.

Isn’t there a film called ‘My Beautiful Launderette’? Well, this is my take on it but I have chosen a Pergola instead of a Launderette!!

In my dealings with buyers/owners and builders, I am operating with the wonderful, small company of English builders known as RobandRob, who have erected me this beautiful pergola on the terrace of Casa Sandra (see www.Spanish-hols.com). It is EXACTLY what I wanted and looks wonderful. They have shaped the ends of the wood crossing the top and the choice of wood stain is perfect. I am so pleased with it.

I chose the covering for the top. I think it’s original intention is for fencing but it works very well on the top of the pergola as I want to grow the plants up the sides and thread them through this mesh.

The plants have now been in situ for a while and are starting to grow quite quickly. I have chosen a Plumbago, a Stefanosis, a Dama de Noche and one I think is called a Dalandi……so we have cream(scented), purple/blue, white and pink(scented) and a soft pink, which,when really established will mix and merge on the top.

Remember I told you about the next-door-but-one neighbour who had been confined to the campo by the Guadia Civil? He’s back!! The three months are up. He has just appeared, with a replacement bike, top of the cul-de-sac.

He is fresh, clean, dried out, hair cut, coherent, clean pale yellow shirt, dark trousers, all 5′ nothing of him. And up to now, it is all quiet ‘on the Western front’ as regards the return of the wanderer to his wife.

This is one of many questions I am ALWAYS asked when I meet people. It seems to interest them, even to the point of it becoming an itch which must be scratched! How do I spend my days, here in a land of warmth, friendship and no stress? Well, it’s really much the same as I did in England, except that I now work for myself instead of an employer.

The piece of heaven I live in is Torrox Pueblo in the Andalucian region of southern Spain, and I spend my days trying to run a couple of business….holiday rentals, photography and scrapbooking.  To come out here in 1992 was the best decision I have ever made and, as a lot of people say about things in their lives, it should have been done many years ago. I am an ordinary woman, like many others, so why the people who come to visit seem determined to ask I really don’t know, but my days are spent much the same as they would be spent in the UK if I had started to work for myself at the same age as I did here. I do all the normal things like keeping the house as tidy as I want it, I get up at around 07.30am in the summer and around 08.30 in the winter and no matter what time of year it is I HAVE to have about half an hour to wake up either with a coffee or a glass of milk. My first job in the summer is to water the plants in the cul–de-sac as the temperature here in Torrox pueblo during the summer months starts at about 30 degrees at 09.00 and often gets up to the 40s in the middle of the day, so it is really important to give the plants a good drink before it starts. Then it is breakfast, shower, decide if we need to to out, maybe walk down into Torrox’s main square where the shops, chemist, Post office etc., are….I always take the 79 steps down and the slow exercise walk back which takes me through some of the old streets of Torrox village. Sometimes we take the car or quad bike and go shopping either to the coast which is only 3K away or if we need a really big shop then we go to El Ingenio about 11 mins along the motorway.

We take our lunch around 3pm each day during the time of siesta. Now this is something very different than life in the UK and is really needed during the hot summer months. Siesta time is anything between 1pm and 5pm and here in Torrox (I suppose it is the same in most Spanish regions) you can really tell the time by the silence of siesta. It is a sense of heavy silence, something you can almost hear, the sound of silence just like the song title. Then after lunch comes kip time for 20 mins or so, after which life begins again.

Bits and pieces get done after about 5pm when the heat is slowly going down or sometimes you just want to take advantage of the coolness and sit on the terrace, sometimes with a book but I usually find myself gazing at the hills opposite and knowing that I am very lucky to live where I do.

TV is watched during the evening, just the same as in the UK, the same programmes, the same people, nothing any different. Then it is bedtime usually in this house around 11pm.

So, how do I spend my day? Well much the same as you do, only I do it in the warm, friendly, stress free atmosphere of Torrox Pueblo.

There are other questions I am ALWAYS asked, BUT I will answer those later.

OLIVE OIL

There are many varieties of Olive Oil available in shops these days….and I am only speaking here about the Spanish Olive Oils.  When I first came to live here in Torrox Pueblo in 1992, I, quite naively, thought that all Olive Oil tasted the same. It wasn’t until a few years later that I went to a Food Festival in Malaga and discovered there are a vast range of different tastes and also many different ways of using it,.

The local Olive Oil here in Torrox has a lovely fruity smell, reminding me of all things, grapefruit! When used for frying it leaves a very delicate flavour in the food.  An easy way of either finding the various tastes or using for breakfast, is to simply pour a little of oil into a small bowl and just dip your fresh bread into it, or sprinkle the oil on a bread roll and eat it as it is, or rub a squashy tomato into it and add a little salt.

Another very different use for it is to rub it into your scalp if you either have dandruff or want to thicken your hair!

But I bet you can’t guess another old fashioned and very traditional Spanish use for Olive Oil!!!!!

SOAP!!!!

Apparently soap is made from used oil and has many uses in a Spanish household.

The tradition of re-cyling cooking oils to hand make soap has existed in Torrox for longer than anyone can remember.  Olives are always harvested during November and December and pressed to extract the rich oil, which is and always has been an essential ingredient in the daily diet of Spanish people.  This continues today and forms the basis of many a breakfast, snacks and main meals – one very simple use for it is to have a dish of olive oil (and there are many different varieties) together with a plate of Spanish cheese sliced  and a bowl of chunked up bread. Simply place a slice of cheese on your bread and then dip into the oil. Delicious!

THE PROCESS

Years ago, the used oil, left over from frying fish etc., was collected throughout the year in large communial ceramic containers (and some of these can be seen today being used for pot plants around the house). Once the weather began to get cooler, small parties of women would gather together to prepare the recycling of last years oil.  The ‘jaboneres’ as these women were known, would meet with their big tin basins, buckets and stirring sticks to make their way down to where they would gather wood and begin building the fires, over which the rich olive oil, mineral water and caustic soda would be warmed, mixed and stirred until it saponified.

WHAT NEXT!

The next day, it would be cut into chunks and shared out between the women, who would then store it in large sacks, hung in cellars or outhouses for use throughout the coming year.

The pure olive oil soap has always had an excellent reputation as a good moisturiser and is believed to cure cuts and wounds.  A Spanish friend told me it is also used for washing clothes and when asked, she said that her family never bought commercial soaps.

As I have witnessed, soap is still being hand made in Torrox Pueblo today, usually these days with women either pairing off (or by themselves) to re-cycle their oil, sometimes helping each other with the lifting of the heavy basins and taking turns with the continual stirring which gives the soap its excellent smooth texture and quality.

So, the next time I am aware of it being hand made, I will get myself down there and make some myself!