Septic Tanks and Water Saving Solutions

Some older Fincas in Spain have a “posa negra” literally a hole in the ground rather than a septic tank. The waste is allowed to seep away into the soil resulting in pollution of the subsoil and water table. This is against EEC regulations and a proper tank should to be...

Wisteria must be one of the most recognised and loved climbers – even non-gardeners know it – and yet, strangely, it has no common name, no loving nickname. For me, wisteria is oh so romantic with its fabulous drooping racemes of lilac flowers, swaying and dancing in the breeze.
We tend not to plant it much here perhaps...

Many of you, by now, will have become intimately acquainted with the rhynchophorusferrugineos, or red palm weevil. As if our palms didn’t have enough problems at the moment, there is nowa newthreat on the horizon – paysandisia archon or the palm moth. It’s rather ironic that both of these insects, which so tragically devastate...

In the March Grapevine magazine I wrote about me and my wife's experience in an ice hotel. If I am honest the ice hotel was our reason for being in Romania and as we were busy in the lead up to Christmas we did not really have any chance to research about the country which meant that upon arrival we had little idea what to expect or even what...

This month I had the pleasure of having a chat with Wayne Newman founder of CompetaArt. We talked about the talent and personalities of the various artists and wouldn't it be interesting to get to know each one individually. So, over the course of the next few months I will also be speaking to some of the group members about their work and...

How the hell did I get here? Last year I was one of many who attended the successful adult Panto, Cinderella, in aid of CUDECA and other local charities and if you read my review you might remember I was a little apprehensive about amateur dramatics. That is despite having done a little acting darlings, in my youth, don’t you know; a...

After booking our holiday to stay at an ice hotel in Romania, people we told either asked why would want to do that or replied “yes, I stayed in a nice hotel recently”. After pointing out they had misheard me, they would ask “why do you want to do that?”. As we trudged through the deep, crisp and indeed, even snow enjoying...

Between the mountains and the sea lies Malaga, historical and cultural city of Southern Spain. Its cathedral dates back to the sixteenth century and is known as “the one-armed lady,” because the second steeple was never built. A Roman amphitheatre surrounds the Moorish castle or alcazaba, and the Museo Picasso, contains a collection of...