May women only walking holiday

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you've all had a relaxing Christmas break and a good start to 2010. If however, you've got winter blues and feel you could do with a break to unwind fully, why not come and join us on our May Spanish women only walking holiday?

Whether you are widowed, single, divorced or married but travelling on your own, come and enjoy stunning walks, at your own pace, in a safe, comfortable environment, and take the time to get to know the Alto Genal, a beautiful and unspoilt part of Andalucia just 20 minutes from Ronda, and enjoy its delicious gastronomy.

Our philosophy is that holidays should be relaxing and reenergizing as so many women lead stressful, hectic lives. Therefore we have designed our walking holidays with that in mind:

• We offer different levels of walking to suit all needs.
• Airport transfers and all transport are included.
• Lovely, comfortable accommodation with swimming pool in the charming Hotel Bandolero situated in the white village of Juzcar.
• No early bird start or rush in the morning but instead enjoy your breakfast and get ready at your leisure.
• No rush either during the walks - walk at your own pace and take the time to enjoy the stunning scenery and chat.
• Enjoy delicious Spanish tapas/meals at lunch time in typical Andalucian restaurants in the "Pueblos blancos" we walk to. And in the evening, savour Ivan's gourmet cuisine, the Hotel Bandolero's Cordon Bleu Chef.
• Visit typical Andalucian white villages as well as beautiful, historical Ronda.
• For total relaxation, enjoy well being therapies after walking, provided on request in the comfort of your hotel room.
  
  If you fancy getting away from it all, do join us. Our next available women only walking holiday is 24th - 31st May 2010. For more information, contact us or click on our walking holiday package.

A call for mass opposition against the EU Directives & Codex Alimentarius

While you were peacefully sleeping, the European Commission have been secretly preparing over 300 Directives & Regulations which threaten to destroy our health; natural foods, vitamins and herbal supplements; anciant traditions and practices; healthcare businesses; animal welfare; the environment; plus take away our 'consumer rights and choice'. Sadly neither the media nor the Government are informing us of these life threatening issues!*

Please visit urgently Joining Hands in Health to find out more about these threatening EU Directives and Codex Alimentarius and to see how you can help protect your consumer right and health choice. We must act before the end of December 2009 otherwise it will be too late!

*Taken from Joining Hands in Health website.

Walking poles/walking sticks - just a new craze? All you need to know about walking poles

Is walking with walking poles or walking sticks just a new craze or is it really good for you? Judy, one of our walking guests, introduced me to pole walking or Nordic walking. We actually bought a pair of walking poles for her to use while walking with us, as she was travelling light and couldn't bring her own and we thought it would be a good idea to offer such service to our walking guests. Judy was a mine of information and she kindly explained to me how to use the walking poles. Many of our successive guests have since used our walking poles but I am surprised to see that not many people actually know how to use them to their full capacity. Please read on to find out more on how walking with walking sticks is good for you, how to choose walking poles, how to set up your walking poles so you can fully benefit from them and if it is better to walk with one or two walking poles.

Walking with walking poles/stick is actually good for you because:

• It helps with your balance (ideal also when crossing rivers or on slippery terrain).


• It supports your body weight and thus reduces stress on your feet, legs, knees, hips and your back (especially when going downhill). So if you have any problems with any of these body parts, the walking sticks will be a great help. And if you haven't got any, they will lessen the normal "wear and tear" associated with walking.


• It helps when going uphill by giving you that extra push.


• It gives you a better posture and enables you to breathe more efficiently.


• It is very good for working out the upper body such as the arms, shoulders, upper chest, neck and the upper back, while helping to loosen any tensions that normally accumulate in the neck and the shoulder area due to stress, working at a desk/computer, etc...


• It increases your heart rate without your feeling it (easier cardio workout).


• You burn a lot more calories.

My 5 top tips for choosing walking poles:

• Despite people saying the one piece poles are more secure and durable, I find telescopic walking poles more comfortable for walking on mixed terrain as is the case here in the Serrania de Ronda. You can then adjust them depending on the terrain (see how to set them up for more info on walking poles adjustment).


• Choose poles with a comfortable handle. I prefer soft textured handles that feel smooth to the touch. Plastic ones can be a bit rough after a while and a bit slippery with sweat on hot days.


• Choose poles with comfortable straps designed to support your wrists.


• An added comfort is the shock absorbing features that some poles have. Some says this feature adds some weight to the poles, but it cushions impacts on your wrists when walking on hard ground or on rocky slopes.


• Light weight poles are indeed a must.

How to set up your walking poles/sticks:

• The height of your pole is very important so as not to strain your back or your elbows: while standing tall and holding your walking pole, the inside angle of your elbow should be at 90 degrees.


• When walking uphill, you will need to shorten your poles to obtain that same comfortable height.


• And when walking downhill, you will need to lengthen your poles to obtain that same comfortable height.


• Use your straps instead of holding firmly your walking sticks: put your hand through the strap and adjust it so that while holding lightly the handle, the heal of your hand rests comfortably onto the strap (that's why it's important to buy walking poles with ergonomically designed straps). While walking, apply pressure onto the straps instead of gripping the handle. This way, your hands and wrist don't get tired.

Walking with one or two walking poles?

Well, the general consensus seems to be that it is much better to walk with 2 walking poles for a good walking rhythm, balance and general workout. However, the main thing is your being comfortable. If it feels weird walking with 2 poles, I would use just the one. You won't get the full aerobic benefits but it will still give you some support to relieve your knees, hips, legs and back.

I would like to thank Judy for sharing with me her knowledge about pole walking and I hope you will have found this information interesting and helpful.

Fun scenes encountered while walking in Andalucia

It is amazing how often I come accross unusual and funny scenes while walking in Andalucia. So much so that I have decided to start taking photos of funny sights I encounter on my walks or just scenes you wouldn't expect to see in the middle of "no where" or I should say, in the middle of the Andalucian countryside, sometimes only accessible by a single track footpath.

Here are a few funny photos I would like to share with you:

• A witch fully dressed in normal witch apparels from the pointy hat down to black shoes tied up on a fence post outside of Alpandeire.
• An idylic scene with plastic table and chairs in a field on a path between Parauta and Igualeja.
• On the same path, a rubish bin tied up to a Sweet Chestnut tree in the middle of the countryside!
• A sign warning walkers against bees on a path between Alpandeire and Atajate (there are indeed beehives in the viscinity).
• A bath and shower contraption just outside Atajate,
• And finally, a pair of big black knickers on the old Moorish cobbled path going to Atajate!
  

Movies about Ronda and Alto Genal scenes

Here are links bellow to Michael Szpakowski's QuickTime movies he made while walking in the Serrania de Ronda and visiting Ronda with us. They are such little gems, so delicate and timeless. Attention to details we take for granted or just don't notice captured in a melancholic and very subtle way.

Michael is an artist, composer and educator. His music has been performed all over the UK, in Russia and the USA. He has exhibited work in galleries in the UK, mainland Europe and the USA. His short films have been shown throughout the world. He is composer and video artist for Tell Tale Hearts Theatre Company and a joint editor of the online video resource DVblog. For more information about him and his work, please visit http://www.somedancersandmusicians.com/

If you would like to watch his movies capturing Ronda and scenes of the Alto Genal, make sure you have Quicktime, that your sound is on (some are silent though) and click on the poster image, then go and have a cup of tea or a glass of wine, or read a bit as some of the files are huge downloads.

A postcard from Ronda is the biggest file to download but well worth watching. Such a delicate and warm capture of Ronda and its people with fantastic work with light and shadows, accompanied by a touching piece of music. Enjoy!

A postcard from Ronda

Two villages of the Alto Genal

Four

Walking holiday in Andalucía, October 2009

Here are a few photos taken during our walking holiday in Andalucia with Hilary, Stuart, Janet and Michael, beginning of October 2009, who were so much fun to walk with. I don't think I have laughed so much while walking!

Thank you ever so much for being so enthusiast, appreciative and so interested in the area, its fauna and flora, its history, its culture, its people and its cuisine. It was a real delight walking with you.

We were also blessed with the weather! Beautiful deep blue skies and delightful temperatures, so much so that you all enjoyed the hotel swimming pool and some of you even managed to have a swim in the morning before the walks and in the afternoon after walking!

The following photos were taken in the Sierra de las Nieves national park, in the Sierra Bermeja and on some of the paths linking the 7 Andalucian white villages of the Alto Genal:

Mourning in Cartajima

A very special man, Juan Corbacho, passed away on 16th September 2009, at 12:30, in Cartajima. When we met Juan, he had been cleared from throat cancer for many years. But sadly, the cancer came back at the beginning of the year.

He will be missed by all his family and friends. Yesterday was his funeral (17.09.09), our first funeral in Spain. As is the custom here, family, friends and neighbours go and present their condolences to the family of the deceased and accompany the family and the deceased during an all night wake. We went to the family house to say our farewells to Juan and offer our support to his wife, children and family in the afternoon. The house was so full of family, friends and neighbours that we didn’t stay very long but went back again in the evening when there was a little less people in the house.

Juan was so little in his refrigerated coffin, only his head showing amongst the white satin cloth. He had lost so much weight. His face though was peaceful. He died peacefully surrounded by his family. And he was taken the following day to the village church and the cemetery surrounded by so many people. We had never seen such a crowd in the village apart from at festivities celebrated in the village. We were told that people came from Ronda, Juzcar, Pujerra, Farajan, Igualeja, etc.

He was such a lovely man, that everybody couldn’t help but like him. We took to him as soon as we met him. He was a very generous man who would help anybody any time. He was down to earth, honest and direct as well as being sensitive and warm. He was witty and liked jokes and joking. We spent many an evening in his company at Baltasar and Amalia’s bar, laughing with him.

He was little and thin but so strong and full of life and so animated, always gesticulating his arms about while talking in his hoarse voice. He loved flamenco, a passion he passed down to his Down syndrome son, Adrian, and loved bull fighting. We have a better understanding of the art of bull fighting thanks to Juan. He would explain to us while watching some corridas on the TV, the rules, the reaction of the public, the passes, etc. And he would know immediately whether a bull would be a good one or should be sent off. He also loved collecting mushrooms and would go as far as Grazalema to collect them. I used to see him in the Sierra de las Nieves while walking with guests during the mushroom season. The mushroom season is about to start....

We will never forget you Juan. Showing us how to cut Jamon properly, giving us the key to his gate so we could park our vehicles somewhere safe from fireworks during any festivities happening in the village... We will never forget 2 years ago, inviting us to his house on Christmas Eve. What a wonderful night it was, spent with his family, feeling part of his family. And actually driving to our house on New Year’s Eve to physically take us to his house to spend New Year’s Eve with his family! Since we were on our own, he told us they were our adoptive family for that night! What an honour! And how generous and thoughtful! We will never forget these very special moments.

The church service was very quick; Juan would have actually laughed at it as the priest was talking so fast, it looked as if he was late to catch a train!!! Nobody stood up to say something about him, and I felt it such a shame that the life of such a man wasn’t celebrated (I guess, too short a time to prepare an eulogy or maybe not the custom), but I feel the need to at least do it here, in our blog.

After the short rather noisy service (the church was full and lots of people were standing outside), we all followed Juan and his family to the cemetery. Some of the villagers took some long church candles to presumably walk with them lit, but it was so windy and stormy that the candles never got lit. I wonder if Juan saw the funny side of this...

We then gathered round the “pigeon-hole” like tomb where his coffin was slid in, and everybody watched the village builder, Jesus, blocked the tomb with bricks and cement. There were so many people, and the alleys being narrow, we were spread out in the cemetery, amongst graves. We couldn’t see much apart from tops of heads and right in front of us, an expense of land in front of the cemetery full of cars, where a 4x4 was trying to get out and ran into 2 cars in the process while being supposedly guided by another man!!! So surreal, but a great reminder of the Andalucian practical outlook on life, life goes on. When Jesus finished his work and the crowd started dissipating, we walked down to the grave to hug again distraught Juan’s daughters and wife and immediate family.

Saddest day in Cartajima. We will miss you Juan. Rest in peace.