A week off

had a last minute holiday as was feeling completely wrecked after months of solid campaigning. SO insisted so we went to Andalucia and the idea was that we had 5 days walking in the Sierra Nevada and a day visiting Granada - I was keen to visit the Alhambra. Went mostly according to plan but twisted my knee on the first day when I slipped on some scree so took the second day off.

This was hard (!!) as it meant that I had to relax for the day! I did have the opportunity to chat to our hostess - Carol - an Englishwoman who had lived in the area for many years and quiz her on the political (and financial) realities of living in Spain. The beer and wine may be cheap but there are other considerations - not least the hefty social security payments for the self-employed.

No one has realised that I have been to sunnier climes as the Tilley hat (only hat with a sun protection factor) and the suncreams have kept me looking "pale and interesting"