Today really felt like a Sunday – it was a beautiful day, sun was shining and perfect for getting outside chores done.

I managed to enlist the help of Jonah and Noah my sons and between the three of us we cut the grass, trimmed some bushes and swept up leaves around the house. Actually it was a lot of fun for the three of us (especially me) and no question that many hands make light work. If the weather is fine, I am going to push my luck and see if I can persuade them to help clear out the garden shed next weekend!
We had a super lunch al fresco on the terrace – felt like a summer’s day and then relaxed for much of the afternoon.

From Sunday midnight a more severe lock down is being enforced here. Only critical workers are allowed to drive to their place of work. So I took the last opportunity to go to my office to collect papers for my Q1 accounts that still need to be submitted, as well as some other files and folders and a bunch of old business cards to sort through. It’s only a short drive, but the streets were deserted. I saw three cars in total, both there and back!

My first visit to Spain was back in 1994. We flew in to Malaga, took a bus to Grananda and visited the fabulous Alhambra Palace. We took a train across to Seville, then buses to Cadiz, Tarifa, Estepona and Marbella. Perhaps I’ll write more on that trip another time.
When we arrived in Seville it must have been around 3.15pm. It was August and hot, really hot. There was not a soul to be seen on the streets anywhere. I remember distinctly thinking it felt like everyone must be indoors sheltering from a plague, I’d never seen anything like it. Of course it was just siesta time!

Over the past 16 years living in Andalucia, siestas have pretty much maintained their place in the culture and tradition, at least in our region. Sure, some places now stay open, but in the main local shops shut at 2pm and reopen at 5pm pretty much throughout the year, particularly in hot Summer months. Apart from the obvious idea of taking cover during the hottest part of the day, families come together for lunch to talk and then take a rest. It’s a charming way to live and supports family bonds. Perhaps it’s one aspect of this current situation that I appreciate – to know my family are home, safe and that we are together.

Keep safe,

Anthony

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