Only 3 weeks until we return to our home from home - our place in the sun. Although we are only there a few weeks in the year, it really does feel like home. The saying 'home is where the heart is' is just so true.
Why do we love Alhama de Granada so much? Well there's the stunning scenery: Alhama sits proud above a stunning gorge which becomes glorious in the Autumn as the leaves on the trees turn to beautiful bronze, burnt orange and radiant red. The town itself displays its charms in its historical past with Moorish narrow streets and architecture. Most evenings on our way to the bars and restaurants in town, we will go for a stroll, never tiring of the views. Just take a few minutes to soak up the wonders of the town.
There is a long standing tradition in the Granada region of free tapas - when you order a drink at a bar or a restaurant one of two things will happen. Either the waiter will bring you a tapa of their choice or some will let you select from a limited selection. All in all, a drink and a tapa will cost around 2 euros. Quite often we do as the locals do and hop between the bars and restaurants and so enjoy a variety of delicious local cuisine. And of course, the Spanish love to socialise and sitting at one of these bars with our drink and tapas, it is quite easy to end up chatting to some locals.
During the long hot summer in Alhama it is always lovely to cool off at a pool or a beach. We don't have a pool and Alhama is inland so where do we go? Well, there is a municipal pool in town or just a 10 minute drive away is Asador Pato Loco, a restaurant with a lovely and refreshing pool set in 600m2 of gardens. There is no obligation to dine at the restaurant to use the pool, however if you do choose to do so you won't be disappointed! The cuisine is seasonal home cooking with meats roasted in the traditional wood burning oven. As for the beach, well Embalse de Los Bermejales is just a 20 minute drive from Alhama and is perfect to get away from the crowds on the coast. With a stunning mountainous backdrop, the lake offers a large beach with trees at the back for shade. The water is fresh with fish, mostly carp - try throwing in a piece of bread and watch what happens! There is a floating pontoon which children love to jump off and in the summer months canoes and pedaloes can be rented. The calm waters also make it a perfect place for a spot of paddleboarding. For us the lake cannot be beaten - no tides, no heaving crowds, no salt water just peace and quiet and beautiful scenery.
So yes each time we visit Alhama I do feel we are living the dream.
