Mañana - Andalucia, Spain Diary Blog

Writing - Photography - Marketing

www.andrewforbes.com - writing - photography - marketing

The Eagle has landed

It’s no secret that with our proximity to Africa, here in Andalucia we have more than our fair share of raptors.   In fact twitchers make a point of booking holidays here to catch and the spring and autumn migrations across the Strait. With some patience and a case of the right time and the right place you’ll see Eagles, Falcons, Buzzards, Kites & Harriers.

This morning I woke up really early, about 6.30am, so enjoyed the sun rise from the terrace looking out over the sea, well over towards Nerja and inland towards El Torcal near Antequera and started snapping away with my camera! Then later, once the heat of the sun began to kick in about 90 minutes later, I started to hear the screechy call of the Eagle that habitually rides the thermals over La Mairena. Despite the urbanization of the area, they still scan the remaining forest area in the mornings and afternoons.  Today was different; I could see a group of Eagles – sometimes having a tussle with each other. I’m no ornithologist, so I’m not sure what these are, but they look like Booted Eagles and maybe one of them is a different type. Well, I gotta go. I have a meeting in Marbella at 11am!

Sunset at La Mairena

Last night, just before the winds picked up, there was a fabulous sunset reflecting off the clouds - here´s a few pics from the terrace and I picked out a dead oak tree. With no leaves, it kind of looks like winter, strangely.

Adventure Sports & Activity Holidays & Breaks in Andalucia, Spain

Spain and Andalucia in particular, is now a very popular destination for activity holidays.  The winning combination of the loads of space, great countryside and of course the climate makes Andalucia a safe bet for an our doorsy type break.  There are a bunch of companies based here, including Adventure Sports Spain, based near Antequera in the heart of Andalucia, yet not fact from Malaga airport. You can reach them on +34 952745066 or check out the website. Adventure Sports Spain offer Quad Biking, Kayaking, Skiing, Snowboarding, Camping, Fishing, Climbing, Walking & Cycling.  So, get on out there! (I´ll post a review next week).

Extreme sports, adventure sports, andalucia, spain, quad bike tours, quad biking

Art in the Park - Marbella

Last weekend, saw Marbella's Parque de la Alameda and Avenide del Mar transformed into an art expo - festival international de arte, Marbella.  The brain child of Pixie Glore, this was the first event of its kind here so I felt compelled to go along and show support.
There were some familiar faces there with art tents and friends like Conrad Crispin, who was exhibiting his photography as well as his original canvases.
There were a few surprises for me too, like the Dutch artist Antonius Kostermans, with his fun, irreverent collection. His web site features other work.
There was the beautiful work of Gabriela Herrera and the ceramics of Salvador Luna too - all in all an impressive kick off to what I hope will be an annual event.  Just need more buyers I am sure...

Pachamama Catering - Malaga Province - Making Vegatarian food as tasty as it should be!

It was lovely to share time with my friends this saturday.  You all seemed to love the food - for which I can't take any credit.  I ordered lunch from Pachamama Catering, (+34 655 84 34 54) a small start up catering business based in Alhaurin el Grande, serving the inland area of Andalucia. Run by Anne Marie and Diana, it makes the kind of vegetarian food that makes you think you could convert and give up meat - its that tasty!
Like so many people who relocate here to Andalucia, Anne Marie and Diana have interesting histories from their home countries. Anne Marie is Dutch and comes from an advertising and media background whilst Diana is an architect from Argentina.  Plenty of complements from friends about their food, inspired them to make a business out of it.
My experience was really positive. Diana arrived a few hours before lunch and I was wondering why. Well, its because they do a great deal of preparation on site, to truly personalise the menu and make it as fresh as possible. Below are details of my menu, as described to me by Anne Marie. Check out their web site for more details and prices.

*Pachamama Catering Heavenly Hummus (chickpea puree with garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and tahini, beautifully decorated and very tasty. Never met anyone who didn't like it!)

*Pachamama Catering Sweet Tomato Dip from Marrakech (tomatoes sweetened with honey, with a hint of cinnamon, slow cooked to reduce the liquid and intensify the tastes to an almost jam-like texture. One of the sweet/savoury taste combinations that the Moroccan cuisine is famous for. It might sounds like a weird combination, but it's delicious!)

*Pachamama Catering Falafel with Mojo Verde (going cross-cultural here: we're combining home-made israeli falafel, made from fresh chickpeas, with mojo verde, which is a tasty sauce, made with parsley, garlic, lemon juice, chilli pepper and olive oil from the canary islands, that is as prolific over there as ketchup is elsewhere in the world)

*Pachamama Catering Aubergines with Mint, Chilli and Yoghurt - you'll love them: fried slices of smokey, creamy aubergine, sprinkled with a sherry vinegar dressing with garlic, then a pinch of chilli and mint and topped with greek yoghurt.)

*Pachamama Catering Quinoa Tabouleh (i'm sure you had tabouleh before, but never like this: instead of cous cous, we use quinoa, which is the grain that the incas have been eating for centuries and is still the number one staple in the andes: it's got a rich taste, a lovely texture and is super nutritious as well. we like our tabouleh very green, with handsful of freshly chopped parsley, mint and coriander, and add lots of finely chopped peppers, pepinos, peas and tomatoes, and finish it with a lovely dressing with lemon juice and olive oil)

*Pachamama Catering Carrot Salad with Coriander (and a bit of roasted cumin seeds, not too much, but just enough to balance the sweetness of the carrots and the freshness of the coriander with a bit of a spicy smokey taste. we make a beautiful dressing with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil to bring out the best of all the tastes)

*Pachamama Catering Ovenroasted Beet-root / Mild Onion Salad, garnished with Yoghurt and Poppy Seed (beet-root might sound extremely boring, but not if you ovenroast them. i'm sure you know the difference between the taste of a fried pepper and an ovenroasted pepper. the same magical transformation happens when you put beet-roots in the oven! their taste becomes much deeper and sweeter. combined with mild onions, parsley, and a dressing with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, this salad not only gives a wonderful flash of deep purple on your buffet, it also tastes delicious, especially with the creamy greek yoghurt)

All served with Moroccan flat bread.

catering for Marbella, Coin, Alhaurin el Grande, and further afield across Malaga Province and Andalucia.
Pachamama Catering,

Demeures d’Orient - Marrakesh Hotel Review

A tantalisingly sweet aroma fills the room as Moummay carries in the large earthenware tajine of succulent, slow cooked lamb, flavoured with fresh herbs, dried fruits, plump olives and sweet local honey. His mother has been preparing lunch all morning.We’re seated on a narrow sofa that runs around the entire edge of the intimate rectangular room, a space rich in colour and detail, with the striking clash of patterned wall tiles, intricate seat cushion covers and the thick rugs and carpets covering the floor....

Click here to read more - Download Demeures d’Orient - Marrakesh Hotel Review

www.thebestofmarbella.com

Maria Petrak is launching her new version of this popular portal in July.  Add The Best Of Marbella .com to your favourites on your web browser and keep in the know about the best of Marbella.

Art Gaucin - Open Studios

Sharing a home with an Iberian Green Frog...

...over the past few evenings we´ve heard a frog's distinctive croak filling the air. Here's a few picturess of our little friend.  He was living in amongst the damps stones dressing the top of a large plant pot with a small pine tree in it.  Curious thing, is that the courtyard terrace is within the house, surrounded by rooms,with no access to the countryside, and the surrounded area is either developed, or a mountain oak forest - not typical frog habitat..  The good thing is so far this year we´ve had no mosquitoes!