It’s the end of summer in Spain and the land is dry and brown. There hasn’t been any significant rain for a couple of months – and it shows. This morning after breakfast we went for a walk around the village of Montmaneu and also to look at Sam’s gardens and newly planted vineyard and orchard.

The street in the village is very narrow. Only recently was it paved, previously being cobblestones. The children of the community like the pavement; it’s nice and smooth for bike and scooter riding! The houses are mostly old – concrete, brick, and stonework features. Most of the houses are natural and earthen, with an odd splash of colour. Doors are wooden, and ours must be opened by key, no external door handle. There is a church in the center of the village with a bell that dutifully chimes every 15 minutes. It’s like a step back in time, with a sense of the history everywhere.

Most of the producing season has finished, but there are still fresh veges in the garden. Water is a challenge this time of the year and the plants show it. On the land there are the chickens, grape vines and fruit trees. One of the olive trees had been rooted out by a wild pig, and  some of the grapes were recovering from deer chewing  them. It is challenging conditions to grow in.

After viewing the garden, we went for a walk to pick wild blackberries. They were quite plentiful, smaller than NZ berries but very tasty. The children especially enjoyed them.

To the West, the sky was getting very dark and dramatic looking. We could hear thunder rumbling in the distance and see the odd fork of lightning. Time to get home for lunch and a siesta.