ANDALUCIA

We travelled by plane to Malaga, and stayed in our Timeshare accomodation in Andalucia, Spain as we were accompanied by my nervous, unadventurous parents; this seemed the sensible option - comfort and facilities were important to them both. On attending the 'welcome meeting' (which we normally avoid) next morning we were offered the chance of a Jeep Safari into some remote areas of the mountains, so decided to take the organisers up on this opportunity!

We were packed into two Jeeps by two attractive young men/guides (not that I noticed) and we set off quite early in the morning - under strict unstructions to wrap up warm, as it would be a full day out and could be quite cool. We were shown the local flaura, fauna and wildlife - including an unexpected wild boar that suddenly appeared in the middle of the road, and then disappeared just as quickly. By the time we'd all jumped off the Jeep with our cameras, there was no sign of him. We were shown the trees where the bark had been stripped of the cork for use in wine bottles etc; we had no prior knowledge of the origins of cork and found this fascinating.

Next, we were off to a small village high up in the mountains where lunch was prepared and served by the locals in the village square, so quaint and picturesque (find the shady spot under the trees was uppermost on everyone's mind). We sat at a mismatch of rustic tables and chairs and feasted on really flavoursome chicken and vegetables, even though it was really only 'scraps' of meat in a type of stew. After completing a tour of the village winery we purchased a (particularly expensive) dessert wine with a gold foil cover, no less, and 'Yes' it did make the journey home packed in towels in our suitcase, in one piece (sigh of relief).

Late afternoon, we visited a remote goat farm where we could try our hand at using the slingshot (a type of catapult). My Dad was in his element as this brought childhood memories flooding back, as he was brought up a little rough and ready. He really knew how to use the catapult and hit the targets many times over, much to the amusement of the onlookers.

My lasting memory was of the guides asking us to sit on the edge of the mountain, close our eyes and listen. The calm, absolute peace and the feeling that I was the only person left on earth was overwhelming - for that experience I will always be grateful.

Wherever you travel, appreciate beauty by not just 'seeing', 'feel' it, by just taking a moment!