Author Archives: magwood

About magwood

Trepidatious Traveller - camino blog is about preparing for and walking the Camino de Santiago. Many future pilgrims have found the blog useful and inspiring, and many who have no plans to walk the camino have simply enjoyed the dialogue http://www.magwood.me

Just one of those (excellent) days

Posted on 03/11/2014 by magwood

Yesterday I took a rare trip down the mountain to the coast, with two main objectives (1) to look for some plants to put on one of the terraces that I rebuilt this year and (2) to visit the music … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Cómpeta, Guiri Andaluz, Olive cloud tree, Olive Pom Pom tree, Racingclub Axarquia, Torrox, Viveros Amberes | 5 Comments

Blood swept lands…….another perspective

Posted on 20/10/2014 by magwood

I recently read a blog post by Sarah Shumate who volunteered to spend a day planting poppies at the Tower of London memorial to the British and colonial servicemen lost in WWI. It’s an interesting account with some stunning photographs … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, ceramic poppies, London, Tower of London | 5 Comments

Diagnosed by the Vet

Posted on 12/10/2014 by magwood

Eczema is something new to me. I guess I even felt a bit smug that it wasn’t something that affected my family, neither myself and my siblings as children, nor either of my own children………until recently that is. My grandson … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Aloe vera, Dyshidrotic eczema, Eczema on hands and feet, Going chemical free, No shampoo, SLES, SLS, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate | 20 Comments

Escape from the mountain

Posted on 06/10/2014 by magwood

I don’t get out much so it has truly been like a holiday to spend the night away from home. One of the prizes at the recent ‘Cómpeta Rocks On‘ extravaganza was a ‘radio experience’ that the winners did not … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Bar Estrecho, Cómpeta Rocks, Hannah Murray, Marbella, Nuevo Reino, Pizzeria Italia Torre deL Mar, Talk Radio Europe, TRE | 6 Comments

…….start walking!

Posted on 23/09/2014 by magwood

It’s about time I got my walking feet back on! I have hardly walked over the summer – it has just been so very hot here in southern Spain. I’ve probably only walked three or four times over the last … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta, Cómpeta walking festival, Cueva de agua, Fabrica de la Luz, rio Cájules | 13 Comments

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

Posted on 22/09/2014 by magwood

I had a good ride on my horse this morning – the first in nearly two weeks. Yesterday’s weather forecast promised us rain storms with thunder and lightning, but we got blue sky and sunshine so I took advantage of … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Horse riding in the mountains of andalucia | Tagged Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, Grand pier, London, Meanwood valley trail, Poppy memorial, Tower of London, Weston super Mare | 15 Comments

An unintentional ‘selfie’

Posted on 07/09/2014 by magwood

Today has presented a few photo opportunities. My alarm (in the guise of Sheba the cat) was a bit late going off this morning and I opened my eyes at around 7:15 am and was greeted by a very unusual … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Animals | Tagged Animals, eye photo, Morning sky, unintentional selfie | 9 Comments

Friends

Posted on 07/09/2014 by magwood

There are some clever TV adverts around. We don’t see many these days because we no longer have tv, other than sky news and a couple of programmes that you would have to be extremely bored to even think about … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Animals | Tagged Adam Buxton, friends, Harvey and Rabbit, TV | 8 Comments

Bridges on the Camino Portuguese – updated!

Posted on 06/09/2014 by magwood

I’ve been motivated to re blog this post by caminoforums member Lucimi. She made a lovely comment in response to the post, which in turn inspired me to seek out some bridge-related quotations. The most delightful aspect of this research … Continue reading →

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Bridge quotes, bridges, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, Portugal, Portuguese route, travel | 16 Comments

100,000 views – THANK YOU

Posted on 19/08/2014 by magwood

Today I have reached a milestone – and not of the kilometre variety that were marking my journey along the camino de Santiago, but a blogging achievement – 100,000 views on the Trepidatious Traveller blog. When I started writing the … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Frances, Camino Portuguese, Expats in andalucia | Tagged 100000 views, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., Camino Frances, camino Mozarabe, camino Portuguese, Málaga, travel, Trepidatious Traveller | 32 Comments

Noche del Vino XXXIX

Posted on 18/08/2014 by magwood

Each 15 August sees the return of Cómpeta’s annual fiesta ‘Noche del Vino’. Always a very special event, it was made even better this year by the visit of my daughter and grandson, and of course my son-in-law, for a … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Cómpeta, El Balilla, Expats in Andalucia, flamenco, night of the wine, Noche del Vino XXXIX, Spain, Spanish fiestas, travel | 25 Comments

Cómpeta Rocks

Posted on 09/08/2014 by magwood

Last night (Friday 8 August) saw the return of Cómpeta Rocks, a very successful musical extravaganza in support of two local charities. Last year’s inaugural event raised over 1,800 euros which was shared by cancer hospice CUDECA and animal charity … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Bar Fernan, Cómpeta, Cómpeta Rocks, El Recreo, Expats in Andalucia, Guiri, MPG, Spain, travel | 25 Comments

CBBH photo challenge: flowers

Posted on 30/07/2014 by magwood

This month I’m participating in the ‘Conejo Blanco Blog Hop‘ hosted by Marianne of East of Málaga blog fame. Marianne’s blog concentrates on the area of Andalucia known as ‘La Axrquia’ and is full of useful information and stunning photographs. … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Frances, Camino Portuguese, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Camino Adventures, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., Camino Frances, camino Portuguese, CBBH photo challenge, East of Málaga, Highland Hind, Portugal, Portuguese route, travel, Wild flowers of the camino | 12 Comments

Shhh…….can you keep a secret?

Posted on 28/07/2014 by magwood

We were a little tired this morning (Sunday) following an extremely late night at the Cómpeta feria (actually very tired and a little jaded after getting to bed at 4:00 am and our animal alarm going off at 7:00 am). … Continue reading →

Posted in A view of life, Animals, Expats in andalucia | Tagged Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta feria, Expats in Andalucia, Fabrica de la Luz, oleander, Roly, Spain, travel | 21 Comments

Who needs clocks when you’ve got animals?

Posted on 26/07/2014 by magwood

We don’t need clocks and watches in our house – we always know when it’s food o’clock I am reliably woken every morning at exactly 7:00 am when my cat Sheba commences her demands for breakfast. Although a rescue moggie … Continue reading →