Photos to accompany my new book, Life Beyond the Castanets.
Life beyond the castanets is my second book and sequel to A Kiss Behind the Castanets. The passion for the country, it’s way of life, and for the people of Spain is still there and is stronger than ever.
As in the previous book, these photos are just snapshots that we have taken ourselves so please don’t expect perfection. My hope is that they bring to life people, places, and experiences that I have written about and help you to enjoy the book just that little bit more.
‘I don’t know why we haven’t done this before, do you Briany?’ Mother-in-law Joan having fun in Spain despite her previous reservations.
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Below : The dreaded pozo!
…………………….Supervising the worker.
  Digging a hole in 50 degrees heat. The fan was essential.……………. |
Grandpa
 Our man in Gibraltar. |  On top of the Rock, the Levante rising like smoke behind. |
 Crisps snaffled from a picnic. |
 ………. Our man in Seville and our man in the pool. |
 Our man asleep. |
Despite the delay, Christian and Georgia still had a lot of fun.
 
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Scrooge and The Misers
Old friends – Geof then and now. |
Worrying times in the campo. Prickly pears attacked by the cochineal beetle.
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A day to remember – for all the wrong reasons.
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| Waiting for the car. When they left, the stand holding the wreaths was almost empty. There was no fanfare for the heroes. They should be ashamed. |
Chambon
The New Jeep and the start of new adventures.
……..Since then it has taken on a slightly stagnant smell.
 ………. Overnight pit stop, ready for the off and thundering through tiny French villages. |
 ………. The Chambon Sheriff and out on one of the beautiful trails at Chambon. |
 ………. Between Paul and oblivion, a very slender and well placed tree. The final ride out, a snake of Jeeps as far as the eye could see. |
 ………. The old guard were there in strength. The original Willys Jeeps. Proud owners and big toys, our Chambon crew. |
Plan, The beautiful village on the Spanish border.
 Driving through a waterfall on the way to Plan. |  When you have dodgy brakes you need to improvise! |
Fuendetodos.
The birthplace of Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes. |
In these tranquil streets of Fuendetodos the presence of Goya could be felt. |
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Would you like to try a local speciality? Crisps and olives with tinto verano on the beach at Mazarrón. |
Yee-Haw. Fort Bravo.
 ………. The sheriff rides into town, and leg stretches at the bar before the can can.
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 ………. Lying dead at my feet before the photo opportunity. There’s Injuns in them thar hills. Teepees outside the fort. |
 ………. The First Union Bank and the famous Santa fe Railroad, the stuff of childhood fantasies. |
Casa Juanita
| Our crazy paved house.
That evening, my feet in the still empty pool, there was nowhere else on earth that I would rather have been.. |
In search of waterfalls.
Getting the camera ready for an awesome shot. Beauty in the Extremadura.
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A ladder to ride and sofa boy. Concrete sofas in the Valle del Jerte. Out of shot behind the Jeep is the stone lavadera where the village women would gather to do the laundry.
Cherry picker hidden in the tree. We often had to swerve around ladders propped up from the road.
The moving memorial to the forgotten of the Spanish Civil War close to El Torno.
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 ………. Wine tasting with the wonderful José and a feast fit for a king cooked over vine twigs.
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And of course there was wine. Jenny and Debbie after a hard morning’s study. ¡Salud!
And finally a big thank you to my very talented artists.
 Eva |  Brian |