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Andalusia or Andalucía?

The autonomous region of Andalusia (Andalucía in Spanish) is in the southern part of Spain. It spans from Atlantic coast in the west to the sheltered coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the east and from Málaga's Costa del Sol to the borders of Castilla – La Mancha the famous flat lands and Don Quixote windmill country.  With an average of 300 plus days of sunshine a year the coastal area is an all year round destination. Not so in the inland provinces of Cordoba, Jaen and Sevilla which ha ve baking hot summers that can reach +40c and cold winters which can be 0c or less overnight. The Mezquita, Córdoba Andalusia is divided into eight provinces, each with a provincial city of the same name. Some of them are far more famous than others: Almería , Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Sevilla. The three land-locked provinces are Córdoba, Jaé n and Sevilla, the rest are coastal. Each province and city is full of culture, history, traditions, fabulous monuments and cre...
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A Writers Retreat, Barcelona, Spain

Last week was a couple of first time experiences for me, both really good. It was my first writers retreat and my first trip to Barcelona (in twenty years of living in Spain.) Both were great. I drove 2.15 hours to Malaga airport, flew to Barcelona and arrived at the hotel on the manic La Rambla as the others were meeting to begin the writing retreat.

That first part I didn't enjoy! I live in peaceful countryside and arrived to a multitud of people, noise, traffic and a group of women I didn't know - scary.

I've never liked meeting new people. In particular having to introduce myself with everyone looking at me. I might sound like a teenager. I'm not and haven't been for 34 years. Do the maths.

Taking a Break - Parc Güell

By the end of four nights, five days of writing, sharing, laughing, exploring, wining, dining and the odd tear I'd had the most amazing time and experience.

The 'girls' were great, we were a small, international group. We had and gave lots of encouragement, drank plenty of wine, saw a fair bit of Gaudi and did some kilometres pavement pounding. Now I feel more than ready and confident to do it again. It helped, encouraged and animated me as a writer but also, as a shy person with baggage, it helped me grow and mature from that unsure teenager into someone who feels happier in her older, saggier, baggier skin.


Have you been on a writers retreat?

Would you like to but are confident enough?

Please comment and share your thoughts or experiences or if you'd like to ask any questions you can find my email on the About page.

Read my article written on the plane on the way home from the Pink Pangea Writer Retreat - High and Low


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