First we would like to introduce you to our team:

Go to Places of interest:

Zoë Males began working the day of her birthday. She has previously worked for two estate agents and helped to consolidate this office. She now heads the sales force in Olvera Properties and has another separate company of her own that rents houses and apartments called Rustic Route Holidays. A dedicated member of Olvera Properties, she is the first person clients will encounter, either over the phone or through eMail. She has lived in Olvera for five years and is a chocolate lover extrodinaire. Zoë has a flare for using her rather fancy camera to great effect - the pictures of snow in Olvera last year for instance are all hers.

Olvera is a "pueblo blanco" situated in the most north-easterly corner of the Cadiz province in the heart of Andalucía in the south of Spain. Within a few kilometers of the town center there are the county boundaries of Seville to the north and Malaga to the east.

Olvera stands just beyond the enormous Guadalquivir valley, nestling in the Sierras of Lijar, Tablón, Molina and las Cumbres which create stunning vistas in almost any direction. The most outstanding feature of the town is the 12th. century castle crowning the hilltop while within the castle walls is a cathedral and a large open square.

The "casco antigüo ", La Villa Vieja is arranged around the church with typically narrow Moorish streets and stairways which often present views of the surrounding countryside that are breathtaking.

Olvera from the Pruna approach

Pruna is a smaller town than Olvera, nestled at the base of the mountain pass, with a watchtower fort signaling its ancient heritage as part of the chain of frontier towns. Pruna, like Olvera its focused upon the Olives in the area, with two well known factories, and in December the air is heavily scented with olive oil.
Torre-Alháquime is five minutes south-east of Olvera, with an easy-going feel, this village is ideal for anyone looking for a quiet retreat. Further down the same road is Setenil de las Bodegas, famous for its cave houses and cool cellars.
El Gastor cannot avoid being called quaint. Visible from Olvera, to the south-west, the pueblo is folded into the mountains and the local inhabitants keep it immaculately, as is Zahara de la Sierra, a mountain top town like Olvera, that looks down over the spectacular blue of the Zahara lake. From Olvera it takes about twenty minutes to be at a lakeside beach, ready for a picnic and with a rod and line your barbeque could include freshly caught fish to be eaten after canoeing across the water.
Just off the main road to Arcos, fifteen minutes west, is the pretty town of Algodonales. The plants in this area often look greener in summer because of the abundance of water in the substrata. Then later in the year, as the houses face south into the valley, taking advantage of all the winter sun, the town almost always is surrounded by flowers.

These then are the towns immediately around Olvera - each and every one is worth while visiting,exploring and revisiting.

El Gastor: The town hall square

Pruna: The castle fort hill from the main street

The towns and cities around Olvera each have character and many are well-known; within two hours car journey are Seville, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Vejer de la Frontera, Algeciras, Marbella, Málaga, Antequera, Granada and Córdoba. Living in Olvera puts you within an easy day´s journey to most of Andalucía´s major centers of culture.
Jerez, Seville and Gibraltar airports are a little over an hour away as are the beaches of the Costa del Sol, while Málaga and the Costa del Luz can be reached in an hour and a half, and if you are thinking of skiing in the Sierra Nevada, the other side of Granada, you should give yourself a good two hours to get to the slopes.
Twenty five minutes car journey South-East is Rhonda - with its famous bridge over the gorge connecting its two towns - and like all the major towns in the area, boasts many Roman and Arabic buildings. The road to Ronda from Olvera takes you through the village of Setenil, a town whose inhabitants have carved some of their houses into the rocks that form the hillside. Arcos de la Frontera is another "must see" pueblo blanco that is an hour due west with its precipice edge defining the very ultimate margin of the town.

This region is truly wonderful in that its history goes back to the Phoenicians and yet is still alive and access able.

Granada Alhambra: Castle entrance

Granada Alhambra: winter sunset

The Via Verde is a length of old railroad that was never completed as a train track from Olvera to Arcos; instead it now a nature trail and arguably the most famous of the via verdes in Andalucia. The 39 km. of flat, surfaced, track goes through some of the most beautiful countryside in Cadiz province, tunneling through mountains and bridging rivers, in a setting of tranquility away from cars. The start of this journey is at the base of the town of Olvera, where there is a hostel with an excellent restaurant that has an extensive menu, and it continues westwards, into the sierras, past a string of old station houses, some of which are converted into inns - others are waiting to be renovated. The Via Verde is a treasure and a delight for cyclists, ramblers and horse riders.
Bikes can be rented out for a very reasonable amount at an hourly or half daily rate from the hotel bar.

Via Verde: Estacíon de Olvera, beginning of the line

The Lake (Embalse) at Zahra de la Sierra, is some 20 km. South-West of Olvera and has many landing stages around it, from which one can picnic, swim, canoe and sail.
Nearby at La Muela, above the pueblo blanco of Algodonales, one can also para glide and microlite - the leisure industry in this region is just beginning and there is an infrastructure able to cope with the growth that the area is going to experience.

Come and experience the lifestyle - it is affordable and fun and most families find their children are well looked after by one and all.

Zahara lake: That is the real colour!

Olvera: From Me Comes Peace. The coat of arms for the town shows a ducal crown above a gold shield. In the center of the shield is a castle on a maroon field flanked by olive branches.
The words "La Paz", the use of the olive branches and the way that they are arranged like wings either side of the castle is something of a visual pun.

There has been a castle or fort on this mountain top since the Romans and, quite likely, from before that as the vantage point is superb. It was also, without a doubt, the views which first drew us to this wonderful town.

The olives of course are un-missable, but what is not always seen by the casual visitor is the outcrops of soil that is of a very similar colour to the inner part of the shield. Deep maroon/sangria coloured earth can be seen near El Gastor and along the edge of the Zahara lake and is quite startling.

The Olive Press is two years old! The OP is the only papers that reaches all parts of inland Andalucia and delivers news that really is news! It is incredible that you can find it in all the obscure isolated corners of Cadiz, Jaen and Sevilla provinces and its sister edition The Olive Press Eastern edition can be picked up in Granada and Almeria.

I know that its readers are loyal and love the paper very much as I do and look forward to reading the news-breaking editorials about what affects us as much as the more "off-the-wall" comments from the Lounge Lizard and Bartie. It is their voice and the window on the regional news that helps to shape our opinion of what we want and would prefer to see being developed here in Andalucia. As a frequent advertiser looking for clients for our area around Olvera, the paper has proven to be very useful and we find it invaluable to be a part of our business”.

Pete and Brian (aka "MANTIS" - Music And No Testosterone In Sight) put up a great fight against outstanding numbers at the Zeppelin this Saturday night. In the tight confines of the bar the "audience" danced into the small hours of Sunday morning to the sounds of this "Cover Song Duo". This was not their first time playing in the bar and certainly not their last as the pair played even better than their debut performance and enticed their audience into a frenzy of dance.

They will perform again at the Copacabana in the near future (no dancing please as the space won't permit it) and we all look forward to the feria when we can all "let lose" again.

All credit too, to the staff behind the bar at the Zeppelin who managed to provide drinks in a smooth succession that would do credit to any London discotheque (think London Palladium) while barely breaking a sweat.

Here are some photos of the extravaganza at Al Largo, Zahara, last Saturday.

It was a fantastic event in the restaurant that was completely booked out. There were many nationalities represented amongst the guests: Spanish, English, Dutch, German and French (and probably more besides!) and including local Zahara folk. Our evening started out in the tapas bar with a group of 11 people who enjoyed a leisurely drink while looking out to the lake view. As the bar became fuller our group moved into the restaurant to be seated and served the first of a series of tapas which included “moule gratinada”, smoked salmon & caviar on toast and “patatas bravas”. Then came some of the most fresh and dynamic Flamenco singing, playing and dancing I have ever had the pleasure to witness.

This young group from Olvera were outstanding in their style and flair. Each of the five people had a section: exquisite singing, brilliant guitar playing, an exciting percussion demonstration and of course the dancing. The main course of “pulpo en su tinto”, shrimp parcels, “secreto” on toast, and lamb cakes were to die for and gave us time to discuss and fully appreciate our luck. The second section of the Flamenco was, if possible, better than the first part as the troupe got into its stride and the audience began to participate more vigorously.

There was a dance duet that was brilliant as the two distinct styles being executed in parallel was a singular production. One wondered which woman to watch as each produced an extraordinarily clean Flamenco form. And I have to admit that the singer’s version of “No me quites la botella que me quiero emborrachar”, brought me to tears of delight.

The atmosphere was at times electric and the food had Stephan's trademark "Andalucia-cum-New York" mix of tastes that are mouth watering. I hope to see this Olvera group again and I certainly wish each and every one of them the fantastic future that they deserve. I also hope that Mona and Stephan and the Al Largo staff put on more of this kind of event as it was such good value at 25€ per head.

We would like to highly recommend that you go to Alan's site, to see some of the places in and around Andalucia that they have been to, that you too might like to visit. His and Anne's collection of pictures also provides a well balanced view of Olvera and they tell a nice story of exploration and discovery.

The entry below for November the 1st was written for us by Mick Walker and it inspired us to produce a page within this site for people who wish to contribute. It seems only fitting that Mick should be there to start the ball rolling. Please take a look and hopefully enjoy the Contributor's Corner.

Tribute to a father

Another view of the Civil War Memorial in the church square

All Souls Day - Mick Walker brings us this vignette.

November 1st is Todosantos, and in Spain this is celebrated by local people visiting cemeterys to honour departed loved-ones. They tend the resting places, clean the memorials and leave flowers and candles. This year I mingled with the crowds at the cemetery under the Castle. I overheard such snippets as a mother telling her child, as she pointed to a grave:- "That's your Dads Grandfather there...". I couldn't help thinking, as I wandered around, about the thousands of Spaniards who have no grave to visit, because of events during the Civil War. However, as I emerged out onto the Church Square; I noticed a flowering plant that had been sellotaped to the new memorial statue. A simple hand written note said (my rough translation)...
"To honour the memory of my Father Jese Troya Arenas and his comrades 'los Vedaderos', who fell defending the Truth, Freedom and Justice of a Government constituted by the People." . . . "Father we did not forget you."

A flower filled cemetary

Beneath the castle walls is this tranquil place

Robert is a welcome addition to Olvera. He is a qualified engineer who is now turning his "attention to detail" to the building trade in order to make this town his full time residence. Robert did the near impossible trick of buying four houses in Olvera, all through Olvera Properties. He asked me to mention that he is happy to give our business a reference, and if you would like to, you can eMail Fuzzy and he will answer any of your questions about Olvera, its environs and the people who sell houses near the church stairs.

After a very, very busy string of clients and long hours over the spring and early summer both Melanie and Zoë decided that instead of taking separate time off in August we would aim to have the whole month off, as do most of our Spanish neighbours!
It is very hot in August and Olvera holds the "Feria de San Augustin" when pretty much everything in the old part of town closes down . . . and the Feria begins! Late nights, lots and eating andf drinking and staying up all night dancing Sevillanas in true tradition, the women in flouncy dresses and the men in hats, braces, waistcoats and bandelleros. . . Two whole streets are closed off and the fair, along with all the privately run cassestas open around 1pm and then stay open until 6am (and in some cases, like the churetteria, untill 8am!!), then everyone goes home to sleep . . . only to get up at lunchtime the next day to start it all again!
The children and spoilt rotten, with the array of fair-ground rides and endless bouncy castles, sweets, toys and other goodies...I don't know how the locals manage to stay going for so long. I was certainly tired before them!

With Olvera mostly shut down until the beginning of September, Melanie and I managed to get to France for a long awaited holiday there and we stopped at one of Melanie's favourite cities: Barcelona where there were more street fairs in the "La Gracia" area and not a little shopping was undertaken.
Zoe and her family managed to get away to Wales (twice!) and El Palmer, Conil de la Frontera and Tarifa. . .(Bliss!) . . . and at one point even managed to gain a great kid free week in Olvera by leaving the children in Wales . . .

We came back totally refreshed (if not a little worn out from so much holidaying) and ready to be incredibly busy, with one day in the office looking after 10 different sets of clients (not to mention some of the old ones just popping in to say hello!) . . Soooo . . . this is in part why this diary hasn't been updated for so long! I am back on track now and Olvera Properties has had a very good start (and middle) to the year.
There will be more updates of our clients when we track them down to take some photos.!

The Estate Agent had described
the property as a det. des. res. with
c/htg. and gar. But to Tony it looked
like a complete and utter sht. hle.

Not OP I hasten to add

This card was sent by James and Charlotte

Jane and her lovely dog, Mabel, now have a house in Olvera as well as a place down at the coast. Jane wanted to make an investment, and after a couple of false starts (both of which, while good ideas, would have involved building work - of which she has done her fair share and wants to do no more) she decided that Alphonse's house fitted the bill. Both parties were very patient while Olvera Properties (and the rest of Olvera) went on vacation and couldn't wait to be amongst the first to complete once we all returned for action.

Jane and Alphonse and Mabel

In the office, once the sale was completed, discussing some fine details.

Monument in the church square.

A curious sight as one climbs the stairs to the church square.

My rough inturpretation:

"TESTIGO DEL TIEMPO"
ES EL HOMENAJE A LAS OLVEREÑAS Y OLVEREÑOS QUE PERDIERON LA VIDA POR LA SINRAZON Y LA LOCURA. ENTERRADO EL RENCOR, OLVERA RECUPERA LA MEMORIA Y LOS NOMBRES DE LOS REPRES ALIADOS Y VICTIMAS DE LA GUERRA CIVIL RENOVANDO EL COMPROMISO CON UNA CONVIVENCIA DEMOCRATICA Y PACIFICA.

"WITNESS OF THE TIME"
IS THE TRIBUTE TO OLVEREÑAS AND OLVEREÑOS THAT THEY WERE KILLED WITHOUT REASON AND IN MADNESS. BURYING THE RESENTMENT, OLVERA REMEMBERS THE NAMES OF THE REPRESSED ALLIES AND VICTIMS OF THE CIVIL WAR, RENEWING A COMMITMENT TO COEXIST IN DEMOCRACY AND PEACE.

Explainatory Plaque

This monument appeared during the early part of this summer, and represents a highly significant change of heart within the populous and politics of the Andalucian and the Spanish people. The story of the civil war is well known and the effect it had on families and townships such as Olvera is hard to imagine. Suffice it to say that they were devastating times.
As the children of the Civil war become octogenarians, it seems that "The Silence" is over and that today's generation are effecting an understanding with their past, as this monument could not have existed 25 years ago.

A Huge "Thank You" to Everyone at Olvera Properties
for making our house purchase easy and stress free
Such a Professional and Friendly Bunch!
Many Thanks
Frank and Angie XX

Dancing Sevillanas in the mid afternoon sun

Melanie taking a well deserved break

Yes, this is where shotgun weddings were invented

Pruna's romeria is a party. The town climbs the nearby hill and spends the next couple of days meeting and greeting and mingling and dancing and sleeping in the sun and grilling food for family, friends and just about anybody. This is the best time to get to know who your neighbours are!

Dancing more Sevillanas in the mid afternoon sun before eating

The caravan going down the hill back home to Pruna

Its been a long day!

Two well known characters.

Sin alcohol!

O.K. I know I promised to keep these pages current and over a month has gone by with nary a "peep" from me. Well with those magazine deadlines and the Easter celebrations and then the Romarias (both Olvera's and Pruna's) and the flood of new listings and the new "Business And Rental" page (and another page that I hope to unveil this month . . . ssshhhhh!!), I haven't had the time to put these pleasant meandering thoughts to the keyboard.
Oh and then I took a weeks holiday on my own . . . .for the first time in two years. Bliss . . .
Then of course Zoë has been busy selling - Zoë managed to do the entire viewing-to-sold cycle in less than a week for one client - something of an office record, for which she receives chocolate rain drops for her birthday. I hope that you enjoy this group of recent photos:

Barrels of wine

Antonio Barbadillo is my favourite cheap white wine. Chilled it is very drinkable in the summer and as it is grown between Cadiz and Jerez, it is very local.
Visits to the bodega are from Tues - Sat 12 to 1 p.m. and you will discover that this is not just any old vinyard, but one of the grandest in Cadiz.
If you are going . . . bring me back a bottle!

Bull and Vino Blanco

Anne Marie

Anne Marie recently bought through Olvera Properties. She came to Olvera a little under a year ago through Alpujara Rugs (right). She has a beautiful house and apartment which she will be renting out in the near future, just as soon as she has done it up to her exquisite taste.

Andalucian Rugs

We have bought a number of rugs from this businesss; theye are always colourful and reversable and very nice to stand on, especially in the winter when the marble floors can get to be too much for ones toes first thing in the mornng!

Wayne

Wayne - a very happy customer who has bought three houses and sold one through Olvera Properties over the past eighteen months.
Wayne used to work as a taxi driver here until one day he was bringing some clients in from Malaga airport and got friendly with them, then when he did the NIE "run" to Ronda he took them again, and again when they returned to England - only thing was, they saw his house in Pruna . . . and they bought it from him. Now he feels he can't top that, so he has left the taxi-ing to Les.

Easter. I don't know what to say about a week of parades such as one witnesses in the pueblos of Andalucia. To some degree I feel excluded and very much the outsider. This is a very personal time of penetent memories displayed en-mass.

Some images are so sorrowful that I can bearly contain my feelings. . . .

. . .other have an almost Monty Python moment about them . . . .

One of a dozen houses in Pozo Amargo

The hamlet of Pozo Amargo

The hermitage of Pozo Amargo

The hamlet of Pozo Amargo

As the name implies this interesting group of houses is centered around an old sulphur health spa. The hot waters that sprang up near the source of the Guadaria river became a location of health and healing, however, unfortunatly the baths closed down in 1934 but the current owner has plans to reinstate them using a rural tourism grant. The Hermitage, which is open to all, dates back to the 16th Century and is still a source of tranquility and meditation. There has been evidence of inhabitation in the caves of this area that date back to the late iron age and the history of this small zone also includes an ancient castle from the "Nazari" period, when Olvera had its hey-day. The whole village is protected by law. I spent a wonderful weekend here in the most beautiful of cottages in an enchanting environment. Of the many walks we could have taken we thoroughly enjoyed and exhausted ourselves by only taking a few.

Nuevo Nerja

Sardine Fishermen off The Bay Of Naples.

RGallery

Ray and Geraldine have come from Chester in the UK where they have an art gallery that exhibits Ray's pictures. His full portfolio can be seen on his website: http://www.rgilronangallery.co.uk
Since they bought a house in the old town, Ray is keen to start painting in Olvera and is happy to discuss doing commissions.

Going, going . . .

New and shiney

Reflected in the left window is the castle and the roof of the new car park

The beginings of a new Plaza

I thought I would mention the passing of the old post office, which is being demolished in earnest this week. Over the course of the next month or two we should see the development of a small plaza where this building stood. The plans are to have a number of trees and benches in this location, which will be a godsend for those of us walking up Calle Garduñera this summer.
The new "Correos" is on Calle Marcardo, opposite the new car park, which, during the early stages of building, was plagued with three or four landslides during winter storms. The eagerly awaited car park will take some of the congestion off of Olvera's streets while the top of it is also destined to be another new plaza.

The Parade

The Carneval queens on parade

Dishing out copious handfulls of sweets.

.

.

This is a day we are all, whatever our age, very familair with. In Andalucía it is marked by the giving of flowers and boxes of chocolates. Actually chocolates in any shape or size and in any packaging you care to think of are the order of the day in Spain. This day has become a bonanza for the chocolate industry here. It is also a day for poetry and letter giving.

Between the 21st and the 25th of this month Olvera, being a part of Cadiz province, celebrates the Carnival. A big part of this festival are the "chirigota", a sideways glance at the past year's events rendered into song and costume. If you can follow the language they are often extremely funny and besides they are worth watching for the costumes alone. On the local TV channels there is the national chirigota competition in Cadíz which, if you can overlook the poor camera production, are interesting insights into Spanish politics and social interests. Next Wednesday there are two of these "songs" being put on in the evening in Olvera. Most of the activities start at 3 or 4 p.m. and the carnival culminates on Sunday in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento with the "cabalgata" that will run the length of the town to the sports center and you should at least make the effort to put on a mask and join in the fun!
On the 16th of April, Quasimodo day brings all the towns folk out to the romaria, which is a time for meeting old friends and making new ones. Of course food and drink and dancing are a big part of this event
These two events are wonderful times to be enjoyed.

How our adverts look today in the La Luz Magazine

I am really quite proud of this layout.

I decided I would let you into the back office. This is where the web site is created and recreated on a nearly daily basis and this is where the magazine adverts are made. We advertise in La Luz Magazine, Local Connections, Spain Magazine, and Country Life. The rule of the publishing house is the deadline and each publication seems to choose the same day for that last chance. If you happen to see me buried in my portable PC it will be "The Deadline Zone" that I have entered!!
The other thing the back office handles is the house keys. If you have ever wondered where your front door keys are? Multiply that by 100 times and you have an administrative drama!

Our very first advert taken out in 2005 with Local Connections

Notice some subtle differences?

These rock stacks are typical of the park

Just south west of Antequera is this wonderful corner.

A wonderful place to visit. It is like no other place around here: 17 sq km of beautiful limestone. The rock formations are difficult to photograph well, as you have to get the light just right, but visually they are stunning. You walk around the canyons that are like a cowboy movie set. Kids will see faces in every rock group, while attentive adults may spot one of the 30 varieties of orchids. There is a museum and info center.

Warm welcome in winter

Bill and Gerry came to Olvera last April, loved what they saw and bought a great little property on the quiet side of the hill. They came for a new year break and the weather went polar for them, but as you can see that didn't wipe the smiles from their faces at the prospect of being here in the sunshine. Two Very happy clients!

The Olvera town hall has a scheme for wireless internet access without the need for a telephone line. There is a charge (of around 100€ for pre-installation) for connection and a another (about 50€) for the installation of the equipment. There is then a three-monthly bill of about 6.60€ per month that is payable in advance by direct debit. There will not be any more installations untill early 2008 due to oversubscription of applications although the wireless system itself has much more capacity. (currently Plaza Socoro is in a "shadow", so unable to obtain the service.)

To have your name put on the waiting list you just need: 1. Your name, 2. Your street address, 3. Telephone contact number, and 4. Your NIE is required for the pre-installation. You don't need to sign a contract. The time between pre installation and configuration is 4-6 weeks
Call 902 120 006 between 09:00 and 14:00 or 16:00 to 18:30 for more information. If you need someone to help you these people all do translation work - please negotiate fees beforehand.

Elma: 956 120 292 or 637 203 574
Anne-Marie: 686 131 908

After looking at nearly every house in Olvera, Bob and Lea bought one of the first ones they saw, in the old streets of La Villa. They loved the town so much they have brought their friends who have also bought a house here. We look forward to seeing more of both of them in the near future, but in the mean time RusticRouteHolidays is renting their property.

Bob and Lea wrote this:

'It is rare, in my experience, to find consistent reliability throughout every area of an organisation.We have bought a property in Olvera with the total absence of any pressure - and outstanding support during and after buying. We therefore had no hesitation in referring our friends, who have also just bought a house with Olvera Properties.
Our thanks to Zoë"

Bob has a smile that comes so easily that it is difficult not to give him every support. Thank you both!

It has officially happened in Olvera: Cadiz province has been cleaning up its act for some time now and further evidence is a letter we received on our door today.
There is to be a proliferation of coloured garbage bins to help us sort our garbage into more environmental parts.
The old green 3000 liter ones on wheels, that were used for any and all kinds of rubbish, are being phased out and in their place we are advised that there are to be four different coloured bins:

Yellow - for plastic bottles and plastic bags, tins of all types and aluminum and tetrapacs. Containers half filled with liquid are highly discouraged.
Blue - for cardboard, boxes, newspapers and magazines.
Green - for bottles and jars (but not glasses, mirrors or electric bulbs)
Grey - for everything else (cd's videos, bulbs, organic kitchen waste, mirrors, nappies, plastic buckets and so on)

SEPARATE IT!

One section of the letter giving an overall idea.

I noticed the other day in the supermarket that I could buy different coloured plastic bags, that correspond to these colours, and that this letter asked that bags are not of mixed contents or overfilled.
Of course this means that I am going to have to go out and buy another bin besides the one in my kitchen for plastic stuff.

Living in the casco antigüo there is no space for these large garbage containers, and although the rubbish van calls by every night at 9:30, I doubt that they will also keep all our colour coded bags separate, So I will have to haul the yellow, blue and green bags to the nearest containers.
In addition to the street corner and the large bins, there are now underground deposit sites. These have already been designated for organic waste and general (grey) rubbish.
Personally I see this as a good move, as it helps raise awareness regarding the environment and litter generally.

Nice and toasty

I caught Keith and Anne walking the long way back from the shops

This is a lucky couple who bought a couple of years ago and then sold and traded up just at the end of this year. They are very happy with their choice of lifestyle and couldn't want for a warmer atmosphere. Right after I took these photos they dived into Ian's place for a coffee.

Keith said:"It has been a fantastic New Year. Thank you all very much."

Calle Llana

We didn't get many good pictures of the Christmas decorations as we were all too busy enjoying ourselves - still maybe we can get some from our Olvera community and post them up. In the meanwhile we are off to a great start to the year.
Now that the holidays are over the kids are all sharing their colds and sore throats

Plaza de Andalucia

A right royal thirst: The local bar in Olvera's Plaza de Ayuntomiento was guaranteed a visit from the three kings with a name like "Pepe Rayas" after they had done their duty. Even kings need to quench their thirst, and the mayor and his wife decided that they needed company. Ian and family put on a great Christmas lunch throughout the season

Christmas lunch at the local

Regal celebrity

It is not a common sight!

Here are two - which two are they?

Name the three kings. Everybody who has lived in Andalucia for more than a couple of years should be able to recite the names of the three kings: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, but can you point them out by their costume? Your average 5 year old kid can!
The evening of the fifth the kings (and all their helpers) parade through the streets throwing innumerable sweets at the crowds. I have seen hats and umbrellas used to catch handfuls at a time.

Reyes on horseback!

Same two Kings coming to the town hall to receive petition letters from kids wanting special presence

At the end of one year and the beginning of another, and on behalf of all who work with Olvera Properties, I would like to extend our wishes to one and all for . . .

A Happy and Prosperous New Year

We have had a fantastic (if slightly cold) holiday and enjoyed our time walking in the country and in front of our log fire.
We hope that every one had an equally enjoyable rest and that you are looking forward to an exiting few months before the heat of summer.

One of those fortunate times a camera was at hand

Christmas day is surprisingly quiet here. The fiestas are largely a family affair with deep religious overtones. The decorations are a fairly recent addition and imported from the northern European countries. What you will see in abundance are "Belens" - nativity scenes of Bethlehem and Santa climbing up a ladder (usually festooned with fairy lights) into a bedroom window - so much more realistic than clambering down a chimney.

The Ayuntamiento's seasonal greeting

The town hall square

Frank seemed absolutely determined to get himself a place in Olvera, and on his second visit with Eileen he bought two houses side by side: A His - and - Hers Christmas present, "par excellence".
They plan to take their time and live in one while doing the other up and in the mean-time they will be creating a bird- watching business.

Eileen and Frank wanted to write us a note for this page

We certainly wish Frank and Eileen the very best in getting their bird watching business off the ground and we will include a link to their blog just as soon as it is available.

After a long and intensive search down the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Spain, we finally found Olvera Properties with a portfolio of properties to suit our budget and staff prepared to go beyond the call of duty. Helping us not only with the mortgage but putting us in contact with English speaking builders and people who know the Spanish system of bureaucracy.
Olvera Properties made the buying of our houses both stress free and painless. We would like to add that once the sale was "done and dusted" they are there to help with any unforeseen problems. We cannot thank them enough."

Thank you guys.

A typical house decoration could find its way underground

Rough road: Olvera is currently in the middle of extensive restoration which will be completed shortly.
The facade of the castle is finished, while the roads throughout the casco antiguo are being re laid with water, electricity, telephone and drainage services and completed with an attractive cobbled surface. Hopefully pictures like these will soon be a thing of the past. Lucky the rains have held off!

A certain amount of chaos in the casco antigüo

View from the door to the castle

This square in front of the bar has been the center of the town's life for ages.

Ian Hallam is the proprietor of the only Scottish bar for miles around. If you want a dram of the best then without a doubt Ian can point you in the right direction and explain all the ins and out of each distillery.
The Tartan Bar is now flying under the name "Pepe Rayas" in the town hall square. And the bar has got internet. Please note though, it is closed Mondays.

Antoinette and Jenny

The new kitchen has a great tapas menu

Celia and Colin have sent us so many cards, so I decided to take just one as representative:

this text reads:
"To All of you at Olvera Properties,
just had to send you a big thank you . . . for your wonderful, laid back but persistent ways! The least stressful dealings ever with an Estate agent!! We got our start to what hopefully will be a great new adventure.

THANK YOU!!"

Celia and Colin, please come and set up a hairdressers here in Olvera!!

"Olvera Properties are very friendly people. We wish that we had done this move years ago."

Annie taking in the view and Alan's "Memories of Olvera Properties"

"I am more than happy to endorse Olvera Properties and all of you who work extremely hard to satisfy your clients requirements. Without your help and assistance, not only with the properties we viewed, knowing at the time of our visit that we had no intention on that trip of purchasing, but also the language difficulties, we would never have found our lovely little house. Not forgetting of course the arrangements you made with the notary and helping to obtain our NIE's."

"We never felt pressured in any way, knowing that any questions we had would be answered and any queries resolved....... over tea,cakes and biscuits, kindly supplied. Of course, buying is only the first step. Your aftercare service in arranging direct debits, payment of taxes, builders, plumbers, etc has been superb and continues to be so. We cannot wait to return and renew our acquaintance with you all and Olvera."

Looking forward to seeing you soon, Best wishes, Alan & Anne

Gerry and Bill's Text reads:
"To All
- More Satisfied Clients!

Thanx for all the help & mega quick purchase!

Gerry & Bill X

Hot ! Summer 2006

Mike Walker happily steps into his house

"Unique! I´m so impressed by the honesty and after sales service of Olvera Properties. Thanks for everything!"

James Law is delighted to catch some sun on his new roof terrace. Having been a long term resident in Cadiz province, James knew a good investment when he saw it. As he already has a small holding and a business near Tarifa, he looks on his new purchase as a place to do up quietly and then put it on the rental market in a year or so.

"OP went that extra mile to make sure that I got the house. I greatly appreciate all the work she put into the paperwork before we reached the Notaria."

Joys text reads:

" Dear Zoë
Thank you so much for helping me realize my dream. I can't believe that it was only May that I came to visit Zahara and fell in love at first sight. And just 4 weeks from me & Zoë doing our deal in the car park I was the owner of "the best view in Andalucia". One of my friends said that you know you have "made it" when your house is on a post card. We are coming back to Zahara at the end of September for Chris's birthday and hope to see you then.

Best wishes to you both and your excellent team. Tell Les he ia a "diamond geezer"

Love Joy X X X"

Joy, you have a fantastic apartment with a view that is second to none. Don't be a stranger!

This midday view from Olvera to the Via Verde

The estacíon de Olvera is in the middle of the picture:
the focus to the right below the mountain.
Classic photo!

The mountains in the background often have snow.
In the other direction (behind us) is Grazalema which has not only the highest rainfall in Andalucia, its mountains have snow nearly every year.

Winter Wonderland: One morning we woke up and there it was - unheard of since the sixties - snow in Olvera! The kids went wild as you can imagine. The adults all had smiles on their faces and walked around with scarves and mittens. The foreigners from more northern clines showed their kids what nostalgia looked like.
It was all over so fast; the thin cloud cover had the sun streaming through and suddenly it was all a dream.

The pueblo blanco peaks above the snow

If you look at the snow you can see it is frail.

The sun is just striking Olvera - in a few hours the sun will have melted and evaporated all traces of this outrageous downfall, and if it wasn't for photos like these, we would forget it ever happened, it was so strange.

Again, the snow and white houses

Looking up to the Pruna Fort from the Estacíon de Olvera

The snow melted fast in the afternoon sun making the Via Verde a dividing line.

Such a wonderful way to complete the days' walk.

Marylynne and Michael commented on how they were delighted with the ongoing service that they receive from Olvera Properties when they were here in 2007. They recalled how prior to finding us they were nearly at their wits end because of the treatment of estate agents that they had encountered up to that point. Now they have had builders recommended through us and they are delighted with them and their house is now finished to very high standards and are very grateful.