We now take our crop of Manzanilla and Blanqueta olives to a local press at harvest time. Something about feeding the raw olives in at one end of the process and a golden delicious liquid appearing at the other inspired our logo – as being analogous to the creative processes of painting, writing and cookery. In addition we have a lemon, orange and almond grove, the later at the foot of our stepped garden with pomegranate and fig trees.
For artists we have the ruins of a Moorish farmhouse and a pretty cottage, both ripe for renovation.
Our first course in 2002 on The Writer’s Notebook began a programme of week long residential courses sustained over sixteen years with many inspiring tutors such as Mimi Khalvati, Penelope Shuttle, Mark Doty, Matthew Sweeney, Michael Donaghy, Sue Whitmore and many, many others. Mountain walking weeks in the Spring and Autumn were guided by the author of ’50 Walks Costa Blanca’ Gill Round.
Cook and Dine sessions with ‘The Strawberry Tree’ https://www.strawberry-tree.co.uk/gallery are planned for June this year.
Florentina Irises Spectacular this yearMarch 16, 2020 - 12:05 pmThe rains earlier on have generated a spectacular display of Iris Florentina and Germanica on our second bancal. They are only matched by the African daisies which are spreading everywhere. Irises flourish in our climate – the colony we have has grown from about half a dozen we planted fifteen years ago.This a spectacular year […]
Relleu’s Aurora ClubFebruary 9, 2020 - 4:54 pmWe started the Aurora Club in Relleu with friends some six years ago prompted by a desire to explore the history and culture of our village. Talks, visiting lecturers and trips have taken place monthly – always followed by lunch, often at our local Bar Cazador – where Luis and Paloma serve local cuisine and […]
A Trip to TabarcaMay 28, 2019 - 4:53 pmOn 24th May we took a ferry over to Tabarca, an island off Cabo Santa Pola, Alicante. We can just see it on the horizon driving from Relleu to Alicante via Aguas de Busot. Formerly a roost for the aggressive Barbary pirates, the island has the remnants of a fortress citadel built in 1770 with […]