Q1. We returned from our Christmas & New Year holiday to Costa Rica about a fortnight into 2025, settling swiftly back into Spanish life in and around our pueblo of Tolox: within just a few days Felisa had her first golf society game and Ian was on the Padel Court. It also wasn’t very long before Ian set off on the first of numerous UK trips in 2026 to do with his JA Consulting work and role as a Trustee of the IET. Pleasingly, we travelled together to England at the end of January for some family and friends socialising: to celebrate Ian’s Mum’s birthday (at the characterful Brasserie Zedel in central London); and to celebrate and witness Steve Dainton’s fine naval career drawing to a close, stylishly at the Wardroom of HMS COLLINGWOOD.
In March we experienced some further torrential rain (reminiscent of the floods of a few months previously). On such occasions a small gully that cuts across our land becomes the source of an energetic flow of water that usually reshapes a few things on its way. The surrounding countryside is a rich green and is peppered with ground-level flowers. But there was plenty of fine Spanish sun over the winter months too. We enjoyed catching up again with Gordon and Cathy Lester – now somewhat established as an annual fixture in one of our respective Andalusian provinces – and Audrey came to visit us at the end of the month. It’s always nice to discover new places to roam around – this time the Artola sand dunes near Marbella – a welcome reprieve amidst the otherwise mainly built-up Costa del Sol.
In February Felisa had travelled to the Philippines to spend further time with her father. Despite the physical gains he had made with us the previous Autumn, it seems the trend did not continue back in the Philippines and we were woken one night in March to learn that he had he passed away in his sleep. Felisa was in close touch with relatives and – albeit via remote video – we were able to witness Domingo, who had lived for over 97 years, being honoured with traditional Philippines culture and flare. But inevitably this was a very sad moment.
Q2. Ian and Audrey flew together to England early in April, with Ian needing to get back aboard Tot a Rum. The boat had been out of the water at Thornham Marina (Chichester Harbour) since early December and it was time to form a plan towards refloating for the cruising season. Staying onboard overnight was a bit chilly in those early days but the boat was situated close to ‘facilities’; and in fact England was enjoying some lovely Spring weather. He was also able to meet up with some HMS NEWCASTLE shipmates before flying back, by which time Felisa’s brother and his wife had arrived from Canada, via Portugal. We spent a fun week or so together, visiting Ronda, Cordoba and Malaga as well as places more locally. And of-course the Settlers of Catan board came out too – it was Nghi who introduced us to this great game over 15 years previously.
Within hours of dropping them off at Malaga airport we had lunch with Jonathan, Britta and Teresa Bown in the quirky Los Gatos in the city centre, then continued to enjoy springtime life in sunny Spain until Ian again returned to prepare Tot a Rum for the ‘summer cruise’. Needless to say a technical hitch or two, a smattering of consulting and IET work, a turn in the weather and a period feeling generally groggy, all conspired to ensure that the roundGB voyage did not recommence until the final third of June. Three day-sails from Chichester harbour, Tot a Rum had reached Newhaven, blessed with south coast sunshine (with friends Melissa and Charlotte each joining for one of the days). The boat remained there for about 10 days, while Ian collected a hire car then drove to his Mum’s in Barnet for the weekend, followed by…
Q3. … a quick trip to Devon to meet up with members of Shy Talk – the band from Manadon days – to enjoy playing music and catching up socially; before heading back eastwards, to meet Felisa’s inbound flight to Luton. On Fe’s birthday we journeyed to Thonock Park golf centre (owned by Ping), dining in a charming country inn that night and, on the next, joining the 60th birthday celebrations of our friend from Tolox, Julian. Two days later we embarked a few provisions including Felisa’s golf clubs onto Tot a Rum, and before sunrise on 8th July we were on our way to Dover. It is impossible to do justice to the ensuing 51/2 weeks (and over 1,200 photos & videos) in just a couple of sentences: except to say (take a deep breath) that we had a pretty magical time exploring new places, enjoying each other’s company in these precious environments, making some new acquaintances and meeting up with established friends; sailing, motoring, fishing, swimming, golfing, eating and drinking our way through the Dover Straits, across the Thames estuary and along the Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Durham, Tyne & Wear, Northumberland and Scottish Borders coastline; before sailing into the Firth of Forth and calling it a day at Port Edgar, west of Edinburgh. We had the boat lifted out of the water on the day of our anniversary, enjoying the luxury of a non-moving, warm and stylish hotel nearby, for a double celebration!
Returning to Spain into the final third of August means that the very worst of the heat has probably passed. Plenty of sunshine and warmth left to enjoy mind, plus an opportunity to see what is being drawn on the walls for the annual Art Tolox festival. And within a few weeks Felisa picked the first (warm-up) tranche of our 2025 Olives harvest.
Q4. The olive processing events for the second and third tranches were far more significant, yielding (in one case – always in conjunction with a few other ‘growers’) a truly remarkable 31% (litres of oil per kilogram of olives – all at the highest extra virgin quality and guaranteed to be organic / chemical-free). Overall we bottled 116 litres!
Also in October we were delighted to welcome over from Canada Felisa’s niece Janae and her husband Matthew, who were on a whistle-stop tour seemingly over much of Western Europe (apparently culminating in a football match at Anfield – there’s no accounting for taste). A couple of weeks later it was the turn of our friends Andreas and Shirley to visit, during which the Catan Board was again dusted off (with Felisa, again, the victor). Ian’s final couple of trips to the UK took place in November, one of which included a rail journey to Scotland in order to carry out boat engine winterisation tasks. And then December was ushered in, accompanied by an increasingly and uncharacteristically bleak, wet and cold weather pattern.
Undeterred, we were really pleased that Audrey was able to fly over over to join us for Christmas, enjoying a locally prepared and traditionally seasonal Pollo Rellenos for ‘the main event’, and managing to steal valuable periods of dry and sunny weather patches for some small excursions.
Now it just remains to wish everyone reading this a happy and fulfilling 2026. Hasta luego.
