I have four pillars that support my life: my family, my work, my friends, and Aguarriba. Aguarriba is the name of the “My playground,” although in my case, unlike the song, there is not a trace of melancholy associated with this Aguarriba is pure joy.

When my husband and I decided to "join forces" and start a family, we knew we'd do whatever it took to have a little piece of countryside not too far from Madrid. We explored the areas near Madrid... and even other areas almost bordering Portugal, such was our desire! We looked at everything and spent many years searching. So, when we visited Aguarriba for the first time (we'll never be grateful enough, Uncle Moi!), we knew without a doubt that this, and no other, was the property we were looking for. So much so, that we sold our house in Madrid to buy it. And we've never regretted it!

Aguarriba is the place where my saint and I are truly happy. My saint has his field and I have my garden. Our two passions combined.

And our daughter, her cousins, and Bala (our Andalusian hound) have all the space in the world to go on an expedition! We don't know how long it will last, but luckily Angelica is also happy here, and there couldn't be a better vacation for her than the ones we spend together in Aguarriba.

Spending five days a week in Madrid and two here is the perfect combination. We have no cell service here, we're isolated from everything, and life is easy and simple. We relax, disconnect, and are transported to another world. It's our best therapy: being in contact with nature, having these views, being surrounded by genuinely wild flora and fauna, these sounds, these smells… What a shame I'm so clumsy with words and can't accurately convey what I'm seeing, smelling, and hearing right now (it's 9 am and I'm on the porch in my bathrobe and nightgown, while everyone else is asleep) because it's breathtaking.

The house is small. And we decided to keep it that way. It was an old stone cattle shed with a small room, a fireplace, and raised platforms for sleeping. We had to renovate the interior, but we kept its structure and location. We added a porch almost bigger than the house (where I'm writing this from) and planned a garden, a vegetable patch, and a pool, which we've been building little by little, with a lot of hard work and enthusiasm. I'll show you the inside another day!

Deep down, I'm a frustrated gardener. It must be my Anglo-Saxon heritage! And here I have my experimental field. I have all my books, all my paraphernalia, all my seeds, and my hundreds of magazines ( Gardeners World , Garden Illustrated and The English Garden ). I just need the greenhouse, but it will all come in time!

And from here I'd like to pay my small tribute to my Saint. If it weren't for him, none of this would exist. He's the best guard, plumber, mechanic, driver, cook, entertainer, and father I know. Thank you, Habibi, for dreaming with me without fear!

I hope you enjoyed "Our Recreation Place"!

XXX,

S.

(Images courtesy of The Workshop Flores)