Tea, Treecreeper and Bee-eaters

Try saying that when you've taken a few sips of the biggest gin and tonic ever seen. I would show you a picture but they take for ever to load. 

We have finally arrived in paradise. We woke to torrential rain, drove through it on the autovia (motorway) and it cleared a few hours later so that we could have our first picnic only half in Sylvia. We ate proper Spanish tomatoes and apples by wildflowers (didn't eat the wildflowers), with Bee-Eaters swooping and driving all around us. My favourite bird of all time, a Short-toed Treecreeper hopped into the gnarled Cork Oak close to us and then, to complete the euphoric scene, we managed to brew up our first outdoor cup of tea.

Much later in the day, we are happily settled in at the Palacio Viejo de Las Corchuelas in the thick of vulture country. We've eaten all sorts of nettle and mint based food and are feeling quite pleased with ourselves - due in part to a huge gin and tonic, with lemon and mint from the garden of course. Bring on tomorrow.

Pictures will follow due to rural Internet.