Casa Rural Cortijo Roman

June in Jimena

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June is the month when the summer really gets under way. Many of the wild flowers have finished and the countryside takes on the the typical Andalucian summer golden brown colours. The air actually "smells hot" in mid-afternoon and is deliciously scented with wild herbs such as pennyroyal, lavender, thyme and fennel.

There are, however, still many flowers in the river valley including great swathes of Oleander and numerous sweetly-scented Myrtles which makes the river a great place to swim during this month.

Swimming in the river

This is the month when the cork harvesting normally begins although it is dependent on the amount of rainfall during the winter months. In recent years there have been significant numbers of cork oaks dying and the most likely reason seems to be the lack of rainfall in the past few years. It was expected that the cork wouldn't be harvested this year as stripping the "cork bark" puts the trees under additional stress; this has little effect on normal healthy trees. However the winter brought good rainfall and the cork is being harvested in the mountains round Jimena. Cork harvesting is an important part of the local economy and if the harvest did not take place it would have had a serious effect on many local livelihoods.

The work is carried out by two highly skilled groups of individuals; namely the axe men who strip the cork bark from the trees and the mule men who load the cork onto mules and transport it down the mountain to a site (the cork patio) where it is weighed and stacked ready for transport by lorry.

What's happening on the Farm?

June is when we cut the wildflower meadows to produce the hay which is used to feed animals during the coming months.The seasons here are rather different to northern Europe where the winter months are the barren time for feeding animals. In Andalucia, the hot summer months of July, August and September are when there is virtually no green fodder for the animals.

The big event in June was on the 17th when we (Fiona & Mick) got married at 8.00pm in the old convent below the castle. The farm makes a marvellous venue for a wedding reception. There was champagne and chilled sherry in the Cloister to welcome the 200 guests. There were endless photo opportunities in the glorious gardens and then everyone enjoyed a four-course meal in a beautifully decorated marquee which had been erected in the wildflower meadow after haymaking. One course was a giant Paella cooked in the traditional manner over an open fire. There were speeches, flamenco and music for the adults and a huge bouncy castle for the children. The celebrations continued throughout the warm, starlit night and a few brave souls were still dancing at dawn.

Flamenco Group