Here up North the ground is covered by yellow, brown and orange leaves, and the branches of birch, rowan, aspen and alder look naked and ascetic against the grey sky.

Autumn is here, and the preparation for our migration to the tropical climate, palm trees and the blue Mediterranean has begun.

The summer cottage has to be prepared for the severe Nordic winter, the boats must be taken up and covered and the fallen leaves raked. We use to make lists of what to bring along in our luggage. Finnish butter, Finnish or Swedish coffee, Karelian pasties (a crust with filling of rice, eaten warm with butter and chopped-up boiled eggs).

We must not forget to take Finnish sausage called “lenkkimakkara” which is an equal to the Swedish Falukorv. And last but not least; Fazer’s milk chocolate, which is the best in the world because it is no too sweet and has a fantastic, round flavour.

On the animal side, our dear Westie girl Marta has to be subdued to another session at the dog groomers and taken to the vet for check-up and worming. She has been running through the woods the whole summer, chasing rabbit, deer and rodents.

Now she has to get used to being confined to our garden in Almuñécar, walks on leash in the surrounding mountains and paseos in town. For this purpose, I will bring along biodegradable ‘poop bags’.

What will Spain and Almuñécar look like after five months. For Spain, on the political scene, Spain is losing ground, not least in international politics, while the ‘top politicians’ behave like obstinate children.

In Almunecar we look forward to the season opening of our club Los Nordicos on October 5th, and the start of all the activities; club evenings, golf, trekking, boule and trips to interesting places.

At the Casa de la Cultura, the fantastic Monday concerts by Juventudes Musicales have started, and we await the ‘Agenda Cultural’ for October with great interest. The cultural offering of the Town Hall is something we appreciate very much.Then there is the colourful Romeria in Salobreña and the Fiesta de San Miguel in Barrio San Miguel in Almuñécar. There is so much to be enjoyed.

(News/Feature: Nordic Column)