Carmen de Pepita

Our house is a traditional town house on the corner of Calle Real. Like most Spanish houses it doesn't look very big from the outside, but inside it's a different story. We have three floors and the top floor is a guest apartment. It has a little studio kitchen leading onto a terrace with fabulous views over the countryside. It's going to be a great place to sit with a gin and tonic and watch the birds in the apple tree below. The living space is one big room with a wooden floor and a cosy woodburning stove for the cooler months. We decided to decorate this in a mix of contemporary and Moroccan which fits in with its history as a new addition to the old house- you can still see traces of the old beams of the former roofline. The bathroom is tiled with limestone and there is a shower and a huge bath big enough for two. This apartment is an ideal space for a writer's retreat.


Looking out from the terrace

The middle apartment is far more rustic in its appearance. We are still renovating this section but hope it will be finished by the end of the summer. It will have a bedroom with terracotta tiles and painted beams and a lovely old iron bed painted blue. Blue shutters open up onto a small balcony. From here you can see the church of Santa Maria de Incarnacion and hear the bells ring out the hour and the half hour. There is also a living room with balcony and a woodburning stove and a kitchen leads out onto a spacious terrace again with lovely views- from here you can see right along to the gorge to where the ancient hot springs flow into the river through a series of pools. The name Alhama means hot springs. Locals go here to bathe in the warm water which is said to be good for the health. If you want a bit more sophistication you can go to the hotel Balneario and have a day of pampering and massage. A trip here is included in our women’s creative holidays.



The Arab baths built on Roman foundations

Our own living space is at the back of the house which leads out onto our garden. This is my favourite project of the restoration and it is here that we will hold our courses. The walled garden’s not big but it is secluded and quite a sun trap. I have always wanted a walled garden and this is perfect. When we bought the house most of it was built on with two stables which housed an ostrich called Pepita! Now cleared it is ready for our transformation from ostrich pen to Moroccan courtyard. We have had a terrace built leading out from the house and this will be covered with a wooden porch giving dappled shade and a place to lounge in the heat of the day. A hammock is strung from the fig tree and we are building a water trough and an ornamental pool. Moroccan riads always have a central courtyard with water, often fountains strewn with rose petals. These keep the air fresh and cool and the sound of running water adds tranquility. Water is essential to Moorish and Andalusian culture and Alhama itself has many fountains and watering troughs. The water here is pure and sweet and I am sure it is why there are so many healthy looking old people.

Fountain in the Plaza Constitution

Another Moroccan feature is what I have dubbed ‘The Moroccan love arch’, this is a kind of shady bower called a b’hou. It’s a domed shelter with space for cushion strewn benches and an ornamental tea table. We plan to stud the dome with coloured glass so that when the sun shines it will be like sitting in jewelled retreat- an ideal secluded place to sit and write or curl up with a glass of mint tea and a book from our well stocked library. Other features will include a fire pit for late night storytelling or fireside contemplation and a Jamie Oliver style wood oven for making authentic Moroccan flatbread and perfect pizza. We are going to be very busy over the next few months! In April we went to the Generalife Gardens which are part of the Alhambra Palace and well worth a visit. I came home with lots of inspiration for shady arbours, fragrant plants and cool ponds full of fat golden carp. Sadly my garden isn't as grand as the Generalife but I hope that we can capture the atmosphere of that mix of Moorish and Spanish culture that has created the equivalent of the riad - the Carmen or walled garden. So in remembrance of the ostrich and looking forward to our tranquil inspirational space we have decided to call our house 'Carmen de Pepita'.


At sunset swifts fly round the church tower of Santa Maria de Incarnacion