Annette Marsden – Our correspondent in the Velez Malaga/ Axarquia region

Annette, Juniper, Grimble, Ane: my names and nicknames. I have lived in several countries but my passion is for Andalucia: the wine, the food, the lifestyle and culture. I suppose I’m a bit like wine: full of diversity, life and experiences.

Finally, here I am, in Axarquia, with my supportive (and immensely tolerant) partner, starting our last great life adventure. We are pretty sure that, if the world is kind, we arein the final quarter of our lives. Undeterred by this statistic, we are are going to make it count, follow dreams and have as good a time as we can.

This is where wine really does help in our lifestyle. There’s nothing I love more than the enjoyment of a good, preferably a great, glass of wine. If quality food accompanies the glass, all the better. A perfect combination.

Aside from a passion for Andalucia and wine, cooking and writing are my other enthusiasms. I enjoy bringing people to my table to eat, drink and relax. I’m from the North of England. It features in my dishes. Not with fish and chips but with curry as Northerners do love a great curry. I adore tapas as it lets me try lots of things without having to steal food from friend’s plates. I aim to be creative and non traditional. Expect to find mini Yorkshire pudding topped with thin sliced beef and English mustard or a tiny shepherds pie alongside home made albondigas. Food and wine should offer fun and pleasure.

Blog writing has rocketed me into the modern social network world. I write because I want to. My blogs are about the two of us bumbling through our middle age into our dotage. WhenI was a kid, parents and adults told me what to do and how to behave. No one tells middle aged people how to conduct themselves. This offers endless opportunities.

What do I hope to bring to your table? Great wine, wine bar, bodega recommendations from this wonderfully diverse region. Axarquia is relatively undiscovered. Though, I doubt you’d believe me if you arrived at Torre beach in July. It’ll also help me to be more organised. I’ll be enjoying a lovely wine. Suddenly, I’ll say I should take a photo of the label, note the name, write down something useful. Writing for you will make sure I actually do this before I request “Uno mas”.