As part of my weekend break in Ronda, I had the opportunity to visit a small olive farm in Yunquera, a village in the mountains between Ronda and Málaga, run by Kenton Smith and Ann Larson. The 35km ride from Ronda to Yunquera turned out to be on some narrow winding mountain roads that were a bit hard on the nerves, but we made it in one piece and were met near Yunquera’s Napoleonic “watchtower” by Kenton and his land rover – a vehicle that proved essential on the last leg of the journey up to the farm.
Ann and Kenton left their London IT jobs nine years ago to come and live the “slow life” in southern Spain (though I think they work harder than most city-dwellers I know), tending their steeply-sloping olive orchards and working on various other projects – they really have achieved an impressive amount. The house, almost a ruin when they bought it, now has a terrace over a pleasant patio, a modern kitchen, workshops, a small swimming pool and even a custom-made totem pole which looks down over the village. As it’s “off the grid” they have to generate their own electricity (wind and solar power, though they have a generator for emergencies) and their water comes from a private well. You can read more about their life and adventures on their blog.
After taking a short walk into the grove to see the olive trees, accompanied by two large, boisterous and very friendly boxer dogs, we sat out on the patio and were treated to a sampling of Ann and Kenton’s own olive oil – Yunquera Gold – along with freshly baked foccacia for dipping and locally produced jamón, washed down with some excellent home brewed beer. We were also given some olive oil to take home. But there were still more treats in store!
While the others were discussing battery packs and the possibility of engineering students installing a hydraulic ram pump, Ann took me upstair so show me her Lujos range of olive oil based skincare products, which she developed herself and makes to order. They all looked – and smelled – wonderful, and so I was delighted when she gave me a gift package including Lovely Hands (luxury hand cream), Absolutely Fab (intensive face cream) and Orange & Black (body cream). Now that I’ve had a chance to try them out I can say that they are all terrific but the body cream is particularly fine and smells delicious, like a sweet soothing custard.
All too soon it was time to leave, but I’m looking forward to seeing Ann and Kenton in Sevilla before too long. In the meantime it’s fun staying in touch on twitter and by email – sometimes a short visit is enough to know when you’ve met kindred spirits.
Lujos skincare products