Peter Mayle is said to have started the trend for writing about real life expat experiences with his A Year in Provence, although it could be argued that Earnest Hemingway led the way for earlier generations with his chronicles of Spain as it was, during a very different time. Today’s travellers to the Iberian Peninsular, whether as tourists or those planning a more permanent stay, often consult, devour and chuckle over the trials and tribulations of those who ventured before them. The increasing trend for self-publishing means that not all of these memoirs are well written, but most are guaranteed to at least engage the reader in moments of empathy as they realise that others have already made exactly the same mistakes…

Chris Stewart’s series of books about living in a remote area of Las Alpujarras, south of Granada, started with Driving Over Lemons – An Opitimist in Andalucia. His infectious optimism for living in the middle of nowhere combined with his family’s never-ending patience does make for an amusing read as he battles through relationships with neighbours, farmers, builders and bureaucrats, and somehow convinces the reader that anything is possible… eventually. Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools is the first book written by Victoria Tweed, another Alpujarra resident who managed to persuade her husband Joe that a five year trial run in a village location would help them to finally decide where they wanted to spend their time together. Her anecdotes may sometimes cause the reader to cringe in sympathy but the two of them can only be commended for their ability to integrate with their quirky neighbours and houseguests. Each chapter of the book is accompanied by an authentic Spanish recipe – a great addition for those wanting to also immerse themselves in Spanish food culture. While most of the Living in Spain oeuvres have been written by more mature new residents to Spain, Sol Searching recounts the experiences of a much younger author, Keidi Keating. Although juvenile in style, the book addresses many of the issues faced by twenty-somethings who choose to up sticks and move to Spain in a way the memoirs written by retiring expats cannot. After all, job hunting, dating, making friends and staying up late, make life on the Costa del Sol very different to the peace and tranquillity of Las Alpujarras! But if you’re hunting for an insight into the ‘real Spain’, you can’t beat a journey back to 1934 when a young Laurie Lee decided to walk through Spain from Galicia to Málaga. His autobiographical adventures introduce the reader to many of the major towns and cities of Spain as they were before the onslaught of the Civil War in 1936 when Lee was rescued, along with other British subjects, by a destroyer from Gibraltar. An engrossing read that appeals to modern day readers as much as it must have fascinated his original audience when the book was first published in 1969. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Driving-Over-Lemons-Optimist-Andalucia/dp/095600380X http://www.victoriatwead.com/Home.html http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sol-Searching-Keidi-Keating/dp/190543068X http://books4spain.com/