Oska's brain is working overtime in this blog as he comes up with a great publicity idea.
I was taken by a sign I first saw outside the local villlage of Pampaneira a few years ago. It proudly annoucned that Pampaneira was one of the 25 or so 'Pueblos Mas Bonitos en España', or prettiest viilages in Spain. Wow, I thought, that's an acolade indeed. Since then this scheme has grown and now numbers 58 of the most attractive Spanish villages, ranging across the mainland and on to the islands. The scheme is growing, but it is very discerning in its choice. The village has to have true merits of its own and be located in an area of great beauty. It must also have less than 15,000 inhabitants.
You can read more details about the initiative at their website Los Pueblos Mas Bonitos de España. They are a non profit making organisation whose intention is simply to promote the best of Spain. If planning a tour around this country you could do worse than to use their list as a guide, and as luck would have it, for a mere €10 you can order yourself a copy of their book - mine's in the post! And if you plan this tour then it would be almost essential to come and stay at Cortijo Opazo in the Alpujarras because since I first noticed the sign outside Pampaneira I see that another one has gone up outside Capileira and yet another outside Bubión. So out of the 58 prettiest villlages in the whole of this huge country, three of them are just around the corner from us. Reason to look at our availability calendar now and get your reservation in.
This has got me thinking of a great publicity scheme for Cortijo Opazo and how we can get our own special attention in a similar respect, in other words, things that have merit and beauty but can sometimes be overlooked - although judging by the number of coaches stopping in Pampaneira these days the attention this village gets is no longer negligible. Now that there are two of us here we would both surely qualify. I am referring, of course, to the certification of best looking dachshunds in Spain, or 'Teckels mas Bonitos de España'. I am sure this acreditation exists, and if not, it should. Now there of two of us, wouldn't it look great to have a sign outside the house, and maybe place a likeness of Rosie and I in a tasteful frame - nothing from Ikea, thank you. You do know who Rosie is do you? If not, then you must immediatley look at my last blog 'Meeting Rosie'.
On the publicity front, it's a sure winner, who would not want to come and spend their holiday in the same house as two of the pretiest dachshunds in Spain? And maybe we could organise sausage walk! You don't know what a sausage walk is! Well, whilst I don't approve of the title, it's a great concept. Owners and their dachshunds all meet up in a public place and simply go for a walk, hundreds of them all together. Have a look at this one that took place recently in Greenwich Park, London - Greenwich Park Sausage Walk
Well, if it worked for Pampaneira it can work for us. Come and see for yourself, the two teckels of Cortijo Opazo - and you can also see Ella if you really want to.
Yours, hoping for a bone-os,
Oska
Oh, and since a Happy Christmas is in order you might like to look at a previously Christmas related blog - Alpujarra Christmas Scene