A well written account of life in rural Spain. Less of the smugness of other books of this type and more grit and reality. This is partly because they are farming and living in a house with very basic facilities. Interesting to read and learn about a very different way of life. ( )

The statement Chris Stewart is making with this book can be summarized thus: "I was once the drummer of Genesis but gave up the rock'n'roll lifestyle to become a farmer and lead a quiet but much more fulfilling life in the Spanish countryside". As statements go, this is not particularly deep or thought provoking but you would be wrong to think that the simplicity of the book should be considered a fault. The writing style fits the book like a glove: simple and straightforward language is used to show the appeal of the "simple country life". The memoir is for some reason described as "travel literature" by most everyone, which is perplexing since, well, there isn't much traveling done in it exempting, of course, The Big Move. Instead, Driving Over Lemons describes the efforts of a family to adjust to a country and lifestyle very much different to their previous London-based, career-focused existence. The appeal of reading this sort of memoir is obvious - I mean, come on, who hasn't at some point wanted to just leave the city, get a house in a remote village somewhere, get some sheep and horses and devote all their time to reading and learning how to grow vegetables? Not many people end up doing it. It's only natural then that many of those will want to read about the real practical issues: the difficulties, the language barrier, the living conditions etc. (So they can then console themselves for not doing it by thinking: "Ha! I knew it wasn't so ideal as everyone makes it out to be!") Some will be interested in another aspect of living in what is more or less an isolated place: what does one do for entertainment? How do the Stewarts manage to fill their days? For those readers, you'll be happy to know that the descriptions of the little daily activities that consume the villagers' time in the Alpujarras is what the book does best. As boring as it might sound, it was simply a delight to read about things like food-foraging and bird-breeding. Yet another group will be fascinated by the social aspect of the move: how are the estranjeros welcomed by the locals, how do they manage to fit into their new community? Whichever you're interested in, there is no doubt this makes for an entertaining read.

Of course, the book is not devoid of its faults. For me, it was the last quarter of the book that started making me annoyed with Stewart. The memoir seems to then suddenly shift from a more pragmatic, albeit idealized at times worldview, to a sentimental and romantic one that gets on your nerves after a while. That's when you can't help but think "I know you're happy and all that, but I really don't want to hear about the joys of fatherhood, okay?? Just stick to the story! I want to hear about the fauna!" (and that last sentence is not something one thinks every day) Even with that warning in mind, I still consider it a worthwhile read and, if nothing life-altering, at least a most enjoyable way to pass an afternoon.

Oh, and the decision has been made:
"I'm gonna move to the country so I can see the stars, the heavenly stars, the heavenly stars..." ( )

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes travel, new experiences and humour. Though I have never visited the Alpujarras I feel this gives a true taste of Spain. (My daughter who has spent the last three springs there says the same.) Chris Stewart may have made more money if he had continued as drummer with Genesis but his Spanish experiences sound so much more fulfilling. ( )

This book is subtitled "An Optimist in Andalucia" and that very much sums up this delightful book of a couple moving to southern Spain. There has been a glut recently of people moving abroad, leaving the reality of life in England behind to try and capture that holiday feeling every day in another country (and yes, I'm just as guilty spending a couple of years in Spain myself) and this has led to a lot of books being published as everyone thinks they are the next Peter Mayle and Peter Kerr. But this is a genuine, funny and touching view of life in rural Spain, I loved Chris' writing which captured the countryside, the characters he has met and his adventures in joining the local community.
Without giving anything away Chris moves to a farm in Spain in some sort of "Good Life" self sufficiency experiment that Tom and Barbara would be proud of in Spain and of course not everything goes as it should do. But the eternal optimist Chris never moans about any of this, never tries to blame anyone else but simply always looks to the positive side of things and this despite no access road, electricty or water at one point. His neighbours of course help him out and the interaction between all the people he meets, the local farmers, ex pats, new age travellers and hippies make sure there is never a dull moment.
A great read I would recommend to people who like travel / autobiographies. ( )

A really good book: If you have been a fan of Peter Mayle who seems to be the senior statesman of "honey let's quit our jobs and buy a place in a foreign land" genre of literature, then you should also like this book. Although not as humorous or wry as the "Provence" series, the author does well by inviting you into his life with a degree of candor and unassuming charm that is much more refreshing than the somewhat tiresome cadence of self absorbed authors such as Francis Mayes ("Under the Tuscan Sun"). Unlike Mayes or Mayle, the author actually attempts to assimilate himself to a greater degree by taking over the farm to become a farmer, as opposed to an author, as so many other books of this type demonstrate. From this perspective, it becomes a refreshing change of pace and perspective for the reader.This book is good, easy to read and enjoy, but will not go down as a classic. Never the less, if you want a fun and easy to take dose of living in a foreign land, this one is for you. The ending page is also special.