Dedication

To all the friends my wife and I have accumulated during the last twenty years in this village.

This is an attempt to acknowledge the kindness and welcome we were shown from the very first day in what we now consider to be 'our village'

Most of the people in this story are real but names have been changed to protect both the guilty and the innocent.

 The setting has been moved back a good sixty years to try to paint a picture of village life during the Franco regime.

Quite a few of our friends and acquaintances have passed away since we met them. This is an attempt to honour their memory. To the ones still among us, I hope you might enjoy reading this and not take offence if you recognize yourself or if I have misrepresented your character.