Some books are a perilous, careening journey on treacherous mountain roads. Some are a slog through a desert, searching for the next oasis. This was neither of those. This was a very pleasant, meandering drive through a lovely countryside, punctuated by chuckles and out-loud laughs. Victoria Twead (is that her real name? Really, I can't think of a name that could possibly sound more British!) does an excellent job of not telling us every detail of their move and their settling in Spain, but instead hands us the brightest, funniest gems. A very enjoyable read.

Anything in print with the power to make me laugh out loud is a score. I've never moved and I'm not fond of travel, but we are getting to the point in our lives where we are starting to plan to pull up stakes and move to the place we want to retire in. It certainly won't be as dramatic as this couple's adventure, but I am hoping to somehow ease the transition. The story is engaging, the writing flows nicely, and as a lovely bonus, each chapter begins with what certainly appears to be an authentic recipe. I will read the other entries in her series.

Loved listening to this playful tale on Audible. A British couple moving to a small Spanish mountain village proved to be an entertaining tale of mischief and fun.

So this one took a little while to grow on me. But at some point it did. I was a bit nervous going into it. There was a very outsider view of the culture of Spain and some jokes that didn't quite land or were very cliche. But then it turned less of that and more just about life in general, with a gaggle of chickens.

Twead and her husband embark on an adventure for retirement. Buying a house in rural Spain and fixing it up, with the intention to live out their retirement in the milder weather (at least compared to where they're from). Of course shenanigans abound when they don't speak the language perfectly and have different customs from the people around them.

I honestly can hope that some of these people are fake or never read about themselves in this book. I have a feeling a few would be hurt. But largely they seemed to like the people around them and have a close relationship. The chickens were of course wonderful (but then again I love chickens) although without spoiling too much I would have preferred not knowing some of their stories or at least had some lead in to it.

There were recipes, but like most books of this type I don't see myself returning to the book to try to cook from it. But if you like to do that, they're there for you! A slice of life that describes an outsider in Spain, this book took some time to ramp up but was ultimately enjoyable.

Review by M. Reynard 2023

Vicky and Joe's five year plan to live in a remote Spainish village is filled with adventures and missteps. Will they stay permanently in Spain or move back to Britain? The memoir continues in book two of the "Old Fools" trilogy.