I moved from London to Gaucín in 2000. Luckily I grew up speaking Spanish. My Partner, Stephen a mosaicist had bought an empty Builders merchant warehouse on the edge of Gaucín in 1999 and at the same time we began a mosaic business in Tangier, Morocco making “Roman Mosaics” to order and gradually created what is now Casa Mosaica over the years that followed.

It’s 2022 and I am resident again in Somerset UK, spending about 5 months a year, mostly in the spring, autumn and winter at Casa Mosaica. I handle bookings directly myself and have worked for 22 years on a very detailed house book full local information for guests. My apartment is situated on the first floor of the main house. When I’m at Casa Mosaica I will give you a warm welcome and show you around, however I am very aware of my guests privacy and will not use the pool or gardens during your stay. We might meet again on the door step or in the village and I will no doubt invite you for a drink on my terrace and help in anyway I can.

The wonderful, irreplaceable, Ruffi and Raphael look after the house, garden, pool and my 2 beautiful, friendly house cats, Kevin & Geoffrey when I am not around, they are a wonderful couple I could not manage without. Creating Casa Mosaica:

We gather Moorish design ideas on regular trips to Morocco and also at the great Moorish Spanish sites like: The Alhambra in Granada. The Great Mosque in Cordoba and The RoyalAlcazar in Seville. A huge amount of shopping is done in Tangier, luckily we have a flat bedtruck to bring everything back in, including all the pretty rejas (window grills).

We get help from a couple of clever architects to bring to life our Moorish ideas. The outside ofthe original warehouse is given a decorative wrapping with arches, windows & castellations. The Apartment and swimming pool courtyard are constructed.

The next part of the project is to come up with a plan for the other end of the property. A small building exists beside the original gate and a beautiful, well established palm tree. The Casita design is inspired by a pretty tower in the Tangier Kasbah and the Moorish garden is planned to complete the look, to join it all together and cover the tarmac; after visiting many Andalucían patio gardens for inspiration. Mosaics of various sorts are designed for installation in as many places as possible. The building is getting finished and the planting started by 2005. Luckily with good new soil and a watering system plants grow quickly in Andalucía and the first guests are welcomed in 2010.

12 years later I still get the greatest pleasure from guests who feel as comfortable and relaxed as they would in their own home, exactly as I intended ..."A dream home away from home" and thank you to my many delightful guests and the kind reviews.