It's midwinter and I’m sitting in glorious sunshine, absolutely bowled over by the sensational scenery laid out around me like an art gallery full of masterpieces.
It is so, so beautiful here on the outskirts of Algodonales in southern Spain’s Andalucia.
I can’t find words to do justice to the layers of gorgeous greens and rich browns of the mountains that totally surround our holiday idyll. Olive trees are scattered over the slopes and a dramatic blue sky outlines a horizon full of shrubs and bushes.
Donkeys bray in the distance, and the high notes of a cockerel crowing harmonise with the gentler sound of the bells from a nearby herd of goats. Any minute now our hosts will serve up a traditional Spanish tapas lunch and the aromas are wafting from the kitchen on to the terrace, where my husband Tom and I are relaxing with glasses of wine.

Winter sunshine in Spain

It’s difficult to believe that a few hours earlier I’d felt so miserable – eyes streaming and nose pouring from a winter cold as I shivered in a wind-whipped car park at Stansted.
Now I can throw away the Vicks inhaler – this clear mountain air is all I need as a decongestant, and the promise of more sun-filled days to come.
Daytime temperatures in wintertime can reach 20ºC (68ºF), but bring a woolly for after dark when it can plummet to a frosty zero). Given the surroundings and the climate, it’s no wonder so many people in Britain up sticks and move here. That’s exactly what our hosts William and Eva did. We’re staying at the unique country house they have recently renovated to open as a cookery school and B&B.

Bed and Breakfast with en suite rooms

Finca Alta Cocina (it means country house of haute cuisine) consists of two houses – guest quarters with five double en suite rooms and a comfortable lounge, and the main building where our hosts live and where superchef Eva conducts cookery classes in a kitchen to inspire even the most inexperienced beginner.
Courses run from Friday to Sunday and from Monday to Wednesday. A fantastic value package includes B&B plus two lunches and two dinners (which you help to cook) along with wine. The meal we helped prepare on our final night was the highlight, with stuffed squid, tortilla Española (Spanish omelette), lomo de cerdo asado (roast loin of pork), patatas a lo pobre (potatoes and green peppers), roast vegetables and coconut caramel custard.

Spanish and Mediterranean recipes

This is a popular area for horse-riding too, but the easiest way to explore is, of course, by car. While you don’t have to have your own transport – William and Eva can recommend a cut-price cab service from the airport – we found a hire car was a must as we wanted to pack in as much as possible during our stay.
There are certainly many lovely places to visit. The nearby town of Grazalema is another place where you can watch the world go by from a cafe in the square. I recommend Cafeteria Gumores, where three bottles of water, two coffees, a cheese and ham roll, a plate of squid and a tortilla came to just  10 euros (£7).
Put the nearby mountaintop town of Zahara de la Sierra on your schedule too. The breathtaking views include a huge lake where you can swim in the hot summer..
The closest large town is Ronda, 25 minutes away, and we also made trips to Jerez and the busy city of Seville,  both within an hour’s drive.
We also enjoyed the friendly grandeur of Cadiz (a 90-minute drive), which claims to be the oldest city in Europe and has so many layers of history. It was built by Phoenicians, ruled by Moors, invaded by Sir Francis Drake (we’ll gloss over that!) and it was the home port of Christopher Columbus for his epic voyages to the Americas.

If you don’t feel you’ve been on holiday unless you’ve been on a beach, then you have a choice of Sanlucar de Barrameda on the Costa de la Luz (90 minutes away) or San Pedro on the Costa del Sol (75 minutes). But if you’re like us, you’ll find it difficult to tear yourself away from the peace and tranquillity of Finca Alta Cocina. It truly is somewhere very special, and when you learn of all the trials and tribulations its owners went through to create such a jewel you’ll wonder how it ever got off the ground.
William and Eva overcame problems with water and electricity supplies, a succession of recalcitrant builders, an avalanche and flooding. But they’ve done it and this gorgeous place has to be seen to be believed.
Finca Alta Cocina had just a single teething problem during our stay – when the hot water failed in the guest quarters. William promised to get the plumber in the next morning – only to be told when he called that the poor man had died!