Blossom in Valencia

For some, February is the cruellest month, of cold, sleet, snow and the pubs are closed so hot cocoa has to substitute for warm cheer and good company.

In Valencia however, February, and sometimes even January, means that the many almond trees are in blossom and we all walk around taking photos like so many Japanese tourists.

Like so many typically Valencian products, the almond, native to Iran, came to Valencia along the silk route, brought here by the Moors, who occupied the area until 1238.

You’ve probably often wondered, and now it can be told, in botanical terms, it is not a nut but a drupe. No more sleepless nights!

Spain is now the second largest producer of almonds in the world after the USA, and the whole Valencia region, but especially Alicante becomes the land of white and pink at this time of year.

So spare a thought for all those people in northern Europe and the US, looking at the calendar and asking large rodents how long winter will last.

No, don’t bother.