It’s an area with stunning views and ‘pueblos blancos’, or white villages nestled on the mountainside. But the villages aren’t the only things that are white, with the snowline just above where I am staying. And rather than the warmth of Spanish sunshine, we’ve got freezing temperatures, power cuts, 100kph winds and our own storm (Joseph) to batten down the hatches for. Even so, there were times I couldn’t resist buying a bag of house coal from the garage and enjoying a nostalgic burst of heat and that particular coal smell filling the house. Necessity being the mother of invention, I’ve spent the few days prodding, poking, blowing and praying until I’ve come up with a system that sort of works.