Mad Cows and Englishmen: at large in Galicia

Imagine living on an island in where the sun shines down almost every day of the year and a cool breeze drifts in off the ocean, rippling the fronds of the palm trees. Wouldn’t that be paradise? Now imagine huddling around a rusty wood stove with the rain lashing against the window and the wind howling, as a storm rages outside. Who in their right mind would abandon life in paradise for that?
Mad Cows and Englishmen is the story of an English couple who trade the sun, sea, and sands of Gran Canaria for a home in Galicia, one of the coldest, wettest parts of Spain. Living in an old stone house in a remote hamlet surrounded by fields and forests that go on sounds idyllic. But, as Liza Grantham and her husband soon discover, their new lifestyle isn’t quite as tranquil as they’d been expecting. Menacing cheeses, reports of hyenas, cows running amok, a bloodthirsty cockerel, and a morning when the sun doesn’t rise are amongst the many surprises that rural life has in store for them.
An amusing, insightful, and shamelessly honest account of their story, as they confront daily challenges with optimism and tenacity during their first year in Galicia.
BONUS MATERIAL: Twenty poems by the author to amuse and delight.