I am a British expat living in Spain since 2000. My wife Iva and I manage a B&B place in the province of Extremadura, southwest Spain. We have three children, a dog and three cats.

Since moving here from Madrid in 2008 (where Iva and I met), we have abandoned the rat race but also all the good stuff a city has to offer (we do miss some of the things), and basically tried to make our lives simpler and more in sync with nature. We buy locally grown organic produce (fruit and vegetables, meat and free-range chicken and eggs), and we harvest our own olives and figs. We spend most of our free time outdoors. Or cooking.

We enjoy living in the countryside and being a part of a small, closely-knit community. Our nearest village only has 2000 inhabitants and it's a great feeling running into people you know when you are out and about (something that never happened in Madrid).

With three 'free-range' children, most of the nights we can't wait to go to bed, but on those rare nights when we feel we've still got some energy left, we like to sit on the porch, watch the sunset and talk, or stay inside and watch a film or an episode or two of our favourite series of the moment, or simply read a book. And we always enjoy having guests (paying and non-paying) and sharing our rural experience with them.

Now, I know it all sounds very idyllic, and in many ways it is, but with three small children it can get a bit stressful too. Having said that, we have never regretted our decision to abandon a cosmopolitan and multi-cultural Madrid and start a new life on a finca (Spanish for a piece of land, usually cultivated and sometimes with a house on it), and we are sure most people who come here come for the same reason - to briefly get away from it all and enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside.

We invite you to visit us at Finca Flores Amarillas, our little corner of paradise on earth.

Paul

Finca Flores Amarillas is a newly-built country home in the heart of Extremadura, Spain. The house and the adjacent 5-acre land lie on the sunny side of the Sierra de San Cristobal and boast spectacular views all around.

The house has 6 double rooms with en-suite bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a living-cum-dining room, two sitting rooms, a balcony and a terrace.

There is a summer kitchen with a large dining table and barbecue, a shaded porch, and a beautiful 4x10m swimming pool with a covered chill-out area, loungers and sun umbrellas.

The house is on the grid for electricity, water supply is our own (borehole) and there is a geothermal installation with underfloor heating/cooling, making it possible to enjoy your stay any time of the year.

There is an outdoor playground with a large wooden climbing frame (pirate ship), a trampoline, a ping-pong table, and a concrete picnic table with 3 board games (chess, ludo and 3-in-a-row). There is also a tree house with lovely views, a firm favourite with children.

The fig and olive trees provide shade and cold refreshments are a welcome companion on a hot summer's day.