Hidden Valley

The story of the real 'good life' of an off-grid existence in rural Spain

Paul Richardson fled the city to live on the land in a rough-and-tumble village on the edge of Europe. Immersing himself in the culture of his remote Spanish community, he learned the traditional arts of animal husbandry and vegetable growing, wine-making and home distilling, and made bread from the rye he sowed on the stone-walled terraces of his twelve-acre farm.

In prose that shimmers with wit and sensuality, the author charts his personal route-map along a road less travelled - from urban pressures to rural tranquility, and from insecurity to fulfilment. Along the way he pays tribute to the influences that have shaped his progress - from The Good Life to Henry David Thoreau, from the 1970s pioneers to self-sufficiency to his farming neighbours in the far-flung region of Extremadura.

In Richardson's hands, off-grid living both becomes an act of rebellion and a heartening proof that a simpler, better life is possible, if only we can remove ourselves from the ethos in which conspicuous consumption is a duty and success/failure the wheel on which society turns.

Hidden Valley is a glorious narrative of one man's journey towards self-reliance. Original and thought-provoking, it is also hugely entertaining.

A beguiling book about a lifestyle that many of us dream about, but few achieve Daily Mail

Paul Richardson was born on the shores of the Mediterranean and grew up in rural Hampshire, where he first saw the connection between food and quality of life. In 1989 he left London for Spain where he has lived ever since. An acclaimed travel and food writer, Richardson's work appears in the Financial Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Beast and Conde Nast Traveller. His books include Our Lady of the Sewers: And Other Adventures in Deep Spain, Cornucopia: A Gastronomic Tour of Britain and Indulgence: Around the World in Search of Chocolate.

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