The Culture Vulture

Many celebrities, especially male ones, marry or are partnered with much younger 'other halves'.

Here are half-a-dozen pairings which are quite astonishing from an age difference point of view. In some cases wives and partners are younger than the man's offspring from a previous relationship!

Antonio Banderas and Nicole Kimpel

The Spanish actor has recently turned 66. His German wife Kimpel is just 45 years old. That's an age difference of 21 years. Banderas could be her father!

The couple live in Malaga.

[ELLE]    

Michael Buble and Luisana Lopilato

Buble, a Canadian crooner, is 50 and his Argentine wife Lopilato is 39, an age difference of 11 years.

This is the smallest age difference of the couples I have chosen.

    [Europa FM]    

Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid

The American film actor is 51 and is married to the 20-years-younger Hadid, the American-born daughter of Dutch and Palestinian parents.

[ABC]    

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones

The age difference between the two is a massive 25 years. US actor Douglas, 81, married the Welsh beauty, also an actor, when Zeta-Jones was just 31.

A long marriage which has produced two children, Dylan and Carys. The couple have a home in Mallorca where they spend their summers.

[EL PAIS]    

Richard Gere and Alejandra Silva

Of the couples I have chosen these two have the biggest gap in age - a spectacular 33 years. US actor Gere is 76 and his wife Silva, 43, is Spanish, from Galicia.

The couple do a lot of charity work.

    [Vanity Fair]

Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell

Ex-Beatle McCartney, 84, has married twice more since the death of his first wife Linda Eastman. They had four children together. He had a fifth with second wife Heather Mills. His current wife, since 2011, is American businesswoman Shevell, aged 66. An age difference of 18 years.

    [ABC de Sevilla]

Alejandro Sanz and Stephanie Cayo

Spanish singer Sanz, 57, is partnered with the Peruvian actor Cayo, 38, since the beginning of this year. The age gap is 19 years, but at least they speak the same language!

Sanz has four children from previous relationships.

[El Mundo]    

The other way round .....

Such age differences where the woman is older are less common and the age gap is shorter.

My brief research has come up with three:

Jennifer Aniston and Jim Curtis

Aniston, 57, an actor of US/Greek origin, has been stepping out for a year with Curtis, 50, her hypnotherapist and coach. Their age difference is a mere seven years.

Aniston is most famous for her role in the TV sitcom 'Friends'. 

[RPP Noticias]    

Halle Berry and Van Hunt

Berry, 60, first came to my attention as a Bond Girl opposite 007 Pierce Brosnan in the 2002 'Die Another Day'. She had previously won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in 'Monster's Ball' (2001).

Hunt, 56, is an American singer/songwriter.

Their age difference of just four years is unremarkable.

[EL PAIS]    

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

The second child of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer is 41. His American actress wife Markle is 45, making an age difference of 4 years. They married in 2018 and have two children. The couple stepped down as working royals in January 2020 and moved to Meghan's native Southern California. It has been announced that they plan to move back to the UK in 2026.

[The Guardian]    

Claudia Schiffer and Matthew Vaughn

Schiffer, German, was a very successful model, now aged 56. She has been married for 24 years to British film director and producer Vaughn, 55. 

They have three children and live in Suffolk, England.

[HOLA]    

And the rest of us .....?

The rest of us mere mortals, ie not celebrities, tend to take partners of a similar age.

We are also more likely to stay together than the film stars, models and footballers of this world,

Links:

HOW TO ..... DIVORCE - Eye on Spain

Wrong way round... - Secret Serranía de Ronda

© Paul Whitelock MMXXVI

Photos:

ABC, ELLE, El Mundo, EL PAIS, HOLA, RPP Noticias, Vanity Fair, 

Thanks:

Google, 'Lecturas', Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia

Tags:

ABC, Alejandra Silva, Alejandro Sanz, Antonio Banderas, Best Actress Oscar, Bond Girl, Bradley Cooper, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Claudia Schiffer, 'Die Another Day', ELLE, El Mundo, EL PAIS, Eye on Spain, 'Friends', Gigi Hadid, Google, Halle Berry, HOLA, Jennifer Aniston, Jim Curtis, 'Lecturas', Luisana Lopilato, Matthew Vaughn, Meghan Markle, Michael Buble, Michael Douglas, 'Monster's Ball', Nancy Shevell, Nicole Kimpel, Paul McCartney, Paul Whitelock, Pierce Brosnan, Prince Harry, Richard Gere, RPP Noticias, Secret Serrania de Ronda, Stephanie Cayo, Van Hunt, Vanity Fair, Wikipedia

The fifth session of live music at the Hotel Don Benito near Ronda, since it re-opened as the Hotel Don Manuel, was a great success.

The music was sublime, the mood vibrant and there was food for those who wanted a moonlit dinner in the warm open air.

[© Central de Reservas]    

Boleros Duros

The duo, Boleros Duros, presented its version of bolero, the flamenco genre, using acoustic guitar, cajon and harmonic voices.

They were a perfect accompaniment to dinner and general chit-chat amongst the 60-odd people present.

A mixture of vecinos (locals) and foreigners (residents and tourists) had turned up - I spotted British, Irish, Belgian, German, Portuguese and Italian amongst the audience - and the duo went down very well with all of them.

The bolero is a dance and it was good to see the andaluces upholding their strong family traditions with grannies, mums and daughters/grand-daughters going through their paces together on the dance floor.

[© Facebook]    

International flavour

At our table were three couples, including me and Rita. All residents locally it was interesting to note that each pair had moved to the Serrania de Ronda for quite different reasons.

The Irish/Scottish pairing, resident for eight years had sought a relaxed, warm and clean air environment after working for many years in the polluted middle-east.

The Belgian/Spanish couple, here for just seven months, had been seeking a relaxed, rural home for them, their autistic son and the paternal grandad.

Finally, us, an Anglo-Welsh/German couple, who met in Ronda and were both seeking a less stressful and healthier alternative to their respective northern European homelands.

Conclusion

We think it's great what Gloria and David are doing at the Don Manuel, turning the hotel into the go-to venue for live music in Ronda. Hopefully, locals and outsiders will continue to support them.

With their engaging and friendly staff and competitive prices, these events make for a great evening out.

[© Ayuntamiento de Ronda]    

© The Culture Vulture MMXXVI

Pictures:

Ayuntamiento de Ronda, Central de Reservas, Facebook

Thanks:

Tags:

Ayuntamiento de Ronda, Boleros Duros, cajon, Central de Reservas, flamenco, Paul Whitelock, The Culture Vulture, vecino, 

Hot on the heels of the Pueblos Blancos Music Festival, the Semana Cultural in Montejaque (Malaga) starts today, Friday August 17, and runs until next Wednesday, August 23.

Featuring gastronomy, sport, art, music, theatre and cinema, as well as kids' activities based at the municipal pool, this feria is a highlight of the cultural life of this charming pueblo blanco in the Serrania de Ronda.

[Charry TV]    

With performances by artistes such as Sing & Swing, Los Salvajes del Rebalaje, Los Tigantitos, Dialogo Rock, KPOP and a Beatles tribute band; with film presentations and a theatre production; not to mention the annual cooking competition, this week represents a fitting end to the summer celebrations in this village of some 960 inhabitants.

[Charry TV]    

© The Culture Vulture

Links:

Pueblos Blancos Music Festival 2026 - Secret Serranía de Ronda

Pueblos Blancos Music Festival Mark VIII - The Culture Vulture

Pictures:

Charry TV

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

annual cooking competition, art, Beatles tribute band, cinema, Charry TV, Dialogo Rock, feria, film presentation, gastronomy, Karl Smallman, kids' activities, KPOP, Los Salvajes del Rebalaje, Los Tigantitos, music, Paul Whitelock, pueblo blanco, Secret Serrania de Ronda, Sing & Swing, sport, theatre, theatre production,

The Meter-Maid, the lovely Rita, is 75 today. It got me thinking about who else is still around and who left us at that age. After a bit of research I came up with 15 famous persons still with us and 15 who died at that age.

[Rolling Stone]    

Still alive at 75

According to the website famousbirthdays.com the following people have celebrated their 75th birthday recently:

Phil Collins, drummer and singer (formerly of "Genesis")

Peter Davison, English actor ("Dr Who"; "All Creatures Great and Small")

Lindsay Duncan, English actress

Ed Harris, US actor

Geraldine James, English actress

Louise Jameson, Scottish actress ("Bergerac"; "Dr Who"; "Eastenders")

Bill Murray, US actor ("Ghostbusters"; "Groundhog Day")

Randy Quaid, US character actor

Kurt Russell, US actor ("Inferno")

Jane Seymour, English actress

Bonnie Tyler, Welsh singer

Harriet Walter, English actress

Sadly died at 75

Yasser Arafat, former Egyptian leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner

Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish inventor of the telephone

Leonid Brezhnev, former USSR leader

Shelley Duvall, US actress

Duke Ellington, US pianist and bandleader

Dizzy Gillespie, US composer

Rutger Hauer, Dutch actor

John McAfee, US computer programmer (anti-virus software)

James Mason, English actor ("Lolita")

J P Morgan, entrepreneur and financier

Gerd Muller, German footballer

Donald Pleasence, English actor ("M" in several James Bond films)

Ferdinand Porsche, German car designer

Roy Scheider, US actor ("Jaws")

Tom Wilkinson, English actor ("The Full Monty")

© The Culture Vulture

Images:

Discogs, EL PAIS, IMDb, James Bond Wikipedia, Reddit, Rolling Stone, Wikipedia

Thanks:

 famousbirthdays.com, Google, Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia

Tags:

75, Alexander Graham Bell, "All Creatures Great and Small", anti-virus software, "Bergerac", Bill Murray, Bonnie Tyler, Discogs, Dizzy Gillespie, "Dr Who", Donald Pleasence, Duke Ellington, "Eastenders", Ed Harris, EL PAIS, famousbirthdays.com, Ferdinand Porsche, "Genesis", Geraldine James, Gerd Muller, "Ghostbusters", "Groundhog Day", Harriet Walter, IMDb, James Bond, James Bond Wikipedia, James Mason, Jane Seymour, "Jaws", J P Morgan, John McAfee, Kurt Russell,  Leonid Brezhnev, Lindsay Duncan, "Lolita", Louise Jameson, "M",  Nobel Peace Prize, Peter Davison, Phil Collins, Randy Quaid, Reddit, Rolling Stone, Roy Scheider, Rutger Hauer, Shelley Duvall,  The Culture Vulture, "The Full Monty", Tom Wilkinson, Wikipedia, Yasser Arafat,

It's all been happening at the beginning of May. The first four days of the fifth month have been significant culturally and in other ways.

May 1st, May Day and International Workers' Day; 

May 2nd, Uprising against Napoleon's occupying forces in Madrid in 1808;

May 3rd, Press Freedom Day;

May 4th, Early May Bank Holiday in the UK (and my dad's birthday).

Maypole dancing in England [Reader's Digest]    

May 1st

May Day, is also International Workers' Day, and is a global celebration of workers and the labour movement.

The day is celebrated worldwide, honouring the contributions of workers and advocating for workers' rights, fair wages and safe working conditions.

May Day is also a day for celebration of the arrival of summer with, for example in England, Maypole Dancing and dressing up.

May 1st is a dia festivo in Spain, so schools, banks, offices and businesses close.

In 2026 it was last Friday, resulting in a three-day weekend for many.

    [The Olive Press]

May 2nd

The Dos de Mayo or Second of May Uprising took place in Madrid, on 2–3 May 1808. The rebellion, mainly by civilians, with some isolated military action by junior officers, was against the occupation of the city by French troops, and was violently repressed by the Napoleon's French Imperial Forces with hundreds of public executions. These actions led to the Spanish people revolting against French occupation and the outbreak of the Peninsular War, and ended the Franco-Spanish alliance in the Napoleonic Wars.

The event is commemorated in a famous painting by Goya.

[Wikipedia]    

May 3rd

May 3rd is World Press Freedom Day.

It is also an important dia festivo in Ronda, where I live.

La Virgen de La Cabeza is celebrated with Mass, a Procession and a Romeria on the outskirts of town.

[IPI]    

May 4th

In 2026 this was the Early May Bank Holiday in the UK, being the nearest Monday to May 1st. In 2029 May 1st falls on a Monday, so the Bank Holiday and May Day will coincide.

May 4th was also the date of my dad's birth.

If he was still around he would have been 109.

As it was he died 41 years ago aged just 68. Way too young. He missed out on so much.

He knew my daughter Amy as an 18-month-old toddler, but didn't know my son Tom, nor four grandsons, a second spouse and my new life in Spain.

    Dad as a young man [Paul Whitelock]

© The Culture Vulture (Paul Whitelock) MMXXVI

Photos:

Paul Whitelock, Readers' Digest, The Olive Press, Wikipedia

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia

Tags:

1808, Dos de Mayo, Early May Bank Holiday, fair wages, Goya, IPI, International Workers' Day, May 1st, May 2nd, May 3rd, May 4th, May Day, Maypole dancing, Napoleon, Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon's French Imperial Forces, Paul Whitelock, Peninsular War, Press Freedom Day, public executions, Readers' Digest, Romeria, Ronda, safe working conditions, Second of May Uprising, The Olive Press, Virgen de La Cabeza, Wikipedia, workers' rights,

Easter bonnets, Easter bunnies, Easter chicks, daffodils, Easter eggs, Easter Mass, Easter processions ..... Take your pick!

Different countries / cultures have different Easter traditions, although there is a lot of cross-over nowadays.

Let's take a look at the UK and Spain.

[Amazon UK]    

The UK

In my home country, the UK, the ladies wear Easter bonnets; children receive Easter bunnies, Easter chicks and Easter eggs (all chocolate); daffodils are an important feature in many homes and in other venues; and people go to church or Mass.

    [Wikipedia]                                      [Rainy Day Mum]

    [Natasha's Kitchen]        [M&S]

Public holidays are on Good Friday and Easter Monday, giving a four-day break for many families.

Spain

In Spain it's all about the Semana Santa processions, although the kids get eggs, etc. The procesiones start on Palm Sunday (or in some places the day before) and continue until Easter Sunday a week later.

The processions are prepared throughout the preceding year by cofradias or brotherhoods attached to different churches. They have either one or two tronos, magnificent tableaux of scenes from the Bible featuring Christ and his Apostles and the Virgin Mary.

These scenes are mounted on a structure which is carried by horquilleros on their shoulders. The rhythmic movement is controlled by the band and the capirote.

The whole thing is accompanied by nazareños, penitents wearing a matching costume and pointy hat (reminiscent of the Klu Klux Clan in the USA, but in no way connected). In some parades the nazareños go barefoot.

    [YouTube]                                                      [Diario Ronda]                                     [El Periodico]

Each procession has a different prescribed route from the "home" of the trono/s around the town and back to its base. The whole thing can last several hours.

In Spain public holidays are Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Easter Monday is a normal working day.

Links:

Easter in Spain (let's have a party!) - Lenox Napier

Semana Santa in Spain: Dates and traditions to experience in 2026 - EOS News

© The Culture Vulture

Photos:

Amazon UK. Diario Ronda, El Periodico, M&S, Natasha's Kitchen, Paul Whitelock, Rainy Day Mum, Ronda Semanal, The Culture Vulture, Wikipedia, YouTube

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock, Ronda Semanal, The Culture Vulture

Tags:

Amazon UK, Apostles, brotherhood, capirote, Christ, cofradia, Diario Ronda, Easter Sunday, El Periodico, EOS News, Holy Thursday, horquillero, Lenox Napier, M&S, Natasha's Kitchen, nazareño, Palm Sunday, processions, Rainy Day Mum, Semana Santa, trono, Virgin Mary, Wikipedia, YouTube, 

Hard on the heels of Andalucia Day - yesterday - comes St David's Day, March 1st. St David is the patron saint of Wales.

Significance and History

March 1st commemorates the life and legacy of Saint David, who is believed to have died on March 1st, 589 AD. 

St David, Dydd Gŵyl Dewi in Welsh, was a 6th century monk and bishop who founded a monastic community at Glyn Rhosyn (now St Davids) in  Pembrokeshire, Wales. 

David is recognised for his piety and the miracles attributed to him,  including the raising of the dead and the healing of the sick. 

His canonisation by Pope Callixtus II in the 12th century solidified his status as the patron saint of Wales.

Stained glass window showing St David [Historic UK]    

Celebrations and Traditions

Symbols: 

Common symbols associated with Saint David's Day include the  daffodil and the leek, both of which are worn by many people on  this day.

Culinary Traditions: 

Traditional Welsh dishes such as cawl (a hearty stew), Welsh rarebit (a cheese dish) and bara brith (a cake) are often enjoyed during the celebrations.

    Cawl [Cookidoo]                             Welsh rarebit [Pinterest]                        Bara brith [Shutterstock]

Cultural Events: 

Various events take place across Wales, including parades,  concerts, and church services. 

In cities like Cardiff and Swansea, processions and cultural  performances are organised to celebrate  Welsh heritage.

    Procession in Cardiff [Wales Online]    

While St David's Day is not a public holiday in the UK, it is widely celebrated in Wales and by Welsh communities around the world.

Schools and local organisations often hold special events to honour the day and to promote Welsh culture and traditions.

    Patagonia, Argentina [Urdd Gobaith Cymru]

St David and I

Born to a Welsh father John (Cilfrew, Glamorgan) and an English mother Vera (Barnstaple, Devon), I always felt more Welsh than English. As an undergraduate I celebrated March 1st and proudly sported a daffodil, together with my Welsh pals Jac and Dan. I even had a short relationship with a Welsh girl, fellow student Marion.

[Wikipedia]    

Many years later I had a summer romance with the afore-mentioned Jac when I was divorced and single and she was a widow.

***

In summary, Saint David's Day is a significant cultural and religious celebration that honours the  contributions of Saint  David to Welsh history and Christianity, fostering a sense of national pride and cultural identity  among the Welsh  people.

Footnote:

El Dia Santo del San David in Spain falls on December 29th. Needless to say this is a different St David to the Welsh one.

© The Culture Vulture

Pictures:

Cookidoo, Historic UK, History Hit, metro.co.uk, Pinterest, Shutterstock, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Wales Online, Wikipedia

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock, The Culture Vulture, Wikipedia

Tags:

bara brith, cawl, Cookidoo, daffodil, Historic UK, History Hit, leek, metro.co.uk, monk, Paul Whitelock, Pinterest, St David, St David's Day, Shutterstock, The Culture Vulture, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Wales, Wales Online, Welsh, Welsh rarebit, Wikipedia

I've just spent the evening "celebrating" the most ridiculous Dia de San Valentin. In England, where I'm from, this day was always, and still is, a big deal. In Germany, according to my German missus, der Valentinstag is totally unimportant. In Spain, despite the best efforts of the commercial sector to promote this day, it really hasn't taken off.

[Diario AS]    

So, there I was this evening in this locals' bar near Ronda in Andalucia. There were fewer customers than on a normal night. Certainly for a Saturday.

Just four people were dining on the outside terrace, but they clearly weren't celebrating the day of love, despite the red heart-shaped balloons hanging from every available window latch.

Inside the bar there were two couples and sundry other folk who are always there, including me. The local mayoress was there, rather loud, so I guess she'd had a few. Her adult daughter was also there and in a lively mood.

The botox-enhanced, tattoo-ed and ginger-haired unmarried mother was supping "pints" quicker than I was, and I'm no slouch! Meanwhile, her fellah was playing with their four-year-old son.

St Valentine's Day in the UK

I remember that even in primary school we would exchange unsigned Valentine's cards (What was the point of that? I thought, even back then).

It continued through secondary school, at church and also at university.

[RTVE.es]    

St Valentine's Day was always a special day for my first wife and me.

It was an excuse to go out for a nice meal and for a bit of "nookey" when we went to bed at the end of the night.

Those were the days, eh?

[Encuentro Matrimonial]    

The Wilderness Years

This is how I describe the period of my life between 2005 and 2008 when I was redundant, early-retired and depressed.

A dalliance I had with a widow had its Valentine moments, but the relationship was destined not to last.

A spell living with my dear old mum (I had nowhere else to go) was fallow until, in early 2008, another widow whom I'd known since we were students together 40 years before, invited me to Luxembourg, where she lived, to work on a house she had bought for her daughter and son-in-law.

The deal was she would pay for my flights, give me board and lodging and pay for treats.

I didn't expect a summer romance as well!

When it ended (the work and the romance) I flew from Luxembourg to Malaga with my tail between my legs and to drown my sorrows.

[El Mundo]    

That very same night in Ronda I met the lady who was to become my second wife, the afore-mentioned German lady, Rita.

Rita and St Valentine's Day

I started off giving Valentinstag the full "welly", but it didn't last.

So, we are where we are!

© The Culture Vulture

Pictures:

Diario AS, El Mundo, Encuentro Matrimonial, RTVE.es

Thanks:

Maude, Jac, Paul Whitelock, Rita, The Culture Vulture,

Tags:

Andalucia, Dia de San Valentin, Diario AS, El Mundo, Encuentro Matrimonial, England, German, Germany, Jac, Luxembourg, Malaga, Maude, Paul Whitelock, RTVE.es, Rita, Ronda, St Valentine's Day, The Culture Vulture, Valentinstag, widow

The Christmas / New Year holiday is so long in Spain, and the weather forecast for this year is so bad, that we need something to do indoors, other than watching end-to-end Christmas films and TV repeats.

How about reading a good book?

[The Guardian]    

Here are The Culture Vulture's suggestions for a festive reading list in no particular order.

The writers are American, English, Irish, Norwegian, Ukrainian and two Spanish.

7 Up - Seven Books for Christmas 2025

"Reconciliacion" - The approved biography of Juan Carlos I

This biography of the former king of Spain, who abdicated suddenly in 2014 in favour of his son Felipe VI, was based on a lengthy interview with a French journalist.

The resulting book was released in France in French in November. It has since been translated into  Spanish and was published in Spain on 5th December. I had pre-ordered a copy which now sits on my bedside table. I've started it and will probably finish it before New Year.

    [Diario de Sevilla]

My early impression is that it is not convincingly truthful about JC's fall from grace.

"Volodymyr Zelenskii" by Serhii Rudenko

I  literally got this two days ago, so haven't started it yet. Thankfully it's not in Ukrainian nor Russian, but Spanish.

It's a few years old, it was published in 2022, but should be interesting nevertheless.

Zelenskii trained as a lawyer, but never practised, preferring instead to become a comedian and actor.

A native Russian speaker, Zelenskii is a Jew.

I confess to liking the man. Anyone who stands up to the murderous Putin and the ego-centric Trump has to have our respect. I look forward to learning more about him from this "portrait".

    [Google Play]

Federico Garcia Lorca's "Rural Trilogy"

The greatest Spanish poet and dramatist of the 20th century, Federico Garcia Lorca, was murdered at the behest of General Franco in 1936.

For being outspokenly anti-Franco or for being homosexual?  Both, perhaps!

I love Lorca's trilogia rural - "Blood Wedding", "Yerma" and "La Casa de Bernarda Alba".

I studied Lorca at university and taught "Bernarda Alba" at A-Level.

    [Paul Whitelock]

As a point of interest, one of my students back then in the mid-1970s was Andy Burnham, current mayor of Greater Manchester and former foreign secretary to Tony Blair. He got a grade "A" in Spanish and went to Cambridge to study ..... English!

"Doh!"

I've seen three live productions of "Bernarda Alba", the first with Glenda Jackson as the matriarch at The Lyric, Hammersmith, London.

The second in Stockton Heath, Warrington, starred my then wife, Jeryl Burgess, in the lead role.

The third time was in Ronda, where an amateur group managed an absolute disaster of a production. My now wife, Rita, knows a thing or two about the theatre, and that production still haunts her to this day!

I was proud to see my son Tom, a professional actor, play the role of Juan in "Yerma" at The Cervantes Theatre, London.  

"As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning" by Laurie Lee

This is the first book about Spain that I ever read. I was just 19.

I couldn't put it down. It had a big impact on me and was instrumental in my decision to emigrate to Spain, although it took a while!

I first came across Laurie Lee while at university and anticipating my year abroad in Spain and Germany. In that year, 1969, Penguin published his book about his journey on foot across Spain in 1934.

The book tells of Lee’s walk from La Coruña to Málaga armed with very little but his fiddle. We learn of his adventures en route, the kindness of strangers, and we can smell the poetic descriptions of the food he samples. His trip is cut short by the onset of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and he is repatriated to the UK, only to return later to fight against Franco in the International Brigades.

    [Paul Whitelock]

This masterpiece still rates as the best book about Spain that I’ve ever read, and I've read a few: "Driving over Lemons" (Chris Stewart), "A Castle in Spain" (Matthew Parris), "Duende" (Jason Webster), "The Road to Ronda" (Alastair Boyd), "The Spanish Labyrinth" (Gerald  Brenan), "The Spanish Civil War" (Hugh Thomas).

"Casita 26" by Karethe Linaee

Born in Norway, Karethe Linaee lived in Paris, Los Angeles and Vancouver (Canada) before moving with her Mexican husband Jaime to Ronda a dozen years ago.

She used these experiences as the basis for her first book, Casita 26, which has been published in both English and Spanish.

    [Paul Whitelock]

I know Karethe and Jaime well. I met them when they rented a flat from me to do a recce of the City of Dreams. Next thing, they bought the house next door, did it up and they still live there.

"The Luckless Girl" by Michael Coy

A former teacher, lawyer and barrister, Irishman Michael Coy moved to live in Ronda over 20 years ago.

A prize-winning amateur poet, in 2022 he published his first book, "The Luckless Girl", an epic poem based on a true story set in Italy.

I met Michael over 20 years ago and we became drinking buddies.

I attended his book launch at an open-air restaurant overlooking the Tajo, bought a copy of the book and Michael wrote a very nice dedication at the front.

"The Luckless Girl" is longer than "War and Peace" and I confess I haven't read it yet, but I'm sure it's good.

It sells steadily in a local bookshop in Ronda.

    [Amazon]

"Death and the Sun" by Edward Lewine

The American journalist Edward Lewine fell in love with Spain during a holiday here.

He returned to spend time in Ronda where he travelled with the bullfighter Francisco Rivera Ordoñez and wrote "Death and the Sun" about his time with Fran, who is the elder son of Paquirri and grandson of Antonio Ordoñez Dominguin.

As a footnote, Orson Welles, the Hollywood actor, director and producer, was a huge fan of "los toros" and great friends with Ordoñez. Welles' ashes are scattered on the Ordoñez "ranch" near Ronda.

    [Paul Whitelock]

Links:

BOOKS and WRITERS - Help me, Ronda

LOCAL AUTHORS - Help me, Ronda

© The Culture Vulture

Pictures:

Amazon, Diario de Sevilla, Google Play, Paul Whitelock, The Guardian

Thanks:

www.secretserrania.com, www.help-me-ronda.com

Tags:

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The actress Keira Knightley has several connections to the Festive Season through her films.

Probably the most celebrated is the ensemble piece "Love Actually" (2003), which pops up on our screens at Christmas every year.

With a cast of illustrious actors, including Rowan Atkinson, Colin Firth, Gregor Fisher, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Heike Makatsch, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, Knightley more than holds her own as the beautiful object of photographer Andrew Lincoln's love.

    [Britannica]

Directed by Richard Curtis the film made millions at the Box Office.

Knightley's first film proper was "Bend it like Beckham" in 2002, when she was just 17 years old.

This brought her much attention and the following year she appeared in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and "Love Actually", mentioned above. She was still only 18.

Knightley with Orlando Bloom [20 Minutos]    

Other films of note include: "Pride and Prejudice" (2005), in which she played Elizabeth Bennet; "Atonement" (2007), based on the novel by Ian McEwan; and "The Imitation Game" (2014), alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, who played war-time code-breaker Alan Turing. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Joan Clarke in this bio-pic.

Cumberbatch and Knightley [Spoiler Town]    

In between times she has appeared on stage in The West End and on Broadway and has had two daughters (2015 and 2019) with husband James Righton, musician, whom she married in 2013, aged 28.

She was awarded an OBE in 2018.

***

Her latest appearance is in the current TV Christmas Advert for Waitrose (2025) alongside comedian Joe Wilkinson. In a mini-romantic film comedy lasting four minutes.

She still looks bloody good at the age of 40!

The Perfect Gift | Waitrose | Christmas Ad 2025

[Reason Why]    

So, is Keira Knightley just a (very) pretty face, or is she much more?

    [Fotogramas]

Links:

The Perfect Gift | Waitrose | Christmas Ad 2025

Love Actually | Cards on the Doorstep - YouTube

DemandGen MAD NOV

© The Culture Vulture

Pictures:

20 Minutos, Britannica, Fotogramas, Reason Why, Spoiler Town, 
 

Acknowledgements:

"Society (Marbella)", The Culture Vulture, Waitrose, Wikipedia
 

Tags:

20 Minutos, A Christmas Carol, Alan Rickman, Alan Turing, Andrew Lincoln, "Atonement", "Bend it like Beckham", Bill Nighy, Britannica, Broadway, Colin Firth, Dominic Cumberbatch, Emma Thompson, Fotogramas, Heike Makatsch, Hugh Grant, Ian McEwan, James Righton, Joe Wilkinson, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, "Love Actually", Martine McCutcheon, OBE, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl", Reason Why, Richard Curtis, "Society (Marbella)", Spoiler Town, The Culture Vulture, "The Imitation Game", Waitrose, West End, Wikipedia