Diary of a Nobody

This was the title of a massive hit for Tom Jones, the Welsh pop-singer who went on to become one of the elder statesmen of popular music through his collaborations with other artistes, such as Carlos Santana.

It seemed like an apt title for this piece about cats and other pets (mascotas) that have featured in my life of seven and a half decades.

Tom Jones, young and old [Photo image: Wikipedia]    

Me, cats and other pets

When I was growing up in Devon we had dogs. I don't remember any cats. My dad kept chickens too when I was very young. And at one point I bought a couple of mice. I was going to breed mice, sell them and make a fortune! My pair of mice produced one litter of 10. That turned out to be a short-lived enterprise.

I remember a gorgeous, even-tempered boxer called Heidi; a toy poodle called Snowy and a mongrel with the name Chloe.

First felines

As a young childless married couple we moved to our second house in Thelwall, Cheshire. I was 30 and Jeryl was 27. We got a couple of kittens. They both disappeared. After that we started a family and were pet-free. Our two kids were enough of a challenge!

As Time Goes By 

After Jeryl and I parted I moved to North Wales to live with my new girlfriend, a widow called Maude. She had a dog. I was early retired, but Maude was still working, so I spent a fair bit of time with her dog, whose name escapes me.

My second marriage, lived entirely in Spain, has had its fair share of animals. Over 15 years of marriage we have had two cats and a dog.

The first cat, Cleo, was "murdered" (poisoned) by a nasty cat-hating German woman in Montejaque, where we lived at that time.

Our lovely dog, a pointer called Berti, was run over and fatally injured by a speeding motorist in La Indiana.

We currently have a female cat which, as a kitten, had been dumped at the "basura" near our home. It followed me to our house and the rest is history.

Berti relaxing by our pool [Photo: PW] 

Pauline (Paulinchen) is now nearly a year old. We took her to the vet, who de-loused her, got rid of her fleas, inserted a chip in her neck and, on a subsequent occasion when she was old enough, sterilised her.

Pauline is very much a domesticated cat. She has worked out the limits of our large garden; she is very aware of the traffic that passes by the front of our house.

Last week we acquired a second cat.

Three separate neighbours had seen it get hit by a car outside our house.

Three days later, on a Saturday morning, I found it injured hiding at the back of our garden. We took it into the house, fed and watered it and set up a "bed".

On Monday we took it (we still didn't know its gender, cos it wouldn't let us look).

"Turco" examined it, established that it was a girl, and that it had a dislocated hip. He thought it would right itself with rest and a course of antibiotics.

And then it ran off!

Yet, it comes every evening for the food we put out. Rita has photographed her a number of times.

This evening she was there again, along with several other cats from the neighbourhood, which have clearly realised there is food to be had.

We managed to feed and water her without the others. She gobbled up the wet food and the bowl of dry biscuits in double-quick time. But then she disappeared again.

STOP PRESS:

After a week away, we returned to find that the second cat was still hanging around our garden. Previously other cats were coming to our garden because they realised there was food to be had. I started to feed the cat in the kitchen and she did come in. Rita and I decided to get her sterilised, as we had no wish to have a litter of extra cats. We made an appointment at the vet for this to happen. Long story short, "Turco" discovered that she had had a litter some mongths earlier. He removed her uterus and we gave her a name: Fritzi, as we called her, is essentially our cat. She sleeps in the house and hangs around the garden all day. It looks like she has become domesticated.

© Paul Whitelock

Tags:

Berti, cats and other pets, Chloe, Cleo, Cocoa, elder statesman of popular music, Heidi, Jeryl, mascotas, Maude, Paulinchen, Pauline, Paul Whitelock, Rita, seven and a half decades, Snowy, Tom Jones, Turco, Welsh pop-singer, "What's new, pussycat?"

Lotta's confirmation and Paul's 75th birthday

May 18th, 2025

The date for the confirmation of our German grand-daughter and the 75th birthday of yours truly coincided. We were invited to the confirmation - it's a big deal in Germany - so, off we went.

Friday May 16th, 2025 - Departure Day

Our first trip of the year to Germany started on Friday. We were invited to the confirmation of one of our granddaughters.

Lotta is 13 and she was next up on Sunday.

She is the third of our four German grandchildren.

Anton and Madita have already been "done"; Lyra is not ready yet.

Cartoon: Lebenslauf Bremen Shop   

The journey

We got up very early and drove by car from Ronda (Andalusia) to Malaga Airport. Our Ryanair flight to Karlsruhe Baden-Baden took off late and we landed late. Nonetheless, we managed to catch our bus to Rastatt to catch our train connection.

That's where the chaos began. German railways, Deutsche Bahn, especially the regional trains in Baden-Württemberg, are now a huge construction site.

Everything is being expanded and renovated.

This means many delays and cancellations.The system that was rebuilt after the Second World War and was arguably then the best railway in the world is now a joke.

After decades of neglect, the federal government is finally catching up.

   Cartoon: Landon-Advertising

DB suffers from:

• Old infrastructure
• Poor disabled access
• Lack of punctuality
• WCs on trains out of order
• No drinks and snacks either on the trains or on the platform.

Compared to Germany, British Rail (UK), RENFE (Spain), and SNCF (France) are perfect.

Our train journey was exhausting and stressful. The train ride took longer than our flight from southern Spain to Germany!

Nevertheless, we made it to Bietigheim, where we were picked up by Katrin, Rita's daughter.

Footnote

In the train from Karlsruhe to Bietigheim, we chatted the whole way with two young Germans. She was 20, a university student studying Business Management, and he was 26, a single father of a 2-year-old daughter, unemployed and without money. The two didn't know each other. We talked about all sorts of things. It was fascinating.

Arrival in Talheim (B-W)

This pretty village near Heilbronn is where the Schröders live. Katrin is Rita's oldest child and the mother of Lotta.

The Schröders didn't have space for us this time, but Katrin found us an Airbnb right in the heart of Talheim.

Our Airbnb apartment in the village is perfect. Spacious, clean with Wi-Fi and a brand-new flatscreen TV, and much cheaper than the hotels in the area.

Dinner was at the Schröders - asparagus soup and spaghetti with vegetable sauce - all homemade. Delicious.

Kurze Gasse, 5 [Photo: PW]    

Talheim is important for Rita and me.

We got married in the Talheim registry office 15 years ago.

After the church wedding two days later at Maulbronn Monastery, we had our "wedding breakfast" at the Haigern Restaurant in the vineyards above Talheim.

    [Photo: Paul Whitelock]

Saturday May 17th, 2025

I woke early in our Airbnb after eight hours sleep (we went to bed at 9.00 pm following our long and tiring journey on Friday.

I did some work on the computer, while drinking two cups of tea and two coffees. Then it was off to Hauptstrasse 59 for breakfast - home-made muesli, followed by German bread, Wurst, Schinken (ham) and a choice of cheeses, all washed down with two more coffees.

Then I borrowed an electric beard and hair-trimmer and metamorphosed myself from Ernest Hemingway into an asylum-seeking refugee.

    Me as Ernest Hemingway [BBC]                                            Me as an asylum-seeker [selfie]

Everybody had different things to do, so I made myself scarce and drove into Heilbronn, 20 minutes away. 

Heilbronn

I wanted to go to several shops I like there, including Woolworth's and C & A, both Dutch companies long-since disappeared from the British High Street. Here both are still going strong and sell stuff cheap.

    [Photos: Paul Whitelock]

There are also other places I like, such as Tchibo, a coffee brand with coffee shops which also sell interesting things, such as clothes, books, camping gear, as well as coffee beans from around the world.

The Wurstbude around the corner from the Stadtgalerie, a huge indoor shopping centre, was my destination for lunch where I enjoyed a Riesenbratwurst mit Brotchen und Senf, washed down with a Paulaner Hefeweizen. 9 euros, 10 with tip.

    [All above photos by Paul Whitelock]

After that it was a visit to one of the best bookshops I've ever come across in Germany. 

So, what did I buy in Heilbronn?

Well, I spent 48,25€ in Tchibo, 7€ in Woolworth, 13.35€ in Nanu-Nana and 5€ in TEDI.

The Osiander-Buchhandlung relieved me of just 2.99€ for a book of difficult Sudokus for Rita and an unnamed outlet, next-door, 1€ for 50 paper place mats.

77.59€ in total.

I was very happy with what I got.

[Photo: PW]    

BBQ at Hauptstrasse 59

We got together at Katrin and Gero's for dinner. Gero's sister Stefanie and her daughter Klara had arrived from Dortmund (NRW), so we were seven people. It had turned chilly so we sat inside. 

What a super evening - great Wurst, tasty Maultaschen, Brotchen and pasta with vegetables. Washed down with some super beers, wine for the older women and soft drinks for the kids.

And best of all a great chat, mostly in German with a bit of English for good measure.

Also a linguistics lesson from me - involving ghoti and fish. See the illustration to the right.

Back home for 11.00, Rita retired at 12 midnight and I followed at 1.00 am after wishing myself a happy 75th birthday!

[Sketchplanations]    

Sunday May 18th, 2025 - The big day

Confirmation Sunday

This was the reason for our trip to Germany. Lotta was to be confirmed today in the Kilianskirche, the protestant church in Talheim. It was also my 75th birthday - I was born on May 18th 1950. So the extended Schröder family had two important milestones to celebrate.

Birthday breakfast

I popped to the local bakery when it opened at 8.00 am and bought breakfast to take away.

We shared buttered pretzels and a buttered croissant with Senseo coffee in our delightful little Airbnb apartment.

Very German and very perfect.

My "birthday breakfast [PW]    

Then we showered and got ourselves "togged up". Rita looked stunning as always, today in a dark blue "Overall" (jump suit) with green flowers. Even Rita conceded I looked smart too in my navy blue slacks, navy polo shirt and mustard pullover.

We walked the short distance to the church where everybody was gathered outside in the sunshine. There were 11 young persons waiting to be "done". The service was all very nice and very protestant.

Afterwards it was photo-shoot time. Lottas older sister Madita is studying photography, so she took the best photos with her proper camera, while the rest of us "snapped away" on our mobile phones.

[Awaiting photos]

Confirmation-cum-birthday lunch

Just a short walk from the church is the excellent Ristorante il Meloranci, owned and run by Sicilian married couple Pina and Pepe Ruggiero. It's our favourite eatery around these parts. I've been a number of times. Christenings, confirmations and even our eve-of-wedding dinner back in 2010 - our church wedding was the following day in Maulbronn monastery.

[Photo: PW]    

As always the food was outstanding. We shared a first course of selected shared dishes (a bit like Spanish tapas, in fact) followed by a main course we had chosen in advance. Rita and I opted for Wolfsbarsch (sea bass) on a bed of sliced raw vegetables and rocket. Absolutely outstanding.

Coffee and dessert was to be served later chez Schröder.

Birthday drink

It is the custom in Germany that "das Geburtstagskind gibt einen aus", the birthday boy or girl buys a round of drinks. After discussion the day before with our hosts Katrin and Gero, who were footing the bill at the restaurant, that I should invite everyone for a post-prandial drink.

So at the appropriate moment I stood up and made a short speech, before inviting all present to order a digestif. Most adults ordered coffee and the children a soft drink, which meant my bill was far less than I was expecting.

Kaffee mit Kuchen

Back at the house the 19 of us had a choice of great cakes, among them Apfelkuchen, Johannisbeer-Torte, and Tschoko-Torte.

I was replete from lunch, yet over the next few hours I managed to find room for all three. My dilemma was, what to drink?

I'd been on wine in the restaurant so had another glass of white. I fancied a beer really but "Bier auf Wein, Lass das sein!" 

Later I had a cup of lemon tea and back at the flat no alcohol at all.

Hauptstrasse 59 [Photo: PW]    

Quite a sober birthday, in fact.

Monday May 19th, 2025 - Vuelta a España

Home time for me. Rita is staying two-and-a-half weeks longer to catch up with friends and family, while I shall be de Rodriguez ("home alone").

The day started with packing my rucksack and checking out of the Airbnb.

Then we drove to Gero. We had breakfast and relaxed a bit. Then it was off to Stuttgart to the airport for my flight back to Spain.

I arrived home at 10.00 pm, where Paulinchen was waiting to welcome me. My journey to Germany was over.

From today on, I am "de Rodriguez".

Links:

... de Rodríguez? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

© Paul Whitelock

Photos:

BBC, Landon-Advertising, Lebenslauf Bremen Shop, Madita Schröder, Osiander, Paul Whitelock, Sketchplanations, Wikipedia

Tags:

Anton, "Bier auf Wein, lass das sein!", BBC, "de Rodriguez", Deutschland, Eurowings, Gero, Heilbronn, Joachim Baensch, Julia Baensch,  Katrin, Landon-Advertising, Lebenslauf Bremen Shop, Lotta, Lyra, Madita Schröder, Osiander, Paul Whitelock, Rita, Ryanair, Schröder, Sketchplanations, Spanien, Paulinchen, Paul Whitelock, Sketchplanations, Stuttgart, Talheim, Wikipedia

The last four weeks have been incredibly busy, with lots going on.

It all started with the death of a Pope and ended on my 75th birthday.

Let's take a look.

[Image courtesy of Posters]    

Monday, April 21st - Pope Francis dies aged 88
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 17 December 1936, died on 21 April 2025. Head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until his death. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first Latin American, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.

[Image courtesy of ABC News]    

Pope Francis - Wikipedia

Monday, April 28th - El gran apagon

The longest and most widespread power cut in living memory hit Spain, Portugal and parts of France.

Read more here: 

Thursday, May 1st - Labour Day / May Day

Celebrated throughout the Western world. Often a public holiday.

For more on this, click here:

Sunday, May 4th - My dad's birthday

John Albert Whitelock would have been 108 today. Sadly he left us 40 years ago aged 68 after suffering a fatal heart attack.

Here is more: 

Monday, May 5th - Early May Bank Holiday (UK)

This is in effect May Day. The UK prefers to have its public holidays on a Monday.

Wednesday, May 7th - Papal conclave begins / India - Pakistan conflict / US - UK trade deal / Arsenal out of Champions League

What a news day!

133 cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel to choose a new pope.

Hostilities commence between India and Pakistan over the disputed Kashmir territory.

A US-UK trade deal on tariffs is announced by Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer.

Arsenal crash out of the Champions League after defeat by Paris Saint Germain in the semi-finals.

Thursday, May 8th - 80th anniversary of VE Day

In 1945, this was the day when the German surrender was announced, after six years of fighting during World War II.

Commemorated widely throughout the West.

Thursday, May 8th - New pope chosen

In the early evening, following the fourth vote, white smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, in Rome, signifying that the world's 1.406 billion Roman Catholics had a new pope, the 69-year-old American Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome.

"Habemos papam!" - Leo XIV

Friday, May 9th - International Day of Europe

75 years old, this day was inaugurated in 1950

Saturday, May 10th - The "101"

Sunday, May 11th - Homage to and Romeria

Thursday, May 15th - Off to Germany

Saturday, May 17th - Christening of grand-daughter Lotta in Talheim (Baden-Wuerrtemberg)

Sunday, May 18th - My 75th birthday

Monday, May 19th - Return to Spain

Changing Places" (Secker & Warburg, UK, 1975) was a very entertaining novel by David Lodge (1935-2025), part of a trilogy about academic life along with Small World (1984) and Nice Work (1988), which were turned into a successful TV series starring Warren Clarke (1947-2014) and Haydn Gwynne (1957-2023).

I'm thinking of changing places too. 

Well I already did, swapping the UK for Spain 16 years ago, but now I'm going to go a step further and change nationality, from British to Spanish.

My thinking

While Britain was a member of the European Union, everything was fine. But since we left the bloc in 2020 following the disastrous referendum result in 2016, I have become increasingly frustrated, with the extra restrictions I am subject to.

Although I'm a permanent resident, I can no longer use the EU channel at passport control at ports, airports and border crossings, so I have to stand in a long queue with other "aliens". 

I can no longer vote in European elections as previously, although I can still vote in local council elections.

These issues are important for me, but what really matters is that with Spanish nationality I can vote in national and regional elections.

A Spanish passport is cheaper than a British one and I can get it and renew it locally rather than having to do it all in the UK. A British passport renewal from Spain currently costs 153€ and takes ages. A Spanish one costs 30€ and is "en el acto" (while-you-wait).

Oh, and I can visit one more country without needing a visa than I can with a British passport. Which country? No idea.

What I've done about it

I've been thinking of applying for Spanish nationality for the best part of two years. I've done the research and know what is required.
 
I shall have to surrender my British passport, but I am no longer emotionally attached to my navy blue travel document.

I have checked with all the relevant bodies, ie my pension providers and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and there is nothing to prevent me from going ahead.

So, why have I not done it?

Inertia, I'm ashamed to admit.

Plus the fact that it will take up to three years, even though the application process is digital, ie online. You cannot go to an office and speak to somebody.

So, why is it not instant?

Next steps

Obviously the longer I put it off, the longer it will be before I became a Spaniard with a maroon Spanish EU passport.

I set myself deadlines for the end of November 2024, and then for the end of January 2025 and both have been and gone.

My family and friends advise me against switching nationality. Why?

The experience of others

I know a few British women who did this years ago. They married Spanish men and were committed to living in Spain. They report that there have been absolutely no problems. They've even managed to maintain their UK passports even though it's not allowed. Apparently the Spanish and UK passport authorities "do not talk to each other".

    The late David Lodge [BBC]

Endword

My latest deadline is the end of April, so I have just under two weeks left. I'm determined to do it.

Watch this space!

© Pablo de Ronda

Photos:

Amazon, BBC, British Chamber of Commerce, Daily Mail, Wikipedia

Acknowledgements:

Costa Press Club, DWP, Department for Work and Pensions, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Merseyside Pension Fund, UK Passport Office, Wikipedia

Links:

How to apply for a Spanish passport | Expatica

HOW TO ….. become a Spanish resident? - New rules

Ministry of Interior | Passport

Spanish passport - Wikipedia

Tags:

153€, 30€, Amazon, BBC, British Chamber of Commerce, British passport, Changing Nationality, "Changing Places", Daily Mail, David Lodge, "en el acto", European elections, European Union, EU channel, Haydn Gwynne, local council elections, "Nice Work", passport control, pension provider, permanent resident, Secker & Warburg, "Small World", Spanish nationality, Spanish passport is cheaper than a British one, trilogy about academic life, Warren Clarke, while-you-wait, Wikipedia

No, this not a report by the major British TV channel about the far-right "Nazi" party in Germany, the AfD (Alternative fur Deutschland).

It's about my Spanish MOT (Inspeccion Tecnica de Vehiculos - ITV) early this morning on April Fools' Day, April 1st.

[Photo courtesy of La Razon]    

What happened?

Well, my six-year-old Peugeot 2008 passed, although not with flying colours, I have to say. I have a few bodywork issues to attend to in the next two months.

As is the case here in Andalucia, the driver takes the car through the inspection and is required to respond to the instructions of the test examiner. Very different to the UK, where you leave the car at the MOT-testing centre and collect it later (or sit in the waiting room, drink free coffee and flick through dodgy magazines).

    [Photo: Paul Whitelock]

In Andalucia, at least, the cost is fixed. In the UK, it's a competitive market. If you shop around you can get an MOT test for "threepence ha'penny". Other autonomous regions in Spain may have different arrangements and regulations. Spain is a federal country, so many states, ie regions, are able to make changes to national policies  emanating from Madrid.  

Also the frequency of the test is different. In Andalucia your first ITV "test" is due after four years from first registration, and then every two years up to 10 years. After that it's an annual requirement.

In the UK, the first MOT kicks in after three years and thereafter it's annual.

    [Photo courtesy of Carwow]

Interesting links:

April Fool! - Only Joe King, Eye on Spain

April Fools' Day - Wikipedia

© Diary of a Nobody

Photos:

Carwow, La Razon, Paul Whitelock

Tags:

AfD, AFD, Alternative fur Deutschland, April Fool's Day, Carwow, Diary of a Nobody, Eye on Spain, ITV, Independent Television, Inspeccion Tecnica de Vehiculos, La Razon, MOT, MOT-testing centre, Only Joe King, Paul Whitelock, Peugeot 2008, Wikipedia

Sounds great, doesn't it? Mmmm! Maybe not. The main road from Ronda (Malaga), where I live, the A397, is closed because of a massive rock fall caused by the recent storms. The carriageway has been destroyed at Kilometro 31 and will take six months to fix.

[Video courtesy of YouTube]    

Impact

The 9,000 workers who used to travel to the coast and back every day have had to find alternative routes.

Tourists may be deterred from visiting Ronda.

Retired people, like us, may have medical appointments in San Pedro, Estepona or Marbella and now have to find other ways to get there.

    [Map courtesy of Wikipedia]

Monday 31 March

The second day of Spring, my wife Rita has medical appointments in Marbella. No problem, we'll set off earlier than we would have done and drive via Ardales, Casarabonela, Coin, and Ojen and drop down into Marbella. It will take a bit longer, but, hey, we're retired, so we will take it in our stride.

Instead of lunch on the beach in San Pedro, we can enjoy a beachside meal in Marbella itself or in Fuengirola.

Life presents challenges, we just have to overcome them.

Granted, it's trickier for workers, than for retired people, but, with a positive attitude, everything is possible.

    Chiringuito in Marbella  [YouTube]

Update - 31 March

After pottering about a bit around the house, we took showers and had some breakfast before setting off around 11.00 am. 

Despite the blocked A397, the traffic wasn't too bad - just hire cars carrying tourists and old people, like us, maybe off to Marbella for private hospital treatment. There were a few tourist coaches and the odd heavy lorry transporting rocks for construction work on the coast.

The worker traffic (commuters) had already passed four hours previously. 

The "Lovely Rita" had an appointment with a dermatologist to assess her for a couple of minor procedures to make her even more lovely, plus she had to collect some x-ray slides and a report from two appointments a couple of weeks ago.

That done, we decided to head to a beach, but which one? Let's be honest, we're spoilt for choice in this part of the world.

From the Costa Tropical in Granada towards the east, all the way westwards along the Costa del Sol to Tarifa, the southernmost point of Europe, and then up the Costa de la Luz to Cadiz.

Lovely Rita [Photo: Paul Whitelock]    

Too far for today, but there are enough little bays and coves within easy reach of Marbella or in the town itself.

Today we tried somewhere we'd never been before, El Rosario. We got a parking space right by a chiringuito on the beach, called Hipopotamus. It was a great discovery. We shared gambas Thai and provolone con pan rustico and  a couple of beers and a coffee. At 50 euros with tip, it was pricey but we enjoyed the experience immensely. The young staff were delightful.

After topping up on the solar rays, which have been absent for weeks with the heavy rains in February and March, we decided to head for home via the cheapest gasolinera we know. Unleaded 95 was 11 cents a litre cheaper than the lowest-priced petrol in Ronda at a mere 143.9 instead of 154.9.

    Chiringuito Hipopotamo, El Rosario                    View of the Med in El Rosario [Photos: Paul Whitelock]
 

© Diary of a Nobody

Links:

OUR DAY OUT – at the Seaside

Ronda cut off! - Help me, Ronda

Tags:

A397, Ardales, beachside meal, Casarabonela, chiringuito, Coin, Estepona, Eye on Spain, Fuengirola, Hipopotamus, Marbella, medical appointment, Ojen, Our Day Out - at the seaside, Rita, rockfall, San Pedro, Spring, Trip to the coast, Wikipedia, YouTube 

In my article Christmas Parties in Spain 2024 which I posted two weeks ago, I included a little “Quiz”.

Hidden in the text of the article were six Christmas songs, carols, films or TV programmes.

Here are the answers in order as they appeared in the text:

“Last Christmas”

“Last Christmas we were in Germany in Talheim, Uetersen and Dresden.”

A seasonal song by Wham! It didn’t make number 1 in 1984, having been pipped by the first-ever Band Aid charity record “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (q.v.).

However, the song has made it to number 1 in both of the last two years, the only ever song to achieve two number 1s in consecutive years.

To listen, click on the link:

Wham! - Last Christmas (Official Video)

“Home Alone”

“The only other Christmas party/meal in the pipeline, is my own at home on Christmas Day. I am determined to enjoy my first ever Christmas “home alone” …..”

This brilliant film starring the young McCauley Culkin as Kevin has become something of a classic.

“Life on Earth”

“I am determined to enjoy my first ever Christmas “home alone” in my seven decades of life on earth.”

Sir David Attenborough, now aged 98 and still working, has been making these wildlife documentaries since 1979, some 45 years.

His follow-up series was called "The Lonely Planet".

“All I want for Christmas”

“All I want for Christmas is for everybody to be happy and safe.”

This Mariah Carey single made it to Christmas Number 2 in 1994 and Number 4 this year, 2024.

The song has been popular every Christmas time since its release in 1994.

To listen, click this link:

Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (Official Video)

“A Christmas Carol “

“I’m looking forward to Christmas 2024. Being alone has its advantages. I can watch what I want on TV, sing a Christmas carol or two …..”

A novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London in 1843 it features characters such as Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim.

Film versions appeared in 1970 and 1990, the latter starring Albert Finney and Sir Alec Guinness.

“Silent Night”

“I can ….. play loud music in the house or opt for a silent night, and I can go to bed and get up when I want to.”

This well-known and popular Christmas carol (German: “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” was composed by Austrian Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by priest Josef Mohr and first performed at the Nikolauskirche, the parish church of Oberndorf, Austria, on Christmas Eve, 1818.

To listen, click on the link:

Noche de paz con letras | Villancico

Endword

How did you do? Did you find them all?

Happy Christmas!

© Diary of a Nobody

Links:

Christmas Parties in Spain 2024

Noche de paz con letras | Villancico

Wham! - Last Christmas (Official Video)

Photos and Images:

20Minutos

BBC

Juan Carlos Boiza

Truth for Life

Wikipedia

Tags:

1818, 1843, 1979, 98, “A Christmas Carol”, “All I want for Christmas”, Austrian, Band Aid, Bob Cratchit, charity record, Charles Dickens, Christmas carol, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Parties in Spain 2024, Christmas party, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, Dresden, Ebenezer Scrooge, Franz Xaver Gruber, German, Happy Christmas!, “Home Alone”, Jacob Marley, Josef Mohr,  Kevin, “Last Christmas”, “Life on Earth”, Mariah Carey, McCauley Culkin, Nikolauskirche, novella, Number 1, Oberndorf, quiz, “Silent Night”, Sir David Attenborough, “Stille Nacht Heilige Nacht”, Talheim, "The Lonely Planet", Tiny Tim, Truth for Life, Uetersen,  Wham!, wildlife documentaries

We are well into Advent now, with the "puente" of 6 and 8 December, Día de la Constitución and Inmaculada Concepción, behind us. The Christmas Party season is about to start.

Preamble

For workers there will be the dreaded “Office Party”, where some folk will get drunk and behave badly. And that’s just the women!

For the retired there will be no work ”dos”. But maybe a “freebie” offered by the local town hall.

There will also be Christmas bashes for clubs and associations of different kinds, from the golf club to the painting group, from the yoga class to the reading circle.

[Image courtesy of Amazon]

As for me …..

I’ve got two Christmas meals this very week, the first with the Club de Prensa de la Costa del Sol (the Costa Press Club) where I am a long-standing member. That’s in Mijas Costa (Málaga) on Tuesday.

The Ayuntamiento de Montejaque (Málaga), the village near Ronda where I am empadronado, is offering a free Christmas lunch for its senior citizens, of which I am one.

In addition, my lovely Rita is going to invite me out for a Christmas meal next week. I think she feels “guilty” that she is abandoning me for Christmas and heading off to Germany, leaving me “de Rodriguez” at home in Ronda, while I look after our newly acquired kitten Paulinchen.

Last Christmas we were in Germany in Talheim, Uetersen and Dresden.

The only other Christmas party/meal in the pipeline, is my own at home on Christmas Day. I am determined to enjoy my first ever Christmas “home alone” in my seven decades of life on earth.

    [Poster courtesy of Facebook]

To that end I’ve already started decorating the house a bit, have dug out the Christmas tree from the “attic” and I’ve planned my meal, NOT a traditional English roast. I’m going for:

Rita's alternative Christmas Dinner

Primer plato

Crema de calabaza y naranja con marisco (Cream of pumpkin soup with orange and shellfish)

Segundo plato

Lubina rellena de gambas a la vizcaína (Sea bass stuffed with Biscay prawns)

   [Photo courtesy of ¡Hola! magazine]

Postre                                                                                                                       

Christmas pudding

Bebidas

aperitif: manzanilla sherry;

wine with the fish: albariño (rías baixas);

dessert wine: Pedro Ximénez;

coffee: cortado doble

digestif: Asbach Uralt (German brandy)  and LOTS OF WATER!

[Photo courtesy of Navarro Bodeguita]

Click here for the recipe: Christmas "de Rodríguez" - Rita’s alternative Christmas Dinner

My family

My two “families”, Amy, Simon, Felix (8) and Jude (5) in Stratford (London); and Tom, Su, Wilbur (6) and Buckley (1) in Hastings (East Sussex) will be celebrating at home. I’ve already sent their Christmas money.

Their mother/grandma, my ex-wife Jeryl, has her birthday on Christmas Eve, so they will all celebrate together in style!

During the Covid-19 lockdown Tom organised a family quiz via WhatsApp/Facetime. Wonder if he’s planning to do the same this year …..   

                                                                                           Archive photo of my "families". Tom and Simon missing 

My Christmas Quiz

Hidden in the text of this article are the titles of half a dozen Christmas songs, carols, films and TV programmes. .

Answers on a postcard to …..

(Answers will be posted on Diary of a Nobody before Christmas).

Endword

All I want for Christmas is for everybody to be happy and safe.

Personally I’m looking forward to Christmas 2024. Being alone has its advantages. I can watch what I want on TV, sing a Christmas carol or two, play loud music in the house or opt for a silent night, and I can go to bed and get up when I want to.

¡Felices fiestas!

© Diary of a Nobody

Links:

Christmas "de Rodríguez" - Rita’s alternative Christmas Dinner

CPC in Cala de Mijas - Christmas Party - 2023

... de Rodríguez? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Fish for Christmas and no gifts? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Acknowledgements:

Karl Smallman

Paul Whitelock

Rita Whitelock

Secret Serrania

Photos and Images:

Amazon

Facebook

¡Hola!

Navarro Bodeguita

Tom Whitelock

Tags:

6 and 8 December, Advent, Amazon, Christmas bash, Christmas Parties, Christmas Party season, Día de la Constitución, Facebook, freebie, ¡Hola!, Inmaculada Concepción, Karl Smallman, Navarro Bodeguita, Office Party, Paul Whitelock, puente, Rita Whitelock, Secret Serrania, Spain 2024, Tom Whitelock, work ”dos”

The Ronda Valley Hotel, known to locals by its original name, Hotel Don Benito, suffered major flood damage last week. It’s not a pretty sight [bonito = pretty].

Hotel Ronda Valley before the flood [Photo: Facebook]

What happened?

After the torrential rain last Thursday, the track leading up to several farms opposite the rear of the hotel broke up and a mass of water, stones and mud cascaded down from the hills above, swamping the hotel and filling the cellar with water and mud.

This knocked out the pump and other equipment and cut off the electricity and water on the ground floor where the bar, restaurant and kitchen are located.

The hotel guests were evacuated to sister hotel, Ronda Moments, in Arriate.

A hundred metres further on the lower-lying Hotel Molino del Puente was not affected by the weather and remained undamaged, much to the relief of owners Ian and Elaine Love, after being flooded out twice in 2018.

“In 2018, the river rose, burst its banks and flooded the whole of the lower ground floor, knocking out the dining room, kitchen, library, terrace and car park,” recalled Ian.

“This time the river did not flood, the acequias [water channels, ie road drains] were clear and the system coped. I must admit I was worried, however!”

Clean-up

Since the incident, hotel staff have been switched to cleaning up, sweeping mud out of the hotel and surrounding area and repainting damaged paint work. Protección civil volunteers and bomberos (fire brigade) have worked non-stop to empty the cellar of water and damaged furnishings and contents, filling two skips.

The electricity company and plumbers have been in and fixed the services.

The hotel is keen to re-open but keep having to push that back because of the time they need to put things back in order and re-equip.

I went along a couple of times to talk to staff, professionals and volunteers and to take photos.

Some of the PC volunteers had just returned from the Valencia region, where flooding and damage was much worse and where over 200 people died. They had been despatched there to help with the clean-up.

“It was a terrible situation there,” Carmen told me. “Although a lot of the press coverage was sensationalist and didn’t show the true picture.”

What struck me was how cheerful these volunteers were. They were exhausted, filthy and had worked hard, yet the bonhomie was remarkable. And they were all quite young, women as well as men.

Outside, the road from where the deluge emerged was blocked with rubble, so that local residents were trapped. Contractors were on the case very quickly and a JCB cleared the blockage. A pile of chippings was delivered to assist with repairs to the road.

The road leading to the pedania of Fuente de la Higuera was covered in mud and stones washed down from the fields. The drains on either side of the road were blocked, but heavy plant was soon “on the case”. There is still work to be done, but at least it’s passable.

My local

The Don Benito is my local “watering hole”, so I have had to find somewhere else for an evening drink. The afore-mentioned Molino del Puente is closed for the winter, so the next nearest is the admirable Venta El Puente on the MA 7401, the road to Benaoján.

Manolo, wife Isa, and their three daughters have upgraded since they took over the lease last year.

This inn is full of interesting and friendly locals, and they serve great beer (El Aguila on draught) and well-priced and tasty tapas and meals.

What next?

Life will swiftly return to normal. The people round here are very stoical. They just knuckle down, clean up and get on with life.

As for who pays for all the damage, loss, emergency services, etc, you can be sure that the insurance companies will wriggle out of their obligations to stump up and will claim acto de Dios.

The buck will no doubt stop at the Consorcio* which will take over the financial responsibility.

* All insurance policies include a levy payable to Consorcio which takes over responsibility for insurance claims arising from major disasters or Acts of God.

STOP PRESS:

The Hotel Ronda Valley re-opened this morning at 7.00 am.

I'm sitting in the bar now as I write this. It's 7.00 pm. Not many people about, yet the hotel is fully booked with guests!

I chatted to Maria and Andrea who have "worked their socks off" cleaning the hotel for the last four days, along with other staff from the hotel, cleaners, kitchen staff, the lot.

"All the staff worked really hard to clean up." said a member of staff, who wished to remain anonymous. "And funnily enough, we were all women!"

I say: "Well done!"

Given the amount of damage, it's remarkable that they have re-opened within four days.

© Paul Whitelock

Photos:

All by Paul Whitelock except photos of Hotel Ronda Valley, Protección Civil and Venta El Puente [all courtesy of Facebook]

Links:

For information on the hotels mentioned above click here: PLACES TO STAY - Help me, Ronda

Back to the “Bridge” – St George’s Day

Kilómetro 26 - Help me, Ronda

Run of the Mills - Help me, Ronda

Tags:

acequia, Acto de Dios, Acts of God, Arriate, Benaoján, bomberos, bonhomie, cellar, clean-up, cleaning up, Consorcio, contents, damage, damaged furnishings, Diary of a Nobody, Don Benito, electricity company, emergency services, Facebook, hotel guests were evacuated, Ian and Elaine Love, insurance claim, insurance policies, JCB, levy, loss, major disaster, major flood damage, MA 7401, Molino del Puente, mud, Paul Whitelock, plumber, Protección Civil, pump, repainting, Ronda Moments, Ronda Valley Hotel, skip, stones, sweeping mud, torrential rain, Valencia, Venta El Puente, volunteers,  water, “watering hole”

By Diary of a Nobody

These good British folk – seven of us in total – are all neighbours who live near each other just outside Ronda (Málaga).

Ian 1 and Elaine 1 from England

The longest-serving residents in Spain by a country mile are Ian and his wife Elaine. English-born they met on a beach in southern Spain in their early 20s, some forty years ago. They’ve been together ever since, first in Cabopino where they ran a very successful restaurant, The Harbour Lights, and subsequently in Ronda where they own and manage the prestigious Hotel Molino del Puente and highly regarded Restaurante La Cascada.

This restaurant, one of our favourites in the Ronda area, serves high quality and imaginative dishes. After Ian retired as chef, the cooking duties have been taken over by son-in-law and trained chef Tom.

Ian, Elaine, Carly and Tom

Welcome to our beautiful country retreat hotel in Ronda, Málaga

Ian has since opened an Estate Agency, Love Viviendas, with daughter Carly, Tom’s missus.

Love Viviendas

The one-and-only Nick

Next-longest resident is Nick, who has been here for nearly 20 years. Married to Hungarian-born Julia, they have two sons, Oliver and Daniel, who were born in Ronda and are, of course, truly bi-lingual.

Nick and Julia have holiday rentals in Ronda (Finca Retama) and Casares Playa (Casitamar).

Daniel, Oliver, Nick and Julia [Photo: Paul Whitelock]

self-catering holiday home Ronda Andalusia Finca Retama

Self-catering Front Line Beach | Casa del Mar Casitamar

Paul 1 – yours truly

I qualify as the next-longest. I’m also the oldest in age. Born in Devon, I studied Spanish and German at university. I emigrated to Spain when I retired (early).

I live just up the road from the afore-mentioned Hotel Molino del Puente. German wife Rita and I moved in in 2011.

We’re both retired, although I still translate the odd thing; transact the odd house; rent property; renovate houses and work in my large garden.

Help me, Ronda - HELP ME RONDA

Paul and Rita enjoy a break on the coast [Photo: "selfie"]

3 Bedroom (Sleeps 6) House in Montejaque, Málaga (P50774) - No Booking Fees

Ian 2

The next-longest resident of this area is Ian from England, who lives here with his Californian wife and their 9-year-old daughter Zoe. They have lived in other parts of the world before settling in Ronda.

Elaine 2 

[Text deleted at the request of Elaine 2.]

Railway station at La Indiana [Photo: ronda.net]

Paul 2 - the New-Kid-on-the-Block

The latest to move here is another Paul, 53, who bought his “finca” just across the main road from the splendid Hotel Ronda Valley, which is the “local” for most of us, just two days ago. I met him yesterday and we got on very well. He came with his pal from Essex, Thom, who used to live here and work as an estate agent. In fact, Rita and I bought our house via Thom, and we’ve remained good friends. Thom still has his company Sierra Estates with partner Paco.

Photo: Sierra Estates

Paul owns a building company in Essex and also has a small portfolio of properties, including in Thailand, England and now in Andalucía.

Postscript

Several of us meet fairly regularly at our "local", the Hotel Ronda Valley, formerly the Hotel Don Benito.

A comfortable environment with a bar, breakfast room, restaurant and a large terrace. Outside in the large grounds are a large swimming pool, a tennis court and a padel court.

The large car park is free for those who prefer to drive.

© Diary of a Nobody

Useful links:

Help me, Ronda - HELP ME RONDA

Love Viviendas

self-catering holiday home Ronda Andalusia Finca Retama

Self-catering Front Line Beach | Casa del Mar Casitamar

Sierra Estates

Welcome to our beautiful country retreat hotel in Ronda, Málaga

Acknowledgements:

Love Viviendas

Paul Whitelock

ronda.net

Sierra Estates

Tags:

Casa Real, Diary of a Nobody, Finca Retama, help-me-ronda.com, Hotel Don Benito, Hotel Molino del Puente, Hotel Ronda Valley, La Cascada, ronda.net, Sierra Estates,