Our Andalucian paradise

Spring in Technicolour. Photo © Karethe Linaae

I've never been a conspiracy theorist, but has anyone else noticed that somebody or something is messing with our time?

As a youngster, hearing older people complaining about how fast time passed, I wondered what their problem was since my time felt infinite. But now that I have become one of the ‘oldies’ myself, I couldn’t agree more. I can swear that the Earth is spinning faster and that all universally accepted time segments have been shortened without anyone informing humankind. Forget seconds, minutes, hours and days. A week is nothing anymore because as soon as Monday is over, it’s already Friday. And the year that began a nanosecond ago is already in its second quarter.

Intergalactic movements? Photo © Karethe Linaae

Our age certainly has something to do with our concept of time. For a one-year-old, that year is their lifetime. A child turning five will experience the year as 1/5 of their life, while for someone turning 100, those 365 days will represent 1/100 of their life, so it's no wonder that years feel shorter as we grow older.

Eve. Photo © Karethe Linaae

I do not doubt that the 21st century’s unstoppable technological advances, information flood and endless pressure to perform make our time feel more compressed. There is also more light in our existence, and light - which equals information - increases the feeling of acceleration. At the same time, there is evidence of an acceleration in the Earth’s ‘pulse’ (the so-called Schumann resonance), making time on Earth pass faster. Not to mention the universe’s expansion, the influence of dark matter, the shift of the poles and other forces most cannot even fathom. In other words, this feeling that many of us sense may have a justified reason to be. Furthermore, it may explain why so many people are always in a hurry. Perhaps the body is trying to synchronise with the Earth’s accelerated pulse?

Into space. Photo © Karethe Linaae

What to do? The great Einstein concluded that time is relative, and the only value of time lies in what we do while it passes. So instead of worrying about global acceleration, maybe we should stop and feel April in the air, listen to the birds or talk to each other without finding excuses for why we ‘have’ to run.

Larger than life. Photo © Karethe Linaae

The Spanish have an expression that goes Hay más tiempo que vida, which means that there is more time than there is life. For humans living here and now, time is practically infinite, but as most have realised, our life is not. Therefore, we are better off cherishing our moments and ensuring we follow Einstein’s advice and do worthwhile things while our precious time speeds along.

Just do it! Photo © Karethe Linaae

Photo © Hammam Al Andalus, Córdoba

What we think of as modern spa treatments are far from new. Mankind's attraction to warm water and well-being goes back to antiquity. Both the Greeks and the Romans had very advanced public bathing cultures, but it was the Arabs who perfected it here in Andalucía. One can visit the ruins of these baths from the Al-Andalus era in several places in the region. However, for those who want to step into history with body and soul, why not visit one of the region's many Andalusian Hammam baths?

What is a Hammam?

Photo © Aguas de Ronda

Hammam is a public indoor bath traditionally associated with Islamic communities. The cultural heritage that drew heavily from the classical Roman baths quickly became an institution in Muslim countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, South-Eastern Europe and Al-Andalus - the Islamic Iberia that covered large parts of Spain and Portugal.

In Islamic cultures, baths had both a religious and a civil function. They met the need for ritual washing and ensured general hygiene long before people elsewhere had running water in their homes. The baths also served a social function and offered a gender-separated meeting place for men and women. Archaeological remains testify to the existence of hammams from the Umayyad period (7th-8th centuries), and in many areas, the importance of the baths has persisted to this day. The hammam culture is still widespread in Morocco, where many Moroccans go to hammams weekly. But Andalucía has not forgotten its Islamic bathing tradition.

Baños Árabes Ronda. Photo © Karethe Linaae

The architecture evolved from the original Roman design with large thermae or pools to the use of steam, but they still included a similar sequence - a cold room, hot room, steam room, dressing rooms and rest and reception areas. The heat was produced by wood ovens that supplied hot water and steam, while hot air and smoke were led through pipes under the floor, almost like underfloor heating.

Baños Árabes Ronda. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Timeless tradition

Photo © Hammam Al Andalus, Córdoba

Today, this bathing tradition often takes place in beautiful historic buildings that have become places for relaxation and enjoyment. Although the term hammam is frequently used synonymously with baño turco (Turkish bath), my understanding is that hammam uses more steam.

In modern hammams in Andalucía, where both sexes go simultaneously, swimwear is required, while in traditional hammams divided by gender, a loincloth may be enough.

Photo © Hammam Al Andalus, Córdoba
 

The sequence starts in a lukewarm pool and goes to increasingly hotter and steamier rooms, while we, the Nordic guests, are possibly the only ones tempted by the icy baths. In traditional hammams, one is washed by a male or female assistant (traditionally always the same gender as the visitor) with soap and a powerful scrub before the treatment ends with a rinse with warm water. In Roman and Greek baths, the bathers mostly sat in stagnant water, but in traditional hammams, people were washed with running water, according to the requirement of Islam. Nevertheless, there were several smaller pools in the baths in Al-Andalus, as evidenced by today’s bath ruins.

Try yourself

Before we descend into the balmy comfort of the hammam, I recommend visiting one of the many historical ruins preserved in Andalucía that will explain these baths' historical, social, archaeological, architectural, artistic and aesthetic aspects.

In addition to the Baño de Comares in the Alhambra and the Palacio de Villardompardo in Jaén, one can also visit Los Baños Arabes in Ronda. The latter is the best preserved on the entire Iberian Peninsula, and the museum is in the actual baths, a 15-minute walk from the city centre. Here, you can still go from room to room and see how the baths worked, and if you look more closely at the columns, you discover that they were reused from the city's earlier Roman constructions.

Baños Árabes Ronda. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Once one of four hammams in the city, the site was built during the Nasrid period between the 13th and 14th centuries and was conveniently located next to the mosque at one of the three entrances to the heavily fortified city. It was no coincidence that it was located exactly where the river Guadalevin and the stream Arroyo de las Culebras meet because water was essential for its operation. Today, you can see where a donkey pulled a wheel that pumped water to the aqueducts, which, in turn, led to the baths.

Baños Árabes Ronda. Photo © Karethe Linaae

While here, I recommend a stop at Ronda's own Hammam, Aguas de Ronda. The uniqueness of this bath is its location within the old city wall close to the original baths and the subtle design details, such as the finish of the walls in the steam rooms.

Photo © Aguas de Ronda

In contrast to the baths in big Andalusian cities, you can often sit alone in one of the warm baths under a starry sky, surrounded by perfect silence. The baths do not have the same luxury feel as some other baths in the region, but on the other hand, the price is very affordable: €40 per person for the hammam and a 30-minute massage.

Photo © Aguas de Ronda

If you truly want to pamper yourself, the Hammam Al-Andalus in the old town of Córdoba, just around the corner from the mosque and in the heart of the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, is worth every euro (around €90 per person). This luxurious hammam experience is a close to divine water journey, including a massage with self-selected essential oils or a full scrubbing ritual with dripping soap suds and a rinse on a hot stone block.

Photo © Hammam Al Andalus, Córdoba

Here, you are greeted with soft bathrobes, thick towels and the spa's sandals. All the products are organic and fragrant. In the central room with a large hot pool, one can lie and float looking up at the star-shaped holes in the ceiling, surrounded by Arabic music, flickering candles and a reassuring mist that ensures one never feels overwhelmed by other guests.

Photo © Hammam Al Andalus, Córdoba

Almost invisible helpers remind us to whisper and bring us to our treatments. When not scrubbed or kneaded on the smooth stone block, one can sink into a dozen small baths, enter eucalyptus-scented steam rooms, or sit by the pool and enjoy a cup of exquisite herbal tea or cold spring water.

Photo © Hammam Al Andalus, Córdoba

Hammam is a ritual that intoxicates. While the baths' varying temperatures stimulate blood circulation, the steam works wonders to soften one’s skin, open pores, and cleanse one’s body of impurities. In today's stressful society where everything must go faster, nothing feels better than lying and floating in the weightless warm water in a place where time stops, and the mind is calmed with the exotic scents of this timeless tradition. One can hardly get closer to the Nirvana of the senses.

Photo © Aguas de Ronda

Plaza, Sigüenza, Castilla- La Mancha. Foto © Karethe Linaae

“I’ll meet you at the plaza.”
If you live in Spain, you must have heard these words a million times.

The Spanish word plaza, which has been used in English since the 1830s, comes from the Latin word platea (meaning square or place) and originates from the Ancient Greek word plateîa. It can refer to a space in front of an official building or a church, a permanent or occasional market square or almost any open space between streets and buildings.

Plaza, Málaga. Photo © Karethe Linaae
 

It is not a park as such, though it often has trees, decorative fountains and benches. Plazas are the heart of any Spanish town or village and the quintessential place for people to gather, where life happens and where one watches life pass by.

Plaza, Montserrat, Barcelona. Photo © Karethe Linaae

When we decided to move to Spain, we fell in love with a small town in the province of Jaén. It was beautiful, it was historic, and had all the things we wanted. But there was one thing lacking – decent plazas. And that became the deciding factor because what is a Spanish town without its many plazas?

Amigos, Plaza, Granada. Photo © Karethe Linaae
 

I was prompted to write something about this southern European phenomenon because our town hall recently announced that our neighbourhood plaza is about to go through a major renovation. Immediately, we, the neighbours, were on red alert, as we have witnessed what the local government is capable of. Not to mention that our square, Plaza San Francisco, is practically sacred to the local population.  

From cemetery to jousting ground to livestock market

Barrio San Francisco and la plaza. Photo of old postcard

Not only is our plaza ‘sacred’, but it is even named after Saint Francis of Assisi, whose sculpture adorns the central fountain. The Franciscan convent kitty corner to the square also bears his name, and like the plaza, the convent has a long and convoluted history - some true and some, who knows ...

Cherub, La Alameda, Ronda. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Despite its Catholic name, the plaza’s history goes much further back. We have of course heard about its Arab past, when our neighbourhood was the local Almocábar (Al- Maqabir), meaning cemetery. Any time anyone digs or does any construction in our barrio, they risk digging up human bones, something we have witnessed time and time again. I asked the local archaeologist, Pilar Delgado Blasco, who confirmed that the tombs in our neighbourhood go back to the Almohad and Nasrid periods, meaning from the 12th to the 15th Century (after 1100 facing Mecca).

Plaza San Francisco, Ronda. Photo © Karethe Linaae

When the town hall recently had the ‘brilliant’ idea of making a modern 7-level, 500-spot parking lot right at the entrance to our historic neighbourhood, the archaeological dig not only unearthed a necropolis with hundreds of Muslim graves but also a Roman burial site dating back 2000 years. "Although 'Romans' appeared in the last excavations, this is the first time Roman graves have been found in Ronda itself", Pilar tells me. Nevertheless, we can safely assume that our neighbours' Roman and Muslim ancestors once strolled across 'our' plaza.

Saint Francis in the snow. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Less official are the stories that the Catholic monarch, Fernando of Aragon, and his troupes practised jousting in the square before the reconquest of Ronda in 1485. Since this was one of three gated entrances in the town’s defensive walls, it is quite likely that the soldiers did some sable-waving to show off to the enemy (though the King probably remained at a safe distance).

Historic document. Archive Photo © Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda.

Pilar confirms that there is evidence that the Castilian knights trained in our plaza, however, as far as we know, this happened after the reconquest of the city. “La dehesa, or the pasture where la plaza stands today, was donated to the city so cavalry could carry out various riding exercises and games. It was therefore called Prado de los Caballos or Prado de los Potros", explains Pilar.

Las flamencas. Photo © Karethe Linaae

While I cannot confirm all these stories, one thing we know for certain. As children, our neighbours used to play in the church ruins beside the square during their recreo from school. They often found bones there, and though none of these has been dated as far as we know, our friend Pepe hid a scull in his bedroom that he had dug up in the ruin. (Note to grave diggers: The entrance has now been cemented closed.) According to Pilar, the tombs of the Ermita de Gracia are also from the Al-Aandalus era in Ronda, which was then called Izn-Rand Onda (the fortress city).

Kids playing football in front of the closed-up chapel ruin. Photo © Karethe Linaae

History is always among us in La Plaza. The famous bullfighter Pedro Romero (1754 – 1839), who is credited with inventing the present-day style of bullfighting and who allegedly killed 5558 bulls without being gorged, was born and grew up in a house in front of the square

Ronda is also known for its history of bandoleros – or robbers - in the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the most infamous ones, Pasos Largos, who may have been a bit of a local Robin Hood character, is sure to have crossed our square on his horse.

And speaking of horses, Plaza San Francisco also used to be the site of an annual fair. La Real Feria de Mayo de Ronda is said to be Andalucía's oldest feria de ganadería or livestock and agricultural produce market, which took place in mid-May until the 1990s. It has been taken up again in the last couple of years, albeit with less bleating and neighing.

The rebellious donkey in Plaza San Francisco. Photo © Karethe Linaae
 

A Norwegian woman who lived here in the 1970s told me that some houses in our neighbourhood still had chickens and donkeys at that time, and one often saw animals running across the square. At that time, the plaza was still covered with sand and soil because today's stone pavement was not laid until the 1980s.

A typical neighbourhood square

Chatting on la Plaza. Old tile. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Today, our plaza is still the heart of our neighbourhood, literally following the locals from cradle to grave.

La mamá, Ronda. Photo © Karethe Linaae

It is just like any typical Spanish plaza  - where the barrio’s babies usually take their first wobbly steps, where kids learn to bike, young couples court and families meet on Sunday after Church.

Sharing secrets on la plaza, Jerez de la Frontera. Photo © Karethe Linaae

The plaza is also where the older generations sit and watch life passing by while gossiping about local politics and complaining about their aches and pains. It has been this way forever, and as new generations take over, they too will bring their newborn to the square and eventually end up as an elderly person, reminiscing on a bench.

Couple, Valldemossa, Mallorca. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Plaza San Francisco has all the right components of a good neighbourhood plaza: ancient trees that change colours with the seasons, benches to rest weary bones or catch early spring rays, tapas bars to grab a drink or share a meal with friends, a playground corner with swings for the young and enough space for everyone to stroll around.

Best friends since childhood, Isabel and Mariquiqui. Photo © Karethe Linaae

And this is perhaps the best thing about Spanish plazas. One can sit in solitude and ponder the sky if one likes, but one is never alone because there is always a sense of life unfolding before one.

Plaza, Ourense, Galica. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Feeling like an Alien. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Moving to another country can be incredibly exciting. Everything new can be quite intoxicating. You feel fully alive, almost like a child again. An adventurer or perhaps an explorer (although we are far from a Robinson Crusoe in today's convenient jet age).

Pink hot air balloon. Photo © Karethe Linaae

However, an international move can also be challenging, difficult and quite frustrating. The unfamiliar language and culture that seemed so attractive and exotic from the outside, can also be a big barrier, especially professionally.

New moves. Photo © Karethe Linaae

All of us who have immigrated to this country, likely felt a bit lost in the tangled Spanish bureaucracy, not to forget their complicated grammar... I think of the Norwegian trade unionist I interviewed once, who could navigate the Norwegian bureaucracy blindfolded - something he discovered didn't help him one bit here in Spain.

The Gap. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Or the former head librarian who went from speaking fluent Norwegian and English to having to learn basic Spanish expressions like a first grader.

A new language. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Some skills must be learned all over again - like when my husband and I, aged 65 and 49, had to go back to Spanish driving school with a bunch of 18-year-olds. Nor is all professional knowledge equally transferable, especially across national borders and cultural barriers.

Foreign tongues. Photo © Karethe Linaae

I recently interviewed a man who experienced exactly this. He had come to Costa del Sol from Los Angeles with extensive experience in communications and administration for professional American sports teams. Understandably, he was quite confident about his instant success in Spain. But the landing was not entirely soft and far from as easy as he had expected.

Dalí expressed it perhaps the best. From his exhibition in Figueres. Photo. © Karethe Linaae

Fortunately, he did not give up and today he is the international communications manager for a professional Spanish sports team.

I, for one, could easily relate to his story. Like him, I came from North America. I had years of experience in the film industry, I'd had a film in Cannes and been nominated for the Canadian Academy Awards. But that meant nothing when we got to our small Andalusian village where we didn't know a soul.

Culture lessons. Photo © Karethe Linaae

What good did half a dozen languages ​​do me when none were Spanish? And what help was my master's degrees in a neighbourhood where some of the very oldest residents could hardly read or write?
To the locals, we were just another couple of new foreign faces. It was as if our past had been wiped clean.

Just another neighbour. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Settling in another country forces us out of our comfort zone. It can be humbling but also very liberating.

Like the LA sports administrator, I had no idea what I would end up doing when I got here - that I would co-found a local environmental NGO just months after we arrived with our five suitcases, that a year later, I would be standing in front of a class of out-of-control Spanish 3-5-year-olds that I one way or another was to teach English to, that I would write a book and get it published in the United States and then Spain, that we would grow our organic vegetables right down in the valley or that I would end up working in my native language as an editor - in Andalucía.

Do what you love, and love what you do. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Who knows what tomorrow will bring? My motto is the tried and tested Carpe Diem. I am open to what may come and excited to embrace the next chapter of our Andalusian journey.

Life with new eyes. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Lonesome. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Every month, a small group of art- and history buffs meet in an esteemed library in Ronda, Andalucía to hear a Spanish philosopher talk about anything between heaven and earth. It can be a book, a piece of music, a painting, or some random object he chooses to elucidate – because that’s what philosophers do. They philosophize. This time, the chosen theme was hourglasses.

Why an hourglass, one might ask?  
 

Hourglass. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Human beings have always had a certain understanding of the passage of time. The Neanderthals followed the day from sunrise to sunset and probably were more familiar with the journey from cradle to grave than we are today. The first man-made timekeeper we know of - the sundial – was invented around 1500 BC. At the time, it was believed that the Sun revolved around the Earth every 24 hours. It took 3,000 years before Copernicus clarified that the Earth moves around the Sun and rotates on its axis. It was also around the time, that the hourglass was invented. Since it could only measure limited time segments, it lost its practical purpose as soon as better timepieces were invented. However, the hourglass took on an important symbolic role, especially in Fine Arts, where they represented the finiteness of life. In historical paintings, the hourglass is commonly held by a skeleton.

A clearer reminder should not be needed…

Religious art, Osuna. Photo © Karethe Linaae

As we enter a new year, our thoughts inevitably turn to times gone by and the time to come. Time is often described as twofold: objective time (clock time) and subjective time or how time is experienced by the individual. Consider the difference between an endless hour spent waiting at the dentist’s office compared to how furiously fast an hour passes when watching an exciting thriller.

It can feel like our time (like the sand in the hourglass) speeds up as we age or move towards the 22. Century. Simultaneously, we have become excessively time-obsessed, so much so that the clock seems to control us - not vice versa. Many of us tend to focus on and talk endlessly about what we don’t have time to do: exercise, learn Swahili, read books or make Sourdough bread.

Falling. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Everything we do is a choice. And no matter what we do with our time, the sand keeps falling in our hourglass. Although I promised myself not to make any New Year’s resolutions this year, my resolute plan is not to focus on what I (think) I don’t have time for, but to contemplate all the wonderful things and journeys I wish to spend my precious time on.

2025 is here. Be sure to sit comfortably, enjoying the remaining sand, not just obsessing about the sand that ceaselessly disappears down your hourglass.

Mathilde’s happy feet. Photo © Karethe Linaae

“We are the imprint we leave behind” Text on the T-shirts for ONCE’s annual inclusive race. Photo © ONCE Ronda
 

Everyone in Spain has probably seen the lottery kiosks with the sign ONCE in capital letters. Many know these are run by the Spanish National Organization for the Blind or Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE). But what most people don't know is that Grupo Social ONCE is much more than an aid organization for the visually impaired. It is also the world's largest employer of people with disabilities!

To get better acquainted with the organization, I arranged to meet with the managing director of one of their ten district offices in the Málaga province, as well as one of the organization's over 71,000 affiliate members and one of the 20,000 salespeople one meets on the streets, squares, and in the ONCE kiosks around the country. I came out of the meetings with an enormous respect for what they have accomplished and continue to accomplish. After you have read this article, I hope you also will buy ONCE lotto tickets - not to win, but to help this remarkable organization.

From User to Executive Director- Francisco Javier Gómez Molina (37)

Francisco Javier Gómez Molina. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Javi’s story

Francisco Javier, or Javi as his friends and colleagues call him, was completely blind when he was born. When he was one year old, his parents registered him as an affiliate member of ONCE in his hometown of Vélez-Málaga, so that he could receive the assistance and materials he needed to study on an equal footing with other students. After primary and secondary school, Javi studied law in Málaga and Paris and became a lawyer.

-I was teaching before Covid, but it was impossible to continue during the pandemic. It gave me time to reflect, and I decided that if I didn't return to the workforce, who knew when it would happen? I started selling lottery tickets for ONCE in February 2021. It was a completely new experience, but everything you learn professionally and personally can be useful.

Two years later, in February 2023, ONCE hired Javi as executive director of the 80 employees and the approximately 130 affiliate members of the district office serving Ronda and 30 villages in La Serranía de Ronda.

- ONCE has shaped my life, all the way from when I received help as a child. Through my work, I have become even more involved in the organization by executing the services that help our members.
 

Javi outside the office. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Unique in the world
Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE) was founded on December 13. 1938 by a group of smaller associations for the blind whose members didn’t want to be dependent on alms and charity. The first lottery was drawn on May 8. 1939, and the objective continues to be the same to this day - to include the blind and visually impaired in society via something as simple as lottery sales.

- ONCE has grown enormously from the first three-digit lotto tickets to all the different lotteries we have today. The organizational model makes us unique in the world. We are an independent, not-for-profit organization financed exclusively through lottery ticket sales. Everything happens with the knowledge and consent of the Spanish government, and all the sellers are employed and part of the Spanish social security system. ONCE commercializes safe, social, and responsible games with external verifications that guarantee the legality and transparency of the lotteries. All income from the sales that do not go to salaries and prizes is reinvested in the organization's social work.

Some of ONCE's 80 lotto sellers in Serranía de Ronda. Photo © ONCE Ronda

Today, they have 135 district offices coordinated from the headquarters in Madrid. ONCE has created various foundations that provide training, equipment and help with job training and employment for the disabled, a foundation for the deafblind, a mutual aid foundation for the blind in Latin America, a guide dog foundation, and this year, they launched a foundation for people with low vision.

-Our affiliates can be 100 % blind, have a severe visual impairment, or have other disabilities. The organization’s assistance ranges from psychological help, social workers, and rehab technicians to services for guide dogs and training using computers with special screens. At the same time, people with other types of disabilities or people who have been disabled due to work accidents and need help getting used to their new living situation can turn to the organization in search of employment.

Fra glass cutter to a white cane - Juan Jesús Barragán Jiménez (68)

Juan Jesús Barragán Jiménez. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Juan’s story
Juan worked as a glass cutter until he began losing sight some 20 years ago. While he could still make out letters, he took a braille course. Today, Juan is completely blind (3% vision) and moves around town with his white cane. He took up his braille studies recently and continues to study as an affiliate member of ONCE.

- Braille is a writing system with two parallel vertical lines and three dots, a combination of which all letters, numbers, and punctuations are written. Our course takes place every 15 days, and we have texts that we must prepare at home and then read aloud to the class. At first, it's difficult, but as you get used to the system, it gets easier.

Braille alphabet by ONCE. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Juan says he is lucky because he could see before he went blind. In his job, he knew every street in the city, and this helps him now because he can visualize where he needs to go. But he admits that all the tourists downtown make it "very, very, very difficult" for him.

- It is impossible for me to walk down the main street without a companion. I also need help to cross the bridge, and if I go alone, I usually end up in an argument. Most people rush about and don't look around. Some are kind and take me by the arm and follow me across the bridge, but others don't even move aside. If they complain because I am 'in their way', I say: You can see. I can't!

ONCE has taught Juan how to walk with his cane on the street and helped him with his mobile phone. If he has problems, he can call a specialist technician for the blind.

- They’ll come and help you at home, but you must be prepared to wait. They may only come once a month because they serve so many places. I would love to take a computer course with ONCE, but there are never enough students to get a teacher. Ronda is a small town, so if you want to learn computer skills for the blind, you must go to Málaga where they offer all the different courses.

Who are the ONCE sellers?

Some of ONCE’s lottery ticket sellers. Photo © ONCE Ronda
 

ONCE has always tried to be inclusive, Javi explains from the ONCE office. 

- We work for inclusion in society at all levels, inside and outside the organization. ONCE has over 20,000 sellers in Spain today, but I wish we were even more so that more disabled people who are unemployed today could support themselves and their families.

ONCE's lottery sellers receive minimum wage plus commissions and have statutory days off and regular holidays, but as Javi points out, they receive much more.

- We look after our employees and seek stability for them and their families. Perhaps they have been unemployed for several years and get the satisfaction of being able to contribute, have financial stability, and bring money home to their families again. But it is not just about financial, and practical help. Our goal is that our employees no longer must live with uncertainty, which means less stress and fear and a better sense of self.
 

ONCE brings members to visit Parauta, including Juan, his wife Inés, and Javi. Photo © ONCE Ronda.

To work for ONCE, the applicants must be at least 33.3 % disabled, as required by the Spanish social security system. If there is no medical reason that prevents them, blind, severely visually impaired, other disabled, and those unable to work due to an accident can apply for a job with ONCE. In addition to the health requirements, the applicant must partake in ONCE's training and exams. After passing a six-month trial and two annual renewals, they get a permanent position.

The sellers have their fixed places where they sell tickets and are responsible for returning unsold tickets drawn the same evening so that the system does not register the tickets as outstanding or still in play.

ONCE’s face on the street - Lottery seller Ana María López Valiente (49)

“ONCE would never have existed had it not been for the sellers." Ana María López Valiente. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Ana’s story
When Ana was two years old, she fell on the playground and hit her head. The doctor said there was nothing to worry about, but eight months later, Ana woke up one day unable to walk or stand on her legs. Until she was 15, she had to go to Málaga for weekly treatments, but it was the wife of a traumatologist who finally got her walking again. Twenty years later, Ana was a newly divorced single mother with an 11-year-old daughter, and her €300 in monthly disability benefits from the Junta de Andalucía wasn’t even enough for food. ONCE gave her a chance. Today Ana has worked with them for 14 years and is a mentor and instructor for the organization.

- I have been disabled since I was a child, but nothing is difficult for me. I have never had problems or complexes. I've done what I could and that's it. Until my teens, I had a special boot and a metal brace on my leg. Some kids at school laughed at me and said, "Here comes the cripple", but I just ignored them. I was lucky to have good teachers who made the other students stop bullying me. When I became a mother myself and got divorced, I wondered how on earth I was going to cope. A friend recommended ONCE, but my parents didn’t want me to lose my disability benefits. Now they bless the day when I started working for ONCE ...

Ana never studied nursing as she dreamed of as a child, but with her permanent job, she is not only independent, but can help her family. And she also found love via ONCE!

- The Madrid head office selected me as a mentor to teach future salespeople and evaluate their suitability for the job. My boyfriend Pedro was one of my students. I had never taught a blind person before, so I had to get complete training. We worked together for three or four months before we became a couple, and later I moved in with him. He helps me at home, and I help him at work. Today, there are many aids for the blind such as kitchen appliances with braille. I would love to take a braille course. ONCE also offers English, IT and management courses. If I wanted to, I could study to become an administrator, but I'm happy where I am.

Ana has many loyal customers and when she is not at her regular corner, they call her and ask where she is.

- When I was new to the job, I had to invent something to increase my sales, so I dressed up. Now, it has become a tradition. Every celebration - Christmas, Carnival, Ronda Romántica, pride days, Black Friday, and Halloween - I dress up and if I'm not, my customers wonder what’s wrong!
 

Ana dressed up for Halloween, 11.11 and Feria de Ronda. Photo © Ana López
 

Through her work, Ana has become an expert on people since customers often tell her their problems.

-Many people have a hard time making ends meet, but almost everyone can buy a lottery ticket for a couple of euros, which gives them hope. The biggest prize I ever gave out was €20,000. But the best was when I gave a prize to a customer who said I had saved his life. He explained that he had no money for the dentist, but with the €600 he had won, he could pay his bill.

For once, it's not just me, the journalist, asking questions. Ana also wants to 'test' me.

- I have a question for you. How do blind sellers distinguish one note from another?

-By feel???

- They stick the note between two fingers. By the size, they know whether it is €5, €10, or €20-note. They identify coins by their thickness and edge. A blind seller can distinguish between all our lotto coupons and know the expiry date because the coupons are embossed with the day and date.

Although it may seem like some ticket sellers don't have any health problems, they always do. Ana e has a colleague who is going blind due to diabetes and others with spinal cord- or heart problems, ailments that outsiders cannot necessarily detect.

- ONCE is an organization that changes lives. Many sellers have thought “If I don't get a job with ONCE, who else will hire me?”  We are a team that supports each other. We have safe, stable, and dignified work. Few jobs are so ideal!

Ana at work. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Foggy landscape. Photo © Karethe Linaae

They say that when it rains, it pours, and that can certainly apply to Spain. After several years of intense drought, all the precipitation we should have had during the last 12 months came in a single night or just a few hours. The tragedies and destruction, especially in Valencia, are unfathomable. As I write this, rescuers are still searching for the missing, while the cleanup and rebuilding will take years. So, what can we do? Light a candle, donate blankets, brooms, first aid kits and money, and be as prepared as possible for when (as it is no longer a question of if) tragedy strikes again.

Jailed seaweed art. Photo © Karethe Linaae
 

Whether we like it or not, November is here, and if you, like me, come from the north, you probably grew up hating it. As a youngster in Norway in the 1970s, we thought it was the most dreadful month of the year. It was dark and gloomy and cold and wet. The days fluctuated between snow, slush, freezing rain, deadly black ice and more snow. November was the month when nothing happened that was worth living for. Halloween was not yet 'invented' (If I recall right, it only came to Norway in the 1990s). Nobody had heard of Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays, and the decorations for December’s many festivities - Advent, Santa Lucia, Jul (Xmas) and New Year - were still in boxes in the attic. November was a month we wished we could skip over. The mere mention of it made us want to go to bed on the 1^st and hide under our down comforters until the 31^st, sleeping through the entire thing! 

Frozen leaves. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Now in the so-called autumn of my life, I see November in an entirely different light. It has been years since I looked forward to Christmas as such. Instead, I look forward to every day, especially fall days. Perhaps it comes from living in rural Andalucía where the sun rarely stops shining, but now I find myself longing for that special November mood.

Forest. Photo © Karethe Linaae

As I spend a few days in my native land, I cherish the foggy mornings, the mist-filled air, the sudden crescendo of the wind and the dancing leaves. A more subtle colour palette replaces the bright fall colours, showing barren trees against an ever-changing sky.

Sky. Photo © Karethe Linaae

I treasure the soft golden afternoon light, the threatening clouds and the surprisingly early hour of dusk. I delight in the iridescent green moss that suddenly appears among the soothing earth tones and grey hues of the latter year and the forgiving feel of walking on the leaf-covered ground, helping nature withstand another winter.

Fall ground cover. Photo © Karethe Linaae
 

Late fall brings a whole new understanding of the Scandinavian concept of cosiness. A warm blanket, flickering live candles, a steaming cup of hot tea, the smell of a wood-burning fire, comfort food in the oven, aged wine, woollen socks, nature walks dressed to the gills and simply being at home. That is, for those who are lucky enough to have a home, something one should never take for granted.

At home. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Global warming has changed the Novembers of my childhood, although it still offers gale-force winds, sleet and unimaginable whiteouts. These days, I value the so-called ‘bad’ weather of the season, whether I admire it from behind a windowpane or immerse myself in it. Barring recent weather tragedies, there is something cathartic about foul weather: high winds with feisty waves and seaweed slung far ashore, thunder and lightning, torrential downpours and drifting sheets of snow.

Calm before the storm. Photo © Karethe Linaae

In my latter life, I see the beauty of the fall season through different eyes and am thankful for all the November-ness that it brings. I hope this month won’t be remembered for all the suffering but as a November of solidarity, generosity and compassion.

Candle in the wind. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Organic olive oil tasting in the open air. Photo © Finca La Donaira

In Andalucía, we have almost unlimited possibilities to participate in wine tastings - in vineyards, bodegas, or even wine shops. One learns to distinguish between young and well-aged wine, understand the concept of terroir, know whether the wine comes from sweeter or drier grapes, and try to recognize the wide variety of flavours and aromas - from old wood to berries and roses. But what about Olive oil, another product for which the Andalucía region is at least as famous? How does one taste el oro líquido? ‘The liquid gold’ as it is called has as many aromas and flavour varieties, an equally long and fascinating history, and sommeliers who specialize in classifying olive oil. Let us therefore take a closer look at the quality assessment of this oil that has been produced for more than 6000 years and of which Spain produces more than any other country so that you can do your very own olive oil tasting.

The fruit

Olive. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality olive oil and the products I refer to here. Olive oil is among the healthiest fats you can use, but in addition to the health benefits, the oil is delightful to taste.

There are more than a thousand olive tree varieties that grow on six of the world's seven continents. However, 85 % of all olive production comes from 139 species that are grown in 23 countries – with Spain in the top position. 90 % of the fruit from the trees is turned into olive oil, which gives opportunities for endless variations in taste, aroma, consistency, colour, and quality.

Century-old olive tree at LA Organic. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Olive oil made from a single variety is called monovarietal, while oils made of two or more varieties are called coupage. It is estimated that almost 1/3 of the world’s olive oil production comes from the variety called Picual. Arbequina is the second most common with around 10 % of the global production, while the third most common is Hojiblanca, and all these three species are of Spanish origin. Simultaneously, new varieties are created every year by crossing species to create so-called genetic improvements according to the taste preferences of today’s consumers. However, according to the specialists, no olive oil is ‘better’ than others, as the choice ultimately lies in the taste buds of the consumers. 

The most common olive variety is Picual from Spain. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Methods and parameters for olive oil classification are regulated by The International Olive Council (IOC). The quality and taste of the oil can depend on a variety of factors such as soil quality, the health of the tree, and the production process used, in addition to temperature, light, and hygiene conditions as well as packaging. During production, several issues can arise that can affect the quality of the oil. Therefore, when you open a Premium bottle of olive oil, remind yourself of the love and effort and the long and complicated process that has gone into creating a harmonious and well-balanced product.

Olive oil sommeliers
 

A selection olive oils. Photo © Karethe Linaae
 

While the demand for cooking oils and affordable olive oils has decreased recently due to the increases in the market price, the demand for exclusive extra virgin olive oil as well as the interest from consumers and professionals has grown tremendously in the last couple of decades. This has led to more competitions that award the best olive oils on the market and given more opportunities for consumers to learn more about the art and joy of olive oil tasting.

The French word Sommelier refers to a cellar master who specializes in all aspects of wine as well as the pairing of wine and food. An olive oil sommelier, on the other hand, is a specialist in identifying different types of olive oil, their flavour profiles, and their uses.

Some organic olive oil varieties. Photo © LA Organic

Each type of olive oil has its unique taste, smell, and texture. While a low-quality olive oil only tastes and smells like oil, a good olive oil should have the aroma and taste of fresh herbs and fruits, with a range of profiles from delicate to complex. Experts describe for example the Picual oil as "rural, with a perfect balance between bitterness and spice, and an echo of tomato plants, artichoke plants, beans, and olive leaves". Arbequina oil has a fruity aroma reminiscent of apple, banana, and pears, and is said to be sweeter and milder than other varieties. In contrast, the Hojiblanca oil is described as herbaceous, medium spicy, and not too bitter. It is precisely this complexity and the rich nuances in aroma, colour, and taste that make olive oil so unique and different from other vegetable oils.

Smell and taste sensations

The taste buds. Photo Karethe Linaae

The sense of smell is the most sensitive sense we have. It is stimulated by air molecules and volatile compounds that are transported to the nose, mouth, and finally to the brain. Olive oil aroma is the result of complex mixtures of volatile compounds that vary according to the quality of the oil. Contrary to what one might think, a high-quality oil will have a simpler profile than a low-quality oil that will present more volatile compounds that create unpleasant aromas from enzymatic and chemical treatments.

Four basic tastes are normally recognized in our Western culture: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (meaty flavour). Sweetness, which is perceived in the first second and disappears within ten seconds, is felt on the tip of the tongue - all you need is to moisten the tip of the tongue in the oil. A sour taste is perceived along the sides and back of the tongue, salt is perceived along the sides, but not on the surface of the tongue, and bitterness is felt at the back of the tongue and lasts the longest. Spiciness is not a taste stimulus as such, but the sensation can be experienced throughout the oral cavity and is most noticeable in the throat (as with spicy food). Bitterness and spiciness are otherwise considered positive qualities in a good olive oil.

Although the subjectivity of human sensory analysis is greater than when using technical systems, it is currently the only authorized way to classify olive oil. The analysis is done by certified taste panels that assess appearance, smell, taste, tactile, and kinesthetic elements that are identified on a scale from pleasant to unpleasant.

Going to an olive oil-tasting

Sign to LA Organic. Photo © Karethe Linaae

 

Many large and medium-sized olive oil producers in Andalucía offer olive tasting for groups or individuals. The easiest thing is to Google cata degustación de aceites de oliva in the area where you wish to try the oil. In the province of Málaga, we have partaken in fabulous olive oil tasting in the open air at the exclusive organic resort La Donaira outside the mountain village of Montecorto.

Olive oil tasting in the open air. Photo © Finca La Donaira

If one is a family, a group of friends, or a slightly larger group, I would however recommend the experimental organic olive growing facilities LA Organic outside Ronda. When we were there recently, we were shown a short video about olive cultivation before our guide Andrés took us on an hour stroll around the vast grounds as he explained the process, surrounded by centuries-old olive trees, fragrant herbs, and artwork by Philippe Starck. The tour ended back in the reception hall with a tasting of their organic olive oils. Here you learn to distinguish between a so-called mild olive oil (Coupage of 80% Arbequina, plus Picual and Hojibanca) and an intense oil (100% Picudo). The latter oil was awarded as the world's best organic extra virgin olive oil in 2015 and has been one of the top five in the world ever since. The tasting starts with trying the oils for yourself and ends by dipping bread into the liquid gold, possibly with a splash of vinegar made from Pedro ximénez sherry. Simply heavenly!

Olive oil tasting. Photo © LA Organic

Try it yourself!

Even if you are not an expert, you can try at home with two or three types of quality olive oil. To experience the true taste of the oil, this is done without other food.

The first sense you use is your eyes. Note the colour and consistency of the oil as you pour it from the bottle. (Since quality olive oil should never be stored on clear glass or in plastic, one should not be able to see the oil until it comes out of the bottle). The olive oil can be golden, a sunny yellow colour, or a greenish shade if it is a fresher and/or unfiltered oil.

Pour 1-2 tbsp. oil in a small glass cup/bowl. Professionals most often use cobalt blue glass with a glass lid, but you can also use a small stemless wine glass.

Observe the oil's colour and consistency. Photo © LA Organic

Cover the top of the glass (a cardboard coaster is perfect) and let it sit in your hand, so the oil warms up naturally until you're ready to smell it. The ideal temperature for tasting olive oil is 28 degrees. 

Swirl the oil gently in the glass to release the aromas. You can smell an intense oil from a greater distance than a mild one. Experiment with bringing the glass further away from and then closer to your nose. Place the tip of your nose near the edge of the glass and inhale deeply. What aromas do you detect?

Taste the oil first by touching it with the tip of your tongue. What are the sensations? Take a sip the size of a tablespoon. Slurp (like tasting a fine wine) to emulsify the oil and disperse it in the mouth, as this helps to release the flavours. What are the taste sensations you get? Is the aroma pleasant, mild, strong, or somewhere in between?

Swallow slowly. Do you feel bitterness on the back of your tongue, and if so, how intense is it? Is the oil bitter or spicy, so that you feel it in your throat when you swallow?

Taste one oil at a time and follow the same process: eyes, nose, lips, tongue, oral cavity, and throat. A milder oil is more suitable for cooking salads and can be combined perfectly with vinegar, while an intense oil is like a mature whisky that you take out for special occasions.

Olive oil with bread - simply a delicacy. Photo © Karethe Linaae

In the same way that wine connoisseurs use all the words in the world to describe a wine, olive oil connoisseurs might describe the aroma and flavour of olive oil with words such as tomato plant, artichoke plant, cinnamon, eucalyptus, grass, green fruit, almond, banana, tea, mint, pine, butter, flowers, nuts, ripe fruit, black pepper, cherry, citrus, hay, and wood.

Personally, I have a hard time describing wine as an old tobacco pouch or olive oil as a green banana, but if I close my eyes and take in the aromas and flavours, I can almost imagine myself lying in a meadow of wildflowers while long straws sway their heads in the breeze on a sunny Andalusian early summer day.

Try it yourself and see where the taste experience brings you!

Olive trees. Photo © Karethe Linaae

Parasol. Photo © Karethe Linaae

It is not only the Spanish real estate market that was competitive this summer. It also applies to every square meter of sandy beach on Costa del Sol and other parts of the Spanish coastline. Unlike the real estate market, however, public beach spaces are not for sale but intended for general use. This means that if you want to find a space to lay down your towel, you must get to the beach as early as possible. For this reason, some beachgoers will try to ‘reserve’ a space for later by leaving for instance their parasol, something local police have been trying to combat. Welcome to the Big Parasol War of 2024!

The early bird gets the worm

The early bird gets the worm. Photo © Karethe Linaae

The beach race happens every summer when bathers compete against sun lovers in the battle to get the best spot in the sand. Some head down to the beach just after sunrise with a deck chair or an umbrella, so they can place their item and hold the spot with the optimal tanning potential and the fairest ocean views. Of course, they do not want to sit there moping all alone in the early morning hours, so they go home to eat breakfast, shop, or do chores. Only when the sun is high in the sky do they stroll back to settle down on their 'reserved' piece of beach real estate.

But when they get to the playa which is now overcrowded with people, they discover that their stuff is gone. Is it stolen? they perhaps ask themselves. Some other beachgoers might inform them (slightly maliciously ...) that the police were there to remove their abandoned belongings. Our indignant beachgoer who hijacked the spot in the early morning has not only lost his or her reserved space but must collect their belongings from a police warehouse. And on top of it all, they will have to pay a fine.

Reserving beach spaces for later has always happened and is as common as when people grab a seat at the cinema and then go back out to the long popcorn queue. The only problem is that with today's mass tourism and overcrowded beaches, there is no longer room for everyone - at least not enough room for everyone to reserve a place and then go for lunch for several hours while, in their absence, their towel serves as a placeholder for their valuables seat in the sand.

Since this type of possessiveness is getting worse, local police in certain towns have started to remove towels, parasols, and other possessions that are left for hours. This summer, La Guerra de las Sombrillas (The Parasol War) caused several municipalities on the Costa del Sol to create regulations prohibiting 'space reservation' on public beaches. In 2015, Algarrobo was the first Málaga-municipality to introduce a ban on this unwanted practice, and several other Costa del Sol municipalities have also joined the crusade.

Municipalities take action

Swimming beauty. Photo © Karethe Linaae

One coastal municipality has introduced fines of up to 300 euros for beachgoers who reserve a space and then disappear for several hours. According to the town hall, sanctions have been implemented by the local police to eliminate this "uncivilized behavior", which otherwise is classified as a minor offense. What the municipality tries to discourage is particularly users who arrive at the beach at 07.00 in the morning and reserve a front-row ocean spot and then do not show up to use it until late in the afternoon. The town hall’s reasoning is simple - they want both locals and visitors to enjoy their beaches without having abandoned chairs, umbrellas, and tables in front of them for hours.

The regulations do not mean that beachgoers cannot go and buy food at a chiringuito, go for a walk, or take a dip in the sea without being fined. Allegedly, the police officers always ensure that the space has been empty for several hours before they remove abandoned property. They also usually leave a message for the owners about where they can pick up their confiscated beach gear and take pictures of the belongings before removing them.

The regulations specify that the seized objects will be stored for a maximum of fourteen days before they are destroyed (one coastal municipality is now considering whether unclaimed objects can be donated to charity instead of being discarded). The fine, which must be paid before the fortnight deadline, is a minimum of 30 euros. According to coastal media, the local population has applauded the measure, as many cannot believe that there are people who want to exploit a public sanctuary in such a manner.

Other antisocial beach practices:

The squatters

My interpretation of Miro - space invasion. Photo © Karethe Linaae

It is not only the Space Hoggers who create a bad atmosphere on Costa del Sol's beaches. Just take what I call the Squatters. These are the families that come with the entire clan, from great-grandmothers to the youngest grandchild. The tribe carries with them seemingly all their earthly belongings, which may or may not include: chairs, tables, coolers the size of small sarcophagi, tents and tarps for extra shade, a playpen, pram, and Ikea baby tent, giant inflatable toys, swimming rings and swimming wings, frisbees, footballs and beachballs, chess boards and surfboards, sun hats, sunscreens, and change of bathing suits, plastic buckets, shovels and ready-made plastic beach castles, sun spray, mosquito spray, and jellyfish spray as well as a manly barbecue and enough food to feed a small army. In extreme cases, they will also bring with them a party tent (estimated 30 m2) which they install, walls and all, though I must admit that I have only observed this once. It should also be added that the squatters rarely leave their siege site at the same time. There is always a distant cousin who stands guard while the rest go home to shower and come back in the early evening.

The space invaders

Feet in the sand. Photo © Karethe Linaae

The space invader is yet again a type that is not only known to frequent beaches but all public spaces, such as park benches. Let's say you get down to the water early. There is plenty of room so you can lie down to enjoy the beach in near solitary bliss. Life is good. Then you hear voices and see a couple beelining straight towards you. They have the entire beach to choose from and plenty of open space, yet they choose to lay their stuff right next to your peaceful paradise. It does not help to hint that there is a lot of space to choose from. Neither will you alter their plan of action if you suggest that perhaps they could move a little further away. It's not because they want to be near you. They just want the exact spot you are in, and nothing can make them change their mind.

Both the squatters and the space invaders are not breaking any laws as such, just social customs and common courtesy. But many other beach activities are illegal, especially commercial ones. This applies for example to the sale of towels and sunglasses on the beach, unregistered rental of beach umbrellas to tourists, uncontrolled sales of food and drink (like the people who go around selling Mai Tais from coolers without any kind of hygiene control), and perhaps the most unpalatable of all - people walking around in the heat offering 'professional' beach massages without any health precautions. In addition, certain prohibitions apply to the activities performed by the beachgoers themselves, such as playing loud music, peeing in the water (how in heaven’s name they can patrol that, I have no idea!), and, as mentioned above, space reservations.

With tens of thousands of people on the Costa del Sol's beaches on a busy summer day, there is no wonder local authorities have chosen to crack down on illegal activities. But not all see banning space reservations in the same red light. The topic became one of the summer's favorite themes on social media where both supporters and opponents posted their photos and videos, often with thousands of comments. A certain TikToker complained that the police actions were excessive and far too controlling compared to what is being done to other lawbreakers. Does it make sense, they asked, that the police can remove the belongings of beachgoers who may be spending an extra-long lunch at a chiringuito nearby, while people who occupy somebody else’s house for months and years are protected by Spanish law?

They got a point there ...

Place saver. Photo © Karethe Linaae

A collection of fans, not made in Spain. Photo © Karethe Linaae

You see them everywhere. Most Spanish shopping streets are filled with tacky souvenir stores. They have walls covered with fans, miles of Spanish-inspired ceramics, figurines of bullfighters and Flamenco dancers, trays with Alhambra patterns, coffee cups and eyeglass cases with reproductions of Picasso’s art, aprons and dish towels with Velasquez’s Las Meninas, castanets in wood and plastic with or without ‘painted’ flower decorations, and even so-called Flamenco dresses. And what does this merchandise have in common? Almost 99 % are made in PRC, meaning that virtually all the ‘Spanish’ souvenirs that tourists bring home from their trip are made in factories in the People’s Republic of China (who started using the alias PRC after Made in China became the universal badge of poor quality).

T-shirt with Flamenco dancer. Photo © Karethe Linaae

When we first visited our present hometown, Ronda, twelve years ago, there were fewer souvenir stores than now. The ones that did exist, had at least a couple of crates with hand-painted antique tiles, a few shelves with an unrefined type of local pottery made in La Serranía, and salad utensils of olive wood that likely were Spanish-made. But almost all of that is gone now. The last gift store that sold genuine Spanish fans disappeared during the Pandemic. Now, virtually all the fans sold in our town are produced in Asia, although the costliest ones claim to be Designed in Spain.

This morning, I stopped by a dozen souvenir stores in town to investigate if anything in their stock was original and Spanish-made. Unfortunately, they are now almost exclusively franchises and chain stores. All have the same mass-produced stock that one will find in their stores in Granada, Sevilla or Barcelona. Only the town name printed on the cup with a bullfighter is altered. Every piece I checked, was made in China, except for some slightly more exclusive-looking ceramics without a label that certainly didn’t appear to be hand-painted.

Bulls abound. Photo © Karethe Linaae

The one item I found that claimed not only to be Designed but Made in Spain, was the classical postcard with a dancing señorita in a real fabric skirt that can be lifted. These are allegedly still made in the Canary Islands, and although they aren’t as nicely embroidered as when I was a child, at least they are Spanish!

The classic Spanish tourist card. Photo © Karethe Linaae

According to El Mercado Global, Spain’s ten most frequently sold souvenirs are postcards, keychains, fridge magnets, fans, T-shirts, castanets, ‘fine China’ thimbles, decorative small plates, Flamenco dresses, and fashion jewellery. And most of these will be cheap and cheery, and almost guaranteed Hecho en PRC.

A genuine Málaga trinket – fridge magnet with live cactus. Photo © Karethe Linaae
 

If one wishes to invest in a real abanico (fan) made from pear wood with hand-painted silk, it will take one back at least €100. Flamenco dresses, which should be bought in speciality shops, will cost several hundred euros even for a child costume. But these are far from the synthetic junk they sell in the tourist shops. Regretfully, it doesn’t pay for the Spanish to make things by hand any longer – as who will buy a pair of hand-cut castanets in rosewood for €200 if they can buy one in plastic for €4,99? Understandably, not all visitors can or wish to allow themselves the real thing, but it is tragic that most tourists come home from Spain with ‘Spanish’ souvenirs that are far from Spanish.

Made in China. Photo © Karethe Linaae

So, where does one find Spanish souvenirs? One has a greater chance if one goes to an old-fashioned gift store or perhaps a specialty vendor, like a Mercería (Haberdashery) that sells ribbons and sewing supplies or a Zapatería selling riding saddles and other leather goods. Museum stores will often have souvenirs of better quality, but also here one risks buying something that is produced in Asia.

If one wishes to bring home a genuine reminder of the trip, perhaps one’s best bet is to buy something consumable, like local jamón ibérico, a local wild crafted honey, a good quality wine with a DO stamp (Denominacíon de Origen) or a premium extra virgin olive oil from the district one is visiting. At least then one can enjoy the souvenir at home, knowing it is indeed Hecho en España.

Locally produced wine. Photo © Karethe Linaae