Puntos de vista - a personal Spain blog

"Animal House" is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis. It stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hulce annd Donald Sutherland. 

The film is about a trouble-making fraternity whose members challenge the authority of the dean of the fictional Faber College. 

This hugely successful film, critically and financially, was the first in a series of movies under the National Lampoon name.

    [Film poster courtesy of Wikipedia]

During the 1970s and early 1980s, a few films were made as spin-offs from the original National Lampoon magazine, using some of the magazine's creative staff to put together the outline and script, and were cast using some of the same actors that performed in The National Lampoon Radio Hour.  

"Animal House" became one of the highest-grossing comedy films of all time.

This article has absolutely nothing to do with the film, by the way.

Me and my animals

There are certain animals that I really love.

These include elephants, sea-horses, geckoes, tortoises, dogs and cats.

Clearly, I've never had an elephant as a pet, nor a sea-horse, but geckoes are everywhere, and tortoises from time to time. And since I've lived in Spain I've had a dog and three cats.

    [Image courtesy of Freepik]

Elephants

I began collecting elephants in around 1980. I was living in Cheshire at the time and one of my neighbours, Mrs Williams, a widow, had a problem with her washing machine. I offered to take a look, did a bit of plumbing and fixed the problem. Her house was full of elephants that she had collected from all over the world.

I was impressed and started to assemble my own collection.

45 years later, now living in Spain, I still have a huge collection, which I still add to from time to time.

[Elephants by Easy Live Auction]    

Sea-horses

These fascinating creatures entered my consciousness around 1998. I started a "liaison" with Anne, a colleague from Twickenham, so our opportunities to meet were restricted cos I lived in Cheshire. We were both languages advisers for our respective LEAs so we had chances to attend conferences.

A sea-horse [Beachcombing Magazine]    

Apart from introducing me to the Buena Vista Social Club, she introduced me to a life I didn't know. On one occasion we were at a conference in Brighton and we visited an aquarium where we were fascinated by the sea-horses. Lo and behold, shortly afterwards I received a small plaster-cast of a sea-horse through the Post. I still have it.

I have others too.

Geckoes

We have loads of geckoes where we live in Andalucia (Spain). They're behind every light, picture, inside and outside of the house. I love 'em. They prey on mozzies. Yes!

Apart from these live pets, I have a number of ornaments and fridge magnets.

[photo of a gecko by Reddit]    

Tortoises

Occasionally we come across a live one, but most are ornaments.

Cats

When we lived in Montejaque in 2009/10, I got Rita a lovely kitten, Cleo. Sadly she was murdered by a beastly German lady neighbour.

Elke admitted it and boasted about it, but when I reported the poisoning to the guardia civil, they did nothing about it.

We've recently acquired two strays.

Pauline (Paulinchen) as we called her, came to us from the rubbish dump 200 metres away. She had seemingly been dumped there by her owner.

Paulinchen was so sweet, we decided to adopt her. We went to the vet to get her checked out. He-deloused her, got rid of her fleas and injected a chip into her neck. Later when she was old enough he sterilised her. When she got injured he fixed her too. Pets aren't cheap by the way!

Recently, another little cat got hit by a car outside our house. Three days later I found her hiding at the back of our garden. She was injured so we brought her into the house and fed her and set up a bed.

Fritzi having a cat-nap [Photo: Paul Whitelock]    

At the first available opportunity we took this second cat to the vet, where he examined her and concluded she had a dislocated hip. He thought it would re-set itself. He gave her a treatment for fleas and anti-biotics for the injury.

After two days living with us she "did a runner". Yet she constantly came looking for food. Fritzi, as we have named her, now sleeps in our house and eats there also.

So, she's sort of ours now.

We've decided to get her sterilised because she's getting a lot of attention from male cats. That's tomorrow.

Dogs

We've had one dog. A beautiful chocolate-coloured pointer called Berti. A rescue dog, and a total nut-case. Despite that she was a lovely affectionate animal. 

Berti was a difficult dog. We acquired her during the Covid pandemic, which presented other challenges. Rita was seriously ill in hospital with the Coronavirus and I was at the end of my tether. Kind friends took Berti from time to time to give me a break.

   Berti with friend Cocoa [Photo: Paul Whitelock]

Then, my friend Jose offered to take Berti off my hands. I agreed. Shortly afterwards he was run over and killed.

***

So, that's me and the animals in my "Animal House".

© Pablo de Ronda

Links:

Cat killer on the loose in Andalucian village - Olive Press News Spain

RIP Berti - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Covid-19 is a bastard! Don’t mess with it! A cautionary tale of our times

5 years of Covid-19 - The last post

Music and film by the Buena Vista Social Club:

Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan (Official HD Video)

Pictures:

Beachcombing Magazine, Easy Live Auction, Freepik, Paul Whitelock, Reddit, Wikipedia

Tags:

"Animal House", Anne, Berti, Buena  Vista Social Club. cat, Cleo, Cocoa, convalescence, Coronavirus, Covid, Cuba, Dana, dog, elephant, Elke, Eye on Spain, fridge magnet, Fritzi, gecko, Jojo, Jose, kitten, Montejaque, operation, Paulinchen, Pauline, Pablo de Ronda, Paul Whitelock, Puntos de vista, RIP Berti, Rita, Ronda, sea-horse, Secret Serrania, tortoise, The Olive  Press, tumour, Wikipedia

"Trading Places" is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis.

The film stars Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd as a snobbish investor and a wily street con artist whose positions are reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

The movie explores themes of class and social status through its humorous plot and character dynamics.

"Trading Places" - Montejaque for Manilva is not about changing careers but about changing houses.

Film poster courtesy of Wikipedia    

The Plan

"Are you crazy?" people said. "You've got two lovely old houses in one of the most charming villages of the Serrania de Ronda".

That's true and we love both houses.

Rita has had hers for some 20 years - indeed we lived there for three years after we had met.

Mine I bought as a renovation project in 2020, just before Covid-19 hit us. 

View over Montejaque [Karl Smallman]    

However, our domicilio in Fuente de la Higuera in the valley below Ronda, is bloody freezing in winter. Ronda and Montejaque, much higher, are also very cold.

So, we thought, "why not sell the two houses in Montejaque and buy somewhere on the coast where it is much warmer and we can escape the cold winters in the mountains?"

It was Rita's suggestion originally, a couple of years ago, then she suddenly went off the idea.

Now, once again, she thinks it would be a smart thing to do. I had never really given up on the idea, to be honest. 

Winter weather in the Serrania de Ronda [KS]   

We could decamp to the coast for the winter (November to February). The climate is much more agreeable. In December 2002 I swam in the Mediterranean - it was warmer than our pool in Ronda.

Then, for the rest of the year, we could rent it to tourists. A profitable "no-brainer", surely?

The problem might be getting somewhere half-decent for our 300k budget. It needs to have at least two bedrooms, a terrace, views and a shared pool. Frontline would be ideal, but I doubt there's anywhere available for that kind of money.

Cheaper options might be to look in other places, eg Costa Tropical or Costa de la Luz. The latter might be feasible at two hours away, but the Costa Tropical is too great a distance for us to be able to manage it as a rental ourselves. To pay somebody else to do it would be daft.

El Palmar, Costa de la Luz, Cadiz [PW]    

   Casa Real, Montejaque [Photo: Paul Whitelock]        Casa Rita, view from roof terrace [Photo: Karl Smallman]

Links of interest:

Away Days on the Costa del Sol - Help me, Ronda

CASA REAL, MONTEJAQUE - Large modernised traditional village house in beautiful pueblo blanco - PRICE REDUCTION 125.000€ - Help me, Ronda

CASA RITA, MONTEJAQUE - An immaculate fully renovated 3-bed, 3-bath property - 200,000€. - Help me, Ronda

Jack Frost in Andalucía - Secret Serrania de Ronda

View from a frontline house in Casares Playa [Julia Flynn]

© Pablo de Ronda (Paul Whitelock)

Photos:

Julia Flynn, Karl Smallman, Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia

Acknowledgements:

Eye on Spain, Paul Whitelock, Secret Serrania, Sierra Estates, Wikipedia, www.help-me-ronda.com

Tags:

Cadiz, Casa Real, Casares Playa, Casa Rita, changing houses, Costa de la Luz, Costa Tropical, Dan Aykroyd, decamp to the coast for the winter, Eddie Murphy, El Palmar, escape the cold winters in the mountains, frontline, Fuente de la Higuera, humorous plot, John Landis, Julia Flynn, Karl Smallman, Manilva, Mediterranean, Montejaque, Paul Whitelock, renovation project, rent to tourists, Rita, shared pool, swam in the Mediterranean, terrace, "Trading Places", two bedrooms, views, winter weather in the Serrania de Ronda, 

Deep shock permeated the village of Montejaque, near Ronda (pop: 970), on Tuesday of last week when a young man from the village fell to his death on the winding road out of the village. Cayetano Postigo Hidalgo (30) was enjoying a bike ride with friends in the vicinity of La Presa de los Caballeros on the road to Sevilla.

Cayetano in Venice (Italy) [Photo: Facebook]    

When the group, all experienced cyclists, realised one of their number was missing they retraced their steps but could find nothing.

It was only later that a walker on the other side of the ravine spotted the apparently lifeless body and alerted the authorities. 

Cayetano had apparently fallen 50 metres with his bike and was in an inaccessible place. It took a team of mountain rescue experts from the guardia civil several hours to recover the body.

He was transported to Ronda where an autopsy was carried out before the body was prepared for burial. The funeral took place on Wednesday evening following a mass at the Church of Santiago La Mayor in the village.

A floral tribute to Cayetano at the spot where he fell [PW]    

Cayetano

I counted Cayetano as one of my young "friends" from Montejaque. I got to know him when I was in the village every day working on the renovation of an old house. Around the same time he and two close friends, brothers Ruben and Borja, opened a chiringuito called "La Terraza" just outside the village.

"La Terraza" became an overnight sensation for all age groups. Ruben's cooking combined with the front of house acumen of both Cayetano and Borja was a winning formula. 

When the open-air chiringuito had to close for the winter, the trio of young entrepreneurs took over the unoccupied "Bar Serrano" and turned it into "La Terraza" Mark II. This also became the go-to place in Montejaque village.

L to R: Cayetano, Ruben and Borja (Photo: Paul Whitelock)

After just a couple of years the trio took a commercial decision to "shut up both shops", and Cayetano resumed his university studies as a trainee notary, following in the footsteps of his father and older sister.

A promising life ahead snuffed out in an instant.

D.E.P. Cayetano.

    Cayetano with girlfriend Laura in 2023 [Photo: POEM]

Press coverage

The incident has received wide coverage in both the Spanish and English Press. There was a piece in "Malaga Hoy", a short paragraph in "SUR in English" and an online article on "The Olive Press" website.

For some strange reason the OP article did not appear in the print edition.

Unfortunately the OP website article is hidden behind a paywall, so I haven't been able to access it.

The best of the reports I have come across so far was an obituary on Sunday in "Diario Sur", the regional Spanish paper. 

Written by their editor-in-chief Jose Miguel Aguilar, himself a montejaqueño, it's a moving tribute to a popular and much-loved son of the village.

Jose Miguel Aguilar [Photo: Diario Sur]    

Links:

José Miguel Aguilar: Simplemente Cayetano | Diario Sur

Tragedy in Ronda: Body of cyclist found in ravine is third death on Malaga's roads in a single day - Olive Press News Spain

La Terraza Mark II – Interview with Borja Tornay

Facebook

©  Paul Whitelock (Pablo de Ronda)

Photos:

Facebook, Paul Whitelock, POEM

Tags:

autopsy, "Bar Serrano", Borja, Cayetano Postigo Hidalgo, chiringuito, Church of Santiago La Mayor, "Diario Sur", Facebook, guardia civil, Jose Miguel Aguilar, La Presa de los Caballeros, "La Terraza", "La Terraza" Mark II, Laura, "Malaga Hoy", Montejaque, montejaqueño, mountain rescue experts, obituary, Paul Whitelock, POEM, Ronda, Ruben, Spanish and English Press, "SUR in English", "The Olive Press" website, trainee notary, university studies

Not the vigorous, and for me dangerous, activity of sliding down a mountain on two slender "planks" over frozen snow. No, dear readers, I am talking about SPENDING THE KIDS' INHERITANCE.

[Image courtesy of eBay]    

My plan

In my case, I'm doing it with the full knowledge and support of my two children. As my daughter said: "What do Tom and I want with a stunning villa with pool and land in Andalucia?" Doh!

BTW, they will also inherit a charming rental house in the exquisite pueblo blanco of Montejaque (Malaga); a half decent car; thousands of books, pictures and artefacts; my computer; my website; and my online legacy.

   Villa Indiana, my home near Ronda                          View from roof terrace of Casa Real, Montejaque

   [Both photos courtesy of Karl Smallman]

Well, whether they like it or not, they'll get all that anyway, because my last Will and Testament says so, but there won't be much cash left in my bank accounts as I'm going to spend as much as I can in the years I hope I have left. I'm going SKI-ing!

Deaths of contemporaries

By the way, you never know how long you've got. My contemporaries, some younger, are dropping dead like flies. Classmates and friends, as well as famous people.

This year alone, in my age bracket, we've lost:

Clodagh Rodgers (78), Northern Irish singer and "Bisto" girl.

David Lynch (78): American filmmaker and screenwriter. Films and TV series include "The Elephant Man" (1980), "Blue Velvet" (1986), "Twin Peaks" (from 1990), and "Mulholland Drive" (2001).

George Foreman (76): American boxer who was twice world heavyweight champion (1973–74, 1994–95).

    [Photos - Clodagh Rodgers (Wikipedia); David Lynch (The Guardian); George Foreman (Mundo Deportivo)]

Marianne Faithfull (78): British singer and actress; ex-muse of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger.

Val Kilmer (65): American actor who starred in such movies as "Top Gun" (1986), "Tombstone" (1993), "Heat" (1995), "Batman Forever" (1995), and "The Doors" (1991). 

Wayne Osmond (73): American singer with "The Osmonds". Brother of Donnie and Jimmy.

    [Photos - Marianne Faithfull (Rock Meeting); Val Kilmer (Instagram); Wayne Osmond (YouTube)]

***

Of the class of 1961 at Barnstaple Boys' Grammar School, approximately 50 boys, only 28 of us are still around. That's a chilling statistic. [courtesy of Trevor Hill]

    Barnstaple Boys' Grammar School - aerial view [The Park Community School]

Let the SKI-ing begin!

So, I'm SKI-ing. I've got a bucket list for 2025 which includes lots of travel and some interesting activities.

Travel "dreams" include Budapest (Hungary); Copenhagen (Denmark); Croatia; Cuba (alone);  Finland; Galicia (Spain); Montreal and Vancouver (Canada); Morocco; New Zealand (maybe); Peru; Philippines; Prague (Czech Republic); Rome and Venice (both Italy); the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania); and Warsaw and Gdansk (Poland). 

    [Images - Budapest (El Mundo); Morocco map (World Atlas); Machu Pichu, Peru (Wikipedia)]

Activities include a balloon flight over Ronda; getting cycling again (eBike); to walk or drive part of the Camino de Santiago; and to buy a place on the coast to use in the winter, when it's bitter cold in the mountains, and for us to rent out for lots of money in spring, summer and autumn.

    [Images - hot air ballon over Ronda (Karl Smallman); eBike-ing (Hike & Bike); Camino routes in Spain (andalucia.org)]

¡Ojala! to all that, eh?

Links:

A Year in the Life – 2020 - Secret Serrania de Ronda

bucket list - Buscar con Google

https://www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/the-spanish-fly/23693/2025---our-year-of-travel.aspx

[Image: Parade.com]    

© Pablo de Ronda (Paul Whitelock)

Photos:

andalucia.org, El Mundo, Guardian, Hike and Bike, IMDb, Karl Smallman, Mundo Deportivo, Parade.com, Paul Whitelock, Trip Advisor, Wikipedia, World Atlas

Acknowledgements:

andalucia.org, Paul Whitelock, Trevor Hill, Wikipedia

Tags:

andalucia.org, balloon flight over Ronda, Baltic States, Barnstaple Boys' Grammar School, "Batman Forever", Camino de Santiago, Canada, class of 1961, Clodagh Rodgers, Copenhagen, Croatia, Cuba, David Lynch, Denmark, El Mundo, Estonia, Finland, Galicia, Gdansk, George Foreman, get cycling again, Guardian, Hike and Bike, Hungary, IMDb, Instagram, Italy, Karl Smallman, last Will and Testament, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaga, Marianne Faithfull, Montejaque, Montreal, Morocco, Mundo Deportivo, New Zealand, Pablo de Ronda, Parade.com, Park Community School, Peru, Philippines, Poland, pueblo blanco, Rock Meeting, Rome, SPENDING THE KIDS' INHERITANCE, SKI-ing, Spain, Trevor Hill, Trip Advisor, Trip Advisor, Val Kilmer, Vancouver, Venice, Wikipedia, Warsaw, Wayne Osmond, World Atlas, YouTube

"Spring forward" - clocks are advanced one hour on Sunday. At 2.00 am clocks and watches, plus any device with a timer, eg TVs, computers, mobile phones and car clocks, are adjusted by one hour.

    [Image courtesy of The Solid Signal Blog]

Nowadays, many devices do this automatically, but most do not, even though we are well into the 21st Century. I shall have to manually adjust all our clocks, bar one; our two TVs, our kitchen oven, both cars and my wristwatch.

But will it be the last time we adjust our clocks, watches and timers?

The Historical Context

Adjusting the clocks was introduced in the UK during the first world war to allow more daylight working hours. And it’s never been changed since.

   WW1 postcard [The Old Farmer's Almanac]             [Image courtesy of The Independent]

As for Spain, their time used to be based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) like the UK and Portugal, but General Franco was pressurised to change to Central European Time (CET) by Adolf Hitler around the time of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Since then, Spain has been out of step.

On October 27, Spain will put its clocks back one hour, signalling the start of winter. However, this practice of adjusting the time has its days numbered. The farce of putting the clocks back in Autumn and forward in the Spring is to come to an end, at least in Spain.

Under current regulations, 2026 will be the last year in which Spaniards modify their clocks and watches, ending a practice that has been in place since the 1970s.

This discrepancy between the official time and daylight has generated criticism, as it affects the biological cycles of the population and complicates the balance between personal and working life.

Returning to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is still an option, but it would imply significant adjustments in daily habits.

Moving forward in Spain

For now, the debate on which time to choose will remain on the public agenda. Everything points to Spain preparing to say goodbye to the time change, joining other countries that have already decided to adjust their clocks for the last time.

Since 1974, the main reason for moving clocks forward or backward has been to take advantage of natural light and reduce energy consumption. However, recent studies indicate that the impact of this measure is minimal at present, which has led to questions about its usefulness.

Despite the doubts, the Boletin Oficial del Estado (BOE) [Official State Gazette] has confirmed that the transition between winter and summer time will be maintained until 2026, as established by Royal Decree 236/2002.

    [Photo courtesy of the BOE]

After that date, Spain will have to decide whether to adopt a fixed schedule and, if so, whether it prefers a summer or a winter timetable. This measure not only requires political consensus, but also a massive information campaign to avoid confusion among the populace.

The decision to stop changing the time has also reignited another discussion: Spain's time zone. According to its geographical location, the country should be governed by the Greenwich Meridian (GMT), as is the case in the United Kingdom and Portugal.

Until 1940 it was so, until Francisco Franco, under pressure from Adolf Hitler, adopted Central European Time (CET) to align with other countries on the European continent.

Conclusion

So, the farce of changing the clocks in Spain is to end in 2026, and not before time (excuse the play on words!). The question is will Spain revert to GMT where it belongs, alongside the UK, Ireland, Portugal and its own Canary Islands? Or will Spain remain on CET aligned with France, Germany and threst of western Europe.

Common sense dictates that they should re-align with their own Canary Islands, Portugal, the UK and Ireland, but since when did common sense prevail in politics?

Map of time zones [Time and Date]    

Links:

Clocks go back on Sunday - but this practice's days are numbered!

Did you change your clocks and watches?

Spring forward, Fall back

When do the clocks change? - GOV.UK

Photos and Images

Boletin Oficial del Estado, The Independent, The Old Farmer's Almanac, The Solid Signal Blog, Time and Date,

©  Paul Whitelock

Acknowledgements:

Boletin Oficial del Estado, Facebook, Time and Date, Wikipedia

Tags:

Adolf Hitler, BOE, Boletin Oficial del Estado, Canary Islands, CET, Central European Time, Daniela Machorro, Facebook, General Franco, GMT, Greenwich Mean Time, Ireland, Mundo Deportivo, Paul Whitelock, Portugal, putting the clocks back in Autumn, putting the clocks forward in Spring, Royal Decree 236/2002, Spanish Civil War, The History Man, The Independent, The Old Farmer's Almanac, The Solid Signal Blog, Time and Date, 

I grew up in a rural area in North Devon (England) where I lived in three different houses between the ages of nought and 14.

I remember that my Dad, from rural South Wales, always had either a garden or a big allotment.

An English vegetable garden [Photo: Country Living Magazine]    

The early years

My first home on Earth was a brand-new council house with a massive garden on Gould Road on the Forches Cross Estate in Barnstaple.

Dad also kept chickens, for their eggs and the occasional roast Sunday lunch.

But I was only a tot, back then.

`   [Photo: The Conversation]

My brother turned up when I was three and shortly after that our aspirational parents bought an old terraced house in another part of town.

9 Cyprus Terrace was a 19th Century 2-up-2-down with no inside toilet and no bathroom. However, dad, a competent handyman (we didn't say DIY back then), created a WC and bathroom in various outhouses. There was no garden so he got himself an allotment where he grew most of our vegetables. I started to take an interest, and dad encouraged me. 

Our third house, 54 Broadfield Road, only had a tiny back garden, so dad retained his allotment. 

    9 Cyprus Terrace [Rightmove]                      Allotment [Gardeners' World]                       54 Broadfield Road [Zoopla]

By the time we moved to Exeter, the county town, when I was 14, I had become really interested in gardening. We lived in two houses there. Each had a large garden where I continued to hone my skills.

    36 Princes Square, Exeter [Rightmove]              The Admiral Vernon, Alphington [Exeter Memories]

After university, during which time I did no gardening, and marriage at 24, Jeryl and I got our first house in Walkden (Greater Manchester) which had small gardens front and year.

When we moved to Warrington (Cheshire) in 1980 we had a decent-sized garden once again and I took up the hobby again in earnest. I cultivated rhubarb, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, courgettes and spinach. We also had an old established apple tree.

    74 Normanby Road, Walkden [Rightmove]         1 Parry Drive, Thelwall, Warrington [Paul Whitelock]

After my marriage ended and I retired early, I lived in a country cottage in Bryn-Y-Maen, near Colwyn Bay (N. Wales) for a couple of years, where I kept my hand in, before I returned to England where I bought a run-down detached house in Latchford (Warrington), with gardens to the front and side.

    Minfford, Bryn-Y-Maen, N Wales [Zoopla]                   Tunstall Villa, Latchford [On the Market]

In between renovating the house, I managed to find time to keep my hand in at gardening by trying out some new crops, such as potatoes, onions and broccoli.

Then in 2008 I emigrated to Spain, to Ronda (Malaga) in Andalucia, where I owned an apartment. I started off living in Montejaque (also Malaga) in the village house of the lady who was to become my second wife. Rita's house had no garden.

When we moved to Fuente de la Higuera (Ronda) in 2011, where we still live, one of the criteria for our search for a house was a garden. Villa Indiana has over 10,000 square metres (more than a hectare), so I've had plenty to go at.

Rita and Paul get married [Photo: HMR]    

    Rear view of Villa Indiana [A1 Inmobiliaria]        The facade of Villa Indiana [Karl Smallman]

Although the ground is basically clay, therefore hard to work and not very fertile, I have become more adventurous, trying out crops I'd never grown before.

This is when I found out that I'm a novice when it comes to gardening in a hot Mediterranean climate. Very different to the cool, rainy climate of North West England.

With over 300 days of sun a year; cold winters and a shortage of rainfall, it's quite a challenge.

Bougainvilleas die on me, strawberries do not thrive, tomatoes stay small and other crops and some flowers shrivel and die or get eaten by birds and other pests.

With advice from my gardener Rafael and Spanish neighbours over the years I have learned which crops do well and which to avoid.

Crops that prosper include artichokes, potatoes, and runner and broad beans. Curly kale and lettuce also do well.

We also have figs, brevas and olives, which we inherited from the previous owners.

In the last couple of years I have planted a dozen different fruit trees. Three have died, scorched/waterlogged, but the rest are doing OK.

    New plantings [Photo: Paul Whitelock]

2025

It's Spring and I am just getting going. The heavy rains have stopped, at least for the time being, and the frosts are finished.

This week alone I've cleared masses of weeds from my raised beds and planted 60 seed potatoes, 3 types of lettuce and 2 kinds of onions, red and white.

Yesterday, it was garlic's turn.

[Photo courtesy of Wikipedia]    

The Apprentice Spanish Gardener

I'm still learning. I've improved the quality of the soil by adding my own home-made compost and commercial sustrato, plus some sand.

I love working outside in the fresh air. If it's too hot in the sun I head for the shade. If it's too cold, I layer up.

At 74 years of age, I have to take frequent "spells" but it does me good to be outside taking on board Vitamin D and breathing uncontaminated air. My upper body and my troublesome back are stronger than they ever were. Only my post-Covid legs and loss of balance are an impediment.

[Image courtesy of Vitabella Senior Living]    

Sources:

John Albert Whitelock (d.)

Rafael Fornet

Rita Whitelock

and the following books:

Some books are out of print, but there may be used copies available. Check out www.amazon.com

Photos:

A1 Inmobiliaria, Country Living Magazine, Exeter Memories, Gardeners' World, HMR, John Albert Whitelock, Karl Smallman, On the Market, Paul Whitelock, Rafael Fornet, Rightmove, Rita Whitelock, Secret Serrania, The Conversation, Zoopla, Vitabella Senior Living, Wikipedia

©  Pablo de Ronda

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Spring has arrived in southern Spain at last, albeit  a bit later than normal.

Or has it? 

At the spring equinox, also called the vernal equinox, days and nights are approximately twelve hours long, with day-time length increasing and night-time length decreasing as the season progresses until the summer solstice.

[Image courtesy of timeanddate.com]    

The spring equinox is in March in the Northern Hemisphere.

Spring and "spring-time" refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth.

Meteorological Spring

Meteorologists generally define four seasons in many climatic areas: spring, summer, autumn (fall), and winter. These are determined by the values of their average temperatures on a monthly basis, with each season lasting three calendar months. 

In the USA and Europe the spring months are March, April, and May.

    Spring [Photo courtesy of Wikipedia]

In 2025 meteorological spring began on Saturday 1 March.

Astronomical and Solar Spring

In the Northern Hemisphere, solar reckoning was traditionally used with the solstices and equinoxes representing the midpoints of each season, however, the astronomical vernal equinox (varying between 19 and 21 March) can be taken to mark the first day of spring with the summer solstice (around 21 June) marked as first day of summer.

    [Image courtesy of AccuWeather]

By solar reckoning, Spring is held to begin 1 February and  last until the first day of Summer on May Day, with the summer and winter solstices being marked as Midsummer and Midwinter respectively, instead of as the beginning of the season as is the case with astronomical reckoning.

Springtime in Ronda

Since Monday of this week (24 March), the weather has been spring-like. There has been very little rain, although my garden is still waterlogged and water continues to rush down the hill, through my garden and onwards down to the river Guadalcobacin at the bottom of the valley.

    Our flooded garden [Photos: Paul Whitelock]

So, yesterday, Tuesday, I decided it was time to get some veg in the ground. It's a good time to plant seed potatoes and, surprisingly, lettuce.

At the garden centre I got half a sack (12 kilos) of potatoes for just over 1 euro per kilo and 20 lettuce seedlings (two different types - one red, one green) for 12 centimos each.

First job was to clear the weeds from my raised beds which had rocketed to a foot tall (30 centimetres) after all the rain.

The ground in my huerto was very wet so I didn't need to water anything in. I planted 30 seed potatoes and all the lettuce.

When it came to the planting I upgraded the soil with a mixture of my own home-made compost and a sack of commercial sustrato that was lying around.

    Freshly planted spuds and lettuce [Photos: Paul Whitelock]

By the time I had finished, my 74-year-old body was creaking, tired and grubby, so I had a wash before heading to the local bar for a well-earned drink or three before dinner.

Today I plan to clear another bed and plant more spuds.

Watch this space!

© Pablo de Ronda

Photos:

AccuWeather, Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia, www.timeanddate.com

Acknowledgements:

John Albert Whitelock (my late dad, for giving me a love of gardening), Time and Date, Wikipedia

Tags:

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Water is essential for life and for living.

Without water our land turns to desert, crops don't grow and we have nothing to wash with or to drink.

Hygiene goes out of the window.

[Photo: Britannica]    

Recent History

In parts of Spain, especially in the south, Andalucia, water has been in short supply for several years.

Many embalses (reservoirs) were technically empty!

A sequia (drought) was declared!

    [Photo: elDiario.es]

In some areas water has been rationed and/or turned off at night. Beaches on the Costa del Sol have had their beach showers closed down.

Everybody, from farmers to horticulturalists to wine-growers, was praying for rain.

Then around St Valentine's Day 2025 (February 14) all hell was let loose. Several danas hit the south and east of the country.

The worst dana was in the area around Valencia, Spain's fourth largest city by population. 306.000 people were affected, 316 died, 11.242 houses were damaged or destroyed, 141.000 vehicles were washed away and subsequently written off, and 800 km. de roads were damaged.

[Photo: 20 Minutos]    

Since February there has been dana after dana, storm after storm, flood upon flood in the whole of the Iberian peninsula.

We wanted rain, and we got it!

What has happened?

Some reservoirs are so full that 1000s of litres have been released into the sea.

In Andalucia beaches have been washed away, chiringuitos wrecked, previously dry watercourses have been inundated and buildings damaged.

The A397 between Ronda and San Pedro de Alcantara (both Malaga) is blocked by a massive rockfall and a severely damagedcarriageway. The repair is expected to take six months and last well into the autumn. This breach of the quickest and most direct from the Serrania de Ronda to the coast has presented a number of problems:

• thousands of workers displace from inland to the coast every day for work
• the bus connection has gone
• the effect on tourism will be massive

Alternative routes involve long detours and increased journey times.

It's a critical situation.

In Ronda itself, where I live, my large garden has been a lake for weeks.

I cleared all the acequias and arroyos of vegetation and other blockages, and now water rushes constantly out of my garden. My somewhat brown-looking lawn hasn't seen so much water in the 15 years I have lived in our finca.

The pedania where I live is an agricultural and wine-growing area. My neighbours all work the land in some way.

They've been crying out for rain for the last seven years. The last time we had heavy rain for a sustained period was in 2018. Now, they've got what they wanted - big style!

Complaints

Now they have started to complain, that the rain is too much and has become destructive. Their fields are flooded, crops are damaged and they cannot work the land because it's turned to mud.

"¡Basta con el agua!" they chorus.

I agree. It's a paradox. Yes, we needed rain, but not this much all in one go!

The aftermath

Once the rains stop, there'll be lots of clearing up to do.

Weeds are a problem - you can almost see them growing!

Heavy rain means damage to infrastructure and wooden garden furniture.

Several villages in the Serrania de Ronda have suffered significant damage.

Parts of Ronda, the capital of the comarca; Benaojan; Jimera de Libar; Cortes de la Frontera; Cañada del Real Tesoro.

Jimera de Libar [CharryTV.com]    

And what about the effect on tourism, the main industry hereabouts? People are less inclined to travel when the weather is bad; bars and restaurants are frequented less; nobody goes to a beach where it's raining heavily.

Visitors do not walk, hike, bird-watch, rock-climb, hang-glide, cycle, do "canyoning" or take balloon flights in the rain.

Some potential visitors decide not to come and cancel their bookings!

Personal

As for me, and despite the problems outlined earlier, I shall survive. People assume that I emigrated to Andalucia for the climate (normally the region enjoys 300 days of sunshine per year), but that is not the case.

Whilst I like fine weather, it's not that important for me. I'm a reluctant sun-bather, although an occasional excursion to the beach does not come amiss and it's only an hour or so away.

300 days of sun [Photo: Spain Guides]    

I came to live in Spain for the ambiente; for the thrill of living in a relaxed and beautiful country; because I've always felt at home here since I first visited 55 years ago; because I love the food; because my money stretches a lot further in Spain; and because I'm a fluent Spanish-speaker, which "oils the  wheels" in every way.

***

I consider myself fortunate. From humble beginnings I am now living the dream in comparative luxury.

I am the grandson of a Welsh coal-miner. My dad escaped the "pit" and was sent to England to stay with relatives, first in London and then in Barnstaple, Devon. When the Second World War came he joined the RAF and was based at RAF Chivenor.

He met and married my mum in 1948 and I was their first-born. We moved to a brand-new council house in the North Devon town for three years, then mum and dad bought a terraced house, did it up, sold it, bought the rental house where my gran was living, sold that a couple of years later and moved to Exeter, the county town of Devon, where they bought and sold two houses, improving their lot every time.

I went to state schools (ie free), to university on a full grant, became a teacher then a schools inspector/adviser.

Exeter [Photo: Martin & Co]    

When I retired early, I moved to Spain and now live in the countryside just outside Ronda in a big finca, with a swimming pool and more than a hectare of land (10,000 square metres). I would never have achieved that in the UK.

I'm a pensioner and so is the Hausfrau (my second wife of 15 years is German). Yet, in addition to our domicilio (main home) we have two further houses in Montejaque (Malaga), a village of 940 inhabitants, 20 minutes from Ronda. We earn a modest supplementary income from holiday rentals.

Rita on the roof terrace at Casa Rita [Karl Smallman]     Casa Real [Paul Whitelock]

An added bonus to living in southern Spain, is that Vladimir Putin's nuclear weapons do not currently reach Spain, should the worst come to the worst.

We're both well into our 70s and we have decided that 2025 is the year we plan to travel, before we no longer can.

Three trips are already in place, but I have a sort of "bucket list" for other places we'd like to visit, mainly in Europe, although Canada, Cuba, New Zealand and the Philippines are also under consideration.

In theory, given good health, we have all the time in the world!

Endword

The rain we so badly needed has come, but that's enough for now.

As for our travel plans, click here:

2025 - Our year of travel - Eye on Spain

Other links:

At last – good weather! It’s pouring down! - Help me, Ronda

BREAKING NEWS - DANA – Who or what is it?

The biggest car scrapyard in Spain's history - Help me, Ronda

“The Rain in Spain …..”

© Pablo de Ronda

Photos:

20 Minutos, AS, Britannica, CharryTV.com, elDiario.es, Karl Smallman, Martin & Co, Paul Whitelock, Spain Guides 

Tags:

Andalucia, beaches on the Costa del Sol, beach showers turned off, dana, drought, embalse, farmers, February 14, flood, horticulturalists, houses were destroyed, people died, praying for rain, rain, reservoir, St Valentine's Day 2025, sequia, Spain, Spain's fourth largest city by population, storm, Valencia,  vehicles were washed away, water, water has been rationed, wine-growers, written off

St Patrick's Day - March 17
 

Of the four patron saints' days in the British isles, I think St Patrick's Day in the Republic of Ireland is the most celebrated. St Andrew's Day in Scotland, November 30, comes second and St David's Day in Wales, March 1, comes in in third place. The English don't seem too bothered about St George's Day, which is "celebrated" (not) on April 23.

    [Image courtesy of CEXT]

Introduction

The only patron saint who merits an official bank holiday in his home country is St Patrick in Ireland.

I have no connection with Ireland, but I have often celebrated "Paddy's Day", as today is affectionately known. 

No Scottish connection either, other than I once owned a timeshare on the Isle of Arran.

[Stained glass of St Patrick by Irish Central]   

Being half-Welsh, St David's Day was also important, especially at university where I had a Welsh girlfriend for a while.

St George's Day always came and went with a whimper.

St Patrick's Day 2025

Today the missus and I are "celebrating" by going for dinner on the re-opening-under-new-management of the restaurant at Hotel Molino del Santo in Estación de Benaoján (Málaga).

Rita is German and her country does not appear to have a patron saint.

Back to Molino del Santo, this fine establishment in a refurbished mill which first opened its doors as a boutique hotel and restaurant in 1987 has been closed since the end of November 2024 and has undergone a makeover.

Aerial photo of  Hotel Molino del Santo [Archive]

New "owners" are Carmen and Martin. Carmen is the elder daughter of owners Andy Chapell and Pauline Elkin, who retired in 2023. Carmen was born locally and attended schools in Benaoján, Ronda and San Pedro, before university in the UK. She is bilingual.

Her partner Martin originates from Norway.

Apart from the alterations and improvements, there is a new menu, and a new website, but most of the staff remain as before.

Andy, Pauline, Carmen and Martin [Jon  Clarke]

We look forward to seeing Inma, head receptionist; Víctor, the head waiter; other waiting staff we might know and, probably Andy and Pauline hovering in the background, keeping an eye on things. Andy may well be serving behind the bar, and Pauline helping out in the restaurant.

Other locals I know may well be in the bar - Enrique, Moisés and Carlos.

Whether there will be anything special for St Patrick's Day, like free Guinness and Bushmills whiskey, remains to be seen.

Interesting links:

Hotel Molino del Santo under new management - Eye on Spain

SAINTS COME MARCHING IN!: Award-winning rural hotel Molino del Santo near Ronda gets set for a brand new chapter - Olive Press News Spain

and from the archives:

Eat out to help out in Spain! - Secret Serrania de Ronda

RIP O’Flagherty’s: An Irish bar lament - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Photos:

CEXT, Irish Central, Jon Clarke, Molino del Santo

© Pablo de Ronda

Tags:

Andy, Bushmills whiskey, Carmen, CEXT, Enrique, Eye on  Spain, Guinness, Inma, Irish Central, Jon Clarke, Martin, Moisés, Molino del Santo, Pablo de Ronda, Pauline, Paul Whitelock, St Patrick's Day, Secret Serranía, The Olive Press, Víctor

áéíóú

I first visited Spain in 1970, when Spain was a dictatorship under the tight control of General Franco and the Roman Catholic Church. I was 20.

Viewed back then as a fascist country and a strictly religious society, pretty much everything was banned.

General Franco as an old man [BBC]    

General Life under Franco

The use of regional indigenous languages like asturiano, balear, Basque, catalan, gallego and valenciano was not permitted.

Basque separatists (ETA) were in their pomp and brutally repressed by Franco’s paramilitary guardia civil.

Their language, known as euskera, also spoken in three French provinces, was outlawed in the four Basque provinces in Spain.

Logo of Basque separatist group ETA [Wikipedia]

The Role of the Church

As far as the Church was concerned sex before marriage was severely frowned on. Young couples were chaperoned. Opportunities to kiss, never mind have sex, were virtually non-existent.

BTW, somewhat hypocritically, prostitution was condoned by the regime.

Divorce was pretty much non-existent and not available to women.

Forms of contraception [Photo: EWN]    

There was no contraception available in any of its forms: no Pill, no “johnnies” (Durex), and no abortions.

Me and contraception

In my own personal case, I never had sex with a Spanish/Basque girl in 1970 nor in the years following, up to Franco’s death in 1975.

After three months study at the university in San Seb – I was studying for a degree in Spanish – I worked for three months as a tourist guide, ferrying British and Irish Catholics to and from the shrine of St Bernadette in Lourdes, France.

While these “pilgrims” were letting their hair (and knickers) down in the Basque resort, we took them on various excursions. One of these included a flamenco show, featuring a beautiful 17-year-old Basque girl, Carmen, who was married to her dancing partner Juan and already had twin daughters.

Juan spoke to me in confidence one day. He explained that they didn’t want any more children for a while, lest it should affect their career as dancers.

Knowing that I went regularly to France to collect tourists, he asked me if I could get him “something for the weekend”, as English barbers used to ask you back in those days when the subject of contraception was pretty taboo, even in secular England.

With the help of a French colleague, I managed to get hold of the contraceptive Pill.

My flamenco-dancing “clients” were delighted.

However, a few months later, Juan came to me with a complaint. The pills hadn’t worked and Carmen was pregnant again.

I found out she had been inserting the pills in her back passage. She thought they were suppositories!

Me posing with Carmen in 1970 [Photo: Alberto]

Epilogue

Franco died in 1975, his nominated successor Juan Carlos took over and, together with like-minded politicians, led the country to democracy by 1977.

Spain changed rapidly: regional languages were permitted, divorce became accessible, sex was no longer a dirty secret and chaperones disappeared. Gender equality slowly entered many walks of life.

Juan Carlos being sworn in as King [Adam Smith Institute]

Spain had become democratic and free again after a gap of some four decades.

Interesting link:

Fellow British blogger, Lenox Napier, recently posted this memory of Spain and suppositories:

The Train-ride

***

    Some of us students in the fishing harbour in San Seb in 1970

    I am 2nd from left [Photo: Anon]

© Paul Whitelock

Photos and Images:

Adam Smith Institute, Alberto, BBC, EWN, Facebook, Wikipedia

Acknowledgements:

DORFE, EUTG, University of Salford

Tags:

abortion, asturiano, balear, banned, Basque, Basque separatists, British and Irish Catholics, career as dancers, Carmen was pregnant again, catalán, chaperones disappeared, contraception, contraceptive Pill, couples were chaperoned, degree in Spanish, divorce, divorce became accessible, DORFE, Durex, ETA, euskera, EUTG, fascist, flamenco show, France, Franco, gallego, gender equality, General Franco, guardia civil, inserting the pills in her back passage, Juan Carlos, Lenox Napier, Lourdes, no contraception available, no “johnnies”, no Pill, Paul Whitelock, pilgrims, prostitution was condoned, regional indigenous languages, regional languages were permitted, role of the Church, Roman Catholic Church, sex, sex before marriage, sex was no longer a dirty secret, shrine of St Bernadette, secular England, “something for the weekend”, Spain, Spain was a dictatorship, strictly religious, suppositories, taboo, tourist guide, University of Salford, valenciano

áéíóú