Puntos de vista - a personal Spain blog

When Pablo de Ronda bought the old house in Montejaque (Málaga) belonging to the Real family, he already had an idea of what he wanted to create; namely a traditional house with modern themes. He also wanted it to be an eco-house.

When I viewed the ‘Real’ house for the first time. I could see past the old-fashionedness of the layout and the décor.

After I’d bought the house I decided to retain as many original features as possible, eg traditional sevillanas (wall tiles) and the original floor tiles. We planned to expose and stain/paint some of the wooden beams.

However, in contrast to that we opened up three separate rooms to create an L-shaped lounge, dining room and kitchen. We also installed two new, modern bathrooms and modernised the kitchen.

As for the eco angle, I have bought second-hand furniture and fittings (so, recycling); I have also been given a lot of things, including internal doors and windows, items of furniture, etc. A surprising number of items have been acquired from the dump and up-cycled. Well if Sarah Moore can do it on the BBC, so can I!

Retrieved items include a kitchen cupboard, a couple of rugs, several pictures in nice frames, lamps, a beaded curtain, a child’s cot in new condition and material which could be cut to size to make shelves.

Other items were bought new to ensure eco-friendliness – electrodomésticos, for example. Those included a new oven and hob, new washing machine, new kettle and new iron.

For hygiene reasons all beds have new mattresses and new bedding and the towels are all new, too.

The next eco-steps are to install double glazed windows and solar panels. But that work will have to wait until my savings account is in the black again!

In the meantime, our first guests, old friends Hovis, Jacqui and Richard, moved in two Sundays ago and will be trialling the house until the end of September. They will be giving us positive and negative feedback and, we hope, a “thumbs up”!

Spanish workers, the unemployed and senior citizens love to go for a coffee (and a chupito) first thing in the morning. Whether it’s to watch the TV News, to catch up on the local gossip or to have an early breakfast, there’s something for everyone.

Pablo de Ronda, who is a regular participant in this ritual, casts an eye over this very Spanish custom.

I first started going for an early morning coffee when I adopted Berti, sadly no longer with us, and used to take him for his first walk of the day, ending up at the Hotel Don Benito in Fuente de la Higuera, Ronda. A cup of Campanini always hit the right spot. And meeting and chatting with the other early risers was fun too.

Then, when I moved to nearby Montejaque to work on my house, Casa Real, I got into the habit of going for one at Bar Perujo, the only place open at 7.00 am.

Andrés, also now deceased (from Covid-19), served a delicious coffee, also Campanini, with grace and gentility. His son, also called Andrés, sometimes did the honours and equally well. This was the time for finding out what was going on in the village.

When Andrés died, the bar closed, never to re-open. It is now an apartment. Sadly.

At this point, Álvaro, of the Hotel Palacete de Mañara, took on the role of early morning coffee provider. The same people came, the same drinks were consumed and the same kind of gossip passed from one to another.

Then, in August, Álvaro stopped opening at 7.00 am because his hotel guests were complaining about the noise from below their rooms so early in the morning.

Disaster for us caffeine addicts! What to do?

Well, jump in the car and nip down to Benaoján, the next village.

Here there is a choice of two excellent early morning bars, El Encuentro and La Palma. La Palma, with barman Fran, opens at 7.00 am but El Encuentro opens its doors even earlier – at 6.00 am. Inma is in charge here. Ideal for insomniacs like me.

Both bars offer delicious coffee (Campanini again!) at 1€, chupitos at 1€, TV News and plenty of bonhomie.

¡Viva el café madrugador!

Pablo de Ronda and his wife Rita have revived the tradition of Sunday lunch in the last few weeks. What a great way to relax on a Sunday afternoon.

Sunday, 1 August 2021

Two weeks ago we went to Écija (Sevilla), halfway between the Andalucían capital and Córdoba. Known as la sartén de España, the frying pan of Spain, Écija was certainly on the warm side.

Anyway, after a brief explore of the town centre, come 2-ish we were hungry, so I looked on Google and found the Trip Advisor list of the 10 best restaurants. Number 1 was Restaurante Las Ninfas. Without much hope I rang to see whether they had a table for two. Amazingly they did, so off we went to a most charming restaurant in the Museum building.

The menu was a bit different to what we’re used to down in Málaga province, which was exciting.

For example I chose mazamorra, a kind of salmorejo made without tomatoes, followed by a bull’s tail risotto, both of which were delicious.

Rita opted for carrilladas cut into strips served with tacos, followed by pulpo a la gallega.

In between those courses we shared an elver (baby eels) salad . Mmmm!

All washed down with some speciality beers. Altogether we spent 50€. Outstanding VFM.

Sunday, 8 August 2021

Last Sunday we went to a restaurant we hadn’t been to in years, Restaurante Audalázar in Atajate (Málaga).

We sat outside on the covered terrace and enjoyed a delightful couple of hours eating the most tasty and well-presented food you could imagine.

We shared a delicious house salad to start and then Rita went for one of the specials, filete de buey, ox fillet steak. She ordered it al punto and that’s what she got. She loved it.

I opted for another special, lomo con salsa de higo, and I was not disappointed. A couple of glasses of Ribera del Duero followed by coffee and we were replete. Quite expensive, but worth every penique.

Sunday, 15 August 2021

This Sunday, we booked for old favourite, El Muelle de Arriate, commonly known as Frank’s. This restaurant is housed in an old railway shed in Arriate (Málaga). Because of the extreme heat we switched our booking from lunchtime to the evening.

That turned out to be a smart decision. We arrived at 9.00 pm and sat on the terrace by the railway line in relative comfort. We couldn‘t get the QR scanner to work to look at the menu, so Frank, as is his wont, recited the starters menu to us.

They all sounded good, but we decided to share two; first a wrap filled with avocado, strips of lettuce and other wonderful things. This was followed by a tasty salad which contained vieiras (coquilles Saint Jacques) and prawns. Accompanied by a bottle of house verdejo. Mmmm!

Our preferred main course, a stuffed calamar, a whole squid, had sold out, which was somewhat annoying, but our substitute choice was a knockout: Tataki de ternera con patatas y ajo frito, beef tatyaki with potatoes, fried garlic, salad and vegetables al diente. Washed down with a glass of Ribera del Duero.

That was it. It was gone 11.00 pm – time to go home.

Saturday  21 August 2021

No Sunday lunch this weekend; we had Saturday lunch instead at Restaurante La Cascada at Hotel Molino del Puente in Fuente de la Higuera, near Ronda. We sat on the shaded terrace by the River Guadalcobacín and relaxed over a light lunch.

Rita had a Singapore salad followed by chicken liver paté served with fruits of the forest sauce. Mmm “Lecker!”

I started with a delicious refreshing gazpacho containing diced water melon and finished with a fresh warm goat’s cheese salad served with fresh figs and a balsamic dressing. Fa – bu – lous!

What a lovely couple of hours. Our bill, with drinks and tip, came to 46€ but it was worth it!

***

Four great “Sunday lunches” in four weeks. Where shall we go next weekend?

Casa Real, Montejaque (Málaga)

Pablo de Ronda came across the house that was to become Casa Real quite by chance one Sunday afternoon after visiting the house next door.

As I emerged from No. 2, I noticed a private “se vende” sign attached to the rejas of the house next door.

 “Oh, it’s for sale!” I pronounced somewhat unnecessarily.

“Yes, it’s Armando’s house”, said my companion. Armando just happens to be my favourite bar owner in the village. It was still opening time, so off I went straight to his bar to ask whether I could view the property.

“Of course. I shall be closing shortly, so we can go then”.

Armando informed me that the house had been his family home. His parents had long since passed away, so the house belonged to him and his three siblings, the heirs.

I looked at the house and was smitten. I could see its potential straightaway and decided I wanted it. After the easing of the first Covid-19 lockdown, I needed something to do, a project, so I bought it.

The process seemed to take ages, partly because the house had no papers and it was summer and one of the notaries shut for two weeks for holidays. It wasn’t until the end of August that we were able to seal the deal at the notary.

And so to work. The house needed a re-wire and new plumbing, so San Jorge got to work cutting out the channels in the walls for the tubing and electric cables and José Antonio “El Suave” started replacing the old lead piping with copper.

The next job was to remove two tabiques, partition walls, between the lounge and what had been Armando’s mum’s bedroom, and said bedroom and the kitchen, in order to create an open plan, L-shaped lounge, dining room and kitchen.

Then disaster struck …..

***

Everything was going fine until we discovered that the kitchen ceiling, also the floor of the room on the first floor that was to become the second bathroom, was unsafe. On investigation we discovered that the wooden beams had rotted.

Andy, a structural engineer friend, who lives in the village, advised that we would probably have to demolish that part of the house and rebuild it – not cheap!

Jorge and José, however, reckoned they could avoid that by replacing the wooden vigas one by one with reinforced steel concrete beams. This is what they did painstakingly, but with great success.

That crisis over we spent the next several months gradually renovating the house. The two Js did the masonry and plastering and heavy lifting, while I converted the existing bathroom into a modern and stylish wetroom. I had a bit of help from José with the plumbing , but I did all the tiling myself. A very relaxing and satisfying enterprise – it easily beats inspecting schools, my last job before I retired.

Despite two further Covid-19 lockdowns, which cost us four months when we couldn’t work, a year after we started, Casa Real is nearing completion.

I decided to call the house Casa Real in honour of Armando and his family and forebear who had owned and occupied the house for three generations, its entire life in fact. Why Real? That means royal or real, doesn’t it? Well, it’s also their family surname.

There were tears in the eyes of at least one sibling when they found out. They were dead chuffed!

***

Although I was fully involved with the work from start to finish, I had help, of course.

With me from the start back in August 2020 until May 2021 was “San Jorge”, an albañil born in the same town as General Franco, El Ferrol in Galicia.

Jorge first turned up to dig a ditch at our house in Ronda. But this rather shy and private man soon revealed other talents, including bricklaying, plastering, painting, carpentry, electrics and tree felling.

When I asked him to help me out with Casa Real he threw himself enthusiastically into the project.

José Antonio “El Suave”, locally born and a trained albañil, began to do the odd day before soon becoming full time.

José is a brilliant plumber, bricklayer, plasterer, carpenter, tiler. He can turn his hand to anything. He is still with me and has taken ownership of the job. He’s the foreman and I’m his peón.

Stewart “El Alto”, a former neighbour, has done the odd day and did a lot of the “heavy lifting”. Well, he’s younger than the rest of us.

Recently we have been joined by Miriam, “La Constructora”, José’s daughter. She came initially to do a bit of cleaning, but quickly demonstrated other skills, such as grouting, plastering, mixing mortar and much more. She is now virtually full time and keeps José and me on our toes!

Now that we’re reaching completion, my wife Rita, the “Meter Maid”, has come on board advising on décor and sewing curtains. She is our fiercest critic, which is a good thing.

I am extremely grateful to all five of my collaborators, who have become good friends.

***

I can’t wait to “move in”. I’ve already stayed there several nights, mind. Why not? I have electricity, hot and cold running water, a fridge, a TV and a very comfortable bed. Me staying overnight meant that I was on hand for a bit of nocturnal tiling or painting when I couldn’t sleep!

My first guests move in for 11 days at the end of September. They are old friends, having stayed in Casa Rita, our other rental property, 12 times in the last six years!

Let’s hope they give Casa Real the thumbs up!

Articles on a similar theme in Eye on Spain include:

The Houses That Jack Built

The Building History of a 71-year-old DIY Fan