Puntos de vista - a personal Spain blog

For most of the year bars and restaurants in Spain rely on their outside space – their terrace – to provide the experience that tourists and locals want.

So, what is going on in Montejaque (Málaga: pop 960)?

All the terraces have disappeared.

[Photo courtesy of Trip Advisor]

Backstory

All municipalities charge a fee if the establishment wishes to mount a terrace. In some places it is per square metre; in others, so much per table and so much per seat.

The problem in Montejaque is that the local bar owners regard the fees as extortionate. They are certainly much higher than next-door pueblo Benaoján and even the mighty Ronda, just 20 minutes away.

The current problem

In Montejaque the situation has became dire. Alvaro Gutierrez, owner of two restaurants in the village, Entre Ascuas in Plaza de la Constitucion and newly-opened Meson La Roca on Avenida de Andalucia, is up in arms.

He posted a lengthy message on Facebook to highlight how expensive these fees in Montejaque are. He decided to close his terraces and just serve customers inside.

Bar Restaurante Entre Ascuas [Photo: Karl Smallman]         Meson La Roca [Photo: Alvaro Gutierrez]

It appears that the other restaurant owners agree with him and have also closed down their terraces.

What happens next?

Well, the restaurant owners have thrown down the gauntlet to Montejaque mayor Diego Sanchez (PP). What will he do? Who knows? He has to react and either accommodate the restaurant owners, or potentially compromise tourism in the village.

With several fiestas coming up, it is unimaginable that the terraces in the square will be closed.

I await the outcome of this stand-off with bated breath.

Diego Sanchez [Photo: Ayuntamiento de Montejaque]

Footnote

Berlin in Germany has opted to abolish all terrace charges for the next two years, in order to encourage and support tourism in the German capital.

What I think

It is the custom to charge for a terrace, wherever it is in Europe/the world. Fair enough. But it must be affordable. In the case of Montejaque, I think the Ayuntamiento has to eat “humble pie” and make a reasonable offer to the bar/restaurant owners.

Otherwise it’s going to be un verano complicado.

STOP PRESS

I’ve just heard that Alvaro’s terrace at Meson La Roca has re-opened, so I presume a deal has been reached between the Town Hall and the bar and restaurant owners.

At the present time no further information is available.

[Image courtesy of Facebook]

BREAKING NEWS

I visited Montejaque this morning, Thursday 27 June, and was surprised at what I found. Thursday is a bad day, unfortunately, as several bars take their día de descanso on Thursdays.

The square was empty apart from a handful of locals at Bar El Rincón. The other two hostelries were closed. There were no terraces in evidence yet several posters and banners protesting the outrageous charges for having a terrace.

[Photo courtesy of Marketing Teacher]

I asked what was happening. Had the Town Hall come to an agreement? Why had Alvaro Gutierrez opened his terrace at Mesón La Roca once more? But others had not? Nobody I asked seemed to know.

I was unable to ask Alvaro, since Bar Entre Ascuas was closed and Mesón La Roca doesn’t open during the day. The Town Hall had already closed for the day.

So we are no further forward, as far as the latest situation. Has Sr Gutierrez cut a deal with mayor Sanchez? Or, has he had second thoughts? Has the council backed down and reduced or abandoned terrace fees?

To be continued …..

[Above photos courtesy of Paul Whitelock]

© Pablo de Ronda

Photos:

Alvaro Gutierrez

Ayuntamiento de Montejaque

Facebook

Karl Smallman

Marketing Teacher

Paul Whitelock

Trip Advisor

Tags:

Alvaro Gutierrez, Avenida de Andalucia, Ayuntamiento de Montejaque, Diego Sanchez, Entre Ascuas, Facebook, Karl Smallman, Meson La Roca, Montejaque, Pablo de Ronda, PP, Paul Whitelock, Plaza de la Constitucion, terrace, Trip Advisor

Not at all! No “battle” whatsoever! My son Tom, wife Susannah, and their two boys, Wilbur (4) and Buckley (1) recently came to stay with us in Ronda for a week. Tom and Su live in Hastings, East Sussex, the site of the start of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.                                                                       

 The Austin-Whitelocks arrive at Seville Airport

There is a village near Hastings called Battle, where the 11^th century conflict took place. Hence the reference in the title of this article.

Background

Su hails from Hastings and Tom is from Warrington, Cheshire. The couple met at Rose Bruford drama college in Sidcup, Kent, where they were students. After graduation they moved to London, first Bow and then Leytonstone, so that they could pursue their careers as professional actors and musicians.

Career Moves

Tom Whitelock

Tom’s most high-profile role to date was in the hit Kinks’ musical “Sunny Afternoon” at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End. Tom played the role of Pete Quaife, the bass guitarist of the hit 1970s group. The musicians performed live – eight shows a week for over a year.

Tom Whitelock in "Sunny Afternoon" [Photo: Equity]

Tom has also appeared in Anthony Burgess’ controversial “A Clockwork Orange” at various venues throughout London; Lorca’s “Yerma” at the Cervantes Theatre, Southwark, south-east London; in “Romeo and Juliet” at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Bankside, London; and many other plays and pantomimes. As an amateur he performed in “The Full Monty” at the Altrincham Garrick Theatre  and Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” at Stockton Heath Playmakers.

Tom Whitelock in "A Clockwork Orange"

[Photo: East London & West Essex Guardian

Susannah Austin

Su, professional name Susannah Austin, is more of a singer/songwriter, following in the footsteps of her mother Claire Hamill*, who has just released her 15^th album. Claire still performs live and does tours.

Susannah Austin released her first CD* in 2012. She has also performed in fringe productions in London and Milton Keynes.

Susannah Austin [Photo: own website]               Claire Hamill [Photo: own website]

* Forgive and Forget (Let It Go) - Susannah Austin (youtube.com)

* Claire Hamill

Covid, parenthood and a renovation project

Their burgeoning careers as performers were abruptly interrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic, when the London West End theatres went “dark”, as did all performance venues throughout the UK.

They took advantage of this “pause” to move out of London, to Hastings, and to start a family. They sold their apartment in Leytonstone and bought a Victorian house in the seaside town, which was in desperate need of a make-over. Tom, with the help of Su, old mates from school and his dad, worked hard on the uninhabitable house to turn it into a home.

As I write the family, now with two children, have been living in their “dream home” for a couple of years and all the major work has been done.

Tom and Su pick up the odd “gig” from time to time, although the industry has not yet fully recovered from the “shutdown”.

Ronda

So, back to our week together in Spain. We mainly chilled out around the house, garden and pool, but we did a couple of trips. First, into Ronda to sample the delights of the Ronda Romántica festival; and a couple of days later a much looked-forward-to trip to the beach; we opted for San Luis de Sabanillas near Manilva on the western Costa del Sol.

Celebrations

There were also two important celebrations during their stay.

On 10 June we celebrated Tom and Su’s seventh wedding anniversary. Rita and I babysat so they could go out for a romantic meal together.

On 11 June it was Rita’s birthday. She enjoyed a relaxing and lazy day. She met her close friend Jill for breakfast and a bit of shopping. In the afternoon she debuted at a yoga class in Ronda and in the evening, at home, Su commandeered the kitchen and assumed cooking duties, ably supported by sous-chef Tom.

We enjoyed a fabulous Mexican meal of tortilla wraps and a range of spicy fillings, preceded by a Mexican apéritif and cava, before retiring relatively early to bed because …..

….. the following morning it was off to Seville airport, at 7,00 am for the Austin-Whitelocks return flight to Stansted.

We all agreed we’d had a super week – even one-year-old Buckley smiled the whole time!

© Pablo de Ronda

Links:

* Claire Hamill

Dramatic “Reunion” (eyeonspain.com)

* Forgive and Forget (Let It Go) - Susannah Austin (youtube.com)

Tom Whitelock | Performers | Stage Faves

Acknowledgements:

Cervantes Theatre London

East London & West Essex Guardian

Equity

Paul Whitelock (all photos, unless otherwise attributed)

Wikipedia

Tags:

“A Clockwork Orange”, “All My Sons”, Altrincham Garrick, Anthony Burgess, Arthur Miller,  Battle, Battle of Hastings, Bow, Cervantes Theatre, Claire Hamill, Costa del Sol, Globe Theatre, Harold Pinter theatre, Hastings, Leytonstone, London West End theatres, Lorca, Manilva, Mexican meal, Norman conquest, Pablo de Ronda, Playmakers, “Romeo and Juliet”, Ronda, Ronda Romántica, Rose Bruford, San Luis de Sabinillas, Shakespeare, Sidcup, Stockton Heath Playmakers, Susannah Austin, “The Full Monty”, Tom Whitelock, tortilla wraps, wedding anniversary, “Yerma”

No, it’s not the lead-in to a joke! Far from it. This is the story of the people I met last Thursday, 13 June, in and around Ronda, where I live.

Will and Miriam

I met Will, an English writer, and Miriam, his German Lebensgefährtin, partner, at the cinema in Ronda.

Once a month Multicines Ronda shows a newly released film en versión original, usually English, with Spanish subtitles.

This Thursday we were there to see “Back to Black”, the new biopic about Amy Winehouse.

Will and Miriam live in Olvera (Cádiz). We exchanged contact details and vowed to keep in touch. We shall see!

Marilyn and Trevor

After the cinema I headed for home, but popped into my local, Hotel Ronda Valley, for a nightcap (NOT cocoa or Horlicks, but a nice cold beer – Alhambra on draught).

A couple approached the bar to pay their bill. They were clearly English, and we spoke for a while.

Marilyn and Trevor had owned a house in Montejaque, one of my stomping grounds, since 1998. They had sold it and were going to the notary the following morning to complete the sale. They were staying at the hotel.

Incredibly in over a quarter of a century our paths had never crossed, even though they seemed to know just as much about me as I know myself: my wife’s name, her house in the village, and my writings, including a controversial article I wrote last year for the local magazine “El Hacho”, as well as other musings of mine to be found on www.help-me-ronda.com and www.eyeonspain.com.

I wished them well, as they went off to bed.

Marta

Marta was also staying at The Ronda Valley. At first sight, we all thought: ‘Blimey! Look at her “tats” (tattoos)!’

She was covered from head to foot!

I got talking to her and discovered that she was Portuguese, 34 going on 24, a “rocker” (Yamaha 750cc), single and a hairdresser in near Lisbon.

I had breakfast/coffee with her two mornings running.

Marta was delightful! She looked good in her “tats”, and also in her biker’s gear!

“Ben”

The last “new” person I met that night in the Hotel Ronda Valley was “Ben”, from French-speaking Morocco. He approached me at the bar speaking English. He was doing a tour of Andalucía with his wife.

We spent a very pleasant while together, ranging over several topics, including Morocco and the best places to visit; politics in France; Spain’s president Pedro Sánchez; and muslims vis-à-vis alcohol – he is a wine-drinking follower of Islam! Good for him!

I saw “Ben” again at breakfast the following morning and we exchanged contact details with a promise that I would visit Morocco in 2025.

Footnote:

At the cinema on Thursday, I also spotted other “local” foreigners, so-called “guiris”.

There was Delphine from France, the organiser of the film evenings, and her partner Fernando from Ceuta; Fátima (Spain), a lawyer and PSOE councillor on Ronda Council, and her partner Drew, from England, a cycling guide; Ashley and Claire, English, owners of Andalucia Cycling Experience; April, English, and widow of Philip Amis, who was the brother of author Martin Amis and son of author Kingsley Amis; Philip and Susan (England via Singapore) owners of Hotel Molino de Cuatro Paradas in Benaoján; and Sheila, English, an environmental campaigner from La Indiana.

© Pablo de Ronda

Links:

April at the Ayuntamiento - Ronda Council pleno (eyeonspain.com)

Back to Black (2024) - FilmAffinity

Hotel Molino Cuatro Paradas | Hotel Molino Cuatro Paradas, unas vacaciones rurales cerca de Ronda en uno de los paisajes más bellos que el sur de España tiene para ofrecer (molino4paradas.com)

Hotel Ronda Valley en Ronda. Web Oficial

What is a guiri? It's what the Spanish call us foreigners - but is it good or bad? (secretserrania.com)

www.andaluciancyclingexperience.com

www.eyeonspain.com

www.help-me-ronda.com

Acknowledgements (Photos):

Filmaffinity

Hotel Ronda Valley

Multicines Ronda

Paul Whitelock

World Atlas

Tags:

Alhambra, Amy Winehouse, Andalucia Cycling Experience, April, Ashley, “Back to Black”, “Ben”, Benaoján, biker’s gear, biopic, Ceuta, Claire, cycling guide, Delphine, Drew, “El Hacho”, England, English, Englishmen, environmental campaigner, Fátima, Fernando, France, Fräulein, French-speaking Morocco, German, “guiris”, hairdresser, Hotel Molino de Cuatro Paradas, Hotel Ronda Valley, Islam, Kingsley Amis, La Indiana, Lisbon, Marilyn and Trevor, Marta, Martin Amis, Montejaque, Morocco, Multicines Ronda, muslims, Pablo de Ronda, PSOE councillor, Pedro Sánchez, Philip, Philip Amis, Portuguese, “rocker”, “rock chick”, Ronda, Ronda Council, Sheila, Spanish subtitles, Susan, “tats”, versión original, Will and Miriam, wine connoisseur, www.help-me-ronda.com, www.eyeonspain.com, Yamaha 750cc

By Pablo de Ronda and The Spanish Fly

The world’s largest and most successful low-cost airline, Ryanair, has been handed a massive fine for illegal charging of its customers. Three other budget carriers, EasyJet, Voltea and Vueling, were also fined.

Ryanair, the Irish airline, has been found guilty by the Spanish government of levying hand luggage charges and other irregularities, and has been handed a fine in excess of 100 million euros. The other airlines involved received lesser penalties.

FACUA, Spain’s consumer affairs watchdog, has been lobbying for the government to clamp down on these charges for six years. Their perseverance has finally paid off, although the airlines in question are likely to appeal.

Until now the highest such fine imposed was by the Junta de Andalucia on mobile phone company Movistar in 2016 for illegally raising their tariffs. That fine was a mere 6.23 million euros, although it was later reduced to 1.53 million on appeal.

For more information visit FACUA’s website at https://facua.org

Tags:

consumer affairs watchdog, easyJet, FACUA, Junta de Andalucia, Movistar, Pablo de Ronda, Ryanair, Spanish Fly, Spanish government, Voltea, Vueling

By Jennie Rhodes and Paul Whitelock

Thursday 6 June 2024

The elections to the European Parliament start today, 6 June, and last until Sunday, 9 June, amid concerns that after the votes are counted, the Union may take a sharp step to the right. Extreme right-wing groups like the Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) in Germany, VOX in Spain and the Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV), Party for Freedom, in the Netherlands are just three examples.

Backstory

Foreign residents of the 27 member states of the EU may vote in European elections, as well as in local ones, but not in regional or national polls. This is out of order, in my opinion. We pay taxes in our country of residence, yet may not vote.

Since Brexit, surely the greatest folly known to man and proof that voters cannot be trusted to make sensible choices, British residents of EU countries may no longer vote in Euro elections. So, I say NO MORE PLEBISCITES! Why elect a government to represent you and then have referendums?

The only way for any non-EU resident from another country to vote in the general election of that EU member state, is to become a national of that country. In Spain, many have done just that since Brexit.

EU residents may either vote in the European elections in their home country or their new one.

Eligible to vote in Spain on Sunday

Suzanne Mastbroek is originally from the Netherlands but lived in Belgium for many years before moving to Málaga province three years ago.

She opted to vote in the Netherlands because she says: "As a resident in Spain I could also have voted here, just like last year for the municipal elections, but for now I know too little about Spanish politics to do that. Maybe next time."

Mario Blancke is originally from Belgium. He got involved in local politics in Málaga province as part of the “Save our Homes Axarquía” association to fight for the rights of owners of illegal houses.

He says he always votes "in honour of all the people who gave their lives for the right to vote."

Mario adds, "Looking back at all the problems we faced with the regional and national government, SOHA decided to fight, and we made the difference."

Helen Sijsling, a Dutch national who lives in Málaga, says that for her "it is important to vote for the EU for solutions to big problems like climate change that do not stop at a border ".

Helen explains, "My husband and I received two ways to vote, one from the Netherlands, as we are Dutch, and one from Spain as we live here."

The couple decided to vote in the Netherlands.

Nolwenn Gaudin is originally from France and lives in Málaga. She decided to vote in Spain and says: "I had the choice to register for France or Spain and living here with very few voting rights, it's important to me to vote whenever possible."

She adds, "While the EU is not exactly the dream organisation that was described at its inception, many rights, subsidies and political decisions that better our everyday life do come from it.

“So it matters to me to vote for representatives that will defend my rights and opinions at the EU Parliament."

How to get a Euro vote

Any citizen of an European member state wishing to vote for the European Parliament in Spain should take an original ID document (no photocopies) which can be a national identity card, passport or driving licence along to a polling station on Sunday.

For more information visit: www.elections.europa.eu/en/how-to-vote/es/

Some have changed nationality

Lawrence Renaudon Smith has lived in Mallorca since 1993. After Brexit he decided it was time to apply for Spanish citizenship.

"Of course I will be voting in the European elections this time. The main thing for me about having Spanish nationality is that now I am once again living in Spain as my right, like I did as an EU citizen," he explains.

David Eldridge has lived in Mallorca since 2008. He says he started the process of applying for Spanish nationality in 2019.

"Basically I didn't want my European citizenship taken away and had a way to avoid that."

"Voting is the main practical advantage, but others are slightly easier bureaucracy and much easier travel."

But he says the biggest advantage "is a psychological one. Once again, my passport reflects my European identity. Having lived in different countries including outside Europe, my number one identity is European."

Adrian Stone Mills and Hannah Morrish Wilson have lived in Málaga province since 2002, where they own and run a small hotel. They say:

"In the years running up to Brexit we had reached our eligible years for taking out [Spanish] nationality and it was something we had discussed but never pursued. Brexit gave us the push we needed and in 2016, after the results were declared, we started the process for ourselves and our two children.

"Now as European citizens we will be able to vote in the upcoming European elections. We have our ballot papers at the ready, the research is done and we ready to go."

***

As for me, I’ve been contemplating doing this since Brexit. I did all the research, did a sample multiple-choice exam online (I got 98% correct), and then ..... I never pursued it.

But now, I’m sick and tired of having to join the long “Outside the EU” queue at passport control, while my EU contemporaries just swan through the blue channel without hindrance.

But most important for me is having the vote. As I’ve indicated, I can currently only vote in local elections. I want to vote in all elections and have my say in the country I chose to live in over 15 years ago.

So, I shall get my application in before the end of the month.

Photo: Euro Weekly News

© Jennie Rhodes and Paul Whitelock

Further reading:

Acquiring nationality - Residence - Citizens - Your rights and obligations in the EU - Tu espacio europeo - Punto de Acceso General (administracion.gob.es)

Why can’t we have the vote? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Useful links:

www.elections.europa.eu/en/how-to-vote/es/

http://www.immigrationspain.es

Acknowledgements:

Adrian Stone Mills

David Eldridge

Euro Weekly News

Hannah Morrish Wilson 

Helen Sijsling 

Jennie Rhodes

Lawrence Renaudon Smith

Mario Blancke

Nolwenn Gaudin

Pablo de Ronda

SUR in English

Suzanne Mastbroek

www.proz.com

Tags:

Adrian Stone Mills, AfD, Alternative fur Deutschland, Belgium, Brexit, David Eldridge, driving licence, Dutch national, Election, Europe, European citizen, European election, EU, European Parliament, European Union, Euro Weekly News, France, general election, Germany, Hannah Morrish Wilson, Helen Sijsling, Jennie Rhodes, Lawrence Renaudon Smith, Málaga province, Mallorca, Mario Blancke, national identity card, Netherlands, Nolwenn Gaudin, non-EU resident, Pablo de Ronda, PVV, Partij voor de Vrijheid, Party for Freedom, passport, Paul Whitelock, “Save our Homes Axarquía”, Spain, Spanish citizenship, SUR in English, Suzanne Mastbroek, UK, vote, VOX, www.proz.com