The Culture Vulture

Yesterday, 1 December, was the first day of Advent, the period leading up to Christmas.

In Christian religions, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, this is a significant time of year. Both religions set great store by the Advent Calendar.

Advent in Spain

In Spain, funcionarios and pensionistas have just received a double salary payment, so, in theory they have a lot of disposable income.

However, they’ve got the “Puente” of 6 and 8 December, Christmas, New Year and Epiphany to pay for! And the Spanish spend vast amounts of money at this time of year, especially on presents for the children.

According to tradition, today is when you can start to decorate your home for this festive period.

A personal viewpoint

I’m going to be alone for Christmas this year, for the first time in my long life. You can read all about that here:

De Rodríguez – at Christmas?

So. I’ve already started to put up a few Christmas decorations. I’ve also decided on my Christmas Dinner menu.

I was going to just do a traditional English roast turkey with all the trimmings, which I haven’t had very often in recent years, but my “lovely” wife Rita suggested something different and presented me with a couple of different options:

Cream of pumpkin soup followed by roasted sea bass stuffed with vegetables and prawns. Sounds great, doesn’t it? And as a bow to English tradition, if I can find one, I shall have Christmas pud!

Recipe here: Christmas "de Rodríguez" - Rita’s alternative Christmas Dinner

Endpiece

So, I've started putting up Christmas decorations; I'm planning my meals for the Christmas period; and I'm contemplating which Christmas TV programmes I shall watch.

¡Felices Fiestas!

© The Culture Vulture

Links:

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

De Rodríguez – at Christmas?

Photos:

BBC

irBarcelona

Facebook

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Advent, Advent Calendar, Christmas, Christmas decorations, Christmas Dinner menu, Christmas pud, Christmas TV programmes, Cream of pumpkin soup, Culture Vulture, Epiphany, Felices Fiestas, funcionarios, “lovely”, New Year, Paul Whitelock, pensionistas, Protestant, “Puente” of 6 and 8 December, Rita, roasted sea bass stuffed with vegetables and prawns, Roman Catholic, traditional English roast turkey with all the trimmings,

This internationally famous string quartet played a concert in Ronda last Friday night. The group has been going strong for 16 years and has developed a varied repertoire. On this occasion they performed the Rosenberg Variations by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Cuarteto Granada [Photo: CG website]

The Concert

The Fundación Unicaja invited the string quartet to play in Ronda as part of their Autumn series of concerts. Entrance was free. Amazing. Unsurprisingly the place was full.

We managed to get a couple of seats quite near the front. I like to see the “whites of their eyes”.

When the concert was over Rita remarked that it had been too loud, and thought we would have been better sitting at the back.

    Cuarteto Granada is introduced to the audience [Photo: PW]

The performance, for me, as a non-expert, was brilliant. The two lead violinists Mario Navas and Emilia Ferríz, were outstanding; the viola player,  Manuel Moreno, too; and the cellist, Jeremías Sanz, stole the show, as far as I was concerned.

    Live photos of the quartet performing in Ronda [PW]

I like Bach, but I was not familiar with this piece.

The concert lasted well over an hour, and I was flagging towards the end, but, hey, it was high quality music for free.

   Curtain call in Ronda [Photo: PW]

Photos from the quartet's website

Dinner after the show

Because it was Friday night and it was dry it proved difficult to find somewhere to eat. Eventually we got a table outside at Toro Tapas on Calle La Bola.

    [Photos courtesy of TripAdvisor]

We ate well, a selection of tapas to share. I enjoyed it, but Rita was cold. Doh!

© The Culture Vulture

Photos:

Cuarteto Granada

Paul Whitelock

Trip Advisor

Acknowledgements:

Diario Sur

Europa Press

MSN

Vanessa Melgar

Links:

cuartetogranada.com | Página oficial del Cuarteto Granada

Cuarteto Granada actuará en el Centro Cultural Fundación Unicaja de Ronda | Diario Sur

Teaser Golberg Variations - Cuarteto Granada - video

Unicaja.- Cuarteto Granada abre la programación del décimo aniversario de Fundación Unicaja en Ronda

Tags:

Autumn series of concerts, Bach, Calle La Bola, Casco antiguo, Cuarteto Granada, Culture Vulture, Diario Sur, Emilia Ferríz, El Toro, Europa Press, Fundacion Unicaja, Jeremías Sanz, Johann Sebastian Bach, Manuel Moreno, Mario Navas, MSN, Paul Whitelock, Ronda, Rosenberg Variations, string quartet, Vanessa Melgar

By The Culture Vulture in Ronda

Ronda (Malaga) is the centre of attention at the moment. The inauguration of a new “installation” by the famous French designer and architect Philippe Starck in a prominent position overlooking the valley has created interest regionally, nationally and internationally.

Philippe Starck [Photo: El Pais]

Background

Philippe Starck was commissioned by the organic olive oil farm LA Organic to create a memorable “sculpture” on their premises just outside Ronda.

The striking building has references to bullfighting, olive oil production, Pablo Picasso and much more. The structure houses an exhibition of art, an olive oil press, a cata (tasting) and a restaurant.

LA Almazara in Ronda [Photo: Areall]

Grand opening

The LA Almazara was inaugurated last week by dignitaries from across the region, including Juanma Moreno, president of the Andalucia regional government, the mayoress of Ronda, Maria de la Paz Fernandez, as well as the artist, Philippe Starck himself.

The opening [Photo: Diario Ronda]

Media coverage

There have been articles in both Spanish, English, French and German at international, national and regional level about this important addition to the Ronda scene, in ABC, costadel-online.es, efe.com, El Pais, El Periodico, europapress.com, Forbes magazine, idealista.com, okdiario.com, La Vanguardia, Cadena SER, Telecinco, tiempo.com, travelandtelling.com, charryTV, Diario Sur, Diario Ronda, Ronda Semanal, starck.fr, Malaga Hoy, Vanity Fair, VivaSevilla, as well as designboom.com, MSN, SUR in English and The Olive Press (pending).

It is regarded as something of a coup for the City of the Tajo to obtain an original piece of work from such a prestigious artist as Philippe Starck.

© The Culture Vulture

Contact information:

almazaralaorganic.com

LA Organic Experience

Carretera A-367 km 39, LA Organic, 29400, Ronda (Málaga) · 05 km

650 88 72 47

Guided tour including tasting 20€

Links:

Abre al público la espectacular almazara diseñada por Phillippe Starck en Ronda | Gastronomía: recetas, restaurantes y bebidas | EL PAÍS

Así es la almazara vanguardista de Philippe Starck que abre sus puertas en Ronda

Cuando Philippe Starck se enamoró de Ronda | Vanity Fair

El arquitecto francés Philippe Starck estrena una almazara vanguardista en Ronda

El diseñador y arquitecto Philippe Starck estrena una almazara vanguardista en Ronda (Málaga) para la compañía LA Organic

Inauguran la almazara ecológica diseñada por Phillippe Starck | Diario Ronda

La Almazara creada por Philippe Starck en Ronda abre al público

La Almazara de Philippe Starck: un proyecto de 22 millones en Ronda

LA Almazara, la primera almazara de autor del mundo, diseñada por Philippe Starck, abre en Ronda (Málaga)

LA Almazara, la primera almazara de autor del mundo, diseñada por Philippe Starck, abre en Ronda (Málaga) - Forbes España

LA Almazara, Ronda

La espectacular almazara picassiana diseñada por Phillippe Starck en Ronda

La primera almazara de autor del mundo, del arquitecto Philippe Starck, está en Ronda (Málaga) | Sociedad | Cadena SER

Philippe Starck, apasionado de España y del aceite, estrena su vanguardista almazara | Ronda Semanal. Noticias de Ronda

phillipe starck curates radical, minimalist 'LA almazara' in andalusia

Philippe Starck estrena su vanguardista almazara

Philippe Starck inaugurará LA Almazara el próximo 18 de octubre

Philippe Starck in Ronda LA Organic

Philippe Starck's organic olive oil mill experience in Ronda is now a reality | Sur in English

Philippe Starck Ronda - Erlebnis für die Sinne

Philippe Starck y su obra en la Serranía de Ronda: LA Almazara

The French architect Philippe Starck opens a avant-garde oil mill in Ronda (Málaga)

Tags:

ABC, bullfighting, Cadena SER, charryTV, City of the Tajo, costadel-online.es, Culture Vulture, designboom.com, Diario Sur, Diario Ronda, efe.com, El Pais, El Periodico, europapress.com, Forbes magazine, French architect, idealista.com, Juanma Moreno, LA Almazara, LA Organic, La Vanguardia, Malaga Hoy, Maria de la Paz Fernandez, MSN, okdiario.com, olive oil, Pablo Picasso, Philippe Starck, Ronda, Ronda Semanal, Serrania de Ronda, starck.fr, SUR in English, Telecinco, The Olive Press, tiempo.com, travelandtelling.com, Vanity Fair, VivaSevilla

How many museums are there in Málaga City?

Five? Six?

Amazingly there are 13!

They range from two dedicated to Málaga’s most famous son, Pablo Ruiz Picasso, to a sub-branch of the Carmen Thyssen Art Gallery in Madrid; from the Pompidou Centre to various municipal museums; from a Glass Museum to Vintage Cars; from a Museum of Russian Art to another dedicated to Video Games.

Something for everyone and much more.

Photo: Museo Casa Natal Picasso

My Málaga Museum Visits to Date

I’m ashamed to say that the missus and I have only been to the two Picasso galleries, the Pompidou Centre and the Carmen Thyssen, although the queue for the latter was too long, so we gave up.

Museo Picasso Málaga

The Picasso Museum in Malaga opened in 2003. I’ve only been once. I like Picasso’s work a lot. I studied A-Level art and he was an important influence.

But, I have to say I was disappointed with the Museum. Not much of his famous stuff was in evidence.

I much prefer …..

….. Museo Casa Natal Picasso

This was Picasso’s birth house which is now a small museum. Located in Plaza de la Merced, it’s a delightful place, with a mix of art and memorabilia.

I’ve been several times.

Last year, with the Costa Press Club, of which I am a long-standing member, Rita and I also attended a private showing of “La Imagen de Picasso” at another house a few steps from the Casa Natal.

The exhibition was about the Press and media coverage of this somewhat controversial figure.

Centre Pompidou

This offshoot of the famous Paris gallery opened in 2015 in the re-furbished Port of Málaga was quite interesting and entrance was half/price for senior citizens. There is no permanent exhibition here, but temporary ones for a short season.

My "to-do list" for 2025

Of the Málaga museums I’ve not been to, the Museo Carmen Thyssen is definitely on the list, together with the Colección del Museo Ruso.

Away from the World of Art, I fancy the Museo del Vidrio y del Cristal and the Museo del Automóvil y la Moda.

    Photos of the Glass Museum and the Car Museum [Turismo de Malaga]

I’ll give the OXO Museo del Videojuego a miss, I think. Video games are not really my thing!

©  The Culture Vulture

Link::

Bing Vídeos

Acknowledgements:

Diario Sur

Quién es Quién en Málaga 2024

Photos:

Facebook

La Razón

Museo Casa Natal Picasso

Museos de Málaga

Pompidou Centre

Tags:

Carmen Thyssen Art Gallery, Centre Pompidou, Colección del Museo Ruso, Costa Press Club, Culture Vulture, Facebook, Glass Museum, “La Imagen de Picasso”, La Razón, Madrid, municipal museum, Museo Carmen Thyssen, Museo Casa Natal Picasso, Museo del Automóvil y la Moda, Museo del Vidrio y del Cristal, Museo Picasso Málaga, Museos de Malaga, Museum of Russian Art, Pablo Ruiz Picasso, Pompidou Centre, Port of Málaga, Video Games, Vintage Cars

Graffiti capital of Spain? Sounds grim, huh? But no, since Banksie in the UK and Arikaio, Okuda and Víctor Fernández in Spain, graffiti has become respectable.

And Ronda has just been chosen as one of the half-a-dozen or so towns in Spain to be designated by La Liga Nacional de Graffiti and one of only two in Andalucía.

Ronda and Graffiti

Over the last few years there have been some ten or so examples of this form of urban art which have appeared mostly on gable ends, throughout the City of Dreams. And all of them official, and backed and sponsored by Ronda Council.

Over a few days last week, several artists could be seen painting a series of a dozen murals on a retaining wall at the top of Calle Sevilla, just before the turn-off to the polígono industrial (industrial estate).

   Photo: Diario Ronda                                      Photo: Málaga Hoy

Here are the completed murals:

All photographs by Paul Whitelock, unless otherwise credited.

Links:

About Ronda Roundabouts (and murals) (eyeonspain.com)

© The Culture Vulture

Photos:

Diario Ronda

Má​​​​​​​laga Hoy

Paul Whitelock

Acknowledgements:

Diario Sur

Paul Whitelock

Ronda Semanal

Vanessa Melgar

https://www.help-me-ronda.com

Tags:

Arikaio, Banksie, City of Dreams, Diario Ronda, Diario Sur, Graffiti capital of Spain, Má​​​​​​​laga Hoy, Okuda, Paul Whitelock, Ronda Semanal, Vanessa Melgar, Víctor Fernández, www.help-me-ronda.com

I spend many hours working, despite being retired for nearly two decades. I've done up several houses - in the UK, Luxembourg and Spain - and I love to work outside in my garden. While I am doing this physical labour I like to listen to my favourite music  My tastes are quite catholic, ranging from American, British and European blues and rock classics to Spanish musicians of all genres.

Here, in alphabetical order, are my favourites:

Adele - simply amazing. What a voice!

The Beatles - enough said?

Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas - Great voice, Part of the Mersey sound back in the 60s.

Blind Faith - the best supergroup of all time? Sadly they only lasted a year and only made one album. Blind Faith were Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Ric Grech and Steve Winwood.

Celine Dion - Canadian balladeer, but what a unique voice! Saw her live in Manchester in 2001, I think, and the support act was The Corrs (qv)

Cher (without Sonny) - What a career she had after splitting from the abusive Sonny Bono!

Claire Hamill - Quite famous in the 70s, Claire is a singer/songwriter and is still going strong. She recently released her 13th album. I know Claire well - she is the mother of my daughter-in-law Susannah Austin, also a great singer/songwriter (qv).

Coldplay - A unique sound. Chris Martin's brittle voice is the key to their appeal. They have just played at Glastonbury for the fifth time! - a record, by the way.

The Corrs - I loved this Irish family "group" from the moment they warmed up for Celine Dion in Manchester in 2001. I saw them live another three times. Magical.

Dave Gilmour - Pink Floyd improved from the moment he joined them to replace Syd Barrett who had gone AWOL. "Dark Side of the Moon" is a masterpiece. My favourite album of all time.

Diana Navarro - I first heard this malagueña on a Ronda neighbour's radio in 2007. On further investigation, I found out who she was and bought her CD, Rosas. I still play it regularly. I also saw her perform live in September 2008 in the plaza de toros in Carratraca (Malaga). After the concert, which was terrific, I managed to get backstage and got to meet her. One of the highlights of my life.

Dua Lipa - Armenian by birth, Dua Lipa pops up frequently on my Amazon Music app. What a great voice!

The Eagles - Their 1976 album Hotel California is in my top 5 albums of all-time. Don Felder's singing and guitar-playing together with Joe Walsh are stunning. The song was composed by Felder, Glenn Frey and Don Henley.

Ellie Goulding - I was listening to Women's Hour on Radio 4 back in 1980 while I was renovating the house I'd just bought in Latchford, Warrington, when up popped an interview with a young emerging singer/songwriter called Ellie Goulding. I think she was 17 at the time. She sounded very bright and together, so I set about finding out more about her. Now, some 16 years later, I am still a huge fan. I think I have all her albums. Sadly I've never seen her live in concert.  

Emerson, Lake and Palmer -  Informally known as ELP, Emerson, Lake & Palmer were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards) of the Nice, Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitars, producer) of King Crimson, and Carl Palmer (drums, percussion) of Atomic Rooster.

With nine gold record albums in the USA, and an estimated 48 million records sold worldwide, they are one of the most popular and commercially successful progressive rock groups of the 1970s, with a musical sound including adaptations of classical music with jazz and symphonic rock elements, dominated by Emerson's flamboyant use of the Hammond organ, Moog synthesiser, and piano, although Lake wrote several acoustic songs for the group. 

Both Emerson and Lake died in 2016, leaving Palmer as the only surviving member of the band.

I saw this unique supergroup live at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester in 1973, during my final year at university. My date that night was Jeryl, who was to become my wife two years later. So, my taste in music didn't put her off!

Enigma - Somewhat bizarrely I first heard this group from Rumania in a LADA car travelling in the Soviet Union in 1990, just before the unsuccessful coup d'etat which ultimately led to the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. Our hosts were Sascha and Rita. Rita had been the "friend" allocated to my wife Jeryl when she visited the Sov U as part of her degree studies in Russian.

Another Rita, spelt PUMA in the Russian cyrillic alphabet, is also the name of my current wife of some 14 years, the Lovely Rita. I sometimes call her PUMA - as a change from the Meter Maid - but she is not amused. 

Back to Enigma, I tracked down a copy of their sensational first album, MCMXC a.D. at a specialist music shop in Liverpool.

I was listening to this album only yesterday as I worked in the garden.

Enigma is a German musical project founded in 1990 by Romanian-German musician and producer Michael Cretu. Cretu conceived the idea of a new age, worldbeat project. He recorded the first Enigma studio album, MCMXC a.D. (1990), with contributions from David Fairstein and Frank Peterson. The album remains Enigma's most successful, helped by the international hit single "Sadeness (Part I)", which sold twelve million units alone. According to Cretu, the inspiration for the creation of the project came from his desire to make a kind of music that did not obey "the old rules and habits" and presented a new form of artistic expression with mystic and experimental components.

Enigma has sold over 8.5 million albums in the USA alone, and an estimated 70 million worldwide with over 100 gold and platinum certifications. The project has also received two Grammy Award nominations.

Enrique Iglesias - The younger son of Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias and Filipina socialite and magazine journalist Isabel Preysler, Enrique grew up in Miami, Florida, USA largely estranged from his father. He went his own way musically and records in both English and Spanish.

Enrique Iglesias has released 11 studio albums, five compilation albums, 62 singles (including 8 as a featured artist), and 80 music videos. Iglesias started his career in 1995 with his first Spanish album, called Enrique Iglesias, which produced five number-ones on the Hot Latin Tracks chart and won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in 1997.

He has sold over 70 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists. He has had five Billboard Hot 100 top five singles, including two number-ones and holds the record for producing 27 number-one Spanish-language singles on the Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart.^[

I often play his album while I'm working.

Fleetwood Mac (Mark 1) - This blues-oriented group was formed by Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, who had all been playing with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers (qv). They didn't last long with Green as lead guitarist and singer, because he left after a drug.fuelled weekend in Germany which fried his brains. He disappeared for a decade, was in and out of mental institutions until he attempted a comeback. He had gone from a slim good-looking young man into a short, fat and ugly older man. The comeback failed. Green died in 2020.

The other members of Fleetwood Mac eventually went to the States, teamed up with Lindsey Buckingham, and Christine Perfect, by this time Mrs McVie. The style of the new Fleetwood Mac changed and they enjoyed great success until in-band fall-outs caused them to break up.

Gerry and the Pacemakers -

Gloria Estefan -

Joan Manuel Serrat -

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers -

Julio Iglesias -

Keane -

Pink Floyd -

Queen -

Radio Tarifa -

Santana -

The Shadows -

Susannah Austin -

Tom Jones -

Wings -

The best guitarrists? Check this out:

Best drummer? Check this out:

In January 2021 Paul Whitelock and his wife Rita contracted the Coronavirus after spending the end of 2020 in Cádiz. Both were very ill, Rita more so than Paul. Rita spent 10 days in hospital in Ronda, before the couple took the decision to self-discharge.

At home again, Rita was so weak she stopped eating and drinking. Then her niece, Dana, a physiotherapist, took unpaid leave from her job to come and treat her aunt. She did a great job, and Rita's younger son, Jojo, who came with Dana to help me, decided to take Rita back to Germany with them for further treatment. She was away for two and a half months.

This is Paul’s diary, written in 2021, describing what happened when Rita returned to Spain.

Preamble

Paul Whitelock hasn’t seen his wife Rita, except on WhatsApp video calls, for two and a half months. In early January, after a short post-Christmas break in Cádiz, the couple contracted Covid-19, Rita particularly badly. She spent 10 horrendous days in the Hospital de la Serranía, followed by 10 days bedridden at home in Fuente de la Higuera (Ronda).

Miracle Worker

Then a miracle worker in the shape of her German niece Dana, a physiotherapist, arrived from Germany. She had taken 10 days unpaid leave from work to come and treat her aunt. Rita’s son Jojo also came to relieve the pressure on Paul as lone carer.

The family then decided Rita would get better post-Covid care in Germany, so she returned to Germany with them on 15 February and was immediately admitted to hospital in Ludwigsburg (Baden-Wuerttemberg) for tests.

As fate would have it the doctors discovered another, potentially fatal, medical problem, and they had to operate straightaway. But it was a false alarm, thank God!

But, nevertheless Rita had undergone a major abdominal operation – no joke for a lady who was already physically weak from her bad experience with the Coronavirus.

After recovery in hospital and a period of recuperation at her daughter’s, Rita went to stay with her niece Dana and had a further 10 days of physiotherapy, which worked so well that Rita felt able to plan her return home to Ronda. She flew home last Monday 26 April after 10 weeks away.

Here’s Paul’s diary for the week.

Sunday 25 April 2021

"Off to Málaga Airport early tomorrow morning to pick up Rita. She’s due to land at 09.40 on the Ryanair flight from Frankfurt International.

"I haven’t seen her for two and a half months, except on WhatsApp, as she’s been in Germany recovering from a very bad dose of Covid-19 and a major operation.

"But she’s feeling well enough to travel and will be back home where she belongs in our home near Ronda tomorrow afternoon.

"I shan’t sleep a wink in anticipation."

Monday 26 April 2021

"Left later than intended, bugger! Happens every time we do an airport run!

"I estimate that, by the time she’s got her luggage, she’ll emerge in her wheelchair, being pushed by one of the airport wheelchair pushers, around 10.00 am.

"That didn’t happen in Málaga! Worked fine in Frankfurt and during the flight, but no-one came to get her on the ground at Málaga.

"So, with typical teutonic pragmatism she sorted herself out and when I arrived there she was outside arrivals, looking very smart indeed, I must say! But then she always dresses nicely, does Rita, doesn’t she?

"I wanted to “nip” to Leroy Merlin for stuff you can’t get easily in Ronda. Unfortunately, it was really busy. Pandemic? What pandemic? The world and his wife seemed to be there, spending money like there was no tomorrow! (OOPs! Tactless remark – for some there won’t be a tomorrow, sadly.)

"And the “nip” turned into an hour and a half.

"Quite justifiably, Rita, who had stayed in the car, was not ‘appy! Well done, Paul!

"We headed back to Ronda in silence, arriving late afternoon.

"I cooked a nice meal tonight. Cheated on the starter (Mercadona), but the main course and dessert were all mine. Genuine beef fillet pepper steak with mushroom sauce and freshly picked broad beans from my garden, and French beans from another supermarket. Dessert was berejenas con sirope de agave. First time for me – not bad. (By the way, I used sirope de agave cos there was no honey! Just as good, if not better, and natural to boot – like honey, of course.)"

Tuesday 27 April 2021

"We tried to have a quiet day recovering. Rita is still unwell. She’s as skinny as a rake and is in sporadic pain.

"One of Rita’s friends, Heather Cooper (Hike + Bike the Sierras), popped by in the afternoon. Heather is a fluent German speaker, so Rita enjoyed that interlude immensely.

"It looked like our neighbour Julian Marshall’s sheep had been rustled, until the four lambs (lawnmowers) were found wandering among the vines of the Badman Wines bodega, which is adjacent to our properties. Julian runs Cortijo Perla Blanca with his wife Jody.

"We had another nice meal prepared by me this evening – pez espada, swordfish, with a king prawn garnish, fried potatoes, onion and garlic, and, of course, fresh broad beans from the garden."

Wednesday 28 April 2021

"Today my British-registered VW camper van is due to have its ITV inspection pending matriculation.

"I was a touch anxious, but it sailed through the ITV. Just need to go to Tráfico in Málaga City now, to complete the paperwork. Then I can get my Spanish number plates.

"Bought a load of second-hand stuff for Casa Real, the house I’m doing up in Montejaque. There’s a great shop in Calle Monterejas in Ronda called Mi Atillo.

"We decided today we have to let Berti, our gorgeous German pointer, go. He’s still a puppy and way too boisterous for Rita the way she is physically at the moment. We do this with great regrets, as he’s such a loveable, yet mischievous pet, but at least his new owner, José, a friend of ours, lives nearby in La Indiana, so we shall see plenty of Berti. When José needs a dog-sitter, “we’re his men”, so to speak.

"This evening, Berti-free, we dined at one of Rita’s favourite restaurants in Ronda – Las Maravillas on Calle La Bola. Yummy!"

Thursday 29 April 2021

"I have to get a blood test in Ronda this morning for my urologist appointment on Monday in San Pedro de Alcántara.

"Rita is expecting a visit from three girlfriends from Montejaque: Jill, Tracy and Pippa. Pippa is a relatively recent arrival in Montejaque, compared to Jill, resident about 16 years, and Tracy since 2016, I think. Pippa is a trained masseuse and Rita is hoping she can help ease her (sometimes) terrible back pain. For more information on Pippa’s services go to www.montejaquemasseuse.com

"Blood test done and back home. Spent a delightful couple of hours sitting on our new terrace at Villa Indiana with Rita and her guests. Rita gets her first massage tomorrow.

"Slight panic late afternoon. Our neighbour Jody WhatsApp-ed me. Did I know there was a lot of smoke coming from my field? Went to check and sure enough, smoke was billowing from a mound of dead vegetation that had been piled up there. I went to go in to try to put it out but the gate was locked and the key, which for the last 10 years has always been left in the lock, was missing! It must be José, I thought.

"Rang him. Yep, he’d popped the key in his pocket automatically, without thinking. I asked him to hurry back, which he did, and we got in the field, extinguished the fire and bob’s your uncle!"

Friday 30 April 2021

"Today I have lots of things on my to-do list.

"LIDL for some stuff from their Bazar.

"Unicaja to transfer funds.

"Santander to the cajero for cash. Parked in a zona de carga/descarga for 5 minutes and got booked by the local fuzz – 200€. 100€ if I pay quickly. Bugger!

"GP for face-to-face consultation re Covid-19 jab, long-Covid, which I have, unfortunately, and to update my prescriptions on my tarjeta sanitaria.

"Peugeot workshop with car – driver’s window won’t shut. 36€ to get it fixed. This is turning out to be an expensive day!

"Ferretería to get some cupboard locks.

"Mi Atillo again to identify more bargains for Casa Real.

"Policlínica de la Serranía to get results of blood test ready for my urologist appointment on Monday.

"Venta el Puente in La Indiana for a quick drink and to pay my builders.

"Montejaque to deliver stuff to Casa Real.

"Ronda for Covid jabs. We got Pfizer.

"La Cascada for dinner.

"Bed and sleep."

Saturday 1 May 2021

"Just posted this on Facebook:

“Hi, everybody.

Rita Whitelock thinks I reveal too much about our lives on Facebook, and she’s probably right. I just felt it was the easiest and least time-consuming way for me to let people know how she was progressing.

Now she’s back home where she belongs and things are beginning to look good, so I should probably quit my bulletins while I’m still ahead. This will be the last one.

We both got our first jabs yesterday and get our second doses on 21 May.

We went for dinner last night with our good friends Kevin and Yvonne Speak at one of our favourite restaurants, La Cascada at Hotel Molino del Puente. Rita enjoyed her mejillones and so did I!

Today we’re hoping to make it to Bar Allioli for live music, a great choice of beers and burgers to die for.

So … no more FB updates. Lots of you will see us around; others will pick up info from my outpourings on www.secretserrania.com and elsewhere.

Mucha suerte a todos.”

Saturday 1 May 2021 continued

"Rita drove a car for the first time in four months today! She went to Montejaque to have breakfast with her good friend Jill La Pêche. They chose La Terraza, where they offer  a damned good desayuno inglés by all accounts.

"Me? I went to Ronda to get the newspapers to read later. I got SUR, Ronda Semanal, SUR in English and The Olive Press. That should keep me going for an hour or two. The Spanish Press keeps me informed about the latest news and helps maintain my level of Spanish, a good discipline to have (see “Top 10 Tips for learning Spanish”), while the two English “freebies” always come in handy for lighting the chimenea on chilly evenings. (Only joking!)

"Also popped into Mi Altillo to confirm the purchase of other items of furniture and décor.

A couple of hours gardening at Villa Indiana until Rita returned from her breakfast date.

"We later went to Bar Allioli in Jimera de Líbar, where Jens, a Dane from Alhaurín El Grande played two great sets of folk, reggae and soft rock. We ate well too. Plus I met Alan, a real ale importer who was at Bar Allioli for the first time in his life. He’d brought a barrel of live beer (a delicious mild from Hobson’s Brewery in Shropshire) and a selection of the Hobson’s bottled range. For more information, contact: realaleandciderdistribution@gmail.com

"With lovely weather to boot we had a great afternoon.

"In the evening I went to Ronda to withdraw some cash from the cajero and visited the Feria del Libro in the Alameda. Spent rather a lot of money, but got some great books about Ronda and the Serranía, together with some recipe books and a couple of classics: La Cabaña del Tío Tom and El Diario de Ana Frank.

"I prepared a nice dinner of salmon steaks with salad, before we called it a day."

Sunday 2 May 2021

"After breakfast together on our terrace I headed off to Montejaque to deliver stuff for Casa Real. I also watered the plants at Casa Rita and Las Hormigas.

"Rita had plenty to do at home in Villa Indiana after being away for so long. She also found time to chill out in the garden and do some “pottering”.

"I did some tidying up at Casa Real ready for the start of work on Monday.

"The week wrapped up with dinner (trio of roast sausages with Mediterranean vegetables) and an early night.

"It’s been a bloody good week, and well-deserved, I reckon."

A personal message

At the end of the best week of 2021 so far for both of us, we’d just like to say thanks to all of you for your continued enquiries, good wishes and offers of support. Some from people who have never even met Rita and who I haven’t seen since graduation in 1973. We were very touched.

I never thought I’d feel this positive about the good things that Facebook can do in the world. I love you, Mark (Zuckerberg)!

Paul Whitelock

Photos:

Photowall

The Stay At Home Chef

Tags:

Baden-Wuerttemberg, berejenas con sirope de agave, Cádiz, Casa Real, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Dana, Frankfurt International, Fuente de  Jojo, Germany, Hospital de la Serranía, Leroy Merlin, Ludwigsburg, Málaga Airport, Mark (Zuckerberg), Paul Whitelock, physiotherapy, post-Covid care, Rita, Ryanair, teutonic pragmatism, Villa Indiana, WhatsApp video calls,

The well-known musician, formerly a member of the band Alisha’s Attic*, lives nowadays in Cortes de la Frontera (Málaga).

On Sunday 25 August 2024 Marcus Myers performed live for diners at Restaurante La Cascada at Hotel Molino del Puente, Ronda, to celebrate the hotel’s 19^th birthday.

Preamble

Owners Ian and Elaine Love left their successful restaurant, Harbour Lights in Cabopino, to move inland to offer their three young daughters a more authentic experience of Spain, away from the mass tourism of the coast.

To that end they bought a disused corn mill and spent some three years getting it renovated into the charming riverside hotel and restaurant it has now become.

It’s been one of our favourite eating places since the Meter Maid and I moved to live in Fuente de la Higuera thirteen years ago.

In those 19+ years the Love family has grown up. All three girls attended state schools in Ronda and as a result are bilingual.

Robyn Love is a marine biologist based in Scotland and is married to Gianlucca Gerich from Germany. He is also a marine biologist. They met at university in Cádiz. They are often away onboard a ship somewhere in the world studying the marine environment.

Carly Love is an estate agent by profession. She also owned and ran a successful restaurant in Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife) for a few years, together with her novio Tom O'Connor, a trained chef. Since the birth of their daughter Sofia, they have returned to the mainland and now live in Ronda.

Carly has gone into partnership with her dad Ian to establish their own estate agency, Love Viviendas, with their office at the hotel. Ian has retired from the kitchen of La Cascada in favour of son-in-law Tom, who has continued to maintain the high standards of comida casera (home-made cuisine).  Ian is now “on the road” selling properties. He also helps out as barman and waiter in the restaurant.

Megan Love, the youngest daughter, has just finished her degree in Public Relations at Málaga University, and now works as a PR consultant in the city, but she is often to be seen in La Cascada, helping out if need be.

As for mum Elaine Love, she now runs the hotel and restaurant single-handedly. (I suspect she always did!)

Birthday “do”

A trained plumber, Marcus Myers no longer needs to get his hands dirty fitting pipes and mending washing machines, as he earns his living from singing and playing guitar around the area.

As well as a soloist with some 200 songs in his repertoire, he is front man for the rock group Equis, who play a different kind of music altogether.

On this night, Marcus entertained us with his cover versions of classics from the 60s and 70s. The Beatles featured heavily, as did Simon and Garfunkel. There was also material from Neil Diamond, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Eagles, Louis Armstrong and many other recognisable musicians of that era.

The audience was mixed with local guiris, as well as guests of the hotel and two others nearby, mainly Spaniards, but not exclusively.

One table of six seemed to be enjoying themselves hugely, singing along and dancing.

When I spoke to them afterwards, they told me they were visitors from the Cádiz area and they had never heard Marcus before. They were very impressed. The main cheerleader, Antonio, is a soldier based with the American forces in Rota (Cádiz). He is about to be deployed to Ukraine.

Two of the women in the group were born in Germany of Spanish parents, one in Essen and the other in Dortmund. They are, of course, bilingual (I can vouch for that as we spoke German together for a while).

Our Meal

While Marcus was performing, everybody was eating and drinking.

Rita and I each chose a starter: gambas al pil-pil for Rita and gazpacho for me.

We opted for a main course to share – a mixed barbecue grill of three meats, morcilla and chorizo with a huge grilled green pepper, corn-on-the-cob and French fries.

We were pleasantly replete yet found space to share una tarta de queso con nata y helado de vainilla.

The whole thing was delicious, washed down with still water and a nice bottle of Ribera del Duero from Burgos.

Thank you, Rita (she paid the bill!). A “consolation gift” as she heads off to Germany in a couple of days to care for her sister who has just had an operation.

Leaving me “de Rodríguez”!*

Epilogue

A very enjoyable and relaxing evening with great music, delicious food and good company.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Hotel Molino del Puente!

© The Culture Vulture and The "Guiri" Gourmet

Links:

Alisha's Attic - Wikipedia

... de Rodríguez? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Marcus Myers Music

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

Photos:

Hotel Molino del Puente

HotelSearch.com

Karl Smallman

KAYAK

marcusmyersmusic.com 

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

19^th birthday, Alisha’s Attic, Beatles, bilingual, birthday “do”, Burgos, Cabopino, Cádiz, Carly Love, chorizo, classics from the 60s and 70s, comida casera, corn-on-the-cob, Cortes de la Frontera, De Rodriguez, Dortmund, Elaine Love, Essen, estate agent, Feliz cumpleaños, French fries, Fuente de la Higuera, gambas al pil-pil, gazpacho, Germany, Gianlucca, green pepper, “Guiri” Gourmet, Harbour Lights, Hotel Molino del Puente, Ian and Elaine Love, Karl Smallman, La Cascada, Louis Armstrong, Love Viviendas, Málaga, Málaga University, Marcus Myers, marine biologist, Megan Love, Meter Maid, mixed barbecue grill, morcilla, Neil Diamond, Paul Whitelock, plumber, Public Relations, PR consultant, Puerto de la Cruz, Ribera del Duero, Robyn Love, rock group Equis, Rolling Stones, Rota (Cádiz), Scotland, Simon and Garfunkel, Sofia, tarta de queso con nata y helado de vainilla, The Eagles, Tenerife, Tom O'Connor, Ukraine, What is a guiri?

The six-string guitar is a relatively modern instrument. Whilst acoustic guitars with four or five strings had been used to play classical music for several centuries, the guitar really came to the fore, as the electric guitar, in the early sixties with the advent of the rock/pop group.                         

Early 20th century users of the guitar were, of course, The Beatles, The Searchers, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas and a dozen other Merseybeat groups. Bands from elsewhere in the UK, such as The Rolling Stones, The Hollies, The Dave Clark Five, Freddie and the Dreamers, The Animals and many more, also emerged around the same time.

Across the Atlantic similar developments were taking place with bands such as The Beach Boys, The Eagles, The Loving Spoonful and Buffalo Springfield. These had been preceded by the likes of Bill Haley and the Comets, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Eddie Cochrane and Chuck Berry.

As for drummers, we all know that they are crucial, along with the bass guitarist, for keeping the band together. But, from the sixties onwards, the drum solo caught on and brought drummers more to the attention of music fans. Prior to the sixties boom we had only heard of Buddy Rich.     

So, let's explore my personal choice of guitarists and drummers.

I was born in 1950, so I was a teenager in the sixties with my transistor radio, Radio Luxembourg, the pirate radio stations like Radio Caroline and eventually Radio One.

I remember hearing the start-up of Radio One in the VI Form Common Room. I think the first record played was "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas.

The best guitarists?

Andrés Segovia – This Spaniard from Linares became the greatest classical guitar-player of all time. His interpretation of works by Albéniz, Granados, Torroba, Villa-Lobos and others is stunning. Pupils include the Britons Julian Bream and John Williams (qv).

Segovia's contribution to the modern-romantic repertoire included not only commissions but also his own transcriptions of classical or baroque works.

In recognition of his contributions to music and the arts, Segovia was ennobled on 24 June 1981 by King Juan Carlos I, receiving the hereditary title of Marqués de Salobreña. He died in 1987 aged 94.

Andres Segovia: Estudio Sin Luz - Classical Guitar (Francesco Teopini) (youtube.com)

Brian May – Lead guitarist of Queen,  his spectacular playing of the National Anthem from the roof of Buckingham Palace in 2002 as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, confirmed this astrophysicist as one of the greatest guitarists ever.

Brian May God Save the Queen - Buckingham Palace 2002 (youtube.com)

Carlos Santana – This Mexican-American is now 77 years old and still performing. As front man of the Latin/Rock band Santana his unique style and consummate playing hooked me when I was a student in the late 60s/early 70s. Definitely in my top five.

Santana IV - Black Magic Woman [2016] (youtube.com)

Eric Clapton – A great guitarist – albeit not my favourite – he has been a disappointment as a human being. From his “dogged pursuit” of Patti Boyd, his friend ex-Beatle George Harrison’s wife, to the mysterious death of his four-year-old son, Conor, I can not forgive him for walking away from Blind Faith, arguably the greatest of the supergroups, after just one album and one tour.

Eric Clapton - Tears In Heaven (Official Video) (youtube.com)

Hank B. Marvin – As lead guitarist of The Shadows, originally Cliff Richard’s backing group, in the early 60s Marvin was the forerunner of great guitar players. Between 1960 and 1963 The Shadows clocked up five number ones in the charts with Apache, Kon Tiki, Wonderful Land, Dance On and Foot Tapper. They also recorded the musical soundtrack of the film "The Deer Hunter" (1978) directed by Michael Cimino and starring Robert de Niro, Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep.

The Shadows - Apache (1960) 4K (youtube.com)

Jimmy Page – A pupil of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Page left to form Led Zeppelin, who enjoyed huge success, a lot of it down to Page’s fabulous guitar playing. “Whole Lotta Love” was chosen as the theme tune for the long-running BBC chart show Top of the Pops.

Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love (Official Music Video) (youtube.com)

Joe Walsh – As lead guitarist of the Californian soft-rock band The Eagles he made a massive contribution to their fifth and greatest album Hotel California (1976). Unfortunately, tensions within the group – Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Timothy B Schmit and Walsh – caused the band to split in 1980.

Joe Walsh Hotel California solo (youtube.com)

John Williams – A disciple of Andrés Segovia, who famously dubbed Williams 'prince of the guitar' when the 17-year-old boy made his Wigmore Hall debut in 1958. This Australian-born maestro was also greatly influenced by his father Len, who could also play to a high standard. Williams has become the greatest classical guitarist of his generation. Many years ago, I saw him live in a lunchtime concert at the intimate theatre-in-the-round The Royal Exchange in Manchester. Just brilliant. Now 83 years of age, he has retired from touring, but still plays his guitar every day.

John Williams: Isaac Albeniz - Asturias (Leyenda) Part 7/9 (youtube.com)

Peter Green – Yet another guitarist who attended John Mayall’s “finishing school”, he left Mayall to form Fleetwood Mac with Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass guitar. As basically a blues band they had a remarkable series of big hits, including Albatross, Black Magic Woman, Man of the World, Oh Well, and The Green Manalishi, before Green fried his brains on a drug-fuelled weekend in Germany and disappeared for a good decade, languishing in therapy. His attempts at a comeback failed. He died in 2020 aged 73.

Peter Green-Fleetwood Mac- Albatross- (youtube.com)

Best drummer?

Buddy Rich - Bernard "Buddy" Rich (1917 – 1987) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was known as "the world's greatest drummer" and was highly regarded for his virtuoso technique, power, groove, and speed. He was born in New York and died  from heart failure in Los Angeles, California, aged 69.

Buddy Rich drum solo 1974 Wolf Trap - West Side Story (youtube.com)

Carl Palmer - From the legendary supergroup ELP, namely Keith Emerson (The Nice), Greg Lake (King Crimson) and Carl Palmer (Atomic Rooster). ELP's tracks were very long and often included a drum solo by Palmer. He is the only surviving member of ELP. Emerson and Lake both died in 2016, aged 72 and 69.

Best Drummer Of All Time! Carl Palmer Drum Solo Live (youtube.com)

Ginger Baker - Baker is regarded by many, including himself, as the greatest rock drummer of all time. I can't agree, I'm afraid. Baker played with two supergroups: Cream, with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, and Blind Faith, with Clapton, Stevie Winwood (Spencer Davis Group and Traffic) and Ric Grech (Family).

Blind Faith - Do What You Like (youtube.com)

John Bonham - John Bonham was the drummer with several unsuccessful groups before being recommended by the vocalist Robert Plant for the newly formed Led Zeppelin, alongside himself as singer, guitarist Jimmy Page (qv) and bass guitarist John Paul Jones. Bonham was reckoned at the time to be the hardest hitter of a drum that there was, yet he introduced new ways of playing and is now considered to be amongst the greatest. He died very young from inhaling his own vomit after drinking to excess. He was only 32.

Led Zeppelin - Moby Dick Drum Solo (Madison Square Garden 1973) (youtube.com)

Keith Moon - Keith John Moon (1946 – 1978) was an English musician who was the drummer for the 70s rock band The Who. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music, he was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour. He died aged 32, the same age as John Bonham (qv).

Keith Moon Drum Solo (youtube.com)

Mick Fleetwood - I'm not sure if Mick Fleetwood is a great drummer, but he has longevity. Briefly with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, he went on to become the Fleetwood in Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. Following Green's disappearance after a bad acid trip, Fleetwood went to America with John McVie and Christine Perfect where they hooked up with Americans Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The addition of this pair gave the band a more pop rock sound and their 1975 album Fleetwood Mac topped the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. 

Mick Fleetwood on Drums (youtube.com)

Paul McCartney – When fellow-Beatle John Lennon was asked by an American journalist whether Ringo Starr was the best drummer in the world, Lennon replied: "He's not even the best drummer in The Beatles!" Legend has it that he was referring to Paul McCartney, a drummer before he became a bass guitarist.

After the break-up of The Beatles in 1970, McCartney formed Wings with Denny Laine from the original Moody Blues.

Paul McCartney on Drums (youtube.com)

Ringo Starr - Despite the above anecdote, Ringo was a great drummer. He was poached from Rory Storm and the Hurricanes after The Beatles sacked Pete Best for not being good enough. Starr (real name Richard Starkey) was technically extremely proficient and kept The Beatles “tight”, along with bassist Paul McCartney.

Post-Beatles Ringo married Bond-girl Barbara Bach and moved to California, where he still records and tours, despite being 84 years of age!

Ringo Starr Shows How to play Ticket to Ride, Come Together and Back off Boogaloo - YouTube

© The Culture Vulture

Acknowledgements:

Wikipedia

Youtube

Photos:

ABC

Adobe Stock

BBC

CNN

Classical Guitar Magazine

DRUM Magazine

Facebook

La Razon de Mexico

Los 40

Primicias

RockFM

Rolling Stone magazine

Sonidos Ocultos

Wikipedia

www.guitar.com

Tags:

acoustic guitar, Animals, bass guitarist, Beach Boys, Beatles, Bill Haley, Billy J Kramer, Buddy Holly, Buddy Rich, Buffalo Springfield, Chuck Berry, Comets, Crickets, Dakotas, "Dancing in the Street", Dave Clark Five, drummers, drum solo, Eagles, Eddie Cochrane, electric guitar, Freddie and the Dreamers, drummers, Gerry and the Pacemakers, guitarists, Hollies, Little Richard, Loving Spoonful, Martha and the Vandellas, Merseybeat, pirate radio stations, Radio Caroline, Radio Luxembourg, Radio One, Rolling Stones, Searchers, six-string guitar, sixties, teenager, transistor radio, Wikipedia, YouTube

Many years ago I wrote an article about the “doubles” of famous people who were living in the Serrania de Ronda. There was Leonid Breznev, ex-leader of the Soviet Union, living in Montejaque; Cheryl Cole, the "Girls Aloud" singer, running a business in Ronda; Lech Walesa, erstwhile president of Poland (1990-1995), Garth Crooks, former Spurs footballer and BBC football reporter, and Ray French, the rugby league commentator and former player, were all playing in a modern flamenco group I went to see. Lech was on flute, Garth on guitar and Ray on drums.

And Robert de Niro, the Hollywood actor, was often to be seen around the Barrio San Francisco, where I lived at that time. He spoke really good Spanish albeit with an andaluz accent.

Fast forward to 2024

Now it has been reported that the real Robert de Niro, aged 80, has spent some time recently in the City of Dreams. He was seen dining at one of Ronda’s top restaurants, Bardal, which has two Michelin Stars. Chef Benito Gomez didn’t realise that the long-standing booking was for the star of The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull.

De Niro and his fellow diners were happy with the lunchtime set menu, priced at an eye-watering 180€ per head. At that price, I’m glad they were happy!

“Mr De Niro was straightforward, very polite and approachable. He didn't want a private booth or anything special in the restaurant”, said chef Benito Gomez. "He seemed to me to be a very normal, elegant man, very interested in cooking, but without eccentricities."

De Niro is passionate about cuisine and has on several occasions publicly praised the standard of Spanish gastronomy. He has been a frequent visitor to Spain and, of course, lived in the barrio for several years …..!

© Pablo de Ronda

Links:

Doppelgängers in Andalucía: Robert de Niro's waiting... in Ronda? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Doppelgängers in Andalucía - Olive Press News Spain (theolivepress.es)

Robert de Niro enjoys a gastronomic getaway in Ronda: where did he dine and what did he feast on? | Sur in English

Acknowledgements:

Enrique Miranda

Paul Whitelock

Secret Serrania

SUR in English

Photos:

EuroWeekly News

Malaga Hoy

Tags:

andaluz accent, Bardal, Barrio San Francisco, Benito Gomez, Cheryl Cole, Doppelgängers in Andalucía, Enrique Miranda, EuroWeekly News, Garth Crooks, "Girls Aloud", Karl Smallman, Lech Walesa, Leonid Breznev, Malaga Hoy, Michelin Star, Montejaque, Paul Whitelock, Poland, Raging Bull, Ray French, Robert de Niro, Secret Serrania, Serrania de Ronda, Soviet Union, Spurs, SUR in English, Taxi Driver, The Godfather Part II