Blog #Ronda

It's all been happening at the beginning of May. The first four days of the fifth month have been significant culturally and in other ways.

Time was, when I was younger, Spanish wines had a bad reputation. In the UK, the Netherlands and Germany they were the cheapest on the market and in France - well, they had their own fine Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, as well as excellent vins de pays.

The British invasion of the Costa del Sol began 64 years ago. To be precise, on 1 April 1962 the first ever scheduled flight between London and Malaga took off. The British European Airways (BEA) flight in a Vickers Viscount V 802 had a seating capacity of just 66 passengers.

After all the rain we've had - nay, suffered - this year, Spring has suddenly come upon us here in Ronda (Malaga) with a vengeance. I took a stroll around my garden last week taking photos of trees, shrubs and bushes which are bursting forth with healthy blossom. There are also plants and vegetables which are thriving after all the rain. Unfortunately there are also weeds everywhere, which I'm gradually getting to grips with.

Andalucía Day (Día de Andalucía) marks the anniversary of a referendum held on 28 February, 1980 when a large majority of voters supported the referendum for Andalucía to become one of the 17 autonomous communities in Spain, following Spain’s democratisation after nearly forty years of the Franco dictatorship. Franco died in November 1975.

These towns in the Serrania de Ronda and the Sierra de Grazalema have hit the headlines! Blanket coverage on national TV, online and in the national Press. For all the wrong reasons! ​Because of the extreme weather coming in from the West, principally Storm Leonardo, red and orange alerts have been issued for Cadiz, Extremadura and parts of Andalucia.

The Christmas / New Year holiday is so long in Spain, and the weather forecast for this year is so bad, that we need something to do indoors, other than watching end-to-end Christmas films and TV repeats. How about reading a good book? Here are The Culture Vulture's suggestions for a festive reading list in no particular order. The writers are American, English, Irish, Norwegian, Ukrainian and two Spanish.

The "burning season" has opened in Andalucia. In order to burn garden waste, scrub and clippings you need a permit obtainable free of charge from your local town hall. ​The start date was November 1st, so I made sure I applied for my licencia in good time.

Maria de la Paz Fernandez Lobato (PP), has been indicted on five criminal charges and faces a prison sentence and a huge fine. The news broke this weekend that the mayoress has been charged with prevarication, embezzlement, fraud and falsification of documents.

August is the month when Spain lets its hair down, celebrating fiesta after feria after dia santo (saint's day). Where do I begin? There has been so much going on in Ronda and the Serrania this month, and there's yet more to come!

"Animal House" is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis. It stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hulce and Donald Sutherland. ​The film is about a trouble-making fraternity whose members challenge the authority of the dean of the fictional Faber College. "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.

It's just been the 101 again. The 2025 edition was the 25th anniversary of this important event in the Ronda calendar. Catering for MTB cyclists, runners, walkers, as well as a shorter junior event. The 101 has a national and international profile. Participants come from all over Spain, as well as from abroad - 10 foreign countries in 2025. The 101 is organised by the Spanish Foreign Legion in Ronda.