Blog #Secret Serrania

The Ronda Valley Hotel at the bottom of the valley just outside Ronda (known to us locals as the Hotel Don Benito) shut suddenly the other day without notice. Nobody seemed to know why. We knew it was going to close on January 15th for reasons which weren't quite clear, but why all of a sudden in early December? Something must be afoot …..

From the end of the Civil War in 1939 through to the demise of Franco's fascist dictatorship on his death in 1975, Spain was most definitely a 3rd-world country. Following Spain's return to being a monarchy in 1975 and, from 1977, a constitutional democracy, there was hope that things would improve. The borders opened and from 1986 Spain became a member of the European Union.

We have entered meteorological Autumn and are more than half-way through September. Night temperatures are dropping and the first frosts won't be far away. Time to get ready for the cold winter months. The climate in this part of Spain is defined as continental: "Nueve meses de infierno y tres de invierno."

The town where I chose to live 17 years ago is hitting the news a lot lately. Hardly surprising. After four decades spent discovering Spain, it's the place Paul Whitelock decided to emigrate to. On arrival in 2008 he lived in Montejaque for three years, before he and his new second wife decided they needed more space, a garden and a pool. They moved to the outskirts of Ronda. So, why is Ronda in the news? Take a look:

"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.

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.

Lots of people volunteer, ie they work for free. Pablo de Ronda has been working for free for the best part of 20 years. From translating and interpreting, through teaching and writing, to building work and gardening. Here's a summary of his "working for free" career.