Blog #Pablo de Ronda

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.

¿Qué está pasando? ¡Todos se jubilan! Puede que no se vayan en el avión de Peter, Paul y Mary*, ¡pero se van! Desde principios de año sabemos que Peter Jones, el fotógrafo de aves, cuelga sus binoculares; Karl Smallman, decano del fotoperiodismo y la creación de sitios web, se retira; y Paul Whitelock, el "todoterreno", baja el ritmo. Los tres se retiran.

El secreto a voces por aquí es que el Hotel Ronda Valley (antes Hotel Don Benito) cerrará sus puertas el 15 de enero de 2026. ¡¿Qué demonios?! ¿Por qué? Este hotel es el más cercano a mi casa, así que, egoístamente hablando, me parece un desastre. Hablando con otros lugareños, también es una catástrofe para ellos.

Ha comenzado la temporada de quema en Andalucía. Para quemar restos de jardín, maleza y recortes de césped, se necesita un permiso que se puede obtener gratuitamente en el ayuntamiento. La fecha de inicio fue el 1 de noviembre, así que me aseguré de solicitar mi licencia con suficiente antelación.

María de la Paz Fernández Lobato (PP) ha sido acusada de cinco delitos y enfrenta una pena de prisión y una multa cuantiosa. La noticia se dio a conocer este fin de semana: la alcaldesa ha sido acusada de prevaricación, malversación de fondos, fraude y falsificación de documentos.

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.

The start of the new Tax Year in the UK is always on 6 April and runs until 5 April of the following year. So why I am I posting about this on Eye on Spain? Well, because there are large numbers of British people living here and even more who own property which they visit for up to 90 days a year (since Brexit) and they may/will have tax liabilities in the home country. To find out about the changes, please read on.

Spring has arrived in southern Spain at last, albeit a bit later than normal. Or has it? At the spring equinox days and nights are each approximately twelve hours long, with day-time length increasing and night-time length decreasing as the season moves forward to the summer solstice. The weather had improved - the rain had stopped and the sun was out - so it was time to start planting.

Local council mayors can earn good money these days. Previously, being mayor was a voluntary role and an honour. Whether they were effective is another matter. Surely, it’s right that the “chief executive” of a council with a budget to manage is regarded as a professional who should be paid.

La oficina de correos española es bastante diferente a su equivalente en el Reino Unido. No hay oficinas de correos secundarias como tales. Las grandes ciudades españolas tienen una oficina de correos principal y quizás algunas más repartidas por el resto. Ronda (población: 34.000) ahora tiene dos.

Recientemente contraté a Oliver, el hijo mayor de los amigos y vecinos Nick y Julia. Oliver acaba de cumplir 19 años y ha completado sus A-Levels. Antes de ocupar su lugar en la Universidad de Exeter, Ollie optó por tomarse un año sabático, quiere viajar y necesita ganar dinero.