Blog

One of our German grand-daughters is coming to visit us here in Andalucia. Madita, 16, is travelling on her own from South Germany to spend a holiday with us. We want to treat her to a surfing lesson, so, off we went to Spain's Atlantic coast to do a recce.

For most of the year bars and restaurants in southern 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)? All the terraces have disappeared.

Large parts of Spain depend on tourism. The costas, for example, and rural tourism also. And what about city tourism? So, why are there currently anti-tourism demonstrations in many parts of the country

It came as a shock when, 10 years ago King Juan Carlos I, abdicated in favour of his son Felipe. "Why?" many asked, but it soon began to emerge that Juan Carlos, king since 1975 when the dictator Franco died, had been a "naughty boy."

My local, the Hotel Don Benito, on the Seville Road just outside Ronda is a place where Monday is unofficial “Guiri night”. What's a "guiri"?

Michael Portillo has gone from being a political hate figure to a cuddly presenter of TV travel programmes. But how did it happen?

When I first moved to Spain over 15 years ago, you could watch UK TV to your heart’s content. And it was free. All you needed was a satellite dish pointed at the Astra B satellite and a receiver next to your TV set. Since 4 April 2024 that has all changed .....

Do you remember the classic BBC Television comedy series starring Richard Briers as Tom, Felicity Kendall as Barbara, with “posh” neighbours Paul Eddington as Jerry and Penelope Keith as Margo? Here's the Andalusian version.

"Maltesers" for dinner! We invited our friends from Malta round for an evening meal! People from this Mediterranean island that lies between Italy and North Africa are called “Maltesers”, aren’t they?

The cost of train travel in Spain is set to plummet. French rail company OUIGO will expand into ANDALUCIA, MURCIA and VALLADOLID with tickets from €9, writes Yzabelle Bostyn of The Olive Press. The French rail company has come in for criticism for its ultra-low prices.

Here’s an article from DIARIO RONDA telling us that Ronda is the happiest town in Spain, heading a list that includes other favourites of mine. The survey was carried out by the sugar company Azucarera against five strict criteria.

Back in the day when Pablo de Ronda lived and worked in the UK, he had a car with a cherished number plate or personalised registration. He bought it for himself on reaching his half century. The number was M50 PJW.