Wandering and wondering. 23 - 29 January 2012

I took some trips out to the local villages – Jimena De Libar, El Gastor, Montecorto, Arriete and Benaojan. I have decided that they are good and interesting for trips out and walks but the lack of facilities would mean regular trips into Ronda for essentials. Having said that there are a couple of interesting properties for sale in Benaojan which is the nearest of the villages and has a rail connection into Ronda.

On Friday after classes I went back to a firiend’s place for coffee and to see his house. He has been here for 2 years and has improved the house although it was perfectly presentable in the first place. There is a terrace with marvellous views of the old part of the city and the Serrania beyond.

I will see how my trip home goes next week and when I get back will get the agent to show me some more properties to see if it would be possible to buy something similar.

As well as visiting the villages much of this week has been spent mooching and wandering around the old town. There is a tremendous amount of history here with prehistoric caves outside the town, Roman remains, Arabic buildings from the occupation by the Moors and then the Christian Conquest in 1485.

During Friday afternoon there was a downpour of hail for a couple of hours. It cleared up in time for a stroll down to a nearby taverna. The television was showing an international – Spain v Denmark -game of handball (Balonmanos). It appears to be a cross between basketball and netball but with goals (and a goalkeeper) as with 5-a-side football. Fast and frantic. Spain lost 31-28. It seems that Ronda has a high quality team and their home is the sports stadium just 100 yards away from my house. I shall have to try to get to their next home game.

I have an early start tomorrow, Sunday. I will spend a bit of time in Malaga then will be in Cambridge tomorrow night and Peterborough on Monday. I go over to Birmingham next Saturday and will then back here the following Tuesday.

A selection of local photos

Viva Deportivo Ronda!. 16 - 22 January 2012

It rained heavily from Saturday midday to some time Monday morning. It had stopped when I walked in to classes on Tuesday, was cold and the first sign of snow was present on the mountain tops. After class at 11:30, it was sunny and out of the breeze the temperature was back up around 14c.... the snow of course was still there. I had intended to take a long walk into the hills on Sunday but the rain prevented that.

I viewed a property in Cortes De La Frontera on Tuesday afternoon. Structurally sound, some improvement required but with a terrace with views that were incredible. On Wednesday I was going to see a place in Benaojan, then hopefully 2 in El Gastor. These are villages about 20 miles out of Ronda. The agent was unable to meet me though and as he has gone off to Germany for a week, I hope to view them in a couple of weeks. I shall then take a look at a few in Ronda itself. I have told the agent that I am going back home for a week next week and subsequently may have to return to Peterborough when my current rental ends at the end of April. Nevertheless if one of the properties I see really look like they have a future I will have to do the old dispassionate pros/cons and make a decision.

I had to buy a new printer on Monday. Although my Spanish is improving very, very slowly (muy, muy, despacio) that was a fairly straightforward transaction. The printer, an Epson SX130 cost 55 Euros (c£45.65).

I bought a couple of postcards on the way back and the young lady assistant (c35yrs) joked that she thought the printer was a (regalo) gift for her. Young ladies between mid 30’s and late 40’s are by far the most talkative and friendly. Maybe they see me as a harmless, eccentric millionaire – 2 out of 3 ain’t bad – and if they bring back the peseta I might manage all 3. As with all Southern European countries, ladies seem to suddenly age around 50. Mid to late 40’s (still young compared to this old geezer) they appear younger than their Northern European counterparts and then from about 50 seem to be around 5 years older than for instance British ladies of the same age.

A couple of weeks ago I commented about how quiet New Year’s Eve was. It seems that if I had gone into town round 1am on New Year’s Day, instead of before 11pm on New Year’s Eve there would have been any amount of jollity with most bars and restaurants open…. Maybe next year.

The walk into the hills that I had intended on Sunday, I took on Friday. Marvellous. I managed to get to a point where I could look down on the whole city and see the mountain ranges beyond. I will try to get further and higher this week.

Today (Sunday) I actually managed, after three previous abortive attempts, to get to a football match. The previous times I had difficulty establishing kick off times. This time I had seen a poster that indicated a midday kick off. I walked over – nowhere in Ronda is too far - and it took me about 50 minutes. On previous occasions I had taken the car and without it I took side streets. I ended up walking through a large patch of waste ground and had to find a way out large enough to squeeze through and with a drop into a proper road that was safe to jump down. Not unlike getting to St. Andrews (Birmingham City) or The Baseball Ground (Derby County) in the 60’s……. having said that there is a lot of pleasant new development going on quite close to the ground.

I was there 15 minutes before kick off – entrance fee 10 Euros. At that time there were more players warming up on the pitch than spectators in the stand. By kick off I reckon there were about 150 and in true Spanish style, by 15 minutes after, this had swelled to around 300. Facilities were reasonable as long as you were able bodied. I saw people in wheelchairs being carried up to the spectator area.

As neither team wore anything similar to that displayed on the posters I had seen, I was not sure which was Deportivo Ronda and which Loja CD. I wasn’t going to ask and it was not that easy to tell from the crowd response, until Ronda took the lead after 20 minutes. It finished 1-1. I think the standard is about that of the Conference North – such as Solihull Moors.

I shall be taking a few trips out to the nearby villages this week.

Unplanned trip home. 2 - 15 January 2012

Monday 2^nd January everywhere was still quiet. Spent the day preparing for a previously unplanned trip back to the UK.

Tuesday 3^rd to Monday 9^th I was back in Peterborough. Spent most of the time with my older daughter but also saw my younger daughter and grandson, spending Monday night at their place. Then an early (6:25 am) flight from Stansted.

Arrived back in Ronda just after 12:30. Weather breezy but pleasant.

Had another couple of reasonably lengthy walks across the Algeceiras Road. I am certain I have now found a way to get deep into the hills. I will head out on Monday with a packed lunch and see how far I get.

I have been perusing web sites for local properties. Have created a list and hope to view a few this week or next. Due to the pound/euro exchange rate, my rent is currently £50 less than when I first got here. It could of course easily swing the other way but it makes some of the properties look very tempting. As always though, photos can be deceptive. Here you can’t get details and take a mooch round the locality, you have to arrange a viewing before you get the details.

My current thinking is to possibly buy a property in one of the nearby villages, live there November to March/April and maybe rent out as a holiday let in the Summer months.

On Sunday I walked into town and visited the Museo de Bandeleros. Until the early 1900’s the mountain roads around Ronda were full of bandits (bandeleros). These colourful characters were a cross between Dick Turpin and Robin Hood in that they were similar to the Highwaymen and tended to use their ill gotten gains to help the poor in the rural villages.

On the way back I passed a taverna advertising Barcelona v Real Mallorca at 8pm. Another lesson: Do your own research! I arrived at 7:45 and was the only customer until 7:55 when another chap came in. The game showing was Real Sporting v Malaga – some local interest but still only me and the one other. I left at half time with Malaga losing 0-1. Got home and switched on the television. They were showing the Barcelona and Betis (not Mallorca) players warming up. That game was due to kick off at 9:30pm but they were showing the game (on the free to air TV) at 11:15pm. I might stay up to watch Birmingham City at that time but not Barcelona……. (sad gringo that I am).

Although only 3 weeks past the Winter Solstice it is already making a difference. It is already light just after 8 but is not dark until nearly 7pm.

Into 2012. 26 Dec 2011 - 01 Jan 2012

On Boxing Day, I took a walk in the valley below the Tajo – the Gorge. The weather was windy but pleasant. Over did it a bit. Intended walking an hour there and an hour back, walked 45 minutes mainly downhill then thought it best to walk in the other direction. It seems steeper up than down. I then decided to go round the other side of Ronda. I reached the Algeciras Road and strolled back to one of the tavernas. I was out altogether over 4 hours.

I have still tended to walk a good deal. Generally I only take the car if going to the supermarket. Driving in Spain though is a rather more pleasant experience than driving in the UK. The population of the UK is approximately 61m, whereas Spain’s is about 40.5. (both from July 2009) and growth is .28% versus .07%. The area of the UK is half that of Spain. The UK is reported to have near to 30m cars so with the Spanish population being two thirds that of the UK the likelihood is that there are (only) around 20m cars. Driving around or through the larger towns/cities such as Seville is as busy as any similar sized town/city in the UK but once away from these larger towns it is a good deal quieter. Ronda never seems to get particularly busy, even in ‘rush hour’ – except for in the narrow street up to the bridge over the gorge.

I had three long walks this week. I have still not found a way through to the higher level of the hills on the other side of the Algeciras Road. The third walk was on the far side of Ronda from where I am living. That was comparatively flat with views of undulating countryside and the Sierra Hidalga. Of particular interest was the medieval viaduct that used to carry water to the town.

Walking back from town the other days I came a slightly different way through the narrow streets up to the house and came across a small square with exercise equipment including a step machine and a pedal machine. They have clearly been there for some time and they have not been vandalised. I have noticed also that public phones appear not to be damaged. On the other hand, despite there being a 700 Euro fine for not clearing up dog mess, this is clearly not enforced and is a much bigger problem than at home. The pavements are strewn with the stuff.

Last night, New Year’s Eve I walked in to town at about 10:30pm to see if there was going to be any entertainment or gathering. I had not seen or heard any advertised. There was virtually no one about. On the way, none of the restaurants or tavernas were open and there was not a single other person in the main square. Walking back I only passed a German couple seemingly equally as bemused as myself and they did not even answer my cheery “Feliz Año Nuevo”. The walk gave an eery sort of  feeling – was I actually here? I may not have been but a succession of mobile phone messages from friends and family suggested that I did still exist.

There was nothing like Jools Holland’s Hootenany on the TV. There was a program with a male and female presenter seemingly in daylight building up to midnight overlooking a crowded square with a clock tower in Madrid. As soon as the clock signified the start of 2012 the adverts came on and that was that.

Today, New Years’ Day, the tavernas are still closed. The local ones anyway, I did not venture in to town. Had phone calls from friends in Peterborough, one of whom will be at the Peterborough v Birmingham game tomorrow. I will be at my laptop keeping an eye on the videprinter on good old bbc.co.uk/football.

My first visitors are arriving later this week. My friends in Portugal are driving over for a couple of days’ stay.

“Feliz Año Nuevo”.