Diary of a Nobody

There are a number of ways of keeping a diary.

Writing long-hand in a book, like Samuel Pepys and Anne Frank; writing a blog like 'Diary of a Nobody', my record of what is happening in my life; or via photos and home movies, either home-made or created professionally.

[© Wikipedia]    

I've just taken delivery of my photodiary for 2023. There are several companies that offer such a service. I chose PastBook, based in The Netherlands, who compile your photo album based on photos posted to Facebook.

So far I've bought albums covering 2010, 2011, 2021 and 2023. You may be asking what happened to 2012 to 2020, and I don't know.

Perhaps I didn't take so many photos in those years, although we regularly receive albums as gifts from both sides of our families. Besides, these albums aren't cheap!

My 2023 in pictures

Starting in January with winter patterns taken post-New Year in Germany, then snapshots of drinks and signs I particularly like, including the three featured here:

    [Above photos © Paul Whitelock]

Mid-January found me in San Pedro de Alcántara (Málaga) and Ronda while February featured my garden and a visit from my daughter and two grandsons, as well as a Press Club event in Málaga. 

March was busy too: a live music session at Allioli Bar Y Más in Jimera de Libar; and photos of the murals of Debbie Harry at the Ronda Valley Hotel;

    [© Trip Advisor]                                                                                   [© Quehoteles.com]

The month concluded with photos of the stunning roof terrace of my house in Montejaque.

April kicked in with live music at Allioli Bar Y Más, and photos of signs pointing to places around the world which are important to us. The month also featured pictures of the animals around my house and garden, mainly elephants, seahorses and geckoes, but also teddy bears. The end of April was given over to photos of Spring bursting out all over the garden.

   [All above photos © Paul Whitelock]

May highlighted scenery around Montejaque and a visit to the neolithic caves at Cueva de la Pileta near Benaoján. Also a visit to the coast near Manilva and the fiesta de Ronda Romántica in the Barrio San Francisco in Ronda.

    [video © Canal Sur]                                                           Ronda Romantica [© YouTube]

June's photos were a diary of a visit by my brother Simon and his wife Marilyn. We visited the lake in Montejaque; Tarifa (Cádiz) where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic; Cádiz city; and Arcos de la Frontera (Cádiz). After which we were all ill with food poisoning (no photos of that misfortune!)

    [© Los Viajes de Margalliver]         Cadiz [© Hertz]                                          Arcos de la Frontera [© Turismo de Cadiz]

July started with a concert in Ronda "cathedral" and ended with a trip to England, specifically Stratford (East London) and Hastings (East Sussex), to visit my two children and four grandchildren.

    [© Stratford Cross]                                                    Hastings Old Town [© TA]  Hastings beach [© The Guardian]

August was devoted to the Pueblos Blancos Music Festival in Montejaque with shots of the artistes playing and the villagers having a great time.

September featured tree-felling next-door and little else, while October had publicity shots for Casa Real, more elephants and a gecko.

Early November focused on Autumn flora and fauna, Mijas Costa and patterns in and around Casares Costa.  

December began with photos of interesting pictures taken in Cafetería-Churrería Dólar (Ronda) and then it was off to Germany where we spent the close of the year in Uitersen (Schleswig-Holstein) and Dresden (Saxony) where we got to visit the Bechstein piano shop and museum and got caught up in a huge demonstration by the ultra right-wing AfD party.

    [© Paul Whitelock]                                                                          AfD demo - time to go [© Paul Whitelock]

***

So, I'm pleased with my 2023 album, containing hundreds of photos and full of happy memories of that year.

Links:

Christmas Tour of Deutschland Part 2 – Dresden I

Christmas Tour of Deutschland Part 3 – Dresden II

"Signs of the Times" - Deutsche Version

"Signs of the Times" - English Version

“FRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER”

© Diary of a Nobody

Pictures:

Canal Sur, Hertz, Los Viajes de Margalliver, Paul Whitelock, Quehoteles.com, Stratford Cross, The Guardian, Trip Advisor, Turismo de Cadiz, Wikipedia, YouTube

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

2023, A1 Inmobiliaria, AfD, Allioli Bar Y Mas, Arcos de la Frontera, Barrio San Francisco, Bechstein, Benaojan, Cadiz, Cafeteria Dolar, Canal Sur, Cueva de la Pileta, Diary of a Nobody, Dresden, Hastings, Hertz, Jimera de Libar, Los Viajes de Margalliver, Montejaque, Paul Whitelock, Pueblos Blancos Music Festival, Quehoteles.com, Ronda, San Pedro de Alcantara, Stratford, Stratford Cross, Tarifa, The Guardian, Trip Advisor, Turismo de Cadiz, Uitersen, Wikipedia, YouTube

áéíóú

In a shop? By telephone? Or online?

If in a shop, locally? In the city? Or on the coast?

Unlike in times gone by, the ways to buy stuff in 2026 are many and varied.

[© Barcelo]    

Since Covid-19

Since the lockdowns, going to a shop to shop has declined. At that time we got used to ordering our groceries online or by phone and having them delivered by our local supermarket the same or following day.

My daughter in England, who is in her 40s and a busy career woman and single mum, still orders her main shop from Tesco or Sainsbury's.

[© Tesco]    

In Spain we were allowed to shop for groceries - alone - during lockdown, so I guess there are fewer home deliveries here than in the UK.

Bookshops in Spain were out of bounds, so we turned to Amazon, Goodreads or other similar websites to order our books.

What's more Amazon and its collaborators also sell most things, from water filters to coffee beans, and usually cheaper than in shops. Delivery is often free (eg with Amazon Prime), or very cheap, and quick.

    [© El Cronista]

A personal note - part 1

Over the last few years I've turned to Amazon for a range of products and, until recently, have been pleased with their service. The various delivery drivers know where we live.

All of a sudden Amazon seems to have lost the plot. They've started to not meet deadlines or to not deliver at all. I am currently awaiting two separate products - no delivery and no messages from either Amazon nor the suppliers / delivery company.

    [© Espacio Furgo]

Pros and cons

A personal note - part 2

Where I live in Ronda (Malaga) - pop. 34,000 - certain products are not available or there is insufficient choice. Whilst we have two Mercadonas, a Dia, an Aldi, a LIDL and a Supeco (Carrefour), we don't have a major DIY store like Leroy Merlin or Bauhaus.

So, occasionally it's off to the coast, to Marbella or Malaga.

    [© Leroy Merlin]

This is fraught with complications, eg the distance, fuel costs, delivery charges if the item is too big for the hatchback and returning faulty or unwanted goods.

So, how to shop?

I guess a mixture of approaches.

I enjoy the personal aspects of shopping in a shop, yet I am attracted by online prices and the range of choices available on the coast.

[© Adobe Stock]    

So, I shall continue to do as I do now, although .....

..... I need to sort Amazon out!

© Diary of a Nobody MMXXVI

Pictures:

Adobe Stock, Barcelo, El Cronista, Espacio Furgo, Leroy Merlin, Tesco

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

Adobe Stock, Aldi, Amazon, Barcelo, Bauhaus, bookshop. Carrefour, Covid-19, Dia, Diary of a Nobody, El Cronista, Espacio Furgo, Eye on Spain, Goodreads, Leroy Merlin, LIDL, lockdown, Prime, shop by phone, shop online, Supeco, Tesco, 

One feria ends and another begins. Hard on the heels of the Pueblos Blancos Music Festival at the beginning of August came Culture Week (Semana Cultural) which has just ended. Now it's the turn of the Feria de Agosto, which runs from 14 -16 of August. 

[Photo: © Karl Smallman]    

As I sit in the square sipping coffee I watch as the workers move the stage through 45 degrees to locate it directly in front of the Town Hall (Ayuntamiento).

D & J Sounds, sonido e iluminacion, from Puerto Serrano (Cadiz), are setting up the sound and lighting systems, but I am puzzled as to why the village isn't using a company local to the Montejaque/Ronda area. There are surely enough to choose from.

It's a real to-and-fro with visitors leaving their accommodation after Culture Week; a dumper truck ferrying fridges and beer engines for the temporary bar; locals coming and going; and then the arrival of two trucks belonging to the electric company Instaluz/Serrania Electrica, to see to the power supply and to put up decorations using their cherry pickers.

[© YardLink]    

Will the village be ready on time?

Of course, it's a well-oiled machine.

© Diary of a Nobody MMXXVI

Pictures:

Karl Smallman, Paul Whitelock, YardLink

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

Culture Week, D & J Sounds, feria, Instaluz, Karl Smallman, Montejaque, Pueblos Blancos Music Festival, Ronda, Semana Cultural, Serrania Electrica, YardLink

These letter and number combinations are all models of objects I own or have owned/had use of in the past. Four are cars, one is a pool robot and another is a kitchen appliance.

Austin A40

This was the family car when I passed my driving test aged 17.

So, I got to drive it a bit, although dad was a bit possessive and not keen on me driving at night or when I went out with friends.

Worried I might drink and drive, I guess, although there were no breathalysers in those days.

[Dreamstime]    

Toyota MR2

This tiny sports roadster was ahead of its time.

Discontinued in the 1980s this car briefly became notorious in France, where the pronunciation of MR2 is "emmerdeux" which means "shitty".

Not a great name for a car. Toyota promptly renamed it for the French-speaking market.

[Collecting Cars]    

Mazda MX5

Strictly speaking this was my girlfriend's car, but I got to drive it a lot until we split up after three years.

That was sadly that. The relationship was over ..... 

I mean, I was sad about the car.

[Periodismo del Motor]    

Zodiac MX8

This is the robot vacuum cleaner for the swimming pool that I purchased recently.

It's amazing and fully automatic.

My latest toy. I love it!

[Zodiac]    

Mazda RX8

Of all the cars I've had in nearly six decades of driving, my RX8 was my favourite. A rotary-engined car with suicide doors, I bought it second-hand when it was less than a year old. The lady first owner didn't like it!

I had it for some three years and only sold it because I needed a hatchback to ferry stuff around.

From a Mazda RX8 to a Ford Focus was a bit of a come-down!

[Coches.net]    

Thermomix TM31

This marvellous kitchen appliance does every kitchen task. Manufactured by Vorwerk in Germany and only available new through sales agents, it is a chopper, dicer, mincer, liquidiser and cooker all rolled into one.

My German wife has always had one since she became a "Hausfrau". Her current model is the TM31 which also has a built-in timer. We got it second-hand five years ago from a young Spanish couple who had used it only once.

[Vorwerk]    

I think we only paid 500 euros for it, which is around half the new price.

Rita is thrilled with her TM31 and uses it a lot. I have used it on occasion in the preparation of soups and stews and I am very impressed.

Links:

HOW TO ..... CLEAN YOUR SWIMMING POOL - Eye on Spain

Lost in translation? Marketing cock-ups and brand name howlers - Secret Serrania

© Paul Whitelock

Pictures:

Coches.net, Collecting Cars, Dreamstime, Periodismo del Motor, Vorwerk, Zodiac

Thanks:

Google Images, Paul Whitelock, Vorwerk, Zodiac

Tags:

A40, Austin A40, Coches.net, Collecting Cars, Dreamstime, Eye on Spain, Google Images, How to?, lost in translation,  marketing cock-ups, Mazda MX5, Mazda RX8, MR2, MX5, MX8, Paul Whitelock, Periodismo del Motor, pool robot, RX8, Secret Serrania de Ronda, TM31, Thermomix, Thermomix TM31, Toyota MR2, Vorwerk, Zodiac, Zodiac MX8

There are three Glorias in my life. Gloria 1 is my cousin; Gloria 2 is the landlady of my "local" and Gloria 3 is my eye doctor.

Gloria 1

My cousin is in her mid-80s, is still going quite strong and lives in south Devon, near Newton Abbot.

A retired midwife she delivered 100s of babies in her career. She had one child of her own from her marriage to Mike.

Sadly her son committed suicide when he was in his early 20s.

[cartoon courtesy of Vecteezy]    

Gloria 2

This Gloria is the owner, with her husband David, of the newly re-opened Hotel Don Manuel, my "local" just outside Ronda, down south in Malaga province in Andalucia.

This couple are also the owners of Hotel Virgen de los Reyes in Ronda town centre and have recently formed the G & D Hotels Group.

Gloria and David are young, ambitious and destined to "go places".

[photo: Central de Reservas]    

Gloria 3

Dr Gloria Carretero is the optalmologa of my wife and me. Her practice is in Marbella.

Although I have cataracts encroaching on both my eyeballs, they are not sufficiently bad to need surgery yet!

Rita, on the other hand, had 80% loss of vision in both eyes and needed urgent treatment. She had both pupils lasered out and replaced with new ones. That was in January. Rita now has perfect long sight and only needs glasses for reading.

[with thanks to Shutterstock]    

And, finally .....

There are plenty of other Glorias, eg

Gloria Estefan, the Cuban singer;

Gloria Gaynor, the American singer;

Gloria Hunniford, the Irish TV personality;

and Gloria Steinem, the American feminist.

But, I don't know them .....

[Photo of Gloria Gaynor courtesy of the New York Times]    

© Diary of a Nobody

Pictures:

Central de Reservas, New York Times, Shutterstock, Vecteezy

Thanks:

Google, Paul Whitelock

Tags:

Dr Gloria Carretero, G & D Hotels, Gloria Estefan, Gloria Gaynor, Gloria Hunniford, Gloria Steinem, Hotel Don Manuel, Hotel Virgen de los Reyes, optalmologa, 

The hot weather has continued from May into June, so it looks like the Spanish saying "No quites el sayo hasta el 40 de mayo!" * will not apply this year, as we gave up our "sayos" (woollies) a good week ago.

June is also a busy time for eventos, fiestas and ferias. Take a look:

1-30 June 2026   Programme of cultural activities, Ronda

2 June                   Romeria, Cortes de la Frontera 

2-6 June                X Ronda Guitar Festival

4-14 June              Feria del Libro, Ronda

5-7 June                Fiesta de la Virgen del Prado, Los Prados, near Arriate

5-7 June                 Art Gaucin, Open studios in Gaucin

6-7 June                Fiesta La Indiana, near Ronda

7 June                    "Corpus Cristi" Procession, Ronda 

Until 12 June        Art exhibition "Pinceladas con alma", Ronda

Until 29 June        Photographic exhibition "Tajogaite", Ronda

[Both above images courtesy of Instagram]    

6-13 June              Pope Leo XIV visits Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Canaries)

7 June                    V Festival "40 de Mayo", Benadalid, near Gaucin

8-11 June              Music recitals: VIII competition for female composers, Ronda

12-13 June           Musical "Moises" by Entre Bambolinas, Ronda

[Facebook]    

A number of events are scheduled for July and August, including:

Pueblos Blancos Music Festival (Montejaque, Ronda, Olvera, Cortes de la Fra., Jimera de Libar)

Verbena del Tren (Benaojan)

and

Feria de San Roque y San Sebastian (Cortes de la Frontera)

[LH Magazin]    

Enjoy!

© Diary of a Nobody

Thanks:

Google, Paul Whitelock, Secret Serrania de Ronda

Pictures:

Instagram, LH Magazin

Tags:

Art Gaucin, Barcelona, Benaojan, Canaries, Cortes de la Frontera, Feria de San Roque y San Sebastian, Gaucin, Google, Instagram, Jimera de Libar, La Indiana, LH Magazin, Madrid, Montejaque, Olvera, Paul Whitelock, Pope Leo XIV, Pueblos Blancos Music Festival, Romeria, Ronda, Secret Serrania de Ronda, Verbena del Tren, X Ronda Guitar Festival

The number 18 is a significant one for most people;

for me it takes on even greater importance.

    [Amazon]

18th Birthday

The first milestone towards adulthood.

You can become a soldier, sailor or airperson and possibly die fighting for your country (or while peace-keeping).

You can marry without the permission of your parents/guardian.

You can legally buy alcoholic drinks in a pub, bar, restaurant or off-licence. (Note: in most states of the USA you may not do this legally until you are 21 - so you can die fighting for your country but you can't have a drink! Doh!)

[BBC]    

You can get a driving licence for a car, if you pass your driving test. In my day it was 17, but they put the age up.

You can vote in elections in the UK. In Spain 18-year-olds have had this right for the first time since 2025.

[eBay UK]    

18 in my life

In addition to the above, the number 18 has other significances.

My birthday falls on the 18th - of May - today, in fact.

I shall be off out to celebrate shortly.

I lost my virginity aged 18.

Not on my birthday - I had to wait until October and university.

I have lived full-time in Spain for 18 years, having moved here in 2008

    [123 RF]

I swam in my pool earlier. The water temperature was a bracing 18 degrees Celsius!

The air temperature at midday was double that - the hottest day so far of 2026 in Andalucia.

More about 18?

18 refers to the number of years a whisky is allowed to mature before release. I spotted an 18-year old single malt whisky in a local wholesalers in Ronda priced at 800-and-something euros a bottle!

***

I'm sure 18 is a significant number in other ways. If anyone has further examples, please add a comment below.

© Diary of a Nobody

Pictures:

123 RF, Amazon, BBC, eBay UK

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

123 RF, 18, 18 degrees Celsius, airperson, Amazon, BBC, buy alcoholic drinks, driving licence, eBay UK, fighting for your country, marry, pool, sailor, single malt whisky, soldier, virginity, vote

¿Ay, caramba¡! ..... ¡Calima!

Calima, haze in English and trockener Dunst in German, is a weather phenomenon whereby small particles of sand, dust, smoke from forest fires and other contaminants are borne by the wind across large distances.

    [El Mundo]                                                 Malaga [Diario Sur]                                 Serrania de Ronda [Paul Whitelock]

In Spain a calima is generally used to describe sand particles from the Sahara desert which are borne by southerly winds and fall as dust on Southern Spain and the Canary Islands in particular.

Current calima weather

The weather forecasts for Spain this week have forecast significant calima, culminating in a yellow warning today, Friday.

Sand dust deposits are everywhere.

I only need to look at the car, the swimming pool, the crops in the garden and any external surface to see that the weather forecasters (AEMET) were right for once!

Inevitably, there will be lots of cleaning up to do ..... until the next calima comes along!

[Alamy]    

Effects of calima

A severe calima can not only cause a dusty mess, reduce visibility, appearing to be like fog or mist, but it can also cause respiratory problems. Many Med-dwellers opt to wear a mask if venturing outside.

Símbolo meteorológico

Símbolo	Número	Descripción en inglés	Descripción castellana	Descripción en alemán
	05	Haze	Calima	Trockener Dunst

[Diagram courtesy of Wikipedia]

© Diary of a Nobody

Pictures:

Alamy, Diario Sur, El Mundo, Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock, RTVE, Wikipedia

Tags:

Alamy, calima, Canary Islands, Diario Sur, dust, El Mundo, fog, haze, Mediterranean, mist, Paul Whitelock, RTVE, Sahara, sand, smoke, trockener Dunst, Wikipedia, wind

After the good weather we've been having in Andalucia for the last couple of weeks, I thought I should cut the lawns.

The grass and weeds had grown fast.

I got my trusty lawnmower out - a Sterwins petrol job with a Honda engine - but I'd forgotten that the cord for the pull-start had snapped right at the end of last season.

[Reddit]    

I took it off to the local repair shop where it joined a rather lengthy queue of lawnmowers needing a repair or service before the mowing season. 

"We'll ring you when it's ready."

They didn't!

After 10 days, during which my grass and weeds grew even longer, I called in to the shop. None of the staff seemed to know what was going on with my mower.

Eventually it was located and the repair to the pull-cord had been done, but they were unable to start it! Hmmm!

When I got home I set about mowing some lawn.

But, as they'd told me, it wouldn't start. I tried every trick in the book. I even fitted a new spark plug. No joy!

My strimmer wouldn't start either, a Goodyear. It's not even a year old!

"This is ridiculous," I wailed in frustration.

I went to the two shops in Ronda that sell lawnmowers to see if I could get a cheap one to use now and have as a back-up when the Sterwins/Honda is fixed.

[Niterra]    

Nothing in the two shops was cheap enough, so I went online and soon unearthed several cheap electric mowers on Amazon. I plumped for a German-designed Einhell machine made in China for a mere 69 euros.

Rita said: "It can't be much good for that price!"

Well, I ordered it anyway. I've got Amazon Prime so delivery was free and scheduled for two days later, guaranteed.

Sure enough. It was there by lunchtime.

[Bauhaus]    

I started to assemble it immediately not bothering with the instructions - it was quite straightforward.

"Let's go!"

I liked the mower; it was light to manoevre - you just had to make sure you didn't cut the cable.

Well, I've been mowing for three days now and I haven't severed the cable yet.

I've done all I can do at the moment, as quite a large area is still under water. But, I'm pleased with my bargain purchase and also with my handiwork. It's hard on the old back and the sun has been unrelenting, but I've broken off from time to time to do other things, such as repairing garden furniture and painting rusty metal plant stands with Hammerite - oh, and to take the odd cup of coffee or 0.0% beer.

So, nothing works, eh? Well, there are solutions to most problems, aren't there?

[Amazon.es]    

© Diary of a Nobody

Pictures:

Amazon, Bauhaus, Niterra, Reddit, 

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia

Tags:

Amazon.es, Amazon Prime, Bauhaus, cable, Diary of a Nobody, Einhell, Goodyear, grass, Hammerite, Honda, lawnmower, mower, Niterra, Paul Whitelock, pull-start, Reddit, repair shop, spark plug, Sterwins, strimmer, weeds, Wikipedia

Yesterday was March 17th. Dia de San Patricio. St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. It was also the second leg of the Round of 16 in the Champions League for eight teams (the remaining eight play tonight, including Liverpool FC, Newcastle  United FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC).

[Relevar Home Care]    

Bodega San Francisco was where I chose to watch the Manchester City vs Real Madrid match, having previously watched the conclusion of the early kick-off between Sporting Lisbon and FK Bodoe/Glimt, the surprise team from Norway, at Bar Alegria.

    [ORONDANATURA]

But the best sports bar in Ronda was too crowded for my taste, so I decamped to Bodega SF.

Champions League and Bodega San Francisco

While Chelsea were losing heavily to Paris St Germain (France) and Arsenal were confirming their superiority over Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Manchester City were making hard work of overhauling the 3-0 lead of the 15 times champions from the first leg.

Having Bernardo Silva sent off in the 20th minute for a very questionable handball on the goalline did not help their cause.

In the end the match went to extra time after which Lisbon emerged as 5-0 winners, 5-3 on aggregate.

I decided to eat while I was watching the football.

I chose four tapas spaced over an hour and a half and drank two cervezas sin alcohol tostada.

Each tapa was excellent: un serranito; un pincho de gambas con beicon; un filete con mojo picon; and un rollito de salmon.

And the bill came to just over 11 euros!

    [Paul Whitelock]

I've been a fan of Bodega San Francisco since the year 2000 when my first wife Jeryl and I fetched up there after a bike ride in the valley below Ronda.

That was when the bodega was in Barrio San Francisco. I remained a regular patron after we bought two properties in the barrio in 2001 and 2003, the latter from Paco, the proprietor of the bar.

Bodega San Francisco in the barrio [Help Me Ronda]    

St Patrick's Day

Back to St Patrick's Day I didn't spot an Irish person all night, and I know a good few round here.

Perhaps I should have gone to the Irish Pub in Ronda, but they wouldn't have been showing the football and I'm not sure about the quality and affordability of their tapas.

    Irish Pub, Ronda [Facebook]

Links

HELP ME RONDA

Meet Secret Serranía blogger Paul Whitelock - Secret Serrania de Ronda

© Paul Whitelock

Pictures:

Facebook, ORONDANATURA, Paul Whitelock, Relevar Home Care, Wikipedia, www.help-me-ronda.com

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia, www.help-me-ronda.com

Tags:

Arsenal, Bar Alegria, Barrio San Francisco, Bayer Leverkusen, Bernardo Silva, Bodega San Francisco, cerveza sin alcohol tostada, Champions League, Chelsea, Dia de San Patricio, Facebook, filete con mojo picon, FK Bodoe/Glimt, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester City vs Real Madrid, March 17th, Newcastle  United, ORONDANATURA, Paris St Germain, patron saint of Ireland, Paul Whitelock, pincho de gambas con beicon, Relevar Home Care, rollito de salmon, Round of 16, St Patrick, St Patrick's Day, serranito, Sporting Lisbon, tapa, Tottenham Hotspur, Wikipedia, www.help-me-ronda.com