A View from the Mountains

New World Champions and a New Prime Minister

2026-07-20T06:27:43

It's all happening! New things! Spain won the FIFA World Cup last night and became the new world champions of football.

And Andy Burnham enters No 10 Downing Street today to become the new prime minister of the UK.

Yes, Spain deservedly became the best football side in the world after beating the holders Argentina in a dull match lasting 120 minutes. Apart from niggling fouls and violent tackles during the match, the Argentina players brought shame on themselves by their violent behaviour after the final whistle. Only their captain Lionel Messi kept apart from it all silently weeping for what might have been.

[© ABC News]

This morning Andy Burnham moved into No 10 to replace Sir Keir Starmer in a bloodless coup. Andy is now prime minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

At around 10.30 the retiring prime minister Sir Keir Starmer emerged from No 10 for the last time to give his valedictory speech, before heading off to Buckingham Palace to inform the king officially that he was stepping down. Among other things he pledged his full support for his successor. His last words lasted three-and-a-half minutes.

Shortly afterwards the incoming pm Andy Burnham visited Charles III who, according to protocol, invited him to form a government.

[© Facebook]

Then at around 11.50 GMT the new prime minister addressed the waiting press, media and the TV and radio audience at home.

In his speech to the nation and the watching world, Burnham promised change, hoped for collaborative working, and confirmed that policy announcements would be made tomorrow. He also gave notice of his immediate priorities, namely to help families economically, to increase construction of affordable housing and to eradicate rough sleeping. Speaking without notes or autocue, his address was fluent and clear with no stumbles. It lasted six minutes.

Stop Press:

1. Prime minister Andy Burnham has announced the following cabinet positions:

Chancellor of the Exchequer - John Healey

Home Secretary - Shabana Mahmood (no change)

Foreign Secretary - Ed Milliband

Health Secretary - Yvette Cooper

Defence - Wes Streeting

Education - Lucy Powell

Culture, Media & Sport - Lisa Nandy (no change)

Environment - Angela Eagle

Transport - Heidi Alexander

Chief Whip - Annaliese Midgley

Work & Pensions Secretary - Pat McFadden (no change)

Cabinet Secretary - Louise Haigh

Housing - Angela Rayner

Business - Jonathan Reynolds

Women & Equalities - Bridget Phillipson

2. VAT on domestic electricity bills will be abolished from October.

Links:

That's my boy!

© Paul Whitelock MMXXVI

Pictures:

Facebook, The Guardian

Thanks:

BBC News, ITV News, Paul Whitelock, Sky News

Tags:

Andy Burnham, Angela Eagle, Angela Rayner, Annaliese Midgley, Argentina, Bridget Phillipson, BBC News, Buckingham Palace, Charles IV, Downing St, Ed Milliband, Facebook, ITV News, John Healey, Jonathan Reynolds, Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy, Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell, Messi, no 10, Pat McFadden, Paul Whitelock, prime minister, Shabanna Mahmood, Sky News, Spain, Sporty Sam, The Guardian, Wes Streeting, Yvette Cooper

That's my boy!

2026-07-18T07:39:22

Andy Burnham, the incoming UK prime minister, who takes over tomorrow, Monday, is not my son.

But he was a former pupil of mine back when I was a young teacher.

I started teaching Andy Spanish in 1980 when he was 11. He was a pupil at St Aelred's Catholic High School in Newton-le-Willows (Merseyside). I taught him all the way through to A-level where he gained a grade A before going off to Cambridge to read English.

Andy Burnham as a student [© The Guardian]

Andy was a good student, very bright and single-minded. He was also a very good footballer. When he became an MP after a period as a parliamentary adviser, it was clear that he was ambitious.

He quickly rose through the ranks to become a cabinet minister in the Blair/Brown governments. And he kept on playing football where he was a leading player in the House of Commons team.

He tried twice previously to become Labour leader, failing on both times. Then he left parliament to become Mayor of Greater Manchester, a post to which he was elected three times. And he kept on running to keep fit.

[© Agenda Publica]

Following a series of crises for incumbent prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, Andy resigned as Manchester mayor and found a parliamentary seat to contest, Makerfield, next door to the area where he lives and was formerly the MP.

Elected with a strong majority, Andy declared his wish to become the next leader of the Labour party and therefore prime minister.

[© Bloomberg]

So, it's been third time lucky. This time he has stepped into the role unopposed, which has upset many people, including fellow Labour MPs.

I say, give the boy a chance!

© Paul Whitelock MMXXVI

Pictures:

Agenda Publica, Bloomberg, The Guardian

Tags:

Agenda Publica, Andy Burnham, Bloomberg, Makerfield, Newton-le-Willows, Paul Whitelock, St Aelred's Catholic High School, Spanish A-level, The Guardian

England found wanting

2026-07-16T08:56:05

The England football team fell to its nemesis Argentina in last night's World Cup semi-final. The two countries have history dating back to before and after The Falklands War.

[BBC]

Despite going 1-0 up early in the second half courtesy of an excellent goal by Anthony Gordon, the Three Lions were eventually outclassed and outplayed by a superior Pumas team which was relentless in its pursuit of an equaliser and a winner.

Aided and abetted by poor decisions on the part of their head coach Thomas Tuchel, England again fell to their betes-noirs.

[The Guardian]

Tuchel's substitutions did not work. Bringing on defenders in place of attack-minded players like Gordon and Declan Rice unbalanced the shape of the team causing them to surrender most of the possession. Between England's goal and Argentina's second England only had 12% possession. Small wonder that they could not hold out against the Argentine onslaught.

An unmarked Lionel Messi on the right controlled the game in the latter stages. Why did England stop man-marking him?

[The Guardian]

Oh well, the inquest has already begun into whose fault it all was. By the next World Cup Harry Kane will be 36 so may not play - he is no Messi.

And will Tuchel still be in the job? As it stands he has a contract up to and including the Euros in 2028.

© Sporty Sam MMXXVI

Pictures:

BBC, Google Images, The Guardian

Thanks:

BBC, Paul Whitelock

Tags:

Anthony Gordon, Argentina, BBC, Declan Rice, England, Falklands War, Google Images, Harry Kane, Messi, Paul Whitelock, Pumas, Sporty Sam, The Guardian, Thomas Tuchel, Three Lions

¡España, por favor!

2026-07-03T07:39:08

Spain, one of the hot favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2026, took on Austria last night.

From a political point of view it was very much left v right.

[YouTube]

First half

Nothing much happened up to the hydration break, then immediately afterwards a "goal" from Marc Cucurella was disallowed for a foul on the keeper by another player.

3 minutes later the goallie saved from Mikel Oyarzabal.

Then in the 36th minute Oyarzabal scored.

During time added on Alex Baena hit the crossbar, the ball fell to Lamine Yamal but his shot was saved.

[Getty Images]

Second half

Spain were pressing hard now for a second goal. There were 2 or 3 near misses. A rare attack by Austria came to nothing.

A header from Oyarzabal went over the bar.

In the 66th minute Pedro Porro scored his first ever international goal with a powerful header.

With 10 minutes left Austria became a bit more lively, but there was no way through.

[MARCA]

In the 85th minute at the other end a shot by Yamal was cleared off the line. 4 minutes later Oyarzabal logged his 2nd to seal a fine 3-0 victory.

Spain's best game so far.

Other matches:

1.00 am Portugal 2-1 Croatia

5.00 am Switzerland 2-0 Algeria

© Sporty Sam

Pictures:

Getty Images, MARCA, YouTube

Sources:

El Confidencial. Google, La 1, MSN, Paul Whitelock

Tags:

Algeria, Austria, Baena, Croatia, Cucurella, El Confidencial, Getty Images, Google, La 1, MARCA, MSN, Oyarzabal, Paul Whitelock, Porro, Portugal, Spain, Sporty Sam, Switzerland, Yamal, YouTube

England expects!

2026-07-02T05:44:47

Those of us "who know our football" were predicting scores like 4-0 or 4-1 in favour of England in their Round of 16 match against DR Congo in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. One of us said 2-1. "Pessimist," we thought.

[TNT Sports]

England v Democratic Republic of Congo

It was a cagey start with much lateral passing, then all of a sudden, in the 7th minute, Congo scored out of the blue through their no 9 Cipenga.

England keeper Pickford failed to cover his near post properly and England were 1-0 down.

England seemed rattled, committing niggling and unnecessary fouls. Bellingham was booked.

After the hydration break England pressed for an equaliser. Bellingham had a good header saved by Congo's acrobatic keeper.

[Instagram]

Meanwhile, at the other end, Pickford was having a bit of a nightmare. There was a goalline clearance and Congo hit the post.

The Congo goalkeeper made another great save and there was another goal-line clearance via a defender's knees in the last minute of time added on at the end of the first half.

2nd half

England were really pressing with some urgency. There was a great chance for Rashford, a Bellingham shot was cleared off the line and Rashford headed over the bar.

In the 60th minute England manaager Thomas Tuchel substituted Gordon and Saka for Rashford and Madueki with little discernible improvement.

Congo had another near miss.

Then, finally, Kane equalised with a header in the 75th minute.

11 minutes later Kane added to his tally with a superb curving strike from the right of the penalty area into the left corner.

Kane now has 5 goals in the race for the "Golden Boot".

4 minutes to go plus an amazing 6 minutes added time!

[Reuters]

We did it! But at what cost to my nerves!

Our pessimistic friend got it right: 2-1.

Other matches

Belgium 3 - 2 Senegal

USA 2 - 0 Boznia Herzegovina

© Sporty Sam MMXXVI

Pictures:

Instagram, Reuters, TNT Sports

Thanks:

DAZN, Paul Whitelock, TNT Sports,

Tags:

Belgium, Bellingham, Boznia Herzegovina, Cipenga, Congo, DAZN, England, Golden Boot, Gordon, Instagram, Kane, Madueki, Paul Whitelock, Pickford, Rashford, Reuters, Saka, Sporty Sam, Thomas Tuchel, TNT Sports, USA

Day 2 of the Round of 16

2026-07-01T07:06:17

Last night was the chance for Scandinavia to strut its stuff.

First Norway took on Ivory Coast in Dallas, Texas, and later Sweden played France in New York/New Jersey.

[Wikipedia]

Ivory Coast v Norway

In the Ivory Coast v Norway clash it was even-Stevens for a while until Nusa scored a golazo from distance to give Norway the lead.

Their talisman, Erling Haaland, fluffed his lines a couple of times, but there were no further goals before the break.

[TNT Sports]

In the opening 15 minutes of the 2nd half both teams had great chances to score but each was saved,

After the hydration break in the 74th minute Ivory Coast scored a wonder goal through their no. 15 Amed Diallo, only for Haaland to score a tap-in in the 86th minute, restoring the Scandinavians' lead with 4 minutes left on the clock. In the 90th minute Haaland fluffed another chance.

In the 7 minutes of added time Ivory Coast tried hard but failed to score.

While I was waiting .....

After a long wait during which I watched Wimbledon, where a 20-year-old Australian, defeated 7-times champion Serena Williams in 3 sets, the France v Sweden match got underway.

[TennisWorldUSA.org]

France v Sweden

After 20 minutes to and fro Kylian Mbappe scored but "the goal" was disallowed for off-side.

Following the hydration break France continued to threaten the Swedish goal. In the 32nd minute Mbappe hit the left-hand upright, then 3 minutes later a similar thing happened when a spectacular scissor-kick by Olise struck the right-hand post.

Finally, in the 45th minute Mbappe scored, his 5th goal in this World Cup.

Two more goals for France followed including one by Barcola and a second from Mbappe.

[Wikipedia]

During the night .....

Overnight Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 in Mexico City rounding off an exciting 2nd day of the Round of 16.

Tonight it's England v DR Congo and Belgium v Senegal. In the early hours here in Europe USA take on Boznia and Herzegovina.

© Sporty Sam MMXXVI

Pictures:

TennisWorldUSA.org, TNT Sports, Wikipedia

Thanks:

BBC, DAZN, Paul Whitelock, Wimbledon

Tags:

BBC, DAZN, Diallo, France, Haaland, Ivory Coast, Maya Joint, Mbappe, Norway, Nusa, Paul Whitelock, Serena Williams, Sporty Sam, Sweden, TennisWorldUSA.org, TNT Sports, Wikipedia, Wimbledon

Germany and The Netherlands crash out of World Cup

2026-06-30T06:54:57

Four times champions Germany are out of the 2026 Football World Cup! Beaten in a penalty shoot-out for the first time ever in a World Cup by minnows Paraguay, one of the fancied teams is on its way home.

[YouTube]

The Netherlands were also among the favourites and they too were beaten on penalties in the early hours of Tuesday morning by lowly Morocco.

Earlier on Monday night five time winners Brazil scraped through against Japan by scoring the winner in the 96th minute of extra time.

What is going on?

Of the teams I fancied as possible winners of the tournament only England, Spain, Belgium and Brazil are left. Are England, Spain and Belgium going to have problems in their Round of 16 matches? Well, we shall see over the next two days as the dieciseisavos are completed.

Monday 29 June

I sat through the match between Brazil and Japan in my favourite sports bar, Bar Alegria in Ronda, before going home for the late match between Germany and Paraguay. This was pretty dour stuff as I dozed through parts of the match, only to revive for the penalty shoot-out. Well, the German penalty takers proved their vulnerability against the giant Paraguay goalkeeper Gill.

[Trip Advisor]

I had no stamina left, so didn't stay up for the Netherlands v Morocco match. When I woke this morning I discovered that the Dutch had also crashed out on penalties.

Links:

El Mundial - Round of 16

South Africa v Canada

© Sporty Sam MMXXVI

Pictures:

Trip Advisor, YouTube

Thanks:

DAZN, Paul Whitelock, ZDF

Tags:

Belgium, Brazil, DAZN, England, Germany, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands, Paraguay, Paul Whitelock, penalty shoot-out, Spain, Sporty Sam, Trip Advisor, World Cup, YouTube, ZDF

South Africa v Canada

2026-06-28T22:06:50

Two former colonies, one British, one Dutch, met last night in the heat of Los Angeles, California, in the Football World Cup.

Both RSA and Canada were second in their groups, A and B respectively.

[Eurosport]

My instinct was to be on the side of Canada. They have never beaten England at either rugby union or cricket, unlike the Springboks who do so regularly!

The 1st half was fairly even in terms of possession, but Canada were more threatening in front of goal. A dramatic goal-line clearance kept the scores level at half-time.

The 2nd half was more of the same; innacurate passing and lots of niggling fouls.

Canada finally scored in the 91st minute through their captain Eustaquio with a shot from distance.

The Canada goal [MARCA]

On balance a deserved win for Canada.

© Sporty Sam MMXXVI

Pictures:

Eurosport, MARCA

Thanks:

AS, DAZN, Eurosport, MARCA, Paul Whitelock

Tags:

AS, Canada, DAZN, Eustaquio, Paul Whitelock, RSA, South Africa, Sporty Sam, Springboks, World Cup

El Mundial - Round of 16

2026-06-28T14:17:47

My three teams are through to the dieciseisavos, the knockout stages, of the Football World Cup: namely England (I was born there); Germany (my wife is German); and Spain (because I live here in Andalucia).

[Yahoo Sports]

Each of my teams had one poor match where they drew and dropped points. Nevertheless, all three topped their groups, so in theory have an easier passage into the last 16, in that they are paired with a 2nd or 3rd placed team.

I've watched the important games. Among the favourites, France, Brazil and Argentina have looked impressive in all their matches so far, while Belgium and Portugal have faltered a little.

As for me, I'm tipping France to win the Jules Rimet Trophy for the 3rd time, although don't discount Messi (Argentina).

Leo wants to go out on a high in his last World Cup, so Argentina must be in the frame too.

One team not mentioned so far is The Netherlands.

And what about Germany? They know how to win, even win ugly.

[Wikipedia]

© Paul Whitelock MMXXVI

Photos:

Wikipedia, Yahoo Sports

Thanks:

AS, Malaga Hoy

Tags:

Argentina, AS, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Jules Rimet Trophy, Malaga Hoy, Messi, Mundial, Netherlands, Paul Whitelock, Portugal, Spain, Wikipedia, World Cup, Yahoo Sports

Malaga Up; Germany Two

2026-06-21T12:58:06

Trying to watch two matches simultaneously on adjacent TV screens is quite a challenge.

Bar Alegria was full to bursting, mainly with Malaga fans. I didn't spot any supporters of Germany nor of Ivory Coast nor of Almeria.

Bar Alegria, Ronda [Trip Advisor]

Malaga CF v UD Almeria

These two teams were playing for the final promotion spot from Liga 2 to Liga 1.

It had finished 0 - 0 in the first leg at La Rosaleda, Malaga's home ground.

Last night in Almeria it was still 0 - 0 after 90 minutes.

Then in extra time Malaga scored twice and Almeria once.

[ABC]

Although they had been reduced to 10 men following a red card, Almeria still dominated through the 10 minutes added time.

Finally the whistle went, the game was over and Malaga were promoted back into the top division after a gap of nine years.

Germany v Ivory Coast

Germany struggled against a lively, energetic and tenacious Ivory Coast in this World Cup group match.

Germany even fell behind in the first half, before equalising in the second half through Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav.

Indeed it was Undav who scored the winner in time added on.

Deniz Undav [FOX Deportes]

So, Malaga went up and Germany scored two, to lead their World Cup group on six points.

© Paul Whitelock

Pictures:

ABC, FOX Deportes, Trip Advisor,

Thanks:

AS, Bar Alegria, DAZN, La Liga,

Tags:

ABC, AS, Bar Alegria, DAZN, Deniz Undav, FOX Deportes, Germany, Ivory Coast, La Liga, Malaga CF, Paul Whitelock, Trip Advisor, UD Almeria

Assassination Attempts on Donald Trump

2026-04-27T13:30:16

To date there have been six attempts on Donald J Trump's life, all of which failed. How can would-be assassins be so incompetent?

The question that has to be asked is: were they all real assassination attempts or were some of them "trumped-up"?

[Columbus Times]

There is a widely-held view that the attempted shooting in July 2024 at a rally in Butler Pennsylvania was staged as a strategy to get Trump elected (the sympathy vote?). It worked .....

Someone close to me - my wife - is also convinced that yesterday's debacle in Washington DC was faked.

Let's take a look at each incident in reverse order of occurrence.

April 2026

Correspondents Dinner at the Hilton Hotel, Washington DC.

A man, later identified as Cole Allen, rushed through the lobby, but was tackled and disarmed by Secret Service Agents guarding the banqueting hall.

He was heavily armed. Watch the YouTube video of events.

[YouTube]

February 2026

Mar-A-Lago, Florida, Trump's residence there.

An intruder, later identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, was shot dead by Secret Service agents.

Seems rather an excessive reaction. Watch the YouTube video of events and see what you think.

[YouTube]

September 2024

West Palm Beach golf course, Florida.

Ryan Rowth, 59, was apprehended in the woods beside the golf course armed with a rifle.

He was tried and sentenced to life without parole.

All sounds a bit fishy to me .....

[The Washington Post]

July 2024

Butler, Pennsylvania. A Republican campaign rally.

Eight shots were fired and Trump was hit on the right ear.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was shot dead at the scene. I wonder why?

There has been much speculation that the whole thing was faked to garner sympathy for Trump in the run-up to the presidential election later in the year.

[NPR]

July 2024

Asif Merchant, 47, was convicted of plotting to assassinate Trump.

It was alleged that he was hired by the Iranian authorities.

Merchant denied all the charges, but was jailed anyway. Watch the video.

[YouTube]

June 2016

Las Vegas, Nevada. A Republican rally in support of Trump, the presumptive candidate for the presidential nomination of 2016.

20-year-old Michael Sandford from the UK tried to grab a police officer's gun. At his trial he admitted he wanted to kill Trump and was jailed for one year (one year?). He was released after six months and returned to the UK. Mmmm!!!

[BBC]

© Paul Whitelock MMXXVI

Pictures:

BBC, Columbus Dispatch, NPR, The Washington Post, YouTube

Thanks:

MSN, Sky News

Tags:

Asif Merchant, Austin Tucker Martin, BBC, Cole Allen, Columbus Dispatch, Michael Sandford, NPR, Ryan Rowth, The Washington Post, Thomas Matthew Crooks, Trump, YouTube

McIlroy, Magyar and Sanchez

2026-04-13T08:16:19

Rory McIlroy wins the Golf Masters, Peter Magyar wipes the floor with Viktor Orban in the Hungarian General Election and Pedro Sanchez proves yet again that he is a true statesman in these troubled times.

What a weekend!

Rory McIlroy

The Northern Irish golfer won the Masters Grand Slam Golf tournament at Augusta (Georgia) on Sunday night by one shot from Scottie Sheffler (USA) and two from "fellow Brits" Justin Rose and Tyrrell Hatton and a couple of Americans.

McIlroy was the defending champion from 2025, so he now joins the ranks of only three other golfers to have won back-to-back Masters: Jack Nicklaus (1965 and 1966), Sir Nick Faldo (1989 and 1990) and Tiger Woods (2001 and 2002).

[IMDb]

McIlroy also has a career grand slam of the four majors, joining five other men: Nicklaus, Woods, Ben Hogan (USA), Gary Player (S.Afr), and Gene Sarazen (USA).

As of the 2026 Masters Tournament, 475 majors have been played. A total of 234 different men have won majors and, of these, 89 have won at least two.

Rory McIlroy is 36 years old.

Peter Magyar

The leader of the moderate right-wing party Tisza has defeated Viktor Orban of the Fidesz party in a landslide victory.

With almost all ballots counted Tisza stands at 138 seats, Orban 88 and a third candidate just five.

This represents more than the two-thirds majority Magyar needs to undo Orban's constitutional overhaul and combat corruption.

"Together, we liberated Hungary and got rid of the Orbán regime,” Magyar told ‌cheering thousands of supporters along ⁠the embankment by the river Danube.

[Facebook]

"In the history of democratic Hungary, this many people have never ‌voted before, and no ‌single party has ⁠ever received ⁠such a strong mandate ‌as Tisza.”

Reacting to the result, European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen posted on X: “Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. Together, we are stronger. A country returns to its European path. The Union grows stronger.”

Peter Magyar is 45 years old.

Pedro Sanchez

The Spanish prime minister has had the cheek to stand up for what he thinks as right with regard to Iran ("¡No a la guerra!").

According to the increasingly unhinged president of the USA, Donald J Trump, this is a traitorous act.

It's been a bad weekend for The Orange One, what with the talks between the USA and Iran in Pakistan failing to reach an accord and losing a staunch ally in Hungary's Orban.

[Facebook]

Sanchez, under fire at home and criticised by many in Europe and NATO for not backing several other countries, including France, Germany and the UK, in their efforts to defend the border with Russia, stands tall in the European arena, if not most of the Western world.

A bulwark of common sense against the political Right.

Pedro Sanchez is 54 years old.

Links of interest

Pedro's Sense of "Duty"

Top 10 "Bad Guys" of 2025

© Paul Whitelock

Photos:

Facebook, IMDb

Thanks:

RTVE, Tagesschau, The Independent,

Tags:

Augusta, Ben Hogan, Donald Trump, Facebook, Fidesz, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen, Grand Slam, IMDb, Jack Nicklaus, Justin Rose, Major, Masters Golf, Nick Faldo, Paul Whitelock, Pedro Sanchez, Peter Magyar, RTVE, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Sheffler, Tagesschau, The Independent, Tiger Woods, Tisza, Tyrrell Hatton, Ursula Von der Leyen, Viktor Orban,

Pedro's Sense of "Duty"

2026-03-22T19:53:51

Spanish president Pedro Sanchez (PSOE) announced a range of tax cuts on Friday made official by a BOE (Boletin Oficial del Estado).

These were due to come into force yesterday, Saturday.

Pedro Sanchez [El Mundo]

This action was taken to mitigate the effects of the War in Iran and surrounding Gulf States on the price of oil, petrol, diesel and heating oil. In all Sanchez announced 80 measures.

Duty on petrol and all types of oil has been axed from 21 per cent to 10 per cent. Tax on rents has been reduced to just 2 per cent and certain food items have had their prices frozen.

First "out of the blocks"

This move by Spain, the first country in Europe to act to offset rising prices caused by the war in the Middle East, has not been straightforward. Sumar, a left-of-centre party and a key coalition partner of PSOE, has not supported the government. Their leader, Yolanda Diaz, says the government have not gone far enough.

Yolanda Diaz of SUMAR [Articulo 14]

Nevertheless, petrol stations in Ronda, where I live, are now displaying the "discounted" price. The cheapest for sin plomo 95 is "La Tortuga" at 159.9 a litre compared to 175.9 on Friday. Other filling stations are charging one or two cents more, while the big companies like Moeve (formerly CEPSA) are quite a bit dearer.

Cheapest fuel in Ronda [Paul Whitelock] Filling up with diesel [Komparing]

Last Word

Well done, Pedro, for displaying a sense of "duty". You are standing up to Donald Trump and not forgetting your people who are struggling financially at home here in Spain.

© Paul Whitelock

Pictures:

Articulo 14, El Mundo, Komparing, Paul Whitelock

Thanks:

AS, El Periodico, RTVE, Wikipedia

Tags:

159.9 a litre, Articulo 14, AS, BOE, Boletin Oficial del Estado, CEPSA, diesel, Donald Trump, El Mundo, El Periodico, filling station, Gulf States, heating oil, Komparing, "La Tortuga", Moeve, oil, PSOE, Paul Whitelock, Pedro Sanchez, petrol, petrol station, RTVE, Ronda, sense of duty, sin plomo 95, SUMAR, tax cuts, war in Iran, war in the Middle East, Wikipedia, Yolanda Diaz

Grand Openings - Chapter 2

2026-02-25T23:27:17

After a winter of chasing around the Ronda area trying to find a bar open in the evenings for a pre-prandial drink or two, and often failing, not just three come along at once, but six!

This dearth of places to have a drink was partly brought about by 11 named violent storms, heavy rainfall, high winds, flooding and lots of damage to homes, outbuildings, crops and livestock, evacuations and several deaths.

[YouTube]

I wrote recently about three grand openings as we move into Spring, but the owners of three other bars / restaurants let it be known that they had either recently opened, or were due to open or to re-open soon.

Bar Stop, Benaojan Estacion

This bar had just re-opened "in an old guise", when the barriada was closed off and had to be evacuated partly for fear of serious flooding.

For two years Bar Stop had functioned as Bar Ankanita after owner Anita retired. However, she decided to come out of retirement, renovate and open up again.

Now, after the unexpected shut-down, Bar Stop is up and running again.

[Facebook]

A great breakfast and lunch venue, Bar Stop is as good as it ever was and has made a welcome return to the scene.

Venta El Pelistre, Llano de La Cruz, Arriate

This popular watering hole and restaurant shut for two weeks holiday, then the road was blocked by mud and flood water for a few days and the chef had to have an operation, so the owners Manolo and Isa extended their closure by another two weeks.

They are scheduled to re-open tomorrow, Friday February 27th.

[Restaurant Guru]

El Pelistre has been sorely missed, so many will be glad to see it back!

Restaurante La Cascada, Fuente de la Higuera, Ronda

Their planned re-opening on St Valentine's Day (February 14th) after their extended winter break, didn't happen as the swollen river Guadalcobacin, which is adjacent to Hotel Molino del Puente, where La Cascada is located, breached the flood defences and entered the ground floor to a depth of half a metre.

[Trip Advisor]

The clean-up is now almost complete, the hotel has dried out and the affected areas re-painted. According to owners Ian and Elaine Love the re-opening is planned for Thursday March 5th.

© Paul Whitelock

Link:

Grand Openings!

Photos:

Facebook, Restaurant Guru, Trip Advisor, YouTube

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

11 named violent storms, Bar Stop, Benaojan Estacion, crops, El Pelistre, evacuations, Facebook, flooding and lots of damage to homes, four deaths, grand openings, heavy rainfall, high winds, La Cascada, livestock, Molino del Puente, outbuildings, Paul Whitelock, re-opening, Restaurant Guru, St Valentine's Day, three grand openings, Trip Advisor, YouTube

4th Anniversary of Russia - Ukraine War

2026-02-24T07:41:29

Today, February 24th 2022, four years ago, Russia began its "special operation" in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin must have thought the West was stupid if it believed this was nothing but all out war. The stupid one here was Putin.

In the 1461 days of the war official figures for the number of deaths of soldiers and civilians is 1.8 million of which 1.2 million are Russian and only 600,000 Ukrainian. Does that mean that the Ukrainian military is superior to the Russian army?

[YouTube]

Civilian deaths are difficult to verify because of the haphazard and chaotic nature of the conflict.

The Russia/Ukraine war continues to evolve, with significant military actions and ongoing peace talks shaping the conflict's landscape.

What the Papers Say

"The war in Ukraine has become a proving ground for modern warfare, with both sides adapting to new technologies and strategies. Recent reports indicate that over 80% of Russian military targets destroyed in 2025 were taken out by drones, highlighting the increasing reliance on unmanned aerial vehicles in combat.

[The Guardian]

The conflict has also seen Russia experimenting with new drone technologies to extend its strike capabilities, complicating Ukrainian air defense efforts."

"Military Actions: In recent weeks, there have been significant military engagements, including Russian shelling in the Donetsk region, which resulted in civilian casualties. For instance, at least seven people were killed in the town of Druzhkivka due to Russian attacks using cluster munitions.

"Peace Talks: Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States have begun a second round of peace talks in Abu Dhabi, focusing on the longterm fate of territories in eastern Ukraine.

[YouTube]

However, the ongoing military actions raise questions about the sincerity of ceasefire discussions.

"Humanitarian Impact: The war has had devastating effects on the civilian population, with ongoing attacks on infrastructure leading to severe humanitarian crises. Reports indicate that Russian attacks have targeted civilian infrastructure, exacerbating the suffering of those in conflict zones."

"Ukraine has defended its independence since Russia's invasion and will not betray the sacrifices made by its people as it seeks peace, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an address marking the fourth anniversary of the start of the war."

"Putin has not achieved his goals. He has not broken the Ukrainian people. He has not won this war," Zelenskiy said on Tuesday. "We have preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to achieve peace. And to ensure justice."

[Wikipedia]

Link:

Rogues gallery – Hijo de Putin

© Paul Whitelock

Images:

Reuters, The Guardian, Wikipedia, YouTube

Thanks:

BBC, France 24, Kyiv Post, Paul Whitelock, Reuters, Sky News, The Guardian, Wikipedia

Tags:

BBC, France 24, Kyiv Post, Paul Whitelock, Putin, Reuters, Sky News, The Guardian, Wikipedia, YouTube, Zelenskiy,

Grand Openings!

2026-02-19T17:59:40

After a winter of chasing around trying to find a bar open in the evenings for a pre-prandial drink or two, and often failing, things are looking up!

The traumas caused by nine named violent storms, heavy rainfall, high winds, flooding and lots of damage to homes, outbuildings, crops and livestock, evacuations and several deaths have been immense. As we approach Spring, three grand openings have been announced.

[Image courtesy of the BBC]

***

Tomorrow Friday, a brand-new venue opens in Montejaque.

A former house has been turned into a bar/restaurant, named "La Chica" (meaning "small" in this case, rather than "girl") to be run by two brothers from the village, Ruben and Borja.

A few years before the brothers had La Terraza I and La Terraza II, just outside the village, together with their late pal Cayetano, who sadly died in a cycling accident.

Awaiting photo

***

On Saturday the refurbished Ronda Valley Hotel (Don Benito) re-opens as Hotel Don Manuel. The hotel has been closed for two months while new owner David Garcia and his team have given the place a complete makeover.

A completely new colour scheme, new furniture and a re-arrangement of the internal space in the public areas. The bedrooms have been stripped bare and re-done.

[Ronda Today]

Lots of people will be looking forward to 1.00 pm on Saturday.

***

The third grand opening is at at Molino del Santo in Benaojan Estacion.

Their planned opening was for St Valentine's Day, but that was ki-boshed when the barriada was shut down for fear of a flood from the Montejaque dam.

According to their latest e-newsletter they will be back in action in about three weeks, so it won't be long before the missus and I find a reason to go there to celebrate something or other.

[Molino del Santo]

As for me, I shall attend the grand openings tomorrow and Saturday and we'll both be off to Molino del Santo soon!

Update 1:

I went to the opening of "La Chica" promptly at 11.00 am. I was the only customer for a while. "Too early", the second customer, a local, told me. "It's only alcoholics like you and me that start drinking so early!"

Mmm!

Back to "La Chica". The name is accurate - it is indeed "small" - but beautifully done with interesting artefacts on the walls.

I decided to book a table for dinner for Rita and me. At 8.00 pm it was already crowded, and it got even busier later. The food was exquisite and the bill was a few cents over 50 euros. Highly recommended.

[awaiting photos]

Update 2:

At the grand opening of the 4-star Hotel Don Manuel, there was a slight delay while the assembled crowd waited for the delegate from Ronda Council who was running late.

After short speeches by the new owners the ribbon was cut and we were welcomed into our familiar local which has been utterly transformed. Lighter colours have made the place seem brighter and more spacious.

With two dining rooms and a large terrace the hotel is set up for family dining and for events, such as weddings, baptisms and confirmations.

The four show bedrooms, each different, were spacious and tastefully designed. Our favourite was Room 105 on the first floor. Ultimately the hotel will offer 24 rooms.

The bar area was packed. It was hot and sunny, so everybody had a thirst. Complimentary tapas were served by the staff and it was all rather jolly.

We looked at the restaurant menu which offered a range of interesting-sounding dishes at reasonable prices. We have booked a table for dinner this evening and are looking forward to it. And nobody has to drive, as we live within walking distance.

BTW, the new hotel is named after owner David's late father, Manuel, who perished in a fire aged 50, when David was a youngster.

[awaiting photos]

STOP PRESS:

We were just getting ready to go for dinner when I received a text message from David to say that they'd run out of food and would not be able to accommodate us after all. They had had 300 guests for lunch and they'd scoffed the lot!

So, all dressed up and nowhere to go! But we went to another relatively new restaurant in Ronda that we had not yet tried. Where was it? You can find out here at The "Guiri" Gourmet.

© Paul Whitelock

Link:

Bengal Feast - Eye on Spain

Photos:

BBC, Molino del Santo, Ronda Today

Thanks:

David Garcia, Paul Whitelock

Tags:

Benaojan Estacion, Borja, brand-new venue opens in Montejaque, Cayetano, crops, David Garcia, Don Benito, evacuations, flood from the Montejaque dam, flooding and lots of damage to homes, four deaths, heavy rainfall, high winds, Hotel Don Manuel, "La Chica", La Terraza I, La Terraza II, livestock, Molino del Santo, nine named violent storms, outbuildings, Ronda Valley Hotel, Ruben, St Valentine's Day, three grand openings,

Dead greats!

2026-02-18T18:26:01

Robert Duvall and Jesse Jackson both died this week, each having left a remarkable legacy in their respective fields of endeavour.

Robert Duvall passed aged 95 (1931 - 2026), an actor of remarkable skill, who played Tom Hagen, "Il Consiglieri", to Marlon Brando's "Godfather" in two films; a memorable role in "Apocalypse Now"; plus key roles in many other important films of the 1970s and 1980s.

Nominated five times for a best actor Oscar, he won it once in 1984 for "Tender Mercies".

Duvall with his Oscar [BBC]

Arguably he was short-changed, although he also won a BAFTA, an Emmy and four Golden Globes, as well as other awards.

He first came to prominence as Boo Radley in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird", a role in which he did not speak.

In "Apocalypse Now" he spoke the immortal line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning", which will forever be associated with this Californian-born actor.

***

Rev. Jesse Jackson was 84 (1941 - 2026) when he left us yesterday, Tuesday. A champion of civil rights and human rights, he was a contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

According to The New York Times Jackson was an impassioned orator, and was a moral and political force, forming a “rainbow coalition” of poor and working-class people and seeking the presidency on two occasions.

Jackson in full flow [La Jornada]

His mission, he said, was “to transform the mind of America".

The lengthy NYT obituary was very negative about Jackson, who was born in South Carolina. On the other hand EL PAIS in English gives him a more favourable death notice.

Jesse Jackson ran for president in both 1984 and 1988, but, despite coming close to getting the presidential nomination in 1988, he never achieved elected office.

Active until 2017 when he became ill with what turned out to be Parkinson's Disease, his legacy was significant.

According to Sky News Jackson became friends with Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama and many others.

© Paul Whitelock

Links:

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has died, family says | News UK Video News | Sky News

Jesse Jackson, Charismatic Champion of Civil Rights, Dies at 84 - The New York Times

Jesse Jackson, veteran US civil rights activist, dies at 84 | U.S. | EL PAÍS English

Robert Duvall - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre

The Truth About Boo Radley - YouTube video

Photos:

BBC, La Jornada

Acknowledgements:

EL PAIS in English, New York Times, Sky News, Wikipedia,

Tags:

"Apocalypse Now", Barack and Michelle Obama, best actor Oscar, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Boo Radley, BAFTA, BBC, champion of civil rights and human rights, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., EL PAIS in English, Emmy, four Golden Globes, Godfather, Harper Lee, Il Consiglieri, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning", La Jornada, Marlon Brando, New York Times, Parkinson's Disease, “rainbow coalition”, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Robert Duvall, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Sky News, "Tender Mercies", "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Is Socialism Dead? Think again!

2026-02-10T06:48:38

With concerns in many democracies that socialism is on its way out in the face of increasing success in elections of far right parties, it was refreshing that Portugal has shifted firmly to the left of centre in their general election two days ago.

Seguro celebrates victory in Portugal [RFI]

With concerns in many European democracies about the rise in popularity of the AfD in Germany, Reform UK, VOX in Spain, Meloni in Italy, Le Pen in France and Trump-ism in the USA, it's refreshing to learn that the socialist party in Portugal achieved its best ever result, sending the right-wing party into oblivion.

So, is Socialism Dead?

Whilst we are at a turning point in world politics, with dictatorships in China, India, North Korea, and Russia calling most of the shots, this is a crucial time for electorates to come to their senses and eschew the far right.

Vladimir Putin [unknown] Kim Jong-Un [El Mundo]

Xi Jinping [Britannica] Narendra Modi [Britannica]

There are widespread fears of a return to Nazism despite the images of the concentration camps, gas chambers and exhumed corpses of World War II ever present on our TV screens as we commemorate the 80 year anniversary of the end of that brutal conflict.

If not, what's next?

There is a bulwark of socialism in Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Poland, Scandinavia, Spain, the UK and now Portugal. In addition, socialists have a presence in coalition governments in Germany and the Netherlands.

Whilst Emmanuel Macron, Sir Keir Starmer, and Pedro Sanchez are unpopular in their respective countries and might not last much longer, all three bestride the international stage with aplomb and resolve.

Mark Carney the Liberal Party's prime minister of Canada is an important antidote to the tyranny of Donald Trump.

Links

Centre-left holds off far-right as Seguro wins Portugal's presidential election - RFI

© Paul Whitelock

Photos:

Britannica, El Mundo, RFI

Thanks:

Malaga Hoy, Paul Whitelock, RTVE

Tags:

AfD, Canada, China, coalition governments, concentration camps, Denmark, Emmanuel Macron, exhumed corpses, France, gas chambers, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Keir Starmer, Kim Jong-Un, Le Pen, Malaga Hoy, Mark Carney, Meloni, Narendra Modi, nazism, Netherlands, North Korea, Paul Whitelock, Pedro Sanchez, Poland, Portugal, Putin, RTVE, Reform UK, Russia, Scandinavia, Seguro, socialism, Spain, Trump-ism, UK, USA, VOX, World War II, Xi Jinping,

Alice, Harry, Ingrid, Joseph, Kristin, Leonardo, Marta

2026-02-09T08:35:32

Who are they? Or what are they? Three names sound English, one German, one Scandinavian, one Italian and one Spanish.

They are, in fact, the names given to the borrascas (storms) we've suffered in Malaga province this hydrological year (2025/26). SEVEN named storms since October! And that's not counting several other unnamed bad weather events.

[BBC]

And there are still climate change deniers out there! Unbelievable!

When does a storm get given a name?

When it is deemed that a storm is likely to have a significant impact on the population in its path. The aim is to ease tracking, to improve the communication of weather alerts and to avoid confusion when there are several weather events happening at the same time, as now.

Alice hit us at the beginning of October.

Then, it went quiet until January 16th when Harry arrived.

Four days later we felt the wrath of Ingrid, then five days after that Joseph.

Within two days, Kristin came on January 27th.

Eight days later it was the turn of Leonardo and three days after that Marta.

[Facebook]

That was two days ago. Another unnamed storm is due to hit us today.

What damage has been done?

As of this morning three people have died and thousands have been evacuated from their homes. The entire village of Grazalema, just across the border in Cadiz province, has been emptied of people, most of whom have been accommodated in a sports hall in Ronda (Malaga).

Residents of Benaojan Estacion have also been evacuated as a precaution.

[Euro Weekly News] Flooding in Benaojan [Reuters]

The generosity of companies, bars, restaurants, charities and individuals has been astonishing, with donations of food, drink, clothes and time.

Maripaz Fernandez, the mayoress of Ronda, has allocated emergency council funding; Benito Gomez, the double Michelin-starred chef has set up a kitchen; Solidarios, a local charity, has allocated volunteers and funding.

As one commentator, writing in SUR, the Malaga newspaper, yesterday, put it. There are no Spaniards as generous and supportive as the people of Andalucía.

Benito Gomez and other chefs help out [Malaga Hoy]

Links

[YouTube] `[Sky News]

© Paul Whitelock

Pictures:

BBC, Diario SUR, Euro Weekly News, Facebook, Karl Smallman, Malaga Hoy, Paul Whitelock, RTVE, Reuters, Ronda Semanal, Sky News, YouTube

Thanks:

Diario SUR, Malaga Hoy, Paul Whitelock, RTVE, Ronda Semanal

Tags:

Alice, Andalucía, Benaojan, Benito Gomez, borrasca, BBC, Cadiz, dam, Diario SUR, embalse, Euro Weekly News, Facebook, Grazalema, Harry, Ingrid, Joseph, Karl Smallman, Kristin, Leonardo, Malaga Hoy, Maripaz Fernandez, Marta, Montejaque, Paul Whitelock, RTVE, Reuters, reservoir, Ronda Semanal, Sky News, Solidarios, storm, YouTube

Today is World Cancer Day - February 4th

2026-02-04T21:12:19

Today is World Cancer Day, an international day observed every February 4th to raise awareness about cancer, encourage its prevention, and mobilise action to address the global cancer epidemic.

The day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and was established in the year 2000.

[poster by Freepik]

Aims of the organisation

By catalysing personal, collective and government action, they are all working together to reimagine a world where millions of cancer deaths are prevented and access to life-saving cancer treatment and care is equitable for all no matter who they are nor where they live.

[Our Cancer Stories]

Each year, hundreds of activities and events take place around the world, gathering communities, organisations and individuals in schools, businesses, hospitals, marketplaces, parks, community halls, places of worship - in the streets and online - acting as a powerful reminder  that everybody has a role to play in reducing the global impact of cancer.

Impact in 2024

27k+ press articles in 159 countries

900+ activities and events in 127 countries

500k+ social media mentions

How does the organisation work?

UICC runs World Cancer Day campaigns in three-year cycles to allow for a deeper exploration of a particular theme and achieve greater impact.

The World Cancer Day theme 2025-2027, “United by Unique” places people at the centre of care and explores new ways of making a difference.

Cancer is more than just a medical diagnosis — it’s a deeply personal matter. Behind every diagnosis lies a unique human story - stories of grief, pain, healing, resilience, love and more.

[UICC]

That’s why a people-centred approach to cancer care that fully integrates each individual’s unique needs, with compassion and empathy, leads to the best health outcomes.

Every experience with cancer is unique and it will take all of us, united, to create a world where we look beyond the disease and see the person before the patient.

A world where the needs of people and communities are at the centre of health systems.

World Cancer Day activity [UICC]

The World Cancer Day theme 2025-2027, “United by Unique”, .....

..... places people at the centre of care and explores new ways of making a difference.

That’s why a people-centred approach to cancer care that fully integrates each individual’s unique needs, with compassion and empathy, leads to the best health outcomes.

With thanks to:

El Periodico, RNE, TVE1, “United by Unique”, UICC, worldcancerday.org

Pictures:

Freepik, Our Cancer Stories, UICC

Tags:

cancer, El Periodico, Freepik, grief, healing, love, Our Cancer Stories, pain, RNE, resilience, TVE1, “United by Unique”, UICC, worldcancerday.org

Ronda, Benaojan and Grazalema hit the National News

2026-02-04T11:05:56

Yes, these towns in the Serrania de Ronda and the Sierra de Grazalema have hit the headlines! Blanket coverage on national TV, online and in the national Press. For all the wrong reasons!

Because of the extreme weather coming in from the West, principally Storm Leonardo, red and orange alerts have been issued for Cadiz, Extremadura and parts of Andalucia. All schools are closed, except in Almeria province. Many supermarkets are shut and other places are expected to suspend their services.

Three hotels near us are underwater, residents have been evacuated from their homes in the Guadiaro Valley, and countless roads have been blocked by flood water.

On TV, President of the Andalucía regional government Juanma Moreno (PP), warned against travelling by car unless absolutely necessary.

Ronda today [La Opinion de Malaga]

Our personal story

Rita was due to fly to Germany today from Malaga Airport. Imagine our shock when we received weather alerts on our mobile phones last night warning us of the severe situation. Extensive research online indicated that the worst of the weather was from breakfast time onwards.

After considering several options Rita decided she would set off early alone and park at the airport. Accordingly she left at 06.30 in pouring rain for her 10.15 flight. She made good time, even managing to stop for a coffee on the Churriana road.

I booked her in at our regular car park service and Rita was at the airport before check-in opened!

[The Olive Press]

Everything went smoothly after that. Her flight departed 17 minutes late, but she is at least on her way to the snow and ice of south-west Germany.

Rita landed safe and sound a short while ago.

Back at the ranch

It's been pouring down non-stop. Daylight revealed that we now have a villa by a lake - our garden. Many might regard us as fortunate; indeed houses by lakes in countries like Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK (eg The Lake District, Scotland, Wales) fetch a premium when sold.

However, since our lake is unintended and potentially damaging to our property (foundations, indoor flooding, rising damp) the opposite is the case.

Flooding in Ronda [The Olive Press]

What next?

Insurance and consorcio claims. I reckon the CCS will take over all of our claims for damage.

Starting with the damage caused by last Thursday's storms and now whatever happens over the next few days on top. Could be a big bill!

Flooding in Jimera de la Fra. [Euro Weekly News]

Update:

I ventured out in the car around midday to get some live photos, but soon returned home. It was looking far too dangerous to go any further (subsequently confirmed by live TV coverage of the affected areas). Here is a selection of photos I took in Fuente de la Higuera, where I live (in a villa by a lake!):

Links

"Here Comes the Rain Again!" - again! - Eye on Spain

Here Comes the Rain Again (Remastered Version) - song by The Eurythmics (YouTube)

HOW TO ..... make a claim for FLOOD DAMAGE? - Eye on Spain

The rain in Spain... - Secret Serrania

Pictures:

Euro Weekly News, Karl Smallman, La Opinion de Malaga, Paul Whitelock, The Olive Press

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock, www.eyeonspain.com, www.secretserrania.com

Tags:

Benaojan, claims, consorcio, CCS, Denmark, Euro Weekly News, Eurythmics, Eye on Spain, flood damage, foundations, Germany, Grazalema, "Here Comes the Rain Again!", indoor flooding, insurance, Karl Smallman, Lake District, La Opinion de Malaga, National News, Netherlands, Norway, Paul Whitelock, rising damp, Ronda, Scotland, Secret Serrania, The Olive Press, UK, Wales, weather alerts

Trump is a WAR CRIMINAL - Official!

2026-01-04T06:51:18

Donald J Trump's invasion of Venezuela on Saturday 3rd January 2026, the arrest and abduction of Nicolas Maduro, that country's prime minister and his incarceration in a top security prison in New York, have been roundly condemned by most of the rest of the world.

From Antonio Guterres, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, Keir Starmer, Pedro Sanchez, Pope Leo XIV, Ursula van der Leyen and others, even Russia and China, the reaction has been loud and clear - condemnation.

Background

The US president has ordered the interception of suspected narcolanchas off the coast of Venezuela for some weeks. Several boats have been sunk, others boarded and taken, resulting in a number of deaths.

The Orange One has been threatening to invade Venezuela for a while; now he's done it. This despite pleas from Maduro for talks to calm things down.

una narcolancha [EL PAIS]

Has Trump (79) lost his marbles? Is this behaviour going to win him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2026? I think not.

US soldiers attacked several Venezuelan military bases while the Special Forces - in a very slick professional operation - managed to capture the president of that country and his wife Cilia and take them to a detention centre in up-state New York. The Pentagon said that Maduro will be tried for criminal offences. The attacks on Venezuela would cease immediately.

[Video courtesy of La Sexta]

There were demonstrations against American imperialism in a number of cities throughout the USA and in Europe, where exiled venezolanos turned out in force in Paris, Barcelona and Bilbao. Pleased that Maduro is apparently gone, they did not approve of Trump's methods.

Lenox Napier, a Britsh-born journalist and blogger long resident in Andalucia, remarked: "The whole enterprise was a bit similar to Putin’s 2022 attack on Ukraine, the buildup of forces on the frontier and so on, but evidently turned out to be rather more successful".

Napier went on to speculate: "Will China feel that it’s their turn now with Taiwan? We shall see".

Lenox Napier [Almeria Hoy]

Spain’s reaction to this remarkable coup understandably varied acccording to which party you represent. President Sánchez (PSOE) called for a de-escalation: “Both International law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations must be respected”.

Sánchez, in line with the EU, avoided expressly condemning the US operation, yet coalition partner Sumar denounced the attacks against Venezuela as “imperialist aggression".

Alberto Núñez Feijóo (PP), out of touch as usual, was insisting on a quick transition led by Edmundo González (the doddery old Venezuelan politician who lives in exile in Madrid).

The ex-Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias didn't mince his words: "They're bombing to steal their oil and impose a puppet government."

Gabriel Rufián (ERC spokesperson) said:

"Bombing another country is not war, it's aggression, and detaining the President of that country is not an arrest, it's a kidnapping."

[Gabriel Rufian video by La Sexta]

We learned from El Mundo that Maduro will be tried for "narcoterrorism and possessing destructive arms against the USA".

News agency Reuters posted: "The Russian Foreign Ministry called the US strike on Venezuela 'deeply concerning and condemnable'.

Argentina’s President Milei, true to form, opined: "Freedom moves forward, hooray for freedom, Goddammit’.

The pundit Chris Hedges wrote: "The kidnapping of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife solidifies America’s role as a gangster state. Violence does not generate peace. It generates violence. The immolation of international and humanitarian law, as the US and Israel have done in Gaza, and as took place in Caracas, generates a world without laws, a world of failed states, warlords, rouge imperial powers and perpetual violence and chaos…"

[Chris Hedges courtesy of PBS]

The American vice-president JD Vance (41) tweeted: “The president offered multiple off-ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says."

What else has happened?

Around 600,000 Venezuelans live in exile in Spain, on the coasts and in other tourist areas. Many wealthier folk have infiltrated the smartest barrios in Madrid, where, having managed to get their money out of Caracas, they have invested in real-estate.

We saw on the TV news that a large Venezuelan celebration was held in Madrid on Saturday afternoon "supported by both the PP and Vox".

One anonymous demonstrator told reporters: "I thought the Americans would solve this in a day at most, but if it's true that they captured Maduro in just three hours... that's a whole different ballgame".

In a live speech, more a "babbling monologue", which strayed off-topic a number of times, Trump told reporters and the watching TV audience on Saturday afternoon (CET) that the invasion of Venezuela was " ..... an assault not seen since World War II".

“They took our oil infrastructure. We never had a president who did anything about it”, he told us, with a clear jibe at former president Joe Biden.

[Red Bubble]

“We are going to run the country until the arrival of a proper turnover of power”, he said.

“The oil business – we’re going to have our large American companies fix the infrastructure, and we are ready for a second, much larger attack if necessary”.

Did Secretary of State Marco Rubio (54) standing beside him look faintly embarrassed?

“National security, just like tariffs – make our country rich”, Trump continued.

“A year ago, we were a dead country, no longer”, said Trump, unerringly alienating half of the American population once again.

Following Trump's speech, we heard from his senior advisers.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio (54) warned: "Don’t play games with this president, because it won’t turn out well".

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (45) "bigged up" the US troops: "We showed guts, grit, gallantry and glory", said in an alliterative moment (Napier).

The BBC dubbed the event: "A rather extraordinary press briefing".

The Guardian covered the Mar-a-Lago speeches here.

Footnote:

Trump, Rubio and Hegseth were born under the star sign Gemini, so are literally "two-faced".

Trump [BBC] Marco Rubio [La Sexta ] Pete Hegseth [CNN en español]

Vance is a Leo ("Confident and creative, attention-seeking"). Although I don't believe in "The Stars", does this make it likely that if Trump does what the Law says and stands down at the end of his current second term as president, JD Vance will be the next Republican presidential candidate?

And then the 48th president of the USA?

JD Vance [Photo courtesy of The White House]

Surely even the US voters couldn't be that stupid again ..... Or could they?

Back to Venezuela

The exiled official opposition leader (and Nobel Peace Prize winner) Maria Corina Machado, speaking from an undisclosed site, said: “The time of freedom has arrived, and we are ready to take power”.

However, 20Minutos reports that Trump has ruled out María Corina Machado to lead Venezuela: "She doesn't have the internal support or the respect of the country".

Instead, Trump has chosen Maduro’s vice-president Delcy Rodríguez to take over.

Maria Corina Machado [BBC] Delcy Rodriguez [Cadena SER]

From "The Other 98%", we are told:

"Let’s strip away the euphemisms: this is invasion, not enforcement.

There was no imminent threat to American soil that justified the use of force under international law.

Venezuela sits on some of the largest proven oil reserves in the world, and its economic and geopolitical position has long made it a target of U.S. political and economic pressure".

[PolitiFact]

Later

A few other reactions:

The Venezuelan Attorney General condemned the "cowardly imperial attack" against civilians in Venezuela. He also demanded the release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Brazil's president Lula da Silva denounces the "unacceptable" US attack and the capture of Maduro and warns that it paves the way for a world where "the law of the strongest" prevails.

[El Confidencial]

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Saturday said China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the US' blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president.

The far-right French politician Marine Le Pen criticises the US attack on Venezuela.

Finally, Trump issues a stark warning to Colombia's Gustavo Petro: he asserts that Petro will be the next US target after Maduro.

Abbreviations used:

BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation

CNN - Cable News Network

CET - Central European Time

ERC - Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya

EU - European Union

MSN - Microsoft News

PP - Partido Popular

PSOE - Partido Soialista de Obreros Españoles

PBS - Public Broadcasting Service

UK - United Kingdom

US - United States

USA - United States of America

Sources:

ABC, BBC, El Mundo, Lenox Napier, MSN, Paul Whitelock, SKY News, The Huffington Post

Pictures:

Almeria Hoy, BBC, CNN en español, Cadena SER, El Confidencial, La Sexta, PBS, PolitiFact, Red Bubble, Shutterstock

Tags:

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, Almeria Hoy, Antonio Guterres, ABC, BBC, CNN en español, Cadena SER, CET, Chris Hedges, Delcy Rodriguez, Edmundo González, El Confidencial, El Mundo, Emmanuel Macron, ERC, EU, Friedrich Merz, Gabriel Rufián, Gustavo Petro, JD Vance, Keir Starmer, La Sexta, Lenox Napier, Lula da Silva, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, Maria Corina Machado, Marine Le Pen, MSN, Nicolas Maduro, Pablo Iglesias, PP, PSOE, Paul Whitelock, Pedro Sanchez, PBS, Podemos, PolitiFact, Pope Leo XIV, Red Bubble, Shutterstock, SKY News, Sumar, The Huffington Post, US, USA, Ursula van der Leyen

New Rules of the Road

2026-01-02T21:15:33

Since yesterday, 1st January 2026, there are some significant adjustments to the Spanish equivalent of The Highway Code.

The most important changes are:

1. Everybody travelling in a vehicle must wear a seatbelt, including taxi drivers, delivery drivers, driving instructors and pregnant mothers all of whom were previously exempt.

2. In the event of an emergency, warning triangles are OUT and V16 beacons are IN. But not the type we were encouraged to buy for the last couple of years. The DGT has changed the requirement at the 11th hour.

[Image courtesy of N332]

The beacons now have to be homologised and contain a chip to indicate to the rescue services via GPS where the breakdown has occurred.

A great idea to be sure, but why so last-minute when many of us had already bought a non-clever-dick-version?

And, by the way, what was wrong with triangles in any case?

Pedro, you're beginning to get on this socialist's nerves!

[N332]

Sources:

DGT, SUR in English, The Olive Press, Wikipedia

Pix:

N332

Tags:

beacon, DGT, N332, SUR in English, The Olive Press, V16, Wikipedia

"The Great Escape"

2025-12-19T07:09:56

Not the great wartime film thriller starring Steve McQueen, but the day when the Spanish "break up" for Christmas and head off somewhere for the whole Yuletide season.

"The Great Escape" [Netflix]

Today is the day when the Christmas holidays begin for many Spaniards. Many workers will finish work early, rush home, pick up the family and the luggage and head off to the coast, the mountains, the airport to start what could be nearly three weeks holiday.

Traffic jams start later today [La Vanguardia]

The DGT predicts 22.5 million traffic movements during this holiday period.

Strictly speaking schools break up on Monday, 22nd December, the same day as the winning lottery tickets in "El Gordo" are drawn, but in reality, this year, today is the last day of term.

What implications does this have for normal life?

Well, if you have bureaucratic matters to deal with, you can forget them until the New Year.

Lots of offices and companies will also shut down.

Productivity will plummet, although spending in shops and online should rocket.

[Instagram]

Spaniards who are have fulltime jobs will have money to spend. Many receive 14 monthly payments in a year - they get two months salary in August for their summer holidays, and two in December to pay for presents, meals out, trips, etc, over the Christmas/New Year/Epiphany period.

So, what's on?

22nd December - "El Gordo"

24th December - Noche Buena (Christmas Eve)

25th December - Dia de Navidad (Christmas Day)

26th December - normal working day in Spain

28th December - Dia de Los Inocentes - recalls Herod's murdering of all new-born male babies in an attempt to kill the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Curiously this day is a day for tricks and messing about - a bit like April Fool's Day in the UK and the USA.

[Vivir Experiencias]

31st December - Noche Vieja (New Year's Eve).

The tradition of eating twelve grapes while the clock chimes midnight, making secret wishes for the following year.

This is followed by fireworks and sometimes bonfires.

People stay up late on this day.

1st January - Año Nuevo (New Year's Day)

[Spain.info]

6th January - Dia de Reyes (Epiphany)

Commemorates the Three Wise Men bearing gifts coming to visit Baby Jesus.

This is the day when Spanish children receive their main, and most expensive, presents.

[Instagram]

7th January - Schools re-open and adults go back to work.

***

In many villages, towns and cities there are other activities also: Christmas markets, pantomimes, children's activities, adult theatre, musical events, art exhibitions, food stalls and parades.

***

Final comment

The Spanish love their fiestas and this is one of the biggest, along with Easter. The difference in attitude to life between the British and the Spanish can be summed up by the saying:

"El ingles vive para trabajar, mientras el español trabaja para vivir." ("The English live in order to work; the Spanish work in order to live.")

Images:

Instagram, La Vanguardia, Netflix, Spain.info, Vivir Experiencias, YouTube

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia,

Tags:

Año Nuevo, April Fool's Day, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, Dia de Los Inocentes, Dia de Navidad, Dia de Reyes, DGT, "El Gordo", Epiphany, Herod, Instagram, Jesus Christ, La Vanguardia, Messiah, Netflix, New Year's Day, New Year's Eve, Noche Buena, Noche Vieja, Paul Whitelock, Spain.info, Steve McQueen, "The Great Escape", Three Wise Men, twelve grapes, Vivir Experiencias, Wikipedia, YouTube

Good News! Ronda Valley Hotel to re-open soon!

2025-12-07T12:01:04

The Ronda Valley Hotel (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 …..

[Atrapalo]

What's going on?

Rumours abounded:

the current tenants' lease had been cancelled unilaterally;
the lease was up for grabs;
the hotel was for sale;
the kitchen had failed its hygiene check;
the building had been condemned and it was to be demolished.

[OTYPO]

For many locals, Spanish and foreign alike, this was a disaster. We had been spending time and money there for years, and now ….. ? What would we do? Where would we go?

Other hostelries nearby don't currently fit the bill.

Hotel Molino del Puente is shut for three months.
Hotel Perla Blanca - we don't even know if it's functioning at the moment.
Venta El Puente only opens half the week.
Venta La Vega only does breakfast and lunch and shuts on Thursdays.
Venta El Polvorilla only serves breakfast and lunch.
Venta El Pelistre isn't always open either.
Hotel Molino del Arco is only open for residents.

El Polvorilla [www.sluurpy.es]

And next?

If my informant is telling the truth (I think he is - he's the new owner!)

Anyway, I know what's happening, from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

The new owner, DG, has already been to the notary and the hotel is his from December 15th.

He wants to do some work, but hopes to open before Christmas, in order to benefit from hotel room bookings, bar takings, tapas and meals, etc.

Mural in the public bar [Expedia]

DG intends to visit local homes and businesses to introduce himself and to invite the locals to the grand re-opening night to enjoy free drinks and tapas.

I look forward to that.

Action Plan for the Don Benito

I had a few ideas about what could be done to improve the "offer", which I discussed with DG. He agrees.

give the bedrooms a makeover. They are a bit dated, basic and shabby. Once the renovation is completed the hotel could "up" its prices. 30 € a night for a double room off-season is way too cheap.

[Central de Reservas]

adjust the horario of the restaurant. 7.00 - 10.30 would be welcomed by the very many hotel guests from Northern Europe, USA and Canada.
introduce tapas at the bar.
hold a monthly live music event on the terrace or in the function room.

[Instagram]

In the meantime ..... ?

On Thursday night Rita and I tried out the new Las Maravillas in Ronda.

Just as good, if not better than the larger and original version on Calle La Bola.

The original Las Maravillas [Trip Advisor]

The next couple of nights I went to Venta El Puente.

On Friday night, the whole crowd from the Ronda Valley Hotel was there.

Last night I sat with Liz and Rob and their two-year-old little girl. Hadn't seen them for a while, so we had a good catch-up.

[Photo by Karl Smallman]

Tonight, Sunday, I'm going to stay in.

As for the RVH, or the Don Benito, or whatever it will be called in the future, I await its re-opening with bated breath .....

Links:

Another - new – Ronda Valley

"HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY" - Help me, Ronda

Only Joe King

Ronda, Happiest Town in Spain - Help me, Ronda

Ronda Valley Hotel to close? F**k! - Help me, Ronda

Pictures:

Atrapalo, Central de Reservas, Expedia, Instagram, Karl Smallman, OTYPO, Secret Serrania, Trip Advisor, www.sluurpy.es

Thanks:

David Garcia, Las Maravillas, Paul Whitelock, Venta El Puente

Tags:

Atrapalo, bar takings, Central de Reservas, Expedia, Hotel Don Benito, Hotel Molino del Arco, Hotel Molino del Puente, Hotel Perla Blanca, Instagram, Karl Smallman, meals, Only Joe King, open before Christmas, OTYPO, Paul Whitelock, Ronda Valley Hotel, room bookings, Secret Serrania, tapas, Trip Advisor, Venta El Pelistre, Venta El Polvorilla, Venta El Puente, Venta La Vega, www.sluurpy.es