Puntos de vista - a personal Spain blog

The Feria de Pedro Romero starts next Tuesday and runs until Sunday (September 1st - 6th). For the first time in two years the corridas de toros (bullfights) are back, following safety work carried out on what is held to be the oldest plaza de toros in Spain.

The highlight, as always, are the goyescas on the Saturday, where the toreros dress in the style of the time of the celebrated artist Francisco de Goya (1746 - 1828).

The damas goyescas are chosen to enhance the spectacle throughout the feria.

[© Wikipedia]    

The Ayuntamiento officially launched the pre-feria celebrations on 3 July at the Convento de Santo Domingo, where the official 2026 poster was unveiled.

Created by Ronda architect Pilar Serratosa Fernández Baca, the artwork features the city’s iconic Puente Nuevo spanning El Tajo, one of Ronda's emblematic attractions.

    [© Ayuntamiento de Ronda]    

Personal note

I met the lady who was to become my second wife at the feria in 2008.

Rita, from Germany, whom I nicknamed 'The Meter Maid' (geddit?), was sitting in a beer tent with a bunch of other guiris (foreigners). We were introduced, I speak German, and the rest is history.

I immigrated later that year and we married in 2010.

[© HMR]    

Links:

https://www.secretserrania.com/2020/08/from-north-devon-to-south-spain-in-seven-decades-part-three-a-new-life-in-andalucia/

Pedro Romero Fair 2026 - Secret Serranía de Ronda

What is a guiri? It's what the Spanish call us foreigners - but is it good or bad? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

© Paul Whitelock MMXXVI

Pictures:

Ayuntamiento de Ronda, HMR, Wikipedia

Thanks:

Ayuntamiento de Ronda, Karl Smallman, Paul Whitelock, Real Maestranza, Secret Serrania de Ronda

Tags:

Ayuntamiento de Ronda, bullfight, corrida de toros, damas goyescas, goyesca, HMR, Karl Smallman, plaza de toros, Paul Whitelock, Real Maestranza, restoration, Secret Serrania de Ronda, torero, Wikipedia

I usually wear a hat or a cap outdoors. It's an affectation I've cultivated in recent years as a kind of fashion statement, matching some other part of my attire, eg shoes, socks, shorts or T-shirt. A cap by day and a straw hat in the evening.

[© Dreamstime]    

But a head covering has a more important role to play in Andalucia, which enjoys 300 sunshine days a year, as protection against sunburn.

What the experts say .....

According to doctors, in particular dermatologists, we should not neglect protecting our scalps from the sun.

Our hair, if we still have some, does not prevent melanoma. An increasing number of scalp tumours are being detected. Eight out of every 10 people between the ages of 16 and 25 get sunburnt when exposed to the sun (survey by the Piel Sana foundation).

In Spain, around 8,000 new cases of scalp melanomas will be diagnosed in 2026.

    [© DermNet]

"As awareness campaigns become more effective, people seek medical advice straightaway, leading to early diagnosis and a better prognosis", according to the AEDV (Spanish Association of Dermatology and Venereology).

Furthermore, dermatologists are clear that from 11.00 am to 5.00 pm it's best to stay in the shade.

    [© Metro]

Endword

I've lost count of the number of items of headgear I own. Cloth caps (gorras) and baseball caps, in a range of colours, and straw hats (some made of paper) in different styles and hues.

And I rarely pay more than about 3,99 euros - a small price to pay for all that protection against the burning sun.

© Pablo de Ronda MMXXVI

Images:

DermNet, Dreamstime, Metro

Thanks:

Google Images, Julia Fernandez, Paul Whitelock, SUR in English

Tags:

300 sunshine days, Andalucia, AEDV, baseball cap, cloth cap, dermatologist, DermNet, doctor, Dreamstime, fashion statement, Google Images, gorra, Julia Fernandez, melanoma, Metro, Pablo de Ronda, Paul Whitelock, Piel Sana foundation, scalp tumour, shade, straw hat, sunburn, SUR in English

Sitting down at the dinner table at 11 pm affects our digestion and our metabolism.

Fact.

    "The Last Supper" by Michelangelo [Wikipedia]

So, in a country where it's normal to have our cena late, especially in the summer when it's hot earlier in the evening, what's the solution?

According to Dr Maria Jose Martinez, co-ordinator of the Grupo de Cronobiologia de la Sociedad Española del Sueño (Spanish Sleep Society Chronobiology Group), the key is to introduce small changes to eating habits.

She suggests bringing the digestive process forward with a more substantial merienda (late afternoon snack) and eating a lighter cena later on.

[YouTube]    

Martinez also advises against "snacking" constantly from early evening into the small hours.

"Keep the same meals timetable on holiday," she adds. "Eat bigger breakfasts and lunches too."

In addition she recommends exposure to natural sunlight and keeping active during the day.

"This helps our biological clock to maintain a rhythm, despite long dinner/supper times," the doctor concludes.

[Chemistry World]    

On a personal note .....

Since I've lived in Spain I have adjusted my eating schedule. Early breakfast, followed by a second breakfast or lunch in the afternoons and a late dinner. It suits me well.

© Pablo de Ronda

Pictures:

Chemistry World, Wikipedia, YouTube

Thanks:

Diario SUR, Paul Whitelock (Translations)

Tags:

biological clock, breakfast, cena, Chemistry World, chronobiology, Diario SUR, digestive process, dinner, keeping active, lunch, Maria Jose Martinez, merienda, natural sunlight, Paul Whitelock, sleep, supper, Wikipedia, YouTube

This is the nickname given to the Costa del Sol because the area harbours fleeing criminals, mostly from the UK. As I read my copy of SUR IN ENGLISH dated Friday 31 July I was astonished to find a full page devoted to serious crimes committed in the last week. "It really is the Costa del Crime", I mused.

Two siblings aged 10 and 15 die in tragic Arroyo de la Miel apartment blaze

The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning on the third floor of an apartment block and spread quickly to the fourth floor, where the victims and their mother were asleep. The mother was rescued and taken to hospitsl in a serious condition. One firefighter was injured and several suffered from smoke inhalation. Forensic police officers have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Lithuanian shot four times in Estepona beach bar attack

A 31-year-old Lithuanian man is in hospital after being shot four times in a bar in Estepona. His current condition is unknown.

Despite police launching an investigation, no arrests have been made.

Man arrested after human torso found near Alhaurin de la Torre quarry road

A man has been arrested following the discovery of the remains of a human torso near a quarry in Alhaurin de la Torre. Detectives are treating the incident as a violent death, although further detsils have been withheld as the investigation is ongoing.

Three migrants' bodies recovered off Estepona and Manilva coast

Emergency services recovered the bodies of three young migrants this week.

One body found east of Estepona had apparently been at sea for weeks.

The other two, who were wearing wet suits and diving fins, were discovered close to Estepona port and near Manilva. One was aged between 19 and 20 and the other under 30. It is believed the men were attempting to swim from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.

Malaga beach stabbing victim recovers in hospital after surgery

A 34-year-old man is recovering in hospital after being stabbed on La Malagueta beach in Malaga. The man, of Argentinian and Polish descent, sustained serious injuries. A British man has been arrested. The victim's girlfriend said: "They had to resuscitate him at the scene and in hospital because he nearly bled to death." The assailant was detained by members of the public until police arrived.

© Paul Whitelock MMXXVI

Photos:

SUR

Acknowledgements:

Irene Quirante

Juan Cano

Maria Jose Diaz Alcala

Rossel Aparicio

Tags:

Alhaurin de la Torre, Arroyo de la Miel, Estepona, Irene Quirante, Juan Cano, La Malagueta, Malaga, Manilva, Maria Jose Diaz Alcala, Rossel Aparicio, SUR in English