This is the story of a friend of mine, Arthur Evans from Neath in South Wales, who some years ago found true love in the mountains of the Serranía de Ronda.
When Arthur, a frequent visitor to Ronda, first set eyes on Carmen at the Feria de Pedro Romero which takes place every September in Ronda, he was smitten.
Not very experienced in the dating game Arthur, a divorcé with two grown-up children, nevertheless managed to get himself invited for afternoon coffee with Carmen, at her house in a beautiful pueblo blanco near Ronda.
After a pleasant afternoon seated in the sunlight on the roof terrace, things got better when Carmen invited Arthur to stay for a dinner party she was hosting that evening for some English friends. How could he refuse? He cancelled his plans for the evening and there followed a delightful meal al fresco under the stars. Unfortunately for the putative lovebirds Arthur had to return to South Wales the following day. Would that be the end of a beautiful friendship before it even started?
Not at all. Arthur and Carmen began to exchange emails on a regular basis. But this was not enough for lovestruck Arthur.
After two weeks back in South Wales Arthur decided on the spur of the moment to book a flight back to Spain to see the lovely Carmen. They had lunch and dinner together the first day and soon discovered they had lots in common. “Carmen is such a bubbly, positive, funny person. Fortunately I speak Spanish, so we have no communication problems at all. It couldn´t be better.”
Arthur has now moved to Andalucía permanently. A former languages teacher and translator Arthur is building a new career in the Ronda area translating, interpreting and teaching both English and Spanish, in order to be able to live with the woman of his dreams.
For her part, twice-divorced Carmen is thrilled to bits with her new man. “I love living in my little pueblo blanco and I have enjoyed living alone, but now I’ve found Arthur my life has become even better. He is just the man that I always wanted, but never found – until now!”
What did the couple do on St Valentine’s Day that year? They went to London to watch Arthur’s son, Tom, a professional actor and musician, perform on stage in London in the musical “Moll Flanders”, followed by a romantic meal in a Covent Garden restaurant. ¡Viva el amor!
Many St Valentine’s Days later, Arthur and Carmen still live in the Serranía de Ronda, where they are making the most of their twilight years in this beautiful part of Spain, enjoying their large garden, travelling, walking their dog Chispa and coming to terms with life after Covid-19.
Note:
To read an article written by The History Man about St Valentine and the origins of the ways in which we now celebrate his day, 14 February, click https://www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/thehistoryman.aspx