The Fifteen Roses of Grazalema
It's 30 odd degrees out there in the streets of Álora at the moment and the Perotes (locals) are going around 'Que calor!- ing' (How hot!). One Spanish friend of Mrs. Sánchez told her that she even hated the word 'verano' (summer) and couldn't bear to hear it spoken. It only seems a few weeks ago that we had 'aires de arriba' (wind from the north) and they were going round with scarves over their faces. The only weather the Perotes like is rain because it's 'good for the campo (fields)'. What a cruel trick of fate that thousands of Andalusians have been born in the wrong place. It's a fact that in the 1500s, after Fernando and Isabela kicked all the 'Moors' and Jews out of Spain in 1492 they tried to repopulate the abandoned Andaluz towns and villages with 'gallegos' (Gallicians from the north of Spain, where it rains a lot)) but you'd think they'd have got used to the hot and sunny weather by now.
Of course, the Brits love the sun and many have invested in special clothing to cope with the hot sunny weather.
Tenerife seems to have suffered the same fate as Andalucía. but instead of gallegos they have repopulated the largest Canary island with German people.
' For a century after the conquest, many new colonists settled on the island, including immigrants from the diverse territories of the growing Spanish Empire, such as Flanders, Italy, and Germany.'
Wikipedia.
So there you have it.
On Christmas Day 1494, the original inhabitants, called Menceyes, were bashed into submission by Spanish soldiers who either killed them, married them or gave them smallpox or influenza and sometimes all three.
Admiral Horatio Nelson lost his arm there in 1797 at the Battle of Santa Cruz.
Tenerife is very nice as long as you keep away from the south side where it's always hot and sunny, or travel too far up Mount Teide (the highest peak in Spain) where all you can see is vast expanses of black volcanic cinders.
If you want to find out for yourself you can pay 27 euros and take the teleférico (cable car) nearly to the top where you can get out and look at all the clouds below you or at the vast expanses of volcanic cinders around you.
It's a bit difficult to breathe up there too, so you won't want to stay there longer than it takes to use the toilets and have a cup of coffee from the machine.
Teide tip: Don't let your ticket blow away in the wind because you have to show it to get on the cable car going down!
I didn't see them selling any 'single' tickets at the ticket office, but you wouldn't want to spend a night stranded up there, believe me!
The local food on Tenerife is very good, but hard to find.
These Lapas (barnacles) were delicious.
When we got back to Álora we heard that somebody had broken into the Lottery Shop. They took a big chance in my opinion, and even if any of the tickets won, they wouldn't be able to claim the prize. Not very bright!
Also we had elections, with more street parties/bribery and we were just in time for 'La Semana de Ternera' (Steak Week) at La Boutique de la Carne (meat emporium) on Calle Cervantes
The local elections were on May 26th. but the political parties have got until June 15th. to decide who will be in charge of all the towns and villages in Spain. There are so many parties with 'seats' that alliances are being made between old enemies, new enemies and anyone who's willing to trade their principles for a taste of power. (Sound familiar?)
In Torremolinos, about 40 km. from Álora, the new Vox party won 2 seats on the council and held the 'balance of power'. They are very right wing and against homosexuality, immigration, women and having fun.
Torremolinos is known as the Gay Capital Of Andalucía and had a big Gay Pride festival last Saturday attended by more than 60,000 people. It came as a bit of a surprise to various vociferous Vox voters when one of the two new Vox councillors was spotted on the town hall balcony unfurling the rainbow banner. She's become an 'independent' councillor, for now at least.
La Denuncia.
Last Saturday I was giving my filthy car a wash outside Casa Sánchez. One of our neighbours, out for a morning paseo (stroll) with his wife, came over to me and told me that washing cars in the street was prohibido (forbidden) and that the police would serve a 'denuncia' on me. Apparently it's a danger to motorcyclists who might slip on the soapy water. He was not impressed when I pointed out that many gallons and even more litres of melted candle wax had recently been poured onto the streets of Álora by the Semana Santa (Easter) processions.
Anyway, I said I was very sorry and wouldn't do it again and he rejoined his wife with a smug Spanish swagger and continued up the street.
A 'denuncia' sounds very serious because it sounds like 'denounce' so I was a bit shaken.
Later in the afternoon I was relaxing in the back garden when the doorbell rang. I was expecting a delivery of dog food, but when I reached the door, there stood two 'municipales' (local police).
One of Alora's Finest.
My legs went a bit wobbly and I frantically prepared a grovelling apology in Spanish as I fumbled with the door. I couldn't make out what he was saying because I was listening out for words like 'coche' (car) 'denuncia' (denuncia) and 'multa'.(fine).
He smiled (!) and said,
'You don't understand me do you?'
'Er. Can you say it again, please, more slowly?'
'Do you know anyone on this street who owns a horse?'
(pause while I try to believe my ears )
'Yes. A horse. There's one loose on the road below your wall and they told us it belongs to someone on this street.'
´Well now, that bloke down there at number 13.......'
And that was that.
A bit of a co-incidence even so.
In fact, 'denunciar' just means 'to report'. If you have a complaint about a neighbour, for example, you can go to the ayuntamiento (town hall), fill in a denuncia (a report) and the local police will look into it..perhaps.
All shops, bars and restaurants have forms too, in Spanish and in English, in case you want to make a complaint, .
I did that in a restaurant in Toledo and it worked. A month later I found out they had cloned my credit card too.
If you do use the form you should then take your copy to the local OMIC (Oficina Municipal de Informacion al Consumidor/ Customer Office).
The office in Álora is opposite Cafetería Los Arcos and is only open on Tuesdays between 10.00am and 12.00pm. - so good luck with that. On the plus side, nobody is likely to try do you in Álora. (except in ** *******.)
Grazalema
Our good friend, Colin, is staying with us at the moment so for a treat we went to Grazalema for the day.
Grazalema is about 100 km (60 miles) from Álora, on the far side of Ronda in the Sierra de Grazalema National Park, a very beautiful forested area where they grow cork oaks. You hardly ever see Spanish wine in a bottle with a plastic cork and never with a screw top. In fact you hardly ever see any wine on sale that isn't Spanish. Two home industries given state support at once.
Grazalema has two districts : The Big Bull´s Penis (Jopone) and the Small Bull´s Penis (Jopiche). (honest!) It has the highest annual rainfall in Spain, too.
After being stuck for half an hour behind a mile-long procession of tractor-drawn, gaily decorated caravans on their way to Seville for La Romeria del Rocio.
we drove through the Serrania de Ronda to what turned out to be a very popular place for coach trips from Marbella. The cafes in and around Grazalema's very pretty main square were very busy.
I wanted to go to Grazalema for more than the scenery. I was hoping to find the place where one of the most horrible events of the Spanish Civil War took place. This grim episode in Spain's often violent history is known as:
Las Quince Rosas de Grazalema.
(The 15 roses of Grazalmena)
When the La Guerra Civil (Spanish Civil War) began in August 1936 some areas of Spain fell into rebel (nationalist) hands very quickly but others held out against the forces of Generals Franco, Mola, and Queipo de Llano, remaining loyal to the recently elected Republican government.
Málaga held out until February 1937, but afterwards a wave of reprisals against the surviving defenders of the city took place . Many thousands were murdered and more than 10,000 refugees fleeing the city eastwards on the road towards Almería were attacked and killed by German and Italian fighter planes.
Refugees from Málaga on the road to Almería. February 1937.
The reprisals spread up into the towns and villages of Andalucía. Anyone who had supported the government was arrested for treason. This often included family members and friends.
In Grazalema fifteen young women between the ages of 20 and 30, including four in the advanced stages of pregnancy were dragged from their houses. None of them was an activist or member of any political organisation, but they were the wives, sisters, daughters or fiancées of men who had taken part in the defence of Málaga.
The women were taken the the town square where their heads were shaved. Then they were forced to swallow castor oil which caused diarrhoea and dragged naked through the town behind donkeys. Then they were loaded onto a lorry which took them out of town on the road to Ronda where a fossa (mass grave) awaited them. Forensic examination of their remains seventy years later found evidence of torture and axe wounds. No coups de grace were carried out so it is likely that some will have been buried alive.
The lorry returned to town and a blanket of silence covered the town for seven decades. In 2008 the remains of the 'rosas' were transferred to the local cemetery where a memorial stone now stands.
209 people in all were killed in the Grazalema reprisals. There are still six or seven graves that have not been opened yet.
During our drive to Grazalema on the road from Ronda I had been looking for a sign showing where the 'rosas' had been killed and buried but I saw nothing. I asked the waiter at the bar if he knew where the spot was. He didn't know but took me to meet two old campesinos (country types) sitting inside.
'Ah', one of them said 'Las mujeres fusiladas'.
'You won't find it. It's not marked. It's away from the road.'
Grazalema is a beautiful town in beautiful surroundings, It has its own micro climate and a colourful and dramatic history which is summarised on a tiled display near the main plaza. A dramatic victory against 'los gabachos' (the French) in the 'War of Independence.', 3 earthquakes and a smallpox epidemic killing 1000 inhabitants. There is no mention of the Civil War or Las Quince Rosas de Grazalema.
El Tempranillo and his lover
Grazalema was the home of the girlfriend of the famous bandit El Tempranillo ( see previous post17/4/2019). He is pictured here with two hands.
Those nice people from the popular television series 'A Place in the Sun' called round the other day.
They wanted to film an Álora garden so Mrs. S. and I offered to show them ours. It may be on the telly one day.
'A garden is a lovesome thing God wot.'
Here's Juan 'the scavenger' again. He's just returned to town with some chamomile flowers he found somewhere. He still hasn't delivered my lemons. His look says, 'Please buy my pretty flowers.'
Up at La Boutique de la Carne, their 'Steak Week' was such a success that they've followed it up with 'Pork Week'.
Never a dull moment in Alora.
Bar News
It's always sad to report the closure of a bar, but La Cantina up on Calle Cervantes and popular with the ex-pat Brits has put up the shutters and shut up the shop. Paco is fed up with running a bar, which comes as no surprise to observant customers, recently.
The good news is that Bar El Taller on La Rampa is doing very well and serving great tapas (the best calamares in town).
Bar Zentral in La Plaza de la Fuente Arriba is now fully operational and serving good tapas during the day.
Juanito Sanchez. June 9th. 2019
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