WOLVES IN SPAIN
It is easy to forget in the modern world that there are still considerable numbers of wild wolves in some area of Spain.
The last reliable census in 1998 showed a recovery in wolf numbers in Spain to approximately 2000 individuals and ranges are increasing as rural areas are depopulated and public attitudes become more tolerant. There has also been an increase in the availability of food for the animals along with a recuperation of natural vegetation.
Wolves organise themselves into packs and in any one year only one pair per pack – the alpha couple – will reproduce, although they may well have as many as 6 pups per litter. The youngsters take 18 months to reach maturity.
Wolves are the most widespread mammal in the world after human beings but have often received a very bad press. In Spain the largest concentrations are in the North west of the country – in Castilla and Leon – and in Galicia- although there are also populations in Northern Andalucia and some animals have been seen 100km from the centre of Madrid and 40 km from the centre of Barcelona. There is now a compensation programme in place to alleviate the effects of the expanding range of the wolf; it is estimated that between 1 and 2 million euros are paid each year to shepherds- mostly in Castilla and Leon. Some believe this is a small price to pay in a developed country to have the presence of such wonderful wild animals.
Whilst there are no wolves in close proximity to Hotel Molino del Santo, there is a Wolf Park near Antequera. Here you can see a range of variety of wolves on guided tour in Spanish and English and even go howling with the wolves at dusk. The park is open every day and prices are very reasonable.
STRIKES CALLED OFF
It is a huge relief to the whole Spanish toursit economy that the strilkes threatened ny airport handling staff throughout the whiole country have been called off.
The unions claim that the management had presented a package of changes that were totally unacceptable and had called for 22 days of strikes that could have paralysed the airports during the busiest times of the year – including Easter and the May Holiday weekend as well as some dates in the summer.
The Spanish economy which is experiencing difficult times does not need any disruption to the tourist industry on which it depends so much. The tourist sector had a reasonably good 2010 and there is hope that 2011 will be even bettter.
The future looks more rosy with the news of the stirkes being called off. Apparently the management had presented their arguments badly but after 17 hours of talks, there is agreement to accept new working practices.
Molino del Santo looks forward to welcoming lots of people to the hotel in April and May and it is great to know that guests’ plans will not be disrupted by induistrial action,.
RONDA BODEGA THROWS ITS WINE AWAY
Molino del Santo is always proud to offer local wines on its wine list and one of the highest quality wines available from the Ronda area, amongst the 17 different bodegas, is Vetas.
The Bodega Vetas has a hectare of vines grown in the area surrounding the “Town of the Gorge” and has been operating for the last ten years gaining international prizes for the quality of the product.
However this year the bodega owner has decided that the quality of the production from 2007, which has been fermenting in wooden barrels for the last three years, is not acceptable. So the decision has been made to throw away 3600 litres of wine because the enologist’s strict standards have not been met. The wine, of the variety Petit Verdot, was thrown into the earth of the vineyard early in the morning so that the nutrients could be returned to the soil.
The estimated loss of profit from the decision is in the order of 80.000euros. The bodega owner thinks the unusual meteorological conditions of the harvest are to blame for the decision needing to be made.
The Ronda area produces half a million bottles of wine a year, the majority being robust reds. Vetas is on one of the area’s more expensive wines and is available at Molino del Santo. Hotel Molino del Santo offers a total of more than twenty different wines form Andalucia – many of them from the Ronda area.
RINGING FLAMINGOES
One of the places visited by people staying at Molino del Santo is the Lake at Fuente de Piedra – the most important breeding place for flamingoes in the Western Mediterranean.
The number of breeding birds varies from year to year but 2010 has been a great season due to adequate water levels which are over a metre deep this year. It is estimated that there are 15000 pairs of breeding birds this year and that 8000 chicks have hatched.
Every year there is a ringing programme of the chicks so that their life cycles and movements can be studied and this year is no exception.
Over 400 people gathered at 04.00 recently to assist with the ringing programme. Over 1000 chicks were surrounded and then processed through six different corrals. In the first they are ringed with a metal ring on the right leg and a plastic one on the left leg.
The following corrals see the birds weighed (average weight is between 1500 and 2500g) , measured, blood samples taken, and small samples of the tongue and the faeces are also obtained. Finally they are released. This year there was time to ring over 600
birds – over 14800 have been ringed over the past 24years.
There is a hospital section too for the chicks that get slightly injured as they arerounded up and there were more leg fractures this year due to the water depths.
The whole operation is the largest volunteer operation in the Environmental area in Spain. There is an information centre at the Lake which explains the whole life cycle of the birds as well as offering a rental service of binoculars and telescopes for best views
of the birds.
Another reason to visit Molino del Santo soon – the lake is an hour’s drive away just beyond Campillos. Further information is available from the reception at the Hotel.
MICHELLE OBAMA IN RONDA
As expected Michelle Obama visited Ronda on Saturday 7th August during her four day visit to the Costa del Sol. Accompanied by her daughter Sasha and a number of friends, she arrived with a cortege of 14 vehicles.
Whilst the visit was a private one, there was still the need for helicopters and hundreds of police on the streets including many plain-clothes officers mixing with the crowds of locals and tourists.
Having crossed the New Bridge in Ronda, the family made their way to “La Casa de Juan Bosco”, a 20th century construction which offered them views of the gorge. From there she visited the main church of Ronda where she was impressed by the silver- gilded altar piece and was given a medal and some books as souvenirs of her visit.
The family continued on foot to visit the old Town – which had been sealed off for the duration of her visit. Only residents watching from their balconies were able to follow their progress. Cars waited in the Town Hall square to collect her and frustrated the onlookers by parking in such a way as to prevent good views of the group.
The next stop was at the “Casa del Rey Moro”, an 18th Century palace on the edge of the gorge. The family took the 365 steps of the mine which gives access to the river and then rested in the shade of the gardens designed by Forestiére. There are plans to convert the palace in to a five star hotel and the current owner, who has been frustrated in his plans by the local bureaucracy, took the chance to tell the media that he had explained his plans for the building to Michelle who said she would return to stay there if the conversion went ahead. Got to make the most of celebrity visits!
Michelle and Sasha Obama in Málaga province
For the last few days Andalucia has been honoured with the presence of the American first lady and her younger daughter. They have been staying in a 5-star hotel near Estepona and making visits to local places, including Granada and Marbella.
They are expected to visit Ronda although there are signs that Michelle is finding the attention a little over-bearing. When the authorities closed a section of the beach to the public so that they could enjoy the sea, Sasha was pictured in the water but her mother preferred to stay out of the public gaze on a sunbed in a private zone. They are not expected to visit Molino del Santo.
It is a funny life for them ; dining in Marbella, the restaurant of choice was closed to everyone else for the duration of their visit. On the beach Sasha played all on her own in a cordoned-off area and then she visited a wildlife park – but again only when all other members of the public had left.
A charity will be delighted with the family’s visit. A gala dinner had been organised before the visit was announced in the hotel where Michelle is staying. Before her presence was confirmed, the 800euro a head tickets were selling very slowly – now there is a waiting list of hundreds of people and some tickets are rumoured to be changing hands for up to ten times their face value.
Other people have benefited from the visit – roads have been paved after years of neglect, and beaches have been cleared of unsightly rubbish and builders’ waste.
After a four night stay the family will move on to Majorca where they will be guests of the King and Queen of Spain.
It’s best to walk early in the day in July and August
Last week a guest motivated Andy to take him on an early morning walk. Setting off at 0730 we found our way from Cortes de la Frontera back to Benaoján through the upland Libar valley.
It was absolutely stunning in the early morning light and enlivened by sightings of a Short-toed eagle perched in a dead tree about 100metres away, a pair of Ibex making their way over a scree slope and herds of inquisitive black pigs. Vultures, Hoopoes and some late-blooming flowers added to the delights of a great morning. By noon the temperature had reached mid 30s and without a breath of wind our new dog was struggling to keep cool – immersing himself in any standing water for as long as possible.
It’s a relatively easy route to follow with stunning scenery as a reward for anyone willing to make the effort – although perhaps best undertaken in the cooler months of the year.
The route is available from Molino reception or by contacting the hotel at info@molinodelsanto.com.
Micro-lighting above the Serrania
As so many people return to Molino del Santo every year, the hotel is constantly looking for different activities for our more active guests. Ever unselfish, the boss took to the skies on behalf of hotel visitors recently.
With the help of Francisco Ordoñez who lives in Arriate, a micro-light flight was undertaken on a Saturday morning – take-off being relatively early to avoid the thermals of the day. The route took in the new race course at Ascari on the Campillos road and then skirted the sierras behind the village of Arriate. From there the flight crossed the highest peaks of the area to reach and cross just over the dam near Montejaque. Here the micro-light was flying between flocks of Griffon Vultures – an amazing experience.
Then onwards to Benaoján and over Molino del Santo before taking the valley route to Ronda and criss-crossing the gorge and the bull-ring. Next the aircraft moved back towards the sierras where remote farms and stunning landscapes were visible, including two man-made reservoirs which are used by fire helicopters to collect water. Finally a few low level passes were undertaken where the 90km per hour speed of the machine could be appreciated before Francisco brought the craft back to land 50 minutes later on his specially built landing strip – just 120metres in length..
Exhilirating, stunning, breath-taking, exciting, enthralling, addictive, unforgettable..
A little disconcerting when your pilot takes his hands off the wings to take photos, a little alarming when your trouser leg catches on the throttle before you’ve even taken your seat and the pilot’s face turns white as the engine roars into life (but manages to hold the craft), a little scary when you realise that your life depends 100% on this other human being …………. but totally, totally worth all of these minor inconveniences.
Flights can be arranged – at your own risk – and if you’ve ever been at all tempted, grab this opportunity. For more information please contact Andy at andychapell@yahoo.co.uk.
CLASSIC CARS VISIT MOLINO DEL SANTO
As part of a touring holiday from Santander to the Costa del Sol, Molino del Santo hosted a dinner and overnight stay recently for a group of classic car enthusiasts.
Many of the vehicles were Alfa Romeos but there were other brands in the mix. The cars and proud owners had zig-zagged their way down through Spain stopping at special places en route and driving an average of 300 to 400 km a day.
After a week long trip, they agreed that the dinner that they enjoyed under the willow tree at Molino del Santo as being the best of their visit.
Most of the vehicles made the journey without too many hitches although one vehicle had been left in Badajoz awaiting the Spanish RAC equivalent. Whilst the owners moved on in friends’ cars, they were depending on the RAC to sort out the issue. Whilst at Molino del Santo they heard that their car had been diagnosed with a certain problem and the solution had been provided. The owners were convinced however that the solution would not solve the problem for more than a few kilometres and were setting off to collect the vehicle with little hope of its making the rest of the journey to Málaga.
Presumably a production line Fiat Panda would provide fewer problems but the sensitive hotel management did not mention this to the owners.
Molino del Santo wins again – and it’s Romantic – officially !
Hotel Molino del Santo has been awarded another distinction by the readers of a highly respected American Guide Book.
In the last few days the hotel has received a letter and certificate from the publishers of Karen Brown Guides based in California. Readers of the Guide were asked to nominate their favourite hotels across the world in various categories.
Molino del Santo, located in the station of Benaoján, has been selected as “Spain’s Most Romantic for 2010” amongst four different categories. The guide book lists many special hotels in Spain so it is very encouraging that a local Ronda hotel should be selected by the readers for this distinction. .
The Editor of the Guide, Karen Brown, wrote to the hotel recently saying , “Please accept my sincere and personal Congratulations!!! Your award simply serves as confirmation of the luxurious accommodation, exceptional service and incredible value you offer your guests. Thank you and congratulations on setting such a high standard for our industry. “
This is the second time Molino del Santo has been honoured by this particular guide in the three years that they have been making awards. In 2008 the hotel was selected as the hotel offering “The Warmest Welcome”. The Editor wrote to the hotel owners saying “We are honestly thrilled and find it very deserving that Molino del Santo has received special recognition AGAIN!”
The hotel will be recognised in 2010 via extra promotional and marketing campaigns that the publishers are organising world-wide.
+ info Karen Brown Guides