Nerja News

Arriving at Gatwick airport in the dead of night, one of the perils of using budget airlines, it was certainly cool but it didn’t seem overly cold.

After waiting for over an hour staring at empty baggage conveyers – either the staff had gone home or there was a go-slow, never found out which – we were on our way to Hampshire. The temperature was getting cooler all the time.

Tuesday morning was frosty and a trifle on the nippy side, to say the least, but in the evening it began to snow. And snow.

And most of the UK came to a grinding halt. Roads were impassable, airports were closed and the fires were stoked up, creating talk of problems with gas supply in many parts of the country. more »

Today was a welcome break from the almost incessant rain, the sky clearing and the sun putting its hat on. Plenty of people emerged from the warmth and comfort of their homes to make the most of it, all hoping it will continue until the New Year celebrations, damp fireworks being somewhat overrated.

The new promenade at El Chucho is now open and in use. Odd that there was no official ribbon cutting and public back patting to celebrate its opening, although being about one year behind schedule could have had some bearing. It looks very nice, though.

The beaches have taken a bit of a pounding during the recent inclement weather and a lot of debris has been washed up onto the sand. Great for the kids because they have been building all sorts of structures. more »

The exhibition Hall in calle Cristo (calle Almirante Ferrandis/Post office street) is currently home to the municipal Nativity Scene and it will be on show from now until January 6th 2010. The opening times are from 17:30 until 20:00.

The display is the legacy of Carmen Rodríguez, a málagueño by birth but long time resident of Nerja. The scene was displayed at the family home in Málaga from the turn of the last century.

Upon the death of her father, Carmen Rodríguez moved to Nerja, to calle Bronce to be exact, and continued to assemble the Nativity Scene until her death in 1970.

The tradition was then carried on by her nephews and nieces, notably Celestino Jaime and Purificación Escobar and they gathered a number of awards over the years, the last one being last Christmas. more »

A new tapas bar in town, so what better excuse to stop off for a lunchtime drink.

‘Tapika’s’ is located on calle Chaparil, Nerja, just round the corner from calle Antonio Millón and two doors up from one of the best tapas bars in town, ‘Sevillano’, so it’s got some pretty tough competition to contend with.

The premises were formerly occupied by ‘Bar Pitarra’ and then, following a lengthy period of inactivity, by ‘La Luna Llena’, a tapas bar run by a Dutch couple. And now it is ‘Tapika’s’.

The bar area is quite long and thin and has been divided, almost, into two bar sections, although the lift-up counter does allow for them to be joined if necessary. The barman would have to be constantly ducking to get in and out or even to get to the second bar area, but there is obviously a cunning plan in there somewhere. more »

Currently on at the Sala Mercado in calle San Miguel (Plaza de la Ermita, by the taxi rank) is the third Asociación Nerjeña de Arte exhibition, so time to pop in and have a look.

The first thing you see upon entering is this large and rather splendid canvas of the Balcón de Europa. It would be a bit difficult to emulate this at the moment with all the roadworks going on.

The Nerja Art Association was established in December 2007 and aims to promote cultural activities through competitions, art exhibitions, lectures and cultural trips.

ANED currently has thirty-five partners, most of them being painters. more »

The Andrea Inn on calle Jaén, Nerja, changed hands at the end of October and has just reopened, so what better excuse to check it out!

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Cudeca Cancer Care Hospice once again celebrates Light a Light in memory of our loved ones on Friday 11th December at 6.00 p.m. at the Hospice Centre.

Light a Light is a special tribute to a loved one when a light and candle is dedicated to them for a minimum donation of €10.

The Hospice building is decorated with lights which are switched on by the President and Founder, Joan Hunt O.B.E., and every one of those lights is in memory of someone special.

On this special evening, there will be choirs singing Christmas Carols and the wonderful sound of Bell Ringers. more »

There’s a new book on the shelves, a sort of modern girl’s guide to the Costa del Sol if you like, an enlightening yet light-hearted account of a young girl relocating to Spain to start a new life and maybe, if all goes well, turn a dream into reality.

But first, a bit of background on the author.

There are a lot of free magazines and newspapers available along the coast and in all sizes, and one of my own favourites has always been The Sentinella. It was one of the first, if not the first, of the A5 handy-mags, and is a nice mixture of serious and humorous articles.

It was started many years ago by the late Colin Checkley but for the past few years has been in the capable hands of one Keidi Keating.

At the tender age of 23 years, Keidi decided to leave England and try to make her way in Spain, never an easy task as many will only too willingly testify. Always one for keeping a diary, she continued to keep a note of everything, the ups as well as the downs. more »

At a time when businesses are still disappearing weekly, if not more frequently, it is good to see that some people have withstood the test of time, and economics.

The Nerja Book Centre is one of these, the shop now in its twenty-seventh year. Still the same owner, Derek Hands, and still in the same location, calle Granada. A rarity these days.

There are over 20,000 second hand books in stock in some fifteen languages, although the largest section by far is English, followed by German and Spanish.

The principle is simple and hasn’t changed since day one. You buy a book and then, if you decide to return it then you get 50% of the marked price towards the cost of your next book. more »

Today saw the staging of the 4th Rallyjet Championship – Copa del Rey in Nerja and with the usual aplomb, they didn’t manage to start on time. Probably borrowed a timepiece from the car park builders!

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Under clear skies, an unusual occurrence, the annual feria got underway yesterday evening, everything pretty much according to schedule, another minor miracle.

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Popped up to the weekly market on Tuesday, check out how things are going.

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Alcaucín is a small town, population roughly 2,400, where only seventeen percent of the inhabitants are under the age of twenty.

At this moment in time, there are no pregnancies in the town and only three children have been born in the municipality during the past sixteen months. The population of this small town is actually in decline.

Of the three babies born in the past sixteen months, only one has been named Isidro after the patron saint of the town. This could have something to do with the fact that the other two babies were girls, although they could have become Isidra, the female equivalent of Isidro. more »

Urban legends, myths, superstitions….it’s always nice to discover some of these little gems.

True or not, they add a little ‘something’ to life’s rich pageant. This one concerns the Balcón de Europa in Nerja and the ‘idea’ seems to have taken off with not only locals but also with visitors from various parts of the country.

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There is currently an exhibition at the Sala Municipal de Exposiciones in Calle Cristo, Nerja, entitled ‘Virgen de las Angustias’, a ‘Maritime Exhibition’ featuring paintings and model boats.

I happened to be passing and suddenly thought, let’s have a look. I wasn’t exactly sure of what to expect, other than paintings and model boats, of course, or maybe even paintings of model boats. Glad I did. more »

The new Rio Chillar walkway has been in the news recently, the Council complaining about deterioration after only a short period of time. The problem appears to be that, until all the post-construction problems have been suitably addressed, the walkway does not actually become the responsibility of the Council until it is officially handed over.

As a result, the Council is not carrying out any of the normal services, such as cleaning and maintenance. So, where better to go for a wander on a windy day, check out what’s happening? more »

It was Tuesday morning, the sea mist was rolling back and forth as if it couldn’t make up it’s mind, so what better time to head for the recently reinstated weekly market in Nerja.

Waiting for a bus is a bit like waiting for a kettle to boil, but one did eventually arrive and, packing up my camp bed, I clambered on board. more »