15 March - Well I have been remiss in not posting any new entries for a couple of weeks. I've been busy with other things and have not have the time to get around to a new entry.... so I made some time today.
This morning, we had the second meeting of the people interested in promoting the Genal Valley and the Serrania de Ronda. Basically owners and service providers of one sort or another including artists. We had the first meeting last week at a place called Finca Algaba which is located off of the A369 near Ronda. This finca has been open for a year but not many people in the area actually know much about the place. Goes to the heart of the problem we have here in the area, little to no publicity, even to those of us that live here.
Anyway, Finca Algaba has a program in place where people can go and stay on the finca in a primitive surrounding to ascertain how people from long ago survived, growing their own fruit and veg, living in a primitive village that was purpose built on the finca. They are also open for other activities and have live stock wondering around the property.
We all met there to determine if we, as a group, were interested in working together to further our own businesses and interests together. There is definitely more influence and power as an organised group than as individuals. You know the saying, "united we stand, divided we fall". So this morning we had the second meeting here in the hotel. We came to some agreements and we are first going to work toward organising a website with information about all there is to do and see in this area, the area being the Serrania de Ronda and then the Genal Valley more specifically. There is also a consultant on hand who is working for the Junta de Andalucia whose advice and guidance we are seeking. His mandate with the junta is to promote cultural and tourism related activities and events in the region. Let's see where this will take us.
Business has been slow as usual. We had a three rooms last weekend including one drop-in which is always nice. We had no one for lunch on Saturday but our clients all had some dinner; Sunday was a better for lunch and we had another room arrive that day and so they also had dinner. We had a client come for lunch who has asked us to do some catering for her job in May when they are hosting some Europeans from out of Spain for a workshop. Alicia works in a language school in Ronda and Ivan made her wedding cake last year as well as her new husband's last birthday cake. She is a devoted client of ours and she thought of us when this event came up at her job. So we are going into Ronda tomorrow morning to look at the facilities to see what we can do for them.
I've been taking a few bookings these last few days for Semana Santa and Easter as well as May and June. I also had an email from Maggie about her painting workshop in October; she wrote to inform me that it is just about full and she thinks she may be able to get a second workshop organised for a few days after in October. Very good news. I also contacted the other two artists Maggie introduced to me. One confirmed workshop dates for April 2008 and the other confirmed interest in his September 2007 workshop. Artescapes has also contacted me recently saying they have confirmed their September workshop so all good news.... if only we had some of this business now to help with the current stack of bills!!!
We also finally went to meet Guy Hunter-Watts, owner of a B&B on the road to Sevilla. He also puts out a book about small places to stay in Andalucia and I want to try to get an entry in his next published guide. He was very pleasant and told us he would put us in his diary for the next time he is going to do a round of visits, after the summer. He has a beautiful home next to his B&B; he also told us his B&B will be changed into a rental property as he and his partner are now going to start travelling.... what a nice idea that is!! I'd like to do that myself some day, travel around, review hotels for a travel company or guide book.
We also finally went on one of the walks in the valley after being here for 2.5 years. We took the dogs and went on this walk from Juzcar to Cartajima down through the valley and then up to Cartajima. It was really very nice and one sees such a different perspective of things when one is walking on a dirt track down in the valley.
The weather has cooled off since the beginning of the month. It's been cloudy with no rain and cool to cold in the evenings, a turn I did not expect to see again but do appreciate as when it gets hot here, it's darn hot! We have sun today but the air is cool so relatively comfortable actually.
Tomorrow we have a group of lads coming from London for a stag weekend. The groom is a friend and former colleague of Ivan's. He and his fiance have invited us to the wedding in September but I doubt we can attend because the airfare is so expensive. Anyway, he wanted us to come to the Stag Event but understood we have a business to run so he opted for bringing the lads to us. They have nearly filled the hotel which is good and will be here for 3 nights. Rob tried to get them to have a day in the countryside undertaking one of the out activities but they would not have it... they only want to drink and hang! Ivan and company (as at least 3 of the lads including the groom are chefs) will be preparing roasted suckling pig for dinner on Saturday.
Well, this is a good entry for now. Must dash.
