But it isn’t all work, last Saturday (February 2nd) was Candlemas, celebrated here with bonfires in the streets and free food and drink. We had a glass of beer, a plate of chorizo & a bowl of vegetable soup pressed on us! Sunday saw three visiting marching bands in La Roda, from Estepa, Campillos & Malaga as everyone is starting to get ready for Semana Santa (Easter).

The bands marched down the main street, Calle Real, and then each band performed their repertoire in turn, in a big hall belonging to one of the town brotherhoods, ( Real y Fevorosa Hermandad del Santo Entierro de Cristo y Maria Santisima de los Doroles Coronada), with plenty of food and drink available. It’s still very much a family affair, but we were made very welcome.