News from Little Hotels, Edition 12
It’s been a very long time since the last newsletter, so I do apologise. In the meantime we have installed a new system for newsletters, especially to cope with our growing number of clients, and also to provide an easy automatic unsubscribe system for anyone who doesn't want them.
Recent New Hotels
As soon as we added Finca Son Jorbo, it became an immediate favourite with our visitors.
Hardly surprising as it is a delightful little Mallorcan finca with just four apartments, combining all the quaint charms of a tiny farmhouse hotel with the space and flexibility of an apartment.
We have another four apartment rural hotel on another island too: Finca Malvasia on Lanzarote. This little guesthouse is bursting with rural chic, sitting at the centre of a vineyard with the characteristic landscape of Lanzarote all around and the Timanfaya "fire mountain" as a backdrop.
The most popular destination after the Mediterranean coast and the islands is La Rioja. Perhaps everyone loves the product so much, they feel they have to see where it comes from. And when we saw this wonderful 300 year-old manor house with the family coat-of-arms above the door, we just had to include it on Little Hotels of Spain. Welcome to the Real Casona de Las Amas.
There are plenty of others, but the last hotel I will mention now is one that seems to provide a little bit of everything. La Almunia Del Valle is in the Sierra Nevada natural park surrounded by mountains and beautiful countryside, ideal for walking, cycling, touring by car or just sitting in the garden to look at the view. For an extra burst of exercise in winter, it's only a short distance from the Sierra Nevada ski stations. Or if you want to visit the Alhambra in Granada without staying in the city, this is the place for you. And if this is not enough and you hanker for a day on the beach, the Costa Tropical is only 40 minutes away by car.
Christmas in Spain
The Christmas traditions of Spain are very different to those we are used to in Britain or other Anglo-Saxon nations, and it’s not just down to the weather. For a start, and this will have a special significance for children, there are no presents on Christmas Day. In Spain, they have to wait until Los Reyes (6 January, “twelfth night”) when the three kings presented their gifts to the baby Jesus. On the other hand, the adults get their Christmas going early and the main celebratory meal is Noche Buena, the dinner on Christmas Eve. This normally includes such traditional fare as shellfish and suckling pig!Visitors to La Posada Del Torcal can enjoy the best of both worlds, with the Spanish Noche Buena dinner on Christmas Eve and an English traditional turkey with all the trimmings (and I really mean ALL) on Christmas Day. With all that eating, it’s good to know there are plenty of ways to work off the calories afterwards: a heated swimming pool, all-weather tennis court or all the walking you could possibly want on the El Torcal mountain.
New Year in Spain has its special customs too. As you would expect of a nation that so like to party, the first thing to do is to head off to the main plaza of your town or village (Seville is one that especially springs to mind) with a bottle of Cava and twelve grapes ("grapes of good fortune"). Pop one grape in your mouth on each chime, and toast the New Year with bubbly. Then dance the night away.
Spanish Wildlife
Last time I looked at some of the large mammals that are still at large in Spain, having sadly been lost to most other countries. This time let's look at some of the birds that can be seen here. Big birds are always impressive, and they don't come much more impressive than eagles. They can't be described as commonplace, but there are plenty of them living in the mountains that are so abundant all around the peninsula. An eagle effortlessly circling high over the mountains is an impressive sight, carefully looking out for its prey of partridges, rabbits, lizards and snakes, all of which are readily found on the mountains.The most distinctive sound among birds comes from the Scops Owl. 
Their main objective in life seems to be to make an electronic "pinging" sound that they will repeat at a few second intervals right through the evening and into the night. This is the sound that lulls many country residents to sleep throughout the spring, and drives a few others to distraction!
Arguably, the archetypal summer bird of southern Spain is the Bee-Eater. This is a true European "exotic" with its multi-coloured contrasting plumage. Few people can be anything but bowled-over by the bright flashes of green and orange iridescence as the birds flash to and fro across the hillsides. In many places they are readily seen flying around the hills and houses or perching on a tree or bush, looking out for a tasty morsel of, yes, you guessed it, bee, or other large insect.
When To Book
Once upon a time, people planned their annual summer holiday far in advance. Today we are much more spontaneous, and that spontaneity is readily influenced by what is going on around. The up-and-down weather of the British Isles this year was clearly reflected in our booking patterns at Little Hotels. While everyone in England enjoyed the unseasonably lovely sunshine April, our bookings fell some 20% below what we would have expected. Then as “summer” arrived and the weather went downhill, we suddenly found our bookings leaping 70% ahead of expectations.In general though, it's always best to make your plans as soon as possible. Many hotels fill up quite early (the Balearics especially) so the way to get your first choice is to be in there first. Remember too that the people who like little hotels are often not constrained by school holidays and many prefer the less crowded and slightly cooler months outside of high summer. It follows therefore that booking early the best course of action at any time of year, especially as the Spanish also like their weekends away.
Happy
holidays!
Paul Melhuish
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