Spanish summer for the French president

Charles de Gaulle came to the Costa del Sol for peace and quiet. He definitely needed to rest and disconnect from the hectic times France was going through at the time. Following the national referendum defeat of his proposed Senate and local government reforms on April 28, 1969, de Gaulle resigned from the presidency amid declining personal popularity

On 3 June 1970, his car Citroёn DS with his wife Yvonne, bodyguard and chauffeur entered Spain through the border town of Irún in the Basque Country. It turns out that because of the terrorist threats de Gaulle faced during those years, he asked Franco's government to recommend suitable accommodation. The former president was offered the state-owned Parador Hotel in Ojén, in the middle of the mountains, a stone's throw from Marbella.

It took de Gaulle a couple of weeks to reach Malaga, passing through picturesque regions - from the north to the south of Spain. In Madrid he met Franco. On 17 June, the car was parked outside the Refugio de Juanar. At the time, it was a well-known hotel, part of the national chain of Paradors. Its history goes back more than two centuries, when it was one of the lodges used by the enterprising Larios family for holidays and hunting. The building was constructed in 1906 and made history as the place where King Alfonso XIII stayed to practise hunting in the area.

The 79-year-old politician came to Ojén with the idea of finishing his memoirs. He wanted to lock himself away to be able to write from five in the morning to two in the afternoon. For his stay, the general chose room number 3: a room of 20 square metres and equipped with a fireplace.

De Gaulle wanted to tidy up his life and enjoy the silence of the Sierra Blanca and its pine forests. There are even many anecdotes circulating about how locals accidentally bumped into the French general strolling along some of the paths that have now been turned into hiking trails. For example, on 18 June, the day France commemorated the anniversary of the French Resistance, the former president walked to one of the viewpoints overlooking Marbella, which has since been dubbed ‘De Gaulle's path’.

Gastronomic experiences were also part of his stay at the hotel. The Refugio de Juanar has always been renowned for its authentic rabbit, partridge and quail dishes, as well as its wine cellar containing thousands of bottles of good Spanish wine. It is believed that de Gaulle did not deprive himself of sherry and whisky either, although he also used to order mineral water.

During his fortnight's stay, de Gaulle won the sympathy of the hotel staff. Even today, next to the reception desk can be seen a generous cheque dated 17 June for 50,000 pesetas, which de Gaulle left as a tip for the Parador staff. This amount was equivalent to a month's salary for the entire staff.

During his stay at the Refugio de Juanar, the former president of the French Republic made progress on his memoirs, but was never able to finish them. They remained unfinished: De Gaulle died in November of that year. The Refugio de Juanar ceased being aclassified as a parador in 1985. Since then, the site has changed owners, but room number 3 still keeps the memory of the outstanding politician of the French Republic alive.

SUR in English was told that the room still contains pieces of furniture that Charles de Gaulle may have used. The hotel reception said that de Gaulle's room is popular with tourists. Anyone who does not mind paying a couple of hundred euros per night can stay in the legendary room where the outstanding general and president of the French Republic found peace and harmony, in summer, 55 years ago.