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To get to the Anón we must ‘climb’ a small, very steep hill. It is the price to pay for access to one of the most charming places in the Campo de Gibraltar.
We arrive at a labyrinth of five 300 year old manor houses which meander capriciously around the emblematic custard apple tree (Anón) after which this 40 plus year old landmark establishment of Jimena de la Frontera is named.
Whoever goes there, returns. It is probably because Anón is a box of surprises where proud romantic nooks and crannies, old wood, a unique kitchen and twelve rooms, spread out hither and thither, have pride of place. To access them you have to go up and down, to contemplate, watch, or lie down next to the small swimming pool up there, and watch the green horizon or keep company with the collection of miniature trains that are jealously guarded in the wooden cupboards or the rich collection of whiskey bottles or fossils from Brazil.
And everywhere music that permeates the sense of style that presides over the atmosphere of this place.
It all started 43 years ago when Garth Odell and his wife Susana arrived in Jimena to visit relatives. The British couple had been travelling by yacht to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Uganda and Kenya had just travelled across Europe chose to live permanently residence in Jimena, “because the nature that surrounds me reminds me of Africa ‘, Susana recalls her husband saying. He died 25 years ago but his mark on the premises is still ever present; he was a prolific collector, a lover of antiquities, a confirmed romantic who kept acquiring houses to endow with a spirit anchored in time where few things are touched by or surrender to modernity.
But Anón is also Gabriel Delgado and his daughter Isabel. He started when he was only 17 years old and has been here ever since with a short enforced absence during his military service, rising to become a key player in the management of the premises and in the upkeep of its essential ambience particularly in the realm of its cuisine.
While Isabel cradles her little newborn daughter in front of the fireplace, Gabriel and Susana do not miss a beat. They know that a good part of their fame is down to culinary excellence, and they must ensure that their establishment remains on the recommended lists of the most prestigious international travel guides.
At Anón, everything is natural. Even the bread, a mixture of hard crust bread and English bread, is served toasted at breakfast; the ideal companion of the king of the house, the liver pâté whose ingredients Gabriel refuses to reveal. “It’s a secret,” he says.
But there is more. It was not easy to introduce foreign dishes in the midst of the traditional cuisine of this Andalusian town, although by now, Isa says the whole town knows and savours them, whilst retaining their typical local dishes such as the chantarelles or the venison.
If you go to Anón try the English meatloaf, the oriental chicken satay or the grouper fillets with coconut and curry, the chicken puff pastry, the sirloin with blue goats cheese. But do not forget the Mexican beans or the Greek mousaka, which, as far as the writer is concerned, rules the palate at Anón; and there is so and much more.
In this recondite and romantic meeting place everything seems geared to ensure that the visitor returns; an open, affordable and unique place which is hard to leave.
Anón comes from the botanical name Annona, commonly known as chirimoya, the fruit tree found is in the inner courtyard in the centre of the five houses that make up this splendid hostel.
