Esparto man back in his place

A REPRESENTATION of a traditional figure has been returned to its rightful place in Mijas after languishing on a busy roundabout for years.

A life-sized sculpture of an esparto-grass collector by local artist Lazaro Cruz Jaime has been moved back to its original position by the central Plaza Virgen de la Peña where benches and a small square invite people to sit and contemplate the statue and consider the tough work many villagers had to do to earn a living after the war.

Representing a man roaming the mountainside in search of esparto-grass to collect, the statue was moved to the roundabout at the entrance to the village in 2010 in an attempt to have a traditional figure greet visitors, but has now returned to the square as many visitors reportedly ask where they can take photos after hearing of the traditional job and were disappointed to hear the statue was on a roundabout on a busy road and virtually impossible to approach on foot.