Tag Archives: Andalucia

ania & joanna & fran

18 Tuesday Dec 2018

Posted by in friends, Malaga, malaga getaway

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I arrived in Málaga earlier than usual because I ended up taking the AVANT (fast train) as the regular train route is repairing tracks and has an hour-long bus shuttle between two of the stations. And like, no way. Anyhoo, arriving early ended up being a nice thing (other than having to pay almost twice as much for my ticket). After unpacking I headed out to do some grocery shopping for the week, dropped everything back at home and suddenly it was Beer O’clock! After a walk around the centre and a quick bite I came back home to read and relax before meeting up with Ania and Joanna.

Without meaning to, we have created a new Málaga Christmas Tradition. This began last year when Ania and her friend Joanna happened to be in Málaga the same time as me and we met up for drinks and to watch the Christmas “light show” in Calle Larios. This year we all coincided again but this time we were able to watch the show from the balcony of Ania’s hotel room, which was quite nice. Then Joanna had to leave and we vowed to do it again next year.

After this we met up with Ania’s friend and colleague Fran and we went out for a few tapas at one of my favourites, Taberna Uvedoble. It was a perfect first day in Málaga and I was sensibly tucked up in bed by 10.30 while the young’uns went out for a few penúltimas.

world tourism day

28 Friday Sep 2018

Posted by in andalucia, events, flamenco, gastronomy, music, sevilla

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Yesterday (September 27th) was World Tourism Day, and to mark the occassion Prodetur (Turismo Sevilla Provincia) held a Gala event, Sabores de Sevilla, at the Diputación de Sevilla, with speeches and a live music show, followed by catered food and drink showcasing various products from the province of Sevilla. A big (air-conditioned!) marquee had been erected in the main courtyard for the event.

Local and global publicity for the food industry in the province of Sevilla, and the work of local government and other groups in promoting food tourism, was the main point of the evening, and this part of Spain really does have a wonderful range of high quality food products. It’s not just the ham, or other Iberico pork products, or even the famous oranges, there’s olives and cheeses, rice, the world’s best tomatoes, and a wine industry that has improved a lot since I first moved here.

Live entertainment was provided by Pastora Soler, a very popular singer in these parts, who performed the Spanish entry in the 2012 Eurovision song contest. She is also taking part in an international video campaign promoting the food and wine of Sevilla. Although I had heard of her, I wasn’t familiar with her performances, which turned out to be essentially modern/pop, but strongly influenced by the local flamenco tradition, and all sung with a big, passionate voice. Very enjoyable, and she received a standing ovation at the end of her set.

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