Mañana - Andalucia, Spain Diary Blog

Making Music

I'm contributing to a new travel guide on Andalucia, that will be published this autumn - more details to follow. I was in Almunecar to check out some flamenco performers.  I was in the Mujuelo Park and I stumbled across a small guitar workshop .  Almunecar, like most Andalucian coastal towns, has changed beyond almost all recognition over the last half century, yet this little workshop looked much the same as it must have doen when Laurie Lee walked out one midsummer morning.

Building for the future

With all the bad news in the press about the Spanish economy lately, you would be forgiven for thinking that all construction had come to a halt.  Well, certainly holiday home construction is not a hot investment  at the moment, but national infrastructure projects are still pressing ahead. In fact, many are being accelerated to help take up the slack in the manual labour market.  Spaniards are never happier then when pouring concrete and taking their nation further into the 21st Century.
Today, as I was driving to the Alpujarras in Granada province and I caught a glimpse of the new E 902 motorway extension that will run from the coast up to the province's capital Granada city.  These projects take shape at extraordinary speed here.  From political debate to cutting the ribbon can be a matter of just a few years. The AVE high speed train network, new motorways and public housing are all being rolled out with greater urgency in the hope that it will take the edge of the property downturn ( that's called a "crash" if you are journalist working for the UK press).

Art In Gaucin

On the way back home from Genalgaucil, we dropped into have a drink with an artist friend, Victoria Orr-Ewing. She lives on the edge of Gaucin, the mountain top village overlooking the Stait of Gibraltar that is developing quite a name for itself as an artistic community.
The artists in the village have established a network, called Art in Gaucin and you can find out more by visiting their website. There are open studio dates, so you can meet the artists, see their work and of course, buy!
Gaucin is just 45 minutes from the coast and worth a day out as there are some excellent tapas bars and restaurants there too.
You can reach Victoria through her web site. Contact her to arrange a personal viewing of her work in her studio with views across to Africa. Her large canvasses capture the magic of the Andalucian landscape and the expansive beaches of Tarifa and beyond.

Genalgaucil Revisited

I've been ignoring my blog as work isdemanding most of my time. However I've managed to get away at the weekend as it was a holiday "puente" bank holiday.  We went to Genalgaucil as a friend as a bar there and since it was the village's feria weekend, it's pretty much the best time to visit; take in some free paella and live music in the square; explore the streets and see what new pieces of public art have been installed; and generally relax.

Behind every great man is a great woman...

... well, here in progressive, modern Spain, she is actually in front! Today Spain's new Minister of Defense was on the parade ground, standing in front of hundreds of troops.
Well, not only is the new Spanish Minister a Catalan, the Minister is also a pacifist!  The most interesting thing for many is that the Minister, Carme Chacón, is also a pregnant woman. There can be no stronger signal to old macho Spain that woman are doing it for themselves! In a country that so enthusiastically embraces change, there is now more woman than men in the Spanish Cabinet - and being 7 months pregnant is no impediment to being Defense Minister. This is something to be proud of.  However, I can't help but think her pacifist views my cause a few issues - I am guessing G W Bush won't be calling to offer his congratulations.

Tarifa revisited...again...

As I ended the call, sitting overlooking the azure waters of the straits, I was thankful to be working in the generation on mobile, wireless communications! With my Vodafone mobile and my Movistar 3G laptop modem, I can work almost anywhere these days. Monday was such a fantastic day that I decided to be spontaneous. I booked a room at the Dos Mares Hotel, just west of Tarifa. The drive on Monday night took a little over an hour and we are in another world. The sun was setting as we stepped out onto the beach. What a way to deal with those work day blues! The lighting this morning was exceptional. The Dos Mares Hotel is aptly names, as it sits on the coast at the point that the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet. A spot that is a favourite for water sports, with kite and wind surfers dominating the foreground as you look out to sea. Beyond are the ports and mountains of Morocco.
This little corner of Andalucia has yet to be over developed. Please, don’t build a motorway here! Spain is on a mission to modernise its infrastructure, building on its exceptional success following joining the EU: I have to say I love the convenience of motorways and airports but the desire the put motorways along all of Spain’s coast is flawed. The price one pays is hideous traffic jams in Summer, but the trade off is a coast line that is as the Med used to be; pine trees, gassy sand dunes and small, modest hotels. Dos Mares is one of the few hotels that is beach side (most are set further back, the other side of the N340 highway), so it has a privileged spot with amazing views and a relaxed, friendly service. The hotel is 3 stars, but prices a little closer to 4 stars – at the end of the day you are paying for the location. Don’t expect the formality or uniform service of a hotel chain. This is surfer territory. But everything is genuine and friendly, although they could maybe sort out eh cobwebs in the beach side chiringuito – they are so large that they could pose a hazard to small children.

Sunday afternoon in the pueblo

Istan is a small mountain village, within spitting distance of Marbella. Like most small municipalities here, they used to run their own affairs with little interference from the Junta de Andalucia, and practically no contact from Central Government. In many ways this degree of local democracy was empowering, but of course ignorance and greed can lead to poor urban planning and potential corruption. This is an issue that Andalucia and the whole of Spain is having to deal with now. For example, on the approach to the tiny village of Istan, one passes huge developments of luxury villas, clinging to the hillside, below the majestic La Concha mountain that shelters Marbella. The homes are huge, their landscaped gardens and community areas tragically cutting into the base of the beautiful mountain. Although this construction is not the result of corruption,  it is certainly not good planning.
We’re wanted to have Sunday lunch in the village and take in a traditional Easter Sunday procession. In the small pueblos blancos, the processions are modest affairs with small floats, but for me they have more resonance that the showbiz style affairs of Málaga or Sevilla. The whole village is out in the streets, either participating or supporting.
Lunch was in Los Jarales Hotel, on the terrace that affords an amazing view across the lago de concepcion towards Marbella and the Mediterranean beyond and of course Gibraltar. Since the storms last week, the air is exceptionally clear, showing the full extent of the North African mountains that seem just steps away.

More than just tradition?

Incense filled the streets; crowds spilled into the streets; street vendors had arrived early to secure the best trading spots, offering everything from candy floss, salted lemons to roasted almonds and chocolate treats. This is one of the most important weeks of the year for Andalucia – Semana Santa. The Easter Holy Week is so much more than just a religious festival. It is probably Andalucia’s greatest tradition. In an increasingly secular society, where State and Church become further apart, there is little evidence that this has had any effect on the importance of Semana Santa.
We were in Málaga to take in the Good Friday processions – hundreds of “nazarenos” parade through the streets, wearing their truly distinctive costumes with hats/masks that make many an Anglo-American think if the Klu Klux Klan. The ornate “tronos”, which each year are further enhanced and decorated, feature life size icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Málaga puts on a pretty good show, with some impressive processions that command huge support across the city’s neighbourhoods. But I couldn’t help notice that the streets are full of laughter and chatter instead of the silent reverence that I am told was more common a few decades ago. The youngsters carrying the candles sometimes stop to take a photo with a friend, share a joke or snack on some crisps. This is no longer rigid formality of a society where monasteries used to visit schools on recruitment drives, like the military do in the UK now. This is a modern country that still loves its traditions.

Tapas with a modern twist

Creatively and contemporarily served, the tapas plate of cheese included a fragrant blue, local goat and a grilled cheese, presented on a slate plate. Competing for space on our table was some homemade Ensaladilla Rusa (one of my favorite tapas) and a perfectly cooked portion of duck with citrus dressing. This is a contemporary interpretation of tapas. The extensive tapas menu is complemented by some great wines. I enjoyed the Herventia Rioja.
This was my second visit to my latest discovery in Marbella Old Town; Tragaluz a modest bar, with simply, modern decoration that serves innovative and classic tapas in fresh and sophisticated way. We were in the Casco Antigua to enjoy one of the first Easter processions of Holy Week, but like most things, I end up eating! Many followers of my blog will know that tapas are my weakness. When living in London it was dim sum – something about an almost endless menu of tasty morsels; and overdose of party food. I love it. However in Southern Spain the traditional recipes can be very oily and include a lot of fried dishes, a tradition that is alienating the new generation of 30 and 40 somethings that want something a little sharper.

More please...

As a Piscean, March kindly brings me back in touch with friends I have not seen in a while, with Birthday greetings by phone and email. But this years it March also brought be perilously close to the big 40! As an early birthday treat, Rafa too me to Sierra Nevada, with its compelling combination of snow and sun. The snow is now thinning, but thanks to snow cannons the valley runs are still in good condition and when the sun shines the place is pretty unbeatable. This year we experimented with an internet “deal” – a new conference hotel, the Granada Palace has opened in a small village in the foothills, offering 4 stars luxury at a 2 star price! It is not very intimate, but the price was great and the standard excellent. Its just at the foot of the range, so we just had to take the 35 minute journey up the mountain, passing one of Spain's iconic Osbourne Bulls.
Old Town Granada was a lot cleaner than I remembered it, with restored fountains and buildings, and the tapas in the famous Calle Navas remain excellent. This time we tried an Asturian bar, serving fish and seafood as a specialty. In Granada province, the serve tapas the traditional way, free with each drink you order. You here the barman calling to the kitchen, “de primero” or "de segundo” etc as one continues to order more drinks. The more drinks you order, the more sophisticated the tapas become. I couldn’t help noticing that one of the tapas we had was tiny, tiny baby fish fried. Somehow I can’t imagine that complies with EU fishery law?? Before leaving for home the following day, we took in the Science Park in Granada City Centre, that is undergoing a huge expansion.  Needless to say, its a popular place for schools trips and kids that like to muck about, but its still worth the visit.  I just happened to feel very old.