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Zaragoza Apartments: Expo Zaragoza 2008, a city devoted to water and sustainable development

Zaragoza, in northern Spain, is the setting for the 2008 International Expo, with the theme ‘Water and sustainable development’. This major cultural event will take place 14 June-14 September 2008, and it aims to show the vital importance of water for our planet. Expo Zaragoza 2008 is an International Exposition regulated by the B.I.E., the French abbreviation for the International Expositions Bureau (Bureau International des Expositions). 

Universal Expositions are held every 5 years on a site with no area limitations. They last 6 months and address a general theme. An example of this type of exposition is the Seville “Expo 92″.  International Expositions, such as the one planned for Zaragoza in 2008, are held over 3 months on a site of no more than 25 hectares. On this occasion, the event will take place at an impressive site alongside a section of the Ebro River, which has been recovered for urban use. In this way the river has been fully integrated into the city, becoming the ‘main street’ of Zaragoza with a series of promenades and public areas over more than six kilometres.

The Expo has meant investment of 1,500 million Euro. It is definitely the biggest challenge in the recent history of Zaragoza. On account of Expo 2008, the regional capital of Aragon has undergone a major transformation with the construction of infrastructure, accesses and buildings, renewed urban transport and the rehabilitation of the banks of the Ebro River, including a navigable section. This is the perfect time to come to Zaragoza and enjoy the 2008 International Expo, a wonderful event that will attract millions of visitors.

The first international exposition took place in London in 1851. Since its success, numerous expositions have been held all over the world, including the Paris Exposition of 1889, which gave birth to the Eiffel Tower. As these events increased in number, a clear need arose to control their frequency. Thus, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) was created in 1928.

Expo Zaragoza 2008 will offer three large-scale shows based on the basic principles of the Event: ‘Water and Sustainable Development’: Iceberg. Visual Poetic Symphony, Hombre Vertiente, and The awakening of the serpent.

Iceberg
Visual and poetic symphony inspired by Expo Zaragoza 2008, with ‘Water and Sustainable Development’ and ‘Climate Change’ as central themes. It will be a poetic, beautiful, simple show but at the same time moving, ideally seen live but with a format and contents capable of being televised or transmitted by internet in real time.

The central element of the show is a huge iceberg with a minute human figure standing before it - mankind being both the main cause of climate change and its first victim. A dialogue of images and conflicts is established between the iceberg, the man and the Ebro that will guide us along a route mined by the wrongs that cause climate change and that will eventually lead us to the entreaty of a message of hope.

It is a bid for a future where the decisiveness and will of mankind may create a new balanced relationship with nature.

Hombre Vertiente
Successfully brings together distinct disciplines thus allowing the spectator to be part of an event which stimulates all the senses and in which the spectator is a stage element with a leading role in the performance.

The aerial theatre has many characteristics, the importance of vertical space being one of the most significant where the action in this show takes place, breaking the monotony of the traditional Italian stage. It also forges a new kind of relationship between the public and the actors.

The show is an experiment of a new theatrical concept along with the use of skills of different artistic disciplines and high-flying action, converting the aerial theatre into a mixture of emotions where music and intense visual contrast entertains, provoke and move the spectator.

The Awakening of the Serpent
It is the legend of all legends. The characters invoke the serpent, so that it evokes the clouds, that will in turn cause the marvellous and beneficial power of the rain.

Approximately 80 artists will gather around a moving stage that represents a Rainbow Serpent and they will create a stage that will cover a distance of 100 metres.

More information:
International Expo 2008 Zaragoza

Huelva Apartments: Flamenco, religion and fiesta during El Rocío

More than a million people and close to one hundred different brotherhoods enjoy the wonderful festive atmosphere of one of the biggest pilgrimages in the world. Pilgrims from Andalusia, Spain and around the world make their way to the Blanca Paloma Shrine in the village of El Rocío, 17 kilometres from the town of Almonte (Huelva province). The celebration combines religion and fiesta, and is held 50 days after Easter.

Over the week before, the different Rocío brotherhoods set out from their bases in Huelva, Seville, and Cadiz, amongst other provinces, in order to get to the village of El Rocío by the Saturday, and to enjoy the events which run through to the Monday. The most traditional way to do the pilgrimage is on horseback, by carriage or on foot, dressed in flamenco clothing. By day, the brotherhoods advance in festive spirits, singing flamenco, while by night they camp out and organise parties around the bonfire with singing, dancing, food and drink into the early hours.

There are four main routes: the Sanlúcar route, which runs through the Doñana National Park and is used by those coming from the province of Cadiz; the Los Llanos route, which runs from Almonte - this is the oldest one; the Moguer route, used by those coming from Huelva province; the Seville route - this is the most popular route with other brotherhoods from Spain and abroad.

As they arrive in the village of El Rocío, pilgrims pitch their camps and await the arrival of the remaining brotherhoods. On the Saturday there is a parade where they present themselves with the simpecado (the association’s standard) before the statue of the Virgin Mary, while the church bells ring. On the Sunday there are various religious acts and that night nobody sleeps, in anticipation of the weekend’s most exciting moment: the ‘jumping the fence’, when the people of Almonte jump over the fence to bring the statue of the Virgin out of the shrine and parade it around the village on Monday morning. Once the procession is over, the brotherhoods start the return journey with their minds already on next year’s pilgrimage.

During the rest of the year El Rocío is a quiet place which welcomes all those visitors that want to know the center of an incredible passion. But during the event, this village of about 2,000 inhabitants swells to become the third largest city in Spain by number of inhabitants (in 2006, approximately 1,300,000 persons were recorded).

Visiting El Rocío

A.- Apart from its beautiful hermitage, visitors will find that El Rocío is settled inside Doñana National Park. It has wonderful landscapes of the wetlands, and is very easy to find wild horses grazing around.

B.- It is possible to book a route through the eastern part of the Inlands, including Doñana, El Rocío and the wonderful Niebla.

C.- You can also hire a chariot and make part of the pilgrims´route, within a very beautiful surroundings. 
  
Almonte

Almonte is in the province of Huelva, Andalusia. The town is made up of small white houses and spacious pedestrian areas. It has a range of interesting buildings such as Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Church, the Town Hall (16th century) and the Town Museum. In the 14th century Almonte became independent of Niebla and in the following century it became part of the Duchy of Medina-Sidonia. In the 17th century wars and epidemics plunged the town into a decline, and things didn’t start to look up again until the 18th century. From the 1950’s onwards, Almonte began to grow again and to establish a sound economy based on agriculture and tourism; and the town has never looked back.

If you go to Almonte, be sure to visit the Doñana National Park, one of the most important protected nature areas in Europe. It is well worth exploring this huge area, where you will find sand dunes, pine groves, marshland, lagoons and reserves which are a refuge for hundreds of species of birds, as well as endangered animals such as the Iberian lynx. Matalascañas is just three kilometres from Doñana. This beach is almost five kilometres long, and offers the largest number of hotel beds on the Huelva Coast.

It is an ideal spot for water sports, too.

More info

Almonte Tourist Office
Calle  Alonso Pérez, 1 - 21730 Almonte (Huelva)
Tel. +34 959450616  Fax +34 959451834

Rocio.com

Rias Bajas Apartments: Live your own adventure in the Cies Islands

If you want an exciting adventure in contact with nature, here is my proposal: The Cíes Islands, recommended for scuba diving. The Cíes islands lie midway between the Vigo ria and the sunset, in the Galician Rías Baixas. Sailing towards the sunset islands is one of the greatest adventures the Galician coast can offer, made up by four groups of Islands, which have rocks on their West side and quiet beaches on their East side. These four groups are the Cíes Islands in the Ría de Vigo, Ons Islands and Onza in the Ría de Pontevedra, and Sálvora and Cortegada in the Ría de Arous.
Their history dates back to the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, as primitive settlements typical from Galicia where found. Romans also left a trace in the Nature Reserve because Roman ceramics were found and some historians state that Julius Caesar was in the Islands. The Nature Reserve was populated until the 20 century and suffered pirate lootings, like the famous Francis Drake, who forced people to abandon the Islands.

The maximum recognition as a Foreshore National Park granted to the Illas Atlanticas de Galicia, which comprises four archipelagos, Cíes, Ons Sálvora and Cortegada, guarantees the preservation and the improvement of these highly exclusive but fragile ecosystems in the 21st century. There is no doubt that the thinnest sand expanses, like a mirror for the sun, and the best ocean waters can be found here, colder and saltier than in inner rias. In the Cíes, you can hear seagulls scream deafeningly during the breeding season on the cliffs open to the sea. They form the largest colony around our coasts, with about 22,000 breeding pairs.

The Nature Reserve has 20,500 acres, from which 2,950 are land acres and 17,600 are sea acres. From the boat that will take you there, you can see the still silhouette of three islands that often look like two. The Northern one, called Monte Agudo, joins the Illa do Medio (Middle Island), also known as Illa do Faro island (The Lighthouse Island) through the sand extension on the beach of Rodas, with the Lago dos Nenos in the distance. The Illa do Sur, also called San Martiño, is separated from the others by a channel which truly deserves its name of “sea gate”. In addition, there is a group of islets connected, below sea level, to sea bottoms of rich biodiversity, with large seaweed bushes teeming with shellfish and other gastronomy products within a protected area.

Flora
Pine and eucalyptus cover one fourth of the Cíes. Good preservation of the dunes. Presence of a dune bush known as “camariña” (Corema album) and of the spiny thrift (Armeria pungens). Furze abounds on the vegetation mantle. Mediterranean species such as the white broom (Osyris alba) or the wild asparagus (Asparagus).

There are rich sea bottoms, with over 200 seaweed species, especially brown seaweed of the Laminaria (kelp) and Sacohiza type, and soft corals such as the Gorgonia or common sea fan. One of the largest laurel groves in Europe lies in Cortegada.

Fauna
There are numerous world-important colonies of sea birds. Green cormorant (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) and Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans). Non-breeding presence of the Common Murre. Nesting, winter stay and resting area in migration times. Interesting reptile: the Iberian five-fingered seps (Chalcides bedriagal). Rich presence of crustaceans, molluscs and fish. Cetaceans can be seen.

Routes
There are no vehicles here, and the number of visitors allowed in the Cíes every day is limited to 2,200, which renders this area particularly quiet. In the two main islands, joined by a beach and a small bridge, all the paths are clearly indicated from the Rodas pier. The main routes take visitors to each of the three existing lighthouses. Combined with the two existing observatories, they make it possible to walk across the islands without entering the area which protects the cliffs and furnas from the northern end of O Cabalo to the southern end of Canabal.

Along the longest road to Monte Faro, southwards, besides the beach and the lake we can discover the A Campá observatory, located on pure rock and surrounded by the deafening cackling of seagulls. On the final section, before the zigzagging climb to the lighthouse, we can approach the pre-Roman castrexo village. Even if these areas are known as Siccas (”arid”) and are inhabited today, there are signs indicating that monks, hermits and fishermen lived here in the old times.

On the island of Ons, the routes start from the pier on the beach of Area dos Cans and the O Curro´s group of houses built around this pier. It is possible to climb to the vantage point of the lighthouse around the houses of the islanders, who traditionally made a living by selling octopus and shellfish until the mid-70s, when they started leaving the place. If you go towards the ends, you can choose to go northwards, to the solitary and beautiful Melide beach, or southwards, through several paths, all leading to Cova and Burato do Inferno, a pit-shaped furna where it is possible to hear the sea roaring in the bowels of the earth.

The boat tickets that will take you to the Cíes islands indicate the day and the time of return. There is no regular transportation service to sail from one island to another, but it is possible to go on tourist cruises in order to visit the whole ecosystems of the rias, and the mussel-breeding areas in particular.
If you prefer to witness production activities, the pier and promenade of Carril offer remarkable shellfishing lessons on its clam or cockle breeding grounds. They represent the only border of the Cortegada island, which displays its thick pine grove in the foreground.

More information
Parque Nacional Marítimo-Terrestre de Las Islas Atlánticas de Galicia

Canary Islands apartments: Fuerteventura apartments , Gomera apartments , Gran Canaria apartments , Hierro apartments , La Palma apartments , Lanzarote apartments , Tenerife apartments , Las Palmas apartments , Santa Cruz de Tenerife apartments.

If you like to practice rural tourism you should book a holiday in the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands consist of seven main islands and six islets and Rural tourism on the islands is a unique experience. Here you will find a unique rural setting where you will encounter volcanoes with magical landscapes created by lava, untamed woodlands, pinewoods, immense expanses of dunes, coastlines and mountainous areas, in spaces that are protected because of their rich bio-diversity and their numerous indigenous species which include dragon trees, junipers and viper’s bugloss.

The gentle temperatures of the islands enable you to enjoy all the open-air leisure options 365 days a year: you can follow the footpaths on foot, on horseback or riding a camel, make a bicycle tour or go canyoning down the ravines that are brimming with vegetation; or explore the mysteries of the volcanic tubes, climb incredible walls of rock or dive in the crystal-clear waters and find yourself surrounded by rays and amberjacks. The clarity of the sky and limited light contamination have led to the installation of two international astronomical observatories from which, among others, significant solar studies are carried out.

The Canary Islands are part of the region of Macaronesia, one of the most important in the world for their rich bio-diversity. Exclusive to this region is laurisilva, a virgin laurel woodland which once covered the entire Mediterranean basin and which has its last redoubt here.

With a range of habitats, the Canary Islands exhibit diverse plant species. The bird life includes European and African species, such as the Black-bellied Sandgrouse; and a rich variety of endemic (local) species including the: Canary, Graja (endemic to La Palma), Blue Chaffinch, Canary Islands, Chiffchaff, Fuerteventura Chat, Tenerife Goldcrest, Madeira Firecrest, Bolle’s Pigeon, Laurel Pigeon, Trocaz Pigeon, Plain Swift, Terrestrial fauna includes gekkos (such as the striped Canary Islands Gecko) and wall lizards, and three endemic species of recently rediscovered and critically endangered giant lizard: the El Hierro Giant Lizard (or Roque Chico de Salmor Giant Lizard), La Gomera Giant Lizard, and La Palma Giant Lizard. Some endemic mammals, the Lava Mouse and Canary Islands Giant Rat, are extinct, as are the Canary Islands Quail and Eastern Canary Islands Chiffchaff.

The Canaries have 141 protected areas, four of which are are National Parks. There are four Biosphere Reserves and a total of 1,386 native plants, 546 of which are peculiar to these Islands.

The Archipelago has hundreds of volcanoes and a rich variety of ecosystems and microclimates, which enable certain protected animals to survive such as the white-tailed and Bolle’s laurel pigeons, the Canarian lizard known as the tizón, the blue chaffinch and the osprey.

The Marine life found in the Canary Islands is also varied, being a combination of North Atlantic, Mediterranean and endemic species. In recent years, the increasing popularities of both scuba diving and underwater photography have provided biologists with much new information on the marine life of the islands.

Fish species found in the islands include many species of shark, ray, moray eel, bream, jack, grunt, scorpionfish, triggerfish, grouper, goby, and blenny. In addition, there are many invertebrate species including sponge, jellyfish, anenome, crab, mollusc, sea urchin, starfish, sea cucumber and coral.

There are a total of 5 different species of marine turtle that are sighted periodically in the islands, the most common of these being the endangered Loggerhead Turtle; however, local fisherman continue to take this endangered species. The other four are the Green, Hawksbill, Leatherback and Kemp’s Ridley Turtle. Currently, there are no signs that any of these species breed in the islands, and so those seen in the water are usually migrating. However, it is believed that some of these species may have bred in the islands in the past, and there are records of several sightings of leatherback turtle on beaches in Fuerteventura, adding credibility to the theory.

More information
Canarias: Seven islands … seven worlds

Apartments in Seville: Feria de Abril in Seville

Like every year the traditional “alumbrao” (lighting) will kick off the 2008 Feria de Abril. After which will follow 7 days of festivities, sevillanas, tapas, bullfights, and horses and carriages that have made this Andalusian festivity famous around the world with its colour and flamenco flavour. It all starts with the inauguration and turning on of the lights of the Feria’s gate. This year the date is set for the 8th of April and the time, as tradition dictates, will be on the strike of midnight of the Tuesday.

This year, the design of the gate, as is traditional, is inspired by an emblematic Sevillian monument. Under the title “CostureroSevilla”, the design this year is inspired by Costurero de la Reina (The Queen’s Tailor) the brilliant piece by the draughtsman José Manuel Peña Jiménez. Its colourfulness and peculiar architecture are the reasons behind the artist’s use of this emblematic monument. The gate will be 50 metres long and 40 tall, with 25,000 25 watt lights.

Established for over 150 years, people come from across the country and even the world to be a part of this riot of sensual stimulation. For the Spanish it is an excuse to dress up in fabulous traditional clothes, with women in brightly coloured gypsy dresses and men sporting short jackets, tight trousers and boots of the caballeros. The Feria is a time set aside purely for pleasure as most businesses are closed for the duration of the week long festivities.

The Casetas during the Feria de Abril in Seville

Inside the Feria, there are over a thousand casetas (metal structures covered in canvas where drinks are served and music is played), hundreds of thousands of visitors and hundreds of stands and recreational activities fill the enclosure of the Feria de Abril, in the Los Remedios neighbourhood and is divided into three sections: Real de la Feria, Calle del Infierno, and the parking lots. The casetas are hosted by groups of aristocratic Sevillana families, clubs, trade unions and political parties. Each of the tents has its own atmosphere and traditions. Some are invitation-only affairs, while others are ‘open’ and have commercial bars. So just roam around and find the vibe that works for you.

One of the most notorious and fun casetas is ‘Er 77′ where wine is drawn from a well and poured from buckets, and cots are offered in the back for napping. Another famous tent is ‘Los Duendes de Sevilla’ (The Goblins of Seville) which is named for a painting by Alvarez Quintero.

The Real de la Feria, centre of the celebration, will be made up of 24 blocks, extending over 450,000 metres square, housing 1.047 “casetas” (huts) set out in 15 streets bearing the names of the city’s important bullfighters. The party will go on in the traditional “casetas” with song and dance (especially sevillanas), wine, fried fish and tapas, carriages and bullfighting.

At night, you can visit the huge funfair or make your way into one of the thousand or so casetas which are, depending on size, either tents or grand marquees set up by various groups and organisations. Watch live performances, partake in flamenco dancing and singing or share a drink and watch the festivities. Each caseta is brightly decorated and usually open until 7am.

Parade of horses and bullfights during the Feria de Abril in Seville 

La Feria has a full program of events during the daytime. There are daily parades of horses and decorated carriages that wind their way through the city and fairground. This equestrian display is accompanied by strolling singers who play traditional Sevillana ballads on their guitars. Many participants in these parades are members of Seville’s aristocracy, and they are exquisitely outfitted in the unique wide-brimmed ‘bolero’ hats and short-cropped jackets that are closely associated with Andalusia.

The bullfights at La Feria are considered to be the best of the season. The action takes place at 5:30pm each afternoon at the imposing Plaza de Toros de Maestranza, which is known to locals as ‘the Cathedral’ and is considered one of the most beautiful bullrings in Spain.

History of the Feria de Abril in Seville

The Feria de Abril began in 1847 as a livestock fair where cattle, horses, farming tools, etc. used to be bought and sold. It is a curious anecdote that it was a Catalan and a Basque, who were councillors in the Seville town council, who asked Queen Isabel II permission to hold this livestock fair on a yearly basis. The people from Seville could not have imagined how that was going to end up.

The feast was started by the people who had to take care of the livestock during the entire 24 hours of the day, and who livened up its nights by boasting about the quality of their wines, or about how well their wives cooked. As they went along with their whole families, the fun spread from the night-time to the rest of the day, and became continuous. The Sevillians who visited the fair immediately became aware of the amount of partying that was going on there, and they would frequently show up to have a few tapas, or to dance with a pretty gypsy woman.

After the Easter Holy Week, there was no popular feast to celebrate the Resurrection, and this led the people of Seville to give this feast a religious connotation. It may well have been an excuse to have a good time, or maybe it wasn’t, but what is certain is that the livestock fair, in time, came to be regarded as something secondary. The plots in which the cattle farmers struck their deals started being covered with marquees to protect the party-goers from the sun and the rain. And beneath the marquees, tables and chairs in which to rest were placed, next to which, of course, were a kitchen and a barrel of wine.

Costa Brava Apartments: discover its beaches, and its Iberian, Greek and Roman civilizations 

Costa Brava, between the Mediterranenan and the Pyrenees, is the popularly accepted name of the littoral of the province of Girona. The modern tourist infrastructure of the area has turned Costa Brava into one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations. If you still haven’t been there … what are you waiting for?

Traces of Iberian, Greek and Roman civilizations can still be seen today around the counties of Girona. A visit to these ancient settlements and cities is a must for the visitor. The Romanesque monasteries of Santa Maria de Ripoll and Sant Joan de les Abadesses, situated in Ripollès county in Girona Pyrenees, played a major role in the shaping of Catalonia. These mountainous lands gave rise to many legends.

The nature, climate and history of the Costa Brava create a setting of odd, haunting beauty that is hard to grasp, but that never fails to seduce, with its lush vegetation propped against the blue and green immensity of the sea. Out of the way Costa Brava beaches surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation, and little coves tucked away among green pine trees … just waiting for you to sit there and let your thoughts drift out over the sea. Over 30% of the Girona region is a special protected natural area.

The 16ºC of average annual temperature, with moderate rainfall, and the 2,500 hours of sunshine that illuminate the historic-artistic vestiges, recalling the existence of a notable past, are only the visible aspects of a reality that has a hidden pulse waiting to be discovered. Its 214 kilometres of coastline stretch between Blanes in the south, surrounded by El Maresme and El Montseny, and Portbou in the north, on the French border. Beaches, coves, cliffs and woods sit among renowned places like S’Agaró, Tossa de Mar, Begur, Cadaques and Portlligat.

Destinations
The list of destinations included here are not as popular as Girona, Cadaqués or Lloret de Mar, but they are very special towns that you should visit if you go to the Costa Brava.

Begur
Set in the heart of the Empordà, the town and municipal district of Begur make up one of the most wonderful parts of the Costa Brava. Nestling between the Gavarres hills and the most beautiful part of this coastline, the village of Esclanyà and the small coves of Begur make up an unequalled physical setting.

There runs from Sa Riera towards Pals beach a coastal path that leads to Illa Roja bay and, further on, to the Racó beach. Platja del Racó is the last beach belonging to Begur municipality. An atmosphere of stillness and calm reigns over it, making it very well-suited for those seeking sunshine and relaxation. It is a beach some 300 metres long and with an average width of 65 metres. Occupying an area of 12,000 m2, it makes a pleasant zone of repose. The beach borders to the east with the municipal district de Pals. Following the coastline towards the west, and already within Begur municipality, we come to Illa Roja bay, an internationally renowned nudist beach. The beach borders to the east with the municipal district de Pals. Following the coastline towards the west, and already within Begur municipality, we come to Illa Roja bay, an internationally renowned nudist beach.

L’Escala-Empúries
L’Escala is a municipality in the comarca of the Alt Empordà in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the Costa Brava, located between the southern end of the Gulf of Roses and Cala (bay) Montgó. It is an important fishing port and tourist centre, and has a festival dedicated to its famous anchovies. The GE-513 road runs inland from the town. The Alfolí de la Sal, also known as the Pòsit Vell, is a seventeenth century warehouse formerly used to store the salt necessary to preserve fish landed at the port: it is now a protected historic-artistic monument. The ruins of Empúries are located on the territory of the municipality, with Phoenicean and Roman remains dating from 580 BC. L’Escala is the village of Victor Català (pseudonym of Caterina Albert, 1869-1966) a famous novel writer.

Fine sand beaches, shallow waters and hidden coves are other assets of L’Escala. You can go scuba diving here, and explore hidden treasures such as the Kim Caves, 12 metres underwater, or the sunken boat “Marmoler”, at 42 metres. Anchovies are the most prized local product. In October there is a festival dedicated to this delicacy.

Palafrugell
Palafrugell is a municipality in the Mediterranean Costa Brava, located near Palamós in the comarca of Baix Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. With 21,412 inhabitants it is the largest city of its comarca. Three coastal towns (Llafranc, Calella de Palafrugell, and Tamariu) belong to this city.

The combination of a good summer climate and beautiful beaches has been exploited for both domestic and international tourism. Tourists have come from a wide range of countries, especially the Netherlands, England, France, and more recently, America. It also serves as a summer holiday town for residents of cities such as Barcelona and Girona.

This medieval town was once fortified but is no longer. Many narrow streets emanate from Plaça Nova -a large square with bars, restaurants and boutiques. The local government (Ajuntament) sponsors activities such as concerts and dances including the traditional sardana. St. Martí’s church was built in the late 11th century and is close to Plaça Nova.

There is a new bus station beloning to Grup SARBUS whose local division is known as Sarfa. The station has a regular bus service, servicing the Costa Brava region (including Llafranc, Calella de Palafrugell, and Tamariu) as well as Barcelona.

Palafrugell was reputed for its cork manufacturing in the 18th and 19th centuries. The largest factory was owned by the American company Armstrong and employed hundreds of locals. Its closing in the 1970’s led to a severe unemployment situation. The factory’s tower still stands. There is now a small museum commemorating the cork industry just below it.

Apartments in Granada: The Holy Week in Granada

Granada is a good option if you want to enjoy the holy week in a cozy atmosphere. Holy Week has been officially declared a “Holiday of Interest to the Tourist” and is one of Granada’s best festivities. On Wednesday of Holy Week, there is a procession called “Christ of the Gypsies” or “Christ of Sacromonte”. Other processions of interest include the Procession of Silence held at midnight on Thursday of Holy Week, departing from the Church of San Pedro on the Carrera del Darro, and Procession of Las Angustias on Saturday of Holy Week.

The Holy Week of Granada is living a good moment. The opening of the brotherhoods, 25 years ago, to younger members through teams of ‘Hermanos Costaleros’ (float bearers) was a breath of fresh air for these organisations with old structures and old members. Nowadays, young people and women are the main pillar of the growth of the confraternities. Their presence made possible the Holy Week that we know today.

The young Holy Week of Granada has always looked to other Holy Weeks of Andalusia in search of models and sources of inspiration. This is the reason why it does not have so many own elements; many of its aspects are adaptations of the traditions of other provinces. In their beginning, the confraternities of Granada took the Levante and Málaga as example. Today, Seville is the main influence. But Granada has something that other cities in Andalusia lack: the power of its images and the value of an unrivalled landscape.

Official route
The official route of the Holy Week of Granada, lately a much debated question because of its length, passes through the city main locations. It starts in Calle Navas, a pedestrian street and meeting point for drinking ‘cañas’ and eating ‘tapas’ even during the Holy Week. The street was named after the Navas Marquees. Their ancient palatial house lies in the beginning of the street. The street ends in ‘Plaza del Carmen’, where the City Hall is and where the ‘Tribuna Oficial’, the place where the confraternities are officially presented to the city, is constructed. The route of the confraternities follow ‘Calle Reyes Católicos’ up to the cathedral through ‘Calle Mesones’, the main commercial street of the city, which is crowded with chairs.

The temple can be seen in all its magnificence from ‘Calle Marqués de Gerona’ that ends in ‘Plaza de las Pasiegas’, a wide square where the local people meet before the cathedral. One of the main attractions of the Holy Week is seeing the floats walk up the ramp to the square before entering in the cathedral. Today, the Archbishop receives here the confraternities and walks with them inside the temple. The brotherhoods leave the cathedral through the ‘Puerta del Perdón’ (Gate of Forgiveness), the final point of the official route.

The streets of the Holy Week
Cárcel Baja
The old city prison was located in this street. When the Catholic Monarchs took Granada the old ‘Alhóndiga de los Genoveses’ (Warehouse of the Genovians) was turned into a prison. The building was soon too small and another prison was built next to the ‘Chancillería’; it was known as ‘Cárcel Alta’ (High Prison). It has been expanded and used until 1917. It was demolished in 1942. The head offices of the ‘Caja General de Ahorros y Monte de Piedad de Granada’ are now in its spot. As the commemorative plaque reads, the Granadian painter José María Rodríguez Acosta was born in the adjacent house. A wonderful herbs and spices open air market. In 1943 the convent ‘Ángel Custodio’ is demolished and the street is redesigned in order to create more space for the Banco de España building.

Carrera del Genil (Genil Road)
This area was located out of the Nasrid city limits and was called ‘Carrera Vieja’ (Old Road) during the 17th century. It underwent deep urban transformation after the building of the ‘Nuestra Señora de las Angustias’ church. This primitive hermitage was where the tablets offered by the Queen Isabel la Católica to the city. The street was adopted as the main artery of the area, a long space flanking the river that was used in the common municipal activities such as processions or bullfights (after closing both ends of the street). During decades, until the construction of the ‘Real Maestranza’ bullring in 1768, the bullfights were held in the ‘Carrera del Genil’ street, next to the ‘Humilladero’ and the ‘Rastro’, in a wooden ‘plaza’. This explains the naming of the ‘Calle Toril’. The façade of the ‘Rastro’ building owes its elegance to this street. Its interior is not that monumental; it is only a court with a low corridor around it. It also had a yard for the livestock. The main façade was demolished in the 19th century and the whole building was demolished some years later. A mall was built in its place.

Alhóndiga
The Alhóndiga de Grano (Warehouse of Grain) was located in this street in the 16th and 18th centuries. The building had a large courtyard with Tuscan columns. The building had two doors in ‘Calle Mesones’ and another in a little square next to ‘Calle Alhóndiga’. It was sold at auction and demolished. In 1932 an apartment block was placed in its place. Between this street and the ‘Puerta Real’ was located the old slaughterhouse, a big building with only one floor. After demolishing the ‘Puerta Real’ and the construction of the Darro tunnel, this urban space increases its value and the City Council decided to sell it in 1804. The slaughterhouse kept in use until 1833 and was demolished in 1866. This allowed the building of the Marqués de Campo Verde square and the apartment block next to it. Aliatar cinemas, 1940-1994.

Ángel Ganivet
This street belongs to San Matías district and also to the municipality of La Manigua, which was redesigned under the mayor Gallego y Burín (1938-1959). This street was opened in 1943, flanked by arcades, and with the ‘Casa de Correos’ and the ‘Isabel la Católica’ theatre as dominant elements. La Manigua was a collection of small passages and streets remaining from the 16th c. ‘Mancebías’ that followed the walls of the city up to the Magdalena church and the gates of Bibataubín and Bibarrambla. The street is named after a writer and diplomatic from Granada (Granada, 1865 - Riga, 1898). He is considered precursor of the ‘Generación del 98′ intellectual movement. He wrote his vision of Spain through his intern conflicts in ‘Idearium español’. ‘Granada la Bella’ is another of his most important works. In it, he criticizes the drifting of the city into a vulgar architectonic cosmopolitism.

Almuñécar
Almuñécar is a municipality located in the western Granadian shore, next to the Málaga border. Its location, next to the Mediterranean Sea, between the sea and the mountain, makes of it a very appealing place for tourists. It is also an important producer of subtropical fruit. Its origin is very old. It was a Phoenician colony and a Roman town known as Sexi.

Campo del Príncipe
The Arabs called it Field of Abulnest (of the hill). A Muslim cemetery was located there in the past. In 1497, the municipality ordered to flatten the terrain for the wedding of the Prince Juan, son of the Catholic Monarchs, after whom the place was named. In 1513 the City Hall transformed it in a public place for bullfighting and jousting. This big square, located at the feet of Alhambra and next to the Hotel Palace and the Rodríguez Acosta Foundation, is the centre of the Realejo district, in the south slope of the Alhambra hill. The ‘Cristo de los Favores’, located in this square, is whorshiped by the people of Granada. Since 1682, every Good Friday a lot of people meet there in order to pray the ’seven words of Jesus Christ’ and ask for divine favours. The church of San Cecilio, patron saint of Granada, is located in the highest zone of the ‘Campo del Príncipe’ and was a Synagogue.

Fraternities of Penitence
At the present, there are 32 Fraternities of Penitence registered at the Real Federation of Brotherhoods and Confraternities responsible for the processions during the Granada’s Holy Week. Here are some of them:

El Huerto
The brotherhood was founded in 1943 with the church of Santo Domingo as the main temple. In 1948 it moves to the convent of ‘Madre de Dios de las Comendadoras de Santiago’, which donates the ‘Dolorosa’ image. It is the youngest brotherhood of the Realejo district. Many kids went in procession for the first time with this confraternity.

Escolapios
The brotherhood participates in the processions continuously from 1940 to 1975. That year, an economical crisis forces it to stop. It retakes the processions from 1981 until today, with some interruptions. The year 2000 was very important for this brotherhood because Pope John Paul II blessed the image of the ‘Virgen del Mayor Dolor’ in Rome. Saint Joseph Calasanctius. The church was designed by Luis de Arévalo and built between 1755 and 1776. It is attached to the Basilios monastery (founded in 1614). It is decorated soberly but has a very unique octagonal tower with a spire overlaid with tin-glazed tiles.

Favores
It was founded in 1928 and the rules were approved the following year. This brotherhood is created thanks to the devotion of the Realejo district for the ‘Señor de los Favores’. The image is worshipped in the ‘Campo del Príncipe’ and was adopted as main image by a local association in the 19th century. The current images were acquired by the confraternity in the 1940s. Both images got the Gold Medal of the City and the ‘Virgen de la Misericordia’ received canonical coronation the 20th May 2007. San Cecilio. It was built in 1540 upon an old mosque that was used for Christian cult since the ‘mudéjar’ revolt in 1501. The ‘Cristo de los Favores’ represents one of the most ancient and popular traditions of the city; the faithful go visit Him every Good Friday at 3:00 PM and ask for favours.

Fraternities of Glory
‘Glory’ Fraternities are the ones that celebrate their external worship service throughout the whole year in the different neighbourhoods of Cordoba. Their impact on the city is obviously less than other brotherhoods which centre their main activities on the Holy Week. They are in charge of keeping the tradition rooted in the neighbourhoods they belong to, not letting themselves be influenced by trends. There are around 10 brotherhoods and, from May on, you can see them throughout Cordoba, providing one of the best ways to capture the true feeling of the city.

More info
Granada’s Holy Week

Holy Week in Seville: Seville Apartments

I haven’t been in Seville during the Holy Week but my friends who have been told me that is an experience that you should have at least once in your lifetime because the processions are breathtaking. The Holy Week of Seville is the staging of the Passion of Christ in different episodes which are shown in the realistic sculptures that are front images in the big carriages accompanied by ‘nazarenos’, members of a brotherhood; penitents. The origin was found in the doctrines of the Council of Trent. First they adopted the form of a ‘way of the cross’, later the special devotion to certain images resulted in the creation of religious associations. During the Baroque period they worked as a base for organizations of guild nature and therefore they kept the names of the guilds as their reason for their origin.

The next step was when these brotherhoods became the main bonding element of the neighbourhood or the parish. While La Macarena, San Bernardo, and San Julian are among the oldest brotherhoods, San Gonzalo, Tiro de Linea, Nervion are more recent, they all share the same concept of neighbourhood and brotherhood. In any case and independent of the historic origin of each brotherhood, at the present, the main obligation of these religious associations is to bring their members during the penitence period from their headquarters or chapel to the Metropolitan Cathedral and from there back to their church. This route is planned prior to the procession and is subject to a very strict time schedule which cannot be changed. If for any reason, such as weather or a greater force the procession cannot be completed the float is cancelled and the brotherhood will have to wait a whole year and try it again.

The Streets of the Holy Week
You can get a full list of streets here. And these are some of the main streets:

Campana
For many years the Townhall kept the tools to extinguish fires in a warehouse in this street. Due to this, there was a bell to alert the workers and neighbours in case of emergency.

Sierpes
Its name comes from the 16th century author, L. Peraza, who wrote: Called this for the jaw, some might say of a serpent, that is hung in a meson in this street. That withstanding, the name could also have derived from the winding street layout. One of the most representative streets in Seville, as it’s the site of the prison where Miguel de Cervantes probably wrote El Quijote.

Catedral 
Located at the Plaza Virgen de los Reyes s/n. Key location for Seville Holy Week as it is part of the official procesiones route, along with Calle Campana and C. Sierpes.

Plaza Salvador
Rectangular shaped square. Most notable is the arcade of its west side, the only part that remains of the whole arcade that surrounded the square. During the Golden Age of the Spanish literature, this was a place for selling construction materials, as it is shown in El Guzmán de Alfarache by Mateo Alemán. It is said that this space was used for centuries as graveyard. That is why it is also called Plaza del Cementerio (Graveyard Square). In the centre of the square there is a sculpture of Martínez Montañés.

Plaza San Francisco
Next to the arquillo, or ‘little arch’, at the entrance to the Convento de San Francisco (convent) there is a cross set into a jasper stone pedestal. This has stood there since 1694, although in 1840 the cross was damaged and therefore substituted by the existing one.

Plaza Duque de la Victoria
Some impressive buildings, many of them the residences of important noble families, surrounded this square. The Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia occupied the Western side in the 15th century. Sánchez-Dalp built his Casa-palacio here. To the East, the Palace of the Cavalieri was built. The Tello and Solís families had their main residences here. One of the lords of the Solis family is considered to have inspired the story told in the drama ‘El Médico de su Honra’ written by Calderón de la Barca. All the houses-palaces were demolished in the 60s for the construction of new shopping centres.

Every morning you can and must visit the brotherhoods that parade that day from their temple. It is the best way for sensing the atmosphere and feeling the excitement prior to the rocession’s departure. Worth mentioning is the ”Besamanos del Gran Poder” (Hand Kissing of the Great Power) which starts Palm Sunday and finishes Holy Wednesday. It is highly recommended that you try to see the float on Palm Sunday to gain a better understanding of the true significance of the “Gran Poder” and how deep the beliefs of the people of Seville are.

There are 58 Fraternities of Penitence registered at the General Council of Brotherhoods and Confraternities responsible for the processions during the Seville’s Holy Week. Here are some of the Fraternities of Penitence and you can also check the whole list here.

El Silencio
Ancient Brotherhood of the Nazarenes of Seville, Ancient Pontificial and Royal Confraternity of Our Lord Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy Cross in Jerusalem and Holy Mary of the Conception. It was created in 1340 in the Parish Church of Omnium Sanctorum. As from 1578, the Brotherhood has resided in the church of San Antonio Abad. Throughout the centuries, its members have included such illustrious names as Murillo, Mateo Alemán, Juan de Mesa and Queen Isabel II. Its temple is the Royal Church of San Antonio Abad, situated in Calle El Silencio. The church as we know it today was built in 1730 based on plans drawn up by Diego Antonio Díaz, although it actually dates back to 1575 when the former hospital of San Antonio Abad was joined to the chapel of the Brotherhood of El Silencio in 1791.

El Amor - La Borriquita
Ancient Pontifical Confraternity and Royal Brotherhood of Nazarenes of the Sacred Entrance into Jerusalem, the Holy Christ of Love, Our Lady of Help and the Apostle Saint James. Its temple is the Church of La Anunciación, which was part of the old University (1565-78). The original plans for the church were drawn up by Bartolomé de Bustamante and subsequently put into effect by Hernán Ruiz II, the same architect who made the finishing touches to the famous Giralda tower in Seville. The church was once the university chapel until it was decided to move the university’s activity to its current location. In 1970, the crypt became known as the Panteón de Sevillanos Ilustres (The Pantheon of Illustrious Sevillians) and is the final resting place of, amongst others, the Ponce de León family, the Perafán de Ribera family, along with such literary figures as Alberto Lista, Bécquer and José Gestoso.

El Buen Fin
Royal, Illustrious, Ancient and Franciscan Sacramental Brotherhood and Confraternity of Nazarenes of the Holy Shroud, Holy Christ of the Just Cause, Our Crown Lady of La Palma, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua. Its temple is the 17th century Convent Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, situated in Calle San Vicente. Work was started around 1600 by Andrés de Oviedo, based on plans drawn up by Diego López Bueno. The church has three naves, the central nave having a barrel vault ceiling. The main altar is presided over by the Franciscan Saint Anthony, sculpted by Felipe de Rivas in the 17th century. El Cristo del Buen Fin (Christ of the Just Cause) is situated on the neo-classic altar in the left-hand nave of the church.

More information
Guía Semana Santa Andalucía

Valencia during Fallas: Apartments in Valencia

If you are planning to go to Valencia in the following weeks you better be ready for party because the Fallas have started and will continue until March 19th. The Fallas festivities are the expression of a unique kind of art using large wooden structures covered with painted papier-maché. Recently, however, other materials are also coming into use. This festival is also a satirical and ironic vision of local, provincial, national and even international problems and themes. The Fallas criticize almost everything and everyone imaginable, although they do so with tongue in cheek. Over 370 full-scale fallas and 368 children’s fallas are mounted throughout the city, and some of these reach extravagant heights, although they do not usually exceed 20 metres.

Since February 10th the Ninots, exhibition is open in the Nuevo Centro esplanade. There, the favourite ninot (ironic idea represented in a figure) will escape from the fire and become part of the Fallero Museum and become the ninot indultat (saved ninot).

Events during Fallas

La Despertada
Each day of falles begins at 8am with la despertada (”the wake-up call”). Brass bands will appear from the casals and begin to march down every road playing lively music. Close behind them are the fallers throwing large firecrackers in the street as they go (large enough to set off nearby car alarms, which will add their sirens to the bedlam!).

La Mascletà
It’s a pyrotechnical act composed by a series of fire crackers masclets that explode according to a certain rhythm and end with a spectacular sound. From March 1st through the 19th, at 2 pm, in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, different mascletaes take place. Huge crowds gather from all corners of the city to see this event (go early!). At 2pm the clock will chime and one of the lovely maidens (dressed in her fallera finery) will call from the balcony of the City Hall, Senyor pirotècnic, pot començar la “mascletà”! (”Mr. Pyrotechnic, you may commence the Mascletada!”). Suddenly the square rips with a pyrotechnic display of a power rarely seen outside the battlefield. Louder is better as far as Valencians are concerned, and the masters don’t disappoint them. For six or seven minutes hundreds of kilograms of flash powder is gradually detonated. The crowd rocks with each explosion and great billowing clouds of smoke rise as it builds to the finale. The final crescendo of noise will leave you stunned and senseless for several seconds, at which point a huge cheer goes up from the crowd and the people run forward to applaud the pyrotecnic masters as they bow to their fans.

La Plantà
After midnight, on March 15th, the plantà officially begins and all the Fallas monuments can be contemplated in the streets.

L’Ofrena floral
Between March 17 and 18, one of the most emotive Fallero acts takes place: the traditional flower offer to the Virgen de los Desamparados, where thousand of Valencians gather to offer flowers to the “Cheperudeta”, the Virgin’s popular name. These days, all Fallero Comissions march dressed up in traditional costumes to accompanied with music bands towards an enormous reproduction of the Virgin located in front of the Basilica (where the original figure stands). The Falleras leave their flowers and, with them, a colourful shawl for the big figure of the Virgin. The last one making her flower offer is the Fallera Mayor of Valencia.

Els Castells and La Nit de Foc
Fireworks display in the old riverbed in Valencia at midnight. Each night is progressively grander and the last is called La Nit de Foc, the night of fire.

La Cremà
On the final night of Falles, around midnight on March 19th, these falles are burnt as huge bonfires and transformed into ashes; is the high point of the festivity as well as the saddest because it’s the end of Fallas. This is known as the cremada or cremà, i.e. “the burning”, and this is of course the climax and point of the whole event, and the reason why the constructions are called falles (”torches”). Traditionally, the falla near the town hall is burned last.

Fallas routes

A.- If you come by train and descend in the Estación del Norte or, by subway and get off at Bailén or Xàtiva stations, you can find five Fallas that are located very close to each other:

• Falla Convento Jerusalén-Matemático Marzal
  • Address: Crossroads Convento Jerusalén and Matemático Marzal
• Falla del Ayuntamiento
  • Address: Plaza del Ayuntamiento
• Falla Plaza de la Merced
  • Address: Plaza de la Merced
• Falla Plaza del Pilar
  • Address: Plaza del Pilar
• Falla Plaza Na Jordana
  • Address: Salvador Giner

B.- EMT bus number 8 stops several times on Literato Azorín Street and the intersections with Sueca and Cuba, where you can contemplate these Fallas:

• Falla Sueca-Literato Azorín
  • Address: Crossroads Literato Azorín and Sueca
• Falla Cuba-Literato Azorín
  • Address: Crossroads Cuba and Literato Azorín

More information
Fallas.com

Meanwhile Picasso visits Madrid, his friends are on vacation in Barcelona. The Museu Picasso in Barcelona presents Pablo Picasso’s personal collection of art works. There are over one hundred works - including some forty paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, Rousseau, Braque, Matisse and others - gathered together over a whole lifetime paints. You can visit this exhibition to the end of March.

Pablo Picasso’s personal collection was exhibited in Munich and in Paris in 1998 and 1999 and this is the first time it can be seen in Spain. The nature of this collection is unique and personal. “My friends”: is the way in which Picasso referred to his collection. “After all, why shouldn’t one inherit from their friends?”, he confessed one day to his dealer, Kahnweiler. “In essence, what is a painter? A collector who wants to make a collection by doing paintings that he likes by others”.  

This collection is not the fruit of a deliberate or pre-established project. Art works were added to the mess of his successive art studios, thrown on the floor haphazardly, framed or unframed, in the midst of his own paintings, or hung on the wall in a disorderly fashion without there ever existing the intention of putting any of them on show to the general public. In some ways, this collection forms the “backgrounds” to his own art studios.

Picasso wanted to donate this collection to the French State on condition that it was kept intact. When he died, his heirs respected his will. The Picasso Museum in Paris is home to the essential parts of this collection, added to by other works that were donated later by heirs.

You can take a look at the exhibition here.

More information
Picasso and his collection
From 20th December 2007 to 30th March 2008
Museu Picasso  
Montcada 15-23
08003- Barcelona
Phone: (+34) 93 256 30 00
Fax: (+34) 93 315 01 02
E-mail: museupicasso@bcn.cat

Opening hours
Tuesday to Sunday (including Bank Holidays): 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Last admittance to rooms 30 minutes before closing time

Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays
Bank Holiday Monday open in 2008 during the exhibition dates: March 24
Annual closing days during the exhibition dates: December 25 and 26, January 1