Fiesta de la Luna Llena.Guest Post: Rebeka ThompsonI have never been to Thailand, but as it has become an increasingly popular destination for holidaying students and gap year travellers, I know many who have. One of the most alluring aspects of Thailand for university students and other travellers…
Manuel Cortes: a biographyGuest Post: Rebekah ThompsonOne of the most famous (or some would say infamous) characters in Andalucía during the Civil War, not for his participation but for his ability to remain hidden for three decades, was Manuel Cortes, former Mayor of Mijas. Through hard work,…
Wild, Wild West.This October, Western movie fans will be excited to hear that Almeria is hosting Europe's only film festival dedicated to the genre.The lunar landscapes of Tabernas desert, with its dramatic, barren slopes and rocky outcrops which so resemble the North American Wild West, were the…
Which is the best beach in Andalucia? A (freebie) Spanish newspaper website started a "ranking" of Andalucia's beaches a few weeks ago.The ranking works on a points system - you score each beach (or whichever ones you want to) out of a possible maximum of five points. There are 30 "nominated"…
Olympic dreams.With the London Olympics just a week away - the Opening Ceremony is next Friday - this post is going to move out of its usual geographical territory, from southern Spain (and nationwide anti-austerity demonstrations, following the naked firefighters) to east London, home of the…
Shop till you dropI was astonished to read recently that the Spanish government is going to oblige shops in some cities to stay open for longer hours, and double the number of Sundays and public holidays - including Malaga, Cordoba, Granada and Sevilla. When I first arrived here in Spain almost…
Dani Garcia heads to New YorkWhile Ferran Adria is the undisputed king of Spanish gastronomy, noone would disagree that the crown of Andalucian kitchen creativity belongs to Dani Garcia.The Marbellan chef has two Michelin stars for his restaurant Calima in Marbella, and used to run a chain of tapas…
Latin love poetry by moonlightRomantics among you will be interested to hear about night-time visits to the Roman city of Italica, just outside Seville, which take place on weekends throughout the summer. The theme: Latin love poetry.Italica is one of Andalucia's most important archaeological sites…
How Seville escaped UNESCO's "in danger" listThe Torre Pelli, and Seville's resulting endangered UNESCO World Heritage Status, is a topic I've written about often on this blog.The highly controversial 178-metre tower, designed by Argentinian architect Cesar Pelli, is considered by some a marvel of…
JOINT BLOG POST: REBEKAH THOMPSON AND FIONA FLORES WATSONRebekah's viewIt’s never been done before, and in spite of all the criticism and early doubts, Spain has become the first team ever to win three major competitions in a row (Euro Cup 2008 & 2012, World Cup 2010), and the first team ever…