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Following the retirement of Bruce McIntyre, the British Ambassador Denise Holt CMG has announced Stephen Jones as the new British Consul for Malaga.
Previously a manager with Thomas Cook Holidays, most recently Jones was the Consul for the Canary Islands, where he was responsible for modernising the services offered from the Consular offices in Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
Few people visit Spain without trying this traditional rice dish.
But where did it come from? Who first made it?
Generally it is agreed that paella originated in Valencia on the east coast of Spain. There are several stories on how the dish was invented.
One story claims that the servants of the Moorish kings used to gather up all the leftovers from royal feasts, mix them up with rice and then take this home to feed their families. It is even claimed that the Arabic word for leftovers, “baqiyah”, over the years became the word paella.
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In Britain it’s not unusual for Christmas to start at the end of the summer holidays. I remember going into an Oxford Street store a couple of years ago, looking for any last remaining summer sale bargains and being amazed to find a Christmas Shop!
In Spain, Christmas items begin to appear in the shops towards the end of October/beginning of November, and the real countdown to Christmas doesn’t really start until the beginning of Advent, 1st December.
Christmas decorations are put up and suddenly Nativity scenes appear everywhere, not just in households and churches but often in the town square, shop windows and even in restaurants! In many villages and small towns in Spain the Nativity will be re-enacted by the locals (often using live animals!) in the last few days before Christmas. Sometimes the local children will go carol singing and be rewarded with some money or sweets.
When a child starts full-time education in Spain, it is much earlier than in the UK. My daughter started three weeks ago and she was only 2 years and ten months old.
Needless to say, it was with some trepidation that I went to see the headmaster of my local school in Andalucia, a couple of weeks before the end of the Summer term. At the time a new school was being built in the village so I found a temporary elementary school based in someone’s house! Everything was very informal, I did not need to make an appointment with the headmaster, and I only needed four papers to register her, my passport, my husbands passport, a copy of my empadrimiento document*, and the record of her vaccinations. He spoke no English to me on my first visit but I got by with my Spanish explaining what I wanted.. I was given a formal Registration Certificate.
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The origins of Flamenco are unclear but it is generally considered that it originated in Andalucia and is a fusion of Gypsy, Moorish, Sephardic and Arabic music. Flamenco, however is more than the intricately formed musical patterns, it is an art form and the dancers, singers, guitarists and percussionists create a whole musical genre.
There are many different styles of this music, including “verdiales”, “malagueñas”, “rondeñas” and “jaberas”.
The variants of Flamenco are rich and diverse, however six artists stand out. Once you’ve heard all of these artists, you’ll have a good idea of what flamenco is all about !
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Conversation overheard at a local café in Andalucia
Not so long ago, I was by myself drinking a coffee at my local café in rural Andalucia and watching the world go by when a couple came and sat at the table next to me. The lady was very English, blonde and well-dressed. The man was Spanish and looked very professional, he could have been a local lawyer or accountant and he spoke excellent English. They were obviously really good friends and totally at ease with each other.
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Riding on the coast or owning a horse in sunny Spain is some people’s idea of paradise, and in many cases it is. Riding on the long stretches of beach, swimming in the sea with your horse, galloping along river beds as the sun sets behind the mountains, what more could you ask for?
There are many stables and equestrian centres in Spain, some of a very high standard, approved by the British Horse Society. They offer wide ranges of riding from dressage to show jumping, hacking, trekking, Spanish, Portuguese, doma vaquera and lots more, depending on where in Spain. I have owned horses for the years that I have been living in Spain and it has been a joy, every step of the way.
