Flamenco Dresses

Here is a video I compiled from photos taken in Seville Spain during their National Flamenco Festival.

Malaga Film Festival

On our last full day in Spain we visited Malaga. They were in the midst of the Malaga Cine Festival April 17 - 25. The streets were lined with Red Carpets and Paparazzi, accompanied by the "beautiful, young people" of Spain.

This year the Malaga Spanish Film Festival takes place between 17 and 25 April. Malaga born actor and director Antonio Banderas is to be the star of the opening night on April 17th. The Festival is an annual national showcase for features films, documentaries, shorts and videos. They are divided into sections: the Official Feature Films , Zonazine, Short Films, Latin American Territory and Documentaries and compete for awards including, the Malaga Prize, Retrospective, Ricardo Franco Prize, The Gold Film and Eloy Church Prize.

After "walking the red carpet", we headed to old town to see the Cathedral Malaga. A much more impressive structure than Santa Maria Seville, we took a full tour and took many pictures.

At 4:05 PM, we entered the Estacion at Malaga to catch the Renfe AVE fast train to Madrid. The trains in Spain have been much improved over the years. They are very clean, fast with highly personal professional service.

We arrived in Madrid at 6:40 PM -- right on time and headed to our last night in Madrid. We hustled over to the Plaza Mayor and had a delightful "tapas" dinner al fresco in the open air center of the Plaza.

Flamenco, Flamingo -- what's the difference?

OK. You have heard enough about Flamenco, but what have you heard about Flamingos? Well, listen up, it could change your life. We decided to visit Antequera -- to see the "pink flamingo" in their natural habitat.

Antequera is the Cross Roads of Andalucia. A visit to this historical Andalucían town is a journey almost 5,000 years back in time, beginning with the Bronze Age and the native Iberians. The timeline is there to be followed in this fascinating city's profusion of burial mounds, dolmens, Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers.

The first sighting of Antequera in the distance is that of a typical medieval town, with the spires of her many churches and the walls and towers of the great Moorish fortress silhouetted against the sky. Spread out in the valley below lie rich farmlands irrigated by the Guadalhorce River. For centuries this has been one of Andalucía's most fertile areas, and is currently a leading producer of asparagus, cereals and olives. In summer, its fields turn brilliant yellow with sunflowers.

The town and valley are overlooked by an enormous crag of limestone, 880 metres high, called La Peña de los Enamorados, or "The Lovers' Leap". The name comes from a local legend about an impossible love affair between a young Christian man from Antequera and a beautiful Moorish girl from nearby Archidona, who were driven to the top of the cliff by the Moorish soldiers, where, rather than renounce their love, they chose to hurl themselves into the abyss.

The Pink Lagoon, the last bastion for the "pink flamingo". Surrounded by a vast, monotonous terrain, the Lagoon of Fuente de Piedra appears like a glorious oasis in the extensive Llanure de Antequera, considered to be one of the largest natural lagoons in Spain. Measuring more than six kilometres long and nearly three kilometres wide, the lagoon provides an ideal breeding spot for what surely must be one of the most elegant and exquisite birds in the world.

The pink flamingo plays the leading role in this story and can be found in this very same lagoon which is located in Malaga province; an ideal enclave to perpetuate the species.

This setting of the Fuente de Piedra is significant, in part because of its geographical location which is very close to the African continent and is thus a strategic point for migrating birds seeking rest before crossing the Mediterranean to spend the winter in Africa. Also, this locale is situated beside the French Camarga which is one of only two places in the entire Eastern Mediterranean where flamingos typically breed. It's not surprising, therefore, that this lagoon is deemed a protected zone in an international treaty, as the loss of this unique enclave would cause a serious set back for the flamingo population.

One of the characteristics of this lagoon is the salinity of the water. Normally this does not constitute an attraction for a non-marine bird, however in the case of the pink flamingo it is this very concentration of salt in the water which determines the presence of microscopic organisms, such as seaweed and crustacea which are the basis of their diet.

The optimum time to observe these magnificent birds is around the end of January, which is when they arrive from their winter quarters to spend the spring and summer months engaged in the all consuming activity of breeding. Naturally, this depends on the amount of rainfall earlier in the year however, as if the lagoon is dried out or is at a low level this would result in a risk for breeding and the flamingos would essentially disappear.

Seville, Italy and Flamenco

We decided to take another "day trip" -- this time to Seville, Spain - the Capital city of the Province of Andalusia. Tomba Tours decided to take the day off, so we arranged with Andalusia Tours to take the lead. Little did we know that we were in for a "day of FUN".

The day started off early -- catch the bus at 6:30 AM. As we approached the bus we could feel that we were being transported to a different place. As we entered the bus, it was filled -- with 40 Italians seeking to find the heart of Spain in Seville. Since we did not speak Italian, it was hard to discern whether their comments were positive or negative -- but as we soon learned, they thought the bus was for "them" -- and no one else. Well, the American Tomba Tour was about to change that.

The bus sped out from the Marriott resort and headed down the road to Seville -- or so we thought. Several more stops and we are up to 50 people on the the bus -- the 40 Italians, 2 Americans, 1 Canadian (Aye), 4 Germans, 1 Columbian (Spanish/English speaking) and 2 Argentinians. So , we now had 20% leverage with the Italians.

So the tour guide proceeded to provide us "information updates" -- in -- you guessed it -- Italian, Spanish, German and an occasional smattering of "English". Joan and I then realized, that today was our day! -- we did not need Rosetta Stone -- we did not need language lessons -- we would pick up 3 languages in one day. Brilliant! Sort of.

We stopped about 1.5 hours into the trip for a "road break" and we spoke with Annabelle, the tour guide. We asked her about the "Italians". She grimaced. She said the Italians thought they had booked a "private" tour for their group only and as we and the other "non-Italians" joined the group, they proceeded to get their "Irish" up -- so the "words" on the bus were not kind and the Italians were not happy -- so what do you do with a group of irate Italians -- you ignore them, kinda.

We arrived in Seville at 11:15 AM -- note the time delta -- 4.5 hours of solid language lessons. Boy were we getting good.

The tour took us on a panoramic tour of the city sights by bus -- stopping at Plaza de Espana (they have a Plaza De Espana in every Spanish city) and finally dropping us off for a walking tour through Santa Cruz (the old Jewish quarter) and a visit to Santa Maria -- the 3rd largest Catholic Cathedral in the world behind St Peter's Basilica in Rome and St Paul's in London.

As we walked through the city, we were serenaded by a Spanish guitarist and we noticed a "lot" of women dressed in traditional Flamenco dresses, so we inquired. Well, luck have it, we were in Seville during a national holiday and festival of Flamenco! Take a look at the pictures. A video will be posted shortly.

Once we completed the "Tour of Seville", we got back on the "Little Italy" bus and headed back to Marbella. Minutes turned into hours and hours turned into days. It seemed like we were stuck in a time warp, and not a good one. Eventually, the tour came to an end and we never thought we would be so glad to say "Arrivedercci Seville".

Mijas Matadors

We ventured out to Mijas today. It is close to Marbella (about 20 minutes) and sits up in the mountains that overlook the Mediterranean. We were fortunate, again, to have good weather and abundant sunshine.

Mijas is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, in Andalusia, southern Spain. It is a typically Andalusian white-washed village located at a mountain side about 450 m above mean sea level, in the heart of the Costa del Sol region. There are some local history museums and many souvenir shops, Mijas also has seven golf courses (four more are under construction) including La Cala Resort the biggest golf resort in Spain. Like much of this coast, it continues to grow in urban development, although at a somewhat more low-key pace. In addition, there are several places to explore the countryside from horseback.

We enjoyed walking through the town, visiting the shops and taking a tour of the town's "bull ring" -- we noticed a matador that had an uncanny resemblance to Tomba, and, uh, well, Joan too. They must be from the "Luis" family of Spain!

Help me, Ronda

Our day began in a spectacular fashion - SUN! We started with a classic European breakfast - eggs, bacon, jamon, fresh bread (toasted), then we got organized for our day trip to Ronda.

Ronda is a city in the Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the city of Marbella, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is 35,515.

We drove up, up, up from the coast to the mountains to visit Ronda. A curvy, mountain road, where Porsche drivers act insanely by passing multiple vehicles with a solid double line. We, on the other hand, took our time and got to the city centre safely.

Around the city are remains of prehistoric settlements dating to the Neolithic Age, including the rock paintings of Cueva de la Pileta. Ronda was however first settled by the early Celts, who, in the 6th century BC, called it Arunda. Later Phoenician settlers established themselves nearby to found Acinipo, known locally as Ronda la Vieja, Arunda or Old Ronda. The current Ronda is however of Roman origins, having been founded as a fortified post in the Second Punic War, by Scipio Africanus. Ronda received the title of city at the time of Julius Caesar.In the 5th century AD Ronda was conquered by the Suebi, led by Rechila, being reconquered in the following century by the Eastern Roman Empire, under whose rule Acinipo was abandoned. Later the Visigoth king Leovigild captured the city. Ronda was part of the Visigoth reign until 713, when it fell to the Arabs, who named it Izn-Rand Onda ("city of the castle") and made it the capital of the Takurunna province.

After the disintegration of the caliphate of Córdoba, Ronda became the capital of a small kingdom, the taifa of Ronda. During this period Ronda received most of its islamic architectural heritage. In 1065 Ronda was conquered by the taifa of Seville led by Abbad II al-Mu'tadid. Both the Sufi scholar Salih ben Sharif al-Rundi (1204-1285) and the poet Ibn Abbad al-Rundi (1333-1390) were born in Ronda.

The islamic domination of Ronda ended in 1485, when it was conquered by Ferdinand II of Aragon after a long siege. Subsequently, mostly of the city's old edifices were renewed or adapted to Christian roles, while numerous others were built in newly-created quarters such as the Mercadillo and the San Francisco ones. The Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda was founded in the town in 1572, with military finalities.

We started off by walking through town, across the bridge, taking in the spectacular views of the gorge. We then walked in the old part of the town stoping to see the home of Saint Don Bosco. His home is a modernist palace built at the beginning of the 20th century. It is located at the Tajo's edge, at the heart of the historical city quarter of Ronda. It belonged to the Granada family, which gave it as last will to the Salesian Priest Order as nursing home of old and ill priests.

We then had lunch at Hotel Montacilno, with spectacular views of the gorge. Next we toured the Church of our Lady of the Incarnation with its tall bell tower. This square is of Arab origin and was the main square. It housed the Mosque, market, jail and castle. The town hall was built in 1734 on the top of the old shops. It was restored in 1818 after the damage caused by the French.

We then toured the Ronda de Toro -- the oldest bullfighting ring in the world and we were fortunate to see a "modern bullfight" in process.

On the Road to Cordoba

We got back "on the road" at 5:45 PM. We programmed our "Always Lost" -- "AL" with the address of the Parador in Cordoba -- Av de la Arruzafa, S/N, 14012 CORDOBA, Spain.

The drive, according to "AL", was supposed to take 4 hours, so we settled in for a "long ride". The weather started out a little iffy, but soon the clouds gave way to sunshine and blue skies with some very large puffy clouds. The A4 highway to Cordoba is excellent. It is well maintained and on a Saturday at 5:45 PM -- not crowded. We zipped through the Spanish Countryside, dotted with olive groves and "windmills" from the past and the present. The drive also goes over a beautiful mountain pass with high cragged rocks that were very impressive.

Precisely at 9:30 PM, - 3 hours and 45 minutes from our start, we took the exit to Cordoba -- we had arrived -- or so we thought. "AL" took over -- "prepare to turn right in .3 miles" - then "prepare to turn right in .3 miles" then "prepare to turn right in .3 miles" -- and on an on. We were caught in an "infinite" loop! AL was confused. He could not find the Parador! We drove on every old street in Corboda and saw every sight -- except for the Parador! So, "high tech" Tom stopped in a "no stopping zone", whipped out his iPhone, clicked on "data roaming" and asked for directions from Google. This time it worked. We got the "right directions" and within minutes we were at the Parador's entrance -- at 10:45 PM - an additional hour that AL had not anticipated.

Since we were only "spending the night", Tomba and Pooker picked up their "Shack Pack" and with toothbrush in hand they entered the castle. The hotel desk clerk looked askance, but since we had "prepaid" our stay, he gleefully handed us the key. He commented, "It is very difficult to find the Parador at night" -- little did he really know.

Its time for bed.

Toledo, Adolpho’s, On the Road to Cordoba

Early morning rain did not hamper the Tomba Tour. Chief Tomba and the Pooker went to Hertz to pick up the “touring car” – a 2009 Ford Station Wagon – YES. After filling out a “ton of paperwork” and getting directions on how to “find the car” in Spanish, we were off! A brief stop at McD’s to get Café con Leche and Egg McSausage, we equipped our Wagon with Hertz "Always Lost" and headed back to the hotel to get our “stuff”. Promptly loaded our “stuff” and got “lock and loaded” for the drive to Toledo, a medieval walled city, which was known as the New York of the middle ages. It is quaint, located up on top of a hill overlooking the Tagus river. It is a healthy walker’s paradise. Up, Down and All Over. We found parking and trekked up to the city center. We browsed about, in the rain :::: and then decided to head to Adolpho’s for lunch.

As you know, the Tomba Tour is a High Tech Tour, so Tomba took out his trusted iPhone with its high powered GPS and iPhone apps which contain every possible travel applet, and clicked on his Tripit listing for Adolpho’s. Up came a Google Map with a "pin" prominently showing precisely where Adolpho’s was located in Toledo on Avenida Granada. So Tomba and the Pooker started to walk the streets of Toledo – and got totally lost. 60 minutes passed as we walked, and walked and walked. Looking for street signs Finally, after Tomba repeatedly tried to get the Google Map to “show me the way” – Pooker said, let’s go to the information office and get a map and ask them where the restaurant is located – well, truth be told, we were seated in the restaurant in about 10 minutes – Thanks Pooker for “showing us the way”.

At Adolpho’s we were greeted by Javier Munoz, son of Adolpho Munoz, owner and chef. Adolpho’s was one of the restaurants that was visited by Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow on their “On the Road to Spain” trip. We were ushered to our table, which was impeccably set with white table linens, silver and “Adolpho” inscribed plate ware. Our waiter was Joel - a spitting image of Michael Caine - originally from from France, by the way of Los Angeles, Havana and now Toledo. He made a wonderful lunch spectacular. His introductions to the exquisite fare – local Champignons, Red Quail, Sweet Deer filet, assorted queso, all accompanied by Adolpho’s local wine – a tempranillo from their private vineyard. Javier was educated in the US at Ohio State and is now responsible for the restaurant when his dad is at the Vineyard. 3 1nd 1/2 hours later, we finished with an espresso and cappuccino for the "road ahead".... off to Cordoba!

Museo del Prado, Madrid Vision, Luis De La Candelas

We started the day at the Prado. Wonderful sunshine streamed down on us as we made our way from Plaza Espana to the Prado.

The Museo del Prado is a museum and art gallery located in Madrid, the capital of Spain. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture, it also contains important collections of more than 5,000 drawings, 2,000 prints, 1,000 coins and medals, and almost 2,000 decorative objects and works of art. Sculpture is represented by more than 700 works and by a smaller number of sculptural fragments. The painting collection comprises about 7,800 paintings, of which only about 1,300 are at public display, mainly because of the museum's lack of space. A new, recently opened wing enlarged the display area by about 400 paintings, and it is currently used mainly for temporary expositions. El Prado is one of the most visited sites in Madrid, and it is considered to be among the greatest museums of art in the world

We saw many masterpieces from El Greco, Goya, Velasquez, Ruebens and many others. When we finished our “Tomba Tour” – with our English headset, we headed outdoors to take a bus tour on Madrid Vision. Madrid Vision is a double decker – open top bus that winds its way through the city streets of Madrid allowing everyone to “see the sights” and listen to commentary about the sites. No better way to get a sense and feel of the city and to get in touch with the “gonnas” of the people. The first leg of the tour was “Old Madrid”. It was wonderful to “see” Madrid from this vantage.

After 2 hours, we decided to get a quick bite at the Prado Restaurant (across the square from the Prado) – and to our delight – we again had a wonderful Andalusian meal of Iberian meats and a Veal steak that was out of this world.

Back on the afternoon bus for a tour of Modern Madrid. The Modern Madrid was constructed mostly in the 20th century and featured modern high rises, with less character and style than the baroque buildings in Old Madrid. While interesting to see the contrast, the new “heights” did not appeal to us.

For dinner, we supped on Roast Lamb and other spanish fare at the famous “Cuevas De la Luis Candelas. The restaurant is named after Luis Candelas Cajigal ( Madrid , " February 9 1804 - Madrid, November 6 of 1837 ) who was a bandit Spanish born in the Madrid neighborhood of Lavapies. He was executed on November 6 of 1837 in Plaza Mayor, adjacent to the restaurant. And a chocolate cone to top off the night!

Tomorrow, we pick up our touring car and head to Toledo and Cordoba!

Enrique - Bailey's distant "Spainish" cousin

As we were walking by the Palacio Real (Royal Palace), we saw a Yorkie and noticed a uncanny resemblance to you know who -- Bailey. Well, we met Enrique and found out that he was related to Bailey through a long line of royal "Yorkies" -- except Enrique has a "taste" for "caballeros" not "senoritas" -- he was actively trying to "hook-up" with another caballeros -- so we moved on....

Casa Botin - Oldest Restaurant in the World

The first time I visited Casa Botin was in April 1979, when my mom introduced me to world traveling. My younger brother David was studying at the University of Madrid and my mom thought it would be a good idea to visit him and spend some time seeing Southern Europe. She was visionary. We visited Spain, Italy and Greece and had a spectacular time. We spent 6 weeks in Europe. I was hooked.

Casa Botín restaurant dates from 1725, when the ground floor of what was previously a small inn (since the late 16th century) was reformed and around the same time a log-fired, cast-iron oven installed. This type of oven is typical of Castillian restaurants, where roasts of all types (meats, fowl) are the mainstay of Castillian cuisine. The restaurant has 4 floors and is located in Cuchilleros street, a short walk from Plaza Mayor.

Joan and I re-visited Casa Botin for a late lunch. There is obviously a good reason this restaurant has been around since 1725 (the oldest restaurant in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records). We entered on the ground floor went downstairs to the the "bodega" or old wine cellars. Main courses in Spanish restaurants can be very spartan where vegetables are concerned and Botín is no exception. This is just the way it goes- the Spanish tend to separate their vegetables and serve them up as starters.

We had a sampling of their famous fare -- Dried Iberian Pork Loin, White Asparagus with Mayonnaise, Calamari, and the house specialty -- Roast Suckling Pig. We accompanied it with a Marques De Riscal Tempranillo 2005. The suckling pig was fantastic - the meat was very tender and covered with "crackling" - the crisp, roasted skin which cracks when cut and tastes simply delicious. Incredible!!

The Mesonas - Tapas Bars in Plaza Mayor

Here are selected photos of the various "Mesonas" that line Cava De San Miguel.

Plaza Mayor, Casa Botin's and a walk through "old Madrid"

After a delightful catch-up nap, we ventured out to walk through "Old Madrid". So we took a cab to Plaza Mayor, where we started our tour.

The Plaza Mayor was built during the Hapsburg period and is a central plaza in the city of Madrid, Spain. It is located only a few blocks away from another famous plaza, the Puerta del Sol. The Plaza Mayor is rectangular in shape, measuring 129 by 94 meters, and is surrounded by three-story residential buildings having 237 balconies facing the Plaza. It has a total of nine entrance ways. The Casa de la Panadería, serving municipal and cultural functions, dominates the Plaza Mayor.

The origins of the Plaza go back to 1589 when Philip II of Spain asked Juan de Herrera, a renowned Renaissance architect, to discuss a plan to remodel the busy and chaotic area of the old Plaza del Arrabal. Juan de Herrera was the architect who designed the first project in 1581 to remodel the old Plaza del Arrabal but construction didn't start until 1617, during Philip III's reign. The king asked Juan Gomez de Mora to continue with the project, and he finished the porticoes in 1619. Nevertheless, the Plaza Mayor as we know it today is the work of the architect Juan de Villanueva who was entrusted with its reconstruction in 1790 after a spate of big fires. Giambologna's equestrian statue of Philip III dates to 1616, but it was not placed in the center of the square until 1848. If you look around today you can still see the blood on the walls from some of the bull fights held in earlier years.

After a walk through the "Plaza", we headed down Cava de San Miguel -- the road that runs by the "caves" below the Plaza. These were the catacombs that were used after hangings had taken place in the Plaza over 400 years ago -- the "Caves" have since been turned into quaint "bars" and "mesonas" -- tapas restaurants -- with a variety of themes - Mesonas de la Guitar, Mesonas de Champignon (The Mushroom); Mesonas Jamon (The Ham). These colorful tapas bars dot both sides of the street as it winds it way downward to our lunch destination -- Casa Botin.

The Volcano Erupts!

As we left the surreal bonds of the US airspace, bound for Madrid, Spain, on our Aer Lingus flight, little did we know that a volcano in Iceland had decided to start erupting. Fortunately for us, there was no impact on our flight as the jet stream had kept the ash plume in the Northern Europe/Scandinavia air space.

Britain Closes Airspace as Volcanic Ash Spreads

New York Times - Alan Cowell, Nicola Clark - ‎1 hour ago‎

PARIS - British civil aviation authorities said on Thursday they would close the country's airspace at noon to shield aircraft from a high altitude cloud of ash drifting south from an erupting volcano in Iceland.

Our flight was flawless and we sleep like babies -- twisting and turning and not getting a wink. When we arrived on the ground, there was a light rain and overcast skies. Everything went on schedule. Bags on time. AMEX Foreign Exchange was open. Our taxi driver - Joseph - was delightful. He gave us a great verbal tour in Castilian Spanish and English about Madrid, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand and the Grand Inquisition.

We checked into the Melia Madrid Princess hotel and our room was ready -- and quite nice -- they really do know how to pamper guests and the room was attractively decorated in a modern "art deco" decor.

Off to sleep to make up for last night, then onward to Casa Botin's for lunch!

The "Tomba" Tour Schedule

On the road to Spain
Apr 14 - Apr 24, 2010 - Madrid, Spain

Cordoba, Spain; Marbella, Spain; Toledo, Spain; Washington, DC

April 14 - Depart Washington, DC.

April 15 - Arrive Madrid, Spain.

April 15 - 17 - Tour Madrid, see the Prado, Old Town Madrid, Royal Palace, dinner at Casa Botin's and Cuevas Luis de la Candelas, Plaza Mayor, Tapas at the Mesonas.

April 17 - Day trip to Toledo for lunch and onward to Cordoba to see the Mosque and stay in a the Cordoba Paradore.

April 18 - Drive through Andulusia to Marbella; staying with The Munoz at Marriott's Marbella Resort.

April 19 - Tour Marbella, Torremelinos.

April 20 - Day trip to Ronda.

April 21 - Lounging in Marbella; tennis, golf & whatever

April 22 - Day trip to Seville.

April 23 - Head back to Madrid via Malaga

April 24 - Flight back to Washington, DC.

Onward, the journey continues....

The stage has been set. The actors have been chosen. And now you will have the opportunity to follow the travels of Tomba Tours to Spain (Espana).

The tour actors on this journey are: Eduardo the Great, Suzette the Player, The Pooker and of course, Tomba!

Our departure is set for April 14, 2010 and concludes on April 24, 2010. We will explore Mardrid, Andulacia, La Mancha and Cost Del Sol. We plan to visit Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga, Marbella and Torremelinos.

Stay tuned and we will fill you in on the details of the plans and the exciting tours we plan to take.

!Muchas Gracias.