living in Spain

Cadiz Carnival in Spain in February 2012

2012-02-13T10:59:00.001+01:00

Spain loves a Fiesta and they can be encountered in most towns and cities throughout the year. Of course, Springtime is the best time as the weather is improving. Most Festivals or Fiestas take place somewhere outside.

The Spanish people love to live outside as much as possible. February is the month of the Cadiz Carnival which starts at the official beginning of Lent.The week before Ash Wednesday, starting on a Friday. Fancy Dressers arrive on the Saturday for the ten day event.

               It will be ten days of raucious fun and music, a time to let your hair down and let off steam. Costumes play a big role in the traditional garb - so it's very much fancy dress time.

               Concerts, Puppet Shows, singing in the streets, comedians and fireworks are some of the elements that make up this carnival that started way back in the 16th century.

   More Carnival information on this site about Andalusia

Dressing up at Carnival time is about making fun of all that is authority in Cadiz. Mimicking politicians and Famous Figures is part of the fun. The tradition of Los Gaditanos, the name of groups of people who like to show their indepence by expressing themselves in this way continues today in spite of Franco banning them in 1937. Los Gatidanos continued their Carnival behind closed doors singing songs with hidden lyrics that would mock whoever they pleased.

It was only after Francos death and the formation of a new Government that Carnival was once again a legal activity and went back out to the streets.

People travel from all over Spain to take part in the Carnival - although signs of it can be found in the famous Chueca district of Madrid and in Barcelona.

More on Fiestas in Spain can be found here

Art Madrid 2012 Spain

2012-02-11T16:53:00.002+01:00

Art Madrid

Art madrid begins on the 15th of february and can been seen up until the 19th of february.
It will be held at del Pabellón de Cristal de la Casa de Campo

It's sure to offer the viewer and art lover a good mixture of works of art from most of the top galleries around madrid and Spain. The accent being on Contemporary Artists of most mediums. this will be its 7th edition. Prices can be found at the website which I have linked. last year it was around thirty Euros a person. there may be optional prices for how long you stay and group prices is normal.

Pabellón de Cristal de la Casa de Campo de Madrid
Avenida Portugal s/n
28011 Madrid
España

Art Madrid 2012

Women Painting Women: Linda Lee Nelson

2012-01-25T20:40:00.000+01:00

Women Painting Women: Linda Lee Nelson: Wassily Chair , oil on linen, 36" x 36", 2011 Linda Lee Nelson

Living in Spain and being a Writer

2012-01-22T19:03:00.003+01:00

Living in Spain can lead to many options for work and occupations. For many it means taking up work as a language teacher but with all the experience that one accumulates, writing about something is a great temptation.

Building a knowledge of the English language through teaching English and then developing a liking for it can be a good starting point for learning to write about the place you live in - Spain. In a way it was for me.

I teach English and I enjoy it immensely - even though I probably have a lot to learn I won't let that stop me from practicing writing about the place I live in. You might think that I'm talking about Travel Writing, but I'm not.

I love cities and I live in the city of Madrid in the centre of Spain. A nice climate that chops and changes with the seasons but still retains its Spanish promise of hot summers and, sometimes, mild Winters. The attraction of cities for me is the people and the atmosphere that these people, its inhabitants, create. Their desire for a life that will offer them better than they knew before moving here. Madrid has a very large population of immigrants. Mostly South American.

I love to write and so have begun to write a novel which is based in Madrid. It starts in Afghanistan and then Paris but ends up in Madrid and plays out its slice of life in the capital amongst the criminal world. you can read more about it here at my other website. At the website about my writing you can find posts about my experience writing a novel for the first time. The ideas that I have discovered to work and what is most important to concentrate on. First Draft, Notebooks for Writers, Writing an Outline to keep track of where you are going. You will find something of interest there, for sure.

If you enjoy writing about the place you live, even if it is also Spain or not, let me know about your experiences and thoughts on writing.

The Best Supermarket of the Year

2012-01-22T18:04:00.001+01:00

Lidl Supermarket in Spain has won the award for best Supermarket of the year 2011. 162 other Supermarkets competed in the competition last year.

There were 38 different types of Spanish Shops and 15 different categories to choose from for the Judges. With over 100,000 different variables on products to choose from.

The prizes was given at The Hotel Arts de Barcelona to a collection of runner ups, Yves Rocher, Brico Depot, Media Markt, Decathlon y Women'Secret.

Sean , Madrid , Sunday 21st Jan.

Winter in Madrid

2012-01-10T16:54:00.000+01:00

I was expecting it to be a very cold and chilly Winter in Madrid this year. It's normally cold,icy with the occasional snow flurry. Not this year, so far.

Early Mornings there is a sharp and crisp bite to the Madrid air but that soon disappears as the day progresses.
By Midday the air is pleasant and the overcoat is too much with the sun shining and a bright blue sky that raises the spirits. People tell me it's not normal to be so mild. Well, I say, Winter isn't over yet.

I went for a walk in The Retiro Park close to El Passeo del Prado. It was a beautiful day and lots of Madrileños were taking advantage of the fine Winter weather by sitting around on the grass or lounging on the statues situated by the artificial boating lake. An ice cream and then a hot-dog seemed appropriate.

The area offers a great advantage for tourist and locals in Madrid. The Retiro Park is very close to the Botanical Gardens which has an entry cost of about 2 Euros. Then farther along the main street the Prado Museum proudly dominates the landscape, dwarfing the Ritz Hotel which stands next door. A bit farther down the road towards Atocha Renfe Station, you can find the Thyssen Museum Collection of paintings. Excellent value at about 10 Euros entry to the main exhibit. There is also a current exhibition running that changes about once a month.

Winter in Madrid doesn't have to be tough and cold. It is Spain after all and you'd expect the sun to shine most of the time. I'm enjoying it.

Expat Exchange - 10 Tips for Living in Spain - spain, living in Spain, Moving to Spain, expat spain

2011-11-12T17:11:00.000+01:00

Expat Exchange - 10 Tips for Living in Spain - spain, living in Spain, Moving to Spain, expat spain

Living in Spain and Abroad

2011-11-12T16:18:00.003+01:00

Living away from Home

Living in Spain and Abroad opens many wonderful experiences and opportunities to sample or actually live and learn from other cultures. Being away from your Home or own Culture for a long time is guaranteed to make you focus on People and their Ways of Life . I now live in Madrid, Spain.

Leaving Home

   I left England many years ago. At that time I suffered from "Island Mentality" - something that Brits have when they spend too much time only living in England. You believe that your country is the centre of the Universe and things and ideas and the essence of culture stems from it. I first went to Germany where I made new friends and had new experiences that caused me to really question the way I viewed the World around me.

New cultures
   Like going to a party and seeing that the host had laid out raw minced beef (ground beef) as a snack. A traditional food at German parties and not bad actually. Then learning the language helped me get closer to the German mentality, this helped me to redefine my attitude towards the Germans on the whole. I had been taught at school that All Germans were Nazis and that we shouldn't trust them. Through really getting deeper into learning to speak German I began to realize that this is not the case of the modern German. I began to understand the mentality of Germans. Actually not much different to the English or the Americans in their needs and wants in life.

Spain

   Years later I decided to follow my heart and go to Spain. Being already in my forties but still feeling young, I booked a ticket to Seville in Andalusia. I rented a holiday apartment at a ridiculous price and began to explore. I discovered in Seville that the world of Flamenco and Bullfighting is still alive and kicking. They love it. My intention was to just be there with the option of using the return ticket back to Germany if I wanted and forget everything. It took three days of being in Seville to finally come to the decision that I can't make my mind up about something when really, I need to have intimate knowledge of the place and the people where I want to live. The option, just live there and find out. So I did, and that's the only way to know if you like living somewhere or not.
Sitting at home in a rainy and bleak country and thinking about going to live somewhere different won't give you the answers.

People often have silly sayings, like, "Don't go back once you have left" etc. These are the sayings of timid hearts who live their lives as if they have to believe that every decision they ever make must be held to, regardless of personal happiness.

Go and try it and if you don't like it - go somewhere else or go back home and rethink your next move. I liked Seville but then I didn't. I learned a lot about a certain part of Spain in Seville but knew that their way of life was not my way. I like big cities and a good grab bag of people from different cultures to meet and chat with. To sit in a Spanish bar late at night and chat with the locals here in Madrid is a heart warming experience. Madrid's locals are called Madrileños. A person from Madrid is a person who arrived yesterday and then decided to stay. That's how it is in Madrid, you're welcome. You will meet Spaniards and you will certainly meet people from South America so you will have plenty of language practice as you go along.

Madrid

           Madrid is a great place to see art and meet artists. It has a modern culture of following the latest trends in painting , literature and music. If you like Flamenco, well I'm sure you can find it somewhere but if you like Jazz and Rock and Folk from different Latin cultures then you will find it in Madrid.
           Galleries galore all over Madrid offer a constant flow of new work to visit and see. Many bars still have a license for live music so the intimate cosiness of Small venue,Live music is possible many nights during the week.

Learning a Language

           Learning the Spanish language is important - doesn't matter how old you are - it's important to do your best and dive into the wonders of wrapping your brain around constant practice and study of grammar and vocabulary. Learning to speak Spanish, as with any other language, it's a matter of time and application combined that determines how quickly you become fluent or just conversational.

          If you are young, you probably have tons of energy and a clear mind unburdened by the weight of life, so learning will come easier and quicker. In three months you can start waffling away with the locals and you will also notice that this helps to increase your abilities with the language.
          If you are older, don't lose heart and don't believe in the nonsense that you are too old to learn. I've known many over fifties who have learned very quickly and become quite fluent within a short period of time. And, it was their first attempt at a foreign language. I'm over fifty and I continue to learn to speak Spanish and I improve everyday. It's simple, I don't improve when I don't practice. I do improve when I sit down and study and then go out and use it.

Living in Spain

          Living in Spain and Abroad can open the mind and create opportunities to meet people who you would never have met in your home country. You can begin the journey of understanding other people and why they are the way they are and exchange about their cultures and way of life with your own.

Book review Lauree lee "As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning"

2011-09-18T16:43:00.000+02:00

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Laur&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Laurie Lee recounts the story of his personal journey from Slad village in Gloucestershire in England during the 1930s to Spain during the Civil War.

At the age of nineteen he sets out on foot with the intention of reaching London. He has no great plan or particular goals to achieve except to experience what it's like to live in London.
His journey takes him to Southampton where he makes his first attempt to make a living by busking on the streets as a violin player. Then on he moves to see the sea for the first time and then off to London.In London he works as a labourer on a building site. Then, he decides to head for Spain.
For the next year he travels by foot through Spain, meeting the people and playing his violin. A Spain that with the impending threat of Civil War creates an atmosphere of instability and mistrust of strangers with violins and young Englishmen mad enough to wander through its countryside alone.

A beautiful read. The prose of Laurie Lee will capture your soul and remind you of what a true page turner is. A vivid and sensitive account of a young man's journey into adulthood.

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning

Madrid Night Out in Lavapiés

2011-09-17T12:35:00.000+02:00


Next Stop to Plaza Lavapiés

The barrio of Lavapiés lies south of the city centre. Once the Jewish and Moorish neighbourhood the name lavapiés being translated as "Foot-Wash" where people would come and have their feet washed ritually.

A great place to visit while in Madrid offering an enjoyable stroll in a non-touristy neighbourhood of Madrid's Alternative barrio. In the morning you can stop for coffee and breakfast in one of the many cafés around the area. Just walk along Calle Argumosa (the main drag in Lavapiés) and you will find a table on the terrace to enjoy the Morning sun and something to eat. Keep walking, follow your nose and eventually you'll find something to suit your taste. Small side streets offer a variety of cafes for morning coffee - not all are open before 12 pm. A lot of the cafés and bars are more suited for night time fun. Calle Argumosa has the advantage of being situated so that you can choose a sunny side of the street or a shaded side of the street.

Today Lavapiés offers a labyrinth of streets to explore which are full of cafés and restaurants of many different types and themes. If you want Indian food Lavapiés is the right barrio. Calle Ave Maria offers a good selection of Indian restaurants as well as Spanish restaurants.


Plaza de Lavapiés

Walking up the hill, away from Plaza Lavapiés on Calle Ave Maria you have a choice of simple bars for drinking or restaurants also offering terraces or spacious seating inside. friendly welcomes and comfortability is offered in "Taberna Viva Chapata" where you can drink and eat Bocadillas (sandwiches). Next door is the famous and older "Nuevo Café Barbiera" which is spacious and very popular with the locals.
In summer don't imagine everywhere has air-conditioning. If they do, they will advertise it to get customers inside. There is often a place to find that offers the shade of trees on the terrace and when seated and a cold drink in hand, the heat isn't so bad - it's Spain.


Breakfast in Calle Argumosa

              If you really want a night out where you can explore a few bars and find out what's happening on the music scene and in the lovcal art-world, then Lavapiés is the right area. Visit any of the bars round and about and you will have the feeling that you are off the beaten track of tourist haunts. "Left wing" may be out of fashion but the area buzzes with the feeling of creativity, alternatives and artists; writers,poets,painters and self-defined artists like to hang out in Lavapiés at night.

You will also notice that most of the bars are covered in information posters and flyers. Info about local bands, shows and theatre events are all over the walls. Calle Argumosa is a favourite for buskers playing guitar and singing - most of them are regulars and can play a pretty entertaining tune.

             Point; in days gone by, people from Other Areas of Madrid would warn people that Lavapiés is dangerous at night. Muggers,robbers and blaggards galore. Not really true anymore; the police doing an excellent job of combating street crime in Madrid, the streets are safe to walk for the self aware tourist who doesn't advertise her or himself. Staying away from short-cuts through the back streets late at night is sensible in any city and all will be well.
             The locals in Lavapiés are a friendly working class folk and welcome people of all nationalities and backgrounds.

Dylan Ratigan (rightfully) loses it on air

2011-08-26T11:30:00.000+02:00

Cats and Los Madrileños

2011-08-15T13:42:00.000+02:00

The cats from Madrid

Madrid is a big city.The residents, known as Madrileños have a nickname " Los Gatos" - "Cats". Today the origin of the name is said to describe the typical Madrileño who likes to stay out all night on the tiles like a cat. The real origin stems back through the centuries. The origin of los Gatos comes from wars with the French during the middle-ages.
Well fortified French soldiers believed that their fortresses were impossible to attack. The Madrilleños took on the job and began to prove them wrong by scaling the castle walls like cats. To the astonishment and fear of the enemy of that time.

Four million residents and lots more people passing through on business and tourism everyday, Madrid is a busy city,day and night.

A great place to live. Very Multi-Culti, you can meet all types of people from every walk of life and country in Madrid. Obviously a popular destination for work for Hispanic cultures.

Night life - if you're a cat - offers much diversion. Early evening tapas and beer in one of the cafés in Centro offers a broad selection to please every taste.
Head off into the barrios and find something with a more local feeling. You know you are there when the price of beer seems more reasonable and the tapas that are given "gratis" with each beer are more like a small meal than a token of tradition.

Down in the area of Lavapiés and the offer gets hotter. Indian restaurants and small bars offering the same in the form of Indian tapas. Enjoy the great atmosphere on the street. An atmosphere of friendliness rules this barrio which is very art oriented. Small Off Theatres can be found in many of the side streets. So, if your Spanish is good enough, check out one of the local shows.

Late Night Madrid and Places for Cats

                    In most central Barrios many of the bars that live from either tourism or locals lock up their doors around 1. a.m. yet, if you are planning to stay out on the tiles like a cat, you can start strolling around and there will be a bar or two that likes to keep going - you just have to ask or go looking and you will find it.

   A good tip is Chueca. An area very close to Gran Vía. The culture is mixed and can be very gay. There is something for everybody there, especially late night clubs. Some clubs and discos don't open before 11 pm and don't really get going till 3.a.m.

         Late night Madrid is a question of taste. The cats in Madrid are friendly and don't mind strangers asking questions about good bars and clubs to visit.

Cats on the Streets of Spain

2011-08-11T17:25:00.003+02:00

In Spain it is always easy to spot Feral Cats on the Streets, wherever you go.

Normally, in busy areas they can be found in derelict houses, building sites and anywhere a cat could imagine having peace and quiet and security.

They often live in families or colonies. Sleeping during the day and looking for food at night.

            These cats are Feral not wild-cats. The wild cat is a pure species that has always lived and thrived in the country. In spite of that, feral cats, although the same species as domestic cats often don't make good house pets unless they are taken very early.

             These cats must learn to survive by their wits and part of that is to not trust other animals or humans. They find food in different ways. Rubbish bins close to restaurants are a prime source of food,yet, cats are natural hunters and predators. Whatever other small animal flourishes in their environment could well be a source of food that can be located and hunted regularly.

             For this reason a three month old Kitten might not be a good choice as a house pet. It will have learned to defend itself, fight for its food and avoid human contact. Its Mother would have taught it much about living on the street.

              For example a kitten brought up on a building site would live in close proximity to humans. Seeing them everyday,working on the site,shifting equipment around and generally making a lot of noise and making daily kitten life loud and noisy.
This kitten would learn quickly to find a nice cosy hide-out where it can stay out of trouble and enjoy hunting (or practice hunting) at night.

             In seville the streets are covered with cats and in Spring time many kittens are to be seen.
             Madrid is fun too, you can come across a patch of land in an urban area and for sure, if you look closely, you will discover a family of cats living in the far corner away from the street.

            A last point. Cats are very clean and sociable animals.Even street cats. They look after themselves and their kittens. They seldom eat carrion rather freshly killed prey. So, they are not disease ridden animals that need eliminating. Large populations of cats can cause a problem with the local wildlife when they kill too much for food and the population of that animal (prey) is diminished.

Indignants at Puerta del Sol

2011-08-09T14:49:00.001+02:00

I walked through Puerta del Sol yesterday and it seems that the protesting "Indignates" have calmed down and certainly were not to be seen.

Anybody visiting Madrid who might be worried about disturbances can relax. These are real protests aimed at Social Reforms. There was one night of confrontation between police and Indignates resulting in a few injuries on both sides.

Since then, the Indignates have done their best to ensure no violence. Their objective being to hold dialogues with the Authorities and create change.

We will wait and see what happens and what results Peaceful Protests can bring.

Books for Visiting and Living in Spain

2011-08-07T20:09:00.002+02:00

Added here are three Books for Travelling in Spain. each one is recommended, all very descriptive and must have Books if you want to really enjoy your stay in Spain.

Also, for those of you wishing to live in Spain I have added three more Books on the subject of Living and Working in Spain.

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<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

The three Books above all offer excellent guidance when visiting Spain - in whichever part of the country you may find yourself.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Living in Spain books.

Living and Working in Spain by David Hampshire

This Book is very practical and gives plenty of advice about work,insurance,medical and paperwork needed to Live and Work in Spain. Enjoyable and humorous to read it will keep you on the right track with lots of answers to every question from Working in Spain to the Culture and how to fit in.

Jamie C. Wakefield's account of moving to Spain and experiencing the ups and downs of a New Country and a New culture is considered humorous and although light-hearted, an interesting and informative account of life in a new country -Spain.

living in Spain: Books One Thriller One Big Story

2011-07-25T19:12:00.001+02:00

living in Spain: Books One Thriller One Big Story: " Marathone Man I've been reading a lot of books this year. I can really recommend many of those which I have read. Above is Marathon Man ..."

Books One Thriller One Big Story

2011-07-25T19:11:00.001+02:00

Marathon Man

I've been reading a lot of books this year. I can really recommend many of those which I have read. Above is Marathon Man - maybe you have seen the film with Dustin Hoffman, Roy Scheider etc. A great film - I watched it five or six times and never fails to entertain. The book is great.The writing is masterful. William Goldman - author of The Princess Bride - is a master of suspense. Humour plays a great role in his writing too and helps to move the dialogue along.

Well worth a read if you like Thrillers and Crime novels. Otherwise have a look at this novel by Amanda Craig.

" Hearts and Minds"
A Story of five people whose lives meet and cross paths through acts of Courage,Greed and murder. A look into the lives of immigrant populations living in London. Beautifully written.It will stay with you even after you have finished reading - a real thinkers story.

Paintings By Sean Durham

2010-12-06T01:00:00.000+01:00

Oil paintings from Sean Durham's Studio

2010-11-26T18:49:00.002+01:00

Pit Bull and Two Women

This is a sample of some of the work that I,Sean Durham, paint in my studio.
I always work in the studio and am always working towards a new exhibition.

people are always my subjects. Often I'll see an interesting composition in the street, a bar or even while shopping. This inspires me to note it and then as soon as i get back to the studio I'll at least make a quick pencil sketch that can be the beginning of a new painting.

I like to work hard on my paintings and therefore never put a time limit on them. It's normally a deadline for an exhibition that will cause me to stay up all night,seven days a week working away until it is completed.

Finding Art in Seville

2010-11-24T12:01:00.001+01:00

When you visit Spain and have the opportunity to go South and visit Seville, Andalucia, don't forget to look up some artists or seek out some galleries.

friends and I have a studio in Seville where you can often see paintings by calling or emailing first. Every Wednesday evening at 7 pm there is also a Life Study group in El Barrio Santa Cruz.

Even if you are only visiting for a couple of days you are welcome to spend the evening drawing with us. A small model fee of around 7 Euros to cover costs includes a drink afterwards and chat in one of the tapas bars close by in the Barrio.

The group meets every Wednesday evening and can be contacted through this number 0034-661225840

Living in Seville in Andalusia

2010-06-01T23:18:00.001+02:00

Living in Seville the Heart of Andalusia

The City of Seville is often a new and exciting experience for most people who come to live here, even if they only plan to stay a short while there is something for most to find.
The crowded streets that were designed for a smaller community and so narrow that a car has trouble navigating along it lend themselves to enjoyable walks in both Winter and Summer.

Sevillianos (Sevillian people) are a happy,smiling bunch of people who enjoy life and take their entertainment and fiestas seriously."work to Live - not Live to work!" is on the lips of every Sevilliano. The nights are busy and the Tapas Bars are full and there is always something for a visitor to find to do or see that is typical Spanish and in this part of the World, typical Seville.

If you only walk the streets then end up in a Tapas bar at 8.30 pm for a beer and some food you will enjoy the busy and bustling atmosphere of Spanish life. Loud voices echo around the bar and the shouts of the barman fill the room as he sends orders for food back to the kitchen, " Flemanquito, Prínga y una cerveza!". tapas bars are for eating and meeting and speaking - the Spanish love to talk, it fills the streets and their dreams I believe. The average Spaniard would never simple go to a bar for to read a book and get some peace and quite - it's the wrong place to expect that.

The barrio

If you have lived in a big city and like it then Seville - being a city - is different. No big city atmosphere here. Seville is full of Barrios and locals. You get to know your neighbourhood and the people in it. You meet people easily and if you get on with them, they won't forget your face when you pass them in the street a day or two later.A wave and a shout of "good morning" followed by a warm smile of recognition is the Sevilliano greeting to all the friendly faces in your Barrio.
This warmth that sevillianos show is real. It comes from a communal heart that would rather trust once and take a risk than shun everybody that it crosses. Yet, beware that it goes just so far. Privacy is very important to Andalusians and Sevillianos especially. The family is of great importance and that is private and has nothing to do with other people.So don't expect invites to peoples family fiestas or birthday parties.

Enchufe

To know people in Andalusia is very important. It is a place built on networking and connections. If you need an introduction then you need an introduction to get the introduction. You need to know people and, quite naturally, over time if they like you, they will help you and point you in the right direction with a phone call to a friend or business colleague. You don't need to be someone special just a friend or somebody the person likes enough to help. It's a natural process of helping out.

The Strum of a Guitar and the Roar of the Crowd.

The Culture of Seville is still fairly intact and continues to follow traditions that started long ago. The Bullfight is an Event that is accepted by many and scorned by some. The some are generally modernised Spaniards and non-Spaniards who would rather not be associated with old traditions that require the death of an animal.
Some just leave it and have no opinion, others tend to have an aggressive attitude against the corrida (bullfight) and in my experience an uneducated expression of opinion that is based on rumours more than serious study and investigation of what is happening in the World of Bullfighting. These people need to go to an abattoir and then decide where the reforms are really needed.

Flamenco, the dance and the music is related to all aspects of Andalusian life. The sound of a melancholic voice filling a room and the practiced fingers of the guitarist weaving a tapestry of notes to support the singer can be sweetness to the soul.
For some though, difficult to understand. If you've spent the last thirty odd years filling your ears with the sounds of radio music,Top Ten chart music and more then you will need time to get the sound into your mind and let it find its place and order itself according to your universe.
It is quite possible to go to a place one night and be witness to a heap of soulless dribble spewed out for the price of a pint and a drunken moment of vain-glory. Spaniards have Soul but not all are singers.

The spirit

The flamenco singer sings his song and tells the story, the female dancer dances her heart out and raises the spirit of Flamenco from the depths and entrances the audience with a feverish, possessed movement of body.The audience captured ,she draws them in to the spirit of Flamenco. They are entranced, captivated and believe her every move to be the embodiment of Flamenco.

aprende ingles en sevilla

2010-06-01T15:22:00.000+02:00

aprende ingles en sevilla

The Otherside of Spanish Fashion

2010-02-02T23:50:00.005+01:00

In Spain as an expat, we all tend to look for new opportunities to expand our incomes. A lot of us go for the tried and tested teaching route and enjoy it. But, Deborah Cocking who lives in Seville , Andalusia has started her own dressmaking business. Deborah offers her dressmaking services to women who are looking for something very special, something quite unique and of course, something that will make the woman look beautiful. Deborah certainly delivers the goods on all counts.Fabrics that she chooses herself and only finest quality. Different types of silk, traditional Spanish patterns and tastefully placed pure colours that reflect the Spanish sunshine are some of the qualities of deborah Cocking's work.

Deborah's experience stems back to the eighties when she studied at the San Fransisco Art and Design School. This led to contacts in the theatre offering her work as a costume designer. It was there that she learned how to produce good work under pressure of a short dead-line.

Deborah's work can be viewed at her website ajena a la moda the link takes you to page showing the latest addition in the form of an accessory.A shoulder bag made of silk colours, lined with strong canvas that includes an inside pocket, zipped for security.
Each bag is an individual piece and won't be repeated in the colour pattern.

Just looking around the website is a feast for the eyes!

Car Rental Problems

2009-07-14T17:31:00.002+02:00

Holiday time in Spain and tourists are heading for the costas. If you are planning to rent a car make sure that you secure the rental quickly.

Car rental firms are having problems mantaining their fleets due to lack of funds. Yes, the credit crunch is causing problems in the industry.
Banks are refusing to allow loans to rental firms who need the money to buy new stocks. This has forced some car rental firms to buy second hand and offer a much older and less reliable car for your holiday rental car.

Pamplona

2009-07-11T15:39:00.007+02:00

Man Killed during Pamplona Running of the Bulls Festival.

For the second time in 15 years a man was killed by a confused bull during the running of the bulls at the Pamplona Festival.

The bull, called "Capachino" , had become seperated from the running pack of bulls and found itself encircled by an over-excited crowd of "Bullrunners".

After watching the video of the incident it was clear that this bull was confused and therefore became aggressive. It made constant attempts to find an exit route ( seen by the fact that it would turn and charge forwards,turn again and was constantly seeking a way out of its demise) .

There are organisers during the running, these are officials or umpires who attempt to control the bulls and guide them along towards the final destination of the ring. There didn't seem to be much "bull-knowledge" shown when the incident occurred and the officials failed to look at the big picture and exert some crowd-control too. Such as form an exit for the bull to get away and rejoin the group.

Why didn't they think that so long as the bull is surrounded and has no chance of escape, that it would only be a matter of minutes before the bull makes a full force attempt at showing its own form of crowd-control?

It did this; by singling out one person and throwing him to the ground and then continuing to attack and gore him, the bull was showing his dominance.

We don't see what happened after the man was sadly gored to death. The bull would have felt that he had made his point and had established an area of dominance.
A very special situation with Spanish Bulls. At this point, the bull will feel that he has control and anybody attempting to enter his area of dominance will do so at their own peril.

Most Matadors are very wary of this situation when it occurs in a bullfight. A bull may fell a horse and picador and thus establish a small area of dominance in the ring. The Matador knows that when he enters that area, he is at great risk of being attacked and gored - the bull doesn't care about cape movements or any other techniques of control that a matador uses to deal with the bull. It feels very confident. The Matador must bring the bull out of his "Area of Dominance".

The crowd at Pamplona were over-excited,probably fueled by alcohol and high on adrenalin. What a recipe for disaster - drunks and bulls running down the street!

I hope that this terrible loss of life during a Fiesta will prompt the officials and organisers of the Pamplona Bullrun to have a serious meeting about training their Umpires to deal with special situations that are clearly high danger points during the Bullrun in Pamplona.