Seville | Other Spring Fairs

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Seville’s famous Feria de Abril has come and gone for another year but in case you missed it here are three more upcoming fairs that you can visit from Seville.

jerez feria

Puerto de Santa Maria
Puerto de Santa Maria’s Spring Fair and Festival of Fine Wine got under way yesterday (24 April) and finishes on Monday.  This cosy coastal town is at one corner of Andalucia’s “Sherry Triangle”, and although this is a relatively small and local fair, it incorporates  a festival to celebrate the first fruits of the new year, as well as the usual horses and carriages, casetas and a funfair.

Jerez
The Jerez Horse Fair (Feria del Caballo) takes place in the Parque González Hontoria between 6 May and 12 May 2013. Of all the fairs, Jerez has maintained most closely the atmosphere of a “horse fair”, so if you’re really into horses this is the one for you. It’s also a very open fair – almost all the casetas are public, rather than private as they are in Seville, and because it’s in a park, rather than a “fairground”, it’s also surprisingly pretty. There’s a short bullfighting festival from the 9th to 11th, horse shows, a funfair for the kids, and as you would expect, plenty of sherry for the grown-ups.

cordoba feriaCórdoba
The Feria de Córdoba runs from May 25 to June 1 on the municipal fairground, near the river to the east of the Mezquita. There is all the usual things to do, with horses and carriages by day, a funfair and impromptu Sevillanas. Although most of the casetas are privately owned the public are allowed in, so it’s less cliquey and exclusive than the Seville fair, and so more fun for visitors. And the larger casetas even have air-conditioning!

 

All three fairs are easy and comfortable to get to as a day trip by train, but if you want to watch the opening and closing firework displays, or sample the night life into the wee hours of the morning, you’ll need an overnight stay.

 

Seville | Luxury Holiday Apartments

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Here at Veoapartment Headquarters we pride ourselves on the quality and variety of our apartments. Whether small or large, open-plan or with cosy rooms to snuggle up in, we go to a lot of trouble to make sure that all our apartments are top quality and that they are in excellent locations, so that all you have to do is relax and enjoy your holiday.

At the top of the range, though, are some apartments that just make us go, “I want to live here. Forever.” They don’t have to be big, though most of them are certainly spacious. Large windows and lots of light are a common feature, together with terraces and balconies. Furnishings may be chic and modern, or in the classic style, but always include all those little conveniences we can’t do without, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, air-con to keep you cool in summer, and internet access to keep you connected. What they have in common above everything else is that feeling of being special – that combination of luxury with good taste and interesting spaces, all in excellent locations, that makes these very select apartments such a perfect home from home.

marques paradas

The first of three of our special favourites is Marques Paradas (the name is not actually Spanish for paradise, but we think it should be), a contemporary modern three bedroom duplex apartment in the Arenal for up to six people. Big double-glazed windows let in lots of light and keep out any noise, and even in the heat of summer central air conditioning and ceiling fans keep it pleasantly cool. Light colours and wood floors add to the sense of space, and the decorations include original artworks. There’s a modern kitchen next to the dining area, and the option of eating out on the terrace.

teodosio terrace

The second is Teodosio Terrace, another three bedroom apartment for up to eight people, complete with its own private rooftop swimming pool on a spacious terrace. Wood floors, underfloor heating and air conditioning keep it comfortable all year round. Big windows and a private balcony round the interior patio give plenty of light, and the three bedrooms all come with lots of storage space and modern en-suite bathrooms.

catedral terrace

The third, and most luxurious of all, is Catedral Terrace, a Sevillano townhouse with two terraces and a superb view of the Cathedral and Giralda tower. The house has its own interior patio complete with fountain and other traditional elements such as wrought ironwork, tiling and carved doors, as well as all the modern necessities, including WiFi, air conditioning and a modern kitchen. Four bedrooms and bathrooms give plenty of space for up to eight people, and the living room has classical style sofas and chairs.

This is definitely a case of “how the other half live”, and we’d trade places with them anytime.

Seville | Spanish Language Schools

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learn spanishEven apart from the obvious usefulness of speaking some Spanish if you’re coming to Spain on holiday or business (and more so if your stay is going to be long term or even permanent), there are lots of good reasons for taking some time out to improve your Spanish skills.

In the first place learning a foreign language – any foreign language – makes you smarter, keeping the mind active and improving the memory, and although the best time to learn is when you’re young, the general benefits are just as great for older learners. Secondly, did you know that after Mandarin, Spanish has the most native speakers of any language, including English, making it a language of importance on the world stage? This also means that speaking Spanish opens you up to a whole new world of culture in the form of literature and film.

Of course the best place to learn a foreign language is the country where it is spoken. If you’re serious about achieving a good level of Spanish there are a number of excellent schools in Seville where you can take a variety of courses to suit both your level and the time that you want to spend, and also learn something of the local culture with programmes of extracurricular activities, including cooking, evenings out and flamenco. For more information see our new page on Spanish schools in Seville, and also have a look here for our long-term apartment rentals.

Granada | What else to do in Granada

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It’s been a long, wet winter, but at last Spring seems to be just around the corner. This is the best time to come to the south of Spain, and to one of its most popular destinations, the city of Granada at the foot of the Sierra Nevada.

You will of course be paying a visit to the Alhambra, the magnificent palace fortress of the Moorish kings, and to the Generalife (top tip – have a drink on the terrace of the Parador hotel looking across to the Generalife), but what are you going to do for the rest of your stay?

albaicin markets

First option is to make your way up through the Moroccan market into the Albaicin, the old Arab quarter of the city with its picturesque steep, narrow streets to the San Nicholas Mirador for a view across the valley of the River Darro to the Alhambra and the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada beyond. It’s also worth walking up the river valley from Plaza Nueva, the classic Spanish square in the heart of the city. It still looks like the mountain stream it was, but now with houses perched on its high banks below the steep hill of the Alhambra. Going further brings you into the Sacramonte neighbourhood, famous for its gypsy community, cave houses and flamenco night-life (nowadays mostly for tourists, but still an unmissable experience).

On the other side of the Alhambra is the old Jewish quarter of the Realejo, now a busy neighbourhood of bars and restaurants. Between the Realejo and the Alhambra you can find the Carmen de los Martires, one of Granada’s less well known gems. Carmenes (houses with walled gardens) are typical of Granada, and there are quite a few of them, often now functioning as hotels and restaurants rather than private houses, but Los Martires is the grandest, with several acres of gardens laid out around a 19th century country house.

carmen terraceview from our Carmen Terrace 2 apartment in Granada

At the foot of the Realejo, as you get back to the centre is the Corral del Carbón, originally built as a coal warehouse way back in the Moorish period, but adapted in the 16th century for theatrical performances (these courtyard theatres are roughly contemporary with Shakespeare and the birthplace of Spanish theatre). Pay your respects at the Royal Chapel and Cathedral, then take a walk along the Alcaicería, once the Moorish silk market, but now mainly little souvenir and artesan shops, but still with a Morroccan feel to it.

Behind the Cathedral is the Plaza Bib-Rambla, Granada’s largest public square, and an important commercial space since mediaeval times, and also the location of bullfights and autos-da-fé. Nowadays it has many cafés and restaurants in the colonnades around it, and in the centre is the Fountain of the Giants, added in the 19th century. From here, take a walk up through the Bib-Rambla neighbourhood to the San Jeronimo monastery. Built in the period following the Reconquista, it’s a calm and peaceful oasis with its two cloisters full of orange trees and magnificent altarpiece. It’s also the burial place of El Gran Capitán, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, who led the Spanish forces that conquered Granada.

Finally, for something completely different, pay a visit to Granada’s famous science park. The interactive displays and exhibits are child-friendly and great fun as well as fascinating, dealing with everything from the birth of the universe to the diversity of life.

For more information about Granada, and some great holiday apartment rentals visit our website.

Seville | Bullfighting

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maestranza bullring sevilla

“Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter’s honour.” Ernest Hemingway Death in the Afternoon 1932

After flamenco, watching a bullfight is seen as one of the top priorities for getting in touch with the local culture of Spain, and although it’s perhaps less central than it was even 50 years ago, in the south bullfighting is still both popular and big business, as well as a source of many iconic images. So whether you regard it as an inhumane bloodsport or a form of art, like Hemingway did, there remains a fascination with the matador standing alone in the ring in the glare of the late afternoon sun with his cape and sword, pitting his skill against the brute strength of the bull.

Official poster for 2013 featuring Juan Belmonte

Official poster for 2013 featuring famed Sevillano matador Juan Belmonte

Seville’s bullring (La Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla) is located next to the river in the Arenal neighbourhood. It’s the oldest in Spain, the first corrida having been held there in 1765, and the original model on which most later bullrings were based, with its carpet of yellow sand (albero) and circular tiered seating rising to an arched colonnade that protects the most expensive seats from the sun. When there are no bullfights you can still visit the arena and the bullfighting museum and experience its unique atmosphere for yourself.

The main bullfighting season is in April, during the Spring Fair. This year the daily corridas (the standard bullfight) run from April 10 to April 22, followed by a season of novilladas (fights featuring young bulls and novice bullfighters) on Sundays during May. There is also a short season in late September, during the Feria de San Miguel. Prices depend on the type of bullfight and on where you’re sitting relative to the arena and the sun (sol, sombra, or sol y sombra) and for corridas start from 13 euros (if you don’t mind sitting with the sun in your eyes) and go up to 155 euros ‘face value’ for the best seats.

For a great view of the bullring from across the river, stay in one of our apartments on Calle Betis.