We plan to continue with our established format of offering just a short piece about ourselves whilst concentrating on what this wonderful region of Spain has to offer.
Being familiar with the region, passing through to North Africa and living here for many years, it was always our intension to offer Andalusia as an escorted motor home touring destination. The hugely successful Moroccan side of the business, as well as other projects, sadly deferred the launch.
Having said that the bonus and advantage has been that we ourselves have, in the fullness of time, re-discovered this “Real Spain” and established many contacts and connections and can’t wait to pass them on.
The initial response to our measured announcement of Andalusia Detours has taken us by surprise, already several of the listed tour dates are FULL with a couple of others offering just a few remaining vehicle places. The “Detours” format remains in offering a more rural and byway routing with the unusual and informal camping locations mixed with more than one or two surprises. Tour groups are being strictly limited to 10 vehicle maximum.
High Sierras, woodland and near water locations mean that the lofty summer temperatures should be more moderate during the more traditional holiday dates while during late Spring and Autumn evenings a fleece may be welcome.
A couple of clients are combining both Morocco and Andalusia destinations and attracting a nice discount! Plus, those booking an Andalusia tour by 1st Jan 2013 will receive a Wi-Fi Boost Antenna for FREE. For your convenience I have included a copy of our “Soul of Andalusia” itinerary.
Best regards and safe travels
Debbie
NOW JUST SOME ANDALUSIA BITS
STALLIONS AND STARS........
We finally managed to drag ourselves away from yet another “fiesta”. This one, a private affair, was hosted by a horse breeder based on a sizable farm a little south of Cordoba. Income from a considerable olive oil production business has enabled the family to indulge in their real passion....... Andalusia Stallions ........ I counted 21 of these magnificent creatures in the old and atmospheric stable area and later watched an impromptu yet dazzling riding display in the arena ......... perhaps more about that interesting place in a future issue of this “News Letter”.
On our way back home to Alhaurin, in the very early hours, we found ourselves unintentionally driving through the normally deserted Sierra de Chimenea; we had got slightly lost in the darkness. But what were these other people doing here at this time of night, in the middle of nowhere...heading for the towering rock formations?
Star Gazing it turned out.....................
Not
Not a client getting in the way of a great shot. It’s a rock formation!
Following a couple of other vehicles we joined the small convoy heading into the mountains, parked and joined a sizable but hushed crowd.
The astrologer Francisco, had gathered the faithful for one of his regular “Star Nights”, and this time they were in for something special. PERSEIDS............It seems that around this time [August] every year this meteor shower, from the comet Swift-Tuttle, can in the right place and with clear skies be clearly seen...and we did. At times the sky seemed to be full of streams of fire! An absolutely brilliant display....... So, why mention it here?
Take a look at the attached and you will see that we have added this stunning location to our “Soul of Andalusia” tour. Only during the August date will you catch the Perseids, but during our night camp here Francisco and his equipment will attend. And we have also added a visit to the “Stallion Farm” to our tours.
SMURF VILLAGE.........
Yes, you read it right.........SMURF VILLAGE!!
Situated near Ronda Júzcar used to be a typical, sleepy, traditional White Village.....but all that has now changed. Last summer it was chosen by Sony Pictures as the setting for the premiere of their new film “The Smurfs 3D". To gain maximum publicity the “experts” at Sony come up with an innovative idea.......let’s paint
the whole village blue!
So, during the ‘11 summer a team of 20 painters were hard at work splashing over 40,000 litres of the blue Smurf stuff on anything that didn’t move, painting all of Júzcar's 175 buildings’ including the church and gravestones.
MMmmmmm, not sure really.......maybe pink would be better!
After the promotion the plan was for Sony to repaint the whole of Júzcar white again but villagers voted to leave everything as it now was......Smurf Blue. The fact was that all the media exposure had a very positive effect on the village’s coffers as tourists now come to take pictures of the famous Smurf Village. Previously, only about 300 tourists a year would pass through Júzcar but in the past six months an estimated 80,000 travellers have visited the village of "Los Pitufos", as the Smurfs are known in Spanish........Business is booming and all the 221 villagers are well happy.
The village even organizes special events such as Smurf painting competitions, a Smurf moonlight fun run, and Smurf trade fairs. There are even Smurf-themed weddings to keep tourists coming....but we will have to wait and see how long the novelty lasts.
But why did Sony choose this small settlement in the Andalusia hills for their world premiere? It seems that Júzcar is popular among mycologists and as we all know, the Smurfs are known to love mushrooms. Fungi flourish in large quantities each autumn in dense local woodland and in September Júzcar celebrated its fifth annual mycology congress.
Anyway, hopefully it will be there long enough for us to take a brief look as we pass by while on one of our Andalusia tours.
There is one good point.........Andalusia now has its very own Chefchaune!
ANDALUSIAN PORK BBQ............
One of the delights of rural Andalusia is the seemingly endless dishes on offer, from the simplest of farmhouse dishes, long forgotten shepherd and “hill-side” snacks to the very highest of specialist dishes. Often easy is best..............The BBQ.
By the way.......Modern-day barbecue is riddled in history and culture. While the Spanish introduced the term barbacoa to Europe after discovering the technique during Columbian exploration in the Caribbean, the method of cooking meat over fire or indirect heat is as old as cavemen. Barbacoa, which ended up being synonymous with traditional Mexican barbecue, derived itself from the term barabicu which the Taino people of the Caribbean used prior to Spanish conquest of the New World -- or so one story says. Many other folktales exist about the history of the term barbecue. According to one tale, French visitors of the Caribbean described the process of cooking a whole pig as “barbe à queue”, which translates to "from beard to tail." Regardless of stories passed down through generations, barbecue is undoubtedly one of the most popular cooking methods used in Spain and one that varies from region to region with the people who cook it.
Expect some great recipes and methods in future issues of Andalusia Detours News Letter.
We have some great things planned for our Andalusian Detours menus while on tour.......Hunters Wild Boar, Olive ‘n’ Salmon, Marias Gazpacho, Pandora Paella etc. But in the meantime why not try this simple but delicious dish.........perfect for the BBQ!!
Still Smiling?
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
500 g pork fillets, trimmed [or any pork will do!]
2 lemons cut into wedges, to serve
METHOD
1. Mix the paprika, oregano, garlic and salt with the olive oil to make a thick paste.
2. Spread the paste evenly over the pork, cover and marinate in the fridge, ideally overnight.
3. Cut the meat into slices on the diagonal.
4. Heat a griddle, large heavy frying pan or BBQ until very hot. Cook the pork for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through.
5. Serve at once with the lemon wedges.
GYPSY...........SPANISH STYLE..........
My hometown-village here in Spain, Alhaurin El Grande, has a fairly small gypsy community, mostly living in “their own” area on the fringe. Although never accepted by the local “Gitanos”, that would be expecting too much, I have over the years observed and learnt a lot……..and very little of it bad! But then I have always been fascinated by gypsies, perhaps even thinking of myself as one at heart, having always lived in a footloose way…....constantly travelling…....independent.....a touch rebellious even!!
The history of their travels is, as I have learnt, even more fantastic in many ways than that of the Jews and Muslims, although being unwritten, and much more obscure.
It´s now generally accepted that the gypsies originated in the Punjab in north-west India, fleeing from the region during the clashes between invading Arab and Mongolian warriors, around a thousand years ago. On their long odyssey, they travelled through, and settled in, the countries of the Middle East, including Persia and Egypt.
Those who moved on from Egypt cultivated the legend that they were descendants of the Pharaohs, a belief to which many of their songs still refer. They also settled in Turkey, then known as Egypt Minor, and it was either their association with Egypt itself or this "other" Egypt that they became known as “Gypcians”. In old Spanish, in any case, “Gitano” was simply a way of saying Egyptian... Those who had been in Greece were, in like manner, called “Graecians”. But in fact, because they had no writing, they had forgotten where they really came from.
From A Past Not So Distant
They reached Spain in the early 15th century and quickly spread all over the country. Although they were not expelled along with the Moors and Jews during the 16th century, partly because they represented no threat to the supremacy of reunified, Christian Spain, but also because it was simply too difficult to physically get hold of them all. They were eventually forced to give up their Romaní language (now identified by linguists as a simplified version of Sanskrit), as well as their nomadic ways. Today's Spanish gypsies speak to one another in Castilian Spanish and live in wheel-less homes.
They made their living as tinkers (smithies or pot-makers), re-weaving the backs and seats of old chairs, as wandering musicians, fortune-tellers and, let’s be honest, by begging and stealing. This earned them a bad reputation which, sadly, has not disappeared over the course of time, even though most modern gypsies - at least, most of the ones I know in Alhaurin - are essentially honest, hard-working people.
In fact, the gypsies were so feared that until the end of the 18th century they were forced to live several miles from the nearest town. In Montefrio, the place where they once built their huts is still known as "The Cliffs of the Gypsies" ….. ” Peñas de los Gitanos”
Peñas de los Gitanos
As mentioned earlier the gypsies of Alhaurin el Grande are no longer forced to live in huts miles from the town, almost all of them today have their modest homes in the high, all be it less accessible barrios……..Keeping relations with the “payos” or non-gypsies peaceful and very reserved.
The fact is there are very few gypsies in present day Spain, only about half a million, or 1% of the population ……which means that they have very little political clout and virtually no economic importance. Also, they were not deliberately imported to perform an indispensable and status-giving economic activity as were the slaves …… rather, they wandered in from France or sailed over from North Africa, mixed up with Berber tribesmen, and simply got lost in the great ethnic shuffle of medieval Spain, becoming an uninvited and unwanted lumping. As Franco put it, España es grande - there tends to be room for everyone.
This is why, until today, the gypsies have never taken part in the mainstream of Spanish life, literally living in a world of their own. In Alhaurin, for example, despite their significant numbers and permanent presence no gypsy has ever held an official job in local government.
But…having said all that the “Gitanos” have contributed significantly to Spanish history and culture…….
Perhaps more about that in a future Andalusia News Letter……
A SPANISH JOKE.........
A British tourist goes into a restaurant in Spain and orders the specialty of the house.
When his dinner arrives, he asks the waiter what it is. "These, senor," replied the waiter in broken English, "are the ears of the bull killed in the ring today." The tourist swallowed hard but tasted the dish and thought it was delicious.
So he comes back the next evening and orders the same item.
When it is served, he says to the waiter, "These ears... are much smaller than the ones I had last night, and taste different."
"Yes, senor," replied the waiter, "You see...the bull, he does not always lose”.
FLAMENCO ...........
The origins of Flamenco are often a subject of debate because it has only been documented for the past two
centuries.
The word “Flamenco” did not come into use until the 18th century. Much of its history before this time comes from family stories passed down through the years, as are the Flamenco songs themselves. One certainty about Flamenco is that it originated in Andalusia. From the 8th to the 15th centuries, when Spain was under Arab rule, the Moors’ music and musical instruments were modified and adapted by Spanish Christians and Jews, and later by gypsies, becoming in time a new, hybrid musical form..............
But let’s wait ‘till a future issue of our Andalusia News Letter. Flamenco has such a fascinating and dark history it deserves more time than I have at the moment..............
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE.................
A couple of months ago, whilst walking along the Rio Grande on a Recce for one of the Andalusia tours, we
discovered an abandoned turn of the century hydro electric power station.
Beautifully abandoned
It was fascinating, as we followed the original water channels that fed the power station from the abundance of water from the Rio Grande. These channels, a century on are still full of crystal clear mountain water.
About a kilometre from the original station is newer one, dating back to 1932. It’s still operational, and what’s extraordinary is that, through the windows you can still see inside the original turbines, from the then pioneering German engineering firm ‘J. M. Voith’ based in Heidenheim.
Even more incredible was that the original tool kits are still mounted on the walls.
Locked in time
Outside remnants of the old sluice gates and channels remain, but are no longer used as water is brought down from the mountains in huge modern pipes.
Amazing what you find in the many sierras of Andalusia................
AND THE DIFFERENCE IS......................AND IS.......................
To save those who “Know” from writing in to tell us.........we do know the difference between “Andalusia” and “Andalucia”. Both spellings are in fact correct:
Andalucía is Spanish. It is pronounced "And-a-loo-see-a" by most whom live in the south (i.e. in Andalusia) and "And-a-loo-thee-a" by most that live in central and northern Spain.
Andalusia is English. It is pronounced "And-a-loo-see-a".
When speaking in English, it should always be written 'Andalusia' and should never be lisped.
ANDALUSIA, JUST WAITING
TO BE DISCOVERED
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