The small Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera is the home of sherry, Flamenco and some of the world’s finest horses.

If you wander the tangled streets of the old town you can follow the scent of sherry to track down a bodega, where you can take a tour to learn about the sherry-making process – and enjoy a bit of tasting. The rolling landscapes outside of the city produce grapes for the sherry, and you can stop off along the way at numerous Pueblos Blancos – pretty, white, hilltop towns.

We had the fortune to visit and write about the Flamenco Museum in Malaga but to get a full flavour of proper job flamenco what better city to visit than Jerez?

You can enjoy Flamenco year-round, with regular shows hosted at more than a dozen small flamenco clubs (peñas flamencas) that keep the tradition very much alive – including Spain’s second oldest peñas flamencas: Los Cernicalos.

The city also makes a great base from which to explore the wider Andalucian province of Cadiz.  Flights are available from regional airpots to Jerez but many visitors find it easier to get to the main airport in Andalucia, Malaga. Car hire is readily available and the drive to Jerez would be a few hours through the stunning Andalucian countryside alternatively you could take the fast train from Malaga via Seville to Jerez and pick up a hire car on arrival.  Car hire in Spain is particularly good value during the low season – when the Falmenco Festival takes place.

Nearby on the coast there are sandy beaches such as Tarifa on the Costa de la Luz, where the strong winds off the Straits of Gibraltar create the perfect conditions for kitesurfers and windsurfers. The typically Andalucian seaside city of Cadiz has a wonderful old core, with a network of narrow winding alleys linking large, open plazas. Dotted about the old centre there are well-preserved historical churches and other landmarks such as the remains of the ancient city walls.

There’s stacks to do year-round in and around Jerez, but many tourists time their visit to coincide with the annual world-famous Festival de Jerez, sometimes called the Flamenco Festival, every February

Festival de Jerez – The Flamenco Festival

26 February – 13 March 2010

Jerez is arguably the best place in the world to experience one of Spain’s most passionate and vibrant cultural expressions: Flamenco.

Many people are under the impression that Flamenco is part of the culture of the whole of Spain, but in fact it is only native to the Andalucian region. Jerez itself lays claim to being the birthplace of the tradition, and each year the city erupts with music and dance – representing one of the most important celebrations of Flamenco in the world.

In addition to lively ticketed shows featuring some of Spain’s most famous Flamenco dancers and guitarists, the festival also attracts dance students to its many training courses and workshops.

Venues include the Palacio de Villavicencio and the Villamarta Theatre.

www.festivaldejerez.es

Once again I’m off to sunny Spain – hey Viva espania

Previous visits to Malaga have prompted various posts such as top things in Malaga which included details of the delightful Flamenco museum, the little known Malaga treasure the Botanico la Conception and of course following last years disappointment of the shortage of car hire we offered the essential guide to Malaga Bus Station an illuminating guide to Estacion L’Autobus, Malaga.

Getting around Spain

Public transport in Andalucia is good between them rail and bus routes serve the major towns and cities well but to cover all the things during this forthcoming short visit we’ll be booking car hire Spain so we can get on our way the moment we arrive at the Airport – the range of companies offering low season, cheap car hire in Malaga is good news for those able to take advantage of travelling without working around school holidays therby grabbing good deals on flights, hotels and cars hire.

This year the itenery will include Jerez Flamenco festival – Late Feb early march and hopefully after visiting various bullrings perhaps take in at my first live bullfight – although this letter in the Times from Saskia Oskam, PR Officer CAS International does prompt reservations:

The bullfighting industry is a horrible business which not only tortured and kills bulls and horses, but is also not afraid to use children to boost the popularity of this dying and bloody tradition. Most Spanish people are against this gruesome spectacle, as well as the majority of the inhabitants of the other bullfighting countries. But as long as foreign tourists (unfortunately still a lot of British people) keep visiting bullfights, they will maintain this bloodsport with their money. Spain is getting sick of bullfighting, so please help them by NEVER visiting a bullfight or cruel festival, such as the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. For more information about the REAL story of bullfighting, please visit our website www.cas-international.org

This horrific and one sided so-called “sport” was still prime time viewing on  Spanish TV on Sunday evenings but the broadcasts of live fights on Spain’s TVE quietly stopped  in airing live bullfights in 2007. Bullfighting was recently banned in The Catalonian region of Spain.

The narrow vote in favour of banning the torture of bulls in Catalunya is a great step forward. It is in no way a political issue. This is about human beings abusing animals for entertainment. It is barbaric and abhorrent. We must have care and respect for all life.

Time for a bullfighting joke:

I went to a restaurant close to a bullring near Malaga. The specialty was a plate of meat balls. When I asked what the meat was the waiter said they were ‘the bull’s most prized assets’. I’ll try anything one so I gave it a go and it was quite good actually.

About two weeks later I took a collegue and ordered up the same dish. This time the waiter brought a tiny portion and I asked what was going on. The waiter said. ‘Sometimes the bull wins!’

A terrible threat looms this summer – 2009 may become known as “the year of the great European car hire shortage”.

Check up to date car hire availability accross Europe online at easyCar

An unexpected side effect of the economic down turn this year has resulted in early reports of a car hire shortage throughout Europe. Places most likely to suffer most from the shortage of hire cars will be popular holiday destinations in Europe especially Spain where car hire companies have cut fleet sizes to reduce operating costs.

Popular locations and airport car hire companies all expect demand to exceed supply but are resisting the temptation to buy in more cars for rental during the busy summer months because they fear that a falling second hand car market wont allow them to sell on the used hire cars in the volumes they are used to.

Car Hire Shortage.

Whilst many of the leading car rental companies have no solution other than to turn away customers who haven checked car hire availability there are some businesses who should do well from the shortage of hire cars – car rental brokers.

Car hire brokers don’t actually have any vehicles – instead they specialise in finding cars for their customers from other third party rental companies. Brokers have excellent relationships with many small independant car hire companies throughout Europe and are confident that they will be able to secure cars even at short notice.

Car shortages in Spain

By far the most popular European destination for UK holiday makers is Spain and the fact that people return year after year makes the market for car hire in Spain one of the biggest in Europe.  Although the public transport system in Spain is adequate – see previous post about Malaga Bus Station the attraction of hiring a car to give you the freedom to explore is high.

If you are planning to visit Spain and don’t want to be disappointed by either lack of choice or indeed lack of availability due to the hire car shortage then consider checking various websites to secure an advance booking.

Car Hire Price Increase?

In fact there have been suggestions that if the demand for hire cars cannot be met rental firms will hike the prices so it may be worth considering booking now even if you haven’t got the full trip details worked out.  When we last looked the prices offered on the main websites were still cheap – Spain has enjoyed cheap motoring for many years – but with the current exchange rate abd the threat of price increases it may be worth buying now  – if the hire car shortage takes hold  it is unlikey that any better deals will come along.

Here are a selection of ideas for place to visit in Malaga that aren’t necessarily in the usual run of the mill guide books.

Other than the Bus Station Malaga has plenty to offer visitors who bother to seek out its best attractions.

Flamenco Museum – Malaga

Entry to the building from the street leads you into what appears to be a social club with group of spanish men sat at  tables taking refreshments from the bar. You don’t know it but you are in the very heart of malaga flamenco.  The museum has no web site but the link here will direct you to latest performaces at the venue (friday nights) in the intimate basement. We missed this so aren’t able to advise on ticket availablity etc.

After a short while and gesticulating > > eyes >> pointing around >> asking “flamenco”? with raised eyebrows the barman called a colleague who welcomed us and began to show us around.

I think our guide was the maintenance man and he speaking no English and our pitiful spanish meant the tour consisted of being told the names of legendary Malagan flamenco performers, studying the posters, paintings and photographs that were displayed with a selection of insturments over three floors.

Malaga Jardin Botanico la Conception

This wonderful tropical collection is a good day out of town.  The Number 61 Bus runs hourly from the drive out of town side of the main avenue in Malaga NB it misses a trip between 1 and 3pm.  The last bus back conveniently coincided with the closing time but double check this as a return taxi could be pricey.

Even though a major fast road has been built alongside the hill that is home to the gardens the sheer splendour of the gardens soon means you quickly become oblivious to the background traffic noise.

For the latest highlights see this site Malaga Jardin Botanico la Conception but there are various routes to take around the garden all of which hold superb views throughout the garden and you will find amazing shrubs and trees normally found in climates further south and the mild Malaga weather means you’ll be able to enjoy exotic flowers throughout the year.

All the routes could be successfully completed in a day but the introduction The Jewels of La Concepcion includes all of the most significant items of interest to be found in the historical garden and take just over an hour.

Facilities – these are situated adjabetween the gift shop and refreshment area at the entrance to the garden.

Other places to try if you are caught short in Malaga:

Malaga Contemporary Art Centre

Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de MÁLAGA

Easy to access bogs but don’t stop at the cafe here if you actually want refreshments – its table service and the students employed have an incredible levels of customer blindness – over half an hour and no service -  however the Malaga Art Centre is not far out of town, close to the marvelous El Corte Inglis

El Corte Inglis

This phenomenal department store is a must visit for great gourmet food and fine wines with some of the best fashion houses and possible the best perfume and aftershave smellies selection in southern spain. El Corte Inglis can be a fab place to assemble a gift for your return – build your own food hampers and save money with local Andalucian specialitites, Malaga wines and to die for chocolate (Rhubard Choc – ten bars just wasn’t enough)

The lavatories at El Corte are as you would expect of an exceptionally high standard although unlike quality UK posh shops neither the ladies or the gents offered perfume or aftershave cologne by the basins.

Picasso Musuem – Museo Picasso art Malaga

Quite frankly the Picasso Museum in Malaga  as an expensive disappointment. Huge queues let you know when you’ve finally found the new building which itself has some attraction however the contents are no more than a few doodles on the back of paper bags and fag packets that are an enourmous let down.

I have seen better artwork at my neice’s school open day.

No link for Pablo I’m afraid – my advice is if you’re in Malaga don’t “do” the Picasso Museum of so called Art.