Tag: https://www.visitasevilla.es/en/official-webguide-seville

Countries, Deals, Europe

Step into Seville

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It’s an image we all hold dear of Spain, flamenco dancing, and I would get my fix every year when I would Step into Seville.

My friends Teresa, Maria and Kathryn from the Spanish Tourist Board are legendary in Irish circles for their hospitality.

I’ve ‘run with the bulls’, made pulpo and done the whole Feliz Navidad thing.

And every year the boys from Seville (and girls) would skip into Dublin to put on a very special dancing display.

Flamenco moves

But you try doing it

Of flamenco in the lofty surroundings of Trinity College Dublin.

With our favourite Balearics being messed about on the traffic light system our attentions have switched back to the big peninsula on the left.

Our old faithfuls, Travel Department, are all over Spain and are offering an awesome Andalucian adventure.

Columbus city

Anyone know where we’re going?

You’ll be based in Costa de la Luz which is tucked around the corner from the Straits of Gibraltar.

You’ll take a day trip to explore this old Moorish gem with its impressive cathedral, La Giralda tower and the Alcazar Palace.

Seville is from where Christopher Columbus set off for the New World.

And you thought it was Barcelona from the statue of Chris in Las Ramblas, only he is pointing towards Constantine, Algeria.

Drink it in

Reflections of Valencia

Well, Chris wasn’t the greatest navigator, he’d gone west to try to find the east and India.

To find out more about the famous Genovese take in the Muelle de las Carabelas

You’ll have earned your vino at the end of all that education and that’s just what you’ll get.

And I’m that my Tres Amigas had that on tap at those famous Seville nights.

Deal me in

And, of course there’s oranges

September and October will still be warm in the old city and Travel Department have dates for September 6, October 4 and 22. And next March.

And I’ve drunk too much orange juice

Prices from £799pp for seven nights half board.

So join me and step into Seville and Andalucia.

 

America, Countries, Culture, Europe, Music

Rainy Days and Songdays – Si Senor, we can boogie

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We all need a certain song and for us Scots that certain song is Spanish disco classic Yes Sir, I Can Boogie.

The story goes that one of the Scottish footballers who qualified for the Euros, Andrew Considine, had sung the song on a bachelor’s party while dressed in drag.

And the squad adopted it and partied to it after they beat Serbia to qualify for the finsls.

Boogie nights

All night long: Andrew Considine (centre)

It’s not unusual for Scottish men to wear skirts, of course.

And some of us have even twirled the skirt in destinations from Ireland to France to Turkey.

And all the better when it’s to a Spanish beat.

Mad Madrid for it

Yes Sir I Can Boogie (Baccara): And Mayte and Maria are two Madridistas.

Who reached No.1 in the UK in 1977 for a week at a time when Scotland were again on a roll and preparing for a World Cup.

The two senoritas went onto represent randomly Luxembourg at Eurovision.

Where they finished seventh behind winners Israel but two places ahead of the Spanish entrant.

Maracca cracka

Where’s the hat?

Y Viva Espana (Sylvia): That’ll be Sylvia Vrethammar to you and me.

Sylvia Vretwho… well, yes, she was the chirpy Swede who held her Spanish hat coquettishly before launching into this party favourite.

Which every family sang on their way to Spain, and yes, guilty as I tagged along with my family to Ibiza.

The track which Sylvia took to No.4 in the UK charts was actually written by a couple of Belgians and did the rounds in Europe in a number of languages.

Macarena in the arena

Macarena (Los del Rio): Always better in the Spanish with Los del Rio meaning Those from the River… and Macarena, well the name of a woman

And these guys hail from Dos Hermanas, near Seville in Andalusia.

This duo, Antonio Romario Monge and Rafael Ruiz Perdigones, were formed in 1962 – and remember The Beatles first charted in the UK that year.

It took the two amigos 33 years to get their ten minutes of fame and Billboard named the best one-hit wonder of all time.

Though they had to settle for No.2 in the UK.

Wham bam Bamboleo

Bamboleo (Gipsy Kings): And this literally means wobble although it is slightly more sensual to describe it as swing.

The band are Gitano-French, Romani or gipsies, from Arles and Montpelier in the French Riviera, hence the title they gave themselves,

Can’t find the chart position here for Bamboleo, a bit of a wobble here on my part then.

And La Bamba too

La Bamba (Ritchie Valens): Ritchie Valenzuela achieved immortality through this song.

Born in LA, the son of Mexicans, Ritchie’s life was snuffed out in the same plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper.

Lou Diamond Philipps played Ritchie in the 1987 biopic where Los Lobos had a No.1 international hit with the song (Ritchie had only got to No.49).

So in tribute to the Spanish sound I’m off to practise my boogie ahead of the Euros.