There is something very special about the smell of wood in a workshop, the sound of hammering and sawing, the lack of noisy power tools, and the relative calm at which artisans go about their work. Which is why we travelled from Jerez to the white village of Algodonales for a day trip rather than … Read more
A Flamenco Guitar 101 was high on my list of things to do in Jerez. With experiential travel and in particular learning things being one of the guiding themes of our grand tour, lessons in flamenco guitar in Jerez, the heartbeat of flamenco music and dance in Southern Spain was essential. Sometimes we find it … Read more
Jerez is fondly known as the home of flamenco – Jerez-based flamenco guitarist Sebastian Lapostol calls it “the true heartbeat of flamenco” – and while some aficionados say that flamenco here lacks the sophistication of flamenco in Seville or Madrid, it is exactly this, Jerez’s festive and fun form of flamenco called la buleria that … Read more
It was the first touristy thing we’d done so far this trip, and after ambling the backstreets of Jerez, kicking back in the markets, and throwing back cervezas in bars with locals, it felt odd to be trundling along a path through the verdant grounds of La Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre (the Royal … Read more
Ambling the labyrinthine lanes and ramshackle alleys of Essaouira’s whitewashed old medina, kicking back at the fishing port to watch the daily catch come in, strolling the lively Corniche, and walking along the sandy beach, are some of the delights of taking an Essaouira walking tour, a town with few sights that make you feel … Read more