City: Almería

If history makes your heart happy you must visit Almería; regardless of when your favourite period is, this city has something for you. If you don't like history there's plenty to amuse too, beaches, bars, museums but being a bit of a history-nut this post features on places of historical interest.

Alcazaba and Arab baths
In the 10th century Almería was a thriving port city under the Caliph of Cordoba, Abd ar-Rahman III. They developed the relevant infrastructure to go with this and you can visit  - the old Arab cisterns have anachronistically been opened as a museum of traditional Spanish culture. If you want to experience Arab baths a hotel on the old market square has opened an arab-bath experience on the site of a historic bath. At 25E for 2 hours it is good value - you get to use all the facilities, including the flotation tank which was a personal favourite of mine and you can drink as much mint tea as you like!

The Alcazaba or castle also arrived in the 10th century, the distinctive ramparts still dominate the city's skyline although you will have to walk slightly beyond the modern city centre and climb a hill to get there. If you can climb all the steps before it closes the castle and its gardens are free to enter and offer great views of the surrounding city and coastline - aspects that were no doubt fundamental to its original creation.

(Alcazaba ramparts)

(Alcazaba gardens)

Cathedral
It would be easy to confuse this 16th century building with a castle, as it is so well fortified, but it is in fact a cathedral. You do have to pay to get in but it wasn't expensive, maybe 5E, and an audio-tour in English was included in the ticket price. It was quite ornate and pretty inside, a nice place to spend an hour or two but its not a 'day-visit' location.

(Cathedral)

Refugios de Almería
If you like your history a little more contemporary you can take a subterranean trip through the underground bunkers used by the residents of Almería during the Civil war. This was a really great way to spend an 1hr and a half or so and was not expensive. 3E for a video subtitled in English and then a guided tour in Spanish - with brief summaries given in English too - is really good value. Although it is essentially a series of concrete tunnels they have done a good job of bringing people's stories to life and I particularly enjoyed the underground hospital reconstruction.

(Refugio tour)

(Hospital in the bunker)

The Museum of Almería 
This is hands-down the best free museum I have ever been too; that is quite a claim as I have been to many museums, but its true. The museum covers the region's history spanning from Los Millares to the present day with a focus on the early history of the region. What was particularly striking about this museum was the way they fused audio visual with artistic installations by local artists and genuine artefacts, the integrity of presenting real objects wasn't compromised by experience but enhanced by it. I was particularly impressed with a map of the Los Millares site - you could see the geographical layout of the site but you could also learn about their attitude towards the economy and spirituality, for example, through symbolic objects such as beads, shells.

(Los Millares map with symbols)

With Morocco visible across the water, Almería as a town and as a wider region exists in this liminal space - with a foot in each camp of Europe and Africa - but definitely no-one's pet! Almería owns its ancient heritage; continuing ancient practical practices like building houses into the rocks and cave structures; since the Chalcolithic they have been artisans, creating copper from raw ingredients, firing pots in ingenious fashion whilst looking after the landscape around them.

Luckily for me Almería has been off the tourist track for a long time - as successive governments have ignored it and refused to invest in the area - this has caused real problems financially for the area and is part of the reason why we have the unsightly 'plastics' today, but is also the reason for incredible scenery and for that I am grateful.

Country: Sierra Alhamilla & Tabernas Desert

When I booked my holiday to the Cabo de Gata I had a number of choices about where to stay; the city of Almería - urban, well connected, beaches possible; the coast - bit difficult to get to, bit remote if don't like; the mountains - friendly host, oceans of history, bit remote but close to many interesting things; reader I chose the mountains.

In my initial post I told you a little bit about the village where I stayed, Níjar. This time I'd love to share some of the gems north of the village. Níjar is an old village on the edge of an ancient valley. When the Arabs had control of the region they built an incredible water management system which allowed them to live long-term in the area. The water system is still extant today; more on this later.

One day we took a drive up into the mountains of the Sierra Alhamilla. It is not a drive for the faint hearted; the roads are narrow and full of pot-holes, but you will be well rewarded for leaving the well-trodden path. Within 20 minutes of leaving Níjar we reached this abandoned house; well warned about the snakes I was free to explore the house and its neighbouring threshing-floor where people threshed the wheat over 1000 years. As we continued through the Alhamilla we saw so many plants and animals and I could tell why they felt so happy there as it was so tranquil. Man has clearly made his mark in the Alhamilla; there are plenty of hunting lodges and a couple of satellite stations but in a broadly unobtrusive and respectful way to the landscape.

(Abandoned house)

(Threshing floor)

The famous exception to this is the city of Los Millares, a Chalcolithic settlement and the home of the Bronze Age; it is at Los Millares that they worked out the metallurgy for bronze. As we crossed the Tabernas desert to this famous archaeological site it was awe inspiring to think that we were likely driving the same route as these early pioneers. When we got to the site they had just closed for the day which was a shame but we got to see it and the drive over was truly sensational. The Tabernas Desert is the largest desert in Europe and as such was a cheap location for filming Westerns in the 20th century. I think you can see why!

(Into the Tabernas Desert)

(Tabernas)

Now, I did say I'd tell you more about these water systems. I got up-close and personal with them on one Saturday afternoon when it was suggested I go on a little walk up to the next village, Huebro, for a swim in the reservoir. Heartened by the promise it would only take an hour and the route marked 'facil' I set off. The first 20 minutes or so following the painted signs was easy, but then the markers disappeared. I had to guess the route. At first this was quite fun, I felt like Indiana Jones having slid down into the valley floor, climbing through the undergrowth. But it soon became apparent to me that this was not the route. I was stuck by this stage, surrounded by trees and shrubs, wondering what other animals were sat with me looking at a wall of rock and alluvial sand 3 metres high. How was I going to get out? I had no phone signal and there was no-one around because it was siesta time. I started to really regret being there the decision of a little afternoon walk. It took me three attempts to climb out of this tight spot, every time I stopped to review my progress up the wall if my foot was on compacted sand and not rock I slid back down and had to start again! When I eventually got to the top of the wall, I rolled through brambles to get out - my legs and arms were bruised and scratched but miraculously I was otherwise OK. I carried on my walk to Huebro in a state of shock, and awe at the archaeology. Huebro itself was nice enough, I drank two fanta lemons, ate a sandwich, did not swim in the reservoir as it was more algae than water by the afternoon, and then set off home again. Like the Wise Men I returned via another route...

(Maximising irrigation for agriculture)

(Industrial archaeology)

So the countryside of the Alhamilla and Tabernas - not to be underestimated, but stunning; best viewed in a car that can off-road, although I hear the caving and official(!) climbing opportunities are also good fun.

(Walking away from Huebro)

Coast: Cabo de Gata

It was a drizzly afternoon in April, Manchester UK and I was dreaming of sitting on a beach in the sunshine. I was not looking for a coastal resort, what I had in mind was more like the start of Prince Caspian, but without the flight to New Zealand. The Cabo de Gata has this in bucket-loads. I only spent two afternoons at the seaside but I enjoyed both dips in the Alborean sea.

(The set for Prince Caspian, filmed in New Zealand)

The first day my host drove us from Níjar to San Miguel which took the best part of an hour. The drive took us through the rather unsightly, but highly productive 'plastics' in the region which produce all sorts of vegetables including a black tomato. Emerging from the plastics, we saw the protected salt-marshes and their flamingos which weren't looking particularly pink but they did look happy.

(San Miguel)

As it was a public holiday we weren't really sure if anywhere would be open but we headed for the Torreón de San Miguel and found a little chiringuito (tapas bar) at the beach. There is such a delight in the directness of eating fresh seafood beside the same sea it was fished from. The beach was quite busy at San Miguel but I enjoyed watching people going about their Bank Holiday activities. One of group of young men were going on a fishing trip with their dad. The fishing boat was rolled down to the sea on wooden logs, in Viking-style, don't fix what ain't broke I suppose!

On my second trip to the seaside we went in the opposite direction to Agua Amarga. A small diversion from the route took us to see this olive tree; it was producing olives in 1066 and still produces olives today. It felt almost holy to be in the presence of a tree that has seen so much and still stands fruitful - I think there's a sermon in there! In classic Spanish style there is little ceremony made about this tree just a little plaque.

(The ancient olive tree)

Agua Amarga means Bitter Water and there is a local joke that its not just the water that's bitter...I found it was a perfectly nice beach to spend an hour or two, I felt very safe, the water was clear but there were British tourists everywhere.

(Agua Amarga) 

When I first booked a trip to the Cabo I was thinking of rustic unspoiled coves, where you felt completely alone, where you'd spend the day reading, swimming, napping and eating sandy sandwiches. I believe this is still possible at the Cabo de Gata; but I think you really do need your own transport. I was reliant on my kind and accommodating host but was limited by the time he was willing to spend. Without him I'd have been reliant on buses which do go to and fro from the city of Almería but not via the villages and even then only a couple of times a day. As with several elements of this trip on balance a hire car would have been a good idea; but I still enjoyed the coast.

Adventure, Anxiety and Andalucia : all begin with A

Last Autumn I was looking for a little Autumn sun; so I googled unspoiled beaches and decided to  take one of my biggest adventures yet - exploring the Cabo de Gata coast, the Sierra Alhamilla and Tabernas Desert in a mere 6 days.

(Cabo de Gata coast)

(Driving across the Sierra Alhamilla)

It was a big adventure for me because I was going somewhere rural - although you might not have guessed this from the package holiday airlines that served Almería - I was on my own, and going to a place in the shadow of a volcano. My base for the week was the village of Níjar - a historic hill village with early medieval water systems, Moorish watch towers, and distant views of the coastline, the house I stayed in built into caves that people have lived in since the Neolithic!

(Ancient landscaping)

The village is culturally renowned for rag-rugs and special pottery. The high street shopping model has not changed much since the medieval period - artists have their shop in the 'living room' area at the front of the house, and then they live behind and above the shop. I was visiting one of these potters, drinking coffee and chatting away when we came to talking about anxiety and stress. She said I was very brave to travel on my own, that she is too anxious to travel. I get anxious and worried about a lot of things but I don't let it stop me travelling; I said, 'if I can get anxious just sat at home I'd rather see the world and have something real to worry about'.

(Unique ceramic from Níjar)

These are famous last words because my week exploring the Almería region was quite eventful and I did have plenty of real worries to contend with whilst exploring this area of incredible beauty. This short series of blog posts will explore the coast, the country and the city in the Almería region.

Merry Christmas! Fröhliche Weihnachten!¡Feliz Navidad!

 Its been a while hasn’t it?! I’ve been learning Bengali and knitting, watching Tolstoy performed live above pubs and meeting many friends for festive meals. I thought given the season I might share a little festive anthropology with you on Christmas Traditions.

The nights are closing in and its so cold you’re losing touch with your toes! It must be nearly time for a winter celebration; for a Merry Christmas! Ever since I first travelled to Europe as a teenager I have been fascinated by our shared European heritage and the way it is expressed in such different ways. Never was this truer than with our divergent celebrations of Christmas. So I decided to explore three different expressions of Christmas; from English, German and Spanish perspectives.

Disclaimer: Every family is different and doesn’t necessarily do the things listed below. In no way is this supposed to be an exhaustive description.

England

Christmas is quite a contracted celebration in England. Although children mark advent with Advent Calendars most of the focus in on 24^th-26^th December. The Christmas Trees are put up in family homes from the start of December. On Christmas Eve traditional families might go to Midnight Mass but most families start preparations for Christmas Day. Christmas Eve (24th December) is the time when Father Christmas visits overnight leaving presents for good children in stockings (large socks). He and his reindeer are often made welcome through the provision of food items laid out for them such as mince pies and a carrot for the reindeer. Both Christmas Day and the day that follows (Boxing Day) are national holidays in England. The 25^th December is the central event and the day on which presents are given and received. Christmas Day is also the day when the large Christmas meal is eaten, typically including; Turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce, ‘pigs in blankets’ (chipolatas wrapped in bacon) and Brussels Sprouts. These are followed by mince pies, a Christmas pudding (a fruit dessert) which is often set alight with warm brandy as part of the ceremony, and sometimes Christmas cake. Modern English Christmas Days are also accompanied by lots of seasonal television such as The Snowman.

Germany

The way other countries celebrate has always interested me and having a few friends with connections across Germany I asked them what made Christmas. One of the most popular activities was going to the Christmas Fair and drinking warm spiced drinks with friends. This activity has not been missed by the opportunistic tourism boards in England who advertise flights to German markets; where you can apparently buy authentic wooden toys and eat mountains of wurst, Stollen and gingerbread.  The Christmas Tree is an important tradition introduced by the Germans to European Christmas accompanied by its companion, mulled wine. Christmas extends out as far as St Nicholas Day, a day unrecognised in England. In some areas, the gifts from St Nicholas arrive on St Nicholas Eve. If presents have not been given on St Nicholas Eve, then it is on Christmas Eve, the focus of the Christmas time, when gifts are shared. Christmas also stretches out to Epiphany in January; when people, particularly children, join parades and other activities around the town dressed as the Three Kings. German Christmases seem much longer than English ones.

Spain

Spanish Christmases begin with the celebration of their patron saint, Mary on December 8^th, the day of the immaculate birth. As a thoroughly Catholic country the celebration of Christmas follows the church calendar quite tightly. On Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) the main Christmas meal is eaten often featuring lamb or seafood; quite separate from the American influenced Turkey. On the subject of Christmas food, Spain is famous for its turron or nougat. Most homes will feature a beléne or nativity scene and in some areas the scene also features the El Caganer, or defecating shepherd. The origins of this unusual onlooker to the nativity are cloaked in the mists of time. The Spanish never miss out on a chance to dance and so unsurprisingly have a Christmas dance, called the Jota. The modern world has had its impact on the Spanish too with the El Gordo Christmas Lottery. The 28^th December is also a celebratory day on Santos Inocentes which acts a bit like ‘April Fools’; often a child is made mayor for the day and his/her wishes are honoured as if they were the real mayor. This is just as well as children have to wait until the feast of Epiphany for their gifts in Spain. The night before there are processions of children dressed as the kings. The reindeer and St Nic are replaced by tired camels and kings who are the present givers. The camels are placated with straw left in shoes; a little reminiscent of the German tradition of food left in shoes. The 6^th of January is also a national holiday celebrated with hams and seafood.

The contrasting traditions of the three nations are neatly summed up in one little tradition; the Christmas Cracker. In Spain they appear not to exist. The first Christmas Crackers probably contained sweets and the ‘cracking’ feature was decidedly secondary. In England they are contextualised by their season, ‘Christmas’ and have lost all reference to sweets. An archetypal cracker would include; a Christmas hat, a tacky toy and a cheesy joke – the joke is meant to be bad, that’s the point! German Christmas Crackers are called ‘Knallbonbon’ a name which reflects both the ‘cracker’ and sweet components of the tradition. Although I have to admit I’ve never seen a German Christmas Cracker!

So, that’s my little walk around Christmas traditions in Europe; there are some interesting similarities and peculiarities I think you’ll agree! What do you do in your home that’s unique to your family, or country? Do you know where those traditions come from? Why not ask a family member or a friend about their traditions?

Have a very Merry Christmas and see you in 2012!