Sol -

I checked out the site and it is great. When I went to see the Thursday show years ago, the Escuela had been in operation and available to the public for only a few years. It looks as though their program is much more extensive now, although their schedule of performances is pretty much the same.

I'll try to give you as much info as I can think of that is worthwhile. as far as planning a visit to Jerez.

I lived in Sevilla (many years ago) and would hitchhike down through Jerez pretty often. We would go to the beach nearby (The beaches are quite nice and not overrun with foreigners - they are on the Atlantic, not the Mediterranean. My friends in Sevilla have summer homes down in Chipiona and the Rota area.) I also spent time visiting the Domecq bodega. When I lived in Sevilla the Escuela was not yet in existence. I recommend a visit to at least one bodega and Ronda is also worth a visit. There are also bull training facilities in the area, although I don't know much about them. Not a particular interest of mine, but I think it could be an interesting visit.

Everything is accessible by bus if you don't want to drive, but it is a lot more convenient to drive. The traffic through Jerez is minimal. It is a moderate size town right on the main road. Easy to get in and out of.

When I visited the Escuela in the early 90s I went to a Thursday performance, as I was making a day trip from Sevilla. It was pretty crowded in the stables after the show and you had very limited access to the horses. From the website, it seems that you may have more access to "behind the scenes" on non-show days. If you really want to see a show, you might want to spend a night in Jerez so you can do both on different days.

I would have absolutely no worries about staying in Jerez. It has a bit of a small town feel. I'm sure there is some crime as it is everywhere, but if you don't act stupid I imagine you will have no problem. I love that area. And there are quite a few picturesque small towns nearby that you can visit. Do either of you speak Spanish?

I am hoping to go back next year and want to go to the Escuela once again and perhaps see more of the backstage stuff. I love horses and enjoyed the show, although this kind of acrobatics with animals isn't my greatest interest. I'd rather watch them running around with manes and tails flying than seeing it all braided up and restrained. But the riding tradition was very interesting to see with the traditional costumes. The animals are beautiful and treated like movie stars.

If you want to be sure to see everything you want, I would contact the school ahead of time to be sure you know what is accessible and when it is happening. It looks like it may be easy to contact them via e-mail.

I hope to go to Jerez sometime during the Feria del Caballo in early May. There are some riding trips that include a visit to the Feria and also to the Escuela.

Would love to learn about your trip once you are back. If you have more questions before you go, let me know and I'll let you know if I can help.

To any other readers of this thread, please join in with your suggestions and opinions.

Hola Anchovy Front:

I took your advice and did both a search of MM board for lodging and looked at Bancotel. I thought I had searched the board before but, I must have done an inadequate job as I found an earlier thread, Dancing Horses at Jerez http://www.madridman.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000036.html from 07/05/00. I should have posted my initial comments and questions there. well…

The search didn’t turn up any info regarding lodging that was pertinent to Jerez. A check of Bancotel ( www.bancotel.es ) showed one affiliated hotel in Jerez. The web site was not clear if it was the one you recommended but I’m assuming it is. From what I can tell there are no weekday openings for March. There was a relatively good zoomable map of Jerez.

Am I correct to assume that a person purchases a separate set of five vouchers for each person staying in the room?

I was thinking that we would arrive in Jerez on a Tuesday and visit a bodega. On Wednesday take the behind the scene tour and view the training. On Thursday view the actual show and then return to our main hotel.

You didn’t say if you have to shovel the rain in Spain. The temperature here is about 20 degrees F. The sun is shining currently though its’ impact on the snow is questionable.

I’m glad you cleared up the cleanliness/safety issue of the train. We never rode it because of what we were told.

I was trying to jib you gently with the gambling question. Not my interest either and with my VERY limited Spanish I don’t think it wise to wager at the racing circuit in Mijas Costa though it may be worth the visit for the ambience. Three in the MORNING! I can’t think of a public gathering here ever lasting until three AM.

You have little to fear that I may run into in the physical sense. During your travels in March, if you see a touristy individual clinging to the building walls, far from the curb, honk your horn and wave. I’ll wave back.

Gracias for your further consideration of bar and restaurant recommendations.

Hola NancySid:

I’m surprised when you state the Escuela had only been available to the public for a few years when you had first been there. I don’t know where I got the impression but I thought it was very old.

When my wife and I were in Spain in 1999 we visited Ronda and the bullring. It is on our agenda again though we haven’t decided just how we will approach it as yet. I didn’t think of bull training facilities, huummm… Thank you for that suggestion.

Hey, Anchovy Front, search your vast knowledge of Andalusia to see if you can come up with something relating to bull training facilities, please.

Earlier (above post) I responded to Anchovy Front about our tentative agenda for the Jerez leg of our expedition.

Thank you for all of your comments and for making yourself available for additional questions.

I will take all of your comments into consideration.

Do I understand you correctly that you wish to return in May 2001?

I certainly will let you know, via MM board, of our experiences.

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 01-18-2001).]

I'm certainly not shoveling rain today, Sol. It's a gorgeous blue sky again and I can't believe I'm in the same country as I was in yesterday! Good forecast for the weekend too, hurrah!

I should have said that Bancotel is great for many hotels, which accept vouchers during the week, but a lot of them will only take them at weekends, when the businessmen aren't paying those prices. But it is only one voucher per room per night, so for two people it works out at 3.800 Pts each plus a couple of hundred pesetas tax. I've booked five rooms with another company like this one, called Ibercheque, for a couple of nights in Madrid next month in the four star Hotel Praga for 3.959 Pts per person, inc tax, per night, compared to the normal rate of about 20.000 Pts for the room. I have the Ibercheque book here in front of me and the Guadalete in Jerez wants one voucher per room for Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights, but two vouchers for weekdays, so that would cost you about $91 per night during the week. Its good value when its half that price at a weekend , of course, but not such a good deal the rest of the time.

Same deal as with the horsey stuff - I don't know much about bully stuff either, although my friends would tell you otherwise, but they're not referring to the "ganaderias"! (Bull rearing farms)

The road from Los Barrios to Jerez is part of La Ruta del Toro and there are plenty of these farms around here. Some will be open to the public, although I prefer to see these magnificent beasts grazing freely in the fields. They look supremely arrogant and handsome in this environment - but that's another story.......Try a search on Yahoo or somewhere with "ganaderias de cadiz" or something like that?

Finally, if you are thinking of Ronda as a day trip and you were in a car, (despite the protestations!) there is a lovely train journey to be made from Algeciras to Ronda. I've done it a couple of times, getting on at Los Barrios after parking the car there. The journey is about an hour and 40 minutes through great scenery and passing through colourful stations. When I've done it, I've caught a train at about midday and had lunch and a nice look round Ronda before catching the 8.20 (?) train back down the hill.

Still thinking about the eats and drinks.....

NancySid, when I said originally I go to or through Jerez fairly often in summer, it was because we go to a great camp site on the beach between Rota and Chipiona. We're always the only extranjeros there and know a lot of the regular campers and staff quite well now, as we have been going for quite a few years now. It takes us about two and a quarter hours to drive there on a weekend, but it's worth it because, as you say, the beaches are just fantastic, plus some good bars and restaurants in Rota, which offer nice food and value for money, maybe because of the American influence there from the military base?

You wouldn't recognise some of that coast though now, as unfortunately they are building the most enormous urbanisation of villas, apartments, golf course etc, which is a shame, but necessary to cope with the enormous influx in summer of Sevillanos escaping from the heat, as you will know well!

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 01-19-2001).]

Regarding the history of the Escuela - The Spanish riding tradition has been around for centuries and its beginnings were in this area, but there was no performance available to the public in Spain. I'm not even sure the current school has existed in an ongoing manner over the centuries. The Lippizaner horses from Austria do world tours and come out of this Spanish riding tradition (I think the riding was adopted by Austria due the the Spanish influence and the reign of Carlos V and the Holy Roman Empire - I'm murky on the monarchical history of Spain, but I know they ruled a huge portion of Europe at one time). I think that Juan Carlos was instrumental in establishing the school in an effort to bring this riding tradition back to Spain in a formal organized way. (Why should Austria get all the attention?) I'm guessing that more details on the history are on the website.

I'm thinking possibly May 2002 for the Feria del Caballo. Right now I have plans to visit mustangs in the wild in California this June!

Regarding Rota and Chipiona - Sorry to hear about the build up there. When I visited, in spite of the military base in Rota, I found that area to be far more frequented by Spaniards than the Costa del Sol. I think I first went to Rota because it was a nice beach and convenient to Sevilla - I was also 20 years old and probably interested in checking out the sailors! I was also looking for peanut butter, which was not available in Sevilla at that time, but was available at the military commisary through US sailors!

I just love that area though. Not far from Gibraltar, Morocco and Sevilla. And plenty of things of interest right there!

AF:

I’m not shoveling today either. Temperature 20s F and overcast.

Thanks for the clarification regarding Bancotel and Ibercheque.

I’m sure those who know you best are qualified to comment on your familiarity with bull by-products. I haven’t checked "ganaderias"! (Bull rearing farms) as yet, but will. One of the attractions of the magnificent beasts is their arrogance, don’t you think?

Algeciras to Ronda, can I combine this with the above? You and NancySid sure do offer interesting options.

I see you’ve been busy posting. Interesting bio. Keep those synapses firing on the “eats and and drinks”.

NancySid:

Thank you for your response.

Your giving me exactly what I had hoped for.
Correct me please, my understanding was that the Lippizaner horses from Austria were initially trained by the Spanish. Why should Austria get all the attention? Indeed!

I hope your plans for May 2002 and the Feria del Caballo come to fruition.

Have a nice time in California this June!

Bad news I’m afraid. In another post I read of people doing four-wheeling on the beaches near Jerez and thinking it was the best part of their Spain experience.

You’ll have to tell us some some peanut butter stories. Isn’t it amazing how even a word, or a smell, or a sound brings back such a flood of memories?

The proximity of the Costa del Sol to Gibraltar, Morocco, Jerez, Sevilla, Cordoba, and Granada is what attracts me.

Hi Sol - some recommendations.

There are very good seafood restaurants in both Benalmadena and Torremolinos. In the latter, try the district known as La Carihuela (it's the "remains" of a village, and one of the few bits of the area that retains some original buildings). To see a better preserved old town (with some excellent restaurants), try Marbella (not as tacky-rich as it's made out to be).

Getting to Malaga by the local train line is no problem. I can't imagine why you were advised to avoid it. A cab to Malaga should cost between 2500-3000 pesetas.

Malaga cannot really compete with the likes of Granada etc for sights, and doesn't try to. It's a working town, and not touristy (the ability to speak some Spanish would be extremely useful, compared to what you will find in Torremolinos). It's the "realest" bit of Spain you'll find along the Costa del Sol.

That said, there's the Gibralfaro and Alcazaba (moorish fort), a baroque cathedral, and a number of churches with typically ornate interiors. The city centre, which was somewhat dilapidated, has been extensively restored in recent years (this work is still going on), and is well-worth exploring. The main shopping area is centred on Calle Larios (El Corte Ingles is across a bridge to the west of the centre). There are tapas bars and cafes everywhere - explore and just take your pick! (Cafe Central on Plaza de La Constitucion is something of an insititution). For cheap lunchtime "menus", head for the streets around the market (mercado). This is worth a visit in itself, especially the fish market in the morning (even if you're not buying anything). For strolling, try the Paseo del Parque. There are a number of traditional bodegas around the city where you can try the local wines as well as sherries - try La Casa Antigua de la Guardia on Alameda, and El Pimpi on c/Granada.

The main area of seafood restaurants in Malaga is away to the east at Pedregalejo and El Palo (former villages, now incorporated as suburbs). You can walk along the beachfront (no cars) and take your pick of restaurants. They don't speak English, there may be no menus, and you'll almost certainly be the only foreigner there. All this and the sparkling mediterranean just 50 yards away - bliss!

Hi Sol -
Yes, the Spaniards are the ones who brought that riding tradition to Austria. If you take a look at this site you will see a lot of video of the Lippizaners and it looks almost identical to what you see in Jerez, costumes and all.
http://www.austria-tourism.at/ava/lip.htmla

I'm really sorry to hear about the four-wheeling. The riding associated with the Feria del Caballo involves that area and I had this idyllic view of riding along a deserted beach only hearing waves and hooves. I guess not.

My memories of the beach in Jerez are so vivid just discussing the area. You'll have to let me know if you can find peanut butter there these days! My only peanut butter story is that I promised the guy I'd meet him the next week, but ended up running off with his peanut butter never to be seen again! And when I used the peanut butter baking some things for my Spanish friends, their only comment was that it was too heavy for their stomachs... So much for sharing American culture!

By the way, I spent plenty of time shoveling snow this weekend! About a foot of it in the Boston area. (USA that is) I could use a trip to southern Spain right now!

Wouldn't you know they just yesterday re-routed the site for the Lippizaners -
http://www.austria-tourism.at/Hofreitschule/index.html

Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner.

El Boqueron-

Thank you for all of your recommendations. In relationship to El Corte Ingles where is the market (mercado)? The Pedregalejo and El Palo? How far are these locations from El Corte Ingles and can we walk there comfortably?

NancySid-

Thank you so much for the link to the The Spanish Riding School of Vienna.

Beautiful, ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!

The video files sure did take a long time to download, even with a cable modem.

We leave in 19 days.

Saludos

Hi Sol - the mercado is just across the river from El Corte Ingles, in the main commercial center. As you come across the bridge (from the Corte side) you enter the Alameda (avenue lined with poplars). Take a left and you'll come out in the market area.
Pedregalejo and El Palo are fishing villages to the east of Malaga which have now been incorporated into the town due to its expansion. But the old villages are still there next to the sea. From the centre of Malaga you'll need to take a cab or the no. 11 bus (from el Paseo del Parque). Pedregalejo is the nearest and I recommend it. The bus has electronic signs boards telling you the name of the bus stop and route maps showing the whole route, so it's easy to see where you are. If you get a cab, ask for "El (principio del) paseo maritimo en Pedregalejo".