December 2012

We're back from our Christmas week blogging break - I hope you didn't miss us too much! I trust you've all had (been having - it's not over yet!) a wonderful Christmas, whether you're in Andalucia, elsewhere in sunny Spain, or back in the old country with friends and family. Tomorrow we start a new year, and with it come new challenges and excitements.

Last week it was announced that the Patios of Cordoba Festival, which takes place every year in May, has been added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, joining other Spanish entries flamenco and the Mediterranean diet. But you don't have to wait till spring to see these 50 or so stunning courtyards of private homes and corrales de vecinos (communal courtyards), whose walls are covered in an array of colourful blooms in cobalt-blue pots.

One of the most delightful features of Christmas in Andalucia are the belenes vivientes, or live Nativity Scenes, where many of the townsfolk dress up to take part, using the town's streets, houses and plazas as their stage set. The one in the pretty pueblo blanco (white hilltown) of Arcos de la Frontera in Cadiz claims to be the largest in Spain.

Last Christmas, the Ayuntamiento (city council) of Seville put on a light show, where fast-moving images are projected onto the back wall of its main building, in Plaza Nueva. The facade facing Plaza San Francisco comes alive with ships, the solar system, books and toys - and, of course, the Holy Family.