EUROPEAN DOMA VAQUERA DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIP
Horses are, without doubt, animals to be found in numerous fiestas and events which are held in Andalucía. The beauty and splendour of the Andalucian horses are the stars of the show in ferias and events in provinces such as Cádiz for example. Where better therefore to celebrate the European Doma Vaquera Dressage Championship, which is held in the town of Paterna de Rivera from this Friday for the whole weekend. This inland village of Cádiz province is holding the championship at a European level for the first time this year, after many years at a national level. Paterna de Rivera bases a grand part of its local economy on the breeding of horses of great value and recognised fame. Some pure bred horses who spectacular displays of dressage can be admired from the 14th to 16th of September.

JOHN LENNON’S HOUSE
The only time that John Lennon, a symbol for peace, dressed in a military uniform was in Almeria. He didn’t enrol with the legion, but did take part as an actor in the film ‘How I won the war’ directed by Richard Lester. At this time, in September and October 1966, he lived in this house, the Santa Isabel finca, together with the Beatles’ drummer Ringo Starr. The current owner, Almería Ayuntamiento are going to rehabilitate it in a project under the control of the architect Ramón de Torres. It will have a cultural use with an audiovisual space dedicated to the Beatles. Work will be completed in 2003 and will be carried out by youngsters from the workshop school Sol de Portocarrero. The idea to destine the building for cultural use came from the ‘John Lennon Forever’ association. This mysterious mansion reminded Lennon of Strawberry Fields, the Liverpool children’s home where he played as a child. That’s how the famous song was born. The renovation of the Santa Isabel finca will make it open to the thousands of Beatles fans

AJOBLANCO FIESTA
The Málaga village of Almáchar has just celebrated its traditional Ajoblanco fiesta. As every year the streets of this beautiful village were dressed up to receive the more than 12,000 visitors who wanted to taste one of the typical dishes of the area of the Málaga Axarquía - the delicious Ajoblanco. Close to 4,000 litres of Ajoblanco, 500 of wine and another 500 kilos of grapes were enough to enliven to the route which tourists and locals from Almáchar took through the Moorish streets of the village. In its corners you could also see scenes which reconstructed what life in this village was like during the first half of the last century. The Ajoblanco fiestas, considered to be of national tourist interest, were celebrated for the first time in 1968 on the initiative of the locals of Almáchar who were demanding the repair of the road which linked the village to Málaga. Since then the first Saturday in September, Almáchar remembers the day delighting us with its hospitality and exquisite cuisine. As in every edition of the fiesta, the town hall awarded the Ajoblanco prizes, which this year went to Esteban Navas Cáceres, the ex mayor of the village, Sara Sánchez Rivas - general director of Apta, Juan Fraile, president of the Málaga provincial government, and the Unicaja savings bank and its president Braulio Medel.

CORTEGANA FAIR
Huelva has an important relationship with hunting, which generates around 4,000 million pesetas in the province, placing it third in Andalucía behind Córdoba and Jaén. Proof of this has been the second hunting fair to be held in the Huelva town of Cortegana a few days ago, which offered demonstrations of archery, shooting and greyhound racing, as well as hunting routes, and shows of hunting dogs. The date with the world of hunting in Cortegana this year wanted to attract the tourism sector into hunting by showing the value of the natural resources of the district. The province of Huelva has nearly 1000 hunting reserves with a total area of 800,000 hectares.

GRANADA ORCHESTRA PARTY
The city of Granada orchestra opens the 2001-2 season on September 15 with the traditional open air concert which it gives each year on the terrace of the exhibition and congress hall. This year what is popularly known as the Granada Orchestra Fiesta goes together with the candidature of Granada to be the site of the Winter Olympic Games in 2010 - the documents for which are presented on the 17th. As is becoming the routine - the sky above the orchestra will fill with light and colour with a fireworks, music and applause. The fireworks exploding to the rhythm of the orchestra which this year centres its programme on overtures, choruses and arias from Operas. The Granada city orchestra will also offer two performances on September 21 and October 5 in the Manuel de Falla auditorium, as part of the so-called Autumn concerts.

ANDALUCIAN NETWORK OF RURAL ACCOMMODATION
The Andalucian network of rural accommodation had 500 associated rural houses when it celebrated the tenth anniversary of its constitution. The provinces of Granada and Málaga, with 135 and 78 houses respectively are those with most beds. Set up ten years ago by seven members with 20 houses, this businessmen’s association has consolidated itself as one of the reference points in organising rural tourism in Andalucía. Over these years the offer has increased at a rate of 25% a year, figures which have risen in line with an increased demand for this type of accommodation. Proof of this is the accommodation this summer - around 95% capacity. One of the events which the Andalucian network of rural accommodation has planned for the near future is the celebration of the Rural Tourism Promoters meeting to be held on September 21 in the Córdoba town of Cabra.

FRAY LEOPOLDO ROUTE
The province of Málaga has some of the most beautiful landscapes of inland Andalucía. The Genal valley, in the Ronda mountain range, links 7 villages which offer us dreamlike natural landscapes and an excellent typical local cuisine. Alpandeire, Faraján, Júzcar, Cartajima, Igualeja, Pujerra and Parauta, are the villages which have united to create the so-called Fray Leopoldo route - He was an emblematic religious man, born in Alpandeire and remembered across all the zone. The route will cover the paths where the monk walked. Visitors will have several options - Nighttime trekking, or travelling by horseback, 4 wheel drives or minibuses. To avoid an accumulation of vehicles, and for the better comfort of the tourists, cars can be left in Alpandeire from where you can pick up your chosen transport for the route. The Fray Leopoldo route project also plans the construction of a spa and three hotels, situated in Alpandeire, Igualeja and Cartajima, two tourism offices, as well as the creation of a museum in Pujerra. A route in which not only the views, but also the palate is important. The Málaga district of the high Genal boasts an exquisite cuisine in which the homemade desserts made with chestnuts are outstanding. An area to captivate everyone for sure.

EASTER IN ARRIATE
Easter in the Málaga municipality of Arriate, nestled in the heart of the Ronda mountain range, has been declared to be a fiesta of National tourist interest in Andalucía, by the tourism council. Among the documentation presented by the town hall in request for the distinction was the popularity and participation among the locals, as well as its antiquity, continuity through the years and originality. The brotherhoods in Arriate were eager for the town hall to present their application in order to strengthen Holy week and make it better known and promoted to tourists. Arriate also has other outstanding festivals such as the ‘Old woman’s day’ at the start of Lent or the May Cross Romeria known as the Corpus of Arriate which is celebrated every June 29. The latter is a very special procession, given that it is an exact replica of the traditional Corpus procession, and which is held in the village on this day thanks to a special privilege awarded by Pope Clemente 14 at the end of the 18th century.

CORDOBA ROMAN TEMPLE
The archaeological work being carried out on the Roman Temple in Córdoba over recent months has confirmed that part of the area, which dates from the first century, was restored in the second and third centuries. The reforms of the original structure could have been down to the deterioration of the materials or a specific natural disaster. Fragments of sculptures which made up part of the display in the arched plaza around the temple have been found. This area of Córdoba was founded during the time of Roman domination as a provincial forum, and was where the various bodies charged with controlling the region, known then as Bética, were based. The works are continuing to recover the remains of the paving of the intermediate plaza which is thought to have united the Roman temple and the circus.

NIGHTTIME VISITS TO THE ALMERIA ALCAZABA
One of the most emblematic historical monuments in Almeria is the Alcazaba which we now have the chance to also visit at night. If this complex of monuments is impressive by day, its nighttime illumination dominating the city is really spectacular. This Sunday it can be visited in groups which leave from the City Hall Square and which will travel the area from 9pm accompanied by a guide whose job it is to inform and introduce us to the cultural contents of the route. For those who want to visit by day, the monument is open all week. Either way, by day or night, a visit to the Almería Alcazaba will always take us back to the far off times of the flowering Muslim culture.

VISITS TO THE VILLARDOMPARDO PALACE
The palace of Villardompardo, in Jaén, during the month of July welcomed close to 3,000 visitors - 500 more than last year at the same time. The site has also seen an increase in foreign tourism, the majority coming from European countries, followed by North Americans and Asians. This palace, built in the 16th century, is currently a cultural centre integrated with some arab baths, the Popular arts and customs museum, and the Manuel Moral international naive art museum. The arab baths consist of three halls, with hot water, cold and cool. Their restoration brought them the Europa Nostra prize for the protection of the heritage. The Villardompardo palace, situated in the historic centre of Jaén, is therefore, an obliged visit for many who visit this city of inland Andalucía.

AGENDA SEPT 14- 21
In Almería province, the village of María is holding an exhibition on the origin of man titled ‘The adventure of humanity’ - in the hotel Sierramaría. The show comprises 23 panels with images of the evolution of mankind and cabinets with prehistoric objects.

September 21, the Expresati ballet from San Roque, will perform in the Velada municipal theatre in La Linea de la Concepción in Cádiz. The company will interpret the work ‘Andalucía - more than a dream’ at 10pm.

One of the singers who is most popular with the young, Manu Chao, will perform on the 19th of this month in the Granada sports palace.

Writers, historians and journalists, such as José Saramago and Javier Tusell, will take part in the ‘Literature and Memory’ congress which is being held on the 19-21st in Jerez de la Frontera in Cádiz. The foundation which takes the name of the Jerez writer Caballero Bonald organises the event.

El Corral del Carbón in Granada offers the 3rd Andalucian show of young figures, with the performances of Luis from Luis and Esther Marín on the 15th and 16th of this month at 1030pm. The show is part of the Summers in the Corral cycle in Granada.

The Almeria province village of Dalías is celebrating the Fiesta of Christ of light until September 16. A firework display will illuminate the spectacle of the traditional festivity in Almería province.

Two villages, Cañete la Real in Málaga and Bornos in the Cádiz sierra are celebrating their fiestas until September 16th. Dancing and fun in two beautiful Andalucian villages.

The singer songwriter Enrique Morente and the Chekara de Tetuán orchestra perform on the 15th in the festival of the Moorish moon in Guaro in Málaga province at 11pm. Flamenco, Arab Andalucian music and the Moorish markets are the main attractions.

The locality of Villamartín, in the Cádiz sierra, is celebrating its grand fair and cattle fair in honour of San Mateo between the 20 and 25 of September. These fiestas have been declared to be of National tourist interest.

The days of the 15 and 19 of September, Brett Leighton and the pupils of the Marchena organ academy in Seville offer singular concerts in the San Juan church in the locality at 9pm. Entrance is free.

We can contemplate the spectacular Patagonian dinosaurs until Sept 23 in the Estepona congress and exhibition hall. A unique opportunity to observe these impressive animals.

The village of Lanteira, in Granada province, celebrates its Cristo de las Penas fair and fiestas until September 17th. Two bull runs and two bullfights are part of the events programmed in these fiestas.