FAIR AND CORPUS CHRISTI IN GRANADA
The city of Granada lives two of its grand fiestas this month of May – Its Feria and Corpus Christi. After the celebration of the May Crosses, the Granada locals celebrate their Feria or fair from May 27 to June 2, organised around Corpus Christi on May 30. On this day the whole city fills the streets to watch the procession of the same name which is accompanied by Giants and Large Headed monsters who dance to the sound of the Tarascas, happy compositions which represent human vices in a grotesque form. The Carocas are also characteristic, compositions in verse which relate to local matters in the city in a sarcastic tone. This festival is associated with the Granada fair starts on the Sunday beforehand and attracts visitors from all over. In other towns and villages, such as Zahara de la Siera in Cádiz, the locals fill the streets with flowers on the day of the procession. Flowers are also the centre of attention in Villacarrillo in Jaén, where the Corpus is carried through the village streets, converted into floral carpets.

EQUESTRIAN GAMES STAMPS
The city of Jerez de la Frontera, in Cádiz province will be known world wide with the celebration of the World Equestrian Games in September and through some stamps which will be distributed by the Spanish Post Office – Correos to mark the event. What is considered to be THE city for horses, is already getting ready to hold the World Equestrian Games, an event which will attract fans of this sport from across the world. The stamps represent the different disciplines which will be present at the games, such as jumping and classic dressage. For 13 days from September 10th to 22nd, Jerez will become the world horse capital, with the consequent gathering of horses, jockeys, and representatives from the international equestrian world who will come together in the city of Cádiz province for the event.

GRAND HORSE RACETRACK OF ANDALUCÍA
Andalucía now has the largest and most important equestrian offer in Spain, following the inauguration of the horse race track in Dos Hermanas, in Seville, the largest in size in the country and a future source of income for the region. The Gran Hipódromo de Andalucía, which adds to one already in existence in the Málaga town of Mijas, is of the highest quality characteristics possible for a complex such as this, and is the only one which has four tracks. In addition the site has a stadium with a capacity for 5,000 seats, 270 saddling boxes, and more than 2,000 parking places. The town hall of Dos Hermanas has invested 30 million € in the construction of these facilities. In a third phase a new horse centre and polo ground will be added to the Gran Hipódromo de Andalucía.

K2 EXPEDITION
A group of nine mountaineers will, in May next year, tackle the ascent of K2, the second highest mountain on earth, at more than 8,600 metres high on the frontier between Pakistan and China. The expedition, promoted by the Andalucian Sports Public Company under the Tourism and Sport department of the regional government, has a budget of 300,000 € and will take some 3 months to make the clime from the middle of May 2003. To make this difficult climb of Chogori or K2, the Andalucian mountaineers will set up a base and four other camps, the highest at 8,000metres. During the presentation of the expedition in the Seville Olympic Stadium, the webpage of the expedition was also presented.

CÓRDOBA FERIA 2002
Córdoba is living one of its grandest fiestas this month of May. In addition to the celebrations of the May Crosses and Patios which have filled the city with colour, the Feria or Fair takes place in honour of Our Lady of Health. From May 25 to June 2, thousands of locals and visitors will enjoy days full of happiness, dancing and good wine in the casetas or marquees installed in the Arenal fairground site. The castetas are a meeting place for friends and visitors in a city which is full of light and colour at this time of the year. There are horse riders too, the typical cordoba peroles or saucepans, the rociero choir competitions and the competitions between casetas. All this awaits us in Córdoba, a city of monuments which is celebrating one of this happiest weeks in its festive calendar.

ARCHIDONA DOG SHOW 2002
The locality of Archidona, in Málaga, hosts the celebration of its dog show in June, which attracts a crowd of dog lovers who come to see the abilities of each one of the breeds on show here. The parade of hunting dogs through the streets of the village, when the rehaleros, dressed up in their costumes typical of the 18th century, fire their catapults and play their hunting horns, open the fair every year in June. Over the weekend more than 3,500 dogs will be the stars of the show. This year, as a new attraction a show dog championship will be held, with a display from the special group of dogs from the national police. The trading fair makes up another of the singular attractions of this event, declared to be of tourist interest in Andalucía, which brings together all the traditions of olden cattle fairs with the trading between individuals. Dogs of numerous breeds which we can contemplate in Archidona on June 1 and 2.

MONTILLA MORILES WINE TASTING
A total of 25 wineries are taking part in the 19th edition of the Montilla-Moriles wine tasting which brings together the best wines from the district each year in Córdoba. The Córdoba wine producing district includes municipalities of the importance to have their own official district mark. As well as the villages of Montilla and Moriles, other localities such as Fernán Núñez, Aguilar, Puente Genil, Montemayor, Nueva Carteia or La Ramba, are represented in this tasting which attracts more than 70,000 people. An event which is already considered as the most important single wine fair in Spain. Wine types such as Amontillados, Finos, Olorosos, Pedro Ximénez or the exquisite joven afrutado, young and fruity. About to celebrate 20 years, the stands at the Córdoba tasting see a constant to and fro of visitors who enjoy this natural product which is becoming more and more recognised.

RURAL HOTEL IN VILLAMARTIN
Lovers of rural tourism have a new hotel to stay in Cádiz. It can be found in Villamartín, an inland village in Cádiz province, in a building which has been converted from the old station. With a capacity of 20 people, the old station at Villamartín not only intends to house those travelling along the Via Verde, but also those gliding fans from across the world, making the most of the nearby airdrome which, thanks to the good climate of the district, allows flights to take place year round. Visitors can also horse and bicycle rise among the olives groves and fields. The project has been subsidised by the regional tourism board with 90,000 €