Turkish Tango Delight!

In April we went to Istanbul for a 6 day break and while we were there we went to a milonga every night. I have to say after dancing tango in many new cities over the years and sitting patiently waiting to be asked to dance and if lucky getting the odd dance I had low expectations of getting any dances in a strange city.  However, in Istanbul I was pleasantly surprised, I have never ever danced so much at any milonga and lost count of the number of men who asked me to dance. It was a sheer delight to dance with so many new people.  I asked a woman who organises one of the milongas how she trained them all so well (joking of course) and she said in all seriousness “it’s just Turkish hospitality”.   In every milonga we went to I was asked up for tanda after tanda and we were welcomed and invited to sit at a table with others.  With Buenos Aires a bit far away for our purse strings to stretch every year, our new annual pilgrimage to our new tango ‘Mecca’ will be to Istanbul!

For anyone visiting soon here is information about the milongas with comments about the ones we visited:

Monday:

1. In Sultanahmet very close to sea below Blue Mosque. At Armada hotel (only milonga on side of Blue Mosque) very nice. It cost 20TL to get in and includes one drink (can be alcohol) and a plate of fresh fruit.  Water provided in carafe to drink.  We were welcomed and taken to the best seats!  Address Ahirkapi, Sultanahmet.  Tel: 905 326 648 836. From 9:00-01:00.  They dance tango salon line of dance.   Here is a link to the hotel so you can find it: Armadahotel

2. Milonga el Huracan. TangoNoa. Cafe Krepen Halep Psj. 140/6. Tel: 905 323 255 421.  Not far off Istikal Caddesi, Beyoglu.

Tuesday:

1. My House milonga.  Org: Tangoist. Add: Siraselviler Cad. 35 Taksim. Tel: 905 325 234 119. Near Taksim Square.
2. La Cumparasita. Org: Hayati Tekin. Add: Ortaklar Cad. 40/1 M.koy. Tel 905 322 441 993.
3. Libre Tango Milonga. Org: Ozgur-Deniz. Add: Topcekerler sok. 24/1 Taksim. Tel:905 558 243 203. Not far from Istikal Caddesi.

Wednesday:
1. 333.  Org: IstanbulTango. Add: Siraselviler Cad.33/3 Taksim. tel: 905 322 637 161. Tango Nuevo. Not far from Taksim Square.
2. Milonga Dinamica. Org: Tangog. Add: Istiklal Cad.Halep Pasaji Kat4. Tel: 905 325 622 622. Off Istical Caddesi.
3. El Abrazo. Org: El Encuentro. Add: Bahcesehir Unit D Blok Teras Kat. Tel: 905 325 832 824. Near sea front.
4. Tiyatro Cafe. Org. TangoTurco. Add: BKM Grisi Besiktas. Tel: 905 323 258 078.

Thursday:
1. Tangopoint run by our Facebook friend ‘Milongator’ Güralp Diner. Add: Point Hotel, Topcu Cad.2. Taksim. Tel: 905 323 444 545.  This is reputed to be the best milonga in Istanbul but when we got there it had been cancelled on that occasion.  It is on a high floor with fabulous views of the city.

2. Caminito.  Org: Tangomio. Add: Atif yilmaz Sk.9/3 Taksim.  Just off Istikal caddesi between the shopping centre and a Mosque.  10TL each to get in. Starts 21:30.  Small place. Tango salon.

Friday:
1. Levent Tennis Club. Org: Tango Turk (same as Monday). Add: Akasyali Sok. 34. Levent. Tel: 905 326 648 836.  On Metro but hard to find and not near tube station so a taxi is recommended. 20TL including a drink.

2. Olivia Gecidi 2A Asmalimescit. Tel: 905 327 322 816.
El Tango Clasico. Add: Topcekerler,sok. 24/1 Taksim. Tel: 905 558 243 203. off Istikal Caddesi.
3. Tangolic. Add: Istical Caddesi 112.Kat4. Galatasaray. Tel: 905 353 030 922.

Saturday:
1. Baila Traditional. Org: Baila tango. Balo Sok. 1/5 Taksim.  Just off Istical Caddesi. From 21:30. 10TL. We went to this milonga in a dance studio on the top floor of an old building with a disco on every other floor.  The milonga is in the attic. The wooden floor sloped one way so interesting for your axis at times!  Friendly mixed levels but all did line of dance. Tel: 905 079 552 726.

2. 333 milonga (details as above).
Milonga Istanbul. Org. Tango jean. Add: Suslu Saksi Sok 14. Taksim.  Tel: 905 322 933 920. Near istikal Caddesi.
3. Milonga de Temprano. Org: Tangomio, Atif yilmaz Sk.9/3 Taksim. same as Thursday night.
4. Milonga a la Turca. Tangog.  same address etc as on Wednesday night.

Sunday:
1. Ponte. Org: Tango Suerte. Add: Istical Caddesi, 185. This is in a cafe on top floor of a shopping centre with spectacular views even from the loo!  As you go in the security guard spots your shoe bag and escorts you to the top floor! Starts 20:00.  Entrance 25TL includes a drink and as much free water as you want.  Table service.   Good standard.

2. Cordial. Org: Contact Tango. Add: Istikal caddesi, 12 Kat 6. Tel: 905 335 113 866.

Tango Shoes:
Turquoise: turquoise-shoes.com.  Defterdar Yokusu no 22A, Cihangir.  Open 14:00-19:00.  Shoes 220TL about £80.  Online shop: Turquoise

Necmi Usta: For a great experience go to shoe maker Necmi Usta, Place was called Mis Han on left of street called Mis Sok just off Istikal caddesi near Taksim Sq end.  It is number 13 5th floor.  Very nice quality hand-made tango shoes. You can have any colour in any style combination for around 160 Tl £60. Online shop: Binicideri

A Hard Days Graft!

We have so many almond trees here, I reckon over two hundred that it is impossible to knock and collect all the almonds when they are ready.  The eighty Kg. of almonds we knock, de-husk and shell are enough to supply us with our almond milk and nuts for the year.  We also have some yellow and red plum trees and two apricot trees  but we would like more.

In February Ken started up the chainsaw and completely trimmed back three of the nearest almond trees. When he had finished cutting and trimming all that remained of the trees was the trunk and a few new large branches. It was not a very pretty sight when he had finished as you can see from the picture.

After the cutting it’s a waiting game for the new almond shoots to grow again. This takes about four to six weeks but sometimes no new branches grow back and the almond tree eventually dies which I think has happened to one of the three. When the new almond shoots were about half a metre in length with lots of fresh green leaves, Ken cut a healthy shoot from the red plum tree and one from the apricot tree and started to graft the red plum onto one almond tree and the apricot onto the other. To do this you need to tear off all the leaves from each of the almond shoots and trim back the bark skin of the tip of the almond shoot about 10cm. Then he tore away the leaves from the red plum shoot and cut off a tube of approximately 10cm of the bark/skin that has a new bud on it. A bit like when you trim off a piece of the sheathing on an electrical wire.  He then slid this tube of red plum bark down over the tip of the almond shoot to a tight fit. He did this on about ten almond tree shoots and completely removed any remaining almond shoots. He did the same process with the apricot grafting.  In theory the apricot or plum bonds to the almond tree and when the bud grows into a new branch it will bear the fruit of the apricot or almond.  Now we are waiting to see if the grafting will succeed and move on to more fruit grafting on our almond trees. Then maybe a fruit stall in the local market!

Head above the clouds

 It really is a great feeling to wake up at sunrise and walk out onto the terrace and see this view as the sun rises. Living in the mountains of Axarquia at the height of around 700 metres lends itself to day-time and night-time panoramic views but every so often there is a ‘wow moment’ which makes  us run for the camera.

On this particular morning the cloud stretched out across the valley below like a giant glacier, it looked incredible.

I now know what Lucy and Jorge Orta’s “Cloud: Meteros” in St. Pancras Station, London, meant with their aim to “unite people inside the station with the world outside”.  I was certainly united with the world this morning.

On the Bosphorous

Having always wanted to go to Istanbul and after Turkish Airlines introduced a direct flight fom Malaga we decided to go for a five day break.  We had a great time and found the Turkish people to be extremely welcoming and hospitable whether we were in a shop, on the street or at a milonga dancing tango. The tango? well, there is so much to say, I will dedicate my next blog to it.

There is so much to do and see in Istanbul, it is hard to pick favourites but here are our top ten unmissable things:

1. Drink apple tea
2. Eat Turkish delight with pistachios
3. Visit a lokantasi and try fabulous chickpea, okra and authentic donner and sish kebabs
4. Visit the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia
5. Visit the old city walls of Constantinople
6. Shop and take tea in the Grand Bazaar
7. Eat fresh mackerel sandwiches by the Bosphorus
8. Visit the 3rd most sacred mosque in the world ‘Eyüp Sultan’ and afterwards go to the top of the Golden Horn to the famous tea house where french writer Piyer Loti loved to work and enjoy spectacular views of Istanbul.
9. Cross the Bosphorus on the tram via Galata bridge and take the tunnel up to the main shopping area where you can shop till you drop, dine in fabulous restaurants and dance the night away.
10. At the end of a long day sight seeing relax and take a Turkish bath and full body massage at Sifa Hamami close to the Blue Mosque.

For anyone interested in visiting Istanbul here is a link to an excellent blog written by our friend Sara that tells you all you need to know before you go.  On the Bosphorus

Chocolateless in Colmenar!

Easter is not Easter without my favourites ‘Charbonnel et Walker Champagne Truffles’ or ‘Thorntons Continentals’. So without my favourite chocolates it felt just like any other weekend.  That is, until we decided to take our Australian guest with us into Colmenar on Friday evening to join in the Semana Santa celebrations.

Easter or Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Andalucía is a very special and unique event. All the streets in all the cities and villages of Andalucia are packed with thousands of people watching all the parades. The life-like wooden or plaster sculptures called ‘tronos’ are carried through the streets by penitents dressed in long colorful robes.

Colmenar is no exception and the whole village turned out to take part or watch.  Leading the procession was a band with very loud drums followed by a group of young women carrying a ‘trono’ of Jesus.  Behind them were the Alcalde (Mayor) and Juzgado de Paz (Magistrate), a group of children in purple robes and women dressed in black with lace veils and very high stiletto heels.  Next followed another band followed by a second larger ‘trono’ of the Virgin surrounded by candles which are lit as darkness falls and carried by a group of young men.  Following at the end a large group of villagers trailed the procession.

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The procession slowly winds its way up and down the steep narrow streets and all the locals stand in their doorways and balconies to watch.  I noticed that the more ‘sturdy’ people were positioned at the back of the ‘tronos’ to help take the weight as they carry the ‘trono’ up the very steep 2:1 hills!

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The procession stops every few metres to give the ‘trono’ bearers a rest. How the women in black lace veils and 4″ high heels manage to walk up and down the steep hills for so many hours is beyond me.  I had to swap all my heels for flat boots when I moved here.

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At the front of each ‘trono’ is a bell and a man leads the ‘trono’ walking backwards and shouting instructions to the ‘trono’ bearers to steady the speed and direction and to stop it getting too much of a sway.  One ring means slow down and two rings mean stop.

At one point the large ‘trono’ was building up too much momentum on the steep downhill and the man at the front was shouting  at the boys and rang the bell but they couldn’t slow down or stop and it smashed into his face.  He completed the procession with a bloody face and probably had a black eye the next day.

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Two more men carry long hooks on poles in front of each ‘trono’ to hold up the electrical cables that drape precariously low across the street to stop the ‘trono’ getting ‘electrified!’  The procession ended in the centre of Colmenar where everyone went in the bars for a well-earned drink.

Don’t Cry Wolf!

When our friend Ann was here in February we went to visit the Lobo Park (wolf park) in Antequera.  Having been once in the summer I had always wanted to return in the winter when the wolves all have their magnificent thick winter coats.  It was really interesting to see the different breeds of wolf and learn about them and how they care for them. The tour was very interesting as the park are trying to preserve some breeds from extinction.  They even had a Siberian white wolf which is an endangered species.  I also leaned that it’s an urban myth that wolves have blue eyes, they don’t, only husky dogs have blue eyes.  It is also not true that they only howl when there is a full moon.  They put on an eerie display of howling in the afternoon for us which was great to hear so maybe we have all been watching too many Jack Nicholson movies!

It reminded me of an occasion last August when with another friend, Sara.  We were returning from a day out shopping in Malaga and as we drove around the outskirts of our village we saw what looked like a pair of Iberian wolves standing over a water culvert at the edge of the road.  They certainly didn’t look like foxes, Huskies or German Shepherds. I slowed the car down to look and they didn’t move. They just stood staring at us.  Now I could be forgiven for having hallucinations or my imagination running away with me but Sara thought the same.  What was strange to me was that they were an identical pair.  If they were stray dogs it would be unusual to see two exactly the same.  So they had to be wild animals.  The wolf park guide was skeptical but there is currently a programme to release Iberian wolves back into the wild in Spain and there is a known population near Cordoba (not that far from here).   Or maybe someone is breeding them for his ‘Pecho Lobo!’

You can help the Lobo Park by adopting  a wolf or go on a full moon night tour in summer to hear the wolves howling.  Here is a link to their website: Lobo Park Antequera.

Semana Blanca

Today is a public holiday in Andalucía (Andalusia Day) and is celebrated February 28 every year.  For most people, especially expatriates it is just another normal day but annoyingly the shops are all shut!

Día de Andalucía commemorates the February 28, 1980 referendum on the Statute of Autonomy of Andalucia which made Andalucia an autonomous community of Spain.  In the villages and cities of Andalucia people decorate their balconies with the flag of Andalucia and there is lots of green and white striped bunting put up everywhere.  Many schools and public buildings are closed for Semana Cultural which is also known as Semana Blanca (white week). There are many cultural celebrations and events and the Friday before is a day of celebration in schools with a traditional Desayuno Andaluz (Andalucian breakfast) consisting of a slice of toast with a thin layer of olive oil and orange juice.

In my village the activities centre around children with children’s activities including dancing,singing, games and dressing up.

Chuffed with my Chapattis!

Last August I went to my friend Sharon’s house for a chapatti master class with her mum who was born in India.  I consider myself quite good at making curry and naan bread but I had not mastered chapattis.  Despite diligently following the recipe I had only succeeded in making hard frisbees fit for my dogs to fetch and filling the kitchen with smoke!

So when Sharon’s mum offered to give me a master class, I jumped at the chance.  On a very hot day in August, we set about making the elusive breads.  We had a great afternoon and after lots of tips on how to get the dough just right, the special rolling technique so they come out circular and and how to cook them without a visit from the fire brigade, we made about ten chapattis which we all ate in a meal together later that evening.

Yesterday, I decided to make a chicken bhuna with some left over roast chicken and so with plenty of time to cook rice in the event of disaster, I had a go at making chapattis in my own kitchen.  They turned out really well.  I don’t have a gas hob to flame the chapattis at the end of cooking which is essential to make them puff up, so I improvised with a kitchen blow torch normally reserved for Creme Catalana.  It worked a treat and I have to say I was really chuffed with my chapattis!

Procesión Virgen de la Candelaria y San Blas – Colmenar 2013

On Sunday 3 February our local village, Colmenar, celebrated it’s patron saint with a nine hour procession from one church along the narrow streets of the village up to the Ermita at the top of the village.  An event for the whole family, the procession is led by the Mayor and there is Verdiales music and dancing (a kind of folk dance), the local marching band followed by all the villagers and ending with a firework display at the Ermita.

The procession makes very slow progress as it winds up and down the narrow streets.  The Virgen and patron saint are very heavy and they have to make lots of pit stops for food and drinks every few metres.  They park the Virgen up outside bars and people’s houses who open their doors to feed those doing the carrying.  The procession starts at 12:00 and ends around 21:00 so it is no mean feat as you can tell from the faces of the men doing the carrying!

See it for yourself in this you-tube clip.  The best part is at the end when they reach the Ermita in the dark and have the firework display.  Click here

Erika in Domainland……A Real Classic!

This is the story of a Yorkshire lass named Erika falling down a black hole into a soulless invisible internet company that hides within a spider’s web of deceit which is labelled ‘mad terms and conditions tea party’. The phrase ‘A man’s home is his castle’ springs to mind but in this story ‘A woman’s domain is her castle’.

The story begins in the land of Andalusia where Erika gets confused with the internet page cannot be displayed message and asks her host 123Dodos to help. Erika eventually receives a 123TweedledeeTicket which recounts the tale of “Acknowledged and Can’t be Bothered”.  Erika speaks to a friendly IntelligenceFeline who advises her to visit the RegistrarMouse who is hosting a new owner of the Domain Land because 123Dodos desired reward and removed Erika from the party.  Erika is fed up with all this 123Domainlandians rudeness and incompetence, so the IntelligenceFeline leads her to the QueenOfDomainLand who invites Erika to pay a fee for the safe return of her Domain Land.  Erika really wants to insult the QueenOfDomainLand but is forced to pay the fee in order to save the Domain Land.  Erika is pursued by all 123Tweedledees and 123Tweedledumbs attempting to close the tale but Erika realises that she is not having a dream.  The story ends with Erika realising that perhaps she would rather live in a nonsensical dreamland called Wonderland.