The Things the Spanish Got Right

Image: Spain-Holiday

I have recently made the big leap across the border from Bordeaux in France to the sunny south coast of Spain. My new home is Malaga, the touristy city that allows for beach days in February and continuous eating all day long. As a primary school teacher by day and an Erasmus partier by night, here are a few of my favourite things…

The Social Life. My experience after 3 weeks in the Spanish sun is that the most important thing to a Spaniard is to sit outside cafes drinking beer with friends all day long. “Una caña” is a small beer which, in Malaga, usually costs around 1 euro. In my short time, I have learned that at least one “caña” must be consumed every day. It’s time to wave goodbye to the vineyards of Bordeaux!

The Siesta. It seems to me that everything in Spain happens a few hours later than in the UK. Lunch is at 3pm, supper is at 10pm and night clubs shut at 7am. This has led to the ingenious invention by the Spanish of two shorter sleeps every day, rather than our preferred 8-hour nights. In Malaga, you would be hard pushed to find a shop or restaurant that is open between the hours of 3pm and 5pm. Take note, the siesta is taken seriously in Spain.

The Spanish Language. This is a comparison to France, in which I spent a lot of time being angered by incorrect English on billboards and the language battle with waiters when they replied to me in English (despite being in bourgeois Bordeaux). Even in the tourist town of Malaga, music is in Spanish, shops have Spanish names and the people always reply to me in their mother tongue. Perhaps the same wouldn’t be said for a small town 50 km away called Marbella…

The Spaniards. They may not see any need to apologise if they barge into you in the street, but I have never felt more welcome than I have this past month by the Malagueños. If you ask for directions, they’re happy to walk you to your destination and if you don’t know a word in Spanish, they wait patiently while you try to explain what you mean.

Malaga's Beach!

Heineken: Would You Play Departure Roulette?

If you were given the opportunity to drop your travel plans at the push of a button and head to a new and unknown destination, would you take it?

Heineken has launched a new instalment to its ‘Voyage’ campaign to test people’s sense of adventure. After setting up a departure board at New York’s JFK airport, the beer company persuaded the passing travellers to take a step into the unknown…

By pushing the green button, they would have to cancel their flight and forgo their original plans, whether it be going home or away, and head to the destination nominated by the machine, all expenses paid for by Heineken.

It is no wonder that the video has become viral on YouTube, with over 2.5 million views having only been launched less than a month ago. Heineken’s social experiment is able to capture the hearts and minds of travellers and adventurers alike, and the cleverly made video builds a sense of anticipation as those who turn down the opportunity are revealed first before the brave few step up to the podium. 

Heineken’s brand director, Belen Pamukoff believes a legendary trip requires spontaneity, “It should welcome random experiences where improvisation is the only way forward. This summer, in a variety of exciting ways, we are plucking guys from their everyday lives and dropping them into a world unlike anything they've ever seen”.

Would you push that button?

A Moment from a Movie

This weekend I had a plan. I was to travel back to England for a total of 23 hours in order to celebrate the 21^st birthday of one of my closest friends. Planned far in advance, rather keenly so, I had booked my trains to take me from Bordeaux to Paris and then the Eurostar from Paris to London, acquired so far in advance that the sizeable cost was almost forgotten. She had asked me to do her speech after all.

Of course there was a thunder storm the night before. Of course all the trains to Paris were cancelled due to floods. Of course I didn’t let this stop me.

After deciding that the airport was the way to go (both metaphorically and literally), I jumped in a taxi and exaggeratedly shouted, ‘take me to the airport!’ Dramatic, I hear you say. Well, the fun didn’t stop there. Upon arriving at the airport, I had my movie moment. The moment that allows you to have a story that you know you will always remember and over-tell for a long time to come. That story that your friends will get pretty fed up of hearing but you’ll keep telling them anyway.

Me: ‘Your first flight to London!’

Easyjet Lady: ‘It’s in 40 minutes’

Me: ‘I’ll take it!’

…

Me: ‘Wait, how much?’

An experience and a half, I was whisked through the airport, ushered through security and was sat with my seatbelt on within half an hour. Now that is efficient airporting.

Perhaps it is not the best advice to say arriving at an airport to buy your ticket 40 minutes before a flight is incredibly successful, but stress-related feelings aside, it was rather effective- I didn’t have to wait around for even a minute. Needless to say my friend’s party was incredible and I can only thank her for both the amazing evening, but also for providing me with my very own scene that could have been taken straight from a script.  

The Places of Bristol: The Bierkeller Theatre

Part of Bristol’s charm are the quirky, tucked-away little theatres that I seem to come across sporadically every now and then. No exception is the fantastic Bierkeller located in the city centre that opened only a year and a half ago. Slightly bigger than the likes of The Wardrobe and The Alma Tavern, this theatre gives an arguably edgier feel to its shows and has a capacity of 400.

On meeting the Artistic Director Alex MacMillan, he was eagerly telling me that it is in fact the last Bierkeller that remains and their stage, the very same one that sits there today, has played host to the Stone Roses amongst other big names. His enthusiasm for his theatre was in keeping with the general Bristol theatre vibe, and The Bierkeller is as friendly as they come.

The auditorium being their only downfall, I was reliably informed that they are soon to receive tiered seating from The Tobacco Factory which will hugely improve the experience. From university shows, professional theatre to improv and more, The Bierkeller has a busy schedule of entertainment, unsurprisingly booked up until November already.

If you’re in a theatre-going mood and stuck for options, don’t forget to check out the Bierkeller website. There’s a plethora of performances going on and a bar that serves bizarre cocktails named after them. 

The Places of Bristol: Boston Tea Party, Park Street

Image: Trip Advisor

Although this may not seem like an original choice, the reason I have chosen this dainty little coffee shop is for its garden. Already loved for its ethically-sourced products and family owned atmosphere, the Park Street branch of BTP was in fact its flagship location set up in 1995. The café boasts a large collection of teas and if you’re lucky, the baristas even put a nice leaf pattern on your coffee. 

The secret of this place, however, is only to be found when heading towards the toilets in a ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ style-moment. Heading through the tattered door, you come out the other side to a beautiful tiered garden. With lovely rock tables and heaters for cold mornings, the garden really does charm its customers. 

This picture doesn't do it justice!

So next time you fancy some Red Berry and Hibiscus Tea or a Get your goat, you’ve pulled! toasted sandwich, why not head to Boston Tea Party on Park Street? Find the old door that takes you through to your own peaceful garden, stealing you away from the hustle and bustle of city life just for a little while.

The Places of Bristol: Vincenzo's

TripAdvisor

For those who like Italian food, not the Anglo-Italian of Pizza Express or ASK, but the authentic, messy, ‘no cutlery allowed’ style of real Italian pizza, then Vincenzo’s is for you. With 44 years’ worth of postcards covering the walls from across the globe and bottles hanging from the ceiling, it’s the kind of place you go when in want of something a bit heart-warming. 

I have to be honest, from outside the restaurant I was a little worried about what to expect. They have clearly turned their attention to the indoor décor and left a little to be desired outside. However, despite the unwelcoming front door (which on our visit was accompanied by a chef having a cheeky cigarette) the restaurant is adorably welcoming. The food is fairly cheap for large portions and incredibly tasty and the service is quick and friendly. Although it seems more a haunt for the regular customer, we were made to feel very at home as well. What’s more, if you’re so inclined, it even has a view over Park Street! 

Vincenzo’s manages to take you away from the Café Rouge/Jamie’s Italian repetitive nature of Park Street and welcomes you into a tiny bit of Italia only a few yards away. Don’t expect Michelin stars, but do expect a smiling waitress with an Italian accent and a lot of (2006) Italian footballers pinned on the walls.   

Image: VirtualTourist

How much? £7-£15

Where? 71a Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5PB

The Places of Bristol: The Wardrobe Theatre

One of my big loves is theatre; and where’s a better place to be as a theatre-lover than Bristol? This arty (and studenty) city has much to boast of; there are so many quirky and exciting theatres and one of my favourites is The Wardrobe located above the White Bear on St Michael’s Hill. 

This intimate and endearing theatre can only seat about 50 but manages to charm its audiences through a good mix of comedy and independent shows on their way up (The fantastically promising Tap Tap Theatre production company are finding their first successes at the Wardrobe). I was lucky enough to meet one of its directors, Matthew Whittle to discuss the incredible success of the toddler-aged Wardrobe Theatre and how it got such a strong reputation. Learning about its journey from humble beginnings was fascinating, and I was charmed by its simple ethos; to create accessible and affordable theatre that supports new and local talent. 

The theatre has regular shows in the style of soap operas and plays host to the University of Bristol Drama societies fortnightly. However, it seems to me that their growing reputation is spreading even further, having staged Russell Howard recently and they even have Ed Rapley on the programme for this season. 

If you fancy a break from the usual cinema trip and you don’t want to stretch to Hippodrome prices, why not head down to the Wardrobe Theatre where every show promises to be less than £5 and the after party is just down a few stairs. 

Where? 133 St Michael's Hill, High Kingsdown, BS2 8BS

How Much? All shows under £5