Friendly Rentals Blog

Cirque du Soleil is currently in Barcelona, however as mentioned previously they have plans to visit Madrid and Seville, as well as other parts of Spain. We’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, not quite Cirque du Soleil, but as equally as entertaining is the Cirque Style Balagan by producer Misha Matorin, creator of some of the most astonishing acts in the Canadian circus and street performance show that is Cirque du Soleil, and member of this magnificent event for several years. Cirque Style Balagan will be coming to Spain for the first time in 2011, from the 19th to the 23rd of January to be more precise, for those of you lucky enough to be visiting Seville this winter season.

El Salón Internacional de Caballo SICAB, or the Seville Horse Show is a unique event and those lucky enough to be in Seville between the 23rd and the 28th of November will be able to attend this exciting show hosted by the Andalusian capital featuring only Spanish Purebred Horses. This event is exclusive to Seville and is a perfect opportunity for horse lovers and specialists to admire these beautiful and graceful creatures. This festival comprises one of the best horse shows in the world, and will include excellent examples from Andalusian stables, as well as all kind of equestrian events.

From the 29th of October to the 21st of November, the 17th International Contemporary Dance Show will be taking place in Seville. This event will comprise an entire month of dance and will be centring on the relationship between dance and technology. This thought provoking theme has been chosen to encourage people to consider the advantageous, enriching, and paradoxical link between the two so that a programme can be created including performances intertwined with technology, in addition to an extended programme, as well as videocreations, and educational activities completing the line up for this Show.

As mentioned in our Seville “Tourist attractions for dummies”, this enchanting city has a rich cultural heritage and varied historical past after being conquered by the Romans, the Moors, and the Greeks, amongst others. This is demonstrated in what has been left behind, and in the way that the architecture has been influenced down to the fragments of roman ruins dotted around the city, which are casually located on main roads in the middle of the typical Sevillian districts that characterise this charming Spanish city, an indication of the city’s imperial past. An example includes the stunning roman aqueducts located on Calle de Luis Montoto (near the El Prado bus station) which are no longer complete as they fell victim to the urbanisation of the city, however there are other less well-known and even more stunning evidence that the Romans once conquered Seville, which comprises the old Roman city, Italica.

Seville, the epitome of Spanishness, and the home of some of the best flamenco bars and shows in Spain. Along with its Spanish origins, this music and dance genre has gypsy, Byzantine, Sephardic, and Moorish elements and has become increasingly more popular. Initially, traditional flamenco artists never had any formal training; they learned by listening and watching other flamenco performers, however they are now formally trained and the shows that they put on now are truly spectacular. Seville is a hot bed of Spanish culture and has varied offerings of this passionate and seductive art form born centuries ago in Spanish villages in the region of Andalusia

Once again we return to Andalusian territories, where what can we say, there is a jam-packed programme of things to do, events to see, festivals to attend, and all this autumn and Christmas fiestas to really get you into the spirit of things. And as the cherry on the cake Seville is currently hosting the Biennial Flamenco Festival, which as its name indicates is only celebrated once every two years. Those lucky enough to be in Seville at the moment have the opportunity to attend this fabulous fiesta which will be taking place from the 15th of September to the 9th of October, and featuring some of the most talented musicians and flamenco dances on the national scene of this genre.

Film fanatics are in luck as Seville will be hosting their annual International Film Festival (SEFF) from the 5th to the 13th of November this year, with Holland as the lucky guest country of this fabulous edition of the event, celebrated in the beautiful Andalusian city.

As mentioned previously Andalusian food is renowned for being the tastiest and the best in Spain, and Seville gastronomy is by no means an exception. Whether we are referring to traditional tapas (snacks), or larger dishes the Sevillians never disappoint. They have a really strong and traditional culture whereby mealtimes are not just about the really good and tasty home-made food they prepare (although it is a good part of it), but it is also about socialising, sharing and relaxing with family and friends which is what makes this city and the Sevillian culture really charming. Without a doubt you are aware of some of the more well-known traditional Spanish dishes and tapas, such as gazpacho, chorizo, and Spanish omelette however we would just like to introduce you to some really typical Sevillian dishes that are really tasty, and which after reading this blog you will be able to request and show off your local knowledge in Sevillian restaurants.

Following on from our 3 things to do in autumn blog, which we hope has get you well prepared for Christmas and in the festive spirit of things, is our 3 tops things to do this Christmas in Seville. As mentioned previously, Seville at Christmas is just stunning, as the centre, buildings, and orange trees lining the main street Avenida de la Constitucion are adorned, decorated and spectacularly lit up in honour of this festive holiday season and the Sevillians are celebrating this season the only way they know how, with a family fiesta and lots of good food!

Without a doubt Seville is one of the best places to be at Christmas as the city is just stunning and the atmosphere so festive you won’t want to leave. This architectural beauty is adorned with lights, gets dressed up in all its finery for the upcoming season and as the icing on the Christmas cake there are an abundance of exciting and traditional events taking place that will truly get you into the festive spirit and nicely conclude your new year. So, enjoy our three to things to do this autumn leading up to Christmas, to get you into the spirit of things!

Today we are turning our gaze to the Andalusian lands to tell you about the most significant fashion brands of the region. Prestigious brands such as Puleva, Lanjarón, Cruzcampo or Alhambra beers have emerged. However, with regards to fashion it is the creativity that characterises it. Brands such as El Caballo of Seville, and Menbur shoes and accessories from Granada, are a reflection of the fashion thriving in this exciting region.

A general strike has been called by the Spanish trade unions for the 29th of September meaning that the bulk of the security services, public transport, cleaning, as well as medical and hospital services will be affected. For this reason, the organisers of the U2 concert in the Seville Olympic Stadium have changed the date of the concert from the 29th to the 30th of September. The aforementioned fundamental services are essential for the concert to take place under all the necessary safety conditions.