Festival de Jerez, hotels etc....

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Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

Festival de Jerez, hotels etc....

So, I'm getting married. I'm stoked about it and I'm really stoked about the honeymoon. My lady is a flamenco fan/student dancer and that's how we met so we want to go to the festival de Jerez for our honeymoon. For those who have been what's the best plan? Do we stay in the city center? Looks like hotels hiked their rates for that time of year.....Anything specific we should know about the festival? Any foro members going? It'd be nice to meet up for some watery Spanish beer and great fino :) Any advice people have about the festival in general would be great.
Also we're thinking to go to Majorca for a few days for a beachy romantic experience. Any places in Spain better for that kind of thing? We wanted to do the Caribbean but it's too much flying.......

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 13:51:04

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

Congrats on your engagement.

Feb./March is going to be a little chilly for sunbathing in Majorca or southern Spain, but nice enough to explore and sit in cafes. I would recommend a break in Granada or Seville - romantic and more interesting. You can get to the beach from Granada in 40 mins.

I crashed with friends or stayed a fair walk out of the centre but I wouldn't do either again.

Try the web for a self-catering apartment which gives you more flexibility, more amenities and saves some money on food and drink.

Looks like they are about $130 a night for two people plus.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 14:41:44

BarkellWH

Posts: 3458
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage, Lenny! I can't offer much help on your questions re Jerez and Spain, but I know you and your lady will have a great time and make the most of it. Will you take a guitar with you?

Cheers,

Bill

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And the end of the fight is a tombstone white,
With the name of the late deceased,
And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here,
Who tried to hustle the East."

--Rudyard Kipling

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 14:52:15

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

Congrats on your engagement.

Feb./March is going to be a little chilly for sunbathing in Majorca or southern Spain, but nice enough to explore and sit in cafes. I would recommend a break in Granada or Seville - romantic and more interesting. You can get to the beach from Granada in 40 mins.

Thanks Simon!
Great info, maybe we have to give up on beach time..... I was actually thinking of Seville or Granada! I loved Seville and spent enough time there that I feel like I could have fun and show her around, but all my Spanish/flamenco friends here keep saying Granada. I haven't been so I'm leaning towards it.... Would it be flamenco dead during festival??

quote:

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage, Lenny!

Thanks Bill!
I likely will take a guitar, probably the Valencia factory Raimundo. Not looking to do tons of classes but can't imagine not having a guitar in Spain for when inspiration strikes.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 14:56:16

El Kiko

Posts: 2697
Joined: Jun. 7 2010
From: The South Ireland

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

Wowo ...great news ...gettin married ....she must be a very patient and forgiving girl .......jkng

put a pic up of you in a suit and tie ....

Jerez ...geat feria for eating and drinking , dancing and music ....
learn to dance sevillanas . it may come in handy ...

One of the first big fairs I went to ,. also known as the Feria del Caballo..
about staying , all i can say is book early cos the town gets really full , i mean really full , would be best if you knew someone there ,, rent a spare room ...

I went at the last moment and had a job finding a bed ...i got a one in the end , but only due to a cancellation / no show // bit of a crappy place , but mainly I was up all night and drunk all day so ..all i wanted was to crash ...

When is you big day /date ...?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 19:46:33

rombsix

Posts: 7808
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

So, I'm getting married.

Congrats, dude! Are you on Facebook by the way?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 19:53:21

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

learn to dance sevillanas . it may come in handy ...

I'm working on it lol I even went to a class with her for it but I'm still pretty terrible. Lol
Yeah I plan to book a room now, wedding is looking like 2-25-17.

Thanks Ramz! No....I woulda bugged you by now if I was!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 20:24:21

Richard Jernigan

Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to rombsix)

Congratulations Leñador! Marriage is a big step, but done right it leads to much happiness.

I'm not much help on the Feria or accommodations in Jerez. Last time we were there it was a week or two after the Feria. Out hotel was nice, but fairly expensive, a longish walk from the center of town.

It did have one especially good feature. The old part of Jerez is a perfect maze of one-way and dead-end streets. We had a car, and made trips to Cadiz and the Puertos. Coming back, we would get lost and wander about. Our hotel was across the street from the Sandeman sherry bodega. It smelled great! Wandering around lost in our car we would eventually pass downwind of Sandeman's, then follow our noses to the hotel.

Have fun in Jerez, and may your marriage be long and happy!

RNJ

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 20:26:56

BarkellWH

Posts: 3458
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Richard Jernigan)

quote:

Our hotel was across the street from the Sandeman sherry bodega. It smelled great!

Sandeman jerez, particularly amontillado, has an exquisite taste and smell. I got hooked on amontillado decades ago and like it better than fino seco. Amontillado is medium dry with a sort of nutty taste to it.

I generally have a copita of amontillado each evening as an aperitif before dinner. but I think this evening I will have two copitas to honor Lenny and his bride-to-be. (You will note, Lenny, that I will use anything as an excuse!)

Bill

_____________________________

And the end of the fight is a tombstone white,
With the name of the late deceased,
And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here,
Who tried to hustle the East."

--Rudyard Kipling

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 20:45:45

rombsix

Posts: 7808
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

Thanks Ramz! No....I woulda bugged you by now if I was!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 21:06:57

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

So, I'm getting married.

Cheers to that! Congratulations to both of you!

quote:

but all my Spanish/flamenco friends here keep saying Granada. I haven't been so I'm leaning towards it.... Would it be flamenco dead during festival??

From my own short experience there, I'd say you need to expect the music and flamenco scene there to be a bit slower than during the warmer months (spring, summer). Not because of the Jerez festival so much as just the fact that it's still rather "cold", at least in Granada Capital. The city is a little bit up in the mountains so it won't be nearly as warm as Seville during that time of year. I would still recommend it 100% though, probably even over Seville. Beautiful place and good people.

And if islands are what you're looking for, other closeby options are Menorca (more isolated and less people than Majorca), or a bit further off the Canary islands and Madeira are all worth their while, the latter has excellent wine, always a plus. I know that there are regular boat/ferries that connect all of these island to the Mainland, if you have the time and are the seafaring type it could be a more interesting alternative to air travel.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 21:09:22

El Kiko

Posts: 2697
Joined: Jun. 7 2010
From: The South Ireland

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to BarkellWH)

quote:

particularly amontillado, has an exquisite taste and smell.

Named from Montilla , where i spend a part of my life ,.
When the wine season was on I would work in the wine industry, for a place called The Co-operativa, or the Union ...
Anyway there they used to make something called Mosto ...which is basically grape juice that is not yet wine ..and I would see tankers and tankers of Mosto leaving Montilla ., I asked where it was all going and was told ..its going to Jerez to make sherry ..
So why dont they use there own grapes they grow down there?
I was told for quality , Montilla is about 100 an so km from the coast and on a hill ideal grape growing country . but the air in Jerez has salt in it that is not good for sherry making as its only about 15 km from the coast .

thats what I was told ...

I remember thinking ...so if i went into a bar in jerez and got a jerez it might be from the grapes I myself processed previously in Montilla ...yet its still called JEREZ

oh well..

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 21:46:24

El Kiko

Posts: 2697
Joined: Jun. 7 2010
From: The South Ireland

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Piwin)

quote:

Piwin

Jerez is pretty much at sea level- ish and not up a mountain or hill at all ...when i was last there,, there was a lot of casetas a lot of all kinds of music and it was plenty warm to be in shorts and t shirt all night long

unless something has drastically changed

go and get a Caña to play ... great fun ..its a piece of bamboo with a split in it that makes a clapping sound .. some people can play them really well ...cheap , fun , and dont last long ....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 22:02:55

Morante

Posts: 2179
Joined: Nov. 21 2010

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to El Kiko)

quote:

but the air in Jerez has salt in it that is not good for sherry making as its only about 15 km from the coast .

Wow! What a classic piece of misinformation

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 22:13:40

minorthang

Posts: 222
Joined: Dec. 25 2014

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

great work amigo - marriage has been cool for me about two years now , went to kashmir for the honey moon, its been cool -- reckless abandon but still let it rip--jerez will be great careful of the cheapo vino- Granada is brilliant the time i went always great flamencos every night again congrats

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2016 23:50:13

koenie17

Posts: 438
Joined: Feb. 25 2011
From: España

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

Congrats Lenny,

Honeymoon at the festival de bulerías HELL YEAH :)
Hotels and private apartments will be a bit more expensive during the festival.
Maybe you could get a good price for a nice apartment in Cadiz or surroundings(Morante??)
If you book a online you can rent a very decent car on Málaga Airport(Goldcar) for less than €5,- a day. Its very important that you make a reservation online!!! If not it will cost a lot more.
The weather can be either way that time of year, this year we had quite a bit of rain. If you want to relax some at the beach Canary Islands is going to be nice temparature all year round and should not to be to expensive to get a flight from Malaga airport.

Keep us informed and if you need any info or help of some kind let me know

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 0:02:20

El Kiko

Posts: 2697
Joined: Jun. 7 2010
From: The South Ireland

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Morante)

quote:

Wow! What a classic piece of misinformation

seaside areas have never been good for grapes ...but I assume you will enlighten the folk from Montilla as to why their Mosto is regularly sent to Jerez......

/...
...
..
go.....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 0:45:36

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

Gracias hombres!!
I forgot about menorca and the canaries! For the time of the year I may have to just give up on beach time, Sevilla would be great, or maybe I just stay in Jerez for the whole festival, why not?!? I appreciate the input so far, definitely a help. I don't want to drive in Spain so likely I'll just pay to be in city center.
Anyone have plans to be there?

Kiko grapes is like people, they're all different, we purposely grow Pinot noir near the coast out here. Lol I know NOTHING about misto though.....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 6:23:06

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to El Kiko)

@El Kiko

quote:

Jerez is pretty much at sea level- ish and not up a mountain or hill at all ...

You mean you didn't hear about that earthquake last year that sent Jerez up a hilltop ?lol. I meant Granada Capital, not Jerez. All I was saying is that I highly recommend Granada, but at that time of the year it's colder up there than in the cities in the "plain".

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 7:55:24

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

I assume you are talking about the Flamenco Festival and not the Feria del Caballo de Jerez. In which case, a couple of things, based on my visits some years ago.

You buy tickets for the main performances in the Teatro Villamarta in advance from the ticket office, on the same day I believe.

There is usually an nominated peña every night, open to guests for free. Well worth it. Arrive late for the action and bring your guitar. Even if you don't have the nerve to play it, someone will. Expect everyone to ignore a solo guitarist. Cante is what gets the attention, so you might have a chance to accompany a local.

Check out Bar Arco de Santiago, which has been patronised by Moraíto Chico and Diego Carrasco amongst others.

You'll find churros and hot chocolate to warm you up on the streets as it gets chilly, so wrap up.

There should be at least one concert in the sherry bodega of González Byass and well worth a visit, a taste of fino and quality artists. Very romantic.

You will get to hear some really good flamenco during this time in Jerez, whilst is not easily found in Granada so don't expect too much there on that front.

However as an ex-resident of Granada province, it is a lovely city, nestled under the Sierra Nevada with splendid squares and avenues that can be easily explored on foot before ascending El Albayzín. Hang out in Plaza Nueva then walk along río Darro. I have heard good things about flamenco in Le Chien Andalou on Carrera del Darro. Reasonable prices and you don't have to climb the Sacromonte. Expect performances to be pot luck.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 11:56:15

El Kiko

Posts: 2697
Joined: Jun. 7 2010
From: The South Ireland

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Piwin)

Yeah Granada is up a mountain, and gets snow .. and has a coast , you can at certain times of the year ski, swim and sunbathing all within the province of Granada
Over in Cordoba there is the old palace place of Medina Azahara that was built for a princess that came from Granada and the whole land around it was planted with with flowers so that in the spring it would remind her if the Sierra Nevada..
Can't remember the whole story , I look it up sometimes

.
.hey that's a good idea for Lenny...
Build her a palace with white flowers etc....it worked before.....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 12:03:46

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to El Kiko)

So...does anyone know how to play an alborea?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 13:32:50

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

Ahhh great info Simon thanks!!

quote:

alborea?

I was actually thinking of having one of the singers out here sing one for the ceremony. I dunno, we see.....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 14:57:27

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

I was actually thinking of having one of the singers out here sing one for the ceremony.

Olé!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 15:01:10

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

There is usually an nominated peña every night, open to guests for free. Well worth it. Arrive late for the action and bring your guitar. Even if you don't have the nerve to play it, someone will. Expect everyone to ignore a solo guitarist. Cante is what gets the attention, so you might have a chance to accompany a local.

Absolutely gunna do this but I think I'm gunna stick to the story that "I don't play anything, I'm just a big flamenco fan."

The idea of having my guitar snatched from my hands cus I missed the cambio sounds humiliating lolol because I absolutely will miss the cambio.....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 16:27:48

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Piwin)

Lenny hombre, enhorabuena!

quote:

So...does anyone know how to play an alborea?

These guys (but it's Granada so they have to do the statutory tangos first. It's at 3:45)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2016 17:42:39

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

Lenny hombre, enhorabuena!

Gracias Esteven!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 23 2016 0:43:44

Nito

Posts: 77
Joined: Sep. 3 2015

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

Enhorabuena Leñador!!

Avoid Jerez until September. 'Fiesta de la Buleria' is perfect. Granada, Sevilla,etc...are beautiful but don't forget Cadiz city (closed to Jerez)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 23 2016 9:06:36

Johnc

Posts: 114
Joined: Apr. 16 2011
From: UK

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

congratulations!
we went this year, we enjoyed so much, we're going back next year.
the hotels hike their prices substantially! we had an original quote from villa jerez of over £700 for 3 nights (way,way, way too much) however we waited until a couple of weeks before the festival and managed to book the same hotel/room for £180 - i guess it depends on if you want to take the chance and wait for last minute
the hotel was really nice and a 10-15 min walk to the center, and a quick cab back after lots of fino/tapas
we saw a couple of great shows at the gonzalez byass bodega (antonio reyes/diego del morao), highly recommended.
with lots of drinks and flamenco in several local bars, everyone seemed to be having a great time

I believe diego del morao, was giving very reasonably priced private lessons during the festival too.

I'm sure you will have a great time

John

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 23 2016 12:24:16

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: Festival de Jerez, hotels etc.... (in reply to Leñador)

Thanks Nito! Unfortunately just booked the priest and the mission yesterday so I'm kinda "married" to February.

Great info Johnc! That does feel a bit risky.....I think I've found a deal that's not completely insane...now I just need to decide if I stay the whole time or see somewhere else in the middle...

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 23 2016 13:47:35