It is more than 10 years since Joe Strummer left us. This artist, famous for his punk period with the well-known The Clash, was in love with spanish poet Lorca, Granada and Almeria coast, where he spent lost of time during his lasts years.
This is something which can be surprising for lots of people, but not for the ones who really knows him drinking rhum and coke at the famous Silbar – at calle Pedro Antonio de Alarcón in Granada- or for those ones that digg into his discography.

Another documentary about his stay in Spain is “I Need a Dodge ! ” by British director Nick Hall, that inquires about the location of the car he loved and he left forgotten in a garage in Madrid . By buying this Dodge, he wanted to go to Víznar, a population at 8 kilometers from Granada where Federico García Lorca was shot to death , with the crazy idea to buy a shovel at a hardware store, locate his grave and dig it up .

The fact is that Joe had great interest in the Spanish Civil War and Federico García Lorca. Thereby he wrote “Spanish Bombs” in his honor, one of the most emblematic The Clash’s songs . In 1984 he settled in Granada and spent long periods of time searching for himself and looking for disconnection in southern Spain’s land. Ten years after his death, the city he loved gave its name to a small square in the heart of Realejo, the old Jewish city’s quarter.

Joe Strummer Square

Due to the popular demand from fans on Facebook asking for Joe to be a part of the city, the City Council of Granada has ended up dedicating him a small space close to the Alhambra. In addition to his first wife, Gaby Slater, and his widow, Lucina Garland,an emotional concert in acoustic remembered the influential figure of the leader of The Clash. The features some Jose Antinio Garcia and Antonio Arias of 091 to which Joe godfather for “Más de 100 Lobos”, Paul Cook of The Mescaleros, Jem Finer of The Pogues or Richard Dudanski of the 101 ‘ers have done a review on some of the artist’s repertoire, without forgetting classics such as “Spanish Bombs” or “London Calling.

Las Gabias – Granada

 In this village a few kilometers from the city of Granada, Joe Strummer was hosted at Gaby Contreras’s home, a radiologist nicknamed ‘the mad doctor’ by Joe and who was also close friend to Sid Vicious.

During his long stay in southern Spain, Joe Strummer settled for a time in the small picturesque village of San José, in the Natural Park Cabo de Gata-Nijar. Bought a house to spend the summer and enjoy Mónsul and Genoese beaches. He spent the nights at Jo’s bar, the Red Fish that is now the Pez Azul – and . Fan of cantaor el Niño de Olivares, Strummer went regularly to Fernan Perez’s flamenco club to attend his performances.

In summer and coinciding with Joe’s birthday on August 21 they continue to schedule concerts in his memory at Jo’s bar in San José by Richard Dudanski’s band Doghouse -former The 101′ers’s drummer and whom Joe Strummer made his first foray into the world of music.

Tabernas Desert is located about 30 kilometers from Almeria, in a desert area with a low rate of rainfall that becomes one of the driest in Europe. Although it has a tourist charm for having been the scene of the shooting of many spaghetti westerns like Death was priced or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and many others

Here the film Straight to Hell Alex Cox was filmed in 1987, starring Joe Strummer and the cameos by Dennis Hopper, Courtney Love, Grace Jones, Elvis Costello, Jim Jarmusch and members of bands Amazulu, The Circle Jerks and The Pogues. The Irish Pogues’s travel to Almeria inspired them in one of their most famous “Fiesta”. Straight to Hell is a parody of spaghetti westerns that was written in two or three days and was shot in four weeks.

I am Francisco Vasquez Garcia
I am welcome to Almeria
We have sin gas and con leche
We have fiesta and feria

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Oran is still off the beaten tourist track, which makes it all the more appealing when it comes to planning a trip which avoids scheduled routines and well-worn tourist prototypes. During the French colonial period it was the capital of the Oran Department, and it is currently an important port city and commercial hub and boasts one of the leading universities in North Africa. Sunni Islam is the official State religion, although there are Christian and Jewish minority communities. A visa is required when travelling there.

The Spain Brand in Oran

The capital of western Algeria, Oran occupies a privileged, strategic location in the Mediterranean basin. It is regarded by Spaniards as the most Spanish city in Africa, given the wealth of Spanish vestiges still present right across the region. Indeed, traces of Spain linger in local culture, language and gastronomy. The Oranians eat cocas, a sausage similar to Spanish sobrasada, and claim to have invented the paella, a word derived from the Arabic baiya, consisting of rice and seafood. The city also sports a bullring – now in disuse – which was inaugurated in 1954.

In geographical terms, Oran is the point in Algeria closest to the Iberian peninsula and indeed, on a clear day, the city of Almería can be seen from Oran, or vice versa. Its privileged position has enabled it to build up all manner of land and maritime connections. Its bay opens to the north-east, while the western flank is dominated by the steep Aïdour mountain. The city lies sheltered between the old colonial city and the new developments, which lend it a more modern air. Not to be missed is a stroll down the seafront promenade with its delightful panoramic view of the harbour and the old city. From here you can walk to the interesting Pacha Mosque.

You should not pass over the occasion to visit the famous Santa Cruz Fort. Built atop a mountain adjacent to the city, where it has served as a faithful lookout for over four centuries, this is undoubtedly the masterpiece of Spanish military architecture in the city, and also houses the well-worth-seeing Chapel of the Virgin.

The Place de la Perle (or Plaza de Armas), once the centre of Oran, while the city was under Spanish rule, is another of the prime sightseeing spots. Together with the Spanish Gate, the Casbah, the Porte de Santon, the St Philip Garrison and the Tambour de San José, it is one of the best preserved places from that period, from the 16th to the 18th century. Most striking is this latter monument, due to its important role in the Spanish history of Oran. Radiating from there was a network of underground galleries which ran underneath the old citadel and connected the Qasr el-Bey (Bey Castle) to the Santa Cruz Fort.

Historical District

The old town features an alcazaba (citadel), a fortified urban enclosure built to house the governor’s residence, to defend a specific area and its surroundings and to garrison troops, making up a small military precinct. The cluster of buildings forming this citadel includes an 18th-century mosque.

The district of Sidi El Houari, the patron saint of the city, is the oldest in Oran. There are guided tours of the walls and tunnels dating from the Spanish period, the Spanish Gate, the Madrid Ramp, la Blanca, la Escalera, the Casbah, etc. In this historical district you can also see the old Saint-Louis school, and the Pacha Mosque, built during the 17th century. Before leaving Oran, make sure you visit the marabout or Moorish shrine of the city’s patron saint, Sidi El Houari and make a wish, as tradition dictates.

This district also houses some of the city’s most important museums. The Ahmed Zabana Museum, formerly known as the Demaeght Museum, has archaeological, ethnological and natural history collections from the Maghreb on display, as well as an exhibition area devoted to Oran. In the archaeology section, the Carthaginian and Roman collections take pride of place. The buildings date from 1933, while in 1986 the museum was taken over by the Ministry of Culture and renamed. It comprises seven sections focusing on Oran and its surrounding region – fine art, the Moudjahid, numismatics, pre-history, old Oran, ethnography and natural history. Another prominent museum is the Moudjahid, located in the USTO district, which is dedicated as a memorial to the struggle for independence during the Algerian War.

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Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by Algerian Embassy

Gijon Sound is a musical movement that arose in Asturias during the early 1990s to become one of the most popular scenes in Spanish indie music. While Los Planetas were starting to define the musical movement in Granada that would go on to counter another musical scene created in Madrid during the 1980s by the name of the ‘Movida Madrileña’, La Buena Vida was doing the same in San Sebastian and El Niño Gusano in Zaragoza – decentralising the focus placed by Spanish music on the capital city that had so greatly featured in the ‘Movida Madrileña’.

Many of you will remember the most iconic band of this sound, Australian Blonde, whose hit song Chup Chup was used for the film ‘Las historias del Kronen’ by Montxo Armendáriz and was even heard on the radio shows of Los 40 Principales. However, you may be surprised to learn that other bands of equal importance coincided in time and space with Australian Blonde, such as Penelope Trip, Manta Ray and Nosoträsh. Penelope Trip provided the space for many of the bands from the movement to rehearse and Nacho Vegas from Manta Ray used to provide drinks at La Plaza – a bar that became the temple where all indie musicians from Asturias would gather. Many of the musicians from the Gijon Sound movement studied at Oviedo University and spent a great deal of time on the Milan Campus, whose cafeteria often served as a meeting place for the bands of the 1990s. Besides the bands mentioned above, other Asturian bands like Doctor Explosión should also be recognised as, although they were not fully involved in the indie sound of the Gijon Sound, they were in the right place at the right time. Also worthy of special mention are the bands created by the girlfriends of the members of bands in the Gijon Sound movement, such as Undershakers or Nosoträsh.

Other lesser-known bands could include Screamin’ Pijas, Las Buges or Babylon Chat, one of whose tracks is included in our Podcast, or the noisy Eiminator Jr., a band who took their name from a track by Sonic Youth on their Daydream Nation album and whose sound is closer to noise pop than that of the Gijon Sound.

This brief journey through the Asturian sound would not be complete without mention of Paco Loco, the producer for most of the Gijon Sound bands, who has become perhaps the most reputable producer of Spanish indie music, the Astro music label and the Gijon International Film Festival, one of the benchmark film festivals in Spain and very closely associated with this movement. The film festival regularly includes courses, discussions, meetings with directors and daily concerts or live music parties. (www.gijonfilmfestival.com)

We now offer you a brief tour of the bars around Gijon where the Gijon Sound movement was most present, some of which still conserve the same musical spirit today. We also offer a podcast including some typical Gijon Sound tracks for you to listen to while you visit the bars we recommend here.

The small, cramped but charming bars and good music of Cimadevilla are an essential requirement for experiencing the nightlife in Asturias. Let us begin in the Plaza de la Corrada, more specifically at the La Plaza bar, spiritual home of the Gijon Sound. Very close to La Plaza, you will find Soho, which plays great Spanish music until four in the morning and then British music until the sun rises. Soho has a well-kept secret: a small upper floor accessed by climbing some steps that is easily among the best in the Gijon nightlife. We cannot fail to mention the most legendary bar in the city: Escocia. This bar has become a refuge for those of us in our early forties and still maintains the spirit of the Gijon Sound. El Patio de la Favorita is another trendy bar, with great music and a live DJ every night. On the way, between the Plaza de El Marqués and El Patio, and as long as you like a good gin & tonic, Lola Gin is a great place for you to enjoy a G&T with cucumber, lemon or lime.

1. La Plaza, Travesía de la Corrada con la de Atocha, Gijon
2. Soho, Calle de las Cruces, 33201 Gijon
3. Escocia, 7 Calle de Santa Lucía, 33206 Gijon
4. El Patio de la Favorita, 4 Calle Ezcurdia, 33203 Gijon
5. Lola Rojo Gin, 5 Calle de San Antonio, 33201 Gijon

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Turin has two football teams – Torino FC, and the more famous Juventus FC. Most Turinese are Torino FC fans, despite the fact that Juventus is far better known around the world. Witnessing either of them playing a home match is quite an experience. But, let’s focus on the latter, as it has now regained its place among the finest teams and because it’s playing style is dazzling.

The Juve or Vecchia Signora – “Old Lady”, as it is known among the Turinese, shuns the customary dictates of the catenaccio – the typically Italian, ironclad defensive system – instead engaging in a more flashy, attacking play more in keeping with Dutch or English football teams.

The 80s – Italy Sparkles; Turin Sets the Play

Juventus lived out its golden age in the nineteen eighties, when its lineup featured such figures as Michel Platini, who was awarded three Ballon d’Or in a row and captained his French national team to its first European title win in the 1984 European Cup. But, Platini was not the only major figure in that prodigious team. Also playing in that squadra were the likes of Stefano Tacconi, Cesare Prandelli, Zbigniew Boniek, Massimo Bonini, Gaetano Scirea, Sergio Brio and Antonio Cabrini. And, that in itself was nothing! Indeed, that squad of soccer wizards achieved what no other team had managed before – they won all possible international titles in a single year. In the 1985–1986 season, they lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup (against Oporto), the UEFA Super Cup (against Liverpool), the UEFA Champions League – then known as the European Cup – (also against Liverpool) and the Intercontinental Cup (against Argentinos Juniors), a feat that has only since been equalled by the Guardiola-era FC Barcelona. Italian football was then at the pinnacle, way ahead of the rest. On a national level, its team had won the World Cup at Spain ‘82 while, on a club level, with Juventus and, later, AC Milan, the Calcio’s hegemony of Europe lasted until well into the following decade. In those days of slick football, Italy was on the lips of everyone. The boot-shaped country became the favourite European holiday destination; its fashion, led by such brands as Versace, began to set global trends, while even its music, in the form of Italo-disco, crowded out the first positions on continental hit parades.

Tears, and Some Joy

The distinction of being the club that has lost most Champions League finals earns it a special place in our heart. While the eighties saw it rolling in celebrations and titles, the nineties were more of a torment. It wasn’t until eleven years later that the Bianconeri managed to win Europe’s major football competition, and that was after a penalty shoot-out against Ajax; but, it was all misery thereafter. They lost three finals in the space of seven years – against Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and AC Milan – while their supremacy in Europe fizzled out. That is, until this season, when they are again peerless Italian league leaders – they are more than ten points clear of the second placed team – and have once again classified for a Champions League semi-final, something they hadn’t achieved since 2003. What is this success down to? A combination of veterans –Buffon, Tévez, Pirlo– and new talent –Morata, Fereyra, Pogba. But, part of the reason lies with their coach, Massimiliano Allegri, who in his first season has set a seal of versatility on a team capable of attacking and defending at will.

The City of “Le Zebre”

Turin is a city that effectively revolves around its most international football team. The Calcio is still the favourite topic of conversation at any of its markets, cafés and restaurants. But, where you breathe the purest footballing atmosphere is of course at the Juventus Stadium. Located at 50 Corso Gaetano Scirea, this spectacular colosseum designed by the architect, Gino Zavanella, was unveiled in 2011 to replace the historical Stadio delle Alpi.

The stadium houses the J Museum, one of the most important soccer museums in the world. It was inaugurated on 16 May 2012 and comprises several rooms exhibiting trophies awarded to the club, as well as jerseys worn by the leading footballers in Juve’s history, and interactive areas full of historical photos of the Turinese club.

The area surrounding the stadium is traversed by a Walk of Fame featuring the names of the fifty most famous players inBianconerohistory, as elected by Juventus fans via the club’s website. Among the most illustrious names we find historical figures of world football such as Roberto Baggio, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, David Trezeguet, Alessio Tacchinardi, Dino Zoff, Alessando Del Piero and Pavel Nedvěd.

Come and discover one of the cities with the greatest footballing spirit on the planet. Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Juventus FC, forzaq8