Fiesta de Navidad 2011 (cerca de Los Reyes)
Once again we had a wonderful Christmas celebration evening on January 5th with various members of the committee and other members helping out with food, a raffle and an excellent, if challenging, quiz.
Stars of the evening were the tango dancing group who made us all feel very inadequate, An excellent display of great skill.
We all were greatful for the help and organisation given by so many members.
FLAMENCO CARMEN on film
Our first evening of the new season, on September 1st, was a viewing of the Flamenco Ballet version of Carmen. The juxtaposition of Bizet's music with the Flamenco performers was a little strange for those of us who know the opera well but the dancing and guitar rhythms were outstanding and much of the story was well told in cante and toque. The photography too was very good.
Thirty to forty members and visitors enjoyed the film as well as some delicious tapas served in a short break at about half time. Everyone present learned more about the very great skill, energy and poise required to dance flamenco at professional standard. Once again we all had a very enjoyable and uplifting evening.
Sangria Party
Members and their guests greatly enjoyed a Spanish evening at the Eldon Arms in Southsea in July 2011, with sangria, paella, tortilla and salad.
The event was, as in previous years, organised by Paul Harman, a long serving member of the Committee. After many years of supporting the Society Paul has retired from the Committee and to recognise his contribution, he was presented with an inscribed tankard by the Society President, Prof. Patrick Williams.
AGM 2011
Following a stunning presentation on two Spanish artists by our President Professor Patrick Williams our AGM consisted of reports from the President and the outgoing Treasurer Beryl Adams. Presentations were made to Beryl thanking her for her long and devoted service as treasurer.
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¡Cuchipanda Anual!
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On Thursday 12 May members of the Society and their guests once again enjoyed good company and good (authentic Spanish) food at El Castizo in Chichester for the Annual Dinner of the Society. The most agreeable ambiente of the evening shows how the Society is more than just a venue to listen to a monthly talk and that socially it is certainly greater than the sum of its parts. |
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Our President, Professor Patrick Williams spoke of the success of the past year and of his optimism for the future health and vitality of the Society. |
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Every year we leave El Castizo with the worry that James and Diana, the dueños of El Castizo will be moving off to Spain, but they have assured us that "it will not be just yet". ¡Esperamos que no! |
Party Time! 2011
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It should of course have been the Christmas party of 2010, but snow and ice, lots of both, in early December had put paid to that. So the whole programme was moved lock, stock and tortilla to 6 January 2011. Nothing wrong with that for a Hispanic Society: in Spain, the big days of Christmas and New Year definitely include this very date, which they call the Día de los Reyes Magos (Day of the Three Wise Men). |
The rest of the evening? A fiendish photo-based quiz on Spanish places, personalities and recent talks from the Society programme. A raffle benefiting Society funds, with very attractive take-home prizes. A slap-up supper contributed by members and enjoyed by absolutely everyone. Music (Spanish, of course) from the ghetto blaster and simply the enjoyment of friends being altogether.
Madrid Visit May 2010
A dozen members of the Society spent a few days in Madrid in May 2010 to enjoy the Fiesta de San Isidro, Madrid's patron saint.
Maureen Thomas has offered the contents of a letter that she sent to friends telling them about the trip - from a non-Spanish speaking wife's perspective!
Phew!!! We arrived home safely after a great and sightseeing packed holiday in Madrid (thankfully with no delays due to the volcanic ash). It was a lovely, bustling, vibrant old city, full of interesting buildings, and travelling with 11 Spanish speakers was very comforting for me.
The weekend heralded the Festival of San Isidro where the whole city celebrates and parties the time away. The main thoroughfare - Gran Via - a bit like London's Oxford Street, was celebrating its 100th Anniversary and is cleared of traffic, and they lay a blue carpet from one end to the other (don't quite know the significance of that!). At the various intersections they put up huge stages where a wonderful variety of music pours forth - opera, symphony orchestras, rock concerts and folk music and dancing. The festival quite takes over the city, and buses and the metro are simply heaving.
Mainly for me, the city is about the art museums, such a wonderful choice. Our first call was at the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, which houses Picasso's famous "Guernica" a very powerful and sombre work of art, which was at the New York MOMA for many years until they were reluctantly forced to return it to Spain.
Fortunately for me, and to my delight, at the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum there was a Monet Exhibition with many paintings that I hadn't seen before, plenty of wonderful waterlillies of course, plus a few paintings of London, soft and misty, reminiscent of Turner's work. Curiously the exhibition was entitled "Monet and Abstraction" and alongside Monet's work, were paintings by Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, all of whom were supposedly influenced by Monet's work - I didn't quite understand that connection though.
Finally, of the main art museums, was the world renowned Prado, with probably the greatest collection of Medieval and Renaissance paintings - Rubens, Goya, El Greco, Raphael, Caravaggio, just to mention a few. I thought this would be by least favourite museum, but you just can't help to be captivated by some of the paintings, I particularly loved the Valazquez ones - especially the huge portraits and the detail of the costumes, particularly the Kings and Queens, where the lace and embroideries were almost photographic, was quite astounding. What a delight it was to discover a room of Joaquin Sorolla paintings at the Prado Museum - we'd recently had a lecture, by our Chairman, Professor Patrick Williams, of the life and works of this Spanish impressionist painter. On seeing these beautiful paintings, we decided that a trip to the Museo Sorolla was "a must", but unfortunately left it too late. Ah, well, that will mean another trip to Madrid!
Mostly during the day time our group would go their own separate ways, then all meet up in the evenings to wine and dine, sometimes outdoors in the grand Plaza Mayor, or a special restaurant, but one evening we all went together to the theatre to a Zarzuela - light opera in Spanish of course, so I didn't understand much, but the music and singing were wonderful as were the costumes of the 17th century royal courts. I've attached one photograph from the opera house - the Spanish ladies in the audience, take their exquisitely beautiful embroidered and heavily fringed mantillas and lay them over the balconies - looks just lovely.
The main Park "Parque del Retiro" a great place to stroll and relax, to see the lovely buildings such as the Crystal Palace, and the beautiful lakes and statues - our hotel was well located with easy Metro or bus access to the museums, parks and shopping areas - so much to see and do - and simply not enough time.
We were also fortunate to be able to celebrate Bob Wheeler's birthday, and Mike English (our leader) chose a restaurant/cafe "La Mallorquina" situated on the Puerta del Sol where Bob's wife, Josie, had ordered a delicious birthday cake - the sort of place we probably wouldn't have found if we'd been travelling on our own.
The entire 5- day trip was just lovely - excellent company, all friends through the Portsmouth Hispanic Society and we feel that we would like to go back to Madrid another time, explore the city some more, perhaps even take trains to other cities, Toledo, Seville etc. After all, Madrid is only a two hour flight away.
Maureen Thomas
Party time!
Members and friends of the Portsmouth Hispanic Society celebrated Christmas 2009 in style early in December.
Up to 50 members, friends and performers turned the upper hall of the Fratton Community Centre into a little bit of Spain for a couple of hours, chatting, eating and drinking, watching some typical national dancing - and winning raffle prizes contributed by members to boost the fun.
Starting the evening off, a challenging quiz invited participants to look carefully at quality photographs, guessing the identities of Spanish celebrities and the location of beauty spots in Spain and Latin America.
Spanish flags and travel posters decorated the walls, beckoning all who came into the atmosphere of the evening.
Heart of the entertainment was the accomplished display by traditionally dressed dancers - Vivacha y sus bailaoras - who stamped and swayed and swished their skirts as though all of them were genuine Spanish women. None of them are, but it's a credit to their teacher that the illusion was so convincing. 
Accompanying and accomplished guitarist Barry transported the audience to a typical Spanish plaza mayor.
Members donated copious quantities of finger food, and it all disappeared in short order, washed down by Spanish wines.