Tourist Information Cock-Up

A few weeks ago, some readers may recall, I posted about my eternal search for the Benalmadense cultural guide for the first three months of the year, in an article entitled "Where's the Culture in Benalmádena". I did eventually obtain one. Well, despite posting a link to the town hall's website it appears no lessons have been learned.

Today is the tenth day of the three month period which should be covered by the latest guide. But you are not going to believe it: they have not yet even been printed. Nor does anybody know when they will be printed, let alone distributed. The Oficina de la cultura were not exactly helpful: officious and unfriendly. They have one - yes ONE - sheet with this week’s events printed upon it. Yet again, this has not been distributed to the tourist information points. Once again, copies are not available to tourists nor locals. Has no-one heard of photocopiers? It is an absolute shambles and the Consejería de turismo (I could not find an email or web-page specifically relating to the tourism department - if you do, let me know!) should be ashamed of his/her department’s failure to get their act together.

[Image description: close-up exterior shot of the referenced tourist information office, bearing a sign which reads, "PUNTO DE INFORMACION TURISTICA"(sic)]

To make matters worse, the little tourist information office (constructed in the style of the Castillo Bil-Bil, and situated on the eponymous beach), which I frequent, has had its opening-hours cut. In the period running into high season, surely someone needs their bumps feeling! Yes indeed, if I wish to walk a further three kilometres, I can reach another office with longer hours. Well, thank you so much for being unhelpful! Tourists, I am certain, love to wander in a vain search for information!

Benalmádena is my second home, I winter here for my health and I have been visiting for thirteen years. If tourists cannot readily obtain information, they will form a poor impression of a place I have always found to be friendly and helpful. I worry that failures like this can so easily and so quickly irredeemably effect the municipality’s reputation, especially when there are so many other choices available to the modern traveller.

One wonders whether the politico in charge is some kind of fifth columnist determined to undermine the municipio's good name or simply just not up to the job?

[Image description: wide shot of tourist information office]

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Accordion Delight - Un Placer del Tocar del Acordeón

Those Benalmadenses who sat at home missed a true treat yesterday evening at the Castillo Bil-Bil. And what’s more the pleasure was gratis. Mind, it was a full-house, so they would not have gained entry anyhow! That elusive cultural guide that readers may recall I had to go hunting for, simply states “Dúo Piano Y Acordeones” with no details as to who the instrumentalists were to be. I dithered about going, thinking that piano with accordion did not sound that compelling. However, at ten past eight, I thought what the heck, one ought to try everything at least once; and so made a dash for the venue, which is just round the corner from my current residence.

At quarter past eight there were only scattered odd seats available. I spotted one at the end of a row near the back and settled down to read the programme. It transpired we were to be regaled by Juan Solorzano, a renowned accordionist, especially in France, and by Marcos Bello, a resident of the Costa del Sol and an habitué guest at top private functions as well as a performer in many of the tourist destination’s top hotels.

[Image description: Marcos Bello introducing the programme]

[Image description: Juan Solorzano with his accordion]

The programme of music was split into two parts with a ten minute interval to move the first-half’s grand-piano and set up for the accordion duets. Compared to the last pianist I went to see at the Castillo, Marcos played all six of his selections from memory; so the odd note awry is totally forgivable in my opinion. For me his most accomplished performance was Ludovico Einaudi’s I giorni which had me horripilating; though Marcos’ Tiersen piece, Comptine d’un autre été ran a close second.

Two folk left just before the end of the first half. I am sure if they hear about the second half they will now be kicking themselves. It was just fabulous. Traditional pieces from France, Argentina and of course Spain presented us with tangos (including "El tango de los tangos"), a paso doble and folk tunes. I have heard accordion previously; but I had never heard let alone seen a duet. Yes the odd note went the wrong way - winced at by my hypercritical neighbour (who decided to make a telephone call at one point during the playing!).

[Image description: the accordion play-off with fingers moving so fast they are blurred]

As soon as the last note was played of Anita there was an outpouring of cheering, clapping and nigh on every last soul rose almost as one to give the chaps a long and well-deserved standing-ovation. I was in there with my British bravos. Then the rhythmic clapping started and very vocal calls of something like “¡Orden!”, which was definitely the Spanish version of “Encore!” I had never experienced that before at any of the many concerts I have been to in Spain over the last dozen years or so.

The guys eventually came back out and did a piece of which I do not know the name, but which I recognised instantly, and I joined in the humming, etc. along with many of the audience. To leave a concert with a smile is common for me; but to actually be beaming during the concert, now that is a rarity. The music may not have been note-perfect; but the passion and love and joie de vivre shared through the music is a far more important gift to the folk who took part in the whole musical experience.

If this concert had been a CD, it would have been a definite buy-it-now. %D

Where’s the Culture in Benalmádena?

Since finally succeeding in tracking down a guide to cultural events for the first three months of 2015 in Benalmádena, I had been looking forward to Bach’s Goldberg Variations being interpreted on piano via José Luis de Miguel Ubago.

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One would have thought that Benalmádena being a tourist town that the tourist information office would be the place to go to obtain the aforesaid brochure. In previous years this had been my source of such information. But you would be very wrong. The second week I was here - in January, recall - I paid a visit only to be informed that there would be no more information guides until April and those - rather obviously - for the following quarter. Not to be stymied, I thought I would try the Castillo Bil-Bil, the venue for many recitals and gallery showings. There was one on the attendant’s desk; but it being their last one I did not wish to take it.  Next I visited the Casa de la Cultura (“House of Culture”) in the centre of Arroyo de la Miel (which co-incidentally perhaps, also contains the chambers of the town’s mayor). Piles of the brochures were liberally placed on the table set aside for information on tourist attractions.

[Image description: poster displaying the council's coat of arms]

I approached the desk and asked to purchase a ticket for the piano concert. I was informed that I would have to return the Monday prior to the concert, i.e. 16th February. Naturally I did so, this time to be apprised that entrances could be purchased solely two hours before the performance. Apparently the event had nothing to do with the town hall, who had merely rented out the castillo to the event’s organisers. In that case I have to ask why the event appeared in the official brochure of cultural events and why the programme and posters are emblazoned with “Ayuntamiento [Town Hall] de Benalmádena: Delegación de Cultura”. Seemingly someone at the town hall wanted the credit for the event, but none of the responsibility.

In the week after obtaining my hen’s-tooth guide, I revisited the tourist information office to let them know that there were plenty of brochures available in the commercial town centre. The officer was somewhat irked for, as she pointed out, in the space set aside for cultural events, there was not even a poster, a flier, nor a list.

Given that tourism is a very major part of the economy of Benalmádena, it is incomprehensible to me to understand the lackadaisical attitude towards apprising tourists of actually what is going on in the municipality and making it as simple and as easy as possible to attend events. This latter situation had been my experience in previous years: so why the deterioration?

Goodness knows what impression any tourists may have taken back to their respective countries and what messages they may disseminate.

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José Luis de Miguel Ubago has won many prizes and studied with many fine pianists. He is now a professor of piano in Granada. I was expecting great music. I was to be sorely disappointed. I suspect the pianist misinterpreted the Goldberg Variations as the Cold Berg or Iceberg Variations. Music played competently enough, but with no passion; hardly a flicker of emotion expressed itself in the mien of José Luis. Occasionally the tiniest crack of a smile (assuming it was not wind); but for the most part the player looked as if he were sucking a giant gobstopper. He thrashed at the keyboard, apparently having no lightness of touch - and yes, I could see his playing reflected in the lid of the piano. At one point I stood up to see whether he was actually using the pedals - and he was! Perhaps the instrument itself was a tad out of tune, for the music emitted was harsh on the ears - some of the sharps far so; some of the flats likewise!

[Image description: the phlegmatic pianist]

After thirty minutes of intense patience the audience spontaneously broke out into mass fidgeting. By this time, on the row in front of me: one man had dropped off to sleep; an unconnected lady played with her smartphone; and another woman at the far end of the row decided that the contents of her handbag were far more entertaining. After fifty minutes two folk left and another two five minutes later. When José Luis decided to do one of the variations as his encore, I myself made a dash for the exit. What was so surprising were the folk who stood to applaud the chap: they really must be desperate for any culture to put up with and appreciate such perfunctory offerings. Interestingly only one person uttered “Bravo” and sotto voce it should be noted. There was no heart-felt cheering.

If the concert had been a compact-disc, I should not have purchased it.

[Image description: the piano in situ]

Anglo-Swedish-German Entente Cordiale

A couple of evenings ago I was viewing "Inspector Barnaby", the German-language version of "Midsommer Murders". Last night I watched "Potiche" (Trophy Wife) with the stunning Catherine Deneuve and comedic Gérard Depardieu in French.

Yesterday afternoon I had a really interesting conversation in German and English on the merits of sport and travel as means of progressing mutual understanding between different nations and indeed regions within individual countries. My German-Swedish neighbours are returning home tomorrow. I shall miss our conversations across our respective balconies. Mind I did once meet them in the flesh as it were. On Sunday gone, we, along with much of the local and tourist population, were taking a long and leisurely stroll along the esplanade, the paseo marítimo, in the glorious sunshine and comparative warmth, when my companion and I encountered them not far from bar Maracas and near the castillo Bil-Bil. So close-up our neighbours were just as affable. How odd though to conduct conversations in four languages - English, Spanish, Swedish and German. And that was just the four of us! 

Virtually everyone one meets in Spain, or for that matter anywhere in Continental Europe, is a polyglot. It re-inforces how useful languages are and the ignominy that, as a nation, we Brits on the whole fail to live up to the mark of our European counterparts.

[Image description: Rosetta Stone courtesy Wikipedia]

Learning languages, like playing sport and travelling, helps to break down barriers, in that one comes to appreciate other cultures, other literatures, other politics and other ways of thinking and behaving. Communication is good for business and economies; it is good from a socio-cultural perspective; it is also good for peace.