Ten reasons to go to Alcalá de los Gazules

Diez Razones (Ten Reasons), a TV show made by Canal Sur, spotlights a different locality in Andalucia each week, and last night it was about Alcalá de los Gazules.  You can watch it online here.

Their ten reasons are:

EL MUSEO VIVIENTE - the "living museum" run by the Adult Education Centre.  A bit misleading this, as it's only open one week of the year! 

LOS MALETILLAS - tributes to famous bullfighters from Alcala.  A rare chance to see inside the town's old bullring, the outside of which was converted into flats years ago.

EL GAZPACHO CALIENTE - hot and thick, the traditional way to eat gazpacho in the winter.

LOS EXVOTOS - the enchanting and poignant drawings and paintings offered in thanks to Our Lady, lining the walls of the Sanctuary chapel.

LOS ARTISTAS INGLESES - the two English artists shown here are musician Matt Coman, who runs the annual classical music festival, and painter Andy Russell who gives art lessons to locals and visitors alike.

EL QUESO DE CABRA - our fabulous handmade goats' cheese, produced at La Queseria Gazul.

LOS ROMANCES - an oral tradition of songs and stories passed down through the generations, dating back to medieval times.

ALEJANDRO SANZ - well, as his uncle Paco Pizarro points out, the world-famous pop star never actually lived here, but he used to come for the school holodays!

LA VIRGEN DE LOS SANTOS - another trip to the Sanctuary, this time to see the beautiful embroidery on Our Lady's mantle and the chupa (dummy) used by Baby Jesus.

EL CORCHO - cork of course!  Alcalá is at the heart of one of Europe´s biggest cork oak forests.

Possible contenders for Part 2: la Parroquia de San Jorge with its wonderful old relics and statues, the view from our terrace, the resident colony of lesser kestrels, and La Sacristia - a tiny bar built into the side of a church.