Iberostar official blog where we can meet and decide our next travel destination
Header

Riding the waves with Elisa

julio 27th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View | THE WORLD OF IBEROSTAR - (0 Comments)

 

Riding the waves with Elisa

A dose of excitement is an essential ingredient for any memorable holiday, mixed with a few unforgettable experiences and a generous helping of lifelong memories. But if in addition to all that there’s enough to share with all our friends and family at exactly the same time as we’re savouring it, then doesn’t that make the whole experience even better and more intense?

What will Lucy and Shane think when they see Elisa riding the Caribbean waves on board a fun banana boat? Exactly. They’ll realise that they’re missing out on a holiday experience they most probably deserve more than anybody. We enjoy seeing others enjoy themselves; after all, we want only the best for ourselves and those we love. And that is what the campaign that reveals IBEROSTAR’s marvellous world of vacations is all about. A 2.0 experience in which our guests share their thoughts, sensations, joy and happiness with everyone.

And to make this possible, IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts has arranged for a professional production team to film guests while they have fun telling their family and friends all about their holidays. Once recorded, the video message will be sent to the recipients, while guests continue to have a fabulous time at some of the world’s finest resorts. But that’s not all: they will also have the chance to see via their webcams the recipients’ reactions when the messages arrive from our fabulous destinations.

More info at iberostarconnection.com

, , , , , , ,

‘Our Man in Havana’: A Most Unlikely Spy

febrero 21st, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

While the Caribbean may have provided a backdrop to the world’s most famous spy, it was also home to one of the most unlikely heroes in the world of fictional espionage. Written in 1958, only a few months before Fidel Castro seized power in the Cuban revolution, Graham Greene’s novel Our Man in Havana presents a damning picture of comical incompetence at the top levels of the British intelligence services.

An Unwilling Spy

Jim Wormwold may not match James Bond for his glamorous life as a secret agent, but Greene’s character makes the most of a difficult situation to become a big player in pre-revolutionary Havana. A modestly successful vacuum cleaner salesman, Wormwold is unwillingly recruited to keep an eye on activities in Cuba for the British government. At first unhappy to get involved, he soon sees the opportunity to provide for his demanding daughter the lifestyle she so craves. When he has nothing to report, he soon lets his imagination go wild and the resulting excitement he creates in London and Havana soon spins out of control.

Havana Bar

Like all good novels by Graham Greene, the main action takes place in a series of seedy bars and involves lead characters whose lives are often dominated by the need for their next drink. As the plot unravels we are taken through many of Havana’s well-known watering holes, including some of the same ones previously frequented by that other famous Havana drinker, Ernest Hemingway (like the Floridita pictured above, birthplace of the daiquiri).

It is remarkable that Greene wrote this story so close to the Cuban revolution. What is yet more surprising is that in 1959 he was given permission by the newly formed Castro regime to make the movie of the book. It was a time of chaos and with the regime not yet aligned with the Soviets, the film producers were given free rein to do as they pleased. As a result, Our Man in Havana remains one of the few outside productions shot freely in communist Cuba.

Cuba Today

Visit Cuba in 2012 and you’ll find plenty of references to Hemingway in the bars of its capital city. You are of course unlikely to find Wormwold’s vacuum cleaner shop, although if you do you might want to speak quietly as you pass by. After all, spies do come in the most unlikely of guises.

Photo | Wagner T. Cassimiro “Aranha”

, , , , , , ,

Passionate Brazilian Cooking with Penelope Cruz

febrero 13th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

not pictured on this menu: Brazilian waxes, $45

Spice Girl

Take one sexy chef (Penelope Cruz) with chronic motion sickness, add a mouthwatering array of delicious food and throw in a rocky transcontinental love story for good measure. The result is bound to turn heads and attract the attention of male and female audiences the world over. That was probably the plan behind the 2000 romantic comedy Woman on Top, in which Cruz plays Isabella, a woman from Salvador de Bahia who is struggling in an unhappy marriage.

Isabella’s illness means that she has to drive the family car, take the lead in dancing and be on top during sex. This is all too much for Toninho, her macho husband, who in an attempt to reassert his masculinity, has an affair with a neighbor. In despair, Isabella leaves Toninho and Salvador behind as she flees to the United States and her transsexual friend Monica in San Francisco. With Monica’s help Isabella is soon making a big splash in America and becomes the star of her own TV cookery show, Passion Food.

Passion Food

The show, or more accurately Isabella, is a massive hit and soon she is followed everywhere she goes as a major celebrity.  Back in Salvador meanwhile, Toninho’s restaurant is in rapid decline without Isabella in the kitchen, and in desperation he flies to San Francisco to woo her back. I won’t spoil the rest of the plot but if you’ve watched more than a couple of romantic comedies you’ll be able to guess the ending easily enough.

Brazilian Food

It is hardly surprising that the movie producers chose Salvador de Bahia as the home of Isabella and Toninho’s restaurant, given its reputation as the home of some of Brazil’s finest dishes. Wonder around the city and you’ll find plenty of excellent seafood, with moqueca, a seafood stew, being one of the most popular options. Traditional Salvador food has a distinctive African flavor, testament to the region’s strong historical roots and cultural influence.

Visit Salvador de Bahia and you probably won’t find Penelope Cruz emerging from the kitchen to serve up your dinner. Take the time to watch Woman on Top, however and you might just be tempted enough by Isabella’s cooking to head to a Brazilian food restaurant in Bahia and taste the local seafood for yourself!

Photo | Eric Molina

, , , , , , ,

Who Won “On the Set With Banderas”?

enero 20th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Mystery Guest - (1 Comments)

We know that inquiring (and anxious) minds want to know! Antonio Banderas has that effect when he’s onscreen – but we also happen to think that in this case it has a little something to do with another star – the gorgeous new Iberostar Cancun. We’ve heard you – you love it!

Before we get to the actual winner, here are the answers to our contest’s six questions:

Q: In Desperado, Banderas plays a tough guy with a guitarist past. Which Iberostar country is the character from?
A: Mexico (ay, chihuahua, kind of a no-brainer, eh?)

Q: Which European city was the backdrop for the film version of Evita, in which Banderas starred with Madonna?
A: Budapest (site of Iberostar’s newest property, the Grand Hotel Budapest, covered in our blog when it opened last summer)

Q: The lead characters of The Mambo Kings (one of which is of course played by our redoubtable Antonio) left this, their native country, to make it in the States. Which Iberostar destination is it?
A: Cuba (Ricky Ricardo, move over!)

Q: In his latest, the animated Puss in Boots, Banderas voices the fearless feline. Where’s this kool kitty from?
A: Spain (finally, Antonio’s home country – not to mention Iberostar’s!)

Q: Antonio and Angelina Jolie make an explosive pair in 2001′s high-octane Original Sin. Where’s this one shot (so to speak)?
A: Mexico (again – hey, what can we say, it’s an exciting place)

Q: Black Gold casts Banderas as an oil-fevered emir in Arabia. In which country (with ten Iberostar hotels) was it filmed?
A: Tunisia (no oil, but oh so lovely beaches and cool historic sites)

So, did you get ‘em all right? Seems like we’ve got a lot of Banderas and Iberostar experts out there, because almost half of you did. But unfortunately there could only be one winner, chosen by random drawing, of our all-expenses paid trip for two to the new Iberostar Cancun. A hearty congratulations to Robin Seeger! You could say this is one blockbuster of a prize, Robin, and we hope you’ll tell us all about your trip!

And the rest of you, don’t despair, guys. Stay tuned, because we’ve got a lot more cool contests coming up, starting next month…

, , , ,

Fly Away Beetle: A Homage to Capoeira

enero 9th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (1 Comments)

Rugendasroda

The exact origins of capoeira are uncertain, although most people recognize that it was created by the 16th century African slaves who were shipped across the Atlantic. The movements contain unmistakable native Brazilian influences. What noone can deny is that capoeira has been around for almost 500 years and is now as powerful a cultural symbol of Brazil as it ever has been.

Capoeira – the early years

Part dance, part martial art, a capoeira fighter is distinguished by his constant motion and rocking back and forth. The movements are designed to put a potentially larger and better armed opponent at a disadvantage and the effectiveness of capoeira as a mean fighting method have led to its rather dark reputation over the years. Capoeira usually takes place to the beat of traditional Brazilian music.

Indeed it was banned as an activity for around 60 years in the late 19th/early 20th century; but the practice lived on, with underground capoeira clubs attracting plenty of eager young men to their ranks.

Capoeira in Salvador

Salvador da Bahia is considered the heartland of capoeira and the place from which it took root in Brazilian culture. In modern day Brazil there is a renewed interest and widespread acceptance of capoeira and now it is not uncommon for visitors to Salvador to learn the basics while they are also taking a language course!

Fly Away Beetle

This year’s release of the documentary movie Fly Away Beetle aims to bring awareness of capoeira to a wider global audience. The movie follows the lives of three masters of the art as they describe the origins of capoeira and tell in their own words why it is that this martial art/dance has become such an important symbol of hope in Brazil.

The movie looks at the lives of some of the disadvantaged young people of Salvador who have benefited from the discipline and camaraderie of being part of the capoeira fight scene and have chosen to follow the art form as an alternative to the city’s street gangs.

After a successful US premiere the filmmakers are looking at taking the movie around the world. Look out for it; it’s an eye-opener into an art form that carries with it a rich and colorful history. And if you visit Salvador, be sure to check out the capoeira masters in the streets.  You’ll be watching 500 years of history flashing before your eyes!

Image | Johann Moritz Rugendas

 

, ,

The Spaghetti Western: A Taste of Italy

noviembre 21st, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

 

Rather like the best 1970s disaster movies or the science fiction B-movies of the 1960s, the spaghetti Western still boasts a strong and dedicated following many decades after the last movie was produced and the dust, quite literally settled. And like these other genres, even those who look back fondly at the age of sharp shooters in dusty saloons remember the films not so much for their artistic merit as for the joy they brought to a whole generation of young movie fans.

What Were Spaghetti Westerns?

While the original westerns were filmed in the American Southwest, spaghetti Westerns such as the famous A Few Dollars More were shot in cheaper locations in Europe. The Spanish deserts of Andalucia were a popular filming location, as was Cabras in western Sardinia. The Italian film director Sergio Leone, known as the father of the spaghetti Western genre, had long been fascinated with the American Old West and in the 1960s embarked on his grand project of recreating the Hollywood western genre of movie but with a relatively tiny budget.

The tiny village of San Salvatore di Cabras was transformed into a Mexican desert outpost, complete with saloon bar and the obligatory swinging doors. Movies were churned out at an impressive rate, quantity clearly taking precedence over quality. It was reported that western Sardinia was the perfect location for Leone’s productions, not only for the arid landscapes that resembled the American Southwest but also for some of the shady characters that were known to live in this part of Italy.

The Legacy of Sergio Leone

Cabras now is a small sleepy town that is a pleasant drive south of the popular Sardinian resort of Alghero. A visit to Cabras will provide a flavor of Italy of course, but will probably feel a million miles from the American badlands of sharp-shooting cowboys.

True to form for an enterprise that was focused on low costs, most of the buildings put up by the movie makers are long gone. But look closely and you might still find one or two of those Mexican façades belonging to another time and another place. Perhaps the Wild West of Sergio Leone is still alive in Sardinia after all!

Photo | nicksarebi

, , , , , ,

James Bond Movies and Jamaica

septiembre 2nd, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

Jamaica James Bond

James Bond has been a childhood hero for more than one generation of young (and not so young) boys. The glamorous lifestyle full of  fast cars, private jets and beautiful girls has provided the perfect escapism for fans around the world. There is another important element of spice to all of the 007 movies, however: Whatever life-or-death situation the different James Bonds have faced they are invariably in a glamorous part of the world, lined with palm trees, yachts and luxury villas.

James Bond Movie Locations

If you’re one of the millions who have admired the backdrops of many a James Bond scene, then you may be surprised to learn that much of the filming has taken place in Jamaica. Remember the famous scene in “Dr. No” where Ursula Andress emerges bikini-clad from the ocean? That was filmed at Laughing Waters, close to Ocho Rios on the north coast of the island. And the mangrove swamp where Bond (Sean Connery) and Honey are captured by the dragon tank? That’s a little west of Ocho Rios.

Ocho Rios also features in “Live and Let Die” with Roger Moore as Bond; it is the location of the voodoo nightclub scene with Baron Samedi. The bus chase that follows, in which an old London bus is used, takes place on the northwest highway between the popular Montego Bay resort and Lucea.

Ian Fleming in Jamaica

So why the fondness for Jamaica as a filming location for these movies? You need look no further than Bond’s creator Ian Fleming to understand why the island is James Bond’s second home. Fleming was so enamored of Jamaica that he built his own home on the island and spent around 20 winters here. It was during this time that he went from being a writer for British newspapers to gaining international fame for his James Bond stories.

The Real James Bond

Even the name of James Bond can be traced back to Fleming’s life in Jamaica. Who was the original Bond? It turns out that he was an ornithologist who lived on Jamaica and whose parents allowed Fleming to stay on their property. The name was chosen as it was considered to be completely ordinary. Little did Fleming (or Bond) realize at that time just how famous it would become.

Photo | EON Productions/Danjaq

, , , , , ,

Capture the Magic of Adventure Films in Morocco

agosto 12th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

What to do in Morocco

When you think about films associated with Morocco, your mind can’t help but shift to black and white, as the faces of Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart appear along with the soundtrack of “Casablanca.” However, this mythical movie was shot entirely in California, though it has left us with the memory of a romantic, but dangerous, Morocco.

Many movies have been filmed in this African nation, which prides itself on its own version of Hollywood or, as we Spaniards would say, its own Almería in the age of Westerns. One city in particular stands out for its popularity amongst American film productions which frequent the famous Atlas Studios: the city of Ouarzazate. This city is unique in that it combines its location in a valley with its proximity to both mountains and desert, with photogenic adobe houses that have acted as the set for a variety of films, including “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.” The film crews for other productions such as “The Sheltering Sky”, “The Mummy” and our beloved 007 in “The Living Daylights” have also wandered these same streets.

Set in the south of the country, this city is a must-see for film lovers who, in addition to recreating scenes from their favorite flics, can enjoy the spicy Moroccan cuisine and delicious mint teas (just be careful not to fall into the pot like Obelix!).

As in many other movie towns, visiting the studios is a tourist attraction in itself, and though it doesn’t have the typical attractions you may find in other movie-themed parks, lovers of classic cinema may evoke their silver screen memories and imagine Elizabeth Taylor dressed as Cleopatra exiting the temple in the luxurious recreation of Egypt in Joseph Leo Mankiewicz’s film, which was also shot here.

As with any city so close to the desert, summer is not really the best time to visit. But since we can’t always choose our vacation dates, just remember to load your suitcase with light, white clothing and end your day with a refreshing swim at any of the beaches you’ll find only a few kilometers away on Morocco’s gorgeous coast.

Image | Universal Pictures

, , ,