Salstravaganza 2018 at San Pedro, Spain
A personal view by Leo & Jenny Sietniekas
We arrived on the Friday 18th May so as to give us time to settle in and soak up a few rays before starting the holiday. Our hotel (Traina) is very clean and tidy with very friendly staff which really adds to our holiday. We have a balcony and Sue has arranged it so we get very reasonable rates. There is a rooftop terrace with a pool which has an intimacy rarely found in the bigger hotels. We meet up with friends, have a drink (generous measures) and go out for a meal at any number of bars and restaurants. We choose the Chinese restaurant and have a lovely meal. We really like the hotel which is rated 4 star but it isn’t one of the huge complex type hotels so bear that in mind when coming.
Saturday comes around so we hit the beach which is a short walk away and spend the day with pals at the beach bar and have cool drinks and tapas. The beach is excellent as are the refreshment bars and it goes on for miles, so if you are a walker, biker or jogger it is ideal. If you come without knowing anybody you are quickly made very welcome and are promptly invited to join the group. Sue has planned it so we are not a huge big band but smaller in number so getting to know people is easy and everybody is made to feel part of the gang. We have good friends coming with us and this bonding helps make the holiday special.
We kick off the holiday in style by having a swish meal at the Venezuela restaurant where everybody gets to meet and begin to bond as a group. Its about a five minute walk or so from the hotel, is very elegant and though low key is a great experience. A late nightcap and a bit of dancing in the hotel bar follows accompanied by music provided by the DJ and the Salstravaganza team. Our group comprises of a core from the Club Salsa in Hull and others from everywhere else and we quickly bond into the dance group from Heaven!
Sunday comes around and its time for breakfast a leisurely get ready or walk and off to the Fiesta day in Lo Rufete Park, Torrevieja. Approx 25 mins by coach. This includes lessons with Club Salsa and local teachers and dancing with local dancers. There is a pool for anyone brave enough to take a dip! A meal and some drinks are included. This is a day and a half with our group meeting two Spanish clubs enjoying different teachers! There’s no pressure to dance all day just do as much as you want. You can sunbathe, swim and there’s plenty of drinks to be had and you do eventually pay for some drinks but they seemed gratis for a lot of the time. Its a bit surreal having a dance day at a park in the desert but it really works, the paella is great and we get back latish tired but happy. A visit to the bar after a singsong on the bus ends up with a mariachi band serenading us and it makes our day complete. It is an unusual day but we love it.
Monday is a free day so we go to the local market which is a short walk away, Meet up with friends old and new and have lunch in the town square. Back at about three and then its beach or rooftop for sunbathing. People come and go for chats then we go out for a meal. The hotel bar always has someone we know in and the drinks seem to get stronger as the bar staff get to know us. Dancing goes on courtesy of the resident DJ who plays good music with lots of Salsa and Bachata.
Tuesday sees us having our first lesson which is Salsa. We are lucky enough to be ‘Intermediate Level’ and Sue puts us through a challenging routine. Dawn takes the Improver group and Jan brings on the less confident ones. The whole ability range has been covered including beginners. It is our experience that at a lot (not all) conventions you get the best out of them if you are minimum improver level. It can put you off if you overreach your ability. Tonight is dancing at the La Valeta Lounge Café Bar.Its a Latin Night. Dancing to live music is by Grupo Café. This is a wow of a night where you are encouraged into group dancing activities. We have a meal first then enjoy ourselves till late. The group keeps everybody motivated and a great atmosphere is generated.
Wednesday is time for Bachata lessons as this is popular in this region. Again we we have fun and are also challenged. In the evening we have inclusive tapas and dancing in the conference suite of the hotel with live music. It is worth noting that we have had great nights out and haven’t been in overcrowded discos where space is a premium and you can easily be stood on or bumped. We do go on other dance holidays and generally a late night visit to a night club is offered but they do get crowded and you can struggle to do your moves. Sue has very thoughtfully tried to ensure this is not a feature of the Salstravaganza holiday. In the evening we have tapas and a live band in the training room.
Thursday sees us having our second Salsa lesson which is always fun. The afternoon sees us having a stroll on the promenade which goes on for miles. We could have hired bikes, done a mud bath or visited the nature reserve but for us the rooftop is calling for a swim and a sunbathe and a chat with anybody feeling the same way. The evening sees us in the Mytika Club (approx 15 mins) in Santiago De La Ribera for improvers and intermediates salsa lessons followed by social dancing. We get the lessons in Spanish and mix with our Spanish club counterparts under the tuition of Juan. Our Salsa Spanish very slowly improves. The bar is busy enough with our two dance groups but is not overcrowded.
Friday sees us having our last taught lesson doing Bachata and we prepare for our fancy dress night on the roof terrace which again includes tapas. Everybody dresses up as ‘Cubans’ we have a lovely meal and then dance away the rest of the evening. I get some lovely photos and post them on Facebook. We are tired now but as the holiday winds up we have opted to stay for two extra days and we go to Cartegena on Saturday for a bit of Roman Culture. The bus costs us 7.30 Euros return so its a no brainer and we have time to explore historic Cartegena.
Sunday actually sees us viewing a biker convention along the prom and we have a final meal with friends who have also extended their stay. We sadly pack and depart on the Monday for home. Adios San Pedro!
As a footnote the reason to go on the Salstravaganza holiday is to blend dancing with socialising and getting to know new friends but not being overwhelmed by large numbers. You can actually dance at the arranged venues as opposed to being crowded out at a nightclub. The week can be summed up as a mix of dancing and holiday with a bit less intensity but no less teaching quality.
Leo & Jenny Sietniekas
A personal view by Leo & Jenny Sietniekas
We arrived on the Friday 18th May so as to give us time to settle in and soak up a few rays before starting the holiday. Our hotel (Traina) is very clean and tidy with very friendly staff which really adds to our holiday. We have a balcony and Sue has arranged it so we get very reasonable rates. There is a rooftop terrace with a pool which has an intimacy rarely found in the bigger hotels. We meet up with friends, have a drink (generous measures) and go out for a meal at any number of bars and restaurants. We choose the Chinese restaurant and have a lovely meal. We really like the hotel which is rated 4 star but it isn’t one of the huge complex type hotels so bear that in mind when coming.
Saturday comes around so we hit the beach which is a short walk away and spend the day with pals at the beach bar and have cool drinks and tapas. The beach is excellent as are the refreshment bars and it goes on for miles, so if you are a walker, biker or jogger it is ideal. If you come without knowing anybody you are quickly made very welcome and are promptly invited to join the group. Sue has planned it so we are not a huge big band but smaller in number so getting to know people is easy and everybody is made to feel part of the gang. We have good friends coming with us and this bonding helps make the holiday special.
We kick off the holiday in style by having a swish meal at the Venezuela restaurant where everybody gets to meet and begin to bond as a group. Its about a five minute walk or so from the hotel, is very elegant and though low key is a great experience. A late nightcap and a bit of dancing in the hotel bar follows accompanied by music provided by the DJ and the Salstravaganza team. Our group comprises of a core from the Club Salsa in Hull and others from everywhere else and we quickly bond into the dance group from Heaven!
Sunday comes around and its time for breakfast a leisurely get ready or walk and off to the Fiesta day in Lo Rufete Park, Torrevieja. Approx 25 mins by coach. This includes lessons with Club Salsa and local teachers and dancing with local dancers. There is a pool for anyone brave enough to take a dip! A meal and some drinks are included. This is a day and a half with our group meeting two Spanish clubs enjoying different teachers! There’s no pressure to dance all day just do as much as you want. You can sunbathe, swim and there’s plenty of drinks to be had and you do eventually pay for some drinks but they seemed gratis for a lot of the time. Its a bit surreal having a dance day at a park in the desert but it really works, the paella is great and we get back latish tired but happy. A visit to the bar after a singsong on the bus ends up with a mariachi band serenading us and it makes our day complete. It is an unusual day but we love it.
Monday is a free day so we go to the local market which is a short walk away, Meet up with friends old and new and have lunch in the town square. Back at about three and then its beach or rooftop for sunbathing. People come and go for chats then we go out for a meal. The hotel bar always has someone we know in and the drinks seem to get stronger as the bar staff get to know us. Dancing goes on courtesy of the resident DJ who plays good music with lots of Salsa and Bachata.
Tuesday sees us having our first lesson which is Salsa. We are lucky enough to be ‘Intermediate Level’ and Sue puts us through a challenging routine. Dawn takes the Improver group and Jan brings on the less confident ones. The whole ability range has been covered including beginners. It is our experience that at a lot (not all) conventions you get the best out of them if you are minimum improver level. It can put you off if you overreach your ability. Tonight is dancing at the La Valeta Lounge Café Bar.Its a Latin Night. Dancing to live music is by Grupo Café. This is a wow of a night where you are encouraged into group dancing activities. We have a meal first then enjoy ourselves till late. The group keeps everybody motivated and a great atmosphere is generated.
Wednesday is time for Bachata lessons as this is popular in this region. Again we we have fun and are also challenged. In the evening we have inclusive tapas and dancing in the conference suite of the hotel with live music. It is worth noting that we have had great nights out and haven’t been in overcrowded discos where space is a premium and you can easily be stood on or bumped. We do go on other dance holidays and generally a late night visit to a night club is offered but they do get crowded and you can struggle to do your moves. Sue has very thoughtfully tried to ensure this is not a feature of the Salstravaganza holiday. In the evening we have tapas and a live band in the training room.
Thursday sees us having our second Salsa lesson which is always fun. The afternoon sees us having a stroll on the promenade which goes on for miles. We could have hired bikes, done a mud bath or visited the nature reserve but for us the rooftop is calling for a swim and a sunbathe and a chat with anybody feeling the same way. The evening sees us in the Mytika Club (approx 15 mins) in Santiago De La Ribera for improvers and intermediates salsa lessons followed by social dancing. We get the lessons in Spanish and mix with our Spanish club counterparts under the tuition of Juan. Our Salsa Spanish very slowly improves. The bar is busy enough with our two dance groups but is not overcrowded.
Friday sees us having our last taught lesson doing Bachata and we prepare for our fancy dress night on the roof terrace which again includes tapas. Everybody dresses up as ‘Cubans’ we have a lovely meal and then dance away the rest of the evening. I get some lovely photos and post them on Facebook. We are tired now but as the holiday winds up we have opted to stay for two extra days and we go to Cartegena on Saturday for a bit of Roman Culture. The bus costs us 7.30 Euros return so its a no brainer and we have time to explore historic Cartegena.
Sunday actually sees us viewing a biker convention along the prom and we have a final meal with friends who have also extended their stay. We sadly pack and depart on the Monday for home. Adios San Pedro!
As a footnote the reason to go on the Salstravaganza holiday is to blend dancing with socialising and getting to know new friends but not being overwhelmed by large numbers. You can actually dance at the arranged venues as opposed to being crowded out at a nightclub. The week can be summed up as a mix of dancing and holiday with a bit less intensity but no less teaching quality.
Leo & Jenny Sietniekas