Kicking back under the stars

Jane Plunkett’s childhood dream is realised in Technicolor at Cordoba’s Summer Cinema 

GROWING up, the idea of going to an outdoor movie was top of my list. In fact, despite wasting tonnes of ink writing to the BBC, it might even have been on par with getting a response from ‘Jim will fix it’! … But Jimmy never did pick an Irish person, did he?

Popcorn and a big screen under the stars – it was everything I imagined I’d love, but never experienced due to being from a drizzly Eire, where outdoor events are at the mercy of temperamental rainclouds.

But this summer, all my silver-screen dreams came through with a visit to Cordoba’s Cine de Verano.

The Cordoba version is very different to what I remember from American movies. There aren’t convertible cars rolled up in lines or Teddy Boys hanging around combing back their quiffs, but what they have got is booze and sandwiches, which you can take down to your seat and enjoy.

The films change every few days, offering a great selection of both new and classic flicks. And the venues themselves are spectacular ranging from quaint patios to the famous Cordoba bullring – Plaza de Toros. My personal favourite is Coliseo San Andres – an old Andalucian patio surrounded by typical Cordobese houses.

What more can you ask for on a balmy Spanish evening than a star speckled sky, a good movie playing on the big screen and a lomo con queso in one hand and beer in the other… Roll on Cine de Verano!