Reminder: 8 hilarious performances on September 22 to 27 of Monty Python’s SPAMalot, a new musical written by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, at the Tucson Music Hall downtown.

These might be the best “knights” out in Tucson in a long time. For tickets contact Broadway in Tucson at 1-800-745-3000.
This loyal Python fan will be there on Opening “Knight”.

King Arthur’s Knights sing:

King Arthur's knights

“We’re Knights of the Round Table
We dance when e’er we’re able
We do routines and gory scenes
That are too hot for cable
We eat ham and jam
We eat ham and jam and spam a lot.”

Got spam? I grew up eating lots of spam (ubiquitous in Hawaii) so believe me, I know A LOT about SPAM. Just ask.

Note: if you still want to see the “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” movie on the big screen, it will be at the Fox Theater, 17 W. Congress on October 10.

“Welcome to the Green Pueblo” are the words on a colorful 6″x11.5″ postcard I found recently at the Pima County public library. I knew Tucson was referred to as the Old Pueblo, but the Green Pueblo? The postcard encourages us to become map makers and participate in Greater Tucson’s Green Self Portrait.

So curiously I logged onto www.greenpueblomap.org and discovered The Green Pueblo Map is a “celebration of our community’s sustainability accomplishments and assets.” Anyone can become a contributor to the map that supposedly reflects the greater community of Tucson with various symbols (over 30) such as air quality monitoring station, community garden, duck pond, native plant garden, recycling center, etc. People are encouraged to join the mapmaking team to “help identify the sites that add color, enrichment, environmental responsibility, care and livability to our community.”

The goals of this map are to:

–”Engage residents of all ages in defining the features and activities that make the greater Tucson area a special place to live;
– Encourage the exploration and discovery of the assets that make the greater Tucson area a thriving and sustainable community;
– Enhance awareness and participation in organizations that help our neighbors and the planet; and
– Challenge residents and visitors to make everyday choices that support sustainable living.”

Sponsors for this mapping project include Pima County, City of Tucson, Friends of the Pima County public library, Tucson Metropolitan Energy Council, and The Inner Connection, “a Tucson based non-profit organization (created in 2002) dedicated to bringing people together under an umbrella of commonality, highlighting similarities instead of differences.” This group says they are “the catalyst in sparking innovative collaborations in the community that bring together a variety of unusual alliances focused on a common goal” and that they “create programs in the areas of Health, Education, the Environment and Spirituality.”

So one of Inner Connection’s creations must be this collaborative map, a part of the international Green Map movement.

For more info contact: The Inner Connection at 1422 E. English Ivy Ct
Tucson, AZ 85719, info@greenpueblomap.org.

Make you mark today!

What: 1st Tucson Spanish and Flamenco Festival
Where: Casa Vicente, 375 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson
When: Friday, September 18th, Saturday, September 19th, and Sunday, September 20th

Adair Landborn and Peña Flamenca (Tucson)

Time: 8:00 pm – 1:00 am Friday and Saturday, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Sunday

Cost: $20 Friday and Saturday, $10 Sunday or purchase all three for $40 (price includes wine
tasting, one glass of sangria).

Other events during the festival: outdoor mercado, cooking demos and classes, wine tasting, tapas and sangria, flamenco workshops. Special guest artists, Fanny Ara, Gabriel Osuna, and Ricardo Anglada will offer these 3-day flamenco workshops in dance, song, and guitar.

Contact: Casa Vicente, 520-884-5253

I’ve seen flamenco dancers in Spain and southern France (at a street festival) but now they are coming to Tucson for this first festival featuring flamenco dancing at Casa Vicente.

Casa Vicente offers Spanish cuisine for lunch and dinner in an authentic, lively atmosphere. There is a separate tapas menu (variety of small Spanish dishes such as fritattas), or a full dinner menu of four different paellas.

This family-owned restaurant cooks authentic dishes in the tradition of Spanish culture and hospitality. So head downtown for a real Spanish/European experience, and the first flamenco festival in Tucson.