Spain; home of the windmill chasing knight Don Quixote and his lady love Dulcinea. Miguel de Cervantes may have written his epic novel in the 17th century, but the romantic aura found within those pages is still very much in evidence today. .Bordered on the north by France and Andorra, on the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean, and on the eastern and southern shores by the waters of the Mediterranean, this country on the Iberian Peninsula is a virtual salad of differing religions, customs and ethnic backgrounds.
Languages
Spanish is the official language, but there are a number of regional languages that share co-official status in their respective areas. Basque shares this status in the north with Basque Country and Navarre, Catalan is recognized in Catalonia on the eastern coast and in the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, and Galician shares the honor in Galicia, on the north western corner of the country.
A handful of lesser known romantic languages such as Aturian and Aragon survive in small pockets throughout the country. English, as well as German is widely spoken, especially among those in the tourism industry. Since Spain is such a tourist magnet for the European community, chances are one would run into someone speaking their mother tongue without much effort.
Varied Landscape
Spain’s topography is equally varied. Wander the northern landscape and one finds hills just as green and undulating as those in Ireland. Head south and the land turns drier and the air hotter, more reminiscent of a Moroccan clime. Let’s not forget the beaches, over 3000 documented locales on Spain’s ragged coastline. One can find a deserted strip of sand to commune with nature, or a full service resort catering to your every whim as you soak up the Spanish sunshine.
Historic Musings
Roughly 35,000 years ago Cro-Magnon man made the Iberian Peninsula his home. Traces of their presence have been found throughout the area but some of the most impressive are the delicately painted caves in Altamira, in northern Spain, created in 15,000 BCE. Down through the centuries ethnic groups including the Celts, Phoenicians, Greeks and the Romans have left traces of their past on Spanish soil.
The Moorish people left behind the ancient palace and fortress known as the Alhambra in southern Spain. Once the residence of Granada’s Muslim kings and their court, the palace is now a museum displaying Islamic architecture. The Romans contributed the Aqueduct of Segovia, built arounf 50AD and is one of their best preserved monuments. In 1985 this complex 14 kilometer (10 mile) long system, along with its double arched bridge was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Barcelona –Architectural Modernism and Gothic Memories
Lovers of architecture will find Barcelona, capital of Catalonia and Spain’s second largest city, an intriquing study in free form modernistic building design. The works of Antonio Gaudi, one of the most famous architects of the Art Noveau movement, dot the city including the still unfinished Cathedral de la Sagrada Familia. In contrast, in the Barri Gotic, or Gothic Quarter in the core of the old city, many of the buildings date back to the Roman period.
Sports enthusiasts can indulge in football, basketball, handball and roller hockey in the city that hosted both the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Those wishing for something inherantly Spanish may choose to take in a bullfight at the Plaza de Toros Monumental.
Lovers of theater and live music events can enjoy opera at the Gran Teatre del Liceu or one of two annual major pop music festivals at the Parc de Forum, the Primavera Sound Festival and the Sonar Festival. A host of Museums dot the city from the more well known National Museum of Art of Catalonia to a privately owned Egyptian Museum and an unusal Erotic Museum.
Magnificent Madrid
Vibrantly alive and intriguingly unique, the Spanish capital of Madrid has the ability to capture your heart from within its culturally laden boundaries. Over five million people call the city on the shores of the Manzanares River home and the mix of cultures is as varied as the styles of architecture.
The Plaza Mayor is in the heart of Old Madrid and dates back to the early 17th century. Today the vintage architecture is home to taverns, bars and restaurants popular with tourists and locals alike. Wine, tapas and musical entertainment can be found at almost all hours of the day and night. To the east is the shoppers delight known as Puerta del Sol, also plying wares until the wee hours of the morning. Hard rock and grunge music fans can seek their pleasure in one of many music bars in the Plaza Dos de Mayo. The Chamberi district and its circular Plaza Olavide houses, restaurants, museums, art galleries and bookshops. Madrid’s Museo Reina Sofia houses the famous Guernica painting created by one of Spain’s own, Pablo Picasso.
Madrid is home to both the country’s largest soccer stadium, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, able to host 75,000 cheering fans and its largest bullfighting arena, La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, with seating for up to 25,000. Golfers can indulge their passion at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid and its par 71 course. Winter visitors can enjoy skiing in the brief (Nov-Feb) season at nearby Puerto de Navacerrada offering 15 trails and a chairlift to the 7.000 ft summit of Bola del Mundo. Farther afield, two other ski resorts, Valdesqui with 24 trails and Valcotos, offering the most spectacular scenery vie for your winter sports action.
Pamplona and the Running of the Bulls
Ernest Hemingway wrote of the running of the bulls in his first novel, The Sun Also Rises and this Basque capital of Navarre, Spain was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Though the practice of running bulls down barracaded streets to the local bullring is practiced in many parts of Spain, it is the annual summer San Fermin Festival in Pamplona that gets international attention.
The event is broadcast live by two national television stations, and unlike the actual bullfighting, anyone over the age of 18 may participate. Inherantly dangerous, most injuries are caused by falls and not serious, but the event can turn deadly. In latter years the practice has become just as controversial as bullfighting, but it still draws spectators from around the globe.
Leave a Reply