Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Sitges is a city of about 26000 people, almost half of whom are from other European countries. It is about 35 kilometers from Barcelona and has become famous for its film festival- the International Film Festival of Catalonia, its 17 beaches, its wonderful gastronomy as well as its cultural heritage and most of all, for its carnival in February each year. It has also become the preferred location for congresses, seminars and company meetings due to its combination of tourist attractions and intellectual meeting places. The fact that Sitges also offers many good restaurants, beaches and museums is an added incentive. Read the rest of this entry »

Barcelona can be called as the heaven for tourists. Impeccably beautiful, it has all that a tourist wants; a quiet place to spend the holiday, beautiful environment, luxurious living at the most economical rates, historical places to visit, great parks, etc. In short, the city of Barcelona is rich in places which are of interest to the tourists. One of the most interesting places that are within the close vicinity of Barcelona is Montserrat. The town is very well connected by road and train from Barcelona. Those who visit Montserrat vow to visit the place again and again because of its stunningly beautiful environment and some of the places of interest which are worth visiting. The question normally asked is what is so interesting about Montserrat? Let us just go round the city to understand what it is. Read the rest of this entry »

Overview

The city of Salamanca is in western part of Spain and is about 210 Km west of Madrid. The old city is a Heritage site. Its population is about 200,000. This city is famous not only for its monuments but also for the University of Salamanca. The economy of Salamanca is driven both by tourism and the University. This is also known as the city of Spanish language and many people wanting to learn Spanish come to this city. When it is dusk, the monuments in Salamanca show a golden hue.

Climate

The summer in this city is very hot – 40 °C and the winter is cold – minus 13 °C.

History

The Vacceos were the Celtic tribe who founded Salamanca in pre-Ancient Rome period to defend their area. Romans conquered this city from Carthaginians and in this period this city became popular for commercial activities due to its location. Read the rest of this entry »

Tapas are snacks, small delicious bites of food served at Tapas Bars and restaurants all over Spain. Inexpensive and with marvellous variety, Tapas are a good way to sample Spanish dishes without over filling your stomach or over emptying your pockets.

Origin

It is said that Tapas were created for the first time when the ailing King of Spain, Alfonso the 10th, was advised by his physicians that a cure would be found if instead of drinking wine by itself, between meals, he consumed a morsel of food with it. When the King had recovered from his illness, he wished to save the general populace from suffering in the same way and declared that from that time onwards, no alcohol could be served in the inns and taverns of Castile unless food was served with it. Read the rest of this entry »

When preparing your holiday in Spain there are plenty of things to take into consideration. Are your passports still valid, what kind of sun cream do you need, is your holiday villa booked already and so the list goes on and on. A thing many holiday makers easily forget, is that there are different laws and rules to keep in mind when you’re visiting Spain for your holidays.

For instance, the Spanish traffic police can be quite strict compared to your home country. Fines can be higher and the Spanish police is authorised to collect your driver’s license after just one offence. Just the assumption that you won’t be able to drive safe is enough to hand in your license. Things like this can be bad enough by themselves when enjoying your holiday, but will become a real problem when you have travelled to Spain by car.

From 2004 it’s also required to have to reflecting triangles and a reflecting vest in your car. These can be bought at most gas stations in different sorts and sizes. Prices are usually below 10 euro. It’s also prohibited to carry any equipment in your car that warns you for speeding and radar monitoring. If the case you do get a fine from the police, it can be demanded that you pay it on the spot. If you refuse to or can’t pay, your car even can be collected.

These are very unpleasant situations that can really spoil your holiday. We hope you don’t have to experience any of these situations, but do urge you to take notice of the most important laws and rules before leaving on your holiday to Spain, to avoid any surprises.

Many tourists are eager to take over one of Spain’s most well-known traditions while visiting the country for a holiday: the siesta. But what exactly is the story behind this world famous afternoon nap? The tradition is honoured most on the Spanish countryside during summer, but because shops close around noon it is a phenomenon that every tourist in Spain will encounter at some point during their holiday.

The hours at which the siesta is held can vary from region to region, but according to general guidelines usually takes places between 14:30 and 17:00. During these hours people don’t work but take some rest and more than often even sleep. The most important reason for the siesta during summer is the heat, that really can make working and going to school quite difficult. Many companies, stores and school close their doors during these hours. There is quite some discussion going on about the effectiveness of the siesta, because often people tend to drink during their break and employees return to their jobs a bit tipsy.

For years people have been talking about abolishing the siesta, but very few actual steps to achieve that goal have been taken so far. So keep in mind when visiting Spain that you might finds shops opening at ten in the morning and not opening after the siesta until half past five. The word siesta derives from the Latin sexta hora by the way, which means “the sixth hour”. The Romans counted their hours from the moment of sunrise, which made the sixth hour their noon.

Of course Spain isn’t only well-known because of its wonderful weather and delightful beaches. When it comes to wine, this country from the south of Europe is widely regarded as one of the world’s biggest trendsetters. The history of wine goes back a long way until the Roman ages. For the true wine lovers a trip to Spain will prove to be a holiday well spent. There are several museums dedicated to wine, of course you can find many places to taste wine and there are even possibilities to treat yourself with a wine therapy.

Contrary to what you might think, that therapy doesn’t consists of drinking and tasting wine, but means the body is rubbed with a mixture of grape seeds, oil made of grape seeds and wine extracts. This is supposed to boost the immune system and protect the skin from aging and damaging. If you find to find out more about this  interesting therapy, you can try a search on Google with  the word “Vinoterapia”.

Most holiday makers will probably be more interested in the drinking and tasting of the wine, rather than rubbing it on themselves. Not a weird thought, because there are many different areas that produces some delicious wines. Of these Spanish wine regions, Rioja is the most well-known. Other popular wine-producing regions are Ribera del Duero, Catalonië, Levant and Jerez. So the garden of your holiday villa isn’t the only place to enjoy a good glass of wine, you can also go into the country and discover your favourite wine yourself. Since the eighties the quality of the Spanish wines increased heavily and this made the country a more and more attractive holiday destination among wine lovers.

Spain isn’t only known for its lovely weather and the beautiful beaches, but also for its excellent kitchen. During your holiday in or around one of Spain’s many coastal towns, you are sure to be tempted more than once to walk into a restaurant and be surprised by the excellent dishes that are offered. The famous seaside resort of Benidorm is going to show that there’s more than the typical snack bars and diners this year. From the 19th until the 25th of April the town hosts the culinary event ‘Cocina Mediterránea, Huerta y Mar’. A tasteful celebration where you can have an extensive taste of everything Benidorm has to offer gastronomically.

By the way, did you know that your health can really benefit from the diet that origins from around the Mediterranean Sea? Not only your physical condition but also your mental state can improve by adopting the eating pattern that mainly consists of fruit, vegetables, bread, fish and chicken. During a research the eating habits of subject were monitored during 5 years, scientists discovered that people who followed the traditional Mediterranean diet had 30 percent less chance of being struck by a depression.

What many tourists don’t know, is that Europe’s oldest beer also is from Spain. Many, many years before the country got known as a wine country, the inhabitants were already drinking beer at several different occasions like welcoming new visitors and celebrating military success. In many bars and restaurants you will find all kinds of beers like Estrella, Dorada, Victoria and San Miguel, so give yourself a treat and be surprised by the rich history in beer Spain has to offer.

If there’s one thing that Spaniards love, it’s partying. The smallest things are seized upon to come together with friends and family and enjoy some delicious food and drinks. These festivities can be found throughout the entire year in every Spanish village or town, so it might be well worth the effort to try and find out some of these local customs and holidays before leaving for your holiday to Spain. These celebrations have never officially been counted, but some estimate it must be tens of thousands!

Many of the Spanish celebrations have their origins in the deeply rooted catholic background of the country. For instance, holidays like San Juan, San Fermin and San Isidro obviously carry the names of saints. The local festivities often are in fact meant to worship patron saints of the village, the city or the region and sometimes go back as far as the Middle Ages. Specifically the local character of these holidays make that they still are celebrated after all these years and even remain popular among young people.

Another well-known phenomena in the social life of Spain, is that of the “Botellón”. Its origins can be found in the eighties, when young people from working class families went out to meet each other in parks and at squares. Because of a lack of money, these youngsters couldn’t spend their evenings in the bars. So they bought some alcohol together and drank it in each other’s company outside of their houses. The phenomena gained popularity since the new millennium and the last few years there even are macrobotellónes, where thousands and even tens of thousands youngsters can be found.

This province originally inhabited by people of Indo European origin is located near Cantabrian Mountain. Vizcaya, Guipuzcoa and Alava are the other towns coming under this province. This is a province largely dependent on agriculture but has many interesting places for tourists. The enormous mountain range surrounding the province, a beautiful port, Gothic cathedral are the other places of interest.

The different cities coming under the Basque are in a range of about 30 minutes drive. For example Bilbao, one of the cities of Basque has a beautiful port. There is an ancient church which is said to be centuries old. There is also an imposing building of the Town Hall and a beautiful park surrounding it. Another important area worth seeing is the Guggenheim Museum. The building of this Museum is said to be a masterpiece work of the 20th century. There is an exhibition of modern art. This is a rotating exhibition and it is proud of its collection of ancient art and paintings. Read the rest of this entry »