Madrid

As the former capital of the old Spanish Empire, Madrid has been bestowed with a degree of cultural predominance. Museums such as Museo del Prado, the Museo Reina Sofia, and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza are major tourist attractions in the city. Other cultural highlights include the Royal Palace of Madrid.

The population of the city was 3.228 million (July 2005), while the estimated urban area population is 5.078 million. The entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area (urban area and suburbs) is calculated to be 5.843 million. The city spans a total of 607 km² (378 square miles).

Following the restoration of democracy in 1975 and the integration to the European Union, Madrid has experienced an increasing role in European finances making an important European metropolis. The residents of Madrid are called Madrileños, and the current mayor is Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, of the centre-right Partido Popular.

Climate

The region of Madrid has a Mediterranean climate that manifests itself with fresh winters that often experience temperatures lower than 8 °C. Summer tends to be warm with temperatures that consistently surpass 30 °C in July and that can often reach 40 °C. Due to Madrid’s high altitude and dry climate, nightly temperatures tend to be fresher, leading to a lower average in the summer months. However, the daily oscillation of the weather conditions is lesser in the center of the city, but is far more noticeable in the outskirts of Madrid, where frosts are more common in winter and summer nights are usually pleasantly cool, as opposed to the often oppressive heat in the inner-city areas. Precipitation, although very limited, can be observed all throughout the year except during summer. Winters also tend to be relatively dry, most rainfall occurring in the autumn and spring seasons.

Nickname

Although the official nickname for the natives of the city is Madrileño, they are commonly known as gatos (cats). The origin of the term possibly comes from the popular legend that the conquest of the city by Alfonso VI was achieved by the assault of the walls that protected the city. Apparently the Castilian troops climbed the defense walls as if they were cats.

Another possible source of this name comes from the fact that the residents were known during the Middle Ages for their great ability to climb walls with their bare hands.

Contemporary Madrid and Popular Neighborhoods

Contemporary Madrid came into its own after the death of general Francisco Franco. Years of the Franco regime left Madrid and much the country in economic shambles due to isolation. With his death, Madrid, and Spain as a whole, began to reassert itself on the international stage. Within Spain, reaction against the dictatorial bureaucracy centered in Madrid and a history of centralism that predated Franco by centuries has resulted in the successful modern movement towards increased autonomy for the regions of Spain, considered as autonomous regions, under the umbrella of Spain. Modern Madrid ranks as one of the important cities in Europe. Madrid is a leading southern European city and the most important link between the European Union and Latin America. The modern metropolis is home to over three million people. As expected with any major European capital city, each district (or barrio in Spanish) has its own feel.

Opera

As the name implies, Madrid’s main Opera Theatre is the Teatro Real (Royal theatre). In front of the theatre is the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace is no longer used as a residence, but it has been kept intact since it last functioned as home to the King, serving as a cultural monument and occasionally used for state functions. The entire palace is not open to the public, but most of the more important rooms can be visited.

The palace is interesting in its own right, in particular its architecture and gardens (there are two, the Jardines del Moro and the Sabattini gardens). There are also some excellent frescos inside the palace by Tiépolo, and paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, El Greco, Juan de Flandes and Caravaggio, among others.

Alonso Martinez

This district contains the large Plaza de Colón. This plaza commemorates Christopher Columbus, who was responsible for ushering in the Spanish imperial golden age of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is within walking distance of the main cultural and commercial areas of the city such as the Prado museum, the expansive Parque Del Buen Retiro as well as near the business center on the lower part of the Paseo de la Castellana.

Atocha

Atocha includes a rather large area which is bordered by the Huertas and Lavapiés districts. The two important sites located in this area are the Reina Sofía Museum and the beautiful Atocha Railway Station (which was the main objective of the terrorist attacks carried out on March 11th, 2004), one of the two main train stations in Madrid (the other one is Chamartín). The area also contains a number of art galleries and restaurants serving traditional food. This district also contains the main bus terminal as it is a central point of the city.

AZCA / Nuevos Ministerios

Azca is the financial district. The area is populated by skyscrapers, among them Torre Picasso, Edificio BBVA and Torre Europa. Torre Windsor, one of the skyscrapers in this area, burnt entirely on the night between 12 February and 13, 2005 [1]. A very large (3 interconnected buildings) El Corte Inglés department store is also here. The area is directly linked to Barajas Airport by metro line 8 from Nuevos Ministerios station. The Santiago Bernabéu stadium is located close to the Azca area.

Chueca

Chueca is among the most authentic and cosmopolitan neighborhoods in the downtown city center. This district was the site of major urban decay during the early 1980s. However, later on during the decade it became one of the most active centers of the so-called ‘La Movida’, largely due to its new-found status as a popular gay village, and has become an internationaly political significant location after having held years of gay marriage and child adoption right reivindication, achieved in 2005 under socialist Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero’s government. It is still quite attractive and has many good and interesting places to eat, as well as some of Madrid’s most avant garde fashion and shoe shops.

Las Cortes

This district is small in size but packs a number of powerful sites. The most important include Spanish parliament buildings of the lower house Congreso de los Diputados. It also includes one of the three museums of the Madrid golden triangle, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. In addition, we find the highly ornate Banco de España, the Café Del Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Zarzuela Theater and the Plaza de Cibeles.

Gran Vía

As the name implies, the Gran Vía district contains one of Madrid’s most important avenues, the Gran Vía (literally, “Great Way”). First and foremost it is a shopping street; however it also contains a number of tourist accommodations, plenty of nightlife and many of Madrid’s largest movie theaters. It is also a hub for Madrid’s red-light district, linking as it does many side streets. One of these streets, Fuencarral has become a link between the old shopping areas of the center of the city, the Bohemian Malasaña, and the hip Chueca district, making of it one of the most cosmopolitan areas of the city.

Huertas-Lavapiés

Traditionally one of the poorer neighborhoods near the city center, this district has maintained much of true ‘Madrileño’ spirit of the past. Lavapiés is one of the areas with a high concentration of immigrants (mainly Chinese, Arabs, Hindi, Africans and Caribbeans), and also tends to attract artists and writers adding to the cosmopolitan mix. The presence of immigrants has led to an inevitable variety of shops and restaurants - this is a good place for good and cheap restaurants of local and international food. It’s also one of the best places to search for non-Spanish foodstuff, (herbs and spices etc.)

La Latina

In and around this area are the origins of Madrid. Its difficult to put precise boundaries on La Latina, because, like its immediate neighbors, streets are narrow and wind a lot. There are quite a few nightlife spots. There are also a number of attractive churches as well as Madrid’s town palace. Bordering on La Latina’s east side is the famous Rastro flea-market (a prime pick-pocket spot).

Malasaña

Malasaña is a vibrant neighborhood full of lively bars and clubs overflowing with young people. Its streets are currently being renovated, making it a much more attractive quarter (the streetworks are almost finished). It’s one of the classic areas for partying the night away. The area’s center is the Plaza del Dos de Mayo (in commemoration of the Madrilenian popular uprising on May 2, 1808, brutally and effectivey repressed by the French troops and which started the Spanish Independence War). Although popularly known as the barrio Malasaña, the real name for the area is Universidad (University). The name Malasaña comes from the 17 year old girl Manuela Malasaña who once lived on the street San Andrés. She was killed fighting the French in 1808. Today there is a street named in her honour very close to the roundabout ‘Glorieta de Bilbao’.

Retiro

Barrio Retiro is a classic neighborhood surrounding the famous Retiro Park, to the east of the center of the city. It is demographically the oldest neighborhood in the city with an average age above 75, however over the past 5 years the increasing number of flats put for rent have been attracting young people and students to the area in growing numbers, and the diversity of the gastronomical fare in the neighborhood reflects this. The neighborhood can be characterized by the style of its three most important areas; in the north part centering on the calle Ibiza, the streets are in a grid pattern and the buildings, normally 6-10 storeys, are packed closely together, creating a bustling atmosphere of small shops, bars, and restaurants. This area is very similar to the neighboring Salamanca neighborhood. In the south, called Niño Jesus, the area is quieter, more spacious, and residential. To the west of the park (but still included within the parameters of Barrio Retiro) is the Jerónimos area, an area of beautiful 18th and 19th century buildings and many museums (including the Prado). This area, however, has few private residences, the large flats (often above 200m2) mainly used for offices.

Source: La Galaxia de Estrellas

Peñafiel Castle

Nowadays, ‘castles in Spain’ means something splendid but non-existent. “Fashionable adventurers in France used to impose on the credulous and get money and social advantages out of them by telling tales of their ‘castles in Spain’, which, needless to say, they did not possess,” is the explanation of Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. In fact, far from being unreal, there are over 2,500 castles in Spain, more than 500 being in good condition. Of these, many are in private or institutional (e.g., military) hands and can only be seen from the outside, but some 165 are open to visitors. And as well as castles, fortified structures in Spain include towers, atalayas or Moorish watchtowers, walled towns and cities and fortified churches, palaces and manor houses.

Gormaz Castle

Castles in Castile. The relationship between the words ‘castle’ and ‘Castile’ is easy to see, and the two Castiles — old and new — are littered with fortified buildings (Old Castile corresponds almost exactly to the modern Castile-León, New Castile to Castile-La Mancha). Most of the castles in Spain were built either by the invading Moors (711 onwards) or during the Christian reconquista (completed in 1492, to all intents and purposes), so they were made for real warfare. In many cases, their architectural styles are mixed, reflecting changes in ownership. For example, the largest and oldest (965) castle in Europe is Gormaz in Soria (which gives the nearby village of San Esteban de Gormaz its name), is a Moorish castle later adapted by the (re)conquering Christians for their own use. The very picturesque 15th-century castle at Coca is in the mudéjar (Spanish Muslim) style, its striking red-brick construction creating an oddly Disneylandish effect. In contrast, Peñafiel Castle in Valladolid is an impressive, entirely Christian, fourteenth-century building which looks like a gigantic, stranded ship, built as it is along the length of a high ridge. (Peñafiel has the added attraction of a wine museum and any number of asadores, most good, some excellent, serving typical Castilian roast meats, especially roast lamb).

Castle near Rio Lobos, Soria 

Routes. In many autonomous regions and provinces (Extremadura, Valladolid…), the local tourist boards suggest a Ruta de los Castillos, which can sometimes be done in a single day, or two or three days without a car, while other rutas will need the better part of a week. Such routes often have the advantage of taking you to parts of the country you might not otherwise see, such as Soria, a little known, unspoilt province with a tremendous heritage, which allows itself the luxury of no fewer than thirteen castle routes.

The Walls of Ávila

Walled towns. The most imposing city walls in Spain are probably those around the city of Ávila, which you can walk all the way around the top of, if you have time and restoration work permitting. (Apart from its walls, Ávila is famous for its mystics, especially Saint Theresa, its cathedral and its yemas, sweets made from egg-yolks.)

Another especially noteworthy walled town is Peñíscola in Castellón, once the stronghold of antipope Benedict XIII, Pedro de Luna, Papa Luna. Peñiscola is where Charlton Heston played El Cid defending Valencia. Although the locations of this 1961 epic included other places in Spain, Italy and even England, it was in Peñiscola that “El Cid” left a lasting impression. Indeed, here it could be considered one of those films which changed the history of the place where it was made. Much sorely needed money was spent in the area, the walled town was “restored,” and many locals were given work, some even as extras. No wonder then that it is still remembered in fading photos on bar walls. Peñiscola is now an appealing resort, with sun worshippers occupying the sand where Heston as the dead Cid strapped to his horse routed the terrified, superstitious Moors.

Washington Irving was here. The famous Alhambra in Granada is worth a series of articles of its own. Together with the adjacent Generalife gardens, it is understandably the most popular attraction in Spain (remember to book tickets in advance as the queues can be immense, and be prepared to be rushed round). Castle lovers tend to overlook the Alhambra because it is usually classified as a palace rather than a fort, but there is no doubt that its great towers and sheer walls were designed to withstand the most serious attack that could have been mounted at the time (fourteenth century and following). As was so often the case, the reconquering Christians preferred to use the Alhambra themselves rather than pull it down or leave it to fall apart, which explains its generally good state of conservation.

Alcázares.

Provincial capitals (e.g., Segovia, Toledo) often boast a splendid Alcázar (Moorish fortified palace) or other fortification. The Alcázar in Toledo is designated to be the new location for the Spanish Army Museum, and is a controversial choice. Apart from the fact that this would leave Madrid without a military museum of any kind, the Spanish Civil War siege of the Toledo Alcázar was one of the fascists’ proudest victories. It was also the setting for one of their most cherished war stories, in which the protagonist is the rebel (i.e. insurgent nationalist/fascist) Colonel Moscardó, leader of the troops occupying the Alcázar. The tale is that the republicans threatened to shoot his son Luis by firing squad if the nationalists did not surrender. Moscardó was said to have spoken to his son, telling him to commend his soul to God and die bravely, and to have heard the shot that killed Luis. It is a most unlikely account. It seems that Luis did not die until a month later (though, in effect, shot by firing squad). Even more suspiciously, the story is nearly word-for-word the same as another nationalist-beloved myth, the tale of Guzman el Bueno, said to have thrown down his dagger to those threatening to kill his hostage son at the siege of Tarifa in the thirteenth century, with the words, “I did not beget a son to be made use of against my country…” Whatever, the undeniable truth is that the Alcázar was nearly destroyed during the siege, but was relieved in time by fascist troops diverted from the attack on Madrid.

I have read that “the castle in the Magic Kingdom at Disneyland is modeled after” the Segovia Alcázar. I do not know enough about magic kingdoms or Disneyland to confirm this, but this Alcázar undoubtedly has a sugary, fairy-tale look about it. But it was a real, working castle, built in the 12th century or earlier, and makes a most satisfying visit, if of more interest to people who enjoy stately homes and the like than to castle buffs. Segovia has many sights, but if you have seen the Roman aqueduct and eaten in Candido, and you have time after visiting the Alcázar, a short walk takes you over the river to the extremely curious, esoteric Vera Cruz church, built by the strange holy order of the Knights Templar.

The Alcazaba, Málaga

Looking out to sea. Many castles were built to defend from threats from the sea — indeed, some coastal towns owe their location to the existence of a high point nearby from which an approaching enemy fleet could be seen. El Peñon, Gibraltar, exists as a settlement because it dominates the entrance to the Mediterranean, and one of its touristic highlights is its Moorish castle perched on the top of the Rock, from where you can see all the way across the Strait to Morocco. On the adjacent Costa del Sol, the city of Málaga has its alcazaba, Moorish fortress, an enormous affair with a Roman theatre thrown in for good measure. Further east, on the Costa Tropical in the province of Granada, the fishing village of Salobreña has a splendid looking castle, which must have been restored in the last decade or so. When I was last there, though, nearly twenty years ago, it was still in use as a rather neglected, vandalized cemetery. Niches were open, human remains were visible and bones, even skulls were strewn around. Further east and northwards, Mojacar, in the province of Almería, is a hilltop fortress town overlooking the sea, conserving the twisting mediaeval Arab layout of the streets and whitewashed houses. And the extremely provincial capital city of Almería has a tremendous alcazaba, capable of housing 20,000 men in wartime.

Santa Barbara Castle, Alicante

Alicante has many natural advantages making it a rich prize: a fabulous harbour, rich fishing grounds, fertile farmland. So Santa Barbara Castle, on top of a mountain overlooking the town like a huge big brother, must have provided much needed protection from invaders and raiders. Now, recently restored, with parts of it turned into pleasant garden areas, during the day it has tremendous views over the city, the sea and inland, while at night it is lit up and offers the eye an attractive alternative to the glitter of the port below.

Enough — I have to stop somewhere. With sufficient time, an enthusiast could castle-hop all the way up the Levante to Catalonia, where even popular resorts like Lloret and Tossa de Mar have their castles, and places like Peralada are appreciated by castle connoisseurs. The Pyrenees and Navarre have their place in military history, too, of course, which would lead you to the Basque Country and the rest of the north of Spain, from where you would be drawn towards Portugal, worthy of a whole book of its own in terms of castles. And if we step outside the mediaeval timeframe of this article, there is much more for the studious and enthusiasts alike: Roman and pre-Roman remains, works from the Napoleonic wars, traces of the Spanish Civil War…

The Castle-Parador, Sigüenza 

Castle Hotels. To end the day, if your budget allows, it is a special thrill to sleep in a castle (especially in a four-poster bed) and many Spanish paradors (Olite, Zafra…) are converted palaces or castles. The parador at Sigüenza is one of my favourites, a hugely imposing building which was, in fact, pretty well destroyed during the Civil War. It was rebuilt in the fifties with tremendous diligence and authenticity, but in many ways it is a new building. Looking at this benevolently, it means a stay there gives you a more authentic impression (flush toilets and central heating aside) of what living there would really have been like — they were not ruins when people lived in them. And at the Sigüenza parador, as in many others, an added attraction is that its restaurant is a real living museum of regional cuisine, offering traditional local dishes which can simply no longer be found elsewhere.

Source: Spain for visitors

It dates on 20 June to 24 June. After evening dinner, live bands start to play in the barracas, and dancing goes on all night. If you are one of the thousands of people visiting Alicante and don’t belong to a barraca, don’t worry - there are plenty of larger barracas open to the public where you pay for your drinks, but the live music is always free.

On the last night of fiestas, at midnight an enormous palmtree-shaped firework is let off from the top of Alicante castle, overlooking the city. From this moment on, and according to a strict timetable set by Alicante’s firemen, the hogueras are burnt one by one. One of the highlights of the evening for the children is when the firemen turn the hoses on the crowds every time fire is successfully put out. 

Many Spanish towns have a kind of local beauty contest in the weeks leading up to their fiestas, in which a girl is chosen to represent the fiestas. Alicante is no exception, and the Bellea de Foc (”Beauty of the Fire”!) has quite a leading role not only during the San Juan fiestas, but also in all sorts of official celebrations attended by municipal dignitaries throughout the year (official carol services, sports and cultural events, museum inaugurations etc.) Alicante has a bull ring which is usually used for open-air concerts, but during the San Juan Hogueras Fiestas a full programme of corridas is attended by some of Spain’s best known bullfighters. A few years ago, they weren’t very popular at all, but ever since a European Union motion tried to ban bullfighting, the corridas have become more and more popular, and these days are sell-outs.

For five nights after the San Juan Hogueras fiestas have finished, from the 25th to 29th June there are fireworks displays held on the main Postiguet Beach. Thousands of alicantinos of all ages, stroll down to the beach at half past eleven each night, sit on the sand, and marvel at the wonderful displays which begin each night at midnight. 

This is the most important date in Alicante’s festival calendar and has been declared of International Tourist Interest. It is based on the old custom of burning useless items to celebrate the summer solstice.

This is not to be missed if you are in Valencia during the month of Jun. It takes only 2 hours to drive along A7 motorway to get there.

Sources: Euroresidentes, Caboroig

When you think about Spanish fashion, who tends to come to mind?

In all likelihood, it’s Custo or ZARA. Custo Barcelona, formed by the brothers Custodio and David Dalmau, started out designing t-shirts in the early 80s and gained celebrity status in recent years much like the Catalan culinary star Ferran Adriá. And in the High Street, ZARA is one of the largest chains in Spain, with close to 900 stores in 60 countries, making millions of sales each year.

Amancio Ortega, owner of Inditex (the empire of seven brand names including Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Kiddy’s Class) is the richest man in Spain and number 23rd in the world with a net fortune put at EUR 10.4 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
 

But Spanish fashion today is so much more.

Needless to say, status and money does not always equal style and merit. It often seems as if the designers with the best marketing strategy and biggest bucks get the most attention.

Some, like Antonio Miro make news headlines by designing everything, from fragrances to bed sheets, clothes, and even plumbing taps; others are merely recognized for using standard motifs like hearts, flowers, and bright colors like yellow, red, and fuchsia as is Agatha Ruiz de la Prada.

New designers like David Delfin gain notoriety because of the shock value of their collections. Delfin it was who recently designed a collection where his models were completely covered by veils, angering many as at the same time women under the Taliban regime were being assaulted on a daily basis. During his collection for the Autumn/Winter 2006-2007, Delfin featured designs reminiscent of Nazi uniforms. The reaction was predictable.

But what about those designers who listen to their individual muses, create for the pleasure of it, and are less concerned about media attention? They continue to be Spain’s well-kept secrets. Throughout the country, with over 50 fashion schools, from Galicia to Andalusia, the Basque Country, Catalonia and Madrid,  Spanish designers are creating and selling their collections each year, in and outside of their country.

A few interesting designers, perhaps not as well known, but worth mentioning are Josep Font (consistently designs ultra-feminine collections), Lydia Delgado (respected for her chic and sensual designs), Miriam Ocariz (whose inventive prints are sought after all over Spain), Juana Martin, (the first Gypsy designer who re-interprets traditional flamenco dress), Roberto Diaz (who continues to experiment and diversify his unique style), Amaya Arzuaga (uses classic structures to produce innovative garments), and lastly Hannibal Laguna (multi-talented and dynamic, who season after season creates both women’s and bridal wear collections).

So my recommendation is…when visiting any Spanish city and you are in a shopping mood, instead of rushing into Zara, check out small fashion boutiques along the way.

I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find unique, and in many cases, one-of-a-kind pieces, reasonably priced that you may have missed otherwise. So shop until you drop and enjoy!

Fantastically impressive landscape and it is worth visiting just for the silence, speaking as a south London resident who never hears silence at all. There are allegedly brown bears up there, but they understandably keep well away from humans. We got the first cable car of the day at 0900, having left the house at some unconscionable hour, and it was full, including a bloke with a mountain bike who presumably was going to cycle down. On the way down, on foot, I started to envy that bloke. Significant other sometimes has ambitious ideas about the physical challenges we can both meet, and inching down a steep pebbly mountain path for about three hours sounds easier than it was.

I also discovered today that the change in air pressure as you ascend, which makes your ears pop and readjust automatically on the way up and you have to pinch your nose on the way down, has its effect on teeth too. I have a cracked tooth I have been meaning for several years to have seen to, and before the air pressure readjusted it was agonizing. I remember now being warned about this when I was having diving lessons last year, but had forgotten again until today.

We made it down the mountain to a little village called Espinama, charming place but we really wanted to be elsewhere, and asked about the bus to the nearest town, Potes. Some Guardia Civil were hanging about in the village with a horse-box van (I thought at first it was a meat-wagon) and on seeing that we were footsore and had three hours to wait for the bus, they said the Spanish equivalent of “Hop in” and took us to Potes. Four Guardia Civil, they don’t wear those tin hats any more but a kind of beret thing, fab uniform with tight trousers tucked into knee-length riding boots, two of them were very good-looking I couldn’t help noticing and one even had a kind of dueling scar on his cheek. They were playing a tape of songs which sounded to my untutored ear like far-right anthems. They were terrific, offered their fags round and everything. This is the kind of thing which doesn’t happen. I am putting it here because I can hardly believe it myself. Whatever your names are, thanks to all four of you. Both of us had overdone it walking down the mountain, it was only about 15K I suppose, but downhill on a rough path when you are not used to it, perhaps on balance a return trip in the cable car would have been a better idea.

But the sky, the silence, and the eagles flying, or rather gliding on the thermals. Nothing at all to be heard but cowbells and a goat’s bleat every now and then. Tomorrow I shall probably not be able to walk at all. But go there if you can, there is a terrific rest house up there and you don’t have to walk as far as we did.

This train, after several years working, skirts a frame of the north of Spain and the coastline of Cantabria. This is where we can find the cities and villages of northern Spain. These are charming spots brimming with vitality and history, which over the centuries have become living works of art, such as Santiago de Compostela, Viveiro, Oviedo, Ribadesella, Llanes, Santillana del Mar, Santander, Bilbao, Carrion de los Condes and Leon, etc.

The train offers double or individual compartments, each suite carriage consists of 4 compartments and each suite compartment has a double bed, minibar, wardrobe, writing desk and telephone with external line, where you can enjoy all the privacy you need during the journey.

During the night the trains stops so you can sleep in comfort. You can also go out and meet the atmosphere of each town.

As one travels through the lands of Castile & Leon and along the Cantabrian coast, it becomes obvious that cooking is to play a major role on the route of the Transcantabrico. Galicia, Asturias, Pais Vasco and Castile & Leon are, in the opinion of the great chefs and the most demanding gourmets, the regions where the finest cuisine is to be found in Spain.

The travel looks nice, however, it has it cost. A double suite’s price is 2,200€ per person and an individual 3,000 euros. It also includes a guide during the route, music and parties at the carriage’s pub, programmed excursions, a luxury bus and a well trained crew.

If you have time and money go for it, you won’t regret it.

Considering how low the bullring is, it is surprising that so few buildings overlook it. Offices above bank headquarters and local restaurants have a bird’s eye view of most of the ring. Some apartments above the Hotel Royal also look out on to the historic sight. However, one coming on the housing market is almost as rare as an actual bullfight in Ronda today. It is not so much the bullring that potential residents wish to see from their windows but the adjacent Alameda del Tajo (Promenade of the Gorge).

This is a wonderfully designed tree lined avenue where locals and tourists alike take a stroll to witness the panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. Without question, this is one of the most consistently enjoyable views in Spain. The Tajo was completed in 1806 courtesy of monies raised from fines imposed on those who foul mouthed in public. Today the serene surroundings are likely to leave you speechless.

In order to overlook the bullring you would have to live on the road that dissects the city, the Virgen de la Paz. It is a very central location for all that the city has to offer, but is by no means the prettiest area of Ronda.

There is no shortage of property for sale all within ten minute’s walk of the bullring. Some are being sold at low prices not seen in much of modern day Spain. For example, A&B are selling a home in the Padre Jesus area of Ronda for just 114,000 euros. Living here means a steep walk up into the centre of the city but you are away from the tourist coaches and have many splendid countryside walks on your doorstep. It has three bedrooms, a courtyard, central heating and air conditioning. It has splendid countryside walks on its doorstep. The historic fountain of eight spouts is across the road from the house - very handy should your water supply be cut off! British people who have bought in Ronda will tell you that the city is not blessed with a great deal of modern day culture. When friends are due to arrive from the UK they are asked to bring with them the latest books and music. Concerts and theatre performances are few and far between in Ronda and residents travel as far as Seville to satisfy their lust for culture.

It is clear that there is a price to pay should you wish to have a permanent and memorable view in Ronda. There are many vantage points from which to savour this city and the surrounding countryside. The best view of the bullring though is from within its Neo-classical walls.

A good idea would be to buy one of the cheaper homes in the less touristy areas of Ronda and then enjoy the scenic walk to the Plaza del Toros. Choose your seat, pull out your copy of Death in the Afternoon and understand why Hemingway was so in love with this historical arena.

Cava, made by the Champagne method, is a very acceptable alternative to French champagne and, it should be said, much better value for money. Almost all cava is produced in Catalonia, especially in the Penedés region, although eight different provinces are included in the production area. Literary references show that wine with a certain amount of effervescence has been made in Catalonia since at least the fourteenth century. But it was not until the 1850s that serious attempts began to produce a wine with the same characteristics as champagne and production did not begin until the 1870s. Since then, cava has become tremendously popular and vast amounts, over two hundred million bottles, are now made for both domestic consumption and export. The best-known makes, Codorniu and Freixenet, have been involved in a full-scale trade war for years.

How to distinguish the real cava

Cava is not the only sparkling wine made in Spain and sometimes consumers are fooled into accepting something inferior. You can distinguish cava by the cork, which should be marked with a four-pointed star. Like champagne, cava comes in different degrees of sweetness. The following are the categories according to sugar content, although the characteristics of different wines may mean one manufacturer’s seco tastes as sweet as another’s semi-seco: Brut Nature - (no added sugar) up to 3 g per litreExtra Brut - up to 6 g per litreBrut - up to 15 g per litreExtra seco - between 12 and 20 g per litreSeco - between 17 and 35 g per litreSemi-seco - between 33 and 50 g per litreDulce - more than 50 g per litre.

When is cava tasted?

You will also see terms like Brut de Brut (very dry), Brut Gran Reserva Vintage… It is often thought that brut cava is somehow superior to the others, which is not true, although it may be more versatile. Because of the custom of saving the cava for the toast at weddings and other social occasions, it is also thought that cava is only suitable for the end of the meal, which is emphatically not the case. Cava, according to the wine critic Carlos Delgado, is “one of the few wines which can be drunk throughout a meal, simply by moving from brut to dulce, as long as there is no strong-flavoured meat dish.” Delgado, somewhat snobbishly, also considers that “cava is always preferable towards the beginning of the meal,” an elitist opinion perhaps related with the association between cava and (expensive) seafood.

The method

Cava is usually made by the coupage method, whereby must (grape juice) from different varieties of grape is subjected to the first fermentation, and then mixed until the blend is consistent with the wine to be produced. The advantage of this is that a particular brand of cava will taste the same every year. It also means that most cava does not carry a year on the bottle, as must from different years is often used. Some are always made using the same grape variety, in which case the year will be indicated on the bottle: these are superior and evidently more expensive cavas. After the coupage, the wine is put into bottles and yeast and sugar added. It is then left for the second fermentation and aging. This lasts a minimum of nine months and may be up to three or four years, for a very special cava. A process called “riddling and disgorging” is then carried out. The bottles are stored nearly upside down so that the sediment settles on the corks and riddled, turned, for a period of thirty days. “Disgorging” is when the corks are removed, together with the sediment (usually with the help of a freezing process). Expedición, “passing liquor,” a blend of the same wine as that in the bottle and others, together with the required amount of sugar, is then added in order to replace the lost wine and make the final flavour. Evidently, this process needs to be carried out very quickly. New corks are then put in and fastened on with the wire clasp before the bottles are labelled.

Cava does not improve being kept

Cava is sold ready for drinking and the “riddling and disgorging” process means that the fermentation process is halted. Cava does not improve with being kept, indeed it deteriorates with age: buy it, store upright in a cool, not cold, place, for as little time as possible, and drink it, preferably in the same week. Remember that the sweeter the cava, the cooler it needs to be served: a brut nature can be served practically at room temperature, but a semi-seco should be well chilled.

As Spaniards say while enjoying drink: ¡¡¡Salud!!!

In the province of Zaragoza, you have the Augusta Golf Calatayud golf course, with 9 holes, Par 36 and a distance of 3,000 metres. The training golf course, with 30 posts in two heights, allows one to enjoy different techniques, with the guarantee of being in top class installations. The route of this course is very demanding, with holes at 500 metres, small greens, narrow paths requiring very accurate strokes. It has two typical lakes, strategically located so that the game can be started from several holes, thus, challenging players. The complex is between mountains and surrounded by spectacular scenery from which one can admire the Ayud castle in the background, and the Roman ruins of Bilbilis. A few miles from Salamanca, in Monte de Zarapicos, you can find a 6,045 metre golf course with a Par 72. It is situated between mountains; however, this does not mean that the route is very steep. Its length will be the delight of great strikers, without forgetting it needs precise strokes and a select choice of clubs. The bunkers, strategically located, are some of the obstacles which call for more technical golf. As it is very near Salamanca golf players have a unique opportunity to visit this beautiful city and enjoy a stroll in its Main Square, visit the University, see the two cathedrals, the House of Shells or just have a “tapa” in one of its many bars. Right in Cantabria, in the locality of Mogro, golfers have Abra del Pas Golf Course, a place where enjoying this sport becomes a joy. Located in an incredible spot, in the mouth of this river, visitors will be overwhelmed by the beauty of the scenery, surrounded by forests and fine sand dunes. This course has 9 holes and is open to the public. It also gives you the chance to start this sport with short courses for beginner and advanced players.

Golf surrounded by beautiful natural landscape is what these complexes offer. Places where, besides enjoying a sport, you can also enrich your visit by sightseeing in the surrounding areas. A unique opportunity to combine sport and at the same time stroll through a natural environment of great beauty.

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Whilst Spain is one of the world’s leading destinations for the package holiday there is more to this country than the beaches of the costas and islands. The independent traveler will want to move around see what more Spain has to offer.

Getting there

There are thirty one airports on the mainland serving the following cities and towns: A Coruna, Albacete, Alicante, Almería, Asturias, Badajoz, Barcelona, Bilbao, Burgos, Cordoba, Girona, Granada, Jerez de la Frontera, Leon, Madrid, Malaga, Murcia, Pamplona, Reus, Sabadell, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Santander, Santiago, Sevilla, Valencia, Valladolid, Vigo and Zaragoza. In the Canaries the islands of El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, Lanzarote and Tenerife and in the Balearics Ibiza, Menorca and Mallorca all have airports. Gibraltar, the British colony at the southern most tip of Spain, also has it’s own airport. British Airways and the Monarch fly daily to Gibraltar from several departure points in the United Kingdom and Monarch has some very good deals on seats. Major carriers provide scheduled flights to Spain but it is also a principal destination for budget airlines with return flights available for less than 100 Euros from other European cities. It is also possible to pick up bargain seats on the many charter flights serving the tourist industry. Air travel within Spain, with the exception of a couple of budget airlines, is expensive.

Major roads provide access from Portugal to the west and France which borders Spain to the northeast. Road travel within the country can vary. Many roads are not of a good standard but Spain has received billions of Euros in aid from the European Union and much of this has been spent on the infrastructure and so it is also possible to travel on some of the newest and finest roads on the continent. The country is well served by many bus companies linking the major towns and cities with express services. There are also a wealth of local bus services.

The train service is well developed enabling access to the country from both Portugal and France and fast travel between towns and cities within Spain. Fares are cheap compared to some other major European countries. Madrid and Barcelona are served by extensive Metro (underground railway) networks.

In addition to the many inter island services ferries run from the mainland to both the island groups and the two enclaves in Morocco. The Canary Islands are served by a boat running from Cadiz. The journey is long, some 48 hours and the sea conditions often make for a rough passage. It may be preferable to fly although as we have already pointed out this can be expensive. Ferries from Tariffa and Algeciras, in the Andalucian province of Cadiz, run to Tanger in Morroco. Ferries also link the enclave of Cueta with Tariffa, Algeciras and Malaga. Mellila, the other enclave is served by a boats out of Malaga and Almeria. The Balearic Islands have services to the mainland running to Barcelona, Valencia and Denia.

More information about traveling in Spain can be found in the Spanish Travel Guide Find Spanish hotels, hostals and pensions, property for rent and sale in our Spanish Directory.

By Ken Jones

About The Author

Ken Jones runs two websites. A Spanish Travel Guide which includes a commercial directory wth extensive listings for hotels, hostals and pensions, property for rent and sale. And a Sailing Site which features

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