What is the Great Thurible? A – A long lost uncle by marriage that just left you wealthy. B – A Norse godling. C – A new super-hero with the ability to throw lighting bolts. D – None of the above. The answer is D. I’m sure most of you knew from the beginning that [more...]
Every year around the world there are bizarre festivals where people celebrate by throwing food. Tomatoes In Buñol, Spain, the festival of La Tomatina is held every summer. A truckload of tomatoes is dispensed, and everyone throws them at each other for an hour. It’s seriously messy, but you can swim in the river afterwards. [more...]
The Alhambra, built by Granada's Moorish rulers in the fourteenth century, is a complex of palaces and forts on a hill close to the center of the Spanish city of Granada.The Alhambra is a popular tourist destination, and your first problem may be getting a ticket. Tickets are limited, and you would be wise to [more...]
Of course, Brazilians speak Portugese because Brazil was colonized by the Portuguese, but if the Portugese got there first why didn’t they also colonize the northeastern coast of South America and Uruguay and Argentina? It all goes back to 1494 and the Treaty of Tordesillas between Spain and Portugal, which was authored by Pope Alexander [more...]
The Alhambra (Calat Alhambra – “the red fortress”), is a fort and palace complex built during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of Granada. The Alhambra's palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs (Kings) to rule in Spain, the Nasrid dynasty. It was started in the thirteenth century by the founder of [more...]
If you are visiting Barcelona on holiday, then a visit to the Cathedral of Santa Eulàlia of Barcelona will probably be on your itinerary. Located in Barri Gòtic (the Gothic quarter of the city), the cathedral dominates the surrounding streets which were built on the remains of the original Roman city and within the city [more...]
La Marcha Real (“The Royal March”) is Spain’s National Anehem and one of the few national anthems which have no official lyrics. But things are changing. The Spanish national anthem was written in 1761 by an unknown composer and only had lyrics during the reign of King Alfonso XIII and when Franco was in power. [more...]
Spain is a lively and democratic country that stretches from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Portugal, France, Andorra, Gibraltar and—perhaps surprisingly—Morocco (which adjoins the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla). Like France, Spain has two coasts: a Mediterranean coast to the southeast and an Atlantic coast on the Bay of Biscay [more...]
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid. Barcelona’s founding is the subject of two different stories. The first has the founding of the city by Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome. The second by the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who named the city Barcino in the 3rd century [more...]
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the King of Spain, though the royal family does not live there. The Palacio Real de Madrid is still used for state occasions. The current palace was first occupied by Carlos III in 1764. The current palace was built on the site of a former [more...]
Madrid is the capital of Spain and the country’s largest city. While people have lived in the region of Madrid since prehistoric times, the origins of the modern city date from the 9th century, when Muhammad I ordered the building of a small palace in the same location that is occupied by the Palacio Real [more...]
Surely the most fun you can have with tomatoes is at the tomato throwing festival held each year in Buñol, Spain? Food fights don’t get much better than this! This unusual festival started in 1945 when a fight broke out during a parade and the miscreants raided a market stall for tomatoes to throw at [more...]
If you visit the south of Spain in winter-time you’ll see colourful, fruit-laden orange trees growing along the streets, in squares and public parks. They’re not sweet oranges, and so they stay on the ornamental trees without being picked by passers-by. In spring, visitors may be treated to the fragrance of orange blossom. Book a [more...]
The Alhambra in Granada, Spain is a magnificent complex of palaces and gardens created for the medieval rulers of Andalucia. You might not expect to book a hotel room in one of the ancient buildings of this exceptional “world heritage” site, where visitor numbers are strictly controlled. And yet you can. Spain has a national [more...]