Hotels and Holidays

	Cáceres (way out west) Cáceres may not be so well-known to the average traveller as, say, Seville or Barcelona, but it is certainly a place that rewards those intrepid voyagers who are prepared to go that extra mile. It is a city characterised by numerous old palaces, endless archaeological exhibits, and the unique Moorish underground water deposit (the "aljibe") with it's 16 arabic vaulted arches. No fewer than 30 mediaeval towers lie within the city, as well as the Moorish mud-brick Torre del Horno. ....READ MORE
	The Basque Language age edition of Scrabble, but there really should be. Without some adjustment to the scoring system and the numbers of each letter, the game would become impossible. When you're up in that area, if you see words liberally peppered with t’s, x’s, z’s and k’s; that’s Basque! And where does this language come from? Amazingly, nobody knows. Basque is spoken by around three-quarters of a million people, mostly in the corner of Spain known as El Pais Vasco, the remainder being in the corresponding ....READ MORE
	Why We Keep Coming Back to Puerto Pollensa Sarah Scott explains the allure of Mallorca for her young family. I don’t know about you, but every year when my husband and I book our summer holiday we need to consider fun for the kids and relaxation, good food and wine for dad and mum. Lucky for us, they are still young enough to be entertained by simple holidays and we are not yet confined to resorts with summer activity camps and water parks. ....READ MORE
	Madrid - A Visit An often repeated proverb dating back to the Renaissance says, with a little exaggeration, 'Madrid, nueve meses de invierno, tres meses de infierno' (Madrid, nine months of winter, three months of burning hell). In August the temperature averages 30ºC while in winter it can fall several degrees below zero. Although the saying is exaggerated, the continental climate in the middle of the peninsula and the altitude of Madrid at 646 metres above sea level certainly does make for an extreme ....READ MORE
	Family Holidays: a Source of Lifelong Happiness You know that a holiday is good for you, but did you know the benefits of that break last long after you get home? The Family Holiday Association, a charity that helps struggling families to get a break, recently did some research on the holistic benefits of holidays and discovered that almost half of us cited family holidays as our happiest memories. ....READ MORE
	Guadalest If Guadalest didn't already exist, someone would have had to invent it. This amazing little village offers so much. Let's start with the castle. The vertical precipices of rock couldn't fail to attract the attention of anyone looking for position that would readily hold back their enemies. The pre-Roman Iberians were the first to occupy the site, but it was the Moors who built a proper castle here. ....READ MORE
	Pamplona Some while back I had the opportunity to wander around the centre of Pamplona, the city made famous by the annual "running of the bulls". Although I didn't find a little hotel there suitable for Little Hotels (yes I know, I'm fussy!), that's no reason not to pass on a little of what I learned. Just like in nearly every city, it's the old quarter that is the most interesting bit. In Pamplona, that's the little maze of streets radiating out from the Plaza Del Castillo. I sat there a while in ....READ MORE
	Sierra de Aracena The Sierra de Aracena is situated towards the northern boundary of Huelva province close to the Portuguese border. It is a scenic area of wooded, rolling hillsides and whitewashed villages, which are very picturesque. The guide books tell you that the best time to visit is in the spring when an 'incredible profusion of wild flowers colonize a verdant sierra' or in the autumn when 'the chestnut trees are ablaze and the orchards are laden with fruit'. ....READ MORE
	Catalonia: The Making of Extra-Special Wines... And Memories It has long been acknowledged that there is a mysterious connection between taste, smell and memory. Those in the know refer to it as the “Proustian Experience”, a reference to a famous passage in Marcel Proust’s “Remembrance of Things Past” in which he tastes a madeleine and sip of lemon tea and is instantly transported back to his aunt’s house some 40 years earlier. ....READ MORE
	Ten Ways To Blend-In In Catalonia A British Mum In Barcelona tells us what she’s learned. 1. Never order a large milky coffee “café con leche”/”café amb llet” after lunch. 2. Wear a coat in winter no matter what the weather. This winter it’s been close to 20ºC most lunch-times but you must not let this break your winter coat wearing spirit. ....READ MORE

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