Holidays in Spain

	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
	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
	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
	The Catalan Language 4 million speakers out of the Spanish population of 45 million may not initially sound huge, but in those communities who do speak it, Catalan has a significant standing. A somewhat maligned language, it has a turbulent history which highlights the point of contention it long has been. Fundamentally though, despite the presence of other minority languages in Spain such as Basque and Galician, Catalan is the most prominent.Catalan is, to most of its speakers a very important sign of identity, som ....READ MORE
	Bilbao - A City of Contrasts There are few cities in the world that are as astonishing as Bilbao. Its contrasts, its gastronomy, the combination of an elegant past and a contemporary present make it irresistible. Today of course, the star attraction is the Guggenheim Museum but there is so much more to Bilbao than that. The city established itself as a significant port in the middle ages, then at the end of the 19th century Bilbao became an important industrial town, based on the iron industry. ....READ MORE

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