Salamanca! Even the name has a resonance of history. And it truly has history in abundance. Salamanca is home to the third oldest university in Europe, and is still today one of the most important centres of education in Spain, with more than 40,000 students studying there. Like other ancient seats of learning, the university of Salamanca is an architectural treasure trove as well as a place to study. The university building was founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX and the main building
Tarragona is a city that can please all manner of people; from history buffs wanting to see some of the best Roman remains outside of Rome to adrenalin-junkies who want to ride the biggest roller coaster in Europe. The Romans first came to Tarragona in 218 BC, and quickly established the city as the capital of Roman Iberia. Appropriately enough, they built some amazing civic structures that survive to this day, notably the Roman Circus where chariot races were held and the amphitheatre which is
Córdoba is not the biggest city you'll ever visit, and it's all the better for that. All the attractions are within easy reach of each other, and really, Cordoba is one of the lesser known jewels of Spain. This city has a history that is a match for any in Europe, perhaps the world. It was the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Baetica and at one time had more cultural buildings than Rome itself.
It is estimated that Spanish is spoken by between 350 and 400 million people around the world. It is the third most spoken language by number of speakers (after Chinese and English), and the second most spoken language in terms of native speakers. It is also the official language of nearly all of South and Central America. Spanish has certainly spread itself far and wide from its Iberian beginnings.
Asturias has an abundance of wonderful beaches; long sandy ones, small rocky ones, a few busy ones, many deserted ones, some unusual ones. Most unusual of all is Playa de Gulpiyuri near Llanes. It has all the essentials of any beach anywhere: sand, salt-water, rocks, cliffs, waves and tide. But it is surrounded 360° by fields! This beach is over 100 metres from the sea.
Every time that I get a whiff of the heady fragrance of orange blossom, a scent I love and have never yet taken for granted, I think back with great fondness to the time our family spent in Seville, at the end of March some two years ago. As Easter Sunday that particular year fell on the 27th March the city was actually between its two very diverse festivals, the solemn Easter Holy Week 'Semana Santa', and the very boisterous April Fair, 'Feria de Abril'. During both of these festivals it is
The abundance of castles and fortresses that are liberally scattered across Spain are testimony to a war-torn history, and most especially to the long period of Moorish occupation. Today these numerous castles offer a multiplicity of fascinating places to visit and explore. One such castle is the Castle of the Eagle at Gaucin, in Andalucia. Gaucin is the village with a view of three countries, two continents, one sea and one ocean, so the strategic value is pretty self-evident.
Magnificent castles are one of the enduring legacies that the Moors left in Spain, that continued their military function for centuries after the Moors left, and today provide dramatic and imposing features on the arid landscape, a joy to the eye for those visitors who venture off the standard tourist trail. Banyeres is one such castle, lying on the road between Alicante and Alcoy, occupying an impregnable position that dominates the surrounding countryside and the town of Banyeres itself.
The castle at Almeria is part of a much larger historic monument, the Alcazaba of Almería.So what is an Alcazaba? In other places it might be called a citadel: much more than a castle, better fortified than a normal walled city, but just a little bit less all-encompassing. The arab rulers of Southern Spain in the middle ages evolved a style all of their own, with impressive palaces, administrative offices and all the trades and commerce necessary for their lifestyle protected behind the battleme
Who would be idiotic enough to open a hotel in a village that is not even on most maps! Many people, including bank managers, agreed that I was nuts when I decided to do just that. But for me it was one of the main appeals of Cartajima. Perhaps because it is so undiscovered, it is a little paradise of a village.
