The land of bullfighting is starting to become a thing of the past, as there has been great pressure to ban it entirely.
My understanding is that the few that are left are becoming altered to make it a little less of a gory spectacle (but the purists are trying to keep the old traditions alive.
We have always love visiting Spain, and have been welcomed with open arms. The Spanish love their food and wine, and the multiple great restaurants and bars show it. Tapas are often the most popular way to eat, with large selections of bite-sized appetisers to have the biggest variety of choices. This is another country that has a wide variety of vacation options from beach to city locations. Historical site are everywhere as Spain is rich with a colourful past (if not infamous with the conquistadors oropening trade routes and “Colonizing” the world for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella)
“Can’t miss” destinations that have particularly special sights are Sitges, Seville, Ronda, Córdoba and Granada - Spain is definitely one for your travel destination list.
Jim's Useful Spanish Phrases
My collection of some useful phrases to help with restaurants and getting around - using a bit of Spanish. Its always a lot easier to use a little native language, but I really have fun with it, and many favourite memories come from at leasttrying.
Barcelona, Catalonia
A fantastic tourist destination that has such a wealth of sights and architecture - however Barcelona has developed quite a reputation for being more dangerous than some European cities, (particularly scams and theft) but we have found it quite comfortable to visit.
(There is a story that Barcelona is pronounced "BAR-theh-LOH-nah" because the king had a lisp and everyone spoke that way to make the king happy, but I think the answer is far simpler - this is the pronunciation in Catalan - see the link above for my “Useful Spanish Phrases”)
Sitges, Catalonia
One of the world’s leading gay-friendly tourist destinations - Sitges has also become just a great destination for ANYONE.!!
This quaint seaside town is full of fantastic restaurants, hotels and beachfront - just a great place to stay, with an easy train ride into Barcelona - what more can you ask for in an amazing vacation destination.!!
Seville, Andalusia
Knowing that the Moors ruled the Andalucia region of Spain for nearly 800 years, l was surprised to see so much Muslim influence there still was in Seville today.!
Many of the old architecture, including the spectacular Real Alcázar show the great work of the mudejar craftsmen. More recent historic buildings date from the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition (or Expo), highlighted by the “must see” Plaza de España.
Córdoba, Andalusia
Córdoba (pronounced Core-do-va), this is another of the major Muslim influenced Spanish cities.
At one time, the capital - and largest city in the world, with the centrepiece being the magnificent La Mezquita, or the Great Mosque. A tourist friendly walkable city, with a quaint historic centre - but, be sure to look into the many lush, gated interior courtyards, that have kept private citizens cool for centuries.
Ronda, Malaga
Ronda is a dramatic hilltop "pueblo blanco" (white town) separated in two parts by the breathtaking 150m (500ft) deep El Tajo gorge - one side is the Moorish “old” town and the other is the 15th-century El Mercadillo “new” town. It is said that bullfighting was invented here in the late 18th century, and the restored Plaza del Toros (Bull Ring) is well worth the visit, but it is also the historical stories of rebels wars, bandits and other outlaws that make it such a tourist destination.
Just Another Scam to Rip Off Tourists.?
At another one of the famous tourist sites in Seville, we were approached by a couple of vendors. Immediately, l take inventory of our valuables as pickpockets often work in pairs and teams. They quickly go to work trying to sell Geraldine some Spanish castanets and have her try them out, the other talks to me about his goods, but l am also busy trying to get some photos...Not only are they quite polite, they are quick to point out that someone could grab my knapsack and run away. Even though l tell them that l have strapped it through the basket on my rental bike - they warn me of thieves that will cut the straps.!!
And in that moment, my faith in humanity has been restored.
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