Falling in love with Spain
Flamenco can well describe Spain – rich and seductive. Spain is a country that you can fall in love with, over and over. Spain is fond of good food, better wines, and excellent conversations. Spaniards know how to live life, and as a visitor, there can be nothing better than steeping oneself in their land of abundance.
The best way to start off your discovery of Spain is to experience Madrid. Madrid can be overwhelming for the uninitiated. It is edgy, restless, and wild, but in its architecture and art, there is a pensiveness that makes Madrid one of its kind in Europe.
Madrid has a stunning collection of artwork in the Prado museum. The painting ‘Las Meninas’ by Diego Velázquez, a Spanish painter is on display at the museum. Other artists on display include the notable Spanish painters, Goya and El Greco. Palacio Real, the royal palace now houses government offices, and is open to the public. It possesses stunning gardens, and has more rooms than any other palace in Europe. It also houses a sizeable art collection.
But then, Madrid is not really about its buildings. It is more about the people. Madrid has a vibrant nightlife. All sorts of discos and bars can be found in Madrid, which often have live music. Del Diego, located near the Gran Vía is a cool place, with amazing cocktails and a laidback atmosphere. La Negra Tomasa, a cuban joint is quite famous in Madrid. It has a Caribbean setting of palm trees and fishermen. The parties in Madrid are the stuff legends are made of and quite often last till the wee hours of the morning. It is not out of the ordinary to find traffic jams at night, as clubbers search for new and different venues. Food in Madrid is quite delicious, but being a city of bars, tapas can be called a speciality of Madrid, and indeed all of Spain. Tapas are snacks and finger food, served along with liquor. Fried squid, or calamari are a popular option and tortilla de patatas, a thick spanish omelette with potatoes is a favourite with many. Bar hopping is a Spanish hobby, as people go from one bar to another before dinner or on weekends, drinking liquor and indulging in different tapas.
On sundays and holidays, Madrileños, the people of Madrid are found around the bull rings. Bullfights are legendary in Spain. It is a gritty sport, with a history that dates back to the 10th century. Though many people have been increasingly vocal against it, bullfighting remains an integral part of Madrid. Those who prefer sports of a more regular kind should definitely visit Santiago Bernabéu stadium, home of the football club, Real Madrid. The stadium is named of Real Madrid’s eternal star, Santiago Bernabéu, a footballer and manager who single handedly transformed the Real Madrid club, by daring to dream big. He turned the club into a huge success that it is now. Football is a religion in Spain and is followed with a fervour that may astound you. During football matches, streets wear a deserted look as Spaniards congregate around televisions, in bars and restaurants. During the football season, thousands of fans turn up at the stadiums, eager to cheer their team with their deafening roars. If you love football, you will definitely fall in love with Spain.
From Madrid, it is easy to go down to Barcelona. It is situated in the region Catalonia of Spain. Flights run between the two cities often. You can take a train and watch the Spanish countryside zip by, or opt for a more leisurely road trip. Barcelona possesses a different spirit than wild Madrid. It has a rich culture, full of art and architecture.
Barcelona has a love for modernist architecture. The famous architect, Antonio Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia, a church is located in Barcelona. Sagrada Familia is a puzzling building. It instantly divides people into two types- those fascinated by its strange appearance and those who do not take to it too kindly. The three facades of the church – Nativity, Passion, and Glory are filled with motifs and characters from the Bible and Christianity. Nativity is lush and ostentatious as it depicts different elements of life. Passion is austere and stern and shows the events before Jesus’ crucifixion and his ascension. The third facade, Glory, is yet under construction. The interior roof is colourful, ornate, and overwhelming. Gaudi had designed the columns in the interior of the church to imitate trees and branches. This building is a must visit for all – either to rapture over its facades or to marvel at its oddity.
Barcelona is also full of little cafes and bars, where one can sit for long hours to soak in the city. It has a stunning array of tapas, but it is seafood that is truly exquisite here. Oysters, shrimps, and squids are made into tasty, savoury delicacies in restaurants across Barcelona. Barcelona, being the capital of the Catalonia region, is rife with restaurants that offer food native to this part of Spain. Feast on the simplistic dish, ‘Pan con tomate’ or bread with tomatoes as it’s called, or on Escalivada, in which different vegetables are roasted and served warm with bread in the months of winter. You can also try the Crema Catalana, a dish similar to crème brulée, but essentially Spanish. Rich, creamy and delicious, it is a dessert that begs you to scrape the plate for crumbs after finishing it off.
To the south of Spain lies Andalusia, a place of mountains and beaches. It has had a distinctive influence on the rest of the country – bullfighting and Flamenco are considered to be Andalusian.
The moorish influence on Andalusia can nowhere be seen as clearly as in Córdoba. Islam, Judaism and Christianity existed side by side in this medieval town from the ancient times. The structure that dominates the entire city is the Mezquita. A large mosque, it rises in centre of Córdoba’s ancient streets. It is the most beautiful example of Spanish Islamic architecture. The famed red and white striped columns of the mosque are breathtaking and its beauty only increases with every visit. In May, the town hosts ‘Festival of the Patios’, a unique fiesta where patios overflow with vibrant flowers and all contend to have the most beautiful patio in town.
Granada, another town in Andalucía has rich history. The palace of the Nasrid Rulers, Alhambra stands in Granada, proud and fierce. The arches, motifs, and details in the fort are astounding. This Moorish fort is magnificent during day time, but on some days, it is also open to the public at night. The long walks in the fort are lit up by the soft glow of lamps and the mesmerizing scent of jasmine casts a seductive spell. Granada is a throwback to the ancient times and for that alone, it cannot be skipped on a tour of Spain.
But undoubtedly, the greatest city of Andalusia is Sevilla. The cathedral of Sevilla is one of the most important churches in Spain. The largest gothic church in the world, it was built over the period of a century. It also has a monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus, whose remains are interred here. There are other sights in Sevilla worth visiting like the Alcázar, an ancient Moorish fort and La Giralda, a church. Of the numerous festivals of Sevilla that undoubtedly define it, Semana Santa, or ‘holy week’ is the best. It is celebrated in the week leading up to Easter. Different processions are held during the festival. Floats and images of Virgin Mary or the scenes leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion make an integral part of these processions.
Two weeks after Easter starts the Feria de Abril. It is generally held in the month of April. Lasting a week, Feria de Abril continues day and night and is full of joy and revelry. Long strands of colourful lights are strung above the streets, giving them a festive air. Temporary tents, called casetas line the streets where entire families gather for singing, dancing and merrymaking. Women wear their traditional flamenco dresses, hair combs, shawls and carry their fans, laughing and flirting. Men wear short jackets and tight trousers and ride horses or drive buggies during the festival. Tapas are consumed relentlessly and washed down with a cocktail. The April fair is a week of pure fun and abandonment.
Spain is full of such festivals and immerses itself into each fiesta wholeheartedly. Such is the generosity of Spain, where total strangers will also be pulled in for a dance on the street or invited in the casetas for a drink. Once you embark on a trip to Spain, it is a never ending love affair with this country of sun and spirit.
In the next post, we will compete with the bulls in the San Fermin festival and sway to music on carefree island of Ibiza and peruse the high end shops in city of San Sebastian! Ladies, time to put on your dancing shoes and join us for the journey ahead!
[Image credits: Wikimedia commons and fanpop]
