The cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is built on the site where the mortal remains of the Apostle Santiago el Mayor were found, and which are still revered today. This cathedral, together with Rome and Jerusalem, is one of the great holy places of Christianism. The original building was in pure Romanesque style. In one of the later changes, the Claustro was converted to Gothic and Plateresque style.
Saturday, 17 December 2016
Barcelona
From the airport
Train: Trains go to Barcelona's Sants station every 30 minutes.
Bus: the Aerobus stops outside each terminal every six to 15 minutes and heads straight for Placa Catalunya.
Shop
Find urbane-yet-dainty fashion for women at Como Agua de Mayo in the heart of the Barri Gothic.
For the latest in urban art and culture, head to the edgy gallery Iguapop for fashion, exhibitions and concerts.
If you fancy being a culture vulture, take a trip to Europe's coolest city to visit the Picasso museum, go for drinks at hip Hotel Arts and, if it all gets too much, recover on the city's man-made beach.
The best place to catch movies in English is the Icaria Yelmo theatre near the Vila Olimpica.
You can get on-the-day concert and theatre tickets at the main Barcelona tourist office, underground beneath Placa Catalunya.
In August, the beach is the place to be. The Sant Sebastia and Barceloneta beaches are most popular but the crowds thin out as you head north up the coast.
The Eixample district street Consell de Cent is packed with art galleries, ranging from startlingly contemporary to classic. Between the cross streets Passeig de Gracia and Enrique Granados, you will pass more than a dozen galleries worth exploring.
Day trip
La Molina. Just two hours away, La Molina has 53-kilometres of ski slopes for all abilities. It is a bit of a snowboarding hot-spot. Get there by train and coach.
Ebro River. The protected Ebro River Delta, two hours from Barcelona, is a marshy bird-lover's paradise with pristine beaches that never get crowded, even in the height of summer.
The Monumento a colon was erected in 1886 in memory of Christopher Columbus based on drawings by Boligas. From this 50m high column the great world explorer overlooks the port of Barcelona. His four great journeys of discovery are represented here: the first to San Salvador, the second to Guadeloupe, the third to Trinidad and the fourth to Haiti. A model of the Santa Maria, the admirals' caravel with which he discovered America in 1492 also lies berthed in the port of Barcelona.
Train: Trains go to Barcelona's Sants station every 30 minutes.
Bus: the Aerobus stops outside each terminal every six to 15 minutes and heads straight for Placa Catalunya.
Shop
Find urbane-yet-dainty fashion for women at Como Agua de Mayo in the heart of the Barri Gothic.
For the latest in urban art and culture, head to the edgy gallery Iguapop for fashion, exhibitions and concerts.
If you fancy being a culture vulture, take a trip to Europe's coolest city to visit the Picasso museum, go for drinks at hip Hotel Arts and, if it all gets too much, recover on the city's man-made beach.
The best place to catch movies in English is the Icaria Yelmo theatre near the Vila Olimpica.
You can get on-the-day concert and theatre tickets at the main Barcelona tourist office, underground beneath Placa Catalunya.In August, the beach is the place to be. The Sant Sebastia and Barceloneta beaches are most popular but the crowds thin out as you head north up the coast.
The Eixample district street Consell de Cent is packed with art galleries, ranging from startlingly contemporary to classic. Between the cross streets Passeig de Gracia and Enrique Granados, you will pass more than a dozen galleries worth exploring.
Day trip
La Molina. Just two hours away, La Molina has 53-kilometres of ski slopes for all abilities. It is a bit of a snowboarding hot-spot. Get there by train and coach.
Ebro River. The protected Ebro River Delta, two hours from Barcelona, is a marshy bird-lover's paradise with pristine beaches that never get crowded, even in the height of summer.
The Monumento a colon was erected in 1886 in memory of Christopher Columbus based on drawings by Boligas. From this 50m high column the great world explorer overlooks the port of Barcelona. His four great journeys of discovery are represented here: the first to San Salvador, the second to Guadeloupe, the third to Trinidad and the fourth to Haiti. A model of the Santa Maria, the admirals' caravel with which he discovered America in 1492 also lies berthed in the port of Barcelona.
Friday, 16 December 2016
La Mancha
The desolate landscape of La Mancha recalls Don Quixote and his faithful companion Sancho Panza. The white windmills with their black roofs and waving vanes look like those frightful giants against which the "Sad Knight" fought in vain. Cervantes set this adventure of Don Quixote in the red-brown sandy-coloured plains against the contrasting blue open sky. Incidentally, this region is named after the Arabic "manxa" meaning "dry earth".
Madrid
From the airport
Train. Underground line 8 (pink) links Barajas airport with Nuevos Ministerios metro and suburban train station in 12 minutes.
Bus.The number 200 leaves every 10 minutes from 6am-11.30pm. It stops at Avenida de America bus station.
Day trip
Train. Underground line 8 (pink) links Barajas airport with Nuevos Ministerios metro and suburban train station in 12 minutes.
Bus.The number 200 leaves every 10 minutes from 6am-11.30pm. It stops at Avenida de America bus station.
 |
| Plaza Major |
Day trip
The Escorial is located 49 kms from Madrid in the mountains, at an altitude of 1000 meters. Philippe II had this royal monastery built to commemorate the defeat of the French troops in 1557 on St Lawrence's Day. The basic plan is inspired by the Temple of Solomon. Philip II decided to add the functions of pantheon, basilica, convent, school and library to it. El Escorial contains 26 tombs of kings and queens, 7500 relics and 35 000 books. The time Philip II spent in Flanders can be seen in the very steep roofs that he was so fond of. El Escorial has a total of 2600 windows, 1200 doors, 15 cloisters and 86 staircases.
Wednesday, 7 December 2016
general information
Kingdom
capital: Madrid
area: 506 000km2
population: 46,8 millions
population density/km2: 92
EU member since 1986
national holiday: October 12
capital: Madrid
area: 506 000km2
population: 46,8 millions
population density/km2: 92
EU member since 1986
national holiday: October 12
- Scorpion sting. In two parts of Spain, a careless footstep could see you hopping around and screaming. The Mediterranean scorpion lives in the country's driest spots, while in the north of the country the European black scorpion is waiting to give you a dash of venom.
- Bear maul. It sounds like madness, but brown bears were recently reintroduced to the Pyrenees.
- On October 12th 1492, Christopher Colombus discovered America. That day is now a national holiday in Spain.
- Spain welcomes 50 millions tourists a year. The tourist sector accounts for 15% of employment among the active population.
- Spain also has the cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the coast of Morocco and Llivia in the French Pyrenees.
- Spain is a large country with large autonomous regions: Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia and Andalusia, and several official languages.
- Gibraltar, at the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula, is still claimed by Spain.
- In 1190, Spain stopped giving financial support to the Catholic Church. Since then, taxpayers who make donations to the church can deduct them from income tax, up to a certain amount.
Sun, beaches and lots of Sangria in what attracts travellers to Spain, as well as Flamenco dancers, handsome toreros and delicious paellas. Located on the Mediterranean Sea and cut off from the rest Europe by the Pyrenees, Spain is the holiday destination for all sun-loving travellers. Admire the art of Gaudi in Barcelona, party hard in Madrid and go on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
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