San Sebastian, Spain

San Sebastian is a vibrant and exciting city located on the Basque coast in north west Spain and only about 20km from the French border.

Beaches: The three major beaches in San Sebastian are Playa de la Concha, Playa de Ondarreta and Playa de la Zurriola. Playa de la Concha is the largest beach and the main location in which to partake in water sports like kayaking, canoeing, and sail boating. At night, the beach turns into a magical place where there are paths leading to the beach lighted by little fairy lights. Playa de Ondarreta is much smaller and a better place to watch sailboats versus actually swimming because the high tide often reaches the barrier wall very quickly. Playa de la Zurriola is a hot spot for surfers looking to ride the Atlantic waves.

Some great places to go see while in San Sebastian include Iglesia Parroquial San Salvador, which was a church that essentially established the territory on July 6th, 1397. The Palacio de Aiete is a palace built in 1878. It is surrounded by ponds and gardens and perfect for sightseeing due to its elevated location. The Funicular de Igeldo is a cable car that was built in 1912 that connects Ondarreta Beach to the Igeldo Amusement Park. Another couple places in which to view breathtaking sights of San Sebastian include Monte Urgull and Monte igueldo.

Food and Festivities are a primary activity in San Sebastian. The inhabitants of this area have their own version of tapas, called pintxo. Pintxos are typically bedded on small pieces of bread or on tiny half-baguettes. Topping the bread are mouthwatering mixtures of foods like seafood, marinated anchovies, squid, crab, pate or mushrooms. One of the best places to go if you are in the mood to party is Parte Vieja (Old Town). This area contains more bars per square metre than anywhere else on Earth. The folks of San Sebastian celebrate a custom called Poteo. This customer includes meeting up with friends after work for food, drinks and conversation.

Annual Events: Some of the favorite events that take place in San Sebastian include the San Sebastian International Film Festival in September, the International Jazz Festival in late July as well as the “Aste Nagusia in mid-August. This festival lasts an entire week and is filled with traditional Basque music, dancing, sporting events, fireworks and lots of traditional foods. It is a party you won’t want to miss!

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Valencia, Spain

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain and is located on the Costa del Azahar. It is rich in history and heritage (where the Llotja de la Seda was placed on the World Heritage Site in 1996) but also has a few modern marvels to experience. There is something for everyone in Valencia and below, I have highlighted a few of the things Valencia has to offer.

Valencia Beaches and Land Activities: The winds off the Mediterranean offer perfect conditions for water sports like surfing and sailing. In fact, America’s cup yachting regattas were held in front of the Calencian coast in 2007 and 2010. There are over 2.8 kilometers of beaches to explore. Both the Arenas beach and the Malvarrosa beach are close to the city centre so you can get there quite easily. Next to both beaches is the Paseo Maritimo – a sea-front promenade- where you can walk, job, roller skate, tan or dine at the restaurants. There are also Patacona and Port Saplaya beaches in the municipality of Alboraya and the Pinedo beach (gay friendly) where there are several spectacular restaurants. El Saler beach won the European Blue Flag award for it’s clear waters and pristine golden sands. As for land activities, golf is very popular and Valencia has more than 20 golf courses. If you are a race fan, you should know that the European Formula One Grand Prix takes place in Valencia Street Circuit once a year. Also there is the motorcycle Grand Prix running, the show jumping tournament of the worldwide champions’ tour, an ATP 500 tennis tournament, or the DTM to consider as well.

The City of Arts and Sciences is quite an architectural marvel and should not be missed. It is made of five public areas that are listed below and are surrounded by peaceful swimming pools for visitors to enjoy. The five complexes are:

* L’Hemisfèric: IMAX Movie Theater and Planetarium
* El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe: Museum of applied science
* L’Umbracle: A garden for walking
* L’Oceanogràfic: Marine Park.
* El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía: Room destined to opera and the performing arts

Other museums include Museum of Fine arts, Institut Valencià d’Art Modern (IVAM), Ceramic Museum, The cathedral museum, House-Museum of Jose Benlliure, City Museum (palacio Marqués Del Campo), Fallero Museum (Museum of Las Fallas), Municipal Historical Museum, Patriarch museum, Paleontologic Museum

Between March 12 and March 19, Paella, Valencia celebrates the Fallas celebration. It started as a simple burning of the remains of the carpenter’s workshops but turned into a week long celebration where the Valencian people and falleros artists now burn beautiful sculptures (made just for the ceremonial burning). There are more than 300 sculptures (made of paper and cardboard on a wooden framework are called “fallas”) that are build throughout the year and during Fallas, the large, colorful sculptures fill the streets. They are burned at midnight on the last day of the holiday, along with fireworks and explosions.

Shopping: Valencia is traditionally known for its ceramics industry. The town of Paterna is known for its painted ceramic wall decorations, known as socarrats, as well as green and purple ornaments. Check out the Plaza Redonda on Sunday mornings – it is an open-air flea market with paintings, books, plants, animals, leather goods and music. Mercado Central is a well known modern piece of architecture where your senses will be immersed in the different aromas and colors that surround you. There are traditional unique shops as well as large commercial shops to explore in Valencia.

Nightlife: There is a variety of bars in Valencia where you can find whatever style you are looking for. The most visited discotheques are in the zone called “Viveros.” Other hot spots are located on Aragón avenue, Canovas square , Blasco Ibáñez avenue, Honduras square, Xúquer square and Juan Llorens. In the El Carmen district you can find a wide variety of music all within a short distance of eachother. Some of the styles/bars include a punk bar, a reggae smoking den, a retro chill-out lounge, a jazz basement, an underground trance mix, an intelligencia meeting point, a goth dungeon, a gay bar, latino tunes, caribbean heat and a twisted bohemian art-cave.

Foods of Valencia: Fruits, vegetables, fresh fish, shellfish and of course rice are the main staples of the Valencian diet. The main fishes used in Valencian food are eel, hake, sea bass, gilthead and red mullet.

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Historic Avila, Spain

Avila is located approximately 70 miles northwest of Madrid in the province of Castile-Léon. It is 1130 meters above sea level, making it a cool respite from the heat and humidity of Southern Spain. Avila is a great place to visit if you want to take in some history. Old town Avila is designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Why? Well, read on…

Avila has one of the best kept, medieval walled enclosures in Europe. It is over 2 kilometers long and has almost 2,500 crenellations, a hundred towers, six gates and three openings – all of which encircles the older section of Avila. These walls were constructed in the 11th century by the Arab Moor prisoners after Christians recaptured the territory. Adding to the medieval feel of the town is a Romanesque cathedral and medieval churches. If you want to take a walk on the top of the wall, you must pay a small fee. **One of the best places to view the medieval wall and the enclosed city is the Cuatro Postes. It is breathtaking!

Within the walls of old town Avila is the amazing Cathedral which was erected sometime between the 12th and 14th centuries. It was begun in the Romanesque style in the 12th century and later continued in the Gothic style, resulting in intriguing combination of styles and materials. The Diocesan Museum is another great place to visit as it has numerous art pieces, including work by Juan de Arfe. Other highlights include the Mansion of Velada, the Palace of Valderrábano and the Palace of Núñez Vela. Most noteworthy is the Palace of Dávila, which is a fortress made up of four houses which date back to the 13th century. The 16th century Tower of Guzmanes currently houses the City Council. The square of Mercado Chico, the place where the ancient Roman forum stood, is now the city centre.

Another very popular site in Avila is the convent of St. Teresa, the patron saint of Spain. Teresa was a 16th-century Carmelite nun who reformed her order, had many ecstatic visions, and wrote several books. She is the first woman in Catholic history to receive the title, Doctor of the Church,” which was given to her by Pope Paul VI in 1970. The convent in Avila was built over the house where St. Teresa was born. The convent is an active one but you can visit the site of her birthplace – which is a chapel within a church and decorated with scenes of her demonstrating her powers of levitation. You can also view relics of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross at the Sala de Reliquias, which include a finger from her right hand, the sole of one of her sandals, her rosary beads and a cord she used to flagellate herself. The Monasterio de la Encarnacion, is a Carmelite convent where St. Teresa of Ávila lived, wrote and had many of her mystical experiences.

Some noteworthy places to visit outside the walls of Avila include the Basilica de San Vicente which is a Romanesque basilica which marks the site of the martyrdom of St. Vincent by the Romans. The church of San Pedro dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries.

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Costa del sol, Spain

The “Coast of the Sun” is situated in the southern region of Spain – in the autonomous community of Andalusia. The region consists of the city of Málaga and the towns of Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, San Pedro de Alcántara, Estepona, Manilva, Vélez-Málaga, Rincon de la Victoria, Nerja, Torrox, the community of Sotogrande, San Roque and La Línea de la Concepción. This coast is a very popular tourist destination and is a hot spot for the rich and famous.

The Costa del sol averages 300 days of sun shine each year with both a moderate summer and winter, making it a fantastic place for sunbathing and outdoor activities. There are fabulous beaches but also beautiful and adventurous mountains in the background as well so you can sunbath one day and go climbing or hiking the next. With such a beautiful climate and diverse terrain, there is something for everybody! Here are a few ideas if you are considering a trip to Costa del sol.

What would a vacation be without a round of golf? There are about 70 golf courses on the Costa del sol. Marbella is one of the best places on the coast to play and has world class golf courses. Or, how about a dolphin safari? There are fantastic dolphin & Whale watching Safaris out in the Straits of Gibraltar with departures from La Linea, Gibraltar and Tarifa. Speaking about the Straits of Gibraltar, you can also take a 15 km trip across the Straits of Gibraltar on a catamaran to visit and go shopping in Tangier in Morocco. Of course you should really take in some bull fighting which is located all over the coast.

For family trips, take a trip to the interactive underwater park, which has almost three thousand species from different regions of the world. The park is devoted to marine life and one of the most amazing attractions is the dolphinarium. The zoo in Fuengirola is considered one of the best in world and the the crocodile park in Torremolinos has reptiles from Africa, Asia and America.

Don’t miss an amazing ride on a cable car that allows visitors to go to the top of the Calamorro peak in the Sierra de Mijas mountain range. At the top is the most amazing view of the whole coast. How about riding in an aerostatic balloon where you float over the Ronda highlands? There is also rock climbing at the El Chorro gorge – which is actually world renowned and a Mecca for those devoted to the sport.

Where to stay? Well, the most well known resorts lie west of Malaga – Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Mijas Costa. Down the coast lies Marbella with its famous marina at Puerto Banus, Estepona, Sotogrande as well as Gibraltar.

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Architectural Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the best places in the world to appreciate the Mediterranean atmosphere. It is a city to be found on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula.

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and the capital city of Catalonia. This place has won the esteemed 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal, mainly because of the structural designs of edifices. Not all cities have had the prestige of having that award. It used to be just architects who win awards like these, but Barcelona has pretty much done it as a city. That’s how beautiful this city is as far as architecture is concerned. Add the fact that Barcelona is included in the top 10 list by a Travel Magazine under the category of must-visit places in Europe

The early 20th century structural designs of Catalan were developed here in Barcelona between 1885 and 1950. True enough, it has left a vital heritage in the city. Group of these creations are now known as World Heritage Sites. Part of these sites are works of the celebrated architect Antoni Gaudí, responsible for the great but still-in-progress temple of the Sagrada Família (construction of this started in year 1882 and is due for completion in 2026).

Another renowned architect was Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who was responsible for the design of the Palau de la Música Catalana.

Barcelona is a great destination for historical pieces as it a convergence of a good number of museums, one of which is The City History Museum that used to be a royal residence. Works of Joan Miró can be found in the museum of the Fundació Joan Miró. The Picasso Museum can also be found in Barcelona, which features early works by Pablo Picasso.

Barcelona also now has a revitalized coastline which is always picture-worthy nowadays.

Taste for yourself the gastronomical delights of this city. Pan con tomate with tapas are some of the originals of Barcelona, and these can very much go well with your choice of wine.

Come and visit this majestic cityBarcelona!

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Seville Beauty

Seville (Sevilla) is one beautiful part of Spain, and is home to many magnificent citadels and cathedrals. Regardless of its many historical sites, it is also a place where you can find several of the modern destinations. The great balance of old and new is what attracts a lot of in this part of the planet…especially during the summer season.

Seville has long, dry and hot summers and even warm winters. Annual average temperature is 18.2C and can go up as high as 26.6. No wonder, it is known to be one of the hottest places in Europe. But the hot weather is not a hindrance for people to enjoy Seville’s wonderful tourist spots

Seville is proud to have the tallest tower in Spain, which is attached to its cathedral. The La Giralda (Moorish Tower) is 319 feet high and is an ancient minaret of the Islamic Mosque. Another one of its pride is the Torre del Oro or Golden Tower (made of golden tiles that reflect the sun) built at the end of the reign of the Taifa Kings.

There are lots of other visit-worthy places in Seville and can easily be seen with any City Bus tours with English-speaking guides. There are also hop on / hop off Seville guided bus tours which give an easy way of sightseeing.

For sheer Andalucian culture, Seville is the place to be.

Seville Information / Fast Facts and Orientation

• Country: Spain / España
• Status: city / capital of Andalusia
• Population: 720,000 in the city, 41 million in Spain
• Language: Castilian Spanish
• Currency: Euro (EUR)
• Time zone: 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
• Country dialling code: +34
• Telephone area code: 95
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Electricity: 220 volts, 50 Hz – round two-pin plugs are used

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Murcia, Spain

The City of Murcia is dubbed as one of the most beautiful in the country of Spain and is without doubt also a tourist-prone spot. It is located at the south of Valencia and it has about only 300,000 inhabitants. This place is entrenched in the mountains of Sierra de Orihuela and Cresto de Gallo. Its huge and urbane watering system made it very famous as a vegetable-producing place. It is also irrigated by the Rivers Segura, Murdo and Sangonera. However, there are also areas in which it has dry span that serve as thriving area for olives and vines.

Murcia was a Moor-founded city way back in 825 AD. During those times, the Moors (Arab) named it Mursiya. The Caliph of Cordoba, Abd ar-Rahman II, founded it on the site of a Roman colony.

Murcia has sunshine all throughout the year, and it can get really hot during the summer. The city has evident Moorish influence showcased in their extraordinary city walls. It has its own university and it’s well-known to host many conventions.

There are 23 diverse chapels in the city, although, The Cathedral is the most valued building in Murcia (first foundation was built in 1388 by Bishop Pedrosa).

Murcia exemplifies loaded history of commerce and agriculture. In fact, its original populace, the Iberian tribes, forged money-making relations with Phoenicians and Greeks. Later on, the place became first a Carthaginean colony, then a Roman colony. The Moors left the legacy of effectual and contemporary agricultural production, which is still being used up to these days.

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Tarragona, Spain

Tarragona is to be found on the Mediterranean shoreline, about 60 miles southwest of Barcelona, Spain, in the area of Catalonia. Tarragona has about 110,000 people and it is the main city on the Costa Dorada. The coastal area of Tarragona reaches up to 212 km, whereby you can witness its unruffled blue waters. On the other hand, the domestic landscape is enhanced by the powerful luster of sunbeams. The sight of vineyards, hazel, almond, and olive trees give an atmosphere of charm and splendor.

The original name of the city was Tarraco. Previous settlers may have occupied the area, however the first Tarragona inhabitants were led by Gneus Scipio, who established a Roman military camp in 218 B.C. The force developed quickly and the place was declared a colony of Rome in 45 B.C. by Julius Ceasar. Tarragona was then considered as the key Roman town in Spain.

Tarragona , being situated in a very coastal spot, there is no doubt that the main menus will capitalize on SEAFOODS. The local cooking has FISH as core ingredient. One ver famous Tarragonian food product is the Romesco sauce (the first-rate olive oil from El Camp and the peppers grown in the vicinity, as well as the clandestine ingredient handed down from generation to generation of fishermen, are the indispensable components of this sauce).

The Tarragonians are honest, penny-wise, and generally hospitable even if they have certain reservations towards strangers…quite a universal behavior.

Mondays are hushed days in Tarragona. Shops and amusements are closed on Mondays. So never schedule a vacation in Tarragona on a Monday, unless you just want a relaxing escape form the jostle of the metropolis.

Today, Tarragona has gone a long way from its Roman history and is now comparable to other modernized cities. Still, it is an enriching hub for historians and archaeologists who persist on unearthing ancient Roman relics. Wine trade is also a major industry in this place.

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From Spain with Love

Spanair S.A., a Spanish airline “Member of the SAS Group”, (and serving the public for two decades now by offering international, domestic, and chartered flights) announced their cheap flight promos. Now, from Spain, off we go to other parts of Spain and European destinations. HELLOWW SPAIN! HELLOWW EUROPE!

Bilbao – Munich 49 € Until the 1st of September
Madrid – Frankfurt 49 € Until the 1st of September
Madrid – Vienna 99 € Until the 1st of September
Zurich – Barcelona 45 € Until the 1st of September
Frankfurt – Madrid 49 € Until the 1st of September
Stuttgart – Madrid 49 € Until the 1st of September
Zurich – Madrid 53 € Until the 1st of September
Madrid – Granada Jaen 25 € Until the 30th of June
Barcelona – Majorca 25 € Until the 30th of June
Madrid – Majorca 25 € Until the 30th of June
Barcelona – A Coruña 25 € Until the 30th of June
Barcelona – Jerez 25 € Until the 30th of June
Barcelona – Vigo 25 € Until the 30th of June
Barcelona – Santiago 25 € Until the 30th of June
Barcelona – Asturias 25 € Until the 30th of June
Madrid – Vigo 25 € Until the 30th of June
Madrid – Pamplona 25 € Until the 30th of June
Madrid – Asturias 25 € Until the 30th of June
Almeria – Madrid 25 € Until the 30th of June
A Coruña – Madrid 25 € Until the 30th of June
Bilbao – Madrid 25 € Until the 30th of June
Malaga – Madrid 25 € Until the 30th of June

*One way prices, buying round trip. All INCLUDED.

http://www.spanair.com/

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Glorious Cadiz

Cadiz (pronounced as Cadith) is a marvelous town that has once served as home to bona fide voyagers like Ferdinand Magellan and Amerigo Vespucci. This place is often visited by tourists, as it is so close to another tourist favorite, Seville, which is another beautiful city of Spain. Cadiz is a preferred harbor amongst chic cruise ships.

Cadiz is located in Southern Spain in close proximity to the Rock of Gibraltar. The old city is small and very much echoes the Moorish era. The narrow streets are made up of cobblestones, well-preserved up to now. Their most favorite structure to flaunt? The twin-towered Cathedral, which is just a stone’s throw away from the harbor.

The Landward Gate, one of the city’s few 18th century walls, is still in place. Several of the aged buildings tell a rich association of Cadiz to other countries. Santa Cruz and San Felipe Neri, which were historically instrumental places for the changes of Spain’s Constitution, are the must-see churches of Cadiz are the churches of. The La Santa Cueva( home to quite a lot of paintings by Goya), and majestic mansions such as the Casa del Almirante and Casa de las Cadenas are other landmarks that are worth visiting.

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