Iberian mountain system resorts offer a fantastic opportunity to holidaymakers looking for something a little different. With 27 kilometres of slopes on offer, there’s no shortage of skiing available, as well as a wealth of other great activities. T
When I visit Madrid, I always make a point of stopping at least once for a drink or a feed in one of the focal points at the heart of the historic downtown – aka Madrid de los Austrias, Habsburg Madrid. The cobblestone Plaza Mayor (which means simp
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Barcelona is awash with fantastic museums and galleries. So, if you find yourself in the Catalan capital, then be sure them out. Here's a high-powered half dozen to get you started.
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Who hasn't heard about the nightlife in Ibiza? People partying until the morning, the sun beautifully shining above the crystal-clear water – all the elements of this mesmerizing place make people add it to their travel journal in an instant. Even t
In its central area, Spain''s capital has many characteristics that make it stand out among other important cities, which by 2012 made it the thirty-first city most visited worldwide by international tourists, nothing more and nothing less than 4.1 m
During my first visit to Madrid way back in 1978, strolling out near my family’s hotel near Plaza de España, I was gobsmacked to suddenly spy, of all things, an ancient Egyptian temple – right on downtown Calle Ferraz, on a platform in a reflecting
What lovelier and more vivid way to learn the nuances of a foreign culture than rubbing shoulders with the locals, tasting the flavors of their land? Well yes, there is literature and art and music, but we certainly can't appreciate those on an empty
It’s one of those majestic sights that imprinted itself indelibly on my memory forever when I first visited many years ago: a mystical, mysterious forest of columns stretching into the distance of the vast interior space that was – and is – the UNESC
Whether or not they're shoppers, most travelers love quality mementos of their trips. But "quality" is key, and there are certain items that will always be worth seeking out. Paintings and other kinds of art are a prime example – whether charming wa
Read more…I love all of the Balearic Islands for overlapping but different reasons, and there’s no question that the third-largest is definitely a change of pace from Majorca and certainly Ibiza. Not that there isn’t nightlife, as well as luxury and touches of
Something big is underway in Seville this week: the Flamenco Biennial, the 17th edition of the world's biggest flamenco event, including the greatest living artists of a centuries-old art form inextricably linked with the culture of Spain's south. It
Stunning architecture, sea views, and sandy beaches, vivid and passionate culture, superb cuisine — hese are just some of the many reasons why Spain's second-largest city is a wonderful place to live. And to study, as Barcelona is home to some of
Each year since 1976, Spain's Ministry of Culture has awarded the country's equivalent of the Booker or the Nobel Prize for Literature to one of the world's most distinguished living Spanish-language writers. Past laureates have included not jus
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Across the world, throughout the spring of 2020 we've all been living through a global public-health emergency unprecedented in our lifetimes. But now, after the extraordinary measures due to the coronavirus and COVID-19 which closed borders and
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“There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places.”
― U.S. novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, & cultural critic Wendell Berry
If you’re a "seeker," who travels in part to
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Spain's third largest city (with a population of just under 800,000) is situated halfway down Spain's eastern Mediterranean coast, in between Barcelona and Murcia. It's easygoing, easy to get to (with links from all over Europe), and easy to get
The pre-Lenten season is upon us once again, and although the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro is the most famous, many other fun, fantastic examples abound across the Americas and Europe - including, of course, right here in Spain. Allow me to introduce
Read more…Like so many European cities and towns, as of the last week in November, Catalonia's capital dons its Yuletide best and does its best to transform the dark, chilly days of winter into a festive celebration, lasting through January 6 (the "12th day
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Dank chill, drizzle, and streetlamps shrouded in fog are bad weather? A bad time for touring? Depends! In fact, they were just perfect for a nocturnal outing I had in Barcelona last winter that was hair raising – in a good way. And what better day
Millions of visitors flock to Catalonia in Spain's northeast each year, lured especially by its marvelous beaches and spectacular capital Barcelona. But there's a lot more to this varied land, from medieval towns to wine to ecotourism, all flavour
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