Spain

Take it from us, this impressive, progressive country's miles beyond iconic but stereotypical bullfights, flamenco, and mass beach tourism, with historic sights reaching back to the era of ancient Greece, wine regions, skiing, some of Europe's most cutting-edge culture; and a gorgeous tapestry of different cultures and languages. ¡Viva España!

Cover photo: Jim Gordon

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Exploring Madrid´s little known medieval (Muslim) legacy

David Paul Appell I've always had a fascinating for things medieval. Would never want to have actually lived back in the Middle Ages, mind you - perish the thought. But the architecture and atmosphere of the Romanesque and the Gothic have always captivated me. And while my adopted country provides more than enough to delight me on this front year after year, I've been enjoying my home town Madrid more for its marvelous architecture and monuments dating from the mid-16th century onward, when…

Started by David Paul Appell

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Flamenco: the soul of Spain?

Ask many people around the world what comes to mind when they think of Spain, and chances are flamenco will land near the top of the list. The sinuous moves; the rapid, hypnotic shoe tapping; the staccato hand-clapping; the mesmerising guitarwork; the plaintive singing - if you've never witnessed a performance in person, your first time in particular will stay with you forever.An art form and indeed a sensibility closely intertwined with the culture and traditions of Andalusia, flamenco grew…

Started by Iberia Airlines

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Spain's wonderful (and sometimes wild) west: Extremadura

Mariaplr Hugging Spain's upper border with Portugal, the autonomous community of Extremadura, composed of the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz, is well known to other Spaniards as a proud land of strong traditions; rich history; distinguished cuisine; and fascinating historic, architectural, and natural riches. In fact, in particular this is considered one of the country's under-the-radar eco-paradises, with extensive and dramatic valleys, plains, and natural parks that attract nature-lovers…

Started by Iberia Airlines

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What not to miss in Barcelona

walkerssk/pixabay There's a good reason Spain's second largest city after Madrid is one of Europe's (indeed, the world's) most popular cities - famous and beloved for its art, architecture, culture, cuisine, and nightlife ever since hosting the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. It's also the capital of the region of Catalonia, one of Spain's nations along with Galicia and Euskadi (aka the Basque Country), with its own distinct language and culture. Well, there's a lot to unpack here, so let's…

Started by Tripatini

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Comments

Ed Wetschler August 28, 2013 at 10:51pm

Lelya, I can't agree with you on innards, but I sure agree with everything else. Love your writing, love your shout-out to Pimientos del Padron.
Leyla Giray Alyanak August 28, 2013 at 10:20pm

Try as I might, any travel adventure will always lead back to food... And sometimes I do try hard!

Tapas of Santiago: Falling in Love with Pimientos del Padron
David Paul Appell June 16, 2013 at 9:00pm

Euskadi is such an underrated part of Spain - I've loved it ever since visiting Donostia (aka San Sebastian) for the first time in 1980.
Matthew Hirtes June 16, 2013 at 8:34pm

Sorry for costing you money, Leyla. But it'll be worth it. I love history and literature. So my current read, Wolf Hall, is a match made in heaven.
Leyla Giray Alyanak June 16, 2013 at 8:31pm

Thanks Matthew - I'm off to order both. You're tugging at my heartstrings because I have a background in political science and I'm a journalist... so history, commentary and politics are actually my idea of a good time! :-)
Matthew Hirtes June 16, 2013 at 8:30pm

Leyla, well worth you checking out Mark Kurslanksy's Basque History of the World. Plenty of recipes in there too. Also Dave Boling's Guernica is a literary commentary on what the Basque Country suffered thanks to Franco. I do not advocate terrorism, but if you read either or both books you can possibly understand the origins of ETA without in any way sympathising with their methods.
Leyla Giray Alyanak June 16, 2013 at 7:05pm

Thanks for your kind words, Donna! I grew up in Spain and as a child I remember the Basque country was a place we rarely mentioned, let alone visited. Even this time after all that history I admit I went with a bit of trepidation. Although most families were in some way affected, they're preferring to move on and were focused on the future, not the past.
Donna Esposito June 16, 2013 at 6:58pm

Good blog post, Leyla. I visited Bilbao a few years ago when the ETA was making trouble, and I'm glad you don't ignore that. But today, 2013, on to the food! I clicked on your link because of this photo of the pulpo and I found that all your photos are wonderful. Great memories!
Leyla Giray Alyanak June 16, 2013 at 6:24pm

Hm - how did I miss this group? Spain is one of the countries I visit most frequently (and love). Recently - I was Blown Away by Bilbao! And the food, oh the food... http://bit.ly/13RcGt2
Sofie Couwenbergh February 1, 2013 at 3:59pm

The Basque Country: visiting Vitoria-Gasteiz, the Salinas de Añana and Getxo