by Roy -

About Barcelona

Set against a backdrop of culture and history, Barcelona has emerged as Spain’s most cosmopolitan city. Its glorious Gothic architecture, medieval style layout and fascination with art portray only one side of the city. This city is a year-round holiday destination. Ideal weather ensures the beaches are always buzzing, the markets are always bustling, and the avant-garde chefs always have plenty of mouths to feed. A city of pleasures, whether you’re there for the sights, the cuisine, the culture or the beaches, the pulse of this city guarantees a good time.

Spain is made up of 17 autonomous communities, Catalonia being one of them. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and one of its four provinces. It is the second most populous city in Spain after Madrid, and one of the Mediterranean’s busiest ports.

Home to legendary architect Antoni Gaudi, much of the city’s landscaping reflects his typical charming style. The city was also home to Picasso for a while and showcases much of his work. Legendary football team, FC Barcelona, calls this city home as well, and has a museum dedicated to them.

Places to See and Things to Do

Average Rating: 5 out of 5 based on 225 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Shantanu Ghosh.

One of the charms of Europe is its well-preserved history. Being a history buff, I love ambling through those narrow, cobble-stoned alleys, trying to visualize how these old towns and city-square must have looked during their prime. I had spent the better part of a day traipsing through Gaudi’s unconventional buildings and monuments; and then on the last day here, I discovered the more familiar Gothic architecture in Barri Gotic. Barri Gotic is the center of what used to be the old city of Barcelona, with several buildings and churches dating back to the Roman empire. The most famous landmark here is the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia.

The Cathedral is large, impressive and still a functioning church. As the story goes, Saint Eulalia was actually a very young girl, they say thirteen, when she was killed by Roman soldiers in a barbaric manner. Another reminder of how much blood has been spilt in the name of religion over the ages. Apparently after several rounds of torture, she was stripped, put in a barrel with knives stuck into it, and then rolled down a street. The cloister within the walls of the cathedral still has thirteen white geese to remind people of her age when she was martyred.

We took a tiny elevator to the top of the cathedral to get a panoramic view of the surroundings before strolling down the alleys with their quaint little shops. Masks, antiques, clothing, jewellery, pastries and legs of Iberian ham jostled for attention. Sunlight barely entered these narrow alleys until we reached Plaça Reial, a square with several open air cafes.

Plaça Reial

After glasses of Sangria we continued on looking for a place to have lunch. We finally decided to try a tiny place called Meson Jesus. This family-run restaurant was exactly what we were looking for. We could see the owner busy chopping greens one one side, while red checkered table-cloth added color to the cosy little room filled with old artifacts. The menu was fixed but the food excellent. By the time we got done, the place was filled with locals – not one tourist in sight.

I started with chilled gazpacho which was so good! The main course was sausage with chips followed by a delicious dessert of Catalan Creme, a local version of Creme Brulee. The house wine and bread were pretty good too. Dare I say perfect? If you are in the Gotic area at lunch time, do try. Meson Jesus is located at C/ Cecs de la Boqueria, 4, 08002 Barcelona.

The spices and fruits reminded me it was the Spanish who brought so many of today’s staples into the rest of the world when they accidentally discovered the Americas. They went hunting for black pepper and nutmug but came back with chilli peppers, vanilla beans and tomatoes!

Shantanu Ghosh

29 Oct 2011

http://www.shantanughosh.com/2011/10/barcelona-gothic-quarters.html

Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 278 user reviews.

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by Roy -

Cathedral of Santa Maria, Seville, Spain

Welcome to the new Seville, a cleaner, greener and more breathable metropolis, where bikes, pedestrians and streamlined electric trams roam. This Spanish city has bidden adios to the organized urban chaos found in so many Mediterranean cities and embraced a more sustainable outlook.

Kick-started by proactive city mayor, Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín in 2007, the lightning pace of Seville’s “greening” defies its laidback fiesta and siesta image. In the span of just five years, the Sevillanos have instituted a community bike-sharing scheme, a surface tram, an underground metro, two high-speed train links, a pilot electric car programme and — 20km away in Sanlúcar la Mayor — the first commercial solar power plant in Europe.

Sevici Bikes

After decades of driving chaos, the inauguration of Seville’s Sevici bike-sharing scheme in April 2007 was something of a godsend, even for avowed car users. Sevici was the second bike-sharing initiative in Spain (there are now nine), opening a few weeks after Barcelona’s Bicing programme. Despite subsequent copyists — Paris’ Vélib was launched in 2009 — it remains the fifth largest scheme of its kind in Europe, with 2, 500 bikes on offer. Grab a two-wheeled machine from any of the 250 docking stations and you will quickly discover that cycling suits this flat, balmy metropolis.

Most of Sevici’s 250, 000 daily users are local, but visitors can take advantage of the sharing system by purchasing a seven-day pass online for 10 euros (plus a 150 euro returnable deposit). You will need to proceed to the nearest docking station and punch in the number from your coded receipt to get your bike. Seville has 120km of city bike lanes and the first 30 minutes of usage are free. Beyond that, it is one euro for the first hour and two euros an hour thereafter.

Avenida de la Constitución

Cycling down Avenida de la Constitución, inhaling the aroma of ripe oranges, will bring you within a wheel’s width of museum-queuers, horses and carts, and attractive señoritas in red-and-white polka-dot dresses — but no cars. Central Seville’s main arterial roads were pedestrianised in 2007 to make way for a new tram system, the MetroCentro.

The original tram-line — a modest 1.4km in length — was extended in 2011 to incorporate an extra 1.1km. At the same time, the introduction of revolutionary new battery-powered technology meant that ugly overhead cables could be dismantled. Stage three of the tram plan is to extend it as far as Santa Justa, Seville’s main railway station, where new high-speed trains head off to Madrid, Cádiz and (by 2013) Granada.

There is a tram stop right outside Seville’s majestic Gothic cathedral, its facade remarkably grime-free these days thanks to a noticeable drop in air pollution. The tram also connects with the bus station (at Prado de San Sebastián) and the new subterranean Metro (at Plaza Nueva).

Seville Metro

On the drawing board since 1974, Seville’s Metro finally opened its first line in 2009. Twenty-two stations spread over 18km to connect the southern and western suburbs with the city centre, and reasonably priced tickets start at 1.35 euros. Three more lines are scheduled to be in operation by 2017.

If Seville’s reputation for crazy driving has not already dissuaded you, you could consider hiring an electric car to get around. Renault chose Seville as the city to launch its three new zero-emission models in October 2011, and ultimately these vehicles and others will be able to make use of 75 battery-recharging points that are being built around the city as part of Proyecto Movele, a government-sponsored plan to boost electric car use.

Finding parking remains a perennial problem. Seville has built over many of its traditional car parks, most recently in March 2011 with the daring, ultra-modern Metropol Parasol in the Plaza de la Encarnación, which harbours a museum (with Roman and Moorish ruins found on-site), a market, a restaurant, a plaza and a panoramic walkway. Professing to be an architectural icon in a liveable city core, this giant structure, purported to be the largest wood structure in the world, is best described as a forest of mushrooms welded onto a flying waffle. To date it has stoked as much controversy as the Eiffel Tower once did. But, for its defenders, its spirit represents an integral part of Seville’s new, forward-thinking urban experiment.

The surreal Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain is the world’s largest wooden structure.

Brendan Sainsbury

6 Jan 2012

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20120105-seville-goes-green

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 193 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Shantanu Ghosh.

I almost did not make it to Barcelona. The Spanish consulate insisted they needed more time to process my visa – something I did not have since I was flying out that weekend to the USA. Just when I had given up, they handed me my passport with the visa – one day before my flight. And what a trip it has been!


I flew into Barcelona on a Lufthansa flight late in the night. By the time I had checked in and taken a shower, it was close to midnight and I was thinking of ordering room service. But then I looked out of the window. Down below I could see cafes open and packed with people. It seemed too good to pass up. During the week I spent here, I would discover several uniquely delightful things about Barcelona, including the fact that dinners begin late and continue well past midnight!

This was my very first trip to Spain and the first discovery I made was Barcelona wasn’t Spanish speaking! The local language, Catalan, is very distinct and shares a few words with French. My limo driver, a young man from Valencia, gave me some quick facts about the city. While the city has a population of about 1.5 million people, the cruise ships bring in almost the same number of tourists every year. As he put it, Barcelona is the Bahamas of Europe.

I took a table outdoors surrounded by tourists and locals who had come out of the nearby shopping mall to grab some dinner. A cool breeze blew from the ocean nearby. I ordered their red house wine, a selection of Iberian ham and a seafood paella.

The Hilton on Diagonal Mar turned out to an excellent choice. While the location is not central, it is right on the oceanside and has easy access to the Metro station. The large shopping mall opposite the hotel also provides several small tapas places for a quick bite. My room was airy and comfortable with panoramic views of the city and the ocean. The lounge on the executive floor is another nice location to work or laze around with the sea-breeze blowing on the open terrace.

I found a good amount of time to do the tourist routine here. While Barcelona has many attractions – history, architecture, food and wine – one needs to be aware of the seamier side of this lovely city. With unemployment rampant, criminal activities are on the rise. Be wary of pickpockets – there are several incidents of mugging and thefts, especially in crowded areas. If you are in the wrong side of La Rambla in the late evenings, you may be accosted by pimps, prostitutes or drug peddlers openly. To be fair, I haven’t heard of violent crime involving tourists.

Shantanu Ghosh

2 Oct 2011

http://www.shantanughosh.com/2011/10/in-catalan-country.html

Average Rating: 5 out of 5 based on 262 user reviews.

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by Roy -

Toledo is one of the most important centers of european medieval history. The first one to report about it was Roman author Titus Livius, who describes it as a “small fortificated town”, and fortification has always been an important parameter in its history, still evident to today’s tourist for the monumental walls around, and the “Swords of Toledo” gave to its steel-production world-wide fame.

Lane in Toledo

Toledo was capital of Spain from the Gothic epoch until 1560, fact that explains its really impressive medieval architecture. Walking through its streets one feels like having stepped back into the Middle-Ages, but in the best sense of it, and perhaps you will search your pockets for a few gold-ducats to buy some of Toledo’s fine artisany or just to enjoy of its highly recommandable cuisine.

Its privileged location, and the natural turn of the of the Tagus River, together with its continuos population from ages ago, create a unique city in which beautiful and harmonious buildings of an array of architectural styles.

Cradle of Monarchs, and the seat of principal archbishops, Toledo constitutes a tourist attraction point of first order sheltered in the knowledge stored in its Mosques, Synagogues, churches and convents. The cathedral, the monastery of Saint John of the Kings, the doors and the walled enclosure or the Alcazar portray the special attractiveness of its streets and plazas.

Gastronomy

Cuchifrito

Toledo’s cuisine, fitting to the character of the town itself, puts you back into long gone times, and the dishes seem to be served out of one of Velazquez’s still lifes. Recipes are influenced by the region’s long tradition of hunting and cattle-breeding, but show Moorish influences as well.

Quails are some of the most extraordinary pleasures for delicate palates. They are usually served either stuffed, Perdiz Estofado, or together with a particular kind of beans, Perdiz con Pochas.

Very typical are as well lamb, fried or boiled, Cordero Asado or Cuchifrito, and the potato-omelette Tortilla a la Magra.

But there are two products in particular that have made Toledo’s cuisine internationally famous: Queso Manchego, a very mature cheese often made of ewe’s milk, and marzipan which is produced here in extraordinary quality and exported into many countries.

The wines of the region, D.O.C. La Mancha or Mentrida, are of high reputation as well.

Fiestas and Folklore

Toledo’s perhaps best known festivity is the procession of Corpus Christi, when the splendid 16th century monstrance is taken out of the cathedral. The popular Romería de la Virgen del Valle, a festival of pilgrimship, takes place in May as well.

A Float at The Festival of San Isidro,  Talavera

Among the best known and most interesting festivities in the province are the Fiesta del Olivo (Olives Festival), at the last Sunday of April in the village Mora de Toledo, and the Festival of San Isidro in Talavera, from May, 15th to 18th, with processions and poular dances. Of archaic traditions is the Fiestas de Danzantes y Pecados in Camuñas.

In June there is the nice Fiesta de la Amistad (Festival of Friendship) in Polan, and in November the popular Fiesta de la Rosa de Azafrán in Consuegra.

Source: cyberspain.com

Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 241 user reviews.

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by Roy -
This article is written by Justin Rabindra. Justin is a Manager with an Advertising Agency in Delhi. He is also an avid traveler and photographer.
The quaint town of Cordoba with a population of  about 300, 000 is perched on the south bank of the Rio Guadalquivir. Islamic architecture, quaint courtyards, balconies dripping with flowers make this one of the most romantic cities you could visit. At the time that we were there a festival was on and the whole town had a carnival air. Women wore traditional, colourful frilly white, red and black dresses and high heels, their dark hair tied in a bun with a red rose behind their ear. Men wore traditional pantalons and red or black shirts. They came on decorated horse drawn carriages through the narrow, cobbled streets and everyone headed for the tented carnival area near the river.
They drank beer and sangria, sang and swirled to Flamenco music. It was a good time to be in Cordoba and a pleasant change from an afternoon watching a bullfight in the ancient ring.
Justin Rabindra
18 Dec 2008
http://justinrabindra.blogspot.com/2008/12/hostal-agustina-cordoba-spain.html

Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5 based on 295 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Justin Rabindra. Justin is a Manager with an Advertising Agency in Delhi. He is also an avid traveler and photographer.

A visit to Spain should ideally include a visit to a bullfight, though it is not recommended for the fainthearted. As bloody a sport as it is, it’s apparent it will continue for a long time, it’s as much a part of Spain as flamenco and sangria (I may have cracked why red is a favourite colour of Spaniards or are they called the Spanish? Spaniards sound like the Conquistadors, no offence my Spanish friends.)

Plaza La Malagueta
We checked out one at Malaga in a 150 year old bullring located at the Plaza La Malagueta. The tickets are priced according to the status of the matadors, they are more expensive when the senior matadors perform, and some of them have the status of rock stars in the country. We went for one where relative novices were trying to break into the big time. But the bulls seemed serious enough. We’d intended to see one fight and leave when we discovered this was actually quite thrilling and sat transfixed through the killing of seven or eight bulls.
The sight of the bull thundering into the arena is spine chilling and you think the tiny figure of the matador doesn’t stand a chance.  The faena is effectively a dance with death – one wrong move and the matador could be impaled on the horns of the bull. The final move is most dramatic and quite breathtaking. The matador stands some ten feet from the bull and both animal and man stand still and size up each other for what seems like a long time and then the bull charges, the matador waits till the bull is almost on him, sidesteps the animal at the last moment and plunges the espada between the shoulder blades which if done right severes the spinal cord and the bull collapses in a heap and is dead before the dust settles around its massive body. Sometimes though the knife misses the ‘sweet spot’ and hits the bone in which case the bull is even madder than it already is and the matador has to make short work of it as quickly as possible.
The picture is of one of the bulls on it’s last legs before the matador plunges his espada.
Justin Rabindra
30 Jan 2009
http://justinrabindra.blogspot.com/2009/01/bullfight-in-malaga.html

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 199 user reviews.

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by Roy -

Foreign tourists brought a dose of economic relief to Spain this summer, making it one of the best years ever for the sector which is helping keep the indebted country afloat.

“Spain had one of the best summers in its history for tourism, ” the government said in a statement.

“In the months of July, August and September, 20.9 million international tourists visited our country, which indicates an 8.5 percent increase compared to summer last year.”

In 2011 up to September, the country received 45.8 million tourists, eight percent more than during the same period last year, the tourism ministry statement added.

Britons were the most numerous among these, while large proportions also came from Germany, The Netherlands and France.

The tourism industry benefited early this year as unrest in popular sunspots such as Tunisia and Egypt caused tourists to switch to Spain, and an economic recovery in Germany and other key markets prompted more holidays.

 The Canary Islands, Spain

The Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, which offers all-in packages like those available at resorts in Tunisia and Egypt, saw the biggest jump in foreign tourist arrivals: 19.7 percent in January to September, to 7.4 million.

Tourism accounts for about 10 percent of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product, acting as a crutch for the country while the Bank of Spain is warning of near-stagnant growth and unemployment is at more than 20 percent.

Spain was the world’s fourth most-visited country last year, after France, the United States and China, according to the World Tourism Organisation.

“If we maintain for the rest of the year the overall trend observed up to September, we will end 2011 with about 57 million international tourists visiting our country, ” the fourth best yearly count ever, the government said.

25 Oct 2011

http://travel.hindustantimes.com/travel-stories/spain-tourism-booms-despite-economic-gloom.php

 

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 198 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Nikki Sachdev

Leave it to Bollywood to introduce something new in style. First it was the snow clad mountains of Switzerland romanced immensely and made ever so famous by on the larger than life canvas of Yash Raj movies. Once the mountain fever was over Bollywood’s fixation was caught by the west and lately London has been hogging a lot of limelight both on the movie scene and as a popular destination thanks to the many Bollywood movies being shot there.

The newest entrant made to look fashionable is the festival of tomatoes in Spain or more popularly known as the La Tomatina that happens each year in a small town of Bunol in Valencia. So if the promo of a certain movie song has got your curiosity quotient up, well then here is everything that you want to know about the festival so you can plan your trip better especially when it is just two months away.

Amidst all action

This tomato fight festival is held every summer in Spain and attracts party animals from all over the world to flock to the town of Bunol to fight in a battle where rotten tomatoes are thrown in the streets. It is believed that on an average the total population in the tiny town of Bunol crosses 30, 000 as compared to a measly population of 9000 which means you need to get a booking well in advance.

This week-long festival of La Tomatina is scheduled on August 31st, 2011 and will feature music, parades, dancing, and fireworks. On the night before the tomato fight, participants of the festival compete in a paella cooking contest. On the day of the great battle, local shopkeepers cover the walls blue with big plastic sheets covering the local shopsfronts, as 20, 000 fighters take to the streets making Bloody Mary by the litres.

As soon as the siren signalling the end of La Tomatina is sounded, the massive cleanup operation gets underway. Water is pumped from a nearby Roman aqueduct and by mid afternoon there¹s barely any trace left of the messy melée that has taken place, much less the stench of fruit lingering in the streets.

Not for the faint hearted

The festival’s first fight starts around 11 am when a ham is placed on a large greasy pole and the fight can only begin if and when participants climb up to the top and get the ham down. This is when the real struggle begins, people struggle against each other, climb on top of others in order to get that ham down and once that’s done, the victory is seen in the form of throwing of the tomatoes.

The fights that start with the blowing of the cannon ball comes to an end after a dedicated two hour session of throwing tomatoes at each other. If you happen to be in the middle of all the action, you will see hauls of trucks filled with the fruit all over the village and many fighters take over the truck in order to have maximum ammunition for attack.

Since the festival tends to get a little wild it is only advisable to keep certain things in mind to keep you and the others safe as the mad frenzy of tomatoes take over.

Wear clothes that you will not need later

Make sure to carry a set of fresh clothes, as you will not be allowed inside any public transportation dirty. There are many public showers in Bunol. Bring sunglasses to protect your eyes. Wear shoes that have a decent grip. Do not take any bottles or any kind of object that could cause any incident. Please do not tear any t-shirts. Tomatoes need to be squashed before throwing them. Be careful about the lorries going through the village. When you hear the sound of the second cannon ball , stop throwing tomatoes.

Accommodation in Bunyol

As mentioned earlier Bunyol is a small village of some 9000 people whose population swells to some 30, 000 on the day of La Tomatina so getting an accommodation will be a daunting task.  If happen to be late, be prepared to fine no booking in Bunol and so your best bet is to stay at a hostel in Valencia. Be sure to book well in advance.

In case you are staying slightly away from the place of action, do not worry, there are trains plying to and fro to Bunol and will get you in time before the fight starts. The earlier the better as the trains do get full. Alternatively, you can arrive by local bus or rent a car though this might not be a great idea considering the mess you’re likely to be in after the tomato battle.

People of Velencia and the fans from all over the world are very cautious about not turning the festival into an ugly event and hence following the rules is of utmost importance. The la Tomatino is one fight which has no single winners but a simple aim of having downright dirty fun. So if you plan to visit Spain for the festival, come dressed to get drenched in tomato juice.

Grab those red ripe tomatoes and throw them at anyone that runs, moves, stays still, bends down, or turns around (that just about covers it).

Nikki Sachdev

24 June 2011

http://travel.hindustantimes.com/travel-stories/getting-down-and-dirty.php

Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5 based on 199 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Sathish K, a Software Professional and travel writer, based in Bangalore

Lufthansa provides you of choosing one place to fly when one flies down to Germany from India. I think the same facility is there for other areas though am not sure. But you need to pay for Airport Tax.
So we chose to fly to Barcelona last weekend (29th & 30th October 2005). We took the 10:00hrs flight from Frankfurt to Barcelona. Its close to 2hrs journey. At Barcelona airport there is a huge statue of a bull probably to symbolise their love for the sport, bull fighting.

On the beaches if one is not aware of the culture in the West and know only the Indian sub-continent culture, hes in for a shock. Since this is not my first trip to Europe I was accustomed to these. People in the beach take a swim and change there itself instead of looking for a room. People take oil massage and get into sunbath mode.

After covering all the beaches on the side we went back to the hostel. It was almost dark by the time we came out of the beach. Of course we did not take a dip in the water.
We bought few souveniers as a rememberance and finished our dinner and made some enquiries and again started walking up and down. Life is active only in the night, there are lots of discotheques with no entry fees and being with guys is a problem one cannot go into these. There are some where one can enter after paying about 15Euros. We walked up and down and up and down and by the time we thought of going back it was 4:30 in the morning!!
On sunday we took our bags after breakfast and took the metro to look at the Olympic stadium and water fountain which we missed the earlier night. The Olympic Stadium is something I liked the most. I know I cannot be there as a participant in any event so I took the photos in all different possible angles!!

The Olympic Stadium, Barcelona

From here we thought of going to Sagrada Familia (there is a castle like structure) and took a bus. We had to change the bus at one particular point Francis Macia. We of course dont know the place. Travelling in the bus we got the feeling that bus was going too far and we might have missed the stop. We asked one elderly couple and the old man was jumping up and down that we have missed the stop long back. Of course he did not know English neither did we know his language, but we understood then he made sure we got down at one stop from where it was closer to take the Metro. We then asked another guy luckily he spoke English and that place was called Vellcara!! He guided us to the Metro station. Manging to reach Sagrada Familia we did not go in since it would take us close to 20:00hrs to come out. Took few snaps from outside and then went again to the Metro station to reach airport since our flight was at 19:00hrs. And back to Mannheim where am staying from Frankfurt, the time was close to 0:00hrs.

La Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece

In the two days we noticed quite strange things, like a man digging in the beach looked more like a guy digging his own grave!!

There was protest march in the street and at the tail there was a van with music playing on accompanying the marchers!!!

We were damn tired at the end of it since we had spent most of the time walking here and there, up and down…

Sathish K

4 Nov 2005

Trip to Barcelona

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 178 user reviews.

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