Travel Spain

Traveling to Spain, the tourist hub of Europe is a satisfying experience. Spain is one of the most diverse and visually stunning nations of Europe. As the trip is planned, one is so overwhelmed with many fascinating sights, beautiful landscapes, and charming towns to fit into limited time and budget. A foremost cultural centre of Europe, it has beautiful cities and towns with old attractive monuments as well as ultra modern architectural wonders! Apart from the well known Flamenco music, dance, matadors and bull fights, this lovely land is also known for some pretty beaches, resorts and best vine yards. Idyllic rural settings coupled with bustling urban bonhomie make this destination a loved one among the traveler. Superb Spanish melodies listened at one of the clubs may forever haunt you. As Spaniards boasts themselves-“Spain is Different”, is aptly correct as a traveler steps on to the soils of the country.

Travel Spain offers too many options for a would-be traveler; a lengthy sojourn or a short tour over a week end. Or a budget travel with limited visits to only known places. Carry a big wallet and explore the nook and corners of the country with all the time at your disposal. Spain has offerings for travelers of all hues and kinds.

Once the mind is made up to travel this glorious country, a bit of preparation is definitely needed. A well drawn calendar and a defined itinerary are most welcome. Learn some basic words of Spanish and have knowledge of local custom and get ready to board countless numbers of flights operating from all corners of the world. Once in Spain, travel is relaxed, accommodation plentiful, the climate benign and soothing, the people relaxed and easy going, the beaches long and sandy, the food and drink easy get and full of regional variety. You can be one of the most satisfied tourists among the similar 50 million visiting each year. Spain is a favorite playground of British, Dutch, and German tourists who badly wants to escape their own extreme winter climates for some Spanish summer sun. Exotic beaches of Barcelona, Marbella, Malaga and Canary Islands are always alive with cool beer, hot Sangria, bathing parks and bewitching beauties! Spanish travel is one beehive of pleasant surprises!

As one travels interior up north, there are endless tracts of wild and crinkled sierra to explore interspersed with great vine orchards along the way. Just hopping in to one of the wineries will open the taste buds of any Wine connoisseur. A cool evening with loved ones in a fine restaurant can offer bewildering array of food and choicest of famed wines. A drive to Seville can open up plenty of entertainment possibilities with varied experiences. Beaches on the northern coast are entirely different from their southern counterparts; most of them being isolated and idyllic offering plenty of privacy.

Christmas in Spain

Christmas is a very religious holiday in Spain. The Spain's patron saint is the Virgin Mary and the Christmas season officially begins December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Each year it is celebrated in front of the great Gothic cathedral in Seville with a ceremony called los Seises or the "dance of six." The elaborate ritual dance is performed by ten costumed boys; the dance is said to be quite moving and beautiful. It is made up of a series of precise traditional movements and gestures.

Christmas Eve is known as Nochebuena or "the Good Night." As the stars come out on Christmas Eve, tiny oil lamps are lit in every house. Family members gather together to rejoice and feast around the Nativity scenes, complete with carved figures, that are present in nearly every home. The traditional Christmas treat is turron, a kind of almond candy. After Midnight Mass and Christmas Dinner the streets fill with dancers and onlookers. There is a special Christmas dance called the Jota and the words and music of which have been handed down for hundreds of years. The dance is accompanied by the sound of guitars and castanets.

The Spanish especially honour the cow at Christmas. This is because it is thought that when Mary gave birth to Jesus, the cow in the stable breathed on the Baby Jesus to keep him warm. The Spanish Christmas is Navidad, people go to church, exchange presents, and many play on swing sets set up especially for the occasion. Swinging at solstice time evokes an ancient desire to encourage the sun, urging it to "swing" ever higher in the sky. December 28 is the feast of the Holy Innocents. Young boys of a town or village light bonfires while one of them acts as the mayor who orders the townspeople to perform civic chores such as sweeping the streets. If you refuse to comply fines are levied which are then used to pay for the celebration.

The children of Spain receive gifts on the feast of the Epiphany, January 6th, the date the Three Wise Men gave gifts to Jesus. The Magi are particularly revered in Spain. It is believed that they travel through the countryside re-enacting their journey to Bethlehem every year at this time.

On the 'Eve of The Kings', a parade takes place in each town centre. The locals dress as kings and walk through the towns, throwing sweets and gifts to the children watching. The Kings (Los Reyes), are the highlight of each child's Christmas and they write a gift list to 'The Kings' rather than Father Christmas, leaving food and drink out for them to enjoy while delivering the children's presents. Children leave their shoes on the windowsills and fill them with straw, carrots or barley for the horses of the Wise Men. By morning the camel food is gone and in place of the straw, carrots or barley are presents. Their favourite Wise Man is Balthazar who rides a donkey and is the one believed to leave the gifts.