Famous Spanish actor Antonio Banderas is just one more face among the many in Malaga, his hometown, as Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Spain enters into full swing.

The actor, accompanied by wife Melanie Griffith, led a relegious procession for the second day in a row carrying the Virgin of Tears and Favors throne through the streets of Malaga.

These days are very special to the actor and his wife, who always accompanies him when he returns to Spain for festivals and religious events. Additionally, Antonio delivered the opening speech of Holy Week in the Cervantes Theatre in Malaga saying: "I am in Malaga and my heart beats strongly in my chest because it is Holy week". Additionally, the Spanish actor donated 130,000 Euros to the Tears and Favors foundation to be used to grant scholarships to study in the U.S.A. and for Cáritas to help people with cancer.

Antonio Baneras has been part of the Tears and Favors brotherhood for 7 years, the same brotherhood that his deceased father belonged to. His participation on Saturday was described as "emotional".

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According to a study done by the Coca Cola Institute, Spanish people are among the happiest throughout the world!

Numbers speak for themselves

In this study Spaniards were interviewed and asked about how happy they were. In 2009 60% of the Spaniards who were questioned said that they were either happy or very happy, whilst the European average was only 54%.

Although the study doesn’t give definite reasons as to why the Spanish people feel happier than many of their European counterparts it does comment that they enjoy the small things in life and feel valued by their families.

The study also says that the moments in which the Spanish people feel the happiest are during their summer holidays, family meals and also Christmas.

Why are Spaniards so happy?

Spaniards in general are very friendly and enjoy having a good time. Indeed they are renowned for their love to party and celebrate the Spanish fiestas!

Personally, we think that the relaxed pace of life in Spain is probably a big reason why the people seem happier. They don’t rush frantically to complete things but take their time, after all there is always manaña! Though there is also no doubt that the sunshine as well makes people a little more cheery!

Why not come and take a Spanish course in Spain and experience this happiness first hand?!

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The U.S president Barak Obama admited in March that he had been "lazy" in school with regards to the Spanish language, something that he "regrets". The president went on to reveal that the Spanish language is a lanugage that all Americans should learn due to the importance and influence of Latin America.

In fact, his daughters Malia, age 12, and Natasha, age 10, are taking intensive Spanish courses at Sidewell Friends School in Washington D.C.

Obama explained that although his pronunciation is good when reading in Spanish, he lamented not being able to speak the language for example on a recent trip to Chile.

Latin America is very important in both a global economy and for diplomacy.

Not enough reason to study Spanish? How about some more reasons why you should study Spanish in Spain or Latin America with don Quijote..:

Global Statistics of Spanish Speakers

• Spanish is the world's third most spoken language, after Mandarin Chinese and English, and ranks second in terms of native speakers.
• At the end of the 19th century, 60 million people spoke Spanish. Today, almost 500 million people worldwide speak Spanish!
• Spanish is the mother tongue of approximately 388 million people in 21 countries (Mexico: 102 million, USA: 45 million, Spain: 44 million, Colombia: 44 million, Argentina: 39 million, Venezuela: 28 million, Peru: 28 million...) It is also widely spoken in many more where it is not an official language.
• Hispanic consumers are the fastest-growing market segment in North America. Their population in the USA has grown by 60% in just one decade and their buying power is expected to exceed $1.3 billion by 2013.
• Spanish is the second most used language in international communication, and an official language of the UN and its organizations.

Below we offer economic and cultural reasons to study Spanish.

Economic Indicators...

• 29 million US residents above the age of 5 speak Spanish at home. That's approximately 1 of every 10 US residents, an enormous consumer and business-to-business market.
• "The world is rapidly becoming multilingual and Arabic and Spanish are both key languages of the future" said language researcher David Graddol, commenting on a report presented to the British Council.
• No one aware of the changing tides of business could fail to notice that we increasingly operate in global markets. Foreign language fluency is a significant asset for job seekers, since more and more companies trade internationally.
• The US Census Bureau reports that the nation's Hispanic population is expected to jump to 49.3 million from 38.2 million by 2015. The 39 million Hispanics currently living in the USA make up 12.5% of the total population. This population growth has increased demand for Spanish language media: radio, television, newspapers, magazines...
• Latin American countries are experiencing strong economic growth and becoming important global commercial partners. Newly created MERCOSUR and the existing free trade agreements between Hispanic countries and North America (ALADI, the Andean Community, CACM, NAFTA, G3), are expected to bring further growth to Latin American economies.

Cultural Indicators...

• Latin culture continues to have a global influence on architecture, art and literature. Who isn't familiar with Cervantes’ 'Don Quijote de la Mancha’, the second most translated book after the Bible, which marked its 400th anniversary in 2005 with worldwide celebrations? Who hasn't heard that the most expensive painting ever sold is a Picasso?
• Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava continues to make his mark worldwide, with recent and current projects in Sweden, Ireland, Germany, the Olympic campus in Athens and the site of the world trade center in New York, among others.
• Spanish language authors like Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende continue to lead global best seller lists and win international critical acclaim.

So why Spanish? Because not only is learning Spanish becoming increasingly important in terms of the global economy, it can also play a major role in your own personal development. The Spanish passion for living is contagious and once you start to learn about their language and culture, you won't ever want to stop.

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The Cervantes Institute in Gibraltar already has 120 people signed up to take courses there. However at present the Institute is still being finished and has yet to officially open its doors!

The Cervantes Institute is a non profit organisation which was created by the Spanish government to promote Spanish learning. The institutes name comes from the famous Spanish author Cervantes who wrote Don Quijote. There are over 50 centres throughout the world!

The Gibraltar centre will open on the 26 April, following Semana Santa. The Gibraltar setting is different from many of the others. It is a British overseas territory which means that English is spoken here. However due to its geographical position (it is located at the end of the Iberian Peninsula) there are also Spanish speakers. However there is concern that the Spanish language is disappearing as schooling, television broadcasting and daily life tend to be carried out in English.

The location of Gibraltar and the disputes about who should govern it have no doubt acted as triggers for people wanting to learn Spanish. With Spain so close by it will no doubt be useful for the people of Gibraltar to know some Spanish.

The Cervantes institute is also about to open centres in Hamburg and Krakow, Rio de Janiero and Dakar in Senegal. The strength of the Cervantes Institute demonstrates the popularity of Spanish throughout the world. Spanish really is a language of global importance, and a language which many people want to learn!

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Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, indicated on his Sunday Aló Presidente (Hello President) program that he was suppose to meet up with the Columbian singer Shakira but had recently received a note saying that she had "left late", apparently they had some scheduling problems. Shakira is visiting Caracas for a concert, initiating her tour that will also visit Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Columbia.

Chavez stated that "Today Shakira arrives, this grand Columbian actress, singer, song writer. She sent a letter saying that she wanted to pass by and see us. We were expecting her today before or after Aló, but last night we received information that she would be leaving late today..."

Scheduling problems or a bad excuse to stand Chavez up?

Chavez went on to communicate that "we would have very much liked to say hello to her, but we welcome her to Venezuela"

He also reminded the public that the Columbian singer has a Foundation called Pies Descalzos (Barefeet) that helps poor children. The president also slipped up and called Shakira's famous "Waka-Waka" song "Shaka-Shaka", receiving a good laugh.

Chavez announced that Raphael, "a Spanish singer whom I have admired since I was a child and love" will be giving a concert next week in Venezuela.

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This weekend I had the chance to visit Barcelona, Spain’s second biggest city and arguably one of Europe’s most spectacular places to visit. In three days there was no way I was going to have time to see everything that this wonderful city has to offer, but I was going to give it a try!

The first stop was La Rambla, Barcelona’s most famous street, which thanks to its interesting stalls and street artists, is always packed with tourists. It is particularly famous for its living statues, who manage to stay perfectly still for an incredibly long time! La Ramble is also home to the Mercat de la Boqueria, a fantastic covered market offering a wide variety of fresh fruit, seafood, herbs, spices and local specialities. Once we’d sampled the food once, we simply had to go back for more.

La Rambla led us down to the port, allowing us to get a glimpse of the Mediterranean sea. However, not content with that, we headed to Barcelona’s sand beaches where we could really make the most of the glorious sunshine that the city so often sees. I think I enjoyed it a little too much and came home with a sunburnt nose!

Next it was time to see the work of the famous architect Antoni Gaudí. Among his most famous buildings are Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, and most importantly, the Sagrada Familia cathedral. This beautiful construction, with its pointed turrets, is truly one of a kind and is a must see for any visitor of Barcelona. There is also the Parc Güell, which is one of Gaudí’s works too and offers a stunning panoramic view of the city from its highest point.

In between all the sightseeing, there was obviously time for drinks on the café terraces of the many sunny squares and a taste of some local Catalan dishes in tapas bars and restaurants.

With its fantastic architecture, sunny weather, beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife, Barcelona is definitely a great place to learn Spanish!

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Famous Spanish chef Ferrán Adriá has just renewed his partnership with Harvard University and the Alicia Foundation for another 5 years.

Adria helps with a science and cooking classes and lectures and also gives courses on cooking processes and creative methods. The course is designed to compare science to cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter, and to explain the fundamental principles in applied physics and engineering. World acclaimed chef Ferran Adrià discusses the fascinating relationship between modern science and modern cuisine. Adria is referred to by Gourmet Magazine as "The Salvador Dali of the kitchen" and in earlier lectures traced the traced the birth of molecular gastronomy, the manipulation of the physical and chemical processes of cooking, and his own adventures in “molecular cooking.” He has also explored the use of hydrocolloids (gums) that enable a delicate fruit puree to be transformed into a dense gel, and deconstruction techniques like sferificacion, creating a resistant skin of liquid).

The announcement came during the Gerona Gastronomy Forum Congress (Catalonia, Spain) after a moment of silence for Santi Santamaria, another Spanish chef who recently passed away suddenly in Singapore.

Ferrá Adriá also announced that this would be his last public appearance in Cooking congresses who assured that when he returns, he will do things in a different way.

Additionally, Ferrá Adriá's award winning restaurant "El Bulli" will be closing its doors on July 30, 2011 after 50 years open to become a Center of Creativity focused on Creative Cooking and Gastronomy.

Interested in cooking Spanish dishes? Combine your Spanish course with a cooking class.

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Hello everyone! We are back from vacation to bring you news from Spain and Latin America.

Federico García Lorca is considered one of the most important figures in Spanish literature. A member of the “Generation of 27”, Lorca is famous for masterpieces such as Bodas de sangre (‘Blood Wedding’), Yerma, and La Casa de Bernada Alba (‘The House of Bernarda Alba’) as well as many other plays and poems. His work forms an important part of Spain's literary history.

Recently in Washington DC, Boston University professor Christopher Maurer stumbled across an original transcript by Lorca while he was researching the poet for a book he is writing. The poem is an original draft of Oficina y Denuncia (Office and Complaint) which includes penciled corrections and verses which did not make it into the final draft from Lorca's anthology Poet in New York published in 1929-1930.

The poem was written after Lorca came to New York and speaks of the isolation af being an immigrant and life in a city that only values money. The original manuscript was thought to have been lost and is therefore very rare and of great historical value.

In 1936 the poet returned to Granada, Spain where he was shot and killed a month later. The general belief is that Lorca was assassinated due to his homosexuality and his Republican beliefs.

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Maybe you need some inspiration to come and visit us in Salamanca so I thought I would share this award winning video with you.

It starts with breathtaking view of the cathedral from the hotel located across the street from my house. You can get a glimpse at the Casa de Cochas, the Plaza Mayor, as well as many other famous sites. This is a 9 minute video which will give you many real views of daily life in beautiful Salamanca.

Check out the award winning Salamanca video here on the website: Salamanca, Ciudad de Español (City of Spanish)

If you prefer YouTube, check it out here.

Get inspired to live Spanish with don Quijote!

Learn more about our destinations and things that are going on in Twitter and Facebook!

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/www.donquijote.org

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http://www.twitter.com/don_quijote Also, we have weekly and monthly Newsletters with our special offers, Spanish lessons, recipes, and more. Sign up for our newsletters here!

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So when you come to visit us in Salamanca do not forget your laptop!!!

As of recently FREE WIFI is now available in the Plaza Mayor as well as other points of the city.

The decision is meant to inspire more foreigners to come to the city and ensure that they will always be able to keep in touch with home. All this is thanks to Caja Rural and Grupo Inec.

This website is meant to help you out with the service: www.salamancawifi.com

So next time you are enjoying a coffee on a terrace in the Plaza Mayor, you can share the experience with your family at home!

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