Spanish culture

Sports are very important in Spanish culture. The most important Spanish sport is soccer. But besides soccer, tennis, motor sports and golf are also very popular in Spain. Spain has many athletes who have performed well at the international level.

Spanish soccer

Soccer is the national sport of Spain. Soccer has been played in Spain since the last decade of the nineteenth century. The Spanish clubs, national team and national league "Primera División" are among the best, strongest and most famous in the world. Spain's all-time top scorer is David Villa. Also, the Spanish national team became world champions a total of once in 2010 in South Africa, and European champions 7 times.

Golfing in Spain

Spain is also the perfect country to play golf. Spain has the ideal climate to play golf, for example, it is 18 degrees in the south of the country in the winter and 20 degrees in the summer in the north. Spain has a total of 250 golf courses that together provide more than half a million hours of golf a year. Robert Trent Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Severiano Ballesteros and José Maria Olazábal are some of the famous names in the golf world associated with Spain's golf courses.

Motor sports in Spain

Besides soccer and golf, motor sports are also very popular in Spain. Spain has several circuits for motor sports. But the most famous are the circuit of Catalunya where the Formula 1 race takes place every year, and the circuit of Jerez de la Frontera where the moto GP takes place every year. One of the most famous Spanish racing drivers is Fernando Alonso. Fernando Alonso is and two-time world champion and in 2005 he was even the youngest world champion ever. His success has caused "Alonsomania" in parts of Spain. Fernando Alonso is still active in Formula One and currently drives for Ferrari.

Spanish tennis players

Finally, the sport most famous in Spain besides soccer, tennis. Spain has many professional tennis players who are very highly ranked at the international level. These Spanish tennis players owe their success in part to the tennis courts and schools they have had at their disposal in the past. Rafael Nadal is the best-known Spanish tennis player and is currently ranked No. 4 in the world. His nickname is the King of Gravel, many experts consider him the best gravel player of all time. Nadal has won 11 Grand Slam titles, including Roland Garros 7 times. He achieved his best position in 2008, at which time Rafal Nadal was the No. 1 player in the world.

Spanish food culture

Spanish food culture has many typical Spanish dishes. Including tapa dishes and the Spanish paella. Tapas and paella are the most famous dishes of Spanish cuisine. These dishes are both easy to make yourself at home.

Tapas

Tapas is a collective name for all small tapas appetizers that are eaten in Spain mainly in bars and cafes. Spaniards often eat these tapas between their breakfast and lunch or between their lunch and dinner. In Spain, people have lunch around 2 p.m. and most people don't have dinner on the table until around 10 p.m., so you can imagine that a tapas in between is delicious.

There are as many as a hundred different types of tapa. Almost every region in Spain has its own specialties. An example of a well-known tapa in northern and inland Spain are "pintxos. These are small slices of bread topped with anything and everything. Some other examples of tapas are patatas bravas (baked potatoes in spicy tomato sauce), tortilla de patatas (potato omelet), shrimp, melon and ham and pinchos.

Tapas appetizers are fairly simple snacks and are easy to make at home. Tapas are also ideal as a snack during a party. With one of the many tapas recipes available online, you can have a table full of tasty appetizers in no time.

Paella

Another typical Spanish dish is paella, which is an originally Valencian dish. Paella is a rice dish that has a different method of preparation per region. The advantage of paella is that there are so many different varieties that almost everyone likes paella. The main main ingredient is the rice, and according to your own preferences, you can then choose to use fish and shellfish or chicken and rabbit.

Paella is also a Spanish dish that is easy to make yourself at home. As told, you can choose the ingredients yourself. The only other important thing is the ratio of rice to liquid. Paella rice is usually cooked in fish or chicken stock to create a stronger flavor. The rule of thumb is that 3 parts broth equal 1 part rice. But even this varies with each variation of the dish.

Tapas and paella are just two of the many Spanish dishes that are easy to prepare yourself at home, and you don't have to be a professional cook to do so!

Holidays in Spain

One thing you always have to keep in mind when planning a vacation is your budget. Many people save up all year to be able to splurge during their summer vacation. Summer doesn't have to be expensive though. Read on for a few ideas on saving this summer, all you'll have to pay is a little attention.

Granada In Granada, besides going to traditional monuments, you also won't want to miss Bañuelo, historic Arab baths located on Carrera del Darro that you can see for free. About 150 meters farther up the road, the Archeological Museum is free for European Union residents and only costs 1.50 € for non EU residents. After taking in all that rich cultural history, going out for tapas around the Plaza Nueva, Bibrambla and calle Elvira areas is an economic option for taking a relaxing break.

Valencia It's important to remember that museums in Spain usually close on Mondays, so plan on checking out other types of attractions on those days like parks, monuments, churches... In Valencia, you've got to go to the Fallas Museum (Museo Fallero) which is free from 10:00 a.m. until the afternoon. The Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (IVAM) is free on Sundays and every other day it's just 2 € to visit. Right outside of Valencia, the Lladró Museum - if you like porcelain - has free guided tours after 9:30 a.m. It closes on Sundays.

Salamanca If you're in Salamanca, there are plenty of free places like the Gatsby night club or the Catedral Vieja (the old cathedral), where you can delve into the city's historic past. The Cueva de Salamanca is supposedly where Satan himself gave lessons on demonology to a group of 7 students over 7 years... you can visit the cave any day until 10:00 at night. Going out for tapas in Salamanca is also an attractive option: it's a great way to enjoy an authentic Spanish dining experience and get to know the people of Salamanca.

Barcelona In Barcelona, Runner Bean Tours offers free guided tours of the city's old town and Gaudí's architectural attractions. To contact the company, just send an email to info@runnerbeanstours.com. Sundays, after 3:00 p.m., you can go into the Picasso Museum for free, and the first Sunday of every month the museum is free all day. Parc Güell is also free to visit and remains open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Exploring by bicycle In flat cities like Barcelona, Seville and Valencia, there are public bicycle programs that let you explore the city by bike for an economical price. In Granada and Tenerife you may need a form of transportation with a bit more physical power to manage the hilly geography you'll come across in those cities.

Madrid Downtown Madrid offers you the chance to experience the fantastic Retiro Park, which is right next to the Prado Museum. The museum is free every day after 6:00 p.m., and if you're more into modern art, the Reina Sofía Museum is just 200 meters away and is free on Sundays. Exploring Madrid's old central quarter, known as El Madrid de los Austrias, is always a great free way to spend a morning in Madrid.

Tenerife Tenerife's stunning natural landscapes give you the chance to immerse yourself in diverse ecosystems: you can walk from a subtropical environment to a mountain one in just an hour. You can also hop on the guagua (how Canary islanders call the bus) for just a few euros to enter the island's lush laurel forest. On the north side of the island, and especially in Orotava Valley, you must try some local wine and traditional cooking in one of the island's famous guachinches (typical Canary taverns).

Finally, if you'd like an affordable place to stay, where you can meet new people, Spain's youth hostels offer travelers a comfortable bed, kitchen services, washing facilities and bathrooms for a price that ranges from 15 to 30 euros per night depending on which type of accommodation you choose. For more information, you'll find all you need to know about Spain's network of youth hostels on their website.

We hope these tips help you have a fun (and cheap) summer!

Photo credits by: El Jubilado (Los Bañuelos), Antonio Marín Segovia (Ivam), Santiago Sánchez (Orotava)

Calixto and Melibea

Calixto and Melibea park is a beautiful garden in Salamanca. It is the garden of the house where Melibea lived in the story, La Celestina. La Celestina is a love story with a tragic ending. The story is the Spanish version of the story of Romeo and Juliet.

The garden is located in the old town of Salamanca. The garden was opened on June 12, 1981. The garden is 2,500 square meters and is built on part of the old city wall, offering a beautiful view of the Río Tormes with its Roman bridge. On the other side, the garden offers a view of the old town and the beautiful old cathedral. The garden has a great variety of colorful flowers, plants and fruit and nut trees. And is an ideal place to relax and enjoy the tranquility, the view and the romantic atmosphere of the garden.

La CelestinaThe garden is the setting of the love story between Calisto and Melibea in the book "La Celestina" by Fernando de Rojas. Therefore, the name of the park refers to the two main characters of the story, Calisto and Melibea. The park is also home to a statue of Celestina, the matchmaker between Calisto and Melibea.

The story is about Calisto, who is an employee of Pleberio, Melibea's father. Calisto falls in love with Melibea and enlists the help of a matchmaker. The matchmaker, named Celestina, also owns a brothel. Celestina matches Malisto and Melibea by telling Melibea that a man is seriously ill and can only be cured by Melibea's attention. Celestina arranges an appointment between the two in Pleberio's garden.

Calisto's two servants do not trust Celestina, so they try to convince Calisto not to accept her help. However, when the servants find out that Calisto cannot change his mind they decide to make a pact with Celestina. They decide to help her in exchange for some of the money Celestina receives from Calisto. On the night of the meeting, however, the two servants find out that Celestina has no intention of sharing part of the money with them. At this, the servants go to Celestina's brothel and kill her, however, they are caught and the two servants are also executed by one of the prostitutes.

In the meantime, another tragedy takes place in Pleberio's garden. In desperation, Calisto tries to climb a ladder to get to Melibea's window, but Calisto falls off the ladder and dies. Melibea, however, cannot live without him, so she tells her father the whole love story between her and Calisto. After telling him this, she robs herself of life by jumping off a tower.

La Celestina is considered one of the most important and well-known works of Spanish literature. This book is also marked as the end of medieval literature and the beginning of the literary renaissance in Spain.

Besides beautiful beaches, great culture and magnificent nature, Spain has much more to offer. For example, how about the many museums with a variety of works from different periods of Spanish history. Many Spanish museums have found a good balance between combining ancient art with modern art and often beautiful architecture. The range of Spanish museums is enormous, so below is a very small sample of the Spanish museum guide.

The Prado museum in Madrid

The Prado museum in Madrid is one of the most famous and also one of the largest museums in the world. Among other works of Bosch, Albrecht Dürer, Botticelli, Velazquez, Gaudi, Michelangelo and Van Dyck are exhibited in this museum. In addition to paintings, the museum also contains and large array of fine art, coins and other works of art. In total, the museum owns more than 8,500 works of art. These artworks are not only exhibited in the same building, no these artworks are distributed in 2 buildings, "The Villanueva" and "Cason del Buen Retiro. During a trip to Madrid, a visit to this museum is definitely worthwhile. Every year millions of people visit the museum. In 2011, the museam had a visitor count of 2.9 million.

The MNAC in Barcelona

Besides Madrid, Barcelona also has a wonderful museum. The Museum Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, also known as MNAC. The museum is located in the Palou Nacional on Montjuïc hill. But from Plaza España, you can enjoy a great view of the museum. Many people find the Palau Nacional somewhat akin to the Vatican City. The museum's main collection is its collection of Romanesque art. Most of the works in this collection are representative of Romanesque art in Catalonia. In addition to this collection, the museum also has a large collection, Gothic art as well as works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The museum also has several works by Rubens and Picasso, among others. In total, the museum owns more than 150,000 works. If you buy a ticket to this museum, you will have 2 days to see the museum. If you are not much interested in the art, just stop by to admire the beautiful architecture.

Dalí Museum in Figueras

North of Barclona is the town of Figueras. This place is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí. This is why the Dalí Museum is located in this place. The collection consists of thousands of objects from different periods of Dalí's life. More than 4,000 works of art result from Dalí's use of different techniques, materials and media. Coastal works include jewelry, paintings, drawings and sculptures. Most of the collection is on display year-round at the Dalí Theater museum. Two special aspects of the museum are its architecture, and the fact that Salvador Dalí is buried in the museum! However, a visit to Dalí's grave is not possible.

Beautiful culture and lovely people

So, you are travelling to Spain, the land of beautiful culture and lovely people. While your trip might give you butterflies in the stomach, the very idea of eating in Spain might not appeal to your vegetarian tastes. Of course, it isn’t impossible to find something to eat in a land known for its ham and meat. Nothing spoils a trip more than food that is below par. Worry not, because, contrary to popular belief, Spain is also the land of hidden delights for vegetarians.

Madrid, Seville, Granada, and Barcelona must be your top spots to visit. Fortunately, these are also the places where you can find good vegetarian restaurants to make your trip even more enjoyable. 

Madrid

The city of Madrid is breath-taking with its adrenaline charged bullfighting and the picturesque Manzanares River. The food isn’t far behind either. Here are some restaurants vegetarians should watch out for: 

1. La Isla Del Tesoro, Bilbao – Walking into this restaurant is like walking into your dream garden and having lunch in it. There is a lot of variety for vegetarians to choose from. One of the favourites is the “Jungle Burger” but that isn’t quite the most surprising item in the great menu. They take a national cuisine as their theme every day and centre their menu around it, which makes every day a surprise.

2. Restaurante Vega Viana, Chueca – Gorge on zucchini burritos that come with Manchengo cheese and carrot croquettes that are served with yoghurt cream and sultanas. The menu is in English, and it has options for your carnivore eating friends as well.

3. El Estragón, La Latina - Every vegetarian tourist swears by this restaurant and it is, undoubtedly, one of the best vegetarian places in Madrid to eat. Another great thing is the affordability of the restaurant that makes matters even better. They do use butter in their dishes, though, so vegans might need to ask if they can cook them in oil.

Barcelona

This colourful city and the gentle Mediterranean are slowly embracing vegetarian food. The little vegetarian places cropping up everywhere are an indication. There are a lot of fun options for you to explore here: 

1. La Bascula – This eco restaurant uses everything organic, from its juices to its food. The eating utensils and plates are bio degradable. The food is to die for as the desserts are homemade and the meals are immensely satisfying. 

2. Teresa Carles – It’s like walking into New York with its wooden tables and neat interiors. The restaurant has a huge variety for vegetarians as well as the meat eaters if you are in a group and the food is traditional and tasty. 

3. Vegetalia – This place is calm and when you’re in it, you want to do nothing but quietly sip your smoothie while standing on the terrace. However, if you do have time, the food is great and exotic. The vegetable paella has many fans and the tofu tempura is delicious as well. 

Granada

The weather is lovely here, and the mood is forever hippie. Just lay back and enjoy the small and lazy city with its gorgeous food. Most restaurants have options for both vegetarians and Vegans, and here are a few places to look out for: 

1. HICURI – A fully Vegetarian restaurant. There are also options for vegans on the menu. You can choose from the prix fixe and a-la-carte options. It is prudent for tourists working on a tight budget to choose prix fixe and their lasagne is a speciality. Beer and Tapa dishes combined are €1.80.  The cream soup and chocolate cake are a favourite for everyone and you should definitely try them. 

2. Muglia II – Are you missing Indian food in Spain? This restaurant serves authentic Naan and Indian curry for Indian food lovers who appreciate the spice palate. Even foodies who know Indian food appreciate this place for its great meals.

3. Hannigan & Sons – This is a nice Irish pub and you can hang out here with your friends and sip on an ice cold beer, or try their Veggie burger with fries, which is filling and delicious. For a list of vegetarian beers in Spain visit here.

Seville

You’ll find quite a few nice places here: 

1. Almanara Restaurant – The décor at this place is minimalistic and the food is anything but that. Treat your taste buds with gorgeous and fresh dishes and have generous helpings of goat cheese. 

2. Gaia Restaurant – The food used is organic and there are options for vegans. You must try the hummus and the cream tomato soup if you visit this place.

Knowing a few good vegetarian places to eat might make your trip better, if you would like to find more restaurants across Spain you can also use Happy Cow; they have a huge database of Vegetarian and vegan eateries.  Enjoy in Spain, the place that taught the world how to have fun and if you are a Vegetarian in Spain and want to venture out to a new country see these Vegetarian options around the world.

Preeti Vadgama is a lifelong Vegetarian who likes to write about the best Vegetarian places to eat around the world. She works for HostelBookers.com in London.

Flamenco

The best-known phenomenon in the Spanish music industry is flamenco music. The origin of flamenco lies in southern Spain, Andalusia. However, besides flamenco, there are many other Spanish influences in the music known in the Netherlands. Flamenco is one of Spain's most famous musical genres. Flamenco is an umbrella term for the dance, music and singing that originated in the second half of the 19th century in southern Spanish Andalusia. The first things that immediately stand out about flamenco is the twelve-tell system, the Arabic sound influences and the lavish embellishments such as clothing style used in this genre of music. Flamenco is mostly known as powerful, expressive and spirited.

The basis of flamenco is singing. This singing is also called cante flamenco. The cante flamenco is supported by the baile flamenco, the dance style. The baile flamenco consists of often graceful arm and hand movements and intricate footwork. The footwork is also known as "taconeo.

When looking for information about flamenco, one also often comes across the word Duende. Duende is the moment when the guitarist, singer or dancer becomes so absorbed in the music that it creates something more than song, dance or music. The moment a duende takes place, the audience is breathlessly focused on the person possessing this Duende.

Spanish Pop Music

Besides flamenco, there are a number of Spanish singers who have made their mark in Spanish pop music worldwide. Alejandro Sanz and David Bisbal are good examples. David Bisbal gained name recognition in the Netherlands after Jeroen van der Boom released the song "Jij bent zo" in 2007. The original of this song is Spanish-language and was sung by David Bisbal. During Jeroen van der Boom's concert, David was therefore one of the guests of honor. The covering of "Silencio" to "You are so" was not the only song that created worldwide fame for David Bisbal. Outside the Netherlands and Spain, David became very well known worldwide for the song 'Wavin´ Flag' which he released together with K´naan, an African artist as the title song for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This song became a huge hit, and since then David Bisbal has been a much sought-after artist all over the world. He also has a number of Latin Awards to his name.

The international Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program (MaB) met in Paris last week and announced that it was adding three more sites to Spain’s impressive list of biosphere reserves. Spain now has a total of 45 reserves, edging out Russia as the country with the second most reserves, just behind the U.S. which has 47.

Protecting biodiversity

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization created the world network of biospheres program in the 1970’s to reduce the loss of Earth’s biodiversity. The program focuses on selecting places where local communities interact closely with the environment to adopt sustainable development practices. Sites designated as biosphere reserves serve as models for other communities in implementing innovative approaches to conserving biological and cultural diversity. There are currently 621 reserves located around the world.

Spain is unique in that its physical space is relatively small compared to the other countries listed as having the most biosphere reserves. Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of area and the US is the fourth largest while Spain ranks 52^nd. The high density of areas in Spain recognized by UNESCO’s MaB program as “sites of excellence” for managing natural and human activity attests to the rich diversity of carefully conserved biological landscapes there. Its vast lands of protected wildlife make Spain an ideal destination for ecotourism, where visitors can experience life in peaceful rural destinations and gain personal insight into these communities’ successful partnerships with nature.

Spain’s 3 new UNESCO biosphere reserves

Terres de l’Ebre in Tarragona is on the northeast coast of Spain. About 190,000 people live in this area, which features numerous coastal and inland ecosystems. Energy technology from wind, water and solar sources has also been developed here in a special effort to protect the stunning local landscape.

La granja y el espinar (Segovia) is located in the Sierra de Guadarrama, a central Spain mountain range that extends nearly 80 km north to south and ends close to Madrid. This wooded region is home to about 14,000 people, various centers for forest research, and small scale agricultural activity.

Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo is on Galicia’s northeastern Atlantic coast, an area that includes 18 towns and where rural communities pay special attention to sustainable development.

Other reserves in Spain: Reserves in Spain are scattered throughout the country and include island landscapes such as La Gomera on the Canary Islands to woodland areas like Las Ubiñas - La Mesa Reserve in Asturias, which provides a natural habitat for the Eurasion brown bear. The Sierra Nevada near the city of Granada is the highest mountain chain on the Iberian Peninsula and was added to the world network of biosphere reserves given its ancient monuments of Roman and Arab origin, unique architecture, and popular festivals that attract over one million visitors every year.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain

Spain also has a long list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the entire old town of certain cities such as Salamanca, with its historical and scenic architectural landscapes. Some Spanish traditions have also been listed on UNESCO’s list of intangible world heritage, including flamenco, the Mediterranean diet, and Catalonia’s curious castells performances, in which teams of traditionally dressed castelleres stand on top of one another’s shoulders to create incredible human towers.

Salamanca, ´Ciudad Dorada´. Salamanca is also called ´the golden city´. This name is due to the type of stone with which many monuments and other buildings are built. This stone comes from Villamayor, a village in the region of Salamanca. This type of stone has a high iron content, giving the city a golden glow especially at sunrise and sunset. Besides this stunning appearance, Salamanca has much more to offer. Such as the new and the old cathedral, among others, and definitely do not forget the beautiful University of Salamanca.

The Romanesque architectural style

The origins of Romanesque architecture date back to the early 11th century. The construction of the old cathedral of Salamanca was started in the 12th century; it was not completely finished until the 14th century. The old cathedral therefore has many features of Romanesque architecture. For example, the cathedral has thick walls, with small windows and narrow doorways. The walls of this type of building carried almost the entire weight of the building. It was therefore feared that if one made openings too large, the walls could no longer bear the weight. So this is why many buildings with Romanesque architecture have dark interiors. Some other features of the Romanesque architectural style that can be found in the old cathedral include the round curved walls, quiet and clear shapes, many decorations and a cross shape as a floor plan.

The Gothic architectural style

Gradually around the 15th century, the Romanesque style gradually passed into the Gothic architectural style. Therefore, the new cathedral built between the 16th and 18th centuries has many features of the Romanesque architectural style, but also some features of the Gothic architectural style. The main difference between the Romanesque and Gothic styles is that Gothic construction left out many elements that were previously important to ensure that the building would stand. Instead of these elements, more use was made of cross-ribbed vaults, pillars and pointed arches. All of these uses made it possible to make the buildings much taller than previously possible.

The University of Salamanca has influences of different architectural styles, for example, the buildings have Romanesque, Gothic and as well as Platoresque features. The main features of the latter architectural style are much reflected in the facade of the University of Salamanca. This facade is beautifully decorated with various ornaments such as chandeliers, garlands and various other ornaments. For example, in addition to the famous frog in the facade, there is also a time traveler. This one symbolizes the "journey" that the University of Salamanca has gone through.

Castilla y León

The local government of the Spanish autonomous community Castile and Leon has recently released a recipe book that showcases the most celebrated dishes of the region, an area with a reputation for pleasing the palates of even its most food-fussy visitors. The book, entitled Jornadas Gastronómicas de Castilla y León, offers anyone planning a trip there a tantalizing sneak preview of the rich culinary landscapes they can expect to explore. Spanish cooking has in very general terms grown in popularity around the world, and there is no better way to find out why than by journeying to its place of origin.  If you haven’t already booked your trip to Spain, the succulent creations sumptuously displayed throughout this handsome book seem to beg the question “what are you still waiting for?”

The book’s introduction presents cooking in the region as a cultural aspect of “enormous” value, and goes on to point out that Castile and Leon includes great culinary diversity and varied cooking traditions. Delve deeper into the book’s interior and prepare for generous rations of appetizing images to leave your tummy craving western Spain’s yummiest entrees, sides, and desserts. Nineteen carefully selected recipes are broken down into five categories: main dishes, meals eaten with a spoon, fish, meats, and desserts.

The cover feature is Castilian soup served up piping hot in an earthenware pot, garnished with a slice of jamón ibérico. This, along with other hearty offerings such as Judiones de La Granja estofados con escabeche de pavo (a butter bean stew with pickled turkey and a dash of saffron) are designed to warm chilly eaters during Castile and Leon’s cool months. Flip ahead to the desserts and check out Burgos-style cheese cake flanked by red berry sauce and sweet chestnuts. Also find here Crema de arroz con leche en texturas (rice cream with milk in textures), a zesty zinger of a sweet treat that calls for lemon and orange peels and cinnamon.

If you’re planning on preparing some of these Castile and Leon offerings, finding the ingredients at your neighborhood supermarket may prove an impossible challenge. You’ll likely have to substitute items such as Ribera del Duero red wine and Valladolid olive oil with more generic varieties or brands specific to different regions.

A modern twist on traditional Castilian dishes

Many of these recipes put a modern twist on traditional Castilian dishes and capture the historical flavor of this region splashed with an updated edge; fresh new takes on firmly established classics that will appease the demanding appetites of a wide array of diners, from picky gourmets to easy to please foodies.

The book closes by suggesting that in one getaway to Castile and Leon you’ll see the world, a statement nearly as bold as the 19 recipes presented in this feastival of fantastic flavors. That declaration is accompanied by scenic images of each one of the autonomous community’s provinces, where the crenulated parapets of Avila’s medieval city wall and the tiered arches of Segovia’s Roman aqueduct remind many readers that their experiences enjoying traditional Castilian dining concepts in Spain will be back-dropped by spectacular panoramas of monument studded Spanish landscapes.