This year’s Royal wedding was proof of how much the Brits (and the rest of the world it seems!) love their royal family. But did you know that throughout the long history of Britain’s monarchy a few Spaniards have been in there too?

The British and the Spanish have not always been on friendly terms, way back in the past, but there have been moments when the two countries have been linked through royalty.

Back in the 16^th century, King Henry VIII was famous for his succession of six wives, and on of them was Spanish! His first wife, Catherine of Aragon (known in Spanish as Catalina de Aragón) was in fact the daughter of the Spanish king and queen of the time, Ferdinand II and Isabella I, famous for sponsoring Columbus’ journey to America. She had also been previously married to Henry VIII’s brother, Prince Arthur, and clearly had a thing for the family! Through her marriage to Henry VIII she was Queen of England from 1509 to 1533, until the king wanted a divorce. He had fallen in love with another woman, to become his second wife, and Catherine was now too old to bear children. Despite being pregnant 6 times, only one of their children survived, Mary I, and Henry believed this to be a punishment for marrying his brother’s widow.

Mary I would also find a Spanish partner, in the form of Phillip II. His family wished for him to marry Queen Mary in order to gain a higher social status and he did just that, ruling England and Ireland alongside her until her death in 1558, when he lost his rights to the throne.

Perhaps the most unlikely Spanish monarch however was during the reign of Henry VII, the father of Henry VIII. Juan de Lepe, a sailor from the Andalusian town of Lepe, one day on his travels ended up in the court of Henry VII and somehow came to be a sort of court jester and assistant of the king. The two enjoyed playing cards and chess together and one day, thinking he had won, the king gambled the throne of England for 24 hours. Juan de Lepe accepted and won the bet, making him King of England for just one day. The Little King of England, as he was known, made the most of the occasion and made himself rich, as well as later requesting that the fact that he was King of England for a day be written on his tombstone!

So it turns out that Great Britain and Spain have an intertwining Royal history. If you want to know more about Spain’s fascinating history, why not take a Spanish and History course in Spain?

A few weeks ago I visited El Valle de los Caídos and thought it was definitely worth a mention as it’s one of the most unique places I’ve visited here in Spain.

El Valle de los Caídos (literally, the Valley of the Fallen) is a unique monument comprising a huge Catholic Basilica and a stone cross which is a staggering 150m tall, making it visible from 20 miles away. It is situated in the Cuelgamuros Valley, in the Sierra de Guadarrama hills, to the north of Madrid, making for stunning views surrounding the monument.

Upon arrival I learnt that, more that just being an impressive building in the middle of nowhere, the monument was actually conceived to honour all those who died in the Spanish Civil War, which took place from 1936-1939. The dictator Francisco Franco, who ruled for almost forty years following his victory in the Civil War, decided on building the large monument to commemorate the deaths of both Republicans and Nationalists who fought in the war, 40,000 of whom are buried in the surrounding valley, hence the name ‘Valley of the Fallen’. The whole area, particularly the cathedral, has a very solemn feel to it, in light of its tragic history.

However, it was apparent that there was also a controversial aspect to this monument that was not to be overlooked either. Despite being built as a commemoration of all those who died, there are several features which favour the right wing party of Franco, causing some protests in recent years to close and even destroy the monument. It features the inscription: ‘Caídos por Dios y por España’ (‘Fallen for God and for Spain’), a phrase which falls in line with the ideals of the dictator, plus it is known that a considerable proportion of the people who built the monument during its 18 years of construction were in fact Republican prisoners who had been captured by Franco’s side. Some opponents to the monument also think of it as a shrine to Franco, as both he and the founder of the fascist Falange party, Antonio Primo de Rivera are buried within the basilica. Recently in the Spanish news, there has been mention of removing the remains of the two men and locate them elsewhere, in order to avoid this controversy.

Before visiting, I was completely unaware of the historical significance of the monument and its surrounding area, but afterwards whilst admiring the stunning views of the valley, I’d certainly been left with a lot to think about.

The Alhambra Palace is a fortress complex located in Granada, Spain that was constructed during the mid 14th century by Moorish leaders. It is one of the most famous palaces in the world.

A team of restorers have found 80 polychromatic (composed of various colors) drawings of animal and human figures hidden under wood and plaster in the Alhambra Palace. These types of images were strictly banned from Islamic art.

It is not the first time these forbidden paintings have been discovered; in 1959 some small paintings were found behind wood pieces that covered the ceiling in the Hall of the Ambassadors of the Comares Palace, Alhambra. At the time, little importance was given to the discovery and the workers assumed they were used to guide the artisans to fit the pieces together correctly.

However, a recent discover suggests that these finds are more important than originally thought. This time in the Lindaraja Viewpoint of the Alhambra Palaces workers discovered more paintings hidden beneath plaster and wood. The 80 drawings were done by artisans who worked decorating the Moorish Palace.

The Alhambra Palace is one of the most famous palaces in the world, and like many others, it has gone through many changes and restorations. These paintings represent something truly special because, since they have been hidden for centuries, they have been preserved in their original state. They are completely authentic and have not suffered from the humidity or other damaging elements throughout the centuries.

The drawings are very diversified and appear in the original colors. Animals, vegetation and fantasy creatures are clearly represented as well as verses from the Koran which are pending translation.

The human representations may explain why the workers chose to hide the drawings. At the time, human figures in Muslim art was strictly forbidden, so these graphical representations are not often found. The Koran states that it impossible to have an image of God and also suggests that no artist can compete with the divinity of the creation of real people. These suggestions greatly impacted Islamic art, to the extent that artists avoided the portrayal of human bodies (except for private rooms) and opted for geometrical designs that are common today. The Alhambra paintings were likely done completely in secret for fear of prosecution.
Besides the rare human representation, some of the drawings were even signed, something that is very strange in Muslim art. This may mean that person responsible for the designs may have had significant importance in the decoration of the Alhambra.

There are many mysteries surrounding the new discovery that are currently being investigated. It has been determined, however, that these drawings were in fact made by the same artisans that decorated the Alhambra Palace.

Perhaps these workers wanted to take a break from their grand geometrical paintings that decorated the Alhambra, and express themselves behind closed doors.
The director of the Patrimony reemphasized that the drawings were extremely valuable since they are in their original state.

Learn more about Granada, Spain

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

Numbers speak for themselves

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?!

The last kiss that had us talking was between Iker Casillas (Goal keeper of Real Madrid and the Spanish National Team) and Sara Carbonero (Sports reporter voted one of the world's sexiest) when the Spanish Soccer team beat the Dutch in a passionate World Soccer Cup final in South Africa in 2010. After the win, Iker gave Sara a passionate kiss that was broadcasted around the world.

Another famous Catalan footballer Gerard Piqué is now making headlines. He is a young (24 year old) central defender for FC Barcelona who happened to meet famous Columbian singer Shakira in South Africa during the World Cup. She sang the theme song for the World Soccer Cup and he played on the winning team, it seems like a match made in heaven.

Shakira at the time was involved in a long relationship and rumors starting swirling when she left her long time boyfriend and moved to Barcelona. Soon later, Gerard Piqué and Shakira celebrated their shared February 2nd birthday together in Barcelona with friends, as seen in a picture that the footballer kindly published on his Twitter page. Pique turned 24, Shakira 34,10 years his senior.

Recently, with a photo obtained by Caras magazine, all of the rumors have been confirmed. Although you could have asked any FC Barcelona fan and they could have confirmed it earlier based on how the seemingly distracted Piqué has been playing lately... The magazine cover shows Piqué tenderly kissing the Columbian singer at what appears to be their birthday celebration, based on their clothes.

Gerard Pique recently appeared before the press as the new spokesman/model for the men's line of Mango clothes when he was confronted with the picture which he has apparently not seen previously. When he was shown the picture by a reporter he chuckled and said that "it is a nice kiss". Pique took the opportunity to explain that this picture will never unseat the passionate and intense kiss between Sara Carbonero and Iker Casillas, although he carefully avoided using the singer's name. The FC Barcelona footballer went on to say: "I don't know if this is this is the happiest year of my life, but right now I am living a very beautiful moment. I am also in love, and I hope it stays that way".

In regards to his new role as a model for Mango, the handsome young footballer commented that he does not feel as comfortable in front of a camera as he does playing soccer. He also commented that he does not want to be the Catalan version of David Beckham and that "I would like to have a private life, it is difficult but I try to do it the best I can".

The 83^rd Academy Awards, the Oscars, took place this week and one of the most talked about couples to hit the red carpet was the Spanish actor and actress Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz.

This was their first public appearance since Penelope Cruz gave birth to their baby son, just a month ago, who they have announced is called Leonardo. The cameras were flashing left, right and centre to get a glimpse of one of Spain and Hollywood’s favourite celebrity couples, who looked happy to be in each other’s company. The paparazzi have also gone crazy about their outfits, which for Cruz was a stunning and figure-flattering red dress with Jimmy Choo shoes and for Bardem a smart Gucci suit.

But the couple weren’t just there to look glamorous; Bardem was in fact nominated for the Best Leading Actor award for his role as a criminal suffering from cancer and with two children to look after, in the Spanish language film Biutiful, which was filmed in Barcelona. He didn’t win, with the Oscar going instead to Colin Firth, but Bardem has previously received an Oscar in 2007, for his role in No Country for Old Men. Cruz was also an Oscar winner in 2008, for Best Supporting actress in the comedy Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Despite the couple’s great success in the international world of film, the pair are notorious for keeping their private lives private. They married last July in a quiet ceremony in the Bahamas, away from prying eyes, and have also kept the details of their son’s birth to a minimum. In doing so, they’ve made themselves a couple that receive little bad press and are well respected professionally. Public appearances together like at this years Oscars are a real treat for their fans!

Karlos Arguiñano Urkiola is a popular Spanish chef, TV presenter and producer of his own cooking show: La cocina de Karlos Arguiñano (Karlos Arguiñano's kitchen). Karlos is famous for his practical cooking and presentation tips, cheesy jokes, amateur singing, and the catchphase "Rico, rico y con fundamento" ("Tasty, tasty and with nutritional value").

If you are in Spain, you can catch his show on Antena 3 at 20:15 Monday through Friday, which is just what I have been doing.

Tonight I am going to try my luck at an apparently easy and healthy recipe that I saw the other day on his show.

What are we making today? Cheesy Leek Crêpes with puree! I already bought my ingredients so I will let you know how they turn out tomorrow!

Okay, so I may know what you are thinking about... Leeks??? YUCK! I assure you that despite my dislike for leeks prepared in certain manners, if they are sauted nicely and mixed with other ingredients, they are great, add a nice crunch and are really healthy! Afterall, we all know that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest in the world!

Cheesy Leek Crêpes with puree

(serves approx. 4 people)

Ingredients for the filling and puree:

• 4 leeks
• 250 grams of fresh pumpkin (a little over half a pound)
• 1 potato
• 100 grams of cheese (about a 1/4 of a pound - cut in 8 strips)
• Water
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Parsley for presentation

Ingredients for the Crêpes:

• 1/2 liter of milk (2.11 cups)
• 2 eggs
• 200 grams of all purpose flour (a little under half a pound, about 2 cups)
• a small spoonful of butter
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• diced parsley

Preparation:

First you need to prepare the pumpkin and potatoe puree. Peel and chop up the pumpkin and the potato. Cook for about 15-18 minutes in a small saucepan with water and salt until tender. Beat with a hand blender, strain, and set aside.

Next, clean and chop the leeks. Saute in a frying pan on medium heat with a small amount of olive oil and salt. Cover the pan so that the vegetables sweat (soften in their own juice without browning). Strain and set aside.

To prepare the crêpe batter, in a tall container suitable for the hand blender, add the flour, milk, butter, eggs, dash of salt and parsley. Beat all the ingredients together well and let stand.

In a non-stick frying pan, heat up a dash of olive oil on medium heat. Cook the first crêpe and discard it. To make crêpes, pour in the batter and extend it by moving the frying pan until a thin layer of batter is covering the whole bottom of the pan. When bubbles appear meaning that the first side is done, carefully lift an edge of the crêpe with a fork and then use your fingers (BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOURSELF) to flip the crêpe over. The second side will cook very quickly. Repeat the process but be sure not to stack the cook crêpes on top of eachother because if they are warm they will stick.

In each crêpe, towards once side, add a bit of poached leek and a strips of cheese. Roll the crêpe up and fry it lightly (until browned) on each side in a frying pan with a good amount of olive oil (extra virgin is not necessary for this step).

Presentation: Pour some of the pumpkin puree in the center of the plate, place two crêpes and decorate with a sprig of parsley.

¡Voila! ¡Qué aproveche! (enjoy your meal)

Check out other Spanish recipes at don Quijote

UPDATE: I changed the name of this dish because technically the pumpkin is only used to make the puree, but is not actually part of the crêpe!

Doing a job or internship in Spain is a great way to practice your Spanish in a real Spanish-speaking environment. Your CV (curriculum) and cover letter (carta de presentación) are key to helping you get the job that you want, so here are a few tips on how to put them together and some vocabulary that you might find useful:

Datos personales

The first section of your CV should be 'Datos Personales' (Personal Information). It’s best to include:

• Nombre: Name
• Dirección: Address
• Teléfono: Telephone
• E-mail: Email address
• Fecha y lugar de nacimiento: Date and place of birth
• Nacionalidad: Nationality

You could also include whether you have a 'carnet de conducir' (driver’s licence) and your estado civil (marital status).

It is also common in Spain to include a professional looking passport photo on your CV.

Formación académica

The next section is 'Formación académica' (Education). Write the qualification you received, the institution, the city and country, as well as the dates when you were studying there.

Afterwards you can also add a section on 'Formación complementaria' (Complementary training) for other qualifications you may have, although don’t include computer skills or languages as these will come later.

Experiencia profesional

Next is 'Experiencia profesional' (Work Experience). List the dates, the job you did, the company and the location.

In the 'Informática' (IT skills) section state what you can use and how competent you are.

Similarly, under the heading 'Idiomas' (Languages) you can state each language that you know and your level, i.e. básico (basic), intermedio (intermediate) or avanzado (advanced). You can learn more about Spanish language levels here. It’s also worth putting your 'lengua materna' (mother tongue).

Datos de interés

The final section is 'Otros datos de interés' (Additional Information), where you can put down anything you think is interesting to the employer but doesn’t fit into any other category. Don’t write too much though, as the whole CV should ideally fit onto one A4 page.

Write a cover letter

An important accompaniment to the CV is the cover letter (carta de presentación).

Start your letter with 'Estimados Señores', remembering to put the date and your address at the top of the letter. There are also other options for starting a letter, depending on how formal you want to be.

You should start by stating exactly which post you are applying for and how you found out about it in the first paragraph.

Next move on to explaining why you would like to work for the company or organisation and what assets and skills you think you have that would make you good at the job. Express interest in having an interview or further contact with the employer and state your availability for work.

There are various ways to end a letter in Spanish, but a good one to use is 'Les saluda atentamente', on a separate line, then sign and print your name underneath.

For more ideas for your cover letter and some great business vocab on how to sell yourself, take a look at our Spanish courses designed for professionals.

¡Buena suerte!

You may be asking, "What is saffron?"

Saffron is an important spice used in Mediterranean cuisine. It comes from a certain species of flower which bears just three stigmas which are dried and used to season and color food. Think about Spanish paella and its rich beautiful yellow color, you may already be guessing, yes SAFFRON plays an important role in this world famous Spanish dish. Saffron is also the most expensive spice in the world by weight, it is native to Southwest Asia, but is an important product of the La Mancha region in Spain.

The saffron produced in La Mancha is high quality, sold by the thread, and fetches up to 3,000 euros per kilo. It is a beautiful red-gold and produces a rich color when used in cooking. It takes 250,000 saffron flower blooms to make just one kilo of this fragrant spice from the flowers' stigmas which are tiny filaments that collect pollen for the plant.

So what is the catch? Spain is a world famous exporter of saffron, but the numbers just aren't matching up. In 2010, Spain exported 190,000 kilos of saffron, yet according to local data, only 1,500 kilos were harvested in Spain. However, only 0.8% of the "Spanish" saffron harvest sold last year was actually grown in La Mancha.

It looks like there is some labeling problems going on.

It kind of reminds me of the time I searched the supermarket in Seattle in quest of a decent variety of non-peeled seafood (an impossible task I discovered) and scanning the spices for saffron to make my sister paella. I bought the overpriced saffron and bad selection of seafood and embarked on my feat to introduce my family to Spanish cuisine. I remember when I threw in the saffron, I was amazed by the fact that the beautiful yellow color that the saffron should emit just didn't come out. I put in more and more and more saffron, but never quite got that yellow color... Needless to say, my Seattle Paella had nothing to do with my Salamanca Paella :)

According to the farmers union ASAJA, over 90% of the exports are fraudulent. At least according to other countries' exporting standards. The industry is very profitable, earning over 47 million euros last year. However, it is a very expensive crop to grow, which is probably why some of the abnormal tactics have been implemented.

So if Spain doesn't produce all the saffron it exports, where does all this "Made in Spain" saffron come from? It seems the variation in numbers has to do with a loophole in Spanish laws, which does not make it illegal for companies to buy saffron from other countries such as Iran, Morocco and Greece and package it as a Spanish product. It is quite misleading, especially since Spanish saffron is known to be of very high quality.

Iranian saffron is a profitable option for Spanish exporters, their saffron crop is nearly half the price. However, the intensive methods used there to mass produce the product undermine the quality of the saffron. Some Iranian companies have also jumped on board to take advantage of these lax labeling laws by opening up in Spain and labeling their product as "made in Spain".

According to the Industry Ministry, a new regulation is being considered that would require producers to indicate where the saffron was grown. This would be a big improvement in current regulations, bringing Spain up to date with the International Organization of Standardization guidelines. This would, in fact, protect consumers from paying inflated costs to purchase the prestigious Spanish saffron, but it would definitely hurt the exporters whose production cannot satisfy demand.

The imports from other countries are not the only cause of the export vs. local harvest discrepencies. The Independent, a British newspaper, reported recently that 40%-90% of exported Spanish saffron was made up of other parts of the plant, not the sought after stigma. One sample found cardamom sold as saffron, which is actually a different spice.

So how to tell if you have been duped? The first thing you should do is smell your saffron. Does it smell nice or unpleasant? That is your first clue, real saffron should smell pleasant and it should take awhile to dye your food an intense yellow. Another good indicator is, of course, if your saffron bears the official "La Mancha" label.

Fraud has been going on for quite awhile. Although the director of La Mancha Farming and Livestock council acknowledges that fraud is committed, but not in La Mancha. Valencia and Murcia are likely culprits, since they do not actually grow saffron but do export it.

The ASAJA proposes tariffs to try to deter this deceiving tactic which is affecting their reputation. José María Fresneda (ASAJA) assures that their priority is to protect the farmers who do grow high quality saffron, a key ingredient in making paella "to die for".

Around 90% of Peru's tourists visit Machu Picchu, an emblem of Incan culture, but only 10% make it to the pyramids and tombs Pre-Incan Moche and Lima culture.

In the language of Quechua, an ancient language of South America, "huaca" refers to a revered object and typically is used to describe a special monument. Many have been associated with monuments of rituals or a place to be honored such as a mountain pass, mountain top, or a natural spring. The word is also used to describe the burial places and therefore the location of mummies.

The pre-Incan Moche pyramids that dot the northern coast of Peru are every bit as important and amazing as Machu Picchu, definitely worth the attention.

Huaca Rajada and the Lord of Sipán

On such place is known as Huaca Rajada, literally meaning cracked pyramid. The huaca is located near the coast in the Northern part of Peru in the Lambayeque Valley, 35 km east of the city of Chiclayo. The burial mound found hear was part of the Moche culture (sometimes refered to as Mochica), a pre-Incan culture that dominated the Northern coast of Peru from 1 AD to 700 AD.

Here, under an impressive amount of gold and other treasures (15 kilos!), the Moche people buried a great warrior priest known as the Lord of Sipán. He ruled around 200 AD and died at about 40 years of age, a millennium before the Inca would populate the world reknowned Machu Picchu. In total, four tombs have been discovered in Huaca Rajada.

The site was declared a "Golden Wonder" by Times Magazine and was featured in National Geographic as being one of the "Richest Tombs in the World". The discovery was made by archaeologist Walter Alva in 1987 and the tomb is considered one of the most important discoveries in the last 30 years, mainly because it was found intact and untouched by tomb robbers.

The site only receives 1,300 visitors a month, whereas Machu Picchu welcomes 2,800 average visitors a day.Tourists can also view the gold artifacts that were extracted, housed inside the Royal Tombs of Sipán.

Huaca Pucllana

Another great destination in Peru is the Huaca Pucllana, sometimes called Huaca Juliana. The complex features a large pyramid made of adobe and clay, located Miraflores in central Lima, Peru. The pre-Inca monument was an important administrative and cultural site, although evidence of relgious ceremonies and sacrifices have been found. From here, the clergymen claimed control of the natural water of the zone with the building of a great pyramid. The complex was surrounded by a plaza and also features a large wall dividing it into two sections. Huts and other enclosures remain intact, with some walls still standing that created courtyards and patios.

Archaeologists have also uncovered artifacts belonging to the Wari Culture (500 AD-900 AD).

The remains of Lord of the Unkus were discovered in the first tomb uncovered on the site that was still completely intact. In the tomb, three adult remains were found and one of a sacrificed child.

Visit and learn Spanish in Peru! Do not forget that Peru is rich with culture and history, there is much more to see than just Machu Picchu!