Gaudí is a very famous Catalan architect, born on June 25, 1852. For Spanish architecture Gaudí has been very important, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is one of his works, but is certainly the most famous. Antoni Gaudí is considered the founder of organic architecture.

History

Gaudí studied architecture in Barcelona at the Escola Superior d'Arquitectura. To make ends meet, his jobs included side jobs with other Spanish architects in Barcelona. Gaudí was characterized as quirky and he lived in his own world. When Gaudí received his degree in 1878, his teacher said of him, "He aprobado a un loco o a un genio" (I made a fool or a genius succeed).  Antoni Gaudí was also characterized by the fact that he lived for his work, and throughout his life no woman ever entered the picture.

European architecture was changing during Gaudí's time. There was more openness and romanticism, which was reflected in Gaudí's Spanish structures. He was a Spanish architect who was concerned about not only his clients but also the workers. The Gothic style also received attention because of Gaudí. Although Barcelona and Catalonia were booming economically, it was still under the leadership of Spain. Gaudí was opposed to this and therefore almost always spoke Catalan, even if it then had to be translated for some workers. Antoni Gaudí was always inspired by the past and all his works are based on his own imagination.

Sagrada Familia

In 1883 Gaudí received his biggest commission, even before he was known. The commission was in the name of the church which wanted to build a church in honor of the Sagrada Familia (holy family). The specific reason why Gaudí received this commission is unclear. First, the commission went to Francisco de Paula del Villar, who withdrew at the beginning of construction. After Joan Martorell also refused, Antoni Gaudí was given the commission.
You can clearly see from the outside of the Sagrada Familia what Gaudí's idea was. Because Gaudí never really worked with drawings, only sketches remain of his ideas for the Sagrada Familia. He knew at the beginning of construction that he could not see the final result. This did not matter to him, because he knew his work would one day be finished and God had all the time anyway!

Death of Gaudí

During a normal daily walk on June 7, 1926, Gaudí was walking along the railroad tracks and was suddenly hit by a streetcar that did not stop. As a result, he lay unconscious in the street and was obviously badly injured. People took him to an emergency room for treatment. Because Gaudí always did not look well, no cab driver wanted to take him to a hospital. All in all, he ended up in the then poor hospital called Hospital de Sant Pau.
Because he did not show up for work that day, fellow workers got worried and started a search after which they found him in the hospital. Stubborn as he was, Gaudí refused a transfer to a clinic. His words were, "My place is here, among the poor." On June 10 around 5 in the afternoon, Antoni Gaudí died.

Two days later was his funeral and this was definitely an important event with a funeral procession of up to kilometers long. Antoni Gaudí is buried in the Sagrada Familia in the crypt.

Today

Today there is a committee present to beatify Antoni Gaudí through his architecture in honor of God. He was a wonderful person to those close to him, but to outsiders a quirky person, a genius!

Top 3 reasons to take DELE exam

1. Internationally recognized

2. Resumé builder

3. Permanent validity

What is DELE?

D.E.L.E. stands for Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera (Diplomas of Spanish as a Second Language). The Cervantes Institute issues these certificates and is the only official organization that awards accreditation in the different levels defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

We can group these six levels into three pairs: A1 and A2 are designed for speakers with a basic level of the language; B1 and B2 group together independent speakers with some limitations and finally, C1 and C2 join competent speakers, with C2 reaching near bilingualism.

This certification of communicative capability and/or excellence (depending on the level obtained) requires a certain amount of effort on the part of the candidate: in preparation, study and in the physical participation of the exams. The Cervantes Institute, wishing to help candidates in their test-taking, broadens from time to time the list of cities and organizations that give the DELE exam. On the DELE website and at the don Quijote web site we regularly update all the information you'll need for planning the time and place most suited to your needs for taking the test. Testing usually takes place in May and November, and some locations offer an extra test in August.

To take part in the DELE exam, remember that the deadline to sign up is usually 4 weeks before the date of the exam. Sign up is not complicated: just download the registration form, fill it out and deposit the exam fee in the financial entity as indicated for each location. These exams are given in more than 700 centers and in 100 different countries around the world.

DELE exam preparation

Proper preparation is important for guaranteeing successful exam results. There are some quality materials on the market to help you prepare, but it's important to remember that oral and written expression are skills that must be exercised with the help of a teacher for their improvement. That's why a specific DELE preparation course, such as those offered by don Quijote, is a wonderful way to exponentially increase your chances of passing these exams.

don Quijote offers specific Spanish courses, with a special focus on preparing for different tests that conform to the DELE, and with top quality material and teachers with extensive experience in DELE preparation. At don Quijote you'll find information on courses, dates and places to prepare for it not only in Spain, but also in Latin America.

Penélope Cruz is a well-known Spanish actress who has been immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since 2011. She has also been nominated several times for an Oscar and even won it in 2009 for best female supporting actress in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Penélope Cruz left high school to pursue a dance career. At the National Conservatory in Madrid, she studied classical ballet, among other subjects. Penélope also attended theater in New York at the Christina Rota school.

Penélope Cruz's first films were in Spanish. The film Belle Epoque was voted best non-English language film, winning an Oscar. An English version of the Spanish film Abre los Ojos was also made called Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise, in which Penélope played the same character twice. Penélope Cruz has been acting in Spanish and English films since 1992. She was also the first Spanish actress to be nominated for an Academic Award for Best Actress! For years, Penélope Cruz has also been modeling for the French cosmetics brand L'Oréal Paris and for shampoo. Every year she earns $2 million from this. She has also designed for Mango and modeled for Ralph Lauren. Outside of acting, Cruz is also active in fashion. She tops with other famous actresses for sexiest woman and Cruz is the face of many fashion brands.

Private life of Penélope Cruz

Penélope was engaged to Tom Cruise for a long time after the movie Vanilla Sky. It just never came to a wedding of the two. She also spent a year with actor Matthew McConaughey. In 2010, Penélope Cruz secretly married Javier Bardem (Spanish actor). Together they have a son named Leonardo who came into the world in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2011. Penélope is a close friend of Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar. They know each other from the many films in which Penélope has played for Pedro. Pedro also calls Penélope his muse.

Volunteering

Cruz also donates her time and money to charities. She has volunteered in Uganda and India, where she spent a week working for Mother Teresa in a clinic. This trip opened Cruz's eyes and after this she started a charity for homeless girls in India. Cruz donated her salary from her first Hollywood film entirely to Mother Teresa. In early 2000, Penélope also traveled nar Nepal to photograph Tibetan children for an exhibition by the Dalai Lama. This made a big impression on her and she commented, "These children break my heart. I have to restrain myself not to cry. Not entirely out of pity but also to see how hard life can be and how difficult it is to make the right choices."

Penélope Cruz fought her way to the top as a little girl and is now a globally recognized actress. In the future there will be many films in which this Spanish actress plays. Furthermore, we can always admire Penélope in advertisements of cosmetics brands and fashion brands. She is a beautiful woman who has come a long way. I hope she will only become more successful!

Upon arrival early in the morning at Valencia airport, I can't wait to start my day with a freshly pressed zumo de naranja á la Valencia.

First we dropped our suitcases at our hostal Venecia, which is located in the city center, and then we quickly went into town. From the airport you can easily take the subway to the center of Valencia. So we do the same. The subway takes us straight to our hostal. This hostal is located at Plaza Ayuntamiento from where you can easily walk to the other two squares of Valencia (Plaza de la Reina and Plaza de la Virgen). In the square, the pole with the temperature gauge indicates 34 degrees Celsius. Fortunately, there is a constant wind blowing through Valencia, so it is perfectly bearable. Valencia is the 3rd largest city in Spain, but this doesn't feel like it at all. It is a quiet center with not too much traffic, where you can enjoy wandering through the many narrow streets.

With such a vitamin C bomb comes a nice breakfast. As we walk towards the first square we see that you can sit on the terrace of Horchatería El Siglo in the sun. This is definitely the place where we want to have breakfast and catch the first rays of the Spanish sun. On the menu is horchata de chufa (almond drink). According to the camarero, this is something typically Valencian you must have tried. You drink this local thirst quencher ice cold and eat fartons (stems of croissant dough) with it. The waiter manages to seduce me anyway so, in addition to the zumo de naranja, I order the horchata with fartons. The horchata tastes like a slightly sweet milky drink and is wonderfully refreshing. The combination with the fartons completes it! In short, the first step to a good and especially healthy day has been taken.

To get a good idea of Valencia, we are going to explore the city “all Dutch” by bike. You can rent bikes everywhere, but we rent them at Solution bike rental at a competitive price on the recommendation of our hostal. Very nice is to cycle through the 10 kilometer(!) long city park Jardines del Turia in the old river bed of the Turia. This park runs right through the city like a green strip. I have never seen such a versatile park with various playgrounds, work-out machines, playing fields and beautiful picnic areas! If only we had such a park in the Netherlands. After an active bike ride through the city and the park, our stomachs start to growling again and we look for a restaurant where locals enjoy the almuerzo. We plop down at restaurant Taberna Española Pasodoble. Like the Valencianos do, we order the daily menu.

This is a complete 3-course menu for about 10.00 euros. Very tasty and a cheap solution that can fill you up well. What you must have tasted when you are in Valencia is the paella! This cocina tipica de Valencia, you can eat it everywhere in Valencia. Just outside Valencia, in Albufera, you can visit the rice fields. We decide to eat paella on the beach of Valencia in the evening. It is also easy to reach by metro from the center. We were told that restaurant La Pepica is the most famous paella restaurant, but that L´estimat serves the most delicious paella and where you sit among the Valencianos. So that is the very best tip: eat where the locals are sitting. We end the evening at the Café de las Horas with Valencia's most famous cocktail “Agua de Valencia”. The alcoholic version of Valencian oranges;) mixed with cava (Spanish champagne) and cointreau.

Before we return home, I quickly buy something for the home front at Mercado Central in the morning. This market with its food stalls of fresh vegetables, fruit, fish and meat makes your mouth water. This is also where all the restaurants in Valencia get their fresh produce. On the side of the Mercado Central I quickly buy paella rice and a paella pan so I can try to make the real paella a la Valencia at home.

Valencia, with some 1,500 restaurants, is a delight for culinary lovers. It is a versatile city where you can fully enjoy Spanish life in all its facets. I will definitely come back here!

Full name is Rafael Nadal Parera and he is a famous Spanish tennis player. Born in Mallorca, Spain on June 3, 1986. Rafa is his nickname for both privately and on the tennis court. He became a professional tennis player in 2001. Rafa Nadal has won a total of over 46 million euros in prize money!

Rafa is currently ranked No. 2 in the world according to the ATP list. He is considered one of the best tennis players ever. Different tournaments also have different surfaces, for example, Roland Garros has gravel where Wimbledon has grass. Rafa Nadal is also called the King of Gravel. This name because of his 7 titles won on this surface. With this, he has surpassed Björn Borg. He is, according to some, the best gravel player ever!!! In total, Rafa Nadal already has 11 Grand Slam titles to his name. Nadal has also won a gold medal in 2008 at the Olympics, won 21 Master Series titles, which is a record number. The Spanish tennis player also plays on the Spanish national team and won the Davis cub with the team in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011. After also winning the title at the US Open in 2010, he became the 7th person in history to receive the Career Slam, Rafael was also the youngest by the way! In 2012, he became the first tennis player in history to win an ATP title 8 times in a row, the Master Series Monte Carlo. Before Rafael Nadal became No. 1 in the world on Aug. 18, 2008, he first spent 160 weeks at No. 2 behind Roger Federer. Rafa remained the No. 1 until July 5, 2009, but on June 7, 2010, he regained the No. 1 position after winning his 5th title at Roland Garros. Since July 4, 2011, Novak Djokovic has been the No. 1 player in the world.

For all his professional tennis career, Rafael Nadal has been in a duel with Roger Federer. Off the court they are friends, but once they face each other in a semifinal or final, it is hard against hard and they give everything! These are therefore always beautiful and especially exciting matches to watch for the fans among us.

Private life

Rafael Nadal's parents are Sabastián and Ana María, also Rafa has a younger sister named María Isabel. Rafa is the nephew of former soccer player Miguel Ángel Nadal and his coach is his other uncle Toni Nadal. Nadal has been dating Maria Francisca Perello since 2005. A hobby Rafa pursues outside of tennis is golf. There is also an autobiography written about Rafael Nadal's life titled "Rafa," which came out in 2011. 

It is safe to say that Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal is among one of the best in the world. Not only now, but also in history he has broken many records. And I believe Rafa will continue that in the coming years now that he is at the top. 

Volunteering in Spain and Latin America has become increasingly popular among the Dutch in recent years. More and more people and especially young people go to developing countries during their vacations to help with different projects. This can be building an orphanage, teaching in Latin America or going on a volunteer trip in Spain.

There are many organizations offering volunteer work and this number will continue to grow in the coming years. Many companies also volunteer both at home and abroad. The relative distance (distance in time, money and effort) has become smaller in recent years, making visiting developing countries more and more accessible now. Relative distance has been reduced by development of land, sea and air transportation.

You can now take a Spanish course first and then volunteer in a Spanish-speaking country, such as Mexico. At don Quijote they can arrange this for you, as it is important to have a certain level of Spanish before you can help people. The only condition don Quijote sets is that you take a Spanish course for a minimum of 4 weeks to improve your Spanish, during which you will stay with a host family to improve your Spanish even faster. The course should bring your Spanish up to a level that will allow you to become a volunteer. When you start volunteering, you can choose to stay with your host family or you can choose different accommodation, which does not have to be don Quijote.Neem hier makkelijk deel aan door je zelf in te schrijven bij don Quijote. Een ervaring voor het leven zal het worden die je nooit zult vergeten!!

All income goes directly to the volunteer project. This way you can see for yourself right away where the money is going. Nowadays you can also volunteer in Spain, put together your own trip and help the less fortunate. Helping to build orphanages and schools gives you a fulfilled feeling!

We will look for a good volunteer project for you. During your volunteer work you will be accompanied so that we can keep track of how you are doing and help you when needed. For each volunteer, don Quijote will donate a contribution to the project in question.

So have you always wanted to do something for those people who are less fortunate in their lives than you? Now you have the chance to do something for this, become a volunteer in a Spanish-speaking country in Spain or Latin America. There are many projects in Latin America that help in orphanages and schools. Improve both your Spanish and the lives of those less fortunate by volunteering!

Toledo is the capital of the Castile-La Mancha region of central Spain and is located 70 kilometers south of Madrid. Toledo is also on UNESCO's World Heritage List due to its rich history and diversity of cultures.

Toledo was the capital of Spain until 1561 and is still considered one of the most important cities of the Spanish church today. The city is also known for its many daggers and swords that you will find all over the city. Toledo is also the city of El Greco, a famous painter.

Ancient Toledo was owned by the Romans who called the city Toletum until 192 B.C. Furthermore, Toledo was also part of the Visigoths from 534 to 712 A.D. In Moorish times, 712 to 1085 A.D. the city was called Tolaitola. After this time, Toledo experienced a prosperous time through the silk and wool industry and also through arms manufacturing.

Although Toledo is not a large area, it is an important hub economically and socially. The city is rich in culture and Spanish history. Toledo can also be easily visited on foot. All sights, monuments, museums and other places of interest are close together. However, it is advisable to wear good shoes or sturdy slippers since, as in all other cities in Spain, the streets are usually lined with small stones.

Toledo is generally known as "The City of Three Cultures." This is because Christian, Muslim and hebrew cultures lived within the city walls and this has left its mark on the city. This is particularly evident in the extraordinary architecture where all three cultures come together and give it its own personality.

During the Spanish Civil War, Toledo became truly famous for the siege of the Alcázar. At the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, the siege of the Alcázar of Toledo took place, this was an important military confrontation between opponents and supporters of Francisco Franco. From July 21 to Sept. 27, 1936, the city of Toledo and particularly the Alcázar was besieged by citizens loyal to the leftist government. The Alcázar was defended by Colonel José Moscardó. On July 25, the besiegers captured Colonel Moscardó's son, Luis, and wanted to kill him if the Alcázar did not surrender within ten minutes. The colonel asked his son on the phone to address him, telling him, "Dedicate your soul to God and cry loudly Long live Christ King! Long live Spain!" The son replied, "That is something I can accomplish!" After this refusal to surrender, the son was bloody murdered a month later. On Sept. 27, after two months of siege, the Alcázar was unseated by Franco.

Toledo's rich history in particular makes it a wonderful city to visit. Transportation to Toledo is easy from Madrid. It is definitely worth visiting Toledo once if you get the chance. After all, you can really enjoy walking in this city!     

As I’m now heading into my final few weeks in Spain (leaving this 32°C heat to go back to rainy England doesn’t bare thinking about!) I’ve already started getting nostalgic about the time I’ve spent here. Salamanca is a really fantastic place to study Spanish, but it’s the city’s quirks and unique character that I’m going to miss.

The tradition and its origins

One of my favourite days here was Lunes de Agua. This tradition is observed the first Monday after Lent, and dates back to the Catholic roots of Spanish society. In order to keep the city ‘pure’ for the Semana Santa celebrations at Easter, in XVI century the king Phillip II expelled the city’s prostitutes from Salamanca, so that the men to keep their minds on the religious goings on!

So the prostitutes were rowed away on boats to the outskirts of the city each Ash Wednesday, to await “Water Monday” as it is known, when they were allowed back into the city. The men of Salamanca were so excited at the prospect their return, that every Lunes de Agua, the Salmantinos would spend all day sitting, waiting and being merry by the river until the row boats moored on the banks by the city and the real party got started!

The festivity nowadays

I’m not entirely sure when the prostitutes of Salamanca stopped getting kicked out every Easter, but the festivities remain to this day. Nowadays it’s fun for all of the family, and the city's river banks are full of picnics and parties on the first Monday after Lent. Although it’s not technically a public holiday (sadly I still had to work, although in true Spanish style the party keeps going into the early hours of the morning), many of the smaller businesses shut for the afternoon in order to be part of the merriment!

Another part of Lunes de Agua which has stood the test of time is the hornazo. This amazing meat pie, so full of chorizo, jamón, salchichón and everything else that would horrify a vegetarian, is taken down to the river as sustenance for the day. The hornazos are huge; mine took me the best part a week to finish! They were designed so that the men wouldn’t need to keep popping into town for food and risk missing the prostitutes’ return. They are surprisingly moist for a meat pie, although very often they get washed down with a six-pack or two!

What I really enjoyed about this crazy tradition (apart from all the vino...) was that after the very solemn week of Easter celebrations, where the focus is on penance for all your sins, the Salmantinos go above and beyond in enoying themselves for a very un-holy reason! It was one of my favourite days in Salamanca (although the day after was pretty difficult!) and if you’re thinking of visiting, I’d definitely suggest co-ordinating your trip with Lunes de Agua!

Traveling through Spain, enjoying Spanish life under the sun! Travel in general has become one of the most popular leisure activities of most people in recent years. This year, an estimated 1 billion people will go on vacation! Spain is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Europe.

This trend starts especially with the youth between 18-25 years old. Taking a year off to work or going on a year of travel is increasingly becoming a popular option. This is a result of reducing the relative distance between 2 places. The relative distance between two places is the time it takes to get from one place to another. This has become shorter over the years through technological advances of land, sea and air travel.

Because the distance between different places is smaller, the ability to travel is also easier. It used to be special if you went abroad for vacation. Nowadays, we don't do anything else and most families go on vacation abroad at least twice a year. Many study trips are also taken, whether it is studying abroad or learning a language abroad, nowadays anything is possible! A study trip is an experience for life, you learn from it and you meet many different people. Study trips to Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Salamanca are the most visited study destinations.

Accessibility in a country is very important. Therefore, in Spain there are many buses and trains that can take tourists from one city to another for relatively low prices. From Madrid the trains in Spain run in all directions, Madrid is located in the middle of Spain which ensures the many directions. The roads in Spain are also good, making a car vacation to Spain easy to do as well. This allows you to see a lot of the country while being independent of any buses and/or trains. You can easily rent a car from the airport.

Did you know that the Madrid - Barcelona flight and vice versa are the most frequent flights in the world. Daily flights go from the largest city in Spain to the second largest city and back again. Because there are so many flights going every day, the airline tickets also have pleasant prices. Furthermore, many domestic flights go from the north to Andalusia and also to Catalonia. Because of this, many Spaniards also enjoy a vacation in their own country.

All in all, traveling to and through Spain is quite doable. There are many pristine spots of nature where mass tourism has not yet set its foot. It is therefore definitely worth doing a tour of Spain, especially with the pleasant climate that we Dutch are always so envious of!

The Spanish Inquisition lasted from 1478 to 1834. The definition of Inquisition is as follows: "A court of the Roman Catholic Church, charged with the detection, investigation and punishment of heretics."

Yet the definition of Spanish Inquisition is slightly different and reads as follows: "The Spanish Inquisition was established in 1478 for the purpose of upholding Catholic orthodoxy. It was not abolished until 1834 during the reign of the Spanish Catholic monarch Isabella II. The Inquisition was used to impose religious unity on the people, thus the Inquisition became a political tool of power."

Christianity was the most well-known faith in the earlier centuries that had many followers around the world. Many Catholic rulers wanted to preserve Christianity and wanted to convince anyone who believed something else to Christianity, if the person did not want this he/she was persecuted.

Capture

After someone was imprisoned, the case was investigated by "calificadores." These were responsible for whether someone was found guilty of heresy or not during the Spanish Inquisition. If this was the case then the person was imprisoned. Sometimes the "calificadores" would take people into preventive detention. This period could last for two years in some cases. Also, the prisoner was not told what the charges were, in most cases they did not know for years what they were accused of. The prisoners could not leave their cells during their imprisonment; everything was isolated. In 1483, stricter inquisitors were appointed and from then on faith courts were established in all the main towns, the prisons were named holy houses (casas santas).

Trial

The trial itself consisted of a few hearings with both the accuser and the accused both allowed to tell their own stories to the inquisitors. The accused was assigned someone from the tribunal to advise the accused to tell the truth. Also present was an official who kept notules. The accused had two opportunities to defend himself during the Spanish Inquisition; first, finding a witness in his favor (abonos), or second, proving implausibility of the accuser (tachas).

The Spanish Inquisition was never really interested in witch hunting. There were two reasons for this, first, because the Catholic Church already had enough scapegoats in Jews and Muslims, and second, because Christianity had more enemies outside Christianity than inside Christianity (as heretics and later witches).

The end of the Inquisition

The end of the Spanish Inquisition was in 1843, but actually it had not been active since 1700. When the Catholic prince el Borbón came on the Spanish trome, the Spanish Inquisition had already come to an end.

Precise figures on the number of trials and results during the Spanish Inquisition have never been fully ascertained, as many documents have been lost. In the most gruesome years of the Spanish Inquisition, there were about 44,000 trials. According to documents, 1.6% ended with a death sentence (700 people).

Many people died during the years of the Spanish Inquisition. Today there are still groups active that want to continue the Inquisition ideology. Fortunately, we can also respect each other today, but the topic of faith will always be sensitive in politics and beyond.