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Food / Drink Barcelona
92 Reviews The locals flock to get all they can of the ham and pasteries that abound around the city. We saw the real store that only sold the jamon, and yes; it is expensive no matter how you cut it, or how...
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Culture Madrid
56 Reviews In Spain, there's no need for a special reason to go out and celebrate, it's seems like the city is always prepare to go out and have good time. In Madrid, the official fiestas , by calender , are...
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April Fair Sevilla
9 Reviews Next to the Feria you find a huge lunapark, called "Calle del Infierno" - Hell's street. When you walk around there you understand why it got this name. You can find merry go rounds but also some...
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A matter of Lingo Palma de Mallorca
5 Reviews In Mallorca, anything goes. You will see old men at cafes drinking beer at ten in the morning, and young people going home from clubbing at four. There is supposedly a drinking age, but no one seems...
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FREE TAPAS Granada
10 Reviews We'd read about this, but didn't expect it to be as good as it sounds ... but it is ! We went into 5 bars, and in each one we had different tapas with each beer. Now granted they were not all to our...
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Food & Drinks Majorca Island
5 Reviews We just returned from Cala Millor resort and had been surprised to discover that practically noone was eating in the diners even as late as 9pm. Tourists and locals were mainly sipping on their drinks...
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Carnival Cadiz
19 Reviews All week long there is always something different to do and see. On the First Saturday there is a Cabalgata (parade) and a kiddie pageant. the Goddess of Carnival is also elected. On Sunday there...
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The Feria del Caballos Jerez de la Frontera
8 Reviews The Feria del Caballo - (Horse Fair) which is held annually in early May in Jerez was a highlight of our holiday. If you want to see a real Andalucian festival with flamenco dress, equestrian pride...
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Language Barcelona
54 Reviews Catalunya is a bilingual community. Everybody in Catalunya do speak Spanish (or Castellano as we prefer to call it here), but in fact NOT everybody do speak Catalan (about 60% in Barcelona, less in...
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Gastronomy Madrid
50 Reviews It's a fact that Madrileños love to stay out really late. They eat, they drink and dance till the wee hours, and then they eat chocolate con churros. (I guess they just dance off the fat.) San Gines...
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Semana Santa Sevilla
10 Reviews In Seville, they take Holy Week very seriously. Every day, at different times during the day, there are parades, and here is what usually happens for each parade: Groups of nazarenos in robes with...
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Luxury produce Palma de Mallorca
2 Reviews This street, storekeeper, is the equivalent of the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. Under the arcades one recovers all stores of luxury and the big dressmakers who settled in Palma. It is therefore there that...
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FESTIVALS Granada
14 Reviews This is a free techno/dance festival that takes place every spring just outside Orgiva (although in 2010 it was held in Santa Fe and was much smaller). The site is a quarry and dried-up river bed that...
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Language Cadiz
5 Reviews Angango: People that usually wear lots of gold and shout and fight about everything and anything. Aro- Shortened from the Castillano word claro which means 'of course'. Bastinazo- An extremely...
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Language and Local Customs Jerez de la Frontera
6 Reviews In the Cadiz province no one pronounces the any S in any word. So for example Despues becomes Depue and Estoy becomes Etoy or even toy. This is very useful when you are trying to understand what...
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City Highlights Barcelona
23 Reviews During the summer time from 15th to 21st of august, everybody are just waiting to celebrate the Gracia s Party called Fiesta major de Gracia. Gracia is a area in barcelona, this area seems to be...
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Entertainement Madrid
45 Reviews During my weekend in Madrid, I enjoyed listening to, and watching the various musicians, playing on the streets of Madrid. Three of my favourites were the trio in my 1st picture, who played near El...
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Alcoholic Beverages Sevilla
6 Reviews Sangria is lovely, because it has lots of fruit in it and I am a big fan of fruit. It is however, rather hard to get hold of Sevilla, if you don`t know where to go. On Calle Mateus Gago, the bar...
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SIESTA Granada
3 Reviews Shops usually open fom about 9 in the morning and close at 2pm (in Spain the morning (mañana) is considered to be up to 2pm not 12pm). They then open again in the afternoon at about 5:30-6 until...
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Relics Cadiz
3 Reviews the business of the relics at the Medieval times was very important. A good church or cathedral with a relic had a promising future and many incomes. Here the one in Cadiz had two, this one is from...
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Fiestas de Otono Jerez de la Frontera
1 Review During the autumn festival in September, the bars in Jerez participate in a competition called Tapa Centro. Over 50 bars take part, and a booklet is published giving the list of bars, their locations...
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Sundays / La Sardana Barcelona
15 Reviews If you're in Barcelona on a Sunday, try to see the people dancing the Sardana, the Catalan national dance. Try near the Cathedral. When I saw people doing the Sardana it was in the afternoon in the...
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Local Festivities Madrid
27 Reviews FORUM REPLY. I have been in Madrid in May as it is a fine period for the weather between cold winter and super hot summer. No particular problem with the Feria di San Isidro; Madrid is always full of...
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Flamenco Sevilla
6 Reviews I am by no means an expert on Flamenco, so I would ask you to research a little yourself - you might want to start with the link I gave you below! Flamenco is not the happy, outgoing way of dancing,...
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THE ALHAMBRA Granada
4 Reviews La Alhambra: es una roja fortaleza que domina la ciudad. En el Patio de los Arrayanes se reflejan los palacios y sus filigranas de piedra, en medio del perfume de las plantas aromáticas. Los...
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Yet another dish along the same lines as Fabada or Callos and this is COCIDO from Madrid.It has chick peas, black pudding, sausage, green beans and meat. I like it but it isn't as spicy as other similar dishes, though perhaps a little healthier as it includes green beans too!Remember chick peas are very healthy!!!! Not so sure about the other ingredients though! Well, it's great winter food anyway.
The biggest brand of sliced bread in Spain is called BIMBO!!!! I found this highly amusing as in British English bimbo means airhead (e.g. Blond bimbo). I think it means something else in American, but I can't remember what.
The photo you see along side is a typical image in many bars and restaurants in Spain. Ok I admit it, it doesn't look very appetising, but it is! There is also perhaps more flattering photo attached as well. Jamon Serrano is jamon curado (cured ham). So what makes jamon serrano different to jamon curado? Well, the pigs (before they are viciously slaughtered for our ravishing appetites) are fed on acorns, which makes the meat tastier and healthier. Don't scoff if I try and make it sound healthy because it isn't so bad for you as it may look. It is filled with vitamins b1 and b6 as well as Iron and potassium among other things. If you are here you HAVE to try it, unless you are a vegetarian of course! It is one of the most typical foods from Spain and the locals will be upset it you turn your nose up at it!
Chorizo (choritho) is a typical cured sausage from the Spanish speaking world, and it unavoidable. It is everywhere.It gets it's red hue from paprika; pork being the other main ingredient. It is usually lightly to spicy in flavour.Before it becomes nice neat slices on your plate it is a long U shaped sausage, often shrivelled looking with a dusty white coating. Some are tougher than others, the less tough and lighter red are the ones I like best. I like it to melt in my mouth and to leave it tingling with spicy delight!The photo (albeit a little shaky) below is the tale end of one I bought. You can see my dog Salo expectantly waiting in the background encase I should happen to drop it!
Callos or also Menudo is a type of stew from Asturias in the North of Spain although you can find it in any province. The English laugh at the Scottish for their haggis, well, what are they going to make of this dish then????Callos is made of intestines and head (not sure which parts as it isn't an intact head don't worry) of cows or pigs, Chick peas, chorizo (spicy sausage) and morcilla (black pudding) with a slightly spicy edge.So encase you see this in the menu and think it sounds interesting now at least you know what you'll be eating, although sometimes I think it is best to try things without knowing as they just might taste good!
Butifarra is a 'embutido' from Catalunya, it can be white or black. In the photo you can see the white type along side morcilla (black pudding) and Chorizo (Spanish spicy sausage). Embutidos are basically sausage type foods made of minced or chopped meats and herbs and spices and are often cured.Butifarra is basically a kind of pork meatloaf that comes in more of a sausage from.The black butifarra gets it's colour from blood (just like morcilla/black pudding) and is made from fatty and lean meats whereas the white one is usually made from just lean meat.it is very tasty if you are a meat eater who wants to try some great local dishes!
ripping off people who come to experience their culture, ive heard stories from lots of different nationalities all with the same problems, the spannish stealing from them, they should be ashamed of each other and do something about the disease they all share.
In Andalucia no one pronounces the any S in any word. So for example Despues becomes Depue and Estoy becomes Etoy or even toy. This is very useful when you are trying to understand what people are saying.In the Cadiz province the other thing you should watch out for is the way they 'eat' certain words and past participle endings. For example. Estado become estao or the word pescado (which means fish) becomes pescao. Oh, and don't forget the people in Cadiz like to play around with the th (ci or ce). Sometimes they say it someties they don't. So Cerveza (beer) can be pronounced Therbetha or cerbeza or cerveza or thervetha or therbeza or cerbetha. It's very confusing when your new to Spainish and trying to understand. But it's great becuse you almost can't pronounce it wrong! You'll notice too that they say B for V which is common all over Spain.Also the phenomenon I mentioned above can...
Shops usually open fom about 10 in the morning and close at 2pm (in Spain the morning (mañana) is considered to be up to 2pm not 12pm). They then open again in the afternoon at about 5:30-6 until 9-9:30.In Spain there is no evening time they call it afternoon (tarde) right up to nightime (noche).Many shops may close Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday. Especially in smaller towns or villages.Watch out for the many holidays and Puentes (extended holidays) when shops can be closed 2 days in a row!!!!!!
Bull fighting is still highly popular in Spain. If you do want to go the best places are in El Puerto de Santa Maria (Cádiz) or Sevilla.I personally don't like blood sports so can't tell you much more about this 'sport' although El Juli is supposed to be good and tickets to sit in the shade (sombra) are more expensive than in the sun (sol). Don't whatever you do go to an amature fight as they are just bloody and gruesome.Young people in Spain are starting think that bull fighting violates animal rights though many still see it as a valid form of entertainment as all parts of the bull are used afterwards and beforehand the bulls live 'well'.The Plaza de Toros are pretty enough to look at from the outside though!
Jazz Barcelona
6 Reviews and 1597 Opinions So it costs a fair bit...but the location is perfect, right in between Eixample and Las Ramblas,...
Hotel Atlantico Madrid
7 Reviews and 1990 Opinions With most four-star hotels in Madrid (and throughout Western Europe) charging US$400 or more, the...
San Augustin Beach Club Canary Islands
40 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Spain attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Spain sightseeing.
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Q: Hi everyone, I really need some help to decide where to bring my young family this year for holiday. I am keen on going to the...
A: all there is child friendly catering to families like yours. Great area indeed. y ou can check on destination above tips by posters like us or the tourist office...
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