Best of Spain
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,298
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I advice you go to Borders / Barnes and Noble ,pick a few travel books on Spain and sit at the cafe with a cup of coffee.Just looking at pictures and reading a little bit of each region will give you the flavor of the country and you will know if you are interested or not.
To me the most unusual thing about Spain is how gregarious the Spaniards are. Just to seat at a cafe , eating tapas and enjoying sangria while watching the locals enjoy life is a joy. In the summer people of all ages ( from babies to the very old) congregate in the squares until very late at night walking, talkin, drinking.... Not even in Italy you experience this to this degree. Just thinking about it I long to be there experiencing that!
To me the most unusual thing about Spain is how gregarious the Spaniards are. Just to seat at a cafe , eating tapas and enjoying sangria while watching the locals enjoy life is a joy. In the summer people of all ages ( from babies to the very old) congregate in the squares until very late at night walking, talkin, drinking.... Not even in Italy you experience this to this degree. Just thinking about it I long to be there experiencing that!
#3
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am not sure what your tastes or styles but I have been two Spain twice I just loved it. I didn't even do any huge sight seeing while I was there just relaxed. The Costa del Sol is beautiful and the atmosphere so contagious. You can't help but immerse yourself in the culture. I definitly agree with cruiseluv.
I should also state my disclaimer that the two times I went, I stayed with my pen-pal and then family who already lived there so I had an "insiders tour", so to speak, of Costa del Sol and Madrid.
Read up on Spain and see if it is a place worth visiting for you. Since only you can decide that. Hope someone else has some good info for you.
I should also state my disclaimer that the two times I went, I stayed with my pen-pal and then family who already lived there so I had an "insiders tour", so to speak, of Costa del Sol and Madrid.
Read up on Spain and see if it is a place worth visiting for you. Since only you can decide that. Hope someone else has some good info for you.
#4
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Why you should go to Spain depends on YOUR interests. And none of us know what they are.
We are history/culture buffs - so the part of Spain we enjoyed most was Andalusia (which is the most different from the rest of europe due to the long history of Moorish rule). The cities are beautiful and interesting, the small towns are charming - and the beaches are good (we like Peurto Banus) - but not in the summer - when the whole place just bakes in 100+ degree temps. IMHO the best time of year is April or early May in that part of Spain.
But if you really are a foodie and want nightlife you would probably prefer Madrid. Unless you're uder 25 - when it should probably be Ibiza.
If you want Roman ruins head for Merida.
If you want a combo of super trendy and uique architecture - head for Barcelona.
You need to do the research based on your interests.
We are history/culture buffs - so the part of Spain we enjoyed most was Andalusia (which is the most different from the rest of europe due to the long history of Moorish rule). The cities are beautiful and interesting, the small towns are charming - and the beaches are good (we like Peurto Banus) - but not in the summer - when the whole place just bakes in 100+ degree temps. IMHO the best time of year is April or early May in that part of Spain.
But if you really are a foodie and want nightlife you would probably prefer Madrid. Unless you're uder 25 - when it should probably be Ibiza.
If you want Roman ruins head for Merida.
If you want a combo of super trendy and uique architecture - head for Barcelona.
You need to do the research based on your interests.
#6
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,047
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You kept me thinking all the time.
What is unique?
- Lifestyle? Well, it is mediterranean, but to some extent, lifestyle is similar (yet not identical) in Italy.
- Food? Yes, you get top-notch gourmet cuisine in Madrid and Barcelona, but in the smaller towns, cuisine is more rustic.
- Architecture? Madrid appears to me as a mixture between Paris and Rome. Moorish architecture in Andalusia is unique, of course.
- Finally I found it: Alcohol. Alcoholic drinks are incredibly cheap in Spain. In a decent restaurant, they serve a bottle of good regional wine for 7 Euros, a bottle of champagne-style sparkling wine for 11 Euros. And if you order a Spanish brandy, a miracle will happen. If other posters mention the special atmosphere in Spain, it is probably the drinks.
What is unique?
- Lifestyle? Well, it is mediterranean, but to some extent, lifestyle is similar (yet not identical) in Italy.
- Food? Yes, you get top-notch gourmet cuisine in Madrid and Barcelona, but in the smaller towns, cuisine is more rustic.
- Architecture? Madrid appears to me as a mixture between Paris and Rome. Moorish architecture in Andalusia is unique, of course.
- Finally I found it: Alcohol. Alcoholic drinks are incredibly cheap in Spain. In a decent restaurant, they serve a bottle of good regional wine for 7 Euros, a bottle of champagne-style sparkling wine for 11 Euros. And if you order a Spanish brandy, a miracle will happen. If other posters mention the special atmosphere in Spain, it is probably the drinks.
#7
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 23,350
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This question is...well, I am not sure how to describe it without giving offence aside to say that it appears to have arisen from some sort of vacuum. I am curious as to the motivation here. Did someone tell you that you ought to "go to Spain?" Have you found an inexpensive tour? Are you curious about the country and if so, have you looked, for a start, at the "Destinations" section of this site?