Salamanca (part 2)

Plaza Mayor

This large square, created in 18th century by Churriguera is without doubt among the most beautiful in Spain. It forms the real center of town, not only geographically. In the streets around there are many important monuments, as the church Iglesia de la Purisima and the Monastery of Saint Ursula in Calle Bordadores, the Capuchins Church in Calle Ramon y Cajal, the College of the Archbishop of Fonseca and, at its side, the Monasterio de los Irlandeses, an outstanding work of 16th century with a splendid Renaissance court, created by Berruguete.

Plaza Major

The Monasteries

Around the cathedral and along Gran Via there are several monasteries which deserve a visit.

Convento y Museo de las Dueñas is a plateresque 16th century building with a fantastic claustrum and beautiful court.

The Convento de San Esteban, also of 16th century and built by Juan de Alava, with an altar of Churriguera, is another masterwork of plateresque style. Churriguera was also the architect of the beautiful baroque Colegio de Calatrava.

More buildings worth visiting are the Convento de las Claras, Convento de los Jesuitas and the church Iglesia de Sancti Spiritus.

The Statues

Those statues remind of important historical or legendary figures, who have determined Salamanca's long history of high culture.

Let us start with figures of medieval literature as the lovers Calixto y Melibea, in the "Gardens of the Matchmaker Celestina, where, as legend tells us, they used to meet in secret.

A statue of Saint Teresa of Avila you will find at the square called after her, a statue of famous jurist Padre Vitoria face to face to the Convento de San Esteban where he was living. At the same square lived, by the way, Christopher Columbus for some time. He didn't find open ears for his projects in Salamanca, maybe this is the reason why is monument is not located here but at Plaza de Colón.

Famous authors who lived in Salamanca were Nebrija, whose monument you may visit close to the Church of San Marcos, Gabriel y Galán, at the square called after him and Miguel de Unamuno, close to the Convento de Santa Ursula.

More Monuments

At the end a few more monuments the visitor to Salamanca should not miss:

El Puente Romano, the Roman bridge over the river Tormes, one of the best conserved in all Spain. The House Lis, an outstanding example of the modernist architecture of early 20th century and the region's most visited museum . And finally the avenue Gran Via, of unique harmony as all the buildings and the beautiful arcades are made of the golden stone from Villamayor.

 El Puente Romano

Playa Malvarossa

Playa de Malvarossa is the main beach of Valencia. This is where the crowds flock on the weekends.
Malvarossa is what the locals usually mean by "going to the beach". It is a full-flung city beach in all respects.
The water is decent and the fine sand is great. During the summer weekends the whole Valencia comes down on this beach. It is a noisy, busy atmosphere with people doing just about everything that can be done on the beach - sunbathing, playing games, socialising, eating, drinking, reading etc.
This is not the place for some desolate loneliness, but if a lively beach is your thing, this is a great place.
There are restaurants at intervals all along the beach.
The epicentre is the main entrance to the Malvarossa beach - a pedestrian square opposite the northern tram stop. This is where most people will arrive and this is where the beach will be the busiest. There is also a lot of summer activity on the square itself.
This part of Malvarossa also comes deliciously alive in the summer nights. It hosts a potent cluster of nightlife which happily spills out onto a beach botellon (a piss-up with booze bought in a shop) until 4am. Although you are not advised to go too far into the beach and from the crowds at night.

Salamanca (part 1)

Salamanca is one of those towns which, although not large in extension, impress any of its visitors. All the buildings in the center of town, even the new ones, are made of the stone from Villamayor, which contains a high concentration of iron making possible very filigree works, and its characteristic golden color gives strong personality to all the town.

The Cathedral

Salamanca's cathedral is a prototypical example of plateresque style which is so typical for Spain, marking the transition from Gothic to Renaissance. Spaniards call this cathedral "La Nueva", the new one, as the old cathedral still exists at its side.

Cathedral

In its splendid interior pay attention to the "Golden Chapel" with extraordinary works of sculpture and to the Patio Chico, the small yard, to be found at the place where "old" and "new" cathedral are built together.

A narrow street, Calle Calderón, leads you from here to the University quarter.

The University Quarter

The University of Salamanca is one of the oldest in the world, founded by King Alphonse IX only a short period of time after the Universities of Bologna and Paris. The building you can see today however was built at the time of the catholic kings, and is considered a masterwork of plateresque style. The façade is ornamented with numerous figures,  the most famous among them the "frog on a skull", which numerous tourists try to make out - not easy considering the large number of small figures.

University

In the University's interior certainly the huge Library of 160.000 volumes is the main attraction. Worth visiting is also the staircase with reliefs showing scenes of bullfighting and the customs of students in old times who used to write their names at the façade with bulls blood.

12 reasons why to visit Valencia

Valencia is steadily emerging as a new popular weekend / holiday destination. It has experienced 10 consecutive years of growth in tourism and this is just the beginning. Cheap airlines have arrived, the word is spreading all over the world. Why? Well, the question is rather why did it not happen before? Consider:
1. The Historic Centre

Valencia has a totally stunning and compact old town centre, packed with gorgeous buildings, historic sights, squares, gardens, museums and charming little streets. It is a total delight to get lost in it and soak up the atmosphere. The Historic Centre bears the marks of 2000 years, in a spectacular mix of Roman, Muslim and Christian civilizations.
2. The Space Age Architecture

The wold famous futuristic City of Arts and Sciences is an unbelievable thing to see. This is truly new millenium tourism. But it doesn't end here - walking through Valencia you will see a whole lot of ultra-modern, breath-taking, futuristic architecture. The contrast of gothic, baroque and classical living side by side with the space age.
3. The Culture

Valencia is packed with museums, theatres, art galleries and fairs. The local government is passionate about promoting culure and constantly puts on new arts projects, culture events and festivals. There is always something going on in Valencia, always a pleasant surprise.
4. Valencian Identity and Traditions

For an ethnologically-minded traveller Valencia offers its unique cultural identity. Valencia is not another Spanish city. It has always considered itself a state within a state, it has held on to its own unique traditions and they are still very much alive, in the 21st century. And you can observe them all around you.
5. People

Half way down the coast, Valencia combines northern pragmatism with southern openness and hospitality. You can expect friendliness and welcome, yet your comfort will be ensured. The people here are unpretentious and open-hearted.
6. Food

For a food traveller, Valencia has its on cuisine. Mainly it is famous for being the original birthplace of paella, and here you can enjoy many different kinds of it. But there is also a whole range of other unique dishes. Eating out is a must.
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7. Nightlife

Valencia has a very lively nightlife and you are ensured a good night out in a friendly and homely ambience. Nightlife here is more than just a good party - it is a cultural experience as Valencian nightlife is unique in many different ways, and as such famous throughout Spain.
8. Fiestas

The Valencians, as said above, are passionate about keeping to their traditions. The utmost expression of those traditions are the numerous Fiestas throughout the year, culminating with internationally famous Las Fallas. You will be treated to a whole range of spectacular and colourful experiences.
9. The Beach

Valencia is also a beach city. While you have all those sights, and culture, and wondering around, to fill your lesiure to the limit, you can always just drop down to the beach and relax under the sun. For a city beach, Valencian beach is of very good quality but if you are looking for something more tranquil - there are plenty of places within a very short distance of Valencia
10. The weather

And all of this can be enjoyed in a gorgeous Mediterranean climate, when just walking around is a pure pleasure
11. Genuine

The best thing about all of the above is that none of it is for show, none of it is a tourist commodity. All of that is what the native Valencians live in, this is what they do, whether you are there or not. What you see here is real, it is a glimpse of another culture, a real and beautiful life, rather than a show for your money.
12. Unpretentious

And, considering that, it is suprising how unpretentious Valencia is, and this is the best thing about it. Many destinations would have long become arrogant and spoilt, with tourist ghettos separated from the natives. Here, as soon as you step off your plane you are immediately in the thick of genuine Valencian life where people are proud of their heritage just because this is how they are and they have a lot to be proud of. But they are delighted to see your interest and many will gladly help you.

Playa las Arenas y Cabanyal

The southern part of the beach is a leisure area for promenades, events, restaurants, bars and hotels. The northern part becomes more of a beach itself, gradually evolving into the Malvarossa beach.
This beach is the start of the beachline in the Valencia city itself. The beach joins with the walls of America's Cup Port, it is the closest, the most built-up and the most accessible to the city, and as such it is the official city beach for activities and events, so to speak. Meaning it is more of a backdrop for leisure activities and events, rather than the place for sunbathing crowds.
Whenever there is a sports event on the beach, or a public event (e.g. the Night Landing of the Moors during the Feria de Julio) it happens here.
This beachline is also popular with promenades - for a romantic sunset watching with a special one or socialising with a group of friends. The luxurious alley of Paseo Maritimo facilitates that. In the summer the alley also hosts a market to buy clothes, accessories and souvenirs.
The Playa de las Arenas is also a famous gastronomical reference point. A good half of it is lined with restaurants, typically Valencian to the bone. Here you find some names famous nationwide, like Pepica. This beach is where you are sent to try genuine Valencian paella.
Amonst the restaurants are also a few bars and cocktail lounges, such as Vivir sin Dormir and Cabbana Beach.
The only hotels on the whole beachline are situated here, in the Playa de las Arenas, including the 5-6 star spa giant Las Arenas.
Naturally, some people do choose to spread out in the Sun on the sands of this beach, but it is not as popular as further along. usually people choose this stretch for a walk or a game on the sand.
Las Arenas blends into Playa de Cabanyal. Here, you already notice the crowds. The Cabanyal beach, in turn, gradually evolves into the Playa de Malvarossa - the main beach of Valencia.

Bocairent

The Muslims called the city Bekirén, because of the dominant architectural style in the town which used the form of beehives. Today Bocairent  continues to project a peculiar image, its streets are seeped in centuries of history, the inhabitants have a commendable respect for their traditions and it is located in an enviable environment, with the Sierra Mariola as its principal neighbour.

 Bocairent (me, Ana, Marcel)

A sculpture welcomes visitors to the locality, an image of a man with a blanket over his shoulders, a tradition still held by the people of Bekirén. Steep slopes, abundant vegetation, and the sources of two rivers, the Vinalopó and the Clariano, have marked the structure of the towns’ nucleus, which has been moulded respecting the natural environment. Many of the houses and some of its monuments, even modern ones, are excavated from the surrounding rock.

Bocairent is packed with history.  Walk through the old town with its narrow cobbled streets, small squares and fountains and get a feel for what it was like hundreds of years ago. Guided tours are available.

The unique bullring carved into the rock is the oldest in Valencia, dating back to 1843. There are two museums, the Archaeological Museum which has pieces from the Sarsa Cave, one of the most important Neolithic sites in the Mediterranean and the Moor and Christian Museum which gives you an insight into their history.

Bocairent

Visit the Covetes Dels Moros, a group of caves made up of around 50 rooms with holes like windows thought to have been formed around the 10th or 11th century. The original use of the caves is uncertain though there are various interpretations from granary stores to funeral chambers.

Enter the underground gallery of the The Cava De Sant Blai, a cave used as a snow store, where you can discover its history from centuries ago and view the map of all the snow stores found in the area. 

Church

The Parochial Church NTRA Senora De La Asuncion consecrated in 1516 combines the main characteristics of Valencian art from Gothic to the 19th century.  It contains several historical artifacts that are well worth seeing.

What to see in Valencia

Everyone has seen Baroque, Rennaisance, Gothic...It got boring. How many people can come back from their holiday and boast about the 22nd century architecture they enjoyed on their trip?
No pictures will do it justice. This is one of those things you have to see no matter how much you hate the crowds and tourist traps, like the Sagrada Familia of Barcelona or Machu Picchu of Peru. Only this time you are transported into the future, not into the past.
The City of Arts and Sciences is a huge futuristic educational complex designed for Valencia by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrva, as a present to his home city. Calatrava's vision is that of the space age, inspired by animal skeletons.
You can enjoy it for free, unless you want to go inside and explore what it has to offer - the City is much more than the pretty face, offereing amazing entertainment and education on an unprecendeted in Europe level.
The City of Arts and Sciences is composed of 5 elements (below), all bound together in a luxurious lanscape of clear water spaces and greenery. It is truly a city withing a city - you will find yourself far, far away from Valencia, on some distant planet in a distant time.
Some parts around it are still work in progress - the 6th and final construction has only just commenced and thats why the park around the Oceanographic has to wait to be completed. Although this makes a few corners unsightly, generally it doesn't make a big impact on the stunning experience you will receive.

Just back from holiday in Tenerife

Waoo, it’s been a great week down south in the Canary Islands. I travelled to wonderful Tenerife to find some warm weather in Spring, and I can say that after one week in Tenerife I am really tan :D

 Tenerife helds nice temperatures all through the year, specially in the South of the island. It is called the “Island of contrasts” they told me, because you can find many different types of landscapes and climates, since the center of the island is occupied by the gigant Teide vulcano, the highest peak in Spain, and the rest of the island boasts beautiful beaches.
Now, about the beaches, most are very peculiar because their sand is black instead of golden. Apparently this is due to the kind of stone that you find in a volcanic island like this. Nothing to worry about though, the beaches are great nevertheless and the vulcano is not going to blow while you are there! :) I’ll tell you more details about this trip in the next posts, but now, in case anyone planning to travel to Tenerife is reading me… I have to tell you that I was a bit disapointed by the hotel I stayed in. I’ve been already there a couple of times, and stayed in different hotels, all of which where great (4 stars I chose) but this time although I booked a 4-star of a well-know hotel chain, the hotel was quite bad, specially the room, really small, incorfotable and not too clean, so please, be careful if you are looking for a hotel in the South and you come across this “Hesperia Troya Hotel” I stayed in, it is dreadful, you better choose another one.

Toledo

Toledo is a well-known city of Spain , situated at the center of the state approximately hundred kilometers away from Madrid. According to UNESCO Toledo has been declared as in 1986. Toledo Spain is quite famous for its cultural heritage. It is a city that has persevered ancient architectural heritages of Spain in a splendid way.

 Toledo

The city attraction of Toledo lies in the innumerous old buildings and monuments of the metropolis. The city of Toledo in Spain is enriched with diverse cultural influences. Toledo culture is a blend of ancient Moorish, Jewish and Christian cultures. The city is also famous for the birth of the legendary personalities like Alfonso X and El Greco and Garcilaso de la Vega. The city of Toledo Spain is also famous for historical events like the Visigothic Councils of Toledo.
For the nearness to Madrid of Spain , usually a person who visits Madrid they definitely check-out Toledo for sure. From Madrid it takes around one and half hour to reach Toledo via train.

Toledo Spain Sightseeing
Toledo Spain Sightseeing includes historical building and monuments and Spain's largest national museum. Walking down through the medieval streets of Toledo city is always a privilege for its viewers a great way to explore through the city and discover the ancient buildings of various eras.
Some of the eminent periodic monuments of Toledo at Spain include,
The Goths Era
Fortress of San Servando still reminds us about the Gothic imperial in Toledo during 6th century; in that ear Goths invaded Toledo the capital of their province.

 San Servando

The Moor's Era
Moors has contributed some great mosques and town-gates to Toledo of Spain during their colonialism in Toledo. ‘The Mosque Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz' was established in 10th century, is an exceptionally beautiful construction of Toledo Spain.

 Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz

The Era of Romans
The amphitheater and aqueducts of Toledo Spain built in Roman era is another vital preservation of Toledo-culture.
A great place of historical significances well known for its beauty and hospitality can be a great tourist destination for you during your vacation at Spain.

Ready to explore Andalusia

I am preparing to travel to the South of Spain. The last week has been pretty cold and cloudy in Spain, but it seems that the good weather is back this weekend, and I am ready to try the famous beaches of Andalusia.

I'll be travelling to Seville and Malaga next week. I hope to visit the famous Nerja, my friends have told me that it's beautiful but I haven't been there yet. We'll be gathering some useful information fot the Tour Spain Travel Guides website too.
Our first stop in the Andalusia tour will be Seville, which is the capital of the region and the largest city in Andalusia, from there we will be travelling to the city of Malaga, famous beach resort of the South of Spain, and then finally to the coast of Nerja and Torrox. We'll keep you updated with the best places sto visit, we'll be posting photos and more information soon.

Fallas Festival in Valencia

This morning it was the Fallas Festival in Valencia, Spain, which just ended on Friday.  The story showed up in my alerts for the French President, Nicholas Sarkozy.  You may not have noticed, but I have not written about Nicholas very much lately.
My Nicholas is seeing some troubles in France right now. There is an extremely important regional election happening right now that could make or break his political party, the UMP.  The polls are showing that the Communist party is actually leading in several regions and it will be a big battle. In reality this means that the PS (Socialist Party) will win.
Nicholas did not even show up for the last pre-election rally and it is suggested that the party is trying to keep him out of the spotlight.  It seems his attempt at reforms are taking a toll on everyone (as I expected, it is very difficult to force change in France).
Added to that, the French just don’t like his style.  His romantic inclinations and “bling-bling” nature flies in the face of what a lot of French people deem appropriate behavior for their leader.  Poor Nicholas.
Anyway, back to the Fallas Festival.  Turns out there is a fascinating festival every year in Valencia, Spain.  And apparently it is one of the largest in the world.  I had never heard of it, have you?  It is the celebration of the final days of winter and the spring equinox which goes back to the Middle Ages.  It is said that people did a sort of spring cleaning, throwing old wood and broken items which were used in large bonfires.
“Valencian carpenters used planks of wood to hang their candles on. These planks were known as parots. During the winter, these were needed to provide light for the carpenters to work by. With the coming of the Spring, they were no longer necessary, so they were burned.” (source HolaValencia.net)
The history continues with the parots being decorated and through the years that morphed into papier-mâché figures which are now put up throughout the city of Valencia during the festival.  These figures cover all types of personas from political satires (à la Mr. and Mrs. Sarkozy in the photo above), movie and sports stars, you name it.

The festival ends with bonfires and a spectacular display of fireworks.  Should be very exciting to see.

Dénia

Denia (Dénia in Valencian), is a city in the province of Alacant, Spain, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alacant and Valencia, the judicial seat of the comarca of Marina Alta. As of 2007^[update], it had a population of 42,704.
Nearby is the popular resort town of Xàbia.

Dénia (port)

Mountains behind Dénia

Now something about history. There is evidence of human habitation in the area since prehistoric times and there are significant Iberian ruins on the hillsides nearby. In the 4th century BC it was a Greek colony of Marseille or Empúries, being mentioned by Strabo as Hemeroscòpion. It was an ally of Rome during the Punic Wars, and later was absorbed in the Roman possessione with the name of Dianum. In the 1st century BC Quintus Sertorius established a Roman naval base here.
In 636-696, during the Visigothic Kingdom of Iberia, it was the seat of a bishop depending from Toledo. After the Muslim conquest of Iberia and the dissolution of the Caliphate of Córdoba, Dénia (known as Deniyya or دانيا in Arabic which means lowland) became the capital of a taifa kingdom that reigned over part of the Valencian coast and Ibiza. The Slavic slaves, saqaliba, managed to free themselves and run the taifa. The taifa lost its independence in 1076, when it was captured by Ahmad al-Muqtadir, lord of Zaragoza, under which it remained until the Almoravid invasion in 1091. The Muslim Arabs originally built the castle fortress, and the French, who occupied the city for four years during the War of the Spanish Succession, re-built it in the early 19th century.
The town was captured by the Christians in 1244. This caused a decline for the city, which remained nearly unhinabited after the exile of most of the Muslim population. It was later repopulated by the Valencian government. Created a fief in 1298, it was held by the de Sandoval family from 1431, although the city itself was returned to Aragonese crown in 1455. A marquisate from 1487, Dénia gained many privileges thanks to Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma, a favorite of Philip III of Spain. It suffered a further period of decay after the decree of Expulsion of the Moriscos (1609), by which 25,000 people left the marquisate, leaving the local economy in a dismal state.
It was reacquired by the Spanish crown in 1803, after which Denia gained an increasingly important role as trading port. A community of English raisin traders lived in Denia from 1800 until the time of the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s.
Denia is home to a castle located on on a rocky crag overlooking the city. It t was built in the 11th and 12th century and offers views around the sea, the city and the backlands. Within the castle is the Palau del Governador with its museum.

Dénia (castle)

Denia is also home to the Museo Etnologico with further details on the history and culture of the city.

Legoman and Anita

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denia

Beautiful Seville

I've just landed back home after a wonderful week of holiday in Southern Spain. Andalusia is a beautiful region to discover, here you can view an example, have a look at our pictures from Seville, you will fall in love with this city!

Pictures from Seville in Flickr

Where to enjoy nightlife in Valencia?

Nightlife Area
The most vibrant part of Valencia is the Barrio del Carmen district, and in particular Calle Caballeros and the side streets which branch off it. Other areas that tend to be populated by the city’s nightowls include the area around Plaza Canovas and the city’s university, although both of these aren't as central as Barrio del Carmen.

Cafe El Negrito
Cafe El Negrito is one of the Carmen's most popular hangouts and, during summer months, the crowd regularly spill out on to the square of the same name. The crowd is young, the atmosphere is lively, and the drinks flow until early in the morning. Everything you want, really.

Radio City
Radio City (19 Calle Santa Teresa. Phone +34 963 916 870) is one of the key live venues in the city. At weekends it gets extremely crowded, so try to arrive before midnight to ensure you get in.

Welcome on the board

I am pleased for your visit. This is a new blog of three friends which want to express their feelings from Erasmus in Valencia, Spain.

Erasmus in Spain, Parties at another level...

There are a lot of things I could write about in this blog to complain
about Spain. There are many cultural differences that I find quite
annoying or different here. But instead of writing about that I am
going to write about something which has impressed me. Spanish people
really know how to party…
It all starts off in the early evening when they tend to get together
in parks and public places to do what they call “botellon“. This
consists of buying bottles of alcohol and publicly consuming them
before going out. The idea is you spend less money in the bars or
nightclubs which you will later go to. After that you might go to a
bar or two or three throughout the ‘early’ evening. Be prepared to
inhale a lot of smoke because it is still legal to smoke inside bars
in Spain. Before or after 4am you move on to a nightclub. Most bars
close at 4 so after that time you usually have to pay to be inside
somewhere. The nightclubs entrance fees usually come with a mixed
drink included. Nightclubs in Spain close at 7 am on a Saturday night
so get ready for a long and loud night. To put things in perspective,
night clubs in France have to close at 5 and nightclubs in Britain
close around 3. This means that when most people in Britain are
heading home to sleep, the people in Spain are just about getting
ready to get into the nightclub for another 3 or 4 hours of partying.