8. Beautiful Palaces
The Royal palaces of Spain are some of the most beautiful in Europe.
There are the Palacio del Oriente in Madrid, the palace in Aranjuez, the
palace in La Granja (Segovia), and the palace and monastery at El
Escorial. Each of these is very different from each other. In Andalusia,
there are the Alhambra Palace in Granada and the Alcazar in Seville.
There are private palaces like the Palacio de Liria in Madrid and the
Casa de Pilatos in Seville, all filled with beautiful art and history.
Their architecture is magnificent and many of these palaces could not be
reproduced today, even with modern technology. They are to be savored
slowly and appreciated.
9. The White Towns of Andalusia
Most of Andalusia has white towns or "pueblos blancos", where most of
the houses and buildings are whitewashed. They preserve the heritage of
the Moors and look very much like the towns of northern Africa. The
most beautiful white towns are the white towns of Malaga, which are
Ronda, Mijas, Nerja, and Frigiliana. Hemingway called Ronda the most
romantic town of Spain. Its location above the surrounding countryside
above steep cliffs is dramatic. All of these towns are frequented by
visitors, yet they remain very Spanish in character. They are prepared
for tourism and have beautiful restaurants and stores, and yet they
maintain their Andalusian charm. Thousands of people have fallen in love
with them. Robert Redford is known to have lived in Mijas for a year
with his family. Artists of many countries live permanently in these
white towns.
The province of Cádiz has a number of white towns too
- Medina Sidonia, Vejer de la Frontera, Alcalá de los Gazules, Arcos de
la Frontera, and the Sierra towns of Bornos, Villamartin, Olvera,
Algar, Grazalema ... They are just as beautiful as the Malaga towns but
there are fewer tourists because they are further from the Costa del
Sol where most visitors to Andalusia go.
14. Beautiful Women
Spain has some of the most beautiful women in the world. The mixture
of races and cultures during Spain's long history has produced a very
strong race of survivors, and that is exemplified by the beauty of the
women. The women from Andalusia probably have the largest mixture of
races and are known for their beauty. All of them have flawless skin,
big eyes, and long and large amounts of hair. Besides this, they have a
charm and spice that enrapture visitors. Many of the winners of national
beauty contests hail from Andalusia, and one can see them on TV as
hosts of programs. They have an innate ability to speak and charm
people, and together with their beauty are perfect for TV. Many are in
show business as singers and dancers.
16. Flamenco
Flamenco is an art form that reaches its maximum height only in
Spain. The stomping of the feet, the movement of the body and the arms,
and the music are captivating. Other people may study flamenco, but they
cannot duplicate the performances that can be found in Spain,
especially by performers with Gypsy blood. They are the best because
they start dancing when they can barely walk, and they dance everyday.
Their parents encourage them and they see the people around them dancing
flamenco too.
Tourists can have an introductory course by going to popular flamenco
nightclubs. However the best flamenco is seen only in theaters and one
has to be a resident of Spain to see these, because tickets have to be
bought one or two months in advance, since they sell out immediately.
Performances by people like Cristina Hoyos are unforgettable. She danced
in the movie Carmen, directed by Carlos Saura. Today she directs a
flamenco ballet group. Those who enjoy flamenco can buy the movie on DVD
and see some of the best flamenco ever seen in a movie.
There are new flamenco stars like Sara Barras and Joaquin Cortez, who
only appear in theaters, and who give electric performances.
20. The Spanish Language
Some thoughts on the Spanish language; English may now be the
universal language, but Spanish is also a universal language. English is
more direct, but Spanish has more nuances and is more suave. Spanish is
a Romance language and is very pleasant on the ear, especially when a
good speaker does it right. Spanish is known as the language of love.
When one goes to Latin America and speaks Spanish, one feels right at
home in that country and one is accepted immediately as part of the
Spanish family. Also there is a great amount of literature in Spanish,
written by great writers.
If you learn and love the language of a country, you can understand
how the natives feel and how they think. Language after all is a medium
of understanding, a way to transmit thoughts and ideas.
have you guys enjoy this....
muchas gracias
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