Bob Travel

Seville, the financial, cultural and artistic capital of Southern Spain…  Originally known as Hispalis, this city dates back thousands of years, and has a rich history, rising and falling, experiencing rough times in the first millennium after Christ, as the city regularly changed hands from Romans to Arabs to Normans to Phoenicians, eventually becoming the fourth largest city in Spain.  Whether you find yourself staying in the city for only a few days in one of the luxury hotel Seville, Spain, affords its travelers, or for a much longer stay, you may wish to experience shopping for food the way the locals do….

There are many favorite places from which to shop.  Like many of the farmer’s markets you might have at home, they provide the best possible fish and meats and local produce.  With a wide choice of vendors, you can make sure you get the best each and every time you go.

A few tips on local courtesies: At a fruit and vegetable stand, you wait for the owner to come to you and select the produce, although you can ask for a particular piece.  If there are other customers waiting, you are to ask who is list in line, ensuring you know when your turn occurs.  For this, ask the following: Quine es el ultimo?  The next-in-line shopper will raise his or her hand, and you simply keep an eye out, waiting for them to be served.

When dealing with meats and fish, ask for the meats by weight or pieces.  Also keep in mind that on Mondays, there’s no seafood in the markets, because fishermen take Sundays off (a good reason not to order fish in a restaurant on Monday!  It may well not be fresh!).  Most markets are open in the mornings early and close at around 2 in the afternoon.  They’re never open Sundays.  Here’s a quick list of the major markets around the city:  Encarnacion, Feria (the oldest market in the city), Triana (one of the newest), Arenal, and Puerta de la Carne.

The city of Spain that offers everything from incredible theater and dance performances, to live music and relaxation is the city of Seville.  Hotels are located close to many of the theme parks located in the city, creating a myriad of options for those traveling with children.  The Pavilions Theme park is quick becoming one of the favorite tourist destinations and promises hours of fun for the entire family.  The local bars and pubs offer perfect respite from the days spent in the crowded parks, and jazz is big on the music scene as well as the many restaurants and clubs wherein the famous nightly performances of the Flamenco dancers will entertain and inspire those with interests in world of dance and in the spirit of the traditional cultures and brightly colored, elaborate costumes.

Many tourists find themselves in the city over the Easter holidays, and quite honestly, this one of the best places to be during that time.  There are parades steeped in traditional and ritual ceremony that are not seen anywhere else in the world.  The Spring Fair coincides with the holiday and is held for two weeks just following the week of Easter.  This is an intense party that fills the streets with dancing, music and the feasts and cuisine of the region.  The parties are non-stop and the streets are literally filled twenty-four hours a day.

Another festival that surrounds religion and ritual ceremony is that of Corpus Christi.  The ceremony is filled with feasting, and originated more than five hundred years ago in the Barcelona.  The celebration made its way to the city of Valencia, then to Seville and now occurs throughout many of the cities in the country.  One of the most attended of the festivals occurs in the village Costa de La Luz, located close to the city of Valencia, in fact most traveling to this city fly into the airport in Seville, and then take a car for the short trip to the festival.  The entire region surrounding Seville has much to offer those wanted a taste of the traditional aspects of Spain, and festivals and fun happen all year long, there is never a bad time to travel to this city in Spain.

Pablo Picasso is one of the most well known painters in history.  His images are widely recognized throughout the world, and in his home town of Madrid, Spain, hotel walls, businesses and cafes are alive with the images of this son of the Spanish city.  Many artists traveling through Madrid will often make the pilgrimage to the house in which he was born.  This is now the site of the Foundation Picasso.  On of more famous museums, housing much more of an extensive collection of Picasso’s work is located near by, the Palacio de Buenavista. This is one of the favorite locations of art lovers, fans of Picasso, and fans of modern art in general, located in the country of Spain.  For not only are the images created by Picasso brilliantly colored and finely executed, the way that this man painted changed the course of the history of modern art.  Picasso is considered as a true genius in the art world, and innovator of life.

When Picasso was growing up in Malaga, he was recognized by adults, including his father, as a young kid with incredible innate talent, a prodigy.  His early work, much of it accomplished by the time he was still a very young man, is housed in the Museo de Picasso located in the city of Barcelona.  His early drawings resemble and convey the three dimensionality and the details of sculpture.  Picasso was somewhat of a young rebel, preferring to hang out in the cafes where the intellectuals and the working artist gathered rather than in school and art class.  He later went to Paris where he fell in love with the works of his contemporaries, Courbet, Toulouse-Lautrec and Manet.  Picasso was always one who appreciated, respected, and admired the works of the painters of his day, and although he was influenced by the work, he still succeeded in following his own path and creating his own unique style.  His paintings now hang all over the world, in the museums and the galleries, however there is nothing so spectacular as the viewing of these works in the home town of the master painter who created them.

Where in the world can one find the best five star hotels?  Spain might have some answers, and if they’re not definitive, at least the search will be a true pleasure.  Spain is one of the most romantic places in the world, from classical times to now.  It may be the languages that are so enchanting, the island lifestyle that seems to dominate the country, or the intense conversations.  There are also the heady pleasures that permeate the humidity like a welcome friend.  Bullfights, red wine, rich and delicate foods, the land is made of myth and history.

Sometimes myth and history intertwine, like they do in the life of Spain’s celebrated singer-songwriter Joaquin Sabina.  He is celebrated all over Spain, where most every local can sing at least one of his deeply poetic songs by heart, and he is also considered to be a treasure of the world all over Latin America, where he has toured extensively.  Born in 1949, Sabina has become a true living legend.  By the early seventies, he was already positioning himself as a political artist, with his intense opposition to Franco’s fascist policies.  His father, a policeman, would ironically receive the orders to arrest his son, who was already becoming famous.

And very famous as a man who loves women, with several broken relationships already following in his wake.  The formative years of his songwriting would see some 14 albums, and a very lucky break from CBS records.  Some of his best-known albums are “Dimelo en la calle,” “19 dias y 500 noches,” “Yo, Mi, Me, Contigo,” and “Este boca es mia.”   In 2001 Joaquin Sabina suffered a stroke following years of hard living, and he took a hiatus from performing, to follow three years later with “Alivo de luto,” a beautiful album that is deeply melancholy, terribly romantic, and lyrically complex, funny, and sad.  In short, he’d come back from near death to live with gusto, and his recent tours are remarkable for the energy, gracefulness, and self-deprecating humor that guides his songwriting.

I found a place where my itch can be scratched, where the world appears to be a wonderful place to live and where my employer won’t see me embarrassing myself throwing dodgy forms in the office. If you can imagine being in the presence of world-class DJs of the likes of Radio One guru and Peter Tong spinning tunes to satisfy hundreds upon hundreds of beat hungry clubbers, then you’re on the right track. It’s none other than Ibiza.

I was fortunate enough to be visiting a friend who booked me in one of Ibiza Spain Hotels. He knew I was a clubber and he told me to come to Ibiza where clubbers everywhere come to drink the nectar that cures one from the ‘itch’ forever. I barely settled in my hotel room when my friend came busting in like a madman and said ‘Come on and grab your glow-sticks and lets get going. I’m about to show you the best that this world-famous little island can offer.’

I admit it; everyone wants cool, chic and chav-free clubbing. Clubbing in Ibiza is an art-form where hours of the night and day switch places. Ditch conventional along with the ideas of bopping along gently to the ‘It’s Raining Men’, and get in the groove. The tiny gem of island of Ibiza sits between mainland Spain and Majorca. It has maintained a reputation over the years attracting clubbers and beauty hunters from all over the world.

Inexpensive flights are an extra incentive to go clubbing in Ibiza and makes it more accessible for the likes of me. Clubbing is especially popular in the summer month between June and September, better known as the ‘Clubbing Season’, bringing out the grand dames of Ibiza clubbing come out to play. Most of the day is spent sleeping or chilling on the beach and then snacking on the scrumptious cuisine.  Clubbing is extremely fun; it’s a party in itself and is a balm for my itch feet.

Lanzarote is a beautiful island off the coast of Spain. It is the easternmost of the Canary Islands located in the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to many natural wonders and parks including its origins from volcanic activity. This composes a significant amount of its geography and scenic aspects. In addition, the island has attracted many poets and artists to its seclusion and paradise atmosphere. The Canary Islands are attractive to tourists, and Lanzarote is no exception. Visitors to the island stay in one of the 5 star Lanzarote hotels by night and explore its various wonders during the day.

Jose de Sousa Saramago is a Nobel Prize winning writer who lives on the island. He is a renowned novelist, playwright and journalist. He was born in Portugal in 1922. His family was poor and landless, they were considered to be peasants in the small village of Ribatejo. His novel Baltasar and Blimunda brought him recognition when it won the Portuguese PEN Club Award. His international acclaim did not arrive until Saramago was in his mid-fifties. He is a somewhat controversial writer due to his membership in Portugal’s Communist Party and his atheist views. He is also vocal about expressing his opposition to Israel’s actions in Palestine , for which he has received great criticism.

Saramago often experiments with literary styles. He is prone to writing long sentences, sometimes a page or longer. In his 1995 book Blindness he completely quit the use of personal pronouns and instead referred to characters through some unique aspect. Much of his writing deals with isolation in contemporary urban life. He does this through placing his stories and characters in fantastic situations. In his book The Stone Raft, the Iberian Peninsula sails around the Atlantic Ocean after it breaks off from the rest of Europe. His works are often seen as allegories about the human condition and often present an alternative perspective on historic events.

Ibiza is one of the scenically beautiful Balearic Islands that sit in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Spain. It is one of the four largest islands, which includes Majorca, Minorca and Formentera. Ibiza is the 3rd largest of these islands, and each offers a unique cultural heritage perspective in addition to its geographic beauty and amazing views. Because each of the islands is unique and has its own atmospheric personality, tourists flock to each of them every summer. Vacationers who are staying in Ibiza Spain hotels can take a ferry to Formentera, its smaller neighbor for a day’s outing.

Ibiza is located approximately 80 kilometers off the coast, which is just enough room for privacy, though it is not too far removed from the mainland to provide for easy access. Of all the Balearic Islands, this one has the strongest reputation of a party island. And this reputation is deserved and hard won. Meanwhile, this carefree and uninhibited party atmosphere does not mean that the island is not also fully equipped with many natural attractions. For families and interested singles, there is plenty to seek out in way of cultural heritage and daytime activities. In addition the government is trying to scale down this party persona and is emphasizing its family friendly aspects.

However, for the wild and crazy party enthusiast, the bands play on. Club hoppers should guide themselves to the towns of San Antonio and the island’s capital, Ibiza Town. San Antonio’s West End is infamous for its party scene. This is probably the most popular tourist area as well. Some of the better-known clubs include Es Paradis, which offers fabulous water parties, and Privilege, which is recognized as the largest club in the world. These two take second and third place to the most popular club on the island, Eden.