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From his early childhood years sketching in

the dirt to his final hours at age 91, Pablo

Picasso was devoted to mastering his deeply

personal art. He's considered one of the most

influential artists of the 20th century, and his

work continues to be studied for its meaning

and celebrated for its creativity. His subject

matter and style, inspired by his many lovers

and by other artists, were ever changing.

Picasso's work is loosely divided here into

14 distinct phases, coupled with the

artist's own words.

28,743 CATALOGED ARTWORKS

SCIENCE ET CHARITÉ (1897)

LE MOULIN DE LA GALETTE (1900)

"When it is finished, [a picture] still

goes on changing, according to the

state of mind of whoever is looking

at it. A picture lives a life like a living

creature, undergoing the changes

imposed on us by our life from day

to day. This is natural enough, as the

picture lives only through the man

who is looking at it."

NATURE MORTE À LA CHAISE CANNÉE (1912)

PAYSAGE MÉDITERRANÉEN (1952)

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The Evolution of Picasso's Art-and Love Life-Over 91 Years

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From his early childhood years sketching in the dirt to his final hours at age 91, Pablo Picasso was devoted to mastering his deeply personal art. He's considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, and his work continues to be studied for its meaning and celebrated for its creativity.

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15 Things You Didn't Know About Amancio Ortega

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Forbes 2017: World's top 20 billionaires

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Here's a look at who tops Forbes magazine's list of 2,043 billionaires around the world with a total net worth of almost $7.67 trillion

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Meaning/ what he is talking about

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Spain vs America: What You Should Know Before You Visit Spain

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Tourism is one of Spain's major industries, and one of the main attraction is bullfighting.

Half of Spain claims that it’s tradition, the other half argues that it’s animal cruelty. Yet the continuous large investment keeps bullfighting alive, at the same time killing Spain’s economy, and the tourists decreasing, tearing the country apart on opinions more than ever.

The fight to ban bullfighting in Catalonia has been ongoing for decades, and animal rights organizations has successfully banned bullfighting once in 2011, yet the ban has been overturned by Spanish Constitutional Court in 2016.

The government is continuously investing in such events, although the attendance rate to an average bullfight has dropped, spending money on bull fighting festivals, possibly bringing down Spain’s whole economy. It’s eventually going to go extinct because of the economic pressure and the social pressure.

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Tourism

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The economy of Spain is among the largest in the world, with its Gross Domestic Product standing at $1.36 trillion. The country ranks at 14th place in the world's largest economies. In Europe, Spain's GDP is only surpassed by that of France, Italy, Germany, and the UK. Despite being hit by the 2007-2008 financial crisis and the property recession of the 2000s, the economy has experienced significant growth in recent years, growing by 3% in 2016. However, the country is heavily indebted, with public debt being equivalent to 99% of Spain's GDP. In 2013, the country's gross external debt stood at $1.3 trillion. The euro is the official currency used in the country. The regulation of financial institutions is handled by the Banco de Espana, the nation's central bank. The country has invested heavily in infrastructure to facilitate the growth of industries in the country. Spain is home to the fifth-busiest port in Europe; Valencia which is also the busiest port in the Mediterranean. The country has Europe's longest high-speed rail network and is only surpassed globally by China. The major industries that drive the economy of Spain are the tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, and energy industries.

Tourism

The tourism industry is an important economic driver in the country, accounting for about 11% of the nation's annual GDP. As the world's third-most popular tourist destination, Spain receives more than 75 million tourists each year, who come to sample its wide range of attractions. The prominence of Spain in the global tourism industry is manifested with the presence of the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization. Tourists from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy make up the bulk of Spain's international tourists. The country has a total of 12 national parks, the majority of which are found in the country's mainland. Spain is marketed as the ideal summer holiday destination in Europe and has numerous attractions to that effect. The island of Tenerife is Spain's most visited tourist site, as it is home to the famed Teide National Park, the most famous national park in the country. The Mediterranean coast features fantastic beaches, which attract summer tourists in their millions. On the other end of the spectrum is Sierra Nevada, the country's number-one winter tourism destination, and home to many ski resorts. Spain is not only known for its natural beauty but also its historical sites. The country is home to the third-most important city in Catholicism; Santiago de Compostela, which draws Catholic pilgrims from around the globe.

Manufacturing

Pharmaceuticals and automobiles are the primary export commodities from Spain's manufacturing industry. The pharmaceutical market in the country is valued at an estimated $25 billion. The automobile sector is among Spain's primary economic drivers. With an annual vehicle production of more than 2.8 million units, the country is Europe's second-largest automobile manufacturer, and eight-largest in the world. As much as 80% of the vehicles manufactured in Spain are destined for export. The sector accounts for about 19% of Spain's annual exports and about 9% of the GDP. Spain is home to 13 automobile manufacturing establishments, with PSA and SEAT being the country's two largest automobile producers. Many global automobile-manufacturing giants have operations in Spain, and these include Daimler AG, Ford, General Motors, Renault, and Nissan.

Agriculture

Agricultural production in the country is limited by the poor soils, with only 10% of the land area in Spain being considered excellent for cultivation. The country's terrain also hinders the implementation of new technologies in the industry. Nonetheless, Spain still has Europe's second-largest land devoted to agricultural purposes, with the country's agricultural land only exceeded in size by France. The majority of the agricultural land is used as pastureland. Land under irrigation-based agriculture in Spain accounts for only 17% of the country's cultivated land, but produce as much as 50% of Spain's agricultural exports. Horticultural products are Spain's most important agricultural export commodities, and these include vegetables and citrus fruits. The country produces the highest amount of olives in the world and is Western Europe's top producer of citrus fruits. Despite having the largest area of vineyards in the world, and being the world's number-one wine exporter, the wine produced in Spain does not stand out and is often bottled in neighboring France and Italy from where it is sold. Essential livestock products in Spain include pork, beef, milk, and poultry.

Energy And Electricity

Another critical industry in Spain is the country's energy industry. The country is heavily reliant on fossil fuels in its energy consumption. Of the energy consumed in Spain, 42% is sourced from oil, 19.8% from natural gas, and 11% from coal. The country has to source most of the fossil fuels from external markets, as the country has few proven oil reserves while its coal is of poor quality. The major oil field in the country is the Ayoluengo oil field, which has an estimated 104 million barrels of proven oil reserves. The country's lack of energy resources is often mentioned as the main hindrance to Spain's economic growth. The total electricity produced annually in Spain is more than 276.8 TWh, the majority of which is consumed locally. Only 3% of the electricity produced is exported. Renewable sources such as nuclear, hydropower, geothermal, wind and solar are important in electricity generation, as a result of Spain's heavy investment in the sector. The country's investment in solar power generation is particularly huge, with Spain having the world's largest solar industry. Spain also made history for being the pioneering country to have wind power as its primary energy source for a whole year in 2013. A Spanish company, Iberdrola, is recognized as the largest renewable energy producing company in the world.

Exports And Imports

France, Germany, and Italy are the top markets for Spain's exports, accounting for about 16%, 11% and 7% of the country's total exports respectively. The primary export commodities from Spain are pharmaceuticals, agricultural goods such as wine and citrus fruits, and automobiles. Consumer goods, fossil fuels, machinery, and chemicals are Spain's main import items, most of which are sourced from Germany, France, and China.

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The economy of Spain is among the largest in the world, with its Gross Domestic Product standing at $1.36 trillion. The country ranks at 14th place in the world's largest economies. In Europe, Spain's GDP is only surpassed by that of France, Italy, Germany, and the UK.

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The most well known type has  taken part in shaping Spain's culture as "passionate"

Creating a new execution for dances all over the world.

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Soleá: sorrowful

Bulerías: upbeat, festive

Alegrías: oldest, most traditional

Seguiriyas: slow

Tangos: sexy, festive

Farruca: strong, masculine

Sevillanas: most well known, passionate

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Aggressive Angry Bull Easy Handle - Best Matador 2018 - Bullfight

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What people often associate
Spain with because of its cruel but unique nature

*Most info in festivals

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I grew up listening to these nursery rhymes; they are fun, catchy and very popular in Spanish-speaking countries. It is interesting to me how nursery rhymes preserve a culture that spans generations while contributing the foundational skills children need in their oral development.

If you are teaching Spanish to your children, these beautiful melodies are great resources for language acquisition. Let me know which one is your favorite one!

RELATED: 13+ Disney Songs in Spanish
Arroz con leche
"Arroz con leche. Me quiero casar. Con una señorita que sepa bailar. Que sepa coser. Que sepa planchar. Que sepa abrir la puerta. Para ir a jugar."
Aserrín. Aserrán.
"Aserrín. Aserrín. Los maderos de San Juan piden pan y no les dan. Piden queso y les dan un hueso"
La Pájara Pinta
"Estaba la pájara pinta sentada en un verde limón. Con el pico cortaba la rama, con la rama cortaba la flor."
La Vaca Lechera
"Tengo una vaca lechera. No es una vaca cualquiera. Me da leche condensada. Ay que vaca tan salada. tolón tolón, tolón talón."
La Cucaracha
"La cucaracha, la cucaracha ya no puede caminar porque no tiene, porque le falta, las dos patitas de atrás"
La Gallina Turuleca Los Pollitos Dicen
"Los pollitos dicen: Pío pío pío. Cuando tienen hambre y cuando tienen frío.."
Mambrú Se Fue A La Guerra
"Mambrú se fue a la guerra, ¡qué dolor, qué dolor, qué pena!. Mambrú se fue a la guerra, no sé cuando vendrá. Do-re-mi, do-re-fa, no sé cuando vendrá."
Hola Don Pepito
Hola Don Pepito, Hola Don Jose, Pasó usted por mi casa? Por su casa yo pasé. Vió usted a mi abuela? A su abuela yo la vi. Adiós Don Pepito. Adiós Don José."
Tengo Una Muñeca Vestida de Azul
"Tengo una muñeca vestida de azul con su camisita y su canesù la saque a paseo y se me constimpo la tengo en la cama con mucho dolor."
Un Elefante Se Balanceaba
"Un elefante se balanceaba sobre la tela de una araña y como veía que que resistía fue a llamar a otro elefante."
¡Qué llueva!
"¡Qué llueva! ¡Qué llueva! La virgen está en la cueva, los pajaritos cantan, las nubes se levantan..."
Pinocho
"Hasta el viejo hospital de los muñecos llego el pobre pinocho mal herido, el viejo espantapájaro bandido lo sorprendió durmiendo y lo atacó."
El Elefante Trompita
"Yo tengo un elefante que se llama Trompita. Y mueve la cabeza llamando a su mamita. Y su mamá le dice "pórtate bien Trompita si no te voy a hacer chachas en la colita""

Pin it:

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15 Traditional Nursery Rhymes in Spanish - Hispanic Mama

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I grew up listening to these nursery rhymes; they are fun, catchy and very popular in Spanish-speaking countries. It is interesting to me how nursery rhymes preserve a culture that spans generations while contributing the foundational skills children need in their oral development.

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News on the disappearing Spanish traditional food video

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News on the disappearing Spanish traditional food video

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Image

The videos mine a vast gastronomy archive, which includes a 1611 book by Francisco Martínez Montiño. Credit Credit Biblioteca Nacional de España

MADRID - When Spanish conquerors brought home a tomato from the Americas in the 16th century, its red color caused a sensation at the royal court.

But because of its resemblance to a poisonous fruit found around the Mediterranean, the tomato was long used only as a table decoration. Not until 1755 did it appear in a savory sauce recipe in a Spanish pastry cookbook written by Juan de la Mata, the pastry chef for King Philip V and King Ferdinand VI.

That recipe is among a dozen that have been adapted by contemporary chefs and incorporated into a video project by Spain's National Library, to raise the profile of its vast collection of 23,000 food-related works, which date as far back as the 1400s.

The videos discuss the recipes and weave in commentary by historians and chefs to explain the context in which such gastronomy developed, and how modern cooks can draw inspiration from old ways of preparing food. The library has also been creating digital versions of its most important works, including about 200 gastronomy books.

"We have an enormous wealth of data, but that doesn't mean we can easily attract a huge public," said Elena Sánchez Nogales, who oversees the library's digital section. "The library has always been a natural habitat for researchers, but food is clearly interesting more and more people, so we just needed to find the right language to reach them."

Almudena Villegas, a Spanish food historian who participated in the project, said the effort was well timed: "We're only now beginning to appreciate how much food tells us about our social history, as well as how much food is a linkage between different sciences that we have long cared about, from chemistry to biomedicine and agronomy."

In 2010, the library hosted an exhibition about the history of gastronomy, curated by Ferran Adrià, the chef of the world-famous El Bulli restaurant, which closed in 2011. The critically acclaimed show persuaded the library to hire Tramontana, a Madrid design consultancy, to develop the videos, which have been posted online with English subtitles.

Tramontana is led by Gabriela Lendo, who used to run a business that prepared private dinners around Madrid. She and her team selected recipes from the library's books and paired them with Spanish chefs known for making dishes based on the country's traditional cooking methods.

Javier Estévez, a Madrid chef, reworked a 19th-century recipe for caramel pig trotters by Carmen de Burgos, the author of a famous cookbook titled "Modern Cuisine" and one of Spain's first women journalists. Using different pen names, she wrote newspaper columns and books for women in which she also tried to advance their rights, touching on sensitive topics like divorce. After the Spanish Civil War, her works were banned by the regime of Francisco Franco.

Mr. Estévez noted that his specialty, offal, was also closely linked to social divides. "People from lower classes found their own ways to be creative, because they suffered hunger and needed to eat every available part," he said.

He said he enjoyed working with older recipes that offered general guidance rather than the step-by-step instructions of modern cookbooks.

"We've become much more technical, so that we treat the preparation of food as if it was some sort of scientific dissection in which everything should also be measured," Mr. Estévez said. "But I don't think cooking should be like mathematics. I personally much prefer trial and error."

For his video, Fernando Saénz, an ice-cream maker, used a 1906 recipe from the library for vanilla poundcake, which he has now added to the selection in his own shop in Logroño, in the Rioja region of Spain. "I wanted to make sure my clients could actually taste the wonderful recipe that I retrieved," he said.

The cake is made with eggs and caramelized sugar, and topped with lemon and orange zest. "The buzzword today is creativity, but in the context of great kitchen technology," he said. In the past, "cooking was all about ingenuity, the art of doing a lot with little."

Like other chefs involved in the library project, Mr. Saénz is in love with the past. He even plans to build an ice well next to his shop, a smaller replica of 17th-century wells built in central Madrid, in which the city stored snow collected during the winter from the surrounding mountains.

"I've traveled 120 years back in time to discover how much more enjoyment you can get from some basic ingredients than from a lot of what we now call traditional ice cream," Mr. Saénz said. He followed the original poundcake recipe and used the same ingredients, but decided to caramelize the sugar to evoke the smell of baked bread coming out of the oven.

Paco Morales needed little convincing to work on an eggplant recipe that included fresh cheese and ginger. He runs Noor, a Michelin-starred restaurant that focuses on Al-Andalus recipes dating to the 10th century, when the Moors controlled southern Spain and his own city of Córdoba. His selected recipe was relatively modern, from a 16th-century cookbook of Ruperto de Nola, who was the chef of Ferdinand I, the king of Naples.

"I really feel that our Western food culture has become obsessed with always finding the latest innovation, instead of really valuing the wealth of our past," Mr. Morales said. "It's important to understand that so much of what we consider new and fashionable already existed a long, long time ago."
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A version of this article appears in print on , on Page D3 of the New York edition with the headline: To Add Freshness to These Dishes, Press 'Play'. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

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Old Recipes, New Format: Spain Puts Historic Dishes on Video

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MADRID - When Spanish conquerors brought home a tomato from the Americas in the 16th century, its red color caused a sensation at the royal court. But because of its resemblance to a poisonous fruit found around the Mediterranean, the tomato was long used only as a table decoration.

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Playlist of disappearing Spanish traditional food

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Playlist of disappearing Spanish traditional food

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Puts historic dishes into something new

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Receta 1: Helado antes de que hubiera neveras con Fernando Sáenz Premio Nacional de Gastronomía 2016

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Most of Spain is Roman Catholic, and people celebrates it a lot by implementing it into one of the things they enjoy doing the most, festivals. Festivals such as Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme and Day of the Geese all originated from religious backgrounds.

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Spain: Dead rats fly in 'Battle of the Rats' festival

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First bull run of San Fermin Festival in Pamplona

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Broke the standard perception of a good architecture with:

Use of a wide variety of colors and shapes

Breaks the standards for traditional buildings with its asymmetrical designs, etc.

→ Opened a door to modernism

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ANTONIO GAUDI Documentary Film.....The Unfinished Vision (English)

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WEB PAGE http://unfinishedvision.wix.com/gaudi#! A dramatic documentary on the architecture of Antoni Gaudi. The dialogue spoken in the film and the events depicted are based on fact, making the film one of the most authtentic ever produced on the life of Gaudi.

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Amancio Ortega: Amancio Ortega, Spanish fashion executive and founding chairman (1985) of the Spanish clothing merchandiser Inditex, which was one of the world's largest clothing retailers, especially known for the Zara chain store. Learn more about Ortega's life and career.

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"The best biography of Picasso."-Kenneth Clark Patrick O'Brian's outstanding biography of Picasso is here available in paperback for the first time. It is the most comprehensive yet written, and the only biography fully to appreciate the distinctly Mediterranean origins of Picasso's character and art. Everything about Picasso, except his physical stature, was on an enormous scale.

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http://www.infojur.ufsc.br/aires/arquivos/literatura%20dom%20quixote%20book0530.pdf

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“Cantar de Mio Cid” by Unknown

“Don Quijote” by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

“La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades” by Anonymou

“Cien años de soledad” by Gabriel García Márquez

“El amor en los tiempos del cólera” by Gabriel García Márquez

“Bodas de sangre” by Federico García Lorca

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(1879-1967)

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Biography of Emilio Herrera Linares (1879-1967)

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Engineer in military and general Spanish born on February 13, 1879 in Granada and died in 1967.Diploma in the Superior School of war, Herrer

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Charlene

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Lucy

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Lucy

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Photo Gallery

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Spanish National Anthem - La Marcha Real (ESEN)

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Spain is the only country that doesn't have official lyrics to their national anthem

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Charlene

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1. You have dinner after 10pm.

You can't say goodbye without exclaiming " VENGA! "

3. Tortilla de patatas and pan con tomato is a perfect meal for any occasion.

4. You know that " Sangria" and "tinto de veranos" are the liquid fuel of champions.

5. You start complaining about days without clear sunshine.

6. Ordering tapas instead of a meal at the restaurant becomes natural.

7. Sandals replace your daily shoes.

8. Lunch time begins after 2pm, because evenings start to get longer

9. You pick up abandoned furniture off the street for your flat.

10. Your speed of walking decreases.

11. Queuing at the supermarket without chafing at the salesperson becomes normal.

12. You start complaining ("Que frio"), when temperature drops under 25 degrees.

13. You kiss people's cheeks, when you meet them the first time.

14. On your messages you sometimes write "jajaja" instead of "hahaha".

15. Your personal space turns into public one.

16. Every sentence you speak in Spanish contains at least one of these words: "bueno", "coño, "vale", "venga", "es que"...

17. You know that after 2pm there's no point in going shopping, so you plan it for the evening.

18. If you plan to meet with a friend at half past 4, that's a general point of reference where punctuality is neither expected or adhered to.

19. You think adding lemonade, fanta or even coke to red wine is perfectly acceptable.

20. There's no way you can eat any meal without having a " café con leche" or " cortado" afterwards.

21. You use public places like your own terrace.

22. You forget to say please (por favor) or thanks (gracias) when you order a drink at the bar - you implied it in your tone of voice, right?

23. You drink several coffees a day, especially in the morning.

24. You have no problem bringing your small kids to festivals past midnight.

25. You've mastered the art of partying until 8am.

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25 ways you know you've become culturally Spanish

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1. You have dinner after 10pm. You can't say goodbye without exclaiming " VENGA! " 3. Tortilla de patatas and pan con tomato is a perfect meal for any occasion. 4. You know that " Sangria" and "tinto de veranos" are the liquid fuel of champions. 5.

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Spain is a country living in fear ... of losing its siesta.

The authorities have signalled it may be time for the country - with so little money and so much unemployment - to abandon the habit of shutting up shops, bars and many tourist attractions from 2pm to 4pm for the traditional afternoon nap.

"It's absolutely crazy that this still goes on," says exasperated Australian tourist Naomi Holdsworth, 45, as she is turned away from the door of a closing clothes shop in Salamanca in north-western Spain at 1.55pm on a Thursday. "We've got money and we want to spend it, and it's not like they don't need it!

"But to close up every afternoon ... no wonder the country's so broke!"

It's a familiar cry from visitors to Spain, from the ancient city of Salamanca to the major metropolis of Madrid, from the medieval town of Avila to the beaches of Malaga. While some find the persistence of the habit of a daily siesta charming and colourfully quaint, many others find it a downright inconvenience.

For as well as ushering in a post-lunch lull, it also engenders a late start every morning, with few shops opening before 10am or 10.30am, and abominably late evenings, with most locals only going out to dine after 10pm.

Spotting tourists among the crowds on the streets and in the restaurants at that time is easy sport; they're the ones with eyes bloodshot from the effort of staying awake after a full day's sight-seeing, shuffling along like the walking dead. But finally there is hope in sight. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is again talking about abandoning the two-hour siesta and, without it, ending the normal working day earlier, at 6pm or 7pm. That means Spaniards would eat earlier, put their kids to sleep at a reasonable time and go to bed themselves before midnight ... which might also help arrest the dismal Spanish birth rate of 1.32 children per woman, compared to the 1.58 average for the rest of Europe.

For tourists too, it would mean a welcome respite from many of the irritations of travelling in Spain. In Salamanca, the gorgeous city 200 kilometres west of Madrid founded in the early 13th century and glowing softly gold in the afternoon from all the Villamayor stone, the streets of the old city are almost empty as everyone goes for lunch and their daily siesta. Shutters are being pulled down over all the shop doorways, and clusters of visitors are left staring morosely into the windows at keepsakes, clothes and goods they'd love to buy if only ...

This city was part of the Romans' silver road with a bridge and statue of a bull - now headless - over on one side erected about 500BC, with the Muslims coming in the 11th century to build on their foundations. Chief among the attractions is the grand university - its construction began in 1134 and is today still a fabulously ornate set of buildings housing 50,000 students.

Christopher Columbus studied here and, at the end of exams each year, there was a bullfight, with students scrawling their names in blood on the walls - of which there are still the faint stains. But while the city was originally built on commerce, today it's its history that keeps it going. Commerce today? Only between 10.30am and 2pm, and 4pm to 10pm. The city's symbol is the lucky frog which was carved above a doorway of the university probably about 1592, and every store has stacks of froggy memorabilia ... when they're open.

But most tourists who aren't staying in the city after 5pm end up leaving empty-handed. Locals, however, are still largely resisting any idea of change. Lottery ticket seller Miguel, working on the Salamanca streets, is adamant.

"We have our lunch at home and then have a nap," he says. "It gives us the energy to keep going until night-time. Without it, it wouldn't be Spain anymore."

In Segovia, the home of the last Gothic cathedral to be built in Spain, linen shopkeeper Enriquo is equally unyielding.

"Yes I probably miss a lot of sales," he says. "But money is not everything. La Siesta is tradition. It is part of who we are. We do not want to lose it."

While it's mostly family businesses that still keep to the custom, thought to date back to the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s when poverty forced many to have more than one job so they needed a sleep in the hottest part of the day, even in Madrid, the habit is jealously guarded.

Madrid tour guide Elena says, "We love our siestas. We are Spanish. We need them. We are used to having them every day, especially when it's hot in the afternoons in summer. It's a huge part of our Spanish culture."

But there are others arguing that Spain - and its visitors - would benefit hugely from a shift in both the culture and physical time. After all, Spain, geographically, should really be in the same time zone as Portugal and England, but is instead aligned with German clocks, a hangover from the old Franco-Hitler alliance. As a result, Spaniards tend to work much longer days overall than everyone else - to make up for that two-hour siesta time out - and then sleep around 53 minutes less than the European average. Spain's Employment Minister Fatima Banez has argued that it also has a negative effect on the country's productivity, and could well play a role in its 21 per cent unemployment rate.

With debate on the topic raging internally, many visitors to the country believe a potential end to siesta time would be a definite plus.

"Spain is a fabulous place and there's so much to see," says British visitor Kath Hurley, 53, who's touring the north of the country.

"And the food is absolutely fantastic. But to be honest, I just can't cope with going out to eat at 10pm and then going to bed on a full stomach at midnight. I can't sleep. Then it's hard to get up in the morning in time to start the next round of sightseeing. If this country is serious about wanting to increase tourism, then it's got to align itself more with the rest of the world."

TRIP NOTES

MORE
Traveller.com.au/Spain
TOUR

Bunnik Tours' small-group 26-day tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco visits Madrid, Grenada, Valencia, Barcelona, Seville, Salamanca, Avila and Segovia in Spain. The tour starts from $10,595, including flights from Australia. Phone 1 800 286 645. See bunniktours.com.au
Sue Williams was a guest of Bunnik Tours.
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM - HOW TO SIESTA LIKE A LOCAL

EAT WELL Have a very big lunch; make it your main meal of the day. If you can, eat it in company, with friends or family.

SLOW DOWN Sit for half an hour to let the digestive process start, then prepare a comfortable, dark place for your siesta.

LOOSEN UP Loosen your clothing or take it off and put on sleepwear to make it official.

SHUT DOWN Turn off your phone and set your alarm for 30 minutes to an hour, whichever you prefer.

START SLOWLY When you wake up, get up slowly and have a shower before venturing back out into the world.
See also: 20 things that will shock first-time visitors to Spain See also: Spain - the best country in the world for food

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'It's crazy': The afternoon siesta in Spain may be about to die off

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Spain is a country living in fear ... of losing its siesta. The authorities have signalled it may be time for the country - with so little money and so much unemployment - to abandon the habit of shutting up shops, bars and many tourist attractions from 2pm to 4pm for the traditional afternoon nap.

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Lucy

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Lucy

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El Coco

The origin of Barcelona

The legend of San Jorge (Saint George)

The Teruel Lovers

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Spanish Inventions - (english subtitles)

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Spain has multiple festivals involving animals, and we selected a few unique ones to be discussed:

Batalla De Ratas el Puig

Dia de los Gansos

Sanfermines

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Spain is a country largely influenced by the arts, with history tied deeply with arts and where most well known artists. There are a variety of festivals celebrating this, we picked out a few of the more unique ones:

Fallas

Feria de Abril

Tenerife Carnaval

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Tenerife Carnival - 2nd Largest in the World

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Chalene

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FRIDAY the 13th is a day of misfortune for many a superstitious expat.
But you won't find many locals drawing their blinds and crossing their fingers on that date.
For Spaniards, it's actually Tuesday the 13th that's considered unlucky. Tuesday is believed to be ruled by Mars, the Roman god of war who gives his name to Martes - Tuesday in Spanish.

As the old Spanish proverb warns: 'En martes, ni te cases, ni te embarques, ni de tu casa te apartes' - or in English - "On Tuesday, don't get married, embark on a journey, or move away."

To keep evil spirits at bay this Halloween, take note of these 10 Spanish superstitions:
Hat trick
Putting a hat on a bed will bring you bad luck, say the Spanish. This superstition is believed to date from a time when people thought evil spirits lived in people's hair, meaning they could be transferred from the hair to the hat and then to the bed, leaving you open to ghost attacks in the night. Cutting edge

Tradition states that buying knives or scissors as a gift is a serious no-no. They are believed to symbolise the cutting of ties and relationships, so if you gift newlyweds with knives, they will break up.

Shit showWhile many in the western world tell their actor friends to 'break a leg', in Spain it's a bit different. Instead you must wish that person 'mucha mierda', or 'lots of shit'. Like many theatre superstitions, the origin is hard to place. Green guardIf you have noticed a cornucopia of cacti on your Spanish friends' window sills or dotted around their homes, it could be down to their superstitious natures. It is widely believed that the spiky green plant can ward away all things evil. Lucky number seven

While most countries believe cats can cheat death nine times, poor Iberian felines have to tread more carefully as they have two fewer lives than their British counterparts, with just seven. And if they're black, they had better not cross your path in Spain, one of the few countries where it's considered unlucky. Broom hexedBe careful when your next sweeping your patio. In Spain, if you accidentally brush a single woman's feet, she will never get married. The superstition is believed to be related to witches. Not so mellow yellow

A sure fire way to get back at someone is to buy them yellow clothes. Yellow is said to represent sulphur and the devil. It is also said to bring bad luck in certain situations, so don't wear yellow on the day of an exam or job interview. No sour grapes

Every expat should know that, on New Year's Eve, Spaniards traditionally eat 12 grapes on the 12 strokes of midnight for luck and prosperity during the year ahead. But did you also know they wear red underwear on the last night of the year for extra luck? Right foot forwardA superstitious tradition warns Spaniards never to enter a room with their left foot, unless they want to unleash a series of unfortunate events. However it's possible to reverse the curse by making the sign of the cross three times. Money problems

There must always be an extra chair at the table to put your handbag or purse on. The Spanish say leaving it on the floor will cause you to lose all your money.

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SUPERSTITIOUS MINDS: Collection of Spain's strangest superstitions - Olive Press News Spain

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FRIDAY the 13th is a day of misfortune for many a superstitious expat. But you won't find many locals drawing their blinds and crossing their fingers on that date. For Spaniards, it's actually Tuesday the 13th that's considered unlucky.

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Lucy

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The Barcelona team is one of the most well known teams with most victories, with its most well known player, Messi.

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Introduction to

La tomatina in Buñol

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La tomatina in Buñol, tomato fight in Spain - Spanish celebrations and festivals

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Charlene

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Charlene

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Lucy

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Lucy and Charlene

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Charlene

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Charlene

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Lucy

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Charlene

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Charlene

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Charlene

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Lucy

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Charlene

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Lucy

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Charlene

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Lucy

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Globalization is becoming a threat to local cultures, even places like Spain who have a rich, unique culture is endangered. Humans now a days think differently from earlier humans. Some cultures are now seen as unnecessary and outdated, thus a culture that is already uncommon might be extinct. Therefore we should maintain and preserve the extraordinary Spanish traditions and cultures.