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Sevilla-La Catedral

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Sevilla-Retablo en la Catedral

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Sevilla-Patio de los Naranjos

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Video de Granada y Córdoba

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Andalucía's Moorish heritage sparkles in the historic capitals of Granada and Córdoba. And the pride of the Reconquista and the power of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand enliven the region's great sights. Tasting the smooth sherry and marveling at prancing stallions, we find the passion in Andalusian culture. And we top it off with fun in the Spanish sun on the Costa del Sol.

This last and greatest Moorish palace is one of Europe's top sights. Attracting up to 8,000 visitors a day, it's the reason most tourists come to Granada. Nowhere else does the splendor of Moorish civilization shine so beautifully. While Europe slumbered through the Dark Ages, Moorish magnificence blossomed - ornate stucco, plaster "stalactites," colors galore, scalloped windows framing Granada views, exuberant gardens, and water, water everywhere.

It's crucial to make advance reservations for the Alhambra, where daytime tickets to the Palacios Nazaríes often sell out. You have three main options to ensure that you get into the Palacio during your stay. The easiest is the G ranada Card city pass, which lets you choose virtually any entry time, even the same day. You can also visit the Palacio at night, when it's rarely sold out. Or you can make a reservation (book through your hotelier or order online).

The lavish Royal Chapel holds the dreams - and bodies - of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand. Their marriage united the Aragon and Castile kingdoms, allowing an acceleration of the Christian and Spanish push south. The chapel is Plateresque Gothic - light and lacy silver-filigree style, named for and inspired by the fine silverwork of the Moors.

Alcaicería (Granada's silk market)

Originally a Moorish silk market with 200 shops, the Alcaicería was filled with precious salt, silver, spices, and silk. Silk was huge in Moorish times, and silkworm-friendly mulberry trees flourished in the countryside. It was such an important product that the sultans controlled and guarded it by constructing this fine, fortified market. Today's Alcaicería was rebuilt in the late 1800s as a tourist souk (marketplace) to complement the romantic image of Granada popularized by the writings of Washington Irving. Explore the mesh of tiny shopping lanes: overpriced trinkets, popcorn machines popping, men selling balloons, leather goods spread out on streets, kids playing soccer, barking dogs, dogged shoe-shine boys, and the whirring grind of bicycle-powered knife sharpeners.

Albayzín (Granada)

Explore Spain's best old Moorish quarter, with countless colorful corners, flowery patios, and shady lanes. While the city center of Granada - which is pleasant enough - feels more or less like many other Spanish cities, the Albayzín is unique. You can't say you've really seen Granada until you've at least strolled a few of its twisty lanes. Climb high to the San Nicolás church for the best view of the Alhambra. Then wander through the mysterious back streets.

The striking and inviting Great Mosque of Granada is just next to the San Nicolás viewpoint. Visitors are welcome in the courtyard, which offers Alhambra views without the hedonistic ambience of the more famous San Nicolás viewpoint.

San Nicolás Viewpoint (Granada)

Be here at sunset, when the Alhambra glows red and the Albayzín widows share the benches with local lovers, hippies, and tourists. In 1997, President Clinton made a point to bring his family here--a favorite spot from a trip he made as a student. But this was hardly an original idea; generations of visitors have been drawn here. For an affordable drink with the same million-euro view, step into the El Huerto de Juan Ranas Bar. Enjoy the Roma (Gypsy) musicians who perform here for tips. Order a drink, tip them, settle in, and consider it a concert.

Balcony of Europe (Nerja)

The bluff is the center of Nerja's paseo and a magnet for street performers. The mimes, music, and puppets can draw bigger crowds than the Balcony itself, which overlooks the Mediterranean, miles of coastline, and little coves and caves below. A castle, and later a fort, occupied this spot from the ninth century until the earthquake of 1884. Now it's a people-friendly view terrace.

Ayo's (Nerja)

For 30 years, Ayo - a lovable ponytailed bohemian who promises to be here until he dies - has been feeding locals. Ayo is a very big personality - one of the five kids who discovered the Nerja Caves, formerly a well-known athlete, and now someone who makes it a point to hire hard-to-employ people as a community service. The paella fires get stoked up at about noon and continue through mid-afternoon. Grab one of a hundred tables under the canopy next to the rustic open-fire cooking zone, and enjoy the beach setting in the shade with a jug of sangria (Playa de Burriana, tel. +952-522-289).

This massive former mosque - now with a 16th-century church rising up from the middle - was once the center of Western Islam and the heart of a cultural capital that rivaled Baghdad and Istanbul. A wonder of the medieval world, it's remarkably well-preserved, giving today's visitors a chance to soak up the ambience of Islamic Córdoba in its 10th-century prime.

Isabel Martinez Richter

Isabel is a charming archaeologist who loves to make Córdoba come to life for curious Americans (mobile +669-369-645, isabmr@gmail.com).

This place is a historic and venerable house of eating, attracting so many locals it comes with its own garage. It's worth the 10-minute walk from the tourist zone. They have a stuffy and expensive formal restaurant upstairs, but I'd eat in the more relaxed and affordable tavern on the ground floor. The service is great, portions are large, and the menu is inviting. Experiment - you can't go wrong. Don't leave without exploring the sprawling complex, which fills 14 old houses that have been connected to create a network of dining rooms and patios, small and large. The place is a virtual town history museum: Look for the wine barrels signed by celebrities and VIPs, the old refectory from a convent, and a huge collection of classic, original feria posters and great photos.

See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks.

Hi, I'm Rick Steves. For many travelers, the quintessence of Spain is found here - Andalucía. The sounds, sights, and experiences of southern Spain are shaped by waves of history. Join us as we enjoy the food, music, dance, and art of perhaps Europe's most passionate corner - Andalucía.

For many, a trip to Andalucía starts and ends here, on the beach. Sure, the Costa del Sol is great fun - and we'll be back for a break later. But I enjoy the heart and soul of this multi-faceted region in the interior.

After splashing on the sun-soaked beach, we'll dance flamenco in a street party, slice ham as if it's a gift from heaven, stumble onto a midnight procession, admire the splendor of a former Moorish mosque, cook paella for the entire neighborhood, shake our castanets to fiery Gypsy music, and marvel at the Alhambra.

Just north of Africa, Spain sits in the southwest corner of Europe. In its far south is the region of Andalucía. We start in Granada, enjoy Nerja on the Costa del Sol, and finish in Córdoba.

Sprawling at the foot of the snow-capped Sierra Mountains, Granada is a thriving city of about 300,000 people. Visitors focus on its old center, where life has a gentility that belies its illustrious past.

Once the grandest city in Spain, its power ebbed and glory faded. It was appreciated mostly by Romantic Age artists and poets. Today, it has a Deep South feel - a relaxed vibe that seems typical of once-powerful places now past their prime. In the cool of the early evening, the community comes out and celebrates life on stately yet inviting plazas.

The story of Granada is all about the Islamic Moors. In the year 711, these North African Muslims crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and quickly conquered the Iberian Peninsula, eventually converting most of its inhabitants. Throughout the Middle Ages - for over 700 years - Spain was a predominantly Muslim society, living under Muslim rule.

And that age shapes today's sightseeing agenda. Granada's dominant sight is the Alhambra, the last and greatest Moorish palace. Nowhere else does the splendor of that civilization, Al-Andalus, shine so brightly.

For two centuries, until 1492, Granada reigned as the capital of a dwindling Moorish empire. As Christian forces pushed the Moors further and further south, this palace was the last hurrah of a sophisticated civilization.

While the rest of Europe slumbered through much of the Middle Ages, the Moorish civilization was wide awake. The math necessary to construct this palace would have dazzled Europeans of that age.

The Moors made great gains in engineering, medicine, and even classical Greek studies. In fact, some of the great thinking of ancient Greece had been forgotten by Europe, but was absorbed into Islam, and actually given back to Europe via scholars here in Spain.

The culture of the Moors was exquisite...artfully combining both design and aesthetics.

Facing a reflecting pond, the Hall of the Ambassadors was the throne room. It was here that the sultan, seated Oz-like, received foreign emissaries. Its wooden ceiling illustrates a command of geometry. With 8,000 pieces inlaid like a giant jigsaw puzzle, it symbolizes the complexity of Allah's infinite universe.

Arabic calligraphy, mostly poems and verses of praise from the Quran, is everywhere. Muslims avoid making images of living creatures - that's God's work. But decorating with religious messages is fine. One phrase - "only God is victorious" - is repeated 9,000 times throughout the Alhambra.

Like the sultan, we can escape from the palace into what was the most perfect Arabian garden in Andalucía. This royal summer retreat, lush and bursting with water, was the closest thing on earth to the Quran's description of heaven. In fact, its name - the Generalife - meant essentially that: the Garden of Paradise.

Water - so rare and precious in most of the Islamic world - was the purest symbol of life. Whether providing for its 2,000 thirsty residents, masking secret conversations, or just flowing playfully, water was integral to the space the Alhambra created.

For centuries, Europe struggled to push the Moors back into Africa. This campaign was called the Reconquista. Finally, in 1492, the Moors were defeated. The victorious Christian forces established their rule with gusto here in this last Muslim stronghold.

This victory helped provide the foundation for Spain's Golden Age. Within a generation, Spain's king, Charles V, was the most powerful man in the world.

After the re-conquest, Charles built this Renaissance palace incongruously right in the middle of the Alhambra grounds. It's what conquering civilizations do: build their palace atop their foe's palace. This circle-in-a-square structure was the finest Renaissance palace in all of Spain.

And back downtown, Granada's cathedral facade - also built shortly after the re-conquest - declares triumph as well. In fact, its design is based on a triumphal arch, and it was built over a destroyed mosque.

The adjacent Royal Chapel is Granada's top Christian sight. This fine building provided a fitting resting place for Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon, who ruled during the final Reconquista victory. Spaniards consider this couple the first great Spanish royals.

When these two married, they combined their huge kingdoms. And by merging Aragon and Castile, they founded what became modern Spain. With this powerful new realm, Spanish royalty were able to finance many great explorers - including Columbus - and establish Spain's Golden Age.

The royal tombs are Renaissance in style. The portraits of Isabella and Ferdinand are vital and realistic. They seem to celebrate the humanistic spirit of the Renaissance, and with it, a promising future for Spain.

The gilded altar is all about that Christian triumph: Christ triumphs over sin...and Christendom triumphs over Islam. In fact, reliefs show the eventual forced conversion of Granada's Moors shortly after the Reconquista.

For a time near the end of its Moorish period, Granada was the grandest city in all of Spain. But eventually, with the tumult that came with the change from Muslim to Christian rule, the city lost its power and settled into a long slumber. Today's Granada is a delightful mix of both its Moorish and its Christian past.

The silk market, or Alcaicería, was originally across the street from the main mosque, so today it stands across from the main church. Filled with precious goods - salt, silver, spices, and silk - it was protected within 10 fortified gates.

Today, while a tourist trap housed in a modern reconstruction, this colorful mesh of shopping lanes and overpriced trinkets is fun to explore.

You'll invariably meet persistent Gypsy women pushing their fragrant sprigs and palm reading, and then demanding payment. You can consider them aggressive and annoying...or you can zip up your valuables and have a fun and spirited give-and-take.

A handy minibus service loops from downtown through Spain's best old Moorish quarter, the Albayzín. Increasingly around Europe, minibuses wind locals through narrow lanes of old quarters. Tourists can hop on for a cheap and scenic joyride.

The Albayzín, with flowery patios and shady lanes, is a delight. Exploring these labyrinthine back lanes and inviting neighborhood squares, you feel the Arab heritage that permeates so much of Andalucía. Enjoy a drink on a no-name square...savor the lazy tempo of Granada life.

An alternative community of young people - nicknamed pie de negro, or black feet, for their basic earthiness - hangs out in the Albayzín.

And Granada is home to tens of thousands of Gypsies, or Roma people. While their nomadic culture makes traditional employment a challenge, one vocation in which they excel is music.

In the evening, in the hilly Sacromonte district, Gypsy families entertain tourists with colorful folkloric shows. These intimate concerts are performed in the very caves that once housed Granada's Gypsy community.

Along with Gypsies and hippies, tolerant Granada has a sizable Muslim population. A modern mosque, built in 2003, fits in with the local architecture and comes with a live call to prayer. The muezzin cries "God is great" from the minaret without amplification...as non-Muslim neighbors insisted.

There are about 700,000 Muslims in Spain, and that includes nearly 10 percent of Granada's residents.

To learn more, we're joined by Malik Basso, a member of Granada's Muslim community.

Rick: Would you say most of the Spanish Muslims are immigrant neighbors coming over from Africa for better jobs?
Malik: Yes - Moroccans, Algerians, Turks, Pakistanis. But of course, there is the recent phenomenon of Spanish Muslims as well.
Rick: You're Spanish?
Malik: Yes. I'm from Barcelona.
Rick: So tell me a little bit about this mosque.
Malik: Well, it was the first mosque built in Granada after the Reconquista. So, for 500 years, this was the first purpose-built mosque in Granada. It was promoted by a lot of people who were native Spanish Muslims, born and raised in Spain, although it caters for all the Muslims.
Rick: So, how has the process been with community relations?
Malik: Well, some people were fearful at first, you know...the effect of the media and such. But 10 years later, here we are. And some of our most vocal opponents are now our best friends, because they appreciate what we are doing and who we are.

The mosque stands next to one of Europe's most romantic viewpoints. From the St. Nicolás Terrace, as the sun sets, locals and visitors alike enjoy both a historical backdrop and a convivial moment.

To extend the magic, grab a prime table at one of the several historic Albayzín manor houses - called carmens - for dinner. You'll pay a bit more, but I can't think of a better way to cap your visit to Granada.

From Granada, it's a two-hour drive over the mountains and down into Europe's fun-in-the-sun headquarters: the Costa del Sol.

I find this strip of Mediterranean coastline generally overbuilt and very commercialized. Málaga, the major city of the coast, is a good place to pass through. And almost anything even resembling a quaint fishing village is long gone - replaced by timeshare condos and golf courses.

The big draw is the beaches. There are plenty of hotels, and sun worshippers enjoy themselves in spite of the congestion and lack of charm or local culture.

Nearly every country from Europe's drizzly north tucks an expatriate community somewhere along this coast. They don't want to leave their culture...just their weather.

My favorite Costa del Sol stop is the resort town of Nerja. While capitalizing on the holiday culture, Nerja has retained some of its charm. The church fronts the square, which fronts the beach...and everybody's out strolling, eventually winding up on the proud Balcony of Europe terrace.

This bluff, jutting jauntily into the sea, overlooks miles of coastline. A castle occupied this spot for centuries.

Nerja's castle was part of a 16th-century lookout system. After Reconquista forces drove out the Muslim...oh, that's right. You don't come to the Costa del Sol for history; you come for fun in the sun...and relaxation.

And relax is what countless expat residents do. Nerja's expats are mostly British. Like many along this coast, they actually try not to integrate. They enjoy their English TV and radio, and many barely learn a word of Spanish.

Nerja has several well-equipped beaches. The one just below town retains its fishing-village charm. Fishermen do their thing, while the tourists do theirs. The humble cottage evokes a bygone day. Spaniards love their little beach restaurants.

A short hike takes us to a broader beach that appeals to different tastes. While it's packed through the summer, we're here in May, when the heat and crowds are just right.

Ayo's place is famous for its beachside all-you-can-eat paella feast. For 30 years, he's been cooking up this classic Spanish specialty.

To create this culinary work of art, start with some junk pallets for fuel, and slip on your handmade heat shields. Then, fry up as many pieces of chicken as can fit in the pan. Add just a pinch of garlic and about a week's-pay worth of saffron. When the chicken is golden-brown, add about a dozen skinned tomatoes and as many red and green peppers as you can stand chopping. Stir everything with a clean shovel. Now add a laundry bin of arborio rice, and just a dash of smoked, sweet pimentos. Stir briskly until the rice has become coated with the oils and spices. Add a few gallons of stock, and bring to a boil. Add another pallet if necessary. Mix in a boatload of fresh, whole shrimp.

When the rice is done, remove - remembering to lift with your knees - and let set for 10 minutes. Now you could just stare at the pretty colors and textures, but I recommend eating it for the full experience. Dish out servings daintily, and garnish with a wedge of lemon. Feeds 48 hungry vacationers. Adjust recipe measurements accordingly.

A 100-mile drive back inland takes us to the city of Córdoba. While Granada was the last Moorish capital, the capital through the glory days of Muslim rule was Córdoba.

Tucked into a bend of its river, Córdoba has a glorious past. While its old wall evokes a tough history, its elegant cityscape and convivial squares show a modern pride. As is typical of Andalucía, it's a people-friendly city, filled with energy and color.

Córdoba's centerpiece is a massive former mosque - or, in Spanish, Mezquita. This huge rectangle dominates the tangled medieval town that surrounds it.

Grand gates lead to the courtyard. It was here, when this was a mosque, that worshippers would gather to wash before prayer, as directed by Muslim law.

Entering, you step into a forest of delicate columns and graceful arches dating from over 1,000 years ago.

At its zenith, this mosque was the center of Western Islam and the heart of a cultural capital that rivaled Baghdad and Constantinople. A wonder of the medieval world, it's remarkably well-preserved, giving today's visitors a chance to appreciate Islamic Córdoba in its 10th-century prime.

The columns and arches seem to recede to infinity, as if reflecting the immensity and complexity of God's creation.

The mihrab - the focal point of worship in a mosque - was built in the mid-10th century. It's richly mosaicked with 3,000 pounds of tiny, multicolored glass-and-enamel cubes.

A painting in the adjacent treasury takes us back to 1236, when Christians conquered the city and everything changed. Here we see the Spanish king accepting the keys to Córdoba's fortified gate from the vanquished Muslims.

According to legend, one morning Muslims said their last prayers in the great mosque. That afternoon, the Christians set up their portable road altar and celebrated the first Mass in what would later become this glorious cathedral.

As if planting a cross into its religious heart, this grand cathedral was built in the middle of the mosque. Taking two centuries to complete, the cathedral is a glorious mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles.

A statue actually called "St. James the Moor-Slayer" stands next to the altar. Sword raised as usual, James is busy conquering Muslims.

Other art is less provocative. The Baroque-era choir stalls are made of New World mahogany. With exquisite carving, it's considered one of the masterpieces of 18th-century Andalusian Baroque.

And, towering over the former mosque, a bell tower makes it clear: This huge edifice now houses a place of Christian worship.

In the 10th century, when a minaret stood where the bell tower stands today, Córdoba was arguably Europe's greatest city. It was the cultural capital, with over ten times the population of Paris. Imagine the city, with paved streets, lit at night by oil lamps, piped-in running water, hundreds of mosques, palaces, and public baths.

It was a city of poets and scholars. While things changed later, the Golden Age of Al-Andalus, as this society was called, was marked by a remarkable spirit of tolerance and cooperation among all religions.

To learn more, I'm joined by my friend and fellow tour guide, Isabel Martinez.

Rick: So Jews, Christians, and Muslims, all living together peacefully here?
Isabel: Yes, certainly. It worked out during certain times, especially during the 10th century.
Rick: Three different cultures, together.
Isabel: Well, that's what most of the people think. But I think it's more correct to say it was one culture with three religions, because at the end, all the people here talked Arabian language, cooked the same dishes, and wore the same clothes.
Rick: OK, one culture, three religions.
Isabel: Exactly.
Rick: How Andalus.
Isabel: It was magic time.

Córdoba's narrow, flower-bedecked lanes invite exploration. With Isabel's help, a simple stroll becomes meaningful.

Isabel: Notice how nice and fresh these little streets are, Rick?
Rick: Yes.
Isabel: Its narrowness and whitewashed walls. Natural air-conditioning.
Rick: It feels cool.
Isabel: It's brilliant.

Isabel: So this beautiful shutter reminds us of the times when the women were hidden from public. Muslim Córdoba had hundreds of mosques, but most of them were destroyed. But some minarets survived as church bell towers.
Rick: So this was a minaret first, and now it's a bell tower for that church.
Isabel: Yeah, exactly.

Córdoba's characteristic patios have functioned like outdoor living rooms since ancient Roman times. They're quiet, an oasis from the heat, and filled with flowers. Locals decorate them with pride. In fact, each year, many compete and open their patios to the public.

And here, as throughout Andalucía, festivals fill the calendar. We're here for the Festival of the Crosses, where each neighborhood parties around its own cross made of carnations. Church bells ring not only a call to prayer, but a call to fiesta.

Neighbors pack the squares for a community party. This barrio entered for the first time this year. They won...and they've been reveling ever since.

Major squares host bigger events. I find experiencing traditional flamenco culture celebrated by and for the locals beats any tourist show.

Here in Andalucía, revelry and religiosity seem to go hand-in-hand, as the same passion and energy is put into long, sober religious processions, which clog the city's narrow streets. Trumpets blare a fanfare, children carry candles, and everyone runs to the streets to be a part of the procession.

Many of these same locals will party on squares until late into the night. Others will sit down to a classic Andalusian dinner.

Isabel has invited us to Bodegas Campos - a historic and venerable house of eating - for our own festival of Andalusian specialties.

And here in Andalucía, no special meal starts without the porcine gold standard, jamón ibérico.

Isabel: This is a special jamón.
Rick: Jamón.
Isabel: Jamón ibérico.
Rick: Why does it taste so good, the jamón ibérico?
Isabel: Because the pig lived outside.
Rick: Okay so he's running around...
Isabel: It lives in the countryside. It's free.

After the jamón ibérico, the plates just keep on coming. This place specializes in traditional Andalusian fare - rustic food that originated with the peasantry. And a few dishes that have a Moorish influence. But if there is one common denominator to all the food, it's...

The finale, definitely for carnivores only, is pork from the Iberian black pig, and - what could be more Spanish? - bull's tail.

Rick: We've had nine different plates.
Isabel: Yeah, we love eating - and we love sitting around the table for hours.
Rick: It's living well.
Isabel: Yes, that's Andalusian lifestyle.

You want a recipe for a wonderful trip? Blend history, culture, local friends, and great food. I hope you've enjoyed our look at some of the highlights of southern Spain. I'm Rick Steves. Until next time, keep on travelin'. Adiós.

Credits:

Okay so we'll start talking at that little piece of poop there, okay?

But I enjoy the multi-faceted heart and soul of this multi-faceted region with a multi-faceted visit to the interior first.

Spain was a predominately Muslim society living under Muslim rule.

Imagine the city, paved streets, lit at night by running water, piped in lamps powered by oil [laugh].

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Granada, Córdoba, and Spain's Costa del Sol

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Andalucía's Moorish heritage sparkles in the historic capitals of Granada and Córdoba. And the pride of the Reconquista and the power of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand enliven the region's great sights. Tasting the smooth sherry and marveling at prancing stallions, we find the passion in Andalusian culture.

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Sevilla-La Giralda

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Video de Toledo y Segovia

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In this program we explore the region of Castile, starting in Toledo - so well-preserved and packed with cultural wonder that the entire city has been declared a national monument, on to Segovia for a festive day out with the locals, then to Ávila for a dose of medieval architecture, and finishing with a traditional stroll in Salamanca's Plaza Mayor.

Mazapán

Toledo's famous almond-fruity-sweet mazapán is sold all over town. As you wander, keep a lookout for convents advertising their version, Dulces Artesanos. The big mazapán producer is Santo Tomé (several outlets, including a handy one on Plaza de Zocodover). Browse their tempting window displays. They sell mazapán goodies individually ( sin relleno - without filling - is for purists, de piñon has pine nuts, imperiales is with almonds, others have fruit fillings). Boxes are good for gifts, but sampling is much cheaper when buying just a few pieces.

This stately Renaissance building features 15 El Grecos. Formerly an orphanage and hospital, the building was funded by money left by the humanist and diplomat Cardinal Mendoza when he died in 1495. The cardinal, confirmed as Chancellor of Castile by Queen Isabel, was so influential that he was called "the third royal."

This simple chapel holds El Greco's masterpiece, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, which hangs over the count's tomb. It feels so right to see a painting in the same church where the artist placed it 400 years ago. It originally filled the space immediately to the right of where it is now, but because the popularity of this masterpiece was disturbing the main church, it was moved. Church officials even created a special entryway for viewing it.

Carlos, a Spaniard who led tours for my groups for more than a decade, and his wife from Seattle, Jennifer, run Letango Tours, offering itineraries within Madrid and beyond, as well as customized tours (whether city, regional, or country-wide) and bookings anywhere in Spain (mobile 655-818-740 and 661-752-458, tours@letango.com).

In the Middle Ages, this fortified palace was one of the favorite residences of the monarchs of Castile, a key fortress for controlling the region. The Alcázar grew through the ages, and its function changed many times: After its stint as a palace, it was a prison for 200 years, and then a Royal Artillery School. It burned in 1862. Since the fire, it's basically been a museum.

Convent of St. Teresa (Ávila)

Built in the 17th century on the spot where the saint was born, this convent is a big hit with pilgrims . St. Teresa (1515-1582) - reforming nun, mystic, and writer - bought a house in Ávila and converted it into a convent with more stringent rules than the one she belonged to. She faced opposition in her hometown from rival nuns and those convinced her visions of heaven were the work of the devil. However, with her mentor and fellow mystic St. John of the Cross, she established convents of Discalced (shoeless) Carmelites throughout Spain, and her visions and writings led her to sainthood (she was canonized in 1622).

Salamanca's Plaza Mayor

Built from 1729 to 1755, this ultimate plaza has long been Salamanca's community living room. The most important place in town, it seems to be continually hosting some kind of party. Imagine the excitement of the days (until 1893) when bullfights were held in the square. Now old-timers gather here each day, remembering an earlier time when the girls would promenade clockwise around the colonnade while the boys cruised counterclockwise, looking for the perfect queso (cheese), as they'd call a cute dish. Perhaps the best time of all for people-watching is Sunday after Mass, when the grandmothers gather here in their Sunday best.

Church of San Esteban

Dedicated to St. Stephen (Esteban) the martyr, this complex contains a restored cloister, tombs, museum, sacristy, and church (tel. +923-215-000).

University of Salamanca

Established in 1230, Salamanca's university is Spain's oldest - Columbus came here for travel tips. The old lecture halls around the cloister, where many of Spain's Golden Age heroes studied, are open to the public (tel. +923-294-400, ext. 1150).

Traditionally, Salamanca's poorer students earned money to fund their education by singing in the streets. This 15th- to 18th-century tradition survives today, as musical groups of students (representing the various faculties) - dressed in the traditional black capes and leggings - sing and strum mandolins and guitars. They serenade the public in the bars on and around Plaza Mayor. The name tuna, which has nothing to do with fish, refers to a vagabond student lifestyle and later was applied to the music these students sing. They're out only on summer weeknights (singing for tips from 10 p.m. until after midnight), because they make more serious money performing for weddings on weekends.

See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks.

Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the Best of Europe. This time we're in Castile in the heart of Spain - exploring Toledo, Ávila, Segovia, and Salamanca. Ole!

The region of Castile - or Castille - is the birthplace of so much of what we consider Spanish - the great kings, the language, the castles, and an empire which financed the great discoveries and ruled much of the world in its 16 th-century heyday.

We'll step back in time, marvel at El Greco, pop some explosive pickles, check out Spain's most awe-inspiring medieval walls, drop in on a bachelorette party with the local troubadours, and then settle back into one of Europe's most enchanting scenes.

Europe's Iberian Peninsula is shared by Spain and Portugal. Madrid, Spain's modern capital, lies in the region of Castile. We'll start in Toledo, then swing by Segovia and Ávila before our finale in Salamanca.

Toledo is so well preserved and packed with cultural wonder the entire city has been declared a national monument - you'll see no modern buildings. It's an ideal place to savor the delights of Spain - cultural, historic, and tasty.

Spain's historic capital has 2,000 years of tangled history crowded onto a high, rocky perch. It's protected on three sides by a natural moat - the Tagus River - and everywhere else by formidable manmade fortifications.

Toledo was for centuries an important Roman transportation hub with a thriving Jewish population. When Rome fell, it was ruled first by the Visigoths and then by the Moors. Centuries later, when the Christians conquered the city, they made it Spain's political and religious capital.

In the 1500s, when the city reached its natural limits as defined by its river, the king packed up and moved his capital to more spacious Madrid. Toledo became a political backwater, only to be rediscovered by Romantic 19 th-century travelers. Today, while small in population and of minor importance politically, Toledo remains a vital center of culture, art and religion. It survives much as it was when Europe's most powerful king called it home.

Toledo's handy escalator gives those approaching the city from the bus station or car park a sweat free lift into town - particularly welcome in the hot summer.

Lassoed into a tight maze of lanes, Toledo has a confusing medieval street plan. But major sights are well-signposted. Explore and remember, some of the best attractions come without signs.

For centuries, Christians, Jews and Muslims enjoyed this city together. Toledo's history is a complex mix of these three great religions with an impressive record of peaceful co-existence.

Physical reminders of Toledo's multi-cultural history are everywhere. In the year 711, zealous members of the world's newest religion - Islam - conquered the Iberian Peninsula. For seven centuries, these North African Muslims - called Moors - dominated Spain.

The Moors were impressively tolerant of the people they ruled, allowing Christians and Jews to practice their faiths freely. With cultural ties stretching from here, across North Africa all the way to Arabia and beyond, the Moorish civilization here in Spain was a beacon of learning in Europe's so-called "Dark" Ages.

Mathematics, astronomy, literature...and architecture...all flourished. After Christians took back Toledo in 1085, many Moorish craftsmen and builders stayed on, leaving their Arabic imprint on the city for generations to come.

This looks like a mosque, but it's actually a Jewish synagogue. It was built in the 1200s for Jews by Moorish craftsmen. The decor, while Arabic in its style, comes with Jewish motifs - the shell is a Hebrew symbol calling worshippers to listen to the word of God. While the men worshipped in the main area, women worshipped behind the screen. Two hundred years later, the mosque-like synagogue was retrofitted to be a Christian church.

The peaceful co-existence couldn't last forever. Spanish kings united Spain into a Christian nation. They gave Jews and Muslims a choice: convert or leave. In 1492, sure, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. But that was also the year that Spanish Christians exiled the Jews and successfully kicked the Moors back into Africa.

A sweet remnant from its Moorish days is Toledo's famous mazapán. Shops all over town sell mazapán goodies in ready-made gift boxes...but I like to select my own.

A great thing about travel is trying things you've never tried before. For years I've being looking at these fruity mazapán and I've never tried one...Hum, it's actually good, but I'm going to stick with the purist's: This is the sin relleno. Oh yeah, top-quality mazapán.

Toledo's main square is the inviting Plaza Zocodover. Tourists visit today for more than mazapán. Toledo was the 16 th-century home of one of Europe's greatest painters, El Greco.

Born in Greece, trained in Venice, Domenikos Theotokopoulos - his tongue-tied friends just nicknamed him "The Greek," or "El Greco" - moved to Spain to find work as a painter. He found employment here in Toledo, where he spent the rest of his life, and developed his unique style of painting.

El Greco-philes will want to visit Toledo's Santa Cruz Museum. Originally an orphanage and hospital, today its wards house 16 th-century art, including a superb collection of El Greco paintings.

His work mixes influences from all three of his places of residence: icon-like faces from his Greek homeland, bold color and twisting poses from Italy, and the almost mystical spirituality from Catholic Spain.

El Greco painted supernatural visions - elongated saints...stretched between Earth and Heaven. He painted souls - not bodies. Faces flicker like candles. Thoroughly modern in its disregard of realism, his art feels contemporary even today.

This altarpiece, finished one year before El Greco's death, is the culmination of his inimitable style. It combines all his signature elements to express an otherworldly event.

While on Earth the city of Toledo sleeps, a vision takes place overhead. An angel in a billowing robe spreads his wings and flies up, supporting Mary, the mother of Christ. She floats through warped space, to be serenaded by angels and wrapped in the radiant light of the Holy Spirit. Mary is charged from within by the ecstasy of her faith. No painter before or since has captured the mystery of the spiritual world like El Greco.

Nearby, the simple chapel of Santo Tomé holds El Greco's most-loved painting. The Burial of the Count of Orgaz couples heaven and earth in a way only "The Greek" could.

Imagine...you're at the burial of the good count right here in this chapel. He was so holy; two saints even came down from heaven to help out. The funeral is attended by Toledo's leading citizens. Each face is a detailed portrait. El Greco paints himself looking out at us...drawing us into the scene. The boy in the foreground - pointing to the two saints - is El Greco's son.

The count's soul - symbolized by a ghost-like baby - rises up through the mystical birth canal to be reborn in heaven, where he's greeted by Jesus, Mary, and all the saints. A spiritual wind blows as colors change and shapes stretch. Jesus points to St. Peter, who controls the keys to the pearly gates. The painting's subtitle: "Such is the reward for those who serve God and his saints."

Our hotel, the Residencia La Almazara, while truly in the country - is just two miles out of Toledo. The summer residence of a 16 th-century cardinal, it's a lumbering old place with inviting public spaces, a sprawling garden and simple but comfortable rooms. Fond of the cardinal - and perhaps this view - El Greco hung out here for inspiration. [The hotel has since closed. -ed]

Toledo, Spain's leading Catholic city, has a magnificent cathedral. Shoehorned into the old center, its exterior rises brilliantly above the medieval clutter. And the interior - so lofty and vast - is celebrated as the most Gothic of Spain's churches and the most Spanish of Gothic churches.

Wander among the pillars and imagine when the light bulbs were candles and the tourists were pilgrims. And for worshippers, past and present, the windows provide spiritual as well as physical light.

Marvel through the iron gate at one of the most stunning altars in all of Spain. The complex composition shows the story of Jesus' life...from his birth in the manger...to his death on the cross. While the centerpiece holds the Holy Communion bread and wine, the entire altar conveys the Christian message of salvation through Christ.

While the cathedral is primarily a place of worship, its sacristy and treasury have enough jewels, great paintings, and other art to put any museum on the map.

My Spanish friend and fellow tour guide, Carlos Galvin, is joining us for dinner.

All that art and history stokes my appetite for a special meal. Restaurante Casón de los López de Toledo, located in an old nobleman's palace, offers traditional Spanish favorites with a modern flair. [The restaurant is no longer listed in our guidebooks. -ed] Here they specialize in Castilian food - especially game, like venison and partridge. And it's always artfully presented in a way that would have pleased the Spanish nobles who used to live here.

Carlos: So Rick, this is venison. Venison is very typical in Toledo. It's like with partridge, everybody goes "pow."
Rick: So historically this has been a hunting area?
Carlos: Yeah.

And we're drinking wine from the Duero region of northern Spain and Portugal, renowned for its vineyards. A meal like this is a fine way to cap another great day in Castile.

Carlos and I are heading for Salamanca, with quick stops in Segovia and Ávila along the way.

Segovia - an historic town of 55,000 with a rich history and a famous Roman aqueduct - is well worth a short visit.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Segovia was a Roman military base in need of water. So Emperor Trajan's engineers rerouted a stream into town by building this nine-mile long aqueduct. This massive structure - ingeniously constructed with no mortar - provided water to Segovia until modern times. While locals claim it could still work today, its primary function seems to be providing a backdrop for family fun.

Segovia's main pedestrian drag is clogged with people enjoying a festive spring day out. While Romanesque churches and statues honoring 16 th-century local heroes are ignored, kids get plenty of attention.

The Plaza Mayor marks Segovia's old town center. It's early in the afternoon on a Saturday and, as on plazas all over Spain, people are out with family and friends. It's prime time to enjoy an aperitovo before heading home for the main meal of the day - a late lunch.

Segovia's Plaza Mayor wasn't always so idyllic. It was long the scene of bullfights. Imagine spectators jamming these balconies screaming "Toro! Toro... ole!"

In the 19 th century bullfights in this square were stopped. When the residents complained, town fathers gave them a more gentile form of entertainment - this bandstand.

The town's cathedral stands high above its main square. Embellished to the hilt with pinnacles and flying buttresses, it's a good example of that final overripe stage of Gothic called "flamboyant."

Segovia's Alcázar - or fortress - still seems to defend the far end of town. Once the king's summer retreat and palace, it burned down and was rebuilt. Like so many castle rebuilds in the Romantic 19 th century, it's a fanciful exaggeration barely resembling the original.

A short drive through more of Castile brings us to the fortified city of Ávila.

Ávila is famous for its perfectly preserved medieval walls. For over 300 years, the town was on the battlefront between Moors and Christians - changing hands several times. Built in around 1100, its wall is the most complete in all of Spain.

Ávila's cathedral was actually built into the wall. And behind the ramparts, the peaceful streets give a charming look at small-town Spain.

The Convent of St. Teresa is built upon the birthplace of Ávila's most famous resident. Teresa wrote the most popular spiritual devotions of her age and founded a Carmelite religious order. Pilgrims venerate the saint in this gilded chapel. A case full of relics includes Teresa's finger, complete with a fancy ring.

Local nuns cooked up the town's famous pastry and now anyone visiting Ávila enjoys its yummy yemas. These pastries are like a soft-boiled egg yolk cooled and sugared.

Carlos: So in Spain, every town has its specialty. In Ávila, it's yemas.
Rick: That's good.

Heading east from Ávila, you feel immersed in the high and vast plateau of central Spain. It's a rough land steeped in history and tradition. And huge bulls on the horizon remind drivers: This is the land of bullfighting. These fun bull boards are all over Spain - built years ago to advertise a local sherry.

A Roman bridge leads to the sunny sandstone city of Salamanca, Spain's premier university town.

Salamanca is more youthful and less touristy than Toledo. Enjoy a paseo - that's Spain's traditional stroll - with the local crowd down Rua Mayor and into its famous main square.

Plaza Mayor, built in 1729, is the ultimate Spanish plaza - a fine place to nurse a drink and watch the world go by. It's a stress-free, multi-generational mix that to me is quintessentially European. The handsome town hall overlooks the square. While most squares honor a king or saint, this one also commemorates commoners from the region.

Plaques above the colonnade depict Castilian writers such as Cervantes - who wrote Don Quixote, heroes and conquistadors such as Cortés, popular saints like Teresa, kings, and even dictators...here's Franco.

On Sunday after Mass, old-timers gather here to shake their castanets.

[People dancing with castanets]

Sure, you'll pay a little extra to eat here; it's a bargain when you consider the ambience...enjoying the finest square in Spain, savoring some of Europe's best people-watching.

Rick: Now, you come to a restaurant and you don't want to deal with the menu, you just want a light meal...
Carlos: That's right. And then you just order raciones. Raciones are a little larger than tapas.
Rick: OK. You go to a bar and get a tapa, it would be like a little tiny plate.
Carlos: Exactly, and then here you just get raciones. So these are patatas bravas. " Bravas" means brave, brave because they have a very spicy sauce.
Rick: Brave... and then of course the standard thing would be a little bit of jam ó n.
Carlos: Jam ó n serrano.
Rick: What kind of wine is that?
Carlos: Okay. This is a Rioja. Rioja is from the north of Spain.
Rick: Ah that's good. Rioja. So if you want a strong Spanish wine, Rioja's a good bet?
Carlos: Yeah, vino con cuerpo - full bodied.
Rick: Full bodied. that's a good word. Vino con cuerpo - look at this view.

One of Salamanca's top sights is the Church of San Esteban - dedicated to St. Stephen (or Esteban) - the martyr. This is a fine example of Spain's Plateresque style - masonry so intricate it looks like the region's silver filigree. The facade features the stoning of St. Stephen. Inside, priests are dwarfed by the over-the-top altarpiece. This is a textbook example of the 17 th-century style named after José de Churriguera.

Nearby, Salamanca's covered market is a marvelous place for a cultural scavenger hunt. Here you'll find all the things important to daily life in Castile: fresh local produce, Salamancan sausage, and ham hocks. Ham, or jam ó n in Spanish, has a cult following here in Castile.

Rick: So, tell me, Carlos, about this entire mechanism. Is this typical?
Carlos: Yes, this is totally typical. We have one of those at home and every family has one of these. We buy a jam ó n, every Christmas we have a jam ó n. And we just carve it like you do a turkey.
Rick: Is it difficult to cut?
Carlos: It's not very difficult. Do you want to try it?
Rick: Can I try a little bit?
Carlos: [Requests in Spanish]
Rick: So what is the important thing? To make it...?
Carlos: To make it very thin.
Rick: Okay, so the thinner the tastier. Because you want to...
Carlos: There you go. That's perfect. That's great.
Rick: It's not so bad. Jamón ibérico.
Carlos: There you go, that's perfect. That's very thin.
Rick: Okay, it's coming. Okay.
Carlos: [Speaks in Spanish]
Rick: Wow. Look at that. And then when you're working hard you can eat a little bit...

Next, for something with a little more kick we're trying some banderillas - potent spikes of spicy pickles.

A highlight of any visit to Salamanca is its famous university.

The oldest in Spain, it was established in the early 1200s and was one of Europe's leading centers of learning for 400 years. Today, while no longer so prestigious, it's laden with history and especially popular with American students for its excellent summer program.

The university's ornately-decorated grand entrance is another example of Spain's fancy Plateresque style. The people studying the facade aren't art fans. They're trying to find a tiny frog on a skull that students looked to for good luck. Okay, up the column, take a left, find the skull. The frog's on top.

Now forget him. Let's follow the facade's symbolic meaning: The bottom part thanks King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel for the money to make the building. The middle section celebrates Charles V with the coat of arms of his Habsburg Empire - the world's only superpower in the early 1500s. Finally, as a statement of the school's open mindedness, the top honors the Pope while putting him in the company of pagan gods.

This venerable arcade leads to lecture halls where Spain's brightest minds grappled with issues raised by the dawning of a new age. Imagine Golden Age heroes paging through these books and pondering these globes. Cortés came here for travel tips.

The narrow wooden tables and benches - whittled down by centuries of studious doodling - are originals. Professors spoke boldly from the pulpit.

It was here that the free-thinking monk Luis de León taught in the 1500s. He challenged the Church's control of the word of God by translating part of the Bible from Latin into the people's language of Castilian. Because of this, he was tossed into jail for five years. When finally released, he returned to this pulpit and began his first lecture with, "As we were saying..."

Courageous men of truth like Luis de León believed the forces of the Inquisition were not even worth acknowledging.

Traditionally, Salamanca's struggling students earned money to fund their education by singing in the streets. This centuries-old troubadour tradition survives today as musical combos - called tuna bands - dressed in distinctive outfits, play lutes, guitars, and sing. For a fee, they serenade fancy family gatherings. And, celebrating with a beer after their gig's done, they can't resist brightening a bride-to-be's bachelorette party. And this fun-loving tuna band - the oldest in Salamanca - gave us a memorable trip finale back on the Plaza Mayor.

[Band singing, playing and dancing]

Thanks for joining us. I hope you've enjoyed our highlights of Castile. I'm Rick Steves. Until next time, keep on travelin'. Adiós.

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Highlights of Castile: Toledo and Salamanca

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In this program we explore the region of Castile, starting in Toledo - so well-preserved and packed with cultural wonder that the entire city has been declared a national monument, on to Segovia for a festive day out with the locals, then to Ávila for a dose of medieval architecture, and finishing with a traditional stroll in Salamanca's Plaza Mayor.

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Video de Granada y Córdoba

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Andalucía's Moorish heritage sparkles in the historic capitals of Granada and Córdoba. And the pride of the Reconquista and the power of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand enliven the region's great sights. Tasting the smooth sherry and marveling at prancing stallions, we find the passion in Andalusian culture. And we top it off with fun in the Spanish sun on the Costa del Sol.

This last and greatest Moorish palace is one of Europe's top sights. Attracting up to 8,000 visitors a day, it's the reason most tourists come to Granada. Nowhere else does the splendor of Moorish civilization shine so beautifully. While Europe slumbered through the Dark Ages, Moorish magnificence blossomed - ornate stucco, plaster "stalactites," colors galore, scalloped windows framing Granada views, exuberant gardens, and water, water everywhere.

It's crucial to make advance reservations for the Alhambra, where daytime tickets to the Palacios Nazaríes often sell out. You have three main options to ensure that you get into the Palacio during your stay. The easiest is the G ranada Card city pass, which lets you choose virtually any entry time, even the same day. You can also visit the Palacio at night, when it's rarely sold out. Or you can make a reservation (book through your hotelier or order online).

The lavish Royal Chapel holds the dreams - and bodies - of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand. Their marriage united the Aragon and Castile kingdoms, allowing an acceleration of the Christian and Spanish push south. The chapel is Plateresque Gothic - light and lacy silver-filigree style, named for and inspired by the fine silverwork of the Moors.

Alcaicería (Granada's silk market)

Originally a Moorish silk market with 200 shops, the Alcaicería was filled with precious salt, silver, spices, and silk. Silk was huge in Moorish times, and silkworm-friendly mulberry trees flourished in the countryside. It was such an important product that the sultans controlled and guarded it by constructing this fine, fortified market. Today's Alcaicería was rebuilt in the late 1800s as a tourist souk (marketplace) to complement the romantic image of Granada popularized by the writings of Washington Irving. Explore the mesh of tiny shopping lanes: overpriced trinkets, popcorn machines popping, men selling balloons, leather goods spread out on streets, kids playing soccer, barking dogs, dogged shoe-shine boys, and the whirring grind of bicycle-powered knife sharpeners.

Albayzín (Granada)

Explore Spain's best old Moorish quarter, with countless colorful corners, flowery patios, and shady lanes. While the city center of Granada - which is pleasant enough - feels more or less like many other Spanish cities, the Albayzín is unique. You can't say you've really seen Granada until you've at least strolled a few of its twisty lanes. Climb high to the San Nicolás church for the best view of the Alhambra. Then wander through the mysterious back streets.

The striking and inviting Great Mosque of Granada is just next to the San Nicolás viewpoint. Visitors are welcome in the courtyard, which offers Alhambra views without the hedonistic ambience of the more famous San Nicolás viewpoint.

San Nicolás Viewpoint (Granada)

Be here at sunset, when the Alhambra glows red and the Albayzín widows share the benches with local lovers, hippies, and tourists. In 1997, President Clinton made a point to bring his family here--a favorite spot from a trip he made as a student. But this was hardly an original idea; generations of visitors have been drawn here. For an affordable drink with the same million-euro view, step into the El Huerto de Juan Ranas Bar. Enjoy the Roma (Gypsy) musicians who perform here for tips. Order a drink, tip them, settle in, and consider it a concert.

Balcony of Europe (Nerja)

The bluff is the center of Nerja's paseo and a magnet for street performers. The mimes, music, and puppets can draw bigger crowds than the Balcony itself, which overlooks the Mediterranean, miles of coastline, and little coves and caves below. A castle, and later a fort, occupied this spot from the ninth century until the earthquake of 1884. Now it's a people-friendly view terrace.

Ayo's (Nerja)

For 30 years, Ayo - a lovable ponytailed bohemian who promises to be here until he dies - has been feeding locals. Ayo is a very big personality - one of the five kids who discovered the Nerja Caves, formerly a well-known athlete, and now someone who makes it a point to hire hard-to-employ people as a community service. The paella fires get stoked up at about noon and continue through mid-afternoon. Grab one of a hundred tables under the canopy next to the rustic open-fire cooking zone, and enjoy the beach setting in the shade with a jug of sangria (Playa de Burriana, tel. +952-522-289).

This massive former mosque - now with a 16th-century church rising up from the middle - was once the center of Western Islam and the heart of a cultural capital that rivaled Baghdad and Istanbul. A wonder of the medieval world, it's remarkably well-preserved, giving today's visitors a chance to soak up the ambience of Islamic Córdoba in its 10th-century prime.

Isabel Martinez Richter

Isabel is a charming archaeologist who loves to make Córdoba come to life for curious Americans (mobile +669-369-645, isabmr@gmail.com).

This place is a historic and venerable house of eating, attracting so many locals it comes with its own garage. It's worth the 10-minute walk from the tourist zone. They have a stuffy and expensive formal restaurant upstairs, but I'd eat in the more relaxed and affordable tavern on the ground floor. The service is great, portions are large, and the menu is inviting. Experiment - you can't go wrong. Don't leave without exploring the sprawling complex, which fills 14 old houses that have been connected to create a network of dining rooms and patios, small and large. The place is a virtual town history museum: Look for the wine barrels signed by celebrities and VIPs, the old refectory from a convent, and a huge collection of classic, original feria posters and great photos.

See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks.

Hi, I'm Rick Steves. For many travelers, the quintessence of Spain is found here - Andalucía. The sounds, sights, and experiences of southern Spain are shaped by waves of history. Join us as we enjoy the food, music, dance, and art of perhaps Europe's most passionate corner - Andalucía.

For many, a trip to Andalucía starts and ends here, on the beach. Sure, the Costa del Sol is great fun - and we'll be back for a break later. But I enjoy the heart and soul of this multi-faceted region in the interior.

After splashing on the sun-soaked beach, we'll dance flamenco in a street party, slice ham as if it's a gift from heaven, stumble onto a midnight procession, admire the splendor of a former Moorish mosque, cook paella for the entire neighborhood, shake our castanets to fiery Gypsy music, and marvel at the Alhambra.

Just north of Africa, Spain sits in the southwest corner of Europe. In its far south is the region of Andalucía. We start in Granada, enjoy Nerja on the Costa del Sol, and finish in Córdoba.

Sprawling at the foot of the snow-capped Sierra Mountains, Granada is a thriving city of about 300,000 people. Visitors focus on its old center, where life has a gentility that belies its illustrious past.

Once the grandest city in Spain, its power ebbed and glory faded. It was appreciated mostly by Romantic Age artists and poets. Today, it has a Deep South feel - a relaxed vibe that seems typical of once-powerful places now past their prime. In the cool of the early evening, the community comes out and celebrates life on stately yet inviting plazas.

The story of Granada is all about the Islamic Moors. In the year 711, these North African Muslims crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and quickly conquered the Iberian Peninsula, eventually converting most of its inhabitants. Throughout the Middle Ages - for over 700 years - Spain was a predominantly Muslim society, living under Muslim rule.

And that age shapes today's sightseeing agenda. Granada's dominant sight is the Alhambra, the last and greatest Moorish palace. Nowhere else does the splendor of that civilization, Al-Andalus, shine so brightly.

For two centuries, until 1492, Granada reigned as the capital of a dwindling Moorish empire. As Christian forces pushed the Moors further and further south, this palace was the last hurrah of a sophisticated civilization.

While the rest of Europe slumbered through much of the Middle Ages, the Moorish civilization was wide awake. The math necessary to construct this palace would have dazzled Europeans of that age.

The Moors made great gains in engineering, medicine, and even classical Greek studies. In fact, some of the great thinking of ancient Greece had been forgotten by Europe, but was absorbed into Islam, and actually given back to Europe via scholars here in Spain.

The culture of the Moors was exquisite...artfully combining both design and aesthetics.

Facing a reflecting pond, the Hall of the Ambassadors was the throne room. It was here that the sultan, seated Oz-like, received foreign emissaries. Its wooden ceiling illustrates a command of geometry. With 8,000 pieces inlaid like a giant jigsaw puzzle, it symbolizes the complexity of Allah's infinite universe.

Arabic calligraphy, mostly poems and verses of praise from the Quran, is everywhere. Muslims avoid making images of living creatures - that's God's work. But decorating with religious messages is fine. One phrase - "only God is victorious" - is repeated 9,000 times throughout the Alhambra.

Like the sultan, we can escape from the palace into what was the most perfect Arabian garden in Andalucía. This royal summer retreat, lush and bursting with water, was the closest thing on earth to the Quran's description of heaven. In fact, its name - the Generalife - meant essentially that: the Garden of Paradise.

Water - so rare and precious in most of the Islamic world - was the purest symbol of life. Whether providing for its 2,000 thirsty residents, masking secret conversations, or just flowing playfully, water was integral to the space the Alhambra created.

For centuries, Europe struggled to push the Moors back into Africa. This campaign was called the Reconquista. Finally, in 1492, the Moors were defeated. The victorious Christian forces established their rule with gusto here in this last Muslim stronghold.

This victory helped provide the foundation for Spain's Golden Age. Within a generation, Spain's king, Charles V, was the most powerful man in the world.

After the re-conquest, Charles built this Renaissance palace incongruously right in the middle of the Alhambra grounds. It's what conquering civilizations do: build their palace atop their foe's palace. This circle-in-a-square structure was the finest Renaissance palace in all of Spain.

And back downtown, Granada's cathedral facade - also built shortly after the re-conquest - declares triumph as well. In fact, its design is based on a triumphal arch, and it was built over a destroyed mosque.

The adjacent Royal Chapel is Granada's top Christian sight. This fine building provided a fitting resting place for Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon, who ruled during the final Reconquista victory. Spaniards consider this couple the first great Spanish royals.

When these two married, they combined their huge kingdoms. And by merging Aragon and Castile, they founded what became modern Spain. With this powerful new realm, Spanish royalty were able to finance many great explorers - including Columbus - and establish Spain's Golden Age.

The royal tombs are Renaissance in style. The portraits of Isabella and Ferdinand are vital and realistic. They seem to celebrate the humanistic spirit of the Renaissance, and with it, a promising future for Spain.

The gilded altar is all about that Christian triumph: Christ triumphs over sin...and Christendom triumphs over Islam. In fact, reliefs show the eventual forced conversion of Granada's Moors shortly after the Reconquista.

For a time near the end of its Moorish period, Granada was the grandest city in all of Spain. But eventually, with the tumult that came with the change from Muslim to Christian rule, the city lost its power and settled into a long slumber. Today's Granada is a delightful mix of both its Moorish and its Christian past.

The silk market, or Alcaicería, was originally across the street from the main mosque, so today it stands across from the main church. Filled with precious goods - salt, silver, spices, and silk - it was protected within 10 fortified gates.

Today, while a tourist trap housed in a modern reconstruction, this colorful mesh of shopping lanes and overpriced trinkets is fun to explore.

You'll invariably meet persistent Gypsy women pushing their fragrant sprigs and palm reading, and then demanding payment. You can consider them aggressive and annoying...or you can zip up your valuables and have a fun and spirited give-and-take.

A handy minibus service loops from downtown through Spain's best old Moorish quarter, the Albayzín. Increasingly around Europe, minibuses wind locals through narrow lanes of old quarters. Tourists can hop on for a cheap and scenic joyride.

The Albayzín, with flowery patios and shady lanes, is a delight. Exploring these labyrinthine back lanes and inviting neighborhood squares, you feel the Arab heritage that permeates so much of Andalucía. Enjoy a drink on a no-name square...savor the lazy tempo of Granada life.

An alternative community of young people - nicknamed pie de negro, or black feet, for their basic earthiness - hangs out in the Albayzín.

And Granada is home to tens of thousands of Gypsies, or Roma people. While their nomadic culture makes traditional employment a challenge, one vocation in which they excel is music.

In the evening, in the hilly Sacromonte district, Gypsy families entertain tourists with colorful folkloric shows. These intimate concerts are performed in the very caves that once housed Granada's Gypsy community.

Along with Gypsies and hippies, tolerant Granada has a sizable Muslim population. A modern mosque, built in 2003, fits in with the local architecture and comes with a live call to prayer. The muezzin cries "God is great" from the minaret without amplification...as non-Muslim neighbors insisted.

There are about 700,000 Muslims in Spain, and that includes nearly 10 percent of Granada's residents.

To learn more, we're joined by Malik Basso, a member of Granada's Muslim community.

Rick: Would you say most of the Spanish Muslims are immigrant neighbors coming over from Africa for better jobs?
Malik: Yes - Moroccans, Algerians, Turks, Pakistanis. But of course, there is the recent phenomenon of Spanish Muslims as well.
Rick: You're Spanish?
Malik: Yes. I'm from Barcelona.
Rick: So tell me a little bit about this mosque.
Malik: Well, it was the first mosque built in Granada after the Reconquista. So, for 500 years, this was the first purpose-built mosque in Granada. It was promoted by a lot of people who were native Spanish Muslims, born and raised in Spain, although it caters for all the Muslims.
Rick: So, how has the process been with community relations?
Malik: Well, some people were fearful at first, you know...the effect of the media and such. But 10 years later, here we are. And some of our most vocal opponents are now our best friends, because they appreciate what we are doing and who we are.

The mosque stands next to one of Europe's most romantic viewpoints. From the St. Nicolás Terrace, as the sun sets, locals and visitors alike enjoy both a historical backdrop and a convivial moment.

To extend the magic, grab a prime table at one of the several historic Albayzín manor houses - called carmens - for dinner. You'll pay a bit more, but I can't think of a better way to cap your visit to Granada.

From Granada, it's a two-hour drive over the mountains and down into Europe's fun-in-the-sun headquarters: the Costa del Sol.

I find this strip of Mediterranean coastline generally overbuilt and very commercialized. Málaga, the major city of the coast, is a good place to pass through. And almost anything even resembling a quaint fishing village is long gone - replaced by timeshare condos and golf courses.

The big draw is the beaches. There are plenty of hotels, and sun worshippers enjoy themselves in spite of the congestion and lack of charm or local culture.

Nearly every country from Europe's drizzly north tucks an expatriate community somewhere along this coast. They don't want to leave their culture...just their weather.

My favorite Costa del Sol stop is the resort town of Nerja. While capitalizing on the holiday culture, Nerja has retained some of its charm. The church fronts the square, which fronts the beach...and everybody's out strolling, eventually winding up on the proud Balcony of Europe terrace.

This bluff, jutting jauntily into the sea, overlooks miles of coastline. A castle occupied this spot for centuries.

Nerja's castle was part of a 16th-century lookout system. After Reconquista forces drove out the Muslim...oh, that's right. You don't come to the Costa del Sol for history; you come for fun in the sun...and relaxation.

And relax is what countless expat residents do. Nerja's expats are mostly British. Like many along this coast, they actually try not to integrate. They enjoy their English TV and radio, and many barely learn a word of Spanish.

Nerja has several well-equipped beaches. The one just below town retains its fishing-village charm. Fishermen do their thing, while the tourists do theirs. The humble cottage evokes a bygone day. Spaniards love their little beach restaurants.

A short hike takes us to a broader beach that appeals to different tastes. While it's packed through the summer, we're here in May, when the heat and crowds are just right.

Ayo's place is famous for its beachside all-you-can-eat paella feast. For 30 years, he's been cooking up this classic Spanish specialty.

To create this culinary work of art, start with some junk pallets for fuel, and slip on your handmade heat shields. Then, fry up as many pieces of chicken as can fit in the pan. Add just a pinch of garlic and about a week's-pay worth of saffron. When the chicken is golden-brown, add about a dozen skinned tomatoes and as many red and green peppers as you can stand chopping. Stir everything with a clean shovel. Now add a laundry bin of arborio rice, and just a dash of smoked, sweet pimentos. Stir briskly until the rice has become coated with the oils and spices. Add a few gallons of stock, and bring to a boil. Add another pallet if necessary. Mix in a boatload of fresh, whole shrimp.

When the rice is done, remove - remembering to lift with your knees - and let set for 10 minutes. Now you could just stare at the pretty colors and textures, but I recommend eating it for the full experience. Dish out servings daintily, and garnish with a wedge of lemon. Feeds 48 hungry vacationers. Adjust recipe measurements accordingly.

A 100-mile drive back inland takes us to the city of Córdoba. While Granada was the last Moorish capital, the capital through the glory days of Muslim rule was Córdoba.

Tucked into a bend of its river, Córdoba has a glorious past. While its old wall evokes a tough history, its elegant cityscape and convivial squares show a modern pride. As is typical of Andalucía, it's a people-friendly city, filled with energy and color.

Córdoba's centerpiece is a massive former mosque - or, in Spanish, Mezquita. This huge rectangle dominates the tangled medieval town that surrounds it.

Grand gates lead to the courtyard. It was here, when this was a mosque, that worshippers would gather to wash before prayer, as directed by Muslim law.

Entering, you step into a forest of delicate columns and graceful arches dating from over 1,000 years ago.

At its zenith, this mosque was the center of Western Islam and the heart of a cultural capital that rivaled Baghdad and Constantinople. A wonder of the medieval world, it's remarkably well-preserved, giving today's visitors a chance to appreciate Islamic Córdoba in its 10th-century prime.

The columns and arches seem to recede to infinity, as if reflecting the immensity and complexity of God's creation.

The mihrab - the focal point of worship in a mosque - was built in the mid-10th century. It's richly mosaicked with 3,000 pounds of tiny, multicolored glass-and-enamel cubes.

A painting in the adjacent treasury takes us back to 1236, when Christians conquered the city and everything changed. Here we see the Spanish king accepting the keys to Córdoba's fortified gate from the vanquished Muslims.

According to legend, one morning Muslims said their last prayers in the great mosque. That afternoon, the Christians set up their portable road altar and celebrated the first Mass in what would later become this glorious cathedral.

As if planting a cross into its religious heart, this grand cathedral was built in the middle of the mosque. Taking two centuries to complete, the cathedral is a glorious mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles.

A statue actually called "St. James the Moor-Slayer" stands next to the altar. Sword raised as usual, James is busy conquering Muslims.

Other art is less provocative. The Baroque-era choir stalls are made of New World mahogany. With exquisite carving, it's considered one of the masterpieces of 18th-century Andalusian Baroque.

And, towering over the former mosque, a bell tower makes it clear: This huge edifice now houses a place of Christian worship.

In the 10th century, when a minaret stood where the bell tower stands today, Córdoba was arguably Europe's greatest city. It was the cultural capital, with over ten times the population of Paris. Imagine the city, with paved streets, lit at night by oil lamps, piped-in running water, hundreds of mosques, palaces, and public baths.

It was a city of poets and scholars. While things changed later, the Golden Age of Al-Andalus, as this society was called, was marked by a remarkable spirit of tolerance and cooperation among all religions.

To learn more, I'm joined by my friend and fellow tour guide, Isabel Martinez.

Rick: So Jews, Christians, and Muslims, all living together peacefully here?
Isabel: Yes, certainly. It worked out during certain times, especially during the 10th century.
Rick: Three different cultures, together.
Isabel: Well, that's what most of the people think. But I think it's more correct to say it was one culture with three religions, because at the end, all the people here talked Arabian language, cooked the same dishes, and wore the same clothes.
Rick: OK, one culture, three religions.
Isabel: Exactly.
Rick: How Andalus.
Isabel: It was magic time.

Córdoba's narrow, flower-bedecked lanes invite exploration. With Isabel's help, a simple stroll becomes meaningful.

Isabel: Notice how nice and fresh these little streets are, Rick?
Rick: Yes.
Isabel: Its narrowness and whitewashed walls. Natural air-conditioning.
Rick: It feels cool.
Isabel: It's brilliant.

Isabel: So this beautiful shutter reminds us of the times when the women were hidden from public. Muslim Córdoba had hundreds of mosques, but most of them were destroyed. But some minarets survived as church bell towers.
Rick: So this was a minaret first, and now it's a bell tower for that church.
Isabel: Yeah, exactly.

Córdoba's characteristic patios have functioned like outdoor living rooms since ancient Roman times. They're quiet, an oasis from the heat, and filled with flowers. Locals decorate them with pride. In fact, each year, many compete and open their patios to the public.

And here, as throughout Andalucía, festivals fill the calendar. We're here for the Festival of the Crosses, where each neighborhood parties around its own cross made of carnations. Church bells ring not only a call to prayer, but a call to fiesta.

Neighbors pack the squares for a community party. This barrio entered for the first time this year. They won...and they've been reveling ever since.

Major squares host bigger events. I find experiencing traditional flamenco culture celebrated by and for the locals beats any tourist show.

Here in Andalucía, revelry and religiosity seem to go hand-in-hand, as the same passion and energy is put into long, sober religious processions, which clog the city's narrow streets. Trumpets blare a fanfare, children carry candles, and everyone runs to the streets to be a part of the procession.

Many of these same locals will party on squares until late into the night. Others will sit down to a classic Andalusian dinner.

Isabel has invited us to Bodegas Campos - a historic and venerable house of eating - for our own festival of Andalusian specialties.

And here in Andalucía, no special meal starts without the porcine gold standard, jamón ibérico.

Isabel: This is a special jamón.
Rick: Jamón.
Isabel: Jamón ibérico.
Rick: Why does it taste so good, the jamón ibérico?
Isabel: Because the pig lived outside.
Rick: Okay so he's running around...
Isabel: It lives in the countryside. It's free.

After the jamón ibérico, the plates just keep on coming. This place specializes in traditional Andalusian fare - rustic food that originated with the peasantry. And a few dishes that have a Moorish influence. But if there is one common denominator to all the food, it's...

The finale, definitely for carnivores only, is pork from the Iberian black pig, and - what could be more Spanish? - bull's tail.

Rick: We've had nine different plates.
Isabel: Yeah, we love eating - and we love sitting around the table for hours.
Rick: It's living well.
Isabel: Yes, that's Andalusian lifestyle.

You want a recipe for a wonderful trip? Blend history, culture, local friends, and great food. I hope you've enjoyed our look at some of the highlights of southern Spain. I'm Rick Steves. Until next time, keep on travelin'. Adiós.

Credits:

Okay so we'll start talking at that little piece of poop there, okay?

But I enjoy the multi-faceted heart and soul of this multi-faceted region with a multi-faceted visit to the interior first.

Spain was a predominately Muslim society living under Muslim rule.

Imagine the city, paved streets, lit at night by running water, piped in lamps powered by oil [laugh].

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Granada, Córdoba, and Spain's Costa del Sol

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Andalucía's Moorish heritage sparkles in the historic capitals of Granada and Córdoba. And the pride of the Reconquista and the power of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand enliven the region's great sights. Tasting the smooth sherry and marveling at prancing stallions, we find the passion in Andalusian culture.

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Granada- La Alhambra

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Granada-La Alhambra

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Granada-Generalife

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Granada- El patio de los leones

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Calles de Córdoba

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Córdoba- La Mezquita

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El acueducto en Segovia

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Otra vista del Alcázar en Segovia
Esta es mi foto!

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Segovia
Es el Alcazár, el lugar de la coronación de la Reina Isabel y donde ella le dio a Cristóbal Colón el dinero para su viaje a América

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Sevilla-El Alcazar

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Sevilla-Barrio de Santa Cruz

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Video de Madrid

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In this program we wander the Plaza Mayor, ogle the lavish Royal Palace, rub shoulders with aficionados at a bull bar, ponder perplexing art at the Prado Museum, stare down a flamenco dancer, take in the cost of Spain's civil war at the Valley of the Fallen, look deep into Picasso's greatest work - Guernica - at the Centro Reina Sofía, and munch on pigs' ears in a "tapa tango."

Carlos, a Spaniard who led tours for my groups for more than a decade, and his wife from Seattle, Jennifer, run Letango Tours, offering itineraries within Madrid and beyond, as well as customized tours (whether city, regional, or country-wide) and bookings anywhere in Spain.

This is Europe's third-greatest palace, after Versailles and Vienna's Schönbrunn. It has arguably the most sumptuous original interior, packed with tourists and royal antiques. Today's palace is ridiculously super-sized - with 2,800 rooms, tons of luxurious tapestries, a king's ransom of chandeliers, frescoes by Tiepolo, priceless porcelain, and bronze decor covered in gold leaf. While these days the royal family lives in a mansion a few miles away, this place still functions as the ceremonial palace (call ahead to make sure it's not closed for a royal function), used for formal state receptions, royal weddings, and tourists' daydreams.

La Oreja de Jaime

Here, the specialty is sautéed pigs' ears ( oreja, €5). While pig ears are a Madrid dish (fun to try, hard to swallow), this place is Galician - they serve pimientos de Padrón (sautéed miniature green peppers) and the distinctive ribeiro (ree-BAY-roh) wine, served Galician-style, in characteristic little ceramic bowls to disguise its lack of clarity (Calle de la Cruz 12, tel. 647-293-693).

Run by Toni, this memorable little place has a helpful English menu and several fun, classic dishes to try: patatas bravas (fried potatoes in a spicy sauce), berenjena (deep-fried slices of eggplant), champiñones (sautéed mushrooms), and gazpacho that is generally served only during the hot season, but available here year-round just for tourists like you (closed July).

This is where seafood lovers savor sizzling plates of tasty little gambas (shrimp) and langostinos (prawns), with bread to sop up the delightful juices. As drinks are cheap and dishes are small and pricey, you might just want to share a ración or sample some wine. Try gambas a la plancha (grilled shrimp) or gambas al ajillo (ah-HEE-yoh, shrimp cooked in oil and garlic) and a glass of sweet red house wine. They serve gazpacho May through September.

The Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a symbol of power rather than elegance. This 16th-century palace, 30 miles northwest of Madrid, gives us a better feel for the Counter-Reformation and the Inquisition than any other building. Built at a time when Catholic Spain felt threatened by Protestant "heretics," the construction of this palace dominated the Spanish economy for a generation (1562-1584). Because of this bully in the national budget, Spain has almost nothing else to show from this most powerful period of her history.

Flamenco

Madrid has a few easy and affordable options: Intimate Taberna Casa Patas ("House of Feet") attracts big-name flamenco artists, with contemporary flamenco that may be jazzier than your notion - it depends on who's performing (reservations smart). Las Carboneras is more downscale - an easygoing, folksy little place a few steps from Plaza Mayor with a nightly hour-long flamenco show (reservations recommended). Las Tablas Flamenco offers a less expensive nightly show respecting the traditional art of flamenco, held in a modern, nondescript office block just over the freeway from Plaza de España.

With sleek marble, red carpet runners along the halls, happy Muzak charm, and an attentive staff, Hotel Europa is a tremendous value. It rents 100 squeaky-clean rooms, many with balconies overlooking the pedestrian zone or an inner courtyard. The hotel has an honest ethos and offers a straight price.

Six miles from El Escorial, high in the Guadarrama Mountains, a 500-foot-tall granite cross marks an immense and powerful underground monument to the victims of Spain's 20th-century nightmare - its civil war (1936-1939).

Home to Picasso's Guernica, the Reina Sofía is one of Europe's most enjoyable modern art museums. Its exceptional collection of 20th-century art is housed in what was Madrid's first public hospital. The focus is on 20th-century Spanish artists - Picasso, Dalí, Miró, Gris, and Tàpies - but you'll also find plenty of works by Kandinsky, Braque, and many other giants of modern art.

Retiro Park (Parque del Buen Retiro)

Once the private domain of royalty, this majestic park has been a favorite of Madrid's commoners since Charles III decided to share it with his subjects in the late 18th century. Siesta in this 300-acre green-and-breezy escape from the city. At midday on Saturday and Sunday, the area around the lake becomes a street carnival, with jugglers, puppeteers, and lots of local color. These peaceful gardens offer great picnicking and people-watching (closes at dusk).

With more than 3,000 canvases, including entire rooms of masterpieces by superstar painters, the Prado is my vote for the greatest collection anywhere of paintings by the European masters. The Prado is the best place to enjoy the great Spanish painter Francisco de Goya, and it's also the home of Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas, considered by many to be the world's finest painting, period. In addition to Spanish works, you'll find paintings by Italian and Flemish masters, including Hieronymus Bosch's fantastical Garden of Earthly Delights altarpiece.

See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks.

Hi. I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the Best of Europe. This time we're in Madrid - palaces, paseo...and perhaps Europe's finest ham: jamón. Thanks for joining us.

Madrid was once the capital of the mightiest Empire on earth. It's studded with riches from those glory days. We'll experience the majesty of its palaces and museums - and, we'll enjoy today's Madrid at its fun-loving best.

We'll marvel at lavish palaces, ponder the Prado's evocative art, belly up to a bull bar, day-trip to Spain's imposing civil war memorial, stare down a flamenco dancer, delve deep into Picasso's greatest masterpiece...and munch on pigs' ears during a tapas crawl.

In the southwest of Europe, Spain dominates the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital, Madrid, sits high in the center. Madrid's core is bounded by the Royal Palace on the west and the magnificent Prado Museum in the east. The Plaza Mayor and Puerto del Sol mark the center. From here we side-trip to El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen.

Madrid is the hub of Spain. This vibrant capital - Europe's highest, at 2,000 feet - has a population of over four million. Most of the city is modern urban sprawl surrounding an intact, easy-to-navigate historic center. We'll limit our visit to this old core.

Madrid is livable and fun to visit. Former parking lots are once again grand and people-friendly squares. Short posts keep cars off the sidewalks. And the fine old buildings show off their original elegance. The historic center is enjoyably covered on foot. No major sight is more than a 20-minute walk or a five-minute cab ride from Madrid's lively main square the Puerto del Sol.

It's a hub for the Metro, buses, city celebrations, and a busy pedestrian shopping zone.

And in the old center, it seems there's a surprise around every corner.

My Spanish friend and fellow tour guide Carlos Galvin is joining us to share a local's insight into Madrid's culture and food.

Carlos is taking me to a place famous for a food Spaniards are crazy about. If Spain had a national food it would probably be jamón - that's ham.

The eatery, called the Museum of Ham, is tastefully decorated...unless you're a vegetarian, or a pig. This cheap and cheery stand-up bar is an assembly line of meaty treats.

Carlos: Chin Chin!
Rick: Chin Chin! Jamón!
Carlos: Jamón serrano.
Rick: So in Spain you don't just say 'ham'?
Carlos: No, we have different kinds. We've got all those different kinds there. Like for example, jamón granadino, or bellota extra, or Salamanca. You know, the different origins.
Rick: So, what do we have here?
Carlos: So, here we have regular jamón serrano and we have ibérico. This one, the pig has been killed after three months and has been eating just basic pig-food. This one has been eating acorns.
Rick: Acorns?
Carlos: Yeah, they have freedom in the fields and they're eating acorns.
Rick: And this one is much more expensive?
Carlos: Yes, this cost $3, this would cost like $12.
Rick: Can you taste the difference?
Carlos: I can, yes. Oh yes. Here, try.
Rick: Acorns, happy pigs running free in the mountains.
Carlos: That's right.

Plaza Mayor is a stately, traffic-free chunk of 17th-century Spain. Whether hanging out with old friends, enjoying a cup of coffee, or finding a treasure at the Sunday coin market, it's an inviting place for people to gather.

The square is filled with emblems of Spain's powerful past. Bronze reliefs under the lampposts show how upon this stage, much of Spanish history was played out. The square hosted bullfights. It was the scene of generations of Carnavale gaiety. And during the Inquisition, many suspected heretics were tried here and punished...in this case, publicly strangled.

Thankfully, the brutality of the Inquisition is long gone. But one brutal spectacle that survives today - anchored deep in the psyche of Spain - is the bullfight. Whether you actually go to a bullfight or not is entirely up to you. But anyone, for a quick sense of the action, can pop into one of Madrid's many bull bars.

Aficionados gather at a bar like this after fights - or to watch one on TV. This bar is a temple to bullfighting.

Rick: If you like bull fighting, how do you justify it, with the animal? How do you excuse it?
Carlos: It's an art. Bull fighting is an art. It's not about the cruelty, it's just an art, and it's a whole aesthetic. You're fighting against an animal that is 500 or 600 kilos and there is this guy right in front of him with this cape and sword. And he is brave enough, and he's wearing this suit and people are so supportive of him they want to see him like doing well.
Rick: So some bullfighters are actually very popular, like heroes or popular heroes?
Carlos: Oh absolutely. Rick, look at these photographs. I think they prove that the matador does not always win.
Carlos: Hemingway was at that bullfight. Hemingway was there.
Rick: Hemingway? Hemingway saw Liston... Cordobés kill ...?
Carlos: Yes, right at the hands of El Cordobés, with Franco in the audience...
Rick: So Franco and Hemingway saw the "Babe Ruth of bullfighting" - El Cordobés - kill Liston.

A few blocks away stands one of Europe's most stunning palaces.

Madrid's Royal Palace was built by Phillip V in the 1700s. He was born in Versailles, and while he ruled Spain for 40 years, he stayed very French.

The palace was designed to be Phillip's Versailles - to help establish a new dynasty...the Bourbons. And it's big - over 2,000 rooms...

With acres of lavish paintings and tapestries, a king's ransom of chandeliers, priceless treasures, and bronze decor covered in gold leaf. There are over 150 fancy clocks in the palace - all in working order. Portraits of past royal residents - these are by the great Spanish painter Goya - decorate the walls.

In the lavish throne room, golden lions tread red velvet, symbolizing the might of the monarchy - whose coat of arms incorporated many realms and whose empire spanned both hemispheres.

Above the throne, the ceiling fresco by Tiepolo celebrates that vast Spanish empire - upon which the sun never set. A rainbow leads to a macho red-caped conquistador and American Indians - just some more distant Spanish subjects.

Phillip V, the grandson of France's King Louis XIV, began the Bourbon dynasty, which continued into the 21 st century with the popular King Juan Carlos.

The palace is still used for formal state ceremonies and receptions. The King throws dinner parties for up to 150 guests at this bowling lane-sized table.

The king's front yard? It's enjoyed by all the people of Madrid. And this plaza is another example of how throughout Europe, energetic governments are turning formerly car-congested wastelands into charming public spaces. Madrid's mayor is nicknamed "the mole" for all the digging he's done. Where's all the traffic? Under your feet.

And so is the subway. Madrid's subway is simple, speedy, and cheap. Ticket ten-packs save money and can be shared by several travelers. The city's broad streets can be hot and exhausting. A subway trip of even a stop or two saves time and energy. To transfer, check a map and simply follow the signs. Green Salida signs point to the exit.

For dinner in Madrid...it's a movable feast. For maximum fun, people, and atmosphere, do the "tapa tango." It's a time-honored tradition of going from one bar to the next, munching, drinking, and socializing. When it comes to variety, Madrid is Spain's tapas capital. Grab a toothpick and stab something strange. While Spaniards don't eat dinner until 9 or 10 o'clock, with a meal like this, I can eat early and still go local.

For starters we're going for one of Madrid's quirkiest snacks and this spot [ La Oreja de Jaime] is named for it, la oreja de oro - sautéed pigs' ears.

Pigs' ears are a favorite here...and Jaime is a frantic one-man show who somehow gets everything just right.

Carlos: This wine is like the house- made wine from the northwest of Spain, from Galicia.
Rick: And it's cloudy a little bit...
Carlos: Yes, it's a little bit cloudy, so you don't see the poor quality.
Laughter (both)
Rick: Gracias.
Rick: So this is?
Carlos: This is pig's ear. This is the cartilage actually. This is sautéed with a little bit of olive oil, Spanish paprika, and parsley.
Rick: And that's actually the cartilage?
Carlos: That's right.
Rick: Hmm, crunchy. Wow, pigs' ears. I never thought I'd be eating actual pigs' ears.

Just up the street, Casa Toni is run by...Toni. He's popular for his refreshing gazpacho - the cold tomato-and-garlic soup.

Rick: Carlos, gazpacho is really refreshing in the summer, right?
Carlos: Yes, gazpacho is like a vegetable soup with a tomato base.
Rick: But cold.
Carlos: But it's very refreshing. Yeah, it's cold.
Rick: It's nice, yes.

At Toni's you can have huevos con chirizo, patatas brava, mystery meats, and the house vermouth. Don't worry about paying until you're ready to go. Then ask for la cuenta (the bill).

Next, it's La Casa del Abuelo - packed with seafood lovers savoring sizzling plates of tasty shrimp and prawns. I like gambas al ajillo shrimp sautéed with garlic and gambas a la plancha (grilled shrimp). A glass of the house red wine - right out of the keg - is incredibly cheap. The litter on the floor is normal; that's where people traditionally toss their trash and shells.

For a sweet late-night finale, enjoy pudding-like hot chocolate and churros. Churros are the favorite local donut. Dunk and chat...recalling highlights of the day...and looking forward to tomorrow.

We're side tripping - a short drive into the hills from Madrid - to San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

The town has charm...but everybody visits for this: its sprawling palace.

In the mid-1500s, King Phillip II needed a suitably grand palace to establish his family dynasty - the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs. He also needed a headquarters from which to run a strong centralized Spanish state.

Phillip ruled his huge empire - which stretched from Mexico to Manila - from here. El Escorial was built during the Reformation, a time when Catholic Spain was defending the Church against Protestant "heretics." The enigmatic, introverted, and extremely Catholic King Philip II directed the Counter Reformation from this spot. Today, it's packed with history and art - offering an evocative trip back to Spain's most fascinating age.

El Escorial was more than an impressive palace for a divine monarch. It was a grand mausoleum for Spain's royal family, it was a monastery to provide constant prayer for the king's soul, and it was a religious school designed to teach and embrace humanism in a way that fit the Catholic faith.

King Phillip built in austerity: plain white walls and bare-bones chandeliers. His simple bed - with a mattress that's not even queen-sized - came with a view...of the high altar in the basilica just next door.

The basilica - the architectural and spiritual heart of the complex - is dedicated to the martyr St. Laurence. The altar features a painting of the flame-engulfed grill with St. Laurence meeting his fiery death.

Downstairs, the Royal Pantheon is the gilded resting place of four centuries of Spanish kings and queens. There is a strict filing system: The first and greatest, Charles V and his queen, flank the altar on the top shelf. Their son, Philip II, rests below Charles and opposite his wife...and so on. Because kings might have married more than once, to make it here, a woman needed to be both queen and mother of a king.

The immense Library shows that knowledge was a priority for the Spanish royalty. The ceiling celebrates the seven classical disciplines with a burst of color. The elaborate model - constructed after the age of Copernicus - insists on proving that the solar system revolves unmistakably around the earth.

As you leave, a plaque above the door warns you'll be excommunicated if you take a book without checking it out. Who needs late fees when you hold the keys to eternal damnation?

The emotional intensity of Spanish culture can be experienced in its royal palaces. But it's most riveting in the music and dance of its people. It's time for flamenco.

While Seville is the home of flamenco, Madrid draws Spain's top artists. The singing and dancing gives you an exotic whiff of the Arabic and Gypsy influences on Spanish culture. Some shows are sultry and serious. Others are light and designed mostly for tour groups. And some bars are more contemporary catering to young locals who come out for their favorite acts.

I prefer a hotel right in the town center - like Hotel Europa. This place is popular among travelers with my guidebooks for its warm and helpful welcome. Upstairs there's a red-carpet charm with plush halls, a velvety lounge, and basic rooms with views overlooking Madrid's shopping street action. Its convenient cafeteria is just right for breakfast or a relaxing coffee break.

For another thought-provoking excursion, we're side-tripping from Madrid up into the Guadarrama Mountains. A 500 foot-tall granite cross marks the Valley of the Fallen - an immense and powerful underground monument to the victims of Spain's devastating Civil War.

In the late 1930s, a million Spaniards died as conservative Catholics and the military slugged it out against secular democrats. Unlike America's Civil War, which pitted north against south, this war was between classes and ideologies. It divided every village. The right-wing Fascists ultimately won and Franco ruled Spain, as its dictator, until 1975.

The sorrowful pietà draped over the entrance must have had a powerful impact on mothers who came here to remember their fallen sons.

A solemn silence fills the basilica. As if measuring sorrow in distance, this 870-foot-long chamber is far longer than any church in Europe. The line of torch-like lamps adds to the somber ambience. Franco's prisoners, the enemies of the right, were put to work digging this memorial out of solid rock. Franco's grave takes center stage. Some Spaniards come here to honor him...others come to be sure he's still dead.

But interred here - in chapels flanking the altar - are the remains of tens of thousands - victims from both sides - who lost their lives in Spain's civil war.

With every visit, I stare into the eyes of those angels with swords, and think about all the "heroes" who keep dying "for God and country," at the request of the latter.

Another place to remember the victims of Spain's Civil War is back in Madrid at the Centro Reina Sofia. This modern-art museum has a fine collection of paintings, but we're heading directly to the epic work showing the harsh realities of modern war.

In 1937, Guernica, a village in northern Spain, was the target of the world's first aerial saturation-bombing. It was a kind of dress rehearsal for the horrors of World War II - approved by Franco, carried out by Hitler.

The Spanish artist Pablo Picasso heard the shocking news and immediately set to work sketching the destruction as he imagined it. In a matter of weeks he wove these bomb-shattered shards into a large mural called Guernica.

For the first time, the world could see the destructive force of the rising fascist movement - a prelude to World War II.

It's as if shards from the bombing are pasted onto the canvas. A woman looks to the sky, horses scream, a soldier falls - body shattered, sword broken. A wounded woman flees a burning house. A bull - symbol of Spain - ponders it all, watching over a mother and her dead baby - a modern pietà. Picasso's painting threw a stark light on the brutality of Hitler and Franco.

Guernica caused an immediate sensation, and with each passing year...and war, it seems more prophetic. Picasso put a human face on collateral damage.

Today, Spain enjoys its peace and prosperity. That's particularly clear at the Retiro Park. It's made to order for a green and breezy escape from the city. During weekends it becomes a carnival of fun. Madrid's much-loved "Central Park" offers splendid picnicking, row boating, and people-watching.

Opposite the park, the Prado Museum holds my favorite collection of paintings anywhere. The paintings give an eye-pleasing overview of Spain's rich history, from the Golden Age through its slow fade.

In the 1500s, Spain was Europe's superpower, flush with gold from newly discovered America, and ruled by this man: Emperor Charles V. Here the great Venetian artist Titian portrays Charles as he was - the most powerful man in the world.

Charles' son, Philip II, though very religious collected a bevy of sensual Venetian paintings.

In Titian's Venus and the Organ Player, we see the conflicts these people struggled with - torn between high cultural pursuits - as symbolized here by music - and more worldly pleasures.

Danae, also by Titian, is a virtual Renaissance "Miss August." Money falling from the sky made royals and aristocrats - the people who commissioned this kind of art - feel their wealth was blessed by God.

Hieronymous Bosch - who painted 500 years ago and seems radical even today - gives all this hedonism a different spin. His Garden of Earthly Delights - a three-paneled altarpiece that actually hung in the king's bedroom - shows where all this worldly temptation ultimately leads.

First, man and woman are born innocent in the Garden of Eden, blessed by a kind God. Then, foolish people chase after earthly delights - a pursuit that is ultimately a vicious cycle. They're lured by the world's pleasures: eating...drinking...sex. Two lovers are suspended in a bubble...

...and in the third panel, the bubble pops. These party animals are heading straight to hell...a burning, post-apocalyptic, wasteland where sinners are led off to eternal torment. Every sinner gets his just desserts. Gluttons are themselves consumed, good-time musicians are tortured by their own instruments, gamblers have their party forever crashed, and a lecher gets sexually harassed by a pig-faced nun. In the center of it all a face peers out of this bizarre nightmare - a self-portrait of the artist: Bosch.

Starting in the 1600s, Spain entered a long slow period of decline. But its wealthy court continued to finance great art. Perhaps the most loved painting in all the Prado is Las Meninas, by Diego Velasquez.

Velasquez takes us behind the scenes as he paints a portrait of the king and queen. The artist paints himself at work, along with a princess, who's watching her mom and dad pose. She's joined by her servants...the "meninas."

In this wonderfully 3-D painting, the unique perspective is that of the king and queen as they pose. In fact, they can be seen in the mirror at the back of the room.

By 1800, Spain was no longer a world power. But it continued to produce great artists.

Francisco de Goya was Spain's official court painter. He dutifully portrayed the king and queen in all their royal finery. But many see Goya becoming disenchanted with his patrons. Here in these vacant faces he reveals the ineptitude of the royal family.

Goya's painting called The Second of May recalls how Spain hoped the ideals of Revolutionary France would spread, bringing democracy to Spain. But when Napoleon invaded, their hopes were dashed.

On May 2, 1808, Madrid's working people staged a protest. French soldiers, with their Egyptian mercenaries, slashed through the crowds and arrested the ringleaders.

The next day - this painting's called The Third of May - the French began reprisals. Ignoring the rebels' passionate pleas, a faceless firing squad mows them down - without mercy. Goya, disillusioned by all the senseless violence, portrayed common people as the victims of war.

Thankfully, stepping out of the Prado, it's a bright and happy day in Madrid - which seems determined to celebrate its freedom and enjoy life to its fullest. While Spain remembers its rich and poignant history - and shares it well with visitors - the focus of today seems to be on living well. After every trip to this exciting city, the impression I take home is that of a thriving people with an enduring culture...which really knows how to dance.

Madrid - permeated with passion - from its grand history to its love of life today. Let's explore more of Europe together again soon. Until then, I'm Rick Steves. Keep on travelin'. Hasta luego.

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In this program we wander the Plaza Mayor, ogle the lavish Royal Palace, rub shoulders with aficionados at a bull bar, ponder perplexing art at the Prado Museum, stare down a flamenco dancer, take in the cost of Spain's civil war at the Valley of the Fallen, look deep into Picasso's greatest work - Guernica - at the Centro Reina Sofía, and munch on pigs' ears in a "tapa tango."

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Velázquez's court portrait of a Spanish princess and her entourage has become one of the most debated works in art history.
T here can be few art works that have been as discussed, considered and theorized over more than Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez. This 17th-century group portrait of the court of King Philip IV of Spain, with his young daughter, the Infanta Margaret Theresa, at its center remains an enigma, a puzzle to be solved. It is far more than simply a court painting: the picture plays with the notion of viewing, both viewing by the person looking at the painting and the subjects looking out.

This is enhanced by Velázquez placing himself into the work - painting what might very well be viewer seeing what he has depicted in Las Meninas. Further complications arrive from the incorporation of a mirror at the core of the composition, allowing - as Salvador Dalí observed - for a heightened stereoscopic effect. One that never ceases to enthrall scholars and public alike.

Las Meninas has been described as "one of the most written about paintings of all time." Indeed, it has had a particular - and persistent - allure for writers, inviting readings both conventional and outlandish. It has been this way since its completion during the Spanish Golden Age. In the 18th century, Velázquez's biographer Antonio Palomino likened the canvas to "life itself".

The late great travel writer, art historian and Hispanist Michael Jacobs delved into its legacy with his final book, Everything is Happening: Journey into a Painting (Granta, 2015). Jacobs recalls how the canvas captivated him as a schoolboy meandering around the Prado with a friend. "I was still at the innocent phase of my lifelong infatuation with Spain and was probably telling my companion about the quintessential Spanishness of the work," writes Jacobs. "Its exotic and surreal character, its mixture of somberness and sensuality, its element of the grotesque, its underlying magic."

Recently, Amy Sackville came at the work from a fictional standpoint. Her novel Painter to the King (Granta) looks at life in the Royal Alcazar of Madrid through the eyes of Velázquez. When it comes to painting Las Meninas, the artist ponders the various perspectives. "He observes, from the very midst of it; the elements of the court's composition. He is there at the centre; just off-centre."

Works firmly attributed to Diego Velázquez rarely appear at auction and are when they do they are highly sought after. In 2007 his Saint Rufina sold at Sotheby's London for £8.4 million, a world record for the artist. Its subject is the patron saint of the artist's native city of Seville, where he underwent his artistic training before leaving to work in the employ of Philip IV in Madrid.

And, in 2018, Sotheby's New York offered the artist's Portrait of Monsignor Cristoforo Segni(the picture included some passages by Pietro Martire Neri). "The work, recently rediscovered, was included in the Velázquez survey at the Grand Palais in Paris in 2015," noted The Art Newspaper. The painting sold at its high estimate of $4 million.

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Why Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas Is One of the Most Important Paintings in Art History

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Velázquez's court portrait of a Spanish princess and her entourage has become one of the most debated works in art history.

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Madrid- El Palacio Real

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Madrid- comedor El Palacio Real

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Madrid-El Palacio Real

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Madrid-El Palacio de la Zarzuela

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Madrid-El Rastro

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II Certamen Nacional Científico de Tunas

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Las Cintas de mi Capa `` Estudiantina de la Universidad de Guanajuato

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Concierto Tuna de Empresariales de Melilla Diciembre

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Estudiantes de medicina de la Universidad de Valladolid

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Sí, soy yo durante mis estudios en España. :)

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Madrid-El Palacio de la Zarzuela

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https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/donquixote/summary/

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Los reyes católicos
Fernando de Aragón

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Isabel de Castilla

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Granada-La Alhambra

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Vistas de Toledo

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DON QUIXOTE BY MIGUEL DE CERVANTES // ANIMATED BOOK SUMMARY

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Barcelona video
This gives more information about Barcelona which we are seeing in the video series (not the story)

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The creative spirit of Spain's Catalunya - the land of Picasso, Gaudí, and Salvador Dalí - is on a roll. We'll get caught up in the festivity of Barcelona, enjoying the vibrant street scenes, tasty tapas, and pedestrian-friendly Gothic Quarter. Then we'll take a scenic side trip to mountaintop Montserrat, and finish with an artist's pilgrimage along the Costa Brava to Salvador Dalí country. In seaside Cadaqués, we'll visit Dalí's home, and in nearby Figueres, we'll experience his playfully surreal mausoleum/museum.

This lively market hall is an explosion of chicken legs, bags of live snails, stiff fish, delicious oranges, and odd odors. The best day for a visit is Saturday, when the market is thriving. It's closed on Sundays.

Since as far back as 1200, Barcelonans have bought their animal parts here. The market was originally located just outside the walled city's entrance, as many medieval markets were (since it was more expensive to trade within the walls). It later expanded into the colonnaded courtyard of a now-gone monastery before being covered with a colorful arcade in 1850.

Just inside the market, animated Juan and his family are always busy feeding shoppers at this bar. Getting Juan to crack a huge smile and a thumbs-up for your camera makes a great shot...and he loves it. The stools nearby are a fine perch for enjoying both your coffee and the people-watching.

Pablo Picasso may have made his career in Paris, but the years he spent in Barcelona - from ages 14 through 23 - were among the most formative of his life. It was here that young Pablo mastered the realistic painting style of his artistic forebears--and it was also here that he first felt the freedom that allowed him to leave that all behind and give in to his creative, experimental urges. When he left Barcelona, Picasso headed for Paris...and revolutionized art forever.

The pieces in this excellent museum capture that priceless moment just before this bold young thinker changed the world. While you won't find Picasso's famous, later Cubist works here, you will enjoy a representative sweep of his early years, from art-school prodigy to the gloomy hues of his Blue Period to the revitalized cheer of his Rose Period. You'll also see works from his twilight years, including dozens of wild improvisations inspired by Diego Velázquez's seminal Las Meninas, as well as a roomful of works that reflect the childlike exuberance of an old man playing like a young kid on the French Riviera. It's the top collection of Picassos here in his native country and the best anywhere of his early years.

Eixample

The Eixample ("Expansion") was built when a bulging Barcelona burst out of its medieval walls in the mid-19th century. With wide sidewalks, hardy shade trees, chic shops, and plenty of Art Nouveau fun, this carefully planned "new town," just north of the Old City, has a rigid grid plan cropped back at the corners to create space and lightness at each intersection. Conveniently, all of this new construction provided a generation of Modernista architects with a blank canvas for creating boldly experimental designs.

For the best Eixample example, ramble Rambla de Catalunya (unrelated to the more famous Ramblas) and pass along Passeig de Gràcia. While you could simply walk around and see what Modernista masterpieces you stumble upon, most visitors make a beeline to Gaudí's La Pedrera (Metro: Diagonal) and the Block of Discord, where three Modernista greats jockey for your attention (Metro: Passeig de Gràcia). By the way, if you're tempted to snap photos from the middle of the street, be careful - Gaudí died after being struck by a streetcar.

One of Gaudí's trademark works, this house - built between 1906 and 1912 - is an icon of Modernisme. The wealthy industrialist Pere Milà i Camps commissioned it, and while some still call it "Casa Milà," most take one look at its jagged, rocky facade and opt for the more colorful nickname, La Pedrera - "The Quarry." While it's fun to ogle from the outside, it's also worth going inside, as it features the city's purest Gaudí interior. And buying a ticket also gets you access to the delightful rooftop, with its forest of tiled chimneys (note that the roof may close when it rains).

As lines can be long (up to a 1.5-hour wait to get in), it's best to reserve ahead online. Without a ticket, the best time to arrive is right when it opens.

Architect Antoni Gaudí's most famous and awe-inspiring work is this unfinished, super-sized church. With its cake-in-the-rain facade and otherworldly spires, the church is not only an icon of Barcelona and its trademark Modernista style, but also a symbol of this period's greatest practitioner. As an architect, Gaudí's foundations were classics, nature, and religion. The church represents all three.

Gaudí labored on the Sagrada Família for 43 years, from 1883 until his death in 1926. Nearly a century after his death, people continue to toil to bring Gaudí's designs to life. The progress of this remarkable building is a testament to the generations of architects, sculptors, stonecutters, fund-raisers, and donors who've been caught up in the audacity of Gaudí's astonishing vision.

Gaudí fans enjoy the artist's magic in this colorful park, located on the outskirts of town. While it takes a bit of effort to get here, Park Güell (Catalans pronounce it "gway") offers a unique look at Gaudí's style in a natural rather than urban context. Designed as an upscale housing development for early-20th-century urbanites, the park's Monumental Zone is home to some of Barcelona's most famous symbols, including a whimsical staircase guarded by a dragon and a wavy bench with a view - all of it slathered with fragments of vivid tile. It also features a panoramic terrace supported by a forest of columns. Even without its Gaudí connection, Park Güell is simply a fine place to enjoy a break from a busy city, where green space is relatively rare.

Montserrat

Montserrat rockets dramatically up from the valley floor northwest of Barcelona. With its unique rock formations, a dramatic mountaintop monastery (also called Montserrat), and spiritual connection with the Catalan people and their struggles, it's a popular day trip. This has been Catalunya's most important pilgrimage site for a thousand years.

Barcelona is connected to the valley below Montserrat by a convenient train; from there, a cable car or rack railway (your choice) takes you up to the mountaintop. Both options are similar in cost and take about the same amount of time (hourly trains, 1.5 hours each way from downtown Barcelona to the monastery).

The museum fills a former theater and is the artist's mausoleum (his tomb is in the crypt below center stage). Dalí had his first public art showing at age 14 here in this building when it was a theater, and he was baptized in the church just across the street. The place was sentimental to him. After the theater was destroyed in the Spanish Civil War, Dalí struck a deal with the mayor: Dalí would rebuild the theater as a museum to his works, Figueres would be put on the sightseeing map...and the money's been flowing in ever since.

Even the building's exterior - painted pink, studded with golden loaves of bread, and topped with monumental eggs and a geodesic dome - exudes Dalí's outrageous public persona. There's no logical order for a visit (that would be un-Surrealistic), and the museum can be mobbed at times. Naturally, there's no audioguide. Dalí said there are two kinds of visitors: those who don't need a description, and those who aren't worth a description.

Once Dalí's home, this house gives fans a chance to explore his labyrinthine compound. The ambience, both inside and out, is perfect for a Surrealist hanging out with his creative playmate. The interior is left almost precisely as it was in 1982, when Gala died and Dalí moved out. Like Dalí's art, his home is offbeat, provocative, and fun.

You must reserve in advance - call (+34 972-251-015), go online, or email with specifics on the day and time you want to visit. In summer, book a week in advance. You must arrive 30 minutes early to pick up your ticket, or they'll sell it.

See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks.

Bon día, I'm Rick Steves back with more of the Best of Europe. This time we're in the land of Picasso, Gaudí, Salvador Dalí, and café con leche ...it's Barcelona!

Juan: Barcelona!

Barcelona is Spain's second city, and the capital of the proud and distinct region of Catalunya. With Franco's fascism now long gone, Catalunya's independent and creative spirit is on a roll. Many visitors find this to be Spain's most vibrant and cosmopolitan corner.

We'll have some fun on the Ramblas, experience Picasso's ever-changing art, sample the city's tapas and then go on a tour of Modernista architecture culminating in Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece. All this before venturing to the sky-high monastery of Montserrat, and finishing on the Costa Brava with the always provocative Salvador Dalí.

Spain fills most of the Iberian Peninsula. The northeast corner is Catalunya. We'll explore its leading city, Barcelona, before side-tripping to Montserrat, Figueres, and Cadaqués.

Barcelona has a rich history: Roman colony, Dark Age Visigothic capital, and 14th-century maritime power. And beyond all its great sights be sure to appreciate its elegant sense of style and its Mediterranean knack for good living.

The city's main square, Plaça Catalunya, is the center of the world for 7 million Catalan people. It's a lively people scene throughout the day. The square is decorated with statues honoring important Catalans. Catalunya has its own distinct language, history, and flag, which locals fly proudly - next to Spain's flags on government buildings...and all alone from their apartments.

Catalunya has often been at odds with the central Spanish government in Madrid. During the 1930s this area was one of the last pockets of resistance against the Fascist dictator Francisco Franco. When he finally took power he punished the region with four decades of repression. During this period, the people were forbidden to fly the Catalunyan flag. Instead to show their national spirit, they flew this - the flag of the Barcelona soccer team.

Catalans consider themselves not part of a "region" - that's what Spain calls them - but a "nation without a state."

Kids: Viva Catalunya!

The Catalan language is irrevocably tied to the spirit and history of the Catalan people. Sure, everyone speaks Spanish, but these kids speak Catalan first.

Barcelona's ever-popular strolling boulevard is the Ramblas. While souvenir shops and crowds of tourists have diluted its former elegance, it still offers an entertaining introduction to the city.

The Ramblas bird market is a hit with kids. Traditionally, children bring their parents here to buy pets. Apartment-dwellers find birds, fish, and bunnies easier to handle than dogs and cats.

La Boqueria, just steps off the busy boulevard, is Barcelona's lively fish and produce market. Locals shop in the morning for the best and freshest selection. They say if you can't find it at the Boqueria...it's not worth eating.

Where ever I travel, I enjoy the cafés and little eateries in the markets. Here at the Pinotxo Bar, even while he and his family are busy feeding shoppers, flamboyant Juan is happy to flash his trademark smile.

Back on the Ramblas, the carnival of Barcelona life continues. A variety of street entertainers vie creatively for your attention...and your coins.

The bottom of the Ramblas is marked by the Columbus Monument. It was here in Barcelona that the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel welcomed Columbus home after his first trip to America.

It's ironic that Barcelona would honor the man whose discoveries opened up new trade routes that actually shifted the focus of European trade away from here on the Mediterranean and out to the Atlantic...and in doing so, actually contributed to the downfall of this city as a great trading power.

But thriving Barcelona has clearly recovered. Just beyond the Columbus Monument, a modern wave-like extension of the boulevard, called the Rambla del Mar, stretches into the harbor. It leads to a popular mall of shops and eateries.

A generation ago, Barcelona's waterfront was an industrial wasteland. With impetus provided by the 1992 Olympics, it's been completely transformed. The former Olympic village - which now houses locals rather than athletes - is marked by Frank Gehry's eye-catching fish. The man-made beaches - a series of crescents that stretch for miles - are a huge hit. Each comes with lively cafés and bars and all are laced together by inviting promenades - much appreciated by strollers, joggers, and bikers.

Surprisingly nearby is Barcelona's gritty old center - the Gothic Quarter. It's a tangled-yet-inviting grab-bag of charming squares, rowdy schoolyards, rich cultural treasures, and other surprises.

Street musicians take advantage of the stony acoustics.

And the old town is truly old. Two bold towers date back to the Roman era. These were part of the old Roman wall that protected the city in ancient times. The big stones at the base were laid in the fourth century. And tucked away in a courtyard - embedded in a non-descript office building - is a bit of the temple which once crowned Roman Barcelona, still standing tall.

And nearby, filling five grand old mansions, is a highlight for many visiting Barcelona: the Picasso Museum.

Since Pablo Picasso spent his formative teenage years here in Barcelona, this is the best collection of his early art anywhere. By seeing his youthful, realistic art, it's easier to appreciate his artistic genius and his later, abstract art.

The museum lets you trace the evolution of Picasso's work right back his school-boy days. Pablo's earliest art is realistic and serious. Even as a 14-year-old, his portraits of grizzled peasants show impressive technique and psychological insight. He painted his first teacher - who happened to be his father. In this portrait of his mother, Picasso works on the expression in her cameo-like face.

At art-school he captured the human anatomy brilliantly. During these years Pablo learned the rules he would later so expertly break. His self-portraits show the self-awareness of a blossoming intellect...a kid who, I imagine, was a handfull in junior high school.

As a 15-year-old, Pablo dutifully entered art-school competitions. This was his debut work - the First Communion. While a religious subject, it's more an excuse to paint his family. Notice his sister's exquisitely painted veil.

In Science and Charity, Picasso, still just a teenager, conveys real feeling. The doctor, Pablo's father again, represents science. The nun represents charity and religion. Judging by her hopeless face and the lifeless hand, it seems Pablo wants to show that death is inevitable.

In his early 20s Picasso went to turn-of-the-century Paris - a city filled with light and life and love. He went bohemian - made friends with prostitutes, poets, and other artists.

He dabbled in different styles and was inspired by the leading artists of the age. He painted Impressionist landscapes like Monet, posters like Toulouse-Lautrec, still-lifes like Cézanne, and garishly colored Fauvist works like Henri Matisse.

But later, the suicide of his best friend and his own poverty lead Picasso to his Blue Period. He produced lots of blue paintings...which matched his mood.

By this point Picasso has developed a distinct style of his own - painting not what he sees but what he feels. Despair, a touching portrait of a mother and child, captures the period well.

Eventually emerging from his blues, Picasso enjoyed a long, innovative, and prolific career as a mature artist freed from boring realism and the constraints of convention.

All his life, Picasso said, "Paintings are like windows open to the world." These canvases, painted when the artist was in his 80s, show the joys of the sun-splashed French Riviera. To the end, Picasso continued exploring and loving life through his art. As a child, he was taught to paint as an adult. And as an old man, he declared he had learned to paint like a child.

Barcelona boasts an enticing variety of tapas bars. Some are colorful holes-in-walls giving a glimpse of the crusty Barcelona from before its recent prosperity took hold. Each seems to have a specialty. Here, it's little plates of delicious sardines and glasses of rustic wine straight from the keg - really cheap yet rich with memories.

Some are from a different region of Spain - like this Basque bar serving delightful little open-face sandwiches. Hungry diners grab a stool...make a friend over a caña - that's a glass of local draft beer - and happy succumb to the temptation as fresh platters are paraded out of the kitchen. In these places, just let the toothpicks pile up. When it's time to pay, simply count your toothpicks.

And, most popular these days, are the modern and trendy tapas bars. Eaters cobble together a tasty meal of little plates. The key here: variety.

The 19th century was a boom time for Barcelona. By 1850, the city was busting out of its medieval walls. A new town - called the Eixample (or "expansion") - was planned to follow a grid-like layout. Wide sidewalks, graceful shade trees, chic shops, and plenty of Art Nouveau frills make the carefully planned Eixample district a refreshing break from the dense Old City. Building corners were snipped off to create light and spacious eight-sided squares at every intersection.

The vision of the Eixample was to have everything equally accessible to everyone. Each district of about 20 square blocks would have its own market, hospital, schools, parks, and daycare.

While the original vision was an egalitarian one where each zone was equal, the Eixample became an architectural showcase for its wealthy residents. While adhering to height and width limitations, they built as they pleased - often in the trendy style of the day: Modernisme.

Modernisme is the Catalan version of Art Nouveau, which flourished across Europe in the late 19th century. Barcelona was the capital of Modernisme and, especially here in the Eixample, it shimmers with its characteristic colorful, leafy, flowing, and blooming shapes.

Several of Barcelona's top mansions line the boulevard Passeig de Gràcia. Because the structures look as though they are trying to outdo each other in creative twists, locals nicknamed this stretch the "Block of Discord."

Barcelona is an architectural scrapbook of the galloping gables and organic curves of the most famous Modernista architect...hometown boy Antoni Gaudí. His Casa Milà is Barcelona's quintessential building from this era.

Casa Milà is open to the public. It shows how the organic sensitivities of Modernista architecture flowed into the domestic world. This apartment would have been rented by a wealthy businessman. It shows how the affluence of the industrial age was enjoyed on a personal level - at least by the upper class. Now an apartment could be a small palace.

Gaudí's most famous work is his unfinished Church of the Holy Family, or Sagrada Família. He worked on it for over 40 years, until his death in 1926. Work continues on the church, which is not expected to be completed for another 50 years.

The Nativity Facade, the only part of the church essentially finished in Gaudí's lifetime, shows the architect's original vision. Mixing Christian symbolism, images from nature, and the organic flair of Modernisme, it's an impressive example of Gaudí's unmistakable style.

The more modern Passion facade has a different, yet complementary, style. In the soaring nave, Gaudí's columns blossom with life. Gaudí was a devout Catholic. Part of his religious vision was a love for nature. He said, "Nothing is invented; for it's written in nature first." His little windows let light filter in like the canopy of a rain forest, creating space for an intimate connection with God.

Stepping into this monumental construction zone, visitors see the slow-and-steady progress...and what their steep admission fee is funding.

Like the construction of great churches through the ages, this project takes many lifetimes. Gaudí knew he'd never see it finished, as do the architects working on it today. Yet they all contribute, pushing steadily toward completion.

Someday a central 550-foot tower of Jesus will rise above all this. It'll dwarf everything we see today. The vision: to shine like a spiritual lighthouse visible even from out at sea. If there's one building on earth I'd like to see, it's the Sagrada Família...finished.

For a more playful dose of Gaudí's architectural genius, we're heading out to his colorful Park Güell.

While today the grand stairway and its welcoming lizard are overwhelmed by fun-seekers, Gaudí intended this 30-acre garden to be a 60-residence housing project - a kind of gated community. Fanciful viaducts compliment the natural landscape. Gaudí actually lived in this mansion. As a high-end housing development, the project flopped. But a century later, as a park, it's a huge success.

As you wander, imagine that the community succeeded, and you were one of its lucky residents. Here at the "Hall of 100 Columns" - the intended produce market - you'd enjoy the fanciful columns and decor while you did a little shopping. Heading home, you'd stroll down the playful arcade - like a surfer's perfect tube, it's another nature-inspired Gaudí fantasy. And, on such a beautiful day, you'd sit a spell on Gaudí's ergonomic benches to enjoy a grand view of this grand city.

An hour inland from Barcelona takes us to a mountain stronghold which many consider the heart of Catalunya. A téléphérique zooms visitors up to the dramatically situated monastery of Montserrat. Montserrat means "serrated mountain" - and you see why as you approach. Hymns explain how the mountain was carved by little angels with golden saws. Geologists blame nature at work.

With its dramatic mountaintop monastery and spiritual connection with the Catalan people and their struggles, Montserrat is a rewarding day trip from Barcelona. It's been Catalunya's most important pilgrimage site for a thousand years.

The monastery was destroyed by Napoleon. Then, in the 1850s, the monks returned as part of Catalunya's (and Europe's) renewed Romantic appreciation of things religious, medieval, and nationalistic. They rebuilt the place and Montserrat became, once again, the spiritual and cultural heart of the Catalan people.

A handful of Benedictine monks carry on the monastery's spiritual tradition. Since 1025, the slogan " ora et labora " ("prayer and work") pretty much sums up life for a monk up here.

The Benedictines welcome visitors - both pilgrims and tourists - in hopes that they'll experience the spiritual power of Montserrat.

Montserrat's top attraction is La Moreneta, a small wood statue of the Black Virgin, discovered here in the 12th century. Legend says she was carved by St. Luke but carbon dating says she's only 800 years old. Pilgrims circulate down a long and ornate passage leading alongside the church for their few moments alone with the virgin. Pilgrims touch the virgin's orb to seek Mary's blessing.

For a radically different slice of Catalunya, we're heading north up the Costa Brava. The town of Figueres has the Salvador Dalí Museum - the essential Dalí sight. Ever the entertainer and promoter, Dalí personally designed, decorated, and painted it to showcase his life's work. He was buried right here in the floor of this room in 1989, and the museum serves as a mausoleum to the artist's creative spirit.

When Salvador Dalí was asked, "Are you on drugs?" he replied, "I am the drug...take me." Dalí produced some of the most thought-provoking and trailblazing art of the 20th century. His surrealistic imagery continues to disturb and intrigue to this day.

The best-known of the Surrealists, Dalí created photorealistic images set in bizarre dreamscapes. His life changed forever in 1929, when he met an older, Russian woman named Gala. She became his wife, muse, model, manager, and emotional compass.

An audience of golden statues looks down on the museum. Above Dalí's personal 1941 Cadillac hangs the boat enjoyed by Dalí and his soulmate, Gala. When she died he was devastated. Below the boat drip blue tears.

Squint at the big digital Abraham Lincoln...and he comes into focus. Look closer and you see Abe's facial cheeks are Gala's other cheeks.

The Homage to Mae West room is a tribute to the sultry seductress. Dalí loved her attitude. She was to conventional morality what he was to conventional art.

Facial features are furniture, arranged so that from the intended vantage point everything comes together - Mae West.

The ceiling of the lounge is a highlight. It shows Gala and Dalí as they reach for the heavens. Dalí's drawers are wide open and empty, indicating he gave everything to his art.

Dalí enjoyed his most creative years nearby in the fishing village of Cadaqués, which has long been a haven for intellectuals and artists alike. Its craggy coastline, sun-drenched colors, and laid-back lifestyle inspired artists from Matisse and Duchamp, to Picasso. For today's tourists, mellow Cadaqués offers a peaceful beach-town escape near Barcelona.

In the 1920s Salvador Dalí and Gala moved in, bringing international fame to this sleepy Catalan port.

Casa Dalí shows how a home can reflect the creative spirit of an artistic genius and his muse. His studio was equipped with an innovative easel. It cranked up and down to allow the artist to paint while seated, as he did eight hours a day. The bohemian-yet-divine living room comes complete with a mirror to reflect the sunrise onto their bed each morning.

Like Dalí's art, his home defies convention. And like the artist himself, it's playful and provocative.

Dalí's place is the most enjoyable artist's home I've toured anywhere in Europe. And it's just one more example of the quirky and creative spirit of Catalunya - a spirit that gives Barcelona and this corner of Spain a distinct charm. Thanks for joining us. I'm Rick Steves. Until next time, keep on travelin'. Adéu.
Credits:
This time we're in the land of Picasso, Gaudí, Salvador Dalí, and coffee con leche, Barcelona.

Juan: Barcelona!

...Salvador Dalí and coffee con leche, Barcelona!

Juan: [Thumbs up]

The vision of the Eixample was to have everything equally acceptable [horn honk] to everyone.

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The creative spirit of Spain's Catalunya - the land of Picasso, Gaudí, and Salvador Dalí - is on a roll. We'll get caught up in the festivity of Barcelona, enjoying the vibrant street scenes, tasty tapas, and pedestrian-friendly Gothic Quarter.

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Córdoba- La Mezquita

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Pulsera de filigrana

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Granada-vista de La Alhambra

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Sevilla-Barrio de Santa Cruz

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Aretes de filigrana

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Granada- Cuevas de los gitanos
con bailadoras de flamenco

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Granada-La Capilla Real

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Video de Sevilla

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Sevilla is the flamboyant city of Carmen and Don Juan, where bullfighting is still politically correct and little girls dream of growing up to become flamenco dancers. Sevilla has soul-and we feel it in its lacy Moorish palace, massive cathedral, lavish royal tombs, labyrinthine Jewish quarter, and its people-filled streets.

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El Cordobés

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Manolete