DISCOVER SPAIN Surfed in? Stay a while! Click
HERE for TRAVEL home page.
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Close
your eyes and think of Spain. Did you see
rolling plains dotted with olive trees, a little white town in the distance? Maybe you
heard some flamenco music, clapping hands or clicking castanets?
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A tiny church carved out of a
limestone bluff? An immense Gothic cathedral, seemingly built with more stained glass than stone? A castle perched on an inaccessible crag? A farmer leading an ox-drawn wooden cart piled with fresh grass? Night life in a vibrant modern city? A village fiesta with giant figures, oboe-like "dulzaina" and drum music?
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When they think of
Spain, many people see only the first scene. And that’s a real shame, because
Spain is all the other scenes, and much, much more.
Above all, Spain is a land of contrasts. Contrasts in scenery, architecture, culture. Contrasts between old and new ways of life. Contrasts that will surprise and delight you every day of your stay in this fascinating country. A lot of those contrasts are the consequences of Spain's long and paradoxical history. Celtic, Roman and Islamic cultures; the infamous Spanish Inquisition supplanting previous religious tolerance; discovering and controlling a big chunk of the New World for several centuries; the fierce Spanish Civil War, still in the memories of the elderly; isolation during a prolonged twentieth century dictatorship and an incredibly accelerated entrance into the modern world: all are part of Spain's past. Put that all together in one package and you have enough quirks and contradictions to keep you busy for a long time. |
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Environmentally, Spain is often recognized as one of the "wildest" of the European countries, one of the places that has managed through skill or luck to maintain a low population density and a biodiversity unusual in the rest of the Continent, as is shown by Spain's high number of UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserves. All that makes for some truly fantastic scenery and, if you're observant and a little lucky, a great opportunity to see unusual birds, animals, trees and plants. And of course means great active travel not only in formally designated natural areas like national and regional parks but also in other kinds of protected areas like Spain's old livestock trails and joint grazing areas. |
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Cultural sights include magnificent cathedrals and churches, museums of all kinds, ruins from prehistoric times, Roman ruins and Roman bridges still in use today, Moorish buildings, castles in ruins and castles converted to all imaginable uses, and too many more sights to even begin to explain. But if you’re not really big on hitting all the major cultural sights you’ll STILL find plenty of things to see: villages seamlessly united with the surrounding countryside, a juggler or musician in a city park, a town fiesta, a country lane between stone drywalls, an old man making wooden clogs, a shepherd playing the flute, fishermen pulling their wooden boats up onto the beach, the traditional evening stroll in a small city or country people coming to town on market day. Just business as usual for locals, but for an observant and respectful traveller, all these are wonderful opportunities for a unique experience. Spain is all that and more. All that and a climate that lets you walk or bike all year round, if your know now to pick your destinations. All that in a totally modern country with excellent health care and communications systems. All that in a country that has many, many more things to discover than you can possibly imagine. Spain is everything together in one exotic package. Why not surprise yourself? See the other faces of Spain. Click here TO GO RIGHT TO OUR TRIPS AND Let PUENTE be your bridge to Spain.
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| Go to Home Page for Puente, your Bridge to Spain |
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