Holidays In Spain and Portugal

Spain | Portugal

Spain

Spain a large country on the Iberian peninsula. Its neighbour is Portugal and it is only connected to the European continent by France. Its capital Madrid has over three million inhabitants and oozes history. Many tourists choose to travel the Mediterranean coast for the pleasant climate. However, it can get really hot in the summer and so the Spanish enjoy the 'siesta'. It's a short nap taken in the afternoon during the hottest hours, usually between 14.00 and 17.00. A typical Spanish dish is tortilla, which is an omelette made with potatoes and onions. Another paella, which is a mix of rice, chicken and seafood, usually served in a large metal dish similar to a frying pan. To avoid the rain it would be best to travel to south-eastern Spain as this area has less than 150mm rain per year, making it the driest place in Europe. North-eastern Spain also gets good weather and the 'costa's' are among the most popular beaches along the Mediterranean coastline. The Atlantic coast in north-western Spain has more rain that makes the land greener, hence its name Costa Verde.

Facts about Spain

Tapas were originally leftover food that was offerd to the elderly with no income. There is a story that says a bar owner tried to keep the flies off the drinks by putting a saucer on top of the glasses. However this did not look very good so, to make it look better, he put kitchen leftovers in the saucer like a piece of 'jamon serrano' (ham), fried chorizo, mancecho cheese, calamares (squid) or some fish. It was not long after that these warm and cold 'leftovers' became an important part of Spanish cuisine.

Spain in short

Size: 505,900km2
Population: over 46 million
Capital: Madrid (Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia - a region of Spain)
Currency and language: Castillan Spanish. Catalonian is the official language of Catalonia.
July August Average temperature 26 30 Hours of sun 10 9
Distances: Girona airport - Barcelona: 102km; Barcelona - Tarragona: 114km; Andorra - Barcelona: 205km
Recommended (low cost) airport: Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona (Reus)

Don't miss out on a visit to Nou Camp, home to international football club Barcelona FC. Included in the trip is the museum portraying their huge success story and displaying all the trophies. Barcelona has so much to offer such as the unique creations by Antoni Gaudi, which are a huge presence in the city. North of Barcelona are the botanic gardens of Blanes, the Dali museum in Figueres and the Greek and Roman excavations near Empuries at the Gulf of Roses. Complete your trip with a flamenco music night.

Portugal

Portugal has seen different civilisations throughout the years and has colonies worldwide. This was mainly due to great sea explorers sent by the Portuguese King Henry the navigator to discover new worlds. They went on to discover Africa, Asia and South America with Portuguese still being spoken in Brazil today. In Lisbon, along the river Tagus, is an impressive monument that was built in 1960 in honour of King Henry after his death. It displays the king leading a group of well known explorers. Among these Vasco de Gama, who gave his name to the large bridge that was built for the World Expo in 1998. Another huge suspension bridge over the Tagus is called the '25th April' after the 'dianthus revolution' in 1996 that led Portugal to becoming a democracy once more. The bridge was originally a gift from the US after the second world war and looks like San Fransico's Golden Gate Bridge. The Maria Pia bridge in the city of Porto was constructed in 1877 by Gustave Eiffel and crosses the Douro river. Today the 170km stretch of Portyguese southern coast known as the Algarve is one of the most popular beach destinations in Europe.

Facts about Portugal

Portugal is famous for its 'fado'. These are songs about life as fisherman's wife from Lisbon. Another type of fado is sang by students wearing black capes in Coimbra, south from Porto. Fado came to the slums of Lisbon at the beginning of the 19th century. Today the best fado artists make good money by performing at hotels and night clubs. You can however sometimes hear new talent in the small city bars

Portugal in short

Size: 91,982km2
Population: 10,710,000
Capital: Lisbon
Currency and language: Euro, Portuguese
July August Average temperature 24 24 hours of sun 10 9
Distances: Porto - Lisbon: 316km; Porto - Coimbra: 121km; Faro - Lagos: 87km: The time zone is the same as the United Kingdom.
Recommended (low cost) airports: Faro, Lagos (Algarve), Porto, Lisbon

In Porto you must taste the port in the historic Ribeira area, along the Douro river. Coimbra is a pleasant student city and the Christian pilgrimage of Fatima is well worth a visit. When visiting Lisbon try to use the old rack tram or tram line route through the beautiful city centre. Along the Algarve coast between Faro and Lagos you'll find impressive rocks and romantic beaches. The inland areas are lovely and remain unspoilt.