December 18th, 2003 | The lowdown by Marion Wise

Un Pais Precioso

Visiting Spain is like visiting many small countries wrapped up into one. It is a beautiful country with wonderful people, interesting food, amazing art, and many fascinating places to visit.

Go to the region of Catalunya (northeastern Spain) and you will hear Catalan as much as Spanish, you will eat foods typical of this region, and you will find a people very proud of their culture (and of Barcelona�s soccer team!).

To visit Barcelona is to treat yourself to a spectacle of the senses, a feast for the eyes and ears in a refreshing international city with much to do, see, and experience. Take a stroll down Las Ramblas, a lively pedestrian island filled with street vendors, flower stands, amazing but crazy performers, and thousands of tourists. Night or day, the street is always filled with people.

Tour Gaudi�s still unfinished Sagrada Familia church, an example of the amazing work of the Spanish modernist genius. Unlike many of the cathedrals throughout Europe, La Sagrada Familia has a very open, inviting, and peaceful feeling, with very humanistic aspects. Spend an afternoon wandering around Gaudi�s Parc G�ell, a playful mix of mosaic art and nature.

Go to the southern region of Andalus�a, where you will see some of the stereotypes of Spain, including flamenco and white-washed buildings. In Granada, you will find a city with an interesting Arabic, Spanish, and Jewish past, combined also with a modern downtown shopping district.

It is an enchanting city with much to offer visitors, although for many the highlight is the Alhambra, an Arab fortress and palace dating back to the ninth century. The art and architecture are incredible, especially considering the era in which they were produced, and the Generalife gardens connected to the Alhambra are gorgeous as well.

If you really want to soak up the sun, go to the Balearic Islands, the largest of which is Mallorca. To get away from the tourists, head to the Port of Soller on the northwestern coast, where you take a ferry to Sa Calobra, where the cliffs jut in and out to meet the Mediterranean Sea. In Sa Calobra, you can take a wonderful swim in the calm, clear blue sea, or take a walk into the mountains.

Spend some time in Madrid, absorbing the art of some of Spain�s favorite artists, El Greco, Vel�zquez, Goya, and Picasso at the capital�s most famous museums: the Prado, the Reina Sof�a, and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. If you need a �nature� break in the middle of this modern city, stroll through the expansive and relaxing Parque del Buen Retiro. Got some shopping to do? Head to the Puerta del Sol, where the madrile�o sentiments couldn�t be richer, and afterward wander around the Plaza Mayor for some great people-watching.

Looking for a smaller, historical site? Take a day trip from Madrid to Toledo, where you feel as though you are seeing the city almost exactly as it was hundreds of years ago. Tour the awesome Gothic Cathedral, see El Greco�s El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz (The Burial of the Count of Orgaz) at the Iglesia de Sant� Tome, or wander the narrow cobblestone streets. Taste maz�pan, a traditional Toledo pastry, or buy a hand-made sword made of Toledo steel.

There are so many ways of experiencing Spain and so many wonderful things to see. So, soak in the sights, ogle over the art, surround yourself in history, and immerse yourself in the wonderful culture.