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Chulapos dancing the Chotis Celebrating San Isidro in Madrid If you're traveling to Madrid during the first half of May, you're in for a treat! The feast of Madrid's patron saint, San Isidro, is on May 15th and during the days leading up to it you'll get to see locals getting into the spirit. Click here to get the Essential 5‑Day Itinerary & Travel Guide — the exact plan I use to help travelers experience the city at its best. The Chotis The photo above is of Chulapos dancing

La Giralda, Cathedral Bell Tower, Sevilla, Spain Sevilla Travel Guide Sevilla, the capital of Andalusia, Spain, is a city steeped in history and vibrant culture. Known for its stunning architecture, flavorful tapas, and lively atmosphere, it offers a perfect destination for travelers. This guide will help you make the most of your time in this enchanting city, highlighting key attractions, historical context, and practical tips. Iconic Landmarks Key Terms Before we delve into

El Dos de Mayo (The Second of May 1808), by Goya (cropped; on display at the Prado museum) Many Americans treat Cinco de Mayo as little more than an excuse for a margarita, and it's easy to assume that Spain and Mexico share the same foods, holidays, and traditions. After all, Spanish is spoken in both countries. But the two cultures diverged centuries ago, when Spain colonized what is now Mexico, and their histories have followed very different paths ever since. Nowhere is t

Holy Week Procession in Madrid Religion in Spain and Madrid As a student I occasionally attended Catholic mass in Madrid, occasionally in the almost never sense of the word. That was in the years from 1986 through 1990. I didn't see many people my age in church. A quick google search really didn't inform me much at all. Depending on the source, the percentage of spaniards who consider themselves to be Catholic varies greatly with the highest statistic I found being 95%. Other

Chulapos and chulapas in traditional Madrid dress bring Plaza de la Villa to life each November 9, with music, dance, and centuries of folk tradition. Madrid has a way of surprising you, even when you've lived there. During my two years studying in the city, November 9th (Día de la Almudena) came and went without me ever actually experiencing it. Both years, our school took advantage of the holiday to organize excursions outside the city, so while Madrid was celebrating its p

Iconic Lion Fountain in the Patio de los Leones of the Alhambra One Day in Granada: Alhambra, and City Highlights Granada offers visitors...

Sketch of a Casteller Event in the Festa de Gràcia Who Doesn't Like a Party? Every August, the streets of Gràcia burst into color, music,...

Stunning Entrance Gate at Pena Palace In This Article Getting to Sintra from Lisbon How we started our morning with pastries and made...

Carmo Archaeological Museum (Museu Arqueológico do Carmo) In This Article A well-earned morning wake-up after an intense first day Museu...

People Waiting for Their Ride on Lisbon's Tram 28 In This Article Join us as we recount our first full day in Lisbon, covering everything...

Cascais Citadel and Village Our Brief Visitors Guide – Cascais and Belém Portugal in a Day Cascais Coastal charm Dining and Shopping at...

We're planning our first visit to Lisbon! We have been thinking about this for a while and really dragged our feet on the flight...

View of the Mezquita Catetrdal of Córdoba from a Judería Street Our Stop En Route to Sevilla A Day of History, Culture, and Culinary...

The Beautiful Giralda Bell Tower Against the Evening Sky Exploring the Rich History and Culture of Sevilla: A Series Previously we wrote a Sevilla, Spain travel guide and the first five articles in this series of seven, chronicling our recent visit to Sevilla (Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, Day Five, Day Six). If you haven't already, you may wish to read them before this. Or perhaps you're mostly interested in reading about our activities during our final fun and enr

Alcázar de Jerez de la Frontera Exploring the Rich History and Culture of Sevilla: A Series Previously we wrote a Sevilla, Spain travel guide and the first four articles in this series of seven, chronicling our recent visit to Sevilla (Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four). If you haven't already, you may wish to read them before this. Or maybe you're mostly interested in the places mentioned in this one. Whichever the case may be, we're glad you're here learning more about

Cathedral of Sevilla, Interior Detail of Main Chapel Ceiling Exploring the Rich History and Culture of Sevilla: A Series Previously we wrote a Sevilla, Spain travel guide and the first, second, and third articles in this series of seven, chronicling our recent visit to Sevilla. If you haven't already, you may wish to read them before this. Or maybe you're mostly interested in the places mentioned in this one. Whichever the case may be, we're glad you're here learning about ou

Patio with Stepped Fountain, Hospital Los Venerables Exploring the Rich History and Culture of Sevilla: A Series Previously we wrote a Sevilla, Spain travel guide and the first and second articles in this series of seven, chronicling our recent visit to Sevilla. If you haven't already, you may wish to read them before this. Or maybe you're mostly interested in the places mentioned in this one. Whichever the case may be, we're glad you're here learning about our magical trip t

Plaza de Santa Cruz, Sevilla Exploring the Rich History and Culture of Sevilla: A Series Previously we wrote a Sevilla, Spain travel guide and the first article in this series of seven, chronicling our recent visit to Sevilla. If you haven't already, you may wish to read them before this. Or maybe you're mostly interested in the places mentioned in this one. Whichever the case may be, we're glad you're here learning about our magical trip to Sevilla. Discovering La Judería: S

Mudéjar Palace, Buhaira Gardens, Sevilla Read our Sevilla Travel Guide First In the end of October 2024 we published our first Sevilla travel guide "Sevilla! Travel Guide: Stunning Architecture, Beautiful Gardens, Delicious Food and So Much More." If you haven't read it yet, we recommend that you start there and then come back to this article. It's just a nine-minute read and covers the main attractions, some history, and other practical information. Our Return to Beautiful S

Church of San Pablo (Iglesia de San Pablo), Valladolid, Spain Valladolid: Overview and Historical Context We recently visited Valladolid,...