España

It was the summer of 1996, and I have my maternal aunt come over and gift me an Oxford University Press Atlas. It was 1989 World Atlas, USSR was still around and Prague was part of erstwhile Yugoslavia. For some reason, I was fascinated with a city called “Paris”, home to The Eiffel Tower and after finding India on the World Map, paced around to find Paris/France. Just to the south of France i stumbled upon this country in yellow, called “Spain”. I asked my uncle (aunt’s husband) as to what is famous with this country, he told me it has great music, dance, wine (yes!), palaces, museums and most importantly home to bull-fighting. I had seen a picture of a man with red cloth and a bull on turf and my mind instantly ported me to this picture- There was a painting of a Matador, taming a bull in their living room. I asked him if it was the same as what was in the picture, and he exclaimed as to how I could relate the two! Not bad for a 6 Year old huh? Anyways, I was “hooked” on to this new found mysterious yet enchanting place, España. Fast forward 2 yrs to 1998, I was in 3^rd Grade and overheard a bunch of “cool guys” in my art class talking about how a bloke named “Rahul” scored a phenomenal goal against some rival club. Moments later, a know-it-all buddy told me that the player’s name was spelt “Raúl” (not Rahul) and that he was from Real Madrid, apparently some top football club in Spain. That night at 10PM, I watch the highlights of the game and instantly fall in love with both Spanish Football. The obsession with this country started then and i always longed to visit this country when I had some money of my own. I wanted to experience the beautiful football, mouth-watering Valèncian Paella, picturesque country-side of Andalusia, mesmerizing baroque churches, beaches, Flamenco, a whole lot more. I wanted to experience them all and live my Spanish dream. Confession: I am forever a Manchester United fan, but my favorite footballer(s) are Raúl, Zidane and Messi.

When to Visit?

Spain has a pleasant climate and a vibrant cultural calendar throughout the year. For folks closer to the equator, try avoiding the summer months of June-August (temp can touch mid 40 deg Celsius).There are plenty of travel blogs and YouTube channels who provide good details on the best time to visit, places and attractions, food and lot more. Stick to TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet guides and you can’t go wrong. Ministry of Tourism and also the respective major cities such as Barcelona, Seville, Madrid have a full-fledged website that provided latest updates on the major happenings, upcoming events and many more useful information. You can also buy city visit and travel passes that not just help save a lot of money but also provide peace of mind as you are buying directly from official sources and not scammers. Tip: Plan Smartly- Start Early- Enjoy Thoroughly!

How to Visit?

Being part of the Schengen Zone, it opens up a host of options to enter Spain via Air, Land and Sea. Use discretion on how you want to enter basis visa norms, budget and other criteria.

Air: Barcelona (El-Pratt International) and Madrid (Barajas International) are well connected to most airports in Europe and also have direct flights to global hubs such as Dubai, New York JFK, London Heathrow and Singapore Changi. Most budget/LCC such as RyanAir , EasyJet and Veuling also offer cheap airfares, sometimes as low as EUR 55 for a return flight from London Heathrow to Barcelona! Plan the trip atleast 30 days in advance and you can save a great deal on airfare. Apps such as Momondo and SkyScanner provide competitive airfares across multiple operators.

Land: Frugal/Budget travellers can also enter Spain via inter-country buses. Buy a EuroBus pass on Omio which offers 5 city pairs at EUR 100!But these trips could take as much ass 16-20hrs or more. There is direct rail-link between Paris (Gare du Nord) and Madrid and also to cities in Germany.

Sea: Spain has a beautiful coastline with rich maritime history. Barcelona is a natural harbor and a major port of commerce. Cruise ships and ferries also ply between here and Mallorca. Ferries ply regularly between 4 Spanish Cities and 5 coastal towns in Morocco- Best bet would be the one between Tarifa and Tangiers.

What to See?

This is the most interesting yet difficult part to write/explain. A rich cultural heritage, splendid natural beauty make each city in Spain a unique experience on their own. Ensure you schedule your priorities and give ample time in your schedule to explore each city in its entirety. But, if you are on a crunched timeline, then there are enough guides on the must-visit spots for making the best use of your 24-48hrs in a particular city. I had planned a 12 day trip covering Barcelona, Valencia, Cordoba, Seville and Madrid. Other cities like Toledo, Bilbao, Malaga, Salamanca and Zaragoza are beautiful and have enough oomph to seduce your optical and neuro sensors!

What are your priorities?

1. Relax and soak-in hot Sun at the Beach?

2. Explore adventure sports such as rock-climbing, sky-diving, spelunking?

3. Explore the Baroque, Islamic (Moorish) and Neo-Renaissance art and architecture?

4. Experience the country-side and the phenomenal natural beauty of Andalusia?

5. Bask in the mesmerizing Flamenco dance, taste Spanish cuisine and some dose of Art and Culture?

Commute: Inside and In-between Cities?

1. Bus/Train/Metro: All major Spanish cities have a Metro/Suburban railway network that connects most points within the city and also the airport to central bus station (autobus). Suburban city buses are also an excellent way to get around. Both can be availed using a city pass that sells for EUR5-7/day (unlimited travel on train/tram/buses inside the city) to a EUR 18-21 that serves for 3 days, depending on which city you take. One way journeys otherwise would cost you between EUR 1.2-1.8 on a metro or autobus (bus). These cards could be purchased at the airport/metro and bus stations and also bought online before you anctually set foot in the country!

2. Taxi-Cabs/Airport taxis are relatively more expensive and Uber/ride sharing apps are slightly lesser but not ac economical as the train/tram/autobus.

3.There is an excellent network of bicycle and electric scooter lanes, clearly demarcated along with footpaths, which are not just good for the environment and health but also are great for exploring at your own pace and leisure. If you have enough days/flex schedule, go for it!!

Navigation:

There are plenty of street signs / boards at places in both Spanish and English so not much of issue to get around. However, for everything from advance planning, bus/train information and street navigation you’ll find your savior in Google Maps, which worked great for me. You can also check out other apps like HERE.

But nothing come across as handy as talking to a local in Spanish. I highly recommend learning simple words in conversational Spanish, well in advance. Apps like Duolingo should help. Google translate can save the day but try talking to the locals even in broken Spanish. The moment they realize you are putting efforts to talk in their language, you’ll gain a lot of respect in the eyes of a local and open a lot of avenues. I was scouting for a good spot in Seville that had authentic Flamenco performance. I stumbled upon an elderly gentleman who was a patron of one such club and invited me to join them at 11:30PM.Mind you, I had a train to catch the next mring at 6 for a day trip to Cordoba and had to sleep by 3AM to catch at least 2 hours of sleep. This place turns out to be an invite-only performance, run by a Seville Flamenca legend and was the best most authentic the city had to offer. See? You put in a small yet genuine effort, the universe will respond back in abundance!!

Where to stay?

With Family/ On Business:

This is again basis your needs. If you a family, you’ll need place that is secure, comforatble and has most emenities just a phone call / elevator ride away. There are franchises of large, global hotel chains such as Hilton, Inter-Continental, Sheraton etc. In most major cities, but in smaller towns there are plenty of budget and boutique hotels that serve you basis your needs and comforts. Rates vary basis season, brand, comfort, location and what not? Inquire and reserve in advance if possible to get the best deals.

Youth/Solo Travellers/ Budget traveller:

If not introducing, Europe has definetly played a huge role in popularising the concept of “youth hostels”. Plenty of hostels pin various parts of the city and this in my opion a great place to stay. Most hostels have a clean bed, kitchen, bathrooms and offer breakfast for free or at minimum cost, as low as EUR 3! There are female only and mixed dorms with 2/4/6/8/12/16 bed/person rooms. Needless to say, the cost/bed varies inversely to the number of beds. Best part of staying at an hostel is undoubtedly are your fellow hostel mates. You can learn a lot from their travels, also join them while in city and build great friendship. I have met almost 2 dozen folks in my stay at 4 hostels in 4 cities. I am in touch with almost all of them over social media and have built a good frienship with 4 of them. We’ve decided to be each other’s future travel buddies! Nevertheless, its the moments spent with folks like these that will alter your views towards not the travels and the world per-se, but also towards your own life. Don’t miss an opportunity to stay at hostels if possible.

AirBnB: If you can get a decent AirBnB its a great option too. Choose accordingly based on your budget, duration and number of co-travellers.

Couch Surfing: Another excellent option, where you stay with a local host and live like a local. Great option if you want to explore and experience the culture, cuisine and the attractions in-depth? But, use caution while choosing the host.

Where to eat and drink?

You really haven’t experienced a place if you haven’t eaten the local food. But, its a no-brainer that your dietary choices/restrictions, would dictate whether there are few or infinite choices for eateries in each of the cities. Meat is widely consumed but there are vegetarian (veduras in Spanish) options are limited. Vegan places are fast coming up but are definitely pricier. Apps like Happy Cow, Trip Advisor or a simple Google search will throw all the Vegan/Vegetarian spots around you (I personally found Google had much more options than those on Happy Cow/TripAdvisor).

Street Food:

Spanish cities have a rich social lives, with plenty of street food shops. Most metro cities come to life at 4PM and go all the way up to 4AM! Although corporate offices start at 9AM and work till 12:30, followed by a 2 Hour break for lunch and afternoon nap (Yes, the famous Siesta!) and then again from 2:30-7pm, making a 8hr work day. But the social side comes alive only post 10PM and so do the restaurants, shacks or eateries. Paella is the most famous dish of this land, apart from Tapas bars (snack) and Sangrilla and Tequila (Drinks).

Night Life:

I am NOT a big fan of “nightlife” (by which I mean bar hopping / clubbing). Add to it the fact that I don’t drink and smoke, makes clubbing the last thing on my mind. The Spanish love their wines, tequilas and whiskey. There are plenty of joints on each street that serve good variety of spirits and sport decent ambience for all your meet ‘n’ greets / conversations that can go late into the night. In fact, most Spanish cities, be it in Basque/Catalan or Andalusian countries come to life after 9PM and the scene remain lively all the way up to 6AM the next morning! Think you can party till 2, the Spaniards can endure even longer.

Special Meals (Indian):

For those travelling with children, elders or with special dietary restrictions (Jain/Kosher/Halal/Hindu etc.), there are enough options (eateries) in large metros like Barcelona and Madrid. As you go into the Spanish hinterland, options become thin but one might still get Halal meat (Spain was once ruled by Islamic Caliphate and hence a lot of culture, art and cuisine has Islamic influence).

Supermarkets and convenient store are plenty and are well stocked with baby food and varieties of millets that can serve infants and elderly. Needless to say, a bit of broken Spanish and / a Google search will help.

I will now cover the 4 major cities that i visited over my 13 days in Spain. I will cover the major attractions, food & stay and other essential. It will be a 4 part series.