Spain Sizzles

Fiesta, siesta and so much more

By MIRJANA CO

November 13, 2010, 5:56pm

Barcelona Fuente De Jujol (photo by PINGGOT ZULUETA)

 If you’re a traveler wishing to explore a new destination that would satisfy your senses and nourish your soul, search no more. Spain has it all.

Depending on what you crave for,  Spain Tourism Director for Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand Angela Castaño Cabañas explained that Spain could provide it all for you.

In an intimate dinner with journalists, Cabañas excitedly shared their global campaign, “I Need Spain,” aimed at revealing the “sophisticated side of Spain that’s unknown to  many.”

For art lovers, Spain is home to the most famed museums and the most amazing architectural wonders.

For those on a spiritual journey, the Pilgrimage following the Way of St. James should not be missed.

For shop-a-holics, Spain boasts of the hottest fashion trends and global brands such as Zara and Mango. There are also flea markets and major outlet shops that would make bargain-hunters very happy.

And for foodies, Spain is a haven for gastronomical delights. In fact, Spanish cuisine is one of the main tourist come-ons of Spain, with an estimated six million travelers choosing this country as their holiday destination for gastronomic reasons.

Spain’s most famous celebrity chef Ferrna Adria, known as the Salvador Dali of the kitchen,   has been named as one of the tourism board’s ambassadors owing to the cult popularity of Spanish cuisine all over the world.

Of course, there are colorful fiestas and relaxing siestas, two extremely diverse activities that are  uniquely Spanish.

“Siesta is not about sleeping, it is about dreaming,” she said.

And dreaming big and working passionately toward its realization is what the Spain tourism board is doing at the moment.

“Tourism is very important to us as it accounts for 11% of our country’s gross domestic product, employs 11% of the working population and has dramatically reduced Spain’s commercial deficit by almost 58%,” Cabañas said.

” I Need Spain” aims to reflect the Spanish lifestyle which attracts more than 50 million tourists annually. To be shown in more than 40 countries and targeting about 400 million people around the world, Spain sets its eyes on Asia as a key market for their tourism promotion.

So, where to go and what to do while in Spain, here’s a quick tour:

The Way To Santiago

There are five reasons to take the Santiago Pilgrimage route. One, to see the World Heritage Sites. Two, the variety of outdoor activities. Three, to enjoy the extraordinary food and wine along the way. Four, to get the chance to stay in restored historic buildings, rural houses, modern hotels, spas with medicinal thermal waters pradors youth hostels and camping sites and five, to meet people from different creeds and gain personal enlightenment along the way.

The Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage route crosses the Iberian Peninsula from Roncesvalles to the city of Santiago de Compostela, where the tomb of Saint James the Apostle is situated. This spiritual and cultural route has been created by the men and women who have been thronging to the tomb since the 10th century. The Camino de Santiago makes pilgrims and travelers feel calmly reassured, awakening the five senses, providing a space where discoveries and friendships are forged and creating spiritual awareness.

Finest Cuisine

Each different region of Spain has its own signature taste.

Spanish cuisines are deconstructed by world renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adria, touted as one of the best chefs in the world.

Adria has built a reputation as being the father of modern Spanish cuisine and as an experimentalist who creates unexpected flavors with unconventional ingredients.

People travel from all over the world to dine at his El Bulli restaurant in Roses, Spain. It is only in this restaurant where one could have frozen lemon juice with hot lemon foam for his classic Hot Gin Fizz.

Cocktails are served in inventive ways.

World Youth Day

For the second time, Spain will host the World Youth Day to be held in Madrid next year.

This youth-oriented tradition,which happens only every two to three years, showcases unity and acceptance of cultures and allows different people to interact and appreciate one another.

Fiestas

The festive calendar of Spain covers a range of performing arts. There’s music and dance, film and theatre, treating its visitors a year-round of amazing performances.

Those that have gained international ranking are the symphony concert season in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Palma,   and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the well-established Granada and Santander Festivals. Opera performances in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao and Oviedo figure prominently appearances made by the world’s most eminent singers and conductors.

On the dance scene, the outstanding events are the National Ballet during the Madrid season and the International Music and Dance Festivals of Granada and Santander.

Within its genre, the Cuenca International Religious Music Week occupies a truly special place.

A two-hour dinner with the Spain’s Tourism Ambassador would not be enough to cover everything that Spain has to offer.

But it was enough to get her to confess that she is crazy about our adobo and has fallen in love with the Philippines in just her second visit here that she is now planning to spend her Christmas in Manila.

But for now, she smiles graciously, “I am here to promote Spain.”

The arts and culture scene of Spain could be somewhat overwhelming as it is home to the most amazing museums:

In Madrid:

Prado Museum

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Centro de Arte Reina Sofia National Museum

Gallery of the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Art

In Barcelona:

National Gallery of Catalonian Art

Joan Miro Foundation Gallery

Picasso Museum

National Gallery of Contemporary Art

Other museums:

National Archaeological Museum

National Sculpture Museum, Valladolid

Gallery of Fine Art, Seville

Gallery of Fine Art, Valencia

City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia

National Gallery of Roman Art, Merida (Badajos)

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

Gallery of Abstract Art, Cuenca

Dali Theatre-Museum. Figueres (Girona)

Picasso Gallery, Malaga