So you want to visit Spain?
The first thing you need to know before you visit Spain is how it's flag looks. So you don't get confused and think your in Africa, Underneath is a image of Spain's National Flag
You can stay at my friends house who lives in Toledo. She has a house there and said that you can stay as long as you like. It is also very close to Madrid, where your college will be. Underneath is an image of Toledo
You will also need to know how much american dollars are in euros. That is why i left a convertor on the right hand side of the web-page.
Bars, Nightclubs and Discos To chill out after a long tiring day you can sip into your favorite cup of wine or go to a local bar. When spring break comes around you can party like an animal and dance all those midterms away. Feel the heat of Spanish nightlife in the "sala de fiestas" or nightclubs welcoming guests till the crack of dawn.
But if having a hangover in the morning is not your thing you can go to a carnival or fiesta with wacky people clad in fancy dresses, wild parties, spectacular objects, color, music and festive spirit at its best, the carnivals and fiestas of Spain will absorb all your senses.
AND if that is just to noisy for you then you can visit a theater in Madrid or Barcelona and enjoy a play composed by Spanish play writers or even go to a Opera and here all the wonderful symphony orchestras that are held throughout the year.
Spain is a place where you can find wonderful types of food and yes your teacher is right they don't eat burritos everywhere. But there is one type of food that you can find in a lot of place's and especially in restaurant's in Spain and that is Tortilla Espanola which is a Spanish Omelet it might be a Breakfast item but it can be eaten anytime.
There are other types of food that are mostly seen during religious and holiday celebrations. To bring good luck in the year ahead, People in Spain traditionally eat twelve grapes, one with each chime of the clock at midnight on New Year's Eve. During Christmas season which begins on December 24th families have dinners that a typical menu includes onion and almond soup; baked fish ; roasted meat (such as turkey); and red cabbage and apples (or another vegetable dish. One traditional dish is Mazapanes (Almond Candies)that are eaten to signify the end of one year and the beginning of the next.
Another food that can be eaten year around and is one of MY favorite is flan. It is a Custard that is very sweet but is made differently then it is in America. Flan is very popular in Spain and is always a wonderful dish to have.
In the summer months (June, July & August), bring light cottons, T-shirts or other loose tops and some kind of cap for your head, anything that provides protection from the suns rays.During the winter months in central Spain, a warm overcoat and gloves will be needed to protect you from fierce cold and winds. Spain is very religious and does not appreciate people that wear skirts or very short shirts outside or to a church. Wearing mini skirts and shorts are very taboo in Spain.If you are going to go out dress up a bit and try even wearing a Flamenco, which is a very traditional Spanish dress that people wear when they dance.
Throughout the year in Spain it is very hot so footwear is very light. Women wear a variety of sandals, loafers and high-heeled shoes.Leather boots and shoes are also popular to both men and women. Business and formal footwear is often square and pointed-toe shoes and pumps. Athletic shoes are popular and a lot of global brands are common in Spain.
Hairstyles in Spain aren't as odd as you'd expect it to be. But guys seem to have this mullet haircut that is very popular in Europe and a lot of athlete's seem to have it. Girls are more likely to have a hairstyle like Victoria Beckham which is a very short hairstyle. Hairstyles are changing everyday and are mostly being influenced by the soccer teams and actors/actresses.
The most common and popular colors in Spain is red and yellow mostly because it is on the flag. Most teams in Spain have the color red because of the flag one example is the world famous football (soccer) team called Barcelona.
Spain has a lot of artist and actors in the entertainment business. There are so many good movies you can watch while your over there, like the movie "El Cochecito" which shows lots of wonderful places in Spain and in Madrid. Another movie I recommend you watch is Pan's Labyrinth which shows the myth and fantasy side of Spain.You can also visit "Cines Arte y Ensayo" or small cinemas to watch the finest foreign films.
Apart from having really good movies Spain has a lot of good music and singers. One very well known artist is Joaquin Sabina, A famous Spanish singer, songwriter, and poet. He sounds great on the radio but is a better performer on stage. Joaquin loves to write and sing about life in Spain. He particularly likes to make fun of popular culture through examples and stories. Another very famous singer that is also known here in America and in Spain is Marc Anthony. He is very popular in Spain and is one of the most popular Spanish singer. It is said that he vist's Spain often and is around Madrid a lot. Hopefully we can see him there!
But if you are just at home and don't feel like moving much. Turn on the Television and watch "Cuatro" one of Spain's famous TV shows that has movies,documentaries, reality shows, sport events and even quizzes. Another nation-wide TV show is called Telecinco which has you up to date on the latest news and is almost like CNN but in Spanish and has some reality shows sometimes.
