So the last few days have been like an intensive lesson in Spanish Culture for me. After roaming the streets of Madrid for a day (which is sufficient, as far as I was concerned) I was ready to get into the more meaty parts of Spanish Culture. My second evening in Madrid I met two girl from Australia (of course, where else), who were going out to see Flamenco! This was one of the things I really wanted to see in Spain so I tagged along. The show was great, from the guitarist (the real star) to the singers to the dancers. We saw a show in local bar as opposed to some tourist monstrasity. So I like to think we got the real Spanish version! The flamenco show involved dancers, guitar, piano, drums, multiple singers, as well as different rythmic noises from snapping to clapping. It all creates a really neat and unique show!
The next day after I saw the flamenco show I went to Toledo (a certain sister of mine suggested it). The city was really neat. When you think of an old city in the Spanish country side, Toledo is what you imagine. It has old churchs, mosques, and synagogues scattered all over the city. In addition the city is still completely walled in and on top of a hill surounded by a river! The city as well as the land around it is beatiful.
I must say that Span in general is quite different from the rest of Europe. The music, landscape, architecture, and way of life are all unlike anything else in Europe I have seen. The effects of Morish culture is very obvious here. I found the change very refreshing and enjoyable. I am sorry I will not make it to Sevilla and Granada as I originally planned, but at the same time I am really excited to head back to Barcelona for the futbol match.
3 comments:
I remember riding the train from France into Spain in 1977. While it seemed like we went from overcast to sunny in a very short time, the country had just seen the demise of the Franco regime and the trained stopped so that military with guns and dogs could search the train. It was an eye opening experience and an interesting "cultural revolution" of sorts going on in that country at the time. I enjoyed Barcelona far more than Madrid. Mo
You made it to Toledo!! I'm glad you liked it. Don't you just love the Moroccan influence all over?? I noticed that difference from the rest of Europe too - the Moroccan influence is very strong, but that is what makes it so beautiful! We'll have to compare pictures when you get back.
If you’re looking to visit Toledo on a budget you should definitely check out Be Your Guide Toledo, a mobile device application that was developed specifically for the city of Toledo! It’s free to download in the app store and is the only one of its kind on the market. Being from the city of Toledo themselves, Nexora Solutions felt that this would be a great opportunity to share the wealth our city has to offer the world. It works offline too, so even if you’re traveling and don’t have an international plan you can use all of the features. It also provides user reviews of local pubs and restaurants to ensure that you have the best experience possible.
Check out the full features here: http://www.beyourguidetoledo.es/
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