Spain Travel News 02/28/2011

A photo essay of winter in Northern Spain.

The Valencia Institute of Modern Art (IVAM) is exhibiting Compass in Hand until 16 January, an extensive selection from The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection, an extraordinary treasure acquired by The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in May 2005.

The collection was amassed between 2003 and 2005 with the intention to give a broad overview over the medium of drawing in all its material manifestations at that time. It includes studies and sketches as well as monumental finished works; works painstakingly produced with the help of technical tools such as rulers and spontaneous scribbles with no special regard for finish; narrative and figurative works and a broad range of abstractions.

Figures I’d discover this bookstore right before we leave! Filled with books about Asturias, trinkets, a couple tables for tea and esoteric tomes, Paraxuga is a super-cute little bookshop on Calle Paraíso.

Elvira Lopez is a member of the Catalan Federation (Alba lactancia group) a certified breastfeeding counselor for the last 4 years. Helping women resolve the potential problems in their journey of breast feeding which is a natural, emotional, unique, bonding, nurturing and nourishing experience for both mother and baby, is her passion. Available for private home (also pre natal advice) & hospital visits on request. (+34) 626122047

The city of Granada’s new Cultural Centre, the ‘Memoria de Andalucía’ is a highly contemporary and innovative celebration of the region’s history, landscape, culture, and people.

Childhood memories of school trips to city museums have much to answer for; often intended by well-meaning teachers to be days-out to inspire and bring history and culture to life, usually ended in boredom and havoc on the bus trip home. For many these lasting memories would make museums a definite ‘no-no’ for sightseeing.

Yet Granada’s ‘Centro Cultural CajaGRANADA Memoria de Andalucía’ could well be the type of mold-breaking institution to change the idea of what a museum is and how it communicates with its audience. Combining world-class, avant-garde contemporary architecture with presentations that utilise the latest in interactive technology and media, the centre presents the rich cultural and natural diversity of Andalucía in a compelling and innovative way.

Ole! This southern Spanish city is one of the most popular when it comes to tourism on the Iberian Peninsula…known for dance and guitar, this fabulous city could be called ‘City of Orange Trees’.

Where  in Spain was this photo taken?

I’m a huge sap, and with Valentine’s Day around the corner, naturally I had to include a lil’ love talk on Spanish Slang Sundays. Here’s all the vocab, idioms and slang you need to feel all mushy-gushy, butterflies and rainbows, Romeo and Juliet inside:

The cathedral town of Gaudix is well off the beaten path, in the eastern confines of the Province of Granada, a large, bustling country town with a personality all of its own. Its history dates back to Phoenician and Roman times, and it played a major role in the Reconquest.

PLANS are underway for a 15 billion euro Las Vegas style strip on the Costa del Sol.
Las Vegas Sands, the US casino resort operator, is scouring the area, as well as Valencia and Barcelona, to locate the best location for a European venture.
The massive gaming and hotels playground would create up to 20,000 hotel rooms and create over 100,000 jobs.
Chairman Sheldon Adelson said the project, which would cost 15 billion euros, but would need big concessions on planning permission to help the project happen.

Restaurants that serve vegetarian food in Barcelona can be quite hard to find. If you are looking for decent veggie food check out our selection of vegetarian restaurants in Barcelona.
Spain and vegetarianism are not two words you would normally associate with each other. For many the understanding of being a vegetarian is open to quite a liberal interpretation. Many restaurants and cafes in Barcelona will consider fish, chicken, and even ham as legitimate vegetables!
Although Vegetarian restaurants in Barcelona have difficulty finding much of a local audience they are perhaps becoming more popular. If you are vegetarian or vegan and are sick of bocadillos de tortilla o patatas bravas why not try one of these restaurants.