Spain '99: The Complete Guide Including Majorca, the Canary Islands and Morocco (Fodor's)

Provides a region-by-region guide to Spain including information on accommodations, shopping, and points of interest.

Pleasures and Pastimes
Bullfighting

Bullfighting is a form of ritualized slaughter: The bull never wins, and gorings are unusual. Those who can conceive of the bull as a symbol rather than as an animal, who can remain undisturbed by the blood, and who can appreciate the drama and the fanfare will get the most out of a bullfight. For Spaniards, it's an art form and a national passion.

Bullfights start with a procession of banderilleros, picadors, and matadors. First, the matador waves capes to encourage the bull's charges. Then a picador, on horseback, stabs the bull's neck and shoulder area. Next, banderilleros plant darts in the bull's back. After more cape taunting, the matador kills the bull with a sword: He or she (some matadors are female) may receive the bull's ears and/or tail for a job well done. Six bulls are killed per day, by several different matadors.

Corridas (bullfights), are normally held around 5 pm on Sundays, from April to early November. Hemingway made famous Pamplona's running of the bulls and bullfighting during the feast of San Fermin, in the second week of July, but nowhere is bullfighting better than at Madrid's Las Ventas, where three weeks of daily corridas in May mark the festival of San Isidro. Seville is the home of Spain's most hallowed bullring; during the April Fair, daily corridas here feature Spain's leading toreros. Valencia hosts the best bullfighters on July 25 and during the Fallas, in March. Ronda's picturesque bullring is rarely used for taurine events except during festivals in May and September.
Dining

Seafood and roast meats are Spain's national specialties. Foods are lightly seasoned, although garlic is considered a basic ingredient. Salads are delicious and fundamental, especially in the heat of summer. Ensalada mixta includes canned tuna, asparagus, olives, tomatoes, onions, and egg. Ensalada verde is simpler, usually limited to lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Breakfast in Spain is usually coffee and a roll; in Madrid, it might be churros (strips of fried dough) and chocolate (thick, hot cocoa). Spanish coffee is strong espresso taken straight (café solo) or with hot milk (café con leche). If you prefer weaker coffee, ask for café américano.

Spaniards generally eat paella, the delicious seafood and saffron-spiced rice dish, at midday, preferably at a beachside restaurant or around a campfire at a country picnic.

Lunch usually consists of a first plate, which is a salad, soup, vegetable, or smoked fish or cured meat; a second plate, almost always meat or fish; and dessert, which can be ice cream, yogurt, or flan but is more often a piece of fresh fruit, which natives peel deftly with a knife and fork. All this is accompanied by bread (no butter) and washed down with a bottle of wine. In big cities, some workers now grab a quick sandwich instead of stopping for the traditional three-course lunch.
Supper is three courses, sometimes with lighter fare replacing the meat course. Some restaurants may offer a menu del dia, but it's usually leftover lunch.
Shopping

Clothing is expensive in Spain: World-famous Spanish leather jackets and shoes are beautiful, if pricey. Madrid has the best selection of leather clothing, purses, and shoes; shoes are generally made in Alicante and the Balearic Islands. Distinctive, country-style ceramics are in ready supply throughout the country; most are made in Talavera, Puente del Arzobispo (Toledo), and Seville.

In any stationery shop you'll find unusual pen and pencil boxes.

Other shopping in Spain will probably have something to do with alcohol. Each region produces its own wine, with the sherries of Jerez, the Riojas of the north, and the sparkling wines (cavas) of Catalonia famous around the world.
Sports

Sailing, boating, and other water sports are popular along the Mediterranean coast and in the Balearic Islands. Mountain streams in the Pyrenees and other ranges offer excellent fishing. The golf course at El Saler, south of Valencia, is considered one of the best in Continental Europe. Marbella has 14 excellent courses, and the Costa Brava and Costa Blanca also have commendable courses. The Valderrama Golf Club on the Costa del Sol hosted the prestigious Ryder Cup in September 1997. Hiking is excellent in the Canary Islands, the interior of Spain, and the numerous national parks, from the marshy Doñana to the mountainous Picos de Europa. The Pyrenees and the Sierra de Gredos are also popular. Spain has excellent skiing and winter sports facilities, with major resorts including Baqueira-Beret, Port del Compte, Llessui, and Formigal, in the Pyrenees; Sierra Nevada, near Granada; and Navacerrada, Valcoto, and Valdesqui, near Madrid. Spain is renowned for its horses: polo is played at the magnificent Pue
rta de Hierro Country Club, in Madrid, and the Royal Polo Club, in Barcelona. Thousands of pedal-pushers turn out in early summer, when the roads are closed off for Madrid's annual bicycle day. Otherwise, bicycling is impossible in crowded cities, but many coastal resorts rent bikes.