The most incredible adventures

In Spain, Flamenco and Corrida, Malaga and Jerez, ancient cities and age-old traditions, courage Don Quixote and loyalty to Sancho Panse were merged into one rat mixture. Add to this, the ardentity of Carmen, the enterprise of the Seville passes and the irresistibleness of Don Juan, and it will become clear why people unwitting begin to perform unexpected actions here.

Not all cats at night sulfur

Waking up, as usual, early in the morning of 1561, the inhabitants of the little provincial Madrid learned the amazing news – their town turned into the capital of a powerful state that owns a good afternoon. For what? Why? Just like that – by the will of Philip II.

Madrid instantly flooding proud Spanish to know, servants, soldiers, officials, artists, musicians, poets, artisans, monks, prostitutes, fraudsters and God knows who else. New kings, wanting to perpetuate themselves in the memory of descendants, built luxury palaces and squares, laid the streets, decorated all these fountains and their own equestrian statues. Spanish Grande, who as he could have stretched behind their suzerains.

Construction boom continues today. Changed, truth, Madrid residents. Now it is mainly a middle class that works hard in the afternoon, forgetting sometimes even the very holy in Spain – afternoon Seside. Alas, noble dons, the position of the metropolitan resident obliges. Enough wealthy madrids can afford all the charms of country life. Maybe. But do not want! Because no power to part with his miracle, which is called "Night Madrid".

With the onset of twilight, the prim business Madrid is transformed. Hundreds of spotlights and millions of light bulbs snatch from darkness bizarre silhouettes of palaces, fountains and old cathedrals. Even medieval quarters look cheerful in dazzling light overflows. City is filled with fun and carelessness. Thousands of people go to traditional Spanish "Paseo" – Evening walk.

Favorite Meeting Madrids – Sparkling Puerta Del Sol in the very center of the city at the intersection of the famous streets, Major, Alkal. "Solar doors", giving her the name long ago disappeared in the depths of the centuries, but left humpbacks hurriedly with millions of legs, hodges and a noisy life, which on the square and the streets adjacent to it never subsides. Music, laughter, scraps of the Gundy Speech Speech, Sharking Foot, Close-up of the dishes in the crowded restaurants and cafes. Here, ardent Spaniards are always ready to offer their services to travel to foreigners, expressing delight whistle and clearly exaggerating their own sex. However, if you refuse, Spanish Amigo will not be intrusive. For the Gran-Via street – the zone of golden places, not so, however, is exotic, as in Hamburg or Amsterdam. Officially, prostitution in Spain is prohibited, but who can prohibit one person to get acquainted with the other and invite him to visit him.

All night idle and noisy crowd smoothly flows from a restaurant in a cafe, from a cafe – to the bar, from the bar back to the restaurant. Here will come off a glass-other sherry, there – coffee, then go to the restaurant to eat Palelia, are still a little walk, dive into the favorite basement to taste the seafood with a cold beer. You can look into one of the erotic restaurants, where each dish with its form or title causes the relevant associations, and the waiter (waitress) for a fee will be executed for you striptease. That already 4 hours? Well, then still on a cup of coffee and home – in the morning.

If one day at night you will see that Alcala street is blocked by the crowds of the uniform people, do not be surprised. It is on Kibel’s Square celebrate their victory Football players "Real". The whole team, sitting in a huge fountain, revels with champagne surrounded by fans expressing their delight of screams, drumboats and swinging flags with sizes from the nasal handkerchief to a widescreen screen. It is a pity that in recent times "Real" go not very good.

Steel brilliance Toledo

And that the old capital with the sonorous name Toledo, which did not please the capricious monarch with something? Time stopped here – the city remained in the XVI century. The same narrow streets, vintage cathedrals and buildings, fortress walls. The same numerous workshops and masters who directly in your eyes make armor, crossbows and cold weapons from the famous Toledo Steel. All this magnificence neatly exhibited before entering souvenir benches.

Weapons and other military ammunition are quite enough for the equipment of not one army of tourists. Courage foreigners posing in front of cameras and cameras in helmets with alabards of the vindication, bloodthirsty swollen with swords, knocking on the ease of his companion with a relaxed handling of crossbow or dagger. But it ends with all the purchase of small folding knives with the inscription "Toledo".

Life – Flamenco

The farther to the south, the hotter the sun, longer Siesta, wealthy wine and brighter outfits. In the mountains of Sierra Moren, a big roadside shield will notify you that you are in Andalusia – the most sultry part of Spain. Here are the most ardent women and temperamental men, here the birthplace of the most incendiary dancing like Sevlyana or Flamenco.

Flamenco! That’s what you should come to these fabulous places. It went to the Andalusians inherited from the Mauris and Gypsies, as, however, and dark hair and dark skin. Eastern tunes and sensual dances of Gypsy Tubors – there was Flamenco while his "Okulturili" and not polished in numerous taverns of Seville, Granada and Cordoba. Of course, flamenco in Spain can be seen everywhere, but only in Andalusia, it is not dancing him for tourists, not for money, but for myself, right on the street, savoring fragrant wines that this edge is so famous.

The sun sits down the horizon, in the upcoming darkness, suddenly, Flamenco’s plot. Supported music and heels. Rose in the teuba. Pulled out and wrapped around the legs flowing skirt. Fraction of the kastanets knocks down the moans of the broken heart, complaints against treason and cries of revenge. All Andalusia, from Granada to Malaga, from Cadiz to Seville, as if distraught from passion, dancing flamenco.

Narrow streets, small squares, patio in orange trees, thousands of cafes and restaurants, yellow, like in all Spain, lights. And everywhere flamenco. The song ends, the other replaces it, with the same hand and sadness. Music, dance and song Flamenco – Always improvisation. The same semerillion, Fandango or Solearez, the performer every time creates a new way. In the voice of the singer, so much passion that this compensates for all vocal costs:

My lot now only sadness.

Tell that woman that laughs so much:

My lot now only sadness.

Fiesta – Holiday in Spanish

And on the holidays and at all the whole country is dancing in the open sky: Andalusians, of course, Flamenco, Aragonza – Hotu with mischievous jumps and jumps, Castillas – Segedilla, and Catalan – noisy dance sardan. Every month of holidays at least dozen two. Spaniards do not forget the day of St. Sebastian, nor the day of St. Jose. And there is another holy Barbara, Saint Paulina, Saint Jacob, Saint Luis and Holy Catalina. They will certainly remember on his day and in his hour.

Each city and even the villages have their own saint patron, and therefore, a great reason for the Fiesta. So, traveling from one Spanish town to another, you get from the holiday for a holiday, when all the local population aroused raising fun, and eventually leave the country with a false idea that all its inhabitants are terrible idlers, day and night drinking and dancing.

Fiesta in Spain is certainly related to big and noisy crowds. From here such a mad success in the July holiday in Pamplona on the eve of the Day of St. Fermin, when the flock of bulls rushes through the streets of the city in terms of lovers to sing their nerves. The insane collision of people and bulls often ends in deplorable for those who failed to correctly calculate the distance and their speed.

And what are equestrian fiesta – April horsepower in Seville and May – in neighboring sherry. They are preparing for a whole year. Sewing lush dresses, embroidered men’s vests, check the ancient saddles, transmitted in the family from generation to generation. Holidays begin with an equestrian parade of hundreds of riders, spiderman, and horsemen in unthinkable hats. And end in red wine rivers, fried bulls and constant flamenco.

Even holy week (passionate week) before Easter – a wonderful reason for fun with pagan excesses. All Spain goes out at this time to see the procession marching from the cathedral to the cathedral. In big cities such processions can be up to 30 per day. On the flooded lights, clogged with the audience, carry huge platforms with scenes "Last Supper", "Ships Pilate", "Crucifixes". Luxury ark, figures of Christ and the Virgin Mary in all their brilliance, in the golden tunics and crowns, covered with real diamonds.

– Guapa! Guapa! (Fine!) – Shouting thousands of votes, the street musicians are cheerfully.

Vegetarians entry is prohibited

Immediately after Easter in Spain, the Corida season begins, which lasts until mid-October. If you are not a vegetarian, do not deny yourself the pleasure of going to Corrida – Spain without it, I don’t care what Paris without the Eiffel Tower. It is best to do it in Madrid, Rondo, Cordove or Seville. On the coast is often practiced "Tourist" Corrida of young Toro with bulls-teenagers, nothing in except for purses with sparkles, with a real corrid.

Be sure to take a hat or a beesball cap with a visor from the scorching sun and a white handkerchief. He will need when you, together with the crowd, you will encourage Torreo and chant the traditional "O-le! O-le!". You can also close your eyes when Toreador as a reward for a good fight will cut the ear at the defeated bull.

Corrida is not inferior to the classic ballet, and captures much more than a football match. For the Spaniards it is art, not a sport, and it is not highlighted by sports journalists, but artistic critics. In terms, I note that reading about Borrid – I don’t care what to have sex on the phone. Therefore, I can only say that it is impossible to tear away from what is happening.

Near the Arena for sale everything related to Corrida: flips, swords, banderlies. Walls of the shops are decorated with bright posters and posters. On them the whole story of the Corrida. Portraits of famous tickets are always at the honorable place. Spaniards consider them national heroes.

From those killed on the Bulls killed in Korrida in special restaurants preparing excellent bifshes. But the biggest delicacy – bull-tail soup. Do not repeat the mistakes made by Khrushchev, who, by moving towards a plate with such a soup, was indignant: "It comes out, they themselves are all the meat, and to me – the head of the atomic power, alone tails left".

Water and Flame of Valencia

Since no holiday in Spain is not a single holiday in Spain, it is often spent off and outside the season. So, in Valencia, the Corrida necessarily accompanies Fallas – a fiery holiday in honor of St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters.

At midnight March 19, one of the most beautiful Spanish cities is illuminated by the floodbroids of fireworks and painting fireworks. Even in the Middle Ages, urban carpenters and cabinetries burned on this day on the fires accumulated in winter chips and sinters. Then the employment figures began to make out of waste. When trifles began to miss, plywood and cardboard went into.

Now throughout the year, local craftsmen create dolls from papier and cardboard dolls, figures of famous people and even whole events that have remembered the past year. You can make it possible, for example, a figurine of mother-in-law, beloved chief or boring mistress, so that they have burned with a clear flame on one of the city’s squares. Often these gigantic statues reach the height of a three-story house and are very beautiful. And it does not matter that all this beauty burns in a matter of minutes under the deafening explosions of Petard.

Streets and balconies are filled at this time by urban residents, tourists and, of course, firefighters. All windows are prudently open so that the glass is not scattered from the screen. At all, even the smallest, squares of Valencia are huge figures, and the sky is illuminated by fireworks. Petardy explodes.

For one of this night, about 76 tons of explosives are burned and burned. Therefore, almost on every city building hangs a sign, saying that it is insured against the fire.

"Barcelona is not Spain"

Catalonia – the most French of all 17 Spanish provinces. "The city is not spanish" – The first thing that comes to mind in her respectable capital Barcelona. In response you can hear: "So Barcelona is not Spain. This is Catalonia". And do not try to see here flamenco – the Catalans dance Sardan, and the Corrida is not tolerated at all, considering it by a barbaric spectacle for tourists.

There is your emblem, flag, even tongue. And such cities like Barcelona and Toledo, besides roads, it seems nothing else connects. Yes, and all the rest of the Spaniards – Castillas, Basque, Galicians, Andalusians, Aragons – unite, only when their team fights for the world football crown.

Catalans love to talk about jokes about Valencisians. Valencissey – about Castillas, and those and others – about Andalusians. Galisian will certainly notice that if a fly in a glass with wine will fall into a fly, Castilers will drink wine along with a fly, Aragonets finger pulls her out of the glass, and Catalan, pulling out a fly, make her spoil the wine that she managed to swallow her.

Nimble, but the vitality of the Catalans adore their Barcelona and remember Madrid as a capital, only to emphasize how bad he performs his metropolitan duties. And where there Madrid Puerta del Sol to Barcelona Ramblas Boulevard.

This boulevard is not the longest in the city, but, undoubtedly, the most colorful. Life here is south bright, dynamic and seductive. On a huge stage of street theater Merry musicians, fire swallors, "Live sculptures", BELIL-covered with gold paint or thick layer. Throw "Golden man" coin, and he, like a crown doll, will make some angular movements and again Zakeda – before the new coin. It is in such joyful minutes that you can lose your handbag or pocket content. Rambles Things – Real Virtuosos.

Boulevard, climbing the monument to Columbus to Catalunya Square, instantly infects numerous bars, shops, nightclubs, restaurants and famous Barcelona cafes. Cattle ritual Catalans of an incredible amount of coffee Star, like coffee itself. They start their day with him, they finish it.

This almost national drink is preparing here with all sorts of ways: with milk, with a drip of milk, with whipped cream, with cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, with some unwashed root with an incomprehensible name. In the summer, Catalans prefer coffee with chipped ice. And at any time of the year – with cognac or rum.

In short, coffee in Barcelona is above all praise. Who visited Catalonia, he knows. And the fact that Barcelona is a city with an ancient history, where it is nice to walk in the old quarters, the Gothic area, admire the fantastic creations of the architect Gaudi, know those who have never been to Spain.