Relax - Fiesta in Spain

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Fiesta in Spain

By Jill Sara, Special Projects Unit | Tue, Sep 1 2009

Besides the bull fights, there's so much to eat, see and buy in the Spanish cities, each with a character of its own, says Jill Sara.

Keywords

places of interest

Barcelona

A colourful mosaic of the arts, a rich cultural heritage and a treasure trove for shoppers, Barcelona bursts forth as a vibrant city with Roman roots.

The Gothic Quarter (Barcelona Barri Gothic) is reminiscent of the Roman era and it stands out with gothic-styled structures.

In Ribera district, which is just a skip away from the Gothic Quarter, ancient palaces have been converted to museums.

Check out the Museum of Clothing and Textiles, Museum of pre-Columbian Art and the Picasso Museum.

These are a good introduction to the city's history and her people.

Food is the essence of life in Barcelona, so you must sink your teeth into tasty Catalan specialties.

Fill up on butifarra amb mongetes (sausage with white beans), escudella i carnd'olla (Catalan stew) and the signature pa amb tomàquet (bread rubbed with tomato, and seasoned with olive oil and salt), paired with wines from Alella, Pla de Bages and Penedès.

Always take your time at meals, as they are usually long affairs.

For shopaholics, Barcelona is where you should get your dream napa leather Loewe bag and Hermes scarves in the ultra exclusive Eixample and Diagonal.

A different type of shopping awaits you at the street markets.

Mercat Del Encants is where you can get an eclectic mix of jewellery, stamps, coins, household wares and apparel.

Poble Espanyol de Montjuic, on the other hand, is the nerve centre for handicraft.

La Pedera is an iconic building in Barcelona.

Madrid

There is nothing more pleasurable than Spanish tapas and vino with the madrilenos.

Get straight on the tapas trail for spicy chorizos, manchego mini burgers and gambas combo.

An all-time favourite bar is Museo del Jamon, which has no frills but legs of jamon serrano.

Downed with cana (beer), the cured meats are very popular because they’re very cheap.

If you prefer spending the night at a bar with outdoor terraces, then camp out at El Brillante where every drink comes with complimentary tapas.

They also offer a slew of tapas choices and raciones (much bigger portion) for sharing around the table.

A must-try is bocadilos de calamares, or fried squid on baguettes or bread rolls.

Other walk-in bars serving off-the-chart tapas is La Cruzada, Vinoteca Barbechura and Diaz Larrouy.

Go upmarket by dining at the royalty's favourite tapas restaurant— Casa Lucio. A hit with the celebrities too, it is a tapas restaurant that makes spectacular cocido madrilène, which is a home-made stew comprising chickpeas, vegetables and meat.

Madrid is not only well stocked with food, it is also a fashion haven.

The Oceanografico is the largest aquarium in Europe

Chueca is where local designers sell their wares including Goya, Velázquez and Jorge Juan.

At the main shopping central at Plaza Mayor and Gran Via, high street fashion labels rule — Stradivarius, Mango, Zara, Lefties, and more.

Salamanca district is different with original creations, unusual designs and big price tags.

Don't forget to dip freshly made churros into luscious chocolate at the highly recommended San Gines or its humble rival, Chocolat, which many say is just as good.

You can burn off the sugar at El Retiro (or Lungs of Madrid).

The expansive park racks up the most number of visitors who enjoy basking in the sun in a rowboat, playing football, watching live puppet theatres for the little ones or riding on horsedrawn carriages.

Valencia

A gorgeous city full of magnificent sights and the birthplace of the iconic paella, the third-largest city in Spain has stood the test of time to become an exciting destination, giving Barcelona and Madrid a bull run for the euro.

The list of international events held here sparkle like shining stars

— Formula One Grand Prix, America's Cup, Las Fallas or literally "the fires" — the most famous Valencian

festival that has captivated millions of fans around the world.

In March, the city shuts down to fill the afternoons with mascletas (pyrotechnics) and viewing of ninot or falla — intricately handcrafted

larger-than-life dolls in papier-mache and wood.

These are exploded with fireworks on the last day.

Adults can play with sparklers and buy little firecrackers for their kids.

There are also night markets, bull-fighting and shopping.

Another unique feature of this city is the modern architecture of Ciutat de las Artes de las Ciencias, or The City of Arts and Sciences, which houses Hemisfèric (IMAX theatre), Umbracle (great viewing platform), Príncipe Felipe Science Museum (interactive science centre), Oceanográfico (largest aquarium in Europe) and Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (opera house).

You could spend many days exploring this multi-sensory wonderland.

You really haven't been to Valencia if you haven't feasted on the various kinds of paella, specifically fideuà, which can only be found here.

The mainstream paella is usually seafood or meat (jamon, lamb, rabbit) and vegetables on a hotbed of rice in a paellera, seasoned with saffron.

The Fideuà uses fine noodles instead of rice and is flavoured with fish broth and a lot of seafood.

La Riua is a traditional Spanish house that's perfect to unwind in, with vino and top-dollar fideuà at value-for-money prices.

Singapore Airlines flies directly to Barcelona.

You can visit other Spanish cities by plane or by train from Barcelona.

Visit Spanish Tourism Board website at www.spain.info for

updated information on Spain.

This article first appeared in The Straits Times special, "Natas Holidays 2009". It is published by the Special Projects Unit, Marketing Division, SPH.