MEMORIES OF SPAIN

A travel article by Pierre Mainguené, Circa Tours

My memories of Spain go back to the early seventies. I will forever remember my first encounter with the Spanish lifestyle: late lunches, long evenings and endless nights. That was in Barcelona. Things were very different in those days: Francisco Franco was in power, Prince Juan Carlos was busy training for the 1972 Olympics, and we paid for things with pesetas.

Since then, there have been a few changes: Franco is gone, King Juan Carlos I is now the head of a constitutional monarchy, and the euro has replaced the old currency. But my attraction to Spain has not left me. I keep going back.

How can one resist green Galicia (the Romans called it "Finis Terrae" - the end of the earth) and a "pilgrimage" to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela? Picture this: in the middle of Mass, a large - very large - incense burner is swung by a half dozen strong men, from one side of the cathedral to the other, while the fragrance fills the air and the clouds of white smoke gently waft to the high Romanesque arches of the sanctuary. Out of this world!

Where better to feel the presence of Don Quijote de la Mancha riding Rosinante than in a small town, south of Madrid, called Campo de Criptana? True, you're not very likely to run into Sancho Panza there, but it's like he just left. The place is a world of fantasy. As far as the eye can see, the hills are dotted with the gigantic white windmills described in Cervantes' famous novel. And Dulcinea's house, in nearby El Toboso, is open for visits.

A little farther south is Córdoba, the doorstep of Andalusia - at one time the home of the Caliph and largest city in Europe. There, you go into "La Mezquita" and you're literally transported into another age - another world: before your eyes is the simple, stylized Moorish architecture of a tenth-century mosque and, only steps away, you walk into the most extravagant, ornate designs of a Baroque cathedral - all under one roof, "increíble!"

In the heart of Andalusia, you find the city of Seville. Two roman emperors were born there. Later, the Moors ruled the place for a few centuries, followed by Ferdinand and Isabella, the sponsors of Christopher Columbus' voyages to the New World. In Seville, there is nothing like the feeling of getting lost, in the heat of summer, in the "judería" (Jewish Quarter). You wonder whether you'll ever get out of there. But, who cares! The streets are so narrow and the walls of the stone buildings so thick, that it actually feels cool in this ancient labyrinth.

Then there is Valencia. A sense of awe and admiration overwhelms you as you walk through the "Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias" (City of Arts and Sciences): a museum in the most avant-garde modern style, a performing arts center reminiscent of an Etruscan helmet, plus a glass-domed planetarium with two giant hydraulic glass "eyelids" sitting in the middle of a turquoise lake, smooth as a mirror. Hard to visualize, isn'it? You need to see it with your own eyes.

To say nothing of the aroma and taste of a tender, succulent, farm-raised roasted lamb in Aranda de Duero (Castilla y León) accompanied by a glass of robust, La Rioja red wine.

I could go on, but let me just say this: España is an enticing place. The history and culture have no equals. The music grabs your soul. The cuisine and the wines are a combination of rich, tasty, simple, hot, refined, creative and sophisticated. And let's not forget the people... they're warm and friendly and they speak such a wonderfully musical language.

What can I say? I fell in love with Spain at one point in time. I hope you do, too. If you go there, I'm sure you will uncover other aspects of the culture I haven't seen yet. So, go and find out for yourself. The experience will warm your heart and enrich your mind forever.

Circa Tours is a division of Circa Terras, Inc.
Temecula, California - CST 2081474-40

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