Spain has so many beautiful things to offer that one simply can not learn all of them at once. I spent a month in Spain in several cities with the most of my time spent in Huelva, Malaga, and Pamplona. Whether it is North, South, landlocked or coast, there is so much beauty and culture in each town uniquely. If I were you, I’d go!
For starters, Spain has such a diverse atmosphere depending on where you are. Each City has their own traditions, whether it be architecture, food, festivals or people groups. Here are 5 things I learned while in Spain.
- The Food
OH MY GOSH, THE FOOD!!!! First off, the food is absolutely delish!! Food in Spain is not extremely expensive and everything is olive oil flavored (seriously the Lays Potato Chips are olive oil flavored, No Joke. and they’re yummy!) I never knew this about Spain because I was a youngster but Paella is the staple dish of Spain, especially along the coast. Paella is a seafood and rice dish that is cooked in a big pan. Spaniards make Paella with all sorts of flavors and mixins; meat, shrimp, clams, veggies and much more. I have never been much of a seafood girl but muuuhh gosh, I fell for a good Seafood Paella. It’s a must try!
Google Image: No Copywrite infringement Intended - The Architecture
Spain has different architectural influences from all over the world. One of these biggest influences I saw was in Malaga. Middle Eastern and Muslim culture played into the architecture of Malaga in so many ways. Before the Catholic Church led a crusade through Malaga to take it over and convert it, Muslims were one of the first people groups to occupy that area of Spain, throughout the city, one can see the beautiful and unique influence flowing through the streets.
Google image: No Copywrite infringement Intended - The Hospitality
In every city that we stayed there were open doors. People opened their homes for 10 strangers they had never met. Our first night in Sevilla, we stayed in a church where they provided food, shelter, and showers. In Huelva, each one of us had families that let us stay in their homes. In Malaga, we were invited by tons of people in the church to fun events, tours to downtown, and Paella lunch twice! One time in a house with a parrot! fun!
Our first day in Malaga, The group of 10 crazy missionaries.
- The Beauty of the Beaches
Malaga has some of the prettiest beaches I have ever seen, the ocean itself is beautiful but then they add these beautiful caves and walkways to go through, and then in the city center the boardwalk has such a beauty wrapped above it and the lights glisten off the water at night. It is truly a place to take in and just breathe. Malaga beaches are stunning and you can see them from the mountains and the city! GO, just go… Now!
The Mediterranean Sea, Malaga. - The Cool Stories
Everywhere I went in Spain there was something fun and discoverable about that town, things most people already knew but in my 18-year-old brain I was like, “Well who knew?!”Pamplona’s culture is wrapped completely around the Running of the Bulls. There are huge statues of bulls all around the city, Thousands of people participate in the Running of the Bulls every year, 50-100 people die every year during this festival. Yeah, a bit crazy!
Malaga’s cool fact is that the great artist Picasso was born there, His childhood home now is one of the captivating museums Malaga is known for.
Huelva is the port where Christopher Columbus set sail on his adventures to the Americas. They even have a Christopher Columbus museum with ships replicating those he sailed on.
Christopher Columbus Museum, Huelva, Spain.
My wish is that everyone, at least once in their life get to visit this beautiful country, eat its food, swim its beaches and most of all learn something from its people and atmosphere.
Enjoy your next adventure… Wherever life may take you!
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