Over spring break, I was privileged enough to
experience the sights, sounds, and culture of the beautiful country of
Spain. Traveling around the country by
car, I was able to take in the many different aspects of the country.
Everything from the ornate architecture and unique food to the very culture of
the country itself made for an extremely rewarding trip.
Architecture
The most interesting features of the Spanish
architecture was its sheer age. An old
building in the US might be two or three hundred years old, whereas in Spain
the average building could easily be over 1000 years old. The colorful buildings, skinny cobblestone
streets and the beautiful cathedrals and monuments were unlike anything I had
ever seen from back at home before.
The thing that impressed me the most was the extreme
detail put into every little part of the huge structures around the
country. From the murals and images
delicately carved and etched into the roofs of the rotundas of cathedrals to
the images on the streets made completely out of cobblestone, the miniscule
singularity and detail put into every edifice around the country amazed me.
One of the most beautiful displays of architecture I
saw was in the Cathedral of Cordoba, an inveterate Cathedral which was a mosque
when occupied by the Muslim Moors. A
strong Muslim influence in the architecture of the Cathedral can be seen with
its elaborate pillars and its massive size.Another interesting aspect of the Spanish architecture was the country’s infrastructure. Many simple yet beautiful skinny one way streets that weaved throughout the many shops and apartments were a typical part of nearly every city in Spain. It was easy to get lost in the maze of streets that snaked throughout different cities.
Food
The Spanish cuisine had a strong Mediterranean
influence in nearly everything you ate.
No, it wasn’t like eating at a Mexican restaurant. Yes, Spain and Mexico
are two different countries. Surprising, I know.
Breakfast usually consisted of some sort of pastry
or bread item and a fruit. Being from
the good ol’ US of A, I always eat the traditional big breakfast of eggs,
bacon, pancakes, etc., so I was just about dead halfway through the day having
to sustain myself on some mere bread and fruit until lunch. Probably explains why everyone is so skinny
in Spain.
Throughout every eatery in Spain, the menus
consisted of very European and Mediterranean style dishes. Everything from tomatoes to olives to a
unique ‘Iberian Ham’ worked their way into almost every dish you ate. One of the oddest dishes I ate was in the
town of Cordoba, one of the oldest towns in Spain, and famous for its
bullfighting. The dish was none other
than ‘Rabo de Toro’, or bull’s tail, served up in a sort of stew. It certainly made for quite the unique eating
experience.
Spanish Culture
The Spanish obsession with the game of soccer was
just as you would expect it. Everywhere
you went you saw someone wearing a “Lionel Messi” or “Cristiano Ronaldo”
jersey, renowned as the soccer gods of Spain.
I was lucky enough to get to experience this unique aspect of their
culture firsthand by attending a soccer game of “Atletico Madrid”. Although the game resulted in a 1-1 tie, it
was incredible to see, even in the pouring rain, the passion that the people of
Spain have behind their soccer teams.
All in all, the trip served as an amazing
opportunity to experience firsthand the culture and people of an incredible and
beautiful country.
