By Pamela Giacaman.

Travelling is not just about visiting new places; it’s about immersing yourself in a world of different cultures, landscapes, and lifestyles. The true magic of travel lies in the experiences it offers. These experiences can be the key to understanding the world, broadening your horizons, and even transforming your perspective. So let us now explore the profound importance of experiences when travelling:

The Cultural Understanding

Experiences in a new place allow you to engage with the local culture. Whether it’s savouring authentic cuisine, learning about local customs, or participating in traditional festivities, these moments provide a window into the lives of the people who call that place home. By engaging in these experiences, you gain a deeper understanding of their way of life which fosters cultural empathy and breaks down stereotypes.

When you immerse yourself in a new culture, you open your mind to diverse perspectives and broaden your understanding of humanity. These experiences teach you that despite cultural differences, there’s a common thread that connects people from all corners of the world- the desire for a meaningful and fulfilling life. This understanding can promote tolerance and unity in a world that often seems divided.

Personal Growth

Travelling pushes you out of your comfort zone. Experiences like trekking through dense jungles, navigating bustling markets, or communicating with locals in a foreign language challenge you to adapt and grow. Overcoming these challenges boosts your confidence and resilience, fostering personal growth that extends beyond the journey itself.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is where true growth begins. When you’re in an unfamiliar environment, you must rely on your problem-solving skills, adaptability and resourcefulness. These experiences shape your character and teach you to embrace change rather than fear it. They also remind you that you are capable of more than you might have thought, which can have a lasting impact on your self-esteem and determination.

Broadening Perspectives

Experiencing new cultures, landscapes, and lifestyles can significantly alter your perspective. It encourages you to think beyond your own experiences and beliefs. It shows you that the world is vast, diverse, and full of possibilities, shattering preconceived notions and biases. Traveling reminds us that there are countless ways to live and thrive.

The world is a vast tapestry of cultures, beliefs, and traditions so when you immerse yourself in these different worlds, your perspective broadens. You begin to see the world as a place of limitless opportunities and potential. Travel experiences have the unique power to challenge stereotypes and prejudices whilst fostering a more inclusive and understanding society.

Learning Opportunities 

Travel experiences are a form of education. When you visit historical sites, and museums or engage with local experts, you gain knowledge that extends beyond what any book or classroom can offer. It’s a hands-on education that makes history, art and science come alive.

Education doesn’t end in the classroom, it extends to the places you visit. When you stand in the Alhambra in Granada, you’re not just reading about ancient history, you’re living it. When you witness the intricate artwork of the Prado Museum, you’re not just learning about art, you’re experiencing its impact. Travel experiences provide a deep and immersive education that fosters a lifelong love for learning.

Connecting with Nature

Experiencing the natural world is a vital aspect of travel. Whether it’s hiking through pristine forests, snorkelling in crystal-clear water or gazing at starry skies in the desert, these encounters with nature are profoundly humbling. They remind us of our connection to the planet and the importance of preserving it.

In an era when many of us are increasingly detached from nature, travel experiences offer a chance to reconnect with the natural world. When you stand at the edge of a monastery at the Costa Brava or explore the Olive Tree forest, you realise the importance of preserving these incredible places. These experiences encourage environmental consciousness, making you more mindful of the need to protect our planet for future generations.

Creating Memories

Experiences form memories that last a lifetime. It’s not the hotel you stayed in or the restaurant you dined at that you remember most; it’s the moments of awe, laughter, and amazement. These memories become cherished stories you’ll recount to friends and family, connecting you with others through shared experiences.

The memories you create whilst travelling are often the most enduring and cherished. They are the stories you’ll recount with a smile, the anecdotes you’ll share around a campfire and the moments that will live on in your heart forever. These memories serve as a source of joy and connection, as well as a reminder of the beauty and wonder in the world.

Inspiration

Travel experiences have the power to ignite your creativity and inspire you. The architecture, art, music and people you encounter can spark new ideas and passions. Your journey might even lead to a change in your life’s direction or uncover hidden talents.

Experiencing the diversity of the world can be a wellspring of inspiration. The vibrant street art of Madrid might spark your own creative journey, while the spiritual beauty of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona could lead to a deeper exploration of mindfulness. Travel experiences are a source of artistic and personal inspiration, often leading to greater creativity and self-discovery.

Spurring Adventure 

Travel experiences often involve adventure, whether it’s hiking a challenging trail, embarking on a road trip or exploring an exotic market. These adventures can ignite a sense of thrill and excitement.

Adventure is an essential component of the human spirit. It keeps us curious, bold and alive. Travel experiences are a doorway to adventure. They encourage you to take risks, try new things and to embrace the unknown. This sense of adventure can extend into other areas of your life, encouraging you to take on new challenges and live with more spontaneity.

Redefining Priorities 

Through travel experiences, you may find yourself reevaluating your priorities. Observing how different societies value various aspects of life, such as family, community or work, can lead to a reexamination of your values and goals.

In many societies, especially in the West, there is often an intense focus on work and material success. Travel experiences can provide a counterbalance, showcasing the importance of community, family, and personal well-being. This exposure to different value systems can lead to a reevaluation of your priorities, perhaps encouraging a healthier work-life balance and a greater focus on relationships and personal happiness.

In Spain, you might learn a lot from the locals (it happened to me). People in Spain are friendly and funny and they love to enjoy life. Even though they work extremely hard, they know that there is nothing more important in life than their free time in which they can simply enjoy a beer and delicious food whilst spending quality time with family and friends. 

Encouraging Sustainability 

Travel experiences often make you more aware of the need for responsible and sustainable travel. Witnessing the impact of tourism on fragile ecosystems or local communities can lead to a commitment to eco-friendly and culturally-sensitive travel.

Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration in travel. Experiences that bring you closer to nature and local cultures can also inspire you to protect them. Responsible travel practices, such as using public transportation and supporting local businesses, become a part of your ethos.

Preserving Cultural Heritage

Experiences that involve visiting historical sites or engaging with traditional artisans often contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage. Tourism can provide economic incentives for communities to protect their cultural assets.

Cultural heritage is a treasure that should be preserved and celebrated. When you visit historical sites, engage with local artists, or support local businesses, you play a role in preserving these traditions for future generations. These experiences bridge the past to the present and foster an appreciation for the importance of cultural continuity.

Experiencing the Unforgettable 

At the heart of travel experiences are moments that are simply unforgettable. Whether it’s witnessing history in a monumental building like the Mezquita-Catedral in Cordoba, experiencing the beauty and emotion of Flamenco or connecting with people whose stories touch your heart, these are the moments that stay with you forever.

The unforgettable moments you experience while travelling become the stories you recount to friends, the lessons you pass on to your children, and the memories that shape your life. These lessons remind you of the beauty and wonder in the world and they inspire a sense of awe and gratitude.

Travel experiences are not mere additions to your life, they are essential components that enrich and transform it. They introduce you to the diversity of our world, foster personal growth, encourage empathy and inspire you to live a life of greater meaning and purpose.

The value of travel experiences cannot be overstated. They provide a profound education in culture, history and humanity. They ignite your creativity and passion, connect you with others and encourage you to be a more compassionate and conscious global citizen. Travel experiences are an investment in yourself and the world, a journey that expands your horizons and enriches your soul.

In a world where the pace of life often leaves little time for reflection, travel experiences serve as a reminder of the beauty, diversity and interconnectedness of our world. They encourage you to live with a sense of wonder, to embrace change, and to treasure the moments that define your journey through life. So, when you set out on your next adventure, remember that the experiences you have will be the true treasures of your travels, enriching your life in ways you may have never imagined.

Siesta.

When in Spain, the main meal is lunch, so it is common that many local shops and small businesses will be closed. That doesn’t really mean that we are all taking a “siesta” (nap). Nonetheless, you should expect, especially in small towns, local businesses will be closed: From 1 or 2 pm to 4 or 5 pm. As a result, business hours are extended until 8 or 9 pm. Of course, restaurants and bars are open between 1 pm to 5 pm. BTW a bar is equivalent to any place you could find sandwiches and/or tapas, meaning something to eat. In fact, this brings us to Menú del mediodía concept.

Menú del mediodía.

When in Spain you will find a fixed-price lunch-time-only menu. It usually includes one drink, bread, and dessert or coffee. You’ll generally have to decide among 3 to 5 starter options, another 3 to 5 main course options, and of course, a selection of desserts. These are usually the freshest meals you’ll find for lunch and they’ll also be served quite fast. Occasionally even the best places run out of options during the hectic lunch hours but you’ll just have to do like locals do, and live with it!

Tapas, raciones, pintxos…

Let’s get serious: food! We feel we are always talking about food. It is rather an important part of our culture. So yes, we are always talking about food.

If you’re in the north, south, center, Mediterranean or mountainous regions, you should taste all of the incredibly diverse mini portions widely known as tapas. Be warned though, they are a trap! Once you start, you wanna try them all. Some restaurants and bars have only one specialty. For example, La Plata in Barcelona is famous for its fried sardines, tomato salad, and butifarra (a type of sausage).

Now, this is IMPORTAN:

In many restaurants across about half the country, you’ll see 2 or 3 different prices for the same dish. This is depending on the size of the portion. Let’s try to understand it. Tapa is small and Racion is bigger. Ask what they mean by Plato (besides “dish”) because that’s still a mystery to us!

Then Montaditos or Pintxos are the little slices of bread with a phenomenal topping. For example ham, anchovies, cheeses, salmon, chorizo, butifarra, tortilla. You name it! The name Pintxos refers to the toothpick. The little thing that holds everything together. One of the joys of this fabulous experience is that you must keep all of your toothpicks because, in the end, your waiter can count how many pintxos you ate and bring you the bill! -the best place to try them is in the Basque Country!

Wandering.

Spain is an old country and lots of architectural heritage can be found in the oldest parts of every town. Fortunately, in the olden days, they didn’t have cars, therefore, some streets are rather narrow. Nowadays they are pedestrianised. In fact, both enhance your wandering experience and makes it quite easy to get lost. Particularly in the bigger towns. Note that Madrid is quite a modern city (for Spain) so don’t look for a very old town. The Plaza Mayor, for example, is only 400 years old -approx!

Tipping

It is not mandatory to tip, but we do it. It is not a strict custom. You only tip when you are satisfied with the service and food at a restaurant and depending on the kind of restaurant. You’ll tip more in a fancy place and less in a regular place. We tip taxis when it’s a long ride, but just the spare change. If you have any doubts, ask your guide. As a general rule, we don’t tip much more than 5% to 10% of the cost. Nonetheless, in services such as hotels, drivers, or guides it is expected. So tipping goes from 10% to 15% of the cost.

Water.

About 70% of our body is water so we need to drink a lot of water. Especially when visiting Spain in summer as it can be very hot! Throughout Spain you can drink tap water, in Madrid it is excellent! But we must admit that in some areas it doesn’t taste the best. For instance, sometimes it is too salty. Or like in Barcelona it has a chemical taste.

You can always buy bottled water, which is sold very cold and very cheap anywhere in Spain. Unfortunately in Spain, we still have disposable plastic bottles and mostly they don’t get recycled. So please try to buy a big bottle instead of lots of small ones. 

An insider recommendation: try the water, Vichy Catalan. It might taste strange at first since it is salty and sparkling, but it is healing water that flows from the Vichy Catalan spring in Caldes de Malavella (Girona) at 60ºC. You find it frequently in many restaurants.

Finally, some useful words. Water: agua. Sparkling water: agua con gas. Still water: agua sin gas. Natural water: agua del tiempo. Coldwater: Agua fría

How to order beer.

Spain has different beer companies depending on the area. It’s easy to spot in every bar because you’ll see the name on the draft tap. If you want a particular beer, ask. Lately, the fashion for craft beers is upon us and more options are available. The easiest, simplest way to sound like a local is Una caña por favor! You’ll get a medium-sized draft beer (we don’t use pint or half-pints). Una caña pequeña for a smaller one or una caña grande for a larger one.

The variations become interesting as you travel. For example in Barcelona, a Quinto is a small bottle and Mediana is larger. But in Madrid, you want to ask for a Tercio for the same kind of beer as a Mediana in Barcelona.

Are you confused? You’ll get the hang of it after a couple of Cañas!

How to order Coffee and tea.

We frequently see travellers having a hard time ordering coffee and if you come from the Commonwealth, ordering tea with milk is very difficult indeed. Let’s start with the tea. If what you want is black tea with just a bit of milk at the end don’t ask for a “té con leche” (tea with milk) or you will most probably get a glass of hot milk with a tea bag inside. You better ask for a simple black tea (té negro). Once you have it, then just ask for a little bit of milk (un poco de leche). Got it?

Now let’s talk about coffee. Little by little, in the bigger cities, you can order a Latte Macchiato or a Cappuccino, but if you are in a smaller town or you want to drink your coffee at a unique local bar, you need to ask for the following:

• Café solo: more or less an espresso (usually a bit longer than in Italy, but still a small, single shot of coffee)
• Café Americano: large coffee cup, a double shot of coffee, and watery. As the name implies, it’s the most similar to American coffee.
• Café bombón: Coffee with sweetened condensed milk.
• Cortado: Coffee with a little bit of milk (small glass or cup)

Public transportation.

In Madrid and Barcelona tickets can be bought in the Metro stations or in the tobacco shops (Estanco).

Barcelona: public transportation fee is the same ticket for buses, metro, short-distance trains (1-zone), and trams. You can purchase a T-dia (countless trips in 24h)  or a T-casual (10 trips). Metro in Barcelona is not huge, like the city, so it is rather simple. If you are more adventurous you can also use buses, which are very well signed and most bus stops have clear maps and visible stop names.

Or else ask someone at the stop, they will love it and if two people have a different opinions on which bus is best for you, you can have a truly authentic experience of Barcelona’s vibe! – it is better to avoid asking the driver.

Madrid: you have to get a Tarjeta Multi that you will top-up. You can top up simple rides, 10 rides or the touristic fees. Madrid is large so if I were you I’d stick with the Metro and would not complicate things with the bus.  But if you dare, check the link here for more information. 

Renfe is the train company that operates all over Spain. Ask us about the combinations to travel by train. There are many occasions they are better than taking a flight or a car.

• • AVE, the high-speed train or Avant, also High-speed but shorter tracks.
  • MD: Media Distancia, Half Distance, trains that go fairly far but not so far. For example from Barcelona to Tarragona. Or Sevilla to Cadiz. 
  • Cercanias: Short-distance trains to connect the closest towns, they operate to commute to work, so there are lots of them.

Surnames.

Now, you don’t need this information, but we always like to go for the extra mile -and if you got this far reading you deserve it!

In Spain not only do we never ever change our surname (when we marry) but we also have 2 surnames. Only in a few other countries in the world does this happen. We have our first surname from our father (his first surname) and our second surname from our mother (her first surname). As a result, we have both surnames from our grandfathers.

Apparently that it was common in the upper class and aristocracy in Castile from the XVIII century to do so and by approximately 1850 it was common everywhere in the country. But as if this is not complicated enough, since 1999 the order of surnames is now a decision made by the parents. The fact is that before the XIX century surname order was also chosen by the family (basically the first surname was from the most prominent and important family of both family lines).

Very tricky indeed!

by Rocio Recio Gonzalez

Find here a selection of some popular festivities on the Island of Mallorca, some celebrated throughout all the Balearic archipelago.

JANUARY 16th night and 17th SANT ANTONI

it is celebrated in almost every town and city throughout the archipelago. At night on the 16th people ignite bonfires in the streets and squares and they cook typical products on the embers (sobrasada, butifarrón, sausage, bacon …). Fire is very present in popular festivals as a symbol of purification and through it the triumph of good over evil. The farmworkers entrusted Sant Antoni to avoid the bad harvests and protect the animals. On the 17th of January, Saint Anthony’s day, farm animals and pets are brought to be blessed.

JANUARY 19th SAN SEBASTIAN

patron saint of Palma, a relic of the saint is kept in the cathedral, it is said that with the arrival of said relic in Mallorca, a plague epidemic ended, saving the population. Free concerts are held at night in all the most important squares of the city. There are also fires and demons. Demons are also present at almost all parties, they go through the streets with firecrackers and fires accompanied by batucadas. People dance around them, you have to wear suitable cotton clothing and covered hair, as sparks fly from the fires and firecrackers. The devil represents temptations. 

CARNIVAL in FEBRUARY

it is celebrated in all towns. These are the last days in the Catholic tradition that meat can be consumed before Lent. Celebrate the end of the hardest days of winter. People dress up, there are concerts in the squares and “La Rua” costume parades are held.

MARCH 1st BALEARIC ISLANDS DAY

This is a Holiday on all the Islands, therefore, many shops and business could be closed.  There is a medieval craft market in Palma in the centre of the city and popular dances and a parade of giants is held.

APRIL semana santa (easter)

Palm Sunday blessing of the Palms in the churches. Holy Thursday and Friday: Processions with the religious steps of different churches with scenes of the passion of Christ … The Descent from the Cross is represented, the most famous are that of Artá and Pollensa. 

2nd Sunday of MAY ES FIRO DE SOLLER

Representation on the port beach with the arrival by boat of the Turkish Saracens and the fight in the streets of the city of Soller of how the Christians managed to win this battle. It begins with the offering of flowers to the Virgin by “The brave women” and then the representation of the fight with blunderbuss, gunpowder and swords. Ending with a great party for the triumph of the Christians. Market and festivals in the city. The typical food is snails with all-i-oli.

 JUNE 23th night and 24th SAN JOAN

On the night of the 23rd, fires are made on the beaches and people gather for dinner, there are free open-air concerts. It is a magical night, the shortest of the year. All wishes can come true. Tradition says that you have to write on paper what you no longer want and on another the new wishes and while you make them over the fire so that they are fulfilled you have to dance. The most famous are those held in Ciutadella in Menorca.

AUGUST 2nd MOORS AND CHRISTIANS

In Pollensa, verbenas, solemn mass and typical dance of “Cossiers“. In the afternoon at 7:00 p.m., there is a representation of the meeting of Joan Mas, the Christian leader and Dragut also the head of the Ottomans, with the fighting between Moors and Christians. 

SEPTEMBER VINTAGE FESTIVALS OF BINISALEM

Verbenas, parades, popular dances, traditional grape treading contest and “dinner in the street” of all the residents of the town with decorated tables and the traditional dish of “Vermar Noodles”.

NOVEMBER: DIJOUS BO DE INCA

Majorca’s most important agricultural, animal and craft fair. Exhibitors of machinery, gastronomic products, animals, crafts, artisan demonstrations…. On Wednesday night festivals and concerts.

DECEMBER 31st  END OF THE YEAR

Concerts and festivals in the squares and the traditional eating of “12 grapes” for a good year on the chimes of midnight.