7 SPRING PLANS IN SPAIN: TRAVEL AND PRACTICE YOUR SPANISH

The 21^st of March Spring or the “season of love” began. We leave behind the cold winter and we see how the trees begin to bloom and how hibernating animals leave and go to the fields to graze. People begin to leave their quilted jackets in the closet and begin to take fine and change their boots for ballet shoes.

In this post we want to propose 7 different plans that we consider essential for this season. The only thing that they have in common is that they imply traveling to different places in Spain.

1.- Travel to “Jerte’s Valley” and fall in love with all the almond trees blossoming: This event is considered as one of the greatest spectacles of nature and is often given during the last week of March. With this event, the area is filled with people who want to enjoy this wonderful experience so it will be an ideal time to visit cities such as Badajoz, Caceres and Merida and enjoy its diverse cookery.

2- Go north or south to enjoy the Holy Week: In the previous post, we discussed the differences between Easter in England and Holy Week in Spain and, in the case of Spain, there are a range of options quite big. Each city celebrates in its own way, but always with a common message: commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus. However, of all the Spanish communities, we can emphasize that the best places to enjoy these days would be Castilla y Leon, for traditional message and Andalusia for the passion.

3- Travel to Seville lands and dance in the April Fair: For one week, Sevilla becomes a constant party, the main point of leisure in Spain. Sevillanas, the traditional dance, flood the city and the room full of booths, colours, music and dances reach the hearts of all visitors. And do not forget to try the “rebujito” which is the traditional drink of the event.

4- Next stop, Barcelona, give a rose and a book on Saint Jordi: On April the 23^rd, coinciding with the feast of “The Day of the Book”, the citizens of Barcelona, to commemorate the patron of the community, spread books for boys and roses for girls.

5- Why not living the Andalusian life? Go to Cordoba and photograph their courtyards: Córdoba’s courtyards are famous since hundreds years ago, when the inhabitants of the city (Romans and Muslims), built houses with central courtyards with a fountain in which they collected water from the rain and multitude of plants to increase the feeling of freshness.

In 2012, this festival was declared World Heritage Site by the UNESCO and visitors can enter the courtyards, photograph them and enjoy the scents of orange blossom and jasmine plants.

6- Travel to the opposite extreme of the country and enjoy nature in Asturias with the Covadonga Lakes: The Lakes are famous not only for the story hidden behind, about the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Christians during the siege of Muslims, but also because it is the perfect spot in which you can search fresh air and escape from the agglomeration of the cities.

7- And finally, why not making a more rural plan? Go hiking to the mountain. In Madrid mountain you can make rural tourism, bike riding, hiking, canoeing, skiing … everything you propose. In short, Madrid mountain offers thousands of different plans to enjoy alone, as a couple or with the whole family.

STAY WITH MYHOSTPITALITY AND LEARN SPANISH ON HOLIDAYS

And, if you want to enjoy any of these plans, why you don’t try to stay with us? The process is very simple: enter our website (www.myhostpitality.com), register as a guest and that’s all! You can search and find the perfect host. He/ she will welcome you into his/ her home for free. All you have to do in exchange is teaching your language for some hours during the day, but with the rest of the time free to enjoy any of the above festivities and experiment the Spanish culture with natives and with other foreigners.

¡So try it now and enjoy spring in Spain!