Jamón Serrano – Dry-cured Spanish ham by Jardoz

Spain is famous for its Jamón Serrano. You can’t go very far without seeing a cut of this meat hanging in a window, asking to be sliced and sampled. Small plates called tapas are meant to be shared amongst friends who want to keep the energy level up until late in the night. Enough tapas dishes will constitute a meal; enjoy with wine and you’ll immediately see the appeal of the small plate.

Typical dishes serve variations of cheese, fish, vegetable, and pastry delicacies. Spain’s Mediterranean diet features olive oil, fruit, nuts, honey, legumes, and other heart healthy ingredients. You may find you’re able to taste a little of everything you want without feeling that you’ve overdone it. Seek out dishes containing saffron or chorizo for something different. And don’t forget to pair with wine.

The Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) consists of small fishing settlements as well as fancy resort towns, such as Marbella. Yacht charters throughout the Mediterranean make this area a frequent destination. The area is perfect for unwinding on vacation and for seeing a completely different landscape than that of Spain’s northern region and interior. There are popular beaches in Malaga, Cadiz, Santander, Valencia, Huelva, and up to Barcelona or out to Mallorca. The other appeal of being on the coast is getting first dibs on the fresh seafood brought in daily.

Tapas by José Porras

A highly recommended method for learning about Spanish traditions is to go to a festival. Every town has a festival for its patron saint, and there are plenty of other festivals to go around. Foreigners are welcome and expected to have fun! Try the food, grab a drink, and celebrate with the locals. It would be very hard not to get caught up in the excitement. Here are a few to try:

• Tomatina in Valencia
• San Fermin in Pamplona
• Carnival in Cadiz

Once you take in Spain’s gorgeous and varied scenery, experiment with its cuisine (squid or snails, anyone?), and participate in a festival, you will start to understand why Hemingway had to write about his experiences there. An atmosphere of joviality coupled with the harsh realities of history compelled him to contemplate life. You are encouraged to simply come and enjoy it.

This is the land of Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Joan Miro, and Salvador Dali. There is earthly beauty in Spain waiting to be discovered. Far from the 24 hour parties on Ibiza, you can still find quiet hillsides and calm waterfronts from which you’ll watch the locals while tasting their specialty dishes. Celebrate the little moments in Spain, one bite at a time.

[Katie Harper has travelled the world over and enjoys sharing your experiences as a guest blogger.]

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Belgium is interesting with the diversity of its population. The country is divided into 3 areas, Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. In the northern part of Flanders, live Flemish, who speak Flemish (Belgian Flemish is a variant of Dutch). In the southern part, Wallonia, live Walloons, who speak French. In the region of Brussels there are Flemish and French speaking residents but also many foreigners. The third official language alongside French and Flemish in Belgium, is German.

Flemish are closer to the Dutch and Walloons to the French, both with the mentality and temperament, and way of life. Between Flemish and Walloons, there is a certain degree of jealousy and they are sometimes even talking about the possibility of division of land into two states.

Brussels – the capital of the EU
The capital of Belgium – Brussels is also sometimes called the capital of the European Union. Brussels houses the Council of Ministers and the European Commission, but also the European Parliament.

Brussels is bilingual, but if you go through the streets, you can hear a lot more languages ​​than just French or Flemish. A large number of foreigners live here, many of which are currently working in the institutions of the European Union. Brussels is a truly cosmopolitan city that offers many tourist sights and attractions such as: the Grand Place with historic houses and town hall, the famous Atomium and Mini-Europe – an entertainment center with models of buildings from different cities of the European Union.

Not least among the advantages of Belgium are their specialties and typical dishes and drinks. A very popular is fish in many ways, mussels, cheese or french fries with mayonnaise. From the candies you should try waffles and of course the world famous Belgian chocolates.

The most popular drink is beer. The best-known brands include Leffe, Chimey, Duvel, Jupiler, Maes, Hoegaarden and Stella Artois. They also have flavoured beers, such as cherry, strawberry or currant.

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