Introduction | Madrid and Toledo | Ávila and Segovia |
Seville | Córdoba | Granada |
Salamanca and Cáceres | Navarra | Barcelona |
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If I only have a week and the money to spare Spain will be the place I head to. Its regions and cities are self-contained enough to make it suitable for trips with a definite "base" in one place, as well as being superb to travel around in. Most English people have no idea what Spain is really like, seeing little more than the Costa del Sol and a few select "typical" towns in the vicinity. It is noticeable that you don't meet tourists from the UK in the great historic cities of the country. Spain is western Europe's most econimcal destination, although in fairness, away from the main cities, quality of accomodation can be variable.

Most people do not realise that Spain's geography is extremely mountainous. In fact, on average, Spain is Europe's highest country after Switzerland. The Sierra Nevada in Andalucia and the Picos de Europa in the north are snow-capped for most of the year, and you are never far from high plateaus or more peaks. These plateaus are often flat, wide, bare and scorched by summer sun and winter cold, and are possibly close to the typical image in most people's minds of what rural Spain is like (which has probably been somewhat confused with Mexican geography from Western movies, where a dialect of Spanish is also spoken).

Spain is not just a country of beaches and Don Quixote country. The country was ruled by Muslim rulers for hundreds of years, who left a firm imprint on the culture and the architecture, especially in the South, where they were most firmly ensconced. The triptych of great Andalucian cities, Seville, Granada and Córdoba all have their prize architectural treasure from Arabic times, and the whole of the south is dotted with fortresses and palaces from this time. The other great cities of Spain are all full of historical interest, architectural majesty, often set in grand settings, and you will be made to feel very welcome by the usually extremely affable Spanish people.

The joie de vivre (sorry, I don't know the Spanish translation!) of the people is at its most evident in the famous fiestas that take place all over the country at different times of the year, depending on dates set by the religious calendar. In all cities, you will be astonished by the stamina of the Spaniards, who routinely spend nights at bars (with children in many cases), not arriving home again until near daybreak. They are up again in the morning for work, to do it all again the next night. Friday and Saturday are even heavier. In Madrid, you can - should the masochistic tendency creep up on you - arrive at a club on Thursday evening and move from club to club until early Monday morning, without a break. Perhaps the siesta helps them recover during the day.

The siesta affects the pace of life in Spain, and unless you attempt to fit into the pattern, you may find yourself at a loss for something to do in the afternoons, before the shops and tourist attractions reopen again. The pattern I find to work for me is to rise reasonably early (about 8am) and have breakfast: maybe some thick hot chocolate, some pastries and a piece of fruit. Most places you will want will be open by 9.30 or 10am. Forget about UK "lunch time". Don't even think about eating until 2pm. Find somewhere that looks nice, and order a large salad and main course (the set menus are sometimes good value, but seldom anything to write home about). Spin it out until 4pm with conversation, people-watching and a bottle of local wine, when you can start to think about heading out and about again. The cities are all "alive" again by 5pm at the latest. By doing this you will also miss the hottest part of the day in summer, which can get a little oppressive even for the most heat-resitsant of us (up to 40C). Enjoy the afternoon and evening. You shouldn't be hungry after such a large and late lunch. As it starts to get dark, seek out a bar for a beer or two, and if you get hungry after around 8.30pm seek out some tapas that tempts you.

Tapas is a range of bite-sized snacks served by bars. You can order a tapa (small portion), a ración (full-size plateful), or a demi-ración (a half of a ración). A ración is usually too much for one person to eat, and a mixture of many different plates of tapa-sized portions is most rewarding. You might find chorizo sausage, paella, potato salad, grilled artichoke hearts, pieces of toast with anchovies and olives, spiced meatballs, various fish and seafood, or a multitude of regional specialities to choose from. If you want something a little more substantial, you could order a bocadillo, which is a small french-stick sandwich with various fillings.

Coffee seems to be nothing less than excellent everywhere in the country (you get espresso if you order straight cafe, whereas coffee with milk is cafe con leche and expresso with milk is cafe cortado). Don't look for tea. Please.

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In the heart of Spain is the modern capital of Madrid. The nearby city of Toledo used to be the capital until the sixteenth century, and hence Madrid is somewhat bereft of historic sights. The museums are very good; the plaza Major is evocative (try a bocadillo de calamaris, the local speciality tapas, at one of the bars); the King's Palace is magnificent, with a pleasant park beside it; and the brand new cathedral is worth a look. Nightlife is astonishing. However, you will probably end up in Madrid less by design than by the necessity of your travel connections. It is a good base for taking day-trips to the important other cities of central Spain.

As would be expected, Madrid is a big place, and transport is best made using the underground Metro lines.

Historic Toledo, as already mentioned, used to be the capital of the kingdom of Spain. It was built on a hilltop above the river Tajo with scorched countryside around it. The medieval old parts of the city are flanked by the original gates, and some of the original walls remain. The old city is full of narrow winding streets, and unusually the city has no real plaza major (main square). Plaza de Zodocover was destined to be transformed into a main square, but plans never got further than the construction of one of the proposed sides. The city boasts one of the finest Moorish cathedrals in Spain (you must buy a ticket if you want to see more than the nave), a couple of beautiful and interesting medieval synagogues, a few monastic establishments and the alcázar (fortress). Part of the charm of the city is simply to wander the labyrinthine lanes away from the tourist hordes and take in the atmosphere. You might want a map. The city was also home to the painter El Greco, and there are a number of establishments with works by the master for tourists on artistic pilgrimages. The alcázar has had a long history, dating back to medieval times. However, it was virtually razed during the Spainish civil war in the 1930s, and what you see today constitutes a rebuilding. Franco wanted the building used as a military museum, celebrating the victory of the Nationalists during the civil war. There are three floors. The lowest one contains the rooms of the original fortress, and you can see the bakery room, other rooms, and boards describe a little of their history and how they were used to house refugees during the war. The rooms are all bare and cave-like, save for a few slightly horrific medical apparati in the former "hospital" room. The second floor houses displays of uniforms for various military personnel from different parts of the world and of time, as well as weapons from various periods. The third floor mostly consists of displays of small "tin soldiers" arranged in military formations (including, from the UK, the procession for the funeral of Queen Victoria and for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II - although in the latter case the monarch is titled "Queen Isabel" - who was the most famous of Spain's Queens - we trust this does not represent military ambition gone awry). The whole experience is slightly odd, and one leaves wondering what purpose it was created for. The rather surreal atmosphere is in no way lessened by the fact that you are followed throughout your visit to the fortress by recorded music piped into each room. You wander around the place to the accompaniment of the theme music from "Superman", a rather odd arrangement of Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer", an instrumental medley from "Les Miserables", and sundry bizarre muzaks. (If you have used the train from Madrid to visit the city, you will already have been subjected to merciless light-jazz arrangements of all manner of unlikely tunes played over the train's intercom to passengers for their delectation.)

Toledo has a thriving metalwork craft industry. You might not fancy a suit of armour or a six foot sword, however exquisitely made, but the gold filigree work on various plates, vases and trinkets is very, very lovely. You can watch some of these artisans at work, and, needless to say, the larger examples of their craft are very expensive indeed.

The train station lies a good distance away from the old town, and it may be advisable to get a bus into town, as the walk uphill is not pleasant in the scorching heat. Walking downhill back to the train station is an easier proposition and doing so presents some nice views back to the town, capped by the alcázar. The train station itself is an unsually fine piece of architecture, an elaborate fusion of moorish and pseudo-art-noveau swirls and decorations, lying out in the middle of nowhere along the main road into town.

As far as dining goes, salads seem to be extremely good here, and, if it's in season, try the partridge (perdiz).

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Ávila is a pleasantly cool city, set in the mountains outside Madrid. Don't be fooled, the sun will burn you just as much here as in warmer parts lower down! It is surrounded by perfectly preserved medieval walls, complete with eight monumental gates and eighty-eight towers. The walls date from the eleventh to twelfth centuries. It was the city where St Theresa grew up and founded her order of nuns. The city is a little lacking in excitement, though the heavy-set Moorish cathedral, with its beautifully red-striated interior, and the cloisters attaches are worth spending a while in. You can walk around the top of the walls at certain times of the day. A good view of the city can be had by walking out to les cuatres postes (the four pillars), to the west of the city. There are a few large and impressive monastic establishments you may care to explore. Cuisine and architecture is distinctly influenced by the long Moorish occupation. The local delicacy is a sweet made from egg yolks and sugar, with a hint of orange, called yemas (yolks). Nice with coffee. You'll also find quince jelly and various biscuits purveyed at the tempting confectioners lining some streets. In fact, most of these central Spanish cities offer stickily tempting sweetmeats to the calorifically stout of heart - mostly based on eggs, sugar and cream, and occasionally almonds.

Segovia is set on the other side of the mountain range from Ávila. From the hilltop old city in Segovia, you can see the mountains lining the northern horizon, picturesquely lit at sunrise. Segovia has three main attractions: the cathedral, the acqueduct and the alcázar. The former is a glorious 16th century gothic structure, situated alongside a picturesque square, ideal for a lazy coffee. Unfortunatley tourist literature available for free in the cathedral is only in Spanish. The acqueduct dates from the first century AD and spans the square at the foot of the old town, extending for 800m, and is 29m high at its highest point. Considering no mortar was used to build it, it's in amazing condition. The fanciful alcázar was rebuilt in the nineteenth century in pseudo-medieval style after a fire destroyed it in 1862. The castle at Disneyland was based upon this new construction. There's not much to see inside - for obvious reasons - but the views over the city and surrounding countryside are good. If you want to try a "typical" dish in Segovia, you might have a butchers (pun, pun) at the roast suckling pig on offer everywhere. Aside from these few attractions there is not all that much to do in Segovia, and parts of the city are unfortunately a little run-down. The old town does not party all night, and you must head down the hill into the new parts for the bars and a little life. Bring a jacket as it can get chilly here in the evening, like Ávila, even in summer.

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Seville is the capital of Andalucia, the southernmost and largest region of Spain. Seville, Córdoba, and Granada have all been capitals for the Moorish sultanate during the occupation. They are all fabulous cities to visit.

Seville is a large, modern city, with all the trappings one would expect to find anywhere in western Europe. Fortunately, the old heart of the city has been spared modernisation. A maze of winding streets, lined with souvenir shops, grocers and cafés leads you almost invariably to the main square of Seville, with the great cathedral in the centre of it. The cathedral at Seville is the third-largest in the world. It was formerly the site of the huge mosque built here by the arabs, but all that remains today are the exterior walls, the courtyard between the main gate and the entrance proper (the patio de los naranjos - courtyard of orange trees) and the belltower, which was the minaret of the original mosque. From the belltower you get a superb view over the city. The inside of the cathedral is somewhat austere (for a Spanish church) and not terribly interesting, but the vast retable (carved altarpiece) is quite astonishing. Many of the city's other churches are well worth poking your head into.

The streets and square around the cathedral are lined with orange trees and men trying to get you to have a horse and cart ride. Opposite the cathedral is the alcázar. This fortress is more of a palace, and was the residence for the sultan when Seville was the capital. There is much in the way of architecture to admire, and the audioguides paint a colourful picture of life and politics here under arab rule. Of particular note are the moorish gardens, more akin to a park than garden, with soaring palm trees, alive with cicadas, and a pleasant water garden area. Well worth a visit, and quite different from the Alhambra in Granada.

You might perhaps also take a look at the astounding Plaza de España, where a magnificent semi-circular building remains from the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. The niches around the foot of the inner edge of the semi-circle feature all the provinces of Spain. There are many other sights to see in Seville, and the nightlife is as lively and welcoming as anywhere in the country. The sheer size of the place has proved a problem for me in the past: walking long distances in the scorching heat of day can be almost impossible. It gets very hot here in high summer - up to around 40C commonly.

The local culinary fare is heavily influenced by fish: battered, fried, stewed, poached, whatever. There are a thousand different types of fish, just order a demi-ración of whatever you can pronounce and share it with a friend over bottle of wine.

Click here for some pictures taken in Seville | Click here for the Seville City Guide website |
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Córdoba was one of the greatest cities of Europe during the Moorish occupation. It is not hyperbole to suggest that it was probably the most academically-developed and cultured city anywhere in the world during the early middle ages, and was home to the famous scientist-philosopher Averrhoës during the twelfth century. Despite this, it bespeaks a singularly unpromising prospect when entered from the south, looking much like any modern city with tower blocks set in a unpreposessing lanscape. However, the small old core of the city is one of the great places to see in Spain.

The old town is clustered around the Mezquita and its square. The Mezquita was the great mosque of the Iberian Moslim world, and was the third-largest moslim construction in the world. It was built by a dynasty of caliphs based in the city from the ninth century onwards. When the city was "liberated" and returned to Christianity in 1236 the mosque was reconsecrated as the Christian cathedral. Later, under the Catholic Monarchs in 1523, the bizarre decision was made to construct a seperate gothic-style cathedral in the centre of the mosque. Even writers of the time realised that a major blemish was being made to one of the most important buildings anywhere in the world. It took over 200 years to build, and incorporates renaissance and baroque features as well. The cathedral itself pales into the prosaic compared to the arabic architecture around it. The Mezquita is surrounded by walls and gates with gorgeous decoration. The gates would have been open when in use as a mosque. The entrance to the building now is through the patio de los naranjas, as at Seville's cathedral. The mosque is cave-like and the decorated columns and arches are highly distinctive. The mihrab (prayer niche) faces towards Damascus, not Mecca, and is a marvel of Islamic ornamentation. It is free to enter the building during the morning services in the cathedral, but the lights are then off in the mosque. When the mosque is illuminated an entry fee is charged. I liked it without excessive articifical lighting personally!

A small distance away from the Mezquita is the Alcázar de los Reyes Christianos, which has some interesting arabic baths and lovely gardens but not much of historical interest inside (unless you like Roman mosaics from elsewhere displayed on walls).

While I was there in 2001, a project was underway to recreate a complete arabic bathhouse in the old town for public use. It looked sort of fun and might be finished by now. The city flanks the river Guadalquivir, and some interesting semi-ruined arabic mills can be found along the banks. Cross the Roman bridge under the old town gate and enjoy the stunning view of the city from the far bank.

Tourist restaurants here make some play on the "arabic" tinges to the cuisine. It's not really all that authentic, although the very best restaurants turn out some lovely pseudo-Moroccan fare. For some reason, I found a night in a square-side bar to be more expensive than I was expecting. Perhaps I chose bad venues; perhaps the city is just a wee bit pricier for tourists than other places. Despite that, I found it to be one of my favorite cities in Spain.

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Granada is noticeably richer than most southern cities. The main reason most people go there is to visit the Alhambra palace, the greatest Arabic palace in Europe, and perhaps in the world. Aside from the Alhambra there are a number of other interesting sights.

The cathedral of Granada has a spectacular interior, with the sanctuary being richly decorated with iconography which it can take hours to interpret. Tickets must be purchased for entry, and a further fee is payable to visit the treasury. The exterior of the cathedral is unusual in Spain in being based upon the design of the Roman triumphal arch. The cathedral stands in a square amongst a warren of bazaars left over from the Moorish period. Arabic inscriptions are found over the entrances to the bazaars and traders still use them for selling of (mainly tourist-oriented) crafts and clothing. Adjoining the cathedral is the Capilla real (Royal chapel) where the catholic monarchs are buried. My guidebooks waxed lyrical over it, but I wasn't moved to similar flights of poetic ecstasy, although it is elaborately decorated.

The Alhambra is perched on a hill above the city, between the city and the Sierra Nevada mountain range (it can feel a bit like climbing a mountain if you walk up to the palace from below - catch a bus). First things first: if you want to see the palace in the morning, buy your ticket the day before either from the palace box office or one of the agencies in the city. If you arrive in the morning you will have to queue (we spent 3 hours) and if you're lucky, you will get one of the afternoon tickets. Each ticket has a time slot printed on it, and only during this time can you enter the main palace complex within the grounds, although once in you can stay as long as you like. Audioguides can be purchased and are really necessary to understand the large site, with its three main parts. The end of the site is occupied by the alcazabar, which was a military garrison. The ramparts command fabulous views over the city and palace gardens. At the other end of the site, through the delightful gardens, is the Generalife palace. This was the summer residence of the Sultan and his family and is surrounded by exquisite water gardens. The buildings here are elaborately decorated with arabic decorative tracery. The thing everyone makes all the fuss about though is the Palacio Nazaries, the main palace of the sultan here. A set of interlinked rooms and courtyards are decorated with the most stunning decorative stucco carving you could imagine. Water plays an important part of the architecture, with pools and fountains in the courtyards, and even in some of the rooms. Attached to this palace is the Palacio de Carlos V, built during the early sixteenth century in Renaissance style. I did not have time to look around inside it (the audioguide had to be returned a few hours before the site was due to shut).

The Alhambra is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the Site designation extends to the old Moorish quarter of the city itself as well. The old Moorish quarter is called the Albayzín, and is a maze of narrow alleys and secluded squares on the hill opposite the Alhambra. A superb view of the Alhambra can be had from the top of the Albayzín hill, with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada behind. Along the lower edge of the Albayzín, beside the gorge under the Moorish palace, you will find various eateries and bars.

Granadino cuisine seems to tend towards the generic, with pizza and paella on offer as the main dish in most places, although traditional foods make use of tropical fruits, meats and vegetables. Tortilla Sacromonte is a famous dish, combining serrano ham, seafood, vegetables and offal with the egg tortilla base - maybe not to everyone's taste. I enjoyed a rabo de toro - ox-tail cooked in wine and pepper sauce. Muslim-influenced desserts are predictably (and deliciously) common.

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The city of Salamanca is the crowning glory of western central Spain. The city is a fortunate blend of stunning buildings, history and one of the livliest and friendliest populations you could hope for. The city was nominated the European City of Culture for the Millennium year, and vast quantities of money were ploughed into the cleaning of the city and making it most appealing for both tourists and locals alike. The city is found in the midst of some of the most barren terrain in Spain, and does not impress by its natural environment, but by the beauty of its buildings, all glowing golden-orange in the sunlight.

The city has an old core where everything of interest is located. There are a number of exceedingly fine monastic buildings here, including the remarkable San Esteban convent, where you can buy delicious freshly baked sweetmeats from the nuns for a very modest price. The most remarkable thing about the convent is the decorated front doorway. This is an enormous and elaborate contrivance of plasterwork depicting religious iconography, much in the same manner as a wooden carved retable (altarpiece). This style of ornamentation is known as "plateresque style", and reached a high point in Salamanca. An even more extreme example of this decorative style is found in the doorway to the old University building. Students of the University were, in former times, granted their qualification only upon their locating of a small carved frog hidden somewhere in the decorations. I won't tell you where it is, and you'll have to join the crowds at the foot of the doors gawping up into the myriad swirls and statues in search of our amphibian friend. The Univeristy is one of the oldest in Europe, and is worth a look around.

The Cathedral in Salamanca is unusual on account of it's being comprised of two cathedrals. The "old cathedral" was deemed to small for the prestigious rulers, and so a "new cathedral" was built, which incorporates the old one into its structure. The cathedral is certainly impressive, and again stupendous plateresque decoration is found all over the exterior.

The heart of the old city is the plaza major, certainly the finest of such squares I have seen in Spain. It is lined by colonnades and is noticeably bustling at all hours. You can get good coffee all round the square, and entertainers perform in the evenings. At evening you may find yourself the fortunate recipient of invitations to sundry parties in the city (mainly discos for the student generation). In any event, the square is a lovely place to while away the time by day or dusk. Salamanca, unlike many cities, seems to quieten down in the old town during the night. Presumably the main hotspots for night revellers are situated a way away from here.

To the south and west of Salamanca are some of the most backward (to use a politically incorrect term) towns in Spain, where old traditions are clung to, and still remaining mostly cut-off to those without their own transport. It's not what you might call "typical Spain", being less overtly Moorish in it's architecture, and betraying its proximity to Portugal in many respects. This region, Extremdura, has always been amongst the poorest in Spain, but the benefit of this is that it has been spared modernisation in most respects, and towns and cities retain much of their old arhcitecture and layout. Probably the most important city in this respect is Cáceres. The modern city is much like any other, but just off the plaza major is found possibly the best-preserved walled old town in Spain. Not much happens in the old town, and it feels somewhat like a film-set (and has been used as such on a number of occasions). The narrow streets and small squares are very quiet. There are a number of modest churches here, some arabic bath-houses, and a heritage museum and gallery, but the main attraction is the town itself. It is atmospherically (but sensitively) lit at night, and a stroll through the cobbled alleys on a moonlit night is a very evocative way to experience the place. Apart from the old town, there isn't much to see or do in the city. However, needless to say, even here the partying is serious at weekends, and you may be well advised to seek a guesthouse well away from the main squares and bars if you want to get any sleeping done before 5am. Even 5 floors up in a guesthouse on the plaza major, with the windows barred shut and shuttered, and with damp paper towels stuffed into my ears, I was kept awake by the extraordinary din of music, shouting, cars, bottles and general row of general junketing erupting from the streets below.

Restaurants offer traditional Extremedura dishes (the serrano ham is the best in Spain, coming from acorn-reared black pigs) and the red wines are excellent and astonishingly cheap for the quality. A take-it-or-leave-it dish that I sampled was a sort of spiced bovine offal stew, a kind of Iberian curry, served with rice. Delicious if you're not squeamish about eating tripes and suchlike. Some tapas you'll find here include migas (literally "crumbs" - which is cubes of bread soaked in an oil-based dressing made from local smoked paprika and served with fried egg) and various meatballs also cooked with the local smoked paprika.

The countryside is quite bare and rocky, but not at all parched, and pleasant breezes often blow over to cool the air. To the east of Cáceres are some lovely lakes formed by the river Tajo, around which the main road and railway line from Plasencia skirt.

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Navarra and the Basque lands are situated in the north-east of Spain, extending over the Pyrenees into France. The Basque people are of a different ethnic stock from the French and Spanish surrounding them, and Basque language is unrelated to any other known language. A distinct cuisine has been guarded by the people over the years, but other than that, a visitor is not likely to feel they moved very far from Spain when here. Basque housing uses different architecture from most of Spain, but this is more symptomatic of the montane and sub-alpine environment over much of their region than a discernable cultural axiom.

The ancient kingdom of Navarra was formerly one of the most powerful in Europe, and towns all over the province are well-stocked with churches, castles and palaces testifying to this. However, most visitors get no further than the antics of the famous Fiesta San Fermines held in Pamplona annually in early July. Pamplona is the capital of the province of Navarra. Apparrently it's a nice place to visit in its own right, outside of fiesta time, but I have never been there at that time (shame on me...). The fiesta is one of the great parties of Europe. English, South Africans, Americans, Antipodeans and all manner of Europeans rub shoulders with the Spanish, and for all the influx of foreign visitors, the fiesta is still a determinedly Spanish affair, by and for the Spaniards. The fiesta revolves around two pivots: the patron saint of the town, San Fermin, and the bullfight. The festivities are geared towards the daily bullfight, with the bulls run through the cobbled streets from the church of San Fermin to the bullring each morning, after which most people go to sleep. In the late afternoon processions form up and make their way to the bullring, replete with brass and drums. After the bullfight, the parties kick off, with streets lined with bars, a big fairground, a vast fireworks display, the main squares truend into outdoor nightgclubs... really too much to convey in words. The town becomes one big party (smelly portaloos included).

I have spent my visits to the area based in a small town called Mendigorria, around 20 miles away. It's a convenient place, having a well-appointed campsite beside a river (full of ebullient Aussies at fiesta time), and the town is nicely picturesque situated atop a hill, with an oversized Moorish church looming over it all. From the top of the town are good views over the surrounding country. The town has infrequent transport links, although during fiesta time extra buses are put on (but despite this, if you spend the night at the fiesta, you have to leave around 4pm and can't get back until around 10.30am the next day). If you find yourself trapped in Mendigorria, the nearest town is Puente la Reine, about 3 miles away. The walk through the river valley is extremely pleasant, assuming you aren't catastrophically hung-over.

Puente la Reine is one of the more important towns in Navarra. It was (and indeed still is) an important station on the Pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, and marks the place where the two main routes over the Pyrenees from France merge. Even today in summer one can see pilgrims on their way to Santiago, some by bicycle and some by foot. A pilgrim traditionally wears a scallop shell to indicate his or her intentions, and you may be surprised by how many you spot (the route has more than a religious attraction though, passing through some of the most attractive parts of Spain on the way, and is magnet for walkers and backpacking tourists). The town is atmospherically laid out along its narrow, cobbled main street, with some historic churches to be seen. The town's importance derived from the fact that it was the site of a bridge for crossing the river. The ancient bridge still stands there, a few tourists gawping at it on summer's days. The town is worth a few hours of anyone's time, and is fairly well served than by buses from Pamplona and other important towns in Navarra, such as Estella and Olite.

Estella is perhaps the town richest in medieval architecture in this part of Spain. Many fine churches and palaces are to be found, and the centre of the town is unbendingly medieval in aspect. A large main square is ringed by eating and drinking places where a good bite can be got. Make sure to check ahead before visiting the town, as on certain days all the sights are closed (yes, I was unlucky!).

Olite was the former capital of the kingdom of Navarra, and the king's castle stands there, recently refurbished, and well worth a visit. The bus to Olite passes through some typical Navarra countryside, and you will spot a semi-ruined castle on a hill to the left en route where some scenes from the film "The Name of the Rose" (starring Sean Connery) were filmed.

Olite is surruonded by some of Navarra's best vineyards, some offering tours (you may need to ask direct at the vineyard office). In my opinion (which may not be worth much of course), the finest wines in this region are produced by the Bodegas (literally "cellar", meaning a wine producer) Ochoa. A few Ochoa wines crop up in the UK, but never the very best ones, and always carrying a mark-up of at least 300%. Palacio de la Vega is another fine producer. The wine found in the UK most often is that produced by Las Campanas about halfway between Puente de Reine and Pamplona. The locals drink their wine from the vat mixed with water - yuk. If you don't want that, you will have to specify otherwise to whoever is serving you.

Food in this part of Spain, as mentioned, differs a little from other parts. Tapas is ever-present, but you will find a great preponderance of red peppers used in many dishes. One dish is (in French) piperade, which is a sauté of peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs, cooked with eggs. It looks not unlike something an ill pussycat may produce after overindulging itself with Whiskers; don't let that put you off: it's absolutely delicious. Another feature common to this region is the use of rabbit (canejo) in dishes. A variant on paella is made with rabbit, rice, peppers and tomatoes.

If you go to the fiesta in Pamplona, try to get at least a day out in the towns of Navarra. You will almost certainly need at least a few words of Spanish to get by. The best restaurants are tucked away in backstreets, often on upper stories of buldings, with minimal advertising. Tourist offices may only speak Spanish, but persevere and you will be rewarded with some of the most "authentic" Spain to be found.

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Watch this space for details about northern Spain, as I intend to traverse the caminho de Santiago (a medieval pilgrimage-footpath that leads from France over the Pyrenees into Navarra and across northern Spain all the way to Santiago de Compostela in the north-west) next summer (2003)...