After a journey that lasted approximately four hours, we reached Spain from Turkey, landing in the Spanish capital, Madrid.
Like Turkey, Spain also lies on the Mediterranean, and the Iberian Peninsula has taken maximum advantage of the sea that surrounds it. Spanish ocean adventurers have crossed the world on water, arriving at the shores of continents from Africa to America. It was with the help and support of Spain’s Queen Isabella that Christopher Columbus arrived in America. And of course, the Spanish are also known for the colonial systems they set up in the far away lands to which they journeyed. Aside from Brazil, every country in South America speaks Spanish now. And in the US today, there are an estimated 30 million Spanish speakers. And then there are the countries that constitute what is called Central America — Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala and Honduras — these are all Spanish-speaking countries, as well. In Spain, Mediterranean culture reigns. The people are warm and welcoming. Even their countenances resemble those of Turks. The country is prosperous, with the average per capita income at $34,000.
Spain is also a nation known for its flamenco dances, its siestas, its love of soccer and its bull fights. And these are factors that attract tourists: the number of tourists visiting Spain each year is greater than the entire population of Spain itself. Currently, around 50 million tourists a year come to Spain, and this number increases annually. In Madrid, the famous Museo del Prado –where you can see paintings by famous Spanish masters such as Picasso — receives around 2 million tourists annually.
The heart of Spain is Madrid, which has been the capital since 1561. Madrid lies 646 meters above sea level and has gorgeous weather because of this. With a population of around 5.5 million people, Madrid is famous for its wide boulevards and its orderly layout. Geographically, in addition to being one of Europe’s capital cities with a high elevation, Madrid also lies right in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula. In terms of population density, Madrid follows only Berlin, Paris and London among European capitals. On the weekends, this city is extremely lively, and you can see street musicians on almost every corner.
The most important city square — and Madrid has many — in the capital is Columbus Square. Christopher Columbus is much revered all over Spain, and you can see statues of him in other cities, too.
But the real heart of Madrid beats in the famous Puerta del Sol Square. In fact, the crowds there are so intense that you can barely weave your way through them on the weekends.
Madrid is growing and developing quite quickly. One of this capital’s symbols is the two famous leaning towers named the Puerta de Europa (Gate to Europe), located on a well-known boulevard called Paseo de la Castellana.
In Madrid’s Palacio Real Square, you can see the royal palace. Spain is ruled by a constitutional monarchy, and its monarch, King Juan Carlos, is officially the head of state.
Spain has, throughout history, been extremely successful in seeing its language spread around the world. In fact, Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world today. In 21 countries, there are 350 million people who speak Spanish. What’s more, there are 16,000 newspapers published in Spanish, and 5,000 radio stations and 250 television channels broadcast in Spanish. These days, the Spanish Cervantes Institute — similar to the German Goethe Institute — oversees the continuing support and spread of Spanish throughout the world.
When you come to the Plaza De Espana in Madrid, you will see a statue of the famous Spanish writer Cervantes. Standing right in front of this figure are statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, two characters from his works. This square is clearly one of the top tourist sites in Madrid. And then there is also Madrid’s Gran Via — most Spanish cities have their own “gran vias” — where you will find many restaurants, cafes, theaters and cinemas.
Spaniards have a special love for the sport of soccer. The teams Real Madrid and Barcelona are famous all around the world. Right before these teams play their matches, the streets fill up with fans and the sounds of their slogans and whistles can be heard everywhere.
And of course, let’s not forget that Spain is also famous for many great artistic masters, from Picasso to Salvador Dali, Goya and Velázquez, as well as many others. In fact, many street artists in Madrid make their livings by trying to imitate and bring to life those famous artists of the past. Marco, one such artist we spoke to, has been doing this work now for 15 years, making about $150 a day in tips he collects from passers-by.
Cafe-bar culture is very strong in Spain. In fact, some even say that the number of cafes and bars in Spain is greater than all the cafes and bars in the rest of Europe combined. These spots are always full, even in the middle of the week, and even during the afternoons.
Something most Spaniards appear to love is going to a cafe every day and slowly sipping their coffee there. During the summer month of June, the sun goes down at almost 10 p.m., which means the cafes really overflow with Spaniards taking advantage of the long days.
We decided to take a little break while wandering the streets of Madrid. And of course, we really wanted to try the tasty churros that are so loved by the Spaniards while we relaxed. This is a sweetish treat of fried dough that Spaniards love to dip in hot chocolate before eating. It is a popular breakfast food, but can be eaten any time of the day as well.
Spain has a different work day schedule than other European countries. The work day begins at 9 a.m. and continues until 2 p.m. But then, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m., there is a traditional three-hour lunch and rest break given. This is also the case for state employees. After this break, people return to work, staying there until 8 p.m. For Spanish citizens, this means that any business you might have at government offices needs to be taken care of by 2 p.m., since the post-break hours are used for other business by government employees.
On other fronts, Spain is also well known for its flamenco dances. Flamenco is known all around the world, and we stopped by two different flamenco spots to get a better idea of this music and dance. Flamenco shows often start at 8 p.m. and continue quite late into the night. People generally eat dinner as they watch these shows. The guitar is an indispensable tool in flamenco, as are hands for clapping. There are meaningful rhythms and sounds made by flamenco dancers’ feet as they hit the ground. The movements by the dancers on stage are tough and sharp. Heads and bodies swivel with defined movements, which seem to speed up the tempo of the show. Many of the tourists watching flamenco shows are seeing real flamenco for the first time in their lives. In flamenco, there is a strong sense of melancholy, as well as pain. As a show, it is a mix of dance and song. The words of the songs guide the dancers, and the facial expressions of the dancers — as well as the dances themselves — reflect the words. People say it takes years and years for a good flamenco dancer to be trained.
Spain is also — like Portugal and France — a country which has helped spread Catholicism throughout the world. When they colonized other countries, their missionary attempts were famous. Wherever their ships went, they brought Christianity with them. And they were famous at the time for putting up enormous crosses in the highest points they could reach.
In fact, Spain may be the strictest Catholic country in the world. Former Spanish dictator Franco had an enormous 150-meter cross made in the memory of those who died in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). In fact, Franco’s own grave lies beneath this cross. This cross lies about 70 kilometers outside of Madrid, in a monument known as Valle de los Caidos. Franco’s grave is actually inside the cathedral built on this site.
[QUICK FACTS]
Capital: Madrid
Official language: Spanish (Castilian)
Government: Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
King: Juan Carlos I
Prime Minister: José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
Area: 504,782 square kilometers
Population: 40,491,052*
GDP (PPP): $1,361 trillion**
Religions: Roman Catholic (94 percent), others (6 percent)
* July 2008 estimate **2007 estimate
26 February 2009, Thursday
SAIM ORHAN
zaman.com