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Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Hiking Tours in Spain

'Camí de Ronda' Hiking Tour (Girona, Spain)

More and more people are looking for hiking tours across Spain. And that's because Spain is a perfect place to walk for its numerous hikes and varying landscapes. It's not just the good weather that allows us to go hiking almost year round, but also for the incredible beauty of the varying landscapes that would be impossible to appreciate any other way. There are so many possibility that what we usually do is offer different possibilities according to the region or area you want to visit. As with all our tours, our hiking tours are private and the group is always accompanied by a professional.

Montserrat Mountain Hiking Tour (Barcelona, Spain)

Some of the Hiking Tours we have posted on our webpage are::

Right now some of our clients are also reserving the following Hiking Tours in Spain: 
  • Montserrat Mountain Half-Day Hiking Tour (Barcelona, Catalonia)
  • 'Camí de Ronda' Costa Brava Hiking Tour (Girona, Catalonia)

Contact us and leave your vacation in the hands of a tour-operator expert in Spain. 

The Spanish Touch

Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536


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Easter week, the most traditional celebration in Spain

In Spain, Easter week is celebrated with a great deal of emotion. This year Holy Week Semana Santa runs from March 20 to 28. People take an active role in its events and traditions. Easter week is celebrated in all the cities, towns and villages of Spain. Nevertheless, there are some "fiestas" that are especially well known for their unique beauty, and have recieved the International Tourist Interest designation. In Andalusia especially the celebrations are very impressive.

For example, during Easter week in Seville you will see how the Easter brotherhoods manage to support the immense weight of elaborately decorated statues of the Virgin Mary as they parade through the narrow streets of the old town. Easter week in Malaga includes the ritual privilege of the freeing of a prisoner. This is one of the most emotive moments, when the figure of Jesus Christ blesses the inmate.

But other traditions are worth mentioning as well, including:

  • The 'empalados' de Badajoz. An 'empalao' is a person who carries approximately  a 60 kg (about a 130 pound) wooden post plus 60 m of a thick rope (covering the upper body and binding the arms to the wood to support the weight and ankle chains on their feet. 12 people carry that weight for 2 hours through the town barefoot in a complete and respectful silence where the only noise is the clanking of the ankle chains against the ground.
  • La Tamborrada, also in Badajoz, when the sound of up to 20,000 drums invades the town.

Each one of these celebrations is special, unique and different. OtherEaster week events that have the International Tourist Interest designation are on display on the following cities: Granada, in Andalusia; Zaragoza, in Aragon; Crevillent and Orihuela, in the Valencia Region; Medina de Rioseco, Medina del Campo, Ávila and Palencia, in Castile-León; Toledo, in Castile-La Mancha; and Viveiro and Ferrol, in Galicia.

Once you have discovered them, you'll want to return to Spain for Easter week.





Contact us and make your vacation a unique one with our private tours:

The Spanish Touch

Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

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Monday, February 15, 2016

Toledo Day Trip from Madrid


One of our 'best selling tours' in Spain is our 'Toledo Day Trip'. Toledo is a monumental walled city just 30 minutes outside Madrid. It has a long history dating back to the Romans and the influence of the Moors, Jews and Christians who have called it home are evident in its streets and sites. That’s why Toledo is called ‘the city of three cultures’. Toledo is the perfect city to walk around in, taking in its narrow stoned streets, impressive monuments and an atmosphere that takes you back to another time.

Check out more information about this tour on our website 
and contact us for more information or to book it!

The Spanish Touch

Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

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Friday, February 12, 2016

Segway Vineyard Tour in Barcelona


Enjoy a different wine visit about an hour outside of Barcelona. A visit through the Penedes vineyards without having to worry about walking. The cool and exciting way to glide through the vineyards, you join us as we take a Segway tour to learn about the grapes, the history of the land and the region.

Some of the highlights of this tour include:
  • A one-hour guided Segway tour of the vineyards.
  • A visit the winery itself.
  • A wine tasting (3 wines).
Optional:
  • We can include other winery visits to this tour. 
For more information do not hesitate to contact us:

The Spanish Touch

Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

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Thursday, February 11, 2016

'Pan de leche' Spanish Sweetbread Recipe



Tonight I am going to make this bread again for dinner. It's a spectacular dinner if you accompany it with paté, a little tomato, cheese, cold cuts....

Ingredients:

One packet of baking powder (15gr.)
175 ml. of whole milk (at room temperature)
10 gr. maple syrup or honey
250 gr. flour
5 gr. salt
15 gr. melted butter

Directions:
  • In a bowl, mix together the milk and maple syrup (or honey). In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix the ingredients of the two bowls together by hand. Once the dough is sticky, add the butter. Knead the dough with a bit of olive oil approximately 12 times. Let it sit in a greased bowl covered with cling film. Let it sit 15 minutes in a warm and dry area. Knead the dough 12 more times and let it sit for another 15 minutes. Repeat twice more and after the second time let the dough sit for at least 30 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into two equal parts.  Using your hands roll each half and twist them around each other on top of a piece of baking (wax) paper. Brush the tops with milk and then add the poppy seeds to decorate. Let it sit until it doubles in size. Cover. 
  • In the meantime, preheat the oven to 410ºF with an oven-proof dish filled with water inside. When it reaches the right temperature and the dough has doubled, bake it in the oven for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350ºF and bake for 25 minutes more. 
Buen provecho!



Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

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Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Wine and Chocolate Tour in Barcelona


We have began 2016 with some new tours in Spain. In Barcelona we have a great tour that combines two delicious pleasures: chocolate and wine. On our Wine and Chocolate Tour you will have the opportunity to enjoy some of the best wines of Catalonia and Barcelona, taste local chocolates and learn how to pair the two together: delicious!

This is a 5-hour tour that is already one of our top selling tours of 2016!

Don't hesitate, Contact The Spanish Touch and join us for this unique experience!

For more information you can visit our website: 


Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

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Monday, February 08, 2016

Clam and white beans recipe



Ingredients:

1 jar of pre-cooked white beans (400 gr.)
1 bag of frozen clams (500 gr.)
1 onion
1 green italian pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of saffron (optional)
1 teaspoon of spicy paprika
4 tablespoons of white wine (preferably Spanish white wine)
Olive oil (preferably Spanish)
Salt and Pepper (to tast)
A couple of bay leaves

For the parsley oil: 
2-3 teaspoons of dried parsley 
Olive oil (to taste)

Directions: 
  • Remove the frozen clams and place them in cold water until the open slightly. If you buy fresh clams, simply rinse them and put them aside.
  • In the frying pan, brown the onion and diced pepper together with the garlic cloves. When finished, take them out of the pan and blend everything together in a mixer. Set aside. 
  • In a casserole dish, add the bean and enough water to cover them all. Cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Add the onion, pepper and garlic mixture, as well as the paprika, bay leaves, pepper (to taste), saffron and olive oil. Let it cook over low heat for 10 more minutes.
  • In another frying pan, add the clams (well-drained) clams and add a couple of tablespoons of white wine. cook over low heat until the open. Add them to the casserole and let the cook a few minutes all together. 
  • When ready to serve, mix the parsley with olive oil to create a homogeneous sauce and pour over the clams. Serve hot.  
Buen provecho!



Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536


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Friday, February 05, 2016

Seasonal Tours in Spain

In the Day Tours tab on our website you will see that, depending on the region you select, we have begun offering tours that are only available at certain times of the year, perhaps only for a couple of months or even on specific dates. These are what we call "Seasonal Tours" - unique experiences that are closely linked to the local culture and, in many cases, have been overlooked by most everybody except the locals. Most especially we have been working in Barcelona to introduce these new tours, which have been a great success thus far, and that has encouraged us to continue offering exclusive and varied seasonal experiences around Spain. 

Some of these tours include:

If you are coming to Spain, keep an eye on the new seasonal tours we post, it's a different way to travel and get to know the roots and traditions of Spain and its culture. 

 



For more information don't hesitate to contact us:


Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

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Thursday, February 04, 2016

Calçots: the winter culinary experience in Spain

There a few regions in Spain that take part in a strange culinary festival from early January through March: eating calçots. The most likely place you will find this delicacy on the tables in Aragon and Catalonia. 



Calçots are a type of sweet onion, large and long and very flavorful, a flavor which is enhanced even more by dipping them into an almond-based salsa called 'romesco'.

In spain eating calçots a social event. You can eat them in most local, traditional restaurants where they will prepare them for you, but the most traditional way to go is to get a group of friends together and do it yourself! The calçots are grilled in a special grill directly on the coals. It's not a traditional barbacue since calçots take up a lot of space.



Calçots are normally the first course of the meal. Now that you've got the fire going, it's only natural that you cook some meat too.


You know that we like adding experiences to our tours, something that brings you into direct contact with the people and authentic Spanish culture. Well there you have it, if you are coming to Barcelona or Aragon during the winter months, we will definitely suggest that you take part in this experience. You won't want to miss it!

For more information, don't hesitate to contact us:

The Spanish Touch
1580 E. Butler Pike
Ambler, PA 19002
Toll free: 1-888-480-0013
E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com
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Wednesday, February 03, 2016

Spanish Carnival Festivities


Carnaval is a festival that is celebrated throughout Spain. But there are two places that are especially famous for their celebrations: Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands) and Cadiz (Andalusia). These two cities spend the entire year preparing, and when they come out to celebrate they do so in the bright colors and costumes, and the joy of their celebration spills out into the streets and into the people.

This year the Carnaval de Tenerife takes places from February 3 to 14. You can check out the festival programme here: http://carnavaldetenerife.com/en/blog/Items%20de%20portfolio/our-program/

This year the Carnaval de Cádiz will be celebrated from February 4 - 14.

For more information don't hesitate to contact us: 

The Spanish Touch
1580 E. Butler Pike
Ambler, PA 19002
Toll free: 1-888-480-0013
E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com
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