The Spanish tradition of a 'vermut' and the best places in Valencia to enjoy them!

Let's go for a "vermut" is a common and popular past time throughout Spain. As the name suggests (vermut is vermouth in English), the idea is a social gathering for a drink. It can happen before or after a meal, although most commonly it's used by friends to meet up after work or on the weekend and just spend some time talking and hanging out.


In fact, you don't even have to order vermouth (if, like some of us, you just don't like the taste very much). Have a glass of wine, or a beer, or even a coffee. The idea is really about being with friends and having a good time, not about what you are drinking.

Here is a list of some of the best places to catch up with friends in the Mediterranean city of Valencia:

Bar Vermudez: They make vermouth their specialty. With a wide variety of vermouths in a number of flavors, this is a great bar for non-vermouth lovers to find their own "vermut".

En La Parra: This traditional tapas bar offers a local vermouth "made in Valencia", and is right in the heart of one of Valencia's best evening/nightlife areas.

La Vida es Bella Vermuteria: Located on a pedestrian street in the quieter area of Benimaclet, a great choice for those looking for a more relaxed evening. For those looking to extend their meeting to include dinner, they offer a menu of the day.

La Bernarda: Right in the heart of the city, in the Tapineria Market you will find this classic Valencia locale, where the owner makes a different rice dish every day and the serve a locally produced vermouth and some of the best sandwiches in the city.

For more information or to book a private tour in Valencia, contact us!

The Spanish Touch

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Spend a night with Sharks in Spain

All around Spain, something is happenning at the local aquariums. For years people have been content to go to the many impressive aquariums around the country to see the diverse fish and different ecosystems that they have to offer. It is a surefire success to spend a few hours away from the heat of the midday sun or on a rainy day.

Sharks have always been one of the big draws, with the shark tunnels becoming ever more popular as a way for visitors to feel even closer to the animals. Now, however, there is a new breed of adventurer visiting these aquatic havens. More and more people are looking for that unique thrill of a different experience, and the aquariums have stepped up to the plate. 

In aquariums in Seville, Barcelona and Valencia, visitors are now being offered the chance to see how the underwater world changes away from the light of the day and the constant stream of visitors. Nighttime visits to the aquariums provide you with an in-depth look at the world most people don't get to see, at a time when many of the most interesting animals are most active. For the most daring divers, there is even the possibility of swimming with the sharks!

For more information or to plan your next private trip to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch. 

The Spanish Touch

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

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Lanzarote creates the largest underwater museum in Spain

From the waters of Cancun, where we find the largest underwater museum in the world, to the waters of the not-less-exotic Lanzarote, we find Europe's largest underwater museum. The "Museum of the Atlantic", as it is known, of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands has a collection of 400 pieces by British artist Jason deCaires.

This initiative is not just a way to add a little something extra to your visit to Lanzarote, in addition to enjoying this amazing show you will be collaborating with the research and understanding of the richness of the marine species and the sea bottom of Lanzarote since 2% of the profits go directly to the cause.

For more information or to book your vacation in the Canary Islands, please contact us: 

The Spanish Touch

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Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

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The meaning behind Madrid's 'El oso y el Madroño' statue

One of the most common pictures taken in Madrid is unquestionably at the statue of 'El Oso y el Madroño'' (the Bear and the Strawberry Tree). But what is the significance of this statue, right in the heart of Madrid?

The bear and the strawberry tree also appear on the coat-of-arms for the city of Madrid.

Historians tell us that the origin of this coat of arms is a familiar story for medieval standards, and can be traced back to the 12th century when it was used as a standard for the army to distinguish groups of knights. It was first used by the troops from Madrid in the campaigns against the Moors in Andalusia.

According to legend, the bear was chosen as the emblem in honor of a brown bear that King Alfonso XI killed on a hunting trip in the mountains surrounding the city. At that time it was not uncommon that these large animals would wander into and around the city limits.

The bear was initially seen with a tower, which was later substituted for the strawberry El oso estaba al principio unido a una torre, que sería sustituída ree. These evergreen trees were a common site in the outskirts of the city during medieval times. However, the origin of this image has a concrete act that took place in the 13th century. At the time there was a dispute beween the city and the clergy about some lands that both sides claimed. They finally reached an agreement with the town kept the tree-filled area and the clergy kept the pastures. That explains why the tree is in the city crest, and the bear was included because at that time it was believed that eating the leaves of the strawberry tree was a rememdy for the Plague.

This is part of our job: telling you the stories and histories of the things you see in Madrid (or any other city) that might otherwise have gone by unnoticed.

Check out our private tours in Madrid and contact us for more information: 

The Spanish Touch

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

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'Ninot' exhibit before Las Fallas in Valencia

You still have time (until March 14) to enjoy the exhibition of the 'ninots' that is celebrated every year before the Las Fallas festival. This year you can visit the exhibition within the grounds of the Ciutat de les Arts i Les Ciències (City of Arts and Sciences), at the Science Museum.

A "ninot" is one of the enormous paper maché dolls that fill the streets of Valencia during Las Fallas and are especially decorated for the festival. The lifespan of the "ninots" is short. It takes a year to build them, and then at the end of the Las Fallas festival - on the last night - they are burned in a tradition called 'La Cremà'.

Every person who visits the exhibit has the chance to vote for his or her favorite 'ninot'. When the exhibit closes, the votes are counted and the ninot with the most votes get special exemption: it has the honor of being the only doll that will not be burned during 'La Cremà'.

Contact us for a private tour of Valencia

The Spanish Touch

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Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

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What is a 'ninot' or a 'mascletà' during Las Fallas in Valencia?

It's almost time for us to celebrate Las Fallas in València. If you are looking for more information about this festivity, you will find different "key words" that make up the "popular slang" and that are important in order to understand what Las Fallas really are. Some of the key words you will see are:

• Ninot o falla: A "ninot" is an enormous paper maché doll that fill the streets of Valencia during Las Fallas and are specially decorated for the festival. The Valencians who work on the ninots spend the entire year getting them ready. The ninots traditionally represent the current sitaution or a character in a burlesque and critical way. There are two types ninots and fallas: childrens' ninots (they are smaller) and the full-sized festival fallas. 

• La Cremà: The lifespan of the "ninots" is short. It takes a year to build them, and then at the end of the Las Fallas festival, on the last night in fact, they are burned in a tradition called 'La Cremà'. This year la Cremà will take place on March 19. The childrens' fallas will be burned at 10:00 at night and around midnight the big ones go up.
  
• Mascletà: Every day from March1 through March 19, at 2:00pm in the town square one of the most impressive acts of Las Fallas takes place: la 'mascletà'. The people gather to listen to more than 100 kg of gunpowder explode in seconds. There are also nighttime and beach 'mascletàs'.
  
• La Crida: This kick-off public event is the invitation to everyone to participate in Las Fallas. This year it took place at the emblematic Serranos Towers on February 28.
  
• Nit del Foc: From the night of March 15 through the 18, every night there is a massive fireworks display (literally a Castle of Fire) over the Alameda (main street). The most spectacular castle is the one that is sent off on the night of March 18, the appropriately named 'Nit del Foc' (Night of Fire). 

All that's left to do now is the enjoy the party!

We are experts in Spain. Contact us for more information about our private tours in Valencia and our Vacation Packages in Valencia and Spain.

The Spanish Touch

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

E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

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The Christmas Spanish 'Wish Machine'

A few days ago I received a cute email from the Tourist Office of Spain in New York. I don't want to tell you anything else, just click on the image and make a wish!

A disappearing tradition: a wood oven bakery

The weekend we spent a few days in the mountain zone outside Barcelona in a village called Sant Boi del Lluçanès. And while we were there amidst the tranquility of the wooded hills, the perfect late summer temperatures with a barbeque and a fireplace in the evening we were given a treat: the chance to see one of the few remaining wood oven bakeries where the traditional style has not given way to a more 21st century approach.  

The Sant Boi bakery is not only for the people who run it (wonderful people), but also for the quality of their products. There was a long line of people all day to buy the bread, different kinds of coques (a traditional pastry), croissants, etc. Their secret? Continuing on with the traditions of baking the different doughs the sme way they've always done it, with a wood-fired oven. The taste of the bread changes subtly, but it's definitely noticeable. It's tough to describe but I think the best comparison I can come up with is the difference between a nice steak cooked on the stove versus one grilled on the barbeque. It simply taste better!

Thanks to the Pujals bakery in Sant Boi and a few others scattered around that have maintained (and in some cases rescued) this traditional style, we can still enjoy our freshly-baked bread with the same taste that our grandparents enjoyed when they told us about the good old days. This shop actually forms a part of a "bread route" in the area, which takes us to different establishments to learn about the production of the bread and how it was traditionally made. The route shows us some of the secretes of the old bakers, from the wheat fields to a flour mill and finally to the bakery itself.

I'll leave you with an insider's photographic journey through the bakery to encourage you to come visit and get to know not only the traditions they are working to keep alive but also the people and the treasures hidden within the mountains just outside of Barcelona.

A special thank you to Ariadna Casas for some of the photos that she gave us and to the Pujals bakery for their hospitality and for showing us first hand how they are keeping the tradition alive.

Contact us for more information!

The Spanish Touch

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Ambler, PA 19002

Toll free: 1-888-480-0013

Spanish office phone: +34 616-103-536
E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

This is the castle in Barcelona where the 'Game of Thrones' (season 6) is going to be filmed

HBO is going to film some of the 6th season scenes of 'Game of Thrones' in one of the most beautiful sites of Barcelona: the Santa Florentina castle, located in Canet de Mar. It was not a very famous site for either locals or tourists until HBO set their eyes on it. 

HBO is also going to film some other scenes in the Bardenas Reales of Navarra, the Alcazaba of Almería, Peñíscola and the Zafra castle in Guadalajara. 

The Santa Florentina castle was built in the 11th century on the remains of a Roman 'domus'. The castle has changed ownership and appearance a number of times through the centuries, but it wasn't until the end of the 19th century that Modernista architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner began the its restoration and expansion. He included decorative motives from the period, including: stain-glass windows, marble floors, carved wooden ceilings as well as traditional Modernista materials like ceramic and wrought iron. The final result is a medieval castle with a clearly Modernista style.

If you would like a tour of the Santa Florentina castle, contact us. 

The Spanish Touch

1580 E. Butler Pike
Ambler, PA 19002

Toll free: 1-888-480-0013
E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com