Majorca, the perfect destination

Balearic bliss: Majorca is the perfect destination for a civilised family holiday

                                                           LAURENCE EARLE      SUNDAY 03, FEBRUARY 2013

In August, according to the pages of Grazia, there was only one place to be, Majorca's spectacular northern coastline.

There were the Camerons in matching dark-blue in Pollença's pretty town square. 

But our celebs are parents all – and to those who treasure Majorca's quieter north-eastern corner as the perfect destination for a civilised family holiday, it was really no surprise at all.

As more people are coming to realise, there are two sides to this island – safely separated by the jagged peaks of the Serra de Tramuntana, which divide the island from east to west. And over here to the north, the fleshpots of Magaluf and Palma Nova seem a world away.

With its luxuriant garden, mountain views, fabulous pool and satellite TV, it proved the ideal base – and at first we found it hard to drag ourselves away. Before long, however, we ventured out.From Soller, we drove on a while to a fêted country-house hotel, the Gran Hotel Son Net in the village of Puigpunyent. Only a 20-minute drive from the bright lights of Palma, this beautifully converted 17th-century finca, perched on a hillside above a verdant hidden valley, seems to belong to a more rarefied world, with private cabanas around the pool, paintings by Hockney and Chagall on the walls, and what may be the most romantic restaurant terrace in the Med.

This is the high life, we thought, settling in to watch the stars come out with a cool white from the estate's own vineyard. As we perused the dinner menu, our waiter told us that the hotel's regular guests include another Tour de France winner, the Spanish champion Alberto Contador, who bases himself here during training. For perhaps the first time in our lives, we wondered whether all these cyclists know something we don't.

An augmented reality stroll in Seville

Matthew Hirtes - Saturday 19 January 2013

Las Setas de las Encarnacíon: designed by futurist German architect Jürgen Mayer-Hermann, these giant mushrooms stand 26m tall.It's an audio-visual adventure drawing on the latest video technology.Those mushrooms turned out to be a four-storey building, known as Metropol Parasol, which opened to the public in 2011.
 Inside is an archaeological museum, bars, eateries and a mirador balcony, providing a breathtaking view of the city centre. It's also where a company called Past View has its headquarters and they  give you an iPhone, state-of-the-art video glasses and earphones.The iPhone is a key component of the Past View experience. Along the walking route are various Past View plaques. When you come across one of them, you are instructed to turn your iPhone on and press the compass key.
 Then you listen to an introduction, watch a re-creation from bygone times, and experience "augmented reality".Past View would represent the best history lesson in the world. They revealed that her company will shortly roll out the product to other destinations including Barcelona, Gibraltar, Luxor and Panama City.What makes Seville ideal for a walking tour of this kind is that the centre is pedestrianised. There's very little traffic noise.
 And you can always pump up the volume on your earphones to drown out any distraction. With so many interesting buildings to choose from, Past View plans to add more re-creations and take in other historical periods.

 

Ban bullfighting

Ban bullfighting
David MartinWednesday 14 July 2010

After a delay last month, the Catalan Regional Parliament is set to take its final vote tomorrow on the ban bullfighting.
This horrible practice, seeking to create virtue from torture and killing, should have been made illegal long ago, but the narrow vote in December illustrated the divide in how the Spanish consider this so-called sport.
First, the argument for bullfighting is that it is fundamental to Spanish culture. References to Goya and Picasso speak of the romantic aura of spectacle that the great Spanish poet and dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca described as “probably Spain’s greatest poetic and life-sustaining wealth”. That use cultural heritage as an excuse for cruelty.
The second argument against the abolition is that Catalonia is using the issue, cynically, as a means to further its separatist agenda.
If it approves the Bill, Catalonia would become only the second Spanish region to ban bullfighting. If there is anything Catalonians are seeking to distance themselves from it is cruelty.

Get Moorish from Seville

Get Moorish from Seville

Karen Goldman - 09th March 2010

Seville is a city that seems to stay on your 'to do' list, you have to see it once in your life. It's one of the most romantic cities in Spain, now is the time to head there.

It's a melting pot of architectural styles through the ages with beautiful Moorish courtyards boasting elegant tiles and Spanish whitewashed buildings with both a Gothic and Renaissance twist.

Autumn would be a glorious time to venture to this fascinating place, which you can explore by foot, new tram and metro systems.

Start your day exploring the narrow, winding cobbled alleyways of the Barrio de Santa Cruz, which contains some beautiful old and restored houses, with cool inner courtyards and rooftop terraces.

You should then make your way to Seville Cathedral, the largest Gothic temple in the world. Get ready for the 97 metre climb up the Giralda Tower adjoining the Cathedral, to have some of the best panoramic views of the city. Nearby is the Real Alcazar (Royal Palace).

Do not leave Seville without visiting an authentic flamenco show.

So if you want a taste of the real Spain, in a romantic setting, head for the city of oranges.

Hello everybody!

Hi, we are Francis and Alexandra from 1ºBatx A from IES XARC, we are going to show you some news of the spanish culture from english and amercian newspapers.