"Spain" a Spain Travel Page by asturnut

Most people don't realize how diverse Spain is. The Spanish culture is anything but homogonous. There really isn't any such thing as a 'spaniard' in Spain. While some young people are buying into the homogonous pop culture being imported from the USA, a lot aren't. And better yet, there has also been a cultural backlash which rejects Americanization and is embracing the regional character, culture and traditions of their locality. Most of the older generations in Spain are fiercly loyal to the provinces and principalities which they call home. If you were to ask most Spaniards where they are from they will rarely respond "Spain". The response would likely be a proud "Valencia", "Asturias", "Andalucia" or certainly "Pais Vasco or Euskadi". (Some areas, especially in the north are actively seeking independance from Spain because the regional indentity is so strong.) Each region has it's own cuisine, language or dialect, landscape & climate, traditions & customs. For this reason, you can't just visit one or two places in Spain and expect to get the whole picture.

Many people, for reasons I don't understand never venture into northern Spain, which is a real shame- it has so much to offer. There are wonderful ancient ruins, fantastic beaches, great people, great food, warm hospitality, art & cultural activities and much more. I'm not suggesting that a visit to Spain should exclude sites such as Alhambra and Cordoba, I would just like to encourage visitors to Spain not to limit themselves to these places.

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The view everywhere!!! used w/perm by Jorge Tutor

Discover Green Spain!!! Asturias is Beautiful!

When most people think of Spain, they think of places like Sevilla, Madrid, Cordoba and Barcelona. Images of a hot, dry landscape, flamenco music, paella, bullfights and soccer come to mind. A land full of the mysterious influence of the Moors, Jews and other Arabs was what I envisioned. What I found instead, was a mountainous, lush green paradise, "Pariaso Natural," Asturias.

Asturies, is a small autonomous principality in Spain flanked by the mountains in the south and the sea to the north. The location protected Asturies from the influences of the invaders that have flowed through Spain throughout the centuries; Asturies is the only area of Spain never to have been conquered by the Moors. The result is a folk-culture, music and cuisine that is distinct from that of the rest of Spain. Visitors to the region (rare as they are) are often surprised by how Asturies, both in climate and culture reminds them of what they would expect to find in Ireland or Scotland. Because of the sheltered location of Asturias, the Celtic influence planted there thousands of years ago remains there today.

I fell in love with Asturies. It has the perfect combination of gorgeous landscape, mountains and ocean; rustic country living and big city nightlife; delicious gastronomy; and of course, gracious people. To any traveler that wants the best of all worlds, a place that is uncorrupted by the tourism industry, this is the place for you!