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Spanish in Spain? Yes, still the most popular study abroad destination in the world despite the price. Every year 100,000 of thousands of students of all ages make the pilgrimage to learn Spanish. Spaniards often speak of their country as Las Espanas, the Spains. From the mosques and Moorish palaces of Granada and Cordoba in Andalucia, to the classic Spanish images of vast cathedrals and reconquista castles in Castile and Leon, Spain has something to inspire every imagination. Of course, among Spain's greatest draws are the sandy Mediterranean beaches. And even in this, Spain offers an infinite variety of experiences -ranging from the hedonistic beach life in Ibiza to pockets of unexplored coastline along the Costa Brava. Sorting through Spain's vast treasure trove of culture, art, and landscape one discovers a compellingly individual place to visit.
The Spanish people are essentially a mixture of the indigenous peoples of the Iberian Peninsula and the successive conquerors that occupied the peninsula for extended periods. Several of these ethnic groups in Spain have kept a separate identity, culturally and linguistically. For example, the Catalans, living principally in the northeast and on the eastern islands and the Basques centered around the Bay of Biscay have their own languages and distinct culture. Over recent decades, the creation of seventeen autonomias (autonomous regions) with their own governments, budgets and cultural ministries marks a change from the old days of a unified nation governed with a firm hand from Madrid. This regionalism is what gives Spain her plurality of cultures, languages, and identities.
Spain is becoming increasingly urban, with 78 percent of the population living in towns and cities. And Spain's cities offer more than a truly amazing nightlife, there's also the daily pleasures of a round of tapas, a glass of wine, and a bite of the house specialty. Spain's capital, Madrid, immortalized in the movies of Pedro Almovador, ranks high on the list of being home to the world's finest art museums. Barcelona, the favorite city of many visitors, is adored for Gaudi's modernista architecture and the lively Las Ramblas promenade. For flamenco dancing, the heart and soul can be found in the city of Sevilla.
Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, El Greco, Goya, Velazquez - Spain has borne and inspired great artists for centuries. The romance of conquistadors, empires, and invaders has left a legacy that engages even the most casual visitor. From the patterned hillsides of the wine and olive-growing regions of the Levante to the gulch-like desert landscapes of Almeria, Spain is filled with a never-ending host of forms, peoples, and landscapes to delight and inspire.
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