Category: Spain Travel

Notes from Spain Podcast no. 34 – Don Justo’s Cathedral

Post author By Ben
Post date March 26, 2006

NB: This should be 22.40 mins (approx) long. (Some of you may have downloaded a 14 minute version in the first few hours due to a server error.)

Don Justo is a man who has spent the last 40 years building a cathedral in Mejorada del Campo, a village about 20 kilometres from Madrid. Marina and I, accompanied by her mother and (architect) father visit and attempt to describe this incredible building, and tell the story of Don Justo’s life.

Flickr Photo Set Here
Mejorada del Campo on the map
Forum post: Are there any other Don Justos out there?

Technorati Tags: spain, podcast, Justo, architecture, cathedral

Spain Travel

Orange Trees – Naranjos

Post author By Ben
Post date February 22, 2006

Whilst Ben is in India, absorbing every bit of the culture to tell us wonderful stories when he comes back, I scaped down to the Mediterranean coast for the weekend with my mother. We had a couple of lovely sunny days (quite windy for a bit) and as always lots of great food. My favourite was Paella eaten in the sunshine in a terrace with a sea view but we also had delicious Monkfish in a near by place. Actually I’ve come back full of ideas for the next cooking cast… but it will have to wait until Ben brings the equipment back.

However, the greatest of all was wandering trough an orange tree field that belongs to a friend of my mother – Mary – and being able to pick the Oranges directly from the tree. The views were very impresive and the oranges that she gave us to take back with us are excepcionally good. The sad part of the story is that she believes that most of the orange fields near the coast line around the area will be destroyed by holiday homes within 10 years… sad, isn’t it?

— Marina

Spain Travel

Segways in Madrid?

Post author By Ben
Post date February 13, 2006

Now this is something I’d like to try!

Technorati Tags: Madrid, segway

Notes from Spain Podcast Spain Travel

Notes from Spain Podcast no. 31 – Travel Answers

Post author By Ben
Post date February 12, 2006

[Download MP3]

Thank Goodness, another Notes from Spain podcast at last! We answer questions put to us on travel and life in Spain. Here is some of the info we promised to put on the blog:

Our favourite restaurant in Madrid: Taberna Miranda on Plaza Conde de Miranda

Nice, and cheap, hotels in Spain: NH and Tryp Hotels, and in Madrid,
Hostal Barrera on Calle Atocha – 55 euros for a double, phone number: 91 527 53 81, and the Hostal Macarena.

An amazing place to visit in May is the Sierra de Aracena, and partcularly the town of Almonaster la Real (an hour west of Seville and an hour north of Huelva).

See the in-madrid.com classifieds for a place to find intercambios.

Was this podcast interesting? Please let us know in the comments below!

Technorati Tags: spain, podcast, vacations, holidays, tips

Spain Travel

Flying to Madrid any time soon?

Post author By Ben
Post date February 6, 2006

Good luck to anyone sent to the brand new Terminal four! Reports abound of chaos on the first day of opening. There is an interesting podcast here featuring an interview with the architect, Carlos Lamela.

Technorati Tags: spain, Madrid, airport

Notes from Spain Podcast Spain Travel

Podcast no.26 – Las Rias Baixas

Post author By Ben
Post date December 18, 2005

[Download MP3]

Live from the Rias Baixas, the fjord-like inlets that strike inland along Galicia’s Atlantic West Coast. Starting in Carril, in the Ria de Arousa, then on to Mogor Beach in the Ria de Pontevedra, and finally to Vigo, where we watch the Ostreras preparing Oysters on the Rua de Pescaderia in the Barrio de Piedra.

Notes: Berberechos (pic above) are in fact Cockles. And if you are driving around Spain, follow the green-highlighted roads in the Michelin road atlas.

Notes from Spain Podcast Spain Travel

Podcast no. 24 – Lugo and beyond

Post author By Ben
Post date December 6, 2005

[Download MP3]

Posted from on the road in Galicia ( a wi-fi connection at last… ). Car problems and the seedy side of Lugo…. Photos coming very soon!

Notes from Spain Podcast Spain Travel

Podcast no. 18 – Errant in Iberia!

Post author By Ben
Post date October 16, 2005

[Download MP3]

Bit of a one-off experimental-cast this one… Books about Spain and excerpts from my book ‘Errant in Iberia‘. The other books mentioned in the podcast, Orwell’s ‘Homage to Catalonia’, ‘Voices of the Old Sea’ by Norman Lewis, and ‘South from Granada’ by Brenan, can all be found on this page at Notes from Spain’s sister website Books on Spain.

Details of the sponsored ride across India can be found here. Please consider sponsoring me if you enjoy the podcasts!

Spain Travel

Spain is named the top theft hotspot for British holidaymakers

Post author By Ben
Post date September 17, 2005

GMTV reports that over a third of all holiday makers that have fallen victim to crime overseas have done so in Spain.

Wow. You do see the occasional wallet snatch here in Madrid but the problem is apparently much worse in Barcelona. If you are travelling to Spain watch out – the most common ploy involves one person distracting your attention while another lifts your bag. So, whenever a stranger asks you directions, bumps into you, asks you to pass them a menu, gets a little too close – make sure have your bag close or know what’s happening with your wallet. It’s a shame this goes on – nothing to be too worried about, but bear it in mind if you find yourself looking a bit touristy in one of the big cities. Finally, bags on the floor, rucksacks on the back and wallets in back pockets are asking for trouble, no matter how long you’ve been in Spain.

Notes from Spain Podcast Spain Travel

Podcast no. 14! The Island of Formentera

Post author By Ben
Post date August 31, 2005

[Download MP3]

A tour of Formentera, the small Balaeric paradise island just below Ibiza. Really worth a visit, even now in the un-crowded high season…