We may not think of Spain as the basketball country par excellence, but the national team has achieved many successes. The team has won silver in the past two Olympics and even became world champions in 2006.

One of the most important players on this team is Pau Gasol. He has also put basketball in Spain on the international map and has become a national hero. For example, he was even allowed to carry the flag for Spain during the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.

Born near Barcelona, Catalonia, the 32-year-old Spaniard's height, 2 meters 13, is an appearance in itself, as Spaniards are not known for their height. As a child, he wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps and become a doctor. His parents both played professional basketball, so it was no surprise that Pau could be found in the gym from a young age. His brothers Marc and Adria also both play this sport fanatically.

When he enrolled in 1998 to study medicine at the University of Barcelona, his career lifted as well. In 1999, Pau Gasol began his professional career with the club FC Barcelona Bàsquet and put his studies on hold. In the two seasons he played for this club, he won the national league, the Liga ACB, both years. A move to America was in store for him, and so in 2001 he was enlisted at the Memphis Grizzlies club in the United States. At this club, Pau Gasol was active until February 2008. His younger brother Marc Gasol also followed him to this club.

After almost 7 years, the star basketball player joined the famous team of the LA Lakers. With this team, he even became champion of the NBA in America in 2009 and 2010.

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Connoisseurs of Spain and lovers of hiking have undoubtedly heard of it, ¨El Camino de Santiago de Compostela¨. Located in the province of Galicia in northwestern Spain.

Making the trek on foot is a top feat, from the Netherlands it is about 2,500 kilometers and if you start from the Pyrenees 800 kilometers. In days that would be 100 days of walking from the Netherlands and a month from the Pyrenees! Every year 100,000 pilgrims undertake this journey. To know why this pilgrimage route is so popular, a little history.

According to tradition, it is the place where the mortal remains of the Apostle James the Greater, the patron saint of Spain, lie, so it is the ideal place to pray. After James was beheaded in Palestine, his body was placed in a boat and this boat reached the Galician coast by itself. The two disciples who traveled with him buried the body at Mount Libredón. Until the hermit Paio rediscovered the tomb in 813, the tomb of James had fallen into oblivion.The tomb has since become an attraction for Christians from around the world and not least for the ¨ordinary¨ hiker, who sees the trek as a challenge.

There are many roads that lead to Rome, including Santiago. From Europe there are several ways to Santiago, from the Netherlands the obvious way is via France. There is a pilgrim's pass in which the pilgrim can collect stamps from the villages he visits during the route. Once you arrive in Santiago de Compostela, you receive the ¨Compostela¨ a certificate that the pilgrimage route has been completed. In the Middle Ages, criminals could get a reduction or remission of punishment through this certificate.

You can see the great cathedral of Santiago from afar, then you know you have almost completed the route! In the square in front of the cathedral, pilgrims from all over the world gather and visit the cathedral. Inside the cathedral the air of incense hangs and an organ plays. And then, of course, there is the statue of St. James that you can hug. You sometimes have to stand in line for it, but it's worth it after the long trip! Outside in the square you can get the coveted certificate, the ¨Compostela¨, the crowning achievement of the pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago.

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Those who think that Spain only has something to offer on the famous, crowded Costas are wrong! If the nature on the coasts is already fantastic, inland Spain is overwhelming. For the Spain lover who wants to get away from the masses and wants something completely different from sun, sea and beach, there are no less than 10 national parks and 700 protected natural areas.

The island groups of the Balearic and Canary Islands also offer beautiful natural areas. For example, did you know that the highest mountain in Spain is on Tenerife? Of course, you can discover all this beauty with organized excursions by bus, but much more fun is to do it on foot.

Besides being very relaxing, hiking in the mountains is the way to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and get in touch with nature. There are beautiful hiking trails all over Spain, but Andalucía is the province par excellence to practice this sport. For the beginners there are short and easy routes and for those who have been hiking for some time there are longer and tougher routes.

All the trails are beautiful and some feature a theme. Like the shepherd's walk, for example. For about 3 hours or so, you will slip into the skin of the shepherd and be absorbed by the flock. Feel the energy of simplicity, unity, romance and take a peek into the world of the shepherd. There are further mountain walks in the Sierra Tejeda where you will encounter mountain goats and king eagles or the culinary routes where you will make stops to taste the local wines, cheeses and hams.

And, even in hiking, modern technology cannot be left behind and GPS routes are now available. This may not seem like the most adventurous solution, but it does have some advantages: getting lost is a thing of the past and you hardly ever look at the map to determine your route. So you do enjoy the hike much more. Another great thing about this type of hiking is that you can keep track of the distance you have walked, how fast you are walking or how high you have climbed.

All in all, well worth thinking about a hiking vacation in the beautiful surroundings of Sierra Nevada in Granada, Sierra Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama in Málaga, Sierra de las Nieves in Málaga above Marbella, Sierra Grazalema in Cádiz...

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Gaudí is a very famous Catalan architect, born on June 25, 1852. For Spanish architecture Gaudí has been very important, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is one of his works, but is certainly the most famous. Antoni Gaudí is considered the founder of organic architecture.

History

Gaudí studied architecture in Barcelona at the Escola Superior d'Arquitectura. To make ends meet, his jobs included side jobs with other Spanish architects in Barcelona. Gaudí was characterized as quirky and he lived in his own world. When Gaudí received his degree in 1878, his teacher said of him, "He aprobado a un loco o a un genio" (I made a fool or a genius succeed).  Antoni Gaudí was also characterized by the fact that he lived for his work, and throughout his life no woman ever entered the picture.

European architecture was changing during Gaudí's time. There was more openness and romanticism, which was reflected in Gaudí's Spanish structures. He was a Spanish architect who was concerned about not only his clients but also the workers. The Gothic style also received attention because of Gaudí. Although Barcelona and Catalonia were booming economically, it was still under the leadership of Spain. Gaudí was opposed to this and therefore almost always spoke Catalan, even if it then had to be translated for some workers. Antoni Gaudí was always inspired by the past and all his works are based on his own imagination.

Sagrada Familia

In 1883 Gaudí received his biggest commission, even before he was known. The commission was in the name of the church which wanted to build a church in honor of the Sagrada Familia (holy family). The specific reason why Gaudí received this commission is unclear. First, the commission went to Francisco de Paula del Villar, who withdrew at the beginning of construction. After Joan Martorell also refused, Antoni Gaudí was given the commission.
You can clearly see from the outside of the Sagrada Familia what Gaudí's idea was. Because Gaudí never really worked with drawings, only sketches remain of his ideas for the Sagrada Familia. He knew at the beginning of construction that he could not see the final result. This did not matter to him, because he knew his work would one day be finished and God had all the time anyway!

Death of Gaudí

During a normal daily walk on June 7, 1926, Gaudí was walking along the railroad tracks and was suddenly hit by a streetcar that did not stop. As a result, he lay unconscious in the street and was obviously badly injured. People took him to an emergency room for treatment. Because Gaudí always did not look well, no cab driver wanted to take him to a hospital. All in all, he ended up in the then poor hospital called Hospital de Sant Pau.
Because he did not show up for work that day, fellow workers got worried and started a search after which they found him in the hospital. Stubborn as he was, Gaudí refused a transfer to a clinic. His words were, "My place is here, among the poor." On June 10 around 5 in the afternoon, Antoni Gaudí died.

Two days later was his funeral and this was definitely an important event with a funeral procession of up to kilometers long. Antoni Gaudí is buried in the Sagrada Familia in the crypt.

Today

Today there is a committee present to beatify Antoni Gaudí through his architecture in honor of God. He was a wonderful person to those close to him, but to outsiders a quirky person, a genius!

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Penélope Cruz is a well-known Spanish actress who has been immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since 2011. She has also been nominated several times for an Oscar and even won it in 2009 for best female supporting actress in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Penélope Cruz left high school to pursue a dance career. At the National Conservatory in Madrid, she studied classical ballet, among other subjects. Penélope also attended theater in New York at the Christina Rota school.

Penélope Cruz's first films were in Spanish. The film Belle Epoque was voted best non-English language film, winning an Oscar. An English version of the Spanish film Abre los Ojos was also made called Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise, in which Penélope played the same character twice. Penélope Cruz has been acting in Spanish and English films since 1992. She was also the first Spanish actress to be nominated for an Academic Award for Best Actress! For years, Penélope Cruz has also been modeling for the French cosmetics brand L'Oréal Paris and for shampoo. Every year she earns $2 million from this. She has also designed for Mango and modeled for Ralph Lauren. Outside of acting, Cruz is also active in fashion. She tops with other famous actresses for sexiest woman and Cruz is the face of many fashion brands.

Private life of Penélope Cruz

Penélope was engaged to Tom Cruise for a long time after the movie Vanilla Sky. It just never came to a wedding of the two. She also spent a year with actor Matthew McConaughey. In 2010, Penélope Cruz secretly married Javier Bardem (Spanish actor). Together they have a son named Leonardo who came into the world in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2011. Penélope is a close friend of Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar. They know each other from the many films in which Penélope has played for Pedro. Pedro also calls Penélope his muse.

Volunteering

Cruz also donates her time and money to charities. She has volunteered in Uganda and India, where she spent a week working for Mother Teresa in a clinic. This trip opened Cruz's eyes and after this she started a charity for homeless girls in India. Cruz donated her salary from her first Hollywood film entirely to Mother Teresa. In early 2000, Penélope also traveled nar Nepal to photograph Tibetan children for an exhibition by the Dalai Lama. This made a big impression on her and she commented, "These children break my heart. I have to restrain myself not to cry. Not entirely out of pity but also to see how hard life can be and how difficult it is to make the right choices."

Penélope Cruz fought her way to the top as a little girl and is now a globally recognized actress. In the future there will be many films in which this Spanish actress plays. Furthermore, we can always admire Penélope in advertisements of cosmetics brands and fashion brands. She is a beautiful woman who has come a long way. I hope she will only become more successful!

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Upon arrival early in the morning at Valencia airport, I can't wait to start my day with a freshly pressed zumo de naranja á la Valencia.

First we dropped our suitcases at our hostal Venecia, which is located in the city center, and then we quickly went into town. From the airport you can easily take the subway to the center of Valencia. So we do the same. The subway takes us straight to our hostal. This hostal is located at Plaza Ayuntamiento from where you can easily walk to the other two squares of Valencia (Plaza de la Reina and Plaza de la Virgen). In the square, the pole with the temperature gauge indicates 34 degrees Celsius. Fortunately, there is a constant wind blowing through Valencia, so it is perfectly bearable. Valencia is the 3rd largest city in Spain, but this doesn't feel like it at all. It is a quiet center with not too much traffic, where you can enjoy wandering through the many narrow streets.

With such a vitamin C bomb comes a nice breakfast. As we walk towards the first square we see that you can sit on the terrace of Horchatería El Siglo in the sun. This is definitely the place where we want to have breakfast and catch the first rays of the Spanish sun. On the menu is horchata de chufa (almond drink). According to the camarero, this is something typically Valencian you must have tried. You drink this local thirst quencher ice cold and eat fartons (stems of croissant dough) with it. The waiter manages to seduce me anyway so, in addition to the zumo de naranja, I order the horchata with fartons. The horchata tastes like a slightly sweet milky drink and is wonderfully refreshing. The combination with the fartons completes it! In short, the first step to a good and especially healthy day has been taken.

To get a good idea of Valencia, we are going to explore the city “all Dutch” by bike. You can rent bikes everywhere, but we rent them at Solution bike rental at a competitive price on the recommendation of our hostal. Very nice is to cycle through the 10 kilometer(!) long city park Jardines del Turia in the old river bed of the Turia. This park runs right through the city like a green strip. I have never seen such a versatile park with various playgrounds, work-out machines, playing fields and beautiful picnic areas! If only we had such a park in the Netherlands. After an active bike ride through the city and the park, our stomachs start to growling again and we look for a restaurant where locals enjoy the almuerzo. We plop down at restaurant Taberna Española Pasodoble. Like the Valencianos do, we order the daily menu.

This is a complete 3-course menu for about 10.00 euros. Very tasty and a cheap solution that can fill you up well. What you must have tasted when you are in Valencia is the paella! This cocina tipica de Valencia, you can eat it everywhere in Valencia. Just outside Valencia, in Albufera, you can visit the rice fields. We decide to eat paella on the beach of Valencia in the evening. It is also easy to reach by metro from the center. We were told that restaurant La Pepica is the most famous paella restaurant, but that L´estimat serves the most delicious paella and where you sit among the Valencianos. So that is the very best tip: eat where the locals are sitting. We end the evening at the Café de las Horas with Valencia's most famous cocktail “Agua de Valencia”. The alcoholic version of Valencian oranges;) mixed with cava (Spanish champagne) and cointreau.

Before we return home, I quickly buy something for the home front at Mercado Central in the morning. This market with its food stalls of fresh vegetables, fruit, fish and meat makes your mouth water. This is also where all the restaurants in Valencia get their fresh produce. On the side of the Mercado Central I quickly buy paella rice and a paella pan so I can try to make the real paella a la Valencia at home.

Valencia, with some 1,500 restaurants, is a delight for culinary lovers. It is a versatile city where you can fully enjoy Spanish life in all its facets. I will definitely come back here!

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Full name is Rafael Nadal Parera and he is a famous Spanish tennis player. Born in Mallorca, Spain on June 3, 1986. Rafa is his nickname for both privately and on the tennis court. He became a professional tennis player in 2001. Rafa Nadal has won a total of over 46 million euros in prize money!

Rafa is currently ranked No. 2 in the world according to the ATP list. He is considered one of the best tennis players ever. Different tournaments also have different surfaces, for example, Roland Garros has gravel where Wimbledon has grass. Rafa Nadal is also called the King of Gravel. This name because of his 7 titles won on this surface. With this, he has surpassed Björn Borg. He is, according to some, the best gravel player ever!!! In total, Rafa Nadal already has 11 Grand Slam titles to his name. Nadal has also won a gold medal in 2008 at the Olympics, won 21 Master Series titles, which is a record number. The Spanish tennis player also plays on the Spanish national team and won the Davis cub with the team in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011. After also winning the title at the US Open in 2010, he became the 7th person in history to receive the Career Slam, Rafael was also the youngest by the way! In 2012, he became the first tennis player in history to win an ATP title 8 times in a row, the Master Series Monte Carlo. Before Rafael Nadal became No. 1 in the world on Aug. 18, 2008, he first spent 160 weeks at No. 2 behind Roger Federer. Rafa remained the No. 1 until July 5, 2009, but on June 7, 2010, he regained the No. 1 position after winning his 5th title at Roland Garros. Since July 4, 2011, Novak Djokovic has been the No. 1 player in the world.

For all his professional tennis career, Rafael Nadal has been in a duel with Roger Federer. Off the court they are friends, but once they face each other in a semifinal or final, it is hard against hard and they give everything! These are therefore always beautiful and especially exciting matches to watch for the fans among us.

Private life

Rafael Nadal's parents are Sabastián and Ana María, also Rafa has a younger sister named María Isabel. Rafa is the nephew of former soccer player Miguel Ángel Nadal and his coach is his other uncle Toni Nadal. Nadal has been dating Maria Francisca Perello since 2005. A hobby Rafa pursues outside of tennis is golf. There is also an autobiography written about Rafael Nadal's life titled "Rafa," which came out in 2011. 

It is safe to say that Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal is among one of the best in the world. Not only now, but also in history he has broken many records. And I believe Rafa will continue that in the coming years now that he is at the top. 

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Volunteering in Spain and Latin America has become increasingly popular among the Dutch in recent years. More and more people and especially young people go to developing countries during their vacations to help with different projects. This can be building an orphanage, teaching in Latin America or going on a volunteer trip in Spain.

There are many organizations offering volunteer work and this number will continue to grow in the coming years. Many companies also volunteer both at home and abroad. The relative distance (distance in time, money and effort) has become smaller in recent years, making visiting developing countries more and more accessible now. Relative distance has been reduced by development of land, sea and air transportation.

You can now take a Spanish course first and then volunteer in a Spanish-speaking country, such as Mexico. At don Quijote they can arrange this for you, as it is important to have a certain level of Spanish before you can help people. The only condition don Quijote sets is that you take a Spanish course for a minimum of 4 weeks to improve your Spanish, during which you will stay with a host family to improve your Spanish even faster. The course should bring your Spanish up to a level that will allow you to become a volunteer. When you start volunteering, you can choose to stay with your host family or you can choose different accommodation, which does not have to be don Quijote.Neem hier makkelijk deel aan door je zelf in te schrijven bij don Quijote. Een ervaring voor het leven zal het worden die je nooit zult vergeten!!

All income goes directly to the volunteer project. This way you can see for yourself right away where the money is going. Nowadays you can also volunteer in Spain, put together your own trip and help the less fortunate. Helping to build orphanages and schools gives you a fulfilled feeling!

We will look for a good volunteer project for you. During your volunteer work you will be accompanied so that we can keep track of how you are doing and help you when needed. For each volunteer, don Quijote will donate a contribution to the project in question.

So have you always wanted to do something for those people who are less fortunate in their lives than you? Now you have the chance to do something for this, become a volunteer in a Spanish-speaking country in Spain or Latin America. There are many projects in Latin America that help in orphanages and schools. Improve both your Spanish and the lives of those less fortunate by volunteering!

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Toledo is the capital of the Castile-La Mancha region of central Spain and is located 70 kilometers south of Madrid. Toledo is also on UNESCO's World Heritage List due to its rich history and diversity of cultures.

Toledo was the capital of Spain until 1561 and is still considered one of the most important cities of the Spanish church today. The city is also known for its many daggers and swords that you will find all over the city. Toledo is also the city of El Greco, a famous painter.

Ancient Toledo was owned by the Romans who called the city Toletum until 192 B.C. Furthermore, Toledo was also part of the Visigoths from 534 to 712 A.D. In Moorish times, 712 to 1085 A.D. the city was called Tolaitola. After this time, Toledo experienced a prosperous time through the silk and wool industry and also through arms manufacturing.

Although Toledo is not a large area, it is an important hub economically and socially. The city is rich in culture and Spanish history. Toledo can also be easily visited on foot. All sights, monuments, museums and other places of interest are close together. However, it is advisable to wear good shoes or sturdy slippers since, as in all other cities in Spain, the streets are usually lined with small stones.

Toledo is generally known as "The City of Three Cultures." This is because Christian, Muslim and hebrew cultures lived within the city walls and this has left its mark on the city. This is particularly evident in the extraordinary architecture where all three cultures come together and give it its own personality.

During the Spanish Civil War, Toledo became truly famous for the siege of the Alcázar. At the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, the siege of the Alcázar of Toledo took place, this was an important military confrontation between opponents and supporters of Francisco Franco. From July 21 to Sept. 27, 1936, the city of Toledo and particularly the Alcázar was besieged by citizens loyal to the leftist government. The Alcázar was defended by Colonel José Moscardó. On July 25, the besiegers captured Colonel Moscardó's son, Luis, and wanted to kill him if the Alcázar did not surrender within ten minutes. The colonel asked his son on the phone to address him, telling him, "Dedicate your soul to God and cry loudly Long live Christ King! Long live Spain!" The son replied, "That is something I can accomplish!" After this refusal to surrender, the son was bloody murdered a month later. On Sept. 27, after two months of siege, the Alcázar was unseated by Franco.

Toledo's rich history in particular makes it a wonderful city to visit. Transportation to Toledo is easy from Madrid. It is definitely worth visiting Toledo once if you get the chance. After all, you can really enjoy walking in this city!     

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Traveling through Spain, enjoying Spanish life under the sun! Travel in general has become one of the most popular leisure activities of most people in recent years. This year, an estimated 1 billion people will go on vacation! Spain is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Europe.

This trend starts especially with the youth between 18-25 years old. Taking a year off to work or going on a year of travel is increasingly becoming a popular option. This is a result of reducing the relative distance between 2 places. The relative distance between two places is the time it takes to get from one place to another. This has become shorter over the years through technological advances of land, sea and air travel.

Because the distance between different places is smaller, the ability to travel is also easier. It used to be special if you went abroad for vacation. Nowadays, we don't do anything else and most families go on vacation abroad at least twice a year. Many study trips are also taken, whether it is studying abroad or learning a language abroad, nowadays anything is possible! A study trip is an experience for life, you learn from it and you meet many different people. Study trips to Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Salamanca are the most visited study destinations.

Accessibility in a country is very important. Therefore, in Spain there are many buses and trains that can take tourists from one city to another for relatively low prices. From Madrid the trains in Spain run in all directions, Madrid is located in the middle of Spain which ensures the many directions. The roads in Spain are also good, making a car vacation to Spain easy to do as well. This allows you to see a lot of the country while being independent of any buses and/or trains. You can easily rent a car from the airport.

Did you know that the Madrid - Barcelona flight and vice versa are the most frequent flights in the world. Daily flights go from the largest city in Spain to the second largest city and back again. Because there are so many flights going every day, the airline tickets also have pleasant prices. Furthermore, many domestic flights go from the north to Andalusia and also to Catalonia. Because of this, many Spaniards also enjoy a vacation in their own country.

All in all, traveling to and through Spain is quite doable. There are many pristine spots of nature where mass tourism has not yet set its foot. It is therefore definitely worth doing a tour of Spain, especially with the pleasant climate that we Dutch are always so envious of!

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