Carlos Ruiz Zafón was born on Sept. 25, 1964, in Barcelona. He is one of the best-known Spanish novelists. All the books written by Zafón are set in Barcelona. He became famous with his first novel "La sombra del viento," the shadow of the wind. All of Zafón's books have been translated into Dutch, by Nelleke Geel.

Until today there are 7 books by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Including 3 novels and 4 juvenile novels. All his novels have been published in more than 40 countries in 30 different languages. Ever since Carlos was five years old he has wanted to be a writer, working at a large advertising company until the 1990s. But then quit this to focus fully on his passion: writing! In his own words, Zafón's novels are a biography of his own life.

The shadow of the wind

His first novel was the 2001 book "La sombra del viento," which in Dutch means "the shadow of the wind". This was also the book that brought him great fame. This book is about the main character, Daniel, who one day is taken by his father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Daniel gets to pick one book and chooses the book; "The Shadow of the Wind. From that day on, the book changes his whole life, and even seems that the people Daniel meets in his life from then on are part of a game in which the book is the centerpiece.

Juvenile novels

In 1993 Carlos released his first book, a juvenile novel called 'El príncipe de la niebla' (the mist prince), this was a mystery horror novel. In 1994 he released his second juvenile novel called 'El palacio de la medianoche' (The Midnight Palace). His last juvenile novel was "Marina," which he released in 1999. After this, Zafón began writing novels for adults.

The Spanish Civil War

Besides 'La sombra del viento' Zafón released two other novels. 'El juego del angel' in Dutch is called 'Het spel van de engel' this book was released in 2008 and in 2011 he released the book 'El prisionero del cielo', 'The prisoners of heaven'. The remarkable thing is that all these novels are set after the Spanish Civil War in Barcelona. Consequently, there are several individual and group tours available in Barcelona that visit all the locations from the books. Carlos has mentioned several times that his three novels are part of a four-part series, "the quartet of Barcelona. So it is only a matter of time until his next novel comes out and his four-part series is complete.

Increasingly popular, also in the Netherlands, are the Spanish dances. Flamenco and salsa, we have all heard of them. But where do these dances come from, are they real Spanish dances or did they originate elsewhere in the world?

Flamenco is one of the most complex dances in the world. Flamenco originated in the second half of the nineteenth century in Andalusia, southern Spain. When people think of flamenco they often think of flamenco dance, but flamenco is more. Flamenco is a combination of baile (dance), toque (guitar playing), cante (singing) and palmas (hand clapping). It is a spirited, expressive and powerful dance and is characterized by its footwork, rhythms, attire and castanets. Today flamenco is one of Spain's most important cultural exports.

Another dance thought to be Spanish is salsa. In the Netherlands, salsa dancing is very well known and therefore there are many opportunities to learn this dance. Salsa is a collective name for different types of dances and rhythms such as son, mambo, guaguancó, cha-cha-cha and the dázon. The rhythm of the dance consists of 8 beats divided into two times four beats, where of every four beats one beat is rested.

When you dance salsa, you don't have to memorize complicated choreography; you can certainly improvise as well. So you don't have to be a professional dancer! With the right rhythm, basic steps and turning technique you will come a long way. The footwork is fortunately not complicated, with these you make the basic steps and the rest of your body does the remaining (dance) work, such as graceful arm movements that are characteristic of salsa.

Salsa is found both in Spain and in the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America and is a melting pot of different cultures of peoples who came to Cuba, each bringing with them their own music and dance style. African slave music and Spanish singing were especially influential in the creation of salsa. Today some 15 million Latin Americans dance salsa.

Calixto and Melibea

Calixto and Melibea park is a beautiful garden in Salamanca. It is the garden of the house where Melibea lived in the story, La Celestina. La Celestina is a love story with a tragic ending. The story is the Spanish version of the story of Romeo and Juliet.

The garden is located in the old town of Salamanca. The garden was opened on June 12, 1981. The garden is 2,500 square meters and is built on part of the old city wall, offering a beautiful view of the Río Tormes with its Roman bridge. On the other side, the garden offers a view of the old town and the beautiful old cathedral. The garden has a great variety of colorful flowers, plants and fruit and nut trees. And is an ideal place to relax and enjoy the tranquility, the view and the romantic atmosphere of the garden.

La CelestinaThe garden is the setting of the love story between Calisto and Melibea in the book "La Celestina" by Fernando de Rojas. Therefore, the name of the park refers to the two main characters of the story, Calisto and Melibea. The park is also home to a statue of Celestina, the matchmaker between Calisto and Melibea.

The story is about Calisto, who is an employee of Pleberio, Melibea's father. Calisto falls in love with Melibea and enlists the help of a matchmaker. The matchmaker, named Celestina, also owns a brothel. Celestina matches Malisto and Melibea by telling Melibea that a man is seriously ill and can only be cured by Melibea's attention. Celestina arranges an appointment between the two in Pleberio's garden.

Calisto's two servants do not trust Celestina, so they try to convince Calisto not to accept her help. However, when the servants find out that Calisto cannot change his mind they decide to make a pact with Celestina. They decide to help her in exchange for some of the money Celestina receives from Calisto. On the night of the meeting, however, the two servants find out that Celestina has no intention of sharing part of the money with them. At this, the servants go to Celestina's brothel and kill her, however, they are caught and the two servants are also executed by one of the prostitutes.

In the meantime, another tragedy takes place in Pleberio's garden. In desperation, Calisto tries to climb a ladder to get to Melibea's window, but Calisto falls off the ladder and dies. Melibea, however, cannot live without him, so she tells her father the whole love story between her and Calisto. After telling him this, she robs herself of life by jumping off a tower.

La Celestina is considered one of the most important and well-known works of Spanish literature. This book is also marked as the end of medieval literature and the beginning of the literary renaissance in Spain.

Flamenco

The best-known phenomenon in the Spanish music industry is flamenco music. The origin of flamenco lies in southern Spain, Andalusia. However, besides flamenco, there are many other Spanish influences in the music known in the Netherlands. Flamenco is one of Spain's most famous musical genres. Flamenco is an umbrella term for the dance, music and singing that originated in the second half of the 19th century in southern Spanish Andalusia. The first things that immediately stand out about flamenco is the twelve-tell system, the Arabic sound influences and the lavish embellishments such as clothing style used in this genre of music. Flamenco is mostly known as powerful, expressive and spirited.

The basis of flamenco is singing. This singing is also called cante flamenco. The cante flamenco is supported by the baile flamenco, the dance style. The baile flamenco consists of often graceful arm and hand movements and intricate footwork. The footwork is also known as "taconeo.

When looking for information about flamenco, one also often comes across the word Duende. Duende is the moment when the guitarist, singer or dancer becomes so absorbed in the music that it creates something more than song, dance or music. The moment a duende takes place, the audience is breathlessly focused on the person possessing this Duende.

Spanish Pop Music

Besides flamenco, there are a number of Spanish singers who have made their mark in Spanish pop music worldwide. Alejandro Sanz and David Bisbal are good examples. David Bisbal gained name recognition in the Netherlands after Jeroen van der Boom released the song "Jij bent zo" in 2007. The original of this song is Spanish-language and was sung by David Bisbal. During Jeroen van der Boom's concert, David was therefore one of the guests of honor. The covering of "Silencio" to "You are so" was not the only song that created worldwide fame for David Bisbal. Outside the Netherlands and Spain, David became very well known worldwide for the song 'Wavin´ Flag' which he released together with K´naan, an African artist as the title song for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This song became a huge hit, and since then David Bisbal has been a much sought-after artist all over the world. He also has a number of Latin Awards to his name.

Salamanca, ´Ciudad Dorada´. Salamanca is also called ´the golden city´. This name is due to the type of stone with which many monuments and other buildings are built. This stone comes from Villamayor, a village in the region of Salamanca. This type of stone has a high iron content, giving the city a golden glow especially at sunrise and sunset. Besides this stunning appearance, Salamanca has much more to offer. Such as the new and the old cathedral, among others, and definitely do not forget the beautiful University of Salamanca.

The Romanesque architectural style

The origins of Romanesque architecture date back to the early 11th century. The construction of the old cathedral of Salamanca was started in the 12th century; it was not completely finished until the 14th century. The old cathedral therefore has many features of Romanesque architecture. For example, the cathedral has thick walls, with small windows and narrow doorways. The walls of this type of building carried almost the entire weight of the building. It was therefore feared that if one made openings too large, the walls could no longer bear the weight. So this is why many buildings with Romanesque architecture have dark interiors. Some other features of the Romanesque architectural style that can be found in the old cathedral include the round curved walls, quiet and clear shapes, many decorations and a cross shape as a floor plan.

The Gothic architectural style

Gradually around the 15th century, the Romanesque style gradually passed into the Gothic architectural style. Therefore, the new cathedral built between the 16th and 18th centuries has many features of the Romanesque architectural style, but also some features of the Gothic architectural style. The main difference between the Romanesque and Gothic styles is that Gothic construction left out many elements that were previously important to ensure that the building would stand. Instead of these elements, more use was made of cross-ribbed vaults, pillars and pointed arches. All of these uses made it possible to make the buildings much taller than previously possible.

The University of Salamanca has influences of different architectural styles, for example, the buildings have Romanesque, Gothic and as well as Platoresque features. The main features of the latter architectural style are much reflected in the facade of the University of Salamanca. This facade is beautifully decorated with various ornaments such as chandeliers, garlands and various other ornaments. For example, in addition to the famous frog in the facade, there is also a time traveler. This one symbolizes the "journey" that the University of Salamanca has gone through.

As the youngest son of famous singer Julio Iglesias, it was no surprise that Enrique chose to become a singer as well. This has served him well, not least because of his looks.

On May 8, 1975, Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler was born in Madrid. He continued to live there until he was 7 years old and was sent to his father, who lived in America. From then on, things move quickly. When he is a teenager he sings in a school musical and his career has begun. A few years later he manages to land a recording contract.

He adopts an artist name ''Martinez'' when he sends a demo to a record company, hoping not to be seen ''as-the-son-of''. When his career starts to get a little more serious, he tells his parents that he is going to be an artist. His parents are a little skeptical about it but they support him.

When Enrique Iglesias' first album was released in 1996, it did well in Spanish-speaking countries. But success in other countries was not forthcoming. After the same happens with his second album, he decides to conquer the rest of the world. He made an English-language album and scored hits with ''Bailamos'' (which spent 16 weeks in the Dutch top 100) and ''Rythm Devine''. A number 1 hit followed with ''Can I have this kiss forever'' in collaboration with Whitney Houston. Many more hits follow such as ''Hero'', ''Be with you'' and ''Escape''.

He releases more hits such as in 2007 ''Do you know'', ''Taking back my love'' with Ciara and ''Can you hear me''. From 2010 he also scores several more hits with famous artists such as Wisin y Yandel ''No me digas que no'', Juan Luis Gerra ''Cuando me Enamoro'', Pitbull ''I like it'', Usher & lil Wayne ''Dirty dancer'', Nicole Sherzinger ''Heartbeat'', Ludacris ''Tonight I'm loving you'' and more.

Enrique Iglesias has also performed several times in the Netherlands, he has already performed in Ahoy three times. A concert by Enrique Iglesias is almost always crowded and mainly by female spectators.

Enrique has won many awards since 1996. He has won a Grammy, a Latino Grammy, several MTV awards, World Music Awards and many more. All this added up + more than 50 million albums sold make Enrique Iglesias one of the biggest Latin pop stars of this decade!

This metropolis of 3.2 million (!) inhabitants is a true paradise for art and architecture lovers! There are endless hotspots to be found here. With all the beautiful squares, extraordinary statues, sights and beautiful architecture, Madrid offers you everything your heart desires!

Madrid is so incredibly big! I remember my first time in Madrid. Where to start? I thought. Therefore, I made a list for you of the places where you can find the most interesting architecture that you should not miss!

The square not to be missed is Plaza Puerta del Sol, the heart of the city. And of course the Plaza Mayor, an ancient square where you can relax, designed by Juan de Villanueva. Furthermore, you can visit the impressive train station; Estación de Atocha where you will find, for example, in the waiting hall a tropical garden and the memorial of the 2004 bombings. Then continue to the Palacio Real (royal palace) and take an immediate walk down Gran Vía, as this street is known as the broadway of Spain!

What else should you see?

• Arco de la Victoria, the triumphal arch built in honor of the Spanish army, work of architect Arreguien
• Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, the dome, courtyard and royal salon are all examples of admirable architecture in this palace
• Faro de Madrid, this modern tower was designed by Salvador Perez Arroyo in honor of the Barcelona Summer Olympics
• Parque Retiro, on Sundays visit the most beautiful park in Madrid, where you will find the only statue in the world honoring the devil.
• Torre Picasso, this is the tallest building in Madrid, designed by the same designer as the Twin Towers in NYC, namely Japan's Minoru Yamasaki.

Puerta de Europa is a good example of how modern Madrid is. Still fairly new (1.5 years old) in this city, it is the largest inner-city park in the world! The huge park full of modern achitecture is built on a highway so that the residents are no longer bothered by the noise. This park is definitely worth a visit when you are in Madrid!

Madrid is the perfect city for a city break! As you may have read, there are many sights to see, but you can also go shopping and find some of the best nightclubs in the country and probably in Europe! But if you want to spend more time in this vibrant city, take a Spanish course! Where better to do this than in the capital of Spain?

As we all know, one of the things Spain is known for are its famous painters and beautiful art. The most famous Spanish painter is Diego Velázquez. He is one of the greatest painters ever! With his individual style and technique, Diego Velázquez had a huge influence on European art. The young Velázquez once said, "I would rather be the best painter in normal everyday things than the second best in higher art." For those who like a bit of culture, this interesting painter is definitely worth knowing more about!

Diego Velázquez had a pretty impressive life. The painter was born in Seville June 6, 1599. In 1611 he starts painting with Fransico Pacheco. This is not a great painter, but he does teach Diego Velázquez the intricacies of the trade. It is also through this man that he meets the woman he will marry in 1617. This, in fact, is Pacheco's daughter. That same year, Diego Velázquez also became a member of a painters' guild, allowing him to start his own studio.

Philip IV: 5 years later, in 1622 Diego Velázquez leaves for Madrid for the first time. There, in 1623, he receives his first commission to paint a portrait of King Philip IV. This is a great success and he is appointed court painter and the only person allowed to paint the king.

Surrender of Breda: Later in 1634 and 1635, Diego Velázquez collaborated on the decoration of a new palace called Buen Retiro. One of its most important works is ´The Surrender of Breda´. This work of art, which consists of 12 paintings, is considered the best historical work in the history of Western Europe. It was created by several painters. This painting shows battles. After 12 months, the besieged Breda gives up the siege. The 12th painting shows the taking over ceremony in which the keys of the city gates are handed over.

The Pope and ´Las Meninas´: Velázquez also paid occasional visits to Italy. On his second visit, he was allowed to paint a portrait of the Pope. This famous portrait is called ´Pope Innocent X´. However, the Pope himself considered it too ´truthful´. Once back in Spain, Diego Velázquez painted his most important painting: ´Las Meninas´ a portrait featuring members of the royal family and court. The central figure in this portrait is Infanta Margarit with her ladies-in-waiting, and dog. The actual main figures, the royal couple, is depicted only in a mirror.

Style: Diego Velázquez is also called the ´painter of painters´. This is because he paid attention to light, space, lines and color in such a way. He mainly painted landscapes, scenes of ordinary life, religious paintings, genre pieces and portraits of the royal family. He influenced many other painters such as Corot, Manet, Goya, Courbet and Whistler. Spain should be very proud of this piece of history!

In Spain, you can admire his work in Madrid and Seville. Highly recommended viewing!

The landmark of Barcelona... Who doesn't know it? La Sagrada Familia. The gigantic church is the showpiece of Barcelona due to its unique appearance. The church is admired by thousands of tourists every day. La Sagrada Familia literally means "The Holy Family. The church, which has been under construction for 130 years and is still unfinished, is definitely worth seeing if you are in Barcelona!

The church is shaped like a cross and is located in the middle of the city. La Sagrada Familia contains a total of 18 towers. Twelve of these towers represent the appostles, four represent the evangelists, and the other two towers represent the Blessed Virgin Mary and Christ. Furthermore, there are three facades, depicting the life of Jesus Christ. To get the best picture of this church, the map of the Sagrada Familia can be viewed. This floor plan shows exactly what the original plans were for this church. But not only the outside is impressive! Inside, the church is at least as special. With its unique shapes and renewed Gothic style, the church is beautiful to see.

The first stone was laid in 1882. La Sagrada Familia was commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church in honor of the Holy Family. At first, Francisco de Paula del Villar was the architect of the church, but he soon called it quits due to religious disagreements. The project was taken over by the architect Antoni Gaudí. For 40 years he worked on this impressive church. Unfortunately, he died in 1926. During the last years of his life, he worked exclusively on the church. Designing this church was the biggest project of his life. Gaudi was very dedicated. In fact, he was so dedicated that at one point he went to live on the construction site! In the crypt inside the church is the tomb in which the world-famous architect Gaudí is buried. After his death, several architects continued Gaudí's work following his original ideas.

Gaudí did not design the church according to a set pattern. He wanted to create a new architecture, with balanced and self-sustaining structures. These innovative ideas can all be seen in the church. While building the church, Gaudí often changed his ideas. This was one of the reasons why the building of the church was delayed. Furthermore, there was also a lack of financial resources. La Sagrada Familia was only allowed to be financed through donations. In fact, the church was originally planned as a "cathedral of the poor.Tegenwoordig wordt er nog steeds aan la Sagrada Familia gewerkt. De verwachting is dat de kerk in 2026, precies 100 jaar na de dood van Gaudi, af zal zijn. Of dit gaat lukken kan niet met zekerheid worden gezegd. Wat we wel zeker weten is dat deze kerk, ondanks dat er nog aan wordt gewerkt, prachtig is om te bezichtigen!

Visits: You can also visit La Sagrada Familia! The address of la Sagrada Familia is Calle Mallorca, 401. Barcelona 08013. During the summer months (April to September), the church is open daily from 9am-8pm. During the other months, the church is open daily from 09.00-18.00h. The normal entrance fee to this admirable church is €13,00. But please note! Students, persons under 18 and pensioners pay €11.00. The church is funded by donations. In the past, those generous enough to donate were promised to enter heaven. The entrance fee is also considered a kind of donation. So who knows, it may also bring you good luck when you visit the church....

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!