Archive for 'History in Spain'

This week, we were talking about the beautiful Catalonian city of Tarragona and one of her Medieval architectural gems. However, the city has much older roots than that and, therefore, there are some more ancient architectural gems that are also worth mentioning. One of these is the Amphitheatre. Located right by the coast and often home to recreation events of the gladiatorial games that once took place in the venue during Roman times, it is a fascinating monument to the city’s ancient past and a must-see for anyone who has found a vacation rental in Catalonia and is spending time exploring Tarragona.     Read More

This week, we’re talking all things spooky and creepy as we plan mid-term break and Hallowe’en getaways. We’ve already looked at an abandoned and haunted cemetery in Zagreb, Croatia, and the vampires of Santorini in Greece but if you were thinking of heading to Spain, fear not, for she, too, has her fair share of tales of the supernatural and ghosts and ghouls. If you find a vacation rental in Madrid, for example, you can head to the 19th century Palace of Linares (or Palacio de Linares), now known as the Casa de América, which is said to be very haunted due to the terrible things that supposedly once happened within its walls.

The palace was previously the family home of the Linares noble family and is now dedicated to pan-Hispanic films, lectures, and exhibits as the Casa de América. When work began in 1990 to convert the building into this multi-purpose cultural space, rumours of ghosts quickly began to spread, with reports of the sounds of footsteps, doors opening and closing, and crying and screams, in the supposedly empty palace. Most of these incidents were reported to take place near the strange life-size doll house located in the courtyard, which belonged to Raimunda, a little girl who was adopted by Marqués and Marquesa de Linares. The official reports and documents report that it was a happy home but the local legends (which researchers do hold to be untrue) that have cropped up tell a different story.     Read More

Madrid is a great foodie city in Spain and there are plenty of interesting and diverse places to grab a bite all around the city. However, there is one particular restaurant that stands out for a very good reason: it is the oldest restaurant in the world (or one of them, at least).

Sobrino de Botin is, according, to the Guinness World Records, the oldest restaurant in the globe and dates back to 1725. However, by some accounts, the world's oldest restaurant is actually Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House, which was first opened for business during the Jin Dynasty in 1153AD, though the present form dates to the 19th century. Regardless of which actually deserves this title, Sobrino de Botin is certainly the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Europe and a precious survivor of centuries of change, trade and progress.     Read More