Spanish Teaching

Living Spanish in Barcelona celebration: 10% DISCOUNT OFFER!

Stacey — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:40:00 +0100

The grand opening of our brand new school in Barcelona and the 2009 20th anniversary of the opening of the first don Quijote school in Spain are HUGE reasons to celebrate this year!

To get the party going, we’re offering away a 10% discount on our Intensive Spanish course in Barcelona!

Here's how easy it is to enjoy an unforgettable Spanish course in Barcelona at a discounted price:

Just book our most popular course, Intensive Spanish, with don Quijote accommodation with an arrival date between now and November 27 of 2009.
Yep... that’s it!

So if you’ve been dreaming about a Spanish course in Spain, don’t miss this chance!
Where better to experience the thrill of learning this passionate language than in the pulsating, culturally explosive city of Barcelona? And in our state of the art, ideally located new school in the heart of Barcelona's L'Eixample district?

Start planning your stay in Barcelona today!
Contact our course counsellors
Request your copy of our free brochure!

Act quickly to reserve your place and your first choice of accommodation! This special offer is subject to availability.

Conditions:
- Discount cannot be combined with any other offer.
- Discount must be requested at time of booking.
- Discount not applicable to changes from one school to another, with the exception of extending or lengthening your stay, prior to your arrival.
- Discount not applicable during June, July and August.
- Offer subject to availability. Expires November 27, 2009.

Fireworks in Salamanca!

Lauren — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:36:00 +0200

The festivals in Salamanca got a kick start on Monday night, with an immense fireworks display by the river. Although the display was not due to start until 10, the roads down to the river filled up very quickly, with people running to try to get a good view! The first bangs set off a few bats over Salamanca´s awe-inspiring cathedral. However, this did not distract the crowd for long, which was soon mesmerised by the array of colours lighting up the sky. The display finished with an incredible finale which filled the sky with a plethora of gold sparkles, gaining a huge applause from the crowd. This was just the start of the wonderful events that the city of Salamanca will host during its annual fiestas in name of the patron saint of the city, La Virgen de la Vega (The Virgin of the Valley). Although the festivals are coming to an end, Salamanca remains a place to party all year round! Find out more about what Salamanca has to offer!

Rice Festival and Paella contest in Sueca

Stacey — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:00:00 +0200

If you like paella and other rice-based recipes don't miss the Fiesta del Arroz (Rice Festival) in Sueca, an agricultural town south of Valencia.

Declared a tourist interest in 1966, the annual Rice Festival takes place the first half of September to celebrate the most internationally known dish of the Valencian community: the paella. Chefs from around the world gather on the Paseo de la Estación to compete in the “international paella contest” where a giant paella is cooked using the excellent rice that is grown in the very heart of this rice-growing region.

Mmm... this explains why rice is the main ingredient in many Valencian dishes!

This year’s event takes place on 11 September of 2009.

OFFER: Intensive Spanish and Accomodation in Salamanca for only 399 euros!

Stacey — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:49:00 +0200

The anniversary celebrations in Salamanca are not over yet!

Due to the festive mood following the 20th anniversary of our don Quijote school in Salamanca, our high-spirits have animated us to grant another offer - and this time, an "all-inclusive" one:

An Intensive Spanish Course (20 classes and 5 cultural classes a week) + Premium Accommodation complete with full board (3 daily meals) and your own private bath for only 399 euros per week!

It's a wonderful opportunity to live a ‘pure’ Spanish immersion in graceful Salamanca starting anytime you want between now and 31 December 2009. Just make sure to complete your booking before 29 June 2009!

Come celebrate with us, meet new people, experience the exciting Salmantinian life and learn Spanish... at a great price of course! Don't wait!

Request a free brochure!
Contact a Course Counsellor to request more information!

Conditions:
- Offer cannot be combined with other offers.
- Offer must be requested at time of booking.
- Applies to fully-paid bookings completed before 29 June 2009.
- Valid only for Intensive Spanish Course in Salamanca.
- Offer subject to availability. Expires 29 June 2009.

Exhibition: Joaquin Sorolla in the Prado Museum

Stacey — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:25:00 +0200

Valencia- born impressionist painter Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1920) is the star of a memorable retrospective exhibit currently being held by the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Not only is this exhibition the first for the Spanish art gallery representing the painter, but it is also the most important exhibition in -as well as- out of Spain.

Until September 6, you may delight viewing over 100 of Sorolla’s paintings. Among them are 14 of his magnificent panels painted for the Spanish Society of America in New York in which the painter carefully depicts the many aspects of Spanish Mediterranean life under the illustrative title “Visions of Spain”.

Want to learn Spanish in our don Quijote Madrid school (right in the city center) while discovering great museums and a vibrant nightlife? Then request your free brochure!

"Walk on the beach" (portrait of Sorolla's wife and daughter)

Expolingua Lisboa promotes Spanish and Portuguese languages

Stacey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:24:00 +0100

The19th edition of the Expolingua Portugal fair, which was celebrated from March 4-6 of 2009 in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, actively promoted the Spanish and the Portuguese languages as international languages among the Portuguese public.

According to Expolingua’s president Renato Borges de Sousa, who spoke during the fair’s opening, one of the principal targets of this year’s edition was "to unite efforts between the eight Portuguese-speaking countries and have the (Portuguese) language gain international statute". However, Spanish-speakers also occupied an outstanding area in the fair: a total of 5 stands promoted Spain as a tourist, cultural and linguistic destination.

Portuguese youngsters between 10 and 16 years of age, mainly confused regarding what languages are spoken in the different Spanish autonomous regions, were those who approached the Spanish stands the most asking for promotional material and to find out how they can study in the Spanish universities.

The fair also included a Cultural Program, where conferences, debates and workshops gathered specialists, teachers of Spanish and students to debate varying themes relating to the world of languages.

Why should you learn Spanish?
Request a free brochure now!
Learn Spanish at home! Conquer the basic Spanish grammar and vocabulary

Information Office for Students of Spanish opening soon in Salamanca

Stacey — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:43:00 +0100

The new Office of Information geared towards students of Spanish in Salamanca will begin to provide its services this year in Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor, as soon as the permit paperwork gets approved in 2 months. It will be "the first municipal office of that specific character in all of Spain."

Until recently, other offices providing similar services to international students exist in other cities, but they’re wholly dependable of the universities and are geared particularly towards students of exchange programs and those going through academic mobility.

However, this new center of information which will be located in the Casa de Postas just above the Municipal Tourist Office in Plaza Mayor, will provide foreigners who study Spanish in Salamanca (either in the universities, in language schools or private centers), with useful information about the city as well as administrative advice.

The new office will comprise of personnel knowledgeable in several languages who will attend to the doubts of all the students who approach the office, provide them with updated maps and any other specific information.

Foreign students of Spanish will find in this office information regarding the location of municipal and private buildings, hospitals, police stations, libraries, sports complexes, as well as any other place of interest, including a list of monthly cultural programs going on in Salamanca.

The aim of this office is to reinforce the slogan adopted by Salamanca: Ciudad del Español (City of Spanish) and will do anything possible to make its students’ stay as comfortable and informative as possible. Read a previous post on Salamanca becoming the Ciudad del Español.

Why not discover Salamanca for yourself with don Quijote?
View PHOTOS of our Golden City
Watch VIDEOS of our schools and city events
Become a FAN of don Quijote's in FaceBook!
Request a FREE BROCHURE to be sent to you by post... or DOWNLOAD BROCHURE instantly!
Keep up with Spanish cultural and travel news by subscribing to don Quijote’s MONTHLY NEWSLETTER! (It's free and available in English and in Spanish)

Learn Spanish and travel in Spain!

Paqui — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:06:00 +0200

Dreaming of a trip to Spain? Then this opportunity is for you: Learn Spanish in Spain and explore the country on the weekends with a free hotel voucher.

This is a special offer for Spanish courses at don Quijote schools in Spain: The first 50 students to book their course with don Quijote will receive a voucher for up to 3 nights free accommodation in over 350 hotels in Spain, Portugal and Andorra. The voucher is valid for one year when you spend the required minimum in the hotel, usually breakfast and dinner for 2 people.

This offer is valid for bookings of Spanish courses of 4 weeks or more at don Quijote schools in Spain: Salamanca, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Tenerife.

UPDATE - There are only 48 vouchers left, so act fast to get yours now!

Get more details about this offer and a free course brochure

Travel tips and a bit of Spanish language

Paqui — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:29:00 +0200

Every month in don Quijote's newsletter we offer you travel tips for Spain and Latin America as well as bits of Spanish language to practice and learn.

Subscribing is free and you will receive your newsletter in English and Spanish every month with: News about Spain and Latin America, a Spanish proverb, some Spanish slang to learn, a recipe, learning resources and information about offers in Spanish courses.

Have a look at our latest newsletters and start practicing now!

Was ist die Expo Zaragoza?

Brian Meyer — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:02:00 +0200

Auf der Weltausstellung in Zaragoza dreht sich vom 14. Juni bis 14. September 2008 alles um das Thema „Wasser und nachhaltige Entwicklung“.
Deutschland präsentiert auf der EXPO eine attraktive Mischung aus Information und Unterhaltung und zeigt innovative Technologien, richtungsweisende Entwicklungen und kreative Ideen.
Der Deutsche Pavillon nimmt Sie mit auf eine Reise in die wunderbare Welt des Wassers. Erleben Sie ein modernes Wassermärchen und entdecken Sie faszinierende deutsche Wasserlandschaften.

Consejos de viaje y recursos gratis cada mes

Paqui — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:14:00 +0200

En el boletín de noticias de don Quijote te ofrecemos cada mes consejos y sugerencias para viajar por España y América Latina, además de recursos gratis para que puedas practicar y mantener tu español desde casa.

Suscríbete y te enviaremos gratuitamente cada mes nuestro boletín por email (en inglés y en español).

En el boletín mensual de marzo encontrarás:
Un refrán en español, información sobre la Feria de Abril en Sevilla, nuestra última oferta en cursos de español con descuentos. Un piropo en español, expresiones coloquiales para aprender, una receta de un plato típico, una noticia sobre nuestro último concurso en el que una lectora ha ganado un curso en España, y una recomendación de pagina web para visitar. Suscribete ya para recibir el boletín de abril.

Winner of a two week Spanish course in Spain!!

Celine — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:10:00 +0100

In September 2007, we held a contest in our Monthly Newsletter offering a student the possibility to win a free Spanish course at don Quijote. We are very happy to announce our winner.

Twenty-four year old Kamila Hazdrová from the Czech Republic, a Spanish student subscribed to our Monthly Newsletter, participated in the draw and won a free 2-week Intensive Spanish course with accommodation.

The destination Kamila has chosen for her course is don Quijote Granada school where she will study for two weeks in May.

¡Enhorabuena! Congratulations!

We would like to thank all our participants and remind you to keep your eyes out for future contests.

If you have not yet signed up for our Monthly Newsletter register now to find out all about our special offers, programs and contests.

Do you also want to study abroad with don Quijote? Order your free brochure to get more information about our Spanish courses.

Study and work in Spain - special offer!

Paqui — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:40:00 +0100

If you want to study and work in Spain, here is a great opportunity for you.

don Quijote's Study and Work program in Marbella provides students from European Union countries a unique opportunity to learn Spanish in Spain while working to cover their expenses and improving their CV.

And even better news is that you can now book your Spanish course and work placement in Spain for an unbeatable price.

Book before March 31st and get a special discount on the price of don Quijote's Study and Work program that will allow you to save 25% on the price of the course.

Read more about this offer here

Want more information? Ask for details now!

Click here to ask for a free phone call from don Quijote's course counsellors now!

¡CARNAVAL! Carnival Cádiz and Carnival Tenerife

Erin — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:25:00 +0100

It's Carnival time in Tenerife and Cádiz!

If you thought that festive Carnival celebrations were the exclusive property of Brazil or Venice, you'll be in for a wild surprise during a February visit to Spain. The most famous Spanish carnival celebrations take place in Tenerife in the Canary Islands and Cádiz in Andalusia.

Tenerife’s Carnival is similar to that of Río de Janeiro, perhaps simply due to geography, since Tenerife is a tropical island with an average temperature of 22º Celsius throughout the year. For "Tinerfeños", Carnaval is the event of the year. Locals work diligently on their costumes for months before the start of the festivities. Dance, music and color take to the streets during the the island's Carnival parades. The most important parades take place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the island. If you're eager to see local color and culture while you learn Spanish, Carnival is an ideal time for Spanish course at don Quijote Tenerife.

When: January 30 – February 9th, 2008

See some of our students' photos of past Tenerife Carnivals.

More detailed information: Carnaval Tenerife, the official website.

The Carnival of Cadiz is equally famous. Gaditanos have their own way of living Carnaval. Following more in the Carnival footsteps of Venice than Río, Cádiz revelers get together with a group of friends to dress up according to a theme and sing songs with lyrics written as a parody of current Spanish public events or news. The essential ingredients of the Carnival of Cádiz are fun, flamenco and "cachondeo" (joking). And yes, like the Carnival of Tenerife, with don Quijote, you can enjoy the Carnival of Cádiz from the comfort of a Spanish course and student accommodation.

When: main events from February 2 to February 10th, 2008

More detailed information: Carnaval de Cádiz, the official website.

Mexico's dia de los muertos

Celine — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:37:00 +0200

El dia de los muertos (day of the dead) is celebrated on November 1st, throughout Mexico with variations seen in other Latin American countries and other parts of the world.

It is a joyous holiday commemorating the lives of those who have passed away. It is part of a three-day celebration honouring the dead, who are believed to return to their homes on October 31st, Halloween.

El Camino de Santiago

Erin — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:00:00 +0200

As published by don Quijote in the Costa Blanca News:

El Camino de Santiago
The pilgrimage is the new black. It's unlike anything seen since the 13th Century.

People are once again taking to the road and following the medieval Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James) across the north of Spain. Guided by yellow arrows, men and women of all nationalities head west from the French border on a 750km journey over mountains, wheat fields, forests and vine yards, taking in Pamplona, Burgos and León.

Medieval pilgrims seeked faith and penance whilst modern pilgrims often do it for the architecture, the physical effort, the incredible landscape or to take “time out” and seek a new direction. But whatever their reason, the camino is undoubtedly an unforgettable experience unique to Spain.

The Origins of the Camino
Back in 44AD, the pagan Queen Lupa of Padrón, Galicia, received two Palestinian refugees bearing the headless and decomposing corpse of a Christian martyr, requesting to bury him there. The body was said to be that of the apostle James, who had preached in Iberia and been executed by Herod Agrippa on his return to Jerusalem. His followers had rescued the body and allowed Providence to guide their boat through the Straits of Gibraltar to the shores of Galicia. Queen Lupa set them a series of tasks, including the taming of two bulls, which the Palestinians achieved successfully after falling to their knees and praying to Santiago (St. James). Amazed by what she saw, Queen Lupa granted the burial of Santiago and converted to Christianity.

However it wasn´t until the 9th Century that the Camino de Santiago was truly established, when a religious hermit, Pelayo, followed a brightly shining star and stumbled across a hidden Roman mausoleum which housed the remains of the apostle James the Greater. Amongst his relics was gold – artifacts which, still intact and belonging to one of Jesus´apostles, were some of Europe´s finest. The news spread across the continent like wildfire and between the 11th and 13th Centuries Compostela rivalled Rome and Jerusalem as a desination for pilgrims.

FACT: The Camino de Santiago is also known as the Vía Láctea or the Way of the Stars, since the Milky Way appears to mirror the path of the Camino in the sky.

The Pilgrims´Path
The route across northern Spain is not an easy one. Whilst no official start point exists – people usually picking it up wherever they choose – the most popular and traditional route, the Camino Francés, begins at the French border in the Pyrenees, at Roncesvalles. From here, beech forests lead into pastures and villages on a 45km route to Pamplona, which became an official stop on the pilgimage in the 11th Century and whose Gothic cathedral is worth a detour.

West from Pamplona, the camino takes a route through the Sierra del Perdón and down a long valley of wheat, white asparargus, grapes and olive groves to Puente de la Reina, where the Camino Aragonés meets with the Camino Francés, before carrying on to Estella, where the first examples of Romanesque architecture can be found.

From here, the path continues across an undulating landscape of oak trees, wine groves and sleepy villages to Viana, in Navarra, and then on to La Rioja, where Logroño awaits with its Gothic Iglesia de Santiago. From here beckons the province of Castilla y León, where the camino winds through the dense forests of the Montes de Oca to the beautiful city of Burgos – the 13th Century cathedral, whose three eight-pointed-star vaults illuminate the aisle and chapels, is stunning.

The next 200km of the journey takes in the Spanish meseta, where the exposed landscape consists of wheat fields and high barren plains. Highlights here include the Romanesque churches of Frómista and Sahagún, before the Camino reaches León and the home of the “Sistine Chapel of Romanesque painting”, the Panteón Real. The cathedral's 2000 sq metres of stained glass is rivaled only by Chartres in France.

On the way to Astorga, the Camino passes again into mountainous country, ascending to the Cruz de Ferro, a tiny iron cross lodged into an ancient pile of stones and surrounded by items left by passing pilgrims. A steep descent then drops to the city of Ponferrada, with its impressive castle, and on to Villafranca del Bierzo, whose church offered respite and pardon to pilgrims too ill to continue to Compostela.

The mountain pass at O Cebreiro is home to one of the earliest pilgrim stations, founded in 836, and the legendary home of the Holy Grail. The route carries on to the province of Galicia and from here the scenery changes dramatically. Countless villages and hamlets replace the cities and monuments, the houses are stone, the landscape green and the people speak Gallego. Here, Sarria is the chosen spot for those wishing to undertake the last 100 km of the Camino, where rural lanes lead to the town of Melide and Galicia´s oldest cruceiro (standing crucifix).

The last stops on the Camino include Arca and Lavacolla, where pilgrims would wash themselves before heading into the city. The last hill, the Monte do Gozo (Mount Joy), leads to the medieval gateway of Porta do Camiño and finally the magnificent Praza do Obradoiro. Devout pilgrims will then proceed to the cathedral's altar and climb stairs to hug a statue of Santiago and finally to the crypt to pay respect to the famous relics. A symbolic end to the journey is to witness the swinging of the mighty Botafumiero incense burner before mass ends.

FACT: When July 25 falls on a Sunday, that year is known as an Año Santo or Jacobeo (Holy Year). This happens every six, then eleven, five and back to six years...so 2010 and 2021 are the next two to look out for. Holy Years allow Catholic pilgrims earn plenary indulgences.

From Compostela, many pilgrims would historically continue to the end of the known world, Finisterra. At the lighthouse, they would burn rotten and stinking clothes whilst watching the sun set into the Atlantic.

¡Mira quién baila! - A guide to Spanish dance

Erin — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:00:00 +0200

Here's a quick guide to Spanish dance, complete with phrases and vocabulary to practice at the end of the article, as it was published in the Costa Blanca News. (And as you see from the photo, our Seville partner school does indeed offer a Spanish & Flamenco course. Tempting?)

¡Mira Quién Baila! – A Guide to Spanish Dance

The recent success of reality TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing in Britain and ¡Mira Quién Baila! in Spain has sparked a dance revival. More people than ever are interested in learning to tango and salsa and what better place to do so than here in Spain where many of the dances originated! Dancing is an excellent form of exercise and a very social past-time too but with so many seemingly similar dances to choose from, where do you start? Here is a guide to some of the more famous Spanish dances…

Flamenco

It is generally agreed that flamenco originated in Andalusía however it is unknown who actually created the dance. It is thought that flamenco was influenced above all by..

The regions of Spain - with vocabulary and phrases to learn

Erin — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:00:00 +0200

Another of the "Living in Spain" pieces we've published in English language media, this article introduces you to the diversity of Spain's 17 regions, by offering a look at Andalucía, Cataluña, El País Vasco and Galicia. We've included phrases and vocabulary to learn at the end of the article. Enjoy!

Las Regiones de España – Spanish Regions

Flamboyant fiestas, noisy tapas bars, flamenco dancing, blue skies and a glistening green sea are just some of the images traditionally conjured up at the mention of Spain. There is no wonder that some 400,000 foreign nationals have taken up residence in the south and some 55 million tourists flock to the country each year. However, while these sunny notions of Spain are accurate there is a whole lot more to be discovered! There is not enough space here to justify Spain's enormous diversity but this is a brief guide to some of its most famous and distinctive regions.

On Fiestas, Festivos and Puentes....

Erin — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:00:00 +0200

This article was prepared for the English language press in Spain by a don Quijote intern from the UK earlier this year. Some of the fiesta dates vary each year....so we've included links to handy sites where you read up more about the fiesta and when it takes place...

A Guide to Fiestas and Public Holidays in Spain
The Spaniards' love of noise, colour, dressing up, and generally having a ball is indulged at regular periods throughout the year, thanks to a fixed calendar of public holidays, ferias and fiestas which is strictly observed.

This concept may be a little strange to those of us used to Bank Holiday Mondays being days where the shops are open longer and DIY stores do big business or the sales starting on Boxing Day. However in Spain public holidays still mean exactly that, and, if you're not aware of them, they can catch you out. So write them in your diary and keep them free; nobody does fiesta better than the Spanish – and what better way to spend the day than joining in?

Carnival, celebrated early in February, marked the kick off of Spain's fiesta calendar and, as Easter approaches, there's plenty more to come…

Public Holidays (Festivos)
Across Spain, there are a minimum of 14 official public holidays a year – some observed nationwide and some very locally. If a holiday falls close to a weekend, the Spanish like to make a puente, or bridge, and take the intervening day off too.

The eight national hoildays are:

1st January: Año Nuevo (New Year´s Day)
6th April: Viernes Santo (Good Friday)
1st May: Fiesta del Trabajo (Labour Day)
1st August: La Asunción (Feast of the Assumption)
12th October: Día de la Hispanidad (National Day)
1st November: Todos Santos (All Saint´s Day)
6th December: Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day)
25th December: Navidad (Christmas Day)

In addition to these eight, the regional governments of the communidades autónomas (Autonomous Communities) set a further four holidays and local councils a further two. Popular ones follow the Catholic religious calendar and include:

6th January: Epifanía (Epiphany) or Día de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day)…when children recieve holiday presents.
5th April: Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday)... the day before Good Friday. Observed everywhere apart from Cataluña and Valencia.
10th June: Corpus Christi. Especially lovely in Toledo.
24th June: Día de San Juan Bautista (Feast of St John the Baptist)… King Juan Carlos' saint's day.
25th July: Día de Santiago Apóstol (Feast of St James the Apostle)... Spain's patron saint.
8th December: La Immaculada Concepción (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)

Fiestas and Ferias
As if that wasn't enough, the Spanish have innumerable fiestas and ferias of varying size throughout the year...from small villages celebrating for a single day to entire cities partying hard for a whole week. Local tourist offices and Spain's main tourism website, www.spain.info, will have details of all events, but some of the truly unmissable ones include:

Las Fallas: Valencia's huge 5 day festival of drinking, dancing and first class firework displays.

Semana Santa: Spain's Holy Week involves moving parades of holy images and huge crowds. Extra special celebrations include those in Seville and the candlelight procession in Santiago de Compostela.

Moros y Cristianos: Parades and “battles” between Christian and Muslim “armies” in Alcoy, near Alicante.

Feria de Abril: A week long feria in Seville after the solemnity of Semana Santa.

Romería de Andújar: Hundreds of thousands of people make a pilgramage to the shrine of the Virgen at Andújar in Andalucia.

Fiestas de San Isidro: Madrid's chance to let its hair down.

Hogueras de San Juan: Midsummer bonfires and fireworks along the south-east coast.

Sanfermines: Pamplona's famous Running of the Bulls.

La Tomatina: A wild tomato throwing festival in Buñol, Valencia.

Festes de la Mercè: Barcelona doesn't miss out on the fun, with a week long party taking over the city.

Blog editor's note: And Salamanca joins in the action with three week of ferias in September....

These are, however, just a glimpse of Spain's packed festival calendar and don´t even touch on some of the more local fiestas. If you should get the chance to go to one of these don't pass it up on the grounds that it won't be as fun as some of the larger scale events. The locals can party with the best of them!

9 things to love about Salamanca

Erin — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 09:00:00 +0200

Here are 9 things to love about Salamanca, selected a couple of years ago by Christophe Rousseel, a Belgian student and writer who worked with don Quijote during his internship. Christophe spent at least 4 or 5 months here, enough to offer all sorts of advice about how to enjoy Salamanca - by day and by night:

9 things to love about Salamanca

1 Students

Nicknamed the Oxford of the Spanish world, the university of Salamanca boasts a student population of roughly 32000 Spanish students and some 6000 foreign students. There are even more students, since these figures don’t include the considerable number of Spanish learners attending private schools in Salamanca. The high concentration of Spanish and foreign students - there is one student for every 3 or 4 Salmantinos - bestows a unique atmosphere on the small city.

2 Nightlife

Insiders will tell you that Salamanca nightlife can rival any other city in Spain. Or as they say here: Salamanca por la noche, como ninguna. Perhaps it’s not as trendy as Barcelona or as acclaimed as Ibiza but Salamanca at night is custom-made for students. Prices are adapted to student budgets; 5 Euro for an open bar is no exception. The city is easy to get around: you can get anywhere on foot. It is also a lot safer than the bigger party capitals. And last but not least, nightlife is not at all limited to the weekends; you can go out seven days per week (although I advise against it).
Notwithstanding the fact that it’s a small city, Salamanca offers a plethora of bars and clubs: progressive, laid-back bars like Birdland on Plaza de España (named after the landmark jazz club in New York) or Clave del Ocho (near Gran Vía), cosy sidewalk cafés for a quiet talk (like Erasmus on Rua Antigua), crowded discotheques like

A guide to the wonderful world of tapas...and some handy phrases to use while de tapeo

Erin — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:00:00 +0200

This fun guide to the art of tapeo was published by don Quijote in the Costa Blanca News. Read through - you'll find handy Spanish phrases to use during your bar outing at the end of the article. The author is an intern here in Salamanca, with plenty of tapas experience:

No self-respecting Spanish bar would risk being caught without an intriguing array of tapas arranged across its counter. These saucer-sized bites, as much a part of Spanish culture as the siesta and the fiesta, come in infinite varieties and, more often than not, are completely unidentifiable to the untrained eye. However the art of ir de tapas is one that the Spanish have honed to perfection and, once mastered, is arguably the most enjoyable way to enjoy ‘fast food’ with friends!

A brief history of the tapa...

Special Offer Extended: free hotel vouchers while they last! Learn Spanish and explore Spain!

Erin — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:00:00 +0200

Hundreds of our students have received free hotel vouchers to explore Spain.

You can still get free nights in selected hotels when you book your Spanish course at don Quijote, but act quickly!

While supplies last - and you remember to mention this offer when you book your course- you'll receive, along with the rewarding experience of studying Spanish with the leading school in Spain, a hotel voucher for a stay of up to 3 nights in one of hundreds of selected hotels in Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Who's says language study shouldn't include travel in the language you're learning? The vouchers are valid for one year, so you can travel before, during or after your course - or come back to give your Spanish a little outing in Spain later in the year.

Virtual visit to Salamanca

Paqui — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:13:00 +0200

A virtual visit to Salamanca, have a look at this video, discover this amazing Spanish city full of history and culture, and see our first school of Spanish, don Quijote Salamanca school.

Get more information about Salamanca, ask for a free brochure! .

Learn Spanish way down South in Cádiz, or way up north in Pamplona

Erin — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0200

We've just added two new partner schools, carefully selected to meet our standards of quality in teaching and service.

This news add two truly emblematic (should I even say legendary?) Spanish cities to your don Quijote options: Pamplona, a cobblestoned city of tradition, and yes, the famous running of the bulls, and Cádiz, (above, in photo) a sun drenched enclave rich in history, traditional culture, and white architecture against blue Andalucian skies.

Read more about Cádiz and what you can do in your free time through the entire province of Cádiz- from walks on pristine beaches to hikes in the sierra - here.

Read what TourSpain has to say about lovely, historic Pamplona here.

Come work in Spain and experience Spanish culture first hand!!

Celine — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:58:00 +0200

Come work in Spain and experience Spanish culture first hand!!

It is not always easy to get a job in a foreign country, although it’s the best way to truly get to know a different culture. don Quijote can make your dreams come true with the new Study and Work in Spanish Hotels program open to participants from all nationalities.
Request more information here

How to finish Gaudí's Sagrada Familia

Erin — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:00:00 +0200

According to an article published in El Pais a week or two ago (to which I unfortunately cannot link since it is in the paid archives section of the website), work on Gaudí's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is going quickly, and will be completely finished during 2008.

I wonder if it will attract as many tourists as a completed church as it does as a stunning work-in-progress?

March 19th marked the 125th anniversary of the laying of the first stone for the church.

Rigol also talked about a contest, to be launched in June, of ideas about just how to put the final touches on the Sagrada Familia. Now that could be fun...

Semana Santa in Spain

Erin — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:30:00 +0200

If you're lucky enough to be wandering round Spain during April, here's a quick guide to Semana Santa activities in a few choice Spanish cities:.

If it's March, this must be Las Fallas in Valencia

Erin — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:48:00 +0100

¡LAS FALLAS!

Valencia's ayuntamiento has announced the dates and events for this year's Las Fallas celebrations!

You can read more about Las Fallas in this post, and you can download a PDF with photos, schedules and information about this year's celebration ...

Everything you want to know about Spain!!

Celine — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:13:00 +0100

I came across this interesting webpage yesterday and I thought I would share it with you guys. If you ever want to know any specific details about Spain, go to this site…I think you will be able to find just about everything here.

Die goldene Stadt

Celine — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 10:35:00 +0100

Meine Lieblingsstadt ist Salamanca in Spanien. Ich habe letztes Jahr in Salamanca Spanisch studiert, und ich habe es so geliebt. Ich habe eine absolut erstaunliche Zeit verbracht, und am wichtigsten, ich habe so viel gelernt. Ich fühlte mich wie in der Zeit zurück versetzt. Als wär´ ich im einem Märchen. Die Schönheit dieser Stadt ist unmöglich zu beschreiben, aber will ich mich so viel wie möglich bemühen.