The mind map I had
associated with Spain always read Matadors and Siestas, but visiting this
country made me realize how much more there was beyond the projected media
stereotype of bull running and sleepy afternoons.
Although
22% of the people in España claim to be atheists, the churches that adorn
almost every street of the country remain witness to the power that the Church
wielded over the country in days gone by.
The most attended
service tends to be the one that begins at noon. Not a very common occurrence,
where I come from, but it’s a way of making sure that the Saturday night
partygoers make it to church.
And post feeding
your spiritual self, it is time to break open the bottle. Tapas bars fill up
with the after mass crowd, friends catching up for drink or just whiling away
time till tables are available.
Sunday afternoons are
perfect for a long, unhurried lunch with family and friends. A time to bask in
the sunlight and enjoy the sights and sounds that surround you. Roasted lamb
and piglet are among the specialties
There are several buildings to wow at in Spain,
examples of extraordinary architecture dot the skyline, and are major
attractions for tourist and architecture aficionados alike.
And amidst it all,
they find time to sing and dance as well. I never believed it possible that
religious songs could be danced to, but watching these dancers express their
anguish at the crucifixion of Christ through the stomping of their feet and
incredible expressions, made me a believer.
Seen through the eyes of a wanderer, Spain turns out
to be a heady concoction of old and new, both living in perfect harmony and
offering the best of both worlds to
anyone willing to stay and savour something unusual.
