Spanish Culture?

Hi Gio--I've been studying abroad in Sevilla, Spain since the beginning of September, and here's what I've found:

First of all, Spanish food can be just as delicious as Italian food--it's also the mediterranean diet, with lots of olive oil, tomatos, fish, other fruits and vegetables, etc. Some of my favorite dishes are tortilla espanola (a kind of omelet with potatoes and other ingrediants sometimes), patatas bravas (potato wedges with a special sauce), and gazpacho (a chilled tomato soup).

Spanish culture can also resemble Italian culture--very Catholic, extended families (though some of this is changing), colorful traditions, etc. There are churches and art here (especially in Madrid's Prado) to rival Italy's as well.

In any case, Spain is also a fascinating culture and history, what with its heritage of 500 years of Islamic presence on the peninsula, which has especially left a mark on architecture in the south (the Alhambra in Granada, the Alcazar and Giralda bell tower in Sevilla), its legacy as a former empire conquering the New World, etc. At the same time, more recent history such as the Spanish Civil War and the Franco period still haunt Spanish society, while there are also tensions about the autonomous communities like Cataluna and Basque country, which even speak different languages......there's plenty of interest here!

Good luck on your vacation, hope you have time to see Sevilla while you're here, it's a gorgeous city.....

And it's actually "muchas gracias," with an a! ;)

What an erudite reply by Sherrilina! Here is something Rick wrote in 2005 that also speaks to your question: "Spain is in Europe, but not of Europe -- it has a unique identity and history, divided from the rest of the continent by the Pyrenees. For 700 years its dominant culture was Muslim, not Christian. And after a brief golden age financed by New World gold (1500 to 1600), Spain retreated into three centuries of isolation (1600 and 1900). This continued into the 20th century, as the fascist dictator Francisco Franco virtually sealed the country off from the rest of Europe's democracies. But since Franco's death, Spaniards have swung almost to the opposite extreme, becoming extremely open to new trends and technologies."

Thank you BOTH so very much. Very, very helpful replies. Can't wait to visit Spain...and thanks for the language lesson, too! Seems like Italian and Spanish are just close enough to cause me trouble.