Spain: Overview and History

Our restaurant is named after the affluent seaside town of Marbella in Spain. Manolo Torres is from Spain, as are many members of our staff. We are very proud of this shared heritage and embrace the traditions of this homeland entirely.

The exuberance of the Spaniards and the glorious predictability of the summer weather have been attracting refugees from the United States and northern Europe's damp and clammy lands for decades, but Spain is much more than the Costa del Sol and warm English beer. It is drenched in the historical pageantry of empire and conquistadors, the artistic legacy of Goya, Velázquez, Picasso and Dalí, and the romance of Don Quijote, Papa Hemingway and the International Brigades.

Spain is fantasy land come true. Rousing songs from the Spanish Civil War are sung in bars, young lovers embrace in the ancient streets of Seville, flamenco stars dance with a fury both rehearsed and passionate. Spain can be wonderfully theatrical and earthy at the same time.

Castilian, usually known as Spanish, which is spoken in all the national territory, Equatorial Guinea, the Sahara, Central and South America ,except Brazil and the Guyanas, and parts of the United States and the Philippines, is the fourth language in the world in terms of numbers of speakers ,over 330 million.

The culture of any country or group is best understood as a sort of continuous flow, with the creative energies of new talents contributing to change. At any single moment, culture is a complex amalgam of past glories and the current avant-garde.

This is true of any society, but there are few whose culture is in such close contact with present-day reality, so deeply rooted in popular tradition, as the Spanish. The great names in Spanish arts have all been strong characters, with the confidence to break away from established mores, and have always been closely involved in the society in which they lived and which they portrayed. Think of Goya and Velázquez in painting, Cervantes and Quevedo in literature, Falla and Albéniz in music...

This very Spanish characteristic has given rise a very Spanish culture, in a nation whose cultural heritage has been enriched by the many external influences to which it has been subjected in the course of its long history. The Iberian Peninsula's geographical position has made it a natural bridge between cultures of the north and the south of Europe and Africa. The vicissitudes of its history have transformed it into a crossroads for many different cultures. For this reason, its cultural heritage offers enormous wealth and diversity, and perceptible in it is the human imprint of an agitated and intense past.

History of Spain:

Spain's history was shaped by many forces—the Phoenicians, Romans and Germanic tribes all had a strong hand in influencing the people of the Iberian Peninsula, of which Spain is a part. Perhaps the greatest artistic and intellectual ferment in Spain was under the Moors, the Islamic conquerors who crossed the Straits of Gibraltar in the early 700s and ruled the land for more than seven centuries. Universities, unique architecture and an age of religious toleration were all fostered by the Islamic rulers. After a protracted struggle with Christian forces, the Moors were finally ousted in 1492. That same year, Columbus crossed the Atlantic under the Spanish flag and revealed the New World to Europe.

The next century saw the apogee of Spain's power and influence throughout the world: Theirs was the first worldwide empire. In addition to their adventures far afield, Spanish kings controlled all or parts of what are now Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy and France. Imperial ambitions brought on imperial excess, however, and adventurism finally sapped the strength of Spain. The country went into a decline that saw it lose nearly all of its colonial possessions by the late 1800s.

In the early part of the 20th century, Spain was in turmoil as its traditional culture and economy clashed with modern political and social forces. The breaking point was reached in 1936 with the first shots of the the horrific Spanish Civil War. Fascist dictator Francisco Franco, with the help of Hitler and Mussolini, emerged victorious from the civil war and ruled until his death in 1975. He left Spain in the care of King Juan Carlos I, who soon led Spain toward democracy. With its new freedoms, the country enjoyed a cultural renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s, and in 1992 hosted both the Summer Olympics (in Barcelona) and Expo '92 (in Seville).

Weather and Climate of Spain:

The months April-June and September and October are the best times to visit. July and August are generally very hot, and it can be a bit cool in October in the higher elevations and Basque area. Sweaters will be needed for evenings. Winter, though generally mild, can be rainy, foggy and windy. We think winter, even on the Costa del Sol, is on the cool side—much too cool to sunbathe and swim. It rains more on the Bay of Biscay coast than on the southern Mediterranean coast. The temperature cools dramatically at high altitudes.

Dining in Spain:

Spanish food has a deservedly fantastic reputation, and tapas are probably one of the most civilized inventions since cold beer. Paella, gazpacho and chorizo may be familiar to most Western diners, but Spanish cuisine goes well beyond these, with a smorgasbord of rich stews, soups, beans, seafood and meats, all of which have been influential in Latin American cooking. Spain is a country that truly enjoys it's food. There's really no such thing as "typical" Spanish cooking. Food in Spain is as varied as its climate, cultures and geography. Most regional dishes are based on quality local ingredients and a relatively simple preparation.

The best known "tourist dish" is probably paella, a rice dish which comes from the Mediterranean area around Valencia. If you want genuine paella, you'll find it in Valencia, or (sometimes) in a specialty restaurant in Madrid or Barcelona. The typical tourist paella bears little (or no) resemblance to the real thing. In the big cities like Madrid and Barcelona, you'll find every type of regional cuisine and some great restaurants. Despite it's distance from the sea, Madrid (for example) has some of the best fish restaurants in all of Europe.

We think Spanish cooking is reason enough for a trip to Spain. Part of the pleasure of dining on the Iberian Peninsula is variey—each region has a distinctive style. Galicia is known for its wonderful seafood (octopus is one of our favorites); the Basque Country for its bacalao (a preserved salt cod that tastes better than it sounds); Castile for its cheese, grilled meats and cochinillo (roast suckling pig); Extremadura for serrano ham (a dry-cured spiced ham similar to Italy's prosciutto); Navarra for trout and chorizo (a spicy sausage); Andalusia for gazpacho (a delicious chilled tomato soup) and tapas; Catalonia for grilled rabbit, romesco (a sweet pepper sauce traditionally eaten with grilled spring onions), butifarra (blood sausage) and paella (a delicious saffron-flavored rice dish with pimiento, peas, fish and shellfish—a specialty of Valencia).

Other dishes to try include sopa de pescado (fish soup), parrillada (a mixture of various fried fish and shellfish) and grilled lamb and rabbit. Cocido (pronounced co-THEE-do) is a traditional Madrileno dish made from sausage, bacon, garbanzo beans, cabbage and boiled meat—it's especially popular in winter. Desserts include flan (baked egg custard), turron (marzipan, chocolate or nougat), crema Catalan (egg custard with a crunchy glazed top) and pijamas (a silky combination of peaches, flan and whipped cream).

One of the best ways to sample Spanish cooking is at a tapas bar. Tapas are small portions of just about anything: cheese, olives, squid, smoked shrimp, sausage, fried potatoes in a paprika sauce (patas bravas) and marinated vegetables, just to name a few. Order enough little plates, and you will have a meal.

Of course, no meal is complete without a bottle of good Spanish wine—and both red and white wines are a bargain. Rioja is considered the best wine-growing region. Sherry, a fortified white wine, comes from the Andalusian city of Jerez. Cava, a bubbly wine similar to champagne, comes from Catalonia (it is best sampled in one of the champagne bars, which range from expensive to downright homey).

Coffee is another favorite, and it comes in several different ways: espresso, cortado (an espresso with a drop of milk), cafe con leche (an espresso with a lot of milk) or carajillo (an espresso with a shot of rum). At the outdoor cafes, you may think that an awful lot of people are drinking milk. It's probably horchata, a cool, refreshing nonalcoholic beverage made from a sweet root.

In Spain, lunch starts at 1:30 pm and dinner often begins at 9 pm or later, especially in summer.

Geography:

Spain is Europe's second most mountainous country (only Switzerland has a higher terrain), and the climate varies dramatically according to altitude as well as latitude. True alpine conditions prevail in many of Spain's mountains, from the Pyrenees along the border with France to the Sierra Nevada above Granada in the south. Besides the mainland peninsula, Spanish possessions include the Mediterranean Balearic Islands, the Canary Archipelago (in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa) and the Moroccan coastal territories of Ceuta and Melilla.

Mainland Spain can be divided into three climatic zones: the Oceanic in the north (the rainiest and greenest part along the Bay of Biscay); the Mediterranean Zone (sunny and semiarid); and the Central Plains (relatively flat and arid). Spain is also divided into distinctive regions, each with its own culture and history, and several with their own languages (including Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque region). Hot, arid Andalusia, to the southwest, is the home of flamenco, bullfighting and spectacular Moorish architecture.

Essentials When Traveling To Spain:

Official Name: Kingdom of Spain.

Passport/Visa Requirements: Passport needed by citizens of the U.S., Canada and Australia. U.K. citizens can enter the country with a passport or national identity card. A tourist visa is not required for a visit of up to three months. Reconfirm travel document requirements with carrier before departure.

Health Certificates: None required. Contact health authorities for latest information.

Capital: Madrid.

Currency: Euro. 100 cents = 1 euro.

Population: 39,167,745.

Area: 194,880 sq mi/504,739 sq km.

Languages: Spanish (Castilian), Catalan, Gallego, Basque, local dialects.

Economy: Tourism, industry, agriculture, services.

Predominant Religions: Christian (Roman Catholic).

Government: Constitutional monarchy.

Weather: Warm and dry in most of the country; wetter in the northwest.

Time Zone: 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+1 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from the end of March to the end of September.

Voltage Requirements: 220 volts.

Telephone Codes: 34, country code; 1, city code for Madrid; 3, city code for Barcelona.

Airport Departure Tax: None.

TIPPING
Round up the bill in restaurants. Taxi drivers expect a tip of 10% of the fare.

Ernest Hemingway, A Lifelong Aficionado of Spain:

When Hemingway saw his first bullfight in Pamplona in 1923, he brought his wife Hadley along because he hoped the event would have a positive influence on the unborn son she then carried. The sport certainly affected the budding writer. It became one of the reigning passions of his life. Hemingway's trip to Spain in the summer of 1925 would live forever in his novel "The Sun Also Rises." Pictured below are Hemingway, left, sitting with Lady Duff Twysden (inspiration for the character Brett Ashley), Hadley and others at the Festival of San Fermin in Pamplona, Spain in July 1925.

After 1926, Hemingway's life would never be the same. "The Sun Also Rises" was an international success. The story, based on Hemingway's own experiences, chronicled a group of American expatriates living in Paris who travel to Pamplona, Spain, for the San Fermin Festival, or "the running of the bulls."

Many would argue that he wasn't the greatest American writer, or even the creator of the best American book. But Ernest Miller Hemingway certainly is the American writer, an undeniable collision of literary talent and iconic personality.

He took Americans around the world with his new style of fiction, and he took fiction to new levels of pop culture status. More than a writer, he was the war hero, the war correspondent, the expatriate, the lion hunter, the marlin fisherman, the womanizer, the drinker, the overbearing ego, the tragic figure.

Spurring him through life was a restlessness that never ceased, putting him in touch with a common humanity that populated his celebrated novels. In the 1920s, Hemingway spent as much time as possible in Pamplona. He stayed at the Pension Aguillar because that was where the bullfighters lived. Although he never ran with the bulls in the San Fermín festival, he competed in amateur bullfighting competitions.

In 1932, he journeyed to Spain to research "Death in the Afternoon," a manifesto on bullfighting that was published in Esquire and became the Bible of the sport. In 1937, Hemingway returned to cover the Spanish Civil War, translating his experiences into newspaper articles, a flurry of short stories, the 1938 play "The Fifth Column," and the 1940 novel "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Fiercely supporting the Loyalist cause, he overcame his fear of public speaking to deliver an anti-Franco speech at the Second American Writers' Congress. He also helped produce the propaganda film "Spanish Earth."

Hemingway last visited Spain in 1959 to cover a series of one-on-one contests between two leading matadors. Life magazine had commissioned a 10,000-word piece. Hemingway turned in 10,000 words, later published as the 1985 epic "The Dangerous Summer." After Hemingway's death in 1961, two tickets to the upcoming Pamplona bullfights were discovered in his desk drawer.

Ernest Hemingway loved Spain, its wines and bullfights.

Ernest Hemingway absolutely cherished his time in Spain. Hemingway's fascination with Spain and bullfighting, first reflected in 1926 in the novel The Sun Also Rises, was further developed in the classic "Death in the Afternoon" and "The Dangerous Summer."

The Dangerous Summer:

This posthumously-published book is Hemingway's chronicle of the 1959 bullfighting season in Spain. Originally intended as an article for Life magazine, it evolved into a book-length manuscript which became Hemingway's last major literary production. It is an engaging work and Hemingway's first-hand chronicle of the brutal season of bullfights and of the deep friendship that developed between him and Antonio Ordonez, thought of by Hemingway as one of the greatest bullfighters of all time. It is regarded as an important work, not only because of its excellent writing, but because of the complex self-portrait it contains.

The Dangerous Summer is one of the all-time classics regarding Spain, its culture and bullfighting. If you want to get to know more about Spain and Ernest Hemingway, we highly recommend reading this book. It can be found in many public libraries or can be purchased on line by clicking here.

Valerie Hemingway reminisces about "Papa's" days in Spain in a very interesting article called "Remembering Ernest Hemingway." In it she talks about his friendship and camaraderie with Spain's famous bullfighter, Antonio Ordonez. Click here to read this story.