5 Historic Places to See in Barcelona

Today as Spain's second largest city with well over 1.5 million inhabitants, Barcelona is a true picture of modern Spain today. However, Barcelona also has a rich history going back well over 2000 years.

There are many sights to see in Barcelona, but here are some of the more historic experiences once can have when visiting the city:

1. Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) - Here you will find buildings dating back to medieval times. Unlike many large European cities that paid a heavy price during the large scale wars of the 20th century and lost many of their old buildings (that is, if they hadn't lost them already through great fires or other catastrophes common throughout the past centuries). This is noteworthy because what Barcelona showcases for a city of its size is truly rare. You will find small winding streets, and quaint old buildings in this part of town.

2. La Sagrada Família - While construction work on perhaps Barcelona's most famous landmark began in 1882, it has never been technically finished. Even today, estimates don't have it finally built until 2026. The La Sagrada Família was also originally constructed by one of Barcelona's favourite sons and famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (he is even buried there). The design features a near science fiction style set of spires, facades with detailed geometric designs on the interior.

3. Palau Reial Major (Palace of Catalan Music) - Barcelona's most famous concert hall built between 1905 and 1908. Very much still in operation today, the concert hall can seat up to 2200 people and holds the prestige of being Europe's only auditorium that is naturally illuminated during daylight hours which is provided by the huge dome-like Stained glass skylight. Make sure to check for any events at the Palau Reial Major while you are visiting for a truly magical experience.

4. Arc de Triomf (Triumphal Arch) - Looking and even sounding somewhat like a famous monument in France, however with a reddish tint the Arc de Triomf was built in 1888 for the Universal exhibition. The structure is a famous meeting point in Barcelona in some ways thanks to its close by train stations.

5. Barcelona Pavilion - Although nowhere near as old as many of the landmarks featured above, the Barcelona Pavilion still holds an important role for both Barcelona and modern architecture alike. Looking like it could be from a modern architecture magazine of today, the Barcelona Pavilion was originally built for the 1929 International exposition by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Reconstructed in 1983-1986, the Barcelona Pavilion provides a fascinating look into what the world viewed as the future of architecture during this era.

Barcelona is truly a historic city, don't forget to bring your camera when you visit.

Playing for Change, the project of bringing peace through music

Playing For Change: Peace Through Music has been called a Global Phenomenon in the way it touches everyone connected with the project and attracts new audiences around the world. Following its award-winning documentary that ran on PBS-TV throughout August of 2009, PFC launched a nationwide tour at The Birchmere in suburban Washington, DC. The subsequent cross-country exposure quickly attracted over 20 million hits on You Tube of the video performance of "Stand By Me" and the CD debuted in Billboard's Top Ten. Not surprisingly, the band members won ardent supporters when they appeared live on major television news and talk shows.

This summer, PFC performs in New York City's Central Park and the Hollywood Bowl before heading to London, Paris and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam. The ensemble returns in time to headline the Vancouver Folk Festival in mid-July.

The improbable undertaking began in 1999 when Grammy winning producer/filmmaker Mark Johnson met Jonathan Walls, collaborator on a history documentary for the National History Museum of Singapore and winner of an Asian TV Award for editing a reality-based series for MTV Asia.

"Our initial goal was to raise money for a film about the lives of street musicians in America," Walls says. "We began by filming street blues singer Roger Ridley in Santa Monica performing the song 'Stand By Me.' Then we went to New Orleans and discovered blues singer Grandpa Elliott who added the harmony."

Their modest venture quickly evolved into a peace project that took then overseas to film and record more than a hundred street musicians. In the beginning, they followed their noses and began to conceptualize as they went. Traveling with light-weight digital gear, they were drawn to performers in unexpected places. Walls recalls discovering Los Patricians in an open-air market in Spain by following the crowd to their exuberant music. In like manner, they happened upon a choir in South Africa, a cellist in Russia, a soul singer in Amsterdam, Native American drummers on a reservation, and the Three Exile Brothers in Dharamshala, India, the northern tip of the country where Tibetan refugees find solitude.

Their improbable journey took Johnson and Walls from Capetown, South Africa to Dublin, Ireland and from Katmandu, Nepal to Tel Aviv, Israel, 12 countries in all. Along the way, they filmed and recorded outdoors in cities, parks, and villages and collected a retinue of musicians hitherto unknown outside their communities who headlined England's Glastonbury Festival.

The band resonates with the power of people yearning to live in "Peace Through Music." Each performer has a story, perhaps none more unique than that of elderly singer/harmonica player Grandpa Elliott, who had not ventured outside his hometown of New Orleans in 50 years. Walls and Johnson were walking in the French Quarter with their equipment when they heard his booming voice and trailed it until they found him. In a city vibrant with good musicians on every corner, he stood out. Now enjoying experiences he never could have imagined, Grandpa Elliott is a member of a touring band that travels this country and Canada in two large buses, one for the equipment and instruments, the other for the performers and crew.

Walls reveals that future plans involve touring Europe and South Africa with the musicians they initially discovered there. Along with bringing together people eager to achieve peace through their mutual love of music, PFC has established a separate non-profit organization to build music schools for children worldwide, the most recent in Mali. The possibilities, it appears, are limitless.

The Gueliz Neighbourhood in Marrakech

In contrast to the Medina neighbourhood, Gueliz constitutes the most modern quarter of the city of Marrakech. It was built by the French and is the residential area of well-off Moroccans and most Europeans. Its name comes from the French word "église", meaning "church", since it was in this neighbourhood that the only Christian church in the city was built, during the French protectorate.  

Architecture-wise, Gueliz is quite a varied neighbourhood, where a few colonial buildings, structures from the 1980s, small houses and new luxury apartment buildings coexist in a strange monochromatic harmony.
 
It is the best area in the city for shopping European products. Although one may find virtually anything in the souks in the Medina, you will not find Zara shops or McDonald's restaurants. We could say that, in this sense, Gueliz is a sort of "European relief" to the French colonizers. The atmosphere is rather metropolitan and modern, and traffic is simply infernal during rush hours. There are not too many green areas, besides the beautiful El Harti Park.
 
You can access Gueliz easily by taxi or bus and there are plenty of hotels for all kinds of budgets. If you are looking for a pleasant place to rest from the frantic busyness of the Medina, Gueliz offers excellent places, such as the legendary Café de la Poste, the oldest café in Marrakech, built during the time of the protectorate. There, you can have lunch or enjoy an ice cream or a delicious mint tea. The treatment given by the staff is charming, and it is an ideal place to go with children.  

Same as with hotels, there are restaurants for all budgets, from fast-food bistros to enormously elegant restaurants that offer dinner-shows with belly dancers and variety shows or vaudevilles.  

In the evening, Gueliz is probably the best area to visit if you do not have your own vehicle. There are numerous pubs and venues with live music. African'Chic, Montecristo, and Music Hall are some of the most fashionable places for young people. Be careful with prices, as they can be higher than in Europe. In this kind of places, you can drink alcohol, so it is not uncommon to find inebriated people in the small hours, so be careful with cars. 

These nightlife hotspots are also meeting places for prostitutes. We could definitely devote several articles to this subject. They are usually very young Moroccan girls, often repudiated by their family and by society. Many of them are single mothers or wives abandoned by their husband. Addiction to drugs and alcohol is starting to affect these beautiful women who walk the streets of Marrakech in search of clients, European and Moroccan, who not always treat them with the respect they deserve. They are, together with European and not many Moroccan women, the very few women who enjoy economic independence and freedom to go out in the evening on their own. 

Another sad face of Gueliz is beggar kids. It is quite common to find, at any time of the day, but mostly in the small hours, kids badly dressed in rags begging for money at the entrance of these fashionable pubs and venues. The contrast offers quite impressive images: elegant ladies and gentlemen leaving the nightclub, prostitutes, wrongly called "luxury" prostitutes, with provocative miniskirts and high-heeled shoes, walking through streets full of bare-foot and ragged minors constitute a frequent photograph of the most fashionable Marrakech.

So, as you can see, Marrakech is a fascinating city of contrasts, where different cultures, languages, religions, and lifestyles overlap and create a captivating kaleidoscope of images and sensations. 

Wine Travel - Arizona Wine Country Beckons

Just a few miles southeast of Tucson, Arizona, you'll notice the topography starting to change before your eyes. You'll begin a slow ascent from a desert valley to a hilly, high plains terrain offering warm days and cool nights. Soon, you'll enter Arizona wine country, a burgeoning wine travel destination that's garnering attention from the wine press and wine travel fans alike. Join us as we explore the secrets of this wine producing region less than an hour from downtown Tucson.

It's easy to visit Arizona Wine Country via a short and enjoyable day trip. Going east/southeast from Tucson on I-10, it's only an hour away. Exit I-10 about 20 miles east of the city at Exit 281 and proceed south on Arizona Rt. 83. The scenery changes and the temperature cools as you climb more than 2000 feet through your journey.

Traveling south on Rt. 83, you'll soon enter the charming town of Sonoita, the gateway to wine country. If you arrive around lunch time, we We recommend Cafe Sonoita, on the scenic Route 82 just half a mile east of Rt 83 intersection. And benefits presented by a panel menu at the table, or use the default menu. We enjoyed a local specialty, the Hatch Green Chile Chicken Burrito, and a bowl of homemade soup. Enjoy a glass of wine from the extensive wine list of Arizona Cafe Sonoita.

In view of the terrain in the Sonoita, you will begin to understand why the wine was produced here for many years. This is a perfectMixture of medium height, fertile soil, and low humidity. The owners of the seven wineries in this area will tell you, this area is nearly perfect for growing grapes.

Southern Arizona Wine Country "Seven wineries

Let's spend some 'time in each of the seven wineries in the area. What is a typical tour wine trail wineries are grouped together in a couple of miles. We recommend a stop at the end of the morning in one or two, a break for lunch, and then to explore more winethe afternoon.

We visited these wineries over the course of two visits, so feel free to mix and match your destinations. There's no prescribed order, as the wineries are scattered about in this pleasant, mostly rural area. No matter which you choose, you're guaranteed a true taste of Arizona's highly respected wine industry.

Callaghan Vineyards: Callaghan Vineyards produces premium reds and whites from its own 25 acre vineyard. Styled in Mediterranean and Spanish varieties, owner Kent Callaghan's wines have received accolades from prominent publications like Wine Spectator and the New York Times, and have been served at the White House on three occasions. Our favorite was Lisa's White, with its spicy apple aroma and subtle rich taste of pear and grapfruit.

Canelo Hills Vineyard and Winery: Canelo Hills is the product of owners Tim and Joan Mueller, who founded the operation in 2003. The Muellers were delighted to open their new tasting room in September 2007, realizing a long term dream to own and operate their own winery. Located 7.5 miles east of the Rt. 83 and 82 crossroads in the small village of Elgin, Canelo Hills is open for tasting Fridays and Saturdays from 11-4. Tim and Joan are strong supporters of local sustainable products and host an annual Wine and Farm Festival. Current wine offerings include a chardonnay, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, and an especially delicious crisp riesling.

Dos Cabezas Wineworks: Dos Cabezas is a relatively new arrival to the Sonoita-Elgin wine country, but not a newcomer to the Arizona wine scene. They've been producing wines since 1995, and recently moved the winery to this area from a location in the southeastern part of the state. Dos Cabezas was very proud to win two Governers Choice Awards in December 2007 for Arizona's best red and white wine. Their Viognier took honors for the whites category, while their El Norte took home the award for reds. Located on Rt. 82, their tasting room is open Fridays through Sundays from 10:30-4:30. Make a point to try the deep, complex El Norte ... we loved it!

Rancho Rossa Vineyards: Rancho Rossa is one of Arizona's largest family owned wineries, producing over 1200 cases per year entirely from their own fruit. Located about 6 miles southeast of Sonoita, they're open for tasting Friday-Sunday from 10:30 to 3:30. We enjoyed their Case Cuvee, a rich Chardonnay blend, as well as their Grenache, a red that's fermented in French oak.

Village of Elgin Winery: Village of Elgin Winery is one of the original wineries. Established here more than a quarter of a century, from the village of Elgin known for hosting September two annual wine festivals held in April e. Provides a complete and unique selection of red and white wines, Village of Elgin Wines satisfy all wine lovers palate. We could not choose one as a favorite and have been fascinated by how one-time offerstheir Blanc de Merlot (a white merlot) and the Sonoita Valley Tierra Dulce, a sweet red similar to a port. Village of Elgin's Tombstone Red, a red and white blend, is very popular as well and widely available in retail outlets.

Kief Joshua Vineyards: Kief-Joshua is another newcomer to the wine scene here and is located in the cluster of wineries known as "Winery Row", very close to many of the wineries listed above. Views from the tasting room are spectacular, overlooking scenic grasslands with mountains in the distance. Owner Kief Joshua Manning has been making wine since he was a teenager, and offers a small but impressive list of whites and reds. Try the refreshingly citrusy Viognier, and don't miss the intense dark cherry flavor of their Cabernet Sauvingnon. We also bought a green chile dip mix in their gift shop which was one of the best dips we've had in years!

Sonoita Vineyards: Our last stop on this Wine Trail adventure is Sonoita Vineyards, the largest winery in this area and open since 1983. Their Arizona Sunset fruity rose wine was the first Arizona wine we tried many years ago. For a change of pace, try their Sonora Rossa. It's a spicy light red wine that's best served slightly chilled, perfect with Italian food.

Closing Thoughts

If you're ready to spend a bit more time in this area, consider an overnight stay at one of the area's lodging options. The Sonoita-Elgin Chamber of Commerce will help you choose accommodations. Another option to extend your trip are the nearby historic towns of Tombstone and Bisbee, both of which offer numerous dining, shopping, and entertainment options.

Hawaii: Honeymoon Destination in the USA

Planning a wedding is a very demanding job. With all the wedding preparations that you must do to make your dream wedding into a reality it is equally important that you plan your honeymoon destination as well. We all know that honeymoon is an important and memorable vacation for the all the newly weds. It is an important event where you and your husband or wife gets to spend some quality time together before starting the new journey of your lives. Hence, it is vital that you plan and choose carefully your honeymoon destination.

If you are thinking of spending your honeymoon in the United States, then you are making a very good choice. America has a lot to offer when it comes to honeymoon destinations. One of the popular destinations for the newly weds that promises an unforgettable vacation for the couples is Hawaii.

Most people consider Hawaii as the best honeymoon destination in the world. Blessed with romantic beaches, powdery white sand, crystal blue waters, luscious tropical flowers, and uncrowded beaches, Hawaii is indeed a paradise for the newlyweds. Once you've reached Hawaii, all you have to do is to rent a vehicle, do some driving, and visit all the finest beaches that you can visit. You can also go to Kilauea Volcano, an active volcano located at the Big Island or take a helicopter trip to Kauai Island. You can also do some various fun water activities from scuba diving to surfing to snorkeling and much more.

If you are visiting Hawaii during winter, then you may just see humpback whales. If you just want total relaxation, you can just enjoy the beautiful sunset of Hawaii while lying on the sand together with your lifetime partner.

Collioure and France's Vermillion Coast

On the eastern border between France and Spain, where the Pyrenean mountains meet the Mediterranean Sea, there is a series of rocky headlands and sheltered bays which the French call La Cote de Vermeille - the Vermilion Coast. The name refers to the rocks which have been eroded by both weather and sea, exposing a bright and sometimes browny red.

These rocks are incredibly hard and have defiantly withstood the waves for millennia, forming the resistant cliffs which make access to the coast itself something of a challenge from both land and sea.

In each bay along the coast a small town perches precariously on its slopes, running down to whatever area of flat land is available, creating a sheltered resort behind a small, but sandy beach. Thus Collioure, Banyuls sur Mer and Cerbere have the feeling of small isolated settlements, though none of them far from its neighbour. Port Vendres is the exception, as here, where the sea has invaded a bay to produce a natural harbour behind the headland, there is little or no beach and a small commercial port has developed.

Behind the coast, in the valleys used by the railway and road, the colour of the rocks stands out as the base of vineyards which somehow grow here, sometimes on terraces one row wide. No soil is apparent, just slatey stone, yet the vines thrive on these slopes and provide the basis for some classic wines and aperitifs, particularly Banyuls, the standard way to begin any meal along this coast.

In many respects the coast is best approached by train, as the roads are congested throughout the summer season, and parking is at a premium, but there are plenty of trains on a service which runs through from Perpignan to northern Spain.

Each town along the coast has its own particular charm, none more so than Collioure, an old fortress town with spectacular buildings and a buzz of excitement from its many daily visitors. The narrow streets are full of interest, with galleries, boutiques and restaurants to suit all tastes, particularly those of the sea, as local boats bring in a regular supply of Mediterranean fare.

It is possible to spend a day discovering corners never previously noticed, walking along the sea front and sea wall, admiring the majestic views and marvelling at the clarity and colour of the sea, before retiring once again to a favoured eating place for more marine delicacies.

Banyuls sur Mer sits in an even narrower valley than Collioure and is inevitably, therefore, a little smaller. However, the same features are here, with steep, narrow streets, magnificent sea views, a sheltered, sandy beach and plenty of places to eat. Of all the restaurants along this coast we favour Chez Claude, on the Banyuls sea front, with a wonderful set menu containing lots of choice and, of course, a glass of Banyuls to get the taste buds over excited. But come early for lunch as the restaurant soon fills every day.

The aperitif is made here in the town which bears its name, and the only other business is fishing, tourism and a large marine laboratory which dominates the side of the marina.

Between Collioure and Banyuls lies Port Vendres, a different sort of town, but with its own charm and well worth a visit. It has the feel of an Irish coastal town, with distinctive long rows of houses above the bay frontage.

The main part of the town is restricted around the harbour, a relatively deep water port, the nearest commercial and ferry port to Perpignan. Its importance came from its rail link, the only one to the actual sea front along this coast, and the shelter provided by the harbour itself. The harbour frontage is dominated by the inevitable restaurants and those who visit or who tie up their boats in the marina have plenty of choice.

Cerbere is smaller again than Banyuls, and is dominated by the enormous brick viaduct which carries the railway and its large terminus station. For here the French railway system ends, although services do continue through the mountains to Port Bou, the equivalent terminus station in Spain. A huge space has been carved out of the hillside behind the town to house the rail sidings, and from the road above the town on the Spanish side, the view is like that of a huge model railway layout. The town itself has a small beach and less to offer generally than its three neighbours.

This is an outstandingly beautiful stretch of coast, ever more popular with the discerning tourist, and on several headlands between the town centres, modern hotels have been constructed, offering upmarket accommodation with the most spectacular views.

Spain: The Rugged Coast - Forget The Typecasting And Savour The Spectacular Vision Of The Costa Brav

In 1905 Ferran Agullo, a journalist and writer, invented the term 'Costa Brava' to describe the coastline between the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees in the province of Girona.

The Costa Brava is where it all began as far as tourism goes: from the 1950s, tourists started to flock to this coastline, the first of them arriving in ex-war planes.

To this day, tourism is still the main industry of the Costa Brava region.

Costa Brava means 'Rugged Coast'. Its 214km of coastline extends from Blanes in the south, to French-bordered Portbou in the north. It is Catalonia's most northern stretch of coastline.

The Costa Brava's distinctive rugged coastline is punctuated with charming coves, amazing beaches - both secluded and well-serviced for sunbathers and water sports lovers, striking cliff-spurs carpeted in lush pines, intriguing caves with shimmering metallic colours layered through the inner walls, and amazing underwater rock formations which are a haven for divers. Plus just off the coast you'll find thriving forests filled with wonderful plants and wildlife.

Moderate rainfall, hours and hours of sunshine and a typical Mediterranean climate are all characteristics of the Costa Brava, which combined with its fervent history, amazing monuments dotted all along the coastline, and its renowned resorts, make this coastline one of Spain's most popular.

Perhaps the Costa Brava has seen some misrepresentation as a typical package tour destination. But this is unfair, and this reputation can only really be attributed to a few of the many resorts on this coast.

The truth is that this amazingly diverse region offers an opulent cultural heritage, fortified towns, ancient villages, a stunning Mediterranean coastline and remarkable natural beauty.

In the 1900s, Picasso and Marc Chagall were drawn to this natural beauty, and when Salvador Dalí returned to his childhood home here, a trail of artisans followed.

Before the Civil War, the Costa Brava had begun to compete with the Côte d'Azur in France as a playground for the rich and famous. When the Franco-powered Ministry of Tourism began promoting it as a holiday destination in the 1950s, with little regard for the environment, the stars returned, but as placid fishing villages were consumed by high-rise hotels, they turned their backs on the region and moved on.

However, the region's charm had always survived no matter what the tourist boom was doing to destroy it and the Spanish continued to visit for its stunning natural beauty.

Today, the towns of the Costa Brava are becoming more and more reluctant to trade their traditional values for mass tourism. The region is strengthening these values to suit the more discerning traveller, which it welcomes with open arms, and has begun to turn the tide on its unfair branding as the epitome of mass tourism.

Here is some brief information about some of the most notable towns on the Costa Brava coastline, and some of those just inland from the coast.

Portbou A prime destination for those who want a break away from the more commercialised resorts. The town is the furthest north on the Costa Brava. Promenade-side restaurants and bars attract a large number of day-visitors. The border to France is close. Friday is market day.

Colera A small coastal village with a winter-population of only around 300. Even during the summer it doesn't get crowded here. The perfect location for some peace and to indulge in real traditional values.

Llanca This town is 15km from the French-Spanish border, with a fishing port and a yacht harbour. The older part of the village has a number of historical buildings surrounding the plaza major.

Port de la Selva Where the Cap de Creus forms a large bay, here you find Port de la Selva. It is a family resort, and a good base for walkers to admire the Cap de Creus. It is one of two points of access to Sant Pere de Rodes, one of the most important of all Catalan Romanesque sites. There is also a scuba diving centre here.

Cap de Creus Declared a nature reserve in 1998, this beautiful area is the only reserve in Spain which covers both sea and land; it incorporates the largest unpopulated area in the Spanish Mediterranean. The rock-strewn coast is barren and interrupted by small bays. The flora and fauna found here is quite unique and includes a variety of very rare species of sea-birds which are in danger of extinction.

Cadaques This town is approached by a small winding road, meandering through the mountains from Roses. Cadaques is extremely picturesque: cobalt waters, sandy beaches dotted with fishing boats, aged whitewashed houses, warren-like streets, and a 16th century hilltop parish. It's not a family resort - more an up-market haven for those with artistic and creative blood flowing through their veins.

Roses This town has a 16th Century fortress which although in ruins is still of great architectural interest. Also here are the remains of the Greek settlement of Rhode. Its fishing port is one of the leaders on this coast and offers a lively nightlife at its marina.

Empuriabrava Laying just south of Roses the name sounds ancient, but it was actually purpose-built for holidaymakers. It Known as the largest Marina in the world. Here there are as many canals as there are in Venice, and boat owners have their own moorings in front of their houses. Here you can indulge in just about any water sport you fancy. This town also has its own aerodrome that is equipped to deal with light aircraft, and offers skydiving lessons.

L'Escala A small holiday resort at the southern end of the Gulf of Roses. It is a delightful fishing village well known for its delicious sardines. The resort offers much for the water sport enthusiast, two yacht clubs and a number of marinas. This is also the point of entry to the Roman colony of Empúries, the most visited archaeological site in Catalonia.

Toroella de Montgri Here there is a 13th century castle, a tremendous gothic church and a museum dedicated to natural history. Also to note are the hermitage of Santa Catalina and the legendary 'Tower of Witches'.

L'Estartit Close to Toroella de Montgri is this fishing village which offers a port, marina and as much as 3km of beaches. From here you must visit the Medes Islands. Take a glass bottom boat and be amazed by what lies beneath the sea.

The Medes Islands A small archipelago made up of seven islets and several reefs just a mile off the Catalan coast from Emporda and the Montgri Massif. The area is one of exceptional biological and ecological worth. The varying depths of the sea water around the islands, and the contrast of the rocky and sandy areas of the seabed, combined with the rock-type which lends itself to the formation of tunnels and caves, all work together to attract a wide variety of species - as many as 1,345 have been recorded.

Ullastret The archaeological site of the ancient Iberian city makes this village of great interest.

Pals Here there are a number of notable historic buildings, including the two towers of the old walled town, and the church of Sant Pere.

Begur This really is an exclusive tourist resort and at the cove of Aiguablava there is a Parador hotel. Here there is a 15th century ruined castle set upon a hilltop offering spectacular views of the Costa Brava.

Palafrugell This area is 4km inland and has been shielded from tourist activity. On Sundays the town comes alive with the lively morning market. The aged streets and shops are huddled around the delightful 16th century church. There are three districts within Palafrugell:

Tamariu has a small beach and a small population to go with it! Llafranc is nestled into the next bay, with a stretch of beach and a marina. Calella de Palafrugell is mainly a fishing port, with ageing whitewashed houses slotted into narrow streets. It has a stunning rugged coastline interspersed with lots of petite sandy beaches, which can get quite packed on account of the enticing crystal clear waters.

Palamos A busy resort with a yacht-filled harbour and a notable 16th Century church. The town dates back to 1277, and as with many of the towns on the Costa Brava, the old town is separate to the new. Palamos is an important fishing village and often plays host to big yachting events.

Platja d'Aro and S'Agaro These are two of the most commercialised resorts on the Costa Brava. Here there is much for the tourist: hotels, campsites, shops, restaurants and bars, as well as numerous leisure facilities. But over and above this, the area is one of beauty with golden-sand beaches.

Sant Feliu de Guixols This town is at the heart of the Costa Brava, surrounded by pine and oak-filled woods. It has seen some commercialisation, but perhaps not as much as Platja D'Aro and S'Agaro. Of particular notability here is the hermitage of Sant Grau and the Gothic church with its celebrated iron gate, the Porta Ferrada. Water sports lovers are well catered for here, particularly in the nearby cove of Cala Salions.

Now we move on to the Selva Lowlands, starting at Tossa de Mar, and going southwards on to.... Lloret de Mar Lloret de Mar has a rather well known reputation for being one of the most lively resorts on the Costa Brava. It offers much to the party-lover: strings of pubs, clubs, amusement arcades and well-known fast food chains line the promenades while hotel upon hotel tower way above the palm trees.

Aside from these tourist attributes, Lloret does have some pleasant sites to behold, for example, the Santa Clotilde Gardens, open during the summer, and the ruined fortresses marking each end of the main beach, among other sites, monuments and beaches.

BlanesThe last town on the Costa Brava, with a substantial beach and harbour, and offering much for the tourist in the way of hotels, restaurants, bars and discos. Probably its most notable feature are the Mar i Murtra Botanical Gardens which are perched way above the sea, offering amazing views along the cove-studded coastline. Apart from showcasing over 4,000 species of plants from five continents, some of them threatened with extinction, the gardens also have a valuable research and study centre.

INLAND TOWNS As well as the coastal towns, this region has an abundance of notable inland areas that must be visited:

PeraladaThere are many fortified villages in this region and Peralada is one of them. It has several noteworthy buildings including the striking castle of the Rocaberti family which is set within a large park.

The castle, originally a Renaissance palace, is now home to the deluxe Casino of Peralada, the grounds of which are the site for an important summer Music Festival which brings the world's top classical music talent to the Costa Brava.

The castle and its 14th Century walls, sits beside the 1206 Convent of Nuestra Señora del Carme, which has an attractive cloister and patio and exhibits a fine collection of glass, ceramics and paintings and has a library with over 60,000 books.

Figueres This town is located in the heart of Catalonia and is well known as being the birthplace of surrealist artist Salvador Dali. The town is much visited for its Dali Museum, where the artist is buried. Figueres is also the birthplace of the Sardana dance, the traditional dance of Catalonia. Also of interest in Figueres is the castle fortress of Sant Ferran, the parish church of Sant Pere, the Museum of l'Emporda and the Toy Museum.

Besalú This town was elected as Spain's historical national property in 1966.

Its most striking feature is 12th Century roman bridge that spans the Fluvià River. There are two 10th Century churches and the Jewish baths, which date back to the Middle Ages.

Banyoles The big attraction here is the 6km lake, which reaches depths of 60m. Here you can swim, fish, canoe or hire a rowing boat. Banyoles hosted the rowing events of the 1992 Olympic Games.

Apart from the lake, there is also an archaeological museum, a 14th Century Gothic church and the neo-classical monastery of Sant Esteve de Banyoles.

Girona The Costa Brava capital is split into two by The River Onyar.

The old quarter is highlighted by the Cathedral, which, like many of Spain's cathedrals, is a fusion of many different historical periods and styles. Also worthy of a visit is the Jewish Quarter, with it's winding streets shaded by tall, stone walls and offering an abundance of shops.

The Twelfth Century Arab Baths, the old City Walls, and the museums of archaeology and history are of notable interest whilst the churches of Sant Nicolau, Sant Feliu and Sant Pere de Galligants highlight the religious background of the region.

The Costa Brava: rugged coastline; historical treasure; inset with cities, towns and villages that leave the visitor in awe of his surroundings. Forget the typecast brand and take in the intrinsic culture, scenery and traditions of this stunning part of Spain.