Hello everyone! I’m so glad it’s finally Wednesday (a.k.a. almost the weekend!) For this week’s Where in Spain Wednesday, here’s a snap from the region in Spain that I’d most like to go back to – Castilla y León! Welcome to pretty Segovia, famous for its Roman aqueduct and fairytale castle. But it’s not the city’s pretty side that makes me want to go back.
One of the best parts about traveling around Spain is that you quickly realize that each region is totally, completely different from its neighbors. Sunny Andalucía is a mix of “typical Spanish” things and stuff you might more commonly associate with an Arabic country; misty Asturias could nearly be a clone of Scotland, and of course Catalonia loves to emphasize how un-Spanish it is.
But Castilla and León was different. After a couple of years of jaunting around Spain, traveling to the region in western Spain made me feel for the first time that I was in somewhere really, well, Spanish. It might sound a bit silly, but it’s true. I got the impression that I was in a place where the people would say they were Spanish with no “extras” or additional explanations. (That’s not to say that’s better or worse or even necessarily true; it was just the experience I had. I could be totally wrong about this!).
So that’s why Castilla y León is the region I’ve been to so far that’s most interesting to me. I’ve lived in two of the not-so-typical places in Spain – Barcelona and Sevilla – and I’d love to get the chance to explore an area of the country’s culture and history that’s a little more typical. Who knows? It might be that it’s really not so different at all. It might be that my first impression was totally wrong. But either way, I’d love to get to know another side of Spain’s rich and diverse culture.
It’s also jaw-droppingly pretty, but that part, at least, is no exception when you’re traveling around Spain.
What’s one place you’ve traveled to that you’d love to go back to?
Besos!
-Jess
Don’t forget beautiful and historic Extremedura, home of the Spanish Roman Empire, the Conquistadores, and the second World Heritage Site in Europe (Caceras)
Ooh I haven’t been there yet! But it’s on my list. I say that every week about something new in Spain!
Ah Segovia! That’s where the Walt Disney castle is right?
Also Catalonians insisting they aren’t really Spanish has always amused me. Is it because they speak their own language?
Yes, Segovia has a very fancy castle! I took some pictures of it last year:
http://ladyofthecakes.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/segovias-fairy-tale-castle/
ladyofthecakes recently posted…Bread Flowers
Yep! Although apparently also in Germany, and in Prague..it seems like lots of places claim a Disney castle!
The Catalan thing is complicated. Part of it is the language (it was banned during Franco’s rule) and different attitudes, but right now there’s a lot of conversation about unfair economic stuff (like paying too much in taxes and not getting enough back while other regions “mooch”, etc. etc.). There’s also talk about a different Catalan attitude and character. But it goes back for quite literally hundreds of years and there are a ton of different angles to it.
And of course, some people get really, really emotional about it, so it can be hard to figure out what’s real and what’s just silliness.
I love Segovia 🙂 Avila is also very nice. Even though it’s the coldest place on Earth…
ladyofthecakes recently posted…Bread Flowers
I know, it is SOOO cold! I went in March and it was freezing!
I love this area of Spain. Something very special about this region — and yes, it isn’t the first image that comes to an American’s mind when thinking of Spain.
Geri Dreiling recently posted…The Struggle to Be Present
Not at all! I think Sevilla’s more of ‘stereotypical Spain’, but often times people there felt really ‘sevillano’. It was really cool to see a place that didn’t define itself on being NOT Spanish haha.
It’s a crying shame the only place I’ve been to in Castilla y León so far *is* Segovia! I’m hitting up León province next weekend and would love to do a tour of the region for Semana Santa 2015.
Another region I’d love to go back to is Catalunya, hopefully before things get cray-cray during the referendum this fall. I’d love to see Girona, Figueres, Tarragona, and maybe Lleida…but it’s all so far away from Galicia!
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I loved that you described Castilla y León as Spain “without additional explanations”—a great way to talk about what people think is “typical” or “traditional” Spain without playing in to stereotypes.
Trevor Huxham recently posted…Photo Post: Monte Pedroso in Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Ooh León! I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard great things. Let me know if you come by Catalunya, there’s some great stuff to see. Girona and Figueras are very, very easy to get to from Barcelona (I’m pretty sure Tarragona is as well, but I’ve no idea about Lleida). There’s just too much to see in Spain sometimes haha.
First of all, please dont misunderstand me, this is only an opinion exchange ok?.
I see your point but I think that your particular opinion is based on feelings and expectatives.From my view,they are not Spanish with no “extras” or additional explanations, actually you need a lot of labels for them. For instance, there are two historical regions in the same region Castilla and Leon. In general terms, Castilla y Leon is partly an artificial comunidad autonoma and they should be divided.
In fact, after Franco dictatorship, Leon amply voted that they did not want to be integrated in Castilla, but national politicians had a different opinion. In terms of history, the Leon Kingdom is more important than Galicia, Pais vasco or Catalunya altogether because they were the heir of Asturias kingdom (the first christian kingdom and the only one wich wasnt crushed by muslims)and they defend “the Spanish identity” during the worst years of Muslim domination. Although this Spanish identity isnt real at all, we arent pure christian, we are partly jews, partly germans, partly romans, party muslim, partly greek, fenician and so on.
From my point of view, there isnt a region without labels or more Spanish than others. The real Spain is a compellion of the best labels, this is our richness and this should be our power.
Miguel Angel Otero Solino recently posted…Castro de Baroña
Fair enough! As I said in the post, it was only my experience and obviously that’s limited by being foreign. But it was the first place I’d been in Spain where a lot of people I met qualified themselves as Spanish first (rather than “Catalan, not Spanish”). It wasn’t expectation-based, as I really had no real idea of what the place was like at all before I went.
Of course, identity is super complicated and I’m not saying that one is better, richer, or more diverse than the other – just that this was an attitude I hadn’t experienced in living in places where the people preferred to be described as explicitly NOT Spanish. That’s not the same as saying a region hasn’t got a history of divisions or mixed identities, but rather that being “Spanish” didn’t seem to be something shameful or negative there. Does that make sense? That’s definitely an attitude I haven’t seen often in Spain, and that’s what I found interesting.
I’ve read my previous post and i think it isn’t showing my point cleary, so I’d like if it wasn’t published.
What i meant to say is that other than in Catalonia and the Basque Country, when Spaniards point out that their regional identity comes first it shouldn’t be taken as a sign of shame or negativity towards the Spanish identity as you seem to perceive taking your words in this reply you made to Miguel. I think it’s due the fact that regional identities are very strong here.
I guess you,ve encountered a lot of people that quickly tell you that they are gallegas or andaluzas first but it’s nothing against their Spanish identity but about their priorities.
Hi Nick,
I was talking about Catalonia in my response. 🙂 Here, there is definitely a lot of negativity associated with ‘Spanish'(I’ve heard people say they feel a little insulted if somebody thinks of them as Spanish), but of course I understand it’s not like that in all of Spain. That’s one of the things I like best about the country – how different all the regions are.
Oh, and I deleted the other response as you requested. Of course, a lot of the time on my blog I talk about living in Catalonia, and here there is a lot of backlash against the term “Spanish”. Perhaps I’ll make it clearer that I’m talking about a specific region in the future, as I’m not intending to make blanket statements about all of Spain (which would be untrue).
I’ve never been to Segovia, but I’ve heard such good things. The only city in Castilla y Leon that I’ve visited is Salamanca and I loved that city, and I totally agree with you – it was just truly Spanish… whatever that is!
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It’s really, really pretty. Salamanca is too though! I just fell in love with that whole region of Spain.
I’d love to go back to Spain! In trying to see as much of the country as possible in just two short weeks, I didn’t get to explore every place as much as I would have liked. I’d especially like to return to Granada and the southern coast.
Heather recently posted…Walking With Dinosaurs at the National Museum of Natural History
Granada is really gorgeous! That’s a place I’d love to go back to as well.
I’ve always wanted to visit Segovia, just because it looks beautiful, but now you’ve got me thinking more about the entire region. Sounds awesome.
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The bit I saw of it certainly was! 🙂
I’ve only been to Burgos and Segovia, but really enjoyed both. They are wonderful cities and I really liked the “traditional” feel, especially the language coming from the Andalusian accent.