In May, we introduced you to our debut edition of trans4nation, designed to keep you in step with global trends and ensure you stay well ahead of the pack with the best insider tips on the hottest international travel spots.

Encouraged by the many positive comments we received about trans4nation, this month, we look forward to leading you on a fun and enlightening journey of discovery to one of Europe’s most popular holiday destinations, and one of the world’s most intriguing locales.

With Spain ending their 44-year wait for a major footballing trophy thanks to a 1-0 victory over Germany to take out the Euro 2008 Championship, we think there has never been a better time to feature España as our port of call for July.

Welcome to Spain

The wonderful diversity of Spain makes it an endlessly captivating place to visit. More than 50 million visitors every year are convinced, making it the world’s second most popular destination after neighboring France.

Dive in head first to discover the rich mix of Spain’s very distinct regions, each with their own identity, from the majestic Moorish influences throughout Andalucía in the South, to the weathered Basque provinces of the North. Whether you choose to immerse yourself in the grandeur and sophistication of the country’s capital Madrid, or prefer to be seduced by her Gaudi-er sister Barcelona, there really is something for everybody to enjoy.

Spain – The Basics

Meet Our Translator

Maria Ruiz, Mijas Costa, Malaga, Spain

	If you are looking for sunshine and lazy afternoons lolling on sensational beaches, or a more action packed hub offering water sports of all sorts, plus the casual appeal of balmy evenings spent dining outdoors, a warm welcome awaits you in Mijas Costa, Southern Spain, where Maria Ruiz, translate4me’s English-Spanish translator currently calls home.
Maria reads up on the history of Granada’s La Alhambra while exploring the Moorish masterpiece.

Mijas Costa is a lesser known tourist destination for visitors to Spain’s Costa del Sol, but it is ideally situated for those wishing to enjoy both the cultural attractions of the bustling Malaga city, and the wealth, fashion, 'highlife & nightlife' of Marbella and its surrounds.

Located virtually mid way between Malaga and Marbella, Mijas offers a fabulous base from which to explore the ‘Sunshine Coast’. More than two million tourists a year arrive into Spain via Malaga international airport and head to one of the many resorts located along this stretch of coastline from Gibraltar in the west to Nerja in the east.

With the Costa del Sol weather giving average annual temperatures of 18ºC and over 300 days of sunshine per year it isn't difficult to understand why it is one of Europe's top holiday destinations, and a place that Maria has warmed to since putting down roots here three years ago.

Maria was born in the Northern Province of Palencia, Spain, but has been on the move for much of her adult life. She studied at the prestigious University of Salamanca, where she graduated with a Degree in Translation and Interpreting from English and French into her native Spanish.

The 31 year-old lived in Paris with her French husband Cyril (a civil engineer), prior to their most recent ‘shift’ to Southern Spain. Maria’s willingness to embrace new cultures and her passion for languages means she sees her chosen career more as a vocation than just a job.

“The art of translating is one of the most ancient professions and it has always been a crucial part of communication. We cannot conceive a world without translation in which each linguistic group would be isolated. Communication is inherent to humanity!” explains Maria.

As a well respected and highly accomplished member of translate4me’s pool of foreign language talent since 2003, she finds Linguistics challenging and exciting and believes that every language she learns brings a “new pair of eyes” to consider life and view the world.

For Maria, her home in Mijas Costa is doubly important. Working from home allows her to combine her hectic career as a professional translator with her favorite ‘pastime’, that of looking after her 18 month-old daughter, Emma.

Citing the fabulous scenic views from her window as one of the many reasons she enjoys working from home, Maria draws inspiration from its beauty, a tropical enclave that is the perfect foil for a stressful day “at the office”.

Maria is proud to recommend her country as an ideal holiday destination, and suggests a visit to several provinces across the nation to get the full impact of its eclectic attractions. A Room with a View: Maria loves being able to see these gardens from her window while working from home for translate4me.com.

Maria’s Top Picks – The Best of Spain

BARCELONA Discover the architectural genius of Antonio Gaudi and his fantastical buildings: La Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Batlló and the hillside Parc Guell, Walk down Las Ramblas, the city’s most famous boulevard known for its live entertainment, street theatre and local artists on show. Meander through the narrow and equally enchanting streets of the Gothic Quarter and stumble across the Picasso Museum in the heart of the old city. Feast on the works of one of the most recognized figures in twentieth-century art.

• Did You Know? The word “gaudy” is derived from the Spanish artist Antonio Gaudi, whose work was confronting and striking.

GRANADA
Visit Granada, still one of Spain's most breathtaking cities. Explore the extraordinary La Alhambra - one of the highlights of Spain - a stunning Moorish castle, palace and garden complex on a hillside overlooking the town.

MADRID
Tour the world-renowned Prado Museum to see paintings and sculpture from the royal collections. Prepare yourself for dinner at 10pm and learn to love lashings of olive oil, seafood and of course, heavenly Jamón Serrano, a kind of smoky-dried ham.

VALENCIA Marvel at the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias de Valencia, the space-age City of Arts and Sciences. A truly mind-blowing combination of some of Europe's most awe-inspiring architecture, this futuristic “city within a city” has fast become one of Spain's top tourist attractions. Architect Santiago Calatrava's eye on the future: Valencia's Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias is winning new fans for the worlds of art and science.

COSTA DEL SOL
Puerto Banus: The hip celebrity hangout is the place to shop for luxury brands, Versace and Dior among them... if your credit card will allow!
Torremolinos, Fuengirola, and Marbella: Mingle with locals at a “chiringuito”, the typical seashore “bars”. Eat tapas and toast to the arrival of summer with a Tinto de Verano, which translates as the “Red Wine of Summer”.

Did You Know? Tapas (little dishes), really means ‘covers’ or ‘lids’. Traditionally, bartenders used to cover the beer glasses with small plates to keep the dust and bugs from getting into the glass. Later, they began putting a slice of ham or cheese on the plate, and that evolved into the custom known as tapa-hopping.

Mijas: One of the finest examples of the “pueblos blancos” (“white villages”) boasting charming whitewashed houses perched on the hillside with absolutely amazing views. Get a kick out of hailing one of the quaint donkey-taxis which line the central plaza.

Maria’s Travel Tip: Be sure to rent a car when you come to the Costa del Sol, because there is so much to see and do here, and much of it easily accessible via the highways and main roads.

Modern Culture

Spain – What’s Hot in Spain?

Widely known for Flamenco, bull-fights, fantastic beaches and lots of sunshine, be assured that Spain has much more to offer than just the clichés. Spain is - and has been for thousands of years - one of the cultural centers of Europe. Beyond the paella and party resorts, Spain boasts beautiful cities and towns, a thriving fashion industry, and many wonderfully unusual festivals and fiestas, but the essence of Spain’s appeal is its people and the passion they live their lives with.

• Did You Know? Every August, around 30,000 people descend on the Spanish town of Bunol (in the Valencia region of Spain) to throw more than 240,000 pounds of tomatoes at each other in the World’s Largest Food Fight, “La Tomatina” festival.

Most downloaded single from iTunes Spain – Mercy (Duffy)

#1 Hit TV Show in Spain: Match of the week - Football matches are the most-watched of any TV programs, but the popular U.S. TV series “House” is much appreciated in Spain.

Grand finale due for Gaudi’s masterpiece 100 years after architect’s death. Gaudi began construction on his famous La Sagrada Familia in 1882, and he continued the project until his death in 1926. Work on the massive Roman Catholic cathedral in Barcelona continues to this day, and is due for completion in 2026, a century after the architect ‘met his maker’. On the subject of the extremely long construction period, Gaudi is said to have remarked, "My client is not in a hurry!"

What’s ‘the skinny’ on the catwalks in Spain? In September 2006, Spain’s top fashion show turned away a slew of models on grounds they were too skinny - an unprecedented swipe at body images blamed for encouraging eating disorders among young people.

A load of old bull - for the brave or the insane! The Pamplona Bull Run takes place annually from July 6-14, 2008, and is the highlight of the spectacular Fiesta de San Fermin. Held as far back as 1591, the run is a mere 825 metres and lasts about 3 minutes long from start to finish, and while it may be short lived, it still poses great danger for those who dare, with about 15 deaths and over 200 seriously injured amongst those who have braved the run since 1924.

Show Business gives Shoe Business a leg up.
Celebrity cobbler to the stars Manolo Blahnik was born in 1942 in Santa Cruz de la Palma in the Canary Islands. He is a household name as much from the phenomenal success of popular TV series ‘Sex and the City’ as for the Spanish shoemaker’s fabulous footwear.

Blahnik fans may be a little out of sorts with the number of other shoe designers that lead character Carrie Bradshaw sports in the new SATC movie, but they will be well rewarded with the gorgeous royal blue Manolos, which played an important role in the film, and are almost the 5th main character in the long awaited movie.

Spanish ace serves his way into the history books. While football still remains the number one sport in Spain, the rise of racquet sports, particularly tennis, is thanks in part to the achievements of several Spanish tennis pros, including current hero Rafael Nadal. Last month, the 22 year-old Mallorcan matched Bjorn Borg’s record of four Roland Garros titles with a victory against Roger Federer.

Spanish flies in the face of authority with illegal import of sex pill. In April 2008, a Basque man who was arrested at Madrid’s Barajas airport for trying to smuggle 2,000 Viagra pills into Spain from Colombia without the appropriate paperwork. This tireless ‘Latin Lover’ insists that they were for his own personal use. Now that’s what we call ‘hard’ to believe!

Speaking the Lingo

Few know that Spain has four official languages: Spanish (español) or Castilian (Castellano), plus the regional languages of Catalan, Galician, and Basque.

You will be better received if you try to communicate in Spanish, but you will find many Spanish people speak at least a little English, and particularly so in the cities as well as in and around tourist areas.

Spend some time committing the following phrases to mind:

1) My name is - Me llamo...  (may yah-moh)

2) Good morning/Good afternoon/Good evening - Buenos días! (bway-nohs dee-ahs)/ Buenas tardes!(bway-nahs tard-ays) / Buenas noches! ( bway-nahs noh-chays)

3) Thank you (very much)…/Excuse me…/Please - (Muchas) Gracias (moo-chahs) grah-see-ahs / Con permiso (kohn pehr-mee-soh) / Perdón pehr-dohn / Por favor (por fah-bor)

4) One beer please - Una cerveza por favor (oona ser-vesa por fah-bor)
(We don’t know why… every foreigner who comes to Spain leaves the country knowing this)

5) Which way to the beach? Cómo se va a la playa? ( Koh-mo se ba a la player?)

• Did You Know? Captain Jack Sparrow, the lovable rogue pirate from the popular Pirates of the Caribbean film series, likes to say the word “SAVVY”. Did you know that this word derives from the Spanish word “Sabe”, meaning “You Know”.

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