Andalucia for the Romantic Traveller

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By Andy De Ronda


Andalucia, Spain is one of the sunniest and warmest places in Europe. With a vibrant culture and a colorful array of carnivals, foods, and history, Andalucia is one of the greatest places to visit in all of Europe.
Known for flamenco dancing, bullfighting, and architecture, Andalucia has much to offer the visiting admirer. For the art lovers, any number of museums will satisfy their curiosity of Andalusian fine art talents. The Museum of Fine Arts in Seville has hundreds of works from the Golden Age of Sevillian painting, created by famous artists such as Murillo and Valds Leal. It also houses the famous sculpture by Pedro Milln, Crying Over the Dead Christ.

Holidays in Colmenar, Andalucia, Spain

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By Phil Hanlon


Colmenar is known as the capital of the mountains of Malaga. This village stands like a throne in its rocky landscape. It is relatively unscathed by the commercial tourism of the coast. Mules are still used as a mode of transport and olive, almond and grapes are harvested here. Colmenar got its name from a farmer who housed bees for their honey. The coat of arms that Colmenar has adopted is a beehive with seven bees flying over it.
This historically dated town marks its coming presence with a stone steeple called the Puerta de La Cruz. The entrance from the direction of Malaga is adorned with pine woods and rolling countryside. The nearby Buitreras Canyon towering at 100m high winds down to an emerald green lagoon fed from an underwater natural spring. This area is well populated by pot-holers and hikers. Great birds of prey soar high above surveying the pleasant array of geographical significance.
Besides pot-holers and hiking, biking is popular too. There are some great routes to travel on such as the one from El Comenar to the cave of "Los Motillos" (a cave dating to the Paleolithic times). You could also visit the Roman sulphur baths and the remains of the Roman villa of Saeponia.

There are some very good restaurants in Colmenar and if you want a taste of Andalucia you are sure to get it here. Due to it being not as much traversed by multinational tourism Spanish food is mainly on the menu though other international food is available too. Venison, wild boar cooked to succulent perfection. There is also an excellent vegetarian restaurant that serves non-meat dishes and ecological fare.
The closest airports to Colmenar are Malaga (29km) and Granada (58km). Transfers from both of these airports are excellent. Shuttle services and taxis will get you there. However, due to Colmenar being in a rural location, car hire is strongly recommended. It will also enable you to get to the beaches and other locations, which provide sport such as golf.
The Author writes for Holiday Home Rentals who have a selection of Villas in Colmenar and Apartments in Colmenar to rent direct from their owners.

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Our Top 6 Ways To Relax In Granada

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By Dave Wilkes


Granada is one of the top holiday destinations of Spain, and no matter whether you arrive as part of a tour around Europe, or whether you are spending the whole of your holiday there, you are bound to benefit from incorporating some planned relaxation into your schedule.
Most people know someone who rushes around all the day. Even when they are on holiday! And then when they want to relax they actually spend their time doing something useful.

It's almost as if they have a need to fill their time with usefulness and they hold no value for just simply doing nothing and relaxing.
But There Are Consequences Of Being Too Busy
The down-side of being busy-busy all the time is that we get "burned out" and lose our ability to function properly. Our bodies are just not designed to work day on day and without end. And so it makes sense to use holiday time to relax and recharge our "batteries".
One simple suggestion is to pre-plan your time to ensure that you enjoy yourself and get to see the attractions that appeal to you.
No matter what time of year you come, in one way or another every day in Granada is special. And with a bit of research you will soon find out that there are cultural festivals, events and religious celebrations most weeks throughout the year in Granada.
6 Things To Help You Relax
As part of your plan to enjoy the fiestas and events, consider these six points that will help put the relaxation back into your life again.

1. Stay in the city. There are lots of things to see in Granada city itself. By not having to chase all over the place going down to the coast and up to the nearby Sierra Nevada mountain tops you can wind down to relax and recharge your batteries... and create an experience that will provide you with memories of a lifetime!
2. Get some quality sleep. Your stress levels should be lower than normal once you "get into"your holiday, and you can easily catch some extra peace in places like the Alhambra, the Cathedral and La Cartuja, the Carthusian Monastery. And low stress levels and peaceful days all add up to helping with a restful night's sleep!
3. Enjoy some inspiration. Enjoying "ups" and "downs" will do you good, as well as being highly pleasurable. For some excitement of a different type, go see some flamenco in one of the many flamenco clubs. Working and keeping busy day in and day out will take "it" out of you. But sitting and enjoying the emotions of dance and song could well inspire you and help set you back on track again.
4. Get on the move. If you are normally desk or house bound, then visiting Granada will give you a good reason to get out and move. It is a "walkable city" where you don't have to drive or catch a taxi to get from here to there. Better to walk and /or catch one of the many mini buses and hop off and back on again as it suits you. Organise your visits properly and you will be walking longer distances and standing up instead of sitting down! All of this activity is bound to boost your circulation and help cleanse your whole system.
5. Look after Number One. One of the main reasons for going on holiday is to recharge your batteries and have a rest and a change of scenery. Whilst you are on holiday there should be fewer demands upon your time, and so why not use this opportunity to spoil yourself. Maybe your partner will help with this and you could return the compliment so you both benefit... but if that isn't practical, then treat yourself to some self-care products such as those for skin care and some bubbly for the bath. There is an excellent selection in many of the local shops, especially in El Cortes Ingles Department Store which is near Puerta Real in the centre of the city. Allow extra time each day to use these products and to just spoil and de-stress yourself. You will love yourself for it.
6. Have a massage. Having a professional massage will do you the world of good. Even better would be to have more than one! You will feel the difference within yourself almost immediately and you will be bound to return home calm, relaxed, at peace with yourself and raring to go again.

But more than that, you will have enjoyed our favourite city as well. And for me, that is one of the main purposes of a good holiday.
And for more of the best information about how to get the most out of yourself and live your life to the max, go to http://massagegranada.wordpress.com/
Dave Wilkes, the author, has been healing and helping people improve their health for almost 40 years. His massage practice is in Spain and his Granada website, http://www.bed-and-breakfast-granada.com/ is a mine of information for anyone wanting to get the best out of their time in this, his favourite city.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Wilkes
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