City Facts about Madrid

• Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous in the European Union after Paris and London.
• Its sister city in the USA is New York City.
• Madrid is home to Real Madrid, who plays in the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. Real Madrid is one of the most prestigious soccer clubs in the world, having won a record 9 European Soccer Cups.
• The city bid to host the 1972 Summer Olympics, the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the 2016 Summer Olympics, which were lost to Munich, London, and Rio de Janeiro respectively.
• Madrid hosts the largest Plaza de Toros (bullring) in Spain, Las Ventas, established in 1929. Las Ventas is considered by many to be the world centre of bullfighting and has a seating capacity of almost 25,000.
• The Auditorio Nacional de Música is the main venue for classical music concerts in Madrid, is home to the Spanish National Orchestra, the Chamartín Symphony Orchestra and the venue for the symphonic concerts of the Community of Madrid Orchestra and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra.
• The Royal Botanic Garden or Real Jardin Botanico was an 18th century creation. It was used as a base for the plant species being collected across the globe.

The University of Miami Frost Chorale concludes 2011 Incantato Performance Tour with a concert at the Church of Santo Tome on Saturday, May 21 at 8 P.M.

The University of Miami Frost Chorale will perform at Toledo's Santo Tome on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 8 PM. Dating from the 14^th century, Toledo’s Santo Tomé is best known for housing El Greco’s most famous painting, The Burial of Count Orgaz.

Santo Tomé was founded in the 12^th century, but completely restructured in the 14^th century as commissioned by the Lord of Orgaz, the subject of El Greco’s painting. Count Orgaz, born Gonzalo Ruiz, was a Toledo native and Señor of the town of Orgaz. He died in 1312, leaving substantial donations for the enlargement and detailed adornment of the Church of Santo Tomé. A pious man, Orgaz was known to donate to multiple local charities in his lifetime. It is believed according to local Toledo legend that Saint Stephen and Saint Augustine even presided over his burial. A painting depicting this legend was commissioned for the church on March 18, 1586.

The chosen painter was El Greco, who served as a member of the church. The painting was unveiled by Christmas of that year and immediately attracted attention. Spectators were especially impressed by the inclusions of realistic portraits of the Toledo’s most notable figures of the time posing as onlookers. The painting portrays the burial of Count Orgaz with the posthumous assistance of Saint Augustine and Saint Stephen miraculously appearing to thank the Count for his donations to all the religious institutions named after them.

Even more interesting about the painting is the lack of ground, horizon, sky, and perspective. There appears no conflict, and El Greco successfully achieves a convincing expression of supernatural space.

The Burial of Count Orgaz was El Greco’s first major work. Many of his later pieces are displayed in the Toledo Cathedral.

Letter from Fundación Josep Carreras to Frost Chorale, after Benefit Concert in Barcelona

Dear Incantato and Frost Chorale members

Thank you very much for the organization and collaboration on last Monday event, with Frost Chorale concert.

The concert was really magnificent and we were very impressed by the choir performance. Both the atmosphere and the repertoire were outstanding and on top of this, the top level they have. Also it was really moving to see the Church so crowded; and to see so many people listening to Frost Chorale singing to collaborate in fighting leukaemia.

Thank you very much for your donation, and also the audience donation was very good.

We send you all a hug

--------------------------

Apreciados miembros de Incantato y Frost Chorale,

Muchísimas gracias por la organización y colaboración en el acto del pasado lunes en que cantó la Frost Chorale.

Fue realmente magnífico y quedamos sumamente impresionados de la actuación de esta coral. Fue espectacular tanto el marco como el repertorio que cantaron y por supuesto el alto nivel que tienen.

Además fue realmente emocionante ver la iglesia tan llena y con tanta gente escuchando a la Frost Choralle cantando para colaborar en la lucha contra la leucemia.

Mil gracias por el donativo, que finalmente ascendió con las donaciones del público!

Un abrazo.

Incantato Tour Sight: Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

The Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia - commonly known as the Sagrada Familia - is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI. Though construction of Sagrada Familia had commenced in 1882, Gaudi became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style - combining Gothic and curvilinear, Art Nouveau forms with ambitious structural columns and arches. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project and at the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Familia's construction progressed slowly as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War - only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the mid-point in 2010 with some of the project's greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026 - the centennial of Gaudí's death.

Measures conversion

Measures conversion chart

Please notice money conversion changes everyday. Also Time conversion may vary.

Europe	USA - Miami		USA - Miami	Spain
1 euros	1,43 dollars	x 1,43	1 USD	0,7 EUR	x 0,7
1 sq meter	10,76 sq yard	x 1,19	1 yr2	0,83 m2	x 0,83
1 Meter (m)	3,28 feet	x 3	1 feet	0,3 metros	x 0,3
1 Kilometer	0,62 miles	x 0,62	1 miles	1,61 Km	x 1,61
1 kilograms	2,20 pounds	x 2,2	1 pound(lb)	0,45 Kg	x 0,45
1 liter	0,26 gallons	x 0,26	1 gal	3,79 l	x 3,79
10º Celsius	50º fahrenheit		60º F	15,5º C
20 ºC	68º F		70º F	21,1º C
30º C	86º F		80º F	26,6º C
12:00 noon	6 am (behind)	- 6 hrs	12:00 noon	6 am (ahead)	+ 6 hrs

Spanish meals and most typical dishes

Dear travellers, here you have some suggestions on Spanish food issues: Meals and dishes.

Notice you will find local specialties by city as well, in other posts. Cuisine is a part of the culture, so be adventorous and enjoy it!

MEALS:

Breakfast: is small in Spain. Better said, just coffe - sometimes with a roll - is quite an usual breakfast. Then we have “el pincho” or “el café” – like an early lunch. This is when we have something to eat. It usually takes people out of their offices from 11 to 12… so this it the time when you have the longest lines in the banks, etc...!

Tapas: We call so to different appetizers we use to combine and share in a meal. It helps you to try different foods. Tapa means literally “lid”, coming from the Medieval Times, when they used to serve slices of ham/cheese/bread etc on top of the wine carafe.Tapas are

great as they are cheap and small. So is a good way to try different food.

Comida: late big lunch: we usually have a great meal around 2 – 3 pm. We have 2 courses and dessert.

MENU: is what we call “Plate of the day”, it is usually a great option: freshest food, 2 courses and dessert/coffee and sometimes also the drink for 10-15 Euros.

Cena: our dinner time: at home, it is usually small: one dish often with salad/dairy. But when eating o

utside it is as big as Comida (lunch). It is usually a bit more expensive than Comida too.

LA CUENTA: Please ask for the bill as soon as you get served the last thing you ordered. It takes fore

ver to get bills!! This system will allow you to leave as soon as you finish. If not, you will be waiting a long time!

FOOD YOU SHOULD TRY, FROM ALL OVER SPAIN:

Jamón Serrano: One of the most famous Spanish specialties. It is pork cured ham. It has to be from Iberian Black Pork – not from the pink pig. Then of course you have different qualities:

Blanco: Not the real one. This is done from pink pig fed with bad fodder.

Ibérico: it means it is from the Iberian Black Pork: less fat, healthier.

Bellota: The best: It is Ibérico but the pork is fed naturally only with acorn.

Olive oil: You will find it best in Mediaterranean Coast and South Spain. The pure juice press in cold is called: Extra Virgen.

Other qualities are lower, not really so good - and Orujo is really bad.

Olive oil varies from transparent gold to cloudy green. It is naturally bitter

and the acidity decreases with transparency and yellow. We love thick cloudy green one – really thick, and really bitter.

Gazpacho: This cold tomato and garlic soup is only to be found in Mediterranean

and South Spain area, and only in summer. Much of the gazpacho you will find will be done with the “tomato concentrated” can, so aks if they have the "real" one…

Paella: see at Valencia dishes post

All-i-oli: see at Valencia dishes post

and of course, we have to present one of our most favourite sweet proposals:

Chocolate con churros: This is hot chocolate to dip churros inside. Churro is a fritter: a long dough fried and covered with sugar. Do not worry, you will loose the calories with the walking!

Little things about Spain before packing

In Incantato we would love you to enjoy every single step of your way. Here you have some info on little things you might want to know about Spain before getting on the plane. Maybe they help you to enjoy better!

We have this saying:

“1 just-in-case worths more than 100 if-I-had-knew”

- It is customary to have always some kind of identification with a picture. You can use your passport or your driving license. It is good to have a photocopy of your passport done and kept elsewhere.

- In order to use a credit card, you will need to activate it and to get a pin number before coming: Let your bank know.

- American Express credit card is not accepted in many places.

- Any kind of Traveler Checks is not accepted, and if it is, it becomes very expensive

- Please click here for more info on money matters

- Generally food and clothes are more expensive in Spain than in USA.

- It is forbidden to smoke in public places from January 2011. Many smokers are quitting these months!

- Please bring a photocopy of your prescriptions in case you need medication. This is a just-in-case! The active ingredient is good to know too, as we do not always have the same medicines (though mostly)

- Old town means cobblestoned hilly streets, pedestrian areas, steps... Happy feet help to have a happy tour. Please do bring comfy shoes.

- Flip-flops are for sure not comfortable in our old towns, but they migh be in the hotels. We do not go barefoot around!

- Showing your knees / shoulders is forbidden in the churches. We will be entering churches almost daily – concerts, art, history... Please bring appropriate clothing. Knee long pants/skirts. Girls can use a scarf to cover their shoulders. Men are not supposed to use it.

- Laundry service in hotels is very expensive. Still we do not have Laundromats around (few at the students area in Madrid and Barcelona)

- We are having local elections (for Municipality Mayors and Region Presidents) on May 22nd!

Please if you have any specific question do not hesitate to contact us. There is so many little things that we could tell you! The best is that you will come to see them!

Hasta la vista!

Welcome to Spain!

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal. Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. Furthermore, the town of Llívia is a Spanish exclave situated inside French territory. With an area of 504,030 km², it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France.
Because of its location, the territory of Spain was subject to many external influences since prehistoric times and through to its dawn as a country. Conversely, it has been an important source of influence to other regions, chiefly during the Modern Era, when it became a global empire that has left a legacy of over 400 million Spanish speakers today, making it the world's second most spoken first language. Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country with the ninth or tenth largest economy in the world, and very high living standards, including the seventeenth-highest quality of life index rating in the world. It is a member of the United Nations, European Union, NATO, OECD, and WTO.

Frost Chorale 2011 Performance Tour travel route through Spain

City Facts about Barcelona

• Barcelona is the capital and the most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain.
• The city is twinned with Boston, USA.
• In 2007 Barcelona's City Council started the Bicing service, a bicycle service understood as a public transport. Once the user has their user card, they can take a bicycle from any of the 100 stations spread around the city, use it, and then leave it at another station.
• The Port Vell area houses Europe's largest aquarium, containing 8,000 fish and 11 sharks contained in 22 basins filled with 6 million litres of sea water.
• Barcelona has a long sporting tradition and hosted the successful 1992 Summer Olympics as well as several matches during the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
• Barcelona has many venues for live music and theatre, including the world-renowned Gran Teatre del Liceu opera theatre, the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, the Teatre Lliure and the Palau de la Música Catalana concert hall. Barcelona also is home to the Barcelona and Catalonia National Symphonic Orchestra, the largest symphonic orchestra in Catalonia.
• Snowfalls and night frosts occur almost every year. Snowfalls seldom cause any disruption to traffic. Nonetheless, the city has experienced its share of heavy snowfalls, as for example at Christmas 1962, when a true blizzard affected the city.

Explore Valencia

Valencia is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of around 810,000. It is integrated into an industrial area on the Costa del Azahar. Its main festival, the Falles, is known worldwide, while the traditional dish, paella, originated around Valencia. The city contains a dense monumental heritage (including the Llotja de la Seda - World Heritage Site since 1996), but its landmark is undoubtedly the City of Arts and Sciences, an avant-garde and futuristic museum complex.

City Facts about Cuenca

Cuenca is a city in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. It is the capital of the province of Cuenca, and one of the largest provinces in Spain, being almost as large as countries like Slovenia or Montenegro. The history of Cuenca is one of the richest in Spain, where traces of the Iron Age have surfaced through the remains of various burial grounds. Important Roman settlements, such as the ones found at Saelices and Valeria have also been located in Cuenca. The city also serves as the site where the Roman Conca was established, which later became a territory ruled by the Visigoths, followed by the Moors, until liberation came by the hands of Alfonso VIII in 1177. It was from then on that Cuenca would enjoy the unique rights as a frontier town, eventually becoming the headquarters of the knightly Order of Santiago.
Today, the history of Cuenca, Spain is captured in the many attractions and intriguing sites from the past that are scattered about the land. The Cathedral, located in Plaza Mayor, dates back to 1177, and displays the allure of several different periods of architecture. Another worthy chapel called the Palcacio Episcopal dates back to the 13th century. While the Cathedral is rather historic, the Town Hall is relatively new (an 18th century gem). The hill on which the village thrives upon is thought inhabited since prehistoric times. After the Romans conquered the land, the Arabs converted it into a fortress, which was later taken back by Alfonso VIII. In Belmonte, an assortment of well-preserved churches, palaces, and convents hailing from between the 15th to 17th century reside.

Incantato Insider Spain: The hilltop town of Cuenca

Incantato Tours is thrilled to bring the Frost Chorale to the charming hilltop town of Cuenca in 2011. Enjoy the photo album of Cuenca by night:

Facts about Toledo - A city with extensive cultural and monumental heritage

Toledo is a municipality located in central Spain, 70 km south of Madrid. It is the capital of the province of Toledo. It is also the capital of autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage as one of the former capitals of the Spanish Empire and place of coexistence of Christian, Jewish and Moorish cultures. Many famous people and artists were born or lived in Toledo, including Al-Zarqali, Garcilaso de la Vega, Eleanor of Toledo, Alfonso X and El Greco. It was also the place of important historic events such as the Visigothic Councils of Toledo. The city has a population of 78,618 and an area of 89.59 square miles.
Having been populated since the Bronze Age, Toledo (Toletum in Latin) gained relevance during Roman times, being a main commercial and administrative center in the roman province of Tarraconensis. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Toledo served as the capital city of Visigothic Spain, beginning with Liuvigild (Leovigild), and was the capital of Spain until the Moors conquered Iberia in the 8th century. Under the Caliphate of Cordoba, Toledo enjoyed a golden age. This extensive period is known as La Convivencia, i.e. the co-existence of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Under Arab rule, Toledo was called Tulaytulah. After the fall of the Caliphate, Toledo was the capital city of one of the richest Taifa Muslim kingdoms of Al-Andalus, and, because of its central location in the Iberian Peninsula, Toledo took a central position in the struggles between the Muslim and Christian rulers of northern Spain. Remains of Roman circus at Toledo. On May 25, 1085 Alfonso VI of Castile took Toledo and established direct personal control over the Moorish city from which he had been exacting tribute, and ending the mediaeval Taifa's Kingdom of Toledo. This was the first concrete step taken by the combined kingdom of Leon-Castile in the Reconquista by Christian forces. After castilian conquest Toledo remained as a main cultural centre; its Arab libraries weren't savaged, and a tag-team translation centre was established, in which books in Arabic would be translated from Arabic or Hebrew to Spanish by Arab and Jewish scholars, and from Spanish to Latin by castilian scholars, thus letting the old-lost knowledge spread through Christian Europe again. For some time during the 16th century, Toledo served as the capital city of Castile, and the city flourished. However, soon enough the Spanish court was moved first to Valladolid and then to Madrid, thus letting the city's relevance dwindle until the late 20th century, when it was established as the capital city of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. Nevertheless, the economic decline of the city helped to preserve its cultural and architectural patrimony. Today, because of its rich heritage, Toledo is one of Spain's foremost cities, receiving thousands of visitors yearly. Toledo's Alcázar (Arabicized Latin word for palace-castle) became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.
Toledo's cuisine is the cuisine Castilla-rooted in its traditions and is closely linked to hunting and grazing. A good number of recipes is the result of the combination of Moorish and Christian influences. Among his specialties include the lamb roast or stew, as cuchifrito, and beans with partridge or stewed partridge, the carcamusas, the crumbs, the porridge Mancha and the tortilla to the lean. Two of the foods that have brought fame to the city of Toledo are the Manchego cheese and marzipan, which has a denomination of origin itself, the marzipan of Toledo.