The Iberian Peninsula has been many things to many people throughout history. To the Romans it was a grain factory, with a primary purpose of feeding the population of Rome. To the Arabs it was glorious Al-Andalus, a culturally rich and enlightened civilization. Since 1492, however, it has been Castile for all those who sought a homogeneous Catholic state. Political unification meant the expulsion of the Jews and the Moors, and a mandate that the Castilian dialect become the official language throughout.

Despite all politicking, Spain is outstanding in the mutual influences and collaborative efforts of Muslims and Christians over periods of history. Undeniably, a magnificent blossoming of culture occurred in Andalusia under the rule of the Caliphs. But while much of Spanish traditional craftsmanship today is produced using designs and techniques that harken back to Moorish Al-Andalus, it is the civilization that Muslims, Christians, and Jews created together, which gives this art its vibrancy.

The traveler in search of art and culture will find contemporary Spain a wonderfully eclectic mix. The spectacles of Catholic Christianity make for splendid intrigue. Meanwhile the bull and the bullfighter, the flamenco guitarist and the flamenco dancer, Spanish cuisine and Spanish time continue to flavor the culture for Spaniard and visitor alike. Spain is the still- vibrant Andalusian architecture, but also the surrealistic structures of Gaudi’s Barcelona.

To visit only one or two regions of the peninsula and skip others is to miss a fuller viewer of Spanish heritage. Though certain legacies appear to stand out from the others, the particular quality of life in Spain is defined by any number of distinctive traditions. Not least of these are the festivals. Every year from July 7 to the 14th, thousands flock to Pamplona to celebrate Spain’s most famous fiesta. Although known to Spaniards as the fiesta de San Fermin, it is most commonly known as the Running of the Bulls. Perhaps lesser known, but by no means less spectacular, is the fiesta Tomatina de Buñol. More than a mere fiesta, this is an all out, town-wide, and no throws barred tomato fight. And to think, for the traveler to Spain, such cultural curiosities are only the beginning.