FUN. MAGICAL SPAIN BURSTING WITH HISTORY, CULTURE, FOOD AND FLAMENCO. FLAMENCO IS A SPANISH ART FORM WITH ITS ROOTS IN SOUTHERN SPAIN. IT’S A FUSION OF SONG, DANCE AND MUSICIANSHIP. FLAMENCO. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL THING, A DANGEROUS AS WELL. BECAUSE IF YOU LIKE IT, YOU GET IN LOVE AND THEN IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. SOMETHING LIKE ME 30 YEARS AGO THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS MUSIC. PARA ME ES ES ES COMO VA LA VIDA COMO SI. LIFE IN SPAIN DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. AS OUR TEAM FROM NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM DISCOVERED DURING A MONTH LONG STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM FOCUSED ON VIDEO STORYTELLING FROM MADRID TO SEVILLE TO SALAMANCA, PLUS STOPS IN TOLEDO, GRANADA, CADIZ AND SEGOVIA, YOU CAN SEE WHY TOURISM IN THIS SOUTHERN EUROPEAN COUNTRY IS SURGING. SPAIN RANKS AS THE SECOND MOST VISITED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, ONLY BEHIND FRANCE, AND IT’S ON TRACK TO BECOME THE MOST VISITED COUNTRY BY 2040. A COSA NOSTRA. BUT ALL THAT TOURISM HAS COME WITH SOME CONTROVERSY. PROTESTERS IN BARCELONA SQUIRTED TOURISTS WITH WATER GUNS IN JUNE, BLAMING SHORT TERM RENTALS FOR DRIVING UP HOUSING COSTS. WHILE WE DIDN’T ENCOUNTER ANY PROTESTS DURING OUR SUMMER TRIP, THE ECONOMIC FRUSTRATIONS REMAIN AN UNDERCURRENT FOR LOCALS. TAKE EL PALMAR, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SURF CAPITAL OF SOUTHERN SPAIN. RECEIVES. MORII SOME INCREDIBLE. LOCATED ON SPAIN’S ATLANTIC COAST, PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER TO SURF HERE FOR THE SOUZA MAS DEL NORTE DE EUROPA. BUT TENSION WITH TOURISTS HAS SURFACED. UN POQUITO MAS DESDE MI PERSPECTIVA HABLAR CON ALGUNAS DE AQUI. HEMOS VISTO ESTE CAMBIO. ESTE CAMBIO DE CHU MAS FIESTA CUANDO LLEGA FIN DE SEMANA ENCUENTRAS TODA LA PLAYA, MAS LLENA DE BASURA. BACK IN SPAIN’S CAPITAL CITY OF MADRID, THERE ARE CROWDS BUT NO COMPLAINTS FROM MY NORTH EASTON COLLEAGUE AND CO-LEADER OF THE TRIP, MONICA CANAVAN. OH MY GOD, I THINK I’M GOING TO TRY THIS ON. SHE’S READY TO SHOP AND TODAY WE’RE VISITING THE MARKET. EL RASTRO. THIS HISTORIC FLEA MARKET DRAWS TOURISTS AND LOCALS ON SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS. THIS PLACE IS HUGE. IT GOES THE WHOLE STREET UNTIL THE END AND IT HAS OVER 1000 STALLS. I LOVE BAGS AND I FOUND BEAUTIFUL BAGS HERE. YOU COME HERE TO FIND MADRID IDENTITY. YOU’LL DISCOVER MADRID’S IDENTITY THROUGHOUT THIS CITY OF MORE THAN 3 MILLION PEOPLE. THERE ARE MORE THAN 100 NEIGHBORHOODS IN 21 DISTRICTS. THAT INCLUDES AUSTRIAS, THE OLDEST PART OF THE CITY. SPAIN IS KNOWN FOR ITS HISTORIC PLAZAS, AND ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS IS RIGHT HERE IN MADRID. WE ARE IN PLAZA MAYOR. THIS PLACE DATES BACK TO THE 1600S. THIS IS A VERY TOURISTIC PLACE. PEOPLE FROM MADRID, WE DON’T SIT HERE. LIVING HERE IS VERY ROMANTIC. BEAUTIFUL FOR TWO DAYS. BUT NOT ANYMORE. BECAUSE IF NOT, IT’S REALLY NOISY. EVEN AT NIGHT. IT’S MANY PEOPLE HERE. YOU’LL FIND OTHER TOP TOURIST DESTINATIONS NEARBY, INCLUDING GRAN VIA AND PUERTA DEL SOL. CRAVING CHURROS AND CHOCOLATE. WHILE YOU ARE AT THE RIGHT PLACE, CHOCOLATERIA SAN GINÉS ACTUALLY PRODUCES MORE THAN 10,000 CHURROS EVERY SINGLE DAY. IT HAS BEEN HERE SINCE 1894, WHEN YOU IMAGINE IT’S REALLY OLD AND IT’S A CLASSIC. EVERYONE COMES HERE. VERY GOOD. OKAY. AND YOUR ROLE? YEAH, YOU’RE ROLLING, BUT EVERYONE DOESN’T DO THIS. ALTHOUGH YOU SHOULD IF YOU CAN. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE BIKING IN MADRID. WE’RE PEDALING THROUGH MADRID RIGO PARK ALONG THE RIVER. WE HAD A HEAT WAVE, AND IT’S JUST BEEN REALLY HOT. BUT TODAY IT IS BEAUTIFUL. THIS IS MADRID’S OWN VERSION OF BOSTON’S BIG DIG THE PARK COMING TO LIFE IN 2011 AFTER THE HIGHWAY WAS BURIED UNDERGROUND. IT BLENDS HISTORY WITH MODERN ARCHITECTURE, WHICH IS ON FULL DISPLAY AT THE STUNNING ARGANZUELA FOOTBRIDGE. I KNOW THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BRIDGES IN THE PARK, AND ONE OF THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED ONES. IT’S JUST SO AWESOME. AND I JUST HEARD YOU SAY HEAT WAVE. SO EXACTLY HOW HOT WAS IT? VERY HOT. REALLY HOT. IT WAS ACTUALLY THE HOTTEST SUMMER EVER ON RECORD IN SPAIN. WE HAD MULTIPLE MULTIPLE HEAT WAVES. SO HOW DID YOU GUYS COPE IN THOSE CONDITIONS? SHAYNA YOU EMBRACE THE SIESTA CULTURE AND YOU DO YOUR ACTIVITIES EARLY, HAVE A LATE LUNCH, TAKE A NAP, AND THEN YOU GET UP AND DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN. THEY DON’T START EATING DINNER UNTIL NINE OR LATER, SO YOU EMBRACE THAT.
Drawn by cultural allure, tourism to Spain surges
Spanish spirit shines — from Seville’s flamenco to El Palmar’s waves — but its tourism boom tests the balance between charm and change
Spain’s vibrant culture, from flamenco to surfing, draws tourists from around the world, but the influx has sparked local tensions and economic concerns. Flamenco, a Spanish art form rooted in southern Spain, is a fusion of song, dance, and musicianship. Lisi Sfair, a flamenco dancer, said, “I wake up listening to flamenco. I fall asleep listening to flamenco.”During a monthlong study abroad program, Northeastern University’s School of Journalism explored Spain’s vibrant cities, including Madrid, Seville, Salamanca, Toledo, Granada, Cadiz, and Segovia. Spain ranks as the second most visited country globally, trailing only France, and is projected to become the most visited by 2040. However, the surge in tourism has sparked unrest. In June, protesters in Barcelona targeted tourists with water guns, blaming short-term rentals for escalating housing costs.El Palmar, the surf capital of Southern Spain, attracts visitors from across Europe. Javier Panes said, “This beach is special because it has good waves. It gets good swells,” noting that “some days are incredible.” Alex Martín Jaramillo observed, “When the weekend comes, you find the entire beach more littered with trash.” Madrid, a city of over 3 million people, boasts more than 100 neighborhoods across 21 districts. Plaza Mayor, dating back to the 1600s, is a renowned historic plaza. Nearby attractions include Gran Via and Puerta Del Sol. Chocolateria San Gines, a local institution since 1894, produces over 10,000 churros dailys daily. Exploring España is an online magazine produced by Northeastern University students who are part of the college’s “Dialogue of Civilizations” study abroad program. The students produced documentaries about Spanish culture during a month-long video storytelling class offered by the School of Journalism.The following students participated in the project: Fiona Averill, Hannah Bocian, Annelise Dramm, Mary Dunn, Madison Evangelist, Elena French-Nino, Mackenzie Gayle, Kayla Goldman, Isamar Martinez, Azalea Murray, Melissa Rejuan, Rishpiath Satter, Gitana Savage, Isabelle Warren, Enrique Zarazaga, and Darin Zullo.
Spain’s vibrant culture, from flamenco to surfing, draws tourists from around the world, but the influx has sparked local tensions and economic concerns. Flamenco, a Spanish art form rooted in southern Spain, is a fusion of song, dance, and musicianship. Lisi Sfair, a flamenco dancer, said, “I wake up listening to flamenco. I fall asleep listening to flamenco.”
During a monthlong study abroad program, Northeastern University’s School of Journalism explored Spain’s vibrant cities, including Madrid, Seville, Salamanca, Toledo, Granada, Cadiz, and Segovia.
Spain ranks as the second most visited country globally, trailing only France, and is projected to become the most visited by 2040. However, the surge in tourism has sparked unrest. In June, protesters in Barcelona targeted tourists with water guns, blaming short-term rentals for escalating housing costs.
El Palmar, the surf capital of Southern Spain, attracts visitors from across Europe. Javier Panes said, “This beach is special because it has good waves. It gets good swells,” noting that “some days are incredible.” Alex Martín Jaramillo observed, “When the weekend comes, you find the entire beach more littered with trash.”
Madrid, a city of over 3 million people, boasts more than 100 neighborhoods across 21 districts. Plaza Mayor, dating back to the 1600s, is a renowned historic plaza. Nearby attractions include Gran Via and Puerta Del Sol. Chocolateria San Gines, a local institution since 1894, produces over 10,000 churros dailys daily.
Exploring España is an online magazine produced by Northeastern University students who are part of the college’s “Dialogue of Civilizations” study abroad program. The students produced documentaries about Spanish culture during a month-long video storytelling class offered by the School of Journalism.
The following students participated in the project: Fiona Averill, Hannah Bocian, Annelise Dramm, Mary Dunn, Madison Evangelist, Elena French-Nino, Mackenzie Gayle, Kayla Goldman, Isamar Martinez, Azalea Murray, Melissa Rejuan, Rishpiath Satter, Gitana Savage, Isabelle Warren, Enrique Zarazaga, and Darin Zullo.