ESPAESPAÑAÑA

By Kellie and Louise…

GEOGRAPHY

GEOGRAPHY Spain’s total area is

504,782 km2. Spain and Africa

(Morocco) are only separated by 13km of sea.

Spain is bordered by France, Portugal and Andorra.

The four biggest cities are:

1. Madrid…5.6 million

2. Barcelona…4.6million

3. Valencia…1.6 million

4. Sevilla…1.3 million

•The highest temperature ever recorded in Spain 47.2C and the coldest was -27CC.

•Spain has 15 islands. The biggest is Tenerife with 886,000 people living there and the smallest is Ons with just 61 residents.

SPANISH CULTURE

Spain are most famous for Flamenco and Bullfighting.

FESTIVALS January On the 6th is the epiphany or little Christmas when the 3 wise men bring gifts to Spains

children,much like Santa in our culture.

FebruaryThe Seville Tapas Fair a feast of Spanish snacks / tapas. In Barcelona, Cadiz and Tenerife, there are huge celebrations including fancy dress costumes, singing and dancing.

MarchIn Valencia it's the Fallas de San José where there are celebrations with incredible firework displays every night and on the last day there is the symbolic burning of the fallas (papier-mache effigies of famous people).

AprilSpains most famous and religious festival is Holy Week (Semana Santa) They say the best places to celbrate Holy Week is in Cordoba, Granada and Malaga. They have huge parades with bands and religious floats.

MayUp in Madrid it's the world's largest bullfight festival as well as plenty of local cultural events and parties as Spains capital celebrate San Isidro, the Patron Saint of Madrid.

JuneCorpus Christi is celebrated to all over the country most especially in Toledo and Seville.

In Granada they celebrate the International Festival of Music and Dance whilst the Hogueras de San Juan  (midsummer bonfires and fireworks) are celebrated in the Alicante.

JulyIn Pamplona there’s San Fermin, the famous running of the bulls which always begins on 7th for a week.

In the South you can celebrate the Día de la Virgen de Carmen. Usually you'll see a statue of Mary carried in from the sea by many fishing boats along with some impressive firework displays.

AugustOne of Spain's strangest festivals is La Tomatina (Tomato Festival) near Valencia which is the world's biggest tomato fight.

Malaga's Feria de Malaga is an enormous 10 day party down on the south coast.

OctoberHispanidad is celebrated all over the country when they celebrate Columbus's landing in the Americas.

NovemberThe month begins with All Saints Day (Todos Los Santos) when Spanish people from all over the country return to their birthplaces to remember their deceased relatives.

DecemberChristmas in Spain is a family affair with Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) a very quiet night when all families get together for dinner. Noche Vieja (New Years Eve) is also celebrated.

SPANISH ARTISTS

Picasso  Guernica (1937).

DalíThe Persistence of Memory, (1931)

GaudíLa Sagrada Família  (1884 -present)

FOOD Tortilla

6-7 medium potatoes, peeled 1 whole yellow onion 5-6 large eggs 2-3 cups of olive oil for pan frying Salt to taste

Cut the peeled potatoes in half. Slice the potato in pieces approximately 1/8" thick. Peel and chop the onion into 1/4" pieces. Put potatoes and onions into a bowl and mix them together. Salt the mixture. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil. Carefully place the potato and onion mixture into the frying pan, spreading

them evenly over the surface. While the mixture is draining in a colander, crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat by hand with a

whisk or fork. Pour in the potato onion mixture. Mix together with a large spoon. Pour 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil into a small, frying pan and heat on medium heat. Stir the potato onion mixture once

more and “pour” into the pan and spread out evenly. When the mixture has browned on the bottom, you are ready to turn it over to cook the other side. To make Sofrito, (fried tomato sauce that is made all over Spain. )Tomatoes, onions, garlic, green peppers and

olive oil sautéed in a frying pan.

FOOD Tapas

2 long green peppers

1 yellow bell pepper

2-3 cloves garlic

2 fresh chorizo sausages (1/2 lb or 1/4 kg)

Spanish olive oil for frying

salt to taste

Rinse peppers, then remove stems, seeds and membranes. Cut in slices lengthwise, about 1/3-inch wide. Peel and finely chop garlic .Cut chorizo into 1-inch lengths.

Pour 4-5 Tbsp olive oil into a heavy bottom frying pan and heat. When oil is hot, fry chorizo pieces and pepper strips, stirring often. When peppers are browned and almost cooked, add minced garlic and continue to fry. When chorizo and peppers are cooked, serve on platter with rustic bread.

FOOD 5 eggs, separated

·        1/4 cup granulated sugar

·        1/4 cup flour

·        1/4 cup cocoa powder

·        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·        4 tablespoons sifted confectioners' sugar

·        1 cup heavy cream, whipped

·        1 1/4 teaspoons rum extract

·        1 tablespoon superfine sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until thick and smooth. Stir in flour, cocoa and vanilla extract. Blend well. Whip egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold into yolk and flour mixture. Butter a 15 x 8-inch baking pan. Line with baking parchment paper or wax paper. Butter well again, and dust lightly with 2 tablespoons of the confectioners' sugar. Pour batter into the pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then turn onto a cloth to cool. After 10 minutes peel paper off.

Combine whipped cream, rum and sugar. Adjust to taste. Spread over cake and roll cake like a jellyroll, starting with the long edge. Sprinkle with remaining confectioners' sugar. Serve in slices.