Spain for Dummies

A writer, photographer, and cycling fanatic who has lived in Spain, Brazil and Ecuador, Neil E. Schlecht now resides in rural Connecticut. His first exposure to Spain was as a college sophomore teaching English at Col.legi Sant Ignasi in Barcelona. He returned to Barcelona just before the 1992 Summer Olympics and stayed for most of the past decade, working as a consultant on social and economic development projects for the European Union and as a contributing writer for a Spanish art and antiques magazine. The author of a dozen travel guides, as well as articles on art and culture and art catalogue essays, Neil is especially keen on assignments that take him back to Spain. The author counts among the highlights of his Spanish travels a few treasured road miles cycling in the Navarra countryside alongside Miguel Indurain, Spain's five-time Spanish Tour de France champion. Neil's favorite reminder of Spain is his Labrador Retriever, who hails from a farm on Ibiza, one of the Balearic Islands. Despite her relocation to the U.S., she refuses to obey any commands not in Spanish.

Introduction; Part I: Getting Started; Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of Spain; Chapter 2: Deciding When and Where to Go; Chapter 3: Five Great Spain Itineraries; Chapter 4: Planning Your Budget; Chapter 5: Planning Ahead for Special Travel Needs; Part II: Ironing Out the Details; Chapter 6: Getting to Spain; Chapter 7: Getting around Spain; Chapter 8: Booking Your Accommodations; Chapter 9: Money Matters; Chapter 10: Taking Care of the Remaining Details; Part III: Northern Spain: Barcelona, the Costa Brava, and the Basque Country; Chapter 11: Barcelona; Chapter 12: Girona and the Costa Brava; Chapter 13: The Basque Country and Navarra; Part IV: Central Spain: Madrid and Castile; Chapter 14: Madrid; Chapter 15: Castile: Around Madrid; Part V: Southern Spain: Andalusia; Chapter 16: Seville and Cordoba; Chapter 17: Andalusia's Pueblos Blancos; Chapter 18: Granada; Part VI: The Part of Tens; Chapter 19: Top Ten Can't-Miss Spanish Experiences; Chapter 20: Top Ten Things You Didn't Know about Spain and Never Thought to Ask; Appendix A: Quick Concierge; Appendix B: Spanish Art and Architecture; Worksheets; Index;