Problem
Where can I go and what can I do to celebrate on October 12th?
Answer
Columbus Day is celebrated in Spain, the USA and several other countries. It is also called Day of Spanish, and is celebrated as day of the Spanish Military.
In Madrid the King and the Queen watch a military parade, the usual thing, with colourful uniforms and marching bands. My favourite item is the goat which is the symbol of the Spanish legion. I've seen pictures of a white goat with a red fancy blanket over its back, as well as a black-faced goat wearing a blue covering.
Where can I go and what can I do to celebrate on October 12th?
Answer
Columbus Day is celebrated in Spain, the USA and several other countries. It is also called Day of Spanish, and is celebrated as day of the Spanish Military.
In Madrid the King and the Queen watch a military parade, the usual thing, with colourful uniforms and marching bands. My favourite item is the goat which is the symbol of the Spanish legion. I've seen pictures of a white goat with a red fancy blanket over its back, as well as a black-faced goat wearing a blue covering.
Spanish fly-past
Spain.
Statues of Columbus include one in Barcelona.
The Monument to Columbus in La Rambla, a major street in Barcelona, Spain.
Miniature of the Columbus monument in the garden miniatures, about 17 miles outside Barcelona, Spain.
At the opposite end of the scale, the biggest Columbus monument is in Puerto Rico. It was turned down by several cities in the USA but welcomed by Puerto Rico where it is hoped it will regenerate tourism.
The Columbus statue, called Birth of the New World, in Puerto Rico, seen close=up.
The Columbus monument in Puerto Rico from a distance, showing the scale and surroundings.
If you wish to travel around Spain I recommend staying at the Paradores, hotels built by the government in converted historic buildings to encourage tourism to and develope areas in all parts of the country. The Paradores are good value and the restaurants serve regional food. I have stayed in several on more than one trip. My favourites were the one in Seville and the one on the frontier with Portugal. If you can't afford a room, or they are fully booked, try to book a meal.
Portugal has a similar system of Pousadas.
To learn Spanish for free, start by using Duolingo.
Spanish speaking countries
Over in North America many cities are called Columbus.
Statues of Columbus are in New York's Central Park and Providence, Rhode Island. The statue in Central Park has been desecrated with the words Say No To Hate, which seems ironic. A statue in New England was also desecrated.
Spanish is widely spoken in North America. You will see Spanish signs in many public buildings. The name Columbus is popular for cities and towns, in Ohio, Georgia, and Mississippi and more.
I looked at the city of Columbus, Ohio and noted that it had a German quarter which would be a good place to visit for Oktoberfest next September-October. I was looking for a statue of Columbus and came across something amazing and amusing, what I think of as the basket building, headquarters of the Longaberger building in Newark, Ohio. As a keen photographer, I would put that on my list of places to visit on my next trip around the USA and Ohio.
Building in Columbus, Ohio, USA
A giant statue of Columbus, named The Birth Of The New World, has been installed in Puerto Rico and is predicted to increase tourism. That statue is gigantic, taller than the one of Christ the Redeemer in Rio, and taller than the Statue of Liberty. Several cities in the USA rejected it but the Puerto Ricans are delighted to have it.
If you can't get to any of these, you could celebrate Spain at home with a trip to a Spanish restaurant or a meal at home with Sangria or a Spanish wine such as Rioja or a c a v a, a sweet white wine, the Spanish equivalent of Champagne.
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Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.
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