5 comments about Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past.

1. A liberal British newspaper reporter's hit and miss attempt at a book explaining Spain (his nearly adopted country) to us outsiders. Some hits (like how modern Spain handles the dark legacy of Franco) are offset by a number of misses.
   
   Historical facts, or guesses as to historical facts, get thrown in as space fillers; events that catch Mr. Tremlett's fancy are highlighted, whether reflective of the whole Spanish society or not; the level of writing is often barely above that of a talented reporter on deadline. The final meandering chapter entitled "Moderns and Ruins", especially, cries out for editing.



2. A British journalist who has lived 20 years in Spain, married and raising his 2 children in Madrid, the author investigates, reveals and muses upon Spanish culture, history and the forces of the "two Spains" as they come together, or rub against each other, in forming the modern Spanish world. A fascinating look at Spain, its subcultures from the Basques to the Catalans to flamenco to the Galicians, to drug culture to tourism and the very difficult and delicate process of choosing to forget the differences of the Spanish Civil War and Franco's regime in order to move forward in a country that was once the most powerful on earth.
   I like Spain and its history. This is one of the very best insights into modern Spain. Highly recommended.



3. If you have time to read only one book about Spain, Ghosts of Spain, would be my pick for you. I have been to Spain several times: to Valderama for the Ryder Cup; to the Pyrenees to hike; to Barcelona to see Gaudi's works; to Bilbao to see "Puppy" and the Gehry Guggenheim; and to Guernica because of Picasso's painting of the same name. There is little in Spain that hasn't captured my interest. Ghosts of Spain has pulled together my varied experiences and has made sense of them. Ghosts is rich with history, pre- and post Franco, and with a devoted admirer's unravelling of modern Spain's political, economic, artistic, and social sensibilities. Read Ghosts and you will arrive in Spain to find that Giles Tremlett has given you an amazing gift, a "Rosetta Stone" for Spain. Whether you speak Spanish or not, Tremlett's Ghosts will make the new and the strange feel familiar. If you already know Spain, I suspect that Ghosts is even more of a "must read."



4. I wanted to learn more about Spain and the format of this book seemed ideal but the writer has a dull style that makes it hard to get through the book. It's repetitive; he uses the most hackneyed phrases and it sounds like a "What I did last summer" composition from a pretentious high schooler. It's neither a detailed history nor a good journalistic read.



5. Nice follow up after reading the classic Iberia by James Michener. Brings the reader up to date on life in modern Spain which is still haunted by ghosts of its civil war and the battle between tradition and modernism. La Transicion, or Spain's transition to democracy is something that is occuring both historically, politically, and personally as Spain enters a more globalized, connected world. Tremlett describes this "transicion" from all perspectives, but it is his personal perspective, as an ex-pat Brit raising his family in Spain, which I found particularly enjoyable. His descriptions of day to day life juxtaposed into chapters dealing with deeper historical and political events, such as the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the legacy of Franco, the Basque separatist movement, the pride of Catalans, and the 2004 Islamic bombings, makes this book very readable and pertitent to truly understanding not only the country but its people, and their remarkable history.

5 comments about Iberia.

1. I've been reading "Iberia" in preparation for a trip to Spain, and in it I've found some of the best travel writing I've ever read--and I've read a few. Michener focuses on several cities in Spain, but most of the time these are mere settings for his fascinating discourses on the history, culture and politics of a country he obviously has long been attached to. DO NOT make the mistake I did of reading just the parts that coincided with our trip--every chapter is fascinating, and now I find I'm going back and reading the parts I skipped the first time.
   
   To call this book outdated is a bit silly--it was published in 1968 and represents a highly intelligent and well-informed look at Spain at that time, as Franco's power was waning. If he were alive today I think Michener would have been pleased. Things have turned out far better than he thought they would; he was skeptical that a two-party democracy would ever work in Spain.
   
   I've read much of Michener's fiction but now that I've read this, I wonder if he missed his true calling. The fiction is a good way to get a feel for a place, but I know people who advise skipping the first hundred pages, and skimming through the rest. Of course this book is long too, but quite different--I read 600 of the 900 pages in 2 days--it's that good.
   
   I can't recommend this strongly enough--by now the info on tapas bars is long outdated, but for a quirky, personal, well-informed view of Spain on the eve of democracy, I doubt you'll do better.



2. I've never been to Spain, but after reading Michener's mammoth work on the country, I wish I had gone long ago. I have this sneaking feeling that the place has changed out of all recognition since he published this 795 page tome in 1968. Perhaps it has become more like the rest of Europe or even more like the rest of the world than it was during the latter part of Franco's long rule. Is it still "Spanish", whatever that may mean ? Maybe, but not the same way. I'm sure I've missed that old Spain of Franco's time and maybe (also) that's not such a bad thing. What role bullfighting and flamenco play in contemporary Spain is probably open to question. Does the Catholic church have the same power that it did ? Does it still have power over the schools ? Certainly censorship has disappeared and we see any number of modern films, full of sex, from the once "protected" society. Prices have increased, poverty diminished, the cities have grown and the countryside been drained of people. Spain is now indubitably a land to which immigrants come, not one from which they go. All big changes in the last 40 years. So, you might ask, why should I bother to read an out-of-date book like this ?
   
   You should read this book if you're going to Spain. Sure, it's not about the society you're going to see, but it's about the recent past there. It tells you a thousand things you could still see, you could find, taste, experience. You might be interested to know what things used to be like if you've already been to Spain in the last 20 years. You should read it as an intense portrait---warts and all---of a particular country, a country that has played a major role in world and European history. What you will get from this superb book is a flavor, whether your taste runs to social analysis, history, architecture, bullfighting, people, nature, or just simple travel. It's one of the great travel books of the English language, not, by the way, one of Michener's eventually rather formulaic, boring novels. Even if his political predictions and those of the Spaniards he interviewed were often off base seen in hindsight, he deals with all the issues--the landowners, the church, the Guardia Civil, the economy, Catalan and Basque separatism, the arts, and the general ability to rule and be ruled. The style is extremely readable, the photographs by Robert Vavra, outstanding, the maps satisfying. Read the other reviews of IBERIA. You'll see I'm not just whistling Dixie here. Viva España !



3. As a James Michener fan I thought this would be his usual excellent book. It may be good for others, but it wasn't for me. Well duh, it is NON-Fiction. I'm sorry but it didn't have the usual Michener way of grabbing you. This is probably a great book for a studious reader, someone interest in the details of Spain (Iberia). Unless that's you maybe you should skip this one.



4. Written in 1968 this is a non-fictional account of James Michener's travels throughout Spain during his lifetime. He includes much history, local culture, tradition, and insight into this somewhat enigmatic country. Still relevant, but if you'd like to complement this book with a more recent follow-up, I would suggest Ghosts of Spain by Giles Tremlett, but first read Michener if you want to get some great comprehensive background. The two in fact complement each other.



5. This book is a rambling, dated, starry-eyed tourist's view of Spain. For a cultural guide or a historical record, try Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past or The Buried Mirror: Reflections on Spain and the New World. If you must buy it, get some tissues -- you'll be bored to tears.

5 comments about Barcelona & Catalonia (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. I went to Barcelona recently, and in the planning of the trip I consulted four guide books:
   
   Lonely Planet's Barcelona City Guide
   Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Barcelona and Catalonia
   Cadogan Guides Barcelona (Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls)
   Time Out Barcelona
   
   All of them were good. I took two with me: Lonely Planet and Eyewitness.
   The reasons I chose those two:
   
   Eyewitness unfailingly has a good quality map, which in my view is LP's downfall. Eyewitness always includes a Street Finder Index which LP does not, and LP often misses out on streets other than the major ones, which can be very frustrating, especially in a city like Barca where there are many alleyways. I never use Eyewitness for hotels - the information is scant and usually more expensive than my (more Lonely Planet) budget, but it has fantastic colour photos and cutaways of buildings, and illustrations which place buildings within their streetscapes. It's a nice book to read on the bus or train going somewhere.
   
   LP specialises in listings, which seemed to be more up-to-date and comprehensive than either Time Out or Cadogan, It also had a good Excursions section which helped a couple of times when I travelled beyond the city. I also liked a couple of the walking routes they recommended. Information on matters such as public transport is comprehensive and detailed. I like the chapters on history, architecture and food as well.
   
   Time Out's great strength was in helping to plan. It had a huge array of hotels, and if you were especially interested in nightlife, I would take Time Out. I was there primarily for a conference, and many of my evenings were organised. And I'm also night a great nightclubber, perhaps contrary to Barca lifestyle!! If you are - consider Time Out. Its maps were pretty good, but not comprehensive for the area I was staying in, beachside Barceloneta.
   
   That is where the Cadogan guide excelled. Its maps were so good that I pulled them out of the book and took them with me. I would have taken the whole book, but for the weight in my suitcase! Its info about places and sights seemed accurate and comprehensive.



2. I really liked the Eye Witness travel guide for Barcelona. It made it very easy to find sites and I love having all the pictures so you can determine if this is a site you actaully want to see. But I do wish that there was a top 10 list of places that you absolutely need to see. You never want to leave a city and think that you missed seeing something very important.



3. Very useful guidebook. Compact and easy to carry around. Easy to read with great pictures and street maps (includes metro line maps too). Very helpful in deciding which sites are most important to visit. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting an easy guide to travel around Barcelona and Catalonia.



4. I usually like using Eyewitness Guides when I travel because they are very visual and have good images and cut-away drawings. Unfortunately, their guide for Barcelona is sadly lacking. One clue is that the book is literally quite thin compared to all the things there are to see and do in this city.
   
   They provide 6 pages for maps, going from the eastern side of Montjuic to the Born district, and north but not quite north enough to show where Gaudi's Park Guell is located. Many of the small streets in the Barri Gotic and Born districts are not even labelled. The northwest portion of the city is not shown and neither is the eastern third of the city, and there are many sights beyond the range of these maps that may interest visitors, including several Modernista (Art Nouveau) buildings. Methods of transport into and around the city are vague - there is only a mention about the very convenient aerobus that goes from the airport to the centrally located Placa de Catalunya with no specifics about cost, frequency of trips, and stops along the way. The listings for hotels and restaurants could easily have been double what they show. Information about getting to outerlying sights such as the monastery at Montserrat was cursory, and trip times were not accurate.
   
   By comparison, we supplemented our trip using the Time Out guide for Barcelona. It was much more informative, had more detailed maps and a sizable quantity of hotels, restaurants and shops covered. Cafes and restaurants are also conveniently tagged on the maps so it's easy to find a nearby place to rest and have a drink or some tapas after an afternoon of sightseeing. We ended up relying more on that guide while over there.
   
   Unless the Eyewitness Guide is revised and expanded in the future, I do not recommend this as the only guide to use for Barcelona.



5. I have several DK travel books that I have used over the years. dK Barcelona is extremely helpful with its color photos and tips to make my travel to Barcelona a success!

3 comments about Frommer's Spain 2008 (Frommer's Complete).

1. This guide covers a lot. My only issue with Frommer's is the bulk and weight. I will use it for research, make a list of what I want to see, take the map with me and leave the book back home. I travel light without check in luggage and this would take too much space. Outside of that I like it better than most.



2. I am very satisfies with product and service. the product arrived in very good condition.



3. I bought this book, read it, planned along their recommendation. Had a great grip to Spain. I love the idea that a map of Madrid & Barcelona is included, it was very helpful. We walked around a lot for sight-seeing, without the map, won't be as convinent.

5 comments about Streetwise Barcelona Map - Laminated City Street Map of Barcelona, Spain - with integrated metro map including lines and stations.

1. The Streetwise Biblao was sure a helop to me as a tourist. Bilbao is a city in which few speak English (even at the hotels) and I found the map a godsend. It was to scale and accurate even as to the difficult Basque spelling of words. I had another map with me (It will go un-named) and it was a joke. I've come to rely on Streetwise over the years and have neve been disapointed except when they don't have a title for the city I'm visiting.



2. An excellent map - easy to read and to fold. Highly recommended.



3. I bought this map for my son and his wife, as they are in Barcelona at this very moment on a vacation. They were very pleased with the map and I'm assuming it is helping them to get around very nicely, I will know more when they get back.



4. I visited Barcelona in December 2007 and used the Streetwise Barcelona available at that time. Apparently the map has subsequently been updated (in Jan. 2008), but the one I used had at least one confusing error, and one irritating design/layout problem. The error is where the map showed the location of Gaudi's La Pedrera; the icon had the right shape to emulate the building's curvy shape, but it was placed one block over from where the building really is. Also confusingly, the map showed a separate location for Casa Mila (one block over), the icon for that being a plain little square shape. In reality, Casa Mila and La Pedrera are the same building, but the map had me quite confused on that point for awhile until other literature steered me right. (Where the small boxy "Casa Mila" icon is located on the map is where the organically curvy La Pedrera/Casa Mila really is.) The layout problem: normally with the Streetwise maps, you flip them over top to bottom to continue the map on the other side. But with the Barcelona map, you had to flip it side to side to get to the rest of the city, which was not conducive to continuity of the map. Overall I really love the Streetwise maps, they are so handy to carry and easy to use, and the laminating is a great feature. I trust that with the update of the Barcelona map they have corrected the problems I mentioned.



5. Spent 5 days in Barcelona in a wonderful apartment in Barri Gottic...this map was indespensible. Very sturdy,easy to read,lightweight,easy to store in backpack pocket. Perfect size print and useful key.

3 comments about Top 10 Barcelona (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. I decided to check out the Top 10 guide for Barcelona given the excellent experience I had in London with a similar guide on a past trip to the UK. I noticed the same compelling points with this guide as I'd noticed with the London guide -- a concise list of things to do in city, a list of various neighborhoods, list of best cafes/bars and sample itineraries for spending an entire day in each neighborhood, the top 10 things to look for at each attraction, and the best feature: the compact size of the guide.
   
   But I was looking for more than just the above -- I was traveling to a city where people don't talk in English after all. What I really liked about the guide was the main map that showed all the important street in an uncluttered fashion, and the mini-maps that were included in the assorted Top 10 lists, making it a breeze to locate the attraction or cafe/bar. I also loved the list of the Top 10 drinks you'll find only in Barcelona like the "Orxata", the "Granissat" and of course, the "Sangria" that is refereshingly different from what you might have had anywhere else. There are similar lists for food items (definitely try the "Pallela"), shops, etc. These are the things that make you blend in with the locals with confidence.
   
   I also loved the section on Streetsmarts -- when you're in a country where English is not the first language, you sometimes need a helping hand with even the simplest of things -- like what is the best deal on the Barcelona Metro? Should I buy single tickets or a "T-10" for 10 tickets? How do I make a local phone call? What should I avoid? (Answer: touristy scams at La Rambla). The Top 10 guide's Streetsmart section covers many of these "small" things on your mind and also include a few pages with popular Spanish/Catalan phrases with translation in English, eliminating the need to carry a phrase book, if any.
   
   With this guide, I was able to see Barcelona according to my schedule and tastes. I took in all the touristy attractions and spent time exploring specific neighborhoods like El Raval, Eixample and interesting detours. Not a day went by when I wasn't glad for having this guide by my side -- and at under 10 bucks a pop, I'm quickly acquiring a collection.



2. It was the perfect guide for my independent trip to Barcelona. It is the most user friendly city guide I used (I've also used Rick Steves and Rough Guide). The guide first identifies the top 10 sites and then what I loved is that it marks them on a map with numbers making it really easy to spot. The map in the guide was great and in color. It made my trip so enjoyable because I knew what I wanted to do and where to get there. Also, becasue it showed all the locations of the sites on a map I could easily plan which sites to see all in one area and thus make the most out of my days. It also gives history behind each site and also lists the top 10 things to see at each attraction!
   I loved this guide and wished they had one for more cities!
   
   The one complaint I have is that I really think Park Guell should be listed in the top 10. I almost missed the park (where the tradmark colored frog is and Gaudi's home) but a hostelmate told me about it. It is listed in the top ten for parks but just be aware that that park is a must see.



3. I spent 7 days in Barcelona in Nov 2006 and though I did some research before I arrived, took only this book with me. As an independent traveler (no tour groups) I used it very heavily during my stay - not only as my primary map and metromap, but as my only reference for locations, hours, and priorities in determining my daily itineraries. I also occasionally used it for restaurant, tapas bar and shopping recommendations. It never led me astray.
   
   It is very current - it even references that a few places will be closed for repair until month X to save you the effort of going there. And the way one large section of the guide is broken out by neighborhood makes it extremely easy to figure out the best way to spend your time in a given part of the city (it also suggests itineraries for each neighborhood if you don't want to plan them out yourself).
   
   It's also a great size - easy to toss in a daypack, purse, or even jacket pocket.
   
   I fully agree with the two previous reviews that the layout of the maps and color-coding of the sights makes it very easy to keep on track - even in a city as large as this one. And that Park Guell ought to be in the Top 10.
   
   My only suggestion for how it could improve would be to give even more "tips" than it sometimes does on the sides of pages. For instance, visit the National Art Museum of Catalunya in the latter afternoon on a Fri/Sat/Sun and stay for the Magic Fountain display at dusk. Visit La Pedrera near sunset (unless midsummer does not allow it) and go up on the roof as the sun sets and the lights come on. It's magical.)
   
   I've traveled pretty extensively and used a lot of different travel guides, others of which I can also recommend. But this is hands-down the very best I have ever used and I cannot recommend it highly enough if you are spending even one day in Barcelona.

5 comments about Spain (Country Guide).

1. as usual, a travel guide filled up with essential information, history background of every place, saving tips, touring ideas... what else to say? Lonely Planet are the best travel guides for far.



2. We spent the last 22 days backpacking all over spain and we found this book very helpful.. The maps were very accurate and were plentiful.. (unlike frommers portugal guide which only has a few maps in the entire book). The description of the smaller cities, even some small villages were included and helpful.. It is true about some opening and closing times and the admission rate was different than the book, but those change all the time.. I expected to pay a bit extra for admission and in general, most sites open around the same time during the day anyway..
   We stayed at several hostels and found many different travellers from different countries than the states used the same book for their plans..
   We got a good use out of this book and would strongly recommend it to those who are planning a trip to Spain to see just more than Madrid and Barcelona and Sevilla.. Frankly, a tourist information booth at major cities in general are the way to go for updated information on restaurants and events....
   The only thing I would have a different opinion on is some of the hotel author's selections which I found if fair, maybe not worthy of the title...



3. I use Lonely Planet and Guide Vert/Green Guide on most of my trips. They complement one another well. Lonely Planet had some good recommendations for hotels in Barcelona; and for all the sites we went to the historical background, opening times, and descriptions were very well done. Spain is a tricky country in terms of opening hours, as many museums close for 2 or so hours in the middle of the day. As we did not have a car, information concerning metro stops, train station locations, etc. were quite useful.
   
   As usual, LP lacks in the maps (they are detailed enough , but the black/white format makes it almost impossible to read); and lack of photos makes it difficult to decide what to see. Whatever happened to the pictures/thousand word thing?
   
   LP is oriented towards the backpacker/middle-means traveler. But even if you are traveling in luxury, this is a more than sufficient guide except for the maps.



4. Seems to be pretty thorough. Using it to plan Spain and Andorra trip in June.



5. While the maps for Madrid are more or less useless, Barcelona maps were easy to use, and information on both cities was generous. Unfortunately does not cater as much to budget travellers as it used to. Information on Valencia was a little sparse. It's a good security blanket though on sights to see and stuff like that. Kinda misses out on all the really good grub holes in Valencia though. How is Padi's not mentioned?

5 comments about Spain (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. I went to Spain with this book and found it to be extremely helpful. With places to stay (even ratings), places to eat, money info, weather info, health info, emergency info, you name it.. it's in this book. Highly recommended.



2. I own four Eyewitness Travel Guides (France, Germany, Greece and Spain) and they are always useful for my trips. Additionally, I use them as guides even when I am not travelling anywhere, just to get knowledege about places I will not visit. Sometimes I think that some information as ticket pricing is necessary and not provided by this guide, but it is a minor issue when we see the complete usefulness of it.



3. great product...but a bit heavy to tote around Spain! Read it before you go.



4. Very Practical, though its bits of information..if you are planning in to visit a particular city, you should buy the book of that particular city. This book its like a run-through of Spain. But it has the most important guides and tips (Survival Guide). A really good value. It has really great pictures and drawings, great maps, a phrase book with translations and how to pronounce it. It has the maps of the metros in Barcelona and Madrid. It has a street finder, which is also very practical. Its a great book for "on your own trips", for it has the opening hours and its schedules.



5. Not only does this beautiful book have all the information one could need about getting around Spain, it is a joy to look at, with detailed maps, step-by-step articles, illustrated in color, on, for example "How sherry is made", "Moorish Architecture", "Flamenco, the soul of Andalusia", and many, many more. There are stunning full-page photographs and the quality of the paper and binding is excellent, yet it is not bulky or expensive. It has large colored photos of the Spanish currency,and information on Spanish ATM's, public phones, airports,etc and how to use them. The index is comprehensive. Even if you don't go to Spain this book is well worth studying!!

5 comments about The Pilgrimage: A Contemporary Quest for Ancient Wisdom.

1. This book was just painful to finish. Pointless new age pseudo religious drivel. Coelho goes on a Catholic pilgrimage, wrestles with possessed dogs, hangs out with magicians and then dances around in castles pretending to be a knight Templar with his equally loony mates.
   
   This is supermarket spirituality at its very worst. A pointless book unless you are one of those "All organised religion is bad so lets just make it up as you go along"



2. This is the most esoteric work by Coelho. It is easy read and a plesent one. It reminds me a lot of 'Teachings of Don Juan' by Castaneda, although Coelho's novel is rooted in christian religion. If you didn't read Castaneda, you will love this one. If you did, you will like it :)



3. I read The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho soon after completing my own 800 km pilgrimage from St Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago in the north-west of Spain.
   
   Readers who are looking for a factual, chronological, "travel book" of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela will be disappointed. There is only the vaguest chronology in the book. A few towns and important pilgrimage sites are mentioned. There is only a sketchy picture drawn of the terrain and countryside.
   
   But that is quite irrelevant. The Pilgrimage is a much more sophisticated account of the psychological and spiritual aspects of pilgrimage. In fact, the physical vagueness in the book complements the inner struggles of the pilgrim.
   
   The pilgrim in Coelho's book is on a quest for his sword so that he can complete his apprenticeship in the Tradition and be able to perform the deeds of his Master. The quest takes place on the road to Santiago and the pilgrim (with his spiritual guide) encounters magical tests that expand his psychological horizons.
   
   This resonated with me in the sense that the Camino finds the weak points in our bodies and characters and tests them. Reflective pilgrims gain personal insights, and, for many, their lives change in significant ways after completing the Camino. Coelho makes the same points by his use of magic to illustrate the inner transformation of his pilgrim.
   
   The book also includes meditative exercises that the pilgrim performed at critical times on his journey. While some of the exercises are a little unrealistic, such as the Cruelty Exercise of self-mortification, most of them can be performed by anyone, with resulting benefit. I wish I had read the book before my own pilgrimage so I could have done more in this respect.
   
   This was Coelho's first book and it shows to a large extent. It is uneven in quality and lacks the tightness of his later work, such as The Alchemist - which it resembles in its basic structure of an individual's quest for meaning.



4. In this book Paulo Coelho narrates his journey to Santiago de Compostella, the book starts at Paulo's failed attempt to earn his Magus's sword, so his Master sends him to Europe to make this Pilgrimage that starts in France and ends in Spain in Santiago de Compostella, as a second chance to earn his sword. He is asigned a guide to go with him. In the beginning and for most of his journey, all that Paulo wanted was his sword, but then he realizes he is missing the point, that there are more lessons to be learned!!! This is an amazing book, not only is entertaining, but for the one in the Spiritual journey there are many lessons here, much wisdom! This story although it was a real trip for Paulo, for us is like a methaphore whose lessons we can apply in our every day life.
   The path follow by this Pilgrimage is said to be aligned with the Milky way and many people in the spiritual path make this pilgrimage, in order to gain more insights, more wisdom!



5. I have read a number of Coelho's books now and I still think this one is the best (with the Alchemist and Fifth Mountain tied at a close 2nd). This book touched me deeply because I could easily see myself in Coehlo's struggles. It inspired me to resist evil/worldly forces and open myself to the divine purpose for my life. I really feel like reading this book gave me clarity that I never had before. I couldn't figure out why I kept getting "stuck" and felt so unfulfilled. I really felt like life was living me instead of the other way around. I found this book to be an incredibly powerful eye opening experience. I was blessed with a level of discernment that I desperately needed. The story is beautifully told in Coehlo's unassuming, intriguing style. It remains among my favorite reads of all time.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Spain 2008 (Rick Steves).

1. Rick Steve's books are so full of great information. I have a friend who planned their trip around his books, and everything Rick recommended was just as stated. I have planned my upcoming trip the same way.



2. Rick Steve's Spain was the second travel book I purchased; I had gotten Rick Steve's London for a previous trip. Rick covers everything, and it's easy to read (not dry like other travel books). He covers the history on down to finding local restaurants with the best ambience and food. I plan on purchasing his books for future international travel.



3. Good book with good comments. Maps are useful but could be more detailed. I generally also like more pictures.



4. i'm thrilled with the purchase of our first rick steves travel book. his website and tv shows are VERY informative and practical and this 2008 book on Spain does not disappoint. it's not too clunky to take with us on our travels - yet, for day trips, we're photocopying a few "walking tour" pages so we don't have to take the book with us when we're travelling lighter. ... while he doesn't highlight EVERY inch of spain, he surely hits all the highlights! NO complaints and we look forward to experiencing more of the world through his expertise!



5. I always use Rick's books when traveling Europe! He is very detailed & walks you thru every step of your trip!