1 comments about Travelers' Tales Spain: True Stories (Travelers' Tales Guides).

1. Lucy McCauley crafted a deft meta-tale of Spain with the stories she chose for this book--no reader or traveler to Spain will leave its pages without being enriched. How I wish this book had existed when I went to Spain as a student years ago. In fact this is one of the reasons I wanted to publish it in the first place (I'm the publisher at TT), and Lucy more than delivered the goods.

No comments about Lisbon - What the Tourist Should See.

3 comments about The Rough Guide to the Pyrenees 6 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. Marc Dubins rough guide is a detailed and interesting book. He concentrates on the areas close to the mountains and gives interesting descriptions of small villages as well as larger resorts and towns. He includes recommended walks and rates the ski resorts. He assumes you will be walking or on public transport and so does not cover many hamlets and villages only reachable by car. Overall a very thorough book that I am sure will be invaluble on our trip there.



2. I did a trip to the Pyrenees a year ago (hiking and traveling) , and this book helped me a lot (both in and out of the hikes).
   Very useful, informative & accurate and quite essential to my opinion.
   I used it together with Trekking in the Pyrenees, 3rd: France & Spain Trekking Guides (Trailblazer)
   and I find them both to complete each other.
   
   I just saw that it has a new 6th edition, so maybe that's a bit better, but never the less I highly recommend on it.



3. My husband and I spent five days in very small towns/countryside in the eastern Pyrenees along the entire Petit Train Jaune (Little Yellow Train) route. The information we found in this book was invaluable as I couldn't find a lot of it elsewhere. We stayed in outstanding rural accommodation and found gem after gem of hikes. They explain a lot about the unique culture and language of the Pyrenees region as well, which put the trip in context.

2 comments about A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino Fisterra: Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre Including the Muxia Extension.

1. Same format as the Camino Frances guide - laid out in three stages. One stage per day, one map per stage total of 95 pages. In addition to covering the route, it has a section of practical information on when to go, covers Galician history and culture. A beautiful full color guide.



2. I used this book and the similar Camino Portugues book for my pilgrimage in April 2006. They are both superb. I followed Brierley's suggestions pretty much to the letter. The book contains excruciating details as well as a longer and spiritual view.
   
   I think of the book as a personal gift to each of us pilgrims. Brierley obviously loves his work and the Camino. He kept me on track, put me to bed early and awake early when it was important, encouraged me to appreciate the wonderful people and sights along the camino. He offers history lessons, lists of practicalities, maps and directions. This book is all you need!

No comments about Fodor's Madrid's 25 Best, 4th Edition (25 Best).

No comments about Spain - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!).

1 comments about Berlitz Hide This Spanish Phrase Book.

1. This book is great for someone who wants to be able to talk to the locals at a casual level, and know some of the slang for the area. If you are looking for some instruction on sentence structure or anything like that then this is not for you. It is strictly a phrase book, with a small dictionary in the back. I did love how there were little info boxes of related facts about spanish areas, all of which would be very helpful during travel. Plus, this book is geared toward the younger crowd, with lots of phrases about the social scene, drinking, and meeting people (and hooking up). Its very fun!

1 comments about Belize in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture (In Focus Guides).

1. It's good to read these details of the People, Politics and Culture, as the author subtitles it.
   
   The "Adapter Kit Belize" was read more thoroughly and had more useful details before we made our first trip to the country.

No comments about Fast Talk Spanish - Essential Language for Short Trips (Lonely Planet).

4 comments about Hidden Gardens of Spain.

1. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   There are so many beautiful places in the world, sites to see, pilgrimages to make. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could visit all of them? In reality, one is probably fortunate to travel to just one of the scenic spots on his or her wish list. After leafing through "Hidden Gardens of Spain," that country rose to the top of my hope-to-travel-to areas.
   
   Writer/photographer Eduardo Mencos has trained both his eye and camera lens on some of the most breathtakingly lovely scenes in Spain. His vision is unerring. Stunning photos in this folio size volume are accompanied by perceptive descriptions that are intelligent, informative, and dynamic. Mr. Mencos may well have come by his appreciation of gardens naturally as his grandmother, the Marchioness of Casa Valdez, was a pioneer of contemporary gardening in Spain.
   
   With 250 color photographs the author escorts us from Galician to Granada, Barcelona to the Balearics, Catalonia and the Canaries, Madrid and Mallorca. Many of the gardens are drenched in that country's history, reflecting the influences of the Romans, Moors, and Europeans. Other gardens were created and are tended by their current owners, still others came to life through the talents of respected garden designers, such as Luis Gonzales-Camino and Arabella Lennox-Boyd. Mr. Mencos was allowed unprecedented access to private gardens, and his views of the Alhambra are spectacular.
   
   In his Introduction Mr. Mencos writes, "Exploring the hidden gardens of Spain has been an enthralling journey for me. Each of the owners would welcome me into their own little Eden and we would share an enchanted moment there."
   
   We are in debt to Mr. Mencos for sharing these enchanted moments with us.
   
   - Gail Cooke



2. Spain. What are your first thoughts, food, flamenco, bullfighting, sun, sand, and Hemingway? Be honest, images of beautiful homes surrounded by cool, luxurious, patios, pools and gardens didn't immediately pop into your head. Gazing at a copy of Hidden Gardens of Spain will utterly change your conception of Spain, the Spanish lifestyle and the people who create these intimate spaces.
   
   Thirty-one gardens are profiled reflecting the diverse regions of Spain. Many are classical gardens, located in exotic hispano-moorish settings such as villas, castles, monasteries, and palaces. Several modern homes and gardens are included and they re-interpret classical features.
   
   Exceptional lush photographs explore the beauty and style of Spanish gardens. Each garden profile is accompanied by a passionate personal reflection of the owner. One owner says, " The garden is a dream and with skill and patience you can bring it to fruition no matter where you are." Many of the gardeners discuss the natural challenges they faced creating their personal spaces. Others discuss the history of their properties and gardens. Several Grande dames discuss loss of spouses and their eventual personal healing through involvement in their gardens.
   
   You may not have a volcano as a backdrop or a 1000-year-old olive tree but Hidden Gardens of Spain is full of wonderful executable ideas that would compliment a wide variety of American homes. Spanish gardens have similar features, which are practical and easily interpreted. A short list of essentials includes: patio, pool or other water feature, an emphasis on cool green foliage, strong vertical elements, and formal geometric plantings. Secret spaces, gardens within gardens that manipulate the view so only part of the garden are revealed at one time. Spanish gardens generally have a minimum of flowering plants; there are always a few varieties, for example a huge bed of agapanthus as a center point of color. Box hedges, stately cedars, and cypress are also very common.
   
   Pictured on the cover is Palacio de las Dueñas, located in Seville and owned by the Duchess of Alba. Building began in the fourteenth century and the garden is still a work in progress. Seville is incredibly hot in summer and the tinkling of the water and the refreshing coolness of the green space can be appreciated even in the photo. This portion of the garden illustrates several of the common elements, strong verticals, in this case the palm trees, low geometric box hedges outlining greenery, and a central fountain. This garden has more flowers than most. The enclosed courtyard extends the living space and blurs the boundaries between inside and outside. The courtyard also makes a secret or hidden space, revealing only this section and the remainder of the garden remains hidden from view.
   
   A modern garden, La Mirada, the author's own, uses classic Spanish elements but his choices of materials are unique. For example, he used a mixture of live and dead trees from the surrounding area to create strong verticals. In a reflective moment he admits to ripping up all the trees in order to control the landscape. A mistake for sure, because he didn't realize how hard it was to grow a tree in pure chalk soil! Geometrical elements throughout the garden are made from tinted cement and salvaged automobile glass represents "a pool". A large reflecting pool near the house serves as a true water feature and it is accented with a few water lilies. Green ivy covers the façade of the modern organic shaped house, providing a green cooling respite.
   
   Gardeners, landscape designers and those who are crazy about all things Spanish will appreciate this intimate look at rarely photographed gardens. Many of the gardens are open to the public so those planning a trip to Spain can put some of these beautiful locations on their itinerary.



3. I had expected more court-yard gardens (being in Spain) and more historical gardens. What we are presented are more modern gardens (mostly) at villas and mansions in the country. And they didn't always live upp to my expectations. If you compare to France, gardens in Spain doesn't seem to have that high standard in design. I thought there would have been enough for a book this size to rival the French but no. Although some photos are stunning, this will not be a favourit in my humble collection.



4. A delightful coffee-table book which attacks the senses, giving a glimpse into the gardens of large Spanish estates which we mere mortals will never see.
   
   The photography is fabulous and picks out the essence (and often quirkiness) of gardens in each region. The accompanying text provides good insight into the motivations and character of the gardens' owners.
   
   It is not a book for instruction on garden design or practice - rather it is a good read for a gardener on a winters day. A high quality publication, worth its price.