Hey hey, it’s nearly Xmas! I sincerely hope that you’ve all been very good children. I know I have been a very good boy…most of the time.

As you’ve all been very good readers, I’m sure you are wanting to know what travels I will be getting up to in 2013…ah ah Ahhh, not just yet… But as a reward, I’m sure I can give you a teaser of ONE place where I will be going to.

No it’s not as far as New Zealand, however much I’d much like to go there again, but it’s a place I’m pretty excited to be going to in the joys of Spring. The Iberian Peninsula of Western Europe.

In May, I shall be be doing the flamenco dance in Madrid, Spain! It’s going to be a certainly unique experience for me as this is the place I’ve heard so much about from fellow backpackers during my travels.

‘oh you must go to Madrid, its absolutely gorgeous there and its so exciting!’

I usually respond with an enthusiastic ‘yes, I shall go to Madrid!’ Maybe I should find accommodation here andI have plenty of friends over there who are willing to show me around so I’m already bouncing around looking forward to saying ‘hola‘ to the locals! But I still have to destroy the travelling myth known to potential backpackers in the 18-30 bracket about mainland Spain.

Normally, what they hear about Spain is that plenty of OAPs go there for their retirement holidays or perhaps wannabe property developers looking for a second home. So why would I want to travel there?

PLENTY of reasons why.

Culinary Feasts – Lonely Planet waxes lyrical about this on their website so I am exceedingly looking forward to trying about the national Paella dish. I always think that the national dish tastes better in its own home country, like pho in Vietnam.

Cultural And Historical Delights – Madrid has been the centre of some interesting and turbulent times and spanning more than a millennia, of course it has lots to tell us. After all, Spain had an empire! Take a walking tour with one of the great providers there.

Learn to dance! Since I’ve passionately embraced all kinds of dancing, I’m determined to take a taster of Flamenco dancing. Even if it’s to dress up in those costumes and learn the brisk art of Latin dance!

Centre of Travel – it can be said that Madrid is a perfect centre to jump off to another place in the Iberian Peninsula. But will I do that? Ah, that would be telling…

There you have it! Madrid, here I come!

Meanwhile, Merry Christmas!

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