As a University student, travel is my top priority once I graduate. One of my first destinations will be Europe. Right now, Spain would be amazing with the transition of Spring to Sumer occurring as I write this. With its rich culture, history, beautiful scenery and exciting buzz of events and festivals it has made it onto my list of must visit places. Here are some interesting things I found while researching Spain.

Seasons of the year -

• Summer is June - August

• Winter is December - February

• Autumn is September – November

• Spring is March - May

I found this great site that allows you to check out what the weather is doing in Spain right now Weather Online – Spain

• The bullfight season in Spain runs from Easter, the beginning of April, through to October.
• The Plaza Monumental in Madrid is where to see a matador, with the best fights being staged here during the San Isidro fair in May. The second most famous place is Seville, with the best time to go there would be during the fair week that begins in late April.
• Running with the bulls is the famous spectacle, which occurs in Pamplona before the bullfights on July 7. Bulls run through the streets with a head start given to those who wish to take part in the event.
• Spain uses the Euro as its currency. You can use an online currency converter to convert to Euro.

• It is a requirement of Spanish law that photographic identification is carried on you at all times, this can be a passport, driving license or national identity card. With a tightening of security in the city it is highly recommended that you carry with you at least a photocopy of your passport should you be asked.

If you are looking for a range of travel products that would be great when travelling through Spain, LoDingo offers a great range of free travel guides. There are also downloadable audio guides, one that caught my interest in particular, 3 walks around Barcelona, which takes you on guided walks around Barcelona. You can listen to these in your own time and pace from your personal iPod or MP3 player. These audio adventures are similar to the ones you might have experienced in a museum, but instead take you on guided walks of a city – and they’re cheap!

The two languages spoken in Barcelona are Spanish and Catalan. Barcelona is the capital of Catalunya and therefore Catalan is widely spoken by the people of Barcelona. However both Spanish and Catalan are widely spoken interchangeably. In the tourist areas you will have people who speak English as well as Spanish however more off the beaten track most people will only speak Spanish or Catalan. Barcelona is however a very cosmopolitan European city with millions of tourist visitors each year so you should not have any real problems communicating. While your walking around the city, checking into your hotel or ordering a meal, it’s polite and handy to understand the language. I stumbled across these are downloadable Spanish lessons from Dr Blair’s range. They are for everyone, and are a great way to learn the language at a pace that suits you.

Something I found of interest that is happening this year is the International Expo of "Water and Sustainable Development". This is the theme of the International Expo to be held in Zaragoza, June-September 2008.

The Expo’s goal its to be the biggest water festival on Earth. The Expo will consist of a thermal spa centre offering more than 30 health and beauty treatments. This year the event will take place at an impressive site alongside a section of the Ebro River, which has been recovered for urban use. The river has been fully integrated into the city, becoming the "main street” of Zaragoza with a series of promenades and public areas over more than six kilometres. For more information see the Expo Zaragoza web site.

There is also an awesome virtual tour available.

From the Expo web site you can sign up to be a volunteer and take part in this incredible adventure. As a volunteer you can experience the excitement of the Expo from inside and meet people from all over the world. If you were looking for a different kind of holiday in Spain, then you can sign up as an Expo volunteer.