10 Things You Do Not Know About Spain - maybe ?

How well do you know Spain?

Have a look below and see how much you didn´t know!

1 Spain is the third biggest country in Europe after the Ukraine and France, and is also the second most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland.

2 Spaniards speak four official languages. Castillian is what most people refer to as Spanish. Galician is spoken solely in the province of Galicia. Euskara is spoken in the Basque Country and Catalan is spoken in Catalonia.

3 With over 45 million inhabitants, Spain has the 6th largest population in Europe.

4 The Spanish climate varies widely. The north is cool and very cold in Winter, whereas the south is mild and very hot in summer. The capital Madrid, because of its central location, is one of the hottest cities in Spain during the summer and one of the coldest in winter.

5 The Kingdom of Spain once included the country of Portugal.

6 Spain ´owns´ the two north African cities of Ceuta and Melilla.

7 Madrid, Spain´s capital city, is the highest city in Europe. Madrid is 667 metres above sea level and is situated right in the centre of Spain.

8 Spain is the closest country to the continent of Africa. At its closest point, Andalucia is only 12 miles from the coast of Morocco in northern Africa.

9 Spain is the biggest producer of olive oil in the world. Over 44% of olive oil consumer worldwide comes from Spain, and it produces twice the amount of Italy and four times the amount Greece produces. The region of Jaén is the biggest producer of olive oil in Spain where over 25% of the country´s output is produced. This amounts to a staggering 10% of the world´s olive oil being produced in Jaén alone.

10 Over 45 million tourists visit Spain each year.

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Refugio de Juanar Summer walks

Trying to stay reasonably fit throughout the summer, without collapsing with heat exhaustion, can be something of a struggle. I try to fit in early morning dog walks at the weekends before the sun is too high in the sky, and there is still some cool air to be had. One of my favourite places for walking throughout the year is the Refugio de Juanar close to Ojen. The actual hotel of the same name is situated within a nature reserve, and the local countryside and wild flowers are stunning. We like to get up here around 9am in the summer as Refugio de Juanar is only a 15 minute drive from Marbella (Ojen road from La Cañada Commercial Centre). There are lots of trails and climbs you can attempt from the hotel area, but in the heat of summer, we prefer a gentle stroll to the Mirador de Marbella which overlooks the town itself and offers some of the most amazing views you will find on the Costa del Sol. The walk is about 1.5 kilometres, and although slightly uphill on the way, unless you are majorly unfit, it is a pleasant stroll through the mountains. We did once climb to the top of La Concha (now that hurt), but I wouldn´t recommend it during the summer (not sure I would recommend it any time really but that´s another story). The Mirador de Marbella offers a superb viewing platform, where you can see much of the coastline and the Mediterranean below. After a gentle walk back to the hotel, we enjoyed coffee and breakfast on the shaded patio area, which was so quiet - all you could hear were the birds. Many Spanish residents spend a month or two at El Refugio to escape the hustle and bustle of summer on the coast, and it is easy to see why. The peace and quiet, and the magnificent scenery bring this calm oasis to life. The hotel is open to non- residents, and the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. To get there take the Ojen road from close to the La Cañada Shopping Centre. Pass all signs you see for Ojen on the right and approx. 6 kilometres from Marbella you will see a sign on the left for El Refugio de Juanar. Two kilometres down here you will find El Refugio.

A great day out in La Cala de Mijas

Having lived here a long time, sometimes I don´t see the wood for the trees, and completely ignore some of the lively resorts on the doorstep. La Cala de Mijas is one of these, and offers far more than meets the eye. I have a friend staying from the UK and as we didn´t want to drive far yesterday and I live in Mijas-Golf we ventured down the back road to La Cala. We decided to spend a few hours on the beach before lunch (yes Hurricane Bertha did blow up as soon as we hired the sunbeds) but hey, it all added to the fun. So as we lay in a sandstorm soaking up the rays, covered in sand and sun oil, we decided to hot-foot it to ´Food to Go´ just on the corner by the tower. We ordered some delicious baguettes with swedish prawns and dill mayonnaise, cheddar ploughmans and a couple of cold drinks and crisps and, with typical British grit, headed back to the beach. After erecting a makeshift wind barrier, we managed to eat our lunch in relative comfort, although the sand made it a bit gritty in parts. After a quick paddle (had to be done as my friend said you can´t go to the seaside and not have a paddle), we decided to head for home before the gathering storm clouds broke. Ok ok so maybe it did resemble Skegness on a good day, but La Cala, when the sun is out is one of the best little resorts on the coast. Honest!