[Dialogue in Spanish] [Dialogue in Spanish] Brant Dennis Spain is the second most visited country in all of Europe.

And I'm here in Madrid to learn how to not be a tourist.

It's 1:15.

And, of course, a Spaniard is nowhere to be seen.

Rafa, where have you been?

Where have you been?

You're not punctual Rafael Torres: Im sorry, yeah I was a little bit late, wasn't I?

Yeah.

Brant: A little bit.

Only 15 min Rafael: Sorry about that.

Brant: Is that stereotypical for Spaniards?

Rafael: No, I wouldn't say so.

We don't take itself seriously.

Brant: I have heard this word mañaña.

What does this mean?

And what does this mean?

Rafael: It means tomorrow.

If you can do it tomorrow, why do it today?

Brant: Okay, Rafael: So you can leave this for tomorrow.

Brant: Especially today.

Because it's like 40 degrees, right?

Rafael: Oh, Jesus, yeah.

Brant: So what are we doing today?

Rafael: First thing, getting out of here - this is for tourists.

Brant: That's good.

Let's go!

Come on.

I'm happy that we are doing this in English, because my Spanish is practically non-existent.

And who better to guide me than Rafa, who is a professional translator?

He was showing m the Spanish lifestyle in Madrid.

We head up to his piso or apartment to get us out of the scorching heat for a few hours.

So, Rafa, do you think it's a cliche that Spaniards take a siesta?

Rafael: The image of the siesta in Spain, outside of Spain - it is a cliche.

Brant: Yeah Rafael: because they all think all Spaniards do that.

But that doesn't mean tha it doesn't exist.

It does exist and a lot of people actually go to have a nap, if they can.

Brant: In some Spanish towns where everything closes between 2 and 5 p.m., siesta is sacred.

But according to a survey fro 2016, only 18% of Spaniards have a siesta on a regular basis, and 60% never have a siesta.

Despite the laid back stereotype, Spaniards are not lazy at all.

According to an OECD report, Spaniards rack up an average of 1,644 hours of work each year, much more than the Germans, who work about 300 hours less per year.

But no more siesta for us!

Now, I'd like to learn a bit about how I can get along with people here.

Small talk is a very important part of that.

So, how do you normally greet people here, Rafa?

Rafael: Okay, well, basic thing you say is: Hola, ¿qué tal?

Hey, hola, ¿qué tal?

Brant: Hola, ¿qué tal?

Rafael: That means hi, how are you doing?

Brant: Hola, ¿qué tal?

Man: Hello!

Brant: Hola, ¿qué tal?

Woman: I'm good, and you?

Brant: Yeah.

Ok, last one and maybe, I don't know if I should, maybe I should whisper it.

Its hola guapa?

Rafael: Do you really mean it?

Brant: Actually, what does it mean?

What does mean?

Rafael: It means "Hi, pretty!

Brant: Hola guapa!

Woman: Hello, hello pretty.

Oh, I'm embarrassed.

[Speaking Spanish] Brant: Next up, I'll try my luck Since I came to Madrid to learn how to be a Spaniard, I'll do one of the things that people here absolutely love: to buy lottery tickets.

Starting in August every year and under extreme heat, people queue in long lines to take part in the lottery.

The actual drawing will only take place at Christmas.

Rafael: This is the place where they sell lottery.

In Spain it's very famous.

It's like the main place in Madrid.

People from all over Spain come.

Come here just to buy it.

Because they're supposed to be the lucky one.

Brant: Oh.

Okay.

Okay, so I have my ticket now, my $20 ticket.

And I have to wait until Christmas to find out if I won.

So bizarre!

A summer afternoon in Madrid.

Many restaurants are still empty and I'm starting to worry a bit.

So, Rafa, when are we going to start eating?

Rafael: Oh, you're already hungry?

Brant: Yeah.

Rafael: We eat at 10, 11 p.m.

Brant: 10?

11?

Mate, that is when I put on my pajamas!

Now we're off to a fiesta de agosto - an August festival.

These popular celebrations take place in August all around Spain.

You typically can fin traditional Spanish food here.

Finally.

Rafael: Okay, you're hungry now?

I'm going to get something very typical for you.

Brant: Okay.

Who knows?

Entresijos or deep fried lamb mesentery are the folds of the membrane that attach the intestine to the lamb's abdominal wall.

They are normally sold at street festivals.

Okay.

Rafael: Now you're going to try something really special.

Brant: What is it?

Rafael: Guts.

Brant: It's guts.

So we waited until almost 10 p.m.

to eat guts?

Here I go!

It's actually not as ba as I thought it was going to be.

It just tastes great.

I don't know.

Now Rafa's friends are joining us.

Time to try my new Spanish.

Hola.

Hola guapo.

No, I don't know.

I messed it up.

What do I need?

Hola guapa!

Woman: Yeah, muy buen...!

Brant: I feel like I've done pretty good at introducing myself to the fellow Spaniards.

Oh, I almost hit that lady.

Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed yourselves, so have I under the sinking hot sun.

And the night has not only just begun for the Spaniards.

So let's see what els we going to get up to.

Bye, bye.

Woohoo!

Yay!

Narrator: So you want to go to Seville?

Good choice.

Some say the Andalusian capital is the most beautiful city in Spain.

But does it live up to its reputation?

Let's explore its beautiful architecture, flamenco and tapas!

The reputation seems justified.

Seville is definitely beautiful.

The historic center is full of impressive architecture.

Wandering the city's streets, you're almost certain to encounter Seville Cathedral, the larges Gothic cathedral in the world.

When Spanish King Ferdinand the Third of Castile took the city from Muslim rule in 1248, the church was built where a mosque once stood.

But Seville doesn't only hav historic buildings, there's also the Setus de Sevilla or Mushrooms of Seville.

The futuristic wooden structure houses a central market and event spaces.

Walk along the top to enjoy stunning views of the city.

And to experience Seville's famously good weather.

The sun shines almost 2900 hours a year here!

Temperatures can soar to 40 degrees, so if that's too hot for you, it's better to visit in spring or fall.

Once you've gotten a good feel for the city, set aside plenty of time to visit the Royal Alcázar of Seville.

An absolute MUST SEE when in Spain.

It's located just across from the cathedral, on the edge of the old town.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is still used by the Spanish royal family.

Ticket cost 13.50, but it's worth it.

Samuel Garraín Rodriguez is a historian and guide for the palace.

Samuel: The Real Alcázar has always been the decision making center of the Spanish Crown.

In the 16th century, it was home to the consulate of merchants that issued licenses for voyages to South America.

Narrator: After the Alcázar palace, you can explore the alleys of the historic Old Town.

The smell of oranges is everywhere here!

They are too bitter to eat, though.

Samuel: There is a tradition that once a year the British ambassador comes and together with the mayor of Seville, selects oranges to make a very special bitter jam or marmalade that they send to the British royal family.

Narrator: Next up, the Torre del Oro.

The Golden Tower was built in the 13th century to watch over ships entering the city via the Guadalquivir River.

Samuel: La Tierra del Oro.

It's not called the Golden Tower because gold fro the Americas was stored there.

It got its nam because it was built with mortar and hay, which gave it a golden shine.

Narrator: After so much sightseeing, it's time to explore the culinary side of Seville.

Did you know that Andalucia is considered the birthplace of tapas?

We recommend bar El Rinconcillo.

The tapas are made from traditional recipes and are prepared fresh every day.

Prices start at just two and a half euros a dish, and there's something for every taste.

Carlos: My name is Carlos De Rueda.

I am one of the owners of this establishment.

It's been around since 1670, and my family has been running it for 200 years.

The most typical taphous here are spinach with chickpeas, fried cod, and ham and cheese.

Narrator: No trip to Seville would be complete without experiencing the art of flamenco!

Los Gallos is one of the oldest flamenco stages in Seville.

For 35, you can experience an authentic show that lasts a little over an hour and takes place twice a night.

Seville is considered the birthplace of flamenco, and the city is full of flamenco schools where people learn the art form.

It's commonly thought to have begun with the Andalusian Roma community, and it incorporates Sephardic Jewish and Muslim influences.

Lucía La Bronce: The flamenco is a big part of Andalusian culture.

Most artists live and feel flamenco from childhood.

It's a way of life.

When you dedicate yourself to flamenco, you live in it from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to sleep.

Narrator: So what's our verdict?

Yes, Seville definitely lives up to its reputation as the most beautiful city in Spain.

But you'll have to check it out for yourself.

After all, beaut is in the eye of the beholder.

Diana Piñeros: Did you know that the complete name of Pablo Picasso has 18 words?

Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula, Juan Nepomuceno Maria de los Remedios y Crispiniano de la Santisma Trinidad.

And that is only one of the fun facts that you can find out here in Málaga the city of Picasso.

Narrator: Pablo Picasso was born here in 1881.

He's considered the most prolific artist of all time, and is estimated to have created around 150,000 artworks throughout his long career.

Visitors to Málaga starting with Casa Natale, the house where he was born.

Diana: Look at this.

The first shoe worn by Pablo Picasso.

Narrator: The museum, in Picasso childhood home, offers us an insight into the first ten years of his life.

Diana: More than 140 years ago, Picasso was born right here, bu there were some complications.

What happened?

José María Luna Well, it wasnt an easy birth.

At first, the child wasn't breathing.

Him began turning blue.

His uncle Salvador was a doctor and had been smoking a ciga while helping with the delivery.

He decided to blow some smoke in the boy's face.

And that made him come alive.

Narrator: Picasso's artisti life also began in this house.

His father, José Ruiz Blasco, was an art teache and taught his son how to draw from an early age.

♪ Diana: Picasso's early artistic training was guided by his father.

So what was young Picasso painting?

José: He basically painte the same things as his father.

His compositions of pigeons were very popular in Málaga at the time.

Pigeons, or doves, are also very present in Picasso's later works.

The poster that he made for the 1949 World Peace Congress in Paris features a dove of his, a dove from Málaga, which has since become a worldwide icon of peace.

Narrator: The Plaza de la Merced is right in front of the Casa Natal.And right next to Picasso himself we meet local touris guide Frances Aguilar with us.

Diana: Why was this square so important to Picasso?

Francis: Picasso lived nearby.

He spent the first ten years of his life here and played on the square.

Some neighbors even sai he used to paint on the ground - making those drawings his first works of art, so to speak.

Narrator: Just ten minutes from Picasso's house, you'll find the bullring, where Picasso often went with his father.

The arena, the bullfighters, bulls and horses frequently appear in Picasso's works.

Diana: Bullfighting served as an inspiration for many of Picasso's pieces, including in the painting Guernica, one of his most famous works.

Francis: Spain commissioned him to do a work for the 1937 World's Fair in Paris.

That same year, the Spanish city of Guernica was bombed during the Civil War.

Picasso portray this catastrophe as a bullfight.

Drawing a parallel between the tragedy unfolding in the bullring and the cities across Spain.

In that.

Narrator: Next we're off to the Picasso Museum in Málaga, where we'll find out more about Cubism, the art movement, which was greatly influenced by the Frenchman Georges Braque and of course, Pablo Picasso.

Diana: You can see the influence of Cubism in this work.

How did this art movement change Western European painting?

María José Valverde: Cubism broke with traditions that have been prevailing since the Renaissance: that looking at a painting was supposed to be like looking through a window with a single perspective.

Picasso often worked with many different perspectives in the same painting, for example, in his cubist works.

Narrator: After having learned so much about Picasso, we decided to end the day with a leisurely walk along the streets of this beautiful city.

Diana: Well, I have to say, I'm really impressed not only about Picasso's really long name, but about the legacy of his work and how inspiring Málaga could be.

Narrator: Once a year, this tow in Spain travels back in time.

Man and Women: Viva the Renaissance!

Narrator: From clothes to food to music - for four days, Tortos in Catalonia takes itself back to the Renaissance.

During this period, from the late 15th to the 17th century.

Europe's art, culture and economy radically changed, including in Tortosa.

Anna Lluís Tortosa was important because of its architecture.

Many buildings were built here in the 16th century, and they're still standing today.

It was also important for trade, as the town lies on a river so goods could be easily transported, and for the economy as well.

Narrator: This is the first time Anna Lluís is one of Tortosa's flag bearers.

She'll make her grand appearance with the ‘Abanderados later in the day.

She's one of around 3000 local residents who organize and stage the festival every year.

Anna Lluís: The festiva is very popular here in Tartosa.

We all look forward to it in July, to reliving the old times of Tartosa, and we look forward to reuniting with friends.

With around 60 performances a day, visitors can immerse themselves in life as it was in the Renaissance.

Joanda Ruiz Subirats and Joana Domingo will be performing dresse as two 17th century aristocrats Joanda: Back then Tortosa wa Catalonia's fifth largest town.

I feel proud to be representing a noble family from the era.

The dance and the music we'll be performing today came from historical documents.

Narrator: even if it is their 10th year performing, both took care preparing.

They've been rehearsing the noble dance for months.

Everyone involved devotes a great deal of time and all the costumes were handmade Joana: my mother made this dress.

The darker color tones were typical of Spanish Renaissance fashion, especially black or shades of tan.

It's time for Anna Lluís big moment as one of Tortosas Abanderados.

Spain's only remaining fla throwers are a great attraction.

Then as now, it's mainly about entertainment.

The performers have practiced daily for months, but continuously waving and throwing around a on kilogram heavy flag isn't easy.

Anna: Its har when the sun shines in our eyes and we can't see how the flags are flying.

It's a matter of balance, endurance and practice.

Basically anything you do takes practice.

And we practiced a lot.

It's exhaustin and it takes a lot of strength.

But in the end, if you like what you're doing, you'll do whatever it takes to do your best.

After their appearances, the performers gather in the taverns.

Recipes dating from the Renaissance have been resurrecte and made with ingredients used at the time following age old traditions.

Anna Lluís' favorite as a kind of sausage still popular in the region today.

Anna: Badana is a dish typical of the Renaissance in Tortosa.

It's made with blood and pork.

Back then people ate mostly grains, pork, apples, pears and whateve they could grow in the fields, such as beans, cabbage and lettuce.

Narrator: Tortosa's 25th Renaissance Festival continues well into the night.

And come next year, Tortosa will once again travel back in time to celebrate its rich cultural heritage.

[Singing] ♪ Teresa Carbó: Up there, you dont have time to look down.

I just look ahead.

I don't think about looking down.

I just think about the job, no more.

Narrator: 13 year old Teresa Carbó has a special hobby.

She's been climbing human towers for four years.

Now she's facing a real challenge.

Tarragona, Spain, hosts the World Human Pyramid Championships.

Called "castells", this is more than sport here.

It's an expression of Catalan national identity.

12 teams are in the finals.

Faust Sanchez competes in the Castellers de Villafranca club.

Faust: Im proud to be part o the'CastellYES de Vilafranca'.

My grandfather, my whole family has been here, my father too.

I've done this since I was a little boy.

My closest friends are here.

I couldn't give this up.

Narrator: The human tower tradition began in Tarragona in the 18th century.

Rival groups competed for the best shapes, which over time grew taller and taller.

The first World Championship was in 1932.

The castells have had UNESC World Heritage status since 2010 Eva Acedo: There isnt much risk, despite the height and the impact if you do fall.

There have been some serious injuries, but nothing major in recent years.

Eva Acedo trains the club children 3 times a week.

She's been a castellera for ten years and knows what it takes.

Eva Acedo You have to be light and fast.

Your physique decides which level you go to.

The smallest ones go the highest.

Narrator: The fever mounts.

The competition will begin soon.

The 600 members of the Castellers de Vilafranca into the arena together.

In the last World Championship in 2018, they took second place.

Faust: The whole team is keen to get in.

It's very exciting to see the crowded stadium.

Narrator: They've trained a year for this event.

The planned structure is far from simple.

Each has a defined position.

Faust Sanchez tries to keep track of things.

Faust: This is the plan of the 10-storey tower we want to build.

The whole team will inspect the base to make sure everyone is in position.

Then we'll discuss ideas in order to make the castell really impressive.

Narrator: Most of the team forms the “Pinya” or base.

This broad foundation stabilizes the castell.

All its weight rests here.

If the tower collapses, the base absorbs much of the impact.

Miquel Campesino: For us down below, we can see nothing, especially when we have two or more people on top of us.

So we're quie and listen closely to the music.

Depending on the pitch we know how high the tower is.

Narrator: When the base is in place, the “trunk” is built 10-storeys high.

Everyone is fully focused.

At half height, the music starts ♪ Finally, a boy climbs to the top and crowns the tower with an arm wave.

Points are awarded for the construction and for as well as for the dismounting.

A crowd of over 6000 cheer them on.

Woman: I like the collective spirit and the teamwork that the one at the bottom is just as important as the one at the top.

Woman: I come every year because it's such an incredible display of Catalan culture.

Narrator: They've done it!

The Castellers de Vilafranca are world champions in human tower building for the 12th time in the club's history.

Faust: When it first started, no one had any idea how high the castells would become.

That we could come so far.

But you can always try to go higher.

Teresa: Im so happy that weve won.

It shows that all the time and effort we put into the rehearsals paid off.

Narrator: The castells of Catalonia, a tradition not for the faint of heart.

♪ Camilo Rojas: Im Camilo, and Ill show you how to make gazpacho, the cold Andalusian soup.

Narrator: Cold soup?

Why would anybody want that?

In southern Spain and Portugal, where gazpacho originated, they have very good reason.

You might be able to guess why.

Camilo: In this region, we ea cold soup because of the heat.

In summer, especially in Jul and August, we get temperatures above 40 or 45°C.

Narrator: To fix a classic gazpacho.

You'll need a cucumber, tomatoes, a bell pepper, olive oil, salt, vinegar, garlic and an onion.

Chef Camil Rojas finds everything he needs in the Atarazana market hall in central Málaga.

♪ Camilo: The most important part of gazpacho is the fresh produce here at the market.

Much of it is from this area, for example, bel peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Málaga lies on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain.

In the summer you can find gazpacho on every corner... ...as well as in the Los Patios de Beatas Restaurant.

Camilo Rojas has been working here for seven years.

Camilo: This is a traditional tomato, a pear tomato.

But we use this raf tomato.

It's much fleshier and tastier, and it gives the gazpacho greater intensity.

Gazpacho more or less.

We need half a bell pepper.

About five tomatoes, two garlic cloves, a cucumber and half an onion.

Narrator: All the vegetables are but never cooked.

And what else is important to achieving a tasty gazpacho?

Camilo: The secret of traditional gazpacho is, of course, good olive oil and vinegar.

Here we're using sherry vinegar from Jerez de la Frontera.

It matures in the barrel and has lots of body.

Narrator: The vegetable are blended together until they have the right consistency.

Camilo: You can tell a traditional gazpacho by the texture.

It's still chunky so you can feel the vegetables, but we'll leave it in the blender for a few more minute to get a somewhat finer texture.

Narrator To refine the texture even more, Camilo pours the mixture through a sieve until he's left with a kind of juice.

To complement the soup, He departs from the traditional gazpacho and experiments with new ingredients every year.

For example, shrimp, pistachios, herbs, and even mango ice cream.

Camilo: What we try here with the gazpacho is to play with various textures and flavors.

As a base we might use white shrimp from Málaga, a few chopped pistachios and mango ice cream from the region - ingredients from both land and sea.

Gazpacho is typical for this area.

It's not a tradition elsewhere.

I show people the dish and often they don't understand it.

They've never heard of cold soup.

I hope.

Narrator: So if this summer gets a bit too hot, it might be refreshin to give a cold gazpacho a try.

♪