Spain « Nina Schmidt ~ Vancouver German and Spanish Lessons

13 Nov 2018

Biography: El Cid

Tags: andalusia, cid, lord, reconquest, reconquista, Spain
Written by Learn With Nina, Posted in Biographies | Comments Off

El Cid was the nickname given to Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a military leader born in 1043 near Burgos, Spain. El Cid is derived from the Arabic word sayyid meaning sir or lord. Rodrigo was born into a noble family and was raised in the court of King Ferdinand the Great (1015-1065). As a young man he served the king’s son, Sancho II and ascended to the level of commander when Sancho became king in 1065. He quickly became famous for his military prowess in particular in several campaigns against the Muslim Kingdoms in southern Spain in the area known as Al-Andaluz, modern day Andalusia.

03 May 2018

Cultural Corner: Paella

Tags: paella, saffron, seafood, Spain, valencia
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Paella is a popular dish of the Valencia region in Spain. Although it has ancient roots, its modern version was created in the mid-nineteenth century.

07 Mar 2018

Biography: Miguel de Cervantes

Tags: Biography, book, comedies, Don Quixote, medieval, Miguel Cervantes, Miguel de Cervantes, plays, Spain, writer
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Miguel de Cervantes was a Spanish writer who is considered to be the greatest writer in the Spanish language of all time as well as the writer of one of the world’s first novels. Cervantes is best known for his masterpiece Don Quixote which has been translated into more languages than any other book on earth except for the Bible.

04 Feb 2018

Cultural Corner: Carnival

Tags: Carnival, Catholic, celebration, fat Tuesday, germany, Lent, necklaces, Spain
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Carnival is celebrated throughout the Catholic world approximately five weeks before Easter every year. It is a time of celebration.

18 Jan 2017

Biography ~ Pablo Picasso

Tags: artist, Guernica, painter, Picasso, Spain
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Pablo Picasso was born in 1881 in Malaga, Spain. His father was an art teacher and drew very well. Pablo began taking classes from his father when he was ten. Just a few years later he was drawing better than his father!

18 Jul 2016

Biography: Salvador Dali

Tags: artist, Cubism, Dadaism, painter, Picasso, Salvador Dali, Spain
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Salvador Dali was born in 1904 in the Catalonia region of Spain. He was an excellent draftsman and his painting skills were influenced by Renaissance masters. He was a very imaginative man and had an eccentric manner. He was also famous for his unique mustache.

11 Jan 2016

Spanish Biography – Antoni Gaudí

Tags: Antoni Gaudí, architect, artist, Catalunya, Catholic faith, Spain, the sacred family, UNESCO heritage site
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Antoni Gaudí was a famous Spanish architect born in 1852. He was from the Catalunya region and the majority of his works are located in Barcelona. Gaudí was very proud of his Catalan heritage. He was an artist on a large scale who used his passions of nature and religion to create his works. The buildings he helped to create are extremely unique in their style and known throughout the world. Even his last name has become synonymous with an over-the-top decorative style.

21 Sep 2015

Spanish Culture: Traditional Clothing

Tags: Guatemalan, Hispanic world, Holidays, huipil, Mexican, poncho, shade, Sombrero, Spain, Spanish, traditional clothing
Written by Learn With Nina, Posted in Cultural Corner | Leave a comment

The traditional clothing of the Hispanic world varies a lot by country. Some items go back to the pre-conquest indigenous traditions while others are more recent. In this blog, I will discuss two common articles of clothing: the sombrero and poncho as well as one lesser-known item, the huipil a traditional blouse of Central America.

12 Jun 2013

Cultural Corner: Tapas and Sangria

Tags: learning, Nina Schmidt, sangria, Spain, Spanish, summer, tapas, wine
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Tapas are a type of food popular in Spain. People in Spain eat differently and at different hours than those in North America. Generally breakfast is very light consisting of only a coffee with milk and perhaps a churro, a cylindrical deep-fried pastry similar to a doughnut. Lunch is served around midday and is often followed by a siesta, a midday nap.

18 Feb 2013

Further Learning: Interesting Facts about the Spanish Language

Tags: Arabic, castellano, Cervantes Don Quixote, Iberian Peninsula, Latin, learning, Nina Schmidt, Romance languages, Spain, Spanish
Written by Learn With Nina, Posted in Further Learning | Leave a comment

It’s always an advantage when learning a new language to know a bit about its history and relevance in the modern world. Here are some interesting facts about the Spanish language:

Posts Tagged ‘Spain’