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THE first thing to do when arriving at a Spanish city is to ask the residents for its municipal market.

The extra bonus, which doesn’t come with the ripe tomatoes or beans, is the chance to study the sociological character of the locals, because the way in which the salespeople and vendors interact with their clients says a lot about the commercial and open character of Spaniards, and above all, Mediterraneans.

Spain is one of the European countries blessed with a privileged gastronomy, but the best places to appreciate its culinary diversity are its local markets – authentic cathedrals of the senses.

One must keep in mind that all these markets grew out of street markets, that is to say, they were mobile events held in the open air

The Central Market of Valencia (main photo) is located in the heart of the city, in what used to be an avenue based along a tributary of the river Turia, (since in Roman times Valencia was an island city).

The central market and its environment are plagued with popular historical legends. The church is also known as the ‘church of the rascals’, because child thieves, that stole food from the market for their own consumption as well as to resell, hid there.

Also in Barcelona is the market of Santa Caterina. This is situated in the centre of the Ciutat Vella, or old city, in the neighbourhood barrio of la Ribera, and it is true to say that the market of Santa Caterina has been testimony to the entire history of Barcelona. As in many other cases, the history of this market begins with the demolition of a convent, in this case that of Santa Caterina, to make way for a jug market, placed on the outskirts of this convent because in it there was a well whose water provided a miraculous cure against marsh fever.

Because eating is an important aspect of Spanish culture, restaurants and cafes are prevalent in the Plaza Mayor.

Also, in the evenings, musical groups, called "Tunas," play in the outside seating areas of the restaurants.

Also in the Plaza is a small pharmacy. Visitors should be aware that it is not like a typical drugstore in the United States. Instead, almost all of the products and items are behind the counter and customers must ask the clerk for assistance.

The town hall of Salamanca is also located in the Plaza Mayor.

The origin of Las Fallas is a bit murky, but most credit the fires as an evolution of pagan rituals that celebrated the onset of spring and the planting season.

Besides the burning of the ninots, there is a myriad of other activities during the fiesta. During the day, you can check out the extensive roster of bullfights, parades, paella contests and beauty pageants around the city. Spontaneous fireworks displays occur everywhere during the days leading up to "La Crema", but another highlight is the daily mascletá which occurs in the Plaza Anyuntamiento at exactly 2pm. When the huge pile of firecrackers is ignited, the ground literally shakes for the next ten minutes.

Even if you are not religious, it is difficult not to be moved, the atmosphere is so vital and poignant. For some it is a fun filled fiesta time, for others a week of ritual and reflection. Without a doubt, Holy Week in Andalucia is a tradition that is an integral part of the culture and appropriately reflects the spirit of the people.

Year after year, each and every village proudly enjoys the beauty and mystery of "Semana Santa" although there are variances and some towns for instance, will preserve certain traditions more than others. The villages and hamlets generally hold their parades on Thursdays and Fridays, while the large capital cities have week long celebrations and attract thousands of people from far and wide.

Without question the biggest tomato fight in the world

In an effort to draw more tourism (and therefore more targets) into the small town of Buñol, La Tomatina has blossomed into a full-blown fiesta that coincides with the festival for the town's patron saint.

The Sanfermines is a fiesta where no one is an outsider, everyone is equal and in which the festive spirit is never broken, centred around the people of Pamplona in the widest sense: all the people in the city during the always too short 204 hours of revelry, dancing, prayers and bacchanalian extravagance.

But the religious celebration is in perfect harmony with the cult of the bull -a symbolic animal- and with the cult of Bacchus, the god of wine -a drink which ¡s no less symbolic

They are also present at all national holidays such as the "Days of the Dead", the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Christmas, and Independence Day.

The Mexican art of paper-cutting is a marvelous synthesis of European, Asian, and Pre-Columbian artistic traditions.

When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico there was already a tradition of paper making that was called amatl in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. The native peoples of Mexico produced a type of paper by mashing the pulp of the bark of fig and mulberry trees between rocks. Once dry the paper was then cut with knives made from obsidian. The paper cuts made from amatl were primarily of a ceremonial nature and included images of the numerous Aztec gods and goddesses, a practice that was discouraged by their Christian conquerors. Among the Spanish, the word amatl became amate. Today amate continues to be used in Mexico where one can occasionally find copies of codices and books as well as reproductions of the ancient deities.

Although the methods and tools have not changed much during the ages, papel picado continues to evolve as a living folk tradition in Mexico. Much of the papel picado available in today's folk art market comes from the village of San Salvador Huixcolotla, Puebla, which lies southeast of Mexico City. The tradition of paper-cutting is preserved in the talleres, small family workshops of two rival artisans' families, the Vivancos and the Rojas, who maintain a spirit of fierce competition and pride in the art.

The traditional process of making papel picado banners begins by drawing a design which becomes the patron or pattern. The pattern is then placed over multiple layers of tissue paper which rest on a thick layer of lead. The artisan then cuts through multiple layers of paper using a mallet to pound finely sharpened chisels of varying sizes and shapes through the paper and into the sheet of lead.

The process of transforming sheets of tissue from a design to a completed paper cut can take 30 or more hours.