Steves - Rick Steves Spain 2016

Police: Spaintel. 091, Moroccotel. 190

Ambulance or Any Emergency: Spaintel. 112, Moroccotel. 150

US Embassy in Madrid, Spain: Tel. 915-872-240, after-hours emergency tel. 915-872-200 (Calle Serrano 75, madrid.usembassy.gov)

US Consulate in Barcelona, Spain: Tel. 932-802-227, after-hours emergency tel. 915-872-200 (Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada 23, barcelona.usconsulate.gov)

US Embassy in Gibraltar: Call the US Embassy in Madrid.

US Consulate General in Casablanca, Morocco: Tel. 0522-267-151, after-hours emergency tel. 0661-131-939 (Boulevard Moulay Youssef 8, morocco.usembassy.gov)

Canadian Embassy in Madrid, Spain: Tel. 913-828-400 (Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, in Torre Espacio skyscraper, www.espana.gc.ca)

Canadian Embassy in Rabat, Morocco: Tel. 0537-544-949 (66 Mehdi Ben Barka Avenue, www.morocco.gc.ca)

In Spain, dial 11811 (0.40/min) or 11818 (0.55/call from private numbers, free from phone booths).

This list includes selected festivals in major cities, plus national holidays observed throughout Spain. Many sights and banks close on national holidayskeep this in mind when planning your itinerary. Before planning a trip around a festival, verify its dates by checking the festivals website or TI sites (www.spain.info).

Be prepared for big crowds during these holiday periods: Holy Week (Semana Santa) and Easter weekend, especially in Sevilla; April Fair in Sevilla; the San Isidro festival in Madrid; Labor Day; Dos de Mayo, Madrid; Ascension; Pentecost weekend; Assumption weekend; Spanish National Day; Constitution Day, followed closely by the Feast of the Immaculate Conceptionboth the previous and following weekends may be busy; and Christmas and New Years. Look out for any local holiday that falls on a Tuesday or Thursdaythe Spanish will often take Monday or Friday off as well to have a four-day weekend.

Spain is overwhelmingly rich in history, art, and culture. To learn more about Spains past and present, check out a few of these books or films.

Barcelona (Robert Hughes, 1992). This is an opinionated journey through the citys tumultuous history, with a focus on art and architecture. Barcelona: The Great Enchantress (2004) is a condensed version of Hughes love song to his favorite city.

Barcelona: A Thousand Years of the Citys Past (Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, 1992). A historical and artistic perspective on Barcelona, this book also details the tensions between the city and the rest of Spain.

The Basque History of the World (Mark Kurlansky, 2001). This is an essential history for understanding the Basque region (the area between Spain and France).

The Battle for Spain (Antony Beevor, 2006). A prize-winning account of the disintegration of Spain in the 1930s, Beevors work is the best overall history of the bloody civil war.

Discovering Spain: An Uncommon Guide