Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The Politics Of Spain

While it may not affect one's day-to-day life, it's always a good thing to know about the political system in the country you're about to visit. Today, we take a look at Spain's government.

Spanish politics take place in a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Sound confusing? Well, this basically reflects Spanish history all the way from Kings of yeseryear to modern political science. The Monarch is officially the Head of State (similar to England) and the Prime Minister (or President of the Government) is equivalent to Barack Obama's role in the United States. The parliament represents a multi-party system with representation based on national elections.

As far as legislative power, there are two chambers of parliament (similar to the House of Representatives and the Senate in the U.S.). The judiciary is completely indepedent of both of the other branches.

The current Prime Minister of Spain is José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who is better known as just Zapatero. He has been nominated to this role twice by King Juan Carlos, and elected by the Congress both times (2004 and 2008). His party is called the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, and they have won a plurality of seats in the Congress of Deputies.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

El Greco: A True Original

Any initial research into Spain will demonstrate a rich history of unique art - from gothic and religious perfection to the modern stylings of Picasso - and El Greco really stands on his own as one of the true classics. A painter, sculptor and architect working during the renaissance, El Greco (aka The Greek) touched on many styles such as Mannerism and Venetian Renaissance. His influence really became fomidable in the 20th century when poets and painters in the Expressionist and Cubist styles picked up memes from his work and took them into the modern era.

For more information on El Greco, check out his wikipedia entry.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Street Shots: Madrid

One of our main interests at ILC has always been street photography. What a great, innovative way to capture a city in its pure state! With improvised snapshots and a wandering eye, photographers can provide an unparalleled view into unique populations.

We came across the Flickr page for a user named Publikaccion this morning. This is a whimsical set of street photographs in Madrid that includes citizens and tourists from all walks of life while demonstrating vibrant urban scenes in an uncontrived and spontaneous style. If you're thinking about booking a trip to Madrid with us, this black-and-white set should surely get you in the mood.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.