» AROUND SPAIN

Semana Santa is the biggest national fiesta in Spain, with parades that feature solemnity and gaudiness in equal measure.

Weird beasties and phantasmagorical machines

Fanciful monsters, Jules Verne flying contraptions, a mezquita in Cairo, Edwardian ladies on camels…the Jardin del Pasatiempo.

A ‘potty’, ‘jerry’ or ‘gozunda’ is a highly personal receptacle. Henry VIII’s was padded with velvet and studded with gold nails.

Cordoba’s Mezquita was once the centre of Islamic life in Spain, but the Moors brought more than just romantic architecture.

The Canary Islands are Spain’s tropical paradise, but while they may be Spanish geographically, each has its own distinct personality.

Once the place you drove through on the road to somewhere else, Murcia has more to see than many people give it credit for. But it’s worth a look.