Canadian World Traveller Spring 2024 Issue

Plan your trip to
Castilla-La Mancha based
around its wines
Food and wine tourism
Like the universally-known Miguel de Cervantes, famous novelist of
Spanish literature, poet and playwright, you will be able to explore
landscapes of windmills and vineyards just as the protagonist of his
well-known work The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha
did. As well as its wines, you won´t be able to resist trying
Manchegan gastronomy and its local cuisine, which will delight you
with its wonderful flavours such as salpicón (salad medley), migas
(fried breadcrumbs), duelos y quebrantos (scrambled eggs with
chorizo) and the famous Manchego cheese, ideal accompaniment
to a glass of young and fruity red wine.
Castilla-La Mancha, much more than wine
Plan all the activities and wine tourism experiences you can enjoy in
Castilla-La Mancha based on the dates you travel and with whom.
You can combine your trip with other plans related to culture or
nature with friends, a partner or family, at any time of the year. If
you are travelling with children, you can learn about the culture of
wine with the whole family by smelling and tasting the different varieties
of grapes, or by taking walks on footpaths, or even by bike,
enjoying more sensory experiences during the harvest season.
With your partner
A plan for couples will be perfect for wine lovers, since you will find
wine tourism activities ranging from visits to wineries, wine tastings,
as well as the best pairing with the region´s delicious gastronomy.
If you're travelling with friends, find the designated dates for traditional
events in each municipality related to wine or traditional La
Mancha cuisine, such as the Harvest Festival, a celebration where
the grapes are pressed to offer the first mosto (freshly crushed grape
juice) to the Virgen de las Viñas. (Virgin of the Vines).
https://www.spain.info/
The Amazing AURA Experience
An ethereal spectacle of light and sound
by Susan Campbell
The stunning structure of Notre-Dame Basilica towering over
the old port sector of Montreal always tops the list for visiting
tourists. It’s one of the most visited monuments in North
America. The grand French-inspired Gothic Revival interior
never fails to impress and uplift, and its magnificent pipe
organ and intricately carved staircase are one of a kind. This
church is also beloved and frequently visited by locals as
well, always a coveted venue for the faithful, services still
take place there, and it’s a favored spot for VIP events like
weddings and funerals. In fact, this is where Celine Dion got
married to Rene Angélil. But now there’s an even better reason
to visit this historic attraction, it’s called “The AURA
Experience”.
I’d been meaning to go and see this futuristic light and
sound spectacle offered within the church in the summer but
decided that it might be just the cure for winter blahs to go
last February instead. I was right. I took my mother with me,
who also needed a boost in that cold, barren season, and we
found it to be the ideal spirit soothing outing. Initially, I was
a little worried that the spectacle might be too loud and jarring
for my 87-year-old mom, and the laser lights and 3Deffects
might be too high-tech and overwhelming. But it wasn’t.
The show, though indeed dramatic, was well balanced in
sound and easy on the senses and very moving as well. I
caught my mom tearing up more than once from the overall
majesty of the orchestral music and artistic experience of this
award-winning show.
Photography or video is not allowed during the performance,
but you have some time inside the church to take pictures
of the illuminated stations of the cross 30 minutes
before the show begins. You can also combine the night
experience with a guided day tour of the basilica with a duoticket
at a reduced cost for both. All tickets are available in
advance and online only.
www.aurabasiliquemontreal.com/en
World Traveler Spring 2024