In Madrid strolling in the many beautiful parks, formal gardens, leafy lanes, or sitting by a fountain, are relaxing pastimes. A Memorial to Cervantes (1547-1616) stands in the Plaza de Espana in front of which his much-loved fictional characters, Don Quixote and his faithful servant Sancho Panzo, sit astride their horse and donkey respectively. The Man from La Mancha gazes wistfully across a long pond no doubt eternally searching for windmills at which to tilt.

In Barcelona a ‘passagiata’ through La Ramblas, probably the best of Europe’s famed wide tree-lined pedestrian boulevards, is entertainment in itself. It is a hive of activity and the soul of the city packed with flower stalls, bird sellers, musicians, mime artists and all manner of street entertainers as well as cafes, restaurants, tapas bars, boutiques, shops, food markets, pastry shops. La Ramblas is a shopper’s paradise. Take in Parc Guell and stroll along the narrow streets in the old Gothic Quarter. There are more galleries than you can possibly browse through in one visit.

Watch (or join!) the locals as they dance the Sardana in the square in front of the Gothic Cathedral at weekends.