Story and photos Kimberly Prelosky

Conde Nast Spain is a publishing company based in Madrid, Spain. It is one of the largest companies of its kind to be privately owned, which is reason for the unique value propositions and attention to consumer-oriented details that the group so diligently follows. Those employed by Conde Nast Spain all seemed to have similar qualities — passion being the most evident.

Chief Executive Officer Javier Pascual del Olmo met with us first to welcome us to the offices and explain a little bit about the company. Conde Nast Spain is owned by the Newhouse family, just as all other branches of the company are, but it was launched in Madrid in 1988. Vogue was the first publication brought to the Spanish forefront and has been followed by Architectural Design, Conde Nast Traveler, Glamour, GQ, and Vanity Fair. His pride in the company was unmistakable as he explained that Conde Nast Spain is one of the largest companies in terms of revenue and the success of their operations is often attributed to the fact that they are privately owned and free to make creative decisions in accordance to the owner’s wishes.

Natalia Gamero del Castillo, vice president of Corporate Development, took us further into understanding the mission of the company. Conde Nast Spain reaches 16.3 million users every month, and for a company that large, managers have high standards in place. The focal points of Conde Nast Spain’s mission are quality, integrity, long-term vision, local autonomy, innovation, talent, learning and influence. They strive to achieve excellence in these areas because a certain value has been placed on each of these areas for reasons determined over the last 27 years. Gamero del Castillo declared that the motto around the company tends to be, “Innovate even at the risk of failing.”

Conde Nast Spain is also forging a movement in what Gamero del Castillo referred to as consumer empowerment. It wants its readers to feel in control and give them the content they expect from publications like Vogue and GQ. This company goes to great lengths to research the consumer and stay in touch with interests and expectations. It also recognizes the challenge of staying relevant in an increasingly competitive market. Knowing there is always something to improve on is half the battle and continuously improving is the other. Conde Nast Spain likes to try new things and be analytic of them, Natalia explained. While a magazine used to be centered on its writers, photographers, editors, adverting teams and so on, now things are turning toward digitally driven content.

This company stays with the times and now looks for people who can strategize, analyze, manage content and juggle to create new digital platforms. The profile of an employee is changing and a company will only survive if it adapts with its market.

Ines Lorenzo has worked at Vogue for 11 years in every department. She described her experience with enthusiasm about the brand and told us one of her biggest challenges as its editor of Vogue.es (we need to explain her position) has been to take the brand to a digital format over the years. She explained that she wishes to see Vogue shift into a news source, and that she wants to bring the whole experience to the Vogue universe in terms of digital content.

One thing that runs through all of the employees who spoke to us is their concern and passion for their work. These attitudes left many students feeling as though they would like to work in a company similar to Conde Nast Spain if not actually pursuing an internship there.

“Visiting Conde Nast was probably one of the highlights of the trip. Not everyone gets to See Vogue’s newsroom let alone see it in Madrid, Spain,” Sophomore Marissa Rayes said. “We got to learn the ins and outs about how their company operates and also got to see how certain pictures make it into their magazines. It would be such a great experience to get an internship there; it’s definitely something I will strive for.” 

By Anthony Mendicino

With magazine titles like the storied Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair and Glamour just to name a few, Condé Nast continues to lead the way for magazine companies in Spain.

Established in 1988, Condé Nast Spain is currently headed by President Javier Pascual del Olmos and Natalia Gamero del Castillo, vice president of Corporate Development.

“The company is still family owned, privately owned,” Pascual del Olmos said. He then alluded to the stability that comes with a family owned company. This helped Condé Nast Spain stay relatively secure during the economic crisis that began in 2008.

“Condé Nast is the biggest privately owned media company in world,” Gamero reinforced. The same family has owned the company since 1905 when Condé Montrose Nast founded it in New York. Its international headquarters remains in New York, but the company branches out into 28 different countries.

In Spain, innovation is a mainstay of the company’s goals.

“We must remain innovative to remain relevant,” Gamero said. The company is well aware of the ever-changing consumer. “The challenge is to remain relevant, the consumer is increasingly demanding. Personalization and hyper efficiency is key.”

Condé Nast has seemingly recognized the wants and needs of the new consumer, outlining the incorporation of print and digital forms of the magazine. According to Gamero, the company has integrated its print and digital teams. All told, the company’s magazines reach 16.3 million consumers.

After Gamero finished her presentation, she introduced Ines Lorenzo, an editor at Vogue.es. Lorenzo worked on the print magazine side of the business for 11 years and came to the Web side of the business during the assimilation of the two teams.

“The fact that we are a family business means we can take a long-term approach,” Lorenzo said.

She described the need for the website to reflect the “quality and integration” of the print magazine.

“We want Vogue.es to be looked at as a news reference; (Comma splice) we want to tell the whole story,” Lorenzo said. She noted the differences between working in an online format versus the print version. Mainly, the online version must stay updated, constantly posting on every form of social media, whereas the print magazine is once a month, giving writers and editors more time to work.

Next up was Marta del Riego, managing editor at Vanity Fair.

“At Vanity Fair we are devoted to journalism with a storytelling focus. We cover everything from actors, royals and socialites to wars and other conflicts,” del Riego said. She also said Vanity Fair looks at glamorous people with a different spin.

After del Riego, Beatriz Palomo began her presentation. As Vanity Fair’s photo edition manager, Palomo has access to archives of past photos and helps choose current ones for the magazine.

“Working here is great because we have unlimited access to a huge archive of photos,” Palomo said. She told the group about the Tiger Woods exclusive the magazine ran last year, the only feature to run in both the U.S. and Spain at the same time.

Finally it was time for Beatriz Sanchez Guillen, deputy vice president for Business Development. Guillen spoke to the change in the consumer and how the company must itself change to stay relevant.

“The old times were the good times, and now we must employ more emotional marketing to draw consumers,” she said. She also alluded to how the Internet was seen as a threat but has now become “a tool that makes us stronger.”

Story and photos by Kimberly Prelosky

One of the greatest parts of our traveling has been the chance to take day trips to these seemingly off the grid towns. Our visits to Segovia and Toledo in Spain prepared me for an excursion to Sintra, Portugal.

Sintra sits on the Western coast of Portugal. We drove from Lisbon to the winding back roads that lead to it in about 45 minutes. The town itself is nestled into the hillside of a forest. With trees and flowers that line the streets and brick walls where vendors set up their jewelry and art, Sintra welcomes visitors to a town with history and charm.

Sintra is a location where many different cultures have merged over the centuries. Moorish, Roman, Egyptian and Gothic elements can be seen in architecture and the layout of the town itself. It experienced the rule of Ferdinand II who is responsible for renovating the beautiful castle that overlooks the hillside. This is a main attraction to the area because even though the town seems remote it still holds value because of the castle. Our tour guide, Odete Oliveira, explained that some of the buildings in Sintra date back to the 14th century but faced damage during the same earthquake and tsunami that damaged the better part of Lisbon in 1755. With two hours to spend, our class hopped off the bus in the center of town. We explored shops and boutiques and walked up and down every back street we could find. It seemed like everywhere we turned we had a great view for pictures.

The town expands beyond what we were able to see during our visit, and it is home to several palaces that were each constructed from different cultures. There are also many mansions in the area that are owned by estates of stature in Portugal. The population is near 400,000 people, according Odete.

Shops here are full of older women who hand embroider their wares and just about anything you can make from cork. The Portuguese are proud of their cork, and you would certainly know it after going into the shops of Sintra. There are plenty of them as well as cafes, hotels and other small establishments.

Due to the economic decline of Portugal, people depend on one thing that never fails: tourism. Sintra will always attract people because it is located in a picturesque landscape, and people search for this exact atmosphere when they come to Europe.

Sintra is meant to be a cultural melting pot and because of its history the United Nations has declared it a historical and educational center with the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site. This would be comparable to the American National Parks Association. Portugal is doing its part to make sure people can always visit Sintra and learn about the culture that has flowed through it.

By Alicia Green

New Yorkers have Central Park, Londoners have Hyde Park, and the residents of Madrid have Retiro Park. Located in the heart of Madrid, Retiro Park covers 350 acres of land with its beautiful landscaped gardens, ponds, elegant statues and monuments.

“Madrid is not by any means a green city, but it does have a lovely breathing space in this 350-acre park,” travel writer Rick Steves wrote in his Spain travel guide.

Point Park’s International Media class had the chance to explore the historical park during its two-week trip to Spain and Portugal. Upon arriving in Madrid, Retiro Park was one of the first locations students got to see.

“Since Retiro Park was one of the first places we visited, I could already tell Madrid was a beautiful city,” said photojournalism major Courtney Giles. “My favorite part was getting to relax and eat lunch while enjoying the view. I also played futbol with some kids in the park.”

Advertising and public relations major Kariann Mano said the park was a place where people could collect their thoughts and get away from the business of Madrid, which was right outside of the park’s gates.

“My favorite part was sitting on the other side of the lake, just looking out over [it], enjoying the beautiful weather while eating some lunch,” Mano said.

And multimedia major Dana Bohince had similar feelings about the park.

“Retiro Park was a nice place within the city to take a break from the usual hustle and bustle,” Bohince said. “It’s much more quiet, but there’s still a lot of activity going on. I brought a lunch with me and found a place under the trees to eat and relax. I got to people watch and nature watch. A little bird came right up to me.”

When students arrived at the park, they were met by a luscious green garden with tall, white statues on both sides. As they walked farther into the park, they saw Retiro Pond where people were rowing boats and sitting by the water.

On the other side of the pond people were relaxing on the stairs and eating lunch by a monument dedicated to King Alfonso XII, who reigned Spain from 1874 until 1885.

While students did not get to fully explore the park that day, their tour guide informed them of its history before allowing them to break off for lunch.

Before becoming a public park in the late 19th century, Retiro Park belonged to the Monarchy of Spain. In the 17th century, the Count-Duke of Olivares commissioned the work of the park, which would surround the palace of King Felipe IV. As different kings reigned throughout Spain’s history, the park would see drastic changes such as the addition of the Astronomical Observatory, the Buen Retiro Royal Porcelain Factory and the Casa de Fieras Zoo. When Queen Isabella came into power, the park’s gardens became more prominent as new flowers and trees were planted and unplanted areas became landscaped.

The importance of the gardens can still be seen today in the park with one of the more popular areas being the Rose Garden, which holds more than 4,000 roses. The Royal Botanic Garden has about 30,000 plants, according to Steves. He points out the exoticness of some of the plants as well as the aging greenhouses.

And if there is one place visitors should see while at the park, he wrote, it is the Crystal Palace, a glass building used for art exhibits, according to Steves.

“Honestly, Retiro Park took me by surprise,” said advertising and public relations major Elizabeth Meckel. “I couldn’t believe how much history is behind it. I’m glad we got to experience it, even if it was only for a small amount of time. Maybe one day, I’ll get to see it again and explore it in its entirety.” Good quote to close.

Photos and story by Marissa Rayes

Havas Media is made up three main media brands, Havas Media, Forward Media and Arena Media. One of these businesses focuses on brand marketing, which developed and gave birth to the “meaningful brands” research and project.

Head of Global Development Niko Muñoz discussed how it is important to build the financial value for the client. He said personal information is being used against us in target marketing. Our data is stored on the Internet, and Muñoz said that Havas has yet to find what to do with all the information it has. Other companies can see what consumers bought on a certain date and advertise products like that to them on Facebook or just in their Web browser.

Then the discussion of meaningful brands began to unfold. According to their research, 70 percent of consumers don’t care if certain brands disappear. This statistic was rather hard for the students to take in. Havas Media has a mission to make this statistic disappear with its launch of “Meaningful Brands.”

Online users participate in a survey as part of the research. The survey is made up of 25 short answer questions that ask the user about the strengths and weaknesses of brands. They can tell if the person is taking the survey seriously just by the user’s pattern in answers, he said.

The survey also gauges how the product supports society and how the product helps the individual using it. So far the survey has resulted in that the Top 10 most meaningful global brands, most of which are technology-based. Havas Media wants brands to raise more conversations in the world because there is a disconnection between people and brands in this generation.
The top global performers in Havas’ 2015 study: Samsung, Google, Nestlé, Bimbo, Sony, Microsoft, Nivea, Visa, IKEA and Intel. Following these leaders are HP, Dove (Unilever), Walmart, Gillette (Procter & Gamble), Knorr (Unilever), Kellogg’s, Amazon, PayPal, Honda and Carrefour.

By Courtney Giles

Havas Media is in the middle of a breakthrough research experiment in which the company discovers what brands really mean to people. The study is the company’s most comprehensive to date, studying 300,000 people worldwide, 34 markets and over 1,000 brands.

Havas, one of the leading global communications and marketing groups in the world, focuses on personal well-being by asking: How do brands improve people’s lives? The company also focuses on collective well-being by studying the role brands play in society.

Meaningful Brands is defined by Havas as “The only global study to connect the role brands play in all aspects of people’s lives, including their impact on our collective wellbeing (the role brands play in our communities and the communities we care about), in our personal wellbeing (self-esteem, healthy lifestyle, connectivity with family and friends, making our lives easier, fitness and happiness), and marketplace factors, which relate to product performance such as quality and price.”

Olalla Castro, who works in global research (we never did get a title for her … unless you picked up her business card?), explained what Havas has found, and the data gathered so far speaks for itself – 74 percent of brands could disappear, and no one would care.

Havas gathered this data through a thorough questionnaire that took about a year to put together. The survey is divided into three parts: Well-being and personal insights, brand insights and attributes.

According to meaningful-brands.com, meaningful brands see their marketing key performance indicators (KPI) perform 100 percent better overall compared with less meaningful brands. With every 10 percent improvement in meaningfulness performance, individual brand KPIs grow by 2.5 percent for familiarity, 4.9 percent for overall impression, 6.6 percent for purchase intent, 3.2 percent for repurchase intent, 4.8 percent for advocacy and 10.4 percent for premium pricing.

On average, meaningful brands gain 46 percent more share of wallet and outperform the stock market by 133 percent.

“Havas Media has a long client list, but I believe what they are trying to do with meaningful brands is one of the best, most innovative ideas yet,” Kariann Mano, an advertising and public relations major, said.

Castro was asked how celebrity endorsements affect how people feel about brands. they were more useful in the early 2000s.

“Celebrity endorsements are not as meaningful as they used to be because celebrities now endorse many different products at once,” she said.

Aside from Meaningful Brands, Havas Media is focusing on being one voice and one team. The media team and creative team will work together to reach the most important goals. Nice transition here. Good way to move into Niko’s presentation. I am just moving in some of the background in case someone unfamiliar with this needs to know …

Havas Media, headquartered in Paris, was formerly known as Media Planning Group or MPG. MPG started out in only eight markets, including Spain and Portugal. It is made up of three media brands, Havas Media, Arena Media and Forward Media, all of which work alongside Havas Sports & Entertainment, the industry’s largest global brand engagement network.

Niko Muñoz, head of global corporate development, told the class to research programmatic buying as it is the future of how the media will be traded.

Programmatic buying is “The use of technology to automate processes and the use of math to improve results. It is the future of marketing, available now,” according to Joe Zawadzki, CEO of Media Math. Muñoz also told the class not to go into the field of marketing if students aren’t good at math or statistics because that is the future of marketing. (I wouldn’t switch voice here to we, Courtney. An easy fix …)

“Coming on this trip as a business student was disorienting at times. Before this I would never be able to tell you what exactly a media group does and after visiting Havas Media, I not only understand, but I can value the importance of data analytics in any workplace that I enter after college,” said Kim Prelosky, a sports, arts and entertainment management major. “Niko changed my perspective about the world of advertising and because of this visit I now understand where major industry giants focus their efforts and why.”

By Courtney Giles

Segovia was a very popular city in the 11^th century when many nobles inhabited it, according to tour guide Mauricio Macarron Larumbe. After the nobles moved to Madrid, however, the citizens followed. After that, the city was almost entirely abandoned. While that seemed like a negative thing at the time, it was actually what preserved the city.

The Segovia that is seen today was rebuilt and repopulated with people from northern Spain. Near the center of the city stands a statute of a shepherd, reminding people that wool trade made Segovia a wealthy city.

The economy of Segovia centers on agriculture, furniture, construction, and like the other Spanish cities we visited, tourism. Segovia is part of the Province of Segovia and has a population of about 55,000 people.

Segovia houses a Roman aqueduct built in the early second century. It consists of 25,000 granite blocks, which are held together without any mortar, Mauricio explained.

The Alcazar of Segovia is a royal palace in the heart of the city. Its existence is documented as early as 1122, although many people think it existed before then. In 1862, the structure was destroyed by a fire and was rebuilt

Journalism major Alicia Green was enamored with the city, including a man who spent time with her and classmates as he played the accordion just below the aqueduct.

“It was also amazing being able to see inside the castle where Isabel and Ferdinand spent their time,” she said. “Segovia really captured my heart. We spent the most time there out of the other small towns and cities, so I was able to fall in love with it. It’s one of the cities I’ll probably always remember.”

Macarron also told the class that Segovia is home to a NASA satellite tracking station. There are only three in the world, and the other two are located in California and Australia.

The bullring of Segovia still stands today but isn’t used much because most of the bullfights now take place in Madrid and a few other cities – Seville, Ronda and Malaga. (Just a few cities, so we can add them in here.)

Different idea, so paragraph. And this isn’t a complete sentence. Make it one and let it serve as a transition into what follows. While much of the popular people and activities have moved to Spain’s capital, Segovia still retains an important role in the country’s history.

“Spain was born in Segovia,” Macarron said.

Kim Prelosky, sports, arts and entertainment management major, appreciated gaining the perspective of spending time outside of a major city.

“While things there are so old, people thrive and the culture is effervescent,” she said. “It came as a surprise to me that even in this ancient little European town, people were welcoming, modernized and excited to have life running through the street.!”

By Rilyn Gancia

Spanish cuisine is based off the different histories that helped shape the country. Within the first couple of hours in Spain, we had our first of many challenges with food. We had to choose our lunch from a cafe/convenience store just around the corner from the bullfighting ring. Everyone stuck to what they were familiar with for the time being: turkey sandwiches, salads, and coffees or energy drinks of any kind. The rush of food in our system was matched with the beautiful view and fresh air in El Parque de Madrid.

Other places we visited as a group included a small tapas restaurant. Tapas is very popular in Spanish culture. Tapas are small appetizers, which include fried squid, bread, assortments of meats and cheese, and olives. These “snacks” are meant to be enjoyed with the company of friends and wine. This traditional meal follows the laid back, friendly culture of Spain. One of the most favorite tapas “snacks” is an assortments of meats, which include cured black pig or jamon.

The students had the chance to explore and find their own places to eat in Madrid. Students traveled to a place called The Square and St. Michael’s Market, and once (comma splice) there students had a chance to freely walk around and choose food on their own. I had a chance to eat at a place called El Pajar. This restaurant was off the main streets of Madrid and extremely hard to find, but we heard from the Hotel Sterling receptionist that it had the best food in Madrid. At this particular restaurant there was a special deal: wine, two entreees and a shot of liquor for 12 Euros.

Eating in Madrid was entirely different from Barcelona. In Barcelona, there were more noticeable chains on the main strip, called La Rambla. Not saying that the food in Spain was fresh, but the food in Barcelona seemed a little bit fresher because the sea is right there. In Barcelona, a group of us girls had our first experience with the Spanish McDonald’s. Nothing at most seemed to be different. But we were quite surprised at how their McDonalds worked. They had at most two servers and then order yourself kiosks. Another aspect to mention is that the fast-food chain seemed to be much cleaner that what most of us have experienced back in The States.

An important part of Spanish cuisine is the wine, sangria. Sangria is a combination of wine, chopped fruit and brandy. Each sangria that we had tasted different. The reasoning behind that was because sangria can be steeped for as little as a few minutes to a couple of days. The longer it ferments the harsher the taste.

In Spain, the coffee was small, strong and usually came black, unless you asked for cream (Cafe con Leche). Sugar packets were significantly larger than in the U.S., and some locals ordered coffee and just sugar.

The pastries were very freshly baked and many were an assortment of pastry puffs or caramelized items. Most of the pastries were either topped or accompanied with fresh fruit and had something with caramel or cinnamon in them.

By Rilyn Gancia

Camp Nou is home of Europe’s premier futbol clubs, FC Barcelona. Construction began in 1954 with hopes of fitting more than 60,000 fans into the newest Stadium.

Within the first years of Camp Nou being open, it hosted its first European Cup in 1974. In 1980 Camp Nou began construction and increased its seating capacity in high hopes to be one of the stadiums/facilities to be apart of the famous FIFA World Cup. Camp Nou also hosted many soccer games in the 1992 Olympics. The finals held nearly 100,000 fans supporting Team Spain against Poland.

The entrance to the fan experience was more than just an epic walk down to the gift shop. Visitors are surrounded with pictures, trophy replicas and much more.

The first stop was the view from the stands, which without a doubt, is the best view there is. There is a clear view of FC Barcelona and Camp Nou’s motto “Més que un club,” which translates to more than a club.

The tour guide said he was not always a tour guide. Roger worked in the Media/Marketing department for years but decided to switch back to doing tours because he liked to see the instant expressions of fans rather than waiting.

The stadium has no laws similar to the ADA (American Disability Act) Patrons.In the United States, regulation standards for any public housing/hosting the public legally has to have an equal amount of ADA accessible seats to the amount of general seats in the United States.

Something very powerful that displays Spanish culture is the fact that alongside the home team locker room is a chapel where players can pray before or after a game. The visitors locker room was also a sight to see as amenities included a jacuzzi/hot tub.

The FC Barcelona store and museum are the most visited and gross the highest revenue in Europe. The store has three floors and is filled with maroon and royal blue. It was filled with jerseys that posted different sports slogans or other versions of FC Barcelona, such as Barca. Some of my classmates bought hoodies and T-Shirts for themselves, jerseys for their little brothers, family members or boyfriends, or shot glasses for friends or roommates.

By Emily Faller

While Point Park students visited Portugal, Professor Paulo Faustino spoke to us about its media system, strategies and industry trends, and business challenges.

Faustino teaches at the New University of Lisbon, and he welcomed us at its Research Center in Media and Journalism to start the class’ media visit in the second country on its itinerary. He is also chair of the International Media Management Academic Association in Portugal. No identification of Faustino or note where we met. You have to have both for background and context in this article.

The 10 main media groups (he was specific, so let’s be in the article) in Portugal are owned by national groups and investors, except in the case of Media Capital. In 2005, it became controlled by Prisa Group, a Spanish company, and Bertelsmann group, a German company.

Some of the main players now are:

• Nos – A group based on predominantly national capital (Sonae Group) and Angolan, which is the leading distributor of cable TV, but recently obtained a new shareholder and help, namely capital from Angola. ??? This sentence isn’t making sense
• Impresa – A group funded by predominantly national capital, whose main activity areas are television, magazines, newspapers and distribution.
• Media Capital – dominated by Grupo Prisa (Spain), its main activities are television and radio.
• Cofina – A group founded on national capital, which focuses on the press segment, particularly newspapers and magazines.
• Global Media – A group of national investors and Angolan capital whose main assets rely on daily press (national and regional) and Radio. (You need to translate this a bit from his Portuguese to English translation …. That means adding few words. I know this is right from his PowerPoint, but we have to make it readable and understandable.)

Faustino’s lecture detailed the newspaper business dynamics and ownership concentration in Portugal and Brazil. The information for this area of concentration has been found through data and official statistics as well as other sources. A characteristic found in the Portuguese newspaper market is that media concentration movements arise in part from the need for companies to consolidate the domestic market. He also noted that the advertising market for the major Portuguese media is stable as the country continues to rebound from the economic crisis of 2008-09. (I think this is important to add.)

In the last five years, media companies became more proactive in exploring new markets. This has remained especially true with former Portuguese colonies such as Brazil and Angola. In Brazil, media companies also need to consolidate, he said, but the domestic market is very large and their space and opportunities continue to grow. While Brazilian media companies have opted to reinforce their position in the domestic market, the Brazilian newspaper publisher’s didn´t invest in internationalization strategies.

The Portuguese media system has more regulatory mechanisms than Brazil, which is very fragmented and has no regulatory body for its media sector. The connection of political actors and the media sector in Brazil, especially as owners of radio stations (although prohibited by law), is far superior to Portugal, Faustino said. The political, economic and regulatory context in Brazil (and Latin America in general) is more vulnerable than in Portugal. Based on preliminary data, Brazil’s media market is more concentrated when compared Portugal. For Portugal to continue growing the country needs to collect more date and analyze the ownership concentration in a multimedia perspective.

Where Faustino sees potential growth is the fact that the Portuguese language today is the fourth highest spoken language. Although Portugal was the pioneer country of globalization, it was only until the demographic development of Brazil and African ex-colonies that Portuguese was among the most influential languages in the international context. About 244 million people are able to speak Portuguese, while 845 million people can speak Chinese, and 328 million people can speak English.

With a language that is so widely used, it has more influence and creates a market, giving power to the speakers of that language. The value of a language is related to the number and economical power of its users, Faustino said. In a global world, the Portuguese language is an international communication language due to the economic growth of Brazil and Angola. Brazil is part of the BRIC countries, including Russia, India and China, which are the emergent markets. The recognition of better government practices in the universe of Portuguese-speaking countries also helps with international communication.

By Ashley Kolumban

On a neighborhood walk one evening with tour manager Mauricio Macarron Larumbe, we walked through Madrid’s main square: Plaza Mayor. Located right in the center of the city, the square is filled with outdoor cafes and eateries that serve classic tapas and glasses of native wine.

Three-story buildings, some with original façade, create the square shape was once where Plaza del Arrabal market. But just a few blocks away Puerta del Sol is located.

We walked through Puerta del Sol and found illusionists in the middle of it, showing off their talents. Both of them were dressed in elegant middle-eastern garb of sort. One sat Indian-style with a short pole in his hand and the other sat atop the pole also sitting Indian-style with his legs crossed. It was an incredible levitation trick.

The square, which received its name from the eastern positioning from which the square faced, was flooded with people and was clearly a magnet for tourists and Spaniards, especially during the holiday season and New Year’s Eve.

Similar to the iconic celebratory gathering in Times Square where many spend the end of the current year and the beginning of the next, Puerta del Sol holds an event to ring in the new year.

A building called the Real Casa de Correos was originally home to a post office, but now it serves as the headquarters for the President of Madrid’s Autonomous Community, according to gomadrid.com. Gated and guarded, the building stands front and center with a clock tower several stories up. Those who come to celebrate wait for the clock to strike midnight and follow with a night full of celebrating and of course, drinking.

Spending New Year’s Eve waiting for the 12 chimes at Puerta del Sol is one of the three main traditions the Spanish like to do. Other popular outings include spending time at a family home while sharing a late dinner waiting to watch the 12 chimes be televised or celebrating in a restaurant.

A tradition that the Spanish have adopted for ringing in the New Year with luck is eating 12 grapes or raisins at the stroke of midnight. Then it’s off to the discos.

In the square, there’s a statue of a bear standing on his hind legs climbing a small tree. The 20-ton statue is one of the most iconic symbols of Madrid. Named el oso y el modrono, Spain had a heavy population of the animals during the Middle Ages. In an attempt to stay true and keep a remembrance of the old country, the emblem of the bear stands as a reminder of it according to madridtourist.info.

The exact center point of Spain

Outside of the old post office inlaid into the concrete is a place marker representing the very center of Spain. Originally placed in 1950, the current marker is the replacement that was set in the same exact place in 2009, according to gomadrid.com. This point in the sidewalk is where Spain’s six national roads have their start, Macarron told us.

We all took our turn standing at this milestone. That was the point when it actually felt as we finally traveled across the ocean and into Spain.

After the endless days of preparation, what felt like endless hours traveling, and still in the process of kicking the tiresome feeling of jet lag, this was the official marking that we were in a new country and ready for new adventures.

Nice work here, Ashley. We made a few adjustments, mainly for readability and some grammatical and punctuation issues that needed to be fixed. We trimmed it just a bit, too. Look at how we adjusted the close in particular to capture that “we were finally in Spain” feeling.

Photos and story by Dana Bohince

Your sense of time may disappear as you walk through the city of Toledo, Spain.

Point Park University students experienced this first hand on a trip to the medieval town. With it being a short trip from Madrid, Toledo proved to be an interesting and valuable day trip for them. They learned that the old location, which is now a popular destination for tourists, had been important in Spain for centuries. After all, it has been inhabited for 3,000 years.

Toledo entered into history with the Romans. They came to Toledo in the third century B.C. It was a Roman city for 700 years. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Moors from Northern Africa captured most of the Iberian Peninsula. They took rule of Toledo, although Christians and Jews still remained in the city and co-existed with the Muslims.

Eventually, Alfonso VI of Castile took control of Toledo with Christian forces. The cultural and historical heritage was preserved even with an economic decline in the once flourishing city. Because of its rich history and culture, Toledo was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 1986.

Layers of civilization literally emit from the land. The entire visible city is built over older remains.

When first driving up, visitors will see the city set on a hill surrounded by the Tagus River, making it a natural fortress. The river runs the whole way around the city, like a moat, making it an excellent place for people to live throughout its historic times. Not only does it surround the city, but also it is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula.

“If you get lost in Toledo today, take a boat on the river and you’ll be in Lisbon in five days,” Mauricio Macarron Larumbe, the group’s Spanish tour guide, said.

The precipitously steep slopes give the town a sense of protection and seclusion from the rest of the area. A massive cluster of old walls, stony bridges, and beige facades and rooftops can be seen. The large cathedral and castle are easy to be picked out on the landscape. The ruins of an Arab bath remain near the steadily flowing river.

“The only way to see Toledo is from the outside,” Macarron said.

The houses and buildings are packed so tightly together that roads can barely be made out.

As visitors start walking through the winding, cobblestone and sometimes-steep streets, they will feel the timeless atmosphere the town has to offer. It also has a calm ambience. The narrow streets are quiet as many birds circle above chirping songs.

Besides its pretty scenery and prominent history, Toledo is famous because of the many crafts produced within the walls of the city. Steel swords, daggers, damascene and jewelry are all favored crafts and popular souvenirs. Shops around town sell marzipan confections, a popular treat for citizens and visitors alike. Students got the chance to see live demonstrations of the sword and damascene crafts. They tried marzipan, walked through the streets and toured the gothic cathedral, named Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary.

“I was taken aback by the beautiful cathedral we visited in the town,” Alicia Green, junior journalism major, said. “I couldn’t believe how huge it was inside and all the detail.”

The cathedral is a popular attraction with its collection of musical instruments, unique chapels, fresco paintings, and other embellishments.

“My favorite part of the church was definitely the stained glass. I felt like those told little stories to create an overall picture,” Green said.

The cathedral also houses a popular painting by famous Spanish Renaissance painter El Greco who lived in Toledo. The masterpiece, titled “The Disrobing of Christ,” hangs in the high altar.

The many alluring establishments and historical and cultural diversity of Toledo make it the gem that it is.