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Spanish Properties
Do you want to live the dream?
Spanish Life
Well I have now survived 7 years here in Spain and it has opened my eyes, Don't get
me wrong, I enjoy living here, its just that on the face of things they all seem
pretty happy and life is such joy, well most of the time it is.
It’s like an ice burgh,
a little showing out of the water but a whole lot beneath. That lot beneath is the
bit that jumps up and bites your bum if your not prepared for it. So for anyone who
is thinking of moving out to the sun, sea, sand, and sangria, and living the dream,
then be aware that you will have to do a lot of research, research, research ahead
of you.
First of all look for the Location, inland or by the coast? This is an important
choice, as the coast offers all the fun of one long holiday, if you can afford it.
English is spoken in nearly every bar, post office and bank, so you will not have
too much trouble settling in and getting in with the "In Crowd". But be aware that
getting in there is not a quality, nor ambition, that all Expats wish to wallow in,
rather the reverse, most Expats want to be out there on their own, or in a more classy
group, or well away from the Expat Community all together.
Living inland offers that
to an extent, there are Expat enclaves, which offer you the chance to be, either
on your own or mix whenever you like to mix, the life inland offers so much more
and yet less at the same time.
You can mix with the local Spanish community but you
had better have at least some Spanish before you try this, or you will be left at
the roadside, thinking that you have made a blunder, which you may well have done
without knowing it. The Spanish way of life is a little complicated and needs to
be researched so that you don't blunder around and make that one big mistake that
you will never be able to put right, without the use of the Spanish language.
When
I first moved to Spain I had no idea what was right or wrong within the community
that I had moved to. But once I started to learn the language and how to conduct
myself I realized what I was doing was not the way it is done. So I asked around
within the small group of Spanish friends what is right in their eyes for us Brit's
to behave like or dress right, here are some pointers that will help you, on your
way to being polite in public here in Spain.
In general the Spanish have a very modern
outlook on clothing. They are keen on designer clothes but quality is more important
than a designer name. Spanish made clothes tend to be high quality and reasonably
priced.
Teenage girls tend to wear trousers more than skirts. Denim is definitely
'in'. Teenage boys are keen on designer wear and appearance is important to them.
Mature Spaniards dress conservatively and with style. Older men in particular tend
to wear high quality clothing.
It is unclear what the Spanish think of scantily clad holiday-
Spaniards often start the evening with el paseo, a leisurely stroll through the Gran
Via, (High Street) or along the paseo maritimo (promenade) in the coastal resorts.
Much
of Spanish life is lived in the streets and the atmosphere is especially vibrant
at fiesta time. On a warm evening the street cafes and bars can fill to capacity
as people sit and relax. The local nightclubs and the big cities have attracted the
attention of the international media and are always an attraction for the youngsters.
Most open late at night and don't close until late the following day. Spanish men
tend to maintain eye contact with females for longer, although this does not mean
anything. It is not often you will see a Spanish man drunk in the street, as this
is seen as no, no, by other Spanish. The only exception to this is during the Fiestas,
but they are never legless.
The Spanish way of life is somewhat slower than the rest of Europe, especially in
the south. This may be seen as lazy, but when the Spanish work, they work hard. They
have adapted to the weather and play hard too. It is quite common for life to begin
when the sun goes down, especially in the summer. They are a very happy people who
enjoy life to the full. They love music, dance and food. Smoking is now banned in
all interior public places in Spain (except in small towns and villages).
Eating out
in Spain is relatively cheap and meals are usually substantial instead of gourmet.
The Spanish tradition of tapas is a good way to sample the local food. Tapas are
small dishes of snacks which are served anytime especially in small bars. They cover
all types of foods from seafood to vegetables.
Many Spanish people make an evening of hopping from bar to bar trying different tapas.
Another of Spain's favourites is Serrano Ham. Spain is famous for its fish delicacies
and simply must be sampled, especially if you get to coastal areas. Paella has long
been a Spanish favorite, based on either meat or seafood. Every region in Spain has
its own specialties. The Spanish tend to eat traditional continental breakfasts,
a light lunch and an evening meal, very late in the evening around 10:00 pm later
in the summer months.
Primarily Spain is a wine drinking country with each region
producing its own special wines; however there are several large breweries within
Spain producing the light, lager-
Bull Fighting has been, and in some parts of Spain,
still is the national sport, but this is slowly dying out, there are many areas of
Spain that have outlawed it in their towns.
Christmas in Spain is unlike many other
places in Europe, Christmas lights do not go up in Spain until December. Every town
and city will decorate the streets. Christmas markets also begin to appear. Christmas
trees are on sale everywhere and gypsies begin to sell Christmas trees in the streets.
The first major sign of Christmas is the state-
The family Christmas
Eve meal is one of the most important meals of the year for a Spanish family and
the housewife will be busy preparing the traditional fare. Seafood is high on the
list for the meal and prices tend to go through the roof at this time of year.
First
on the menu is likely to be plates of cold shellfish and cold cuts of meat. This
may be followed by soup then baked besugo (Bream) with potatoes followed by roast
lamb or suckling pig. Game is another option although turkey is becoming popular.
The meal will be complemented with Cava, Spain's excellent sparkling wine. At the
same time, trays of Christmas cakes and sweets will be served. The important sweets
are turrón and marzipan. Turrón is nougat made of toasted sweet almonds and has been
made in Spain for over five centuries. Turrón can be bought almost in any supermarket
around this time of the year.
After the meal the adults will then exchange presents.
The children will usually only receive a small gift. At midnight, some people will
go to the Midnight Mass at the church. Others may stay at home and open a bottle
of champagne to celebrate the birth of Christ. Some children go Carol singing and
the youngsters may go to bed whilst the adults go out and party until dawn.
Every
town and most churches will have a 'belen' which is a nativity display. Some of them
are very impressive and can cover massive areas. Some are animated and illuminated
and draw huge crowds. These are such a wonder to see, and make a visit into the town
a highlight of the evening.
Christmas Day is fiesta days so all banks and shops are
closed, probably to recover from the night before. Christmas Day in Spain is one
of the quietest of the year. Anyone wanting to eat out on this special day will have
to book well in advance. There are some Restaurants offering a special Christmas
day deal, where you pay one price per person and spend the day celebrating and not
leaving till the very early hours of Boxing day morning.
The 6th January or Three
Kings Day (Los Reyes). This is the day that the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem;
it is also the most important day for the children as the Three Kings in effect replace
Father Christmas for Spanish children (although Santa is becoming popular). They
arrive overnight on the 5th January, riding horses and leave presents for the children.
Parents encourage children to write to the Three Kings with their gift requests.
Every town and city in Spain will have a procession on the night of 5th January where
tons of sweets will be thrown from the passing floats, much to the joy of the children
(and adults) I have spent many a night with my children picking up the sweets as
they are thrown into the crowds.
On the 5th January (Los Reyes Day), a special cake
is made and sold all over Spain. Rosca de Reyes, is a ring-
New
Year's Eve is big in Spain and on New Year's Eve it is the tradition to wear red
underwear but they have to be bought for you by someone else. Most towns organize
street parties with entertainment and firework displays that last all night. Most
bars and restaurants are open 12:45 till the last person goes home. There will be
music and dancing and the wearing of the usual party outfits. At the stroke of midnight
it is tradition to eat 12 grapes -
I
hope that this has given you a little insight into the Spanish way of life; I will
never forget the friends that I have made here and will continue to enjoy the Spanish
way of Life. © David Sutton-
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