The state system in Spain, an hilarious insight!
Well, you cannot keep a great gag down and my Spanish lawyer has just sent me a fabulous (short and hilarious!!) video about the state system in Spain. In fact, I featured this video in an article on Culture Spain earlier in the year entitled Bureaucracy in Spain – but I think I am more than justified in highlighting the [...]
The most perfect Art Déco house in Spain
Just occasionally, perhaps only once every four or five years, I come across a house in Spain that is truly extraordinary – somewhere that really does have the ‘Wow!’ factor. Frankly, this is rare in Spain as many Spanish properties lack personality and this applies even to expensive villas on exclusive estates. The latter can appear wonderful but often boast [...]
Gandia, Valencia Province, Spain
Gandia is a town located on the mid eastern side board of Spain. It is within Valencia Province (one of the three Provinces of the Autonomous Region of Valencia Comunitat de Valencia) and is situated some 70 kms south of Valencia City. The immediate area around Gandia is known as La Safor which comprises a number of small towns and [...]
Summer holidays in Spain – 10 things not to forget!
Are you going to be spending your summer holidays in Spain? If so – then make sure that you are well prepared beforehand and pack everything that you need. After all, there is nothing worse than setting out for your holidays and arriving at the airport to find that you have left behind something critical! So, what should go on [...]
Spain, rabbits and the Iberian Lynx
Did you know that there is a really interesting connection between the name España and rabbits – and that the devastating decline of the Iberian Lynx is intimately bound up in both? Well, there are good reasons to believe that the name of Spain (España) derives from the Phoenician word ‘ispanihad’ which evidently means ‘land of rabbits’. This word was [...]
Valencia City of Arts and Sciences
I defy anyone who comes to Valencia city not to be entranced by the City of Arts and Sciences. It is, justifiably, one of the greatest tourist attractions in Spain and a tribute to modern Spanish vision and design. Indeed, the City of Arts and Sciences is such a triumph that, alone, it makes any visit to Spain worthwhile. However, [...]
Culture Spain, Running of the bulls Pamplona – the rules!
The first thing is never consider running with the bulls in Pamplona if you have not seen the encierro before. Even if this is only the Spanish TV1 broadcast (excellent coverage every day of the feria de San Fermín from 7.30 to 8.30 am) which first transmits the run live, then has commentaries, then a re-run with a commentary, and [...]
Las Fallas Valencia, the most incredible fiesta in Spain!
Las Fallas must rank as one of the most extraordinary fiestas in Spain. Indeed, over the past few years it has gained international recognition as one of those remarkable events that you should see – at least once in your lifetime. Certainly, the sheer scale of La Fallas is astonishing with the main festivities taking place over five days (15th [...]
The Alhambra and the Moors in Spain
Some years ago, I was commissioned to write an article which ended up entitled ‘What did the Moors do for us?’. This was, needless to say, a ‘take’ on the famous scene in ‘The Life of Brian’ where the same question was asked about the Romans. Before I started my research my answer to ‘What did the Moors do for [...]
Culture Spain: La Tomatina (the greatest tomato fight in the World!)
Few people would argue that Spain has some pretty incredible fiestas. However, one of the most bizarre has got to be La Tomatina – which is a massive tomato fight. Amazingly, some 30,000 people a year crowd into the village of Buñol to hurl rotten tomotoes at each other. The mess is simply beyond imagination but taking part has become [...]
Culture Spain : MARBELLA VILLA OR BARRIO?
Marbella villa or barrio? The doorbell rang. It was Perla carrying a bucket full of fish. They were small dorada and they were still wriggling. When I had met him in the street yesterday he had asked me if we wanted any fresh fish and I had said yes. This is what he normally does, as he has no phone, [...]
CULTURE SPAIN: THE SAGRADA FAMÍLIA, GAUDI AND BARCELONA
I have to say that whenever I find it difficult to get things done in Spain I think of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. This fabulous building was started in 1882 and is still not finished – with the projected completion estimated to be sometime in 2026. This means that if this date is actually met(!) the Sagrada Família will [...]
CULTURE SPAIN – BULLFIGHTING IN SPAIN
I am sure that most Spaniards would think (probably correctly) that few people outside Spain have the faintest clue about bullfighting. Most non-Spaniards instinctively dislike it – and are shocked by the bloodletting and apparent savagery. And yet, bullfighting in Spain remains popular and is considered by many Spaniards to be a fundamental part of the very culture of Spain. [...]
LIFE IN SPAIN – TEN REASONS FOR MOVING TO SPAIN
I think, like everyone else, I often tend to get too wrapped up in Spanish property and the state of the Spanish property market. It is important, undeniably, but, within it all, I think the whole reason for moving to Spain (or buying a property in Spain) – can be lost. Indeed (and this I have stated countless times), living [...]
SPANISH POLICE – THE POLICE IN SPAIN
Few matters are more confusing initially to someone coming to Spain than the array of police forces encountered around the country. It can be difficult to know who to go to when you are in trouble and why one police force will attend a crime in one place and another elsewhere. In fact, essentially, Spain has three police forces: the [...]
One aspect to Spain that is often overlooked is its world class heritage. In fact, it may surprise you to know that Spain is second only to Italy for its UNESCO World Heritage sites, of which it has 42 to Italy’s 47. By comparison the UK has 28. I say that Spain’s World Heritage position may be a ‘surprise’ because, [...]
Few people know the complexities of Spain better than Jason Webster, who has written five books about Spain – four of which have been factual. In fact, Jason is an acknowledged expert on the complex and fascinating culture of Spain and writes for a number of quality newspapers in the UK, as their expert on the country. Jason’s first book [...]
So, what are the top four tourist attractions in Spain – the ones that have the most visitors per year? Well, as of 2011, they were: 1. The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia (3.7 million visitors). 2. The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (3.2 million visitors). 3. The Prado in Madrid (2.9 million visitors). 4. The Alhambra in Granada [...]
Before I moved to Spain, I’d heard a lot about the macho society here. About how men rule the roost and the home – not to mention the businesses. I had been told so much about this, that I was a little worried about how I’d fit into society here. After all, I had worked in a professional position my [...]
Are you a lady writer living in Spain or a female writer who knows Spain well and wants her voice to be heard? If you are – then at Culture Spain we should be interested in hearing from you! We are looking for lady writers in Spain who can give the female version of what living in Spain is like. [...]
A few days ago I had a fascinating conversation with a couple of Spanish friends of mine in Valencia – and then saw, by pure chance, in a different location altogether, a most remarkable photograph. The interesting thing is that both the conversation and photograph threw some new light (for me) on the culture of Spain and, most particularly, the [...]
Did you know that there is a really interesting connection between the name España and rabbits – and that the devastating decline of the Iberian Lynx is intimately bound up in both? Well, there are good reasons to believe that the name of Spain (España) derives from the Phoenician word ‘ispanihad’ which evidently means ‘land of rabbits’. This word was [...]
After eight years living in Spain, I remain convinced that the best reason to come to Spain (either as a holiday maker or for permanent life) remains the intrinsic culture of Spain. This may seem odd when most people’s focus on Spain is centred upon the wonderful weather, great beaches and cheap(er) housing than Northern Europe. In fact, the culture [...]
So, is it all change for one of the most emblematic symbols of culture in Spain – bullfighting? I ask this because recently RTVE (the national Spanish state TV channel) has decided that they will no longer show bullfighting in Spain at prime time. In fact, from now on they intend only showing bullfighting for half an hour on Saturday [...]
It is a moment of relief tinged with dread! You are living in Spain and encounter officialdom. This a part of Spanish culture that can challenge the best of us. However, if you are living in Spain then, somehow, you will need to find a strategy that works… Imagine, after waiting for what usually seems like hours, your number finally [...]
El Cid is one of the great heroes of Spain and, unlike Britain’s beloved King Arthur, he is someone who really existed. Born sometime in 1040, close to Burgos in the kingdom of Castille, El Cid was a true adventurer who had an extraordinary life, during which (somehow) he managed to survive despite fighting, at various times, for both the [...]
Burgos is a city in the northern part of the country, and one which is not necessarily at the top of anyone’s list if you ask them to name prominent and well-known Spanish cities. Lying almost directly to the north of Madrid, it is one of the historical capitals of Castile and is now the capital of the province of [...]
It is funny how it can take a long time to understand what is happening around you when you are in a foreign country. Once you do then, of course, you tend to think ‘Oh my Goodness – I can’t believe that I have been so stupid!’ I am afraid that this was my reaction to a little known part [...]