I think you might have figured out one thing by now (if you’ve been a loyal visitor): I have a tiny obsession with Spain. OK, fine, it’s not that tiny. I am a like that chubby little girl that dreams all night to get in line for the opening of the best doughnut store in town.
I love Spain for many different reasons and although every region has different traits and customs, this is still one of the countries where I would move tomorrow. Why? Because of many reasons. 15 to be more exact! The following reasons why I love Spain might get you curious to visit it too in case this didn’t happen already. So check it out!
Love Spain – Here are 15 Reasons Why!
1. Food – and I am not saying this because I am terribly hungry right now. The truth is that the Spaniards do have the best types of foods. You can find tapas (little portions of food – Spanish omelet, fries with different sauces, olives, shrimps, etc.) all over Spain but you can also find regional recipes of food in each corner of the country. Valencia has its delicious paella, Cordoba has its rabo de toro, Galicia has its grilled octopus, Madrid is proud of its fried squid sandwich, Málaga of its espeto de sardinas (barbecued sardines) and Barcelona of its famous crema Catalana. Have I said too much?
2. Language – I just have one question: who doesn’t melt a little when they here Pablo Alborán, Enrique Iglesias or Penelope Cruz speaking in Spanish? Who, I ask you? Who?
3. Accents – as you can imagine the Spanish accent is different all over Spain. Put together people from Madrid, Andalusia, Galicia or Barcelona and you will see the difference.
4. Siesta – for Spaniards, their afternoon nap is like a religion. They follow it blindly and if someone dares to tell them that their siesta is weird or stupid, they can expect a bit temper coming their way.
5. Shopping – shopping in Spain will leave you penniless. Between Primark, Zara, Stradivarius, Mango and Bershka your money will fly directly into the cashier’s hands.
6. Rebajas – speaking of shopping, you should know that between 15 January-28 February and 15 July- 30 August you will find lots of discounts in the shops all over the country. And what is „worse” is that these discounts can go even to 90% off.
7. Passion – just go to Spain when there is an important football competition. You will see how passionate Spaniards are about their football and how much they suffer when things go wrong (those who where in Spain during the FIFA World Cup in Brazil know what I am talking about).
8. Restaurants – Spain has the best restaurant in the world (El Celler de Can Roca) and the oldest one (Casa Botin). The first one can be found in Barcelona, while the oldest one is in Madrid.
9. Beaches – i’m not even going to tell you about the beaches in Formentera, Vigo or Cadiz. White sand and turquoise water aren’t enough for you?
10. Attitude – you’ll seldom see a Spanish person stressed or in a complete rush to get things done. It’s just not their style. They like to do things with calm, relaxation and joy. They stay out until 24:00-1:00 a.m and they go out to dance around 2:00 a.m.
11. Identity – wherever you go in Spain you will notice a particular sense of identity. Whether we are talking about Catalonia, Galicia, Andalucia, Pais Vasco, Extremadura, Castilla y Leon or the Islands, each region has its own customs and traditions. These need to be respected because just like in any other country, people take their identities really serious.
12. Climate – if you want hot summers go in the south; if you want mild winters go in the north and if you want a bit of both go in the center. Spain has everything you need in order to relax and have a great time!
13. Cathedrals – whether you are a fan of the Moorish, Gothic, Romanesque or Baroque art, Spain is the place to find them all. And they will leave you breathless!
14. Cerveza – this is where clara (beer and soda) was born. Try it once and you will love it for the rest of your life!
15. Bullfighting – I left this at the end because I know it is a sensitive subject. I am not fond of this custom because I love animals and I don’t like any type of cruelty related to them. But it is an experience that you should try once in your life because of its ritual (first they „play” with the bull, then they kill it). After killing the bull, the matador is applauded and appreciated by the crowd. The atmosphere is indeed unique!
I hope that after reading this you will get to love this country as much as I do! ¡Olé!
alinaf