Spain is different as some old slogan used to say and it is right! There must be indeed something different here when so many people choose to visit us. This is a destination you must come to at least once in your life since it won’t disappoint you. I will try to be as objective as I can in this post but as the loving patriot I am, it will be hard to say what are the worst things. Let’s start with the best things:
Best Food and wine
One thing I know about is food. My mum is a chef and I have had the opportunity at home and on my travels to try many different kinds of cuisines. I personally love Asian food but Spanish food is just amazing. We have such a variety of dishes. Spain is not only Paella. The good thing about Spanish food is that you can take any ingredient (meat or fish for example) and every city, village and region in Spain will have hundreds of different recipes for it. Each tastier than the next one. Not to mention the Tapas of course! Come with a big appetite and you will surprise your tastebuds.
Yes French, Italian, Australian and other nationalities do very good wine. However the amount of varieties and the ratio price-quality I think is unbeatable in Spain. For about 4 euros a bottle you can have an amazing wine here. Besides the prizes and reputation of some of our grapes are worldwide famous and have received many prizes: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, etc.
Best party scene
No argument here. We know how to party and throw a good one. From summer town parties all over our geography to simply any weekend night out. It doesn’t matter if you are in cities or smaller towns, you will always find people out eating, drinking, dancing and socializing. We just love it and yes we are experts on stretching the hours of a day so we can fit in work and play. We work to live, not the opposite. A place like Ibiza, just to mention one, could only exist in Spain.
Best sportsmen
Ok, so we may not get as many gold medals as the Chinese or the American sportsmen and women get but guess who has outstanding sportsmen in the major sports? Yes we do. We have a football world champion team, a two times F1 world champion, a several Roland Garros and Wimbledon winner, one time Basketball world champion team, several motorbike world champions and many more. Moreover going to a football match or any other sporting event in Spain is a party in itself.
Best shopping
Did you know that Zara and its whole emporium is from Spain? The owner is from Galicia and of course he is probably the richest man in Spain. Spaniards don’t care so much about luxury brands (leave that to Italians) but we like to dress nicely without spending a fortune. Therefore we have hundreds of great shops and boutiques where shop till you drop and your credit card will not disintegrate. Best thing is that most of these shops are chains so you will be able to find them in any town. If you want something more sophisticated and less mainstream then head to New York.
Worst lack of respect
Forget about letting people out of the train first or wait in line in an orderly manner. This is Spain and unfortunately the premise is “I can’t be bothered and I am in a hurry”. politeness is lost and nowadays, especially in big cities, you will find people don’t respect anything: thousands of graffiti, dirt and dog poo can also be a problem.
Worst thieves
We have a plague in some of the biggest cities and touristic spots: pickpockets. Who hasn’t heard the stories of Barcelona’s Ramblas pickpockets? or Madrid’s underground ones? The police does what they can to stop them but they are cleverer that that. Always on the hunt for the naive and lost tourist. Scammers and business trying to rip the tourist off are also the norm. Be careful.
Worst trains’ fares
Our rail network and trains have improved massively in the last few years but unfortunately so the fares have increased. For such a big European country we have many trains but the prices are simply outrageous. We only have 3 high speed train routes and many other with semi high speed ones. Compared to France where they have the best rail network I have ever seen (and cheap) they should be ashamed to charge such an exorbitant amount of money for the tickets. Luckily we have low cost airlines and great buses.
Worst loudness
All the happy times and cheer lifestyle comes with a price: noise. Spanish people are pretty loud and aren’t ashamed of it. Sometimes it looks like it is a competition to see who is loudest. We like our music loud, so don’t be surprised to cross paths with cars that shake from the bass in their sound system. Farmer’s market is another spectacle you don’t want to miss as well as public buses or any public place where there is a crowd. Bring your earplugs if you are sensitive.
