| Page Views: 328 Last Visit to Spain: - I Live Here | *:*I love España!!*:* by mollymoo0oo0 - last update: Jun 13, 2008 |
Spain is my new home!! | ~@~Our arrival to live in Spain~@~ |
So, after a little bit of exploring, tapas-tasting, bebida-drinking, and a fair few fiestas already - I'm now living here with my best mate and love of my life :)
I am based in MADrid at the moment, but have already managed to see the following places in my adventures so far:Jerez de la Frontera and Cadíz (in the region of Andalucia, South West)
Benicassim - for festivals in 2005 and 2006 with tickets booked again for this year, 2007!!
Mallorca - esp. Palma De Mallorca and many mountains.... (in the Balearic Islands)
Valencia - city, and much of the Comunidad de Valencia region. I've been as far north of the region as Morella... Together we have spent a week in the lovely quiet town of Oliva (and since returned for a long weekend by the beach), and Christmas 2006 was spent with my family in the Rojales area (near Alicante).
After my 3rd Festival Internacional de Benicassím this year, I also made a road trip down to the pretty town of Nerja, near Málaga, for a short family visit.... where the beaches are covered in rocks and black sand!
In September I spent a wonderful weekend in Vigo, Galicia, and it´s beautiful neighbour Isla de Ciés (a protected natural reserve)... This is a place unlike any other I have seen here so far. I´ll be adding a page very soon...
October saw a couple of more local visits, to El Escorial de San Lorenzo and also Segovia, a beautiful old town set in the countryside. All the information and photos from these trips will be added within a couple of months.
In November I went back for a really enjoyable weekend in Palma de Mallorca....
... and December was spent in Madrid, with a short day trip to Guadalajara in the North.
Already in another year, January 2008 brought me to an afternoon trip to Mejorada del Campo and my birthday weekend was an enchanting trip of tranquility to the lovely Cuenca... Plus, I finally made it to the Dragon Festival in Órgiva, south of Granada, which was simply fantastic!
Since then, I have returned to Granada, en route to Alhama de Granada (a small town about an hour´s drive south of the city) for another festival. This time it was the wonderfully positive and creative Rocket Festival, which I will report on in my Granada page.
All of these pages will be updated with info and photos in the near future!
********There is always lots more planned, much more to come - I therefore update this page regularly so please check back soon!********
Also, please do not hesitate to send me a message with any questions you have about Spain or the Spanish languages. I will endeavour to respond if/when and as best I am able to. There´s a lot more info in my head than I´ve yet been able to write on VT..... I have a passion for España! |
| Chillin in the grass: El Parque del Retiro, Madrid |
|  | A little info about España... Spain is the second largest country in Europe, with MADrid as its capital sat right in the centre... The main, official, language spoken is castellano (which we call Castillian in English, but most commonly simply refer to as 'Spanish')... but other languages include gallego spoken in Galicia, catalán in Catalonia and surrounding areas (with variations in Valencia, Las Islas Baleares) and vasco in el Pais Vasco (Basque Country)....
The many languages partly reflect the many regional cultural differences in the country. Spain is composed of fifty provincias (provinces), which are grouped into seventeen comunidades autónomas (autonomous communities). To understand this system in more detail, further reading is available at this wikipedia link.
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~~.~Further background and information~.~~ Suggested reading:
- Rough Guide to Spain. General all-round travel guide.
- The New Spaniards by John Hooper. A good starter, and a must for anyone interested in learning some of the Spanish cultural background. Has been recently updated.
- Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through a Country's Hidden Past by Giles Tremlett
- In the Garlic: Your Informative, Fun Guide to Spain by Valerie Collins and Theresa O'Shea ...a useful 'in the know' guide to Spanish words and phrases you probably won't find in the dictionary. Definitely useful and informative, allowing for cultural understanding of the language too.
Check out the website
- Living and Working in Spain by David Hampshire. Updated annually with information about all the basics and plenty of information to get you started on your life in Spain. Extremely useful, includes fairly reliable info on the ever-changing bureacratic systems you will face at the start, with good info on legal issues and so on.
Particularly useful for those coming from the UK and Europe, US, Canada, and Australia.
For The Spanish Language (Castellano):
- Collins English-Spanish Dictionary - Includes Latin American Spanish vocabulary, plus the big dictionary includes a CD to install a very useful computer version of the book.
- Teach Yourself Spanish Grammar - Great starter for understanding the grammar... with non-complicated explanations (so you really can teach yourself!)
- Teach Yourself Spanish Verbs - Essential basic starter to working out Spanish verbs and how to use them
- www.donquijote.com - excellent website with learning resources and options to connect with other people for your language practise!
- www.meetup.com - search for Spanish language meetup groups in your local area (in London and Madrid the groups are extremely popular and well organised with varied events. Don´t worry if you´re just starting out with the language! It´s all very informal and fun)
- Don Quijote de La Mancha by Miguel Cervantes (It´s a long, literary read which I´m just starting out on.... and is the 2nd most read book after the Bible, so certainly worth trying!)
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> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| Pros: | "People, Culture, Tolerance and Individuality, Fiestas" | | Cons: | "Bullfighting still goes on, and it's not easy being a veggie here" | | In A Nutshell: | "An ever-growing patchwork quilt of a culture of cultures" |
mollymoo0oo0's Spain Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do | | | | Restaurants | Hotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | Transportation
Tips: 4 | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips |
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