Articles: Culture
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Spanish art galleries & museums
General information and tips
Spain has over 800 museums ( museos) and important collections, particularly in Madrid and Barcelona, and there has been an explosion in the number of art galleries ( galerías de arte) in the last decade throughout the country, particularly for contemporary art.
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Football in Spain
The national sport
Football ( fútbol), or soccer, is Spain’s national sport and easily the country’s most important participant and spectator sport. Spanish football fans are among the most dedicated and fervent in Europe and are matched in their fanaticism only by the Italians.
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Religion in Spain
Religious beliefs and organizations
Spain is a Christian country where some 77 per cent of the population claims to belong to the Catholic Church and less than 1 per cent Protestant. The majority of the world’s religious and philosophical movements have religious centres or meeting places in the major cities and resort areas, including English and American churches.
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The Spanish police
Structure and organization
Spain has a high ratio of police officers to inhabitants and three police forces, often with confusing and overlapping roles, although the government plans to amalgamate the three forces to improve co-ordination and make better use of skills and resources.
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Crime in Spain
Domestic violence, drug dependecy and prisons
Spain’s crime rate is among the lowest in Europe: according to figures released by the Spanish Interior Ministry in 2006, Spain has an incidence of nearly 50 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants, the lowest in the EU apart from Portugal and Ireland. In the UK, figures are 105 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants and in Germany, 80.
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Climate in Spain
The sunniest country in Europe
Hardly surprisingly, the overwhelming attraction of Spain for most foreigners is its excellent climate. Spain is the sunniest country in Europe and the climate (on the Costa Blanca) has been described by the World Health Organisation as among the healthiest in the world.
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Theatre, opera & ballet
Cultural offers in Spain
The vast majority of theatres in Spain are in Madrid and Barcelona, although there has been a huge theatre building programme throughout the country in the last decade and many smaller towns now have municipal-sponsored theatres ( teatros municipales) housed in cultural centres.
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Restaurants in Spain
Menus, wine, ratings and prices
Like most Latins, Spaniards live to eat (and drink) and one of the greatest pleasures of living in Spain is its abundant variety of inexpensive eating places. In fact, anyone who loves good food and wine is guaranteed a happy life in Spain, which boasts one of the healthiest diets in Europe.
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Spanish music
Rock, pop and other genres
Music of all kinds, from flamenco to rock, jazz to classical, is extremely popular in Spain and an essential ingredient of any festival or fiesta. Spain has a wealth of traditional folk music and dance, particularly flamenco and classical guitar, which are popular throughout the country.
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Meals
What you should know about eating in Spain
The Spanish eat much later than other Europeans, with lunch ( comida or almuerzo) usually being taken between 2 and 4pm and dinner ( cena) between 9 and 11pm. People in Barcelona tend to eat dinner around an hour earlier than those in Madrid, while in tourist resorts, dinner is usually served from 7 or 8pm.
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Gambling in spain
A national obsession
The Spanish are a nation of gamblers and bet a higher proportion of their income than almost any other nation. It’s estimated that the Spanish gamble well over € 1.9 billion a year equal to around € 480 per head or some 15 per cent of the average net household income.
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Flamenco
The Spanish music and lifestyle
Flamenco consists of a flamboyant dance accompanied by guitar music and song ( cante), the heart of the art of flamenco, which at its best is the true classical performance art of Spain. It has been referred to as the soul of Spain and, like bullfighting, is an essential part of the country’s culture and traditions.
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Festivals & fiestas
Time to party !
Festivals and fiestas are an important part of cultural and social life in Spain, where over 3,000 are celebrated each year. The Spanish are inveterate revellers and almost every village and town has its annual fair ( feria), lasting from a few days to a few weeks.
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Cinemas in Spain
History and programming
Spain has over 2,000 cinemas ( cines) nationwide and around 1,300 cinema clubs. Although it has lost a lot of its former popularity to television and many cinemas have closed in the last few decades, cinema remains reasonably popular in Spain where over 10 per cent of adults see a film each week.
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Bullfighting in Spain
History, season and tickets
A book about Spain wouldn’t be complete without a ‘few’ words about bullfighting ( la lidia), commonly referred to as the fiesta nacional. Foreigners love or loathe bullfights and it provokes controversy even among Spaniards. To many it’s a barbaric and sadistic blood sport with no merit whatsoever and should be banned.
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Bars & Cafes
What you should when having a dring in Spain
One of the delights of living in Spain is the many excellent pavement cafés and bars, and in particular, their delicious coffee and inexpensive prices. Few countries can match Spain for the variety, quality, economy and number of its watering holes. Drinking habits vary considerably from region to region, although it isn’t uncommon to see Spaniards taking a brandy with their morning coffee.
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Why Choose Spain?
Pros and Cons
Only sometimes in life can you take real pride in the feeling that you have got it right! Moving to Spain four years ago our aim was to raise the quality of our family’s lifestyle. We enjoy working hard to achieve it and occasionally indulge ourselves with a self congratulatory pat on the back when we hear that Spain remains the number one destination for Britons buying property overseas.
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Zapping in Spain
The horrors of Spanish TV
The UK publication MediaWeek defines “Zapping” as “Rapid channel switching or surfing via a remote control”. Its that act you experience when the TV programme you are watching fails to hold your attention for more than a fleeting period as you click the remote control, seeking to be more “engaged”.
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Cost of living in Spain
Averages costs in Spain vs. the UK
As the British continue their love affair with Spain, leading the tourism figures and making up a large percentage of expats in the country, the cost of living is rising. Whether you are just visiting or intend to settle down in Spain, it pays to know the average living costs compared to home. This infographic will help you to budget for your holiday or your move abroad.
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Bullfighting for beginners
An introduction to the 'art'
Don't think bullfighting fell from the sky and landed in Spain. Iberians hunted the local wild bull since prehistoric times until they were introduced to a religious bull-ceremony, the Mythras-cult, by Roman soldiers. When the Moors invaded Spain, they brought with them an especially aggressive bull and horsemen used this animal to practice their agility in chivalrous jousts. Sometimes Spanish noblemen were invited to take part.
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From City Slickers to Cave Dwellers
Our Story
We spent about 2 years researching Spain in general visiting the country about 8 times, starting in the Extremadura region in central Spain. This region had a lot going for it, especially the prices, which were around £20,000 for 5 acres and a house (2000).
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Culture and way of life
The differences
Spanish way of life and culture differs enormously from that in the UK. There are various character and attitude traits that can seem a little blunt and even offensive to people from other cultures, particularly the British. However, it is absolutely essential to remember that this is who and how they are, they are not offending each other with their touching, barging and lack of queueing, so in moving to their country the best thing you can do is to adapt yourself to work with them.
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Food
Murcia Food Guide
The Spanish, like many Latin cultures, make the mid–day meal their biggest, stretching it out for hours. From midday to mid–afternoon, everything shuts down, except of course for the restaurants. Then, after this long, leisurely meal (and sometimes a nap) they return to their workplaces and continue into the night.
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