Viva Espana!! (Spain in General)

Member Name: freud

Product:	Spain in General
Date:	06/02/09 (268 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to get to, great weather, has a good deal to offer

Disadvantages: too ' touristy' in some places

Years ago I lived & worked in Spain on the south coast - Andalucia - & I loved every moment spent in this gorgeous country.

Although I worked for a major holiday company on the Costa del Sol it was easy in those days to 'escape' the tourists & travel up into the mountains or travel inland to see the 'real' Spain or to nip to Gibraltar or Morrocco to buy my duty frees - heaven.

But this was years ago (Franco was still in power) & although Spain is probably still my favourite place, each time I go back I'm horrified by the amount of hotels, apartments & villas which, in my opinion, are ruining the whole of the southern region. I know the economy relies so much on tourism but wish the Tourist Board had taken more interest in the way Tunisia developed their industry.

Other areas of Spain vary enormously as they do in the UK - each has a different dialect & different culture so it's great to travel around the country to get a real flavour of everything there is to offer.

Spanish cities are also fabulous to visit, especially out of season when the weather is still good but you don't have the crowds. Barcelona & Madrid are my favourites - very different but each having a good deal to offer in the way of history & culture. The architecture ranges from old Spanish-style buildings to impressive Moorish ones & there are still plenty of castillas around to view as well as numerous art galleries which display many of the country's renowned artists' work from the Renaissance to Dali & Picasso.

It's also a great experience to shop in Spain's cities - I'd say Madrid is more like Paris & Rome whereas Barcelona is more relaxed - especially if you like street entertainment such as that in Las Ramblas.

Like all countries Spain has it's problems, especially in the Basque region, but I think outside the cities it is still a relatively easy place to relax & 'chill'.

The food is excellent & seems to cater for everyone - eg tapas to Chinese, McDonald's to Morrocan - I'd recommended the fish to everyone as there is so much variety & the even the salads can be superb.

A flight to Malaga ( in the south) from Manchester is only about 2hrs 40 mins so it's only a short flight or you can drive or travel to Santander by boat if you don't like flying - the trip is amazing!

summary
~
- easy to get to.
- lots of sunshine (especially in the south).
- 'home from home' if you want it or can offer more if you want to feel less 'touristy'.
- relatively inexpensive & eating out is generally much cheaper than the UK.
- wine & sherry is great.
- the nightlife is fantastic.
- Spanish people are generally very friendly.
- Still a great place to visit in my opinion.

Summary: still my favourite country - apart frm the UK