Tag Archives: Spain

The Spanish Siesta: Fact, Fiction – or Envy?

Go ahead. Admit it. You wish you could take a long, refreshing nap in the middle of your workday, right? Sure you would. Who wouldn’t? The fact is, most Spaniards would LOVE to have a long nap after lunch, too. … Continue reading

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Assimilate or Perish as an Expatriate in Spain

If you’re in an environment created by you, like your own house where you control everything, be happy as a hermit crab. But if you live outside in the real world, be prepared for things that rock your psychological boat, … Continue reading

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2013 Spain’s Christmas Lottery El Gordo

They say Spain’s annual Christmas Lottery is the richest in the world, distributing more than 2 Billion Euros, or 3 Billion U.S. Dollars, all taking place this coming Sunday, 22nd of December. TVE1 coverage starts at 8am and the whole … Continue reading

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No More Self-Serve Olive Oil Dispensers in Spain

In many ways Spain is still a very quaint country, retains many old-world charms, and puts higher value on quality of life rather than the quantity of life or the size of your bank account. But this is sadly changing. … Continue reading

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2013 San Isidro Festival in Madrid’s Pradera

Today, the 15th of May, is Madrid’s Patron Saint’s Day, “El Día de San Isidro Labrador“. It’s a day for the city of Madrid to come together and celebrate its history and traditions, costumes and music, and of course, its … Continue reading

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Doing Neighborhood No-Car Shopping in Madrid

Wasn’t it great living in the USA, driving from pillar to post, parking less than 50 meters away from any given store, leaving all your multi-stop purchases in your trunk while going out for more? Ahh… THOSE were the days … Continue reading

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2012 Spain Christmas Lottery – El Gordo

It’s that time of year again.  “El Sorteo de Navidad“, Spain’s Christmas Lottery,  and “El Gordo“, is upon us – which, frankly, makes it a bit hard to breathe. (ba-dum-dum!) It’s hard to breathe because the lottery is on everyone’s … Continue reading

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Spain’s General Labor Strike Today

Today is a General Labor Strike in Spain against labor reform. That’s not to say no one is going to work, but enough so you’d notice. Some small shops and restaurants are closed because they don’t have the personnel to … Continue reading

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English-Speaking Friends Return to Home Countries

This is not a tourism-focused blog entry. Clearly! But I often have “feelings”, other experiences, which really have nothing to do with tourism. I guess any non-Spanish-native has these longings, these deep, inexplicable yearnings for sound, safe, familiar grounds. This, … Continue reading

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Feels Like Home When Merchants Know Your Name

Okay. The local merchants don’t really know my name, but they know ME and that’s what counts. How can a foreigner feel any more “at home” than when the merchants, at which the weekly purchases are made, know your face, … Continue reading

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Rick Steves Spain 2012 Recommends MadridMan

Imagine my thrill last November in a Columbus, Ohio Barnes & Noble bookstore during my annual USA visit, leafing through the “Rick Steves’ Spain 2012” book which recommended MadridMan.com!! He wrote: “Helpful Website: MadridMan.com is run with passion by American [MadridMan] … Continue reading

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Last Day of Summer in Spain 2011

Today is it, August 31st, the last day of Summer for Spaniards. For most students, summer lasts until school starts. But for adults it lasts until you have to go back to work – and in the case of Spaniards, … Continue reading

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Spain’s Murcia Earthquakes: 8 Dead, 120 Injured

Disturbing images, video, and firsthand accounts of the 2 deadly earthquakes which rocked Lorca, Murcia, Spain yesterday (11 May 2011) flood today’s media outlets. 8 dead and 120 injured. Included in the dead are a 14 year old boy and … Continue reading

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Swedish Video on Spain: Europe’s Hardest Working Nation

I think Spain has been both insulted AND praised at the same time by the below Swedish video. It is provided by the Swedish documentary program “The Swedish View“. The documentary “deconstructs” why SPAIN has been named “The Hardest Working … Continue reading

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No More Fox News in Spain

19 May 2011 UPDATE: As of 2 days ago, after being off-air for about a week, Fox News returns to Spanish satellite Canal+ TV. The fact is, I’ve never spent much time watching Fox News here in Spain, on Canal+ … Continue reading

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Real Madrid-Barcelona Online: Copa del Rey Final 2011

Real Madrid and Barcelona match-up for the 3rd of 5 games in the 2010-2011 season of the “El Clásico” games. This time is for the final of the “Copa del Rey” and will be played in Valencia’s Estadio Mestalla. One … Continue reading

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Fake Spanish Saffron: Buyer Beware

According to THIS El País Newspaper article, posted a couple days ago in their NEW El País In English edition, the vast majority of exported saffron labeled as “Made in Spain” IS NOT, in fact, made in Spain. The article … Continue reading

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Raphael sings Aquarius – IN “ENGLISH”

Anyone older than 60 years old knows who “Raphael” is – as well as the children of countless Spanish housewives of the 1960s & 1970s. He’s Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez, born in Linares, Jaén, Spain in 1943 but he and … Continue reading

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5-Year Anniversary Living in Madrid

The day pretty much came and went without any fanfare. I realized it sometime late in the night although it had crossed my mind several times throughout the month of December 2010. On December 30, 2005, 40-year old “MadridMan” arrived … Continue reading

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Smoking Ban: Spain Takes Its Last Puff Indoors

First, Happy New Year, World! Today we find ourself riding through the mysterious date 1-1-11. I’m sure that means something to someone somewhere. Second, “smoke ’em if you got ’em” because, starting tomorrow, a Spain-wide smoking ban goes into effect … Continue reading

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