Valle de Cuelgamuros: The History Behind Spain’s Most Controversial Monument Roughly 50 kilometres northwest of Madrid, carved into the granite slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama, sits a monument unlike anything else in Spain. Most visitors still know it by its older name, the Valle de los Caídos — the…
Category: Culture and Lifestyle
Culture and Lifestyle
The Carro de la Compra: Why Spain’s Humble Shopping Trolley Became a Cultural Icon
Spend any amount of time walking through a Spanish town in the late morning, and you’ll spot them everywhere: neat, wheeled fabric trolleys, rolling along behind their owners on the way to the market, the panadería, or the local fruteria. To outsiders, it might look like a small, practical object…
Living In Spain
The Great Grocery Divide: Comparing UK and Spanish Supermarkets
I’m comparing UK and Spanish supermarkets here and adding a bit of an insight on how shopping differs between the two countries. I’ll also mention the rise of the British discounters back in the UK, while wondering if these stores will ever arrive in Spain. The weekly supermarket shop is…
Festivals and Traditions
Semana Santa 2027 Dates And Events
Every year, without fail, Spain stops. Not in a quiet, understated way — in the way that only a country with this particular relationship to religion, spectacle, and collective emotion can manage. Streets that are normally choked with traffic become slow rivers of candlelight. The smell of incense hangs over…
Funnies
The Great ‘Expat vs. Immigrant’ Dust-Up
The Great ‘Expat vs. Immigrant’ Dust-Up: It’s Time to Face the Music (and the Dictionary) Right then. Put down your lukewarm cup of imported PG Tips and pull up a chair. We need to have a chat. If you’ve spent more than five minutes on any “Brits in Spain” Facebook…
Funnies
Spanish Football And The Money
Spanish football represents far more than just a sport in Spain—it’s a cultural obsession that dominates conversations in every bar, office, and family gathering across the country. From the global powerhouses of Real Madrid and Barcelona through to passionate regional clubs like Athletic Bilbao and Real Betis, Spanish football combines…
Culinary Adventures
An Amazing Costillas Locas Flamenco Night
We returned for the Costillas Locas Flamenco evening. We’d been recently and taken my sister on the Friday and she loved it. As Sophs mother was coming across, we decided to book again and take her, for a couple of reasons. First of all we enjoyed our previous visit but…
Adjusting to Spanish Culture
The Social Side of Spain: Exploring Barcelona’s Unique Membership Clubs
Barcelona, known as the core of Catalonia, is not only famous for its breathtaking architecture and azure beaches but also for its lively social culture. The city, with its numerous ways to connect with others and experience its creative energy, is open from tapas bars till late night or next-door…
Culinary Adventures
Flamenco At Costillas Locas What An Amazing Night
As my sister was across, Soph booked us in on Tuesday evening for the Flamenco at Costillas Locas. Two things sprang to mind here, one was I was missing the Champions League football, and second, it’s been years since we saw Flamenco ( probably when we lived in Andalucia was…
Culinary Adventures
Considered The Sabores del Camino Tapas Event?
I personally think this is a great idea, the Sabores del Camino which is held in Caravaca de la Cruz. From where we live it’s an hour and a half or so drive, but we are going to try get there, probably in October. Discover Caravaca through its gastronomic routes….