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Mon 9 Feb, 2004 03:41 pm
I will be going to Spain in June for 2 weeks. We're flying into Madrid but will be traveling around the south of Spain for the bulk of our stay. I'm guessing we'll stay in Madrid for a couple of days (want to see Museo Nacional del Prado). After that we will be looking for relaxation on the beaches and to take in the sights in Malaga, Granada, and possibly Cadiz and Seville.
I have never travelled to Europe before and would like to avoid looking like a 'stupid American'. The Boy speaks fluent Spanish and I can usually pick up enough words to get the point, but speak no Spanish myself. What can I expect in this area of Spain? The attitude of the people, the pace, the dress requirements and food? I know that some places frown on too casual dress when touring cathedrals and such, but I'm not sure what to expect. In the US, I would wear shorts anywhere during the day in the summer, but I don't know if this is OK there.
So, please share your experiences and suggestions. I am really looking forward to this trip and want to make sure that I don't overlook anything that might insult my hosts or spoil my trip. Any tips on restaurants, sights and side trips are welcome.
Sugar, I know Piffka has been to Spain and I'm sure Drom has (I can't spell Drom's a2k name without having it in front of me). Hope they check in here.
I was there as a teen. Here's what I remember.
It's casual in dress: slacks more than jeans, sweaters more than t-shirts, sandals more than sneakers.
People siesta, so many things are closed at lunchtime.
Try hard not to wear shorts.
Don't talk to the Frenchmen.
Light clothes. It's very hot.
Don't miss Seville.
I wouldn't worry about dress codes, except for churches.
Food: the main meal is at mid-day, around 2 p.m. An American style breakfast is hard to find.
People: waaay waaay more relaxed and open minded that what you expect.
Language: Spaniards have a legendary difficulty with foreign languages, so expect broken English... and just don't let them mistake you for Germans, specially in the South.
hasta la vista... Send us a postcard.
We spent a week in Madrid five years ago and absolutely loved it. I never thought of myself as an art fan, but the Prado Museum left me awe-struck.
It seems that every block in Madrid has at least one combination pastry shop/ham sandwich shop. These have catchy names like "Museum of Ham", "Don Hamon", "Pork Palace" or "Pork Paradise". You can eat a pretty good meal in these places for the equivalent of about three bucks. One of the local beers "Aquela" (spelling almost certainly wrong) was just plain excellent.
We took two day trips, one by bus to Segovia, and one by train to Toledo. I'd recommend doing each.
I love Spain. Haven't spent any time in the south, though. Hunkered down in Galicia for a while, for no particular reason. Just wanted to echo that it really is pretty laid back -- just try to avoid any dealings with the Guardia Civil, which you can probably manage.
Definitely take your own siesta, too. There is much to do in the streets of Madrid (and through the south, I imagine) through the night.
Drooling enviously... oh, gads, but I would need six months..............
How exciting. Is this your honeymoon trip?
little k - You know I would never talk to a Frenchman
fbaezer - we're both pretty 'Irish looking', so I think we'll be ok. It helps that the boy speaks Spanish fairly well.
Jim - I am going to make a special mission to find a Museum of Ham or a Pork Palace. Will take photos.
eoe - it is our honeymoon trip. We wanted to go to Portugal too, but it's too much running around.
I am looking forward to the large meal, siesta, then snacks and wine at late at night. Especially the snacks and wine part. I'm afraid I'll enjoy the Spainish pace so much I won't want to ever come back.
Ah Sugar, that sounds absolutely right. I just returned from one week in Malaga. Although I was there to work, I still enjoyed it very much. Mealtimes are different than here in Germany - but I can get used to that. Lunch is around 2 pm, dinner not before 8 or 9 pm. Do try the little tapas bars in Andalucia - they are great fun.
Places I would recommend visiting: Sevilla, Granada, Ronda. Malaga is nice - the Museo Picasso is a must, of course.
And I agree about being German - way too many Germans and British down there...
Have fun! It is lovely there!
Jim, I guess it was Cerveza Aguila.
(You must've been thirsty, IMHO)
Sugar - how exciting! We can all live vicariously thru your planning as well as hearing about it afterwards.
I travelled in Spain (and Portugal) about 10 years ago. I wore long, loose shorts in churches without a problem. It seems like bare arms or midriff showing was more of an issue.
Having a personal translator will come in handy, but I recommend learning a few phrases so you don't feel mute.
Lots of good advice here already. The Prado is the best thing about Madrid. I recommend Barcelona if you can get there. It was my favorite part of the trip.
Thanks for the advice so far. Any observations about how Spanish react to Americans? Obviously it varies from person to person, however I know I'd get a warmer reception in Dublin than in Paris, for example.
The boy assures me that the Spanish are quite friendly and aren't particularly concerned with other European attitudes about things, but - I don't know. I guess I just want to get a feel for it so I'm not seen as ignorant or anything.
A bit paranoid, maybe. Just want smooth sailing. Or train riding, as teh case may be.
Except for the guys with the submachine guns, I almost always felt welcome. Sometimes too welcome, perhaps. More than once I found myself drinking after-hours with a bar proprietor who wanted to bend a Yankee ear about this or that (when all I wanted at a certain point was precious sleep). Haven't been there since 1998, though.
Sug, I remember being welcomed warmly in Spain. Not like in Italy, but it was still pleasant. In Madrid, well, it's a big city and people are just going about their business like in any big city.
Oh! And if you make it to Toleda, stop in at the museum of torture (and then tell me what it's like).
Ooh, I bet their torture museum is much better than the one in Amsterdam.
I haven't been to Spain, would love to go there, as I've mentioned before. I am happy to be American, and a Californian, even though I don't represent my government administration's views or it, mine, these days. I have found in my travels to italy - which I bet has a lot of individuals who agree with me, in contrast to my government - that
people on the street react generally splendidly to me. I don't look italian, but I also am a little confusing to figure out - I don't wear a lot of "loud" wear, am not loud personally, and generally try to engage, however badly, whomever I am in contact with. I am not in a clump of Lookers.
No, I am not against loud wear, or even being loud sometimes, and am pretty keen on looking. I guess I am saying that I try to meld with the street and not treat it as an
"oh, look at this place and its charming people" situation. I don't think of Italy or Spain, or wherever, as "other" so much as a new part of myself, to absorb in a relaxed way.
I think you are going to have an incredible time and I want to hear a lot about it when you get back. People, food, sights, music, on and on, I'm all ears.
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