Life in Spain

Learning Spanish

Do I have to speak Spanish to work as an English teacher in Spain? No, you don’t. You’ll find that most schools prefer the communicative approach to language teaching which involves immersion in the target language. It is perfectly possible to teach English without recourse to Spanish. However, Spanish is a considerable benefit for settling […]

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Lazy Youth

A judge in Cantabria (northern Spain) has rejected a 23-year-old woman’s request for an income of €300 a month from her parents. While there have been other cases in which parents have been legally forced to maintain their offspring into their 30s if they have not yet become financially independent, this landmark ruling is based on

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Health Care in Spain

Your GP EU citizens are entitled to free health care in Spain. In order to register with a GP, however, you will need to go to your local health centre with the following documentation: NIE (your Spanish ID number) Social Security number ID with photo (e.g. passport) You will be asked to complete a form

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Forbidden Fruit?

“Don’t people just pick them and eat them?” is a question a lot of overseas visitors ask the locals when they see oranges hanging from the trees lining the streets of many Andalusian cities. Just like Adam and Eve, you might be tempted to grasp this forbidden fruit. But you do so at your peril!

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Essential Services

Currency Spain is in the eurozone so the euro is the currency here. The euro breaks down into 100 euro cents (céntimos). Notes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 Coins (euro): 1, 2 Coins (cents): 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 Banks Most banks can be identified by the words Banco, Caja or

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Eurovision

In 1968, Massiel, a 20-year-old, last-minute substitute for Joan Manuel Serrat, represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest in London’s Albert Hall.  With Cliff Richard singing Phil Coulter’s song ‘Congratulations’ and on ‘home ground’, nobody was ready for the shock of Spain’s first Eurovision victory!  As Sandy Shaw had won the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest with

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Eating Out

Tapas, Pinchos & Lots More! Mealtimes In Spain, breakfast is usually served between 8am and 11am. Restaurants generally serve midday meals between 1pm and 3:30pm, while evening meals are served from 8:30pm to 11pm. (Pubs, bars and discos are usually open until 3 or 4 in the morning.) Vegetarian Issues Vegetarianism is not common in Spain so

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Driving in Spain

Here we hope to address the most frequent questions asked by motorists. How old do you have to be to drive in Spain? The minimum age to drive in Spain is 18. If you are below this age and hold a driving licence you cannot drive in Spain. Can I drive in Spain with my

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Bullfighting

Writing in the 1950s, the travel writer H.V. Morton gave this account of a bullfight he saw in Seville. “The clock strikes. There is a roar of applause as the president enters his box, the only proof that Spaniards can keep an appointment to the second. He gives a signal, and as the gates swing

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