Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with spain

Suggest some pretty places near Barcelona for a short pre-Barca trip!

Cantdosleepy — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:35:18 -0800

I'm going to Barcelona for a week at the end of May. I fly in at about 7pm on Saturday, and want to spend three days seeing the countryside around the city before spending the rest of the time in the city itself. I'm looking for suggestions of some picturesque villages either along the coast or in the countryside where we can find a B&B and see some pretty things. I don't mind hiring a car if that's the best way to see the area.

Any other lovely tourist-y things you might know about in the area are very much appreciated...

Options for a few free days in southern spain?

empath — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:01:41 -0800

I'm probably going to meet up with some friends to Ibiza in June, but I'm not much of a beach person, so if I get antsy, what else could I do with a few free days in southern Spain? I was thinking of spending a few days in Barcelona, but what are some other options that are relatively accessible from Ibiza? Also, advice for finding less expensive flights from the east coast of the US to Ibiza would be amazing.

Suggestions for haunted/quirky/mystical/woo-woo/mythic places in Spain?

apostrophe — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 14:53:23 -0800

Tell me about the weirdest, most magical, fantastical places in Spain. Places that have ghostly apparitions, spirit-sightings, woo-woo lines of crystal power or tombs of mad saints. Spooky forests, castles, places hippies flock to. Places where the guide books start the descriptions with "legend has it..." Fairy tale towns. Roman ruins. You get the idea. Places in Portugal welcomed as well. (Going for two weeks at the end of May. Delicious food & scenery is great, but I'm really looking to spark my imagination.)

Where to find Spanish popular music of the '20s and '30s?

the sobsister — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 09:17:54 -0800

I'm trying to find recordings, be they on CD or downloadable, of popular music from Spain of the 1920 and '30s. I'm hampered by the fact that I don't really know much about Spanish popular music--were there the equivalent of the dance bands recording in the U.S. and U.K., for example? There is a "Blue Moon Serie Lírica" CD series that compiles revue recordings of that era, and I have one of those discs, but was there a Spanish Mistinguett or Jean Sablon? an Iberian Al Bowlly or Russ Columbo?

My sense is that the regional musics, led by flamenco, comprised part of the popular music scene, but, as I said, I'm guessing at a lot of this. Any help in finding music or history would be appreciated.

Camper shoes: made in China?

gorcha — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:04:43 -0800

Since when have Camper shoes been made in China? Last time I checked, Camper advertised themselves as a Spanish shoe company, and one of their selling points was that the shoes were made in China. I also think I remember a fairly recent advertising campaign which showed off the Spanish staff from Camper: the head chef, etc. etc - but maybe this was for a different company.

When did Camper stop making shoes in Spain, and why?

When was the Spanish printer Artes graficas del Rio in operation?

kirsti — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:54:24 -0800

I have an old Spanish olive oil label. The printer's name/location, as they appear in fine print at the bottom the label, are as follows: ARTES GRAFICAS - DEL RIO - LUARCA. I am trying to determine the age of this label. Herminio Azcárate Campo died in 1944, but I don't know when he inherited his father's business, which was established sometime after 1891. The label can be viewed here. If I knew when this printer was in operation, I could get a better idea of when this label was in use. Any useful information on ARTES GRAFICAS - DEL RIO or Herminio Azcárate Campo would be appreciated.

Ouch.

sockorama — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:38:38 -0800

I am an American traveling in Spain and have to go to the ER. What do I need to know? I have an infected abscessed joint and have emailed my doctor at home who said I need to go to the ER ASAP. The skin around the wound is swollen, red and painful and spreading rapidly. i need oral antibiotics and feel flu-like. Except I'm in Spain. What do I need to know about costs? What else? I'm here for a few more days, but the wound is oozing several tablespoons of cloudy, orange liquid and is excruciating. I tried a topical ointment dispensed from a farmacia but it hasn't done anything.

Where do we go on our honeymoon in Spain?

cali59 — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:25:33 -0800

Help me choose three places in Spain to go for our honeymoon. My fiancee and I are planning a honeymoon in Spain in June, we've been talking about trying to visit three cities/places while we're there. I'd like to try something different here and ask people to suggest three places as one unit (so for example, something like "Philadelphia - Amish Country - Pittsburgh" if this question were about visiting Pennsylvania).

If you only had three places to visit on one trip, where would you go?

Some information (none of which is set in stone):
-We're planning for two weeks total but it's flexible.
-We'd ideally like a mix of beach time and culture time, preferably with beach being the first leg to relax after wedding stress.
-Leaning towards Madrid as the 2nd or 3rd leg due to a great hotel deal we can get through her brother.
-We're not super adventurous people, but do enjoy food, history, culture, art, nature, etc.
-Suggestions on best way to travel between places would be helpful (I can drive stick if necessary)

After suggesting three places, feel free to challenge any and all assumptions. If you want to include a 4th place, think we should skip Madrid, or think we shouldn't even go to Spain at all, that's totally fine. The more information the better.

Thank you so much!

Is proof of accommodation REALLY required for a US citizen to enter Spain as a tourist?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:24:29 -0800

US citizen visiting SO's family in Spain for Christmas: will I be asked to show proof of accommodation? Do I really need a letter of invitation to pass customs? I am a US citizen, boyfriend is a Spanish citizen who is in the US with a J1 visa. We are traveling to Spain for three weeks over Christmas, and we will be staying with his family. I have zero intention of overstaying, trying to get married, looking for work, etc, basically I want to go, meet the folks, see the sights, and come back.

Unfortunately I didn't do my homework, and now I am reading on the US embassy website:
"Spain is a party to the Schengen Agreement. This means that U.S. citizens may enter Spain for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. You need sufficient funds, evidence of hotel reservations or an official letter of invitation if you will stay with family or friends, and a return airline ticket. For additional details about travel into and within Schengen countries, please see our Schengen Fact Sheet."

Funds, return ticket, valid passport, etc. are no problem, but I don't have a letter of invitation from SO's family. And what's worse, it seems that the invitation letter is only valid when it's completed and notarized at a Spanish Police Station, and can take up to two weeks to be issued. Given that my trip is in less than two weeks, there is pretty much no way this letter could be made and mailed to me here in the US in time.

However, searching other unofficial sources of information, like the Lonely Planet forums, seems to indicate that non-visa tourists are rarely if ever asked for proof of accommodation, and that I should be able to with only my passport.

So globe-trotting Mefites, please share your experience with Spanish customs! Were you asked to provide proof of accommodation for a non-visa tourist stay? Will I be OK with just the names and addresses of my hosts, or should I make a fake hotel reservation to cancel once I get there, just to be on the safe side? Will they be more suspicious if I let on that I am travelling with a SO rather than just a friend? Thanks everyone!

Help me plan my trip to France!

huxham — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 09:18:55 -0800

I’m currently based in Andalucía, Spain, teaching English for the school year, and am planning to visit neighboring France during Christmas vacation. France fascinates me and will be the first country I visit outside of Spain during my time in Europe, but to be honest: I know nothing. I have approximately 13 days to spend in the country, I would like to see Paris and a few other sites in the northwest, and I will probably enter the country on the Mediterranean coast (from Spain) and leave via the Basque Country (to return to Spain). What should I see? So, this year I’m teaching English in the town of Úbeda, east of Córdoba and north of Granada. Buses run from here to Valencia & Barcelona and the nearby Linares-Baeza train station goes north to Madrid on the “slow” Talgo train and northeast to Barcelona on the overnight Trenhotel.

Christmas vacation starts (for me, at least) on Friday, December 21st (or the night of Thursday the 20th), and I have to be back in town by Tuesday, January 8th. However, I’d like to return no later than Saturday the 5th so I can crash, unwind, sleep, do laundry, etc. before going back to work. Budgeting a good day on both sides just to get out of Spain, that leaves me with 13 days around France.

I’m probably going to take the Trenhotel to Barcelona, but I’m at a loss of what to do next, mainly because I have no idea what to see in France, or how to get there from Spain.

Ok, ok, I do know that I want to see Paris (& Versailles) for ~4 days, the Bayeux tapestry, Mont-St-Michel, and Fontevraud Abbey (where Eleanor of Aquitaine & Henry II were *once* buried). Maybe Pau in the Pyrenees. Don’t care about the WWII beaches of Normandy (nothing against veterans…I’m just not interested). I just don’t want to take the overnight train to Paris from Barcelona if something in Provence or Burgundy stands out. I don’t have any preference about staying in Paris over Christmas or New Year’s Day (and would probably rather not be there then ha!).

TL;DR — help me plan a 13-day trip in France, entering the country in the south from Barcelona, making a circuit up to Paris and back down again, leaving through the Basque Country (or thereabouts). Budget travel style, four days in Paris, Rick Steves’ guidebook in tow, beginner’s level of French.

Thank you all so much for your help!!! I can’t wait to finally set foot in this beautiful country.

Do you know what quotes are etched into the walls of the Dalí Museum in Figueres?

Kattullus — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 05:53:59 -0800

I was in the Dalí Museum in Figueres, Catalonia two weeks ago. There was a prominently displayed quote, not by Dalí, that I wanted to look up, but completely forgot about until now. It was familiar, but it seemed a bit mangled from what I thought it was. Now, however, I've forgotten it. Do you know what quotes are etched into the walls of the Dalí Museum in Figueres? I think it was a Sartre quote, but it could've been Camus or Genet or some other mid-century French writer.

I think it was in French, but it could've been Latin or Spanish.

I saw the quote in a long, wide room filled with Dalí paintings, and it was etched in the wall above one of them.

Madrid and Paris events late October 2012

jeffburdges — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 01:59:47 -0800

I'm visiting Madrid from 25 October till 1 November and Paris from 1 till 5 November. Any suggestions for evening entertainment such as raves or halloween parties? I'd welcome suggestions for interesting clubs or trance-ish DJ sets too, partially just looking for excuses to go out illuminated with local burner friends.

Marriage in Spain

tavegyl — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:31:46 -0800

Can a foreign non-priest officiate at a wedding in Spain? My husband has been asked to marry two of his friends. The wedding will be in Spain and will not be a religious ceremony of any type. My husband is British and unaffiliated with any religion. None of those involved are Spanish or live in Spain.

Is this even possible? And if so, how? Any tips welcome. [Internet churches? A permit from a Spanish local authority? Etc]

A Canary Islands Honeymoon

arveale — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:05:53 -0800

Help me learn more about the Canary Islands as a possible honeymoon destination! I am in the preliminary stages of planning my honeymoon and have begun seriously considering the Canary Islands as a possible destination! We live in New England and would like to know how feasible it is to go on a week/ten day honeymoon to the Canaries. For those who have travelled there, how easy is it to get there? Is it more expensive than travelling to other European destinations? Is it a good place for a relaxing, yet interesting honeymoon? We love history, nature, great cocktails and fun in the sun!

Spain!

ohmy — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:47:41 -0800

Please help us with travel planning and logistics for Spain! My SO and I have a flight to Marseilles for two weeks mid-October. Since we already visited France earlier this year, we plan to spend these two weeks in Spain. Initially, we thought it might be nice to do some kind of road trip.

So far, we've agreed upon Barcelona for part of the trip. The rest... well, there are so many places within Spain that sound interesting. Some places that have piqued our interest, such as Valencia, Granada, Seville, Cordoba, etc. We're also considering tacking on Madrid, but I'm happy enough with only doing Barcelona between the two. We think that it would probably be best to narrow our itinerary down to Barcelona plus two or three small villages. We're having a hell of a time deciding which towns to visit. We're both in our early thirties, and our priority is to see places that are lively (without being too party-ish or university-townish), full of culture, history, music, interesting architecture and excellent food. We're not into see-and-be-seen types of places, and we're not beach people (although I understand that it would be too cool to go to the beach, anyway). Actually, let me clarify: we aren't the type of people who like to lie on the beach... but we do appreciate beautiful, quiet beaches for walking and photography.

So... which places and what kind of itinerary would work best for us? We'd like to drive part of the way, so we'd love suggestions for scenic drives. Or, alternately, if it really doesn't make sense to drive at all, let us know! We're open to fast trains, scenic trains, buses, driving, flying and overnight travel (yay for saving money on accommodations for the night!). Also, the names of companies or websites where we can find more information, and eventually book!

From preliminary research, I think we'll probably take the train from Marseille to Barcelona, where we'd likely stay for 3-4 days. The rest is still a huge question mark. Maybe we could work our way down southwards, and then catch a flight back to Marseille at the end of our trip? Or loop up to Madrid and head back to Marseille from there?

Basically, we're just trying to get a sense of how we can properly use these two weeks!

Also: is it wisest to book everything in advance, or is it relatively easy to find last minute lodging or bus/train/plane tickets should we decide we love one place so much that we'd like to extend our stay?

General advice also welcome! Planning is fun, but also a little anxiety inducing, especially from across the ocean. :P

Very excited!

established restaurants/bars/cafes in Madrid/Barcelona

mrmarley — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 04:35:13 -0800

I will soon be in Madrid & Barcelona for a long week. I'm looking for established/trusted restaurants/ bars/ cafes in central areas that don't suck, places that aren't too touristy/a rip-off, but enjoy a good reputation for whatever reason, even if expensive. open to any type of cuisine. thank you

Yet another "Where should we live?" post

tracicle — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 01:53:30 -0800

Yet another "Where should we move?" question, unique to my family of course. In the past we have considered moving overseas but for various reasons are still living in our nice little bungalow in Quake Central, NZ. My husband is currently employed by a medium-sized international company whose employees all work remotely. He spends much of his time in teleconferences - and being in New Zealand makes this tricky because he ends up compromising to meet everyone's timezones so his meetings fall anywhere from 7am to 11pm our time.

He is currently interviewing with a large company whose headquarters are in the Bay Area and who are most well known for their search engine. They have offices in many places and he is working through the interview process to decide which team he is best suited for.

We have committed ourselves to selling our home and moving at the end of this year - but where to? He may take a job within Large Search Engine Company in one of their offices - the job they offer him and the location will determine whether he takes it. If he doesn't take it, he will continue with his current company but will hopefully be free to relocate anywhere in Europe or the USA - he is negotiating with them to sponsor his visa because it will cut down slightly on his travel and put him in a timezone where he can do his job without it seriously cutting into his family time.

We have lived in the Bay Area before so we're not too excited about that idea - we would like to live somewhere new which could be in the US or EU. Our definite requirements are:

* warm climate (no or very occasional snow)
* close to water and parks - we are fairly keen kayakers, mountain bikers and beachgoers
* somewhere family-friendly for our 7- and 9-year old children with good schools or international schools nearby
* short or no commute
* it would be nice if I could teach elementary/primary without having to spend a year or more retraining for local accrediation - but if I have to, then I will. My degree is in primary/elementary teaching. We would work on getting our green cards as quickly as possible if we were in the States, too.
* somewhere relatively economically stable - not Greece!

We have been considering San Diego, Florida, Spain and Singapore. We can't afford Singapore and we know very little about Spain except that we would like to be in the northeast, north of Barcelona. There may be other places we've not considered - I would love to hear them. I can't convince my husband to consider Italy.

So the question is: out of San Diego, Florida, and Costa Brava, which would you choose and why? And what awesome places haven't we thought about?

Accessible attractions in Barcelona

path — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 08:57:24 -0800

My sister is travelling to Barcelona, Spain in November. She'll be at a hotel on the Plaza Catalunya for 3 days before leaving on a cruise ship. Sadly, she's on oxygen 24/7 and will be using a walker for short distances and an electric scooter to tour around the city. She'd like recommendations for food and must-see attractions within scootering distance. We've collected info from Google travel results, but they don't address accessibility concerns She plans to go to the Dali museum on a day trip, but other suggestions would be wonderful.

How can I watch this years Vuelta a España online?

u17tw — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 07:38:01 -0800

How can I watch this years Vuelta a España online? Watching it live is the ideal but would settle for highlights. Any good websites, twitter accounts, etc also appreciated.

If it makes a difference I'm in the UK.

Cheers

Using an AT&T iPhone in Spain's wine country

FlamingBore — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:51:53 -0800

Using an AT&T iPhone in Spain's wine country without breaking the bank. Advise me, if you please. We are heading to Spain for a driving holiday. We will arrive in Barcelona and stay a couple of nights before picking up a car and heading to the Priorato, Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions and then depart out of Madrid.

We won't need to be in regular contact with anyone here in the states, but will need to be available for emergencies and ideally we'd like a local number so we might make calls/inquiries to bodegas, restaurants and attractions while on the road.

We both have iPhones with AT&T. I found this old thread, but imagine things may have changed a bit since then. What are currently the best strategies for using an iPhone from the states while in Spain?

If it matters:
I'm planning on getting a GPS for the rental car unless coverage is amazing and data is truly reasonable.

Neither phone is unlocked or jail-broken (do people still do that?)

Need recommendation: guidebook for living in Barcelona

zainsubani — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 08:25:57 -0800

My son will soon be traveling to Barcelona, Spain to attend a five-month student exchange program there. He may end up staying longer. What are the best guidebooks for an American living in that city/region?

Where to go? What to do?

kjs4 — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:43:19 -0800

My planned holiday to Europe in Sept/Oct has been postponed, and now I have three weeks to go..... somewhere. I'm female, early thirties and will be flying out of Sydney. I enjoy my own company and love to travel. Please suggest places to go and things to do that I will enjoy by myself. Preferences after the jump. - The original trip was London/France/Barcelona, so not those. Not Germany, Austria, Switzerland, UK, Poland, New York, San Francisco Western Canada or Malaysia as I've done those.
- I'm not a massive fan of "14 countries in 14 days" tours. Would maybe consider a week long tour that goes to places I couldn't get to easily on public transport, but not for the whole time. Also, they seem like they'd be a bit weird to do by myself, as I find small talk exhausting.
- I have no interest in sitting on a beach doing nothing. Terribly dull and I sunburn easily.
- I enjoy urban centres, civilisation, museums, history, architecture and novelty. I like swing dancing, crafts and exploring by bike, on foot and by public transport.
- I'd prefer to keep the flights to less than 30hrs. I was considering Southern Spain/Morocco, but the flight lengths are terrible.
- I'd strongly prefer places I can explore by myself safely. I'm happy to wander the streets of Manhattan or Sydney at 2am, to give a comfort level approximation.
- If at all possible, I'd like to keep the amount of planning I have to do to a minimum. So, not too many moves. (I find chosing accomodation incredibly stressful. I also don't have much time and have found in the past that my month long jaunts through Europe have resulted in me achieving little other than planning in the weeks leading up to it.) This means that I probably need some sort of activity to do, as there aren't that many places that can keep a solo traveller happy for more than a few days.
- I don't mind a language gap, and will probably spend the time until leaving learning at least the basics if there is one. I speak German and was learning basic Spanish in preparation for Barcelona.

Places I have considered:

- Southern Spain/Morocco. It was getting very complicated (7 separate cities with train trips in between), and flights didn't work. I might do a similar trip with my parents in a few years.
- South America, maybe Colombia or Guatamala. I am considering doing a couple of weeks learning Spanish somewhere, and then a week doing something else. Bogota looked cool because of its cycling culture and (apparently) pleasant accent, but the safety aspect makes me hesitant. Also, I couldn't find anything I particularly wanted to do for the third week.
- Japan. Kyoto plus something? I've also got a friend who might be in South Korea around that time, but it's not confirmed yet.
- Istanbul. There's a Lindy swing dance exchange around that time, but the follows are waitlisted, so I might not be able to get in. Would be cool though, and I assume I could use up a week exploring the city. Need some other places to add on though.
- Trans-Siberian. I've always wanted to do this, but the visas look complicated, and I'm not sure I want to do it by myself.

So, any suggestions for itineraries or activities? YANMTA (you are not my travel agent), but the more details the better.

Are there any great, multi-day, non-wilderness walks in the U.S.?

toomuchkatherine — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:03:54 -0800

Are there any great mixed rural/small-town/semi-urban long walks in the U.S.? I'm searching for multi-day, maybe even multi-week routes that are not strict backpacking and would not require the carrying of a tent. More inside. The b.f. and I just saw the movie The Way, about the 800-kilometer Camino de Santiago walking pilgrimage across the north of Spain. And we've been reading Thomas Hardy novels that feature lots and lots of walking around 19th century England.

Basically, Europe seems to have these great walking traditions—for religion, for sightseeing, or just to get from point A to point B. The U.S. has great wilderness backpacking culture and opportunities, and we've both done our share of that. But we started to wonder about the feasibility of a long walk here that we could do in a more European mode, without big packs, that would take us through countryside and through towns, getting us to a place to stay each night. Maybe it would involve some cool feat: 'We walked from San Francisco to L.A.!' or 'We walked from Seattle to Portland!' But it doesn't have to.

We live in the Bay Area of California but are curious about routes anywhere in the States.

Bedding Down in Barcelona

bearwife — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:28:46 -0800

We're staying for four nights in Barcelona in mid September. First visit for both of us. Really would appreciate hotel/B&B recommendations, and of course what sights and restaurants the hive mind recommends.

I want to understand these Spanish lyrics

Eradicator! — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 02:07:45 -0800

Can someone who speaks Spanish tell me what this song means? The song is called "Ciudadano A" by Iván Ferreiro.

Here is the video

I absolutely love this song, and I am really curious as to the meaning of it, but I do not have any Spanish-speaking friends.

This wiki says the song is about former Prime Minister of Spain, José María Aznar.

I am looking for help to translate these lyrics, but more important to me is the meaning behind the song. For instance, why is José María Aznar referred to as "Citizen A"?

I have tried using a Spanish-to-English translation website for this, but the resulting lyrics don't make much sense.

Here are the Spanish lyrics:

"No suelo pensar
que los demás teman por mí
a lo mejor supones
que soy un animal
no más silvestre que esta piedra
que mi enojo el día que yo vi
lo miserable que podías ser lo miserable
no suelo pensar
que los demás me entienden ni un momento
y una vez que empiezo a hablar
mis vomitonas me convierten en un descarado
sí tienes razón
es complicado mantener el tipo en cualquier situación
ya ves
yo sobrevivo a base de basura y desencuentro
no podrás decir
que no te dije lo que había un día en su momento
mirarte bien
que estás inflado de mediocridad
no suelo decir
lo repugnante que resulta veros en la tele
haciendo bailar
los numeritos en las tablas
vuestras putas casas son de verdad
y a mí me da que todo es de mentira
vi como una vez
cambiabas todo en el telediario
vi a todos llorar
es imposible contenerme ahora no consigo
vi a tu mujer
cómo besaba a todos en Madrid en las calles
y a ti en Berlín
vendiendo Europa a los americanos
Todo lo que nunca tendré..."

And here are the results from the translation website:

"I usually do not think
of that the others are afraid for me
perhaps you suppose
that I am an animal
more wild than this stone
that my annoyance the day that I saw
how miserable the wretch could be
I usually do not think
that the others understand not even a moment to me
and once I begin speaking
my vomitonas turn me into a shameless person
yes you are right
it is complicated to maintain the type in any situation
you see already
I survive by means of garbage and misunderstanding
you will not be able to say
that I did not say to you what there was one day in its moment
to look at you well
that you are inflated of mediocrity
I usually do not say
the disgusting thing that proves to see you in the TV
making to dance
the numeritos in the stage
your prostitutes you marry sound really
and to I give that everything is of lie
I saw as once
you were changing everything into the news
I saw to weep for all
it is impossible to control myself now I do not manage
I saw your wife
how was it kissing all in Madrid in the streets
and to you in Berlin
selling Europe to the Americans
Everything what I will never have..."

Muchas gracias in advance!