"They don't like showing off." Russian woman about life in Spain, the pros and cons of the country
Veronica is a girl with an unusual fate. I was born in Grozny in a respected family, and everything was fine, but in the 90s the war began. The family lost everything and had to start life from scratch. First - the Stavropol Territory, then - Moscow, study and work there. One day, tired of the routine, Veronica decides to go to get a European education. The choice falls on Spain.
Why Spain
After working for many years in a study abroad company, one day I decided to study abroad as well. I began to think about which countries I could go to so that it would be inexpensive, so that I knew the language (I know English, Spanish and Italian) and that it would be pleasant to live. There were options: Cyprus, Dubai, Italy and Spain. There was nothing to do in Cyprus, work was tight and there were not so many prospects. In Dubai, I needed a car to move around, because the city is huge, and after Moscow I didn’t want to live in a metropolis, plus: the Arabs didn’t really attract me in terms of dating and further communication. Italy seemed to me a country of stagnation and crisis, with a lot of bureaucracy and a difficult economic situation. So there was Spain. I had friends just in the south, and I decided to go to Andalusia. Agrarian region, good universities, great climate, sea, fruits, and low cost of living. There was a suitable graduate school in Seville, so I moved there.
Surprised
I was not ready for a strong Southern accent. I used to be in Madrid and Barcelona - they speak pure Castilian, and in the south, due to the mixing of cultures, there is a very strong accent, because of which I could not understand anything at all, only after a few months I began to perceive something by ear. And at first it was a big blow and a lot of difficulty.
And the second blow for me was the fact that even in the south of Spain it is very cold in winter. It is cold to the apartments, because there is no central heating. Naturally, there are no sub-zero temperatures here, but at night the thermometer can drop to +2. In such weather, in dwellings adapted for the heat (the floors are lined with marble slabs or tiles), a terrible cold sets in. This came as a shock to me. I did not take any warm clothes with me, because I thought it was the south. It turned out that you need to have down jackets and woolen socks, slippers and warm pajamas.
Spaniards
In my opinion, the Spaniards are fundamentally different from the Russians, and we have nothing in common. Many say that we are similar, but no, a completely different approach to life. The Spaniards are very fond of their measured life, they know how to enjoy it. The Spaniard will not rush somewhere and try to achieve some goals. How many Nobel laureates or Spanish scientists do you know? Mostly known are Spanish writers and poets, artists, and creative personalities. But there are no Spaniards in serious areas, because their rules of life are not to rush anywhere, to do everything calmly. No Spaniard, having a stable good job, will look for another job. Nobody is chasing expensive things, cars, houses. Spaniards don't like showing off.
Spaniards are very socially active. They prefer to spend time with friends, sitting outside in a bar. Of course, this is facilitated by the beautiful weather and low prices in bars: it turns out even cheaper than cooking and eating at home. Cooking at home is also expensive because of the high prices for electricity and water. So sitting at home is not even financially profitable - this is the secret of the Spaniards, who constantly sit in bars.
The Spaniards are very responsive people, they respect the older generation, they are always ready to help. Living in Spanish society is not scary, because you understand that even if something happens to you on the street, you will be helped. In Russia, this is not the case now, they can also kick you there, but no one will come up and help.
Women and men
Spanish women are very "feminist", as they have been under oppression for a long time and only recently received their freedom and rights. Because of this, a strong bias towards feminism went. They want to be on an equal footing with men, the bills are paid equally in families, but they can do nothing around the house and not cook.
Spanish men are quite good family men. They are very good with children, even strangers. Almost everyone is accustomed to housekeeping and can cook, wash, iron and so on - they do not consider this shameful. Many take maternity leave, which, by the way, is only three months. At the same time, many men are quite quick-tempered and jealous, because of this, the problem of domestic violence is acute in Spain. Sometimes there are even deaths on the news.
habits
Many Russians are surprised by the commitment of the Spaniards to a specific schedule, to food, to daytime sleep. Many people have a hard time getting used to early breakfast, siesta and late dinner - Russians usually do not like this. Russian girls especially do not like the habit of men to sleep during the day, they consider it unproductive. In Russia, we are constantly running somewhere, doing business, but in Spain life is more measured, and not a single self-respecting Spaniard will refuse daytime sleep.
Even shops, cafes and bars do not work during the siesta, only from about five in the evening everything opens again. And on Sundays, nothing works at all - this is a day off throughout the country, so if you have a party planned, for example, then you need to buy everything in advance.
Annoys
Firstly, disorganization: very often things are shifted, everything is tomorrow or tomorrow, and this can drag on for months. No one answers e-mails immediately, there is a very large bureaucracy, any piece of paper, any permission is issued for a very long time.
Their loudness is also annoying. They are very loud, women have very rough hoarse voices. Wherever you go, there is a rumble everywhere: everyone is shouting, talking, laughing. They do not have strict norms of behavior in society, they can throw garbage at their feet, and spit, and shout across the street. They have a wilder upbringing in this regard, I think.
Attitude towards Russians
In principle, in Spain they treat Russians quite well, but they still consider them strangers, cold, northern people. Many men have a prejudice against Russian women, that they are materialistic and they only need money, jewelry and clothes. Society nurtures this, society shows how bad Russian-speaking girls are. But in general, the attitude is normal. Many people are interested in politics, Mr. Putin, they ask about Russia and whether what they say in the news is true. In principle, they look at us more with curiosity than with rejection.
Spain problem
In Spain, the main problems are "mañana" ( "tomorrow") and bureaucracy. Putting things off for later and bureaucracy that slows down the vital processes of society and the state for years. In this regard, there is some kind of backwardness of the country, and so far nothing is moving for the better.
New Habits
I have acquired few Spanish habits, except that sometimes I sleep at siesta and eat according to the same schedule, but rather I preserve Russian traditions and introduce them into our house. For example, walking in slippers, not street shoes, drinking tea, eating soups that the Spaniards do not eat. My husband doesn't do all this, but I'm fine with it.
Worth adopting
They should adopt an attitude to life, more calm and measured, without twitching and striving to break the veins. In this regard, I agree with them, I am slowly adopting this feature, but, of course, without taking it to the extreme, when nothing is done at all.
What life has taught me in another country
Of course, what I have learned is to accept the rules of another country. You are a visitor, a foreigner, and have no right to establish your own rules here. If at home you can still somehow adjust your way of life, then you can’t do this in other places. We need to adapt to the life that is accepted in this country.
More stories about Veronica's life in Spain can be found in her
Spain is a very beautiful and diverse country, about which many people know quite a bit, although they believe that this is not so. Many interesting and beautiful places in Spain are not known to the average Russian. Do you know what Extremadura is, where Asturias is located, or maybe you know a little about Galicia?
If not, in this article I will tell you about interesting but unknown places in Spain.
Everyone knows that Spain is a country located in the southwestern part of Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula, and borders on Portugal, France and tiny Andorra, whose only income is tourism and ski resorts, and their small size does not even allow them to have their own authorities, therefore Andorra is governed by France and Spain.
The population of Spain is about 47 million people, and the territory is about 505 thousand square meters. km. The capital is Madrid, and the second largest city, but the most popular among tourists, is Barcelona.
The history and modern culture of Spain are closely connected with the Arab Moors, who ruled the country for several centuries, and were completely expelled from Spain only in 1492, leaving a huge number of beautiful architectural monuments. The process of reconquering Spanish territory is called the Reconquista.
Although it is believed that the period of Arab rule in Spain is an occupation, no negative effects happened in the country, the Moors successfully developed trade, as well as the Spanish cities themselves. Especially the Arab influence is felt in the south of Spain, in the Andalusia region, where they ruled for the longest time.
Beauty of Andalusia
Andalusia is one of the most beautiful but lesser known regions in Spain, rich in examples of Arabic architecture, having a very different culture than the rest of Spain, and a very distinct Spanish accent, which some call a separate language.
The region has many beautiful cities worth visiting. Below you can see what each of them stands out for.
Granada
The city of Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, in southern Spain. The city is rich in architecture: here is the Alhambra Palace, which is considered the most famous monument of the Islamic heritage of Andalusia. Moreover, the city was founded as early as 500 BC, and to this day you can see traces of all the peoples ruling here.
Seville
Seville is the capital of Andalusia, which is located west of Granada. The city is divided by the Guadalquivir River into parts of Seville and Triana, which are very culturally different from each other and successfully complement each other, making up the whole culture of Seville. Here you can also see many palaces and cathedrals built either in the style or during the time of the Moors, and you can also go to one of the many bars where performances are held with the temperamental flamenco dance, which originated in this region.
Malaga
The second largest city in Andalusia, which is located on the Mediterranean coast, which gives it a feeling of relaxation and the quality of a resort town. Just 5 km north of the city lies the mountain range of the Malaga Mountains. This combination of mountains and sea makes Malaga one of the most beautiful cities in Spain.
Lost Extremadura
The Extremadura region is perhaps the least known part of Spain. It is located on the border with Portugal. The population of the region is quite small, the largest city has a population of only 55 thousand people. The features of the region are mountains, forests, lakes and national parks such as Cornalvo and Monfrag.
Although 'extrema' in the name of the region translates as 'outer', the word 'extreme' is much better for the region. The average temperature in summer here does not fall below 28 degrees, but more often it is around 40, while at the same time it snows here periodically in winter.
Traditional Asturias
The region of Asturias is also unknown among foreign tourists, although it is well known among Spaniards. Located in the north of Spain, it is another place full of natural attractions such as mountains and national parks. In addition, the region is bordered by the ocean, and there are also interesting cities full of interesting traditions and a different culture from Spain.
Asturias has its own culture, cuisine, and another accent, which the locals consider a separate language, as well as a developed economy, despite the almost absence of international chains and brands.
Visit the city of Oviedo if you want to feel like a resident of a medieval Spanish town of the 16th-17th century, because here people live the same as hundreds of years ago.
Harsh Basques
The Spanish autonomous region, located to the west of Asturias, is the most remote from the rest of Spain, since although Spanish is partially used here (mainly due to the oppression of minorities by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco), the main language is Basque.
I would describe the locals as rocker folk due to the fact that most of them have pierced, side cut and dyed hair, wear jeans almost exclusively, and are also tough and athletic.
The Basques have long been fighting for independence from Spain, as the Basque Country is the second most developed region of the country (out of 17, after Catalonia). Health care, education, and finance are highly developed here. Bilbao is the capital of the region, but not its most interesting city. Better visit San Sebastian by the sea near the French border, where the famous film festival is held periodically.
Rich Catalonia
Catalonia is a more famous region of Spain, where our fellow countrymen love to relax on snow-white beaches near Barcelona. Popular beach resorts are small resort towns near Barcelona, as well as Alicante and Benidorm.
In addition to the well-known Barcelona, I advise you to visit Valencia, the second largest city in Catalonia, no less rich in attractions, but less crowded with tourists and more pleasant for a relaxing holiday under the warm sun.
Another city worth visiting is the city of Girona, where budget airlines often fly. The town is small, but also very interesting. Moreover, some parts of the series “Game of Thrones” were filmed here.
This was my list of interesting but unknown places to visit in Spain. I hope that I helped you to learn more about this diverse country and now you will diversify your travels. Check out 50 Budget Travel Tips from 15 Experienced Travel Bloggers Now!
about the author
Roman, creator of the RomanRoams.com blog about travel, interesting and unknown places in different cities and countries, as well as tips for travelers, as well as the Visit-Belarus.com website about beautiful places and useful information about Belarus.
Let's also remember the famous castles of Spain: here, and here. We will not miss the most beautiful and tall. There was also a curious incident
Modern man settled in the Iberian Peninsula about 35 thousand years ago and was the source of the genes of the majority of the modern population of Europe, at least in the female line. For 1200 years BC. coast began to be mastered by the Phoenicians. In the V-III centuries. BC. the Celts came here and mixed with the Iberians.
After the Punic Wars (III-II centuries BC), the Romans began the conquest of Iberia, which lasted over 200 years. In 19 AD Under the Roman emperor Augustus, Spain became the second most important center of the Roman Empire after Italy itself.
The Romans conducted many military roads across Spain and set up numerous military settlements (colonies); the country was quickly Romanized, even becoming one of the centers of Roman culture and one of the most flourishing parts of the Roman Empire. Trade flourished, industry and agriculture were at a high level of development, the population was very numerous (according to Pliny the Elder, under Vespasian there were 360 cities). Christianity penetrated here very early and began to spread, despite the bloody persecution.
At the beginning of the 5th century, Alans, Vandals and Suebi penetrated into Spain and settled in Lusitania, Andalusia and Galicia; the Romans temporarily held out in the eastern half of the peninsula. In 415, the Visigoths appeared in Spain, at first as allies of the Romans, and gradually drove out all other Germanic tribes. In 711, one of the Visigothic groups called for help from the Arabs and Berbers from North Africa, who were later called the Moors.
In 711-719. almost the entire territory of Spain was conquered by the Arabs, who included the country in their Caliphate. The Moors turned Spain into the most beautiful, well-organized and populated country in Europe. In less than a century, they plowed up the uncultivated fields, created a wise irrigation system, achieved unprecedented harvests thanks to their knowledge of climate, soil, development of plants and animals. They introduced crops of rice, mulberry, banana, pistachio trees, palm trees, sugar cane, unfamiliar flowers and fruits, which later spread throughout the mainland. Mining, abandoned since Roman times, has been revived and improved with high performance technology.
The capture of Granada by the troops of the Catholic kings in 1492 put an end to the last Islamic state on the peninsula. A significant Muslim population underwent (mostly forced) baptism (moriscos). At the beginning of the 17th century, the descendants of baptized Arabs and Moors were subjected to total expulsion from the country, along with the remnants of the unbaptized.
- a seaside resort located south of Barcelona and known for its clean and safe beaches for children.
To Torremolinos and visits to Benalmadena and Fuengirola.
On the site of the former mosque in 1538, according to the project of Diego de Siloe, the construction of the cathedral began, the construction of which lasted more than two centuries. 
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either backstage for a movie about cowboys, or an open-air museum ...
We thought we'd never get out of there... 
NB: This post was written in 2014 as a response to a frequently asked question. Some things have changed since then, and in any case, this text cannot be considered an emigration guide (it's anything but an emigration guide!) I may edit it later to be more relevant to the moment, but for now, make allowances for time and purpose of the text, please.
I wrote this post not in one day, but in my head, probably not one month or even a year. Every day I get asked a lot of questions about how we ended up in Spain, how we live here, how we left. I will say right away that far from everything I can or want to answer, and our story is too unusual to use it as a recipe. And so I will tell everything that I think is necessary, just as a story from my life. Let's just say that there will be a post that I can show in response to all questions :) I hope you will be interested in reading about this, because this incredibly important step determines my life and who I am today in many ways, and also it is a little about the fact that everyone dreams of completely different things, which means that there is enough of everything in the world for everyone.
To begin with, until the age of 23, I hardly traveled outside of Russia. I worked a lot, some people know, and some even remember how it all happened - my family never even had the opportunity to go on vacation abroad, and when I was left on my own, then, of course, I immediately provide for myself could not travel. I, in general, did not think about them, so at that moment it was beyond the boundaries of my reality. Just around the age of 23, I began to slowly get out of my problems, including financial ones, and later I met my husband, who at that time had been an obsessed traveler for many years. So not only one person entered my life, but the whole world along with him. A period of long and numerous trips began, mainly, however, in Southeast Asia, we were constantly on suitcases, but rather on backpacks and visited many places.
But the idea has long been in my husband’s head to leave Moscow somewhere where life is calmer and slower, where the climate is warmer, somewhere closer to nature, but with a European mentality and an overall high level of comfort. At that moment, I just didn’t love Moscow so much (forgive me, dear fans of the capital, I’m with you in many ways and will return to the topic, but Moscow is not a city for me where I would like to live), so I related to the idea of moving enthusiastically, but give your answer to the question "where exactly?" I haven't been able to yet because I haven't seen much yet.
UPD from the future. Now I understand that the desire to travel a lot, like the desire to move, was in many ways an escape from reality, which was quite scary. Unresolved family conflicts dragged on behind me, which I have been sorting out for a long time and painfully in therapy until now, but then it seemed the easiest and most correct to physically withdraw (and in many ways this is true). And I was ready to go anywhere, although Spain, of course, was and remains a great option.
The husband was a long-time fan of Spain and traveled almost the whole country, once he even thought about moving to Barcelona, but then he did not dare. Around 2009, when I was still at university and my husband sometimes traveled without me, he saw the place that is now our home.
You often ask where exactly we live. It will suffice to say that this is the province of Cadiz and the Atlantic coast to understand the spirit of this place, washed by a calm, but still ocean, looking at Africa across the strait and thoroughly salted by a damp wind. Moreover, this is a comfortable village under the pines, in which it is quite comfortable and safe to live and raise children. There are many tourists here during the season, mainly English, Germans and, of course, Spaniards, but in the low season it is deserted, almost deserted, but at the same time it is quite warm (and generally hot compared to Moscow), but the summer here is moderate due to , again, to the ocean and pine trees, only 5 kilometers deep, and it will already be 5 degrees higher, and 50 kilometers from us - and all 10.
In general, then all the lengthy conversations and abstract ideas began to take on real shapes. We decided to move and started looking for a house. Our move was not planned as radical - we didn’t “leave everything behind”, we didn’t sell real estate, we didn’t quit our jobs, we didn’t move abruptly on the same day: a couple of years passed from buying a house to my husband moving here completely, I for more than 3 years she lived in 2 countries, constantly dangled between Russia and Spain, and it was a separate, not the easiest period for both of us. Now our life is already completely concentrated here, here is our home, and we are happy in it. But, of course, in Russia we have family, friends, and therefore we come regularly and keep in touch.
Here is such a story. Now I will try to answer the questions that many people have.
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WHAT DO YOU LIVE ON?
As much as I do not like such questions and consider them extremely tactless, they are indispensable in this topic. For many years, my husband ran more than one successful business in Russia in order to choose in the future what kind of life and where to live. This allowed us not to go into mortgages and choose a place that is not a compromise for us, but suits most of the parameters. Now we both work remotely, I have an online blogging school that takes up all my time.
UPD: As you know, temporarily or permanently. But in 4 years, I saved enough money to afford this pause.
In general, our case is not the most common, and I am definitely not the person to turn to for advice on emigrating or on how to settle down here and find a job.
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WHY SPAIN AT ALL?
I repeat, my husband has long been in love with this country, and especially with this place, and I understand him well :) And if we talk about more mundane things, then since we do not earn money here, it matters to us that the price level here is still lower than in many European countries. At the same time, it is important for us that Moscow remains within reach (that is why, for example, Australia or the States were not considered at all) and plane tickets, although not cheap, are still available. Well, I think everyone already knows about the climate, the ocean and clean air.
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HOW DID YOU CHOOSE A LOCATION AND BUY A HOUSE?
After my husband visited here, there was still no clear realization that we would be moving here. We looked at alternatives like Costa Brava and other places on our Costa de la Luz. But in the end, the choice fell where it fell. We meticulously traveled around the places we had our eye on, choosing houses on real estate websites and looking up specific urbanizations. Here we looked at 100,500 houses, left thinking, came back for more, negotiated several options and unexpectedly bought this house. By the way, it was it that was shown to us first, but then it did not fit into our budget, and we just looked at it, “for general development”, but then the price for it dropped sharply, and we entered into a deal.
To be honest, with regard to the house, I did not have any love at first sight and the feeling “I want my children to grow up here”, well, how are they filming about it in Hollywood? The local architecture still continues to bewilder me, and the general household arrangement is not entirely clear to me. And so any choice would be a compromise. Despite the refurbishment we did in the first year, the house is still in serious need of rework and refinement and will still never look like the pictures I sing on Piterest. But I love him, and this experience teaches me to accept things as they are.
First, a good place is not necessarily a famous place. Moreover, if you do not want to live in the Russian ghetto, it is most likely exactly the opposite. If, on the contrary, you want, then your choice is much simpler, the places loved by compatriots are well known. Try to narrow down the geography through the Internet by wandering the streets through Google, reading forums and scrolling through Instagram by geotags. But some things can only be understood by seeing with your own eyes. Estimates of other people, most often, diverge from my perception almost completely, perhaps it will be the same for you.
Secondly, if you're targeting a specific location, it's a good idea to see it in different seasons. If the place is touristic - especially. You can be very surprised and even change your mind, and both high season and low season can scare you. If it is possible to rent a place and live for a while, you will get the most accurate idea of how things will be in reality. You may decide that you don't want to buy, but prefer to rent. Maintaining a home is quite expensive, taxes on purchases and sales are high, real estate growth is slow, and if your residence is at its peak in the low season, renting is not the worst solution, which gives you not only financial benefits, but also more freedom. True, from the point of view of obtaining a residence permit, renting is not always a good idea.
Thirdly, there are some features of life and construction that you may not know, try to make inquiries about how life works in the country and even the specific region where you are going to move. (Living in rented housing, by the way, will also help a lot with this). For example, if we saw wooden floors somewhere, we could “sink” on them, and we ourselves wanted to make them, but the truth of life is that here it is very impractical due to high humidity, and we could it’s hard to get stuck with them, although this is not the worst thing. And there are no window sills here, they are external to reduce heat transfer between the street and the house in the summer heat (I hope I formulated it correctly). Well, many other moments are unusual and not ideal for me. All this saddens me, but it is a given that there is little point in fighting. You can even build your house from scratch according to your own design, but in the end it may not meet local requirements dictated by the climate and peculiarities of communications.
Fourthly, the procedure for buying a house was not very difficult for us, thanks to our excellent realtor, through whom almost all the houses in our village are sold. He spoke English, and I was able to conduct all the negotiations myself, without an interpreter. But if you do not know the language, I think that a translator will not hurt you very much - when signing, and even for a preliminary translation of the contract. Most likely, you will first sign a pre-contract and pay some kind of security deposit, which will burn out if you change your mind. And do not forget to take into account all the costs of taxes, notary fees, etc., which in total will amount to more than 10% of the property value. If you are interested in a mortgage, then its conditions will depend on the region where you buy real estate, on the willingness of local banks to work with Russians, their familiarity with Russian “paper” (I can’t even imagine how it is now). In our village it turned into such an epic that we abandoned this idea, despite the favorable conditions.
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ARE YOU ALONE?
This is one of the most important questions. In general, no. I am an introvert, I feel good alone with myself, my husband is my best friend, and we understand each other well in most fundamental issues, and also respect each other's right to personal time. I need it. A lot of it, to be honest. It is quite difficult for me to be surrounded by people for a long time. Social isolation is our conscious choice. Of course, from time to time I need communication, I love my family and friends, I miss them, I like meeting new people, and I lack quality communication and leisure time together. Of course, in an ideal world, all my loved ones would be next to me (and not me with them). But this burdens me less than the need to constantly be among the people, which is in Moscow. In the end, you can always buy a plane ticket and fly to Russia or go somewhere on a trip with a friend - everything is surmountable.
UPD: Over time, I began to miss regular communication with loved ones more, but it was also easier to relate to new contacts. Everything flows, everything changes.
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DO YOU KNOW THE LANGUAGE? HOW DOES SOCIALIZATION GO?
More to the question of socialization. No, I practically do not know the language. I am ashamed. All these years I am ashamed to answer this question, I myself am horrified by this. But the truth is, I don't really need it yet. I don't seek to socialize and hardly ever find myself in situations where I need to communicate, and not just ask how much oranges cost (I can). In general, while I have no motivation. I think that as soon as it appears, the issue will be magically resolved - I'm pretty good with languages, and I think that everything will be fine :)
I don’t use local services, I don’t go to any clubs of interest, circles, etc., etc. I have nowhere to communicate and meet people. I don't feel like making local friends just yet, I think that will change over time. But now I don’t need it, and I don’t have an urgent need to apply for any services either. I am not a frequent client of all these magical places in Russia either. Therefore, I cannot compare either the health care system or the bureaucracy (oh, it is here, it is called in one word mañana, that is, tomorrow, and tomorrow is not the next day after today, it is some indefinite day in the future).
Did I already warn you that I'm probably the worst person in the world to discuss emigration with? :) Now believe me?
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WHAT DO YOU LIKE AND DON'T LIKE ABOUT SPAIN? WHAT IS DIFFERENT FROM RUSSIA?
I have already written a lot about what I like. This is the climate (although a humid, even, I would say, wet local winter tends to be exhausting), this is an incredible variety of nature (the Spaniards don’t really travel around the world, but why? Everything is here!), This is the simplicity of life, these are fresh food and clean air. This is a measured life and just another level of basic comfort and tranquility, at least as I understand them.
At many points I cannot speak about Spain in general, how difficult it is to speak in general and about Russia, for example. All the more strange to compare the capital of Russia and the Spanish village. And in general, “notes of an emigrant” and all these observations and comparisons are not my path. I know what I know, and I don't know much. Where I live, I miss the cultural life a lot. We live in an agricultural resort area, and although 150 km from Seville, for example, is not such a distance, it is not the same as taking a taxi or metro. Yes, and Seville, dearly loved by me, is not Moscow. I really, really miss cute places with an idea - the Spaniards are very undemanding to the surroundings, most of the establishments are traditionally decorated and cannot boast of the originality of the menu. And I just don’t have enough of something within walking distance, although I have the ocean within walking distance, and this is cooler.
There are not enough interesting projects, courses or master classes (to have a reason to learn the language, in particular). There is ashtanga yoga, horseback riding, surfing, languages or guitar and flamenco classes, from all this magical list, only horses attract me, but I'm still a little afraid and I'm maturing for now.
It can also be difficult to buy something - it is almost impossible to find relatively non-standard furniture, clothes, cosmetics and much more in our district, you need to order delivery or go somewhere far away. With delivery, our relationship is tense, I like to feel everything, so I also suffer a little about this.
I also hate Spanish food. Well, yes, many write that they like it, but usually, upon further questioning, it all comes down to jamon and gazpacho. I can't eat in local restaurants, and every time I have a tasty meal in Spain, it becomes a special date on the calendar (as long as there are only a couple of them). I cook at home 3 times a day, and outside the house we eat only when necessary. It's hard sometimes. But even pizza from a box, which I occasionally break out of laziness, is better for me than local food. May all connoisseurs and lovers forgive me, even if I don’t know how to choose and I have bad taste. Well, this is my blog and my experience :)
But the undeniable advantage of local (and any European, in my opinion) public catering over Moscow is an adequate markup on drinks, and it will not be easy to drink away a fortune in bars here :) By the way, here you can also drive after a mug of beer or a glass of wine, here. Not very relevant for me, because I don’t drink much and don’t drive a car, but it’s a fact!
I miss, of course, many of the products to which I am accustomed. But I have almost adjusted. Everyone suffers according to a completely standard set of kefir, Borodino bread, buckwheat and borscht :) In general, I have something like that, only I don’t like borscht, but my bourgeois soul yearns for red caviar. It is also difficult here with good tea, as well as in general with the culture of tea drinking. So I always need good green tea and you can always give it to me, send it and all that. But the abundance of fresh seasonal fruits grown somewhere 30 kilometers from the store, fresh fish and seafood - all this I really like. Well, and good coffee from every iron for connoisseurs.
I especially suffer from the lack of central heating and the inability to heat the house with appliances (it's not that expensive, it's really not very possible, since the heat easily escapes - this is how these houses are designed, based on a hot summer). Also, there is always little sun for me in the house, even in summer, well, it’s like turning a house, ours was clearly built by connoisseurs of coolness :) In other areas, in apartment buildings, in new houses, the situation may be somewhat different, but electricity will always be expensive, and always heat will be out of budget. If someone else has never come across a fireplace in reality and believes that they can heat it, then I’ll upset you - it’s more about the surroundings and about warming up by the fire.
UPD: We recently installed a cast-iron fireplace, it changed the situation somewhat, it became warmer with it, and we adapted a little, +17 in the room is quite comfortable for us. When I come to Moscow, I get exhausted from dryness and heat in the rooms.
Spaniards are incredibly noisy. I think everyone who has been to Spain knows this. Sometimes you hear - a swarm of bees is buzzing, you look closely - 2-3 people are talking, but they literally create a noise curtain. This, of course, has its own charm, but in general, I love silence :) And I'm glad that we live in a quiet corner of the village. On the other hand, goodwill and readiness to help or enter into a non-binding dialogue and constant smiles - this, in contrast to Moscow, is very pleasant. Well, no matter what they say about southern sluggishness, I didn’t see sleepy clumps at the box office or “chenado”-aunts in the windows, they work quickly enough and always kindly. Here is another problem - you can always be distracted by chatting or lisping with someone else's child, and everyone is extremely loyal to this. The queue will never be nervous and rush because of this; rather, they will join the conversation. Spaniards and I have a different sense of time and its value, so I learn to breathe out and not rush at such moments.
And you know about the siesta. Well, lunchtime nap from 2 to 5. I used to happily tease lazy Spaniards. But the reality is that in the summer it is really hot during the day so that it is impossible to do anything. And sleeping under air conditioning is the only sure way to get through this time and continue to be active in the evening and night when the heat subsides. Working hours here start early, often Friday is a short day, before lunch. Nothing is open on Sunday except restaurants. You also need to get used to this. The need to plan all purchases and trips somewhere in advance is not a skill worked out in Moscow, because everything is available there 24/7. But now I have almost rebuilt and just live like that.
I would like to say more about the Spaniards, but ... well, you remember :)
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In general, you probably understand that it is theoretically possible to live in much the same way, only with snow and Russian cheese in the Moscow region or somewhere deeper. The main thing is not to turn on the TV, just as we do not turn it on here either. But for some reason I like it better here - with the ocean and Manchego cheese. And the point, of course, is not only in cheese, but also, for example, in the reasons why this cheese is not on supermarket shelves. I am never about politics and not about patriotism, and I will not support these discussions if they suddenly arise. I respect any choice you make and I ask you to respect the one I have made. I am sure that everyone has their own place on Earth, it does not have to match the place of birth in the passport. And it seems to me that every person has the right and should strive to feel harmony in his life. Here I feel it, despite all the "buts". And I wish you the same with all my heart.
I probably didn’t say anything about it, because I had already stopped noticing it as something special. If you have any questions, write, and I will answer them here if possible, and at the same time I will supplement the post. Thanks to all those who have mastered, who are with me and who support me when that same loneliness rolls in (extremely rare, but it happens to me too). This blog is one of the most powerful things that support me and open a “window to the world”, motivate me to work on myself and my life. You are my great inspiration and stimulus, and I am grateful for every letter and comment with kind words, for all the warmth that you give me, and for the changes that you make in your life, maybe with the very drop of my participation!
P.S.: The first photo was taken by my dear Marina Muravnik, and I clumsily processed it, and the rest are from my archive.
