Sometimes we don’t know what we are missing until we are not living in a place and we get as the Spanish say “Nostalgia” otherwise known as "Homesickness". However, the reverse is also true, you can discover some new delights when you move to live in a place and Spain has plenty of delights for you of course. So for your delectation today I went back to a post I wrote back in the good old days of the early 2010s to let you know some of the things you can look forward to when you come to live in Spain or even when you buy a holiday home over here. Take a look and tell us some other things you would add.
Society
Thatcher famously said "there's no such thing as society" and Spain ignored her completely as we knew she was a batshit crazy mf. Society is what makes Spanish life work. We know our neighbours, we have our corner bar, we speak to the people working in the local shops and the Spanish famously move to be near their work or find jobs near their home (See below about cars). We have never sought to demean community, togetherness and social stuctures like the Milk Snatcher did because that is what society is and what it means. Spain is the big society as seen during the Dana floods outside Valencia where everyone pulled together to help and continue to do so.
Society works; socialised medicine, socialised sports and facilities, socialised events, and even the social bonding that the festivals, religious and otherwise bring. Spain remembers that society is a thing for good and doesn't try to destroy it. You miss it after being here when you go back to a place without it being part of the very fabric of life like it is here.
Spanish Jamón
Spanish Ham is one of the great joys of living in Spain. It is a part of the daily ritual, the most common tapa or bocadillo, and part of the fiestas (You have not arrived in Spain until your boss, company or a member of the family gets you a Jamón at Xmas along with the Cava.) Jamón is a totally different beast from boiled ham, steamed ham or even bacon. It's also the reason you don't really see bacon here. Why waste good Jamón on preparing it in any other way!
Persianas
Ahhhhh the beauty of sleep! You may have noticed it gets very sunny and bright in Spain and at times that can mean it getting light early in the morning when you desperately need some sleep after a night on the tiles. "Persianas" were born for this, "blinds" for the uninitiated. Not for the Spanish the inconvenience of the sun coming up, if you want total blackout conditions so that you wake up at 2 in the afternoon and you think it is still early morning (After going to bed at 5am) then the persianas on the windows are the best thing ever invented. Especially useful for students and shift workers who would otherwise never be able to sleep. They also serve a dual purpose of being an insulator for the house to keep out the heat or even... to keep in the heat when cold.
Not Having to Have a Car
I have said it before and I will say it again, if the average Spaniard could then they would live above their work and have a fireman’s pole to their desk, they would have a bar, a tobacconist's and a supermarket on their block and they would never leave that block except in cases of dire, dire emergency.
This means that Spanish cities have been built up and are therefore very compact. Valencia, a city of almost 1 million people can be crossed on foot in about an hour, maybe an hour and a bit, if you don't stop to speak to everyone, and bikes, the bus, the metro system and the local trains mean that if you live in the city you do not need a car. And really that is a good job because finding a parking place can be like the proverbial needle in a haystack and buying or renting a parking space can considerably deplete your bank account.
Coffee
I have never understood the existence of Starbucks in Spain. Go to any greasy spoon cafe in any one horse town in Spain and you will get a better cup of coffee at a third of the price of the sugar and cream-fest masquerading as coffee in that horrible place (OK they have free wifi I know but doesn't almost everywhere now?) However you take your coffee; Cortado, Americano or even a relaxing cup of Cafe con Leche in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid it is infinitely better than in Starbucks (Just be careful of the Torrefacto muck and don't go to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Madrid for a coffee. Walk 100m in any direction from there and it will cost less than half)
Timings
Getting up later, eating lunch in mid afternoon, waiting until almost bedtime before even venturing out for an evening meal, making sure to fit a siesta in at some stage during the day and finding all of the shops closed for three hours during the day before going to bed at some indeterminate time in the wee small hours, those are the Spanish timings of life. If we add into this the lack of timekeeping, if you arrange to meet at one you best tell the other person to be there at 12.30 if you want them to arrive before 2, then you will understand that Spain is different.
Living an Outdoor Lifestyle
Sitting on a terrace bar having a coffee, a vermut, a pincho, a clara or a GinTonic is the most normal thing on Earth. Why use the six coffee machines you have at home when you can support the local economy by going to your local bar and have a shouting match with a friend or six over the noise of a “Maquina Tragaperras” in the corner (Fruit machine for the uninitiated)? You may also like this article about the role of the Spanish bar from Brendan Boyle in Galicia. Go on click the link and maybe subscribe to his substack for more good stuff like this.
Where's The Ñ on my Computer?
Once you are outside of Spain the Ñ disappears from everywhere, the Ñ is something almost unique to the Spanish language. You sort of miss it when you are away because it is an essential part of España of course. Well let me give you a tip, on the iPhone and iPad you just press and hold the N to get the option and I believe it is “Alt-164″ or something like that on a PC. My Mac was bought here so of course has an Ñ on the keyboard along with the € sign on the E.
Light
You can wear shades all day without looking affected in Spain so your Raybans are a fashion accessory. In fact they are a necessity if you don’t want to spend all day squinting and increasing your wrinkle count when you get a bit older. This is especially true in the winter with a low sun going straight into your eyes. And of course the light means less depression, no seasonal affective disorder in most of Spain, more “Alegría” and more of that lovely outdoor lifestyle. Saying that, as I write this it's raining and the light just isn't there.
La Sobremesa
The what! The period after a meal when you don’t just get up and go if out and about or get up and do the dishes if at home, the Sobremesa is when you discuss business, school with the kids, holidays, plans, gossip, life, the Universe and everything and more and it can go on for hours… and you know the best thing it usually includes wine, brandy, coffees, chocolates, cakes and a whole host of other wondrous things, in fact it can often last into the next meal if done correctly but that's mostly at weekends. How do you know it's over? Well that's when the mobiles come out and you start sharing internet memes.
Pipas
(One That May Not Move the Dial For You. It Doesn't For Me)
An acquired habit I know but once you have it you have it for life. When I first came to Spain I couldn’t find a Mars Bar anywhere and I was distraught (Yeah I know, I'm healthier now). I just saw people everywhere eating birdseed. How wrong I was. Sunflower seeds in their shell are not only sustenance but also a Spanish way of life. Go to any football match and instead of nails being bitten there are thousands of fans around you sitting eating their Pipas and spitting the husks onto the floor and don't forget the bocadillo in foil to be eaten at half time... AND ONLY HALF TIME! As I once remarked the difference between a park bench in the UK and Spain are the piles of Pipa shells on the floor in Spain, oh and the heat and comfort.
So these are some of our suggestions, the things we would really miss if we weren't already living here. What other things would you include in your things that you would miss about Spain if you weren’t here? Or if you are not here what is it about the Spanish lifestyle you are looking forward to the most? There's certainly plenty to look forward to for sure.
My Interview on Times Radio About Tax
Last week I was interviewed on BBC Radio Five Live about the proposed new tax on properties and over the weekend I was interviewed by Times Radio. Here is the recording of that one for you in audio and video format.
Competition Winners
Here are Matt and Ruth with their prizes for winning our Christmas Quiz. For those of you who might notice Matt had an advantage as his house was the first answer!
*Question 1* Which film starring Michael Douglas is used as a theme in a description?
The War of the Roses
*Question 2* Why are England Fans Special?
Because they boo their own players taking the knee.
*Question 3* How Many Game Shows are mentioned in one of the Descriptions?
17
*Question 4* In "Concrete Advice" we talk about flaky concrete but what is the Spanish name for this condition?
Aluminosis is the answer (and nobody got it right)
*Question 5* How many of our descriptions mention the Orange Sh*tgibbon, Liar in Chief, and now two time President of the Good Old US of A?
4 - "The Idealist", "Politics and debates", "Rare" and "International super villian"
*Question 6* What does "Best Viewed in Person" mean in Estate Agent Lingo?
FFS those photos are awful and this place has potential, it's not the finished article
*Question 7* Which outlandish conspiracy theory is mentioned in two of our descriptions?
Both 'chemtrails' and ''birds dont exist' are mentioned in "The Idealist" and "The Naquera hills have eyes". (Indeed but Chemtrails isn't a conspiracy theory according to so many not-at-all-crazy people ;-))
*Question 8* What links Gareth Bale and Eric Moussambani?
Pool, Garden, House in that order (Yep, both mentioned in that description)
*Question 9* What's the Valencian word for Brunch?
Almuerzo
*Question 10* Why would Thatcher love me? (Graham that is, boss of Valencia Property)
Because he left the country to work in the single market she adored and promoted and he set up a business as an entrepreneur in another country. (And it pains me so much believe me that I would give her even a sliver of pleasure)
*Question 11* Which of the Descriptions is Your Favourite? (We want to know what people like, just give us the title)
A very big house in the country
You can read more of our descriptions here and see what we are talking about. They're fun
Controversial Description of the Week
2025 is under way, Genocide Joe has packed up his bags, and stumbled off into the sunset. And what’s coming is worse apparently (although 60.000 Palestinians might beg to differ, if they weren’t dead already). And you’re still scrolling through properties on the other side of the Atlantic. Will I go live in Spain, won’t I?
Appetite whetted for controversy? Read the rest of the description here and you can also see the rest of the images.
Property of the Week
Well we just listed an excellent property near the current, soon to be old Mestalla stadium so why not give you another choice right next to the soon to be new (nou) Mestalla. Not so close that you will be bombarded by hooligans screaming in your face wanting to know if you think Lim should or should not go home (If this scenario ever arises you say “yes, he should definitely go home”), but close enough that should you wish to go see this dumpster fire of a football team play in their shiny new home then it’s a quick 10 minute jaunt.
The property itself is a nice sized duplex with a great private terrace at the front and some communal space at the back including a swimming pool that is accessible 24h 365 days of the year and a little playground for the kids / drunk adults to enjoy. Built in the early 2000’s, it has 4 bedrooms but personally I would extend my kitchen into the downstairs bedroom and keep the 3 beds upstairs, a parking space and a storage room to boot. It is located on an avenue that sees a fair bit of traffic, but you have complete privacy, and the sound really isn’t intrusive at all.
This is one of the newer areas of the city, which for a while seemed a bit isolated. Not the case anymore though, there is plenty of local bars and restaurants to choose from and with this new stadium will come even more investment and infrastructure. And the cherry on top is you may see one or two of us working our core at the local outdoor gym right next to you. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to that sight?
If You Liked This Then There's More...
Just click on the images below to be taken to more properties and articles. And if you want to contact us to find your place in Valencia then make sure to send us a mail.
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