What I like about Spain:

1. Chocolate con Churro at any local café in the morning or anytime I can get it.
2. Sampling pastries in any of a number of pasterias just blocks away in the neighborhood like a child in a candy store.
3. Clementinas
4. Cafe solo
5. Cafe con leche
6. The Paradores
7. Sagrada familia
8. Cochinillo at the Duque in Segovia (I know it's overrated and expensive compared to other Spanish restaurants. But it's no more expensive than a regular run of the mill one in the US. But for a suckling pig? No way!)
9. Fighting for the cook's attention and fending off other customers to get my bocadillo de caramares near the small shop at Plaza Mayor in Madrid.
10. Acueducto(Segovia)
11. Catedral(Segovia)
12. Acazar(Segovia)
13. Jamons and tapas in museo del jamon and other bars.
14. For the price of McDonald's in the US, I can enjoy a full course menu dias in a variety of restaurants in downtown Madrid, complete with appetizer, entree, dessert and vino de casa.
15. Same deal in any country inn.
16. Enjoying free concert performances by the Ecuadorian musical groups near Puerta del Sol in Madrid and Plaza de Catalunya in Barcelona
17. Knowing the pickpockets only got my notebook instead of my wallet. After coolly telling them what they got has no value whatsoever to them, they timidly returned it to me.
18. An ice cold Estrella cervesa
19. Conos (soft ice cream cones) at McDonald's for 50 pesetas (about 25 cents). My son and daughter's favorite. They seem to want to get one whereever we come across a McDonald's.
20. Roasted castanas on the side walk.
21. Ribeira do Miño (a seafood restuarant on Calle de Santa Bridiga in Madrid) for a seafood festival of shrimps, crabs, barnacles (Yes. barnacles) and its very special Ribeira white, which comes in bottle without labels. Plus the Galician drink, Queimada Gallega, which comes in a flaming pot. And get this, all for less than $10 per person. (Thank you, Antonio, for sending us to this place near Hostal Chelo. I know crabs and barnacles are not for everyone. For seafood lovers, you have to go to this restuarant.)

I could go on and on...and this is only after one week in Spain in three cities, Barcelona, Segovia and Madrid.

Is there a reason to not like Spain?

1. I need some advise how to shed 7 pounds of weight gain in just one week in Spain. Or should I abandon my wardrobe?
2. My sneakers still has some residual dog waste left on the sidewalks in the streets of Barcelona and Madrid by the owners who never seem to pick up after their best friend.


coxinga

[Added a link to the Ribeira do Miño restaurant. Please, tell them where you found out about the restaurant]

[This message has been edited by Antonio (edited 11-16-2000).]

Loved your post - and don't worry about gaining weight - as long as you walk everywhere and whenever possible - the extra pounds don't seem to appear. Perhaps it has something to do with a change in sleep patterns - but I actually loose weight in Spain - and, believe me, I eat!

I was really surprised by your comment on "residual dog waste" - what a proper and discreet way to phrase it -in Madrid. I am always amazed at the frequency and competency of the street cleaners - early mornings - siesta time - and then again late afternoon/early evenings. Have things changed that much in the past 10 months?

You are right about the number of pets - and all of them seem to be well behaved - did you notice how many are not on leashes and do stay with their owners?

you know the opposite happened to me when i was there for a month, i lost 10 pounds, it must have been all the dancing and walking i did. Also my diet completely changed when i was there, cause i eat differently here in Los Angeles so i am sure that contributes alot to weight loss or gain.

------------------
Spain Page!! Check it out! http://www.geocities.com/missmadrid98

Thanks for your Pros & Cons posting, coxinga! I agree with nearly all of your pros. And like you Puna and missmadrid98, I too usually LOSE weight when in Spain and I must eat at least TWICE as much there than here in the USA. But, as you've said, all that walking, climbing of stairs, STANDING while eating lunch or drinking drinks, ALWAYS on the move will burn fat/calories like crazy! And, try lugging around a 35 pound video camera bag all day too! Now, unfortunately, I'm back to my usual routine of eating light portions, sitting in front of the computer all day and night, and getting little exercise.

Glad you had a wonderful, belt-loosening time in Spain! Now, to make it all complete, the next time you'll have to add an española to your arm. Wah Wah Wah! (said Chachi to Fonzie)

Saludos, MadridMan

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 11-16-2000).]

man o man...

i miss all the walking and standing and "work" that it requires to get around all day in madrid...

like you, MM, i too sit on me a$$ in front of computers all day and then go home and do the same... lighter meals and portions are the key... but i just can't cut a caña or two of beer y un vaso de vino cada dia...

what i like about spain:
most things (suppose i could be more descriptive...?)

what i dislike about spain:
smog in madrid (like here in LA)

Love this thread!
May I add to the list? No need to ask because I'm doing it anyway!
I agree with everything above, plus:
granizado de límon on a hot summer day.
All the flavors of helado at Palazo on Gran Vía.
Café con leche anywhere
fresh zumo, too.
One can go on and on...did I mention café con leche?

I eat about 1000 calories more per day in spain than in the U.S> and only gain a few pounds, which i do not regret. I try to take it easy at cena time, concentrating most of my calories in the day! What I like about Madrid (Galicia is another book!): the excitement of people out, everywhere, always; the concentration of amazing places to see within walking distance; the food and drink, anywhere, most everywhere; the fast, efficient metro; newspapers, cafe, and hours to enjoy! What I don't like: on a hot summer day, being in a neighborhood where you don't know a place to eat and walking and walking and being tired!; the touristy places that rip you off, or try; realizing that your short walk back to the hotel is really a half hour, after your meal, and you are tired and a little drunk (!); staying up til 3, too much wine, and having to get up at 8 for that morning flight!!!

I love the breeze from the Guadarrama mountains.

I love the sound of my churchbell in El Escorial ringing every hour.

I love to stand in front of the Monastery in El Escorial in the middle of the night with the moon shining behind it hearing nothing but the breeze.

I love to have cafe con leche at an outdoor cafe.

I love to watch little kids play soccer.

I love to hear the Spaniards yell at each other while they are driving

I love to sit around in chairs in a bar in sevilla and clap my hands and sing sevillanas over and over again.

I love the fact you can smoke in the bank and the guy giving you your money is smoking too.

I love all the passion and life Spain has to offer. I'm coming home baby, i'm coming home!

------------------
Spain Page!! Check it out! http://www.geocities.com/missmadrid98

[This message has been edited by missmadrid98 (edited 11-16-2000).]

Oh man. I just got all choked up

Things I love about Spain, part 2: flying over the meseta and landing under that clear blue sky in Barajas; watching a hotly contested soccer match at the local bar; no drinking age (for all practical purposes), says my son!!; the fact that people do NOT smile at you all the time (SMILE! say the gringos); Spanish women's style; going back to a bar or restaurant 2 times and being treated as a regular; the enthusiasm of people for their towns. Ah, Spain! good thing i am going in less than 2 months...

Reading Part 2 I got teary eyed - you called it right down to the breeze and kids - It's so easy to accept the fact we all love and miss Spain and to joke about things we miss and kind of bide our time til we get on the next plane. And then I read something that just hits home - and cry like a baby.

-a cafe con leche

-walking through the patio de los naranjos in cordoba's mezquita. having one of the gardeners throw me an orange as they harvested them. and ahhhh..that sweet smell of the blossoms as you wandered the streets.

-being made to look ridiculous while trying to play football with a group of ten year olds in el escorial. i must have made all of them look like pele.

-a bit of tio pepe and gambas a la plancha.

-a walk through madrid's plaza mayor at 1am through the cold night air.

-and i too must agree on flying into barajas. seeing that moody, mysterious landscape of the meseta. can still clearly see all of its hues of brown, gold, red, amber.

-mazapan from toledo

Okay, I can't resist responding to this thread. It is so good to know that all of us have been swept off our feet by this place, especially when people at home don't understand. What do I miss so much?

*dos besos
*a fountain or statue in every plaza, and a plaza every few blocks
*watching generations of families taking their evening stroll
*stopping for "pastas" on the way home, and the way the baker wraps them for you
*knowing that no matter how much you have to do, you can't get it done during siesta, so you have to relax
*taking a nap in the park
*cafe con leche - none of this $4 for coffee at Starbucks thing
*sangria!
*meeting people, talking, and dancing until the metro opens again
*abuelas with their abanicos in church

I could go on forever, I'm sure we all could. I know I left a piece of myself in Spain and I have to go back to get it! Thanks for the chance to share!

Here's my dos duros:

-O.N.C.E. vendors with their familiar cries of "Me queda para hoy"
-La lotería de Nochebuena, and the little chicos singing "125.000 pesetas"
-Petardos on Nochevieja, no matter where you are
-The light mist that permeates the air in Santiago de Compostela about 300 days out of the year, and mixes with the mystic feel of the old quarter
-Ochos
-Palmeras con nata
-tortilla de patata, in a bocadillo or out, it's the best!!!
-Hórreos in Asturias, and the surrounding countryside...(you must see Covadonga)
-Little old men in their black boinas and canes walking together in the parks discussing world issues and soccer matches
-Little old ladies with their shopping carts full of great bread and fresh produce for that day's mediodía comida.
-croquetas
-jamón serrano and jamón de jabugo..¡ñam ñam!
-Reading Quixote under the windmills at Consuegra
-Reading Unamuno in the ageless classrooms at the Universidad de Salamanca, and touching the names, like a blind man discovering an unknown texture, that are carved in its benches.
-Homemade queso, made by loving family tucked away high in the Pyrenees
-The way every Spaniard always has room for one more friend on their social calendar

That's it...I'm buying a ticket!!

The one thing I hate about Spain: LEAVING

What a great thread! I have been touched by all the sentiments. I take solace that there are many others who share the love of Spain.

Likes:

The smell of Seville...was it orange blossoms? it smelled wonderful the whole time we were there.

Cafe cortado (less milk than con leche)

Pimientos al padron

Jamon!

Ice cold fino Sherry available everywhere

Strolling. Which in turn means losing weight, even after eating so much!

Tapas. For someone like me, who loves to taste a little of everything, it was a dream come true!

Not understanding the babble around us in bars and on the street, so you could imagine that everyone was having a deep and interesting conversation, and not just talking about their laundry or something.

The history. The art. The people. The whole vibe.

Dislikes:

All the smoke

The dog droppings on all the cobblestones in Jewish and Gothic quarters (especially Granada)

Being nervous about pickpockets and rosemary toting women

Having to leave.And not knowing when I'll be back.

part 3: sitting on a bench by the Catedrales in Salamanca at sunset, watching the storks (YES, storks!) swoop in and out. Catching an organ concert in the Catedral Nueva. Going to the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca around 8 to watch the women and men circle the plaza like they have done for hundreds of years. In Santiago, seeing the pilgrams make their way to the Catedral for the mass. Walking down the Rua do Franco and seeing the great seafood in every window. In Santander: the Sardinero beach on a cloudy day when it's just you and a few old people walking. Going to the Universidad Menendez Pelayo and seeing the likes of Mario Vargas Llosa. In Trujillo: hiking up to the castillo and looking at the lovely town below, then going to the Plaza Mayor for a cerveza and some chanquetes fritos. In Zamora: going into Romanesque church after church, finishing with lunch at the parador. In La Corunya: hearing the fish auction on the dock at 6 am. Should I go on? Or just go there???

sigh.......I loved reading this post especially when I got to what missmadrid wrote......
every post brought back so many memories and i agree with all of them especially with the worst part being "LEAVING".
and i guess if that is the worst part, then the best part would be arriving ha, ha. and so many other things that i can't think of to list.
thanks everyone for sharing.

Waaaaaahh... <bawling like a baby> You guys!! As if we need MORE reasons to miss Spain! <sniff! sniff! Talk about having GROUP therapy!! hehehe..> Okay. You started this.. Now here's mine (probably some of those you have already mentioned):

* the 5-seconds before and the first touch of the Barajas runway (I literally, nearly cried...after having passed 18 months since my last trip in 1999)
* walking through an empty Plaza Mayor in Madrid at 4am after a visit to the Chureria San Gines
* walking through Huertas in Madrid during the day, consciously taking a turn down an unknown street and wondering how I missed such a gem in past visits
* seeing people napping in the sun on the steps of the momument to Alfonso XII which lead down to the lake in Retiro Park in Madrid
* Walking down an orange tree lined street in Córdoba and noticing.... Hmmm... that oh-so-sweet citric smell
* Hearing shouts, looking up, and seeing two older house-smock-wearing women talking passionately about something from their balconies across the street from one another
* The golden glow of the buildings, particularly that which holds the Tio Pepe neon sign, in Puerta del Sol at sunset
* A springtime sunrise over the terra cota rooftops in Madrid
* A bocadillo de calamares and a caña @ El Brillante in Madrid while watching the bar-man shouting food orders to the cook
* A nighttime/springtime drive through Casa de Campo in Madrid to "see the sights" along with a caravan of 100+ other gawkers
* A smartly dressed mother pushing a stroller
* A generation of children happier outside playing soccer in the street/park with friends than holed up indoors in front of a computer
* The 3-hour dinner with great food, long converstation, and a waiter who is in no hurry to get you out in order to make way for the next tipping customer
* Getting a pretty smile from a pretty madrileña you pass on the street
* Having the Spanish friends of your Spanish friends treat you like a friend and not like a tourist
* Waking up in the home of a Spanish family and being treated like a prince by the 75-year old mother of the house

I doubt anyone "got misty" with mine, but these are things that cross my mind at least every hour of every day. Hope we all make it back to Spain someday SOON!!!

Saludos, MadridMan

You couldn't have said it better Madridman! I really enjoyed "reliving" all these memories today....Keep them coming!!!!!

- In Sevilla - looking at a three floor home that was being refurbished/restored and seeing maniquins on the lanais dressed in various construction garb and all wearing hard hats and holding construction & architecture implements (MM, if I knew how would love to share this photo)-
- The elderly couples walking arm in arm, with such dignity and love, through every park and plaza in Spain
- The incredible blue of the Spanish sky -
- The feeling of "I'm home again" that comes more strongly with each arrival ....

Wow! When I read the posts from people who are not in Spain right now I can sense the longing to return in their messages so much!

I'm English and have lived in Spain for fourteen years or so, but I'm glad to say I don't take life here for granted, for all the reasons given by everyone here and a lot more besides.

I feel privileged to be able to enjoy what you all yearn for. I hope you can come back soon and enjoy it too.

This is off-topic, but Puna I had to smile when I saw the word "lanais".

LOVE = cocido madrileño on a chilly grey Madrid afternoon.

LOVE = the HUGE christmas display on the back of El Corte Ingles in La puerta del sol. The entire building is decorated with elves scaling down the building and the whole thing is just lit up!

LOVE = sitting down and taking a break on one of the hundreds of thousands of park benches which can be found everywhere.

DISLIKE = Trying to get back to the apartment when you're tired and realized that you will have to walk 3 miles and negotiate 3 metro line changes and walk some more before you are back.

DISLIKE = Carrying everything on my person that I'll need for the day.

Leche

ILOVEMADRID - you know the old saying - you can take the girl/guy out of "da" islands but you can't take the islands out "a da" girl/guy! Glad you enjoyed!

I REALLY wish I was in Spain right now. Seeing that so many people have the same fond memories further confirms the trance that Spain has cast upon us. Without being too repetitive here are some of my likes:

- Seeing the sun set in San Sebastian or from Plaza San Nicholas in Granada

- Speaking to the friendly taxi drivers

- Sangria and Cafe con Leche (both worthy of repetition)

- watching a Real Madrid match in a local bar

- the overall feeling of bliss I had when I was on Spanish soil

- el paseo along the rio guadalquivir in Sevilla

- wandering through Parc Guell

- my "last meal" in Spain: gazpacho y merluza a la plancha

WOW! What a great thread. Here I go:

*Sunset on the beach in Cadiz, seeing the Atlantic from the OTHER side for the first time.

*Another sunset, this one in Ronda, from the courtyard of the Parador, and watching night settle in over the broad valley over which it looks.

*Feria de Abril in Sevilla, and a Spanish couple there who have a second cousin in Chicago, and so bought me fino and cervezas the whole night long.

*Fiesta de San Isidro in Madrid, a city-wide party.

* Small craftsman's shops in Sevilla and Cordoba.

*In Sevilla, strolling through the Jardines de Murillo after a night of flamenco, and smelling the huge, fragrant dentura flowers.

* Flower festooned balconies in every city.

*The fantastic fresh orange juice! (seriously!)

* Spanish people (of course)

(P.S.= The reason you eat more in Spain and LOSE weight is because the food in Spain is fresh, and not overly processed with added salt, fat, preservatives and other chemicals like here in the USA. =) )

About eating in Spain and not gaining weight--at least in Madrid, I always thought it was because of the exercise of climbing the many steps up and down to the Metro.
Cantabene

in all honesty cantabene, i haven't a clue as to what makes us lose weight in spain.i know when i was there for a month last year i ended up losing about 12lbs. rather odd phenomenon considering i certainly consumed far more high calorie/high fat food while there. all the vigourous walking, climbing, dancing and general "being on the move" certainly would spike anyone's metabolism. especailly for those who are used to drving to get from one place to another.

What I like of Spain? Family, food, Entertainment, Friends, clothes, Art, History, Smiles...
What I don't like? Terrorism, economy, Job situation...

After reading most of the messages describing what they like about Spain, I am counting the days I will be visiting Spain. I have made copies all messages from the board that will guide me when I am in Spain. Although my daughter has been in Spain since July, I am making my own plans of places I would like to do and see. I am 50 years old and my personal guide is 20 years old. I hope I will have enjoy Spain.

Happy Thanksgiving to all wonderful members of this forum.

Nicholeye--losing weight in Spain, assuming you have arrived there from the USA, may in part be a result of the difference in hours. Arriving in Spain with its advance in time, one is always too early for meals, and not always hungry at mealtimes, at least at first.

Too, the necessity of being always on the move, or of not have a fridge to raid could be additional factors.

This small theory of mine has gained some credibility upon observing that when returning westward to the USA one is always too late for meals--always hungry, eats too much when mealtime finally arrives, and puts the weight right back on. Could be?
Cantabene

I guess I am the odd man out here. I lost wait the first few weeks, all that walking, but then by the end of the year had put on at least 10-15 pounds (all of us girls gained some weight, actually). I drank a lot more than I usually do, and regularly ate bread and pasteles from the pastelerias.

When I travel, I always lose a few pounds due to the constant moving, and precocupation with SEEING stuff. Also, budget travel means not having a lot of extra cash for snacking...

Now that I am marinating in nostalgia, I may as well share...

What I loved best about Spain

*Opening my window for a breazy afternoon siesta and listening to my neighbors chattering and cooking

*Sipping a vino tinto in the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca while the sun sets and the lights come up

*Watching dignified older couples walking arm in arm during the afternoon paseo

*Feeling the history of a place from the cobblestones under your feet to the top of the cathedrals.

*Seeing Barcelona for the first time

*Walking in Santiago de Compostela and hearing bagpipes.

*The deliciously cool, shaded streets in Sevilla and Cordoba.

*San Sebastian on a misty and rainy afternoon.

*Driving along and seeing a chunky old castle in the middle of nowhere, inviting that childlike desire to run around and climb in it, playing house.

*Starting an impromptu soccer match by the puente romano with the neighborhood boys(and occassionally, grazing sheep) - then seeing the shock on their faces when when one of my girl friends outplays them.

*The church in Leon that was playing Gregorian chants when my Mom and I went in, and had the most beautiful stained glass windows.

*The way the trees branches grow right into eachother in Burgos, as if they are holding hands.

*Dancing and laughing with my frineds and roomates until we closed the discos down.

*Feeling safe walking home in the quiet streets at five in the morning.

-Cafe con leche!!! I can't find anything like it here
-bottled cokes with lemon
-getting lost on winding streets and not caring
-dancing in the disco with my brother until my feet bled
-sitting in the Plaza Mayor cafes while drinking a good bottle of rioja and eating bocodillos
-stting in a park for hours and doing nothing
-looking at ancient buildings and feeling smaller for it
-people watching on the street

What I love: TINTO DE VERANO!!!!!!!

Hate: My neighbors banging on the wall everytime I have a "gathering"

what i like:

the nice blind men who sell loto tickets along every street...

the serious, happy, stern, sad, and laughing faces of the spanish...

dislikes:

hmmmmmmmmmmm....

[This message has been edited by real_megia (edited 11-28-2000).]

Now that I am bathing in my tears from all the wonderful memories this list brings, here goes:

-the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, any time of day. but especially in the early morning walking home from the discotecas when the cleaning men are out and washing the cobblestones
-arroz a la cubana,lentejas, and membrillo
-fanta naranja
-watching the little spanish children who are so incredibly well-dressed run around the Plaza Mayor right before comida.
-the beach in San Sebastian
-the way the entire city goes crazy when Real Madrid wins
-chupiterías
-Leonardo's (Salamanca), the best late-night food spot in the world
-Las Ramblas in Barcelona
-dos besos
-cuarenta y tres
-vale, venga, hasta luego
-chocolate con nata muy espeso
-cheap, fabulous clothes from Zara
-Telepizza
-Corazon de invierno
-Gran Hermano (was anyone else there for that phenomenon?)

Oh and by the way, Nicole, maybe it is the Salamanca air that makes us gain weight not lose it like everyone else -- I gained at least 20 due to chupitos, bocadillos de jamon y queso, helado, and chocolate con nata.

Hey MM, I know this is an old thread, but since I found this accidently(was searching for something else), I decided to read it, and wanted to bring it back to the home front, since it brought tears to my eyes, and homesickness to my soul. And it's good to know that others feel the same for Spain as I do, and it also makes me feel that it was not just my imagination running wild inside me, so it makes me more sure of my choice to move there(like I really had any doubt doing it Never!).I just miss so much the food, the music, the energy of the land, the smell, and of course, the number 1 reason, My Spaniard, who appreciates everything his Country has to offer and wanting to share it all with me....sigh....just wish I was there now... ...but like I always say, anything worth having is never easy, but with patience and when the time is right, it will fall so beautifully into place and its appreciated so much more....

LittleWing,

I saw what you wrote and It was Beautiful...brought tears to my eyes...although I have not been to Spain..yet!But reading all of the posts, being on this board, talking with the wonderful and fun people here, has made me more and more excited, and yes, even, privileged to be going to Spain...to be given the chance to experience it firsthand.

I hope to share in all of the wonderful emotions and memories everyone has so graciously shared with the rest of us who have yet to taste Spain.

Thanks,
Wyndyl

I leave for Madrid in 11 days!

*sniff* sniff*, How could I resist? Here's my two cents worth:women mopping the sidewalks, old men plaing dominoes for hours into the night, then continuing in the morning,people watchers that will spend countless hours watching people traffic from their balconies, Corte Ingles, the ramblas with all the benches filled with people relaxing and soaking up life, spanish air(as soon as I step off the plane and breathe, I just KNOW I'm in Spain)playing futbol sala on the outdoor courts, my Spanish Friends,My spanish Family,filipino cookies, Mossimo Dutti, Zara, Pull and Bear, sigh, Dislikes? umm, sorry.

O.K. why not. The things I love about spain are numerous, but a few are:
- tintos de verano
- cafe con leche y tostada de tomate
- happy people!!
- having one person you buy your meats from, another your vegetables, and even another that sells only eggs!!
- afternoons in Campo del Principe in Granada
- more parties for more virgin mary's than I ever new existed!
- One word - SIESTA!

And if I had to say a few things I don't like . . .
- that I can't work there legally
- the smokers everywhere
- SLS (spanish line syndrome) - the fact that even the simplest task in the smallest of lines can take you an hour

B.K.

hey everybody

what i like about spain(well just about 10 reason for now)

1.a good paseo at sundown especially in a small town
2.the perfect mixture of old and new
3.the easiness, courtesy and general freindliness of the people
4.the most beautiful women in the world
5.the most beautiful country in the world
6.oh and also the best food in the world(is anybody craving a good fabada or cocido madrileno right now).
7.the spanish air(its like you are on a different planet or something.
8.the culture and the diversity of spain
9.the many beautiful languages in spain (yes including euskera)
10.the music especially the folkoric type(muneira from galica,flamenco from the south,the danza prima in asturias,the jiraldilla of leon,the jota of navarre and aragon)just to name a few
11.oh dammit im finished but i would actually have to right way more to say all my likes about spain.

oh my dislikes
1.uummmmmmm. let me think.oh just the eta and the job situation to name two in one.(the latter prevents me more than the first to live there.)

second the Spanish ladies. beeeeyoootiful! Fortunately for me, I'm going out with one.

Ok - ok I must vent....I'll be back to do the positives but a bit of reality here:
When a family outing to the major outdoor attractions of the city (Casa de Campo) including, the zoo, park de attraciones, the lake, a run in the park, the teleferico involves an up close sales pitch by the local prostitutes it's a bit too much. I understand that most of the posters here probably miss this, traveling by metro in the city - but for those of us that would like to live a normal day to day life (with kiddos) it is a disgrace. I'm not commenting on the prostitution thats another issue. But Why do I have to explain completely naked women in the middle of the street to my very inquisitive 2 year old? There are hundreds of them and it is no exageration that they stand absolutely naked in the middle of the road. My question posed to the proper authorities brought the reply that it's legal ..... though I'm pretty sure most of these ladies haven't gone through the necessary immigration process...and I'm sure they'd find someway to get me out of the street if it was me in my neighborhood... anyways. lots to love but thats my two cents.

Love: Jamon serrano, chorizo, Mahou, sitting on the terrazas, wonderful sunshine, beautiful people, seeing families enjoying being together, how romantic a place Spain is (and how romantic it makes my husband ) and how happy I feel there.

Hate: Feeling totally inadequate as I muddle my way through learning Spanish and the fact my bottom will never be as pert as most Spanish women's.

I love-

Being a giant, the subways were built for spaniards.

Olive trees, twisted in the sun.

The old lady in the cafe, playing the slot machine.

The men at work, laying around.

Taking a siesta, with melted chocolate on my fingers