That the wether is not always summer as some people seems to think haha and, that is a country in two continents (ceuta, melilla and canary islands) and a country with beautiful islands that has much more than just beaches, but lot of culture and natural beauty also.
Maybe it would be nice informing that flamenco and sevillanas can´t be found everywhere hahaha It´s so funny when people ask you where can they see a flamenco show in Valencia, Bilbao or Pontevedra hahaha
Hola! I spent 3 weeks in Spain this past April/May. I'm a jogger so I always look for a good venue. In Madrid El Retiro is a runners dream. Also an excellent place to take your kids on the weekend. I found the subway system confusing, but the bus system was more user friendly. In Seville, again runners would find Maria Luisa park to be a great venue. The city center is a fun place to wander, but can be kind of touristy, so get back into the narrow streets where the locals congregate. Americans tend to dress like bums when on vacation. Spanish people are friendly, but a bit more formal. Dress well. Be polite.
Personally more inspired with confidence about the positive things said concerning Spain, language, customs and culture. More edifying than the negatives, that is certain. How could a harmless chat about 'tapas' ever be either banal or chock full of trepidation.
You have a really good understanding of Spanish culture and explained it really well. I'm a native and could have explained it the exact same way. Congrats!
I've lived in Spain for 8 years and everything you say is so accurate! It's amazing how many people come to visit and want dinner at 6pm and can't find anywhere open! Everyone coming to Spain should watch these videos.
I took the high speed train from Barcelona to Madrid. I had a first class EuroRail pass. The train went up to 300 km/h if I remember right, so really fast. The current speed was displayed. It made several stops to pick up business-type passengers The service was immaculate, the crew were top notch, like being in a first-class air-cabin on rails Excellent refreshments included. The landscape was this wonderfully stark, arid looking environment. I really felt I lucked out to have this experience just on the back of having a EuroRail pass.
Es la primera vez que veo que un extranjero cuando explica como es este país, no generaliza. España es un país muy, muy contrastado. El clima es según las zonas, principalmente en el norte tiene las mismas precipitaciones que Reino Unido y igual de frío que Alemania en invierno. Hay gente rubia, morena, pelirroja, y el paisaje puede ser como el de Irlanda y Suiza o como el de Marruecos. Hay un mar frío y otro caliente, el Cantábrico y el mediterráneo. Tenemos montañas como las de Suiza, es más somos es segundo país más alto de Europa geográficamente, pero tenemos desiertos y incluso clima tropical en las islas. La arquitectura es muy distinta entre el norte y el sur. Todo esto en un país que no tien el tamaño de Argentia. En España hay muchas tradiciones que no son los toros y el flamenco que sólo están en una región. Ánimo a que todos a que descubran este hermoso país, entendiendo que es muy variado y no se puede gerenalizar.
El lugar con más precipitaciones no es el norte sino en la sierra de Grazalema (Cádiz) y la zona más fría en invierno la serranía celtibérica (Teruel, Soria, Cuenca Guadalajara y partes de Zaragoza y Burgos)
@@MegaMrqwerty1 Me refiero en Cunjunto de regiones el norte tiene más precipitaciones que el sur, por eso a la costa cantábrica, se la llama costa verde. Los lugares con más frío son ya más complicados de especificar pero por regiones serían, León, Castilla y Aragón
Siendo yo mismo español, siempre me ha hecho mucha gracia que en España a veces recorres 100 kilómetros, miras alrededor y parece que has cambiado hasta de continente. XD
hoy tenemos -12 en el sur de alemania y 13 positivos en oviedo... asi q no... no hay la misma temperatura... el norte no es frio, es humedo, pero cualquier sitio con mar es menos frio q tierra adentro
Hello. I'm moving to Spain with my wife later in the year and your videos have really helped give me an insight in day to day life in Spain. At first I was really hesitant but now I cannot wait. Thanks guys!
James, what can I say! As a spaniard specially living abroad (UK) for 8 years as well it makes me incredibly proud to see your true knowledge, understanding and love for everything spanish. I'm finding fascinating to see your thought processes about our own culture and particularities. I'm learning about my culture so much because of you and I will be forever grateful my friend. Take care!
The first time I see a non-Spanish person explaining so accurately Spain and it's cultures. Well done! The only thing I'd change is to say that Madrid isn't a mixed of the rest of the country areas. Madrid is unique from everything else and really an incredible city.Surely one of the best city to live and visit in the world.
Nice video James. As a spaniard (catalonia) I would say that tipping here is not compulsory, we tip when we have enjoyed the experience wether it be due to good food, good service or both. The tip is proportional to the quantity spent and how much you enjoyed it. Also it is a good idea to tip better on places you will visit again, the staff will remember you!
Good video!! As a spaniard myself, I mostly agree with you and I think you have done a wonderful introduction about how things work here, so congratulations and thankyou for showing the rest of the world our coutry... I think Spanish timetable is what shocks tourists the most, while the rest of the world has exactly the same timing, we act a little bit in our own way hahah and that can be pretty shocking if you move here to live, as a tourist it´s not always that shocking, but as an everyday issue, you can have some problems, and I know very well how difficult could that be, because it happens exactly the same to us when we move or travel abroad hahaha, that can be frustrating... I think this video sums up very well what Spain is, a country extremely heterogeneous sometimes, but extremely homogenous other times... Spain is like a small continent with many different languages, landscapes, traditions, accents, food, culture, architecture, but wrapped all of them in a kind of a unique Spanish flavour that can be felt anywhere... Spain is a country where boundaries between similarities and differences aren´t very clear, which sometimes brings us political problems, but which is, for me, the biggest treasure we have. People use to think about Spain as a whole, and, even if that Spanish essence exists, it´s displayed in many different ways. We celebrate life in a similar way everywhere, but each part of the country adds its uniqueness.
Love your comments Nacho! Thanks so much. You’re so right... this is a country of regions, with some things the same across the country, and some things so different. That’s what I love so much about living here - so much to learn!
@@spainrevealed The thing with the eating schedule i believe it comes from when the news are broadcasted and basicly everyone gatheres up to watch it together. Cos if you think about it, the "midday" news are at 3pm and night time ones at 9pm so it kind of makes sense to me.
Ignacio BH I was out walking at 8 in the morning in Barcelona and because it’s a city I thought everything would be open but almost nothing was. Very odd for a city center. Everything seem to open at 10:30. Only a couple of coffee places were open. I was confused because in most other cities they are busy at that time, it’s rush hour. Not in Barcelona lol 😂
@@foxayfox lmao no. Unless it's an industrial area nearby that people go into the factory or warehouse really soon, then there may be bars and cafes open cos they know they have a profit there. But the rest of the city is not gonna have shit open til at least 10am. Less the centre because that's all focused on tourism so...nono. And that rush hour is everyone going to work or school, not shopping or stopping for a coffee as they have just had breakfast for sure
I think he hasn't mentioned it, but in Spain before lunch a lot of people usually have 2 "breakfasts". The first one comes before going to work/to school, between 7 and 8 usually, and it varies a lot (some people have only a cup of coffe/milk, others toasts, others cereals, others a sandwich, others don't have anything...). The second one comes between 10 and 12, and it can be fruit, a bocadillo (a kind of sandwich), some coffee, biscuits... it also varies a lot and usually depends on each one's preferences. Lunch usually is between 1pm and 3/4pm, depending on the region and timetables (for example, in primary schools children have lunch between 1 and 2, while most high schools end at 3pm and teenagers have to have lunch really late, so it really varies a lot) and it is way bigger than in UK/USA. At afternoon there is a "snack time", la merienda, from 5 to 6pm and like breakfast, it really varies. Then comes dinner, between 9 and 11pm. If you think about it, a lot of spanish people have 5 meals every day, separated by 2-3 hours, so it isn't like we only eat at 2pm and 21:30pm.
@@Irene-pu1ko oh my gosh I'm sure that you must be all used to this but it sounds like a lot to remember 😊 I was thinking I'd like to visit with my 2 young (ish) children once all this covid thing is cleared but maybe I'll wait until they're a little older. Eating after 9 sounds bonkers 😂
@@marinahuizar6067 I'm very late to this conversation... but, how did it go with the fasting? I also do IF and if I ate like the Spanish I'd be 300 lbs! And a nap? Wow. So different from here. ( Canada ) I only eat once a day usually around 5 or 6 pm. Mind you IF ( intermitten fasting is not a common "thing" here ither ) Mostly people eat three meals a day and snack whenever
When I arrived late I was surprised to see the food places and bars open until 2 or 3am. I enjoyed tapas a lot. The locals are very friendly and helped me to speak more Spanish. I gave tips up to £1 or more whenever I could.
On my last trip to Spain I travelled by train. Marginally more expensive than buses but way more comfortable. I avoid airports like the plague. If you book ahead you can get some really cheap train tickets. Took a fast train from Barcelona to Seville. Wonderful. Went first class which was only a bit more than economy. On shorter hops took conventional trains but they were fine.
@@spainrevealed Yeah, in Extremadura they are asking to the government for a better train structure, they have problems with that, very slow, little connections, etc. It´s actually a topic discussed in politics and showed in the media.
@@spainrevealed The problem with the west and north areas is the geography. Plenty of mountains, it's harder to dig through than doing it through the flat meseta from Barcelona down to Sevilla. There's a lot of work to be done there to get the trains going. BUT! I must say it's probably amongs the most beautiful rides because it's usually through mountains and such and there's plenty of nature and landscape to see.
I took a Devour Tour in Madrid. Because our group was larger than usual. James and an associate were our guides. It was a fantastic evening. We ate many things we”d not had before...bulls tail, ox cheek and many more sedate delicious tid bits. We drank vermouth straight. I thought it was only for martinis. James was very engaging and responsive to our questions which ranged far beyond food. I’ve watched videos of his other guides and they all are great. If you can, take one of his tours.
We're a couple of ancient Aussies and so wish we'd had this info back in 2017 when we spent 3 weeks in Spain - a week in Catalunya and two in Andalucia. Totally fell in love with Spain and the people (we stayed in and visited mostly non English speaking areas) but had no idea about the siesta period until we were half way through our trip. No idea about the tapas bars and we're still grappling with the way drinks are served!! They just kept pouring til we said 'stop'!! Easy to get very drunk very quickly!! Love your channel and thank you - can't wait to return to Jerez for the 2022 MotoGP - better informed thanks to you and Yonny.
Here's another tip: yes, many Spaniards speak English, but with such an atrociously thick accent that it may take you a few seconds to realize that they are trying to communicate with you in your own language. Hey, I'm allowed to say that: I'm a Spaniard. God knows we make the Scottish sound like they are speaking in Received Pronunciation by comparison. Also: don't be too shocked if all of a sudden you feel like your "personal space" is being violated: we tend to speak with one another from a much closer distance, at a generally louder volume, and while wildly waving our hands in the air. It may be difficult to adjust to the Spanish conversation style. We are not mad at you: it's the way we are. We will be genuinely surprised if you call us out on that, like "please step back a little, you're too close" or "why are you talking to me like that?
I love the culture of Spain it's like a mix from the European culture and Middle East culture💙 For example in Syria (Middle East): like we greet each other with 2 kisses, we also eat dinner late like 10 PM, and in syria we have different languages in each city even there's differences from block to block
I was a student in Granada in the early 90s. My friends & I never went to bullfights, we all hated them, in fact we used to campaign to have them abolished. I didn't feel it was my place as I'm not Spanish, they told me it was because I was living there & am an animal lover. It surprised me how many people weren't into bullfighting. My landlady (in her 50-60s didn't like it, nor did her mother.) Edit:typos
Siesta... you'd be amazed to know it was originally a H&S measure. Yes! In past times, when most people worked outdoors doing physical work, what happened is after a good lunch people went back to work and collapsed... so they decided to take a break and work long hours, what makes sense because in the Summer when it's hot days are long. Now you know! siesta is not laziness but health and safety!
Felicidades por vuestro video, objetivo, cercano, viajero, familiar, práctico y sin prejuicios sobre nuestro país, algo que sin pretensiones nos merecemos cuando se conecta con el lado humano que sinceramente ofrecemos, más allá del servicio ofrecido en la industria turística.
I love Spain and have visited most of the main tourist-y cities over the years. When you go on the Mediterranean cruises, they often stop in Vigo (Galicia) on the way back and I remember being stunned to hear the sound of bagpipes as we docked 😂😂 I was like WTF... has there been a recent Scottish invasion 🤣🤣 I do really like bagpipes, it was just a surprise - I had never heard of bagpipes being part of Spanish tradition until then !! But I guess it was because that was my first visit to the Galician region. Great channel - thank you fir the valuable, informative and entertaining content! 😊
We are planning our Spain trip for November (2022) and found your channel to help us in our planning. You both do wonderful videos. Very helpful and informative. Thank you for what you do!!
Que buen video! Gracias. Estoy aprendiendo español desde hace casi dos años y yo quiero ir en septiembre por 3 semanas en coche. Este video fue muy interesante gracias
Hi James and Yoli, I just returned home from Spain. I must say when people ask me about my trip, I tell them that I was dissapointed with the food. I enjoyed the food much more in other European countries. I love your channel. Keep doing what you are doing. Ciao.
As you were talking about renting a car I remembered something important for visitors from USA. Always tell the rent agency that you want an automatic gearbox, if you don't do it you'll receive a manual one, because in Spain the vast mayority of cars are manual.
Its not just a spanish thing, in uk you can take driving test in automatic car but you will not be allowed to drive a manuaI, if you pass your test in a manual car you can drive both manual and automatic. I in 48 years of driving have never owned or driven an automatic car
Hi James, in my 3rd year (adult) of learning Spanish and my first trip to Sevilla inspired me to start! One thing I remember from then that you did not mention here (maybe not the right video) was - I think-when we sat down at a table to eat, they put a glass with bread sticks or maybe even something that “just appeared” as if we were to eat it. But my companion told me that IF you eat on it they will charge you, but if you just leave it then you aren`t charged.
Wow, first time I see someone from outside of Spain having a true image of Spain :) I'm not Spanish but I travel quite often there, I have family there and almost lived there, and I love Spain. I still had a colleague last year thinking in Spain nobody works before 10/11am, until they eat 2pm then sleep for 2 hours and work again for a bit before going out to drink sangria downtown and partying. I guess most humans would love such a life! But unfortunately everybody needs to work! And the Spanish are some of the hardest working people I've seen: rarely complaining compared to other Europeans. And I love this attitude of always moving forward. Viva España!
The Spanish for the very English 'Cheers' Is translated as 'Salut'. . . In the Spanish (or one of the many variants) spoken in Mexico, north America; '¡Salut!' is used as the translation of English: 'Bless you!' ('Gesundheit' in German, or 'a tes souhaits' in French) when someone sneezes.
You forgot about "merienda", a little snack between lunch and dinner. And if you talk to a Catalan person you better say Barcelona in the English way, that's how we call it in Catalan! :)
As someone who worked in the service industry in Spain, tips are greatly appreciated. Its an incredible low paying job in Spain and most locals dont tip at all. But any tip is received with great appreciation.
Madrid can be very stressful sometimes, but the best part of living here is that you are just in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, so you can easily reach any part of both Spain and Portugal. If you are going to live in Madrid, you will be able to visit many different places. AVE trains are wonderful, the are quite expensive, but in less than 3 hours you can arrive to a city located 500 miles away from Madrid.
Actually about tips, we hardly ever give tips, just when the waiter do a really great job and helped us in a way that its clearlly not just because its their job,more like you get that they will to help and make shure you have a good time
I like these videos, but I have to say that the most useful piece of information in this particular one was the fact that Spain is VERY different wherever you go. I live in near Ciudad Real, which the locals call "Deep Spain", and I would say that many of the things in this video don't apply here. In my town, the shops will close earlier in the afternoon and open later in the evening. Siesta is pretty much part and parcel of everyone's daily life here, and if you want to play a saxophone during that time you'd best be prepared to defend yourself. Eating dinner close to midnight is definitely not an uncommon occurrence. Certainly, where I live, the number of people who can master even a basic sentence in English is pretty low, even amongst the young people. Tipping here will generally result in a waiter chasing you down the street trying to give you your money back (has happened one more than one occasion). And as for 'tapear', I'd literally never heard this verb (tapar yes, tapear, no) and not one of my local friends could say that they've ever used it. In fact, I don't think my friends have ever mentioned going out for tapas. It's normally going out for a drink - tapas is implied. If you pay for tapas in this part of the country, you're a mug. Perhaps in Madrid tapas is an activity, but not here. And on that point, I think that each one of my mates here would have a heart attack if someone suggested paying for a set menu for lunch. We definitely don't lunch that way down here. Almost everything is raciones and pinchos. This video is perfect if you're going to the usual places in Spain. But if you're planning on going off the beaten track, then the best advice is not to take anything for granted which is pretty much what he says at the beginning.
I will be visiting Spain for the first time in October. I will be in Madrid for 4 nights and am debating if I should stay in Barcelona for a couple nights. I only booked the fort half of my trip. I am watching videos to know what to expect. Thanks for your video.
All your videos are fantastic, the part that I like the most is that you talk about Bullfight with respect, I really appreciate that because does not happen very often these days. Gracias totales Viva la FIESTA BRAVA, la fiesta nacional !!!!!!
Ciertamente James, una siestita de 20 a 25 minutos es genial. Yo la tomo siempre que puedo. Conozco españoles/as que nunca echan la siesta y conozco otros/as que siempre o casi siempre, depende mucho del tipo de vida que uno lleve o del hábito. Gracias por el vídeo. Muy interesante y claro. A veces los subtítulos tapan los textos que pones, quizás se podrián subir un poco en la pantalla o ponerlos en la parte superior.
Thank you for your informative videos. I lived in Madrid many years ago (50+) as a student at the University. Things have changed greatly, of course, but your videos do bring back many memories. ¡Muchas gracias!
When I studied abroad in Spain, it took me so long to get use to the TWO cheek kisses. I have family from Puerto Rico so I was always used to one! I kept getting surprised by the second kiss 😅
I love the 'Menu Del Dia' as it's often excellent value, especially if you find a local place. I was in Estepona over Easter and saw all the bull fighting paraphernalia: it was very interesting but I felt I would't enjoy it that much. Great video - as always! Gracias Anthony
Thank you Anthony! Yeah, a well-priced delicious menu del dia is one of the best things in the world. I'm happy I saw one bullfight... but wouldn't go again.
James (and Yoli!) I have enjoyed your videos SO much! The detail you go into, your profound respect and love for the country, your wonderful energy -- to my mind, you do the best possible job of making someone get excited about visiting! I'm taking a VERY brief trip, 3/1/23 to 3/8/23, but after viewing your videos I already know I'm going to want to come back. Thank you for the effort and time you and Yoli put into your videos! You've already made my coming trip -- and future trips -- more enjoyable.
Regarding Barcelona pronunciation vary depending on where you are from. Catalonian people pronounce Barcelona as the English way. So, let me say, english pronunciation is more accurate than the spanish one for us.
Felicidades por el vídeo, has explicado las cosas tradicionales pero de una manera que calla los rumores típicos que gente de otros países tienen, como que todos bailamos flamenco y comemos paella todos los días ¡Felicidades!
I love your videos! I'm from Cantabria but I lived in the states for six years so I know what it is to be far away from home. I wish you the best and I hope you visit Cantabria one day or maybe you already have. You will love it!!
Thanks for creating such an informative video. I’m currently creating a presentation about Spain for my studies as in a few months I’m set to be living in Seville. This has really helped prepare me for what to expect and do so thank you
Hi James, I am a spaniard living in the UK, I love your videos. You are a great friend of Spain. Best wishes for you, your wife and family for the new year.
I would highly recommend renting a car if you're not going to stay in a single city. Amazing (and mostly empty) roads, awesome scenery, freedom to explore (found a bunch cool little towns and spots) and the drivers are infinitely better than the crap we have in California. Oh, and don't rely 100% on knowing Mexican Spanish to get by. The pronunciation can be different as well as the meaning of words.
Great tips mate. And yeah, it's true. Driving around this country does give you amazing access to real off-the-beaten-path spots. Good tip on the Latin American Spanish... very true!
I'm a bit late to this but also for renting specially for Americans remember that the majority of cars are stick shift here in Spain so make sure you are comfortable driving one
1st time in Europe, and im exploring Seville and Madrid, im already in love with the place from the moment i step my feet on the ground. Now i want to learn spanish!
I learned during two Devour Tours (thank you very much) that there is no such thing as a "full" tapas bar. Accepting Spain's notion of personal space is key to enjoying a night out
Im going to Southern Spain to Malaga, Seville and Granada. I've been to Barcelona once when I was a kid and really loved it, so may beautiful cities. Although meal times are something to get used to since I'm so used to eating dinner at like 6 or 7pm!
GREAT VIDEO!! I’m form Spain and dude you covered pretty much all the things about Spain super accurately. You guys did a great job. Thanks for making Spain look great.
Just came across your vid by accident and wanted to say how excellent it was. I have been visiting Spain for many years and even lived in Lleida for two years, so I didnt learn anything personally, nevertheless I will certainly recommend you to friends. As for new items, perhaps a word about how to behave and what might upset local sensibilities. I have often felt embarrased by fellow British tourists. I cant speak for New Zealanders :) Thank you.
Very informative and professional video! I’m in the process of brushing up on my high school Spanish as an adult and I have enjoyed these! I’ve been to Spain as a teen (for a few days) and this was great!
Hola! First of all, I am an Spaniard from Madrid living abroad and I am loving your videos. Just let me correct you, you were talking about churros and showed a picture of "porras"! You know how strong minded we are with food ;) keep the good job!!!
Well, there are MANY royal palaces in this country. Just in Madrid there are 5: - The one in the city center - The one in Aranjuez (South of Madrid province) - The one in El Pardo (North of Madrid) - The one (and monastery) in El Escorial (North of Madrid province) - The Zarzuela Palace (where our kings are actually living, not a historical building though, but more like a residential luxurious house) Plus another 3 in the close province of Segovia: - The one in La Granja - The one in Riofrío - The castle/palace of Alcázar
