When I travel what I love to learn about most is cultural differences. In the end, all people are just that: people. But I love learning about differences in daily life, tradition, and cuisine.
Spain for sure has plenty of its own cultural quirks (don't get me wrong - the US does as well). After nearly six years here, these are some of the things that I probably wouldn't get 100% used to even if I spent the rest of my life here.
1. People LOVE to always say “te voy a decir una cosa” ("I'm going to tell you something") instead of just telling
you whatever it is they want to say. Come on, just tell me already!
2. They wrap everything in aluminum foil, which is literally the last thing I
would choose for wrapping cut-up fruit, a sandwich, etc. I first discovered this working with preschool children, who would bring a cut-up apple or ham sandwich in foil as a snack. Doesn't the bread get stale?
3. People love to always comment on clothing/hair/etc. Kind of as if the person they're talking to doesn't
already know about their own clothing or body. Things I'm asked on a regular basis:
Going out in public with wet
hair – “You're going to catch a cold!”
“Aren't you cold?” - No, if I were I'd put a sweater on, but thanks for asking.
“You're wearing flats without socks! Your feet must be freezing!”
(in October) – No, actually if they were cold I would have worn
something different, thanks. Also, 70 degrees out isn't cold.
4. They always wear shoes in the house and parents yell at their kids for going
barefoot, even in the summer, as if it's dangerous to go barefoot inside.
5. A meal without bread isn't a meal. This is a pretty Mediterranean thing, though.
6. They think that air conditioning is going to make you hoarse/give you a
sore throat or make you catch a cold. Basically anything can give you
a cold, according to Spaniards (like drinking cold water in the winter); oddly enough, they never include viruses in
their diagnoses.
7. Cookies are a normal breakfast here. I guess there's not a big difference between eating a cookie and a donut, but I've had some people try to convince me that cookies are actually a healthy breakfast choice. Sorry, still not convinced. They also love baguette sandwiches with blocks of hard chocolate in the
middle, which I think its just the weirdest combination of textures possible.
8. I love coffee but I cannot drink it without milk. Here though, I've had people give me the weirdest look when ordering iced coffee with milk. Basically, in their eyes, iced coffee (which is generally actually more like a shot or two of espresso with a few ice cubes) is always served solo, without milk. Milk is only for hot coffee. (Though, of course, if you order it they will give it to you. They may just give you a strange look in the meantime.)
One festival that I think is particularly unique and beautiful is the Noche de las Velas in Pedraza, which is a super tiny little town about an hour and a half from Madrid. The town itself is very well maintained, and deserves a visit on its own. However, it's even more charming if you go for this festival, which takes place the first two weekends of July every year. The town puts candles everywhere, in windows, on balconies, in the street, in gardens, you name it. Once it's dark they're all lit (you can even buy a candle to take around to light the ones placed around the town) and it's - for lack of a better word - magical.
