Travelling to Spain

going out

Spaniards run on a completely different clock than us mere humans. In Spain, restaurants may close down in the afternoons, but they stay open much later. It is common to stay out past midnight on a weeknight, and until the sun rises on the weekends.

independence

Many semi-autonomous regions, like the Basque country and Catalonia, would rather be independent of Spain. Catalonia voted for independence from Spain in 2017, but the Spanish government has no interest in letting this happen. Cue the controversy.

language

There are 6 official languages in Spain. Most people who live in Spain speak Spanish, though it is called Castillian Spanish, but five regions have their own language and speak Castillian Spanish as a second language.

break

Certain regions in Spain (the hotter ones) need an afternoon break to escape the heat. In Spain, it’s pretty common to shut down the shops, head home for lunch, spend time with your family or grab a "cafelito" with friends, and yes, maybe even take a nap.