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You are here: Home / Destinations / Europe / The Start of a Spanish Obsession – 6 Reasons Why I Adored Spain

The Start of a Spanish Obsession – 6 Reasons Why I Adored Spain

04/08/16 | Destinations, Europe, Spain


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I didn’t think I would love Spain as much as I did. I’m not completely sure what it is that calls to me. Maybe it’s finally being back in Europe after a long time away. Maybe it has something to do with the sun and slightly warmer weather. Maybe it was the food or my company. Regardless, when it came time for me to leave, I really didn’t want to go. Spain has definitely captivated me.

Plaza Mayor Madrid

The first thing I saw: Plaza Mayor in Madrid

This trip was a long time coming. I had a trip planned for the end of 2012 – kind of like one last hurrah before moving home from my time living abroad. However, I managed to find a job at the last minute and wasn’t able to go. So I put it on hold for a couple of years until last month when I went to Madrid, Seville and Cordoba.

Adelina inside the Mezquita-Catedral in Cordoba

Inside the Mezquita-Catedral in Cordoba. Gorgeous!

I was a bit apprehensive about going to Spain. I have one really good friend in Madrid that I met in Budapest that I knew I could count on. Otherwise, my Spanish is non-existent. I knew virtually nothing about the country or culture beyond paella and tapas. However, not knowing has never stopped me before and usually when I have no expectations, the trip turns out amazing. And in this case, it really was. Here’s why I adored it and why you should go to Spain too!

Fantastic seafood everywhere

A plate of fried seafood in Madrid

Yum! So much variety

We boast about our seafood on the west coast of Canada. Of our fresh salmon, oysters on the half shell, and fantastic Dungeness crab, but I wasn’t prepared for the great seafood in Spain. Even in Madrid which is right in the centre of the country had a great selection available brought it daily from the coast.

Galician Style Octopus in Madrid

Galician style octopus at a restaurant in Madrid.

Squid that isn’t chewy at all. Plump juicy clams. Crispy calamari. Melt in your mouth salmon. Deep fried. Grilled. Pan seared. Regardless of the cooking method, everything was good and so flavourful.

Actually, all the food was great

Meat cones!

Can’t say no to a meat cone or two!

Beyond the seafood, most of everything I ate was fantastic. The jamón was delicious and so affordable compared to home. We tried to get as much of it as possible. We went out for tapas for almost every day ordering a variety of items. From dishes I was already familiar with like patatas bravas to Spanish omelettes to others that I just ordered because it sounded tasty or exotic, I didn’t have anything I didn’t like.

Selection of tapas in Seville

A selection of tapas we enjoyed in Seville

While I did find a couple dishes to be really oily and greasy, you really can’t say no to fried food right? Well, I can’t. I do wish we had a little more in the vegetable department, though. We combatted this with grocery store salad lunches at the hostel every couple of days.

The people are incredibly nice

I went on this trip with my boyfriend, C. Our first trip abroad and longest time spent together consecutively. If that doesn’t test a relationship, then I don’t know what will. One thing I learned about him on this trip was his uncanny ability to make friends with anyone regardless of language. I definitely err on the quieter side of the spectrum and it takes me a little while to warm up to people. But not C and it’s great because the people we met were all incredibly friendly. We went to a number of restaurants where no one spoke English, but the wait staff were patient and kind – a vastly different experience from other experiences in Europe!

Silliness on the plane

We made time to take silly selfies too. Super important.

Sure it was easier when others spoke a little bit of English, but when we were delayed on our flight back home (due to an air traffic controller strike in France), he managed to make friends with the Spanish family sitting next to us. Aside from their nine-year-old daughter who spoke some English (but was too shy to use it), we somehow managed to have a broken conversation with them. Lots of gestures and smiles all around much to the amusement of everyone surrounding us on the plane.

Beautiful architecture

Colourful buildings in Seville

Such lovely colours!

I have always loved Europe for its beautiful architecture and stunning buildings. Spain definitely had these majestic and grand buildings, but what they had even more of was colour. I loved the vibrancy through the cities, especially in the south. Brightly coloured buildings with hues of red and orange others white with colourful accents and embellishments.

An example of a mural on a building in Seville

Such a pretty mural

Vivid and intricate murals decorated the exterior some advertising the services inside or a nearby place name. Others decorated for purely aesthetic reasons. The colours gave such life to the city.

The glorious sun

Sunny day in Seville

Gorgeous! A sunny day in Seville

It’s hard to go to Spain and not mention the sun and I think it definitely contributed to my current love affair with Spain. Of the nine days we were there, the sun was out and shining for all of them. Madrid was surprisingly chilly (but still warmer than Vancouver!), but once in Seville, it was much warmer. Coming from the dark, gloomy and rainy Vancouver, this was heaven.

Affordability

It would be hard to write an article about why I liked Spain if I didn’t mention money. For a European holiday, Spain was surprisingly really affordable. Especially now with the Canadian dollar so low, Spain was a really good choice! Our biggest expenses were trains (which we opted to do over buses as we didn’t have much time) and hostels. We averaged about 24 euros a night in a mixture of dorm and private rooms. Meals, in general, were inexpensive. The selection of tapas in the photo above (4 tapas and a coke) cost us 10 euros and we were both stuffed afterwards.

I managed to do the utmost stupid of stupid. I left the majority of my Euros on my desk. At home. Far far away. #travelfail

— Adelina Wong (@iamadelinaw) March 12, 2016

In a major travel fail, I accidentally left the majority of my money on my desk at home. I had my moment of realization on the first leg of my flight. Talk about highly embarrassing. I had about 150 euros on me, but C had his half of the euros we had exchanged. In reality, we didn’t even need those extra euros because we still had some leftover when we came back. It was a pleasant surprise to be able to do everything we wanted to do and do it in an affordable way.

Adelina at Plaza Espana in Seville

At Plaza España in Seville

In the nine days, I was in the country, I already knew I had to come back. There is so much more to see and explore. Each region is so different. Next time I’d like to head north to the Barcelona area or perhaps over to Galicia and walk the Camino de Santiago or maybe I’ll head back south to further explore Andalusia and see Granada. So much possibility! If you get a chance to go to Spain, then definitely do it!

Have you ever had an unexpected affinity for a place you visited? Have you been to Spain? Did you like it as much as I did?

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Comments

  1. Elizabeth says

    April 9, 2016 at 10:37 AM

    I’m glad to hear you loved your trip! I loved Spain too, especially Madrid!

  2. Tanja (the Red phone box travels) says

    April 11, 2016 at 1:03 AM

    HI! I’ve been to Madrid and Barcelona and a few places around it. I’d love to visit Sevilla and a couple of other towns:) #monday escapes

  3. Erin Gustafson says

    April 11, 2016 at 3:12 AM

    I adored Spain as well! We skipped it when we were first in Europe as backpacking 20 somethings and it took us 20 years to get back (don’t do the math) and I can’t believe it took us so long. The food, the people, the architecture, the weather, the price… all of it – love love loved it! Glad to have found your blog from #MondayEscapes – cheers from Copenhagen!

    • Adelina says

      April 18, 2016 at 2:27 PM

      I’m the same way. I skipped it the first time I was in Europe and now I regret it! I wish I had discovered it much earlier. Such a fabulous place.

  4. A tourist says

    April 11, 2016 at 12:21 PM

    Hi Adelina,
    What a great post! I couldn’t agree more. We went to Spain for one week in March and fell in love with it completely. We visited Madrid, Seville and Granada and love is all, but Seville is my favourite by far!

    • Adelina says

      April 18, 2016 at 2:26 PM

      Thanks! I adored Seville as well. Such a gorgeous city.

  5. Evelyn (@twentysixoctober) says

    April 11, 2016 at 12:36 PM

    I hope by your blog from #Mondayescapes
    You make me want to visit Spain to try those seafoods and tapas! Having a baby now, I’m not sure whether it’s still feasible to stay in hostel.. but twenty plus Euros per night is a real good deal!

  6. Ruth says

    April 11, 2016 at 8:35 PM

    Seems like we love Spain for the same reasons! I visited last October (I have been there before but first time with my husband) and had a blast. We went to Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and San Sebastian. If you are a seafood lover, you have to go to San Sebastian one day. The food in there is to die for! This year I wanted to go back but not sure if it is going to happen. Also, agree on the affordability. The trip costed less than what I expected.

    • Adelina says

      April 18, 2016 at 2:24 PM

      I’ve heard so many great things about Valencia and San Sebastian. They’re both places I want to check out. Thanks for the seafood tip 🙂

  7. Lauren (The Helpful Hiker) says

    April 12, 2016 at 3:53 AM

    I lived in Spain while studying and it s such an awesome country. I agree with all of your points. I spent quite a lot of time in Madrid, it’s so cool and laid back (and cheap!) for a capital city. I’ve never visited Andalucia, it’s one I really need to tick off soon! #MondayEscapes

    • Adelina says

      April 18, 2016 at 2:23 PM

      Oh wow! Living in Spain must have been wonderful. I hope you get a chance to go visit Andalucia one day!

  8. Clare Thomson (Suitcases and Sandcastles) says

    April 13, 2016 at 6:16 AM

    Spain is wonderful! I’ve been to several of the cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Jerez and Salamanca but would love to explore more of the countryside especially around Seville. #MondayEscapes

  9. Grey World Nomads says

    April 14, 2016 at 2:50 PM

    Now that I read your post I’ve to go to Spain even sooner. I love the food, the wine, the language, the countryside … your photos show it all. #MondayEscapes

  10. Ting at My Travel Monkey says

    April 20, 2016 at 8:21 AM

    I love Spain too, and being so lucky we can get there very easily. My favourite Spanish city incidentally is Madrid, but having been to San Sebastian last year, that’s coming a close second. The Cadiz region including Tarifa, is stunning too. You’re absolutely right, the food, sun, people. Viva Espana! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes ps. just a reminder to please add our badge next time 🙂

  11. Ruth says

    July 24, 2016 at 4:56 PM

    We are on the same page. I love Spain for the same reasons. The food is mind blowing and affordable. Prices include taxes and you do not have to pay an additional 18% to 20% in tip. Also, it is so easy to move around. Plus, I speak their language (which is my language too).

    • Adelina says

      July 25, 2016 at 8:36 PM

      Yes, yes and yes! I wish I spoke Spanish. This trip has made me want to learn it!

  12. Raymond says

    May 1, 2017 at 7:02 AM

    I have lost count on how many times I’ve been to Spain travelling to its varied and facinating regions but each time a trip to Spain is in the offing I still get super excited. There’s something about Spain that makes me want to go back and explore new cities,towns and villages. I guess that is what falling in love is. Viva España!

    • Adelina says

      May 2, 2017 at 9:28 AM

      Yes!! Totally agree 100%. Each region is just so different. I can’t wait for my next trip to the country.

  13. Cameron Page says

    November 30, 2017 at 2:28 AM

    Me and my friends are planning to go to spain this January. We would love to see some nice beaches with clear water and some stunning scenery. We were thinking Majorca,Ibiza and Canary Island, we are up to some adventures and experience a great nightlife in our travel. Can anyone suggest any ideas or tips? Any help is kindly appreciated 🙂

Welcome to Pack Me To!

Adelina is a part time traveler, exploring the world despite having a full-time job. Pack Me To is a collection of stories from her travels and adventures around the world as she packs you to destinations around the world with her.

Adelina has been traveling for as long as she can remember and has lived abroad in the Netherlands and Hungary. She loves telling stories, and eating and exploring her way around the world. Come along for the ride. Read More…

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