Spain Explained

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Being able to communicate well is very important, no matter what your job. However, if you work in an international organization like Ábaco Advisers it’s not only important to communicate in your native language but in other languages too. We’re quite a multi-lingual lot! Between us […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Difficulties with communication is a major issue for many foreigners in Spain. It is a wonderful country but you can feel confused by legislation, documentation and procedures. People often don’t know who to ask or trust. We know that. This is one reason why we are […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. You might not expect a legal and tax form to have much to do with children. Generally we don’t – except for looking after our own! However, we do recognise that not all children across the world are as privileged as our own offspring. ‘Save the […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Just because you live in Spain does not mean that you don’t need a holiday! That’s one of the reasons why the Spanish Imserso holiday programme has been so successful. Imserso is subsidised by the Spanish Government and enables resident pensioners in Spain to access affordable […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 04:44 pm. It can be a good alternative if you just need more room or some additional facilities. A Spanish property extension can be a good option if there is a new member of the family or the visitors are getting under your feet. In some of the […]

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 05:12 pm. If you become a resident of Spain, at some point you are going to have to renew your British passport. People can be tempted to take a short cut with renewing a passport in Spain. But you should be warned, giving it to someone else to […]

Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 03:18 pm. It’s easy to forget or not even realise that a country’s habits, laws and customs might not be the same as your own. You can quite easily expect things to work the same as they do in your own country. An example of this is the […]

Last updated on March 19th, 2020 at 03:18 pm. Making a will in Spain is not compulsory but it’s a good idea. It cuts down on the work and expense for those you leave behind you. However, you need to think carefully about what it might contain not only from the point of view of […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. For many people used to driving in other countries, the rules and regulations that surround them are a complete mystery. You can feel for years that every time you approach a roundabout in Spain you take your life in your hands. What confuses most people is […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. In some parts of Spain, especially during the dry summer months, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d found yourself in a desert. Tumbleweed, cacti and plenty of dry, sand-like earth can give it an appearance worthy of the Sahara. A view that some Hollywood film […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Do you remember Eldorado? It might have been the worst Soap every recorded, but if you have chosen to make Spain your country as a British expat or even if you are just a visitor, it might still hold some level of fascination.  Could it be […]

Last updated on April 9th, 2020 at 12:24 pm. One of the great things about Spanish eating, is tapas. Little plates of different snacks, that can be shared. Perfect if you don’t want to fill up but just fancy a nibble with your drink. Of course, you can fill up with them too, if you […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. It’s a pity we have to resort to animal protection at all. However, the fact remains that wherever you are in the world, there are those who treat animals cruelly. In Spain, thousands of abandoned dogs in Spain  each year. Without the survival skills of the […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. ‘Las Fuentes’ means fountains in English and those you find close to the town of Calloso d’En Sarría are a particularly fine example. It’s made up of a number of small springs which converge to form a waterfall and some small lagoons. The spring waters are […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Although there are many similarities with Christmas traditions in other countries, Christmas in Spain has many differences too. Spending Christmas in another country is a good opportunity to leave some of your old routines behind and try something new. Here are the most important dates in […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. There is something very special about Champagne. Perhaps it’s the bubbles, or popping the cork or even the fact that it’s kept for a celebration. However, it can come rather expensive – at least if it’s champagne you’re talking about. Cava, on the other hand comes […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. There are many interesting and historic cities to visit in Spain. One of the oldest and most beautiful ones is the city of Cartagena. It’s combination of dramatic history and culture mean that it has something for everyone. The city was founded by the Carthaginians, who […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Spain has accrued, over the years, its own small selection of theme parks. Terra Mitica in Benidorm and Port Aventura in Tarragona are perhaps the best known. It looks like there are plans for them to be joined by possibly three more parks across the country. […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Everyone recognises how important it is that historical artefacts are preserved and displayed for as many people to see, enjoyed and learn from as possible. But when one is taken out of the country from under your noses only days after discovery, it’s no wonder that […]

Serrano ham. It’s delicious. You can find it in nearly every bar and restaurant in Spain and pay anything from a few cents to hundreds of euros for the pleasure. A bit like whisky (but without the hangover) it’s quality and price depend on a mixture of maturity and raw ingredients. It’s not just the […]

Perhaps not the two ingredients you would first mention as key to healthy skin. Visit the Lo Pagan mud bathing site and you might be surprised. A short drive south of Torrevieja and at the northern end of the lagoon of Mar Menor, you will see people plastering themselves with black mud from the seabed […]

One of the good things about living in and visiting Spain is if you enjoy eating fish. It’s usually cheap, readily available and you will usually find a fresh fish counter at even the smaller supermarkets. Fish is good for you, versatile and relatively easy to cook. However, it also goes off very quickly and […]

Famous for its palm trees and shoes, Elche in the Valencian community has much more to recommend it. In fact, so much so that it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of the reasons for this award is the Misteri d’Elx or the religious plays that are performed during August. The plays […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. If you live in or near a major town or city, there should be a cinema within your reach. The difficulty for many non-Spanish residents, is, as you might expect, that the films will be in Spanish. If you are lucky some cinemas do show English-speaking […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. The variety of landscape in Spain as you travel from one region to another never fails to amaze me. From the greenery of the north to the deserts of the south, you’ve got every shade in between. The southern province of Almería is certainly inspiring with […]