5 Things We Could All Learn From Spain

1. Amigos, dinero, y tiempo para disfrutarlo 
In Spain, there is not a single night of the week when the streets are not bustling with people moving from bar to bar, restaurant to restaurant, enjoying life. Spaniards have an amazing ability to function on minimal sleep, hence allowing after work hours for friends and fun. Rather than coming home from a long day’s work to veg on the coach all night; it is not uncommon to see Spaniards living their lives outside – swimming, drinking, eating and generally enjoying their free time. Spaniards work to live, rather than live to work.

2. Enjoy a lengthy "Sobremesa" 
What happens in Spain when the meal is done? The bill won’t come and the staff won’t rush you out; instead Spaniards will settle in and enjoy their after-meal conversation. Breakfast, lunch, coffee, snack, tapas or dinner, Spaniards always take time to sit and enjoy the eating experience. This includes good food, good companions and good conversation. No rush and ample time to digest before getting back to the grindstone. Spaniards move at their own relaxed pace.

3. “Hola, buenas” 
No matter where you are, when Spaniards enter a room, they always offer a simple courteous acknowledgement aka greeting to everyone in the room.  It’s simple and polite, and doesn’t imply an offer of open conversation. Interestingly, others in the room always respond back with a reciprocating “Hola.” Go ahead and try it the next time you enter your doctor’s office waiting room, and see what happens.

4. Tapas 
Tapas are wonderful.  How else can you eat a variety of different foods in snack-like quantities, with friends and never feel like you’ve over indulged because you've shared! The art of eating involves savouring each unique flavor, and preparing your palette for the next experience. Tapas allow you to enjoy such variety at a Spanish pace.

5. Olive oil is liquid gold 
Olive oil is not only delicious, it’s also very nutritious. Olive oil is substituted for butter and most other types of oils in Spain. Spaniards even enjoy olive oil with breakfast, in cakes and cookies, etc.  Antioxidant-rich olive oil can help lower cholesterol. It is a main ingredient in cooking, but it is also commonly infused in soaps, lotions and cosmetics. Olive oil might also be a contributor to Spain’s successful universal healthcare system that covers all Spanish residents. Less cholesterol and heart-related medical needs are typically associated with a Mediterranean diet.

Fun Facts About Spain

• Spain was once a number of separate kingdoms with different languages.  These kingdoms became the basis for many of the different regions in modern Spain. 
• Spain has the fourth highest life expectancy of all the OECD countries – with a life expectancy of 82 years - after Switzerland, Italy and Japan.
• The Spanish love to relax, on average they devote 16 out of every 24 hours to leisure, eating, drinking and sleeping.
• Spain produces over half of the world’s olive oil – more than some 1.5 million tons, and almost all of it comes from the southern region of Andalusia.
• Over 400+ million Spanish speakers across 21 countries worldwide. Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world.
• Spanish is referred to as Castellano and Español. “Castilian Spanish” can be used to refer to the Spanish spoken in Spain.

¡Y viva España!

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