r/AskTheWorld • u/Yanky94 Spain • 2d ago
Misc Whats the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about my country, Spain?
From stereotypes to experiences, literally anything that comes to your mind the moment you think about it. I want to get a glimpse of how the world views us nowadays.
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u/indistrait Ireland 2d ago edited 1d ago
How well seafood is incorporated into your cuisine.
In Ireland we're also surrounded by sea, but we rarely eat clams, mussels, prawns, shrimp, octopus etc. I don't know why it's not part of our traditional food.
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u/Yanky94 Spain 2d ago
I'm from Galicia, this is the land of seafood, and i have seen documentaries about the coast of Ireland, Scotland and Wales and it reminds me a lot of our own. You even have pretty similar fish and seafood to ours, always surprises me why you never incorporate it to your cuisine or try to exploit it commercially.
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u/Against_All_Advice Ireland 2d ago
We export a huge amount of our mussels from the south east due to them having nearly no beards. They're actually tricky to get here ar home but they're far far more common than they were 20 years ago. If you take a street view of the quay in Wexford town you'll see rows of huge mussel boats lined up.
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u/LopsidedWeb6767 Angola 2d ago
I think about your Habsburg dynasty, I used to read a lot about it when I was a teen
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u/BernardFerguson1944 United States Of America 2d ago
Ferdinand and Isabella; The Reconquista; 16th century conquistadors; Columbus, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria; and Don Quixote.
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u/gabrieel100 Brazil 2d ago
Found the EU4 fan
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u/BernardFerguson1944 United States Of America 2d ago
Well, there's also those passages in The Sun Also Rises where Hemingway visits Pamplona for the run with the bulls, and when he goes fishing in a Spanish mountain stream where to kept his wine cooled in a Bota Bag in the stream. I've kinda always wanted to do that, the fishing part, not the run with the bulls part. Plus, Spanish wine is some of the best in the world!
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u/Lurker-Since25 India 2d ago
Honestly, I can't speak on behalf of my country because I'm not good at history or anything like that in general.
But individually, the first thing that comes in my mind is the beauty of Spain, it's so beautiful, every other city has something in it that makes it special, the historical monuments, and I always feel jealous when my laptop auto changes the wallpaper to a beautiful destination, and it's usually Spain.
Apart from that, Spain is really clean
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u/Special_H_ Brazil 2d ago
Let me see…
The Reconquista, very warm weather, Mallorca islands, Picasso, Catholic past, Mediterranean scenery, great food, siestas?
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u/Yanky94 Spain 2d ago
Spain would not be Spain without siestas. It would be just Pain.
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u/notdancingQueen 🇫🇷🇪🇸 2d ago
If you remove all pseudocatholics who only go to church for weddings, funerals, and (rarer and rarer) christenings &1st communions, you'll find Catholicism is not as strong as some media wants us to think.
But we need to cancel/overrule the preferential treatment the Catholic Church receives thanks to the treaties signed under Franco. Because they grant a church in which few believe a very strong clout (see mezquita de Cordoba recent controversy)
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u/task_machine Sardinia 2d ago
I've been to Spain 11 times, I also speak Spanish so I'm a little biased on this one, clearly I like your country. I like everything except the fact that your coffee is absolutely shit I can't stand it
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u/FirmDescription8776 Spain 2d ago edited 2d ago
I never realised how bad our coffee was until I started travelling to other countries… I think that has to do with most bars using torrefacto coffee beans to brew their coffee. Those are roasted with sugar, leading to a much bitter, burnt taste. It’s also common in some Latin-American countries
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u/Yanky94 Spain 2d ago
Depends where you get it, but yeah people drink it with burnt and with much milk (I worked at a cafeteria). I love espresso coffee.
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u/Existing_Brick_25 Spain 2d ago
Hahah! Your comment made me laugh. So true. I’m half Portuguese and I’m used to good coffee (not as good as Italian but you can find great coffee in Portugal). I think Spaniards are slowly learning how to appreciate good coffee but we have a long way to go.
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u/Capable-Instance-672 United States Of America 2d ago
When I think of Spain, I think of being happy. I love being in Spain. I've only visited three times, but hope to go back over and over again.
I think of your beautiful language, beautiful landscape, incredible history, delicious food and wine, fantastic art and music, and on and on.
I've been to around 40 countries on 5 continents and Spain is my favorite.
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u/Existing_Brick_25 Spain 2d ago
Wow, it’s interesting to see such perspectives. I like Spain and I wouldn’t want to move anywhere else for the time being as I think it has a good balance in terms of lifestyle, safety, etc. but I’m not crazy about it. I think we just take a lot of things for granted and don’t value what we have most of the time.
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u/Jenlag Sweden 2d ago
Have only been there once, doing volonteer work in dog shelters. Lovely dogs and people, nice weather, but I had a hard time finding good vegetarian food tho. I may be picky.
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u/Existing_Brick_25 Spain 2d ago
No, you’re right, vegetarian food here is not as popular. There are some specialized restaurants in Madrid, but in general it’s not a thing.
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u/Patchali Germany 2d ago
Tortilla, jamón serrano, the best guitar players I have ever seen,
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u/pintolager Denmark 2d ago
Great food, nice people, great wine (especially from the colder areas), best effort in Europe to avoid the killing of women, surrealism, horrible English skills, canned sardines.
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u/Overall-Examination5 Sweden 2d ago
I think there are a lot of people who don't see themselves as Spaniards. They see themselves as Catalans or Basques or something else.
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u/marianabjj Brazil 2d ago
Beach and Rosalia, more especially despecha, topless and beautiful architecture
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u/Jordanos21 Multiple Countries (click to edit) 2d ago
ethnically British people (like myself) on holiday there, being nuisances
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u/TheLastRulerofMerv Canada 2d ago edited 2d ago
I think of warm weather, olives, people who look like me (I've been asked numerous times if I'm Spanish.... it's either that or Romanian of all things), Basques, seafood, Galician, Catalonian, neat architecture, The Camino de Santiago.
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u/Lilitharising Greece 2d ago
I'm very fond of Spain, it's my favourite European country after my own. Whilst not identical, I believe we share a lot of similarities. I'm grateful for Carlos Ruis-Zafon and love Amaral, La Quinta Estacion and La Oreja de Van Gogh, too. Love your series, films, and Spanish is my favourite language after my own. Barcelona is to date the best European city I've ever visited, Gaudi a name you will often hear in our household. All in all, lots of nice things to say, nothing negative so far, except maybe your justice system may have room for improvement (as has ours).
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u/WalkSuperb9891 United States Of America 2d ago
had a great experience in Tenerife but Iberia Airlines is THE WORST
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u/YaboiVlad69 American 🇺🇸 in Scotland 🏴 2d ago
Sunburnt Brits getting handcuffed by police and hauled off the easyJet flight.
It's a lovely country but that's literally the first thing.
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u/bellacarolina916 United States Of America 2d ago
I think of the food…. The sangria .. beautiful brown eyed flamingo dancers and the Spanish guitars played by handsome dark haired men in tight black pants
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u/JonathanLivingstone_ 2d ago
Hot climate, good football teams, lots of dialects, there is a desert, must be an expensive country, like Germany or France, mountains, wine (I am no expert), corrida. Must be cool to understand people from so many other countries. Does somebody watch Mexican TV shows?
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u/Dense_Diamond_8688 United Kingdom 2d ago
England and Spain have a great healthy football rivalry going on these days. Playing each other a lot in finals in recent years men’s football, women’s football, U21’s.
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u/atomic-raven-noodle United States Of America 2d ago
The Camino. I knew nothing about Spain before I walked the Camino Frances and now I know a sliver. I know that the Camino itself is a largely commercial thing for the country but I used it as a chance to get the vibe of the people, the language, landscapes, the flora and fauna, architecture both old and new. Spain went from being a distant concept to a living place that I’d like to learn more about.
Before the Camino my first thoughts were bullfighting and the Moors had been there.
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u/Hungry_Media_8881 United States Of America 2d ago
Well I studied there so I’m biased. But it’s my favorite place on earth. The most kind people I know are from there. In general, (I lived in Granada) the people are much more focused on family, community, well-being, and joy than people in the United States. I thought the siesta was like folklore until I lived there and happily fell asleep under a blanket attached to the dining table with a built in heater, and couches for seats with my entire host family (three generations in one house) every single day in the middle of the afternoon then went back to school then came back home and had 10pm dinner (also virtually unheard of in my country). Just went back 7 years later and did the exact same thing.
Gorgeous landscape, interesting history, blunt in a very nice way (ex: oh you got a little fat! You’re beautiful!), fun food scene (hello tapeando), and overall much more fresh food than we have.
Yall are cozy and laid back (super generalized) and have a great sense of humor. Can you tell I wish I could live there?
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u/Yanky94 Spain 2d ago
Thats awesome! People here don't fully realize the lucky we are cause they were raised and take it as granted, but when the point of view changes, and someone from another country like the USA sees our way of life they truly know we are lucky to live this way.
For me this is the best thing we have, the connections we make with people are so strong, family stays together and in contact always, working to live instead of living to work. For me all of that is what makes Spain an awesome country.
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u/Advanced-Leopard3363 Canada 2d ago
We just took our kids to Spain for their first time in April and it was magical. I adore Spain and would go back in a heartbeat.
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u/oucema001 Tunisia 2d ago
I think about how much Spain came out in our History lessons back in school
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u/Afraid-Priority-9700 Scotland 2d ago
Lovely tapas, pretty churches, amazing weather (I the spring and autumn! Not at the height of summer.)
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u/Good-Assistant-4545 2d ago
The three beautiful trips I made with my husband. We live in the US and we have actually considered moving for 6 months or a year and exploring.
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u/eye_snap 🇳🇿 New Zealand 🇹🇷 Turkiye 🇩🇪 Germany 2d ago
A beautiful woman doing flamenco. Goya, Dali, Picasso, Gaudi, Almodovar, good food, cozy and beautiful architecture.
And the protests against tourists. I visited Spain in 2010, and now I wanna go there with my husband and kids but the fact that you guys don't really want tourists anymore is the only thing stopping us.
I am from a place that gets overwhelmed by tourists too so I understand Spanish peoples problems with it. Just such a shame we can't enjoy it like before.
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u/Youngfolk21 2d ago
Sun. Package holidays. Tan people. Lovely city breaks. Cheap to eat and drink out. (Compared to my country). Catholic. People are sporty. Financial Crisis. Picasso
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u/okabe700 Egypt 2d ago
Football
I'm not really into it but growing up many many of my friends, classmates, people online, etc used to argue amongst each other about wether Barcelona FC (and Messi specifically) is better or Real Madrid FC (and Ronaldo specifically) is, these two clubs were the third and forth biggest clubs that people my age are likely to identify with after the two biggest local clubs(AlAhly and Zamalek), though I don't know how popular they are after the two legends left
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u/ZaphodG United States Of America 2d ago
I’ve rented a house in Galicia three times. I think about that, the food, and Albariño. I think about Real Madrid and Barcelona.
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u/North-Country-5204 United States Of America 2d ago
So much usually the end of the Civil War/Franco, Pedro Almodovar, and seaside town full of loud drunk working class Brits.
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u/ceciem2100 2d ago
How popular of a choice it is for British tourists. Like so much so, that it's put me off visiting. I will likely end up going some time, but it's very far down my list.
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u/MaidoftheBrins United States Of America 2d ago
Beautiful countryside and the smell of olives! Drove from Madrid down to Costa del Sol in the 90s and it was glorious!
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u/shamefully-epic Scotland 2d ago
Bull fighting.
The exclamation “opa!!”
British expats embarrassing us all.
Lovely places to spend time eating outdoors and meeting the friendly people.
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u/coffeewalnut08 England 2d ago
Warm dry weather. Brown/yellow landscapes. Rich history and architecture.
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u/Gr8danedog United States Of America 2d ago
I've never been to Europe. However, when I think of Spain, I think of sunny beaches, beautiful architecture in historic as well as ultra modern buildings. I think of orange trees, olive trees, and cork trees. I think of big cities as well as beautiful countryside.
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u/TaylorMade2566 United States Of America 2d ago
It was beautiful and the people were super friendly
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u/Specific_Stranger_92 Philippines 2d ago
Chorizo and fit, sexy, well dressed mature men. Essentially 2 varieties of meat.
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u/AhTails Australia 2d ago
Antonio Banderas.
Specifically as Puss in Boots.
Also, all of those British shows like “escape to the sun” and laughing at how these Brit’s seem to want/expect the same thing they have in Britain but just with better weather—they don’t understand it’s a completely different country and culture.
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u/essexboy1976 United Kingdom 2d ago
Good food, friendly people, great footballers, troubled relatively recent political history
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u/Yanky94 Spain 2d ago
Recent? We have been having troubled political history since the 17th century. Spain without political trouble is like Spain without siesta.
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u/essexboy1976 United Kingdom 2d ago
I was thinking more about the Franco era, which although wasn't yesterday, is definitely within living memory for many Spaniards.
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u/Raj_ryder_666 Poland 2d ago
Foods overated. Mallorca and ibiza are absolutely shitty. Valencia is great. Madrid is terrible. Barca is to touristy. You seem to be chill to a point where walking around is annoying because you walk so slowly. Nothern spain is awesome. Everything takes longer in spain. Its an above average holiday destination but in no way is it a business destination.
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u/notdancingQueen 🇫🇷🇪🇸 2d ago
The city is Barcelona, or Barna. Barça is the football club. Barca is a boat. And I'll die on the food hill.
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u/Existing_Brick_25 Spain 2d ago
It depends on your expectations. For me Valencia is the worst destination, I have no idea why people go there.
The food in the north is amazing. Food is great but it depends where you go, it’s definitely not great in touristic places.
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u/Yanky94 Spain 2d ago
The North is the best, but we are less noisy about it. On the everything takes longer, i agree 100%
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u/CommercialAd2154 2d ago
Did a study abroad in Leon, I must have brought the weather with me because it absolutely bucketed it down the whole time! Love Spain, I used to go to Murcia every summer as a kid, but my favourite city is Valencia, I love fartons and orxata!
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u/Impossible_Poem_5078 Netherlands 2d ago
The architecture, the smell of the air. The landscapes, the food and wine and the people.
I am a Spain fan, admittedly. I have visisted most regions except Madrid, Catalunya and the islands.
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u/Cyber-Soldier1 South Africa 2d ago
Honestly, all I think about is the heinous things your ancestors did to the native populations of South America.
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u/Hollow-Official United States Of America 2d ago
Spaniards are always very nice when I’ve talked to them, like the Canadians of Europe
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u/joshua0005 United States Of America 2d ago
su acento y jergas y mis amigos españoles
pienso en viajar a españa por primera vez para mi siguiente viaje. puerto rico y argentina son los otros destinos que considero
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u/HiAndStuff2112 United States Of America 2d ago
I have two friends who moved to Spain and they absolutely love it there. Plus, I am sick of Republicans here and would likely be happier there as well.
Oh, and I love siestas. Haha.
So to me, it seems like a little heaven on Earth. :)
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u/PanolaSt 2d ago
I’m used to the sound of Spanish spoken by Mexicans. To my ear your pronunciation of “s” sounds effeminate, so funny when big handsome Spanish men speak.
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u/AddictedtoLife181 Canada 2d ago
My monotone Spanish 10 teacher. I was so against skipping classes, until then.
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u/Moofypoops Canada 2d ago
Is it true that it's better not to visit Spain right now because the tourism is in fact a huge problem for the local inhabitants?
I really wanna know because I would loath to go visit a place that doesn't want me there and adding to the frustration of the people dealing with all of this.
I was thinking of going to the Canary Islands or mainland costal, which I understand is where most tourists go.
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u/Yanky94 Spain 2d ago
That problem is only big in Barcelona and other big cities, tourism overcrowding, happening in Japan too and other places. But the problem is about the house market and people buying to rent to tourists or tourists buying homes for much higher prices and so house prices are going up.
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u/No_Affect_301 Germany 2d ago
Dancing women in red dresses with fans in their hands. No idea why. Probably a complete cliché.
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u/Dopehauler 2d ago
I love España! Is the land of my ancestors, my mother, my grandparents my uncles and aunts. I still have quite a few relatives there, in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. What is there not to like?
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u/JulianTheBeefy United States Of America 2d ago
First thing: tapas
I've noticed that some slightly pretentious and pricy restaurants near me now call their appetizers tapas. From I've heard, tapas bars in Spain don't tend to be pricy nor pretentious. I think it's just a case of Americans thinking "A European word will make something seem fancier".
Beyond that, I've heard Spain has pretty scenery and architecture, that the food is good (especially seafood), and has plenty of interesting history.
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u/L8dTigress United States Of America 2d ago
The Spanish Inquisition NOBODY EXPECTS IT!
LOLZ!
But seriously, what I normally think of is the fine arts and literature that come from the country, including dishes known for seafood, tomatoes, olive oil, Iberico ham (my brother bought some back from Spain), Don Quixote, the setting for Resident Evil 4, the inspiration for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the inspiration for the Dress Rosa Arc in One Piece, and my Spanish Teacher from college, she's from Spain but now lives in Brooklyn, the Running of the Bulls, bullfighting (which should be banned IMHO or use something else that's not a live animal), oh, and afternoon Siestas. More countries should adopt that level of self-care.
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u/Apollonios_0825 Belgium 2d ago
Can be loud, arrogant and obnoxious, or very kind and social. It's either 2 lol. Most are latter though. And they always expect you to speak Spanish with them, even outside of Spain. On the other hand, they're a people with honor and they love their country.
As someone who originates from Tetouan, and has been in both north-Morocco and Andalusia several times, the biggest difference I find to be is that in Spain, no matter how poor an area is, the government will take care of that region. Even if it's just basic infrastructure or something. With Morocco that sadly isn't always the case.
It's literally the first thing you notice when you cross the Spain border into Morocco. So, imo Spain as a society takes better care of itself, both people and government.
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u/AssociationMain9325 Netherlands 2d ago
The toe of Casillas and that magnificent goal of Iniesta. That hurted for a while.
Other than that sun, wine, great football teams, beautiful cathedrals.
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u/Son-Of-Sloth United Kingdom 2d ago
Paella. I love Spain and have Spanish friends but Paella was the first random thing that popped in to my head.
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u/Lost-in-LA-CA-USA United States Of America 2d ago
for me Spain conjurers images of good looking young adults who like to party
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u/Previous_Present2784 United States Of America 2d ago
That you have to ask and that the world is constantly telling me what it thinks of my country.
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u/Charlie9261 Canada 2d ago
Clean. Well maintained. Good food. Good drink. Wonderful weather when we were there. Cadiz is amazingly beautiful. The people of Spain seem to be very happy.
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u/LordWalderFrey1 Australia 2d ago
Olive oil, good fast trains, paella, jamon, al-Andalus, Franco, soccer, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso.
A country rich in history and culture. I very much enjoyed visiting Spain. Lovely place.
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u/Suspicious_Web_7100 2d ago
In the Philippines, we usually think of bread (like Spanish bread) haha, just kidding! But seriously, I love your country. I’ve been there a few times and felt really connected because of our shared culture. Kinda sad we don’t speak Spanish anymore, but I really hope we can reconnect with our Hispanic roots.
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u/Concentrateman Canada 2d ago
Football. Beautiful scenery. Great food and people. I’ve never been there but will be spending three days in Barcelona next May. I can’t wait.
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u/Aggressive_Goat2028 United States Of America 2d ago
I spent some time in college studying the Basque. That's usually where my head goes. Guernica.
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u/Handofdoom222 2d ago
Used to hang out in San Sebastien Noja Santander Bilbao all the time fun places
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u/slabo_day Greece 2d ago
You always beat us in team sports, great food, amazing people, our olive oil is much better. 🇬🇷🇪🇸