Answer 1: About 5 minutes.

Yes, the initial time it takes to think ‘Moving to Spain is the best thing I have ever done’ is about 5 minutes. This thought lasts a very long time

Answer 2: About 5 years

Actually, for the first 5 years I lived in Madrid I would often catch myself walking through the park thinking ‘Bloody hell, I live in Spain!’, a thought accompanied by a large grin and a feeling of great surprise.

But it really does take a long time to feel like Spain really is, 100%, home. No doubts. No going back. No regrets. And the first 5 years, until you reach that point, can at times be confusing. Why? Because you aren’t Spanish, because you don’t come from Spain, because where you came from was greener, quieter, cooler… whatever, just different to where you suddenly realise you are living full time.

And that can sometimes create a crisis of confidence. Is Spain really the place for me? Would I still be better off elsewhere? After about 5 years, you know for sure whether or not your are staying for good, or may still one day want to get up and go. I know which camp I fall into. If you live here, how about you?

It’s been a long time since I posted regular photos of the month from the Notes from Spain Flickr Group. It’s time to bring this feature back to life, and we would love it if you have great Spain photos to share.

All you have to do is join the Notes from Spain Flickr Group, and post your best Spain photos there. Every month I’ll take a look at the group and pick the very best Spain photo to post here on the blog. The first new ‘photo of the month’ will be picked on March 1st, so get posting!

No Spain photos? Check out our new ‘Photo of the week’ thread in the forum, and share your best images from anywhere!

Over the next few months I hope to write a series of posts about setting up, building, and running an online business in Spain. To kick-start the whole affair, I asked my friend Dean Hunt a few questions about his experiences as an internet entrepreneur here in Spain.

I met Dean in Madrid last year, and apart from being a lot of fun to hang out with - if you don’t mind going to bed absurdly late - his up-to-date marketing advice has also had a significant impact on the fortunes of our own little online set up.

Here’s the quick-fire interview, I’m sure questions in the comments will be more than welcome:

- So Dean, how long have you been in Spain?

Just over three years now. It doesn’t seem that long, el tiempo vuela.

- What exactly do you do here work-wise?

I am an Internet Entrepreneur. I know that sounds quite vague, but what I actually do can change from month to month, depending on where I see opportunities. I am also now considered one of the leading Marketing experts on the Internet, so that has been a touching accolade.

- How long did it take before the net paid the bills?

I was messing around on the net for a year or so before I came to Madrid. But in terms of trying to do it as a job, it took a year of intensive self education before I was in a position to be paying the bills, and even after one year, I was scraping by. Luckily I have continued to improve both my skills and my profile, so I am now able to make a handsome living: I currently make approx. 10 times what I was earning in the UK.

- Many people will think ‘I can’t do that’ - What special skills does someone need to be able to make money online?

If I had to pick one skill I would probably say writing. The Internet is essentially just a lot of content strung together by links, we have a saying in the industry: “content is king”, with good content, you will succeed, and invariably most content is written… even videos and podcasts are often scripted. Unfortunately most people with this talent use it to teach, proof-read, do freelance writing etc… and frankly, it is extremely difficult to make a 6 or 7 figure income that way.

- Do you think Spain makes it particularly easy or difficult to set up an online business?

Spain makes it very difficult to set up a business, I have built a house in Madrid and I have a limited company here, and the bureaucracy can be crazy. I have done things in the UK via the net or via the post (mail), yet in Spain you have to fill out 15 forms, queue from 6am, pay hundreds of euros etc… A Spanish person once told me that the Spanish like to make things as complicated as possible, from what I have seen, he was right.

- You have a somewhat lively blog at deanhunt.com - can a personal site like that make a big difference to someone’s online potential?

It started purely as a place to gather my thoughts, all of that exploded in late 2006 when I had almost 250,000 visitors in a one week period. Since then I have been addicted to the thrill of it, and now have a loyal following and reader base. For me it has helped a lot, despite the fact that my services are fully booked for a year in advance, I still get people contacting me on a weekly basis with job and partnership opportunities. The blog has helped a great deal in opening doors for me.

- What one piece of advice would you give the fledgling blogger?

Stand out from the crowd. There are approx 6 billion web pages on the Internet, find a way to stand out from the others.

- If you could change one thing about your working life…

I work from my home office, so over the years I have started to miss the daily face-to-face interaction with other people. So I suppose it would be interesting to work one day of the week in an office with like-minded people.

- The thing you like most about life in Spain is…

The beauty. Whether you are on a beach in Southern Spain, In Madrid Centre, or even in a quiet little town, it is beautiful. Throw in the good weather, and you have a perfect recipe.

- Any Spain moans?

Just the usual I suppose: Lack of customer service, terrible drivers/roads, David Bisbal

- The one post every should read on your blog is:

It is more of a page than a post, but http://deanhunt.com/category/life-in-madrid/ shows all the blog posts regarding my life in Madrid. There is everything from photos of my house, to the announcement of my engagement to Elena, to me eating snails in a bar in Madrid (yikes).

Many thanks Dean! Remember to check out his blog at deanhunt.com (mind the killer bunnies!), and feel free to comment/ask questions below.

Every now and again I like to publish a classic comment from readers of this blog. The best this week comes from a Spanish reader who I’ll be sorry to see go. Here is the comment (originally posted here), in Spanish (apologies for lack of translation, it would loose its spice):

“…piedad, no te enfades, no captan tu ironia, para eso habria que tener al menos medio cerebro.

Con la disculpa de que aman España y les interesa el Español, en este sitio, que el principio estaba muy bien hasta que a su dueño Ben le dio por el sensacionalismo barato, hay una pandillita de xenófobos, acomplejados, envidiosos y amargados muy interesante. La mayoria tiene un complejo de superioridad-inferioridad con respecto a España que es digno de estudio psiquiatrico. En fin, salvo algunas honrosas excepciones como Edith, aqui hay mucho xenofobo, prepotente e ignorante, pero seguro que no te estoy contando nada que no sepas.

Obviamente, este es mi ultimo post aqui. Que os vaya bien a todos.”

Sorry to see you go And sorry if you or others feel the blog is lapsing into ‘cheap sensationalism’. For me it’s about writing fun posts every now and again, that lead to great discussion. Saludos.

Photo © Ryan Opaz

A few questions popped into my head recently about Rioja wines, about their predominance in the Spanish market amongst other things. Who better to clear up my doubts, I thought, than my good friend Ryan, at Catavino.net. Read on, and do check out his great site on Spanish wines.

Q: Why have a majority of people outside Spain only ever heard of La Rioja wines?

A: Marketing, that’s it really, and money. Rioja has invested early and well. Today the name Rioja stands apart from Spanish wine. In fact a recent survey by the Wine Academy of Spain found that 2 out of 10 wine drinkers recognized Tempranillo (primary grape used in Rioja) as a variety and 68% of wine drinkers thought Rioja was in Italy.

Q: Do they actually make some of the best wines in Spain?

A: Yes, and like any region in Spain they also make some of the worst. Wine is in most cases subjective, and therefore if you don’t like wine from Rioja don’t drink it, and if you do like it, well then do drink it. I would say that 80% or more of the Rioja on my supermarket shelf here in Terrassa, Cataluña, is pure rubbish. But the name sells so people buy it. Sad really.

Q: What Rioja wines should people look out for in Spain or abroad?

A: Really I think that most Rioja wines become interesting at the 10 euro price point. Sure there are cheaper ones worth considering, but in the end you get to 10 euros and most times you get a wine worth the money. Names I have always had luck with include: Muga, LAN, Lopez de Heredia, and RODA, none of which should surprise anyone, though I would look to new names such as Bodegas Tobia, a winery that is really tryinig to do new things, while at the same time respecting traditon.

Q: Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva - Does it really matter?

A: Yes and no. The best value you can get is from a Crianza. Usually they are not overpriced and are still full of fruit and vigor. Whereas Reservas and Gran Reservas can be over-priced and unless you know where to reach you can find yourself with a glass of tired grape juice.

Q: I want to do a bit of wine tourism in La Rioja, where should I head for?

A: Head to www.LaRiojaTurismo.com and check out what they have to offer. Rioja right now is working hard to show itself as a complete package. You can ride horses, take a balloon ride, see dinosaur tracks, visit ancient cities, and eat some amazing foods, all this and you’ll never be far from a great glass of wine.

Q: Any final La Rioja thoughts?

A: Follow us next week as we spend a week in Rioja tasting wines, visitng bodegas and doing a few things off the beaten track. I am a Rioja skeptic. I know Rioja makes great wines, but lately I’ve had trouble finding them. This next week is my chance to explore and search for some of the hidden treasures in Rioja. I’m really looking forward to what we find.

Thanks Ryan! Head over to catavino.net to follow Ryan as he spends a great week in La Rioja, and do let us know, do you drink it? Or do you venture into other wine regions of Spain?

La Photo: Un jolie canal en France

I have just got back from a weekend in France, where I discovered the following earth shattering comparisons with Spain:

1. There is way more dog crap on the streets of France than Spain. Hard to believe, I know. Conclusion? The Spanish are less squeamish than the French when it comes to the “hand in plastic bag picking up warm offerings” maneuver. Respect.

2. French pastry shops blow anything the Spanish can offer out of the water. Any day. Ever. Punto Pelota.

3. The French do desserts like the Spanish do ham. No competition from either country on either front. When the Spanish tack ‘casero’ (homemade) onto the end of any dessert they think it’s instantly cordon-bleu. But that’s a French word (or two), and for good reason. Dessert-makers of Spain: go to France and LEARN what it means to enjoy a Tarte Aux Fruits Rouges.

4. The French, like the Spanish, eat way too much red meat.

5. The French say please and thank you more than the Spanish. Kudos. But let’s not get into that again.

6. The French use the polite Vous form way more than the Spanish use their polite Usted. A little bit of ‘How art thou?’ is all very well, but really, France, come on, step out of the 19th Century - and into the 20th, with the Spanish

7. Orangina wipes the floor with Kas Naranja. Sorry.

8. Who drives closer to the car in front at high Speed? The French guy in the Citroen? The Spaniard in the Seat Leon? Dead heat every time. Niether country has any concept of that great British life-saving invention, the 2 second rule.

9. In France a river is a river. In Spain it’s a stream. Or a winding channel of dust where cars and bodies and rubbish get dumped.

10. What earth-shattering differences have you discovered between Spain and the Great Elsewhere?

Photo: Vacuum-Packed Jamon Iberico - the single greatest souvenir a returning Spain-traveler can bestow on their loved ones.

Jamon Serrano:

- Doesn’t generally taste as good as Jamon Iberico.
- Is likely to choke you to death if you don’t cut it up into small pieces before putting it into your bocadillo (bread roll). I don’t want to go into details but beleive me, if you start swallowing half a 10 inch strip while still chewing the rest… scary… Spanish parents always chop Jamon Serrano up small for their kids for this very reason.
- Is usually machine-sliced and is more likely to be found in cheap bocadillos (which are therefore more likely to choke you!)

Jamon Iberico:

- Tastes so much better… alone, with morsels of bread, even with “is-this-nirvana?” jamon, egg and chips.
- Tends to be cut by hand, sliced thinner and in smaller sized pieces, and therefore:
- Is less likely to choke you when:
- Found in more expensive bocadillos.

These are fairly random observations (from someone who recently nearly choked to death on a cheap, train-buffet Jamon Serrano sandwich). But what is the actual physical difference between the two types of ham? I suspect there is an Iberico ham pig and a less refined Serrano ham pig. But within the Iberico pig category there are those with black feet (Pata negra), and others that are only fed on acorns (bellotas) for the last year of their life.

I know that eating pata negra, bellota-fed jamon iberico makes you feel somehow closer to heaven, but if anyone can help clear up the exact differences between Jamon Iberico and Jamon Serrano, I’d be very grateful! Answers/thoughts in the comments please!

If you take a walk around Madrid’s Retiro Park on a Tuesday afternoon, you are bound to come across one or two Chinese wedding parties. The bride and groom are being photographed in picturesque settings by a Chinese photographer, and videoed by a Chinese cameraman and his Chinese assistant. Amongst their party there is never a Spaniard to be seen.

Fair enough, you may say, but this is pretty much representative of the level of social integration that the Chinese have gone for in Spain: nada. On a scale of 1 to 100, I’d go for about 3. The Chinese have been here for years, yet their community is private, busy, and seemingly quite content. Yes, the children go to Spanish schools, speak better Spanish than their parents, and often work the tills in the numerous barrio corner shops, but in ten years I have yet to see a Chinese-Spanish couple holding hands in the street.

The Chinese run restaurants, corner shops, and One Euro (formely 100 peseta) shops. They allegedly make quite a lot of money from pirated music and movies, which you often see Chinese women flogging in busy bars until way past midnight. This fits in with reports of a large Chinese mafia at work in Spain, but you never hear of them interacting with any other bad guys, or flashing money at bent Spanish politicians. Once again, the Chinese keep themselves to themselves.

How long has there been a significant Chinese population in Spain? I have no idea, but certainly long enough for them to enter the Spanish vernacular: Trabajar como un chino, to work like a Chinaman, means you work damn hard, for example, and Suena a cuento chino, means something sounds like a tall story. I’m not sure the Chinese in Spain would be too offended by either of those. (Update: see comments for more on these phrases).

I suspect the case of the complete acceptance of the Chinese fits into the Spain and Racism debate somewhere. I’ve certainly never heard a bad word against them (suspicion of their privacy aside). In fact, most of the Spaniards I have met find their restaurants and shops extremely useful and are happy to have them in town. Perhaps there is hope for other immigrant groups yet!

(Above photo for the first and probably last time ©iStockphoto.com/Phil Date - I had a pic of my own from a wedding party in the park today, but if felt kind of rude to use it on the couple’s wedding night without asking first. Normal photographic service will resume forthwith.)

Last week’s post about Racism in Spain has already generated over 100 comments, pretty good going for this site I can tell you. The point is it aroused a lot of passions, and quite rightly so, racism is just plain wrong.

But without defending racism for a minute, the one thing I learned from reading through the comments is that we have to be very careful about judging what happens here in Spain based on pre-conceived notions we bring from elsewhere.

I am not, I want to repeat, excusing what happened last week at the race track. But it is fascinating to note that quite a few Spanish commentators weren’t overly concerned by the application of boot-polish to cheeks to represent someone with different coloured skin, something which is just totally unheard of nowadays in, for example, the UK.

Yet in a country where 10 years ago there was hardly a black face to be seen, and where Moors and Christians fiestas along the coast still see whole armies of mock-up Arabs being chased out of town by the mock-up Christians, is it any wonder that a little bit of confusion now arises as important social changes creep in?

In the racism case I think it’s clear where right and wrong lies. If the person who any given attack is directed towards is likely to take offense or feel discriminated against as a result of that action, and the perpetrators are aware of that risk or doing it for that very reason, then it’s pretty obviously wrong.

But what about, say, Spanish comedy. It’s crap, isn’t it? Torrente aside, I have had occasion to think so. But hang on a minute, all the Spanish people are laughing!

And all Spanish waiter’s are rude, aren’t they? Ah, that’s right, they don’t have to be over-the-top nice to anyone. A reasonable base wage means that they don’t need to live from the tips that they generally never receive. If they’re having a bad day and want to be grumpy, then they have every right to be! Bar work often sucks, and if you don’t get paid more for being in an outrageously “Have a nice day!!” good mood…

So I guess the question is, who sets the cultural barometer? Who or what defines what is right, wrong, funny, or rude? And what I’d really like to know is, where else have you seen that barometric clash on your travels through Spain and Spanish culture? What just isn’t right, or doesn’t seem to work… and is it the fault of Spain or the Spanish, or, hang on a minute, may things are just judged differently here, and that’s OK?

Apologies for the unusually long post. Your comments will, as always, be very much appreciated.

What is the essence of Spain? I’m talking about physical things you can see, hear, touch, things that are unique to the landscape of Spanish life. If we were talking about the UK for example, I might think of starched white grass on frost-bitten mornings, newsagents, PG Tips tea, carpeted living rooms, gastro pubs, billowing green trees, light rain, the M25… things that just say: The British Isles.

By the same token, what is the essence of Spain? What are those unique physical and sensory pointers that combine to let you know This is Spain, not France, Britain, Australia, or anywhere else… just Spain.

Here are a few of the things that come to my mind:

The Menu del Dia
Distant sawtooth mountains
Dry meseta plains
Cola Cao
Appartment buildings
El Pais
Cafe con Leche
Langostinos
Bumper to bumper driving on motorways
Waiters in waistcoats
Bright blue skies
Small dogs
Children playing in warm Plazas at midnight
The noisy front-line of bodies and parasols on hot Mediterranean beaches

I really want to develop this list: What would you add?