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Winter Wanderlust | Tenerife *


As some of you may know, particularly if you've ever read my first ever blog post which was on my experiences working as an au pair in Spain, I am a freaking Spanish nerd. I love the language, I love the culture, and I especially love all of Spain's weird and wonderful customs and traditions.
 With the weather getting colder by the day now and my thoughts drifting to dreams of warmer climes, I thought I'd talk a little bit about the things I love about Spanish culture, particularly in one of my favourite Spanish islands, Tenerife.

1: You can siesta all day, and fiesta all night
If one thing is true of the Spanish, they love to party. In fact, Spain is home to more bars and pubs than anywhere else in the world. The Spanish penchant for parties was something I took a little while to get used to on my first visit to Spain, what with me and all my granny-ish tendencies (early nights are kind of my "thing"). On my arrival I suddenly found that lunchtime had become dinnertime, and bedtime? Well, there's really no such thing. In Spain, partying literally until the sun comes up is standard practice, and fortunately, so are very lazy mornings (and by "mornings" I mean "mornings, but also well into the afternoon").


Tenerife in particular is one Spanish island known for it's buzzing nightlife, especially in the infamous Playa de las Americas, a popular party destination for Brits for its bustling stretch of bars and clubs. However, if like me you prefer a taste of the more traditional Spanish nightlife, there's the unassuming Puerto de la Cruz where when the sun goes down, its quiet streets and plazas become a hub of night-time activity.   

2: I genuinely believe Spanish dance music is a wholly superior listening experience
This may be just me, but it would seem that with the ability of the Spanish to host a most excellent "fiesta" also comes, in my opinion, it's ability to produce some of the worlds most epic dance tunes. Spanish music makes me want to dance like my life depended on it (I mean, everyone loves a bit of Enrique in their life though, don't they?) Also, excuse what may well be my poor taste to a more attuned ear but while I was working in Spain the two little girls I was looking after introduced me to Abraham Mateo (who as far as I can understand is basically Spain's answer to Justin Bieber) and now his song "Señorita" will forever bring me back to times spent dancing along to it in the apartment's living room with the girls.


3: Churros (for breakfast)
Just in case you're unfamiliar with what churros are, they're basically long, thin donut-type pastries, (often coated in sugar and eaten with hot chocolate) and in Spain, not only is it normal to eat them for breakfast, it's encouraged. 
Now if that doesn't sell you on the joys of Mediterranean living, I don't know what will!

4: Spain has the most outrageous festivals
Spain is the mother ship of celebrations and there are an absolute multitude of festivals and holidays held all year around (some being stranger than others). My personal favourite is 'La Tomatina', a giant tomato fight held each year on the last Wednesday of August in Buñol, Valencia, and then there's the 'Running of the Bulls', where crazy folk volunteer to be chased by angry bulls through the streets of Pamplona. Though really you can't have a proper festival without building a castell (i.e. a giant human tower), which is common practice at various festivals throughout the year in the region of Catalonia.


Like most other Spanish regions, Tenerife also has its fair share of annual celebrations. In fact, it boasts one of the world's largest carnivals, Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife (The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife), held each February in Santa Cruz, the island's capital. The festival is a dazzling display of music and colour which lasts five days, ending on the final day in an enormous and spectacular parade.

5: The lush landscapes
Spain is rich in beautiful and diverse natural landscapes, from golden beaches in the south to striking mountain ranges in the north, not to mention the picturesque towns and cities featuring an abundance of awe-inspiring architecture in between. Tenerife is no exception to this rule, as a volcanic island it boasts a contrast of rocky volcanic mountains, forests and natural beaches. Teide National Park is popular with those hoping to experience the most rugged of the island's landscape. The national park is also home to El Teide, the 3rd largest volcano in the world.


6: El Corte Inglés
The ultimate shopping experience. That is all.

For more information on holidaying in Spain or Tenerife visit the First Choice website.

Disclaimer: this post has been contributed by First Choice though all opinions expressed have been my own and do not represent the views of  the company. 

4 comments

  1. I LOVE Churros. They are the best thing about Spain ;) I unfortunately haven't been there much, but I have a few friends who are working as language assistants there this year and they're finding it pretty crazy! The siesta thing is something which I know winds them up a lot, but you just have to embrace it and look for the positives in it, like the fact that midday naps are completely acceptable! I was actually considering au pairing in Spain this Summer as I have GCSE/almost AS level of the language, and really want to improve it, but I'm not sure I can handle switching from English culture to French to English again and then to Spanish! We'll see, and I might have a read of your au-pairing experience blogpost now because that'd be pretty useful!

    Imogen // imogenscribbles

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    1. I'm at the same stage as you in my language learning and i've been considering au-pairing too. It sounds daunting but I'm sure it would be worth it! At the moment I try to read news articles in French or Spanish and there are some good language magazines out there too which really help you to improve. It's quite good to see that I can actually understand most of what they say, as well!

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    2. So sorry I'm only replying to this now Imogen! I've been so unbelievably busy with coursework!! I think it you'd like to au pair in Spain you definitely should! AS level should be fine because you'll pick so much up once you're out there. I know the girl that was au pairing for that family before me had only done it up to GCSE I think or maybe A level, but she'd already graduated from uni by that time so it had been quite a while since she studied it. But yeah definitely, it can be a bit of a culture shock! Hope you're enjoying French living :) xx

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  2. Lovely post :) I love your blog and I have followed you with Bloglovin and GFC. If you ever get a chance to check out my blog I would be delighted, thanks!

    Camille xo

    www.cococami.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for your comment! They mean a lot to me and I read every single one. Sometimes I can be poor at replying so if you need a faster response feel free to email me at beth_farrelly@live.co.uk or tweet me @alphabethblog

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