January: Fiesta de Antón, Madrid Every year on January 17th is the Festival de Antón. On this day many people in Madrid bring their pets to Calle de Hortaleza, where stands the church Inglesia de San Antón. Here their pets are blessed with holy water in name of San Antón, the Patron Saint of Animals. The animals normally range from, cats, dogs, guinea pigs, and any pet one might have. This is really the pinnacle day for animal lovers to show how much they love their companion. Febrary: Prepare your …CONTINUE READING

The most important thing to say about Spain in an article about softening culture shock is that it’s a wonderful country to visit and one shouldn’t expect to run into many problems or be overwhelmed by the difference in culture. Inevitably, however, certain details of Spanish life will vary from the background of students coming to study Spanish in the country, and it’s helpful to point out a few aspects that could prove surprising or disconcerting at first. Shopping and eating out A good thing to keep in mind about …CONTINUE READING