Just remembered a couple more things that surprised when I first started visiting Spain all those years ago (I'd forgotten these as they are now common knowledge):
a) Ordering a beer in a bar, and having a plate of food put in front of you. In my case it was a small fish (probably a small sardine). At that point I had no idea what to do with it (I hadn't been given a knife and fork) and didn't know which parts to eat. I had to wait until someone else came in and ordered a drink (luckily they were given the same tapa). Later on I found all sorts of strange unknown (to me) food placed in front of me. Fantastic, if you're open-minded! I even know where to get free paella on certain days in Madrid now!
b) The fact that most bars/restuarants will close one day a week (por descanso), and will normally close for a month around August (obviously not on the coast).

I doubt it very much, but I don't know of anywhere you can see such sites in broad daylight. I don't know Barcelona, but I understand this is an area easily accessible to tourists, the general public etc.

I can assure you that in Nottingham's red light zone (which is in public streets) you can see all sorts of things going off (to be fair the police do try and crack down on it, but it never seems to disappear). Amsterdam (I've heard- never been there) has vice girls in shop windows.

My son was in uni at Nottingham, and whilst we saw girls hanging around street corners where he had digs, unfortunately I never saw any having full sex in broad daylight! And Amsterdam, yes plenty of girls sitting in windows, but having full sex? You'll never admit it, but I think this behaviour, in a busy populated area, in the middle of the day, is not normal behaviour.

[QUOTE=agoreira;8099526]My son was in uni at Nottingham, and whilst we saw girls hanging around street corners where he had digs, unfortunately I never saw any having full sex in broad daylight! And Amsterdam, yes plenty of girls sitting in windows, but having full sex? You'll never admit it, but I think this behaviour, in a busy populated area, in the middle of the day, is not normal behaviour. [QUOTE]

Are you saying it's normal behaviour in Barcelona or Madrid? I mean I've heard tell of the non-existent skirts (literally) worn by the putas on a particular poligono in Malaga, & the frequent arrival of clients in their cars, lorries, etc., but full, visible, sex?

Well don't keep that one to yourself, which bar is that?

The red light area of Amsterdam does have the girls displaying theirselves in windows and I felt safer walking in that area on a night than I did in many cities in the UK.

Don't worry, they are clamping down on the sex in the streets thing in Barcelona now as there was a big fuss on TV. Of course prostitution isnt illegal in Spain but screwing in the streets is.

Regarding UK surprises according to Spanish OH and friends who stayed with families to learn English a few years ago:
- Yes carpets everywhere including the bathroom! Which adds to the feeling that English homes arent the cleanest
- Portions at meal times are tiny and you have to ask for more, there arent serving bowls in the middle of the table
- Some English people dont have a shower every day (apparently) or even have a shower in their bathroom
- Two taps, one freezing cold, the other scorching hot
- The "cold" English people who treat you like a number or an inconvenience
- The price of public services, £15 to get a train from the airport to central London! (1.20 euros in Barcelona for example)
- That people go out so early at night, drink loads of beers, dont eat anything and then fall over, be sick or get into fights

They loved London though becuase it was so cool for young people, great music and fashion, amazing architecture and "buzz" of the big city. And there are loads of great jobs!

Well, quite a few bars do this on Sunday (if they stay open that is). I've seen this in a bar close to the Rastro, in the north near Penagrande, and in the east near Diego de Leon metro. You can also find certain chains (Canas y Tapas, Corner Cafe) that give paella as their first free tapa on a certain day. Of course these things tend to alternate, so you may be better asking a local. There also used to be a bar-restaurante down Calle Preciados that did this in the week.

It is a great advantage to get to know your barman as well, then they are much more likely to give you a free tapa every now and then and even a free drink. I go to a bar with my friends after playing football and we get loads of stuff free, guess cos they want us to go in the habit of coming back!

Another surprise for me in the UK, was the variety of sweets (mainly chocolate bars) for sale in the news agents.

In Spain we really only had "golosinas" not Twix, mars, revels etc.

It used to take me ages deciding what I wanted.

Family parties were another thing that I found strange, all the furniture piled high and people dancing, with music and a buffet on a table in the kitchen.

The oly parties we had in Spain were based on sitting around the table eating a big meal.

Having all the shops together along the street was another novelty, We were used to buying bread from the bakery then walking quite a distance to the butcher etc, when we lived in Galicia.

One think I hated while in UK is when people is holding a door open for you... even if you are far away from it! Resulting in you having to run!!
Do they enjoy watching people running? I never could understand that...
I was working by a Hospital with long corridors and I had to run several times every day because of this habit.
At the end of the day when you are tired of wandering round that horrid place you would kill those holding a door for you.

They might be clamping down, but seemingly the camera crew had no problems filming it going on. It's right at the end of this video, just a few brief shots.
http://www.antena3videos.com/video/5...mas-peligrosas

If you want a Spaniard that really hates Brits and UK, this one will take some beating. She hated it so much, she only stayed 8 years!
http://estosingleses.blogspot.com/
One of things she mentions is kids pregnant at 15 years old. As bad as that is, there are kids of 13 in Barcelona having abortions.
http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/3598...ortos/menores/
She did come in for a lot of stick in another forum, a lot of Spanish living in UK rubbishing her views.

Ha-ha! A mirror image of those who can only see "Spanish BAD British GOOD!"
I wonder if she doesn't have a point when she claims it's a myth that the British are punctual. I've met some extremely tardy people in my time who happen to be British. I suffer from being too punctual. I normally arrive too early, so have to find someway of eating up the time. I find it insulting when someone arranges to meet you at a certain time and then keeps you waiting, but I don't this is a national thing. You're either punctual or you aren't, I find. The opposite is also not always the case. If you have a business appointment in Spain, you're expected to arrive on time (well in Madrid at any rate, can't speak for Andaluca ). If you go to the cinema the film will start punctually, and as for train times - well they're not always exactly on time but they do tend to be a lot better than Blighty. There again, getting a tradesman to turn up when he says he's going to...

That's a bit of a myth as well.