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  1. MariaSP

    Calendar of Holidays in Spain?

    Check this: https://www.eleconomista.es/actualidad/noticias/12812956/05/24/calendario-laboral-2024-consulta-todos-los-festivos-puentes-y-dias-libres-de-verano.html However, be aware that apart from national and regional holidays, there are also local holidays. So, there's always the possibility...
  2. MariaSP

    Ordering beer in Spain

    Una clara de limón
  3. MariaSP

    Ordering beer in Spain

    I've never heard of "copa" in relation to beer. "Copa" would be used if you're ordering wine: una copa de vino blanco / tinto (a glass of white/red wine). For beer, people generally order "caña" (a regular glass). And if you want a big mug, then "jarra" as others have mentioned already.
  4. MariaSP

    Duo Lingo or Something Else?

    Duolingo has its merits but it will only take you so far. It can be frustrating (I find it frustrating after a while, anyway) and it's not the best to improve your conversational skills. As an experiment, I've grossly mispronounced whole sentences on purpose, just to check if Duolingo would...
  5. MariaSP

    Locals Only

    I was going to mention this too. The concept of what is polite or not varies from one place to another. English speakers (possibly other nationalities too, but I'm more familiar with the English-speaking countries) put a lot of emphasis on saying "please" and "thank you". Adding a lot of pleases...
  6. MariaSP

    I really wish I knew that!

    That depends on the store. Some weigh your stuff at the register.
  7. MariaSP

    Christmas and New Year Eve on the Camino

    Main New Year tradition in Spain: eat 12 grapes at midnight. Toast with "cava" and party till the morning and go home after a breakfast of "chocolate con churros". Sleep most of January 1 😂 Christmas in Spain
  8. MariaSP

    Spanish people like to connect with people that they talk to

    Likewise, when I first arrived in Ireland and the people who were supposed to 'welcome' me greeted me with a handshake (instead of the 2 kisses that are normal in Spain)... if they had slapped me I wouldn't have felt worse.
  9. MariaSP

    Spanish people like to connect with people that they talk to

    As a Spaniard, I can confirm that touching someone's arm, shoulder (or leg if you're sitting) is a common practice and perfectly normal. Of course, there can always be creeps with other intentions, but in general, there's nothing weird/aggressive/negative going on. Quite the opposite. I know it...
  10. MariaSP

    Do I need to learn some Spanish before my camino? Yeah, you probably should...

    Partially true. The dubbing for Latin America and Spain is not the same. You will find the same movies dubbed into 'Latin American' Spanish (some sort of neutral Latin American sounding Spanish that isn't really spoken anywhere) and into Spanish from Spain. Why movies are dubbed in Spain has to...
  11. MariaSP

    Do I need to learn some Spanish before my camino? Yeah, you probably should...

    I hope it's OK to share my blog. Each post has some Spanish words or phrases (with audio), which are relevant to the Camino.
  12. MariaSP

    Ordering coffee in Spain with skim milk?

    It is available. Maybe not in every bar, but it's not uncommon at all.
  13. MariaSP

    How many sellos per day

    You were lucky. Others have been refused a Compostela because they didn't have 2 stamps in the last 100km.
  14. MariaSP

    Getting Compostela several days after arriving in Santiago - any problems?

    I collected mine 2.5 years later. They wrote on it the date I collected it as well as the date when I completed my Camino.
  15. MariaSP

    Don't speak the language?

    No, 'quería' is fine; it's what we most frequently use. You could use 'querría' too, which as you say is the conditional tense (equivalent to the English 'I would like/want). But 'quería' is more common (and I'd say easier to pronounce too for those who struggle to roll their Rs 😅)
  16. MariaSP

    Don't speak the language?

    'Quería' is one of the past tenses of 'querer' (to want), so literally it would translate as 'I wanted'. But I think it's a good idea to let go of literal translations and sometimes simply trust that 'that's how you say X in this language'. If you analyse certain phrases word by word, they will...
  17. MariaSP

    Don't speak the language?

    Just because we don't say 'please' and 'thank you' that much in Spain doesn't mean we are not being kind or showing appreciation. We just have different ways of doing it. I understand it's part of your culture to say 'please' and 'thank you' a lot (way too much by Spanish standards 😅) and that...
  18. MariaSP

    Don't speak the language?

    Too formal and old fashioned. Nobody would use "quisiera" in Spain.
  19. MariaSP

    Don't speak the language?

    Por favor, gracias, perdón... are not the most important words to learn in Spanish. English speakers (in general) use them way too much when speaking Spanish, and they don't really have the desired effect. It is more important to greet people, for instance, before you start saying your piece.
  20. MariaSP

    Don't speak the language?

    Just to add to your corrections: "Yo quiero" means "I want" but "yo" is unnecessary; "quiero" sounds more natural. Also "(yo) quiero" come come across as a bit demanding when ordering/asking for things. "Quería" is the more polite way to ask.

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