Spanish Living

When General Franco died in 1975, so ended his dictatorship in Spain which stretched back to end of the Civil War (1936-1939). A new era was ushered in for the people of Spain; one which meant democracy, modernisation and an altogether brighter future.

It also meant lifestyle choice.

Spaniards prefer not to delve into their recent past, as it was a painful period of significant poverty and lack of personal freedom. Today’s generation of Spaniards are optimistic, forward thinking people. And more often than not, they are city dwellers now.

Historically, before their country became modernised (that modernisation is still rattling along, evidenced by the enormous amount of construction happening all over Spain) Spaniards would typically have lived in a village, or pueblo. It’s not that cities didn’t exist, simply that people tended to work in and around their pueblo, mainly in agriculture.

	The new generation no longer lives in the village houses, or casas, of their parents and grandparents, so it’s no wonder that many Spanish villages are under threat from depopulation, if they haven’t died out already. Some are dependent on foreign investors for their survival. The foreigners buy the old houses, allowing those parents and grandparents to move into the city and join their children!
It’s not just old houses that interest foreigners. Spain’s abundant neglected ruins – such as castles, or castillos, like the one pictured right – are often bought for a pittance and then restored to something like their former glory.
	It’s the same story with traditional Spanish farmhouses, or fincas, with their vast amounts of land. Spain is a big country and land is relatively cheap for the foreign investor.
The Spanish have a penchant for ‘the new’, represented by flats (pisos), as opposed to ‘the old’. Flats are safe and secure, easy to clean, the electrics are in good order, they have roller shutters, PVC windows, and many have air conditioning. Some flats even come equipped with all the mod cons pre installed. In short, they suit a modern life which Spaniards aspire to. Life in a flat need not mean the end to community spirit. Far from it. A block of flats in Spain is home to a community of its own making. There’ll be a communal maintenance fee which residents have to pay, and even a ‘president’ whose job it is to make the right decision on behalf of all the residents.
	There is a new housing option on the market which appeals to Spanish taste and it’s called an adosado, or terraced house. Previously these only existed in Northern Europe, but they have become vogue in Spain in recent years, combining as they do all the benefits of a flat, with the added attractions of a parking space and a small garden.