Spain is a popular destination among Britons looking to start a new life somewhere hot and with a slower pace of life.
However, relocating to a brand new place means adapting to a new way of life and new social customs. An expat who moved from Scotland to Madrid claimed that inviting friends into your home isn’t the “done thing”. She advised expats to arrange coffee dates instead.
Louisa Dubickas took to YouTube to share her tips for moving to Spain “that you won’t find anywhere else”. She shared a difference she’s experienced between living in the UK and living in Spain.
She advised: “Don’t invite people to your house. In the UK it’s so common to invite your friends round to your house for a cup of tea and a chat.
Britons flock to Spain for sun, sea and sand
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“If you have kids and your friend has kids, you’ll arrange play dates where your friend will come to your house with all of her kids and then you’ll go to her house with all of your kids.
“We have this tradition of spending a lot of time in each other’s houses – most probably because of the weather – but in Spain, people just don’t do that.”
In Spain, if you want to meet a friend, Louisa advised scheduling a coffee date in a bar or on a terrace instead.
If you and your friend have children, the expat advised that arranging a play date in a playground is more suitable than in the home.
She continued: “You arrange to do everything outdoors, and because the weather’s so nice, the majority of the time you can.
“And then if it rains or if it’s cold, people just don’t see their friends. They hide themselves away at their houses until the sun comes out again.”
Louisa revealed that before she knew about this unwritten rule, she invited plenty of Spanish people to her home.
She admitted that while they did take her up on her offer, they did seem to be a little “uncomfortable” when they were there.
According to Louisa, Spanish people tend to reserve their homes for their family “and maybe very, very, very close friends”.
“But acquaintances like mums you meet at school, it’s just not the done thing,” she said.
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Expat Louisa relocated from Scotland to Madrid, Spain
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Louisa also touched on another practice that is a social norm in the UK but not so well received in Spain.
In her YouTube video, she explained why calling people at specific times is considered “rude”.
An expat in Spain previously spoke exclusively to GB News about his move to Spain, revealing that while the relaxed attitude to the time “bugged” him at first, he soon discovered that the Spanish have really “got it right”.
