kpiepen

Hello there,

My family would like to embark on a longer term trip to Spain and France and perhaps elsewhere. I am looking for any suggestions and advice for the Spain portion of our plans.
We would like to spend 2-3 months in a warm part of Spain starting this September. My children are aged 12 and 15 and one of them will have one year of high school Spanish under her belt. I can speak Spanish although it is a bit rusty. Ideally here’s what we would like:

A smallish town with enough amenities to keep us active and allow for opportunities to meet local families and have an authentic experience. We don’t want to be in a tourist town and we don’t need to be on the coast.
We would like to do lots of hiking and biking - my 15 year old son and my husband are avid mountain bikers and my daughter and I would like to do some less arduous rides around the countryside, visiting little towns etc.
I would love for my daughter to be able to attend a local school for a couple of months. She will be homeschooled in her core subjects for coming back to Canada but I would like her to meet other kids and put her Spanish to good use.
Also, we are going on to France (both kids speak French) and then some of Italy as well as Prague.

So on our list of wants is : nice friendly town with easy access to walks/runs/hikes and bikes
A nice market as we will be on a budget and cooking at home a lot.
Spanish rather than Catalan speaking - I think this would make sense as that is the language we can use (?) (We are going to meet up family in Barcelona in October for a few days)
Other community amenities such as a gym, pool, library, horseback riding place, youth centre would be a bonus.
Some volunteer opportunities would be great. I would love for my 15 year old to perhaps read with kids in a school, volunteer with handicapped kids/teens, volunteer in a bike shop etc. He is also passionate about filming and editing and we hope he can work on some projects while there.
- a chance of finding detached 3 bedroom accommodation with garden/patio space in quiet area.

And here’s the hardest part – we will be bringing our small well behaved dog with us as we don’t feel we can leave him for the 7-8 months we will be gone.

I’m sure the travel experts on this forum will have some suggestions and I thank you in advance!

kp in vancouver, Canada

Robert2533

I guess my first question would be, do you speak Castilian Spanish, or any of the other languages you'll encounter in Spain? Staying in smaller towns away from the typical tourist destinations means that speaking Spanish would be very useful, if not actually necessary.

You'll encounter the same thing in the rural parts of France, where English is seldom spoken.

Also, there is the issue of a visa. Since Spain and France are both part of the EU, your tourist visa is only good for 90 days at a time.

kpiepen

My Spanish was learned in Ecuador and Mexico. I know there will be differences to the Castillian Spanish but I think we can get the gist of it. My husband and son don't speak any Spanish but once we confirm the trip we can give them a crash course - with fluency in French, the Spanish comes a bit more easily. Of course we will never perfect it but I think we will have enough to struggle through....
Is the visa going to be real problem? How would we address that? I have read of a long stay visa - is that hard to get in Spain?
This could be tricky as we would like about 2-3 months in each country with smaller stays in other places - a visit totalling 7 months. So 90 days would likely be okay for Spain but then can we get another visa for France? seems not......

Michael

<i>So 90 days would likely be okay for Spain but then can we get another visa for France? seems not......</i>

correct.

nytraveler

Unless you somehow qualify as an EU citizen you are limited to 90 days as a tourist in Schengen (most of europe - but not the UK). The ways around are to get a student visa (but would all have to qualify as students in real programs) or to get some other sort of long-term visa (which is extremely difficult and has a number of requirements in terms of proof of financial stability, proof of medical coverage, and proof when you will be leaving the country.

If you are serious about this you need to start gathering information on visas now to see if there are any for which you will be able to qualify.

thursdaysd

Suggest you visit http://soultravelers3.com/

They spent two or three winters in a Spanish village, with a kid in school there. I don't remember what they did about the visa, but they should be able to help you. They're currently wintering in Malaysia instead.

Robert2533

You can easily qualify for a resident visa is you own property in Spain or France, but not so if you are only renting property.

We used to just cross the border from Spain to France or drop down to Morocco for a few days and have the passport stamped, but it's much more difficult today.

Aduchamp1

BTW, most Catalans speak excellent Castillan and takes great pride in the ability to speak both.

As Spain is many countries, cultures, and languages combined into one geographic fiction, I would spend two or three weeks in different regions and learn about each.

There is the Spain around Madird with many interesting and worthwhile towns. Basque country with its unique language, spectacular cuisine, and its own culture. Galiicia with its strong Celtic influence. Andalusia with is Moorish, Catholic, and Jewish influence. And Catalunya with is language based in Provençal.

Michael

<i>And Catalunya with is language based in Provençal.</i>

My old professor Joan Corominas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Coromines ) would have vehemently disagreed. Catalan and Provençal developed in parallel, one was not derived from the other.

fmpden

You absolutely must obtain some type of extended visa. The risk is to high and expensive if you get caught as an illegal alien. Remember the attitude that the US has towards illegals. I looked into this a couple of years ago. I think France may be the easiest. Spain had some stiff requirements about criminal background checks. This take times so get moving now.

Aduchamp1

From another Wikipedia article regarding Catalan:

Though some hypothesize a historical split from languages of Occitan typology.

So much for Wikipedia. And we all know there are academicians whose currency is be contrary the norm.

kimhe

Take a look at Antequera (pop 45 000), the so called heart of Andalucía or "the crossroads of Andalucía". Almost right in the middle of the Sevilla, Córdoba, Granada, Málaga rectangle. 40 mins from the coast and Málaga city. Here you'll find dolmens (some 5000 years old burial chambers), Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers. Antequera was the first of the Granada emirate towns to fall to the Christians in 1410.
http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry.com/antequera.html
http://www.andalucia.com/antequera/home.htm

Spectacular landscapes close by and easy access to walks/runs/hikes and bikes.

Great markets with all kinds of fresh produce. Some 60 small fish, meat and fruit and vegetable shops in Mercado de Abastos from 1885: http://malagapedia.wikanda.es/wiki/M...tos_(Antequera)

Also excellent supermarkets around town.

Gym/sports center: http://www.centrodeportivolaquinta.com/el-centro
Public pool: http://www.twimbio.com/centro/centro_id=76886
Library: http://www.españaescultura.es/es/arc...san_zoilo.html
Horses: http://www.yumping.com/rutas-a-caballo/malaga/antequera
Youth center: http://www.elsoldeantequera.com/juve...ara-marzo.html

Perhaps join the local bicycle club? http://www.actiweb.es/cceltorcal/

Just outside town you'll find the spectacular Torcal limestone rock formations. Several walks up here, and on a clear day people say you can see to Morocco: http://www.andalucia.com/antequera/torcal/home.htm

You'll also be close to a serious wolf park:
http://www.lobopark.com/en

And the Camino del Rey walk is not far away...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmDhRvvs5Xw

Video intro to Antequera:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKWhBT95g18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWrrO...feature=relmfu

Street level, into the center and the Old town from about 3 mins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGOpk...eature=related

I love the terrace in the corner of the peaceful square in front of the Real Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor, the first partly Renaissance-style church in Spain (built 1514-1550). Up here it's totally peace and quiet. Next to the recently excavated Roman baths beneath and looking up on the 13th century Moorish alcazaba/fortress. Great views over unique landscapes (Torcal, Peña de los enamorados etc. ). Had the concert experience of my life up here a few years ago. http://www.wild-about-travel.com/201...ing-antequera/

This would be a luxcury option, patio, roof-terrace etc. in the best and tranquile location, just above the center of town: http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5923.htm

kimhe

... and the correct adress to the Antequera page: http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry....era-spain.html

kimhe

... and the Antequera library: http://www.españaescultura.es/es/arc...san_zoilo.html

ribeirasacra

Look into how to bring your dog in to Europe too. Renting a house/villa with a pet is not going to be easy either.

kpiepen

Thank you for all the excellent advice particularly kimhe - I will definitely look into all those links. What wonderful help.

We are looking into a long term visa and plan to visit the Spanish embassy here in Vancouver. I can't believe how this EU arrangement is so discouraging to travellers. I totally understand the concept of a 90 day tourist visa per country but to have that apply in total to so many countries is a real disincentive to travellers to come and visit (and spend money!).

Well we will keep trying. Friends got a six month visa for France and said it was very straightforward.

Any other suggestions for towns would be much appreciated.



O

Michael

<i>I can't believe how this EU arrangement is so discouraging to travellers. I totally understand the concept of a 90 day tourist visa per country but to have that apply in total to so many countries is a real disincentive to travellers to come and visit (and spend money!). </i>

Think of it as a visa for a single entity: the U.S., where one can argue that the East Coast and the Mountain States are two different cultural entities.

Robert2533

The Spanish Embassy is in Ottawa. There is supposed to be a Consulate Office Burnaby, but the Visa Application Center is in Toronto.

Robert2533

I suggest you do a little more research on Spain. As Aduchamp1 says, it's a land of many counties with diverse cultures and languages. It’s the second most mountainous region in Europe after Switzerland, and has more fiestas than any other country that comes to mind.

Parts of inland Andalucía in the summer can be unbearably hot and dry, while the Mediterranean coast from Valencia to the French Riviera is generally humid but comfortable and usually mild. The Pyrenees will be spectacular from the Orientales to the Atlantic, and you can expect rain along the rugged northern coast during the summer months, which is why it's referred to as Green Spain.

kimhe

Climate in Antequera from Sept through Nov goes from average highs/lows 83/65F in September to 68/54 in Nov. Plenty of sunshine, some 10 hours average/day in September to more shifting with increasing rainfalls later in the autumn.
http://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/...e.aspx?month=9