Time flies (El tiempo vuela)...

With seven years in Spain fast approaching - which is bloody hard to believe - I've decided it's high-time that I write some of it down. 

Back when I first landed here, Spain was considered by many to be at the forefront of social progressiveness in the "Old Continent". This was thanks to its recent legalisation of gay marriage and adoption, the steps it was taking to tackle domestic violence and it's actions on the universal justice stage, amongst other advances.

To my extranjero's (foreigner's) eyes, it was unbelievably liberal. Madrid's gay Pride parade was one of Europe's biggest (and was basically a five day non-stop street party); at any other time, EVERYBODY seemed to be out and about at all hours eating, drinking and enjoying themselves and for goodness sake, hard-core porn was on free-to-air tele late at night and in full view at the news kiosks along Barcelona's famous Ramblas! (Although I guess this was just a bit too much as the porn disappeared from these places some years ago.)

I was astounded. Wasn't Spain still to celebrate just 30 years of democracy after 40 years of a right-wing dictatorship based on a system of government called "National Catholicism"?

I wouldn't say it was a complete illusion. 

But two big factors were playing an important role in my initial impression of Spain: 1) the year was 2006 and Spain was riding high on an economic boom fueled by a massive influx of European money and even bigger real estate bubble and 2) my extranjero's eyes and ears had not yet attuned themselves to that far less liberal side of the country that was ever-present, but perhaps muted somewhat by economic boom and the popularity of the very progressive government at the time. 

Also (and possibly rather importantly) I expect I arrived with a somewhat skewed impression of the country as I was (and still am) a fan of Pedro Almodóvar's films, with his outrageous characters and even more outrageous themes.

Now that boom has turned to bust (five long years of it), Europe has fervently embraced austerity, the government has changed to one with far less socially progressive views and the years have removed some of the rose tints from my extranjero's eyes, I'm seeing Spain from what I think is a far more realistic perspective. 

Don't get me wrong; I still think this is remarkable country and the Spanish amazing in their aptitude for putting things into perspective and getting on with the business of living - generally with an astounding positivity and, yes, fervour for fun.

But Spain is much more than just paella, parties and playa (beach) - although I must admit I've enjoyed my share of all three since I've lived here - and so in this space I want to write about all aspects of living in this country: the frivolous, the everyday, the social, the political, the good, the not-so-good and whatever might come in between. 

Of course though, always from the perspective of an extranjero.