Hello.  I am planning to move to Barcelona in November.  I was to start a class then, but it has been moved to January.  So, I will have some time on my hands.
I am a 42 year old divorcee who wants to start a new life abroad, in Spain.  I am an ESOL teacher and would like the experience of my students.  Unfortunately, my Spanish is nothing to brag about.  I do plan to attend SSL classes especially when I have so much time on my hands, but would like to know what other activities are available.  Suggestions?

Also, should I start obtaining a visa while I’m still in the States and what is the process and cost?  What areas in Barcelona are the safest for a single, blonde, American woman, that are affordable (no more than 800 Euros).

If any expats are interested in getting together, it would be nice to have other English speaking, especially American, people to talk to, and cushion the transition (especially if you are interested in American politics).

Oh, one more thing, anyone out there bring a pet with them?  If so, could you clue me in on the process and costs behind it.  I have a cat and would prefer to bring her with me.

Well, thats a bit of me.  Asta la vista.

Hi lillith63
“Asta la vista”???? That means shaft the view??
I think you might have meant something else?
lol
Regards,
Lmjohn

lmjohn - 22 September 2006 02:26 PM

Hi lillith63
“Asta la vista”???? That means shaft the view??
I think you might have meant something else?
lol
Regards,
Lmjohn

Hehe, yeah, I think she meant “hasta la vista”, see Terminator 2… I think “hasta la proxima” or “hasta luego” are more in-use here in Spain… probably because they make sense . Darn Schwarzenneger! Maybe hasta la vista is used in LA.

Anyway, to the questions:

I am a 42 year old divorcee who wants to start a new life abroad, in Spain.  I am an ESOL teacher and would like the experience of my students.  Unfortunately, my Spanish is nothing to brag about.  I do plan to attend SSL classes especially when I have so much time on my hands, but would like to know what other activities are available.  Suggestions?

Congrats, Spain is an awesome place to start again. Unfortunately if you’re American you’re kinda screwed. More on that later though. Other activities I would suggest are to get into sailing on the Costa Brava, taking Spanish classes (like you said) and doing an intercambio or two, getting into Spanish/Catalan football (soccer to us) is a good idea as you’ll make some friends that way too. Also check out yoga classes (see the Barcelona Metropolitan for that), music and concerts (always going on), the beach (until about October, then it’s too cold), and best of all: your local Irish pub.

Also, should I start obtaining a visa while I’m still in the States and what is the process and cost?

This is why Americans are screwed. If you can actually manage to convince an employer to sponsor your for a work visa then you’ll STILL have to do the entire application process while you’re in Spain, wait for a while, working (remaining mostly illegal), then return to the US to pick up your visa. There are other options of varying degrees of effectiveness (such as starting you own business or registering for long-term schooling), but they’ll cost you. Your greatest expense in getting a visa is the waiting period.

What areas in Barcelona are the safest for a single, blonde, American woman, that are affordable (no more than 800 Euros).

Good luck!

OK, OK, OOOOPS!  Priority 1...Take Spanish classes.

OK, thank you administrator for the suggestions.  Alot to think about.  I have heard they don’t like to give visa’s to US passports, only EU.  I’ll try dealing with it best I can.  Soccer/football is not my thing as a pastime, but I like Irish pubs.

Anyone know of a woman’s jogging/running group?  I’m looking for a group that runs in the a.m. preferably, and I am currently at 5-6 miles, 2-4x a week.  Also wondering about safe places to run.  Is it safe on the beach?  Are there trails near by? 

Lilith

Hi

My family and I are considering moving to Spain.  I was alarmed to read that ownership of certain dogs is subject to strict requirements and quickly joined this forum and posted a request for further information - forgetting my manners!  Sorry!

I should have done this first - Hi to All

Mandy

Lilith63 - 24 September 2006 11:29 PM

OK, OK, OOOOPS!  Priority 1...Take Spanish classes.

OK, thank you administrator for the suggestions.  Alot to think about.  I have heard they don’t like to give visa’s to US passports, only EU.  I’ll try dealing with it best I can.  Soccer/football is not my thing as a pastime, but I like Irish pubs.

Anyone know of a woman’s jogging/running group?  I’m looking for a group that runs in the a.m. preferably, and I am currently at 5-6 miles, 2-4x a week.  Also wondering about safe places to run.  Is it safe on the beach?  Are there trails near by? 


Lilith

It’s not as simple as “they don’t like to give visas to US passports” because as far as EU passports are concerned, they’re automatically as good as citizenship in any other EU country, kind of like moving to a new state in the US, only not. Visas are hard to get for Americans because you have to be able to prove that you are bringing something special to the table (they don’t want the entire world coming to Spain, only the people who might contribute, right?). Since so many brits can do the jobs that Americans/Canadians and Aussies might do, without the need for all the bureaucracy of a visa, most employers just hire brits, thus making it difficult for the rest of the English-speaking world to get a job, thus making it even more difficult to get a work visa.

As for a running club, head down to the Running Room on Rhonda Litoral, near the big hotels and condos. They’ll have all that information for you. And yes, the beaches are totally safe for running on during the day. At night it gets a little iffy-er. For trails you might head up to Parc Güell or Montjuic. Both are great running areas, especially in the 5-6 mile range. Lots of hills though, Great for the ass muscles!

Again, thank you so much for your information...this board is such a great help and comfort.

“Parc Güell or Montjuic” do these require a car, or can one take the bus/train for this?  Or, better, walking/biking distance?

I think it’s time to get a map!

Everything in Barcelona is in metro range. That’s the best part of the city. You might consider getting a scooter though, as they can be very helpful.

It totally depends on where you live, but BCN is a relatively small city in land mass compared to North American standards. It’s about like San Francisco or so.

Lilith63 - 25 September 2006 06:50 PM

Again, thank you so much for your information...this board is such a great help and comfort.

“Parc Güell or Montjuic” do these require a car, or can one take the bus/train for this?  Or, better, walking/biking distance?

A car is a serious liability in central Barcelona, where parking is a nightmare that few Americans can imagine. BCN may be the size of San Francisco, but for transport/driving/parking, the nearest equivalent is midtown Manhattan. On the other hand, a car is great for heading up or down the coast, the mountains, going to France etc. Renting one is cheap for a weekend or a week or something, happily. Another thing - learn Catalan as well as Spanish. Yes, you can get by fine with Spanish, but you’ll feel you’re missing a big part of what Barcelona is all about. If you’d rather go somewhere where there’s only one language to learn, pick Madrid.  Safety - when running and at other times - BCN (and other Spanish cities) have a few dodgy areas but it’s safer than almost anywhere in the US, so don’t worry too much about that.