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When Americans think about poverty, they are generally thinking about dangerous ghettoes, projects and trailer parks inhabited by crackheads that chop you to pieces if you venture into their warren.
They are generally thinking about subsidised minorities and poor whites that live in MORAL and ANIMICAL squalor, with lots of guns, alcohol and drugs, stray children, etc.
No, we don't have that kind of poverty as yet.
And anyways, I don't see how poverty can affect tourists when there's no real poverty thank to subsidies and the family net.
I remember driving through Andalusia and seeing olive groves, olive groves, olive groves, olive groves, olive groves, olive groves, olive groves, olive groves, olive groves, olive groves, olive groves, olive groves, olive groves ... as far as the eye could see.
In the past 15 years or so, certain Spanish agricultural products, especially from Andalusia, have been a mainstay in US supermarkets, at least on the US east coast, which was not the case 30-40 years previously, as well as in South America, at least the countries there that I've been too, competing with Argentina for shelf space.
The roots of cities like Cordoba and Granada are decidely Mediterranean, Roman and Arab.
To be sure, if you are a young person without strong local connections and/or family business, it is tough to find a job, and lately nearly impossible it seems, but I am sure there are those who do very well and, as mentioned, the rest who stay pretty much have access to the basics of the European-style welfare state, similar to southern Italy where crying poverty is also a regional sport and the object of the game is to, guess what, wrest even more subsidies.
Spanish olive oil was very hard to find in the US because the Italian mafia burned warehouses of Spanish importers during generations. That same mafia puerchased Spanish olive oil and resold the product in the US with Italian brands. The situation changed when Spanish importers in Miami and then in NY smashed the Italian mafia somehow, so now you can find Spanish olive oil, wines and even cheeses and ham, etc, in places different from Miami and NY.
In Spain, the obscene contrast between the South and the North present in Italy does not exist. If anything, welfare, health and infrastructures are better in the south thanks to European cohesion funds....and they don't pay toll.
I wasn't aware that the Daily Mirror reported on Andalusian poverty, but if Andalusia is really the only place in the world besides Monaco with 0% poverty, then congratulations, it's outperforming even Norway.
How could you compare Andalusia with Norway? What happen to you people with Norway? Virginia is for lovers and Norway is for eskimos that don't drink. Porfaplease!!!
No American, and no Spanish could live there without going crazy.
Does this mean that food in Andalusia and the Canary Islands are pretty bad?
No it is not bad at all, but the famous places about gastronomy and most of the typical dishes are from these areas. They win.
We shouldn't forget pescaito frito (fry fish) from Andalucia for example.
Personally for me it would be Northern Spain, I love the climate, the culture, the food, great scenery, wonderful architecture and wonderful villages and towns. From Basque Country to Galicia, via Asturias and Cantabria.
Also it is really non touristy, apart from Spanish people, the low season is pretty much all year round apart from July and August and Easter week end. Slower pace of life, great traditional music, friendly people and just the kind of place I feel comfortable in. Galicia reminds me of Brittany in France, same Celtic culture. Love it.
Southern Spain is stunning in parts but I loathe the heat, the tourists and the Costa del Sol for example is IMO ruined by its popularity and too many hideous resorts. Wonderful to visit in parts but I would not want to live there.
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All of Spain seems to offer a fairly similar quality of life, really. Yes i'm sure there are differences, but i don't think they'd make a huge difference.
No it is not bad at all, but the famous places about gastronomy and most of the typical dishes are from these areas. They win.
We shouldn't forget pescaito frito (fry fish) from Andalucia for example.
Of course, it's only mediterranean cuisine, not bad at all.
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