1)
Misconception #1: Paella is a Seafood Dish
Paella is a rice dish. It can have seafood in it, just as pizza can, but (also as with pizza) you can put any 'topping' on it you like. The Margarita of paella is paella Valenciana, which was invented in the fields of Valencia, a place where prawns and squid are a bit of a rarity! Paella Valenciana is made up of chicken, pork and rabbit, though in older (poorer) times, snails were often included.
2)
Misconception #2: Bullfighting is Spain's National Sport
Wrong on two counts – for a start, it's not a sport (the fight isn't even enough for that), and it's not truly national. It is true that you will encounter bullrings throughout Spain, but these were largely built during the reign of Franco (the dictator that ruled Spain from 1939 until 1975), a ruler who had a particular image of Spain that he wanted to promote. Spain's real national sport is futbol (or soccer).
3)
Misconception #3: The Drink of Choice in Spanish bars is Sangria
Sangria is a party drink, like a tropical punch at one of our cocktail parties. It exists for one purpose – to get everyone drunk cheaply. That isn't to say that it can't be made with a bit of loving care and attention, but there is no 'traditional' recipe. 95% of people drinking sangria in bars are tourists and the bar owners know it and will charge you accordingly.
4) Misconception #4: Flamenco is a Popular Dance in Spain
Flamenco often contains dancing, but it isn't predominantly a dance. Flamenco contains four main elements: the guitar, the vocals, the dancing and las palmas (hand claps). In fact, of the four disciplines, the dancing is the part that is the most easily dropped.
Flamenco is also specifically an Andalusian art, though through internal migration flamenco has quite a history in Madrid and even Barcelona. You're unlikely to find much flamenco in other parts of Spain.
5)
Misconception #5: Bring Sunscreen, not an Umbrella, no Matter When You Visit
A friend of mine brought sunscreen when he came to visit me in central Spain in October. He ended up buying an umbrella. Spain is not the tropical paradise that many think it is (though global warming is pushing it in that direction). During autumn and winter, Galicia can expect rain every other day, while Madrid and the cities to its west and north can get exceptionally cold in the winter.
6)
Misconception #6: Speaking Spanish Will Always be Appreciated
This is largely true, but in the Basque country, Galicia and Catalonia, the local language isn't even Spanish and while you'd be unlucky to meet someone who didn't appreciate your attempts at speaking Spanish, such people are certainly not uncommon (especially in Catalonia). The occasional Basque or Catalan word in the appropriate regions will get you more smiles than a perfectly constructed sentence of 'Castillian' Spanish.
7)
Misconception #7: Spanish Food is Hot & Spicy, like Mexican
Like in the story of the princess and the pea, put a drop of tabasco in a pot of stew for twenty people and a Spaniard will wave his hand in front of his mouth as if trying to cool the fieriest Mexican chili con carne. Well, that's a slight exaggeration, but not by much – many in Spain genuinely think that a sprinkling of paprika on food qualifies it as 'picante' (spicy). I am amazed when I occasionally encounter genuinely spicy food in Spain and I wonder who (other than the tourists) are actually eating it!
Misconception #8: Tapas are a Specific Type of Food
Tapas are a way of eating food, not a type of food. Anything can be tapas. Paella, cous cous, shrimps, brochette, even hamburgers. A tapa is a small dish, usually taken with a drink (sometimes it comes free, sometimes you pay for it). You can stick to one bar and order a series of tapas to go with your drinks, but it's far more proper (and fun) to bar hop ( or tapear in Spanish) and sample the culinary delights of a number of different bars.
9)
Misconception #9: Tipping is Common in Spain
No, no, no and NO! Probably the myth most perpetuated by guide books and Web sites about Spain. Tipping is not common in Spain. The Spanish might leave change from a 50€ bill if the meal has been good, but they don't ever dig into their pockets to give the waitress a few coins.
10)
Misconception #10: Traveling by Train is Quicker Than the Bus
Trains are always considered to be quicker and easier to take than a bus. But this is not necessarily the case in Spain. While 80% of trains will be quicker than the bus, often the opposite is the case. Also, buses are more frequent, quicker to book (the line at a train station can be horrendous) and less likely to be sold out.
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