Culture Section: Cultural differences between south-west Spain and

Culture

Cultural differences between south-west Spain and south-west UK Nowadays, interestingly, both waterways are Like most of us Brits, I feel very connected to used for tourism. Huge cruise ships make port the unique culture and lifestyle associated in Cádiz all year round, allowing people from all with my region. The UK’s South West is a over the world to enjoy the city. Meanwhile, hilly, sparsely populated, scruffy place. Aside Exeter’s disused canal has become a hotspot from its good climate (compared to the rest for summer water sports such as kayaking, of the UK), it is easy to think that it is rowing, and even stand-up paddle-boarding! completely dead. To be fair, to those from large cities, it probably is completely dead. Secondly, Gaditanos and South Westerners alike speak with famously strange accents. Of But I love my region and its way of life. The course, in the UK, this is not a great Southwest is statistically the happiest and achievement, as each region has its own healthiest region of the UK. We are more unique dialect. However, in Spain, the active, but also more laid-back. We are lucky Andalusian accent is famously difficult to that we can go to the beach after work, we understand for a non-native speaker. During have the best chips (in my opinion), and lots my first few months living here, though I could of surf. And seeing as the South West is the understand the Spanish on TV or that used by destination of over a quarter of domestic my lecturers, whenever I was spoken to in a tourism in the UK, it is clear that it is not just shop or on the street, I would have to admit us who love our strange, isolated peninsular. defeat and ask them to repeat what they had said. In September I arrived in Cádiz, a tiny island city in the south-west of Spain, with the same Finally, I have noticed the two regions share a population as Exeter, my home city. I quickly fondness of eating anything that swims. Of learnt that los ‘Gaditanos’ (people from course, this is natural. For both Cádiz, and the Cádiz) share this sense of regional pride. It is coastal South West, seafood is still the regional easy to see why, as Cádiz is an extremely cuisine, and fishing is still an important beautiful city. But funnily enough, throughout industry. One could, and should, argue that this my stay here, I have noticed several little does not count as a similarity because the food similarities between Cádiz and Exeter. in Cádiz is infinitely better than the food in South Devon. But to those people, I suggest Firstly, both cities are coastal, and much of you try the famous battered chips at Krispies, their culture, history, and industry is based Exmouth, and then make up your mind. around this geographical feature. In the past, both cities have served as important In all seriousness though, while there are locations for trading. Cádiz, being right on several peculiar similarities between these two the coast, boasts a beautiful seaport, with a Atlantic-facing cities, these similarities pale into location so ideal it connects Europe to Africa insignificance when compared to the huge and even the Americas. On the other hand, wealth of cultural differences between the two Exeter, being 10 miles inland, is connected to places. In fact, there are so many differences, I the sea by the UK’s oldest canal. am tempted to write another article about them!