Fun, fancy fiesta

If Spain were a person, she would be the life of the party.

From the pulsating nightlife in Barcelona to the party haven in Ibiza, it is a country full of life and passion.

But Spain is also a country filled with cutting-edge architecture, pristine beaches and scenic mountain ranges.

While travellers still have to wait before they are able to visit Spain, here are some ways to recreate a Spanish experience in Singapore.

Go to Spain on a paid virtual tour - there are more than 50 such tours on Airbnb Experiences to choose from.

Learn how to whip up Spanish paella from a chef in Barcelona, or customise a pair of espadrilles and watch the stitching done "live" before having them shipped to your doorstep at no extra cost.

You can also visit Barcelona's iconic landmark Basilica de La Sagrada Familia on Spain's official tourism website (str.sg/3oqU).

The tour offers 360-degree views of the basilica in high definition, with no crowds in sight.

From Macarena to Despacito, many hit songs in Spanish are easy to groove to.

For classics, tune in to songs by well-known artistes such as Julio Iglesias and Raphael.

For more up-to-date tunes, give the Spotify playlist Musica Espanola 2021 al 2000 a spin (str.sg/3oq5).

It features popular Spanish songs from artistes such as pop group Dvicio and rapper C. Tangana.

Rosalia, a Spanish pop singer who fuses flamenco with R&B, pop and electronic tunes, is also worth a listen. Her hit Con Altura has chalked up almost two billion views on YouTube.

Step up your lingo game by picking up Spanish at Spanish World Singapore, a language school in Bencoolen Street.

It has a library of more than 700 books, including children's titles, as well as digital content for a well-balanced learning experience.

For instance, students can watch an original telenovela filmed in Spain and created by the school to observe how Spanish conversations play out in real life.

The school is the only official examination centre here for the Diplomas de Espanol como Lengua Extranjera exam, an internationally recognised Spanish-language diploma.

To soak in Spain's rich culture, try picking up flamenco dance. Think whirling dresses, rhythmic hand clapping and feet stamping.

At Spanish Dance Singapore, director Tania Goh teaches flamenco and classical Spanish dance, as well as musical instrument castanets.

She learnt flamenco dance in Spain 17 years ago and has been teaching it for a decade.

Based in Spain till August, Ms Goh is offering virtual classes at $100 for four one-hour lessons, with the bonus of a live virtual tour around the city of Seville, Andalusia, to end each class.

Her physical classes, priced at $150 for four 11/2-hour lessons, will resume in September when she returns to Singapore. For details, go to www.spanishdance.sg

If dancing is not your thing, try flamenco guitar instead.

Barcelona guitarist Alberto Marin, who has a degree in flamenco guitar, has 20 years of teaching experience under his belt.

The 37-year-old has performed in 20 countries and held a two-year tour in South-east Asia. His online weekly lessons last 45 minutes.

For details, go to www.albertomarin.org

From tapas to paellas to wine, the Spaniards are always down for a good time when it comes to food.

At Asador Singapore in Joo Chiat, the restaurant uses a Basque-style grill and a handmade stone oven shipped from Spain to prepare its food.

Its popular dishes are Cochinillo, roasted suckling pig, and Pulpo, a chargrilled octopus with Spanish pork belly dish. It also offers classic dishes such as Huevos Roto, which is handcut frites with chorizo and runny eggs.

End your meal on a sweet note with the basque burnt cheesecake or pina colada dessert, which is infused with local flavours such as pandan.

For homely food, try Next Door Spanish Cafe in Siglap, which serves garlic prawns, traditional Spanish omelette and seafood paella.

For more affordable fare, check out Tapas Club, which is known for its squid ink paella and garlic prawns. Its three outlets are at Orchard Central, VivoCity and Jewel Changi Airport.

You can also get Spanish speciality goods shipped here via online gourmet store Taninos (taninos.com.sg).

It stocks a range of specialities such as Iberico ham and Manchego cheese.

Watch one of Netflix's most popular non-English language series - La Casa de Papel (2017 to present), also titled Money Heist.

Set in Madrid, the crime drama follows a masked gang led by a mysterious mastermind known as The Professor, who pulls off a heist at the Royal Mint of Spain.

The fifth season is slated to be released in two parts later this year.

Another crowd-pleasing Spanish series on Netflix is Elite (2018 to present), a mystery drama about a murder that arises from the clash between three working-class teens and the wealthy students in an exclusive private school.

For those interested in Spain's country landscapes, watch South Korean drama Memories Of The Alhambra (2018, starring Hyun Bin and Park Shin-hye).

From cobbled streets with multi-hued houses to sunsets on a hilltop overlooking the Alhambra Palace, the sci-fi drama - which centres on an augmented reality game - will give a taste of the city of Granada.

For movies, check out acclaimed films directed by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, like All About My Mother (1999), about a single mother who leaves Madrid after the accidental death of her son; and Volver (2006, starring Penelope Cruz), a comedy-drama about three generations of women helping one another through tough times.

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Insider's tips: Want to be a Spaniard? Talk and laugh loudly, says Juan Figar

Madrid-born expatriate Juan Figar, 37, chief executive of language school Spanish World Group, moved to Singapore eight years ago with his wife, a legal headhunter.

Their three children, aged between six months and three years, were all born here.

Mr Figar, who travelled to Spain twice a year before the coronavirus pandemic hit last year, says he misses hisrelatives there, but there is a community of Spaniards here that makes him feel at home.

"We have a lot of Spanish friends and that allows us to speak the language and be in the environment," he says.

His favourite restaurants here are Binomio in Craig Road and FOC Sentosa by the Palawan Beach in Sentosa.

"I'm a big fan of Binomio's chorizo con queso and tortilla de patatas," he says. "FOC serves very good paellas, including the vegetarian one, but my favourite is the squid ink."

He likes the croquettes from Kulto in Amoy Street as they come with a special chilli crab sauce, while Asador Singapore in Joo Chiat is his go-to for a fire-grilled meat feast.

While he enjoys local beer, his favourite brand is Estrella Galicia, from Galicia in north-west Spain.

For groceries, he gets Spanish cheese and wine at supermarkets such as FairPrice and Cold Storage. He orders speciality goods such as cured meat and olive oil from online Spanish gourmet store Taninos.

Spaniards, he says, always gather around a table with food. He usually puts items such as croquetas, tortillas, patatas, jamon and wine on the table.

Music-wise, he enjoys listening to father-and-son duo Julio and Enrique Iglesias. Another favourite is pop band Mecano.

As for books, he is a fan of Miguel de Cervantes' epic novel El Quijote, which is about a noble who decides to become a knight-errant.

Mr Figar shares some tips on how to behave like a Spaniard.

"Spaniards are very affectionate. You need to hug a lot, talk and laugh very loudly, and always see the positive things in life.

"We can make a joke about our biggest tragedy and try to lower the importance of things."

Besides family, he misses the "noise" in his home country.

"When you're in the streets of any city in Spain, there are always things happening. The street activities are unparalleled in the world. I have visited over 50 countries and I can say the level of activity and positive energy is unique to Spain."