Spanish Lessons: Beginning a New Life in Spain

by Derek Lambert

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199	5	138,353	(3.14)	13
In the shrewd, comical spirit of Peter Mayle and Bill Bryson, Derek Lambert discovers the charms and idiosyncrasies of Spain as he experiences the rewards and frustrations of beginning a new life there. As Lambert and his wife set about restoring their moldering casita on Spain's Mediterranean Costa Blanca and learning to live the life of Spanish villagers, he introduces us to a nation far removed from the matadors, tapas bars, and sangria swillers. He uncovers the "real" Spain-a nation of passionate, eccentric, often contradictory, but always enchanting people. Unpredictable, often hilarious, and animated by colorful characters, Spanish Lessons presents an intimate and delightful portrait of off-the-tourist-track Spain.… (more)

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A comfortable book on life for an Englishman in Spain. Derek Lambert and his wife purchased a house in Spain, and this is a description of their first year there, and the problems of an ex-pat in a foreign land. Not to mention trying to bring an older house up to modern standards, and dealing with the local Spanish bureaucracy and work ethic. A good book for summer reading or for traveling, and for those who have visited or lived in Spain. (

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hadden | Feb 27, 2014 |

Acquired via BookCrossing 21 May 2011 - bought at the Connected charity shop

An interesting book, if the usual British expat settles into a village type of thing. Quietly amusing, and good on the psychology of settling in to a new country. (

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LyzzyBee | Dec 7, 2011 |

Every person Lambert and his wife met in Spain somehow managed to be delightfully eccentric; is Spain really like this or does Lambert bring this out in others? No matter. A sparklingly fun read. If I was twenty years younger and single, Spanish Lessons would send me off to join the Lamberts in their new life. (

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debnance | Jan 29, 2010 |

Interesting to read his experiences of his first year living in Spain with his family. The book includes the now expected tales of builders who don't turn up etc that all this genre of book tell, as well as amusing tales of local people. He does tell these stories sympathetically and respectfully and he has the journalists desire to get to the bottom of a story. (

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CarolKub | Oct 24, 2009 |

La Jara (Alicante, Spain) > Description and/Travel/Lambert, Derek, 1929- > Homes and haunts >/Spain > La Jara (Alicante)

Budzul | Jun 1, 2008 |

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In the shrewd, comical spirit of Peter Mayle and Bill Bryson, Derek Lambert discovers the charms and idiosyncrasies of Spain as he experiences the rewards and frustrations of beginning a new life there. As Lambert and his wife set about restoring their moldering casita on Spain's Mediterranean Costa Blanca and learning to live the life of Spanish villagers, he introduces us to a nation far removed from the matadors, tapas bars, and sangria swillers. He uncovers the "real" Spain-a nation of passionate, eccentric, often contradictory, but always enchanting people. Unpredictable, often hilarious, and animated by colorful characters, Spanish Lessons presents an intimate and delightful portrait of off-the-tourist-track Spain.

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