1. Be careful with your bag security. An item containing money was snatched from a day pack on our trip. It was recovered, but without the money.

2. Be prepared to eat more than you asked for. If you ask for a main dish, you'll still get a procession of tapas beforehand. If you particularly want a plate of greens you'll need to specifically ask for a salad. Also be prepared to eat long and late. Meals tend to start and finish later than we are used to in New Zealand.

3. A messy, napkin-strewn floor is a sign of a good tapas bar. It means the restaurant is busy and popular. The restaurant cleans up at the end of the night.

4. Travel irons are handy. They don't tend to be basic kit in the hotel rooms although the hotels will provide them if asked.

5. Enjoy Spain's quirky side. This comes in many forms from the way the train intercom played Hallelujah as it arrived in Madrid from Barcelona to the way the railway system at Madrid station kept announcing that a train was leaving in "17 hours and 15 minutes" rather than at "17:15".