# Moorish - Yes / Lots of Expats - No



## Anteojito (Oct 3, 2015)

Hi,

We are looking for an area that has a heavy Moorish influence, but does not have a lot of Expats. Not that we have anything against Expats (Hell, that's what we will be). We just want to immerse ourselves in the Spanish language in culture and since I am by nature lazy, if there are lot of Expats around I will slip back into English (or as some here might say "Murican".

One more thing, my Spanish is pretty good, but I am not used to using the whole "vosotros" thing. Is that going to be a problem?

Thanks in Advance,

Aloha,


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Vosotros*



Anteojito said:


> Hi,
> 
> We are looking for an area that has a heavy Moorish influence, but does not have a lot of Expats. Not that we have anything against Expats (Hell, that's what we will be). We just want to immerse ourselves in the Spanish language in culture and since I am by nature lazy, if there are lot of Expats around I will slip back into English (or as some here might say "Murican".
> 
> ...


In general, most Spaniards seem to opt for tu these days, unless perhaps you are speaking to a much older person where usted seems like a mark of respect


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Anteojito said:


> Hi,
> 
> We are looking for an area that has a heavy Moorish influence, but does not have a lot of Expats. Not that we have anything against Expats (Hell, that's what we will be). We just want to immerse ourselves in the Spanish language in culture and since I am by nature lazy, if there are lot of Expats around I will slip back into English (or as some here might say "Murican".
> 
> ...


Moorish influence? I suppose the most famous example is the Alhambra in Granada.
Not being entirely comfortable with vosotros won't be problematic. In fact, although vosotros is widely used, in some parts of Andalucia they prefer to use "usted/es".


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

So, you obviously took Spanish classes in the US? No Vosotros! Moorish influence? The entire country was heavily influenced positively by the Moors but they left hundreds of years ago, leaving a culture heavily influenced my math and other sciences. In reality, the moors influenced architecture and sciences in most of Southern Europe. YouTube has a lot on this subject. As mentioned, La Alhambra is the largest recognition of Moorish influence and is pretty spectacular. Almeria, being only a couple of hundred miles from North Africa, has an existing strong moorish culture but you couldn't pay me to live there. Lots of expats on the coast. Not my thing. You want an area with fewer expats and like mountains, I suggest the province of Huesca. Here in Jaca is a huge fiesta on the first Friday in May celebrating the exit of the Moors but is a bit on the ghoulish side with presentation of plastic replicas of Moors heads to the mock Queen and King. Actually, everywhere here has some Moorish influence! Your choice!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Try Ceuta or Melilla, Spain doesn't get much more Moorish than that, and expats are thin on the ground.


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

I knew someone would know of a good corner to hide in


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Córdoba (the emphasis is on the first 'o' not the second one) has lots of Moorish influence
Google Image Result for http://www.sunsetbeachclub.com/uploads/images/Spain/Excursions/678x280-Mezquita_Cordoba.jpg 
with some Roman
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...d=0CEgQMyghMCFqFQoTCKSz5vuAuMgCFcEIGgodZXkGyg 
and some Jewish
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...0CAkQMygGMAY4ZGoVChMI7pf-y4K4yAIVAQ4aCh2zAAYG
and the Juderia:

Google Image Result for https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Avignon_France_Jewish_Quarter_Port_de_la_Calandre_Entrance.jpg most expats that you might encounter are more likely to be just tourists and gone tomorrow.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

No moors here, just forests and volcanoes………………...


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Re the "whole vosotros thing", despite what the books say there are parts of Spain where it's not used either. Where I live (Cádiz province in SW Andalucia) they always use _ustedes_ rather than _vosotros_ for the informal second person plural. But they don't use _vos _for the second person singular.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

The province of Malaga has the best Moorish monuments in Spain, according to Trip Advisor. Cordoba used to be the capital of Muslim Spain:

Malaga: The Best Moorish Monuments - TripAdvisor


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I think a link to this may have been posted before, in which case here it is again 
A documentary about the Moors in Spain and also pointing out a few things that may well be wrongly reported in, above all, Spanish history books. For example it seems that the Christian Spanish at the time were in fact quite happy to convert to the Muslim faith- few forced conversions, that the degeneration of the cities founded by the Visigods had already started long before the Muslims took over, and other such ideas...



Saw about two thirds of it last night whilst doing the ironing.


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

AllHeart said:


> The province of Malaga has the best Moorish monuments in Spain, according to Trip Advisor. Cordoba used to be the capital of Muslim Spain:
> 
> Malaga: The Best Moorish Monuments - TripAdvisor


That's a really useful article, but the heading should read "The Best Moorish Monuments in _Spain_." I've been to most of the sites listed, and Medina Azahara, just outside Córdoba, is one that is impressive but you don't hear much about. It's enormous but barely excavated.

As for _vosotros_, early on after moving here I asked my OH, who is a native Spanish speaker from Latin America, if we should try to use it instead of _ustedes_. The response: "No! I have to suffer trying to understand their Spanish, and they can just as well suffer trying to understand mine!" I do recall someone saying once, "You sound like you're from Andalucía." And to the occasional comment along the lines of "You talk funny," my OH replies "What a coincidence. So do you!" -- which usually elicits a laugh.

Personally I do make an effort to use _vosotros_, especially when around children, who wouldn't "get" why you are using the (to them) formal _ustedes_. It's hard, though. I was fairly comfortable with _vosotros _when I was a student in Spain many years ago, but kind of "lost" that conjugation over the years in the U.S..


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

Where we live, in Jaca the usual comment to me is ¿Eres francés? In other words (you talk funny)


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