Skip to content
Bored With Borders
  • Home
  • Blog
  • English
    • Français
    • Italiano
    • Español
Hotel Andalou, Montellano ¡Olé!

Andalusian Businesses & Covid-19 – Hotel

  • 23/05/202023/05/2020
  • by Coralie Neuville

Andalusian businesses and Covid-19 – Interview with hotel owners Virginie and Bertrand

Betrand and Virginie in typical Andalusian attire
Hotel owners Betrand and Virginie in typical Andalusian attire

Andalusia is a very popular region with the French. Its warm climate, relaxed lifestyle and unique culture mean that millions of international tourists – as many as 12 million in 2019 – visit every year. Some decide to settle just for pleasure, and others decide to set up a business here. But for now, beyond all the red tape and cultural complications, those entrepreneurs are facing the unprecedented new challenge of Covid-19 restrictions affecting their businesses. To find out more about the difficulties of business coping with the Covid-19 crisis, I set up a virtual meeting with Virginie and Bertrand, owners of Hotel Andalou in Montellano, a “pueblo blanco”, or traditional Andalusian whitewashed town, less than an hour to the south of Seville, which has an impressive 60 bars for just over 7000 inhabitants!

Tell me a little about your background. How did you end up in Andalusia?

We just fell in love with it. For several years, we’d been here on holiday. At the beginning, it was once a year, then twice a year, until one day we took the plunge and moved! That was 7 years ago now. So it was in September 2013 that our 11-year-old daughter started school here in Montellano. My husband continued to work in Nîmes for another 2 years, while I created my travel agency, Andalucía Afición Voyages.

Virginie runs a travel agency that organizes a range of tours and events
Virginie also runs a travel agency that organizes a range of tours and events

Was it difficult settling in? For example, with the language barrier?

No, we settled in quite easily actually. We quickly made friends. We already knew a little Spanish, but it was mainly the local café that gave us a schooling in Andalusian life. It’s there that we started building ties with the community, learning the way of life and how to fit in. Besides that, we’ve got a real passion for Andalusia and its traditions. We live the Andalusian way of life to the full, and there’s really no better compliment for us than people saying we are true Andalusians. It was the same with our daughter. In just two months, she was already speaking Spanish. It was incredible!

Virginie, Betrand and their two daughters
Virginie, Betrand and their two daughters

When did you take over the hotel?

That was in 2015. What a year! It’s when we had our second daughter too! When I got pregnant, my husband left his job in France, and it just happened that the hotel was up for sale! I remember taking care of both the hotel and the travel agency while playing with my daughter in her cot!

How did it all go?

Very well indeed. It was a dream come true. We were already part of the local community, and knew lots of people here. We weren’t just some foreigners who rolled up and took over the local hotel. And, of course, my travel agency business and that of the hotel perfectly complemented and completed each other. So we could offer an all-in-one service to our customers. A full immersion in the local culture.

How are you coping now with the current crisis?

Well, we’re still working. Just differently, that’s for sure! We’re thinking about the future. I’ve had to manage all the agency activities, such as cancellations, questions, requests, refunds, and so on, but also I’ve had to deal with people’s fears. There are many things going round on the internet, in the media. It’s not always easy for people to make sense of things, to know where the truth lies. Even more so when there’s a language barrier! As a travel agency manager, I have to reassure my customers and explain everything to them.

It’s true that it’s difficult to predict exactly how it’ll all evolve, but it’s important people know that the situation’s no worse in Spain than anywhere else. Thanks to social media, I can easily keep in touch with my customers. The same goes for the hotel too. We’ve got customers who come every year, and they’re telling us they will be back. They too are fond of this land. So, we’re all in it together. We know that, business wise, this year’s a washout. But we’ve got to keep going. We left two steady jobs in France to pursue our dream. The adventure’s not going to end like this!

All of Andalusia entered the so-called “Phase 1” on Monday. How does that change things?

Well, it changes everything and nothing! On a business level, not very much. Travel is limited, hotels can open but you can’t use their common areas. We prefer not to open under such conditions. Who would want to come? And why? So, it’s better to focus on promoting the hotel on the Internet, spread the word, diversify our offerings. In any case, my husband and the seasonal workers we employ are in the process of preparing the hotel.

We have to be ready to open when they give us the green light to do so! On a social level, there are some changes. We can see our friends. Not only did we fall in love with this land, but also with its people. Normally working in close contact with people, and, now, having not socialized for over two months, it’s been difficult. I can’t wait to go back to my day-to-day work for the human side of it, meeting people, sharing things, that’s life! That’s the life I love, that we love, that’s why we chose to come and settle here.


Want a relaxing break as the restrictions are relaxed?

Virginie and Bertrand will be delighted to welcome you to Hotel Andalou in Montellano.

Hotel Andalou, Montellano
Hotel Andalou, Montellano

Want to discover the true Andalusia?

Contact Virginie and her travel agency Andalucía Afición Voyages.



Article originally published in French in Le Petit Journal, the local and international news site for French expatriates and French speakers.


Read my other interviews with Andalusian business owners facing the Covid-19 crisis:

– Flamenco fashion designer Antonio Gutiérrez.

– Cereal café owner Ludovic Meloen.


Fournitures scolaires Life abroad

The Spanish school system

  • 23/08/201929/08/2019
  • by Coralie Neuville

If you’re planning on settling in Spain with family and you don’t want to enrol your children in an international school, here’s what you need to know:

Educación Infantil – non-obligatory ‘infant education’

Divided into two phases, from 0 to 3 years old, and from 3 to 6 years old, ‘infant education’ in Spain roughly corresponds with that in other countries, though there are some important differences.

The first phase is nursery school. While state nurseries do exist, most families will have to pay for the service, and many nurseries are privately run. Class sizes are generally small, but one nursery will vary considerably from the next, so hunt around for one that best suits your ideals.

The second phase, from 3 to 6 years old, is when school starts proper. Though the whole phase is non-obligatory, the majority of kids will start at 3, and, at 6, will be better prepared for starting obligatory education. Another reason for taking advantage of the system at this point is that, from now on, unlike nurseries, infant school is practically free, though you will have to buy some materials, and, at private schools, may be asked for a tax-deductible donation. This is not the place where you drop your kid for a few hours to get the shopping done! It’s where you children will begin to develop a routine, and learn to adapt and socialize with other children.

Educación Primaria – obligatory ‘primary school’ lasting 6 years

Primary school in Spain lasts a little more than in many other countries, taking children from 6 years old right up to 12. You’ll will find that the majority of Spanish primary schools are bilingual, most bilingual Spanish-English, although some teach French, Catalan and other languages. As well as providing direct language lessons, the approach is also to teach various other subjects and content through the second language, such as maths, sports, natural and social sciences, music, arts and craft, religion – especially in religious charter schools called ‘concertados’. Another third language is then taught later on, so that children starting with English, in a bilingual Spanish-English, may then be given, for example, French lessons, though this third language is not used as a vehicle for other subjects.

Educación Secundaria – ‘secondary school’ lasting another 6 years

Secondary education starts at 12 years old and runs right up to 18, though children can also leave at 16, walking away with the qualification of ‘Educación Secundaria Obligatoria’ (ESO), that is ‘Obligatory Secondary Education’.

Those that decide to continue can take another 2 years to work up to obtaining the qualification of ‘Bachillerato’, or ‘baccalauréat’, equivalent to a high-school diploma or set of A-levels in the UK.

À étudier

The Spanish education system is thus similar to other countries in the total number of years, though is divided up rather differently.

Timetable

For infant and primary education, there are two competing models here in Spain, depending on the region, the first from 9 am to 1 pm, and then from 3 to 5pm, and the second from 9 am straight through to 2 pm. This rather short timetable is balanced out by not having half-term holidays, and so children are in school for roughly the same total hours per year as in other countries. To accommodate working parents and extend the day out a little top and tail, there is an ‘aula matinal’, or morning class, with some basic activities, and often a ‘comedor’, or luncheon service. However, at least in Granada, many children simply do not make use of these services, but rather rely on grandparents, family and friends to take up the slack.

But what the heck do children do the rest of the day?

Extracurricular activities! In Spain, they are particularly fond of clubs and outside activities, such as extra classes of English, music, dance, football, yoga, photography, tennis, swimming … practically anything you could think of! And for parents, what does this all mean? Well, (1) running about lots and juggling the various activities of siblings, (2) making sure you or someone else is available to do (1), and (3) paying an arm and a leg for all of it! The upside of this model is that kids and parents can freely choose from an unbelievably wide range of activities. The downside is that it discriminates against poorer families, since adding up a few days a week may well tot up to around 200 Euros per month per child, not to mention the costs of petrol, transport or simply time off work.

Holidays

School runs from mid-September to mid-June, finishing earlier and resuming a little later than in many other countries. But let’s not forget Spain’s hot climate in many of its regions. For example, when school’s out in Andalusia in June, temperatures often soar well above 30 degrees Celsius. The side effect of the longer summer is less holidays in the school calendar, there being only two main holiday periods, Christmas and Easter. Children usually celebrate the last day of school on the Friday before Christmas and are back just after Epiphany, that is the 6th of January, here celebrating the arrival of the Three Kings in Bethlehem often with a street procession, hand-thrown sweets and presents at home. The Easter holidays last at least a week, sometimes more depending on the region. Added to these longer holidays are shorter national, regional, provincial and local holidays, often long weekends – off on Thursday or Friday and back on Monday or Tuesday.

Different types of school

Like elsewhere, Spain has both state schools and private, but it is also has another category, the ‘concertado’, that is essentially charter schools partly funded by the state, partly funded by the church and partly funded, to a lesser extent, by parents. At a national level, it is estimated that 65% of children are educated in state schools, 27% in charter schools and 8% in private schools. However, numbers vary greatly from region to region. For example, in Granada, the city not the province, it’s the other way round, far more children attend charter schools than state or private schools. It is important to remember that places in many charter schools, and even in some state schools, are strictly limited according to a points system that accounts for where you live, where you work, the number of children you have, and so on. So, if you live in the south of the city, you probably won’t be able to enrol your child at a school in the north.

Costs

School books usually don’t come free or cheap, though, during the last financial crisis, a book ‘cheque’, or voucher, scheme was introduced for public and charter schools. This regional government aid, which does not cover all of the required books, is given indiscriminately to all pupils enrolled at a school, though not every year. Other school materials, such as pens and pencil cases, are not supplied, and, therefore, come September, families get a long list of things to buy for each school subject in the curriculum. At charter and private schools, there are other costs to consider, some optional and others not so, such as a resident doctor service, an ad-hoc app service for communicating with teachers, school uniforms, sports kits, extra-curricular activities, early morning class, lunch, donations, and so on. Finally, charter schools will often require a separate tuition fee, much like private schools, for the last two years of prepping for a ‘Bachillerato’ diploma.

As in every country, the school system in Spain has its advantages and disadvantages. You can find further information on the education system on the website of the Spanish Ministry of Education (not yet fully translated in English). Welcome to Spain!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Coralie Neuville (@cahier_de_coco)

Recent posts:

  • Pocketalk – The Universal Translator?
  • Multilingualism: Learning to Read
  • Andalusian Businesses & Covid-19 – Hotel
  • Green, how I want you green
  • Andalusian Businesses & Covid-19 – Cereal Café

Search blog:

Categories

  • ¡Olé!
  • ¡Olé!
  • Business
  • Life abroad
  • Lockdown Highlife
  • Third Culture Kid
  • Uncategorised

Tags:

Andalusia bactch cooking blog blogging business casadepapel cereal café Covid-19 creación de contenidos cuisiner erasmus family fashion Festivities French fron gardening Granada grenade home hotel immigration Italian langues leggere in francese leggere in spagnolo liberté lorca may mode plurilinguisme plurilinguismo poetry primary school Seville Spain Spanish education styliste tapa tapas tck tourism traditions transcreación travel

Share

Contact

boredwithborders@gmail.com

Follow

Sitemap

  • Home
  • Blog
  • English
    • Français
    • Italiano
    • Español
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2025 Bored with Borders
Theme by Colorlib Powered by WordPress