You know how it is: you learn a language at school (or at uni, in my case), you rarely visit the country and then one fine day you find yourself in a bar in Seville asking for two toilets (servicios) instead of two beers (cervezas).

Now whilst I enjoy making good-looking young barmen laugh, I actually prefer to have them laughing with me rather than at me. In that moment, I made a mental note to investigate refresher courses in Spanish to avoid further humiliation should I bump into, say, Gael Garcia Bernal. This goal would go on the same list as writing a novel and climbing Macchu Picchu (accompanied by llamas).

Ferries to Bilbao provide a chance for everyone to spot playful porpoises, dolphins and whales, and a vital source of information for scientists studying our best-loved marine mammals

The cinema is due to open at 11:30 but there's a long queue by 11:15. Doors open and two hundred people file in. The show is free and key to understanding the bigger show that nature is putting on in the wide blue spaces of the Bay of Biscay. We are on the P&O ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao. In summer this is routed along the edge of the Bay's continental shelf and the long hours of daylight give an excellent opportunity to see whales and dolphins in their natural environment.

Can we help ski-mad Felicity Marsh find a dream home in the sun that is also close to the slopes of Sierra Nevada?

Dear Property Clinic,

I’m absolutely in love with the skiing in Spain, which for me combines the best of snow with the best culture and people in the world. It’s about time that I stopped wasting money on two or more months’ accommodation rental every year and put down some roots in the country. My preferred location would be near Sierra Nevada, hopefully below the snow line so that I can enjoy warm evenings or days in the sun if I want a break from the slopes. My budget is around €230,000.

Felicity Marsh, Belfast

The thought of emigrating had never seriously crossed Mike and Annemarie Shaw Roberts’ minds, until they saw a Spanish business advertised for sale in The Sunday Times one dull winter morning.

 “We are very impulsive people, we often do things on a whim,” explains Mike, of the Shaw Roberts’ sudden decision to leave the UK. “We had never thought of moving to Spain until we saw an ad for a business in Spain. But it was a very dreary February day and we started thinking what are we doing in this country? Look what we can get for our money over there.”

Spain magazine and Linguaphone are offering three lucky Spain magazine readers the chance to win the very latest audio only course to teach you to spaeak Sapnish.
All you have to do to enter is answer the simple question opposite and send in your entry by January 31st .

With over 100 years experience, Linguaphone is still producing some of the best home study language courses money can buy.

Can Spanish mainstream successes like Volver and Pan’s Labyrinth save Spain’s struggling film industry?

Madrid must be one of the best places in Europe to see films. A stroll down the Gran Vía, the city centre's equivalent of Oxford Street, takes you past at least ten imposing cinemas, some of which until recently still used those wonderful old hand-painted advertising hoardings where the picture of Nicole Kidman might not actually have looked too much like her - in fact it looked more like Ronnie Corbett - but it didn't matter.

Kellie Ragan, 30, moved from London to Ibiza earlier this year with her children Stephanie, six, and Jack, three, to launch Sol den Serra, a restaurant, lounge and beach club.

Turning 30 is always a big birthday, but I had extra reason to celebrate when my twenties ended earlier this year. My father gave me the best present possible – a restaurant business in Ibiza.

I had absolutely no experience of running a restaurant. At the time, I was living in London working long hours in the City for a Dutch bank. But I separated from my husband last year and it was hard working in the City and being a single mother. I wanted to bring up my children in a totally different environment and Ibiza was the obvious destination. My grandparents and parents have lived on the island for many years and my three brothers live there part-time. I even spent five years of my own childhood living in Ibiza.

Jen and Tony Dawson are sun-worshippers looking for an all-year-round second or full-time home in the Canaries. Can we find them a hot property?

Dear Property Clinic

I'm thinking of taking early retirement this year and we were considering buying a property in Spain. We're both real sun-worshippers so after some lovely hot holidays all-year-round in the Canaries we thought the islands might be the ideal place to buy. We're not sure whether we'd like to keep it as a second home, or move there permanently, so we don't really have a set price range in mind. All we would ask is that the place be fairly new or recently renovated.

Jen and Tony Dawson, Brighton

Spain magazine speaks to developers and agents for their advice on buying brand new homes by the beach.

"Beachfront property will always retain its value as there is constant demand for this coveted location whereas supply will always be finite. Says Andrew Benitz, director of Titan Properties. “In my area of the Costa de la Luz huge swathes of land are backed by protected sand dunes and pine forests and therefore prohibited to build on, further reducing supply and consequently property located closer to the beach will always sell at a premium.”