Believe it or not, this (right) is a Spanish postbox. It might look like a stretched  recycling bin ...but this is where you need to put your holiday postcards. There is a hinged metal flap that you lift in order to insert your goodies.

Buying postcards is easy ...buying stamps is a little more tricky! You can always search out your local post office ...don't! Half an hour of your day could be spent in a queue!

This is where it might begin to sound so silly that you would be forgiven for thinking that I am making it up ...but I'm not!

This photo (right) shows a sign that looks as though the shop only sells tobacco-related products. For some odd reason these shops also sell postage stamps ...please don't ask me why!

I can only help you with the Spanish to ask for stamps if you speak English and you will still have to insert the number of stamps.

"Quierro *** sellos por Inglaterra"
Phonetics:
Keyairo *** sail-yos porr Een-gla-tayra

This is almost universally recognisable as a telephone kiosk. Phoning home using cash can work out expensive (and require a lot of advanced planning of the coins you have available). Buy a phone card instead.

Newsagents are the most ready source of these cards (known as a "Tarjeta" ...pronounced 'Tarrk-he-ta" (bold indicates the stress in the word). You will probably be asked whether you want a card for your mobile phone ...answer 'no' and 'por cabína' (pronounced  "pour cabeena").

Don't just decide you will use your mobile phone instead ...research your mobile phone tariff first (it may persuade you otherwise). Get your mobile phone unlocked, buy a Spanish SIM and cut the cost of making calls inside Spain