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Spain has a reputation for making visitors feel at home, consistently earning praise from the millions of tourists who flock there each year.
This welcoming charm has also won over actor Richard Gere, who has been living in Spain for several years, largely influenced by his wife, Alejandra Silva, a native of Galicia.
In an interview with El Mundo, Gere was asked to name the worst thing about living in Spain. His response? He couldn’t think of anything. “Honestly, I like everything about Spain. I can’t name a single thing I dislike,” he admitted.
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Richard Gere: Living in Spain v the United States
What stands out most to Gere is how many people assume their own country, especially the United States, is the best in the world. But for many, including his wife, that perspective changes upon experiencing life elsewhere.
“When Alejandra first moved to the U.S., she began noticing things that seemed shocking to her,” Gere explained. “She would ask, ‘How can you claim to lead the world but not have public health care?’ It didn’t make sense to her.”
The actor shared that he had to explain to his wife that attempts to establish such systems in the U.S. often face political opposition. “She’d also ask about gun laws, and I had to tell her it’s the same story. These things really opened her eyes to the differences in quality of life between Spain and the U.S.”