Royal Palace in Madrid -- A symbol of a great past for Spain. Photos courtesy of Isaac Chin

The Cathedral of Serville: A symbol of the people's devotion to religion and creative juices in the field of architecture.

For the past decade, Isaac Chin has been a full-time investor after a career as a chartered accountant. “I didn't have an inspiring career as an accountant. Nothing great came out of it. If I have to work hard for a salary and put up with a lot of stress, I might as well work for myself - and earn more,” he said.Now aged 63, he has reaped handsome profits from investing in property, equities and bonds.

He travels regularly -- and his latest visit was to Spain. The country is, as we all know, part of the cause of the euro crisis and the people are taking big hits from austerity measures.  Here we ask Isaac for his insights into the daily life he encountered there.

Q: What led to you visit Spain recently?

Isaac enjoying baked mussels at a restaurant in Barcelona

Even in smaller towns like Granada, Cordoba, and Seville life continued with no sign of desperation or despair which one would expect of a nation in great debt.

Q: You didn't see unemployed youths hanging around aimlessly or the homeless with outstretched hands hoping for some charity?

We saw large crowds of school children at places of historical interest, such as palaces and churches, often mingling with tourists. I did not notice any youth hanging around aimlessly during my entire trip.

Madrid Park Retiro, one of the most popular and widely visited parks in Madrid

Q: Did you come across neighbourhoods with lots of properties put up for sale? And shops that were shuttered because bank loans have dried up, especially for SMEs?

I notice 'Sale' signboards put up at some properties but it was not an overwhelming sight. I saw a few shops shuttered -- and that was only on my last day in Barcelona.

Another sign of an economic crisis that we chanced upon was a transport union strike. Protesters were burning flags and throwing objects at shops in their fury.

Q: Could you share some basic info about your travel -- duration, cost of airfare, accommodation, land transport, etc?

My wife and I spent about S$5,000 each for a 15 day tour around Spain. This is a free and easy trip. We planned and booked our SIA flight 3 months in advance, paying S$3,600 for 2 front seats (at the exit with extra leg space).

We booked hotels through the Internet, costing about S$2,500 for the 15 days.

The Euro train services were also booked through the Internet, costing about S$1,000.

Food, admission fees to museums etc made up the balance of about $3,000 -- or an average of S$200 a day of pocket money for both of us.

Street protests have emerged as Spain sinks into a recession and austerity measures hit the easy lifestyle the people have been used to

Another street protest -- a scene repeated in some 80 cities across Spain.

Isaac at the Plaza de Espana in Seville -- an example of the Renaissance Revival style in Spanish architecture.

We devoted a whole morning to Plaza de Espana, Seville and a whole day to Alhambra Palace, Granada, without being burdened by the time restrictions usually imposed on group tours.These are fascinating architectural icons, and we shot memorable pictures of ourselves there. In our travel, we did at times faced communication barriers as English was not widely spoken.

The MRT lines in Spain are more sophisticated than in Singapore. In free-and-easy, it is advisble to study the country's transport system carefully and meticulously. Travelling in Europe can be very pleasant and best in April and October.

Q: In particular, can you please compare the cost of eating out in Spain and in Singapore?

Singapore offers a wide variety of food -- Western, Japanese and our local Chinese, Malay, Indian dishes. Having been to many countries in Europe, Japan, China, Australia, NZ, I have yet to find food so cheap and good as in our home country. A simple meal in Spain can cost up to 20 euros.

Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona is a UNESCO World Heritage site --- a greatness that speaks of the past. What of the future of Spain as it buckles under the crippling effects of a mountain of debt?

Q: Average property prices have plunged by 27% across Spain since 2007. On the Mediterranean coast, prices have nosedived by up to 70  per cent. What might you do if you were an investor living in nearby Britain?

From 2000 to 2006, properties in Europe and US were soaring while Singapore properties under-performed.

The reverse is true today. In 2006-7, I bought 4 Singapore properties and I have made good profits since.

Hence, anyone with a long term view should invest in the depressed London property market now but not in Spain as the latter cannot measure up to London as a world financial centre.

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