Foreigners coming to Galicia can expect a lot of things to be done differently here, and many of them will be pleasant surprises.But others fall into the "inconvenient" category.

Keep in mind that the comments that follow may only apply to this part of Galicia. I haven't lived anywhere else in Spain.

Some Conveniences:

• Good service is the rule, and it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. If the service you get isn't good, it's probably your own fault.
• Restaurant and bars are very accommodating. If what you want isn't on the menu they'll make it for you if they possibly can. And if you want to sit around afterwards, talking and nursing your drinks or your coffee, no problem. Stay as long as you like. Nobody is going to rush you. You might have a problem if you're in a hurry for your bill, though. I think it must be considered impolite to give you your bill unless you indicate somehow that you're ready to leave.
• Stores here aren't universally staffed by disinterested, gum-popping twerps like they are some places I've been. Maybe we've just been lucky, but we've encountered competent clerks who know their merchandise and can actually make change without the help of a machine. And they'll spend as much time with you as you need to decide whether or not to buy.
• If you purchase an item that is too big or too heavy for you to comfortably carry a few blocks to your car, they'll usually deliver it to your house at no charge. It doesn't necessarily have to be a big item, though. We once had a Microsoft mouse delivered from Betanzos, which is about 7 miles away. Well, we didn't actually ask that it be delivered, but the store owner felt bad that he didn't have it available when he said he would, so we found it at our front door when we got home later that day. We went back to the store a few days later and paid for it.
• Here's an item that you may not consider a convenience since it's not optional, but we like it. Our utility bills are debited directly from our local bank account. In fact, you can't get the service turned on without first arranging this type of payment. It works just fine and you don't have to concern yourself about paying late or forgetting to pay altogether. Plus, there's no postage required.

Some Inconveniences:

• Electric service may not be as good as you're used to. Unless you build your own house, you service will most likely be the equivalent of 60 amps in the US. If you rent an older place the service will almost certainly be less. In either case, there won't be enough outlets, so you''ll need some extension cords with multiple outlets on one end. And learn where the circuit breakers are so you can reset them when you plug in one too many devices.
• Hot water - If you rent, you may have to choose between adequate flow and adequate temperature. In-line (or "flash") water heaters are common in older dwellings here and many are low-capacity units. If your place has one of these, be prepared for lukewarm showers or standing real close to the showerhead. If the landlord doesn't mind, you can upgrade the heater yourself at a reasonable cost. Newer places probably won't have this problem.
• Gas supplies - Houses and apartments in some towns and cities now have natural gas piped in. The rest use butane that comes in portable orange tanks that are about 2-ft high and weigh about 60 pounds, half of which is the steel tank itself. They have to be changed frequently, so it's a good idea to have a spare. For cooking and water heating, a tank may last a couple of weeks. For use in a space heater, maybe half that. The chances are good that your water heater will run out of fuel while you're all soaped up in the shower.
• Appliances - In general, major household appliances here are smaller than you're used to (unless you lived in a motor home.) The size of washers, dryers and ovens are the most noticeable. An extra large oven is about 36 inches wide. Very few washers accept a hot water input, but can heat the water before the wash cycle starts. Most are front-loaders and use less water than top-loaders. They all work well, but each load of laundry takes much more time to wash than you're used to and since the loads are smaller, you'll have more of them.
• Toiletries - If you're allergic to perfumed soap, etc. or just don't like them, then you'd better bring your own supply. Unscented soap and deodorant are available but aren't very popular, so you might have to hunt for a while before you find the store that sells them