Ask HN: How's the tech scene in Spain?

I was talking to my girlfriend about moving to another country for a year while we're young and not tied down. We decided that Spain would be ideal because we both studied Spanish in high school/college and could probably become fluent relatively quickly. I was hoping there would be some people on HN that could help answer some questions for me.

How realistic is this idea? Would it be difficult for an American software dev to find a job in Spain? Would applying to large American companies with offices there be the way to go? What would the visa process be like?

Thanks a lot for your help.