How to improve one's Spanish?

[Archaea]

I'm reminded, perhaps of an apocryphal event of Earnest Hemingway, who apparently was on vacation in Venice, when somebody critisized his Italian after those years.

And then I look to my own dabbling in Spanish and feel somewhat ashamed at how poorly I communicate in Spanish. So I wouldn't mind improving my Spanish, but I wonder what's the best way to go about it?

I can read adequately especially if a dictionary is nearby. Most persons that speak Spanish locally are workers with whom I don't come into contact often.

So what's the solution?

And which version?

I'm focusing mostly on speaking Spanish, as reading comes easy enough.

Ideas.