If you are interested in Spain and love photography – perhaps I can recommend a new book by internationally acclaimed (and award winning) photographer, Jurgen Schadeberg. His new book España Then and Now is a superb record of Spain from the 1970s to today. It has a range of fabulous photographs, which document the development of Spain from before the Transition to 2014. Jurgen Schadeberg, as you may know is one of the world’s top […]
Are you concerned by property purchase tax in Spain and in particular the purchase tax on imputed property values that is being extorted by the Valencia Region (the Provinces of Alicante, Castellon and Valencia)? Well, if you are not – then you should be alert to the fact that the Valencian government is sometimes imputing a value to a property and then charging you, the buyer, purchase tax on more than you actually paid for […]
Do you have construction problems in Spain – is your property suffering from subsidence, damp, a defective pool, an unsound roof or possibly a collapsing retaining wall? If you have any of these problems then you may be interested in Building Defects Spain, a business that specialises in resolving building problems in Spain. It is run by a fully qualified, bi-lingual British building surveyor, who is fully qualified both in Spain and the UK. Furthermore, […]
Are you concerned about the impact of the Greek elections on Spain – a country that now has its own radical and dynamic new political party (´Podemos’)? Well, it would be understandable. Syritza in Greece have had a stunning success and humiliated the long established political parties of Greece and now promise a radical change in Greek politics and governance. The question is whether Podemos can achieve the same electoral success in Spain and whether […]
If you are thinking of buying property in Spain then the big question is whether this is the right time to buy or the time in which to keep your ‘powder dry’ and wait. In short, is the Spanish property market stabilising or still sliding? Well, it appears as though the Spanish property market may be stabilising. Certainly, various statistics issued over the past year seem to indicate that price decreases are now less than […]
Of course, the big news here is the sudden abdication of the King of Spain. This has come as a surprise, to put it mildly. Indeed, it appears that there is not even a clause in the 1978 Constitution allowing for what should occur if the Spanish monarch abdicates. This fact alone seems to indicate that the King’s decision had not been widely communicated (and thereby planned for) beforehand. In truth, the succession to the […]
One of the least known Spanish classical composers is Salvador Bacarisse (1898 – 1963), despite the fact that he was a prolific composer – who wrote some really wonderful music. Indeed, just listen to his famous Romanza (from Concert for Guitar and Orchestra) below and you will see just how good he was, at his best. This is a gorgeous piece and deserves to be heard (along with many other pieces that he wrote!) – […]
No mention of Spain’s greatest artists would be complete without at least a mention of Salvador Dalí, (1904 – 1989), who was born and died in Figueres, Spain. Dalí was certainly an extraordinary man who bestrode the art world during the 20th Century, although in a way that defies easy classification. He was a showman, surrealist, artist, sculptor, jewelry designer, photographer, film maker, writer and designer. He was prolific, a joker – and almost impossible […]
Santiago Calatrava (b. 1951 in Valencia) seems to be constantly in the news at the moment – unfortunately, not always for the best of reasons. Indeed, his reputation as possibly Spain’s greatest architect may be under threat. This is due to a series of problems relating to the quality of construction of some of his projects, together with disgruntlement about significant cost over runs on his projects. Of course, Calatrava’s designs are often quite fantastic […]
I doubt that there is anyone who does not know at least some of the music of Joaquín Rodrigo – even if they normally steer well clear of classical music. His most famous piece, of course, was the Concierto de Aranjuez and is instantly recognisable for its haunting melody. To many people it represents the very essence of the culture of Spain and could have been written only by a Spaniard and one who is, […]
Undoubtedly one of the greatest examples of the contemporary high culture of Spain lies in Tamara Rojo – who is one the greatest ballet stars performing now. In fact, The Telegraph has just nominated her number 2 in their (2014) list of the best ballet stars in the world, praising her for her ‘keen intelligence and total dramatic engagement’. She was only beaten into second place by Sylvie Guillem, who is a living legend within […]
I was recently sent a great documentary film about Valencian food. This is by a friend of mine, Zev Robinson, who is a highly regarded film maker. Although Canadian, Zev lives in Spain, is married to a Spaniard and knows the country intimately. Called Valencian Roots, Zev’s wonderful short film captures the very essence of country life in Valencia and is fascinating for its close look at the products produced in Valencia and the way […]
