I had almost forgotten what Marbella was like. So, it was good to return there a couple of weeks ago – notwithstanding the fact that I was there to look into the darker side of Marbella and the Gil y Gil/Roca scandal over illegal property in Marbella (an amazing tale!)). In fact, I have known Marbella since the mid 1970s [...]
I found a recent article by El Pais interesting. This relates to the Spanish savings banks called ‘Cajas’. These are usually quite small, local institutions with only a few branches, a bit like the UK’s old building societies. That said, not all Cajas comprise only a branch or two. la Caixa (the biggest Caja) is enormous and has about 4,700 [...]
Of course, one of the great things about Spain is its climate and, along with that, the ease with which you can do outdoor activities pretty much throughout the year. One activity that is well worth taking advantage of is horse riding which takes many different forms in Spain, depending upon what you want. Certainly, there is no shortage of horse [...]
Andrew Linn (Culture Spain’s Spanish food and wine expert) has been keeping an eye on the controversial (for many) smoking ban in Spain. Clearly, this law has upset a significant minority of the Spanish population as protests against it continue. In my area of Valencia I have seen little of this – but Andrew ( a very occasional smoker only) [...]
Recently, I was in contact with Natasha Young who is a great writer and specialises in writing about life in Barcelona. She is passionate about Barcelona but equally apoplectic about robbery in Barcelona and the street crime that occurs there. So, she was keen that I drew your attention to this problem – and her excellent advice. Certainly, if [...]
Last weekend was interesting as I was helping the ITV programme ‘Homes from Hell’ as an expert, following an article that I wrote some time ago called ‘Meltdown in Marbella’. The latter was about the rampant corruption in Marbella that was (hopefully) brought to an end by Operation Malaya, the dissolution of Marbella town hall in 2006 and the on-going [...]
There are three unmistakeable signs of the ageing process: 1. You can no longer get up from your favourite armchair without groaning. 2. You can’t make it through the night without at least one trip to the bathroom. 3. In Spain, shop assistants start to refer to you as usted. The first time the last one of these happened to [...]
It is 7.30 in the morning and the cobbles are wet and slippery. Not from rain, but from the hosing down the streets get every morning during the Feria de San Fermín. Even though it is the middle of July, there is a chill in the air, but this is Pamplona and it will warm up quickly and by [...]
Andrew Linn, Culture Spain’s expert on food and wine in Spain, has just sent me notification about the forthcoming national revolt in Spain concerning the smoking ban in Spain imposed on the 2nd January 2011. This is one fierce and bitter controversy that is clearly set to continue in Spain. However, what makes Andrew Linn’s very forceful reaction to the smoking ban in [...]
Talking of sumer holidays in Spain, one event that springs to mind is La Tomatina – which has got to rank highly as one of the wierdest fiestas in Spain. It happens in Buñol in August and can only be defined as irredeemably and joyously wacky! In fact, La Tomatina has emerged over recent years as a must-see fiesta in [...]
Few people would argue that Spain has some pretty incredible fiestas. However, one of the most bizarre has got to be La Tomatina – which is a massive tomato fight. Amazingly, some 30,000 people a year crowd into the village of Buñol to hurl rotten tomotoes at each other. The mess is simply beyond imagination but taking part has become [...]
The cliche about location, location, location holds as true for beach holidays in Spain as it does for buying houses or establishing the exact whereabouts of business premises. Indeed, get the location of your beach holiday in Spain wrong and you can guarantee that your dream holiday in Spain will be a disaster. On the other hand, get [...]
If you are not living in Spain then you are probably now thinking about booking your summer holidays in Spain – and already dreaming about blue skies, warm water and two weeks of al fresco life! Well, if you are, then you may be interested in Spain Travel which is a Culture Spain site that we have set up to [...]
I could not resist passing on a fascinating article that was drawn to my attention by Andrew Linn. The Moors in Spain, so it seems, are returning to Spain in force! Well, not in force, perhaps, but they are certainly making their presence known – and in one of the most the most controversial ways possible. Have a look [...]
Holiday villa in Gandia WHY RENT THIS VILLA??? Because: this holiday villa in Gandia is luxurious, in superb condition and is very well situated. It is actually located on the exclusive estate of La Drova, which is 15 minutes from vibrant Gandia and 20 minutes drive from the Blue Flagged beaches of La Safor. If you are looking for a [...]