Few matters are more confusing initially to someone coming to Spain than the array of police forces encountered around the country. It can be difficult to know who to go to when you are in trouble and why one police force will attend a crime in one place and another elsewhere. In fact, essentially, Spain has three police forces: the [...]

I think, like everyone else, I often tend to get too wrapped up in Spanish property and the state of the Spanish property market.  It is important, undeniably, but, within it all, I think the whole reason for moving to Spain (or buying a property in Spain) – can be lost. Indeed (and this I have stated countless times), living [...]

The first thing is never consider running with the bulls in Pamplona if you have not seen the encierro before.  Even if this is only the Spanish TV1 broadcast (excellent coverage every day of the feria de San Fermín from 7.30 to 8.30 am) which first transmits the run live, then has commentaries, then a re-run with a commentary, and [...]

Some years ago, I was commissioned to write an article which ended up entitled ‘What did the Moors do for us?’.  This was, needless to say, a ‘take’ on the famous scene in ‘The Life of Brian’ where the same question was asked about the Romans. Before I started my research my answer to ‘What did the Moors do for [...]

Las Fallas must rank as one of the most extraordinary fiestas in Spain.  Indeed, over the past few years it has gained international recognition as one of those remarkable events that you should see – at least once in your lifetime. Certainly, the sheer scale of La Fallas is astonishing with the main festivities taking place over five days (15th [...]

One of the truly joyful aspects to living in Spain revolves around the general lack of political correctness.  This is obvious in a whole number of ways, most of which are very positive.  The strictures of paranoic UK Health and Safety, for example, often seem like mysterious and alien concepts here.  Indeed, you only need to walk in the middle [...]

I am sure that most Spaniards would think (probably correctly) that few people outside Spain have the faintest clue about bullfighting.  Most non-Spaniards instinctively dislike it – and are shocked by the bloodletting and apparent savagery.  And yet, bullfighting in Spain remains popular and is considered by many Spaniards to be a fundamental part of the very culture of Spain. [...]

I have to say that whenever I find it difficult to get things done in Spain I think of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona.  This fabulous building was started in 1882 and is still not finished – with the projected completion estimated to be sometime in 2026.  This means that if this date is actually met(!) the Sagrada Família will [...]

Marbella villa or barrio? The doorbell rang.  It was Perla carrying a bucket full of fish.  They were small dorada and they were still wriggling.  When I had met him in the street yesterday he had asked me if we wanted any fresh fish and I had said yes.  This is what he normally does, as he has no phone, [...]

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 [...]

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I defy anyone who comes to Valencia city not to be entranced by the City of Arts and Sciences. It is, justifiably, one of the greatest tourist attractions in Spain and a tribute to modern Spanish vision and design. Indeed, the City of Arts and Sciences is such a triumph that, alone, it makes any visit to Spain worthwhile. However, [...]

Did you know that there is a really interesting connection between the name España and rabbits – and that the devastating decline of the Iberian Lynx is intimately bound up in both? Well, there are good reasons to believe that the name of Spain (España) derives from the Phoenician word ‘ispanihad’ which evidently means ‘land of rabbits’.  This word was [...]

Are you going to be spending your summer holidays in Spain? If so – then make sure that you are well prepared beforehand and pack everything that you need.  After all, there is nothing worse than setting out for your holidays and arriving at the airport to find that you have left behind something critical! So, what should go on [...]

Gandia is a town located on the mid eastern side board of Spain.  It is within Valencia Province (one of the three Provinces of the Autonomous Region of Valencia Comunitat de Valencia) and is situated some 70 kms south of Valencia City.  The immediate area around Gandia is known as La Safor which comprises a number of small towns and [...]

Just occasionally, perhaps only once every four or five years, I come across a house in Spain that is truly extraordinary – somewhere that really does have the ‘Wow!’ factor.  Frankly, this is rare in Spain as many Spanish properties lack personality and this applies even to expensive villas on exclusive estates.  The latter can appear wonderful but often boast [...]

Well, you cannot keep a great gag down and my Spanish lawyer has just sent me a fabulous (short and hilarious!!) video about the state system in Spain.  In fact, I featured this video in an article on Culture Spain earlier in the year entitled Bureaucracy in Spain – but I think I am more than justified in highlighting the [...]

Madrid, of course, is the capital of Spain and the largest city in Spain with some 3.4 million people.  The next biggest cities in Spain are Barcelona and Valencia. Interestingly, Madrid is also the third biggest metropolitan area in the EU (with a population of some 6.2 million) after London and Paris and its importance within Spain as a cultural [...]

If you are looking for a quick break or a base for an extended trip around Andalusia you would be wise to head directly for Seville and do not pass Go! As the capital of Andalusia, there is much to admire; culture, food and dance set against a stunning backdrop of ornate and stylish architecture. Set on the banks of [...]

Yesterday I was sent a link to a very old film of the great Flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla.  I am not sure of the precise date of the clip below but Camarón de la Isla (considered one of the all time greats of Flamenco) looks as though he is in his late teens/early twenties – so the clip [...]

The east coast of Spain, particularly the area that lies within the Valencian Community, offers some of the best bird watching in Europe.  Of course, bird life in Spain is exceptional, by anyone’s standards, but this is all the more notable in the Valencia region of Spain.  Indeed, bird watching in Valencia is unusual for its extraordinary diversity.  This is [...]

Last weekend saw huge demonstrations in Spain against the labour reforms in Spain that the ruling PP (‘Conservative’ ) party have fast tracked through Spain’s legislature.  The protests were predictable, as furious private sector employees throughout the country saw their employment rights changed for the worse. In short, the changes are as follows: Before the new measures, if you were [...]

So, 2011 was officially the worst year for property sales since the Spanish property crash began in early 2008.  Sales were down 20% compared to 2010, which means they were almost 60% down from the halcyon days of 2007. Of course, this is no surprise given the parlous nature of the Spanish economy and the continuing climb in unemployment in [...]

So, what are the top four tourist attractions in Spain – the ones that have the most visitors per year? Well, as of 2011, they were: 1.  The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia (3.7 million visitors). 2.  The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (3.2 million visitors). 3.  The Prado in Madrid (2.9 million visitors). 4.  The Alhambra in Granada [...]

The Canaries have long been associated with package tourism.  But whilst some of the larger islands such as Gran Canaria and Tenerife bear the scars of over development Lanzarote, located just 80 miles off the coast of Africa, has managed to retain much of its original identity intact.  Thanks largely to the enormous influence exerted by a famous local artist [...]

… at least for residents of Villamayor de Santiago, Cuenca. Probably better known for its famous Manchego cheese and links to Don Quijote, the small town is hitting the headlines due to an innovative economic scheme. Faced with slumping sales in the region, Luis Miguel Campayo, head of the local merchants’ association, came up with the novel idea in order [...]

Double dip? What double dip! In spite of the recent downturn in growth, the UK looks set to avoid a second recession, setting up sterling for gains. You might not realise it if you’re still living in the UK (I’m writing from Madrid) but the negative atmosphere among journalists and pundits in Britain is overpowering. For instance, following reports that [...]

So, Judge Baltasar Garzon has been banned from acting as a judge in Spain for eleven years, having been convicted of overstepping his authority when he authorised the wire-tapping of conversations between detainees and their lawyers in the notorious (and on-going) Gurtel corruption case. Garzon’s removal from the Spanish judiciary has been nothing if not controversial and has occurred amidst [...]

The euro has gained this week, suggesting the markets are feeling increasingly calm regarding Europe. Greece though has been getting it in the neck. “Oh – to be anything but a Greek politician!” This is the thing Greek prime minister Lucas Papademos must be telling himself this week, as EU officials continue to pile on the spending cuts Greece must [...]

One of the most striking changes to Spain that I have seen over the past nine years has been a marked improvement in the infrastructure of the country.  By this, I mean virtually anything to do with public works, such as the roads, airports and facilities within towns. To illustrate the point, I could take my own town of Gandia, [...]

Recently, I have seen a flock of articles about buying Spanish property – many of which, frankly, look like barely concealed press releases from parties with vested interests in ‘talking’ the Spanish property market ‘up’. Meanwhile, there have been continued reports about the considerable problems of the debt laden Spanish banks, who are deeply troubled, not lending and now the [...]