The state system in Spain, an hilarious insight!
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 [...]
The most perfect Art Déco house in Spain
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 [...]
Gandia, Valencia Province, Spain
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 [...]
Summer holidays in Spain – 10 things not to forget!
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 [...]
Spain, rabbits and the Iberian Lynx
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 [...]
Valencia City of Arts and Sciences
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, [...]
Culture Spain, Running of the bulls Pamplona – the rules!
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 [...]
Las Fallas Valencia, the most incredible fiesta in Spain!
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 [...]
The Alhambra and the Moors in Spain
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 [...]
Culture Spain: La Tomatina (the greatest tomato fight in the World!)
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 [...]
Culture Spain : MARBELLA VILLA OR BARRIO?
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, [...]
CULTURE SPAIN: THE SAGRADA FAMÍLIA, GAUDI AND BARCELONA
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 [...]
CULTURE SPAIN – BULLFIGHTING IN SPAIN
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. [...]
LIFE IN SPAIN – TEN REASONS FOR MOVING TO SPAIN
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 [...]
SPANISH POLICE – THE POLICE IN SPAIN
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 [...]
The demonstrations in Spain continue with many town hall squares still full of Indignados (the Indignant) surrounded by banners expressing their wrath and dismay at the current situation in Spain. Indeed, it would seem that the current protests in Spain are set to run for some time to come. But what are the Indignados actually saying and how extensive is [...]
I am faintly amused by the fuss that is being made about the ‘Spanish Revolution’. I say ‘faintly’ because something of importance may actually happen – in which case I may find myself somewhat embarrassed. The thing is that the ‘Spanish Revolution’ (if it can really be called that) is, to my mind, somewhat odd. Politicians in Spain have always [...]
It would appear that the local and regional elections in Spain have resulted in a massive reduction in support for the PSOE (socialist) party – who, it seems, are now not the most voted for party in any region in Spain. This is a huge blow to PSOE Prime Minister Zapatero and a devastating inditement of his policies over the [...]
Yesterday, I met a remarkable man who was an oasis of calm. This was very welcome amidst yesterday’s possible ‘Spanish Revolution’, the ferocious work-up to the local and regional elections in Spain and the seemingly endless accusations from half the Spanish population about corrupt politicians! The ‘oasis of calm’ was Andy Cameron, better known as Andy de Ronda – who [...]
A few days ago I wrote an article here about the general disenchantment of Spaniards with politics in Spain. This had become increasingly apparent to me over the past month or so as the Spanish prepared themselves for the forthcoming local and regional elections in Spain (due to be held on the 22nd May). However, political matters have accelerated considerably [...]
Reading Nick’s article about Spanish olive oil production in Valencia inspired me to describe our own experiences in Andalucia – they could not be more different! My husband and I are two English people making extra-virgin Spanish olive oil in Andalucia. We live on a 22 acre olive farm in the mountains next to the Sierra de las Nieves national [...]
Well, really – what can any of us say? Do you remember last year when the results of the ‘stress’ test of European banks was announced by the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS)? To the astonishment of most commentators, only five out of the 27 banks in Spain tested were found to have failed the tests. These were, predictably, Cajas [...]
The local elections in Spain and the elections for the government of many of the autonomous regions of Spain are due to be held on the 22nd May 2011. They are important and, as I have written before, the results of the elections in Spain will have an impact upon everyone’s daily life. This is starkly true of local elections [...]
I had an interesting conversation today about living in Spain – with a removals professional who lives here but who works for one of the biggest removal companies in the UK. What this man had to say was enlightening and (rather gratifyingly!) confirmed what I have written in my book about buying Spanish property and moving to Spain. Worryingly, my [...]
I was interested to read recently a prophetic report by Luis Suaréz (President of the Colegio Oficial de Geólogos (ICOG)) that came out in March of this year – in which he warned that a major earthquake in Spain was overdue. Well, Luis Suaréz’s timing was nothing if not prescient given the earthquake in Spain that occurred on Wednesday May [...]
Have you ever wondered what happens to the olives that you see being shaken off the olive trees of Spain in late autumn? After all, one moment you see them being collected from the ground in nets and then, the next thing that you know – you see Spanish olive oil in the shops ready for you to buy. Well, [...]
One of the problems for anyone thinking of higher education in Spain, whether for themselves or their children is: where to go? After all, it is never easy to find somewhere that combines a user-friendly campus with degree courses that are going to be genuinely useful. Interestingly, the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (Polytechnic University of Valencia) has a campus at [...]
Whoops! I completely missed advising you about a terrific event that was due to occur at the Valencia City of Arts and Sciences during the weekend. This was all the more regrettable – because I had bookedup long before, went myself – and had a fantastic time! During the weekend the Global Champions Tour was run beside the Valencia science [...]
So, the Spanish government is finally on a major push to get foreigners to buy Spanish property! I keep reading about the ‘road show’ that is currently in the UK before it goes off to tour the rest of Europe to publicise the benefits of buying property in Spain. Clearly the Spanish government’s PR machine is working hard to publicise [...]
Recently, I wrote a couple of articles about the potential for a rise in demand for holidays in Spain. Well, my predictions look as though they may have been accurate. Figures just produced by the Ministry of Tourism in Spain show that tourism in Spain increased by 2.9% in comparison to the same time (the first quarter) of last year. [...]