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 [...]
An institution that makes me consistently proud to be British is the wonderful Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) which has just produced a fascinating portrait of Spain as part of their new and quite extraordinary Hidden Journeys series. If you like spectacular views of the Spanish landscape – then you really must have a look at what the RGS/IBG has [...]
Knowing what the foreign currency markets are doing (and are likely to do) is really important. However, for most of us, foretelling what the currency markets are going to do is well beyond our experience – which is why, at Culture Spain, we have brought in Peter Levelle to provide weekly advice on the foreign currency exchange markets. Peter is a foreign currency [...]
For many foreigners living in Spain now or thinking of coming to Spain – the movements of the currency markets are really important. Obviously, they can affect the amount you have free to spend on your holiday in Spain but they can also act to change your quality of life in Spain, if your pension is not Euro based and [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
There was an interesting article about tourism in Spain today in Levante (a Spanish newspaper covering the Levant). In January Exelter, a Spanish tourist association, predicted a growth in tourism in Spain, this year, of 1% – which they have now revised to 2%. This is almost two and a half times greater than that predicted by the Bank of [...]
Sadly, once again, I have had to put state health care in Spain to the test – which is why Culture Spain has been down on Posts over the past few days. On Tuesday, my beloved son collapsed and I had to rush him into our local hospital (Gandia), where he remains now (almost a week later). Needless to say, [...]
An agreement has been formally ratified between the Spanish unions and the Spanish government regarding the planned Easter airport strikes in Spain. The strikes in Spain are not, as I always suspected, going to happen. Of course, this is very good news! The last thing that Spain needed was disruption to its precious (for the economy) tourist industry and any [...]
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 [...]
So, there you are – tired from your flight to Spain and exhausted from six months hard work. But, finally, you have arrived at your destination, the holiday villa in Spain that you booked in January! The trouble is, to your horror, you realise that the holiday villa in Spain that you booked is nothing like what you imagined. Quickly, [...]
Travel Spain is here to provide you with all the information you need for your holidays in Spain. In fact, Travel Spain specialises in every aspect of holidays in Spain – whether this concerns flights to Spain, travel around Spain, holiday villas in Spain (and beach apartments in Spain!) or just what to see and do in Spain. Of course, [...]
Wishing all holidays makers, a very prosperous and Blessed 2011. We thank you all for the support of the past year and look forward to another wonderful summer holiday season in 2011. 2011 Costa Blanca Holidays
Costa Blanca – The Heart of Spain Costa Blanca is located on the East Coast of Spain and incorporates the well known destinations of Valencia, Alicante and Benidorm. It is a very popular tourist resort for a variety of reasons both among families and groups of younger people- who tend to appear in peak seasons for the stunning weather and [...]
Villa Florencia is a beautiful and spacious Costa Blanca Villa for Rent, located in the heart of the Valencia orange growing region of Spain. Only 3kms outside the town of Gandía, it is set in a rural location amongst verdant citrus groves and commands stunning views of the surrounding mountains. If you are looking for a villa rental for your [...]