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 [...]
On the 31st May this year, nine men from Paddle4Heroes are going to paddle from Gibraltar to Marbella in Spain by kayak to raise funds for Help for Heroes and a new charity called Families of The Fallen. Both of these charities should touch the heart of anyone British, as they are at the forefront of helping servicemen and women [...]
I am delighted to be able to report that my friend, Rod Younger, has just opened his on-line book store: Books4Spain (www.books4spain.com). This, as the name suggests, is a specialist book store that deals only in English language books and ebooks about Spain, whether fact or fiction. Most conventional book stores have a restricted number of books about Spain – with books [...]
One of the more curious and lesser known chapters in the history of conflicts between Spain and England was the strangely named ‘War of Jenkins’ Ear’ that took place between 1739 and 1748. The title of the war relates to an incident in 1731 when the British merchant vessel Rebecca was boarded by the Spanish coastguard – during which Captain Robert [...]
So, as widely anticipated, the Spanish conservative party (the PP – Partido Popular) has won an overwhelming majority of seats in parliament after yesterday’s General Election in Spain. Meanwhile, the Spanish socialist party (the PSOE – Partido Socialista Obrero Español) has been badly defeated and has finally been punished by the electorate for its gross negligence in mishandling the Spanish [...]
Why go to the north of Spain? Well, not for the weather – but then life in northern Spain still has a great deal to offer! In fact, the perception of poor weather is probably a key reason few British expats set themselves up for life in the north of Spain, particularly along the coast in the regions of Cantabria, [...]
For many years Spain had an appalling record for traffic accidents, to such an extent that driving in Spain was considered to be more dangerous than anywhere else in Europe with an unacceptable number of fatalities and injuries. However, that seems to have changed radically as shown by some statistics recently released by Spain’s Institute for National Statistics (INE). In [...]
We are now only singular days away from the General Election in Spain due for the 20th November, with the consensus being that the current socialist (PSOE) government will meet with a resounding defeat. Indeed, all the indications are that the conservative (PP) party will gain power and probably with an overwhelming majority. Of course, the big issue for the [...]
Recently I lay awake suffering from one of my regular bouts of insomnia and in search of sleep I turned to my latest birthday present, a Kindle e book reader. Stored on my Kindle was the ‘The adventures of Brigadier Gerard’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – the celebrated author best known for his Sherlock Holmes tales. Brigadier Gerard was a [...]
Guiris en El Norte! Many English people migrate every year to the south of Spain, seeking a more relaxed lifestyle, an exotic retirement, or even a cheaper way of living. However, the main drawcard for the Southern parts of the country is probably the sun. The promise of ongoing mild weather, little rain and being able to sit by the [...]
As we move towards the middle of November the waning of the moon and darker night sky in Spain (it was a full moon on the 10th and will be a new moon on the 25th) will give a clearer view of the stars and planets here. The recent spell of fine weather here in La Drova (near Gandia, Valencia) together [...]
It will come as no surprise to you to hear that the dreadful economic crisis in Spain is damaging the arts culture of Spain. This is taking two forms namely a dramatic reduction in governmental (and commercial) grants for arts related institutions, exhibitions, festivals and shows and a genuine questioning by Spaniards about the endemic corruption (moral and financial) within [...]
The popularity of Spanish food and wines is on the up and up! Surreptitiously Spanish food products have been taking up residence on the supermarket shelf. On a recent trip to my Irish supermarket I noticed a few new products nestling amongst the curry sauces and fajita mixes; paella seasoning, alioli, smoked paprika and patatas bravas sauce have made an [...]
Evidently, 39% of all Spanish men have used a prostitute, over 900 cases of stolen babies in Spain under Franco are being investigated and ETA have declared that they will no longer use violence to obtain the independence of the Basque country from Spain. The PP (conservative party) are still on course to win the General Elections in Spain on [...]
On Thursday the 20th October 2011 ETA declared that they would no longer use violence in Spain to obtain their objective of gaining Basque country independence from Spain. This has been heralded as a breakthrough, with the Spanish Prime Minister (Zapatero) calling it: “a victory for democracy, law and reason”. Certainly, the ‘war’ conducted by ETA in Spain, to most [...]
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 [...]