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 [...]
It has just been announced that unemployment in Spain has reached 5.4 million people, amounting to an unemployment rate in Spain of 22.9% – some 400,000 people more than during the third quarter of 2011. Meanwhile, 48.6% of Spain’s 16-24 year olds have no work, creating a living tragedy and a ‘lost’ generation. Can anyone be surprised by this horrendous [...]
Of course, as everyone now knows, the Spanish elections on the 20th November 2011 resulted in an overwhelming victory for the Spanish conservative party (the PP – Partido Popular). Interestingly, the turnout for the Spanish elections was very high with 24,590,557 votes cast, which equated to a turnout of 73.85% of those eligible to vote. The Spanish conservative party (PP) [...]
The past few days in Spain have seen some interesting responses to the present economic crisis in Spain including the revival of the wealth tax in Spain. Meanwhile, in some areas, there is a teacher’s strike in Spain with educators (amazingly!) complaining about an increase in their current working hours. Finally, temporary work contracts in Spain are being made unlimited [...]
In an interesting development today the Spanish government have said that they are going to halve the purchase tax in Spain for newly built Spanish properties. Currently purchase tax in Spain for new builds is 8% but this will now be dropped to 4%. Meanwhile, purchase tax in Spain for re-sale properties in Spain will remain at 7% Needless to [...]
I have just been sent an hilarious article by a Spanish lawyer friend of mine concerning banks in Spain and some advice given awhile back by the Ministry of the Economy of the Spanish government. If you can read Spanish then have a look at this article. However, if you cannot read Spanish then let me give you a very rough [...]
Excluding the EU, there are at least four levels of government administration in Spain. These are: 1. National Spanish government – based in Madrid. 2. Regional government – each of the Autonomous Regions in Spain, such as the Comunitat de Valenciana or the Comunidad Autónoma Vasca (Basque country) have an elected government. There are 17 of these Autonomous Regions and [...]
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 [...]
Well, this has come as a bit of a shock! The Spanish government is reducing the maximum speed limit in Spain from its current 120 kms an hour to 110 kms per hour 68 mph). This will be imposed from the 7th March this year – so beware! The Spanish government is reducing the speed limit in Spain to save [...]
So, Beatriz Corredor – the Spanish housing minister is appealing for British buyers to return to Spain! Gosh! And there are going to be changes to the planning laws to make buying property in Spain clearer for us poor, stupid foreigners. Gosh, gosh – I am impressed! Indeed, Beatriz is urging us Britons (according to the UK Telegraph) to: “Come [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
UPDATE: 27.03.12 Note that there will be a general strike in Spain on the 29th March 2012 and that this will, inevitably, cause travel disruption within Spain. For more information, see: General Strike in Spain 29th March 2012 STOP PRESS 30.01.12 Sadly, Spanair has collapsed, having lost some 115 million Euros last year. The collapse was unexpected, occurred over the [...]
I thought that I should quickly you give a round-up to my previous posts on the air traffic controller’s strike in Spain and the potential for a forthcoming Xmas pilot’s strike in Spain. Firstly, the pilot’s strike in Spain has been put off from the Christmas period so, if you are thinking of having Christmas in Spain, you should not [...]
The Spanish economy, Spanish debt, Spanish banks and further potential austerity measures! Part 2 While public sector debt (not the deficit) in Spain is actually relatively low as a percentage of GDP versus other countries such as Italy, Ireland, Greece and Portugal, Spain’s public sector deficit for 2010 will be around 11.3%. So, the Spanish government has announced several austerity [...]
Spanish economy – meltdown or all well? So, what is going to happen to the Spanish economy? This is, obviously, something that concerns anyone living here but also the rest of Europe – who could suffer from any meltdown in the Spanish economy. Who do we believe about the current situation – the Spanish government, the bond markets or economists? [...]