Spain

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    Spain News

  • Spain's Santander mulls IPO for UK arm

    9 Feb 2010 | 10:53 am
    LONDON/MADRID: Spanish bank Santander is considering the sale of a minority stake in its UK arm through a stock market flotation to potentially repeat a windfall from a Brazilian spinoff last year, industry sources said on Monday.

  • Spain: Teach English in Spain and earn up to 3,000 monthly

    9 Feb 2010 | 5:20 am
    Diploma or Cert? "I am thinking of doing a teaching English course, but there are so many institutions offering courses at the moment.

  • Spain's super-judge closer to being charged

    8 Feb 2010 | 9:10 pm
    The magistrate known for indicting Osama bin Laden and Augusto Pinochet may have knowingly acted without jurisdiction by probing Spanish Civil War atrocities, a court said Thursday in a ruling that takes Spain's most famed judge a step closer to being put on trial himself.

  • Zapatero loses lead in Spanish opinion poll

    8 Feb 2010 | 3:07 pm
    The Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has fallen behind the opposition for the first time since he came to power in 2004, according to a poll published by El Mundo newspaper.

  • Santander Bank 'Considers UK Flotation'

    8 Feb 2010 | 10:34 am
    Santander, the eurozone's biggest bank, is reported to be considering floating on the London stock exchange - a move that would probably be accompanied by a branch-buying spree.
 
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    Costa Tropical News

  • Spanish costas feel heat crisis hits Spain ’s all-important tourism sector

    Captain Chaos
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:53 pm
    “The English-style pubs and cafés have really felt the impact,” he says Spanish costas feel heat crisis hits Spain ’s all-important tourism sector As befits the civic leader of a city made famous for its cheap and cheerful holidays, Agustín Navarro, Benidorm’s mayor, seeks to put a positive spin on the crisis in Spain’s all-important tourism sector. Despite a sharp drop in occupancy rates, “not one hotel in Benidorm has closed since the downturn began”, he says. He admits, however, that the weak pound and recession in the UK, by far the city’s most important feeder market,…

  • Catalunya – Building company wins planning appeal to build 100 room brothel

    Captain Chaos
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:52 pm
    The promoters of this club, the company Vimetera SL, then appealed to the court of administrative law number 2 of Girona, which ruled against them Catalunya – Building company wins planning appeal to build 100 room brothel A ruling from the Superior Tribunal de Justicia de Catalunya requires the City of La Jonquera (Girona) grant planning permission to the developers of a hostess club, with a hundred rooms. The project was stalled in 2006 as at the time the local council said it would generate traffic and safety problems. The promoters of this club, the company Vimetera SL, then…

  • Spain Papers Review – Monday February 8 2010

    Captain Chaos
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:38 pm
    Economic concerns dominate many of the papers in Spain again El Mundo headlines that the Government is heading out on a ‘road show’ to calm the markets which have been attacking Spain over the past week. Minister for Tax and the Economy, Elena Salgado and the Secretary of State for the Economy, José Manuel Campa, are to meet in London and Paris with investors and analysts. The paper says the comment in the Moncloa in Madrid is ‘If we move ahead with the plan for pensions, the austerity plan and the reorganisation of the savings banks, we will be in another dimension’. El Mundo has an…

  • Spain Papers Review – Sunday February 7 2010

    Captain Chaos
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:37 pm
    The state of the Spanish economy dominates the Sunday papers El País reconstructs the keys in the change of direction of the Government. It headlines that Zapatero has taken a political turn to flee from the ‘ghosts of Greece’, and says the Prime Minister has met in secret with union leaders. El País notes that the markets have been attacking Spain and highlights comments from various leaders. Celestino Corbacho, Minister of Employment, ‘The crisis needs more than a reform’ Cándido Méndez, head of union UGT – ‘Labour reform is not all the solution’ Ignacio Fernández Toxo,…

  • Spain Weekend Football Results – Monday February 8 2010

    Captain Chaos
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:35 pm
    Spain has a good draw in the 2012 European Cup Spain now knows her rivals in the classification phase of the 2012 European Cup, and will meet the Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania and Liechtenstein. It’s regarded as an easy start for the team which will be defending its victory in the tournament in 2008. Spain remains ranked Number One in the FIFA and UEFA rankings. Manager, Vicente del Bosque, said he was ‘relatively content’ with the draw, and noted the demands on the calendar when there are five teams are far lighter when there are six. A 19 year old has died playing football in…
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    LosGigantes.com

  • New beach for Alcala

    dolly diver
    3 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am
    The Spanish government have promised three million Euros to build a one-kilometre beach and promenade at La Jaquita (Alcala). The plans have been approved, and the local council says it hopes to award the actual tender in the next few weeks. Mayor Pedro Martín says the new beach will complement Playa San Juan, where a [...]

  • Storms for Los Gigantes

    dolly diver
    1 Feb 2010 | 10:35 am
    Click on photos to enlarge Los Gigantes continues to be battered by high winds and torrential rain. The orange alert issued by the Met Office is extended until Tuesday evening. A yellow alert for the south of Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro has been issued with warnings of heavy seas and gale force winds which could [...]

  • Winning entry of this year’s Carnival poster competition

    dolly diver
    26 Jan 2010 | 8:47 am
    There were 5 entries this year’s Los Gigantes carnival 2010 poster competition. The theme is “Africa” and the winning entry was painted by artist Rodolfo Jorge Gutierrez.

  • Judge questions Mayor over beach landslide

    dolly diver
    23 Jan 2010 | 7:18 am
    Juan Gorrín, The mayor of Santiago del Teide, appeared in court yesterday and was questioned for two hours about the landslide on Los Gigantes beach last November which killed two women. The mayor may face criminal charges over the incident. Relatives of one of the victims heckled the mayor as he arrived and put [...]

  • Improvements to the TF-82 in Tamaimo

    dolly diver
    20 Jan 2010 | 8:45 am
    The mayor of Santiago del Teide, Juan Damián Gorrín Ramos, reported that after meetings with the Island Council improvement work will begin on the TF-82 at Tamaimo. A petition of hundreds of signatures was collected from residents and road users seeking urgent action after continuous landslides put lives at risk.
 
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    News in the Sun

  • Live Arico News

    Peter Jay
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:20 am
    Find Tornilla a Home Hello, my name is Tornilla and I am four months old. Like so many more of my canine friends I was dumped in the street, but luckily for me the people of Live Arico (more…)

  • Woman Serious After House Fire In La Laguna

    Peter Jay
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:18 am
    A 39-year-old woman is in a serious condition following a house fire in Calle Cabrera Pinto, La Laguna. Three other people, a 40-year-old woman, another of 74 and a 10-year-old child suffered minor injuries in the fire and were taken to hospital for treatment. (more…)

  • Stark Warning On Canary Unemployment

    Peter Jay
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:03 am
    A shocking new report from the Bank of Spain warns that unemployment in the Canary Islands could reach a staggering 30 per cent this year. (more…)

  • High Winds Predicted In Tenerife

    Peter Jay
    7 Feb 2010 | 4:38 am
    The islands of La Palma, El Hierro and Tenerife have been put on alert again, as strong winds and waves of between four and five metres are predicted for today. The Calima which hit the archipelago on Saturday in  still noticeable in some parts of the island. Temperatures remain mild..

  • Fire in Grantecan’s La Laguna Offices

    Peter Jay
    7 Feb 2010 | 4:36 am
    A fire destroyed part of the La Laguna offices of the Gran Telescopio de Canarias organisation (Grantecan) on Saturday Morning. With workers off for the weekend, luckily no one was injured in the  blaze which began a little after 11 am. Forensic officers will be investigating the cause of the fire, but (more…)
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    The Olive Press

  • Town hall on board to protect Sierra

    Jon Clarke (Editor)
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:17 am
    A petition is being launched by Casares Council to make Sierra Bermeja a national park. It will be presented to the Environment Ministry in Madrid and can be signed at council offices. Ecological groups have been long-term advocates of national park status and now the plan has received town hall backing following a devastating fire last September. Sierra Bermeja with Sierra Palmitera and Sierra Real covers 20,000 hectares between Casares and Istan. The Sierra is home to the pinsapo tree (Spanish fir), which only grows in Andalucía.

  • Key meeting one Israel-light!

    Jon Clarke (Editor)
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:01 am
    SOMETIMES a night out in the city that never sleeps is just too temping to turn down – at any cost. For an Israeli politician’s reputation is now in tatters after opting for a session on the tiles ahead of an official dinner engagement. Tourism Minister Stas Meseznikov has been labelled a “disgrace to Israel” after standing up 50 leading Spanish leaders at a 65 euro per head evening meal. “It’s a pity he didn’t have a chance to hear what they think about doing business with Israel. He might have learned something.” Instead, Meseznikov was spotted letting his hair down in…

  • Harman calls for women’s agency at EU summit

    Jon Clarke (Editor)
    4 Feb 2010 | 4:35 am
    HARRIET Harman called for the creation of a UN agency dedicated to upholding women’s rights at an EU summit in Cadiz. The Deputy Leader of the Labour party said that although progress has been made with global inequality issues, more work still needs to be done. The British MP urged for a meeting to be held in London to promote the creation of the proposed UN agency. Harman jointly chaired the event – part of Spain’s rotating EU Presidency – with the Spanish Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Equality. A spokesman for the Spanish Presidency said: “The summit seeks to…

  • Royal opening for Malaga airport

    Jon Clarke (Editor)
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:58 am
    KING Juan Carlos will be the guest of honour at the opening of the T-3 terminal at Malaga airport on March 15. After taking four years to complete, top politicians and diplomats will be among 500 guests invited to the opening, according to the Ministry for Development. The airport will be able to handle 9000 passengers an hour, double its current capacity, when the second runway is built next year. It will have an automatic system capable of handling 7500 suitcases an hour, 86 check-in desks, 20 boarding gates as well as new shops and restaurants.

  • The Wild West comes into its own

    Jon Clarke (Editor)
    4 Feb 2010 | 2:51 am
    IT was in September 2003 that Alhaurin el Grande reached something of a nadir. Already dubbed the Wild West by outsiders, its roads were studded with potholes, there were hardly any signposts and every other bar, it seemed, was run by a Brit. Something of a hive for timeshare touts, petty criminals and ne’er-do-wells, for many it was no surprise when an English barman in the town was arrested and charged with the murder of two teenage girls. The ramifications were far-reaching for the expatriate community and it started a vicious – and sometimes violent – backlash against anyone…
 
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    Tenerife News Online

  • Abama strikes up a first

    9 Feb 2010 | 7:53 am
    The luxurious Abama Golf and Spa Resort at Guía de Isora is to notch up a major first.  

  • Water fun so popular

    9 Feb 2010 | 7:45 am
    The Tenerife Cabildo is thrilled with the success of its Marine Sports Centre known as  Cidemat.

  • Train goes into a tunnel

    9 Feb 2010 | 7:38 am
    The new year has begun with talk of major projects intended not only to help create employment in the midst of the economic crisis but to take Tenerife's transport network a step further.  

  • Street theatre may go

    9 Feb 2010 | 7:35 am
    In its effort to find ways of reducing council debts, the Nationalist-Conservative Council in Puerto is reported to be considering doing without the annual street theatre festival.

  • Spinning plate steals the show

    9 Feb 2010 | 7:17 am
    A rather unusual  UFO has been stealing the show at a prestigious gastronomy event in Madrid.
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    Thinkspain.com

  • Infanta Elena's divorce finalised

    The Infanta Elena, eldest daughter of the King and Queen of Spain, is now officially divorced from Jaime de Marichalar, after legal notice was entered into the Civil Register of the Royal Family on January 21st and made public today. The...

  • Brit stabbed to death in Tenerife break-in

    A British man has been found stabbed to death at his home on a housing estate in Costa del Silencio in the south of Tenerife. The police are working on the assumption that he was stabbed by an intruder. The man's body was found at...

  • Fire in care home kills six

    Six pensioners have died and seven more are in hospital after a fire broke out last night in a private care home in Sevilla. The number of deaths at the 'Aurora' old people's home in Sevilla's Calle Marqués de Nervión make...

  • Police chief praises Portuguese cooperation against ETA

    The head of the Police and Guardia Civil, Francisco Javier Velázquez, confirmed today that the recent anti-terrorist operations in Portugal have meant the elimination of one of ETA's "fundamental" logistical bases. Velázquez confessed...

  • Health Ministers defend WHO's course of action

    The health ministers for Spain and Mexico, Trinidad Jiménez and José Ángel Córdova respectively, have today publicly defended the action taken by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the outbreak of the AH1N1 virus, describing...
 
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    News from Spain

  • Spanish Minister of Economy meets Financial Times directors

    9 Feb 2010 | 1:46 am
    Spanish government promises to reduce budget deficit to 3% Yesterday, the Minister for the Economy, Elena Salgado, set out the government’s plans to reduce its budget deficit during a visit to London in an attempt to calm fears about the state of the Spanish economy. Salgado met with the directors of the Financial Times who recently warned that Spain’s economy risked facing worse problems than

  • Support for Spanish Government falling

    8 Feb 2010 | 1:54 am
    Latest polls indicate that PSOE is losing popularity amongst voters Two new opinion polls published yesterday by two of Spain’s largest daily newspapers show that PSOE is losing popularity amongst voters. According to the poll carried out by Metroscopia for EL País PSOE’s electoral base has plummeted due to the lack of confidence in the government’s ability to deal with the recession. According

  • Zapatero in USA

    5 Feb 2010 | 1:12 am
    Spanish president attends the National Prayer Breakfast in WashingtonAt yesterday’s meeting of the Fellowship Foundation, also known as ‘The Family’, the Spanish president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, spoke at about the government’s commitment to helping the unemployed. During his speech, which lasted for 15 minutes, he also spoke about his government’s commitment to the ‘Alliance of

  • Tropical storms in the Canary Islands

    3 Feb 2010 | 5:11 am
    The extreme weather conditions on the Canary Islands damaged hundreds of buildings and also resulted in many people being left without electricity or running water for hours yesterday. Tenerife is the worst affected island with the metropolitan areas La Laguna and Santa Cruz suffering the worst damage. In Anaga, up to 270 litres of rainfall per square metre were registered in some areas and

  • Unemployment in Spain rises above 4 million

    2 Feb 2010 | 4:59 am
    According to figures published by the Ministry of Work and Immigration unemployment in Spain rose by 124,890 in January which is a rise of 3.1% compared to figures for December 2009. At the end of last month the official figure for the number of unemployed in Spain was 4,048,493 which is the highest figure since records began in 1996. Although the rise in unemployment last month was less than in
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    World news: Spain | guardian.co.uk

  • British soldiers in custody over Lanzarote restaurant brawl

    Giles Tremlett
    9 Feb 2010 | 11:13 am
    • Soldiers allegedly kicked and punched diners as families looked on• Police seek two soldiers as victims complain to Gordon BrownSix British soldiers were today being held in custody after allegedly assaulting diners in a restaurant on the holiday island of Lanzarote in an attack that has provoked an outpouring of rage against drunken British tourists.Three people were seriously injured and several more were treated at hospital after the crowd of soldiers, reportedly from the Welsh Guards, wrecked the La Vaca Loca restaurant in the Costa Teguise resort.Diners said they were held by up to…

  • The euro's darkest hour

    Ian Traynor
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:19 am
    European leaders gather in Brussels amid rumours that struggling Greece will be bailed outEuropean leaders gather in Brussels on Thursday for a summit devoted to economic policy amid growing speculation that they could come to Greece's rescue in the first bailout by the eurozone of a single currency country.The leaders appear determined not to let the Greek debt crisis and the risk to the European single currency hijack their musings on medium-term economic strategy, expected to dominate the agenda.Athens and the eurozone enjoyed some respite from the pressure of the markets when the European…

  • Cost of insuring European national debts hits new high

    Elena Moya
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:58 am
    Worries after G7 failed to produce plan for Greece as Spanish ministers meet investors in LondonThe cost of insuring against a potential default on western Europe's debt hit a new record as officials failed for a third consecutive day to reassure investors about the ability of southern European countries to pay their bills.European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said at the weekend he was confident Greece was able to cut its deficit below 3% by 2012. But that did not stop the Markit Itraxx SovX index of western European sovereign debt reaching a record of 112.5 basis points –…

  • Spain sees sixfold increase in immigrants over decade

    8 Feb 2010 | 11:06 am
    New arrivals take proportion of non-Spanish residents to 12%The number of immigrants registered as living in Spain has increased more than sixfold over the last 10 years, figures released by its National Statistics Institute have revealed.Some 5.6 million non-Spaniards were registered as living in the country last year, accounting for 12% of the population, an increase of 400,000 on 2008.Immigration helped the population reach 46.7 million in 2009, up from 40.5 million in 2000 when the country had just 924,000 immigrants officially registered.At the beginning of the 1990s the population was…

  • Briton caught up in drug sting is held in Spanish jail for more than two years

    Sandra Laville
    7 Feb 2010 | 12:41 pm
    Trevor Wade held without trial despite UK agency's insistence there is no evidence of his involvement with drug gangA man caught up in a multimillion-pound drug sting run by the Serious Organised Crime Agency, Soca, claims he has been abandoned in a Spanish prison despite evidence that he is innocent.Trevor Wade, 65, who has had two heart attacks while in prison in Spain, has been held without trial for more than two years and could face at least another 12 months behind bars before he is put on trial.He was arrested in 2007 after an operation by Soca to target one of his associates, who was…
 
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    Notes From Spain

  • Damn, still not Spanish enough!

    Ben Curtis
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:48 am
    I just popped out to a favourite local bar, where my favourite barman, super-friendly, 50-ish, thick white hair and humour as dry as a brick, brings in his home-made tortilla every day. ‘Un pincho de tortilla’, I said, ‘but don’t heat it up, I’ll have it just as it is’. I’m not fond of microwaved tortilla, so usually add this specific request. ‘Si si,’ he replied, followed by some incomprehensible mumbles, and two minutes later, I was presented with an enormous slab of steaming microwaved Tortilla. Damn. At this point it dawns on me that…

  • Palacio de Cristal, Retiro Park, Madrid

    Ben Curtis
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:32 am
    I was poking around on Twitter (me here) recently, and found a link to Stuck in Customs, which has some amazing HDR photos on… which rekindled my interest in photography. Wonderful how the web can do that. Above is a first new HDR experiment (bigger here). Great fun!

  • Cantajuegos and Stealing Kids Songs

    Ben Curtis
    1 Feb 2010 | 3:03 am
    There are aspects of Spanish ‘Culture’ that you would never dream of until you have children in Spain. One thing I was protected from for all those years before I became a parent in Spain, was the world of the ‘Cantajuegos’. The Cantajuegos are kids songs, performed by a very jolly group of people in blue dungarees (see if you can last til the 15 second mark, to see said people): Now, every single 0 to 6 year old in Spain knows just about every one of the 50+ Cantajuego songs (and usually the moves that go with them), off by heart! Every parent of this age group…

  • Notes, from Ben.

    Ben Curtis
    27 Jan 2010 | 2:05 pm
    1. I’m glad I don’t want an iPad. I can’t see it doing anything for my life that my Macbook doesn’t do already! And I still just love paper books, as opposed to the e-versions… One thing that strikes me though: imaginary conversation 20 years hence… Son: Dad, what did you do in the evenings when I was a baby? Dad: Well son, like millions of others around the 1st world, I found that pretty much nothing beat sitting in front of the computer watching second-hand coverage of a sales pitch from a guy in jeans for a brand new shiny object that wouldn’t even…

  • Back soonish.

    Ben Curtis
    18 Jan 2010 | 1:48 pm
    If you are new to Notesfromspain.com, welcome! And please do take a good look around… The forum is great and super-active too. For those that wonder where I’ve gone, I’m still collecting my thoughts after 8 months of little to no sleep (parenting related!) Now we are sleeping more, energies are still settling. Back soonish or laterish. I hope everyone is well. Ben.
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    Buying property in Spain

  • Santander Bank announces record profits in 2009

    4 Feb 2010 | 5:03 am
    The Santander Group made 0.7% in 2009 despite recession According to information released to the National Stock Market Commission (CNMV) the Santander Group made a net profit of 8,943 million euros in 2009 which is 0.7% more than in 2008 when it made 8,876 million euros. These results mean that the bank fulfilled its promise to shareholders with regards to its profits and the money destined for

  • Mortgage lending in Spain rises

    26 Jan 2010 | 5:09 am
    Mortgage lending rises for the first time in two yearsAccording to the National Institute for Statistics (INE) 52,043 mortgages for the purpose of buying a house or flat were conceded by banks and building societies in November 2009. This constitutes an increase of 1.8% compared to November 2008. This is the first time in two years that mortgage lending on houses or flats has increased following

  • Fall in Spanish property market slows

    15 Sep 2009 | 11:29 pm
    Lowest fall in housing sales since crash in property marketHouse sales are still at very low levels compared to those registered before the crash in the property market at the end of 2007. According to figures published today by the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) housing sales were down by 20.3% compared to the same month a year ago. However, this is the lowest fall since housing

  • Property sales fall 31% in first quarter of 2009

    9 Sep 2009 | 2:57 am
    According to figures published by the Ministry for Housing during the first 6 months of this year 217,589 houses and flats were sold in Spain – 31.16% less than during the first quarter of 2008 (316.096 houses and flats were sold during this period). These are the worst figures for the housing market since 2004 when records on the number of property sales began. The fall of 31% in housing sales

  • Rental prices in Spain fall

    17 Aug 2009 | 1:06 am
    Slump in housing market also affects rental market with falls of up to 30% in cost of rentingAccording to figures released today by the government, there has never been a better time to rent a property in Spain. And whereas renting has never been a particularly attractive option for young Spaniards who have always tended to stay at home until they have enough money to put a payment down on a
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    A Life In Spain: Blog & Forum about living in Spain

  • Exchange Rates: 9 February 2010

    Chris Marshall
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:47 am
    Todays market analysis and exchange rates from Currencies Direct Exchange Rates AUDEUR AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR – EURO 0.6344 AUDGBP AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR – STERLING POUND 0.5574 AUDUSD AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR – US DOLLAR 0.9211 CADUSD CANADIAN DOLLAR – US DOLLAR 0.9403 EURMUR EURO – MAURITIUS RUPEE 41.3200 EURUSD EURO – US DOLLAR 1.3723 EURZAR EURO – SOUTH AFRICAN RAND 10.5457 GBPAED STERLING POUND – UAE DIRHAM 5.7447 GBPAUD STERLING POUND – AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 1.7924 GBPBGN STERLING POUND – BULGARIAN LEV 2.2248 GBPCAD STERLING POUND – CANADIAN…

  • Spain Bullish About Recession

    Chris Marshall
    9 Feb 2010 | 12:41 am
    According to the British Chambers of Commerce in Spain we should all get off Spain’s back, stop comparing it to the financial mess that is Greece, ignore the overly negative rating agencies that have apparantly shown a lack of objectivity and not be alarmist over the state of the Spanish economy. All this from a lunch in the House of Lords for 50 Brtish and Spanish politicians and businessmen. Daniel Brennan, President of the Constitutional Affairs Commission in the House of Lords, and loyal friend to Spain in Westminster, said that it was ridiculous to compare Spain to Greece They…

  • Spain Weather: 9 February 2010

    Chris Marshall
    9 Feb 2010 | 12:16 am
    The weather in Spain today is looking better here in Almerimar after a windy night with the sun trying to shine and some blue in the sky. It is still cold though (check out the webcam if you want to see for yourself) but the general weather forecast for Spain is worse with gale force winds still to be expected across most of Spain with the Mediterranean coast in Andalucia expecting strong to very strong winds from the West. Spanish Meteorological Office Alerts (AMET) Orange Alerts: none. Yellow Alerts: none. Snow line 600m in the North to 1300m in South. Wind W or N moderate Temperatures…

  • More Expats In Spain Registering On Padrón

    Chris Marshall
    8 Feb 2010 | 6:44 am
    On the surface the fact that more foreigners are registered on the Padrón as the more people registered on the Padrón the more funding the Town Halls get fron central funds to provide services locally, as I have said before. Last week the INE (National Statistic Institute) announced that despite (or maybe because of) the recession Spain’s Foreign population has now reached 5.6million, an increase of 400,000 from 2008. The numbers come from the Padrón local census of 2009 and shows a total of 5,648,671 foreigners are registered at their local town hall, some five times that seen just…

  • Exchange Rates: 8 February 2010

    Chris Marshall
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:57 am
    Todays market analysis and exchange rates from Currencies Direct Exchange Rates AUDEUR AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR – EURO 0.6344 AUDGBP AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR – STERLING POUND 0.5563 AUDUSD AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR – US DOLLAR 0.9211 CADUSD CANADIAN DOLLAR – US DOLLAR 0.9403 EURMUR EURO – MAURITIUS RUPEE 41.3200 EURUSD EURO – US DOLLAR 1.3672 EURZAR EURO – SOUTH AFRICAN RAND 10.5616 GBPAED STERLING POUND – UAE DIRHAM 5.7164 GBPAUD STERLING POUND – AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR 1.7960 GBPBGN STERLING POUND – BULGARIAN LEV 2.2292 GBPCAD STERLING POUND – CANADIAN…
 
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    Blogging Loja

  • Spanish Names that are taken from Towns

    Teapotmonk
    3 Feb 2010 | 1:07 pm
    A curious theory was passed on to me today from a women I know from one of my classes. She said that her husband's surname was Madrid and that like all the other Spaniards that had surnames after a Spanish city or region, his ancestors were of Jewish descent and had adopted the name of the town that they had been living in when they had became Christianised. Now, curious a theory as this is, I'm not convinced it is based on anything more than heresay. Did the folllowers of Islam follow suit when forcibly converted too? How popular are the surnames Madrid, Toledo, Malaga and Huelva? Much as I…

  • Goodbye old Friends

    Teapotmonk
    30 Jan 2010 | 11:40 am
    Tradgedy strikes at the heart of the pueblo with the ending of Aqui TV in Loja from Feb 1. This creative and diverse local tv station has been closed by the Ayuntamiento in hard economic times, and in return we aré promised a moré colourful, monthly versión of El Corto. Well, thanks awfully Miguel, that will moré than compensate for the loss of our voice. In truth, what need have we for a local voice to publicise our efforts, to share our message, to spread our anglicised and limited word? In a time of increasing reliability on methods of communication, in a time of increasing…

  • AGM Tomorrow for Loja Association

    Teapotmonk
    28 Jan 2010 | 7:49 am
    Turn up tomorrow at the Poniente Granadino center, beneath the Health Center in the heart of Loja tomorrow morning if you want to catch the first annual meeting of the AAPL - Asociacion de Anglo-Parlantes de Loja.Starting 11am, the meeting is open to all members to come by and hear about how the AAPL is functioning, a report on the last 6 months of activities, funds and planned events for the year ahead.Hope to see you there.For More on Andalucia and Loja visit the GazpachoMonk at www.teapotmonk.com

  • January 's quiz

    Teapotmonk
    24 Jan 2010 | 2:27 pm
    Free tipple of something to the first Lojeño that writes in with the true identity of our friend below. Posted by iPhone and bowl of Gazpacho. For More on Andalucia and Loja visit the GazpachoMonk at www.teapotmonk.com

  • Rain

    Teapotmonk
    8 Jan 2010 | 6:11 am
    More rain fell in the area last year than at any time over the last 50 years, according to El Corto today. And one look at the river banks is enough to confirm it. Luckily the rain has stopped for a moment today. Instead it's begun to snow.Posted by iPhone and bowl of Gazpacho. For More on Andalucia and Loja visit the GazpachoMonk at www.teapotmonk.com
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    spain dad, a baby blog

  • The Aroma of Life

    spain dad
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:25 pm
    It was my day off. Alleke was at school. April was in the shower, and I sat on the couch with Teo asleep in my arms smelling the back of his neck.His neck smelled like the beach—not clean or refined, but earthy and rich, salty and sweet, all blended together by nature. Smelling Teo's neck was like smelling the aroma of life itself. Most days I take Teo in the morning while Alleke gets ready for school so that April can sleep a little longer. Even though it's Teo's best time of day, and I'll often catch him smiling and giggling at nothing in particular, I don't actually have time to play…

  • Bathroom Stall

    spain dad
    7 Feb 2010 | 8:21 am
    Old hardware by soopahgrover.Alleke ran ahead of me down the echoey hallway, and I helped her push open the swinging door into the men's bathroom. Before I could say anything she had closed herself in one of the stalls and said, "I can do it myself, Daddy." I watched from the outside as the small medal disk next to the door latch rotated and locked into place."You just locked the door," I said in astonishment. I was a little miffed. "I can't help you until you unlock the door again," I warned her. As I paced back and forth in front of the bathroom stalls listening to Alleke cheerfully singing…

  • Ambassador

    spain dad
    26 Jan 2010 | 3:44 am
    October 2 - David C. Jacobson - U.S. Ambassador to Canada by US Mission Canada.After Teo was born in mid November, my family appointed me as the official ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Teo. April, especially, seemed only concerned about homeland security, in other words what happened inside the four walls of our apartment. Stepping through our front door seemed as intimidating as having to go through customs, and this world beyond was now a separate society, across the border, left to be dealt with by an official representative like me. I felt bad for our friends who started to miss…

  • Werewolf

    spain dad
    21 Jan 2010 | 2:55 am
    Every time our friend Laura comes over, she looks at Teo like he's a steak dinner. She has an appetite for holding babies, and she's always so appreciative that we are willing to share him with her, which is just the way April and I want it to be, since in all honesty we would let the mailman hold the baby if he was willing.April had a great idea the other day. She said, "I know, Laura, you can change Teo's diaper," and when Laura's eyes lit up, April added, "and Kelly can show you how."So, while April sat on the couch and watched TV, I supervised Laura at the changing table. I didn't say…

  • San Miguel

    spain dad
    18 Jan 2010 | 1:12 pm
    Alleke bowed her head reverently and folded her hands above her plate."Dear God, thank you for my cousin Josie and my cousin Emma and my cousin DJ and my cousin Charlie." She lifted her head and peeked at the people sitting around the table."Thank you for mama and for Teo and for daddy and for my friend Amy," she continued, naming each person.Once again she bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Help me drink and help me eat," she prayed, and then, as an afterthought, she added, "and help daddy drink beer. Amen."
 
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    two crumblies and a cat

  • Sunburst

    7 Feb 2010 | 8:37 pm
    Alright, you can relax. Except those of you who are new visitors. You will have to read last week’s post to get the full flavour of my suffering. Anyway, you will be glad to hear that I have come through the miseries and am now feeling much more able to cope with the slings and arrows. And dancing on the dirty knickers in the bath, and the mould and the broken indicator and the exiting tenant. They are all still there, except the mould (I sent Significant Other up a ladder with a bucket of bleach water. Well, he needed a break from the knicker dancing) but the sun and the almond blossom…

  • Sod's Law

    31 Jan 2010 | 9:52 pm
    This week should have been good. Well, I’ve had over 5000 hits on my blog since I installed my little counter, so that’s nice. Perhaps there are 5000 people out there who have enjoyed the ramblings of Di. Hmm, if that’s the case why didn’t they visit again and make it 10,000? And why didn’t they become my followers and leave a little picture for me to treasure. And my bum definitely looks big in this.As you can probably tell, I’m having a crisis of confidence. But it’s not really to do with you, dear Reader. This has all been caused by the possible departure of the nice tenant…

  • St Sebastian

    24 Jan 2010 | 9:11 pm
    Normally on this, the Burns Night weekend, Significant Other would be fingering his sporran, bottom lip a’ tremble; well, Scottish, you see, and loves donning his posh frock as much as the next man. However, this year no invitation to address the haggis was forthcoming – yes, he can do it all without the book. In fact, you have to stop him doing all eight verses for the sake of the sanity of the (usually mainly English) guests. Don’t know about you, but I find Burns goes on a bit. Unintelligibly.So we consoled ourselves by going into Palma to celebrate the Fiesta of St Sebastian…

  • St Anthony. And Stan.

    17 Jan 2010 | 9:24 pm
    I don’t know if you know this, summer visitors, but Mallorca is great in the winter. All the Mallorcans come out of their hobbit holes, take a suspicious look around, breathe a sigh of relief and start on a series of fiestas safe in the knowledge that a passing tourist is not going to ask them for a Bacardi and coke and some paella.This weekend’s fiesta is in honour of St Anthony who is associated with animals, particularly pigs; one version of the reason why has it that Satan (I just typed that as Stan, which is far too good to waste. So the pig is now called Stan, OK?) came upon him in…

  • When I grow up ...

    10 Jan 2010 | 10:15 pm
    I swore I would never write about the people I have met on the island; I have to live here and gossip gets round ex-pats faster than a certain substance off a shovel. And then it hits the fan.However, I am going to make an exception in the case of one wonderful old man and his partner, and another equally wonderful old woman who deserve eulogising now, not when it’s too late.Mr K is now (I think) 94; I know he was born in 1915, the same year as my mum. But we don’t talk about birthdays; he’s had so many, the subject must be a bit of a bore for him by now, I think. He retired to Mallorca…
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    Lloret de Mar Stuff

  • Free ATM Withdrawals With Santander

    Jackie
    23 Jan 2010 | 12:33 pm
    Santander has become the first international bank to provide free access to ATMs for Britons travelling abroad. From Monday, Santander's UK customers will enjoy all 4,300 of its ATMs in Spain without being charged for cash withdrawals. Customers can avoid the cash handling fee of 1.5 per cent of the transaction as well as the foreign exchange fee at 2.75 per cent. Santander says that a customer withdrawing £130 three times while in Spain will be able to save themselves £15.51. "Providing free access to Santander ATMs in Spain could save our customers over £2m a year in ATM charges," says…

  • Lloret Swimming for Charity

    Jackie
    13 Jan 2010 | 8:02 am
    Despite the recent cold temperatures in Lloret there were still 137 brave enough to take to the sea to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis. Temperatures were only 6c but it still didnt stop some of those taking part from spending 30 minutes or more in the sea.So well done to those brave people for raising money for a very good cause.(Thanks to Angie for these 2 photos)

  • Smoking in Spain

    Jackie
    2 Jan 2010 | 12:37 am
    For quite a while now the sale of cigarettes and tobacco in Spain has been restricted to official tobacconists and to bars and resraurants with a vending machine.A new law now permits any shop selling newpapers can now sell cigs, the thing is with new laws coming out which restrict smoking in bars etc, you may have trouble finding a place to smoke them!

  • Christmas Playground

    Jackie
    29 Dec 2009 | 10:00 am
    An activity playground/tent will be open to children up to 12yrs of age in Lloret until 4th Jan. The location is Pere Torrent the cost is €4 with lunch included. This is a very good idea as there are loads of things to keep the kids occupied, last year there were more than 100 kids a day. The parents could do a bit of shopping while the kids are playing, but there will also be a bar at the side for the adults while waiting for the kids....seems to me like there could be be quite a few visitors!

  • Smoking ban in Spain

    Jackie
    15 Dec 2009 | 1:01 pm
    The Health Minister has confirmed that Spain is to introduce an extended smoking ban next year, when, from and as yet to be confirmed date, ‘No Smoking’ signs will be seen in all closed public places. The legislation which has been in place since 2006 currently permits the smaller bars and restaurants to choose whether to allow smoking on the premises or not; if they do allow it, they must provide a separate closed-off area for smokers.That option will no longer exist once the changes are brought in, but Minister Trinidad Jiménez has confirmed however that the stricter measures will not…
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    Lloret De Mar Holiday Guide

  • Free ATM Withdrawals With Santander

    Jackie
    23 Jan 2010 | 12:27 pm
    Santander has become the first international bank to provide free access to ATMs for Britons travelling abroad. From Monday, Santander's UK customers will enjoy all 4,300 of its ATMs in Spain without being charged for cash withdrawals. Customers can avoid the cash handling fee of 1.5 per cent of the transaction as well as the foreign exchange fee at 2.75 per cent. Santander says that a customer withdrawing £130 three times while in Spain will be able to save themselves £15.51. "Providing free access to Santander ATMs in Spain could save our customers over £2m a year in ATM charges," says…

  • Lloret de Mar Weather

    Jackie
    16 Oct 2009 | 2:07 pm
    The recent weather in Lloret de Mar has turned much cooler during the last 2 days. Although still fine and sunny it is feeling quite cold in the shade. Temperatures are now in the low 20s but looking at next weeks temperatures they are going to be much lower...let's hope not!Here is the weather forecast for the coming week, read more on the Weather Bug site.Saturday Hi: 15° Lo: 8° Windy Sunday Hi: 13° Lo: 7° Windy Monday Hi: 13° Lo: 6° Sunny Tuesday Hi: 16° Lo: 10° Cloudy Wednesday Hi: 19° Lo: 15° 40% Chance Rain Shower Thursday Hi: 16° Lo: 13° Partly Cloudy Friday Hi: 20° Lo:…

  • Bargain Holidays at Aldi !

    Jackie
    11 Oct 2009 | 1:29 pm
    Aldi, the cut-price supermarket chain have just launched their new holiday - travel service website called Aldi Travel.From their website:So whether you want to nip off at a minute’s notice on an unmissable deal, indulge yourself with a 5-star getaway or choose your fabulous family holiday - they have something to suit your needs. If you’re a fan of our Sunday and Thursday Specials, you’ll recognise how similar these travel deals are. We will be offering 6 fantastic offers every two weeks, but if you want to get the very best places at the very best prices, you have to be quick! Look…

  • Thanks To All Readers!

    Jackie
    30 Sep 2009 | 10:48 am
    Many thanks to all readers of this blog for making it reach into the top best 100 blogs in Spain. I was notified this morning, so I have placed the award in the side column. The same award has also be given to 2 of my other blogs...Makes it all worthwhile ! Photos From SpainLloret de Mar Stuff

  • Cutting Costs With Budget Airlines

    Jackie
    26 Sep 2009 | 9:05 am
    Cutting your costs when you book with the budget airlines is quite easy when you follow a few easy tips. On a family holiday for a family of four you can save quite a few pounds and have more to spend in your chosen resort.Most airlines now charge you for checking in your suitcase and stowing it in the hold. This will cost you anything from £10-£15 for each case plus, then charge for any excess weight, with Ryanair this is now £15 for each kilo...so beware!One way to save money here would be to just take hand luggage, at the moment this is free with all airlines and you are allowed 10kgs…
 
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    Photos from Spain

  • Benalmadena - Tivoli World

    Jackie
    15 Jan 2010 | 9:58 am
    In the Costa del Sol resort of Benalmadena is Tivoli World where each Sunday is a large market and fair ground attractions for all the family. Throughout the year there are also many exhibitions and shows of various themes. Visit the Tivoli World site for more details. For those who are not afraid of heights is the chair lift to take you up to the mountain at the very back of the resort from where you can see stunning views of the coast.

  • Statues in Spain.

    Jackie
    19 Dec 2009 | 12:22 am
    Wherever you go in Spain you will always come across some quite strange and elaborate statues. The ones seen here were taken in various parts of Spain with the 1st one from Baiona in the province of Pontevedra.The 2nd is taken in the tourist resort of Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol.The 3rd photo stands in the port of Vigo, another town in the province of Pontevedra.

  • Seville Cathedral

    Jackie
    7 Nov 2009 | 10:54 am
    One of the greatest sights in Seville is the Cathedral. These photos of the interior show just how lavishly its decorated, in some places with large quantities of gold. Construction began in 1402 on the site of a former mosque and was not completed until more than 100 yrs later. It was declared a national monument in 1928 and granted World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1987. The area of the Cathedral covers 11,520 square mtrs and the central nave rises to 42 mts high, making this the largest church in the world- even larger than St Pauls in London and St Peters in Rome.

  • Port Bou

    Jackie
    27 Oct 2009 | 1:28 pm
    The small Catalan town of Port Bou is the last stop in Spain before reaching the nearby border with France. Because of the lower prices for certain goods in Spain, Port Bou is a very popular week-end destination for quite a few French. The local shops here cater for the visitors by selling the most sought after goods, mainly tobacco, cigarettes, alcohol and clothing. Some foodstuffs can also be bought for much less than in France.Owing to Port Bous location in a valley it will always keep its small town status, and with an excellent train service to get you there its a very worthwhile place…

  • Barcelona

    Jackie
    15 Oct 2009 | 12:50 pm
    One of the picturesque narrow streets just off the Ramblas in Barceona. Walking through these is almost like going back in time!
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    hello from hispania

  • Becoming THAT Guy

    8 Feb 2010 | 5:34 am
    Being a native English speaker is sort of a blessing that you never stop to think about. Obviously, when you live in a country where everyone speaks English, you take it for granted that you can speak it too. It's just normal that you can understand everyone and everyone can understand you. When you leave your country and travel around a bit, you, undoubtedly, come across other English speakers, native and non-native alike. At that point, you start to realise just how many different "Englishes" there are in the world.Every country has its own variety of English, and many countries have…

  • El Vacío "Bestial"

    8 Feb 2010 | 2:26 am
    With all of the bad news going around these days, most of it being linked to the Spanish economy and its future (or lack thereof), I knew I had to write about this the moment I came across it in El Mundo; for a pick-me-up of sorts. It seems that Spain is officially more laid back than Holland when it comes to sex!No need to do a double take; I actually wrote that. Now, I know what you're thinking: Have you ever been to Holland? How could a country famous for its Red-Light District and "coffee" shops be less lenient than Spain? And on sex, of all things!To be fair, I haven't been to Holland…

  • Obama Says No

    3 Feb 2010 | 3:28 am
    The BBC reported yesterday (as have pretty much all of the Spanish newspapers), that President Obama will not be attending the US-EU summit scheduled to take place this May. As Spain is currently running the EU (figuratively speaking), there are some (read: many) who have seen this as a snub to Spain and to the Spanish govt. in particular. Madrid does not officially feel that way but this certainly contradicts early reports from very high up in the govt. that Obama was, in fact, going to be in Madrid for the summit meeting, especially since he has attended other US-EU summits before.So, is it…

  • I'm FREE!

    3 Feb 2010 | 12:37 am
    I took my last exam of the semester yesterday afternoon. How good it feels to be free! Of course, this feeling won't last very long, as the new semester (or, more correctly, quatrimester) begins tomorrow morning!I was lucky enough to only have to take three exams, as I managed to get two of the five classes I was supposed to be taking convalidated. This really helped lessen the pressure and gave me enough time to focus on studying for my Spanish exam. You'd think that speaking a language fluently would give you enough of an advantage to get by, right? Wrong. I basically had to learn in four…

  • A la Farmacia

    1 Feb 2010 | 9:51 am
    Taken from Google ImagesI'm taking this break from my crazy study regimen to fill the whole world in on a new experience I had on Thursday last. Yes, it's been a while but the details are still fresh. I know because I had a funny conversation with my father on the phone right after and we laughed about this particular experience. Funny memories (or memories associated with any emotion/emotional outburst) tend to stick longer, don't they?To make a long story as short and painless as humanly possible, I woke up one day and my eye was feeling sort of off. There's really no other way to describe…
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    The Very Best Blog Ever!

  • Santa Águeda

    7 Feb 2010 | 3:18 am
    Saturday was the fiesta of Santa Águeda which is celebrated by all the women of the village of Torre del Compte.To see any photo full size, click on it with the left mouse button.The celebration starts with breakfast in the bar. You can see that the diet is going well!Members of the organising group dress in less traditional headwear.In the afternoon the cakes are taken to the church to be blessed at the special service......and then taken to the hall next door to the bar to be consumed along with cava and soft drinks. Yes, the cakes are supposed to represent a breast as Santa Águeda lost…

  • Gran Canarian holiday!

    6 Feb 2010 | 3:16 am
    We have just returned from a most enjoyable 2 week holiday in Puerto Rico on Gran Canaria. The weather was exceptionally good only let down by the last 2 days which were rather wet.To see any photo full size, click left on it.The view from our apartment was terrific across the busy little harbour. The beach was very popular and had the sun lounge beds neatly set out.The sun came up around 8.15am and our balcony was bathed in sun until late afternoon.A short walk along the sea front takes you to Playa de Los Amadores again with the sunbeds very neatly laid out.One day we drove around the…

  • San Anton!

    17 Jan 2010 | 9:38 am
    San Anton is celebrated every year in Torre del Compte by having a bonfire in the Plaza Mayor on the Friday evening, it's just what is needed for a chilly night. The bonfire is massive with olive trees, not branches, being burned.To see any photo full size just click left on it.A couple of hundred people from the village including visitors gathered around the bonfire and enjoyed the freshly fried pork bocadillos with wine and this year, with pizza, cake and pieces of chocolate.Traditionally, a pig is butchered and the various joints are raffled.The following morning, Saturday, the bonfire is…

  • Snow + wind = drifts!

    8 Jan 2010 | 7:36 am
    It snowed lightly all day yesterday, (snowy drizzle), but during the night the wind got up and rearranged the snow! So for comparison, here are a couple of photos taken in the same places as those yesterday.Above is the nísperos tree but much deeper in snow.Today the fountain seems even more dejected and has lost it's base!This morning I dug a path to the front gate - the snow is easily 46 cms deep on the pathway. The mayor has been up the road from the village in his tractor with his "snow plough" to clear it.La ermita as seen from our front porch this morning.

  • It's snowing (again)

    7 Jan 2010 | 4:49 am
    Three weeks ago we had snow - see the blog entry for December 14th 2009. That snow lasted almost a week without snowing any more as it was so cold then. Since then it has been reasonably mild, we haven't had a frost, with only a couple of wet days. We have been very lucky as in some regions of Spain, mainly to the south of the country, it has been raining non-stop causing extensive flooding. However, the snow which has covered the U.K. in the last few days has worked it's way down through France and has reached us.The small tree in the photo above is a nísperos. Click HERE to find out more…
 
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    Spain Dreams

  • Liceu Theatre season in Barcelona - Spain

    SpainDreams
    27 Jan 2010 | 2:01 pm
    The upcoming 2010-2011 season at the famous Liceu Theatre on the not less famous Ramblas boulevard, offers a huge variety of classic and contemporary works. You can choose between sixteen operas, four concerts, three recitals, three dance performances and several children’s plays. Among the highlights are Bizet’s Carmen, Verdi´s Falstaff, Iphigenie auf Tauris as well as Ariane et Barbe-Bleue by Paul Dukas. A great event in Barcelona will be the appearance of Placido Domingo of Tamerlano by Händel.

  • FC Barcelona - soccer World Club Champion in Abu Dhabi

    SpainDreams
    20 Dec 2009 | 3:15 am
    FC Barcelona won yesterday the soccer World Club Championship, held at the Zayed Sports City stadium in Abu Dhabi, after beating Argentina´s Estudiantes 2-1 in the extra time. With the World Club Championship title, FC Barcelona has won the sixth trophy of 2009, after winning the Spanish soccer league, the Spanish cup, the Spanish super cup, the European super cup and the European champions’ league. FC Barcelona has entered history, as no other soccer club has won all possible six titles in the same year. Estudiantes went ahead in the 37th. minute, with a FC Barcelona not playing their…

  • Theatre and Dance events in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

    SpainDreams
    8 Dec 2009 | 11:22 am
    To celebrate their 30 years on stage, the famous Tricicle will perform with Garrick at the Teatre Poliorama in Ciutat Vella, Barcelona, until December 13. Until January 24, 2010, you can see at the Barcelona Teatre Musical in Sants district, Barcelona, one of the most beautiful love stories in form of the musical “Beauty and the Beast” with Julia Möller and SergiAlbert in the leading roles. About 25 singers and dancers join the musical and a orchestra of aprox. 15 people. The comedy J’aime beaucoup ce que vous faites, which was on in Paris, is now in Barcelona at the Teatre…

  • Turismo rural de Interior - Resúmen Feria Intur en Valladolid

    SpainDreams
    28 Nov 2009 | 10:03 am
    La decimotercera edición de Intur, celebrada en la Feria de Valladolid del 19 al 22 de noviembre, recibió alrededor de 43.000 visitantes. Durante los dos primeros días, en los que el perfil del visitante respondía al de profesionales del turismo, se constató un ligero incremento respecto al año anterior, tendencia mucho más acusada en Intur Negocios. De hecho, el número de acreditados creció un 9,8 por ciento respecto a 2008. Una de las características que han definido esta feria ha sido la brillante puesta en escena por parte de los expositores, con propuestas sorprendentes como el…

  • Turismo rural de Interior - Resúmen Feria Intur en Valladolid

    SpainDreams
    28 Nov 2009 | 10:01 am
    La decimotercera edición de Intur, celebrada en la Feria de Valladolid del 19 al 22 de noviembre, recibió alrededor de 43.000 visitantes. Durante los dos primeros días, en los que el perfil del visitante respondía al de profesionales del turismo, se constató un ligero incremento respecto al año anterior, tendencia mucho más acusada en Intur Negocios. De hecho, el número de acreditados creció un 9,8 por ciento respecto a 2008. Una de las características que han definido esta feria ha sido la brillante puesta en escena por parte de los expositores, con propuestas sorprendentes como el…
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    MadridMan.com: BLOG Madrid Spain

  • Neighborhood Madrid Restaurant Sells to Foreigners

    MadridMan
    29 Jan 2010 | 6:31 am
    I'm a little sad. Today is their last day. My favorite neighborhood bar, Restaurante Las Damas on Calle Fortuna, 5, in Madrid, the one where I have lunch once a week, has sold to foreigners. WHY to foreigners? Because the bar's owners have been wanting to retire for years and, until now, there have been no buyers in these difficult economic times. I've only been going since discovering it just one year ago but it has become like my home away from home, where every time I walk through the door María and Daniel look up from what they're doing, smile widely, and greet me warmly as if I'm their…

  • Lack of European Travel from Spain

    MadridMan
    27 Jan 2010 | 3:10 pm
    There's a part of me which wonders WHY I've been here in Spain for 4 years and I've STILL not traveled throughout Europe. What the heck am I waiting for??Really, when I moved here I was sure I'd have intimate knowledge of all of Europe's nooks and crannies, but no. I haven't visited Paris. I haven't visited London. I haven't visited Istanbul. I haven't visited Rome. I haven't visited Berlin. I haven't visited Athens. So what's my friggin' problem???I'm constantly seeing British movies and some series on "the telly" and I ask myself, "My goodness! How is it that I can get to London on EasyJet…

  • 158 Year Old Libreria Hernandez Bookstore to Close in Madrid

    MadridMan
    21 Jan 2010 | 1:14 am
    Librería Hernández Religious Bookstore in Madrid will close this year after 158 years of service. Incredible, isn't it, that any business, let alone a RELIGIOUS bookstore, could survive so long. Religious stores, at least for me, have always been a curiosity which I've always associated with Spain as well as Italy since we don't have them - to my knowledge - in Ohio, USA. Upon visiting Madrid the first time in 1995 and in subsequent strolls through Madrid's downtown, these religious stores always turn up, causing me to ask myself, "How can these places stay in business? Do they receive some…

  • How Bad is a 90 Cent Bottle of Spanish Wine?

    MadridMan
    15 Jan 2010 | 7:13 am
    This was PURELY a scientific study. No, REALLY, it was! Today, I was at my Madrid neighborhood supermarket doing my usual Friday shopping for the weekend. Since I always buy a bottle or two of wine, usually the reliable Rueda white wine, I found myself at the wine section.Sure, I grabbed the usual bottle of Rueda but perused the others as well just out of curiosity. There, I saw a bottle of store-brand red wine for 61 Eurocents - on sale! I thought for a moment, "How bad could this swill be?" Upon further inspection of other "cheap wines", I found a non-store brand bottle of red wine for 90…

  • Madrid Snow 11 January 2010

    MadridMan
    11 Jan 2010 | 11:57 am
    It literally snowed all night long last night but stopped by this morning. Enough fell to cause countless traffic jams and icy roads. I witnessed several cars sliding down hilly streets and people using cardboard to scrape off the snow from their windshields. The sun came out by noon but was still cold enough to keep much of it from melting.Of course, the topic of the day was the weather. A few people in the bar this morning (where I had breakfast) were saying how they hadn't seen so much snow in 10 years. I didn't want to remind them that twice as much snow fell on Madrid City just January…
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  • 9 Feb 2010 | 4:48 am

    José M. Guardia
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:48 am
    ANOTHER REPORT that Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Meshud is dead, this time from CNN. FWIW.

  • 8 Feb 2010 | 12:44 pm

    José M. Guardia
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:44 pm
    YAY! "Beer May Be Good For Your Bones"

  • 8 Feb 2010 | 12:28 pm

    José M. Guardia
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:28 pm
    ACTUALLY I CAN SEE WHY: The authorities do not know exactly how many people have been killed warbling “My Way” in karaoke bars over the years in the Philippines, or how many fatal fights it has fueled. But the news media have recorded at least half a dozen victims in the past decade and includes them in a subcategory of crime dubbed the “My Way Killings.”   The killings have produced urban legends about the song and left Filipinos groping for answers. Are the killings the natural byproduct of the country’s culture of violence, drinking and machismo? Or is there something…

  • 8 Feb 2010 | 12:06 pm

    José M. Guardia
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:06 pm
    JUST WHAT SPAIN NEEDED: instead of a government reading the signs coming from everywhere (economists, EU, IMF, World Bank, etc) pointing to how bad the situation is and looking at themselves to see if they're to blame, the country has leaders who -- I assume in desperation -- have turned paranoid. Literally: The Spanish government is convinced it is being unfairly treated by foreign investors and the media. José Blanco, Spain’s public works minister, hit out at “financial speculators” for attacking the euro and criticised “apocalyptic commentaries” about Spain’s finances.  …

  • 8 Feb 2010 | 4:17 am

    José M. Guardia
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:17 am
    SPECIAL DELIVERY: a graphic report from Michael Yon on the supplying of US troops in Afghanistan.
 
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    About.com Spain Travel

  • Survey: 'Spain is Good Value for Money'

    5 Feb 2010 | 12:29 am
    A new survey, the Holiday Money Report from Post Office Travel Money in the UK, has announced that Spain is the fourth best value destination for British tourists, according to this article in The Telegraph: Travellers get more for their money in Spain. The only places that offer better value for money are Hungary, Thailand and Bulgaria. And before my American readers discount this advice as only being good for lucky Brits with their strong pound, you may be surprised by how much the UK's currency has suffered in recent years. The pound, which bought nearly $2 a year ago, will now get just…

  • Easter Air Traffic Controller Strike in Spain

    31 Jan 2010 | 12:50 am
    Spanish air traffic controllers have been hinting at the possibility of a strike this Easter, in what would bring chaos to one of Spain's most popular holiday periods, according to this article in The Telegraph: Easter Travel Chaos Warning by Spain's Air Traffic Controllers. But there's no need to put off your trip to experience Semana Santa in Spain. Portugal has three airports that are all conveniently close to Spain (in Lisbon, Faro and Porto), while the south of France has airports in Biarritz and Perpignan. Read more about how to get from these destinations to London: Portugal to Spain…

  • El Bulli to Close

    26 Jan 2010 | 6:02 am
    Triple-Michelin star holder Ferran Adria is to close his award-winning restaurant, El Bulli, for two years. The chef, famous for his 'molecular gastronomy' techniques (though he himself denounces the term), will not open El Bulli in 2012 and 2013. He has cited the high pressure of running the restaurant that is widely regarded as the best in the world. But in reality, the likelihood of you ever getting a table at El Bulli was never really that high in the first place - 125 people apply for every seat at the restaurant. See also: World's Greatest Restaurant Still in Spain Best Food in the…

  • Barcelona or Madrid?

    23 Jan 2010 | 2:51 am
    The rivalry between Spain's two largest cities is intense. When Madrid and Barcelona meet in soccer, the whole country comes to a standstill. In the political arena, there is a constant tug-of-war between the capital of the country and the Catalan region, with Barcelona making a dubious claim to be entitled to independence because of Catalonia's economic strength. And then there's tourism. Barcelona has always been the more popular of the two cities, with Gaudi's architecture and the city's beach a lure to weekend breakers for decades. But interest in Madrid, coming from a late start, has…

  • Superstitions in Spain

    21 Jan 2010 | 12:13 am
    A reader emailed me recently and asked if I knew many superstitions in Spain. Apart from those that are common to much of the western world (such as not walking under ladders or believing that black cats are unlucky), the Spanish have a number of other superstitions, many of which are connected with drinking. You can see my list here: Superstitions in Spain Do you know any more superstitions in Spain? Leave a comment below or post your suggestion on the page above. Superstitions in Spain originally appeared on About.com Spain Travel on Thursday, January 21st, 2010 at 08:13:06.Permalink |…
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    ReadWriteWeb España

  • Facebook mejora las sugerencias de amigos

    Marco Fernandez
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:10 am
    Hace poco descubrimos una fabulosa función nueva que Facebook está usando para experimentar con las páginas de confirmación de amigos. Cuando confirmamos a un amigo nuevo, se nos presentarán cuatro personas con las que dicho amigo esté conectado: cuatro sugerencias de personas que pueden ser amigos comunes según nuestra gráfica social. Resulta más útil y preciso que la función actual de sugerencias de amigos/páginas de fans, y nos gusta mucho. Podemos verlo en las siguientes capturas de pantalla, o probarlo la próxima vez que tengamos una solicitud de amigo. Ésta es una captura…

  • Google prepara un traductor telefónico

    Marco Fernandez
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:28 am
    Si nuestros intentos de obtener información sencilla, como horarios de autobuses, o estados de cuenta mediante sistemas de reconocimiento de voz automatizados, sirven de indicación, nos imaginamos que Google tiene mucho trabajo por delante para su último experimento: la traducción hablada a tiempo real. Según el diario The Times británico, Google está trabajando para desarrollar software para un teléfono móvil que traduciría lo que estamos diciendo al idioma del interlocutor al otro lado de la línea, y viceversa. Como quizá hayamos notado, Google ya se adentró en el negocio de la…

  • Cómo saber lo que dicen de nuestro sitio en Twitter

    Marco Fernandez
    9 Feb 2010 | 1:33 am
    En septiembre del año pasado, Google lanzó Sidewiki, un servicio de anotaciones en la red que nos facilita el anotar cualquier página. Sin embargo, Sidewiki aún no ha atraído a muchos usuarios, y el debate público sobre contenidos online sigue produciéndose en los comentarios y en Twitter. Aunque es fácil navegar por los comentarios, encontrar menciones en Twitter para un artículo específico puede ser difícil. Con la extensión de Chrome Twitter Reactions, podemos ver rápidamente lo que dice Twitter sobre una determinada página sin tener que abandonar el sitio. Desgraciadamente,…

  • Actualizaciones de estado en Gmail: ¿será un Twitter killer?

    Marco Fernandez
    9 Feb 2010 | 12:43 am
    Según un informe del Wall Street Journal, esta misma semana, Google podría activar una función para usuarios de Gmail que supone un “Twitter killer”. Actualmente, los usuarios de Gmail pueden mostrar mensajes de estado mediante la función Google Talk. La diferencia principal entre la función que se ofrece ahora mismo y la nueva es que los mensajes de estado no están disponibles en formato de línea temporal. Con el nuevo “clon de Twitter” sí lo estarán. ACTUALIZACIÓN: Aunque seguimos esperando una respuesta oficial del equipo de relaciones públicas de Google, ReadWriteWeb…

  • Cómo organizar un concurso online

    Marco Fernandez
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:52 am
    Recuperando el tema de los community managers, nos ha llamado la atención un tema dentro de este sector, que son los concursos para llamar la atención de los usuarios. Según un informe de Forrester Research, éstos cada vez son más populares. ReadWriteWeb se ha reunido con el CEO de Strutta, Ben Pickering, para recoger unos consejos sobre que pueden hacer las empresas para generar más participación al crear un concurso online. Strutta nos ayuda de un modo similar a Wildfire Apps y Meme Labs a recoger contenido generado por los usuarios y exhibirlo en una experiencia de concurso online…
 
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    Kyero Live

  • Arsenal: “Hands Off Fabregas”

    niels
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:01 am
    According to the Daily Mirror, Arsenal have formally asked Barcelona in writing to abandon their public campaign to attract their Spanish captain Cesc Fabregas. The newspaper says that Barcelona plans to bid for the midfielder’s services this summer and are readying an offer estimated to be 40 million pounds. According to the newspaper, Barcelona believe they will be able to sign Fabregas unless Arsenal win a trophy by the end of the season, something they have not achieved since 2005. The London club’s CEO, Ivan Gazidis, has addressed a letter to the Catalan club to demand they…

  • Mayor Of Polop Denies Murder

    niels
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:30 am
    The former mayor of Polop, Juan Cano, today denied his alleged responsibility in the death of his predecessor, Alejandro Ponsoda. Cano also suggested to the judge that the motive of the killing would be related to the victim’s private life. “He is psychologically well, is collaborating and responding coherently to questions from the judge”, said Cano’s lawyer who was the legal representative of one of the two Czech nationals arrested in connection with the killing in October 2007. Cano’s declaration was interrupted for security reasons after an anonymous caller…

  • Catalonia Reforms On Inheritance And Gift Tax

    niels
    9 Feb 2010 | 8:59 am
    The Catalan Government today approved a draft law to reform inheritance and gift tax, which will mean that approximately 94% of taxpayers will be excluded from payments. The draft also encourages donations to young people starting up businesses and gives a rebate of 95% for business donations to unrelated entities. The minister of Economy and Finance, Antoni Castells, noted that the bill approved today will mean that the tax liability is removed for “almost all estates.” The largest estates will pay less than now, but should still be taxed to “contribute to a better society,…

  • Six Dead In Seville Residential Care Home Blaze

    niels
    9 Feb 2010 | 8:15 am
    A total of six people died yesterday evening in a fire that occurred in the residential care home ‘Aurora’, situated in Calle Marques de Nervión, Seville. Seven other elderly people still remain in hospital according to a press release by the Provincial Health Delegation. A total of 25 people were treated at the scene of fire, specifically 19 residents, two care workers and four policemen. 12 of the victims were taken to different hospitals in Seville: Five women were admitted to the Hospital Virgen Macarena, of which four have been discharged and the remaining woman is in the…

  • Unemployment Aid Extended By 6 Months

    Nicolas
    9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am
    The Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, announced today that there will be an extension of another six months to the aid benefit of 426 euros paid to those unemployed who have exhausted their contributory and welfare benefits. So far the aid has benefited around 300,000 people, and it is estimated that this extension will assist another 200,000. This was the first announcement made by the Prime Minister to MPs in which he explained the Government’s fight against the current economic crisis. In his speech, Zapatero emphasized repeatedly that he will never approve cuts in…
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