The good news first. It is being said that Ryanair could finally start to fly to Barcelona, according to this article on avui.cat (site is in Catalan, but you can read a Google Translate version here). Ryanair have confused their customers for years by claiming they fly to Ryanair when they don't - hopefully this will now change. I questioned the airline on their misleading practice of describing Reus and Girona airports as 'Barcelona' airports - you can read their response here: Ryanair Flights to Barcelona.

The second rumor I've come across is less positive. It is being reported that Ryanair is going to raise their airport check-in fee, sorry "boarding card reprint fee", from 40€ to 100€: €100 fine for not printing Ryanair boarding cards.

Ryanair is unique in the airline industry in forcing a web check-in fee on its passengers and then charging if they forget or are unable to print off their boarding passes. This has had the effect in the past that even those who have won flights through Ryanair scratchcards have ended up paying more to fly than those who had paid for their flights in full.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary is quoted as saying "If you don't [check in online] the fine is €40 and if that doesn't get rid of them all within a very short order, we double that fine to €100". We must not be surprised by Mr O'Leary's poor maths - he's been telling us his flights cost 1c for years when everyone knows they cost a lot more than that.

Ryanair have some of the lowest air fares in Europe if you remember to tick all the correct boxes and jump through all the right hoops. To avoid paying through the nose for your Ryanair flight, it is worth checking out these pages before you book:

• Myths About Ryanair How both Ryanair's supporters and their detractors have got the airline wrong.
• Why Hate Ryanair? What the BBC documentary forgot to tell you.
• Ryanair Fees Ten of Ryanair's most common extra charges and how to avoid them.
  

  A Couple of Interesting Ryanair Rumors originally appeared on About.com Spain Travel on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 10:32:27.

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  ]]> http://www.topix.com/world/spain/2009/11/gibraltar-a-rock-solid-side-trip-for-travelers-in-spain?fromrss=1 http://www.topix.com/world/spain/2009/11/gibraltar-a-rock-solid-side-trip-for-travelers-in-spain?fromrss=1 Gibraltar is home to the 1,400-foot-tall rock that many Americans recognize as the symbol of Prudential Insurance.
  ]]> http://almerimarlife.com/lang/es/dorada-a-la-plancha http://almerimarlife.com/lang/es/dorada-a-la-plancha http://www.spaindad.com/2009/11/chocolate-chip-cookies.html http://www.spaindad.com/2009/11/chocolate-chip-cookies.html Moo Cluck Chocolate Chip Cookies Baked by Veganbaking.net.
  
  The buzzer rang. Alleke beat me to the front door, and while I picked up the phone and buzzed in our friends below at the entrance to our apartment building, Alleke pounded on the door and chanted, "Open, open, open." I clicked open the door, and she escaped into the hallway, shivering with excitement.
  
  Of course our friends had come to see the baby, Teo. They would not have been sitting on our couches on a Thursday afternoon otherwise. Still, Alleke was doing everything she could to entertain them. She asked me to toss her in the air like a trapeze artist, but when our friends were taking pictures with Teo instead of watching her, she disappeared in her room to regroup.
  
  "Look at me," Alleke said from her doorway in a yellow sundress with white polka dots and rainbow tights as she walked her invisible catwalk through our living room. Our friends said how cute she was, but Alleke still didn't seem satisfied. Maybe she sensed their hearts were divided.
  
  In a last ditch effort, Alleke asked me if she could hold her baby brother. As they say, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
  
  I frowned and shook my head. "No," I explained, "our friends are only here for a short visit, and we want to give them the chance to hold Teo too."
  
  As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I had I said something wrong. Alleke crawled into my lap and buried her head in my chest. I held her in my arms and looked around the room for something that might make her feel special. I spotted a Ziploc bag full of chocolate chip cookies sitting on the kitchen counter. April had made them the day before Teo was born.
  
  "I've got an idea," I whispered in Alleke's ear. "Follow me."
  
  She took my hand and followed me into the kitchen. She started to giggle when she saw me open the Ziploc bag and shake the cookies onto a plate.
  
  "Do you think our friends might want a cookie?" I asked Alleke.
  
  She nodded her head excitedly. I handed her the plate, and she turned and ran out of the kitchen. Just as I started to yell after her, "Alleke, don't run with the cookies," I watched her foot get tangled in a pile of laundry sitting in the doorway. She stumbled forward, broke free, and then dove head first for the floor. She landed on the floor with the plate in her hands in front of her like a football player diving for the end zone, but when the plate smacked the floor, the cookies sprung into the air like grasshoppers. Some fell to pieces when they hit the ground, and others rolled under the furniture.
  
  Everyone was watching Alleke as she picked herself up off the ground and ran over and hid behind the television. It was the first time I had seen my daughter embarrassed of herself, and I hated it. It seemed unfair that she had to feel ashamed of herself for something as insignificant as dropping a plate of cookies when she was already dealing with so much this week. She was entirely unsure of who she was now that she had a little brother to compete with, and she was hoping that someone...anyone...would notice her as the little girl who had not changed. The little girl who used to get everyone's attention.
  
  Parents with two or more kids had told me that when we had our second we would discover that there's always more love to give. You never run out of love, they said. They may be right that our capacity to love is infinite, but I say it's still hard to pay attention to two kids at the same time.
  
  ]]> http://almerimarlife.com/lang/es/spanish-polling-stations-for-eu-presidential-elections http://almerimarlife.com/lang/es/spanish-polling-stations-for-eu-presidential-elections http://almerimarlife.com/lang/es/almerimar-tourism-plan http://almerimarlife.com/lang/es/almerimar-tourism-plan http://www.topix.com/world/spain/2009/11/lottery-sellers-in-spain-worried-about-privatisation?fromrss=1 http://www.topix.com/world/spain/2009/11/lottery-sellers-in-spain-worried-about-privatisation?fromrss=1 Lottery sellers in Spain are protesting at what they consider is a back-door privatisation of their business.
  ]]> http://newsinthesun.com/?p=3123 http://newsinthesun.com/?p=3123 http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/ZPLj/%7E3/1VE0wML0rjE/best-hotel-in-spain.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/ZPLj/%7E3/1VE0wML0rjE/best-hotel-in-spain.html (Visit their website)
  Thomas Cook in conjunction with Neckermann have given the award to the Anabel based on surveys filled in by their clients, the majority of which come from Britain, Germany, Holland and Belgium.
  
  The Anabel is a hotel which caters for families and couples ... they do not take bookings from
  the groups of students and sports teams which we seem to see too much of in Lloret these days.
  The owners claim that because of this the hotel is not always as full as they would like, but they prefer to give full commitment to family tourism and believe this is the correct route to follow in order to benefit both the hotel and its customers.
  The Anabel first opened in 1970 and will celebrate its 40th anniversary next May 2010.
  
  Lets hope that other hotels in town who take in all the rowdy groups take note of this, after all what is best for everyone, to be the known as the best hotel in Spain or the worst? As I'm sure that's the way some of the others are going!
  
  
  

  
  

  ]]> http://newsinthesun.com/?p=3122 http://newsinthesun.com/?p=3122 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/6622169/Majorca-based-British-financier-investigated-by-SFO-convicted-of-offence-in-1990s.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/6622169/Majorca-based-British-financier-investigated-by-SFO-convicted-of-offence-in-1990s.html http://newsinthesun.com/?p=3119 http://newsinthesun.com/?p=3119 http://almerimarlife.com/lang/es/caribbean-restaurant-in-roquetas-de-mar http://almerimarlife.com/lang/es/caribbean-restaurant-in-roquetas-de-mar http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/6615870/Royal-Navy-used-Spanish-flag-for-target-practice-off-Gibraltar.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/6615870/Royal-Navy-used-Spanish-flag-for-target-practice-off-Gibraltar.html http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12976:passenger-groups-hail-historic-airline-delay-compensation-ruling&catid=134:travel-news&Itemid=32 http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12976:passenger-groups-hail-historic-airline-delay-compensation-ruling&catid=134:travel-news&Itemid=32 Consumer groups have hailed as ‘historic’ a European decision to requiring airlines to compensate travellers for long flight delays.
  ]]> http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12975:the-cabildo-keeps-tf-326-road-closed-to-traffic-&catid=42:tenerife&Itemid=117 http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12975:the-cabildo-keeps-tf-326-road-closed-to-traffic-&catid=42:tenerife&Itemid=117 Temporary lane closures on the other roads affected by heavy rain last Monday  [16th].
  ]]> http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12972:corruption-back-biting-and-guilty-until-proven-innocent-&catid=43:world-news&Itemid=161 http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12972:corruption-back-biting-and-guilty-until-proven-innocent-&catid=43:world-news&Itemid=161 With every day comes a new corruption scandal.
  ]]> http://www.theolivepress.es/2009/11/20/chiclana-housing-protest/ http://www.theolivepress.es/2009/11/20/chiclana-housing-protest/ http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12971:spain-zapateros-great-civilization-project-for-europe-&catid=43:world-news&Itemid=161 http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12971:spain-zapateros-great-civilization-project-for-europe-&catid=43:world-news&Itemid=161 In a couple of months Spain's president of the government will assume the presidency of  Europe.
  ]]> http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12970:happy-20th-birthday-two-decades-since-the-fall-of-the-berlin-wall-&catid=43:world-news&Itemid=161 http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12970:happy-20th-birthday-two-decades-since-the-fall-of-the-berlin-wall-&catid=43:world-news&Itemid=161 In 1959, just fifty years ago, I was in Berlin with  the British Army. The infamous wall had not yet  been built round the whole city, which was divided into four sectors, Russian, American, French and British.
  ]]> http://hellofromhispania.blogspot.com/2009/11/habemus-papam.html http://hellofromhispania.blogspot.com/2009/11/habemus-papam.html duh! And you have every right to be. I know we have a Pope; we've had one for quite a while. In fact, I remember sitting in class, staring at the small television suspended above the right-hand corner of the room, watching as Benedictus XVI came out to greet the people. The truly shocking thing about that experience was that I was watching the election of a new Catholic Pope during school hours, in a public, American high school, in a class taught by a Jewish woman. There are so many reasons that probably should never have happened.
  
  Anywho, I'm actually referring the exciting news that made Europe smile (read: frown) yesterday. The conclave of cardinals...I mean the heads of state and government, all met behind closed doors to share a meal and deliver a new leader to the masses; two new leaders actually. Yes, Europe officially has a president and a high representative of foreign affairs and security. The funny thing is that no one voted for them. I sure didn't, at least! The EU, an organisation made up of the world's most prosperous and democratic nations (including the country that came up with the idea of democracy in the first place) has given itself the power to elect new leaders on behalf of its people in a secretive and undemocratic process (unless you're a president or prime minister, in which case the idea that you get to vote makes it democratic enough for you).
  
  Putting aside the issue of how these new leaders were chosen, it becomes necessary to study the whos and wherefores. So, who are these new leaders? Well, the EU president is Belgian PM Herman van Rompuy, a camera-shy and relatively unknown politician often described as the ''grey mouse.'' Sounds awfully inspiring, doesn't it? His number two is British Baroness Catherine Ashton. This one is even more laughable than the first. Not only is she a citizen of the most eurosceptic country in the block, a country that still hasn't even decided if it really wants to be part of Europe or not, but she is also a baroness! Obviously, it's not her fault that her veins are bluer than everyone else's and I'm not blaming her for it; I just think it's funny.
  
  Why were they chosen? This one is a little tougher to answer. Officially, we are told that van Rompuy was flagged by Germany and France due to his reputation as a great mediator, his talent with languages and the fact that his country represents exactly what Europe wants to be: a strong union of ethnically and linguistically diverse peoples. Sounds good. Unfortunately, there is some speculation that the real reason he was chosen is because he is unknown (gets no media attention), has little political clout, is not particularly strong and could in no way overshadow the people who put him in office (France and Germany). In essence, this may have been France and Germany's way of making sure they can keep a tight grip on the EU. As the BBC's Europe Editor Gavin Hewitt puts it, ''When it comes to an international crisis, the first calls are still likely to be directed towards the Elysée Palace in Paris and the Chancellery in Berlin.''
  
  What about Baroness Ashton? She seems to have been a trade-off. British PM Gordon Brown had been battling (alone) for his predecessor, Tony Blair, to be chosen as president. When it became clear that France and Germany (there they are again) were not going to let that happen, he backed off and allowed van Rompuy to be elected instead. In exchange for Brown's gracious cooperation, the Union gave Britain the number two position (a job that might carry even more power and privilege than that of president). The excuse here is that the EU wanted to make the elections as fair as possible and so they chose a centre-left woman for the job. That one's not fooling anybody.
  
  I sincerely wish the new leaders the best of luck. They're not going to have it easy. Europe is not easy to govern. It is a dysfunctional family made up of spoiled, only children all living under one roof and constantly competing to get their own way. Luckily, I enjoy living here!
  
  ]]> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/6606718/Queen-honoured-with-Spanish-Christmas-tradition.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/6606718/Queen-honoured-with-Spanish-Christmas-tradition.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Barcepunditenglish/%7E3/vrR_t1WDYUM/what-great-idea-to-raise-eus-stature.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Barcepunditenglish/%7E3/vrR_t1WDYUM/what-great-idea-to-raise-eus-stature.html put two virtual unknowns in charge!
  

  
  

  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Barcepunditenglish/%7E3/FUMNeFwHcFM/toast-for-that-drinking-alcohol-every.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Barcepunditenglish/%7E3/FUMNeFwHcFM/toast-for-that-drinking-alcohol-every.html THAT! "Drinking alcohol every day cuts the risk of heart disease in men by more than a third, a major study suggests."
  

  
  

  
  ]]> http://www.spaindad.com/2009/11/teos-1st-bath.html http://www.spaindad.com/2009/11/teos-1st-bath.html watch me as a new dad give Alleke her first bath back in 2006. Well, if you're willing to give me a second chance, watch the video below...
  
  
  
  Alleke thought Teo's bath looked like fun, so she took a bath too.
  
  
  
  Rewind back to 2006 and watch me as a new dad give Alleke her first bath...
  
  ]]> http://newsinthesun.com/?p=3117 http://newsinthesun.com/?p=3117 http://newsinthesun.com/?p=3116 http://newsinthesun.com/?p=3116 http://www.spanish-teaching.com/blog/_archives/2009/11/19/4384601.html http://www.spanish-teaching.com/blog/_archives/2009/11/19/4384601.html Image credit: http://bellavistapego.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/salsa.gif
  
  Although many Spanish speakers out there will recognise this word as meaning "sauce", it is more widely recognised for its other use, which is to describe a music and dance genre. Salsa music has taken the world by storm and is recognised by its up-tempo beats and fast-footed dance steps. Although some argue that it is a type of music in its own right, others claim that it is a generic term for a number of Latin American dances, including the mambo and the cha-cha-chá. It is a "tag that encompasses a rainbow assortment of Latin rhythms and styles, taking on a different hue wherever you stand in the Spanish speaking world" (Sue Steward, world music author).

  Due to the varied nature of salsa and what it encompasses, it is extremely difficult to pinpoint its origins as so many countries claim the honour of having created it. However, the basic structure of a salsa song is based on the Cuban "son", beginning with a simple melody and followed by a "coro" section in which the performers improvise. They key staples of salsa´s origins were "the use of a trombone as a counterpoint to the vocalist and a more aggressive sound than is typical in Cuban music; the trombone carries the melody while rhythm is generally provided by bongos, congas and timbales" (Ed Morales). This has been adapted and influenced by almost all Latin American countries, and even some places in North America, meaning that no two salsas will ever be the same.

  Alongside the uncertainty of its origins, there is also a certain degree of mystery surrounding the use of the word "salsa", which actually means "sauce". Some people accredit the Cuban musician Ignacio Piñeiro with coming up with the term after his song in 1933 entitled "Échale salsita" (Throw a little sauce on it), which introduced the trumpet for the first time. Or perhaps it was the 1930s vocalist Beny Moré who would shout out "salsa" during his performances to "acknowledge a musical moment´s heat and to celebrate the "hotness" or "spiciness" of Latin American culture" (Morales). However it began, salsa has become a word metaphorically associated with taste, happiness, and force of life.

   It seems that the popularity of Salsa rose in New York in the 60s and hit the spotlight in the following decade, developing in the Hispanic areas of the cultural and economic capital of North America, New York. Although it may seem strange that a Hispanic phenomenon would spring out of New York, we have to bear in mind the continuous musical relationship that existed at the time between North America and Caribbean music, especially and notoriously Cuban music. During the peak of the Big Bands during the 40s and 50s, artists had been keen to accept and incorporate the new rhythms born in Cuba into their music. Even the blockade could not put a stop to the Cuban influence on music in New York, and so the music that arrived in the Big City or even Miami contributed to what we now know as Salsa. The Havana was full of North American tourists in bars and hotels run by Mafia clans looking to avoid taxes. At the same time, fans of Latin music flocked to their Mecca, the Palladium Dancehall on 52nd street New York, which also attracted many famous Latin American dancers and singers. Salsa became a "representation of Latin identity in New York" (Morales).

   In the early 70s Salsa rapidly expanded to Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Columbia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico among others! The trend was also influenced by Latin rap and expanded to Europe and Japan, where it was made popular by the famous Orquesta de la Luz, "Orchestra of the Sun". In the 80s a new form, the "salsa romantica" developed in New York, involving slow melodies and lyrics based on love, dreams and pleasures. This soon evolved into "salsa erotica" which involved a more melodic salsa with lyrics that contained abundant references to love and eroticism. However in the 90s this new thread began to decline in popularity, mainly due to the strong influence of other Caribbean rhythms such as the Dominican meringue and the bachata.

   Nowadays salsa is a rhythm recognised by people all over the world, and has been adapted into many forms so that everyone has a chance to move their hips to the addictive Latin beat!

  ]]> http://gospain.about.com/b/2009/11/19/strange-christmas-traditions-in-spain.htm http://gospain.about.com/b/2009/11/19/strange-christmas-traditions-in-spain.htm The Spanish are famous for their odd traditions. Tomato fights, running in front of a heard of angry bulls - Spain surely tops the list of countries with strange customs.

  But Christmas, that most holy of holidays - surely the Spanish don't stray from orthodox traditions like Christmas trees, midnight mass and re-runs of It's a Wonderful Life?

  Well, the do. Check out this list of Strange Christmas Traditions in Spain and find out about Catalonia's two excrement related Christmas customs, flour fights and the multiple times you can celebrate New Year's Eve in Spain.

  See also: Christmas in Spain.

  Strange Christmas Traditions in Spain originally appeared on About.com Spain Travel on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 10:06:25.

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  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/LifeInCatalonia/%7E3/dlCp9FHNDeM/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/LifeInCatalonia/%7E3/dlCp9FHNDeM/ ]]> http://www.spaindad.com/2009/11/teo-photos.html http://www.spaindad.com/2009/11/teo-photos.html fullscreen...
  
  
  
  ]]> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/18/court-rejects-spanish-extradition-bid http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/18/court-rejects-spanish-extradition-bid

  A judge at Belfast high court has thrown out an attempt by Spain to have a suspected member of the armed Basque separatist group Eta's youth wing extradited. Judge Tom Burgess ruled that a European arrest warrant issued against Arturo Villaneuva Arteaga, 33, was invalid. Arteaga, who has lived in Northern Ireland for six years running a tourism business, is accused in Spain of carrying out violent and coercive actions from 1994 to 2000. The judge said there was no reference on the warrant to dates, locations or targets of any alleged attacks which would allow anyone to link them to Arteaga.

  • Spain
  • Northern Ireland
  Henry McDonald
  
  
  guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

  
  

  ]]> http://www.theolivepress.es/2009/11/18/sustainable-spanish-retreats-2/ http://www.theolivepress.es/2009/11/18/sustainable-spanish-retreats-2/ http://thecityofwater.blogspot.com/2009/11/el-pais-digital.html http://thecityofwater.blogspot.com/2009/11/el-pais-digital.html here.
  If you use an RSS reader or an iPhone (ok, thats probably not too many of you)....but IF you do, then there is a free App on the APP Store for the daily newspaper that is excellent and makes an excellent daily read.
  
  In todays edition there was a couple of articles of interest, the first being that the only two major Europeans  countries still in recession are the UK and Spain. Interesting. Whilst the rest of the economic world is lurching forward, embracing growth at whatever cost, perhaps the moment is right to stop and ask if this cycle of boom and collapse is really the model we want to go forward with? What alternatives are there and what are the influences of the new economics of sustainability?
  
  Secondly, today there was news of the govenments new pledge to provide - as a right - an ADSL (Broadband) connection to everyone of at least 1mbps by 2011. So if you are about to pay out an extraordinary fee to telefonica - maybe you should hang on a year and settle for a dongle.
  
  
  Interesting times.
  For More on Andalucia and Loja visit the Site: www.thecityofwater.com or the Portal at www.teapotmonk.com
  ]]> http://hellofromhispania.blogspot.com/2009/11/ahoy-matey-part-quatre.html http://hellofromhispania.blogspot.com/2009/11/ahoy-matey-part-quatre.html Alakrana, had been set free after a devastatingly long period of negotiations (almost 50 days!).
  
  The government has admitted that a ransom was paid (2.3 - 2.5 million) but that doesn't really matter at this point. The important thing is that the crew are safe, sound and on their way to Seychelles with an armed escort. From there, they will board a plane that will bring them all back home with a quick stop in Djibouti.
  
  The two pirates captured by the Spanish military are still here in Spain. No one is sure if they will be staying for good but we've been told that they will be tried by a Spanish court in about a fortnight. The state plans on laying some heavy charges on them and will be seeking over 200 years of prison for each. This surprised me at first, as I understood that life imprisonment is basically non-existent in Spain.
  
  In the meantime, Defence Minister Carme Chacón has been in Brussels arguing for the creation of a military training program - to be led by Spain, of course - that would make use of EU funds and personnel to train Somali soldiers and build up a sort of coast guard that would help stop the pirates setting sail in the first place. The EU is not so sure about this (nor am I) as there is no guarantee that these soldiers, once trained, won't just work alongside the pirates as mercenaries. Personally, I think more money should be spent on investigation (read: espionage), as, from what I understand, the pirate clans are more than well represented by a law firm in London! How is the EU supposed to stop the pirates if they have lackeys pulling for them on EU soil?
  
  
  ___ ___ ___
  
  

  Edited 19 November 2009
  
  I am forced to add, just because I'm the kind of guy who loves a good laugh, that the EUR 2.3 to 2.5 million that the Spanish government has paid (or maybe just loaned, as the Alakrana is a private ship, after all) have apparently paid for eight Somali weddings and the massive festivities that accompanied them. That's right, the money wasn't invested or used to bolster the local population of a clearly impoverished and socially devastated country, it was used so that eight people could marry and so the guests could eat, drink, dance and smoke whatever the drug of choice is down there. There is talk of hiring prostitutes as well. All in all, quite the party.
  
  
  ]]> http://www.spaindad.com/2009/11/alleke-meet-teo.html http://www.spaindad.com/2009/11/alleke-meet-teo.html
  

  Alleke, Meet Teo from Kelly Crull on Vimeo.

  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Barcepunditenglish/%7E3/lcf7kw0Exfc/another-good-one-by-onion.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Barcepunditenglish/%7E3/lcf7kw0Exfc/another-good-one-by-onion.html by The Onion.
  
  
  Obama's Home Teleprompter Malfunctions During Family Dinner
  

  
  

  
  ]]> http://www.theolivepress.es/2009/11/17/fresh-campaign-to-boost-amy-hunt/ http://www.theolivepress.es/2009/11/17/fresh-campaign-to-boost-amy-hunt/ http://www.theolivepress.es/2009/11/17/mass-graves-to-be-excavated-in-ronda/ http://www.theolivepress.es/2009/11/17/mass-graves-to-be-excavated-in-ronda/ http://www.theolivepress.es/2009/11/17/brits-costa-bound-again/ http://www.theolivepress.es/2009/11/17/brits-costa-bound-again/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/17/somali-pirates-free-spanish-crew http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/17/somali-pirates-free-spanish-crew

  Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero evasive on whether Spanish government involved in payment

  Pirates freed 36 crew members from a Spanish trawler today after holding them for more than six weeks off the coast of Somalia. A self-proclaimed pirate said the hostage-takers were paid a $3.3m ransom.

  Spain's prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, said the tuna boat Alakrana "is sailing toward safer waters. All of its crew members are safe and sound".

  A Somali villager, Ali Ahmed Salad, said 12 armed pirates left the ship shortly after noon and joined colleagues in the pirate stronghold of Harardhere.

  Ali Gab, who described himself as a pirate, told the Associated Press that a boat had delivered a $3.3m ransom. He said pirates began leaving the ship shortly after and a Spanish warship nearby watched the proceedings.

  Commander John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU's anti-piracy force, confirmed that a Spanish warship had been in the region.

  Zapatero was evasive when asked if the government had been involved in payment of a ransom. "The government did what it had to do," he told a news conference.

  The reported ransom shows why pirate attacks have been on the rise. A successful hijacking can bring millions of dollars to an impoverished and war-ravaged Somalia.

  The trawler was seized on 2 October with 16 Spaniards, eight Indonesians and 12 crew from five African countries aboard. The pirates holding the Alakrana had been pressing for the release of two colleagues who were captured by Spanish naval forces a day after the hijacking and eventually taken to Madrid to face charges.

  The Spanish government has been working feverishly to find a legal formula that would allow it to try them and send them back to Somalia quickly in the hope of appeasing the pirates.

  In the end, the hostages were released with the two Somali suspects still in custody in Madrid. They were formally charged with kidnapping and related charges yesterday.

  In the latest attempted hijackings, pirates attacked two vessels on Monday off the east African coast, capturing one of the ships and its crew of 28 from North Korea, officials said .

  • Piracy at sea
  • Somalia
  • Spain
  
  
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  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Barcepunditenglish/%7E3/eN7D8YYV4BA/i-cant-believe-someone-like-bruce.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Barcepunditenglish/%7E3/eN7D8YYV4BA/i-cant-believe-someone-like-bruce.html such a stupid thing:
  

  In 1944, the Austrian economist F.A. Hayek published an extraordinarily influential book, The Road to Serfdom. In it, he argued that liberalism eventually leads to totalitarianism; that is, once a nation has embarked on the creation of a welfare state, there is no natural limit to the size of government until it controls everything, socialism becomes pervasive and political freedom evaporates.
  
  It is an argument that made sense at the time Hayek made it. Liberals were indeed soft on communism in those days and engaged in a massive expansion of government throughout Europe. In England, where Hayek was living when he wrote his book, much private industry was being nationalized, cradle-to-grave welfare programs were being instituted and many of those advocating such measures were not shy about pointing to the Soviet Union as a model to follow.
  
  Since Hayek's book appeared, it has been an article of faith among American conservatives and libertarians that every expansion of government is a step on the slippery slope to totalitarianism. National health insurance today, the gulag tomorrow, many of those on the right genuinely believe, often citing Hayek in support.
  
  Consequently, it is axiomatic that Europe, which is much further along the road to a welfare state than the U.S., is also further along the road to socialism and totalitarianism. Thus it is a grave insult among conservatives for one to be accused of wanting to Europeanize the American economy. It is only a small step removed from being called a communist or Marxist. The difference is only one of degree.
  
  I am often accused of wanting to Europeanize America these days--my friend Larry Kudlow always says so--because I think the magnitude of our fiscal problem is so large that a significant tax increase is inevitable, and that the magnitude of that tax increase is so great that we will eventually need a value-added tax because it will be impossible to get enough revenue through the income tax. Raising income tax rates enough to plug our fiscal hole would be much too debilitating, economically.
  
  In the conservative mind, the VAT, which is embedded in the prices of goods, is the foundation upon which the European welfare state rests. Without its enormous revenue-raising capacity the Europeans never could have financed their welfare states. In short, without the VAT there would be no welfare state in Europe, government would be smaller and the threat of totalitarianism would be much less, conservatives reckon.
  
  By advocating a VAT, I am, in effect, advocating totalitarianism, many of my friends believe. If we institute a VAT it will be like pouring gasoline on the fire of big government. It will get bigger overnight. The only thing holding this country back from having a welfare state as large as Europe's, conservatives argue, is the low level of taxation that most Americans are loath to abandon. Thus in their own minds, conservatives believe that holding the line on taxes, no matter how large the deficit, is the essential prerequisite for the preservation of liberty.
  
  The only problem with this analysis is that it has no factual basis whatsoever. If Hayek were even remotely correct, all of Europe would be one huge gulag by this time. At the very least, Europe would be mired in poverty, growth nonexistent and freedom hanging on by the thinnest of threads.
  

  Well, if you turn someone else's argument into a cartoon it's very easy to say it's wrong, isn't it. Or if you see the world in black and white with no shades of grey then you can't see there's the possibility that Europe is further down the road, although not so much that it's already there. Yet.
  

  
  

  
  ]]> http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2009/11/hijacked-spanish-fishing-boat-freed.html http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2009/11/hijacked-spanish-fishing-boat-freed.html http://www.notesfromspain.com/2009/11/17/notes-in-spanish-video-worth-watching/ http://www.notesfromspain.com/2009/11/17/notes-in-spanish-video-worth-watching/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/17/western-sahara-hunger-strike http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/17/western-sahara-hunger-strike

  Aminatou Haidar, campaigner for indigenous Sahrawi rights, expelled over refusal to accept Moroccan nationality

  Western Sahara's most prominent human rights activist has gone on hunger strike at a Spanish airport after being expelled from her home country by Moroccan authorities.

  Aminatou Haidar, who is viewed by her supporters as the "Sahrawi Gandhi", was deported to Lanzarote from the disputed territory of Western Sahara on Saturday. Morocco has occupied the former Spanish colony since 1975, refusing a say on independence to the indigenous Sahrawi population, including some 100,000 people still living in refugee camps in the desert in south-western Algeria.

  Haidar, a 42-year-old single mother, was detained at the airport in Western Sahara's administrative capital, Laayoune, on her return from the US, where she was awarded the Train Foundation's Civil Courage prize of $50,000 for her struggle for the Sahrawis' right to self-determination. After refusing to declare her nationality as Moroccan on the airport arrival form, the police confiscated her passport and she was flown to the nearby Canary Islands.

  Haidar told the Guardian by telephone that Spain was "complicit" in her predicament, both for admitting her to Lanzarote and then refusing to let her leave.

  "I will carry on my hunger strike until the Spanish government accepts its responsibilities and allows me to return to my homeland, where my children live … or I die," she said.

  Prison in Western Sahara was preferable to detention in Spain, she added.

  Haidar has wide experience of incarceration. In 1987, aged 20, she was "disappeared" and tortured by the Moroccan secret police for more than three years for advocating independence. In 2005 she was jailed for seven months after being beaten by a Moroccan policeman during a demonstration protesting against the Moroccan occupation.

  The Spanish foreign ministry said could not allow Haidar to return to Laayoune because she had no passport. The Moroccan government, which considers Western Sahara to be its southern provinces, even though this has no foundation in international law or formal recognition from any other country, has denied any wrongdoing. Instead, it has accused Haidar of treason and of being agent of the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi nationalist movement that fought a 16-year desert war against Morocco with backing from Algeria.

  The conflict ended in 1991, with both parties agreeing to a UN-sponsored referendum on self-determination – including an option for independence – for the Sahrawi people. But Morocco has consistently blocked the vote, and the Polisario remains in exile in Algeria, behind a massive sand wall manned by tens of thousands of Moroccan soldiers.

  In recent years King Mohammed VI has said independence is no longer on the table, with autonomy now the best available option for Sahrawis. On 6 November, in a speech marking 34 years of Moroccan presence in Western Sahara, he hinted at harsher action towards anyone still questioning the claim of sovereignty.

  "One is either a patriot, or a traitor," he said. "Is there a country that would tolerate a handful of lawless people exploiting democracy and human rights in order to conspire with the enemy against its sovereignty, unity and vital interests?"

  The expulsion of Haidar, who was also awarded the 2008 Robert F Kennedy human rights prize for her struggle, is part of a wider crackdown on Sahrawi activists. On Monday Human Rights Watch condemned the Moroccan government for blocking "unauthorised" visits by foreigners to the homes of Sahrawi campaigners in Western Sahara. Seven other Sahrawi activists being held by Morocco after visiting the Polisario camps in October have been described as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International.

  • Morocco
  • Spain
  Xan Rice
  
  
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  ]]> http://www.spaindad.com/2009/11/more-photos-on-way-tomorrow.html http://www.spaindad.com/2009/11/more-photos-on-way-tomorrow.html
  
  Update: Wednesday, 8:03am
  Click here to see photos of Teo as I upload them...
  
  ]]> http://www.notesfromspain.com/2009/11/16/life-and-presidencia/ http://www.notesfromspain.com/2009/11/16/life-and-presidencia/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/16/drug-clans-shanty-town-madrid http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/16/drug-clans-shanty-town-madrid

  10,000 addicts a day visit sprawling settlement as lawlessness takes over

  Two men are asleep on a filthy mattress under the weak autumn sunshine. Another, in ragged clothes with his skin stained dark by the sun and dirt, lies motionless on the concrete strip surrounding the small church of Santo Domingo. In the dusty, rubbish-filled esplanade in front, dozens of addicts sit among the garbage, shooting up doses of heroin.

  On the outskirts of Spain's capital city, Madrid, one of Europe's biggest drug supermarkets thrives in a precarious settlement of some 30,000 people strung along an old cattle-herding path, the Cañada Real Galiana.

  About 10,000 drug addicts come every day to this stretch of shambolic housing, where lawlessness has grown in a legal void that local politicians have failed to tackle.

  Addicts stumble down the Cañada's wide main street, looking for their dose. Others, employed as look-outs and hustlers, call them in past the high metal gates of the compounds owned by the drug clans.

  Thickset men sit out on fold-up picnic chairs, watching their business enter the compounds, which – in some cases – are dominated by huge houses built with money from heroin and crack cocaine. The odd police car drives past, but little disturbs the relentless business of buy and sell.

  Charity workers bring four-wheel-drive vehicles to get around the town. "I spent 20 years working in poor neighbourhoods of Venezuela," said one, who like most of those working here asked not to be named. "I never saw this kind of filth. Nor did I see there what drugs can do here."

  A small traffic jam builds up as a police car stops to interrogate some people coming in the opposite direction.

  "This is nothing. You should see this at 9pm or at 3 o'clock in the morning," said a church worker. "I don't think there is a nightclub in Madrid with quite such a crowd of people at its doors."

  A lack of political interest has allowed the drug clans to make this their home. "While the politicians do nothing, the law of the jungle grows," said Antonio García, parish priest at Santo Domingo. "We are right in the middle of it. Many people are too scared to come to mass or to baptisms."

  The three municipalities, including Madrid, that the 10-mile-long Cañada Real runs through, have pledged to act. In recent months bulldozers have been brought in to knock down some of the illegal homes – but not those belonging to the drug clans.

  Where the drug supermarket ends, the Cañada Real turns into a thread of housing that stretches for miles in both directions. Much of it backs on to the vast dump where queues of trucks wait to deposit Madrid's rubbish.

  Homes here vary from weekend bungalows with gardens of fruit trees to simple, solidly-built homes belonging to Moroccan immigrants. There are also dilapidated buildings or shacks where Spanish Gypsies and Romanian Gypsies form separate communities.

  "We are scared they will just come and bulldoze our home as they have done with others," said Lucía Jiménez in the three-room shack she shares with her husband and three small children. "I don't mind them moving us out, but only if they give us somewhere else to live."

  "I'm giving up this shop," said Mohammed Gueyo at his small supermarket around the corner from the Ibn Nosair mosque. "People come here with their pistols."

  Gueyo and three relatives bought the shop from some Spaniards after their jobs on building sites disappeared two years ago. He knows the ownership documents they gave them were not legal. "The police can come any time with the bulldozer and that will be it," he said. "If they knock this down then they'll probably demolish the mosque too."

  A new law proposed by the regional government of Madrid may allow him to make the building legal – but it will not, for the moment, get rid of the drug clans.

  "The decision-making about what to do with the land will be passed to the town halls in the three municipalities where the Cañada Real runs through," explained José Masa, the leftwing mayor of one of those towns, Rivas Vaciamadrid. "We want to turn it into a green zone – but there must be an agreement on how to rehouse people first."

  Elena Utrilla, head of housing for the ruling People's party in Madrid's regional assembly, said the law allowing the authorities to start cleaning up the Cañada Real would be passed by early next year, but money to rehouse people had still to be found.

  "It won't be solved overnight," she admitted. "But I hope that, in a few years time, we will no longer be talking about it as a problem."

  It may take another two years, however, before the town halls and regional government agree on who will pay to rehouse people. Masa estimated it would take six years or more to clean the Cañada Real out. "And then we will have to make sure that the problem doesn't just move somewhere else," he said. "It only came here because they closed down another settlement."

  "Some people have lived here for 40 years," said García. "Three years ago this was still a tranquil area to live. Now whoever can get out, does."

  For the moment, a single bus route provides transport to and from Madrid for those who live here. Those who ride on the number 339, however, share it with addicts who sit at the back and smoke heroin off heated strips of aluminium foil. "They call it the junkie bus," said García.

  • Spain
  • Drugs trade
  Giles Tremlett
  
  
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  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/LifeInCatalonia/%7E3/UOU7M3-zBPQ/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/LifeInCatalonia/%7E3/UOU7M3-zBPQ/ ]]> http://theverybestblogever.blogspot.com/2009/11/views-to-west.html http://theverybestblogever.blogspot.com/2009/11/views-to-west.html One of the reasons we live here in the village of Torre del Compte is for the fantastic views, we love them. Although we have views in all directions our favourite is to the west, across the valley of the Matarraña river, towards the village of La Fresneda.
  
  
  Click on any photo to see it full size.
  
  The view of La Fresneda which we usually see is the one above which I took this morning. On top of the hill in the left hand half of the picture is the village ermita. The highest point to the right is the old castle which has the church immediately in front of it. All three buildings are lit at night so we have the view around the clock.
  
  
  However, the view constantly changes. A few mornings ago I took the photo above as the early morning mists slowly cleared from the valley.
  
  
  Later, the same morning when the mists had cleared, we were presented with a different scene.
  
  Yesterday evening, we had a terrific sunset. The sun now has moved from far to the right, where it sets in the summer, to the left of the ermita and it has another 5 weeks to make it's way slightly further to the left before it starts on it's way back.
  
  
  
  Here's another sunset I photographed on the 4th November 2006.
  
  
  
  
  And just in case you were wondering what Torre del Compte looks like from the direction of La Fresneda, here it is above.
  
  ]]> http://twocrumbliesandacat.blogspot.com/2009/11/glossy.html http://twocrumbliesandacat.blogspot.com/2009/11/glossy.html I do like a glossy magazine. In the good old days, when I had disposable income, they were one of my little luxuries. I could sigh over beautiful clothes that would never fit me, wonder if the £100 moisturiser would indeed give me a new head and rub the scratchy and, it has to be said, usually disgustingly stinky carboard perfume sample up my arm. Nowadays, having wrinkles, jowls and poverty – all the signs of age, in fact – I can no longer afford to buy magazines. So I am deeply grateful to M, whose flat I look after, and who also has a glossy magazine fetish which she has to deal with by letting me remove them by the ton when she runs out of room.
  
  At present therefore, I am in hog heaven and truffling through last summer’s bounty of glossies. Guess what, faded denim is back. Heavens, going on what the average British tourist wears over here, it’s never been out. I digress, because amongst the ravishing shiny models and mascara ads I also found an article by Polly Toynbee, who in my opinion, should immediately be made a Dame. That’s the problem with being a woman socialist; you have to be nearly dead before the gatekeepers start realising what a great person you are. See Barbara Castle.
  
  Anyway, the article, amongst other things, pointed out that there is still an average 17% difference between men’s and women’s salaries in the UK. I am trying to control my fury over this, given that equal pay legislation has been in force since 1970. Who has been monitoring this situation, for heavens sake? Did you know that the reason behind the various binmen’s strikes presently spreading across the UK is the fact that councils are finally being forced to bring in equal pay for equal work, and their initial response was to cut the binmen’s wages so they could afford to do it? And they wonder why strikes happen.
  
  As you can probably tell, I am a long-standing feminist, having been in my prime in the 60s when it all suddenly kicked off. I didn’t burn my bra, but had I been a tad less well endowed I bloomin’ well would have done. Lord, it hit me like a ton of bricks what sort of system I was actually helping to prop up; I stopped that immediately, and I have been proselytising ever since.
  
  But this week has been a good week for women. Firstly, the Red Arrows Air Display team have finally taken on their first female pilot, Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore. Women have been allowed to fly fast jets for the RAF for 20 years now, but it has taken this long for one to break through to the Red Arrows; and the reason given for the long delay? The special flight suits necessary for pilots at high speeds were not suitable for women. Bloody hell, I could have hand-knitted the Bayeaux Tapestry in 20 years. Single handedly. What you needed, boys, was a bit of motivation.
  
  And the second award goes to Georgina Blackwell, who took on a conglomerate of Bellway Homes and their bully-boy barristers in the high court, and won. In a masterpiece of understatement she said “I’m a blonde, 23 year old beautician from Essex. I know it doesn’t look good on paper, but I think they underestimated me”. Bellway Homes had claimed access to their site through the Blackwell’s garden, and covered it in a roof of scaffolding. The fight to stop them was about to cost the Blackwells their home in legal fees until Georgina found something in the deeds (which had been missed by every male lawyer involved) and proved that Bellway had acted illegally. Result!! I wonder who does Bellway’s PR?
  
  And a small “Yay” from me as I have just had an article published. In a glossy magazine; oh joy. You can read it at www.mallorcalifeandstyle.com on page 64.
  
  Go, girls.
  
  Copyright Di Foden 2009
  
  
  
  
  ]]> http://www.spaindreams.com/blog/?p=178 http://www.spaindreams.com/blog/?p=178 http://losgigantes.com/news/?p=1218 http://losgigantes.com/news/?p=1218 http://thecityofwater.blogspot.com/2009/11/abyss.html http://thecityofwater.blogspot.com/2009/11/abyss.html Listen!
  via AudioBoo

  Posted via web from Paul's posterous

  For More on Andalucia and Loja visit the Site: www.thecityofwater.com or the Portal at www.teapotmonk.com
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/ZPLj/%7E3/KZ_BsX2gQx0/google-street-view-girona.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/ZPLj/%7E3/KZ_BsX2gQx0/google-street-view-girona.html Girona can now be viewed with Google street view. For new users of this application this means you can go to Google maps and take a virtual tour by using your mouse to guide you in whatever direction has been covered by the cameras.
  Once in Google Maps, type in 'Girona Spain' and zoom into the streets, then with your mouse drag the little orange man (see him in the top left of the map) onto your selected street and the map then turns into photo clear images of the street. You then click on the arrows to take your tour!
  At the moment its not possible to see the old quarter as the streets are too narrow for the cars which carry the cameras. These will be done at a later date, usually done by cameras mounted on bikes.
  
  Street view started in the U.S in May 2007, then last year the Spanish cities of Madrid, Seville and Barcelona were added.
  

  
  

  ]]> http://losgigantes.com/news/?p=1214 http://losgigantes.com/news/?p=1214 http://losgigantes.com/news/?p=1213 http://losgigantes.com/news/?p=1213 http://losgigantes.com/news/?p=1212 http://losgigantes.com/news/?p=1212 http://losgigantes.com/news/?p=1211 http://losgigantes.com/news/?p=1211 http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/13/ba-iberia-merge-counter-losses http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/13/ba-iberia-merge-counter-losses

  Large scale combined airline will appeal to investors keen to see both carriers stave off the effects of a deep recession and increased competition from no-frills operators

  Iberia underlined why it needs a £4.3bn merger with British Airways this morning by reporting a loss during its profitable summer trading period.

  The Spanish national carrier, which announced last night it will merge with BA by the end of next year, reported a pre-tax loss of €30.4m (£27.1m) in the three months to September, compared with a €30.4m profit in the same period last year. BA has also suffered heavy losses during its best trading months, recently posting a record pre-tax deficit of £292m for the six months to 30 September.

  Iberia, which has drawn up plans to house its domestic and short-haul operations in a new airline, echoed the pessimistic tone of its merger partner as it warned that the Spanish airline industry is facing "exceptionally difficult circumstances". However, investors preferred to focus on the future this morning as shares in both carriers rose, with BA climbing 2.84% to 221.10p. Douglas McNeill, analyst at Astaire Securities, said the deal could be a prelude to pan-continental consolidation if tough ownership restrictions are lifted, including US laws that bar foreign airlines from owning more than a quarter of an American carrier.

  "There is a lot to be said for achieving scale in order to be well positioned for the time when barriers to cross-continental mergers come down," he said.

  Willie Walsh, BA chief executive and proposed boss of the new company, said the BA and Iberia brands would be retained, but the combined ownership would allow both companies to thrive in the face of unprecedented financial pressure on the industry. "BA is part of what I believe will be a leading airline in a European context, but also looking to be one of the leading airlines in a world context," he said.

  Unite, the UK's biggest union in aviation, warned today that it will not back the merger unless commitments are given to avoid compulsory redundancies. The union has written to Walsh to urge that the airline's workforce and service standards "are not swept aside in the rush to conclude the merger with Iberia."

  Yesterday, the companies' boards met to approve a memorandum of understanding that will merge both airlines under a company, TopCo, whose ownership will be split 56%-44% in BA's favour. The business will be listed and headquartered in London, with Iberia's chairman, Antonio Vazquez, heading the board. BA expects to complete the deal late next year.

  The combined airline will, in terms of sheer scale, appeal to investors keen to see both carriers stave off the effects of a deep recession and increased competition from no-frills operators. Between them, BA and Iberia carry 61.5 million passengers a year, with 419 aircraft, revenues of around €15bn (£13.4bn) and a workforce of 60,282 people, although cost savings will be one of the main drivers of a deal and the employee count will be expected to fall.

  According to the agreement signed by both companies yesterday, Iberia can walk away from the merger if the trustees of BA's troubled pension fund, which has an estimated deficit of £3bn, impose crippling conditions on the deal. BA and Iberia confirmed merger talks in July last year, two months after a joint takeover bid for Iberia by BA and TPG, a private equity firm, collapsed. Walsh confirmed that BA's pension fund would be, in effect, ring-fenced with the BA operating company liable for any increased payments.

  Last December, the merger discussions became strained when BA announced merger talks with Australia's Qantas. The Qantas talks ended before Christmas, prompting BA to concentrate on Iberia and a looser tie-up with American Airlines, which would see BA, AA and Iberia colluding over fares and scheduling.

  The Spanish and British national carriers have been forced into exploring a merger by cut-throat competition from low-budget carriers on their short-haul routes and a severe recession that has pushed both airlines into heavy losses. Last week, BA posted a record first-half loss of £292m, during its traditionally profitable trading period, while Iberia recorded a net €72.8m (£65m) loss in the three months to the end of June this year. Their global rivals are faring just as badly, with the International Air Transport Association predicting an industry loss of $11bn (£6.6bn) this year.

  Both airlines are proposing restructuring plans as a consequence. BA faces the threat of strikes by cabin crew over new working practices, including the removal of one air steward on long-haul flights and the proposal of a two-year pay freeze. Iberia has made the most radical proposal, to replace its domestic and European programme with a new and as-yet unnamed airline.

  • British Airways
  • Airline industry
  • Spain
  Dan Milmo
  
  
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  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/LifeInCatalonia/%7E3/w1Yz6iAFMaY/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/LifeInCatalonia/%7E3/w1Yz6iAFMaY/ ]]> http://hellofromhispania.blogspot.com/2009/11/gallegos-and-catalan-nationalism.html http://hellofromhispania.blogspot.com/2009/11/gallegos-and-catalan-nationalism.html
  Anywho (before I let myself get carried away by the previous thought), I have had a few interesting and ironic experiences in Galicia lately that have led me to believe that it's not always so black and white when it comes to nationalism. The most recent of these occurred yesterday.
  
  We (myself and a group of about twenty-something students, all of them Galician - very important fact, that) were in the middle of Linguistics, learning the difference between communication and information, when the professor asked us to try to analyse the intentions behind a dialogue taken from a text written by a Galician author in Castilian. As the text was rather basic (the chosen dialogue was easy to analyse), no one had much trouble with it. Suddenly, the professor asked the one thing no one wanted to hear:
  
  
  "What about that word there, xarnego?"
  
  

  It was the one word no one could figure out, the only word that lacked sense and so could not communicate information to the reader. At first, I figured that I, as the only non-native speaker of Galician, was the only one that didn't know what it meant but when I saw that no one else knew either, I was elated!
  
  Responding to the blank stares, the professor kindly revealed that this word that seemed pretty Galician (notice the /x/) was in fact Catalan. Its literal meaning is 'one who is born in Cataluña to non-Catalan parents, an immigrant from some other part of Spain.' Upon hearing this, the entire class (THE ENTIRE CLASS) snorted in disbelief. The idea that anyone born in Spain would be considered an immigrant if they moved to Cataluña was something they simply could not digest. It seemed, to them, illogical and inhospitable.
  
  This made me stop and think about my own experience here in Galicia. As a Spanish citizen, born of a Spanish father, it can technically be said that I am not really an immigrant, just a returnee (and that is, in fact, how the government classifies me). The reality is fairly different, of course, and, to a degree, I will always consider myself an immigrant, a wanderer, a citizen of the world. Still, I realized that I've never really been made to feel like an immigrant here in Galicia. Sure, I've had to go through a lot of paperwork to sort out my life, but so does everyone else. Bureaucracy affects everyone. Sure, I've had to work to learn the language, but so did everyone else; it was just easier for them because they've grown up with it. No one has ever looked at me differently or treated me differently. Yes, people recognise that I've grown up somewhere else and they ask me questions and such but it has always been up to me to volunteer that information. No one has ever cared enough to ask me where I came from or why I'm here. Everyone just sort of assumed I was from the next town over. Funny that.
  
  Welcome to Galicia, where no one is really Spanish but everyone's Galician.
  
  
  ]]> http://www.spanish-teaching.com/blog/_archives/2009/11/12/4378415.html http://www.spanish-teaching.com/blog/_archives/2009/11/12/4378415.html

  Give the gift of Spanish this Christmas. Take a Christmas course with a friend and save 50% on accommodation! We want you to enjoy your Spanish course this Christmas with your best friend!.
  
  Christmas course dates: 21/12/2009 to 3/1/2010

   Cities: Barcelona, Madrid, Salamanca, Tenerife, Valencia, Alicante, Granada, Marbella, Sevilla and Guanajuato (Mexico)
   Duration: 2 weeks
   Discount: 50% off on accommodation price in double room, shared flat
   Enroll before: 17 December 2009

  Conditions:
  

  • - Accommodation in shared flat. Double room only.
  • - Offer valid on reservations for 2 people only.
  • - Offer not cumulative with any other offer.
  • - Offer must be requested at time of booking.
  • - Offer subject to availability. Expires 17 December 2009.
  
  Request information (free brochure!)
  
  Sign up now!
  
  ]]> http://gospain.about.com/b/2009/11/12/iberia-strikes-more-due-in-november-and-december.htm http://gospain.about.com/b/2009/11/12/iberia-strikes-more-due-in-november-and-december.htm Spain's national carrier, Iberia, is set to plunge many travel plans into further chaos, with the announcement that there will be more strikes later this month and in December.

  After a two-day strike this week, Iberia will ground flights for three days (from November 30 to December 2) and then for five days (from December 14 to December 18), reports the BBC: Iberia set for more strike action.

  Mainly short-haul and medium-haul flights will be affected. The airline is prevented by law from canceling any flights when there is only one per day. Routes with multiple flights will still have at least one running per day. So if you know your flight is going to be canceled, it might be worth calling the airline to see if you can get on another flight that day. You can contact Iberia here: Iberia Contact Details

  Read more about Cheap Flights to Spain

  Iberia Strikes - More Due in November and December originally appeared on About.com Spain Travel on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 07:41:20.

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  ]]> http://www.spaindreams.com/blog/?p=177 http://www.spaindreams.com/blog/?p=177 http://hellofromhispania.blogspot.com/2009/11/comment-moderation.html http://hellofromhispania.blogspot.com/2009/11/comment-moderation.html
  All comments are still welcome, even, and especially, if they disagree with mine (so long as all opinions are presented with respect). This moderation is only in place to avoid the comments of a particular individual with whom I have decided I am no longer willing to waste my time. I look forward to all future comments.
  
  ]]> http://hellofromhispania.blogspot.com/2009/11/ay-cappuccino-de-mi-corazon.html http://hellofromhispania.blogspot.com/2009/11/ay-cappuccino-de-mi-corazon.html Photo taken from Taringa.
  
  The classmates and I have a sort of after-class ritual that, admittedly, can sometimes turn into a before-class or even during-class (read: instead-of-class) ritual. We like to walk over to a small café behind the Facultade de Filoloxía, sit a spell and take a warm, delicious coffee. Sometimes, there is poker involved. They (the classmates) say there's nothing to do in Galicia but play card games. They should know, as they are all native Galicians, but I disagree; I've been here just over a year and haven't had the need to play any.
  
  Most of the time, I just go for the traditional café con leche. It's petite, yummy and comes with a chocolate-coated biscuit. Basically, it's just the thing to calm the mid-morning munchies; a tentempié, if you will. Today was different. I had a whole hour to really savour my coffee between History and Culture of English-Speaking Nations and Castilian/Lengua. This called for something a bit more extraordinary. I reached over and picked up the neon-yellow menu, turning its greasy, laminated pages with my eager fingers. That's when I saw it: Cappuccino Vienés, written in lovely, curved script.
  
  It called to me, tempting me. Buuuuuy me. Buuuuuy me. BUY ME! Who am I to resist the call of the coffee? Have you ever heard the call of the coffee? It's persistent and threatening. European coffee is no joke. A good barista is the difference between an unforgettable experience and a quick trip to the lavatory!
  
  To make a long story short, I asked the nice gentleman, with his rippled muscles beneath that two-sizes-too-small T-shirt and sinister snake tattoo, if he could bring me a Viennese Cappuccino. He nodded in my direction. Two minutes later, a tall glass of creamy coffee topped with much too much crème fraîche and chocolate sprinkles was placed before me.
  
  Oh, how I enjoyed myself today!
  
  Do yourself a favour and take a coffee break. You're worth it!
  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/LifeInCatalonia/%7E3/qWJ6SPXVAeY/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/LifeInCatalonia/%7E3/qWJ6SPXVAeY/ ]]> http://thecityofwater.blogspot.com/2009/11/first-step.html http://thecityofwater.blogspot.com/2009/11/first-step.html
  
  
  Last week the AAPL (Associacion de Anglo-Parlantes de Loja) met with the Department of Cultura and the Alcalde - Miguel Castellano -  to sign the long awaited CONVENIO. In this important document the AAPL and Cultura commit themselves to work together over joint projects during the next 24 months with the aim of assisting the members of AAPL to be better informed of local issues, better informed of local cultural events and to to have the opportunity to participate for the first time in the cultural agenda of the town.
  
  The President, Vice President and Treasurer were all present as well as a small group of active members to celebrate the event. Although Loja only has just over 300 English Speakers officially enrolled with the town hall, everyone knows the figure is much higher. AAPL hope to encourage all English Speakers to empadronate and to play a more participative role in local life on order to avoid the ghetto-isation that has occurred - and continues to occur -  in many other towns in Spain.
  
  With already over 100 members - including 30-40 Spanish speakers, AAPL hopes to entice more residents of all nationalities into the association by organising activities that would be of use or of interest to everyone.
  
  Already underway are the new language evening classes run by the Universidad Popular: Spanish for Beginners and English Conversation. Similarly, the yearly Arts Exhibition: Con Otros Ojos will take place after the summer of 2010, and for the first time a yearly short cinema cycle will run in spring next year jointly organised by AAPL and Cultura to offer films in V.O. for both Spaniards and Foreigners to enjoy.
  Other activities include cultural trips, the setting up of interest groups ( computers, art, music etc) as well as language intercambios for students of both languages. These are almost ready to start and a date will be announced shortly.
  Finally, all members of AAPL can enrol for the Culture card (Artifice) for a discounted yearly price of just 1.50.
  
  Anyone not yet a member and wishing to join, can contact the address below.
  
  For more details email:
  lojanglo@gmail.com
  For More on Andalucia and Loja visit the Site: www.thecityofwater.com or the Portal at www.teapotmonk.com
  ]]> http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2009/11/wind-power-in-spain.html http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2009/11/wind-power-in-spain.html http://twocrumbliesandacat.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-love-getting-comments-on-my-posts.html http://twocrumbliesandacat.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-love-getting-comments-on-my-posts.html
  
  I love getting comments on my posts. Not that I’m needy or anything – well I am, actually - and I know I should just be writing for writing’s sake. Apparently. But I am ridiculously pleased if something I’ve written strikes a chord with a stranger, and they take the trouble to tell me. In my world, writing is for being read. And then I’d like a nice pat on the head, please.
  
  The reason I’m telling you this is because I have just had a very unexpected comment on an old post of mine about cemetaries. (See label Santa Maria del Cami. Or Death) It came from a cemetary lover, who would have liked some more photographs. See, I’m not the only person in the world who likes a good graveyard. It’s my dad’s fault; his favourite pastime when we were on our annual week in the horizontal rain of the Isle of Man – we went to the Isle of Man every year, because that’s what Liverpudlians did in the Fifties – was to take me for a wander round some of the really ancient churchyards over there. Other kids got to go to the penny arcade. I got mossy tombstones. Educational and cheap at the same time, I suppose. But it did ignite a spark of fascination in me for the engraved stories of ordinary dead people.
  
  So, following my rather morose mood of last week (I’m trying to be cheerful, I really am), Significant Other and I decided to take a walk up to our cemetary, and take some shots for Cemetary Lover. It is only about a mile, door to door. This is a good distance for a walk because having walked the two miles there and back, you feel you have done enough to stop at the bar on the way home and have a drink. And now is the best time of year to go and see it because it was All Souls last weekend. Soller is a Trick or Treat-free zone, you will be glad to hear, so the celebrations here centre round the graves of your ancestors and everyone, and I mean everyone in town goes up to the cemetary with enormous armsful of flowers. The results are just stunning and even a week later, the lily-scented air was still full of the hum of opportunist bees looking for a late feed. I am not fond of chrysanthemums, the flower of choice at this time of year, probably because of that earthy, dying vegetation smell, but they do come into their own sitting on a gravestone.
  
  There are some great grave markers too. We particularly admire this mucky angel who appears to be wearing a black fleece over her heavenly robes. And doing that pulling her sleeves over her hands thing.
  
  Mallorcan graves are so upfront. Most of them have a photo of the occupant in pride of place; I can’t help wondering if the people inside suddenly decided one day “Hmm, I really ought to get myself down to Photos Brazil and have the tombstone photo done.” And did they say to the lady in said shop “It’s for the grave, dear. Make it a nice one”? I must say, they do all look as if they are in their Sunday best, with pomaded hair for the old boys, and lace collars and stern expressions for the grannies.
  
  And not one of them is saying “Cheese”.

  Copyright Diane Foden 2009
  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/ZPLj/%7E3/b8QiIrbky4g/lloret-de-mar-weather_08.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/ZPLj/%7E3/b8QiIrbky4g/lloret-de-mar-weather_08.html
  Now that the clocks have gone back one hour and we are seeing the nights drawing in the weather does seem to be much cooler, especially when the sun goes down. Snow has been falling in Andorra (good news for the skiers!) and we have had some heavy spells of rain in Lloret but not too prolonged.
  These photos were taken last Thursday evening, after a fine clear sunny day the clouds started to roll in then we had a thunderstorm, but the next morning we were back to normal with the sun!
  
  .
  

  
  

  ]]> http://photosfromspain-jackie.blogspot.com/2009/11/seville-cathedral.html http://photosfromspain-jackie.blogspot.com/2009/11/seville-cathedral.html 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.
  
  
  
  
  
  ]]> http://gospain.about.com/b/2009/11/07/train-now-ost-popular-way-to-get-from-madrid-to-barcelona.htm http://gospain.about.com/b/2009/11/07/train-now-ost-popular-way-to-get-from-madrid-to-barcelona.htm Spain's high-speed train service, the AVE, continues to go from strength to strength, with the announcement that it is now the most popular means of getting between Madrid and Barcelona, according to The Olive Press.

  The achievement is particularly impressive considering this route is one of the most popular in the world. The Olive Press says it is the fifth busiest in the world, though I've seen several conflicting reports on this.

  Why has the AVE become so popular? Because it is (usually) cheaper than flying (especially on short notice), always quicker (when taking into account check-in times), more convenient (train stations are more central than airports), affords a better view and is much more environmentally friendly. Need any more reasons?

  Read more about the AVE in Spain:

  • AVE Routes in Spain

  • Guided Tours by AVE

  • AVE Features

  • Flying v AVE

  • Flying v AVE Price Comparison

  • Flying v AVE Travel Time Comparison

  Train Now Most Popular Way to Get from Madrid to Barcelona originally appeared on About.com Spain Travel on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 18:30:04.

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