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In a symbolism laden video posted on his facebook page, Mariano Rajoy, leader of the opposition and head of the PP party, spoke to Spain about his hopes for the future, and his plans to save bullfighting (spot the Osborne bull in the opening credits). The video is shot in the back seat of his limo on a dody handicam – it looks like the start of a low budget porn film- and the constant Continue reading Rajoy caught without a seatbelt
Catalunya has taken a further step away from Spanish identity with todays decision in the local Parliament (Generalitat) to ban bullfighting. 68 regional MP’s voted YES to the motion, with 55 against and 9 abstentions. The law will come into force in 2012 and ban all organised bullfights. The law came into being after a popular motion was carried by animal rights groups to the Generalitat, after they gathered sufficient voters signatures (180,000) to force Continue reading Catalunya bans bullfighting
Congratulations to my brother-in-law Antonio Cervantes, who last weekend sat his civil service exams to become a seconday school / FP teacher, and passed out nº 1 in his form for Almería, and at nº 3 overall for Andalucía. According to Ideal, some 3,000 people in Almería province alone sat those exams. Here he is, celebrating the world cup win. He still had time in between studies to keep those muscles going! And he’s just Continue reading Congratulations!
A cautionary tale now from Huércal de Almería, where local lady María del Carmen G. has just received a court decision ruling on a compensation claim from a fall in (wait for it) 2005. It seems María was crossing on a zebra crossing one fateful day when a car screeched round the corner and raced down the road at her. Rather than stand there and be run over by the louts, she legged it across Continue reading “Don’t run on broken surfaces” says Judge
Transparency International, the worldwide anti-corruption organisation, in conjunction with the Fundación Ortega y Gasset, has released it’s 2009 list of the most transparent townhalls across Spain. Almería is 3rd from the bottom, at 108 out of 109 (only Salamanca and Fuengirola are worse). El Ejido, for some reason, comes in at nº 57. The test involves how much municipal information is publicly available. T.I. sent the 110 biggest towns in Spain a questionnaire asking them Continue reading Almeria – as clear as its water…
Here’s a salutory lesson on investing in real estate from the Caribbean, courtesy of Michael Winner and Simon Cowell. Angry villa participants who’d put down massive cash to be embroiled in this mess wondered what fees Michael Pemberton and Robin Paterson had taken and if they were to be put back into the diminished pot. When I questioned what was going on, Pemberton wrote, “I have passed your communications to my lawyers.” His “clients” described Continue reading It’s not just Brits in Albox who were duped into buying
In Monday’s La Voz, which I have just got around to persuing over a freshly baked croissant and a coffee, page 3 is given over, not to lovely Sally (21) from Essex, but to a somber reflection on “Brits take to the internet their fear of demolitions of illegal homes”. In an politically charged piece, the paper appears to say that AUAN, the urban abuse pressure group, has issued a false press release relative to Continue reading La Voz rallies against AUAN and scaremongoring expats
IES García Ramos in Albox decided, after consultation with teachers and parents, to go “uniform only” next year. In general, after a quick swing through the local forums, parents seemed to be broadly in favour of the plan, which was nothing too fancy. Smart trousers or shorts, shoes, polo shirt and appropriate gym wear. However, Andalucia being a Socialist country where Democracy Rules and the Right of the Individual is Guaranteed under the Law and Continue reading Albox school told that it can’t force kids to wear uniform
Almeria townhall has come up with an interesting tourist concept – it’s launched it’s much announced “Almeriacard”, which gives the holder discounts of between 5% and 20% in shops and establishments across Almeria town. The idea is that tourists pay either 5€ for a seven day card, or 10€ for a 15 day card, and the money is then used to promote Almería. Residents of the city can buy a card good for one year Continue reading The “Almeriacard”
The Junta de Andalucia has agreed with Mojácar’s townhall that as the population of the town doubles in summer it should be designated a major tourism town (zona de gran afluencia turística). This means that opening hours for shops are relaxed for the summer and easter periods. (Not, however, June and December, as the Junta said that there were insufficient tourists around then to permit this). “These extended opening hours will only improve the tourism Continue reading Mojacar recognised as a major tourism town