Spain The Facts

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We have been in Spain for 9 years now and  I thought I had learned all about the country I lived in, but surprise surprise, I knew very little about Spain. Yes I knew it was sunny nearly all the year round and it was a very large country, it is the second largest  country in Europe and the second largest tourist destination in the world. The Spanish are very nice people who love their manana, paela. vino and the laid back life they lead.

You would have thought I knew a lot more than this, so I started looking for information about Spain and here is just some of the items I discovered. I hope you to can learn a little more about Spain.

Madrid is Spain’s largest city by far, with three million people in the city and another two million in the surrounding urban area (2003). This center of art, culture, nightlife, government and commerce is home to a remarkable variety of people and institutions.
Even with its sprawling size, Madrid is a fine place to visit or study. The city center is easily navigable, very dense, and always bustling. Students need never stray too far beyond the city’s dense center to have a rich and exciting experience in Madrid.
Be warned that Madrid does feel like a big city, complete with all of the traffic and social problems that accompany three million people. Crime, congestion, long trips on the subway, and rude cab drivers are all par for the course. If you want a tame and comfortable experience, avoid Madrid.

What about the rest of Spain?

Official name: The Kingdom of Spain
Capital of Spain: Madrid
Top 3 Largest cities in Spain: Madrid 5.9 million inhabitants, Barcelona 5.3 million inhabitants, Valencia 1.6 million inhabitants.
Population size: 44,7 million in 2006.
Density: 88,39 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Size: 506,000M square meters (Spain is the second largest country in Europe after France).
Mean Altitude: 600 m. (which makes Spain the second highest country in Europe after Switzerland).
Highest Point: Pico de Teide in Tenerife 3,719 m.
Tourism: Over 52 million tourists visit Spain each year, Spain is in the top 3 most visited countries in the world.
Foreigners Living in Spain: officially there were 3.7 million foreign residents in 2005. Independent organisations such as Red Cross put the number at 4.8 million.
Political Structure: Parliamentary monarchy (since 1978).
Regions: Spain is made up of 17 autonomous regions.
Time zone: +1 GMT except Canary Islands +2 GMT.
Currency: The introduction of the Euro in 2002 replaced the former Spanish Peseta.
Economy size: eighth largest economy worldwide with a Gross Domestic Product just over 1 trillion euros.
Labor force: approximately 20 million.
Gross Domestic Product per Capita: €27,767 per year, 25th on world ranking
Religion: approximately 90% of the population are Catholic and there is freedom of religion in Spain.
Measures: Weight measured in kilograms, distances measured by the metric system, temperature measured in degrees Celsius.
Spanish Gastronomy: typical for Spain is its Paella read more about Spain’s Gastronomy in our Spanish Food section.
History: to read extensively about the history of Spain please see the section history of Spain
Electricity: 220volts.
Emergency numbers: They are all toll-free. General emergency services 112. Ambulance 061. Fire service 080. National police 091 (this number is used when there is serious trouble). Municipal police 092. Civil guard 062.
Telephone country code: (00)34
Opening hours: in most of Spain the siesta is honoured, but the hours differ between regions. Stores open around 9am and close around one for the siesta, stores then open again around 5pm. More to the south the the stores open later and therefore the siesta starts around half past 2pm.
Opening hours banks: In general banks are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 2pm and on Saturday until 1pm.
Public transportation: Taking the bus is by far the cheapest way of transportation. You can get a city bus ride for only €0,95 and if you buy a card where you can buy prepaid rides for they are only €0,59. Taking the bus from city to city is far cheaper than travelling by train, e.g., the bus ride of 6 hours from Malaga to Madrid is approximately 20 euros while a train can cost up to an astonishing 150 euros. Taxi’s are reasonably priced; a 5 minute city ride costs around 3 euro.
Tipping: Spanish people aren’t used to big tips, you can just leave a few coins and they are already more than happy with you.
Language: Spanish (Catalan, Valencian, Gallego, Euskera are independent languages spoken in Catalonia, Valencia, Galicia and The Basque Country).

Spain – Largest Cities

  Name Population Latitude/Longitude
1 Madrid, Madrid

3,255,944

 40.417 / -3.703
2 Barcelona, Catalonia

1,621,537

 41.389 / 2.159
3 Valencia, Valencia

814,208

 39.47 / -0.377
4 Sevilla, Andalusia

703,206

 37.382 / -5.976
5 Zaragoza, Aragon

674,317

 41.656 / -0.877
6 Málaga, Andalusia

568,305

 36.72 / -4.42
7 Murcia, Murcia

436,870

 37.987 / -1.13
8 Palma, Balearic Islands

401,270

 39.569 / 2.65
9 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

381,847

 28.1 / -15.413
10 Bilbao, Basque Country

354,860

 43.263 / -2.925
11 Alicante, Valencia

283,860

Next time we will find out more about places to visit, the citizens of Spain and why so many tourists visit Spain. It is a beautiful country and worth finding out more.

Corvera International Airport

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Corvera International airport, currently scheduled to open in April of 2012,
is located 2 kms outside the town of Corvera in the Region of Murcia.
The Airport is situated just 19 kms from the Region’s only other airport, San Javier Murcia, which is located on the Costa Calida and popular with local Holiday Home owners and Tourists, and 80 kms away from neighbouring Alicante’s El Altet airport.
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Whilst there has been a Military airport at nearby San Javier for many years, there have been plans to build a commercial facility on the newly aqcuired site at Corvera for some time. It was only as recently as 2007 that the project to build Corvera International Airport was finally approved and planning and construction work was able to commence.
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Unlike El Altet and San Javier airports, which are owned and operated by the Spanish Airports Authority – AENA – Corvera International airport will be owned and operated by the Region of Murcia, and as such will effectively be in competition with other airports.Recent investment in the region, notably the Paramount Theme Park Murcia Spain, which is located close by, and the Polaris World Golf resorts, have led to a significant improvements to the infrastructure leading to and from the airport. This includes additional motorways and connections to the national AVE high speed rail network.
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The regional authorities estimate that, when fully operational, Corvera International Airport will cater for as many as 3 Million passengers every year, which is compared to 9.3 Million Passengers which El Altet recieved in 2009, with 1.7 Million for San Javier.
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Murcia and the Costa Blanca will soon be the best place to invest in a property in Europe, with prices being at there lowest in ten years. Along with the new theme park which will be the second largest in Europe, the new airport, the new high speed rail link and some of the best beaches in the world, for a holiday or to reside permanently the area can not be beaten for location and price.
Visit our sister site for more details. www.perspective-espana.com

Thank You Ryanair

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Hi I am Holly the 14 month old grand daughter of Harry In Spain
I was given a seat of my own on a recent flight on my way home to Dublin. I did have to pay double what my mum paid and was not allowed any luggage. In fact I was not really given a seat, I just sat down and said I would scream and cry all the way home, so they acted like I was not there. I enjoyed the flight and had a soft drink and biscuits I had to use my credit card to pay for them as they were so expensive. Nobody sat near me so I had lots of room. I will need to write to the nice Mr O Leary to thank him and his lovely staff.

plane 2 Holly plane

But please can I take my luggage with me next time and only charge me the same price as my mum. 

Thank you very much.

Holly Tierney  (Port Laios)

ps  the biscuits were soggy.

Carnival Time in Torrevieja

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February 12 and its carnival time in Torrevieja. It was a cold winters evening and I was cold with heavy jumper, scarf and heavy jacket so what did the kids and others taking part in the carnival feel, they must have been freezing, but they all looked like they were enjoying themselves. It was a lovely day in the afternoon but the temperature dropped in the evening to 5 degrees. There was colour, music and thousands to watch the carnival.
The Spanish love their fiestas and carnivals and a lot goes into them, the costumes are amazing,colourful with great imagination and design. Before the carnival starts there are hundreds of barrows selling sweets, toys and some fantastic balloons which the kids persuade their mums, dads and grans to purchase for them. Unfortunately there are the odd few that get away and climb up into the blue sky to be lost forever.
Carnivals and fiestas are taking place in towns and cities all over Spain, no matter what time of the year it is. Normally it is not as cold as this evening was but my wife, myself and friends enjoyed ourselves and after the carnival we went for churros with hot thick chocolate to warm us up. You would think being from Scotland and our friends from Liverpool, we would be used to this weather? as it was plus 5 not minus 10 what we are used too. I must be getting old.
Before the carnival we had lunch with a difference. It looked like an Italian restaurant with Spanish waiters. We were handed the menu and told to pick at least 4 starters as they are small and the same with the main courses. There was lots to choose from and we did as the waiter told us and ordered lots of starters and lots of different things from the menu.  You could eat as much as you want for just over 9 Euros with only one rule. If you order a dish and don’t eat it you are charged an extra 1.50€. per dish. Hey did we eat like kings, the food was delicious and served up very fast. We made sure we only ordered what we could eat and left nothing on our plates. A bargain we all agreed and we will go back again.
All in it was a lovely day and one we will all talk about for a long time. Hope you all had a nice weekend.  Watch out this week for a high definition video of the carnival which I will put on the blog in the next few days.

Hasta Luego

Spanish Medieval Market

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Orihuela holds one of the largest medieval market in Spain and this years was bigger than last years. Adults and children were catered for with attractions for all to see. Stalls selling everything from live pigs, ducks, toys, sweets, cakes, fresh food and of course there were the usual eating venues all with entertainment and music.

Knights in shining armour were seen riding with their lovely horses, belly dancers, musical groups, camel and horse riding for the kids and adults alike. What I liked most about the market was the smells and aromas going about the place from the barbeques and roasts being cooked on the streets.

It was like going back in time a couple of centuries ago. The stall holders were dressed in authentic costumes and from several countries as well as Spain. There were lots of traditional Spanish, Turkish and Moorish foods and drinks available. It was colourful, exotic with lively music everywere, there was different things to see around every corner. We spent over 4 hours and still did not manage to see everything as the market is placed around the old part of Orihuela with it’s very narrow streets and lanes.

This is the fourth year in a row we have visited the market and it has been different every year and believe it or not we bumped into some Scottish friends who were also enjoying visiting the medieval market. It is a shame that not many non Spanish people know about this traditinal fiesta held every year, then again I am glad as it was very busy the way it was with thousands of happy and intrigued people enjoying themselves with some hot red wine and some tasty barbeques. We look forward to going back next year.

 Hasta Luego.

Brrrr it’s cold in Spain

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OMG  it’s cold here now and it is coming from Siberia we are told. Just a few days ago it was 27 degrees now it is only 4 degrees and last night it hit zero. There was a little bit of ice in the watering can and it feels like it could snow. Yes I am talking from Costa Blanca South. It looks nice as the sun is out and not a cloud in site, but it’s so very cold and the forcast for tonight is zero again.
Not worrying too much as the weather forecast for Sunday is rain and Monday it will get hotter and the same for the rest of next week. Thank goodness as we are not used to this kind of weather, not good for the garden either.

Margaret is now teaching Spanish to pupils from the UK and Germany. The first night went well and everyone learnt something new. The course is for beginners and those with a little Spanish and wanting to advance their knowledge of the Spanish language. It is a two hour lesson with a break half way through for coffee or tea.
The blonde girl in the picture (Melanie) had a nasty bump to her car last week and was lucky to be here at all as you can see from the pictures below. A large van ran into the back of her at speed knocking her car across the road into oncoming traffic, luck was on her side as the car coming on the opposite side of the road seen what was happening and managed to brake to avoid a head on crash as well. Mel was rushed to hospital but was released with bad whiplash and her boyfriend (Michael) was also released with whiplash injuries. Glad they did not know too much Spanish as their comments to the other driver who bumped into them would have been interesting. He has been charged by the police and there are witness who were on their side.

.No wonder they both have whiplash, luckily there was no one in the rear seats and they both had their seat belts on. Thankfully they are both fine but with painful necks and backs.

 

 

I guess they won’t be repairing the car with this much damage. A write off I am sure and Mel says she loved her little car. Better the car than you, I would say.
Last but not least, I got a strange call last night and when I answered the phone no one spoke to me. After a few seconds I heard strange noises and then a little giggle which was followed by a hi ya from my 14 month old grand-daughter Holly. I said hi ya back and she just laughed. WIthin a minute or two I realised her mum did not know she was on the phone as she had pushed the redial button and got me.  But just like her mum Nicola she loves the phone and did not know when to stop. It was great fun but how do I get her to put the phone back down? Phoning from Ireland to Spain is not cheap. I tied to get her mum on her mobile but to no avail.  SHe stayed on 11 minutes before her mum heard her. Oooops not a good idea talking to your papa without mum or dad knowing, but it was worth it as she and I were enjoying ourselves.  Ha ha ha

Spanish Food

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Hi Everyone that’s January nearly over and it  feels like I was wishing everyone a Happy New Year just yesterday.   It was a very quick month indeed and a strange one as far as January goes for the weather in Spain. It has been very warm and lots of sunshine for this time of year. I usually tell my friends to avoid coming over during January as it can be very cold (not as cold as UK of course) but I was wrong, we have seen days with the temperature reaching 27 degrees and very little rain. In fact it rained only one day for a few hours, more or less.
I am not complaining of course just commenting as everyone loves the sun and that’s why most ex-pats are here.

Did anyone see Ireland RTE2 last night as my daughter Nicola was on it in a one hour documentary on her company Merlin Property Auctions. From what I have heard it went down well and they are hoping to encourage people and banks in Ireland to sell their property through them. It looks like this is the way for home owners who can’t sell their property through normal means.

You may obtain more than you expect as the trained auctioneers try their best to get a fair price during the auction. They will soon be auctioning Spanish properties to a world wide audience. If you are interested drop me a note and I will pass it on.

Spanish food is something we all know a bit about but not many of us have sampled the real traditional Spanish dishes. Take for example paella, churros, chorizo, gazpacho soup, calamares, tortilla and of course a glass of sangria to wash it down.

 

There are lots of local dishes that specialise in sea food and lamb stews. Family barbeques are very popular at weekends with fish and paellas, there are no beef burgers on the menu in Spain.  Garlic, olives, plus sweet and hot peppers are important ingredients in most Spanish recipes. In most restaurants you start with is jamon Serrano which is a special ham that is salt-cured. A Spanish menu is accompanied by a Spanish red wine. The Rioja and Montilla are famous, though there are many varieties of tintos, blancos and rosadas.


People visit Spain for the hot climate but the food is delightful as well. Make sure you sample some on your next visit, if you stay in Spain and have not sampled the traditional fare you are missing out on part of Spanish life.

Hasta Luego

The sun shines bright on Loch Lomond

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No it does not, well not that often but it is a beautiful place to visit and you won’t find better views in the world, it does in the Costa Blanca South and it has been doing so all this winter with glorious days for quite a while now. It did rain for a short time last week but we were in Scotland and did not see it. Remarkable temperatures here  with the gauge reaching 23 degrees yesterday. It’s 25th of January not May or June.

It’s strange being in Scotland in the damp and cold, then returning to Spain in the warmth of the sun. We did enjoy being home as it is great to see our family and friends.
5 days is not enough but we have a lonely dog (SATURN) to think of, he was well looked after by Mel and Michael who played with him and fed him.  Our thanks to you both.

The oranges are now getting sweet and so we will pick some today to squeeze fresh juice for our breakfast. It is so refreshing and tastes delicious and frothy.  We are off shopping today and we are going to a very large Chinese hypermarket that has everything you may want at bargain prices. Those of us who live in Spain have noticed there are as many of these large Chinese shops as there are restaurants.  How they make money is anyones guess as they are on every corner.

Another friend from Scotland sent me this Scottish video or shoud I say song called The Drunk Scotsman. I think you will like it and have a laugh.  Thanks Jane ha ha ha. It brought tears to my eyes with laughter.

I’m back in Spain

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What an eventful week I had in Scotland. On arrival my daughter Pamela was taken into hospital for the second time in as many weeks and was informed she would require surgery for the second time on her spine. Thankfully the second operation was successful and she is making a good recovery. What a brave young woman she is, every time I visited her in hospital she was sitting there with a smile. She even said the hospital food was good. She requested me to bring her cigarettes which I did for the first time in my life. I even went outside the hospital with her so she could have a puff, for medicinal purposes she told me. Ha ha ha

I also visited the shops for an hour or two and enjoyed it, Glasgow has five major shopping centers to visit, I only saw one, It was surprisingly sparse of people even although there was sales on. The recession is definately still there. I also managed to see some family but not all due to the rushing about and limited time. It was cold but we were dressed in warm clothes, there fortunately was no snow.  My grandson (Adam 12) and his sister (Robyn 14) are so tall they will soon be taller than me. Their dad is 6′ 5″ so I guess they take their height after him. Mandy their mum is 5′ 4″ they are much taller than her.

I miss Glasgow but not the traffic problems and the weather. We split our stay between my daughter Mandy and my son Stephen and his wife Julie. Arran my youngest grandson and I played all day with his mum’s iPad2  it was great fun but he beat me every time on connect four.  But I am glad to be back and next month I will visit my youngest daughter Nicola and my youngest grandchild Holly in Ireland. She is in the photograph below with her  Irish great-grandfather. My mother was Irish and now I have a granddaughter who is Irish. She is a wee beauty.
Look at the admiration they both have for each other.
Back in Spain now with the weather still beautiful and 18 degrees, a bit cold at night though so a jumper is advised. We missed the rain when we were away but it only lasted for a few hours. Not long till summer again as the nights are already getting longer.

I know bull fighting is frowned upon but this video is the revenge of the bull with some stupid people getting in his way and paying for it with a lot of pain and ripped clothes.
Have a great weekend and peace, health and happiness be with you.  Hasta Luego

What’s Going On

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Hey what’s going on?  In Spain the worrying thing for ex pats is the problem with the Euro and how it will effect us all if it collapses?  The pound is at it’s strongest for 2 years now reaching 1.21 Euros and it could get stronger yet.  What a good time to buy a Spanish Holiday home with the VAT dropped from 8% to 4% and the strong pound plus properties are selling cheaper than they were 10 years ago. I was with a very nice couple from Scotland looking at detached villas and we saw some very low priced properties. A three bedroom villa with pool and 2000 Sq Mt’s of land, views to die for and in a lovely Spanish village, with landscaped gardens and lots of other extras. Asking price 199,000€ (£164,000) and they will consider offers. It was originally valued at 400,000€. Great value.

 

Margaret on the left (my wife) and Mandy on the right (my daughter) I am the hansome one in the middle LOL.

The weather has changed, it’s getting cold after a month of very unusual high temperatures.  Today it is down to 16 degrees brrrr that’s cold for us.I had to wear a jacket yesterday. It’s amazing how you acclimatize to the weather, we have seen some Spanish people clothed as if they lived in Antarctica, fur coats, scarfs etc. The couple from Scotland where in short sleeve shirts and thought it was very warm?

Yesterday we were in a rush when we finished so we popped into The Captains Table restaurant for a quick meal. The waitress offered us the special. Diner for two with a bottle of wine for 12€ not each but for the two  of us (less than ten pounds) good deal we thought then she told us it was two rib eye steaks with all the trimmings. We will take that for sure, it was delicious.  Plus we took the bottle of wine home with us and it was a decent wine.

We are heading over to Scotland , so we will have to look out warmer clothes. The weather there is not bad but a lot of rain. My daughter asked me do I want tatties and mince, yum yum yes that would be nice a traditional Scottish meal.

Further afield in La Angeles is the big consumer electrical and gadget exhibition CES. The latest in TV’s video, computers, phones and gadgets. You know how I love gadgets. One that caught my eye was the Parrot Drone. WHAT?  Well have a look for yourself and see what I mean, I want one , for work of course?  Still a big boy at heart. Hope you are all having a good start to the year.

Hasta Luego

7th January Hot in Spain

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It’s strange weather in Spain these last few weeks. Temperatures going as high as 28 degrees and blue clear skies. It is normally hot in Spain but not as hot as this in January. The flowers are out and the roses are blooming.
No complaints from me about the weather and the forcast says more to come next week.

Saturn plays with his ball in the sun but retreats to the shade to avoid the heat These shots were taken at 10 am and you can see for yourself the blue skies and the thermometer tells you how hot it is.  This is the relaxing side of Spain, you just don’t get life any better. Time for a cool long drink of fresh orange juice freshly squeezed from the oranges picked from the trees just minutes ago. Make you jealous no of course not you have snow we don’t so.

Information On Spain 2012

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Latest Information on SPAIN

Hi welcome to our first info Spain section. This section will be updated frequently on what is going on in Spain. This is the first month of the year of 2012 and Spain is still in a recession.  A recession that has seen property prices crash to there lowest levels in a decade. Prices have fallen by as much as 60% and all last year some people were desperate to sell their property as the recession was affecting the UK and other countries as well. But prices are levelling out now and some builders are contemplating putting up their prices on January 2012. The bargains are drying up now and bank repossession can be as expensive as a new property.

There are still a lot of bargains to be found and with VAT cut from 8% to 4% on new houses and the pound now getting stronger against the Euro there has never been a better time to buy.

Eating and drinking out in Spain is still very cheap compared to other countries.  A typical three course dinner including drinks for two would cost under 20 Euros.  A steak meal can cost from 12.95 Euros per person and a two course lunch a mere 5.95 Euros.
Of course food, drink and cigarettes are much cheaper here in Spain.  But be warned the same rules that apply in the UK on smoking apply in eating and drinking places in Spain .

So why do people come to Spain? the weather of course, 320 days of sunshine on average each year. I am writting this information page on the 6th January and the temperature is 24 degrees. At 8am this morning it was a staggering 20 degrees.

We will be putting more information on the blog about purchasing properties in Spain, including, legal, banking, education. best places, best properties and of course bargain properties.

Hasta Luego

For more information visit our website at  www.properties-spain.co.uk

Tonights is Christmas Eve in Spain

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Yes you are seeing correctly. January the 5th is the equivalent of our Christmas Eve in Spain. Tonight all the children receive their presents on the feast of the Three Kings.
When we first arrived in Spain we could not believe the Spanish held the traditional Christmas celebrations on the eve of the 5th of January.
There will be big parades early tonight for the children with floats giving out gifts and sweets, after which they will return home for a family meal of traditional Spanish dishes which do not include turkey or Christmas pudding.

 

Instead it includes large doughnut shaped cakes which are cut up into sections and you must be careful as there are gifts inside the cake which can bring you good luck or a broken tooth.

Children in Spain believe there gifts come from the Three Kings not Santa Clause.
Try explaining this to young children elsewhere. Tomorrow morning will be a family day and rest day and then back to work on Saturday and School on Monday for the kids.

We have been watching Spanish TV and it’s full of parades with the three Kings, some arriving by boat. It is very colourful and the looks on the children’s faces is amazing.

Winter 2nd January in Spain

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Early morning second day of the New Year and it just does not feel like winter. A warm 22 degrees and a beautiful sunny day, no one in swimming but it’s early morning still. Sand-castles with a diference with the experts carving their master pieces in the sand. Remember the Spanish don’t celebrate Christmas till this Friday the 6th of January, I always feel it’s a bit odd but many European countries are the same, with presents being given out on the feast of the Three Kings.  After a long walk along the promonade we stopped for a couple of tapas and a cold refreshing drink it was just a nice morning.

Happy New Year

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HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone it’s arrived. We in Spain celebrated it one hour earlier than you. May I wish you health, happiness and success for 2012.

This is my first blog of 2012 and is only part one of two blogs today, later I will add a video from Spain to celebrate the NEW YEAR. Are you having a good time? I hope so and looking forward to the challenges of 2012.  If you are reading this you are fortunate to have the equipment to see my blog. It may be an iPhone or a smart phone or perhaps a laptop computer or a desktop computer in your house. No matter what, thank you very much for joining me on the first day of 2012.

Where we live we can see quite a lot of firework displays as we are on an elevated position. There are small displays and large displays and they all started in the early hours of  January 1st 2012, to bring in the NEW YEAR. The sound of rockets and bangers are everywhere for miles and miles. The Spanish do things differently as I mentioned yesterday they all wear red underwear on the 1st of January. I will have to take their word for it as I don’t see any red boxers or knickers or other underwear items anywhere.

It is supposed to reach 23 degrees here today, not a typical New Years Day is it?.
But I believe that the UK will be mild as well for a change and not snowing like previous years.  If you are at the parties in Edinburgh or Glasgow I envy you, so have a great time.
I have four things to celebrate this month when I go to Scotland. It is the 21st birthday of my oldest grandson (Jamie) and mine also the same day (not 21st) and the next day is another grandson’s birthday (Callum) and on the 9th of January it is yet another grandson’s birthday (Adam). Party time for the four of us, so I will take the older two out to a pub for a pint or two. Of course I will drink diet coke but not them.

So I sincerely wish you all the best for 2012 and will come back later on and add a video to the blog.  

CHEERS

The Last Day Of 2011

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Here we are, the last day in 2011 and tomorrow we have a brand new year to celebrate.
2011 will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, riots, wars, terrorist, floods, earthquakes and the bad weather. The UK has been hit by high winds now for months, Japan had an earthquake which caused a tsunami with thousands killed and property destroyed including a nuclear power station and there was also floods in Pakistan and other countries. Is this the result of climate change? some say yes others say no.

 People still have either no money to spend or they are keeping it for a rainey day. Yet some people are spending their money as the banks don’t make it worthwhile them saving their hard earned cash.  The recession still looks like it is with us and the Euro, now there is a joke, it was never going to work and Greece is proving it. Will it be with us this time next year? who knows and what about the EEC will it still be there?  More and more questions. So what has been achieved in 2011, not a lot. Some people will have achieved something this year but most of us have not.
Technology has awakened the world this year with kids and OAP on the Internet. Most using Skype, Twitter  and Face-book. I know they are not new but more and more people are using them. Many people like myself have taken the time to write blogs like this one. There is not a subject not covered on the Internet, it is a great way to learn and find information.

Next year I will be writing this blog from a computer tablet (not an iPad2) an Asus Prime Tablet or as I am told an iPad beater. 3D televisions, bigger and bigger screens, high definition and soon the intelligent house will be with us and perhaps a robot or two to clean the house. What about doing the shopping? no chance not in my life time.but Mandy my daughter does all her shopping for food from Tesco online and its delivered straight to her door, great idea. She works full time as a nurse and has children to look after. Fraser her husband does the dishes and hoovers sometimes. He puts me to shame.

What about 2012, will we have a better year than last year. I think so as it can’t be as bad as 2011. Have you made a new years resolution, are you giving up smoking, drinking, eating or better still being a bad person to others.  I am on a diet for health reasons and I have a big bad nurse spying on me as well as my wife. Also there is my Spanish doctor, she speaks so fast I can’t understand her, but she is giving me the thumbs up sign and saying bien (good). a nice young lady doctor. She keeps calling me my proper first name Henry and I keep looking round to see who she is talking to. (stupid prat).

I hope this last day of 2011 is a nice day for all of you, enjoy this evening (Hogmany) and don’t get to drunk. By the way I just found out today all the Spanish people wear red underwear, my wife duly informed me as I asked why is all the shops selling red underwear. I kid you not. I have not got any so I will wear my sexy green ones.lol
Must be for luck?  So have a good new year and a great time at the stroke of midnight which we have an hour earlier than the UK, so we can have two new years here in Spain.
Tomorrow I hope to put up a video from Spain.

Cheers Hasta Luego

Harry.

 

ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT 2011

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The final two days and I am going to make the most of them video recording in High Definition for next years blog. It’s nice weather here chilly in the mornings but in the twenties at noon. We see a lot of daylight hours here in the winter, the sun comes up just before 8am and sets about 6.30pm. Plus lots of blue sky and sun. Hey it’s Spain is it not.
Most of the ex-pats are getting prepared for the New Year beach party, in which a lot of the Spanish people join in and others just watch in bewilderment. What are these crazy British up to now, but you must wear a jumper or cardigan as it’s not that warm on the beach. If it’s anything like the Christmas beach party in La Zenia, some people went in for a swim, and others were sunbathing, must be mad. There were literally hundreds of Spanish spectators just standing in amazement watching what was going on.
Last night we were invited to see our friend Darren Jones who was the entertainment, singing Rat Pack and Michael Buble songs. It was on a camp site and I was shocked at the sheer luxury of this site. It was like a five star hotel in Las Vegas. It included a three course meal and the cost for this was only 7.50 Euros and this included seeing and listening to Darren. Who said camping was not much fun. It had luxury swimming pools both indoor and outdoor and a fabulous big restaurant. All this for just over £6 can’t be bad.

Today as I said I am out and about with the video camera watching for the unusual for the blog. By the way the third biggest country watching my blog is Columbia, don’t know why?
But they must like my blog. Japan, China, Malaysia are amongst others looking up the blog.   They must be using Google Translate. I wonder can they translate my Glaswegian accent.  Ha ha only kidding.. Better get going now as my wife is calling, oh I forgot to mention I am going shopping aaagh.

Hasta Luego.

3 DAYS LEFT 2011

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It’s now near the end of the year 2011 and I for one will be glad this year is coming to an end. It started bad and finished bad for us, but being a positive person,  2012 will be our best ever. How about you, I hope you had a good year and 2012 will be even better for you.

I am sure the recession will start to ease up and cheer us all up making 2012 a happy year and prosperous year for everybody.  Being Scottish we tend to celebrate Hogmanay (31st December) more than most and the street parties in Glasgow and Edinburgh are amongst the best in the world for both young and old alike. The young going to the clubs and discos and the old a wee dram in the pub or the house to bring in the New Year.

In Spain,  like Christmas there is very little celebrations to bring in the New Year. But boy will they have fireworks in every town and City. The Spanish love their fireworks the louder the bang the better. What a waste of money,  even though I like fireworks but the nice colourful type not the noisy ones. Perhaps I am getting old.

Where we live we can see for miles straight out to the med so we will see hundreds of displays. Lets all see the last few days of the year with a positive mind and we will see things change for the better. Already mine is looking better, why? my team won last night. Celtic 1 Rangers 0.

I used to work for both teams making their films and videos. Very few can say they have worked for both teams.  I have and I enjoyed the experience.

When do we all start making our New Year Resolutions? Why bother,  the year will take care of itself, and what about all those who go on a diet next week. It’s the same every year and not many carry it through.  Take a step back and look at yourself in the mirror.  Then have a good laugh at yourself, it’s good fun,  tell yourself you like or even love yourself, because if you don’t no one else will.

Hasta Luego