Being away from our mother country can sometimes cause anxieties and stress we might easily cope with if we were at home in the UK.

Costa Blanca Samaritans is a charity which has been set up to provide help to those in need. I've added a page which explains the fine work the CBS in Spain is doing. Hopefully they will continue to grow, and be there for those who need someone to speak to.

I see that Santander, who have taken over several UK banks recently, is now offering to let customers from the old banks such as Alliance and Leicester withdraw money in Spain at no charge.

So, using a debit card via a service till could save someone anything from possibly £2 (depending on what their minimum charge was), up to, well any amount, depending on the amount withdrawn, though normally there is a limit of say £250 or £300.

To qualify for  free withdrawals customers in the UK have to have at least £1,000 deposited in their bank accounts each month. Still, it should make a small saving for some visitors to Spain.

32 people suffered injuries as a bull jumped from the ring into the crowd at bullfight in Tafalla in Northern Spain.

One man was gored in the back, a woman had a crushed vertebrae, and a young boy suffered “abdominal trauma” after the bull fell on him.

Others received cuts and bruises and several were treated for shock by paramedics at the Plaza de Toros.

So, not just the matadors who get their comeuppance then.

Bullfighting is just a barbaric so-called sport which is sickening. What on earth do parents think they are doing anyway, taking kids along to see this spectacle?

There's some conjecture in Spain about the cancellation of a meeting between the Spanish Prime Minister and  top constructors.

Some newspapers are claiming the Prime Minister himself cancelled the meeting, while others are suggesting the constructors backed out at the last minute.

Meanwhile, Spain is bracing itself for a possible increase in its taxes as it tries to balance its books. Any increase would be deeply unpopular among businesses, politicians, and of course among the general public.

Another holiday travel company has gone bust. Sun4u is based in Birmingham. It deals with holidays in Spain, and reports say that around 1,200 holidaymakers are already in Spain now waiting to get home.

It seems that the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud problems earlier this year hit the company's profits hard. 40 members of staff were told of the collapse of their employers at their call centre.

The problem for some is that some Spanish hotels are asking Sun4u clients to pay again for their roooms and food etc, in effect paying twice, as the hoteliers haven't all been paid by Sun4u.

Although holidaymakers are protected by ABTA and ATOL it'll take some time to get their expenses reimbursed unfortunately.

According to statistics by Tescos, Spain isn't exactly the cheapest place to go on holiday (but you knew that anyway, yes?).

Taking into account a number of costs Barcelona came out 3rd priciest.

Reykjavik, Iceland      £3,383
Rome, Italy     £2,836
Barcelona, Spain     £2,375

Eastern Europe is the cheapest holiday destination this year. A week spent in Bulgaria would cost a typical family of four £1,221.

According to research by Tesco Bank, Bulgaria's costs have dropped 22% since last year making it the most affordable holiday destination.

The data is based on holiday expenses including accommodation, car hire, eating out and family entertainment for a family of four.

However, at the other end of the scale, Reykjavik, Iceland is most likely to be the destination that burns the biggest hole in your wallet. The expenses for a family of four will set you back a massive £3,383.

At long last! The cruel sadistic 'sport' of bullfighting has been banned in Catalonia, Spain.

Opponents are right when they argue that bullfighting involves gratuitous animal suffering that has no place in a modern society.

Over 180,000 Catalans signed a petition circulated by anti-bullfighting group Prou! (Enough). The Catalan parliament could hardly ignore the call for a ban.

Unfortunately the ban doesn't come in for another two years, but it's better than nothing. That's when the the last  bullring in action in Catalonia's capital, Barcelona, would be shut down, along with the few remaining rings in Catalonia.

Seven of the 91 European banks that underwent stress tests have failed the not-so-strenuous stress tests.

As expected, Spain's banks haven't come out too well. Five Spanish banks - Diada, Espiga, Banca Civica, Unnim and Cajasur failed, though it has to be said they are among the smallest of Spain's banks.

Somehow I can see a few of them being eaten up in takeovers by the bigger banks before too long.

A British man is in hospital awaiting surgery after being gored by a bull on the third day of Pamplona's famous bull run. The man, aged 20, needed surgery on the wound in his left thigh which doctors said was serious following the morning bull run, the third run of the nine day festival, which was described as "tense and dangerous."

Do I feel sorry for this fool? Not one bit! Anyone who thinks it's brave to run in front of terrified animals and happens to get injured in the process gets what they deserve as far as I'm concerned.

The economic crisis in Spain is having a knock-on effect for both individuals and businesses there.

Bad debts have in fact reached their highest figure since June of 1995.

Spain views 'doubtful' credit as the point when a person or a company goes three consecutive months without payment. Spain's doubtful credit increased by 476 million euros in just one month. And it seems the Caja savings banks are worst affected.

An average of 15.1 million viewers watched  BBC's World Cup coverage, compared with 3.3 million for ITV. That's about right, BBC had better commentators, better panelists in the studio, and didn't of course have those awful adverts every few minutes when the football wasn't being played.

And many more millions of viewers around the world watched as Iniesta became the hero of Spain, after the 1-0 win over  Holland in the World Cup final.  Those Spanish who watched the match in the country's bars and public places of Madrid watched one of Spain's  favourite sports in anticipation, and that turned to joy when that goal went in.

Although the game wasn't a classic (the Dutch made sure of that by forgetting it was the ball they were meant to kick around, not other football players), it was still quite exciting. The goal came just a few minutes from the end of the 30 minute period of extra time. At least that meant there was no need to go to penalties.

After the Dutch side picked up so many yellow cards for their dirty play, and the one red card, anything other than a Spain victory would have been unfair. Holland might have had a chance of winning if they'd stuck to football instead of hacking at the opposition.

So, well done to Spain, the first time they've won the World Cup, just two years after winning Europe. I'd like to say commiserations to Holland, but I can't, they don't deserve anyone's sympathy.

I see that Dutch footballing legend Johan Cruyff is torn between his allegiance to his nation of birth, and his adopted country - Spain. At least this is true in the matter of the upcoming Word Cup final to take place on Sunday night.

Cruyff has in fact said that a win for Spain would give him great joy. The great Dutch player of the 1970's hasn't turned his back on Holland. It's just that he prefers the way Spain play their football. And, as he now lives in Barcelona, Cruyff should know all about Spanish football, being heavily involved in the game over in Catalonia.

I just don't get it. The budget airline Ryanair carried many more passengers during the first 5 months of 2010 compared with the same period in 2009. It's a hugely profitable airline.

Yet Ryanair now plans to reduce its services from a number of its UK bases in airports like Stansted, Liverpool, Luton, Birmingham, Bristol and Belfast.

Costs are at the forefront of its decision to cut services, as some airports have higher take-off and landing charges than others, and it's these Ryanair is targeting.

Let's see. Fewer flights could result in...higher fares. As if flying back and forth to Spain wasn't bad enough. And Rynair is also increasing its luggage charges shortly. Soon there'll be no such thing as cheap travel to Spain.

Police in Scotland bought emergency supplies of chocolate and drinks for a planeload of Ryanair passengers who were close to mutiny after spending four hours on the tarmac without any food and drink.

Strathclyde police were called to the Ryanair flight at Prestwick airport in Ayrshire yesterday after the plane was held on the runway due to delays caused by an air traffic controllers strike in France.

The flight, to Girona in Spain, had been due to leave at 2pm but by 6pm the flight's besieged crew called the police.

The 168 passengers, which included a number of young children,  became very angry after the crew refused to open the refreshment trolleys, saying they were forbidden from doing so until the flight was in the air. No one was allowed off the plane.

Officers decided to buy Mars bars, Double Deckers and water at the force's expense and brought the supplies on board. The flight eventually left shortly before 8pm.

Ryanair said it was unable to allow the passengers to disembark.

Apparently a loud cheer went up when the police brought supplies. But, how can it be a plane is kept on the tarmac for so long? Passengers would have no doubt preferred to have been kept in the departures lounge for the whole time of the delay. Six hours sat on a plane going nowhere isn't much fun.

12 people are dead after a train speeding through a seaside rail station plowed into a group of youths taking a shortcut across the tracks to get to a beach party. Around 14 are injured.

The youths got off a commuter train in the popular beach resort of Castelldefels outside Barcelona shortly before midnight Wednesday for the party marking the start of summer. About 30 climbed down off the platform and tried to cross the tracks instead of using an underpass to leave the station, witnesses said.

A long-distance train that was not scheduled to stop at the station barreled into the youths at high speed, its whistle shrieking.

It was Spain's deadliest train accident since 2003.

100 people had to be evacuated from their homes for five hours on Saturday night when a campo fire broke out in the area of Las Ventanicas and Puerto Marina of Mojácar.

The fire started at about 2130, and the people had to be evacuated at 0200 on Sunday ‘as a preventative measure’. A hotel on the Paseo was evacuated for a time, but the guests were allowed back a short time later.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

When Spain took on the Euro I wonder f they really knew what they were letting themselves in for?

A Central Bank that dictates bank interest rates. The adjustment in bank interest rates is one of the main waepons most governments use to control inflation.

At one time everything seemed on the up.  Almost 800,000 homes were built in Spain during 2007. That figure is more than in Britain, Germany, and Italy combined. There are currently  1.6m unsold properties in Spain, six times the level per capita in the US.

No wonder British expats are finding it so difficult to sell up and move back to the UK. There are just so many properties on the market, and prices are flat.

As part of the new government's desire to save money it seems they will attempt to put an end to winter fuel payments for those expats living in places like Spain.

Winter fuel payments are designed to help pensioners pay their heating bills. A cut for expats would save around £14m a year. But, the cut could yet be blocked under European law.

Around 65,000 British expats, living in places like Spain, France, Greece and Italy, currently receive the winter fuel payments, which had been designed to ensure that pensioners were not left without the means to pay for heating during the colder months. The argument is that as they live in warm countries, British expats don't need the payments as much as those living in the UK.  Having said that, £14 million is a drop in the ocean compared to the £2.7 billion spent by the Department for Work and Pensions each year on total winter fuel payments.

For anyone in the UK who might be worried about banking with Santander, the Spanish bank.

Santander's British operation is self-funding, raising cash from British savers so it doesn't require capital from its Spanish parent. Under the British Financial Services Compensation Scheme Santander's British subsidiaries' individual savers are protected.

This means that should it be necessary and the worst happens, 100% of the first £50,000 lost per saver per bank or building society can be paid out.

Santander is actually one of the strongest of financial institutions. Both Santander and Santander UK are focused on retail banking with no exposure to toxic financial products. Their UK business is strong and has a standalone credit rating of AA.

The banking sector is under more scrutiny in Spain as over the weekend the Bank of Spain took over the small savings bank CajaSur.

Signs that the Eurozone debt crisis is getting worse? Maybe so. It looks like it's spreading from Greece to elsewhere in Europe.

The IMF is  urging Spain to do more to overhaul its banks. And now the Bank of Spain said that four Spanish saving banks are planning to merge to dilute risks as they all suffer from toxic property and mortgage loans.

Spanish matador Julio Aparicio was recovering in hospital on Saturday after suffering a horrific goring during a bullfight in Madrid.

The half-ton bull caught the torero under his chin after he lost his footing and stumbled while executing a pass with his red cape at the Spanish capital's packed bullring.

The horn of the animal tore into the bullfighter's throat and emerged through his mouth in a dramatic goring on Friday evening that had the crowd screaming in horror.

The evening bullfights are watched by sell-out crowds at the 25,000 seat Las Ventas bullring and are broadcast live on cable television. Six animals are killed in each bullfight.

Many of Spain's newspapers carried the photograph of the exact moment of the goring, sparking arguments on their message boards. Some viewers thought the image too shocking. Others used it as a chance to call for a ban on bullfighting altogether.

Hmm, I don't like to see anyone injured, but I struggle to feel sorry for this person.

I'm hoping that by September the Icelandic volcano issues will be over with. Flights from the UK have been disrupted yet again over the weekend and today, due to the amount of volcanic ash coming over the UK.

I plan on travelling back and forth from Spain to the UK sometime in September, so by then just maybe the problems will be over with. Here's hoping!

Although the economy in many countries is bad, people are still managing to go abroad on holiday.

Over the past few months it's surprised me just how many people I know personally who have gone to mainland Spain, or one of its islands, on holiday. Hopefully the Spanish tourist industry will soon recover from the recession.

Prices in Spain April rose by 1.1 percent, taking the annual rate to 1.5%.  It’s the highest annual level of inflation since December 2008.

The biggest contributors to the increase were clothing and footwear, up 9.5%, transport up 1.5% and housing up 0.7%.

More pain for Spain looks on the cards as sweeping austerity measures were announced today by the Spanish government.

Civil service pay is to be cut by 5 percent this year, then it will be frozen in  2011. There is a  cut in investment spending and pensions too. As if unemployment isn't already bad enough in Spain,  (currently standing at 20%), 13,000 public sector jobs are to be axed.in a drive to meet EU deficit targets.

Public finances were severely hit by the collapse of a construction bubble in the 2007-8 credit crisis, and that is still having a massive impact on the Spanish economy.

Spain has closed almost 20 airports including Barcelona on Saturday because of the cloud of ash blowing south from a volcano in Iceland.

Over 400 flights were cancelled, which meant around 40,000 people stuck in airportsright across the north of Spain.

Air traffic was expected to be affected until 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, at which time flights would gradually resume. However,  a chance still exists the cloud could still be affecting Spain next week.

Spain's commuters are having to turn to more trains,  buses and boats which are  being laid on to help people reach their destinations.

Spain is on track to bring its public deficit within an EU limit by 2013, its finance minister said on Wednesday after ratings agency Standard & Poor's cut the country's credit rating.

"We have a plan to reduce the deficit, we are putting it in place, we are meeting one by one all the timelines which we have set," Elena Salgado said during an interview with public television TVE.

"I believe the markets will evaluate the situation this way. When the situation in Greece is resolved, I believe things will return to their right place," she added.

Trip Advisor has named its top 25 cities in Spain, and prizes have been awarded for the best destinations in Europe and the World.

The top 25 in Spain are the following-

1- Granada
2- Sevilla
3- Santiago de Compostela
4- Barcelona
5- Ibiza
6- Cadaqués
7- San Sebastián
8- Tarifa
9- Tossa de Mar
10- Formentera
11- Puerto Morgán
12- Jávea
13- Fuerteventura
14- Oviedo
15- Palma de Mallorca
16- Santander
17- Ciudadela
18- Astorga
19- Valencia
20- Almería
21- Salamanca
22- Bilbao
23- O Grove
24- Gijón
25- Ronda

It must be extra nice reading if you happen to live in one of those places.

Amid mounting frustration over taxation and banking problems, some overseas Americans are taking the drastic step of renouncing their citizenship.

The Federal Register, the government publication that records such decisions, shows that 502 expatriates gave up their U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status in the last quarter of 2009. Just a tiny portion of the 5.2 million Americans estimated by the State Department to be living abroad.

Still, 502 was the largest quarterly figure in years, more than twice the total for all of 2008, and it looms larger, given how agonizing the decision can be. There were 235 renunciations in 2008 and 743 during 2009.

Some U.S.-based banks have closed expats’ accounts because of difficulty in certifying that the holders still maintain U.S. addresses, as required by a Patriot Act provision.

Due to the Greek financial crisis S&P has now cut its rating on Portugal by two notches to "A-," raising worries that the crisis would spread to the so-called PIIGS. In addition to Greece, they include Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Spain.

So many visitors travel to Spain each year that Spain isn't too happy about the number who are involved in so-called ‘health tourism.'

Under current European law a person is allowed to search for health care in another member state. The way round it is for the other member country to make the process so difficult that it does not happen.

The UK and some other states want it so that citizens can use private or public facilities in any member state but that this should be paid for by the country of residence of the patient. The Spanish aren't happy with this because of the high number of foreign residents residing in Spain, many of them older people. Spain claims it puts an unfair strain on their healthcare resources, which is probably true. So, they want the country of origin to pay for foreign residents' healthcare.

The coffin holding former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, draped with the Olympic flag, has been taken to the Catalonia state headquarters.

The former International Olympic Committee president died on Wednesday at age 89 in the Quiron Hospital in his home city of Barcelona.

Tens of thousands of Britons have been stranded abroad, many of those on holiday in Spain and its islands, due to the volcanic ash from Iceland.  Ferries from Spain are incredibly busy as people are looking for alternative ways to get back home to the UK.

Even when flights are resumed it`s likely air travel will be disrupted for a while after. It`s very difficult for people to plan ahead because no one actually knows when the air space over the UK and other parts of Europe will be opened up again.

Compared to some of the dangers from certain animals you might come across in places like Africa, Asia, Australia, or Latin America, most places in Europe are considered fairly safe.

Having said that, there are a few dangerous creatures in Spain. If possible it is best to avoid these wherever possible. Some creatures pose very little danger in themselves, but allergies to some venoms can be toxic in rare cases. Being forewarned is being forearmed, and I have created a page here on the site dealing with some of the more common beasties which expats in Spain might come across for the first time in their lives.

Saturday’s El Classico between Real Madrid and Barcelona ended up in a 2-0 victory for Barca.

Lionel Messi showed once more why he is rated as one of the best players in the world, not just La Liga. He scored the first goal on 33 minutes, with Pedrito scoring the second on 56 minutes.

Cristiano Ronaldo was definitely second best to Messi on the night.
   

Proof that Spain is still suffering from the effects of the severe recession is shown in their latest jobless figures for March.

Jobless claims rose by 59,088 and now stand at a total of over 4 million unemployed. The forecast was an increase of around 30,000 to 35,000 claiming unemployment benefits, so the actual  figures at almost double make gloomy reading.

For someone thinking about buying a home in Spain now could be one the best times possible. It seems that property prices there are now 25% cheaper than they were in 2007.

Now it is Spring it could see the start of new constructions on the rise, though I`m sure that it might mean  smaller margins for a while yet for construction firms.

A group of protesting flight attendants with the bankrupt Spanish airline Air Comet have posed in the nude to publicize a row with their employers over unpaid wages.The nine girls stripped off for a calendar to raise money after they were owed up to 9 months in wages.

 

Air Comet went bust and filed for bankruptcy last December, owing around 160 millions euros.

The girls hope that by their display they will raise awareness of their grievences and get paid out from the company`s assets.

I`ve added a poll on the Home Page to gauge visitors` opinions on whether bullfighting in Spain should be banned.

I thought it would be useful to add a Spanish phrases page with some common words and phrases. Although a lot of Spaniards speak English to some degree, particularly in bars, restaurants and shops, it`s always good to now some Spanish words to express yourself. They appreciate the efforts you make, even if the pronunciation isn`t quite perfect.

 Millions are set to take part in "Earth Hour" on Saturday as their way of protesting about the lack of efforts to tackle climate change. For one hour up to one billion people will switch off their electricity switching off TV sets, computers, lights etc.

Thousands of cities and towns in more than 100 countries are going to be involved in Earth Hour. The idea of Earth Hour started in 2007 with just one country taking part - Australia - and has really mushroomed since then.

In Spain there will be a race for the planet organized by Earth Hour WWF.

Earth Hour in Spain

*  The Race for the Planet is not a sports event, you can come with your parents, your children or your dog. You can make the route running or just strolling. The important thing is to come to enjoy with us and to cooperate in fighting climate change!

* The Race for the Planet is a party unite people of all ages and backgroundsIn a collective gesture by weather.

* The race will begin and end at the Independence Gate Retiro park (opposite the Puerta de Alcalá) at 19:30 just an hour before the outage occurs.

The Euro is taking a beating partly caused by the faltering economies of  both Greece and Portugal.

The IBEX 35 had lost 2% by lunchtime yesterday . The Euro is at a ten month low against the dollar as the ratings agency FITCH has reduced the credit rating for Portugal.

Alistair Darling`s budget didn`t excite many people in the UK, and the markets were unimpressed, though steady.

British Airways has cancelled most of its flights between London Heathrow and Madrid over the strike action which started on Saturday.

This is because cabin crew at BA have been called out on a 3 day strike which is affecting mainly short and medium haul routes.

These strikes will affect business people much more than tourists or expats returning from the UK, as most in those groups use budget airlines.

Over half a million Britons who retired abroad are not going to get their pensions increased in line with inflation. Thirteen expats had taken their case to judges in Strasbourg, but the European court rejected their appeal.

British expats in Spain are alright, as they get their pensions increased annually. But, expats in more than one hundred countries which include Australia, Canada and South Africa do not see their state pension increased annually in line with inflation, as happens in Britain and the EU.

Thus, by way of example, a pensioner who began drawing a full pension in Australia in 1981 will still be receiving £29.60 a week, although the basic UK state pension is now £95.25 a week. That pensioner will by now have lost out on many tens of thousands of pounds.

Watch out Spain! If the Germans have their way you could be one of the countries in line to be expelled from the Euro.

Spain has massive debts, as does Greece. Wolfgang Schäuble, the German Finance Minister, was interviewed by the Financial Times Deutschland. In his interview Schäuble said that Germany would be prepared to expel and countries which fail to meet the requirements from the Euro.

It doesn`t look to be getting any easier for Brits living in Spain, especially those who are relying on money sent from the UK. The euro is valued at 0.91 GBP at the moment. That means that the exchange rate has resulted in a fall of around 30% on the value of the pound since this time four years ago.

Southern France and north-eastern Spain have suffered the worst snowfalls for decades.

Hundreds of motorists had to abandon their vehicles on the French motorway. Emergency accommodation was sought in hotels and sports halls.

Train passengers spent the night sleeping on their trains on the French side of the border.

 Snow ploughs are working to clear the autoroute between France and Spain at Perthus and La Jonquera on the border.

Barcelona hasn`t seen snow like this for 25 years, with around three feet falling on high ground. Much of the snow in that area is clearing now though.

To make it for visitors to read the pages I`ve increased the font size. I have also added a new page Books on Spain.

Now, on all pages, my latest blog posts can be seen. They will appear down the left hand side. I like to blog so that anything new on the site, or of course anything relevant to life in Spain can be posted.

How sad! The Spanish have decided to put off a debate i parliamenmt about the proposed smokin ban. Instaed they want to get a consensus for more support for a ban.

Consensus? You must be kidding.  In Spain depending on the size of the premises no smoking areas should be put in place. Yet,  figures suggest that just over 10% of the  350,000 leisure establishments have created smoking areas or banned smoking.

The medical establishment in Spain has long urged a total ban, describing smoking as one of Spain's top public health problems, resulting in more than 50,000 deaths every year.

The recent figures from Spain`s traffic authority showing a 33% reduction in deaths on Spain`s roads in February has to be good news.

The figure of 92 is the first time in years it has dropped below 100.  The fall is despite poor weather conditions. Perhaps fewer motorists took to the roads because of the weather?

Whatever the cause, it is still good news.

At last I`ve got my new header for my site, Expats in Spain. I wanted a header that really showed up what the site is about, the fun, excitement, food and drink associated with being in Spain.

I see that Spain has 18 representatives in 7 sports in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I also see that thus far Spain has won not one medal.

No surprise I don`t suppose. Let`s face it, Spain is hardly a country full of ski slopes, ice hockey arenas, and ice skating venues. True, Spain does get some snow, but not enough to make an olympic sportsman or woman out of its inhabitants. To be honest though, if you could be outside in the sunshine would you go looking for snow to practise a winter sport 8 hours a day in?

Take a look at the leading nations, the US, Canada, Norway, Germany, and what is the common denominator? Snow, ice, and cold.

It appears that consumers are spending more in Spain for the first time after two years of recession. The public sector and the real estate industry are still holding back any real road to recovery though.

I don`t suppose it helps much that Spain`s banks are still reluctant to lend to small businesses and apparently rejecting one quarter of the credit applications being made by small businesses. The banks in Spain now have a poor reputation for access to lending, with about half of applicants compared to those in France finding loan applications successful.

Los Montesinos is a lovely village/town close to the coastal town of Torrevieja. A number of Brits now live there, and a new page has been added to the site. A lot of new property has been built in Los Montesinos over the years, but with the current economic situation in Spain there are a lot of properties up for sale.

I`ve been spending some time this morning on the site creating new links, making other links stand out, and making some of my page titles longer.

I`ve also added more content to one or two pages to give more detail and facts I think will be of interest to visitors.

Spain`s smoking related deaths are down 1,500 a year since the anti-smoking legislation was introduced in 2005, says the Spanish Society of Epidemiology.

Passive smoking in the general population has fallen from 50% to 20% of the population over the past 5 years. Hopefully those figures will be further reduced if the Spanish government gets its way and all smoking in public places is banned later in 2010.

The first race of the 33rd edition of the America’s Cup sailing competition was postponed again because of high waves off Valencia, Spain.

The first meeting will be held in two days, officials said today. The race was originally due to start on 8th February, but that was delayed, and now it`s been delayed again due to the weather off Spain.

It seems the waves are too high, though the wind is now about right.

Oh well, I don`t own a yacht so it won`t affect me.

The defending champions Spain have been placed in Group 1 with Czech Republic, Lithuania, Liechtenstein and Scotland. The 2012 European football championships are to be played to be played in Poland and Ukraine.

I imagine Spain will be very pleased with their group.

As for England, they are in Group G with Switzerland, Wales, Bulgaria and Montenegro. Having only 5 teams in this group should be of benefit to England with less games to worry about. Capello must be delighted.

I`ve now added a Guest Book to the Expats in Spain site so that I can get some feedback on how the site looks.

Friday 5th February is the 25th anniversary of the opening of the border between Gibraltar and Spain.

Franco closed the frontier on the 8th June1969.  It took another 13 years for Felipe González the Prime Minister, to reopen the border, though only for pedestrians. It took two years after that for vehicles and merchandise to be allowed to cross.

I see that like some other countries like the UK and Germany the retirement age will rise to 67 from 65. In Spain this is to take effect from 2025, and that`s when the retirement pension will be paid out for those aged 67.

It had to happen, with the shift towards an aging Spanish population, the poor state of the government finances and the rise in increased life expectancies.

The question is, can it end there? Fewer workers supporting more retired people.

If the Spanish people themselves can`t get work what chance for the rest of those living there?

The number of unemployed in Spain is at record high levels, with the number reaching  4,048,493. During January 124,890 became unemployed,  joining the dole queue..

The services sector was the worst hit, with 82% of the new lost jobs, then  industry and construction. Unemployment increased in virtually all areas of Spain. The largest increases in unemployment were in Cataluña and Andalucía.

Although many Brits go out to live in Spain and are perfectly happy to remain there, unfortunately it doesn`t work out for everyone.

I`ve added a page about Expats who Return from Spain for a variety of reasons. Being forewarned of these reasons could help some reach an informed decision about whether or not to move to Spain in the first place so as to avoid what could be a costly mistake.

One of those paradoxical situations. But as Spain`s economy gets worse and more people have been getting benefits such as unemployment, there are now almost three quarters of a million fewer people paying into the Social Security system than there were a year ago.

Add to that the report that the number of building licences for new homes in Spain during 2009 was less than half those in the year before, and things don`t good  right now in Spain.

Spain is having it hard right now with a slump in the sales of properties to foreigners, especially the Brits. According to official figures, sales are down by 99% in 2009 on the Costa del Sol.

It seems that hopes for improved house sales are now being pinned on German buyers as over there a recovery looks like happening sooner rather than later.

It`s a good time for buyers though in one way, as the lack of demand for second homes has sent current prices on some properties plummeting by 90,000 euros.

As tighter anti-smoking legislation looms for non-smoking in many public places in Spain later this year hard hitting photos will appear on cigarette packs.



Rotten teeth, impotence and diseased internal organs all feature in the various photos.



Already this type of thing is seen on cigarette packs in the EU, such as the  UK, Belgium, Romania, along with countries not in the European Union.

Let`s hope the shock tactics win, although it has to be recognised that a lot of people don`t want to face the facts about the dangers of tobacco.

                                                  

ADECCO, the part time working agency, claims that the average wage in Spain remains 20% below the EU average. Data from Eurostat was used, putting the average wage in Spain in 2008 at 21.500 euros.

The average wage in Spain is half that in the U.K. which actually came out top of them all.

In most other European countries the highest wages are found in the services sector, while in Spain it is manufacturing which is better paid.

Something to think about for those thinking of going to live and work in Spain, though of course the actual cost of living is lower in Spain than many other countries.

Oops! A photofit mugshot of terror chief Osama bin Laden has been withdrawn by American officials working for the FBI! Why? They used a Spanish politician's face.

The "wanted" image of the al-Qaeda leader as he might look now without his trademark long beard and turban was posted on the internet by the FBI.

The problem is the photo is actually based on one of a Spaniard - Communist MP Gaspar Llamazares. Blame an overzealous FBI technician!

I think a lot of Manchester United supporters will have been very surprised when they read the financial report for their club last week.

The Americans who bought Manchester United did so after borrowing heavily to pay for it. The club is massively in debt to the tune of £700million!

Now it seems United are considering selling Old Trafford and their Carrington training ground, and to rent them back from new owners.

The scary part is that if it wasn`t for the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for £80 million, United would have actually made a loss, instead of a profit for the year.

The Bilbao to Portsmouth route has been making ‘unsustainable losses’ according to P&O so will close on the 27th September 2010.

Workers have all been told the news yesterday, and the company has said it is trying to relocate the some 252 workers involved with the ferry.  Until the service finishes normal service will be maintained.

It looks like full body scanners will be fitted in airports in Spain after the Spanish Minister for Development, José Blanco, met up in the US with senior American diplomats to discuss the ‘open skies’ agreement between the United States and Europe.

Although the European Parliament rejected body scanners two years ago things have moved on as security is once again top of the agenda.

Blanco`s big concern was about privacy being safeguarded, but aside from that it seems virtually inevitable the body scanners will be seen in more countries, including Spain.

In the UK more scanners are being ordered, at £80,000 each. At least it removes the need for `pat down` searches.

Currently the scanners are being trialled at Manchester airport. In the US they are in use in 19 airports though that figure is expected to rise over time as the terrorism threat worsens.

It`s amazing that some Brits will just go to Spain assuming that jobs are easy to find and they`ll be able to pick one up no problem.

That isn`t usually the reality though.  Just like in the UK for every job that`s going there are dozens if not hundreds after it.

I`ve created a page in which employment prospects for Expats in Spain are discussed, along with which types of work may be available for the fortunate few. The saying  `fail to prepare - prepare to fail` is very true when it comes to finding a job in Spain. To avoid disappointment it`s essential to do your homework properly before leaving to take up your new life over there.

I`ve added a new page about the town of Albarracin, otherwise known as the Eagles` Nest, due to its location among the mountains in north east Spain. I think this will be of interest to anyone visiting that part of Spain, in the Teruel area.

Looks like it isn`t just us in the UK who have `neighbours from hell!`

I see that despite being fined in the past one woman loved pigeons so much she kept putting food out for them.  The problem is that in many places pigeons are considered a pest. And, following yet more complaints Malaga City Hall fined the woman over 3,000 euros for re-offending.  Neighbours said the building was filthy due to the pigeons feeding there.

Putting food out in the garden for a few birds is one thing, but for pigeons, I ask you?

Like most countries at this time the Spanish government is having to look for increased revenues into their coffers.

What sorts of the things can Spain look forward to during 2010?

Price fixed electricity is rising by over 2.5% which will mean higher energy costs for some households and small businesses. It won`t have an effect on poorer people like pensioners or some unemployed though. Bottled gas has increased in price too.

RENFE train tickets are up 4% for AVE high speed and long distance routes. Local Cercanías and medium distance trains see a 6% rise.

There will be a general tax of 18% on savings. Capital gains up to 6,000 euros get hit by 19% tax and for larger amounts 21%.

A 1% increase in the amount of contribution pensions takes effect. Pensions will rise though.

The Minimum Wage has gone up 1.5% to stand at 633.3 euros a month.

Stamps go up in price by 2 cents on all letters. They will cost 34 and 64 cents.

IVA/VAT is being hit hard with an increase by 2% from 16% to 18%, and from 7% to 8% in July. The 4% rate will remain unchanged.

My last post for 2009 is about the economy.

For those of you thinking of leaving the UK and taking up residence in Spain I thought the following points may be of interest-

The Spanish Prime Minister has warned of more unemployment in 2010. That`s bad news because if Spaniards can`t get work in their own country then `foreigners` are even less likely to. Having said that, there are often jobs such as pool cleaning which many Brits prefer to have other Brits carry out for them.

Apparently the Spanish stock market has ended the year with a 30% rise, but let`s face it from the lows it has been during the year that doesn`t mean all that much.

The Government in Spain has spent 73% more than it earned this year. That means it will have to claw some of it back. Guess what? Taxes in some form or another are probably going to be the main weapon to increase the Government`s revenue.

In short, for those of you who are very self sufficient financially it might not be too much of a problem. For those who might have to rely on work out in Spain, or if your money is tight, you might want to think twice before taking the plunge at this moment. And remember that if some or all of your income is derived from the UK the exchange rate between the Euro and pound will impact upon your real income.

I`ve not seen many of those Polaris World ads on TV just lately. Now I know why!

Polaris World has six residential complexes in the Murcia Region. I see though that like a lot of other companies, particular those involved in property development, things are looking bad.

The property developer is reported to have applied to the courts for an additional three months to continue negotiating its debts with its creditors. If agreed it means that Polaris World will at least have that period of time to try to come to arrangements with its creditors.

The Spanish flag is quite detailed in comparison to most flags.

The flag has undergone a few transformations over the centuries, the last change being in 1981 when the eagle was removed.

Take a look at the two columns - the Pillars of Hercules. Apparently they represent Gibraltar and Ceuta on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar. I imagine Spain continues with its aspirations to one day get hold of Gibraltar from the UK.

And around the pillars you can see the Latin word `PLUS` on the one, with `ULTRA` on the other. So, `more beyond` which refers to the discovery of the New World by Colombus.

All in all as flags go not bad.

My site is pretty well just how I want it now. I`ll constantly be looking for ways to improve it of course as long as it`s for the good. I`m going to move my `Blog` link from down the side to the top menu where I think it will fit in better.

I`ve got a cold right now so I`m not particularly in the mood for working on the Internet, but it`s quiet right now at this time of year, so I can afford to take it a bit easier than normal.

According to the Spanish Meteorological Office there will be more more torrential rain today across virtually all of the south of Spain. All the holiday costas are affected by the alerts from the Atlantic to Alicante, although the Levante coast escapes the worst of the weather.

The law in Spain has changed to help stop phone spam.  It covers all types of misleading and aggressive practices in business.

The new regulations prohibit telephone spam and aggressive sales tactics by bringing increased protection to consumers and more strict control over unfair competition and unlawful or misleading advertising.

Congress has approved the list which covers the law on consumer protection, on unfair competition, on advertising, and legislation covering retail trade.

Bullying tactics, duress, force or undue influence will be stopped if this law is enforced. Unfair competition includes leading a consumer into making an on the spot decision with the pretext that an item or service is available for a limited time only when that is not, in fact, the case.  Presenting information in a manner which is unclear or ambiguous, and misrepresenting the goods or service offered as comparable with a competitor’s will be prohibited.

In short, it ought to put a stop to unfair and unethical practises on the phone.

For those who may think Spain is warm all year round. That`s not the case of course. It`s expected that tonight temperatures will fall to minus twenty degrees Centigrade in some areas. In the capital, Madrid, it will fall to -6ºC and it`s unlikely to get above freezing all day tomorrow.

 The problem is that Spanish homes aren`t really built for the cold, with a lot of them not having central heating installed. That`s one thing expats in Spain will notice a big difference in compared to life in the UK.

Bullfighting is very controversial in Spain. Personally I think it`s barabaric, and when people call the Matadors `brave` I`d prefer to call them overpaid cowards. Nothing at all brave about going in a ring armed with swords against an animal that`s frightened has often already had the tendons in its neck severed.

Thankfully the Catalonia government has taken the first step to banning this hideous `sport` in a vote at the Catalan parliament. The ban won`t come about though until it`s finally voted upon next year.
Although the ban would end las corridas (bullfights) it would stop street fiestas where sometimes bulls are cruelly treated by having balls of fire attached to their horns.

Like a lot of countries Spain`s drivers have to be eeducated not to use mobile phones when driving. Drivers can get a 150 € fine and lose three points for manual use of a mobile phone.

There was a move to pardon anyone who`s been punished if they install a hands-free Bluetooth system within a month but the debate in parliament was lost on that.

It seems at last Spain is geting tough on smoking. The Health minister Trinidad Jimenez has spoken about putting a bill before parliament next year to stop smoking in all bars and restaurants.

She tried to allay the concerns of some by saying that in other countries whereh this has been done the economy hasn`t suffered.

It can`t come too soon in my opinion!

The threatened strikes at BA  will cause a lot of disruption I would think with domestic and short-haul flights, such as those to Spain.

Usually the airlines tend to protect the long-haul flights at the expense of others because it`s easier for travellers to use other ways to get to nearer destinations, such as by use of car, train, ferry and so on.

I reckon though that for most expats or holiday makers going to and from Spain over the holidays it shouldn`t cause too many problems - if any. Most of these passengers will be using either charter, or, low cost budget airlines, rather than the much more expensive national carriers.

I doubt few would argue with the award for Lifetime Achievement going to top golfer Spaniard Seve Ballesteros this time around.

Seve has won 5 majors including the Open and the Masters during his career.

He`s still recovering from a brain tumour which meant enduring several operations, and the award was presented at his home in Spain by another well known golfer - Jose Maria Olazabal

I see the residents of Catalonia are being asked in an unofficial referendum to vote on whether they want independence from the Spanish government in Madrid.

There are around 700,000 eligible voters in that region of Spain, and Catalonia already has a certain amount of freedom which they`ve fought for over the years. They even have their own language, Catalan.

There`s a lot of discord between Madrid and Barcelona (the capital of Catalonia) and the organisers of this referendum  hope it will pave the way for an official one.

No wonder there is a great deal of rivalry between Spain`s top two football teams as both come from each of the `capitals` there.

Although Spain have never won the football World Cup they are one of the hot favourites to do so in 2010 in South Africa.

Between June 11 and July 11 they`ll be taking on some of the very best soccer nations, though their draw in the first stages in Group H looks easy enough.  Chile, Honduras and Switzerland are the other countries in Group H.

Spain, the current European Champions, are at the top of the FIFA world rankings. They easily qualified for the World Cup, winning all their qualification matches.

British expats have been protesting the withdrawal of  free healthcare by marching through Alicante.

The Valencia government has taken the  decision to withdraw their access to free healthcare. The taking away of this concession  affects those who took early retirement and are not otherwise eligible for free public health care in the region. Protesters want the concession which was granted back in 2003 to remain in force. If the government doesn`t back down it`ll mean that those wanting healthcare will have to pay 270 euros per quarter. That means about £1,000 a year at current exchange rates.

The fact this affects people in just the one region may pursuade British expats going to Spain to look for property elsewhere.

At a time when expats are feeling less well off because of the poor exchange rate between sterling and the euro, this is the last thing that`s wanted.

Wasn`t the news about the 75-year old gran who with her dance partner Nicko won `Spain`s Got Talent` fantastic? 

          

Paddy Jones is the lady`s name. She moved to Spain in 2001 with her husband David to live in Gandia, near Valencia. Sadly, David died in 2004, but Paddy chose to stay on in Spain.

The couple won the prize money of €10,000 by dancing the Salsa, a very energetic dance for anyone, never mind someone in thir 70`s. Nicko is half her age, and is her dance teacher. Mrs Jones actually took up dancing when she was just over two  years of age, doing ballet and tap. It was after her husband`s death she decided to look for an interest, and as she had a background in dance (as a professional at ballet), that`s what she went for.

Paddy and Nicko have toured the world with their dancing, and it looks like the grandmother has no intention of retiring soon. Well done to her. It shows age isn`t always a barrier.