Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. Cast your mind back to 2004. The boom years in Spain. Property prices were rising, tourists were flocking in and the future seemed rosy with an ever growing market and plenty of land to build on. Lots of Spanish airports were needed to meet the demand. […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. It’s hard to know where to start with a title like ‘museums in Spain’. There are over 1,500 of them and no post on any blog can begin to pay justice to the variety that are available to the interested. Here, I can only touch on […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. The reasons why people buy a house in Spain are varied. Many people would admit that the weather was a significant draw here. However, culture, food, pace of life, fiestas, a rich history are all reasons given for making this financial investment. But how much do […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. Perhaps they are not the most likely duo, but Sweden and Spain are building links. The country of the north with the limited sunshine is teaming up with the country of the south, siestas and fiestas. It’s perhaps because of rather than in spite of their […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. Ábaco means abacus in Spanish. There are some very good reasons why Ábaco was named after this nifty piece of calculating apparatus. John Paoli, founder of Ábaco Advisers, explains, ‘Having a company name starting with the letters ab gives you a little bit of an advantage […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. There has always been debate about just how beneficial it is for a country to be part of the European Community. For some countries it has been more controversial than others. There is continuing stress on relationships due to countries’ individual economies and perceptions held about […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. We all hope that the need will never arise, but it is important to be prepared for an emergency in Spain – just in case. In many respects the Spanish emergency services work in a very similar way to most other countries. The European emergency number […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. I remember learning at school about the window tax of the 17th and 18th century. A property tax based on the number of windows in the house, it led to people taking all kinds of measures in order to avoid it. Now in the 21st century […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. In another blog I have written about the sport of pelota/ pilota – a ball game traditionally linked to Spain. Not unlike pelota, Spanish padel tennis has strong associations with Spanish-speaking countries. However,  it is not as old a sport and was developed in the late […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. Most Spanish sports and recreational activities are not much different from what you would find anywhere in the world. The Spanish love of football needs no coverage and Spaniards continue to excel in many sports such as tennis, golf and motor racing. However, there are one […]

Last updated on March 27th, 2020 at 06:53 pm. If you are not eligible to retire yet but are keen to live in Spain then unless you’ve won the lottery you are going to have to work here. Before you start handing in your notice in your home country, however, it is important to be […]

Last updated on April 23rd, 2020 at 12:09 pm. If you have been frustrated by the intransigence of the European quarantine laws when organising pet travel to Spain, then you might be delighted to hear that there are plans for the laws to be relaxed. New EU legislation has been proposed that will apply to […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:10 am. As you would expect, a Spanish market is noisy and colourful with its fair share of ‘characters’. People watching is a good pastime at a market in Spain. Find yourself a spot at one of the little bars or side cafes and observe the hustle and […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. It should be a very special time. However, for many women across the world pregnancy and childbirth are very dangerous periods of their lives. ‘Surviving the First Day: State of the World’s Mothers 2013’ is a report by Save the Children. It was produced on commemoration […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. For British National residents in Spain it used to be possible to obtain a new British passport from Madrid. Since the 13th May, this option has been removed. All applications now need to be sent directly to the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) in Belfast. Although […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Ensuring you have access to health care in Spain is at the top of every Spanish property owner’s agenda. We are aware that there is a lot of confusion around entitlements and what Spanish health care you can access with which card. There are three main […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. There is no doubt that it is harder to scowl than to smile when the sun is shining. The wonderful weather makes such a difference to your outlook as well as your way of life.  But is this just an impression we get or is there […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. For as long as most people can remember, Benidorm has been a household name. Unfortunately its reputation isn’t always a desirable one. For many, this Costa Blanca seaside town is the epitomy of bad behaviour abroad, with a variety of nationalities throwing caution to the wind […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Valencia has had some bad press. Most people now have heard about the extravagant years when money was no object and bizarre buildings and projects were springing up all over the city. But to only see Valencia in this light is to do it an injustice. […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Experiences will always differ. However, by and large, the health care in Spain is good. The Spanish hospitals are clean, the service efficient and the investigations into whatever your ailment is, are thorough. However, there are differences in the approach taken here that are worthwhile you […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Probably everyone has been caught out at some time whilst driving in Spain. Sometimes you know you’ve taken a risk and perhaps allowed your attention to  drift from the speed dial. Other times it’s a genuine lack of awareness. This can be particularly common when you’re […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. Learning another language isn’t easy. There are all those verbs to learn, tenses to navigate, masculine and feminine to commit to memory and many words that sound so similar but one wrong vowel and it could change the whole meaning. So any little help along the […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. We rely so much on our services that when they are cut off it comes as something of a shock. If you lose your electricity in Spain, in particular, you suddenly realise just how much you rely on it. There’s no television, internet, phone line. You […]

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am. There are many wonderful holiday destinations in Spain, and they don’t just involve lying on a beach. A fantastic holiday experience I have had was walking the ´Camino de Santiago’. To walk the ‘Camino de Santiago’ or the Way of St. James is included on the […]

Last updated on April 22nd, 2020 at 01:33 pm. When you tell people that you live in Spain or have a house there, their first thought is usually of hot weather and beaches. The Spanish coastline is famous and people from across the world like to holiday here for just that reason – it’s hot […]