November 2010

Sherry Part 1: Barber Pepe and the wines of Jerez

By Troy Shaheen on November 30, 2010

Troy Shaheen always suspected that sherry in Jerez was something for the tourists. Like hookah bars or sweet teas or tee-shirts with bulls on them

Vélez Blanco, the Indalo and the Chaman (Brujo)

By John Woodhead on November 30, 2010

John Woodhead explores the cave paintings at Cueva de los Letreros

ITV test in Spain: Lights, handbrake, adelante!

By Charlotte Hanson on November 29, 2010

Charlotte takes the dreaded ITV test for cars over four years old

End of the road?

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 28, 2010

Ronda’s countryside could lose its public transport once subsidies end

Dead Briton found on Costa del Sol

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 28, 2010

A body of a British man was found floating in a marina

We have gas!

By Caitlyn Slivinski on November 28, 2010

Caitlyn Slivinski’s morning started with the clanking of the gas tanks on the truck outside

Fear of flying?

By Paul Whitelock on November 27, 2010

Paul Whitelock tries to find cheap flights in and out of Spain from the low-cost airlines. And he discovers some of the pros and cons of using them

Spain’s hidden housing glut

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 27, 2010

A private study shows the problem of unsold houses in Andalucia is worse than thought

Cruising destination

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 27, 2010

Cruise ship tourist visits to Malaga are set to double following the impending launch of the new port terminal

Flight prices are sky high

By Web Manager on November 27, 2010

One of our American bloggers finds travel within Spain affordable but flights out of the country expensive

Paradise found – in Andalucia!

By Paul Whitelock on November 26, 2010

The other day I went to heaven, or, should I say, paradise on earth. A veritable Garden of Eden. Our good friend invited us to visit her finca in the mountains just outside Yunquera, halfway between Ronda and Málaga

A woman’s prerogative

By Carolyn Emmett on November 26, 2010

“We should enlarge that upstairs window and install French doors, to match all the other windows on the second floor.” The builder opened it up to accommodate the change. “That looks dreadful. It’s only a foot above the top of the front door. Put it back the way it was.”

Gipsy Kings

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 26, 2010

Andalucian gipsies are celebrating their special day

Oily business

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 26, 2010

Andalucian olive oil is being diluted to save costs

Bits, bytes and binary

By John Woodhead on November 26, 2010

It bugs me when people don’t understand the difference between bits and bytes. It is even worse when it is Telefonica sales people who are trying to sell me a faster megabyte per second broadband service. This is because the service is actually measured in megabits per second

Football magnate’s tobacco hoax up in smoke

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 25, 2010

Former boss of Malaga FC is jailed for illegal tobacco trading

Brits fall out of love with Andalucia

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 24, 2010

UK holidaymakers are opting for the Canaries over Andalucia

Illegal homes in Marbella made legal

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 24, 2010

A total of 225 illegal homes built in Marbella under the GIL party have been legalised with 1000 more to follow before the end of the year

It’s all in the translation

By Carolyn Emmett on November 24, 2010

Por favor, una horca,” I ask the señora in the hardware store. She looks horrified. I make digging motions to indicate I need a garden fork. She looks relieved, and says there are none in stock. On looking up the Spanish for ‘horca’, I discover I’d asked for a gallows

I want to ride my bike…on the pavement

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 23, 2010

The Supreme Court in Spain has ruled that bicycles can be ridden on pavements and in pedestrian zones

Earthquake hits Mijas

By Jon Clarke (Publisher) on November 23, 2010

But most of the population failed to notice the tremors

Saharawi protests in historic Jerez

By Troy Shaheen on November 22, 2010

While perusing Jerez’s beautiful public library, I heard muffled shouts from the street below. The cries grew louder and louder until they filled the quiet library and I headed down the stairs and out the door to investigate