GUARDAMAR

Moros y cristianos - Guardamar

2012-01-25T22:28:00.003Z

It is a near to impossible task trying to ascertain the dates of Guardamar's Moors and Christians celebrations.

However after a lot of searching the internet we have discovered it runs from July 20th to 29th this year.

The town will be very busy - it will be very hot but watching the parades and fireworks will make it well worthwhile.

Guardamar

2012-01-24T11:09:00.001Z

Quiet now down by the park but in summer this area will be heaving ..

Guardamar - Pine Forest

2012-01-22T11:01:00.002Z

Another nice sunny day - photos taken September/October.

Dark clouds ..

2012-01-14T19:12:00.000Z

Dark clouds on the horizon ..

Flowers

2012-01-11T19:06:00.001Z

On our return to Spain these will be long gone - lack of water ( unless heavy rain decides to visit throughout the winter )

Jigsaw

2012-01-08T19:01:00.001Z

A visit to Spain is never complete without a jigsaw to pass away a few days.

Spanish unemployment ..

2012-01-03T14:15:00.002Z

The number of people in Spain claiming unemployment benefit has risen to 4.42 million.

This is a fifteen year high and the fifth straight monthly rise.

The new government has a lot of work to do !!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000Z

Happy New Year 2012

Feliz Año Nuevo 2012

La Mata - changes !!

2011-12-31T21:26:00.000Z

More photographs of the main square in La Mata ..

La Mata - changes !!

2011-12-30T21:12:00.002Z

The main square in La Mata now has a makeover - not too sure if it is completed.

Out go the little fountains and seating areas to be replaced by this great expanse - which may be grand for holding meetings or markets but certainly lacks anywhere to sit.

Not sure I like it - it lacks any character .

New bosses in power ...

2011-12-22T19:18:00.003Z

The new Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy won a vote of confidence in parliament on Tuesday and King Juan Carlos swore him in on Wednesday.

Now the fun will start - increased taxes and cuts cuts cuts in services and projects...

Luis de Guindos ex Lehman Brothers will head the economy ministry and Cristobal Montoro will be treasury minister.

Fatima Banez lawyer and economist will head the labour ministry and overhaul the rigid labour laws while Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo gets the plum job of foreign secretary

New names and faces ...

Good luck !!

Construction work ..

2011-12-19T06:17:00.002Z

The first few weeks of our holiday were disturbed by the construction work being carried on in the building opposite.

The work seemed to consist of knocking down a wall and rebuilding it in the same spot but with a slightly different entrance way to the pool.

I'm not sure if this was done correctly as there seemed to be many discussions with the property owners followed by the disappearance of the workforce.

No doubt on our return the work will have been completed or perhaps not.

It looks like rain water will collect at the side of the wall - not good!!

Unpaid electric and gas bills ..

2011-12-18T19:02:00.006Z

Electric and gas bills are not being paid in Spain and the main culprits are the town halls.

Unesa which represents Iberdrola SA, Endesa SA, E-On AG, Gas Natural SDG SA and HC Energia says the five power companies are owed about 500 million euro.

It looks like stormy times ahead for the Spanish economy.

Cafe ..

2011-12-15T09:46:00.000Z

On a pleasant day it is nice to walk through the pine forest and take a rest and refreshment at this cafe ..

Dark clouds

2011-12-12T09:40:00.002Z

Dark rain clouds gather ..

This is the view from our patio - when the sun does shine the building actually reflects light into our apartment.

CAM

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000Z

The CAM Bank has been bought by the Banco Sabadell SA for one euro - I realised that the CAM was in a bad way but this news came as a surprise.

Having only a current account used for paying bills I am not too concerned however I do hope that our current branch in Guardamar remains open.

Recently the Guardamar branch of Barclays closed which I did find annoying - Barclays as far as I was concerned provided the best deal when it came to taking cash from my current UK account at an ATM.

Now I must travel to Barclays in Torrevieja or Alicante if I do not want to be hit by high commission costs.

Euro crisis

2011-12-11T17:52:00.004Z

A Bloomberg report of the 9/12 suggests that some European CEO's believe that Spain will exit the euro and return to the peseta.

Already firms are making plans to move money to German banks or move their headquarters to northern Europe.

What are the consequences for the holiday maker or expat residing in Spain?

If Spain was to return to the peseta and then devalue it would make the country a cheaper place to visit ( assuming Sterling retains it's worth ), expats on a pension would receive a higher income but the value of our holiday homes and residences would reduce even further.

It's all swings and roundabouts.

Woe in Madrid ..

2011-12-11T08:51:00.002Z

Yesterday Real Madrid lost on their own turf to Barcelona 3-1 and this leaves them both with 37 points in La Liga.

Good news for Real Madrid is that they have one game in hand.

There will be a lot of head shaking and arguments in the bars of Madrid this weekend especially as Barcelona are bitter rivals.

Modern day castle ..

2011-12-09T09:01:00.000Z

This block of holiday apartments looks more like a modern castle or some army command post with it's grey painted walls and satellite dishes.

Death in August - Marco Vichi

2011-12-06T10:47:00.002Z

Holiday time is a good time to catch up with some reading .

Death in August by Marco Vichi was among the books bought from Amazon prior to our trip out to Spain.It is the first Inspector Bordelli book and the setting is around Florence a city we went to recently.

Must admit it was not a book I really liked - rather a slow storyline.

Perhaps I crave for constant action and excitement in the books I enjoy.

Election Humiliation

2011-11-21T08:42:00.002Z

The result is out and the PP under Mariano Rajoy have surged to victory with an absolute majority.

186 seats out of 350 in the Spanish congress.

The PSOE which has governed since 2004 had the worse result for nearly thirty years.

I hope the Spanish people will be happy when the austerity measures start to bite.

SPANISH ELECTION

2011-11-19T10:21:00.003Z

Tomorrow November 20th is a general election in Spain.

When I was in Spain the electioneering had already started -low key compared to the UK- with debates on television, hoardings being erected and the noisy vans/cars roaming the streets with loudspeakers.

The good money is on the PP to win and triumph over the PSOE who are blamed for the economic mess and high unemployment.

I think the Spanish people will not be too happy if when elected the PP impose severe austerity and fiscal cutbacks. We holiday home owners will just have to wait and see if there are any new taxes imposed on us.

More news to follow.

Back home ..

2011-11-18T22:17:00.003Z

Now back home in England after nearly two months in the Costa Blanca.

The weather was glorious - very warm and sunny for most of the time - in fact warmer then normal for Spain.

Not many new photographs taken - I think I've got to the point where I've photographed most places and there is no reason to keep snapping away at the same scenes.

So for the next few months, although there will be some photographs, I think there is likely to be more narrative and comments.

Alicante

2011-09-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

Looking across the harbour to the casino.

This will be my last photo entry for a couple of months - have exhausted my supply of pics and now await my return to Spain with camera in hand.

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Alicante

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000+01:00

Statue - somewhere in Alicante - have forgotten exact spot

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Alicante

2011-09-14T06:00:00.000+01:00

Swanky building - lots of character.

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Alicante

2011-09-13T21:28:00.000+01:00

Narrow street in the old town, Alicante.

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Alicante

2011-09-09T06:00:00.000+01:00

Photo taken in March - nice and sunny unlike England in September where it is cold, dark and very very wet.

Alicante

2011-09-07T19:11:00.003+01:00

Another corner of Alicante ..

Alicante

2011-09-03T06:00:00.000+01:00

Traffic moving along - through the streets of Alicante

Alicante - Cross

2011-09-01T06:00:00.002+01:00

I'm not too keen on this cross - centre of Alicante - it looks as though it is made from concrete .. not the best of materials.

Alicante - More photos

2011-08-30T22:15:00.001+01:00

More photographs from Alicante - taken in March this year.

A good start for Real Madrid

2011-08-29T06:58:00.002+01:00

A good start for Real Madrid yesterday in the La Liga - a six nil win over Real Zaragoza.

The scoreline included a hat trick from Ronaldo.

That will certainly please the fans.

Torrevieja Harbour

2011-08-28T06:00:00.001+01:00

This monument " sings the praises " of the local Torrevieja singers who are famed for their songs of the sea.

Torrevieja Harbour

2011-08-26T06:00:00.001+01:00

In theory you should be able to see this rather strange statute sitting in the harbour waters without too much problem - however when walking along it is quite easy to miss or ignore.

Torrevieja Harbour

2011-08-24T06:00:00.002+01:00

You could miss this little statue as you walk along - hidden away in a little corner of the harbour.

Torrevieja - Boatyard

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000+01:00

Take your pick and then head for the wide ocean ..

Football strike ..

2011-08-21T06:14:00.002+01:00

No football in the top two Spanish leagues this weekend - and why ? - because they are on strike .

It would appear that the finances of some of the football clubs are not in too good a shape and there are delays in paying some players. The football unions are demanding guarantees, that come what may, players will be paid. These demands have not been met and hence the strike which is set to carry on until next weekend.

This situation will cause a backlog of matches which will cause severe congestion in the fixture list later in the season but will not affect games played in the European competitions.

Spanish fans will not be happy ..

Spanish Proverb

2011-08-20T06:00:00.001+01:00

Mente sana en cuerpo sano

...

Healthy mind : Healthy body

Torrevieja - Boatyard

2011-08-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

Now which way is the sea ?

This boatyard in Torrevieja always seems to be a busy and industrious place.

Sergio Aguero

2011-08-16T19:38:00.002+01:00

Sergio Aguero the ex Atletico Madrid player has taken to the English Premier League like a duck takes to water.

Transferred this summer for £38m to Manchester City the 23 year old Argentine scored two goals in his debut game against Swansea City last night.

Manager Roberto Mancini likens Sergio to a photocopy of the Brazilian legend Romario.

We shall be expecting sparks to fly this season ....

Torrevieja

2011-08-16T06:00:00.001+01:00

I'm now getting low on the number of unpublished photographs I have from the Costa Blanca - so hopefully will be publishing some more but only every other day.

Here is the port at Torrevieja.

Torrevieja - Graffiti

2011-08-14T06:00:00.001+01:00

More roadside art ....

Meal of the day ...

2011-08-12T22:56:00.003+01:00

Meal of the day or Menú el dia is famous all over Spain - usually for anything between 7 to 12 euros you can get a really good 3 course meal plus bread and wine.

Very very good value ...

Iberdrola ICP

2011-08-08T19:12:00.003+01:00

Are you like me confused by Iberdrola and the mention of ICP switches?

Take a look at an interesting Blog - Sparks in Spain.

http://tonysparksinspain.blogspot.com/

Many questions will be answered ....

El Mesón de Laura - Guardamar

2011-08-08T06:00:00.000+01:00

Meson de Laura - a nice place to eat and drink plus free Wifi ..

Side street - Guardamar

2011-08-07T06:00:00.000+01:00

A typical side street in Guardamar ..

Guardamar

2011-08-06T06:00:00.000+01:00

Attractive building near to where we have our flat in Guardamar.

N332 Guardamar

2011-08-05T06:00:00.000+01:00

This is the view from our balcony - a lorry thunders down the N332

Car Park

2011-08-04T06:00:00.000+01:00

Now where did I park the car ???

General Election

2011-08-03T15:09:00.003+01:00

I understand that a General Election will be held in Spain on the 20th of November.

Current Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero will not be standing for re-election and has been replaced by the Minister of Interior Alfredo Perez Rubaicaba for the PSOE.

Watch out for funs and games ... what will the electorate make of Mariano Rajoy of the opposition PP ?

All good fun.

August

2011-08-01T06:00:00.000+01:00

August is here and a new month - a photo from one of our favourite spots in Guardamar.

BBC iPlayer

2011-07-29T13:07:00.004+01:00

The residents of Spain and 10 other European countries will soon be able to access an international version of the BBC iPlayer if they own an Apple iPad and subscribe at a cost of 6.99 euro per month.

This international version will be run by BBC Worldwide and subscribers will be able to view current and classic programmes.

A feature not available in the UK will be the ability to download content and watch offline otherwise the iPlayer will be similar to the UK version but function in a different way.

Enjoy ...

Palms

2011-07-29T06:00:00.001+01:00

The palm tree in my UK garden has died off due to the very cold winter weather - perhaps I need one made from concrete like this one in Guardamar.

What to do ...

2011-07-28T06:00:00.001+01:00

Since the purchase of our holiday flat book reading has increased and we now have a considerable library.

It's nice to relax over the siesta time with a good book and a glass of wine.

Spanish gardening ..

2011-07-27T12:40:00.003+01:00

When staying in Guardamar I do miss my large UK garden and allotment.

Below is the limit of my gardening in Spain - the geraniums do last quite a long time and are drought resistant for a few months but unfortunately will always need replacing on our return after the long hot summer.

Tunein Radio Pro

2011-07-24T07:44:00.004+01:00

Another useful and excellent App for the iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone is the Tunein Radio Pro.

I'm not the only one who thinks this because it has been awarded 5 stars by fellow App devotees.

At a cost of 69 pence it is certainly great value.

While in the UK not only can I carry on listening to Spanish radio stations but search the world for my favourite music on the 50,000 stations available.

From Australia to Argentina - they are all there ..

Harley-Davidson

2011-07-23T06:00:00.002+01:00

Easter weekend saw a display of Harley-Davidson bikes in the main square of Guardamar - the heavy rain may have kept quite a few onlookers away unfortunately.

Alicante - Sailing away

2011-07-21T06:00:00.000+01:00

All hands on deck ....

Alicante

2011-07-20T06:00:00.000+01:00

Time to take a walk - photo taken in cooler times.

The temperature in Alicante I understand reached 102 F on Monday - a little hot for me ..

In the UK we were promised 61 F. that's more like it.

Spanish Proverb

2011-07-19T06:00:00.001+01:00

El gato escaldado del agua fría huye ....

One bitten twice shy ( literally the scalded cat flees from cold water )

Keep Fit

2011-07-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

Keep Fit - Alicante beach

Alicante

2011-07-17T06:00:00.000+01:00

Elegant building on the Alicante seafront - I bet it is expensive to buy or rent here.

Alicante - Ship

2011-07-16T06:00:00.000+01:00

Ship design on apartment building - Alicante seafront.

Alicante - Runners

2011-07-15T06:00:00.001+01:00

Alicante - early morning runners taking some exercise.

Alicante

2011-07-14T11:50:00.000+01:00

A little bit of sculpture - Alicante seafront

Alicante - Map of Spain

2011-07-13T06:00:00.004+01:00

Look closely and you'll see a map of the Iberian Peninsular ..

Looking a little tatty I'm afraid....

Alicante

2011-07-12T06:00:00.004+01:00

Pruning this tree would not be a task I'd appreciate ..

To be found on Alicante's seafont.

RTVE

2011-07-11T21:35:00.003+01:00

For those of you with an iPod Touch or Apple Phone a good little "App" is the RTVE Noticias y Directos.

It's free ..

I can watch La 1 , Teledeporte and Canal 24H while I am in the UK and all for free.

In addition for those with internet access TVE a la Carta will enable you to catch up and watch your favourite TV programmes from Spain.

Go to http://rtve.es/alacarta/index.html

Happy viewing ..

Alicante

2011-07-11T06:00:00.003+01:00

Impressive building ...

Somewhere in Alicante .

Guardamar

2011-07-10T10:10:00.003+01:00

During Easter scenes from the Bible are enacted here - part of Guardamar's celebrations.

Opposite Candils bar ( now closed )

Guardamar

2011-07-09T06:00:00.000+01:00

One of Guardamar's favourite spots ..

Guardamar - Music School

2011-07-08T06:00:00.000+01:00

The new music school in Guardamar - virtually complete by the look of it.

La Mata - Plaza Gaspar Perello

2011-07-07T06:00:00.001+01:00

Well this little square has been smartened up recently - new Town Hall I'm told plus statue - what more could you want.

Spring flowers

2011-07-06T06:00:00.001+01:00

I snapped these somewhere on my travels - La Mata I think.

Fabio Coentrao

2011-07-05T19:45:00.003+01:00

Real Madrid have completed the transfer of Fabio Coentrao from Benfica for a reported £27m.

The 23 year old left back has signed a six year contract after passing a medical at the Bernabeu.

This move has put paid to rumours that he would be moving to Chelsea.

Guardamar - Walk about ..

2011-07-05T06:00:00.000+01:00

Walk around the town of Guardamar and you'll find many streets like this ..

Alicante - Waterfront

2011-07-04T06:00:00.000+01:00

This building always looks impressive ...

Alicante - Waterfront

2011-07-03T06:00:00.001+01:00

Does it not look impressive ? The waterfront at Alicante ..

Alicante- Fly the flag.

2011-07-02T06:00:00.000+01:00

Let's fly the flag .

Alicante - Teatro

2011-07-01T06:00:00.001+01:00

I did not realise that Alicante had a theatre - just happened to come across it as we were wondering around. Must go back and have a good look at some time.

Alicante

2011-06-30T06:00:00.000+01:00

Busy Alicante street ..

Market - Alicante

2011-06-29T06:00:00.000+01:00

Stop .. time to go to the market and get those supplies .

Alicante - Graffiti

2011-06-28T06:00:00.000+01:00

More graffiti !!

Alicante - Graffiti

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000+01:00

Alicante - Graffiti

Football success ..

2011-06-26T07:54:00.003+01:00

More success for Spain in football.

This time the European Under-21 Championship in Denmark.

Goals from Thiago Alcantara and Ander Herrera saw a 2-0 defeat of Switzerland.

When are England going to start winning something ?

Alicante

2011-06-26T06:00:00.000+01:00

Quiet Sunday morning - well not actually quiet it was Palm Sunday.

Is it hot enough ?

2011-06-25T07:28:00.002+01:00

The people of Madrid the madrileños will soon find their weather getting extremely hot - temperatures heading to 100F. ( 38C. )

No doubt they will be heading for the cooler climes of Guardamar where the temperature will reach a maximum of 88F. ( 31C. )

The breezes from the sea will make sitting on the beach very pleasant.

Here in the UK today will see a maximum of 64F. ( 17C. ) if we are lucky .. this is a great improvement on recent days. It is still raining so no sitting in the garden.

Alicante -Church

2011-06-25T06:00:00.001+01:00

Palm Sunday in Alicante - bright sunny day

Alicante - Corte Inglés

2011-06-24T20:31:00.001+01:00

Look to the left side of the cross and you will find the famous Corte Inglés department store in Alicante.

Alicante - Spring blossom

2011-06-23T06:00:00.001+01:00

Spring blossom in Alicante

Guardamar - ONCE

2011-06-22T20:22:00.000+01:00

Pay your money and take a chance at the ONCE cabin in Guardamar.

Swedish Consulate

2011-06-21T05:16:00.000+01:00

Hiding behind the rubbish bin is the Swedish consulate in Torrevieja. Looking very much like a corner shop - not very grand ..

Torrevieja - Graffiti

2011-06-20T16:46:00.000+01:00

Graffiti Torrevieja style.

Torrevieja Harbour

2011-06-18T18:34:00.001+01:00

Impressive vessel !!

Torrevieja - Harbour

2011-06-16T12:30:00.000+01:00

The same harbour - different angle.

Torrevieja - Harbour

2011-06-14T05:23:00.001+01:00

A motley collection of boats down in the new extension to Torrevieja's harbour.

I guess "collection" is not the correct expression - perhaps "fleet" is more appropriate.

Torrevieja

2011-06-12T11:40:00.000+01:00

A bit of a dark looking day - near the port entrance on the seafront at Torrevieja.

Attractive looking seating and fountain.

Graffiti

2011-06-11T22:39:00.002+01:00

Not very impressive graffiti ... could do better.

Torrevieja - The nose ..

2011-06-11T06:36:00.000+01:00

Keep your big nose out of my business !!!