Moors
and Christians
Ibi, Alicante
Design
recognition
We
like to give Spain a plug when there's something to
celebrate. This time it's a building in Teulada
that's been given recognition by the Royal Institute
of British Architects (RIBA). The Teulada-Moraira auditorium
has been nominated for the Stirling prize for the Best
Building of the Year and is one of 9 buildings nominated
by RIBA for a building created outside the UK but in
the EU.
euroweeklynews.com
Another
poll
But
it is quite interesting. This poll from Eye on Spain
gives some insight into the views of their subscribers.
It reports on answers to 10 questions on the topics
of happiness in Spain, integration, cost of living and
safety, amongst others.
The poll reports not only percentages of respondents
but also quotes, some of which make very interesting
reading. For example, 69.66% of respondents believed
that Spain still offers a lower cost of living compared
to their homeland. For more results:
eyeonspain.com
Moving
between cultures
Many
of our readers are residents in Spain, many are non-residents
who visit several times a year. Some people split their
time almost equally between the two countries. For those
that do, the following article, 'Culture lag between
two homes' may hold particular significance. Molly
describes the differences she finds and how she copes
when alternating between her home in Spain and
her home in the US:
expatica.com
Doctors
without borders
You
might have heard recently that two Spanish women were
released after almost two years of being held as hostages
in Somalia. An incredible relief for their family
and friends and, of course, to themselves.
They both belonged to Doctors without Borders
or Medicos Sin Fronteras (MSF). MSF is an international
medical humanitarian organisation that was created by
doctors and journalists in France in 1971.
They provide independent, impartial assistance
in more than 60 countries where there are problems due
to armed conflicts, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion
from health care or natural disasters. In 1999 the organisation
received the Nobel Peace Prize.
To find out more:
doctorswithoutborders.org
For more information about the release of the two hostages:
elpais.com
Bankers
in trouble
Another
good article from Iberosphere that suggests not
every banker, at least in Spain, is getting away with
it:
iberosphere.com
Another interesting website for you
This
one is called Spain Made Simple and includes
travel tips as well as Expat advice. It has separate
pages for the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol
and includes interviews of those who have moved here:
spainmadesimple.com
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Ábaco
News - Taking care of landlords
Many
people purchase property in Spain with a view to letting
it out to a tenant. In most cases this arrangement
works very well and provides a regular income for the
landlord. However, occasionally the relationship breaks
down between the landlord and tenant and rent remains
unpaid or property is damaged.
Previous legislation tended to side with the tenant
and finding recourse through the courts was difficult.
However, the government has recognised the need to give
more power to the landlord through new legislation.
Ábaco has published a series of articles about this:
What to do when your tenant defaults in Spain:
abacoadvisers.com
Stay legal when letting Spanish property:
abacoadvisers.com
Looking after landlords in Spain:
abacoadvisers.com
An optimistic outlook for landlords in Spain:
abacoadvisers.com
Evicting a tenant:
abacoadvisers.com
Iberia
bucks the trend
The
size and weight of hand luggage on flights continues
to be a big topic of conversation. Arrangements have
recently changed on EasyJet with a reduction
in the size of hand luggage guaranteed to be kept in
the cabin.The new guaranteed cabin bag dimensions stand
at 50 x 40 x 20cm. You can still carry on the
traditional 56 x 45 x 25cm size but, depending
on demand, if the overhead compartments are full
your hand luggage might have to be stored in the
hold. For more information:
easyjet.com
Taking
a different approach, Iberia have also recently made
an announcement. They have actually increased the size
of their hand luggage from 55 x 40 x 20cm to
56 x 45 x 25cm. There is no weight restriction
but it is expected that the hand luggage is light enough
for the passenger to lift it into the overheads. The
good news doesn't stop there.
You can not only take on one piece of hand luggage but
also an additional 'personal accessory' such
as a separate laptop or handbag. A great relief for
those previously seeing all their hand luggage allowance
taken up by their laptop:
thinkspain.com
Gas
boiler update
Regulations
have changed around the frequency with which your gas
boiler must be inspected. Previously set at an
annual inspection, the new regulations state that gas
boilers need now only be inspected every two years.
However, there is some uncertainty about the impact
this will or will not have on the contract offered
by boiler maintenance companies. It can be assumed that
most of them will want to retain an annual subscription
to their service. For more information:
expatica.com
Were
you a fan of Wilt?
It's not often that I get the Laugh Out Loud feeling,
but Tom Sharpe's series of books about Wilt did
actually make me chuckle. 'Wilt' finds himself in some
absurd situations and the books make for light, amusing
reading.
So it was with a mixture of sadness and interest that
I realised that not only had Tom Sharpe died but that
during his life he had also had an affiliation with
Spain.
He spent the last 20 years of his life living on the
Costa Brava in Llafranc, and died at the age
of 85.
spanishpropertyinsight.com
This is an interview with the author written for The
Sunday Times by Mark Stucklin:
spanishpropertyinsight.com
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