The Word on the Street - News and Information from Spain

News and Information from Spain

International Edition - April 2017

Welcome to the April issue of 'The Word on the Street'. This is your monthly news and information from Spain provided by Ábaco Advisers. We hope to keep you in touch with the news, events and just a little bit of gossip.

Thinking of buying in Spain?

Thinking of buying in Spain?

Most property purchases in Spain go smoothly. However, on occasions, there can be difficulties during the buying process which could have been avoided. In this article we provide ten pieces of advice to help the prospective purchaser avoid any unpleasant surprises.

The 10 pitfalls of buying a house in Spain

So much more to Torrevieja

So much more to Torrevieja

Torrevieja might be well-known for its beaches and seafront but not everyone has discovered its natural lakes and parks. If you haven’t, they really are worth visiting whether you live close to the town or further afield. From sunset on the salt lake to a family picnic in the natural park, you are transported to an environment far from the crowds that could be deep in the heart of the country.

In this article we explain just how much Torrevieja has to offer and invite you to sample it too:

Torrevieja - so much more than a beach resort

Are these the cheapest holiday destinations?

Are these the cheapest holiday destinations?

Post Office Travel Money has compiled their list of the 19 cheapest beach holiday destinations in Europe. Spain features four times with holiday resorts ranked in perhaps a rather surprising order. The researchers compare the cost of some basic staples such as a bottle of beer, sun cream and a 2 course lunch for two.

See if their conclusions reflect your experience:

The 19 cheapest places for a european beach holiday

James Blick tells El País about his food travels

James Blick tells El País about his food travels

This is another installment in El País in English video collection. This time the editor interviews James Blick, travel writer, about his experiences of travelling around Spain and sampling the food. His latest collection focuses on Madrid ‘Gourmet and Tips’. You can also see his broadcasts as The Spain Guy.

Access the video from El País in English webpage: http://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html 

You can watch The Spain Guy on YouTube. To get you started this clip shows James Blick busting 5 Spanish food myths:

James Blick on YouTube

More culinary tours around Spain

More culinary tours around Spain

This time it’s Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon who are travelling through Spain and visiting different restaurants as the comedy duo review them together. It’s a strange mix of improvisation and reality. The two are ‘acting’ but the boundaries are blurred as the places they visit are real, and so is the variable Spanish weather they experience.

Now broadcast on Sky Atlantic you can see clips and read The Observer’s comments on the show:

‘I like it when people think this is real’: Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon on The Trip to Spain

Somewhere different to visit

Somewhere different to visit

We know how much many of our readers like to travel around Spain. The country is so varied and there is so much to see that it can be hard to know where to start.

In this article from The Local, they share with us 14 destinations that you may not have heard of but are worth visiting. As several of Ábaco’s team live in Elche, we’d like to put the Palmeral of Elche at the top of the list!:

Off the beaten track: 14 best kept travel secrets in Spain

Why not bury the sardine?

Why not bury the sardine?

Well that’s what they’ve been doing in Murcia this April. This rather strange ceremony is celebrated in different parts of Spain and often represents the end of a carnival period. There is a mock cremation of the sardine (yes, really!) and reading of the last rites that is accompanied by as much pomp and circumstance as the fiestas themselves.

The Entierro de la Sardina in Murcia follows on from the Fiestas de la Primavera (Spring festivals)  and can be a rather ritous occasion. Murcia Today provides as good an explanation of this rather unusual ceremony as you are likely to get:

Murcia Today - 19th To 23rd April, Fiestas De Primavera (part 2) And The Burial Of The Sardine In Murcia

St. George’s Day with a difference

St. George’s Day with a difference

English people might have thought they had the monopoly on St. George’s Day. But this isn’t really the case. The day of Sant Jordi is also celebrated in Spain, particularly in Catalonia. Here it is traditional to give roses and books as gifts. Barcelona, in particular, is resplendent with roses on April 23rd. The Local covers the story:

Why St George's Day is marked in Catalonia with roses and books

El clasico and Julia Roberts

El clasico and Julia Roberts

Even those who aren’t great football fans couldn’t fail to be impressed by the performance of the two teams Real Madrid and Barcelona in the El clasico match. Although most of us were confined to watching it on our TV screens, Julia Roberts and her family were there in person and got to meet the main players in their dressing rooms afterwards.

The encounter got plenty of coverage in the Spanish press, if not as much as the game itself. You can see it here in the English-speaking press too:

Hollywood star Julia Roberts meets Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi during recent El Clasico trip

Take part in Spain’s cinema festival

Take part in Spain’s cinema festival

If it’s time for you to make a trip to the cinema then you might like to take advantage of the cheap tickets that are available during the Fiesta del Cine on the 8th, 9th and 10th May. You have to register first (unless you’re over 60 or under 14 that is) and Money Saver Spain explain how you should do that and offer some tips too:

Cinema Festival in Spain - Spring 2017

The safest seats on a plane

The safest seats on a plane

It’s important to remember, as the articles points out, that air travel is the safest form of transport. However, in the extremely unlikely event that you were involved in a crash, the Huffington Post refers to research done to identify where it might be best to sit for the best chance of survival. Don’t expect these seats to be easily obtainable next time you fly!

The Safest Seat On A Plane, According To Studies Of Crash Data

What interests you?

What interests you?

We would welcome any suggestions for future themes you would like us to cover either in the newsletter or in an article on Spain Explained.

Please let us know by email at newsletter@abacoadvisers.com.

Thank you!