Almond tree with flowers on Murcia

What's coming up in 2013

As you might expect, towards the end of the year we had a few websites and publications rushing to provide us with their reviews of 2012 and their predictions for 2013:

From Iberosphere:

iberosphere.com

In this article, presseurop predict trends for 2013 across Europe:

presseurop.eu

Fast track to London and Paris

With the apparent increases in air fares there are many residents and visitors to Spain looking for cheaper ways of commuting.

Spain's railways are responding with an increase in AVE fast trains from Barcelona which link up with French TGV fast trains to Paris and Eurostar to London. A new-link will reduce the travel time between Barcelona and Paris by one hour and a quarter and is expected to make travel to Europe easier generally.

Renfe (Spanish rail company) suggests that journey times from Barcelona to other European cities could amount to less than four hours. To find out more:

spanishpropertyinsight.com

In the thick of the winter

Read any forum based in Spain at this time of year and you're likely to come across some comments about how to heat houses. It is true that the Spanish winter can come as a surprise to those spending time out here, even when you are used to living in a much colder climate.

Those three months of relative cold can seem to last an eternity. In this article from 'Beyond Mañana' you have a very down-to-earth account of just how chilly it can get:

beyondmanana.com

Don't just read the article. There is some interesting content on this website about expat life in Spain.

How much should a drink cost?

For some people, one of the main attractions of Spain is that alcohol is so much cheaper. It's about to get even cheaper still in comparison to some countries.

The author of this article, from Spanish Insight, is clearly most aggrieved by what he sees as an unfair attack on the drinking habits of the moderate and middle class rather than the real binge drinkers and addicts.

It's a thought-provoking article, not only in terms of what might change drinking habits in a country but also how governments might use research indiscriminately and unethically to back their policies:

spanishinsight.com

Superstitions

We might pretend not to be superstitious but there are few people who don't practise a little extra caution when it's Friday 13th or feel a little tweak of anxiety if they break a mirror. From Eye On Spain, there's an interesting list of superstitions in Spain, many of them the same as in other countries. Which ones bother you?

eyeonspain.com

Ábaco Update

There are many new pieces of legislation coming through. Once we are clear about the implications of new laws we will continue to inform you through our website. One of the latest regulations is that of the limits on cash payments.

Residents are no longer allowed to use cash to pay for items or services over €2,500. For non-residents this cap is higher at €15,000. This also refers to a deposit which in itself may be below the cash limit but where the total cost of the item, such as a house or car, is above it. The sanctions and encouragement to whistleblow are scary too. For more information see our article on the new Ábaco Advisers website:

abacoadvisers.com

Research from Valencia University

Perhaps this piece of research is something that we all knew anyway. Researchers from Valencia University conclude that DNA has more to do with how long we live than environment or lifestyle.

Of course, that doesn't mean all of you out there with a centenarian in the family can resort to a life of debauchery. But maybe it allows us to be just a little kinder to ourselves and not fret quite so much about those already-broken, new-year resolutions:

thinkspain.com

We said we'd keep you posted…

…about Corvera. This is the latest, most comprehensive article we've found. Hardly giving the answers but at least it outlines just how many remaining questions there are around the proposed opening of Corvera/ closing of San Javier airports. I think the message is, don't cancel that flight just yet:

theleader.info

Your rights when it comes to flights

This is a useful section of the 'Which' website. It includes information about:

- Delayed flights
- Cancelled flights
- Overbooked flights
- Re-routed and missed flights
- Delayed, lost or damaged luggage - How to make a claim

It includes sample letters and lots of practical advice. This part is free. There are also survey results for airlines but these are behind the payment wall:

which.com

Getting to know Seville

We've featured the wonderful city of Seville in a previous newsletter (February 2012). There are certainly many tourist attractions in this beautiful city. But what about if you happen to live there? There's some advice in this article about how to fit in if you do:

expatica.com

Jumping over bonfires

Spain does have its fair share of unusual festivals. Not least is The Arizkun Carnival in Arizkun, Navarra.

The event comprises the opportunity to have a go at jumping over a bonfire. An opportunity that many of us will perhaps want to pass by.

The tradition dates back to pagan times and is supposed to help ward of evil spirits. There are around 20 bonfires to choose from and locals happily dress up for the event. This year the carnival will be held on the 12th February. Going by this photo it's not just jumping over a sparkler either:

flickr.com