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Spain Is Different

SQUEEZING THE JUICE FROM THE ORANGE / ISSUE 5

24/01/12

WELCOME TO THE FIFTH ISSUE OF SPAIN IS DIFFERENT MAGAZINE

Where Would You Rather Be?


By Matthew Hirtes So where would you rather be? Playa de las Conchas, which youll nd located in the northwest of La Graciosa, a stunningly beautiful island off the coast of Lanzarote. Whats all the fuss about? Think tropically turquoise waters which will lull you into thinking youve stumbled across a long, lost Caribbean beach. Before the rush of the typically choppy Atlantic waves snap you back to reality. The turquoise is actually caused by the 500 metres of ne, white coral sand which reects the beachs abundant sunlight. Everything moves about at a sloths pace in La Graciosa, with the exception of the sh. Theyve good reason to keep on the move, seeing as shing is the islands main industry. Although use of the term industry suggests a hive of activity, youd struggle to notice on this most languorous of isles. There arent any roads to speak of here; only tracks of unpaved sand. Indeed, rise early enough in the morning and youll catch the natives, brushes in hand, sweeping the 'streets' smooth of the previous evenings footprints. La Graciosa only has 500 inhabitants, the majority of whom dont own one of the few 4x4s youll see on the island. If you want to save your soles, you can haggle with a 4x4 owner to ferry you to the beach - thats the closest they get to a taxi service on La Graciosa. You know the score by now. To read the rest of the article head on over to I Want Sun And you might want to follow Matthew on Twitter too @matthewhirtes

So many downloads of last weeks magazine that the server went down. That is sorted in this one so there shouldnt be a problem
The truth is that if you are managing to read this then you have got to the place it is stored this time. However if you are reading it directly in the Dropbox then make sure to actually download it for the links to work and read more. This week has been a slow week in news in Spain on the oddity front. Not so many strange stories around but I have managed to nd a few of those Only in Spain moments for this one. We have another article from Matthew Hirtes, this time about Lanzarote, we look at another way of making a tortilla, lets face it everyones method is different, we take a look at Crdoba and Cadiz and how stepping into Spain is like stepping into an oasis of peace and tranquility according to our Antipodean friends.

I read a lot of stuff online about Spain and loads of it is Remember that if you would like to highlight a story, contribute very interesting. The people something to the magazine, make comments about the contents or who are on my newsletter get a participate in any way then just get in touch on grahunt@gmail.com and tell me about it. Happy to take a look at whole lot more. To get rst suggestions and ideas as well as your content. You will notice a couple look each week then you should visit this link. of articles here just like that.
Curated by Graham Hunt (Co-Author of www.laptopentrepreneur.co)

Spain Is Different
SQUEEZING THE JUICE FROM THE ORANGE / ISSUE 5

24/01/12

Crisis, what crisis?


back again, which is actually good for your wallet too given the amount they eat and drink! The value of gold is high at the moment, so sort out all your broken chains, odd earrings (odd as in single, not strange although strange ones should be sold too as theyll never be back in fashion) and cocoa-tin-lid-sized medallions and take it all along to your local Compro Oro. A good tip before you go is to practise in front of a mirror your best I am not highly embarrassed look as your 9 carat stuff is given back to you - anyone old enough to remember the Ratners debacle in the UK back in the early 90s will recall with pride that that British jewellers sold earrings that were cheaper than an M&S prawn sandwich but probably wouldn't last as long. Become an avid unused mobile phone collector (for a day). Most people dont bother to trade in their mobile phones when upgrading and these are worth money. Just make sure the phones are fully charged and can be switched on as that way theyre worth more, then either sell them online or in El Corte Ingls. If youre not comfortable with asking your neighbours for their old phones, give them 5 (this will help your conscience when you sell it for 30). This tongue-in-cheek article was written by Maxine Raynor who runs www.MoneySaverSpain.com where she includes more serious money saving tips and includes all the latest deals and offers in the weekly newsletter (sign up on the website) and on Twitter & Facebook. I have had a look at Maxines site and it is looking good as she builds it up bit by bit. If you have any tips that you want to share feel free to respond to her posts on the site and bookmark it for future reference. I know she has great plans for the site in the future.

Maxine Raynor from Money Saver Spain takes a tongue in cheek look at how you can save money in the current situation. She has started up a website in the style of Money Saving Expert in the UK aimed at an English speaking audience in Spain. January has seen income tax raised, petrol prices up and other depressing news on the horizon as Spains recession is due to last another couple of years. But with a few hints on how to become a savvy shopper in Spain youll nd you have more money in your wallet. First of all befriend a pensioner and offer to do his shopping for him online on one condition: he has to get a Carrefour 65+ card rst. That way he wont pay VAT on fresh produce (over 4000 items!) until the end of March and, as youll do your shopping with his, you wont either. See youve already saved a few euros every week. Then pretend youre a tourist. The next time you plan to go shopping in El Corte Ingls, take along your passport youll get a 10% discount on loads of items with their tourist card. In fact, when friends and family are over take them along to El Corte Ingls too with their passports (to buy you stuff of course). Now if some of your visitors are non-EU citizens youre in luck they can help you to get the 18% VAT back on some of the more expensive goods youve been putting off buying for ages (laptop, ereader, etc). Of course, using your friends and family like this might mean they wont come

How To Make A Tortilla Espaola "De San Sebastin"


There is a good story behind this tortilla placed on the Eye On Spain newsletter. I will let you discover more.
The chances are that you'll have heard of and probably tried a Tortilla Espaola. A very simple, easy to make but wonderful Spanish dish. But the chances are you'll probably have never heard of the San Sebastian version. Well, it's not really a version of it as such. Bill Clements sort of made the name up! In his own words: "I am the cook at home and often rustle up a Spanish style meal. Many years ago, a girlfriend of mine was half Spanish. Her mother, who I loved to bits, came from San Sebastin and gave me my initial interest in cooking. A regular dish she prepared was a tortilla, but rather spicy and absolutely delicious. Not in the usual 'tortilla de huevos con patatas'. I named the recipe to remind me of the woman who gave me the inspiration to cook." By the way, if you cannot nd Maris Piper potatoes out there, then a similar large oury textured potato will do. The type that roast very crisply. So here you go, here's how to make this wonderful Tortilla Espaola de San Sebastian:

Go to Eye On Spain For The rest of Bills Recipe

Curated by Graham Hunt (Co-Author of www.laptopentrepreneur.co)

Spain Is Different Sound Of Today


SQUEEZING THE JUICE FROM THE ORANGE / ISSUE 5

SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 24/01/12

Mourinho and Madrid - A Match Made in Heaven (or Hell)


Sid Lowe is probably the most entertaining football writer ever to have graced the pages of a major national newspaper or three. This week he has looked into the discontent at Real Madrid... you know... the club that has won 17 out of 20 games, sits with a ve point lead at the top of La Liga and has scored over three goals a game in doing so. However, Mourinho who could probably start an argument on the moon and real Madrid with their incessant power struggles are threatening to muck it up... again! There were just hours to go until Real Madrid's match against Athletic Bilbao and Madrid were about to nish the rst half of the season ve points clear at the top of the table with 16 wins in 19 games. Favourites to win the title, they were about to score their 67th goal and Cristiano Ronaldo would soon be on 23, one ahead of Leo Messi. But it was not about that all that. Not now and not later. It would not even be about the 4-1 win a brilliant game, open, exciting and end-to-end, between two sides that can be great to watch. The focus was elsewhere. Even Jos Mourinho's focus was elsewhere. The team meeting at Madrid's Mirasierra Suites Hotel wasn't so much about formation as about information. To read the rest of this fascinating article about inghting and intrigue take a look at the Guardian website. And if there is one football writer you should assiduously read about Spain it is Sid.

The Day Jon Caught The Mallorcas Vintage Train


Jon Yeomans runs Vida London, a website about Hispanic Culture in the Capital City. He likes all things Spanish and here he takes a trip on the vintage train route that cuts across Mallorca.
Mallorcas one and only vintage train runs from the capital, Palma, to the town of Sller, in the north of the island. Completed in 1911 to ferry fruit, the train line still operates 1920s rolling stock, which clatters and clanks along every inch of the 28km route. Starting from a quaint old station next to the capitals central bus and metro terminal, the Sller train rst runs through the streets of Palma before cutting through industrial sprawl and emerging in at farmland, dotted with granjasand olive groves. Past the town of Bunyola the train edges up into the 1,000m-high Serra de Tramuntana, the toothy mountains on Mallorcas northern shoulder that give the island its most dramatic, and unexpected, scenery. It then plunges into a series of tunnels, giving you a taste of what it must have been like to ride the London Underground a hundred years ago. Out the other side, youre treated to a sequence of stunning valley views, hemmed in on either side by Mallorcas lush vegetation and glowered upon by the Tramuntana peaks. Its a world away from Palmas mainland-city vibe and the beer, egg n chips towns of the resorts. At length the train arrives in the valley of Sller, cutting back and forth down the slope until it slots into the towns period-piece station. Adding to the n de sicle atmosphere is a 1910s tram that runs on the hour and ferries tourists down to nearby Port de Sller. To read the rest of the story and more importantly take a look at the images get on over to Vida London and see Johns full story

The trip to Sller takes about an hour, and costs 17 return (10 one way). Its one of only three railway lines on the island, the other two being modern suburban routes. Although youll see the odd local jumping aboard, and the train stops at a handful of halts en route, this is primarily a tourist affair.

Another Vida London story. This time about El Poble Espaol. Francos idealised vision of what Spain used to be or maybe should have been.

Demonstrations are growing in the Valencia region against the regional government and its plans to cut, cut and cut again especially in education.

What if somebody opened a new museum but there were no exhibits. Well in Spain it can happen and has happened in Malagas Gem Museum

Curated by Graham Hunt (Co-Author of www.laptopentrepreneur.co)

Spain Is Different
SQUEEZING THE JUICE FROM THE ORANGE / ISSUE 5

SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 24/01/12

A PLACE IN THE SUN AND THE BEST KEPT SECRET ON THE SPANISH COASTLINE
My co author on The Laptop Entrepreneur was working with A Place In The Sun last week. Here he tells us more about Gandia and the charms of Jasmine Harmon!
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Channel 4s A Place in the Sun team (including the lovely Jasmine Harman), who were lming in my area. They have some house hunters who want to move to the Gandia area, which gave the A Place in the Sun team a reason to come here and their rst experience, to the best of my knowledge, of Gandia which must be one of the best kept secrets on the Spanish coastline. In fact, one of the oddities of living in Gandia is that, whilst it is well known in Spain, the town is virtually unknown outside the country. This is despite Gandia being a large coastal town (pop. 80,000) with one of the nest beaches along the Mediterranean (it stretches some 7.5km and is comprised of a wide area of golden sand). There is also a marina and port and an area of nightclubs and entertainment famous for its vibrancy throughout Spain. Meanwhile, immediately inland of Gandia beach are extensive, evergreen citrus groves that lie between dramatic mountains that are perfect for walking, climbing, cycling, bird watching and other outdoor activities. Indeed, the countryside around Gandia is a delight and is what makes the area so seductive to Spanish holidaymakers and the few foreigners living here. Go To Culture Spain to Continue Reading Curated by Graham Hunt (Co-Author of www.laptopentrepreneur.co)

A PILGRIMAGE TO SPAIN'S 'OTHER' VINEYARDS


Now people in Spain like wine. Of that there is no doubt of course. But there are some of us who dont know our Riojas from our La Manchas and wouldnt know an Albario grape if it came up and bit us on the behind. However it is an intrinsic part of living in Spain from the humble cartons of Don Simon to the Xmas avours of Cava.

STOP THAT BUILDING NOW OR ELSE!


We all know that politicians dont have any principles in general. We all know that they are corrupt. After all the question has often been asked here in Spain, How do you know if a politician is corrupt? Answer Do they have a pulse? What we never suspected was that they have little backbone and can be convinced in a very short meeting that their rm stance against the construction of a 178m high tower can be changed very easily. The Pelli tower is being constructed on the Cartuja island in Seville, a wasteland these days after the Expo in 1992. It is being built by the almost bankrupt Cajasol, the regional savings bank, to house their ofces. It will be the highest building in Sevilla. However, the construction of the Pelli tower puts Sevillas status as a World Heritage Centre under threat. UNESCO are not happy and feels that they may take away the status as a result. Therefore the Mayor was so adamant that it would not be built... until the head of the savings bank reminded him that the council had already received 23 million in taxes and he may want to reconsider his position because a lot of jobs could be lost. Read more at Typically Spanish

Thanks to the work of Ryan and Gabriella Opaz and others in social media Spains vintners are starting to open up to the World. The New York Times has taken a walk on the wild side about wines here

Spain Is Different Sound Of Today


SQUEEZING THE JUICE FROM THE ORANGE / ISSUE 5

SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 24/01/12

Cordoba And Cadiz On The Up and More From Andalucia

A Collection of the Slightly Weird: The Week In Spain


Bull 1 Man 0
Los Toros Embolados are estas that happen in many many towns around the Valencia region and others. Burning wax is attached to a bulls horns and it runs around the town trying to get it off while generally roughing up drunken revellers. Well sometimes this happens and the bull wins!

How Do You Value A Property in Spain?

No longer Pick a number, any number! Valuing of properties is an important part of buying Spanish Property. Campbell Ferguson tells us how it is done properly

The New Zealand Herald decided this week that Spain was going to be the whole of its travel guide and it came up with some excellent articles. The first talked about the renaissance of Crdoba and Cadiz They then went on to sample Andalucias Gastronomic delights including the Jabugo ham that makes Guijuelo famous the World over, at least in places where there are ham connoisseurs.

Spain Startups In The News

Where Do You Buy a Metro Card?

There is a lot of good news coming out of the start up area in Spain and Mark Nesseld keeps us up to date with it all through his twitter account @MigginsPies. Here is a list of recent startups with great potential. Now they just need a bit of venture capital, something that is sadly lacking in many areas of Spain but would be greatly welcomed.

In the tobacconists of course. Discover this and more from the second part of Laurens diary of moving to Madrid

Are You Owed Some Money In Spain?

How long might it take before you get your excess from your provision of funds back when buying or selling a house. It took one of my clients three years. Luckily they had my phone number at the Gestors.

After that they decided to get some weight off with a bit of Active Andalucia, trekking in the mountains and more

It all makes me want to go on holiday and visit of course.

San Sebastian Has More Michelin Stars per Capita than any other European City. Discover more about ne dining in northern Spain on Departures.com

The Top Ten Museums in Barcelona are... Take a look at the article and all the links. They are not too expensive either so well worth an explore

Betis and Sevilla buried the hatchet after years of petty rowing including a hugely memorable insult from one chairman (via Iberosphere)

Curated by Graham Hunt (Co-Author of www.laptopentrepreneur.co)

Sound Of Today Spain Is Different


SQUEEZING THE JUICE FROM THE ORANGE / ISSUE 5

SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 24/01/12

Editorial: The Battle For Spain. How Spain Risks Falling Apart
When you have good raw materials you just have to to put them together well into something that is worth it. Spain has the raw materials but can it mix them together well.
If you give everyone the ingredients and the instructions to bake a cake it is likely that you will get ten very different tasting, and looking, cakes. If you bring ten different people to Spain they will have ten different viewpoints and ten different experiences. Their reaction to Spain will depend on their cultural background, their education level, their likes and dislikes and even how they felt on that day. areas in the Spanish economy is English as a foreign language specically tailored to interview techniques. I know many people minting it with that profession. That is extremely sad! Young Spanish people have never moved far away from home. The average age for a young Spaniard to leave home is still between 32-34 years old depending on the survey you read, but that is changing and that change threatens society here at a visceral level. Spain has the raw material to change. It has the young talent to change. What it may not have, or rather, lets face facts, what it does not have is the leadership it needs to take it forward into the future it so needs. Luckily the raw materials make a good cake still.

What Are The Raw Materials?


The good thing is that Spain has the raw materials to make a darn good cake. There is the obvious sun, sea, sand and sangria (I am sure I have missed an s out there ;-)) There are the innumerable World Heritage sites, the spectacular scenery (Spain is the highest country in Europe apart from Switzerland) Yet there is something else, something that makes Spain different still. However to understand it you need to be here for some time. Those people that have lived here or a time may well have discovered it.

I read a lot of stuff online about Spain and loads of it is very interesting. The people who are on my newsletter get a whole lot more. If you want to sign up too then visit this link. You can also get older copies of the magazine there. The rst three are linked up. I am not promising that the magazine will be every week, I may leave it two weeks now and again depending on the stories that come in. Just put in your name in the rst box and your mail address to receive updates in the second. Every week or two we will send you the latest newsletter as soon as it comes out. (You will also get other stuff related to Spain and property but you are guaranteed the newsletter)

Lets Call It Society


Britain lost its society with the fallout from the Thatcherite revolution as everyone got on their bikes and went to look for opportunities elsewhere. The soul was ripped out of communities starting with the mining villages, moving onto the inner cities and nishing with a ourish in the never ending soulless housing estates surrounding every major town and city in the country. Spain never lost it... until now.

The Battle To Retain Society


Spain is struggling at the moment. There is a brain drain moving out of the country due to the lack of opportunities here for recent highly qualied graduates. One of the main growth

This is a shorter version of the article that will be published this week on Entrepreneur Solo. Go there to read the whole thing. It still stands alone as an editorial comment though. I would love to hear your thoughts on it and the situation Spain nds itself in at the moment. There will be lots of opinions I am sure.

Also if you have photos that you want featured in the magazine or you have an article you want featured just send it to me at grahunt@gmail.com and I will take a look.

Curated by Graham Hunt (Co-Author of www.laptopentrepreneur.co)

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