I was contacted yesterday by someone called Brad Sullivan who told me about a new service shortly to open in Spain, serving various popular airports - basically a company where British tourists may hire a car with the steering-wheel on the right, which according to the website would have the following benefits for those unfamiliar with driving on the 'wrong' side of the road:10 Exclusive Brit Car

The plan hatched last year to merge CAM (Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo), an Alicante-based savings bank, with three other savings banks (Cajastur, Caja Cantabria and Cajas Extremadura) came unstuck yesterday when the last three decided against a merger with CAM. CAM is now seeking a rescue package from the Bank Restructuring Fund (FROB - Fondo de Reestructuración Ordenada Bancaria), in other

That is certainly the ambition of Murcia Region President Valcarel, who announced yesterday afternoon, during a visit to the under-construction Corvera facility that it is [almost], as reported by La Verdad newspaper, a 'done deal' for the new Corvera International Airport not to have to compete with the existing Murcia-San Javier facility; I use the qualifier 'almost' because Sr. Valcarel stated

A lesson a young man on a bus from Málaga to Madrid obviously had never heard of or had forgotten. Police have detained 19-year-old Oscar Eliseo on his arrival in Madrid because he was overheard speaking on his mobile telephone by an off-duty policeman and saying that he had stabbed a man to death.The off-duty policeman alerted the authorities to what he had heard and Eliseo was arrested upon his

The Spanish government yesterday approved an enery-saving measure, hoped to reduce oil imports by 5 per cent, saving the country €2.3bn a year. The measure involves reducing the national speed limit from 120 km/h to 110 km/h. The new national speed limit will come into force on Monday 7th March 2011 and will remain in force at least until 30th June 2011, when it will be reviewed and extended if

This is a slow-moving project, which has been delayed by the parlous state of the Spanish and world economies - quite apart from this, sufficient traffic volumes have to be there to support the new infrastructure as a viable project.However, back to the subject at issue, the Murcia Region counselor for Education, Training and Employment has announced that his department signed 'within days' of

Tomorrow is the start of the two-week countdown for my departure for Spain for my annual three months there to escape the tail-end of a northern Scottish Winter and see Spring well underway before I return back to the UK in June. I am beginning to get quite excited by the prospect.There has been 'radio silence' in this blog for quite a few weeks. My apologies. I have had many personal matters to

The Murcia Region government is to select upto 1,100 staff for training to work at the future Corvera Airport; the press release from the regional government on 14th January states that it is thought that vocational training may commence in April. Categories of employment include:- airport security guard, administrative, airport services, cleaning services, sales assistants for airport facilities

Yes, this is the 'novel' marketing concept behind a new hotel opened recently in Madrid. German artist Ha Schult, who is behind the project timed to coincide with Madrid's hosting of the annual international tourism trade fair is quoted as saying: "I created the Beach Garbage Hotel because the oceans of our planet are the biggest garbage dump". If you are keen to experience this bizarre excuse

ThinkSpain reports that: Patients with chronic conditions will no longer have to make an appointment to see their doctor to get repeat prescriptions thanks to a new type of standard prescription being launched in Spain tomorrow.- click on the link to read the full story.

It has been believed for many years that the diet and lifestyle of many people living around the Mediterranean tended to protect them from the common diseases of 'affluence' (cardio-vascular, diabetes, high blood-pressure, etc), specially prevalent in countries such as the US and the UK. These comfortable assumptions have been shown to be doubtful, based on a new study in Málaga, perhaps based on

Ten-year Spanish bond yields have risen today to '5.536 percent from 5.460 percent at the close of trading on Thursday'. The rates for Portugal are higher still (up to 7.161 percent from 6.957 percent). According to bond strategist at BNP Paribas bank Patrick Jacq: "We are in the same framework as at the end of 2010: the problem for these countries remains their sovereign debt. These countries

That's how it appears, at any rate. The Spanish political agenda Friday was dominated by debate on legislation about chewing gum, all this whilst the Euro is going through what might be politely termed a 'crisis', Spain's own stockmarket is 'bombing' and in the wider world there has been a dramatic heightening of tensions in the Korean peninsula.It's all a question of priorities, I suppose - or

Clocks go back in Spain tonight to winter time-keeping, from CET+1 (RST+1) to CET (RST) so everyone will, as the popular theory has it, get an extra hour in bed. The change is uniform throughout the EU, so the same change will be occurring in the UK tonight as well.Next year the clocks go forward again on the night of Saturday 26/Sunday 27 March 2011.You can get more information here for the UK (

I was going to entitle this article "The Wages of Sin is Death", but as no-one was actually killed in this incident (similar report in Spanish media) in Tafalla, near Pamplona (except for the bull of course!), that did not seem entirely appropriate, but it does express my disgust at the taunting of a trapped animal for sport.Much as I love Spain and the Spanish people I have to say this is one

Swimmers who disobey 'red flags' on beaches in Murcia (e.g. Cartagena, Mazarrón, Águilas, Lorca and San Javier) by going for a swim risk having a fine of upto €1,500- imposed on them by local police. The crack-down on inconsiderate swimmers, known as "Plan Copla", is designed to bring home to such individuals that they risk not only their own lives by swimming under dangerous sea conditions, but

The rate of IVA (VAT) has risen today from 16 to 18 percent for most goods sold in Spain.There are lower rates for specific categories of goods and services:Reduced IVA (rises from 7 to 8 per cent)Health and social care, non-essential foodstuffs, hotel and catering establishments, and cultural centres such as theatres and cinemas.Super Reduced IVA (remains at 4 per cent)Basic food such as milk,