Spain’s 'ghost airport' set for first flights

Spain's infamous ghost airport Castellón airport is set to open nearly four years after its official inauguration with football club Villareal FC being touted as first customers,

The airport has received approval to begin operations from the Spanish aviation authorities, Spanish newspaper ABC has reported.

Citing sources, the daily says the airport has already passed all the relevant tests and has the necessary certification from the public works ministry for flights to begin.

A final decision is expected on Thursday with paperwork to be finalized in coming days.

Jet2 linked to Castellon Airport

Jet2 Airlines is reportedly close to signing a deal agreeing to establish routes between the UK and Castellon Airport.

The question of the airline being linked to the airport was put to Max Buch, the Regional Minister for Economy, Industry and Tourism, to which he replied "this and other Airports".

The Airline has previously expressed an interest at the facility, however recent developments regarding the obtaining of licences and promotion of the Castellon province at the London Tourism Expo have renewed the company's appetite for serving the northern-Valencia region.

'Poor' Spain sees 24% surge in millionaires

There are now 465,000 US dollar millionaires in Spain, 24 per cent more than a year ago, a financial services giant Credit Suisse reveals in a new report which highlights the unequal impact of the country's crisis.

Catalunya calls off public consultation on independence

CATALUNYA'S regional president Artur Mas has decided not to go ahead with the 'public consultation', or non-binding referendum on November 9.

IMF: Spain will head 2015 EU growth

Spain, a country with a 25% unemployment rate, public debt levels of nearly 100% of GDP and no alternative to construction as an engine of growth, has managed to become the only European economy with improved prospects for 2015, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF Annual Assembly kicked off in Washington on Tuesday with mostly bad news: the global economy will grow by 3.8% next year, down from its July forecast of 4%.

But Spain’s economy will grow 1.3% this year and 1.7% in 2015, representing a gain of one tenth of a percentage point from July forecasts in both cases.

Nearly 1.7 billion euros' worth of pesetas still in circulation

AN ESTIMATED 1.7 billion euros' worth of pesetas remain in circulation in Spain, more than 12 years after the new common currency was introduced.

The Bank of Spain says it changes about a million euros in pesetas every month, and that this figure has been continuous since the country

Spanish village swaps bulls for giant balls

Residents of a Madrid village have changed their annual running of the bulls to a similar event with giant 125-kilo (275 pounds) polystyrene balls, a move animal rights groups are hoping will be copied in other parts of Spain. 

Tomatina moves to London's Hyde Park

LONDON could get its own version of the famous Valencian tomato fight, the Tomatina.

Councillors from Buñol, a town to the east of Valencia city with 10,000 inhabitants which is renowned worldwide for its messy, fruity fiesta, have been in talks with the management of Hyde Park in the British capital.

Castellón Airport is having test flights

Castellón Airport will receive its second flight this week, yes, test flight. The Valencian Government has reported in a statement that the facility will receive this week's flight calibration systems of air navigation radio aids, a mandatory step for the airport and received all necessary permissions to be able to open.

Spain now growing faster than Germany

The German economy tripped up in the second quarter, registering negative growth of 0.2 per cent, some way behind the 0.6 per cent growth clocked up by Spain in the same period.

Spain becomes world's biggest wine producer

 In their fields of vines in deepest Spain, the winemakers at the Jesús del Perdón cooperative smiled last August: the blend of rain and sun promised a bumper grape crop. They just didn't realize how big it would be.

The massive crop vaulted Spain to the world's biggest wine producer, forcing its vintners to compete abroad in a tough market to sell off the surplus.

Spain overall produced 50 million hectolitres (6.7 billion bottles) of wine in 2013, a 41 per cent surge from 2012, the Spanish agriculture ministry says.

Spain still a great option for retirement abroad

Spain still tops the list of favourite overseas destination for British retirees despite its economic woes and rocky property market, although that seems to be on the turn. The country still tops the polls as the number 1 destination followed by France, Australia, Ireland and Cyprus. 

Retiring abroad is a dream for many people. The thought of an easier pace of living, better weather and cheaper property than the UK is still proving to be a strong draw and even though Spain does have its drawbacks, in my honest opinion it still offers all of these advantages with only a short flight home. It may not be as cheap as it was in the past but it is still cheaper than the UK. OK it has its bureaucracy but you get used to it. I think Spain still has an awful lot to offer and can be a fantastic place to retire to if you do your homework correctly before moving.

Castellon Airport Update

Yesterday we witnessed the agreement between the Valencian Government and the Canadian company SNC LAVALIN at the head office of Tourism at the port of Castellón in order to start operating the new Castellon airport from November 2014.

They have signed a contract of 20 years, expecting approximately 200.000 passengers the first year, growing quickly to 1.200.000 per year within 10 years.

This will mean a boost for the local economy as 1800 new jobs will be created and hopefully an improvement for the tourist sector of the Costa del Azahar. At this stage they did not want to reveal any details about airlines, destination and origin of flights.

We hope to be able to inform you soon, once the company LAVALIN has discussed with the Airline Companies and Tour operators.

There are mussels... and then there are 'Clochinas'

The Valencian clóchina is a true delicacy, superior in taste and organoleptic qualities to its Galician, Catalan or even Scottish  cousins. ​ That said they are extremely scarce and highly localised in both region and season. The main difference in flavour is due to the breeding ground being in the Mediterranean sea which is saltier than other harvesting regions such as Galicia or Scotland. Quality control and technique also plays an important role. Modern cultivation of the Clóchina dates from the late nineteenth century and it all began on two mussel rafts positioned in the very same port of Valencia as we see today.

Reasons to Live in Spain

YOU COME TO SPAIN FOR A LIFESTYLE CHANGE IN GENERAL BUT THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE LAPSE INTO THEIR OLD HABITS FROM BACK HOME, WATCHING TOO MUCH TV, NOT GOING OUT AND NOT BEING OPEN TO NEW EXPERIENCES. HOWEVER FOR THOSE WHO INTEGRATE INTO THE COUNTRY THERE ARE THINGS THAT THEY DO MOST EVERY DAY AND HERE IS A LIST OF SOME OF THEM THAT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL MUCH MORE LIKE YOU ARE LIVING IN SPAIN AND BEING A PART OF SPAIN.

Have a siesta without feeling guilty. Siestas are one of the great reasons to live in Spain. However most people get to Spain and their conditioning doesn’t allow them to have a siesta without feeling extremely guilty. Don’t go there! The siesta is a fantastic thing to do and it doesn’t necessarily need to be after a long lunch. If you feel tired then just chill out, lay down and spend twenty minutes getting forty winks.

Go into your local bar and have a conversation. There is one thing that you must do in Spain, get out of your comfort zone. If you are willing to take this step there are two possibilities, firstly everyone thinks you are the local nutter and secondly you actually start to speak in another language and get used to speaking it outside of the classes you are taking (You WILL be taking classes won’t you?) The more you get out of your comfort zone every day the better your language skills will be and bear in mind one more thing, you might actually become friends with the other regulars in the bar.

Aim to take at least two hours for eating lunch out and make sure you have some wine with it. Not every day of course on this one because even though eating out is cheap in Spain it is much cheaper to eat at home. However you should always try to have a weekly meet up with friends, go for a menu of the day and talk for a long time afterwards while finishing off the wine.

Take Some Time Out To Daydream and Look Up. The number of people these days who walk around with their eyes constantly on their Smartphone never looking around or looking up is amazing. Looking up is important when living in Spain because there is beautiful scenery in so many places and the cities are visually stunning at times.

Go Into Local Shops and Ask For Things Rather Than Shopping in Supermarkets. It is easy to go to a supermarket and never actually say a word to anyone while buying 100 Euros of produce. It is not so easy to go into the butchers to buy your meat, go to the bakers for bread and cakes and then to the fruit and veg shop for everything else. This small change in your habits will be not only more beneficial for your language skills but also it will help you to get used to using the type of language that you use every day in Spain and get to know the names of everything.

Make time every day for a coffee with friends. Chatting and talking about life the universe and everything is an important part of life in Spain and this is best done in the company of friends in a local cafe. Make sure you do this often because firstly, you get to meet up with others and laugh and secondly, you get to have great coffee.

Be Grateful For The Weather And Climate. I woke up last week with the rain hammering down on the air conditioning unit outside and my thoughts were immediately, “Cool! It’s raining”. With 320 days of sunshine every year in the vast majority of the Spanish mainland, days of rain are welcomed rather than feared and when they come they are generally a welcome change. So when you are shading yourself from the sun don’t say “Jeez it’s hot” Just say “Nice innit!”

Relax, slow down, chill out and enjoy. I know it may seem a bit much to try enjoying your life in Spain but slow down and take advantage of a more relaxed way of life and a general calmness. If you can do this then you never know you may find that everything becomes a bit better.

Ferry News

                                      

Brittany Ferries announce a new ferry to Spain. A weekend no frills service from Portsmouth to Santander. Service commences on 25th March. Service is being named Brittany Ferries economie

New for 2014. LD Lines/DFDS are operating a car/motor home and caravan route to Santander from Poole.
Introduction prices very competitive

Brittany Ferries also announce they have placed an order for a new super cruise ferry. This ferry costing £250,000,000 is for the Spanish routes and will be in service in 2016.

Why the train in Spain is more popular than the plane

For the second consecutive month, Spanish travellers making long-distance journeys have opted to use the country’s extensive high-speed rail network instead of flying. Figures for the Easter break are expected to further consolidate the railways’ lead.

Information released by the National Statistics Institute (INE) shows that in February, long-distance trains – including the high-speed AVE – carried 1,954,000 passengers, a 14.3-percent increase on the same month in 2013, and 18 percent up on January.

Castellon Airport Sale Process "Postponed"

Valencia's Commercial Tribunals Court has postponed the signing of the contract for the management and operation of Castellon Airport.

Aerocas - the concession holder of the airport, which is in turn 99% owned by the Generalitat Valenciana - originally awarded the €20 Mln contract to Canadian company SNC-Lavalin for a period of 25 years back in January. Since then, one of the 2 unsuccessful candidates - Gesnaer - has issued a formal appeal against the decision.

The Vice President of the Generalitat, José Císcar - also the President of Aerocas - recently acknowledged how the appeal may delay the signing of the contract "for a few days", but maintained that this would not in any way stop the process to bring the facility into operation.

2014 - Foreign tourists

A total of 10.1 million foreign tourists visited Spain during the first quarter of 2014, representing an increase of 7.9% over the same period of 2013. This is according to data published in the Coyuntur report last week by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, which confirmed the upward trend in not only international but also in domestic tourism.

SPAIN'S TOP 10 - Villages with unfortunate names!

Article from Eye on Spain

1. Malcocinado  - Badajoz -   “Badly Cooked” 

2. Guarroman -  Jaen -  “Filthy man”

3. Cenicero  - Logroño  -  “Ashtray”

4. Villapene  - Lugo  - “Penis town”

5. Ultramort  - Cordoba  - “Really Dead”

6. Adiós  - Navarra -  “Goodbye”

7. Alcantarilla  - Murcia -  “Sewer”

8. Cabezas Rubias - Huelva -  “Blonde Heads”

9. Villaviciosa - Asturias  - “Viscious Town / Addicts Town”

10. Meadero de la Reina  - Cadiz -  “Queen’s Urinal”

Benicarlo Fallas 2014

Its time for another week of fun

Castellon Airport

A Canadian company is taking charge of Castellon Airport. It has a contract for 20 years' and states first planes could land in September. Delay due to air safety agency authorising runways and securing flight permissions.  All Improvements necessary are currently being made.

PROPERTY MARKET

Property market poised for rebound while investors take positions    
"If we haven´t hit the bottom yet, we will very soon." This opinion sums up the prevailing view expressed at a conference about the future of the real estate market that was organised by the Association of Real Estate Consultants (ACI). Most of the representatives invited, from international investment fund firms to leading property consultants and real estate agencies, believe that the Spanish property market now offers some excellent investment opportunities, and that construction activity is beginning to recover in some parts of Spain, particularly in the housing sector.

Photo’s from Finca4sale.com

Latest on Castellon Airport

The issue of Castellon Airport has possibly been considered more times over the last few weeks than at any time since it's official opening in March 2011.

The subject has now progresses to the point where the Generalitat Valenciana - the 99% shareholder behind concerssion holder, Aerocas - is considering which of the two bids submitted to operate the facility will be awarded the contract.

Bids from Canadian Aviation company SNC Lavalin, and a consortium comprising Aerospace consultant Gesnaer, and Tourism group Marina d'Or are to be reviewed over the course of this weekend, before a contract to operate Castellon Airport for the next 20 years will be awarded.

Various consultants and industry specialists are due to review each proposal and business plan in detail before reporting back to the Generalitat, at which point an announcement of the new operator, and likely date when flights might commence, is expected.

Feeding the Town

Commonly made all around the Valencian Community during village festivities it‘Olla de San Antón’ which is on a par with Paella when it comes to feeding large crowds. Traditionally made in tall cauldron pots, it can be just as easily made at home in a large casserole pot. 

In Valencian villages such, cooking this rice dish in the town square has become a yearly tradition. Usually cooked over a log fire made with orange tree wood, it is custom to prepare this on the day of the villages’ patron saint and a plate handed out to anyone who wants one.

Foreign money fuelling Spain's property market.

Shops, offices and apartments across Spain are being purchased by foreign buyers at a fantastic rate.
The buyers are streaming back into the country which is still suffering from the shock of the Global Financial Crisis.
Americans, Germans and British are especially focused on Spain with many estate agencies claiming that investment in Spanish real estate has returned to the levels it reached before 2008, when Spain experienced a building-bust.

In the residential sector home buying is being led by people from France, Holland, Belgium, Britain and Germany.

Spain's - Bizarre Foods

Spain has some very wierd food, so I thought I would pull together some of the most bizarre food I have come across during my time in Spain.

1. Sea Lamprey cooked in its own blood - Lamprea en su propia sangre - Galicia

2. Stewed Cockerel Crests – Crestas de gallo - Zamora

3. Lambs brains - Sesos de cordero – La Rioja

4. Testicles in Sauce – Criadillas en Salsa

5. Fried Cockeral and lamb stomach/intestine  - Gallinejas y entresijos – Madrid

6. Gooseneck barnacles – Percebes – Galicia  These are really nice if you like Mussels

7. Pigs' Ears – Oreja de Cerdo  OK but very chewie

8.  Elver (new born eels) and garlic – Anguilas   Lovely with scrambled egg

9.  Tripe Stew – Callos -  from Madrid   better than i expected

10.Sea Snails – Caracoles  de mar    Bit like Welks