'Why do Spaniards do their 'business' in the sea?' and 10 more news stories published in the El País English edition this year

Why do Spaniards 'shit' in the sea and can you sleep in the Spanish heat? Top 10 Spain news stories read by English-speakers this year

Spain's most popular newspaper, El País, publishes a small English-language edition. Here are the top ten stories of the English edition in 2015.

Not one of the top ten, but one of the final articles to appear in El País English edition in 2015 is: Spain's 1st Black Member of Parliament, Rita Bosaho: 'Achieving equality should be a question of state.'

As the first black person to be elected to Spain's Congress, Rita Bosaho says she is "overcome" by the media attention she has received over the last week. Born with Spanish nationality in Spain's former African colony of Equatorial Guinea, she came to Spain at the age of four, …

Crisis? What crisis?

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero finally presented his new government's economic plan on Saturday, while avoiding saying anything that might make it sound like Spain is facing serious economic problems. I think the reaction published in this Sunday's El País hit the nail on the head:

“Crisis? What crisis? 'A difficult scenario', 'a difficult period of adjustment' or 'a deep deceleration of the economy'. These are some of the terms the president of the government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, employed yesterday when referring to the current state of Spain's economy, which receives a blow each time a new economic indicator is revealed. The president attributes the deterioration to external factors (increased oil and food prices). Still, he announced a package of 'structural reforms' to make things more tolerable. There is nothing new in this battery of urgent measures.

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Unemployment is on the rise, inflation has gotten out of control, sales of homes have collapsed, sales of cars cannot even get off the ground, and the gross domestic product is losing wind. But Zapatero resists thinking that this is a crisis situation...

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The measures were neither new nor quantified. ...one consists of a 30% reduction of administrative charges that businesses bear. [However,] This was an action that had been announced in April of 2007...with the aim of lowering bureaucratic costs by 2012... ...other plans [included enhancing] railway competition and energy sharing with France.”

And this less than enthusiastic coverage was from a news organization sympathetic to Zapatero's socialist party! Imagine what the center and right leaning media wrote!!

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Most distressing to me was the revelation that this “plan” is to be incorporated into a national program of reforms which will be presented to the European Commission in October. A lot can happen between now and October!! What is the government planning on doing to address the so-called “difficult scenario” before then -- more thumb twiddling?!!!

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Perhaps the most interesting part of the El País report was the following:

“Microphones are treacherous -- above all when they are on without the speakers' knowledge. That was the case yesterday with the President of the Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and the owner of Planeta Publishing Corp., José Manuel Lara, who before the presentation made several recommendations regarding the crisis, as recorded by Channel Four:

Lara: 'For the time being, [the crisis] is not going to stop. I am afraid it's going to get worse in the second half of the year. That's what I fear.'

Zapatero: 'It's not clear'

Lara: 'I would advise that you not burn yourself...'

Zapatero: 'What?'

Lara: 'You shouldn't speak; have [Finance Minister] Solbes speak. You shouldn't burn yourself, because it could look bad as president'.

Zapatero: 'There is another factor you have to consider. That is, if you instill a lot of pessimism, if you don't say anything positive...'

Lara (interrupting him) : 'No, no, you make the crisis worse, yes, yes. ..'

Zapatero: 'That's what we're doing.'

Lara: '...but let the the Economy Minister, the Industry Minister affect optimism and the president be reserved. That's what I mean.' ”

Well, it seems we get a lot of optimism from Zapatero, Solbes and others, but not much action. Meanwhile, other Sunday headlines about the economy were not so optimistic: "The worst is yet to come" , "Everything about the crisis" , and one headline which quoted the President of the European Bank, "We must stay alert, now is not the time for complacency." It sounds like others believe that optimistic talk is not realistic.

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To be fair, from this consumer's viewpoint there was at least one good piece of news that came out this weekend: Spain's state-regulated electricity prices will not rise by the 11.3 percent the industry was hoping for. During an interview with the radio network Cadena Ser, Zapatero said the increase would be close to the rise in inflation. "The National Energy Commission proposal is not going to be adopted by the Government of Spain," he stated. Spain's inflation hit a record high of 4.7 percent in May, so I am hoping rates won't go up much more than 5%. If that's what happens, many of us in Spain will let out a “Phew!” of relief while bracing ourselves for whatever comes next in this non-crisis that the government seems dead set on being so upbeat about.

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Hasta luego amig@s,
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Carloz

Bad news: Barcelona 20; Madrid 24

This was the "score" that made headlines here last week, but it wasn't soccer results -- it was about how expensive the two major Spanish cities have become. So, "Barcelona, tan cara como Nueva York" ("Barcelona, as expensive as New York") screamed the front page of Barcelona's La Vanguardia newspaper on March 19th.
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Sure enough, according to the latest "Prices and Earnings: comparison of purchasing power around the globe" report by the Swiss banking firm UBS, Barcelona is the 20th most expensive city in the world, while New York City is 18th. Madrid comes in at number 24. (FYI, the 5 most expensive cities according to USB are Oslo, Copenhagen, London, Dublin and Zurich -- in that order.)
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However, looking a little closer at the data, one can see that this first list, referred to as the "Prices" list has two columns -- one including rent costs and the other not. Therefore, according to UBS, Barcelona is the 20th most expensive city in the world for visitors, and Madrid number 24, etc.
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For a look at the cost of living in a city, one needs to look at the second column, which includes rent costs. Here Barcelona is ranked as the 26th most expensive city to live in, Madrid number 22 and New York City number 5. So, saying Barcelona is as expensive as New York city could be considered stretching things a bit -- but it certainly isn't cheap anymore! (By the way, according to this list, the most expensive city to live in is London followed by Oslo, Dublin and Copenhagen.)
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Another list in the report is called, "Domestic purchasing power including rent prices." Here Barcelona is ranked number 24, Madrid goes down to 30 and New York comes in at number 22. (The five most expensive cities in this grouping are Copenhagen, Zurich, Berlin, Geneva and Frankfurt.)
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Here are a few interesting quotes from the report:

• "The euro has continued its extraordinary ascent."


• "...Eurozone cities are even more expensive."


• "In 2006, Barcelona and Hong Kong were similarly costly. Now the Catalonian port city is 22% more expensive than the Chinese one."

Well, it seems from this report that Europe is the most expensive part of the world to live in today. As for the Euro, I have definitely seen a substantial increase in the cost of living since it was introduced in 2001. And I can personally attest to how much more it costs me to live in Barcelona than it did in previous years.
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In 2005 someone on a forum about life in Spain asked me how much I usually spent on groceries and sundries. Since I keep my supermarket receipts that was easy for me to answer -- at the time it was typically between 120 and 130 euros a month. Looking at current receipts, I can say that today I regularly spend between 165 and 175 a month.
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I need to mention that I am single and relatively frugal. Certainly there are single people who spend less than me on groceries and such, but there are probably many more who spend a greater amount than I do to eat each month.
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In closing, let me mention another report that made the news this week: Personal Income and the Risk of Poverty in Catalonia by IDES-CAT, the Statistical Institute of Catalonia. According to this study, 19% of the Catalan population falls beneath the poverty threshold. This means that 19 out of every 100 people living in Catalonia live on less than 689 euros a month!
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While I know many "mileruistas" who struggle by on about 1,000 euros a month, it must be incredibly difficult to get by on less than 689 -- especially on one's own. Sharing an apartment would be a must on such an income. Indeed, it is for many people above the poverty level.
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IDES-CAT also reported the following:

• 30% of people surveyed reported that they had difficulty making ends meet each month;
• only 4 out of ten persons surveyed stated that they had NO difficulty making ends meet;
• income is 22.3% lower in households headed by women;
• households that suffer the most economically are those made up of foreigners and those with divorced or separated heads of households;

And on that cheery note, I need to head out to do my weekly marketing.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

Annus horribilis for the Spanish Royal Family

I don't believe the Spanish Royal Family has been in the news this much since 2004, the year Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia got married . Unfortunately, this year it's been mostly bad news. The latest - Princess Elena has separated from her husband, Duke Jaime de Marichalar. This is the first official separation of a royal couple in Spanish history.
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The bad news began early in the year with Prince Felipe's sister-in-law committing suicide in February. In July, Felipe and Letiza's became the brunt of jokes when the satirical magazine El Jueves put a cartoon of the royal couple having sex on its front cover. In October a few Catalan nationalists who want independence from Spain burned the King's photograph at a public rally in the town of Girona during a royal visit. Then in early November, Morocco temporarily recalled its ambassador from Madrid to protest the King and Queen's trip to Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish possessions (usually referred to as "enclaves") on the North African coast.
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Of course, the biggest headlines were caused by King Juan Carlos' telling President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, "Why don't you shut up?!" at the recent Ibero-American Summit -- and the resulting tension between Spain and Venezuela continues to make news over a week later. I think the Economist described the incident well in an article entitled, "The king was not amused":
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"It is a routine. Every time that Latin American leaders get together at a regional summit, the headlines are stolen by Venezuela's outspoken leftist leader, Hugo Chávez. But at the Ibero-American summit in Chile's capital, Santiago, Mr Chávez got some help from an unusual quarter, Spain's King Juan Carlos."
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The YouTube video of the incident became immensely popular in Spain. Within a day or so there were novelty songs playing on the radio, t-shirts emblazoned with the quote and mobile phones ringing out with loops of the king shouting, "¿Por qué no te callas?"..."¿Por qué no te callas?"..."¿Por qué no te callas?" Apparently there is even a paso doble version!

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Over a week later the incident is still making news and a ripple effect is being felt. To paraphrase the Los Angeles Times, the king's words seem to have started a battle royal.
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The funny thing is that this violation of protocol by the usually calm and controlled king may have actually increased his popularity at home. Initially the Spanish press generally supported him. With the diplomatic tension continuing and Chavez threatening to review Spanish businesses operating in Venezuela, more editorials are reflecting on the possible costs of the king's words. Still, from what I can tell many Spaniards seem to believe that, as impolitic as it may have been, the king was simply standing up to a boorish demagogue and probably expressing what many of the summit's attendees wanted to say.
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There is still a month and a half to go until 2008, so who knows what else may befall the Spanish royal family before the end of the year. Whatever else happens, I think the king's annual Christmas speech may be a little more interesting than usual. I'll definitely tune in for it.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

Interesting difference in Spain and US newspaper coverage of the same story

There has been a story in the news recently that today I saw mentioned for the first time in an American newspaper. The article, in the International Herald Tribune (IHT), revealed something I have not seen mentioned in Spanish coverage of the same story. Before I say what that was, let me give you a little background.
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Manel Blat Gonzalez has been fighting to have his name removed from the rolls of the Spanish Roman Catholic Church. It started a few years ago when the archbishop of Valencia refused Mr. Gonzalez' request to add a note to his baptismal record stating that he no longer considered himself Roman Catholic. Next Mr. Gonzalez asked the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (the Spanish Data Protection Agency) to intervene. The archbishop twice refused the Agency's order that he comply with the request and the Church eventually appealed to the courts. The case ended up in Spain's Audiencia Nacional (National Court), which this week ruled in favor of Mr. Gonzalez and the Agency. The archbishop is considering appealing to Spain's highest court, the Tribunal Supremo.
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So, what was different about the IHT report? Well, it mentioned that Mr. Gonzalez was gay. That was news to me because his sexual orientation had not been referred to in any of the Spanish articles I had read, including the most recent one in El Pais.

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Of course, I don't read all of the Spanish papers and I haven't read every Spanish news story about this, so I imagine it probably has been mentioned somewhere. However, I just did a quick Internet search of various Spanish media outlets and did not see his sexual orientation talked about anywhere. This leads me to believe that perhaps the Spanish media doesn't find it a very relevant fact.
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While I can see why it would be considered newsworthy by the IHT, what with the Roman Catholic Church's position on homosexuality and the Spanish Church's opposition to gays being allowed to marry in Spain, it is still an interesting difference, don't you think?
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If you're interested in reading the El Pais article, click here for the on-line version. For the IHT article, click here.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

The day after the National Day of Spain / El día despues del Día Nacional de España

Headlines in all of Spain's daily papers today focused on the fact that Prime Mininister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was booed by people in the crowd at yesterday's official observance of the Día Nacional de España in Madrid.

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Since the same thing happens every year, I fail to see how it merits such treatment; and none of the headlines referred to it being a recurrence. Nor did any of the headlines point out that this occurred despite Zapatero and his party leading slightly in the polls. Maybe these additional points were made in articles or editorials, but I didn't notice that in the newspaper I read today -- La Vanguardia. I have to admit, though, that today I basically skimmed it.
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Regarding the usual absence of leaders from certain regions at the event, according to La Vanguardia this year's official observance saw the highest representation of Autonomous Region heads. The only regions not represented were the Basque Country and Murcia. Why weren't their leaders there? Well, among other sore points, the Basque leader Juan José Ibarretxe wants a referendum on independence in his region and Madrid has nixed that. As for Murcia, it is headed by Ramón Luis Valcárcel, a member of the opposition Popular Party, but I don't know whether he stayed away in protest or for some other reason.
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Catalonia's leader, José Montilla, was there and apparently made a point of spending time with the King. This followed recent incidents of protesters in Catalonia burning photos of the King. Montilla had previously lamented these acts, describing them as non-productive.

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By the way, Zapatero and the regional leaders function as prime ministers in their respective governments. However, they are commonly referred to as presidents, which is shorthand for President of the Government. To me prime minister is more accurate, so that's what I usually use.
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OK, off politics and civics for now.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

Crude Cartoon Controversy or Freedom of Speech Challenge?

Defenders of freedom of the press are up in arms about the forced withdrawal of a national publication. Spain's Supreme Court ruled today that a crude cartoon of Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia having sex was an insult to the royal family and the people they reign over.

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Judge Juan del Olmo ordered authorities to seize all copies of the magazine running the cartoon, as well as the mold used to print it. He also demanded that the publishers provide the name of the cartoonist for possible prosecution. Apparently slandering or defaming the Spanish Royal Family is illegal and punishable by up to two years in prison.

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The cartoon appeared on the cover of the current issue of El Jueves, a satirical publication. In it, the cartoon-Prince says, "You know, if you get pregnant, this will be the closest thing I'll have done to work in my life."

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Aside from targeting the Royal Family, who are supported by taxpayer money, the cartoon is also aimed at Prime Minister Zapatero's recently inaugurated program to pay 2,500 euros to the parents of newborns and newly adopted children.

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"You've noticed the elections are coming, ZP! 2500€ per child," is splashed above the cartoon.

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The complete name of the publication is "El Jueves, la revista que sale los Miércoles." ("Thursday, the magazine that comes out on Wednesdays.") Similar to Mad Magazine or National Lampoon, it was first published in 1977, two years after the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died. This is the first time an issue has been withdrawn. It is irreverent, popular and never subtle.

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On its web site today El Jueves posted a sample of the cartoon (as did just about every newspaper in Spain, except for the right-leaning ABC) along with a statement that I've translated below:

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July 20, 2007?
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We are writing this note on Friday, July 20, 2007, at 7pm. Our editorial offices are filled with media representatives asking about the banning of our magazine. We do not know how to respond to them. El Jueves has published dozens, hundreds of cartoons of the Royal family -- and of politicians, celebrities, ETA and anything that moves. We have even published a book, TOUCHING THE BORBONS, a 350 page compilation of the most amusing of these cartoons.

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We are graphic humorists and we work fully aware of our charge, what the readers expect of us, which is to explore the limits of freedom of speech. We can actually accept that on occasion we may be excessive. It's part of the job. If we go too far, there are the courts but...banning? The police inspecting newsstands throughout the country and pulling our magazine? Are we really writing this on July 20, 2007?

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What do you think? / ¿Que crees?

Immigrant Reading

Aside from the free daily newspapers I've mentioned before, there are also at least two weekly papers targeting immigrants: Sí, Se Puede and Barcelona Latino. Both papers publish editions in Madrid, Catalonia and the "Levant", which is how Spaniards refer to the Southeastern coast.

Sí, Se Puede's full name is, "Sí, Se Puede el periódico de la integración", or "Yes, You Can the newspaper of integration." It's aimed at immigrants from Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Near East.

Sí, Se Puede is a Spanish owned company and claims that its main objective is to inform immigrants about how to integrate and about what is going on in the community. It also owns and operates a foundation named "Fundación Sí, Se Puede." Although I read the paper when I can, I really know nothing about the foundation and how genuine a non-profit organization it may, or may not, be.

Barcelona Latino is part of the "Latino" group of papers by a company named Novapress, which doesn't provide a lot of information about itself on its website. (Which leads me to believe it is probably not owned by Latin Americans, just as Sí, Se Puede isn't owned by immigrants.) Their byline is "La voz de nuestra comunidad," or "The voice of our community." As the name implies, it targets Latin Americans living in Spain. The paper claims to "identify emotionally" (sounds a little scary) with its Latin American readers and to provide information useful to their lives.

Both papers usually offer features on individuals who have successfully adapted to life here (usually successful business people), updates on issues effecting immigrants (which I always appreciate), news from home countries (nothing from my country, but then that's usually in every other paper), sports coverage, entertainment and lots and lots of advertising. Here are a few of the popular advert categories:

Money Transfer Services
Banks
Long Distance Phone Plans
Attorneys
Autos
Fortune Tellers
Dental Clinics

...and pretty much in that order. So, although neither paper mentions it in their mission statements, another goal of theirs is also to sell advertising, like all papers. And I suppose the fact that Spaniards are publishing such periodicals is a sign of the growing economic power of immigrants here.

I usually enjoy reading both newspapers, but I wish they had more information about local activities and community listings. I'm sure I'm not the only immigrant who would find locations and contact details of important services a handy thing to see in a paper.

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In addition, I'd like to see a listing of where restaurants that serve food from various nations are located. As it is, I just see the odd advert for an ethnic restaurant now and then, so I catch as catch can. As a matter of fact, I'm looking at an ad right now for a place named Mi Cali Bella that says it specializes in Colombian and Ecuadoran cooking. Hmmm, sounds interesting. I'll try to check it out soon and let you know how it is. In the meantime, I'm going to cook myself some dinner!

Ciao amig@s,

Carloz

Then there's Madrid...

...which is another great Spanish city. I lived there for almost two years and thoroughly enjoyed it. I recall a New Yorker I met there when she was taking a TEFL certification course. After completing the course she went to Paris to join her boyfriend, but a few weeks and a break-up later, she returned to Madrid to teach English for a year. She liked the city so much she returned the following year to teach there again. I remember her telling me near the end of her second stint in the capital that, although she only went to Madrid after the break-up to be in a supportive environment with friends she'd made during her TEFL course, she was glad that it worked out that way because otherwise she might never have known how nice a place it was.
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This young woman had lived in London, Paris and Stockholm and here she was rating Madrid along with these other European cities. In fact, she described it as one of Europe's best kept secrets. Over the years I've heard others say similar things when singing the city's praises. Well, perhaps the the cat is finally out of the bag.

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According to a news report in EL Pais, a study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found that the Spanish capital is one of the best cities in Europe. In fact, the paper quoted the director of the study, Mario Pezzini, as having said, "We liked it so much that if we had to leave Paris, the members of the team would move to Madrid."
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The OECD report claims that among Madrid's strengths are its public transport system, low unemployment and successful integration of immigrants, who currently make up 16% of the city's population. On the negative side, the report highlights traffic congestion, low spending on Research and Development and the high rate of temporary employment.
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Overall, however,the OECD team members found Madrid a "prosperous space" with high demographic and economic growth, according to another news source, Diariocrtico.com. The report apparently cites proactive public policies as one of the reasons the city's attraction and quality is improving.
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All of this must be good news for Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, who reportedly wants to gain more power within the conservative Popular Party (PP) and enter national politics. He's seen by many as a moderate voice within the PP, not unlike Rudolph Giuliani in the U.S. Republican Party.
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Another goal of his is to see Madrid host the Summer Olympics. Although the city's bid for the 2012 didn't win, it did receive good marks. Therefore, the OECD report is probably equally welcomed by the Spanish Olympic Committee (Comité Olímpico Español), which is working on the application due to the IOC by September 13th.
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So, that's a little update on Madrid, the capital, the center of the country, the largest city in Spain and apparently not such a secret anymore.

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Chao amig@s,

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Carloz

Friday's News in Spain: The Prince, Nature & Science; Zapatero and his ministers; local audience lacking for Spanish cinema

Prince of Asturias Foundation awards Communications prize to 'Nature' and 'Science': British and American publications ‘Science’ and ‘Nature’ have jointly received the 2007 Prince of Asturias Communications Prize. Other nominees this year included the BBC and Google. The prestigious award includes 50,000 € ($67,000 and a Joan Miró designed statuette.

This is the fifth of the Prince of Asturias awards to be announced so far this year. Other winners in 2007 have been Al Gore (the International award), Bob Dylan (Arts), Amos Oz (Literature) and Ginés Morata and Peter Lawrence (Science). Later this month the Social Science award will be announced, followed by the Sports and Concorde awards in September.

'Science' magazine is a US weekly that was first published in New York in 1880. The British journal 'Nature' dates back to 1869.

The Prince of Asturias Foundation, headed by Spanish Crown Prince Filipe, awards eight prizes every year. It was founded in 1980 with the objectives of, "strengthening the links between the Principality of Asturias and its Prince and of contributing to upholding and promoting all those scientific, cultural and humanistic values that form the heritage of humanity."

Zapatero makes cabinet changes ahead of election: Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has announced a cabinet reshuffle, including the dismissal of three ministers -- Jordi Sevilla (Public Administration), Carmen Calvo (Culture) and María Antonia Trujillo (Housing).

Elena Salgado will move from Health to Public Administration. Cesar Antonio Molina of the Cervantes Institute becomes Culture Minister, molecular biology investigator, Bernat Soria, becomes Health Minister and parliament vice-president, Carmen Chacón, becomes Housing Minister. Chacón, at 36, is the youngest minister in the government and arguably has the most difficult portfolio in that Spanish citizens are experiencing a housing "shortage" while a corruption and speculation support a real estate boom in tourist areas.

Opposition Popular Party (PP) leader, Mariano Rajoy reacted to the changes by saying: "There is no crisis. This is simply a cosmetic operation which can't disguise the fact that this government lacks any credibility."

Reportedly Zapatero had decided a few weeks ago on making the changes and that he would announce them after the State of the Nation debate.

An election is due to be called by net spring. Polls show Zapatero's socialist PSOE party as more popular than the PP.

Top 25 movies in Spain -- not 1 Spanish: El Mundo reported that so far in 2007 there has not been a Spanish movie in the top 25 films at the Spanish box office! Out of a total of 45.8 million movie tickets sold in Spain since January, only 3.7 million were for films from Spain.

Click here to see the list of the 25 most popular films in Spain during the first half of 2007 and here to see the 10 most popular Spanish films.

Will success kill 'Bicing', Barcelona's new public bicycling system?

Below is my translation of an article by JAUME BAUZÀ from last Sunday's El Pais newspaper.

Click on the title below if you want to read the original Spanish version.
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Success threatens to drown 'bicing'
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In biology it is said that an insect survives because it is small, but that if it grew to the size of a cow, it would suffocate. Something similar could happen to Bicing, with its overwhelming success in Barcelona.
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The public transportation system established by City Hall last March has already has attracted 70,000 users so far -- a figure that grows by 1,000 new subscriptions a day. However, the number of available bicycles is much lower: 1,500 located at 100 stations. This difference between supply and demand is starting to cause problems in getting hold of a bicycle.
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Empty stations for much of the day, queues to get hold of one the prized methods of transport and users who, after an initial phase of skepticism followed by enthusiasm for the innovative service, are beginning to grow impatient.
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"The other day I had to go to three stations until I found a bicycle. If it to had gone home on foot since at the start, I would have arrived there earlier," said Ana at a stop near the cathedral.
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"At first there was no problem, but when I leave for work it's a miracle to find a bike," claimed Antoni in the Eixample area.
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Although the majority of users consulted believe that Bicing is an excellent initiative, a lot of criticism was expressed about the lack of bicycles. Nevertheless, those responsible for the program are not worried.
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"I don't believe there is a serious imbalance between supply and demand. At any rate, the service is still not up and running 100%," stated a spokesman of Barcelona Municipal Services, the public business that operates the new urban transportation system. City Hall foresees by year's end 3.000 bicycles in circulation, distributed through 200 stations all over the city. But how many users will have registered by then?
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"Now we are in a state of flux. With the summer's arrival the promotional [membership] rate of six euros annually has ended. It doesn't seem probable that the number of requests will continue at this pace after September."
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The system is seen as an alternative method of public transportation, so it only allows for trips of half an hour. In case that time limit is surpassed, the user is penalized 30 cents. This way the bicycles move constantly. Clear Channel, the company that put the service operation in Barcelona, reported that there have already been more than 500,000 trips recorded.
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"According to our calculations, each bicycle is used an average of 12 times a day and we believe that those rotations will rise to 15 by the end of the year. So when they say that there are few bicycles, one must keep in mind that they are in continuous movement," City Hall said in response to the criticism.
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At Barcelona Municipal Services, they prefer that things develop naturally. "It's logical that in the future some users will drop the service, having tired of not finding a bicycle. Thus the supply and demand will balance out," explained the municipal spokesman. "At any rate, it's still very early to speculate on that question. The system is new. We started from scratch and we need a year to study where the gaps are and find solutions", affirmed this spokesman.
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The advantages of Bicing are undeniable and explain why Barcelonans have been tripping over their feet to get at this service. It's comfortable, ecological and cheap. According to a profile provided by City Hall, the average user is more than 35 years old (48%), is a professional with an advanced degree (30,6%), lives in the Eixample (26,4%) and uses the bike an average of 15 minutes.
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To absorb such user demand, the town council is working towards installing a new station every day. The Bicing map already includes 75 stations that extend all over the city. For example, the six kilometers that separate Plaza d' Espanya and Glòries can be covered in 28 minutes traveling almost in straight line along Gran Via. The stress and heat produced by cars in two lanes, pedestrians that cross the street without looking and furious cabdrivers suggest making the return trip by Metro. The eight stations that separate both Plazas require 12 minutes travel time.
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Such a system is necessary, many citizens say, above all in a metropolis that has always boasted of treating bicycles well. But success can also kill and the flood of users threatens to reduce the effectiveness of the service.
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"There are things that need fine tuning, but in July we'll have 150 maintenance and distribution staff, 10 vehicles with trailers to carry bicycles and another four vehicles for maintenance. So, we'll fill up empty stations more quickly," pronounced City Hall.

Monday’s News in Spain: Spain's eternal summer challenge; more than one million did it in Catalonia yesterday; Catalonian condom machines

Spaniards Take Up Their Annual Summer Challenge - English! Yes, many Spaniards take time during the summer to study English -- children and adults -- at home, in camps and abroad. Intensive courses abound in Spain's cities; children's summer camps (colegios) are held in the countryside where studying English is a major focus; and trips are made to the UK, Ireland, Canada, the USA and as far away as Australasia to participate in immersion courses. According to to the newspaper-ita, Que! , more than 100,000 Spaniards will travel abroad this summer to study languages. And this year Spain's Ministry of Education has made grants available for 18 to 30 year olds who want to study English abroad.
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One million and counting: According to freebie paper ADN, the first day of "rebajas de verano" (summer sales) saw more than one million shoppers turn out in Catalonia yesterday. The most popular items: clothing and shoes.

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Condom Machines Spreading: It's not uncommon to see condom machines in bars, restaurants, schools and on walls outside pharmacies in Barcelona. Now Catalonia's government, the Generalitat, plans to install them in public libraries throughout the region and in metro stations in the greater Barcelona area.

Spain: News for Sunday 1 July 2007

Glasgow, of course, was the major story in all of the newspapers. El Pais ran the following headline: Alerta máxima antiterrorista en el Reino Unido tras un ataque. (Maximum anti-terrorist alert in the United Kingdom after an attack.) However, in Spain life went on as usual, as you can tell from the following local stories:

Summer sales start! Today was one of only 8 Sundays/Holidays a year when all stores are allowed to open for business. This is because today coincided with the start of Spain's summer sales period, which will last until 31 August. The Catalonia Commerce Confederation has predicted sales of between 800 and 900 million euros during these two months, 6% more last year. According to the estimates of the Spanish Commerce Confederation, Spanish consumers will spend, on average, between 150 and 200 euros.

Summer "sails", too! The massive exodus for summer holidays started yesterday, with queues at the ticket counters and traffica jams on the highways and freeways. Freeway AP-7 had vehicles lined up to 20 kilometers at noon. El Prat airport reorted record breaking operations, with a total of 1,102 take-offs and landings.

Glad I stayed home and enjoyed the beach! Hasta mañana...

Spain’s Saturday News Highlights: The pájaros are coming! Will the Ratistas, too? Well, golf won’t be coming to Girona

Originally posted by Carloz on 30 June, 2007 at http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/

Singer-songwriters Joaquín Sabina (Andalusia 1949) and Joan Manuel Serrat (Catalonia 1943) started their Dos Pájaros de un Tiro (Two Birds in One Shot) Tour to a standing-room only crowd in Zaragoza last night. For the next six months the singers, who were icons of the transition to democracy in the 70’s and 80s, will perform more than 60 concerts throughout Spain and Latin America.

Both were exiles during Franco’s rule — Sabina living in London and Serrat in Mexico. Until now Sabina and Serrat were not a duo, but two indivdual stars with their own styles and hits. For the tour they are performing each others songs jointly and individually. The two will reach Madrid in September (three concerts scheduled, two already sold out) and Barcelona in October (two concerts, one already sold out). The final concert of the tour will be in Montevideo, Uruguay on December 20th.

Here’s the tour’s official web site: http://www.dospajarosdeuntiro.es/

More re Rato: Speculation continues about IMF chief Ricardo Rato’s early resignation and planned return to Spain this autumn. There was talk in the media today of Rato followers making preparations to convince him to return to Spain’s political life as well. El Pais pointed out that Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy doesn’t have one “Ratista” on his team.

Conservationists applaud decison to halt two housing construction plans in Catalonia: The Planning Commission of Girona Province has rejected a proposal to build 1,000 new homes on 85 hectares in a woooded area situated between the developments of Lloret Blau and Lloret Verd in Lloret de Mar. The Commission also denied permission to construct 370 new homes and a golf course in Garrigoles, where only 155 people currently live. In their campiagn against the golf course, conservationsists crossed out the name of Garrigoles on the sign at the entrance to the town and hung one with “Garrigolf” next to it!

Responses

By: Colin on July 1st, 2007 at 2:35 am

Too many golf courses in Spain as it is - though having said that I guess they bring money into the country and provide jobs for people.

By: Carloz on July 1st, 2007 at 12:35 pm

Yes, too many golf courses — and way too many houses!! As the European Parliament declared recently, the huge construction projects do not respond to real needs of the people of Spain! (See: http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/2007/06/22/in-fridays-news/) What Spain needs more of is sustainable development and efforts to diversify its job market. While I think it’s basically a good thing that Spain has such a great tourism industry, there really needs to be a push to develop jobs in areas other than leisure and tourism.

Spain’s Friday News………. Rato’s return; Capello’s departure; & Science and Flags in Barcelona

Originally posted by Carloz on 29 June, 2007 at http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/

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Ricardo Rato to resign as head of the IMF — apparently to the joy of many in the conservative Popular Party (PP) — and it was definitely the main news story today. Why the big deal? Well, political tongues are wagging all over the country about the potential impact of Rato’s return to Spain before next year’s national elections. His name is usually mentioned as a potential leader of the PP because of doubts some members have about Mariano Rajoy’s leadership of the opposition party. In his announcement, however, Rato only said that his plans to resign from the International Monetary Fund in October were for personal reasons. His last government position was as the Spanish Economy Minister of José María Aznar.

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And in the involuntary resignation department…Real Madrid’s Fabio Capello — By a unanimous vote, Real Madrid’s managing board fired coach Fabio Capello, despite his having recently led the team to win it’s first League title in four years. (See June 18th post, In Today’s News: David Beckham Ends Madrid Stint with a League Title.)

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El Pais reported that Real Madrid Sports Director Pedrag Mijatovic said, “He worked under enormous pressure and achieved an important result in winning the title, but we have to have a little more than Fabio Capello gave us this year.” No replacement has been announced but former Real player and current Getafe coach Bernd Schuster of Germany has been mentioned as among those being considered. No comments were available from Capello, 61, because (GET THIS!) since he was out of town, Real Madrid gave the news to his son instead of to him directly!! (Brrrr, they’re cold in Madrid!!!)

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BARCELONA - city of art, architecture, music, gastronomy, and SCIENCE… There are over 250 activities including exhibitions, workshops and festivals in Barcelona Science ’07, which continues through the beginning of 2008. Examples of activities include a show tracing Shackleton’s Antarctic exhibition, another at the Botanical Gardens revealing secrets behind the color of minerals, and an exhibition of the drawing projects of Leonardo Da Vinci. Here’s a link to the official site: http://www.bcn.cat/ciencia2007/eng/

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…and RAINBOWS, too! El Periodico de Catalunya noted today that for the first time Catalonia’s regional government, known as The Generalitat, had rainbow flags flying on several government buildings in honor of Gay Pride celebrations. The government of the city of Barcelona, the Ajunatment, also had the flags flying, but I believe this was not the first year the city has done so. The spokesperson for the Gay, Lesbian and Transsexual Collective of Catalonia, Xavier Verdaguer, said that while the Autonomous Region is “in the vanguard” as far as rights are concerned, when it comes to ”reality” it is ”behind pioneering countries” such as Sweden, Holland, and Norway.

Thursday’s News……………Spain’s World Heritage Sites Increasing & Bubbles in BCN

Originally posted by Carloz on June, 2007 at http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/

Unesco declares Teide a World Heritage Site! Today UNESCO declared Spain’s Teide National Park a World Heritage Site. A national park since 1954, Teide covers 19,000 hectares of the Canary Island of Tenerife. It inlcudes the higgest peak in Spain and is known for its biological variety and its spectacular geology, such as volcanic cones and lava flows. At 3,715 meters (12,188.3 feet), Teide is the third largest volcano on Earth. Its last eruption was in 1909.

Spain now has 40 World Heritage Sites, including 35 Cultural Sites (such as the Alhambra, the Altamira Cave and Barcelona’s Palau de la Musica and Hospital de Sant Pau) three Natural Sites (the Doñana national park in Andalucía and the Garajonay park on another of the Canary Islands, La Gomera) and two Mixed Sites (the island of Ibiza and the Pyrenees Mountains).

Also added to the World Heritage Site’s list today were locations in China, Gabon, Iraq, Namibia, Slovakia, South Africa, Switzerland, and Ukraine.

Here is a link to the announcement on the official site: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/359

Next on the list? There has been speuclation in the media that Barcelona’s famous stretch of rambling boulevards, collectively known as Las Ramblas, is being considered as a possible nominee to the list of World Heritage Sites.

In addition, El Periodico de Catalunya reported today that the Spanish Government is considering making a proposal that the Mediterranean Diet receive a World Heritage designation from UNESCO. (Natural? Cultural? Mixed? Boiled? Baked? Grilled?)

Well, whatever designation it does, or does not, receive, the food here is excellent. Here is a link to an article on the Mediterranean Diet: http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/Reportajes/Dieta+Mediterranea.htm?SubSys=FooGen&language=en

Pep Bou’s Bubbles are back! Peb Bou, the Catalan performance artist who has made an art form out of blowing bubbles, is back in Barcelona with his latest show, Claire de Lune. He and accompanist Jordi Masó produce a symbiosis of piano and bubbles to the tunes of Debussy, Blancafort, Séverac, Donostia, Fauré, Mompou and Turina. Here’s a link to his site: http://www.pepbou.com/eng/eng.htm

Responses

By: Colin on June 29th, 2007 at 9:48 am
The closest I have got to Teide so far is to fly past it on the way to Gran Canaria. I’ll be flying past in December (as usual) for my now annual two/three week break - meet ya there???!

By: Carloz on June 29th, 2007 at 11:27 am

Hmmm, sounds nice! But December is a little too far off for me to plan yet.

Wednesday’s News…………BCN’s El Grec Festival; Spain 2, Catalonia 1; and Thierry Henry’s Shirt

Originally posted by Carloz on June, 2007 at http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/

EL GREC, Barcelona’s Summer Festival has begun! Last night saw the premiere of the 31st El Grec Festival, Barcelona’s summer performing arts festival, with Sacred Monsters, a dance performance by Sylvie Guillem (France) and Akram Khan (India). According to El Periodico de Catalunya, the duo surprised the public at the Montjuic amphitheater and heated up the festival’s cool first night.

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El Grec is geard toward everyone, including hip-hop fans this year. Popular musical performances (e.g., Barcelona Big Latin Ensemble, Laurie Anderson, Jorge Drexler, Antony and the Johnsons) and family entertainment (Circus Night, the Wizard of Oz), will be held along with classic works, like Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale and Goldoni’s La famiglia dell’antiquario. New works like La Fura dels Baus’ Imperium will alternate with innovative dance and theater, like that of Nau Ivanov, La Caldera de Gracia and the Sant Andreu Teatre.

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Here’s a link to the program: http://www.barcelonafestival.com/eng/programme
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Spain is number 2 and Catalonia number 1! Spain is the world’s 2nd most popular tourist destination, and within Spain, Catalonia is the most popular Autonomous Region. Between January and May of 2007 a total of 5.1 million tourists from other countries visited Catalonia – 25.3% of all foreign tourists who came to Spain according to data presented yesterday by the secretary of Innovation, Universities and Business, Josep Huguet. The most popular areas in Catalonia were Barcelona, followed by the Costa del Maresme, the Costa del Garraf, and the Costa Daurada.

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Number 14 fever: Vendors report that Henry’s number 14 T-Shirt is fast on the road to being the second most popular seller among Barça souvenirs. Watch out Ronaldinho!

Spain’s Tuesday News: State Funeral; Catalonia’s Internet Project; Busy Ports; Touré’s Turn

Copied from original http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/ posting by Carloz on 26 June, 2007

Today was declared a national day of mourning, with flags flown at half-mast and a state funeral held for the six soldiers killed by a carbomb in Lebanon on Sunday. Crown Prince Felipe and his wife, Princess Letizia, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, government ministers, dignitaries and family members of the victims attended the service in Madrid.

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The soldiers will be buried in their places of birth. Three were Spanish and three were Spanish residents originally from Colombia. 5.5% of the Spanish army is made up of immigrants, the majority Colombian and Ecuadorian.

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The fact that the soldier’s armoured personnel carrier did not have a frequency inhibitor to prevent attacks by remote control bombs has been the subject of some debate here. While the government pledged to speed up the installation of such devices, officials pointed out that Spain is no different from other UN troops in Lebanon, who do not have these special devices either.
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Internet use is healthy! The most autonomous, enterprising, sociable, inventive and active people in Catalunya are those that use the internet most frequently, as opposed to the stereotype of internet users as marginal, isolated and too introspective. That is one of the conclusions of the Open University of Catalonia’s Internet Project, a sociological study aimed at learning about the public’s use of the internet as well as user profiles. The study also found that local internet users have more friends and have less of a tendency to suffer from depression.

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The report, which was presented yesterday, shows that 30% of the most creative and innovative people in Catalonia are found among internet users. The project’s 40 investigators carried out 15,390 in-person interviews and another 40,400 via the internet between 2001 and the 2007. The regional government financed the project.

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Here’s a link to the article in El Periodico de Catalunya:

ttp://www.elperiodico.com/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAS&idnoticia_PK=419101&idseccio_PK=1021

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And the busiest ports on the Mediterranean are…in Spain! According to Javier Aznar of the Maritime Museum of Barcelona’s Maritime Documentation Center, when it comes to container ships, the port of Algeciras is the busiest. Algeciras is situated between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and is also a natural connecting point between the continents of Europe and Africa. As for passenger ships, Barcelona is not only the leader in the Mediterranean, but in all of Europe.

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By the way, the Maritime Museum is a real jewel that I think many tourists fail to discover. It is located in what was for 700 years one of Spain’s Royal Shipyards! Check it out! http://www.museumaritimbarcelona.com/default.asp?idApartado=102

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And in soccer (or fútbol) it’s Touré’s turn. The day after media star Thierry Henry’s presentation to Barça fans, the spotlight touched Ivory coast midfielder, 24 year old Yaya Touré, who signed for 4 years and whom Barça will pay Monaco 9 million euros. Meanwhile, Barça is waiting to see if Rome accepts its offer for the Romanian defender Cristian Chivu.

Verbena Tranquila: Commentary on BCN’s Summer Solstice Celebration (Saint John’s Night)

Copied from original http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/ posting by Carloz on 26 June, 2007

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Below is my translation of a major part of an editorial in Monday’s El Periodico de Catalunya regarding Saint John’s Night (La Noche de San Juan / La Nit de Sant Joan):

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“A Tranquil Festival”

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“Another year has produced the traditional images of Saint John’s Night. In a world daily growing more globalized and lacking in references, this festival connects us to a culture, to a way of celebrating the passing of time, to the ancient rites of our civilization. Belonging to this manner of observing the shortest night are: bonfires, fireworks, fire worship, and the urge to celebrate associated with the solstice and heat.

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There are other images, too, although not always so edifying. The hangover of a night measured by kilos of trash accumulated on the beach or a few episodes of antisocial behavior do not manage to mar the natural, desirable and deserved public joy.

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Sadly, there were accidents. Certainly a single tragedy dampens a celebration. At the same time, this year we can be generally pleased with the tranquility that reigned over 2007’s festivities.

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Government warnings regarding the handling of fireworks had their desired effect, although such precautions should be maximized to result in zero risk. We should congratulate ourselves on the normality of it all; which is to say that even in the most crowded of festivals, we are able to behave as a mature society.”

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I couldn’t agree more! There was such a mix of people, too: children, adults, senior citizens, families, couples, neighbors, natives, immigrants, tourists, straights, gays… And as exciting and action-packed as it all was, there was such a feeling of community, peace and, yes, tranquility.

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Here is a link to the original article: Verbena tranquila

Monday’s News in Spain: Death in Lebanon, Global Peace Index, Soccer in BCN and Real Estate in Spain

Copied from original http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/ posting by Carloz on June, 2007
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España sufre las primeras seis bajas en Líbano: The top story in all of today’s newspapers was the deaths of Spanish soldiers serving in the UN Peacekeeping force in Lebanon. Six soldiers were killed and two injured in a when a roadside bomb hit the armored vehicle they were travelling in.
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Sadly, this was the first attack on UN forces since they were sent to Lebanon after the war between Israel and Hezbollah last year. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
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Spain currently has military personnel serving in Lebanon, Kosovo and Bosnia under UN mandates and in Afghanistan under NATO.
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Global Peace Index: The photo above is of a map of the Global Peace Index, which is maintained by The Economist. Click on the photo to enlarge it. Click here to go to an article in The Economist about it.
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Henry’s here - and Barça’s got ‘em! The other big story was the arrival in Barcelona of French forward Thierry Henry. El Periodico described the 29 year old soccer player’s entry into the city by private jet as having all the glamour of the greatest stars. He was received with honors at the airport yesterday. Today, according to the nightly news reports, he was presented to 30,000 fans at Camp Nou stadium after passing his medical and signing on the dotted line.
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“I was very surprised to see so many people out there waiting,” Henry reportedly commented. “You don’t even dream about things like that. It’s true what they say, Barcelona is more than a club.”
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According to the local media, in addition to the 24 million Barça paid for Henry, it has agreed to pay Arsenal an additional one million euros if they win the league.
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Henry joins one of the fiercist forward line-ups in soccer, with Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o, Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho and Argentine winger Lionel Messi.
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Will this be the year that Spain’s real estate bubble bursts? According to El Periodico, the Bank for International Settlements (or BIS — known in Spanish as El Banco de Pagos Interacionles or BPI), warned yesterday in it’s 77th Annual Report that there is a significant risk of a collapse in Spain’s real estate market. The complete report on the global economy is available in English on the BIS web site.