Raining In Valencia - The Gota Fria

It's the time of year again when the floods take everyone by surprise, schools get closed to the pleasure of the teachers after all they have been working for almost a month since their last holiday and the next one is still two weeks away, roads get cut off, garages get flooded and images of floating cars drift across our TV screens. The Gota Fria has got to Valencia.

So for those who are unsure what then is the Gota Fria? It is a breaking of the summer that arrives in Monsoon fashion and results in things like those shown in the video below. Enjoy it and remember this usually lasts just a few days up to a maximum of a week or a week and a half in the worst case scenario. Be prepared for the Gota Fria but remember that Valencia gets about 300 days of sunshine per year to enjoy talking about how bad the Gota Fria was this year.



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Oh and by the way here is an explanation about how my other site "Houses For Sale in Spain" works

Free Computers For All

The Spanish government announced in the State of The Nation debate yesterday that all 11 year olds would have a PC to take home next year and that the scheme would be rolled out to the rest of the secondary school network over the next few years. This is the first of many necessary steps to modernising the Spanish education system. So if you are thinking of coming to live in Spain and like the sound of that don't forget that there is more than just private international schools available out there.

I bet they are not Macs!

Spanish Scientists All in a Buzz

You can see the original article here

Great article by Debbie Hadley at the link above about the findings by Spanish scientists regarding colony collapse disorder and finding a cure for this illness which is affecting bee populations worldwide.

The scientists have found a lone parasite which seems to be causing the problem and have also found how it can be treated. Good news for the bees but even better news for all farmers the World over as bees are the pollinators of flowers and crops the world over as can be seen on the video below.

(The film is great fun too)

A Great Presentation

Make sure you watch it all the way through. Otherwise you miss the twist. Great use of a simple presentation

Fallas Photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36444047@N07/3362557642/in/set-72157615457945384/

Above you can find a photostream of some images from Fallas 2009 up to now. Do a search on Flickr for others and you will find extravalencia, holavalencia and many more.

Spain Needs Self Belief

Spain is getting battered at the moment by everything but it still remains a marvellous country to live in or to aspire to live in. Maybe what it needs is a little self belief and confidence rather than the constant navel gazing and inferiority complex that seems so prevalent. This video has got nothing to do with Spain but it shows what a bit of self belief can do.




Believe In Yourself - video powered by Metacafe

Barter with Bart. New Concept for Getting Stuff for Free in Spain

Bartering is the age-old practice of swapping or trading a skill or item you have with someone else for something you want or need. Pete Clarke has brought this concept into the 21st Century with a clever website www.barterwithbart.com. This takes the concept of bartering in Spain to the next level and enables people to exchange their skills and time for things they really need.

Pete identified that the main problem with the traditional barter was finding someone who both wanted what you were offering and had something you needed. For this reason, he has established a currency called Barts which you can earn for providing your service to someone and then “spend” with another person on the site who has something you need. This credit system makes the bartering a lot easier and more rewarding for the individuals and businesses taking part.

If you have a skill, service, time or product you can offer, then you can benefit from www.barterwithbart.com. For example; Hotel owners could barter a few spare rooms, Mechanics could offer their hours, Baby-sitters could get new clients, Teachers could offer their skills, Beauticians or Hairdressers could pledge treatments, Gardeners could get rid of excess produce or Decorators could paint a room in exchange for Barts. In return, they can use these credits to trade with other professionals or individuals who have something they are looking for.

Be part of this online bartering community and swap your skills and time for something you need. Register at www.barterwithbart.com; search for what you need close to where you live, visit the product exchange and let the other members know what you can offer. Bartering will minimise your outlay, allow you to make new contacts and take advantage of the skills and products on offer in these difficult times. www.barterwithbart.com will be launching in Spain on February 1st 2009 visit today to see what you could get through bartering.

Hotel Molino Santo in Ronda

A friend of mine has just won a prestigious award for his fantastic hotel in Andalucia. See what Trip Advisor has to say about this extraordinary hotel below.

"Hotel Molino del Santo has been chosen as a Best Hidden Gems Hotel (Europe) and a Best Bargain Hotel (World) by TripAdvisor® in its 2009 Travellers' Choice® awards. Now in its seventh year, the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice awards honour the world's best hotels, earning their distinction from those who know them best - real travellers.

Hotel Molino del Santo Managers and owners, Andy Chapell and Pauline Elkin, said, "These are amazing accolades for us and our brilliant staff. We don't know how many hotels are listed on Trip Advisor but to be recognised in one category as amongst the best in Europe and in the other as amongst the best in the World is excellent.



It makes our new season even more exciting and helps to consolidate our position as the leading rural hotel in the Ronda area. Our bookings for 2009 are already very good and this will help to ensure a great season for us. We are so grateful to our guests for their fantastic support"

Unlike any other hotel awards programmes in the world, TripAdvisor® Travellers' Choice® winners are based on the millions of real and unbiased reviews and opinions about hotels on tripadvisor.com™ and content from across the web.

"TripAdvisor travellers always appreciate great values, and 2009 is certainly no exception. The 2009 Travellers' Choice awards highlight more bargain properties than ever before with 190, nearly five times as many as last year," said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. "Millions of real travellers worldwide have helped identify these outstanding hotels, recognized for their exceptional accommodation, service, and value."

Contact Details

info@molinodelsanto.com

Tel 952 16 71 51 Fax 952 16 73 27

For reviews on Hotel Molino del Santo, go to this link

Valencia and New York

The direct link from the Big Apple so that New Yorkers can come and experience Valencia is now official. From June there will be four flights a week coming into and obviously going out of Valencia direct to JFK with Delta Airlines. Prices start at 383 Euros so all of you Americans out there who wish to visit a beautiful Mediterranean city relatively cheap can now do so. (Oh and Valencians can go to New York for the weekend and go shopping)

The 33rd America's Cup Looks Like Coming Back to Valencia

There have been debates, arguments and my dad is bigger than your dad moments but finally it looks as if an agreement is imminent for the 3rd America's Cup to take place in 2010 in Valencia with Challenger Races in 2009. There are many teams involved in the negotiations which can only be good news for Valencia's tourist prospects for the next two years and also for the property rental market too.

The teams currently discussing the way forward are Alinghi, the Holders (SUI), Desafío Español (ESP), Shosholoza (RSA), Team Origin (GBR), Team New Zealand (NZL), DCYC (GER), Green Comm Challenge (ITA), Ayre Challenge (ESP), Victory Challenge (SWE), Argo Challenge (ITA), Mascalzone Latino (ITA), Team French Spirit (FRA), Luna Rossa (ITA), Russian Challenge (RUS), Italia (ITA), K-Challenge (FRA), Greek Challenge (GRE) and Dabliu Sail Project (ITA).

I find it difficult to believe that there will be five Italian challengers but you never know.