Hope in English The "Teléfono de la Esperanza" help line is an NGO with 180 trained volunteers providing a listening ear to those going through tough times in our region. These are dedicated people who know how to empathise and where to direct those in need of social services, psychological…

Summer Fun-Spanish Style The summer concert season is in full swing in Andalucia and across the country. Here are just a few upcoming concert dates for your diary: Whitesnake – July 27 & 28 Sala Rockstar, Barakaldo – July 30 Santiago Compostela Simply Red – July 30th  Hotel Puente…

Bailén 1808 to 2008 - History Comes to Life You can read all about the great big battle of Bailén in the province of Jaen in Manual Bocero de la Rosa's historical novel published by Editorial Almuzara. That was the battle that marked the turning point in Napoleon's invasion of Spain. It was the…

Beat the Heat Is Andalucia getting a bit too hot for you? Why not head up to Pamplona this weekend? Right now the San Fermín "Running of the Bulls" festival is in full swing through the 14th of July. Yes, you've missed the Txupinazo - the customary drinking and spraying of champaigne that opens…

Kitesurfing Champs Tarifa's big world Kitesurfing Championships drew thousands to the windswept beaches this past weekend. And the winners are... Gisela Pulido from Catalonia is celebrating her victory over the Polish surfer Karolina Winkowska. Kevin Langaree from Holland took all in the men's…

Tarifa Kitesurfing Championships Wow - just look at this: the World Kitesurfing Championships are coming up right here in Andalucia in Tarifa, where else? This is the Telefonica Movistar Kite Pro 2008 and it gives us more reason than ever to visit this wonderful, windswept corner of Cádiz…

Just in time for the Cherry Festival I would like to thank the wonderful contributors to the Andalucia.com forum for providing us with information about the Cherry Festival in Alfarnate on Saturday June 21st. We are just in time to get on over to this lovely village in the Axarquia to enjoy a…

A Striking Experience There is nothing like a strike to ease the flow of traffic on our busiest roads. This makes the commute to work so easy you almost wish... ...Yet, there is reason to believe if the lorry strike continues throughout this week, the local economy will begin to cringe at the…

Big Brother Thanks to this blog, you already know that there is no privacy under any commercial olive tree in Andalucia! Remember that each one has a GPS coordinate and is kept under careful satellite surveillance by the regional government! Olive trees aside, most people know we all have access…

Good Cause for a Climb There are so many ways to "give back" and I'm always happy to see how local companies in our region are so concerned about putting some of their capital - be it financial or manpower - into good causes. This Saturday, May 31st, we have employees from the Marbella branch of…