Who's the best? Lately I've been studying the way festivals are celebrated throughout Andalucia. It's often interesting to see how one single festival is celebrated differently from one town or city to another. To be honest, at first glance, all the carnivals looked alike to me, as did all the…

Would you believe that there is a GPS co-ordinate on record for every single commercial olive tree in Andalucia? That's right. That's how serious the olive production industry is in southern Spain. And with EU subsidies funding this industry we should hardly expect less than tight control (which…

Madrid Another year, another FITUR - Ferí­a Internacional de Turísmo, that is. This is an event that brings together 180 countries from around the world. The colours, sounds, aromas and flavours that are mixing at Madrid's macro trade fair facilities are exciting, inspiring and almost…

SOS at the Supermarket! SOS in this case is not a cry for help, but rather a brand of rice. Anyone who has lived here long enough to search for rice at a Spanish supermarket will know that SOS (say "sos" to rhyme with "toast") is a favourite brand of rice "Made in Spain" - especially for use in…

Still on the subject of traffic and driving in Andalucia, I must let everyone know that as of this week the Guardia Civil patrol cars are to be equipped with a computer that gives them instant access to information about whether or not a vehicle is properly insured. Millions of uninsured vehicles…

Is it just me - or has driving on Andalucian roads actually improved over the past ten years? Yes, I know that accident statistics are improving. But every time I see someone make an illegal pass, I wonder if people are really a bit more careful than they used to be - or if my nerves have just…

Earlier this week I spent half of one intriguing night at the local emergency room. Fortunately, for once, I didn't have to worry about whether or not I was guilty of abusing the regional healthcare system. My youngest child had Chicken Pox and the doctor at the local health clinic feared it could…

Listen up everybody. Our regional blood banks are calling for donors to provide lifegiving blood after a holiday season that traditionally drains the accounts - due to traffic accidents among other things. Every province throughout Andalucia has centres for donating blood, as well as mobile…

All eyes are on the Mediterranean diet. As everyone knows, it is supposed to be one of the best and healthiest in the world. How is it then that Spain is competing for one of the highest obesity rates in the world - with Andalucia topping Spain's list of heavyweights, particularly when it comes to…

Today thousands of children across our region go back to school after the holidays. Can you believe that 37% of state school students in Andalucia quit school before receiving even their most basic credentials? That is one of the highest drop out rates in Europe and something the Andalusian…