Women in Spain Editor

San Juan

2009-06-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

We spent an enjoyable San Juan on the Casares beach. It was a good job that we came so well prepared with our own picnic as there were none of the usual freebie sardines and beers, cutbacks there! It was very relaxing and great fun for the kids who enjoyed the novelty of running into the sea at midnight which wasn't too cold.

I was in Estepona the other evening walking(power walking) with a friend and noticed that the trampolines are set up conveniently next to a chiringuito where they were cooking fresh sardines. I didn't stop to check the prices but it gave me an idea for an evening out with the kids.

It is school holidays here now, although mine have been in a sports camp this week which they come home from exhausted, eat lunch and sleep for a couple of hours. I am not complaining as they are really enjoying it and so am I!

Guernica by David Boling

2009-06-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have just finished reading this book which I have read cover to cover over the past four days so I will give you a quick undetailed review. Set in Guernica it begins as a love story in a romantic and patriotic sense spanning three generations of the Ansotegui family. David explains who were the Basques and Guernica before the tragedy took place. He intertwines Picasso's depiction of one of the worst atrocities in history as we witness the impact that it has on the characters.It is an excellent first novel, a hard act for him to follow and I definitely recommed it as this year's summer read.

Offers, offers, offers galore

2009-06-17T05:06:00.000-07:00

I have never known anything like it. Spanish supermarkets have finally succumb to the world of marketing and offers. Supersol have recently been running euro offers i.e pack of 8 yoghurt for a euro where usually 4 are a euro, mind you Mercadona pack of 8 strawberry and banana are consistently only a few cents over a euro. It appears that sales are starting earlier.

I walked past Benetton and noticed that they 30% discount on selected items and Amichi have up to 50% off already, this would have been unheard of in June before when the sales ALWAYS begin in July.

I keep getting approached in the street by all kinds of phone and ADSL companies but I tend to brush them off as I can't be doing with the hassle of changing over and the risk of being left without a phoneline if it all goes wrong or paying two bill, I am sure that you can use your imagination.

So shop wisely people as I am sure that you all do. It is a buyer's market so be fussy, demanding even and don't be fobbed off!

Oliver in Gibraltar

2009-06-06T00:52:00.000-07:00

Last night we took the girls to see Oliver Twist in the Alameda Gardens Open Air Theatre in Gibraltar. It was such a treat to conveniently drive in to Spain and be able to introduce our girls to one of English literature's greatest classics and of course to have an evening at the theatre.

Having just seen Rowan Atkinson play Fagin just last month in Theatre Royal Drury Lane,I have to say Fagin last night was excellent. In fact, the cast on the whole were very good. Other characters that stood out were Dodger for his relentless energy, stage presence and accent, Nancy with her excellent singing voice and Bill Sykes. Oliver himself played the role very close to his Drury Lane counterpart. At points the sound balance was a bit off and this was more noticeable for those sat at the back. We were lucky sat in row B that we weren't hardly affected by this although the speakers were a bit buzzy. At the end just as it reached the most poignant part of the musical it started to rain which really helped to make you feel that

I have to say Gibraltar has a lot of talent condensed into such a small space. We will definitely be buying tickets for future productions.

C Bar in Duquesa

2009-06-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

We were out and about filming today so after hearing some good reviews we decided to try out the C Bar in Duquesa. It was reasonable priced, Justin enjoyed a really juicy burger and the place is very comfortable and contemporary furnished unlike a lot of the bars in the area that you see looking quite tired and in need of a revamp so we will definitely go back for a drink in the evenings soon.

The Price of Breakfast

2009-05-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

On Friday Justin and I decided to treat ourselves to a cooked breakfast at a local cafe. It was admittedly a hearty breakfast but when we paid up it dawned on us just how expensive everything is, 17 euros for two breakfasts and two teas! It was good, very good but not that good considering the times we are in.

Duvets Are Out and Sheets Are In

2009-05-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is officially the sheet season and all duvets are stored away but this year not in those vacuum bags because frankly they don't work, well not for me anyway. My collection of sheets was a bit miserable so I decided to invest in some new ones. I use the word invest very loosely as I wasn't looking to spend very much at all and I wasn't prepared to drive up and down for hours along the Costa del Sol neither.

So whilst killing time in Carrefour whilst the girls were in an "extra" I was delighted to find a load of sales on. The types of bargains to be had at the moment are not a normal occurrence at this time of year but at last, they have had to cave in and do some proper offers. I picked up a "juego de sabanas" and was delighted to discover that they were two for the price of one so two sets for not much more that 20 euros. Okay they aren't the best quality with a polyester mix but 100% cotton sheets in Spain still require hours of ironing which I don't do any more since I moved to a hot country. I know the Carrefour sheets aren't to everyone's taste as the prints tend to be a bit chintzy even gaudy but there is something a bit homely and retro about them peeping out over the lime green throw that I also bought for half price to brighten up my rather bland bedroom.

Shopping Warning

2009-05-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to remind people that sometimes getting refunds in Spain is not as easy as it has become in the UK. I bought a dress last week, not expensive, just a cotton summer one for about 35 euros from a high street chain store in Estepona. However, I have the feeling that they might be a franchise. Anyway, it turned out that the dress was too big and the size smaller was too small. I took the unworn dress back to the shop with the receipt in the bag. I was given two options, return it for something else or accept a vale (credit note).

Now that is fine for me as I live here and eventually I would hope that I could find something else in the shop to replace it. However, I did ask for a cash refund as I spoke to a lawyer/friend who informed me that a full refund was my right given that it was within the fifteen day period, unworn and I had my receipt. I pushed for it and eventually she asked her manager permission to refund the money which he did.

It Is Officially The Ice Cream Season

2009-05-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

Mercadona have a better range than ever. It seems that there is double the choice that there was last year with magnum copies, cookies and cream, stracciatella, chocolate brownie and so on. Since I have no self control whatsoever and I never know when I have had enough I have stocked the freezer with the mini versions but no doubt I will end up eating two at a time instead of one to make up for it.

Wiped Out After the Weekend

2009-05-18T02:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning we were up and out early, ready to catch the coach at quarter to 9 to make our way to Jerez. Well, you may have been to many ferias but you have never experienced a feria until you go to the one in Jerez. It is completely awe inspiring, the horses, the costumes, it is immense. There is no point in me even beginning to describe it as you should see it for yourself as nothing comes close to it, hence why it is one of the biggest in the world. For horse fans, it is a must see and even if you if you aren't you can't help but me transfixed but the majesticness of these huge animals.

On Sunday morning, as if we hadn't been horsed out enough, we were up early again as our girls had the very first riding competition at Cheryl's stables. It has all of a sudden become really warm and it was roasting inland. I wonder if this is it now for the summer or could it cool down again before the "big heat".

Back from Blighty!

2009-05-07T04:31:00.000-07:00

Just back from a week in Blighty where I spent time with my gorgy six month old nephew. I came very close to taking him back to Spain with me so I could buy one of those funky bright pushchairs that all the Spanish mums have and parade him up and down in the summer evenings!

The first few days were bright and sunny in England and then it turned a bit grey and chilly. So, it's great to be back and the sky seems bluer than ever and the light how it bounces off the whitewashing buildings is so uplifting! I actually felt quite claustrophobic in the land locked London area.

I did notice how cheap everything is in the UK but I didn't really make the most of it apart from some Clarks trainers and sandals for the girls which are at least half the price of Spain, maybe even a third of the price. I treated myself to some Clarks sandals which fit my broad feet like a dream. The girls were thoroughly spoilt with loads of clothes from their nan, their grandad and their aunty so that saves me a small fortune on expensive Spanish clothes. Although, Spanish children's clothes are very pretty, they can be very pricey!

I also stocked up on the bargain, excellent quality bikinis which they have in Primark, damn wish I had bought more now as I feel a day at the beach is in order this weekend.

So, even though Spain isn't the bargain paradise that it once was, it is great to be able to pack up a picnic and sit on the beach or plan a barbeque at the weekend safe in the knowledge that it won't be a wash out!

Madrid

2009-04-12T02:20:00.000-07:00

We went to Madrid for a few days last week. We decided to drive because we weighed it up and worked out that with the drive to the airport, waiting and the plane journey and everything it would take about the same time. It tok us nearly six hours to get there. Once you leave Andalucia, you drive for three hours without seeing anything at all, no people, villages, life, nothing.

I liked Madrid but not as much as Barcelona. We did the Madrid must do's such as El Prado, El Parque Retiro where we rowed on the lake and just to give the girls something to look forward whilst trawling through endless Goyas, Parque Warner which was cool. We managed to get photos with all the characters including Bugs Bunny and Tweety Pie. We had a little hospital incident whilst we were there and thankfully it was just around the corner from the hotel but nothing too serious, just an infection which resulted in a minor procedure involving a doctor,a six year old's ear lobe and a knife! Quite gruesome really.

We stopped off in Jaen on the way back where a kind stanger handed us a typical Easter cake which they eat in the region. The Santa Catalina cathedral was impressive. It was a hot day, I dread to imagine how hot it gets there in August.

Marzo Falso

2009-03-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

We are well into March and a quarter of the way into the year already. Where does the time go? The Spanish say that in March you cannot fiarse in the weather, meaning you cannot depend on it, hence the expression Marzo Falso. However, inspired by any glimmer of sun I bought a pair of new summer sandals from Arpe in Estepona. They weren't too expensive at 30 euros and they are really well made. I actually managed to get sun burnt on the beach last Sunday. The girls were off horse riding with their friend so Justin and I siezed the opportunity of some free time and headed for the beach. To our surprise we weren't the only ones soaking up the rays and no they weren't fellow guiris. In actual fact there were a few young spanish couples in swimwear making the most of the spring sunshine. It is quite unusual to see the spanish on the beach before San Juan at the end of June which is the kind of official date to start eating ice cream and sitting on the beach. Speaking of ice creams we even treated ourselves to one of those.

I have to say we are feeling quite tired at the moment as we have been burning the candle at both ends lately. We were out both Friday night and Saturday nights. We have been really spoilt by our friends as not only did their friend's mum take them off last Sunday to go horseriding but they stayed at another friends' house on Friday night. We still got up at the unearthly hour of eight on a saturday morning, force of habit I suppose!Incidentally, if anyone is interested in horseriding let me know and I can post the details.

I have also started flamenco lessons if anyone is interested in classes, just let me know. However, a friend and I hope to share private lessons with the teacher as her prices are reasonable and I just can't make it to the required two nights a week what with children, cooking and other responsibilities.

Anyway, off to prepare for the week. Have a good week everyone.

Rain and Cafe Teatro

2009-03-03T04:02:00.000-08:00

Rain predicted for the rest of the week, great! For those of you in the Estepona area, I thought that I would introduce to you El Escenario. I haven't been there myself but parents might be interested to know that on some Friday evenings they do children's theatre. They don't appear to have put March schedule on yet but I guess they will in the next few days.

Miserable Weather

2009-03-02T04:17:00.000-08:00

Well the title says it all, what more can I say.

On Friday the girls finished their campo de baloncesto, so we went to the cinema with some friends to see Beverley Hills Chihuahua, a really cute film for kids or dog loving adults alike.

Saturday was Andalucia Day and that was celebrated in our town in the pabellon where there were all kinds of show going on and ham and cheese tasting. That evening we went out sans enfants or should I say sin ninos to a lovely restaurant on the casares road called Arroyo-Hondo. It was our friends that suggested we eat there and we were most pleasantly surprised. There is a fab menu and very good service so we will definitely be going again!

Yesterday we made the most of the sunny morning and went to the park in Estepona where we bumped into our neighbours who invited us back for some lunch. We remained the rest of the day at their house where we passed the time playing scrabble and tabu. I have to say I lost miserably but I was the only first language English speaker in the group so I think that they should have made allowances for me, don't you?

Join The Library

2009-02-26T04:18:00.000-08:00

I used to love the library as a child. A bus trip into town and a couple of hours later I would be back at home with as many books as I could carry. I read for days on end and often had two or three books on the go at a time. A couple of years ago I had a look at our local library and was quite disappointed by the sorrow state that it was in and the pitiful choice that was on offer for both children and adults. However, about a week ago one of the grandmothers from the school mentioned that her grandson goes to the library every afternoon and I naturally wondered what was enticing him. So I took the girls and to my surprise, they seem to have invested a great deal of money in new books and lots of them, most importantly (in my very biased opinion) in children's books. The girls were spoilt for choice. I spoke to a an avid reader friend in England who complained that books are dying out in libraries to be replaced with computers. That is not the case here. Although I strongly advocate the use of IT for adults and children alike and sometimes feel that there isn't enough multimedia going on in the Spanish classroom, I can't help being a bit traditional and sentimental about the importance of books in a library.

The library is also a great place to head for if you are learning Spanish. You can start off with children's books that have self explanatory illustrations and progress to reading parallel texts in Spanish and English.

So have a look at your local library. We can take out eight books per person. I am not sure if there is a system of ordering or checking to see if libraries stock certain books as our library has only just started using a computerised barcode method as opposed to the old fashioned brown tickets.

Lovely Weather Again!

2009-02-24T01:07:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we went on a mission for a cordless microphone and we are still no further forward. We started in Algeciras, an unlikely shopping destination that I love. Shopping centres around the traditional high street with the big names such as Corte Ingles, a three storey Zara and lots of shoe shops. There are also lots of side streets with all kinds of shops including a childrens outlet shop selling good brands at cheap prices. I also discovered a shoe shop with really good quality shoes such as Lelly Kelly sandals for children at just 20 euros compared with double that price in Estepona and Marbella. There are lots of bars of the stand up variety but not spit and sawdust. In fact, they have interesting tiles and posters on the walls and overall presentation was very impressive.There are lots of places that would be good place to go for copas in the evening but maybe sin ninos as they are quite cramped inside. I really recommend Algeciras for its authenticity and lack of exposure to the masses. Try it!

That night we went out for a curry with a view to go to Cadiz carnival the next day to film. Not a good move. I mean the curry and the company were fab but the next day the inevitable happened and we were reluctant to stray from home until at least mid morning when we decided to make the most of the beautiful sunshine. We opted for a day out at Parque de Las Palomas in Benalmadena. If you have never been, you must. It covers a huge area, the gardes are well tended and there is lots for children to see and do including two adventure parks, a lake with ducks and peacocks, chickens and rabbits hiding in the hedges. It was full of couples, groups of friends and families with their picnics and ball games. It was so warm and whilst the spanish still ha their tights on the tourists were really feeling the heat many of them wearing what most spanish would only consider acceptable in Auguest.

Lovely weather

2009-02-13T04:17:00.000-08:00

Well the title says it all, the weather is beautiful at the moment and perfect for getting out and about sight seeing which you cannot do in the middle of summer. Hopefully this weekend will take a trip out somewhere. There is so much to see in Spain and we have barely scratched the surface of it. This year our plan is to get out of Andalucia and discover Extremadura, Valencia, Madrid and Toledo.

We are off to a children's birthday party this afternoon so I popped into Carrefour for a present. I usually find that you can't go wrong with a DVD. I then met a friend for a coffee who told me about her knew job introducing businesses to a lifelong learning programme for their staff that is on offer in Andalucia so I will be bringing you the scoop on that soon.

The Price of Shoes in Spain

2009-02-09T04:15:00.000-08:00

I remember a time when we all used to go wild for the shoes in Spain. They were all leather, really well made and really cheap. I would like to know what went wrong. En route to my pilates class there are a few shoe shops and I often poke my head in to see what they have. I have to say I am often disappointed especially when I compare what is on offer with the UK high street today.

I picked up a pair of sandals today, laughing to myself and having a guess that they would be some ridiculous price like twenty five euros. They looked cheap, there were blobs of glue on them and they were plastic. To my horror, when I checked the price they were forty five euros! Now I would much prefer to support local businesses but with prices like this I have no choice but to buy my sandals in Clarks or Marks and Spencers in the UK where they are in actual fact cheaper and better quality.

My New Finds

2009-02-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

We made the most of the couple of hours of decent weather on Saturday to try out an urban walk that I found on the internet. We started as suggested in Plaza de Las Flores where we had lunch to set us off in good stead for the long walk ahead of us. Well, I have to say that we were delighted to discover all kinds of places that after nearly five years of living in the area we never knew existed including a huge cultural centre, three huge parks with ponds and grass areas for picnics and all kind of interesting looking bars especially "Ruta de la Plata". We finished off, an hour and half later, exhausted at Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop just before Calle Terraza.

For all you learners of Spanish or those who would like your children to learn spanish, have a look at this website:

Cervantes

Los Pitufos y Erase Una Vez

2009-01-28T04:53:00.000-08:00

At the hairdresser's where I take my daughters, the hairdresser is always very jovial. We always chat about trivia and we were chuckling the other day at the thought of going to a bar in another part of Spain and ordering a pitufo. You see in this particular part of Andalucia, the name pitufo is used for not only those cute little blue cartoon characters, yes you've guessed it, the smurfs, but it is also a small roll. Now going back to the smurf version of the pitufos, unlike us fickle Brits, the Spanish are very loyal to their cartoon characters and they enjoy much greater longevity than their British counterparts. For example, Sesame Street characters are still very popular amongst Spanish pre-schoolers. Ask the average British three year old who Big Bird is and they are more likely to point at a picture of Fern Britton, no disrespect to Fern, she is my fave!

But all these characters they we all knew and loved during our childhood are still alive and kicking in Spanish kids culture. That is why it didn't surprise me to discover that Imaginarium toyshop have a collectable set of smurfs in store, clever marketing, get the kids by tapping into the nostalgia of the parents.It used to be the other way around but today's thirty somethings have an irrestible yearning to indulge their inner child whenever possible. If parents are honest, they are just buying the kids what they would love to play with!

Now I too am guilty of exactly this. I have quite gotten into something which only spanish adults will relate to but I feel that we missed out on in the UK. It is called Erase Una Vez. I have been popping in out of the local newsagents to make sure that they have the latest edition of the book and DVD set and of course, my children quite enjoy it too. Have a look on youtube at Erase Una Vez and you will see what I am going on about.

Finally, I have literally just stumbled across this educational website aimed at primary level children (I think, I haven't looked at it properly). Here is the link:

http://www.yosipuedo.gov/kidszone/kidszone4.html

Glorious Sunshine

2009-01-28T04:47:00.000-08:00

I just have to say that the day is dazzlingly bright and I actually had to strip off today to keep my cool as I walked to my car after pilates. However, we must make the most of this glorious sunshine whilst it lasts as a lady at pilates warned me that there is a storm brewing which should reach us by Friday. Ooh, it feels like spring has sprung but don't get carried away!

Books, Ear Piercing, Hair cuts and TV

2009-01-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

My twin daughters had their ears pierced today, a little late in Spain at almost seven years old. In Spain, they do it in the farmacia. A young pharmacist did it and he was great, really calm and did it in seconds.

Caught up in the excitement of it all, they then decided that they would like their hair cut so we dropped into a back street hairdressers, one of the ones that still use those hair dryers that you sit under. They both have their hairs cut at a very manageable chin length and are over the moon with their new image.

I also nipped into Carrefour and found that they had lots of English book titles on offer at just 2,90 each. So, I snapped up The Visible World , The True History of Paradise (by the same author of The Pirate's Daughter) and the Private Lives of Pippa Lee. They also had The House At Riverton by Kate Morton and Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann which I am kicking myself for not getting when I see that it twice the price in Waterstones.When you see cheap, good books in Spain, you have to snap them up. I think that under 3 euros is a very reasonable price when they are often more expensive in the second hand bookshops that are around here and three times the price in English bookshops in Spain.

Finally, at Eye on Spain, we have launched The Siesta Show an online tv show which will air daily. We will be covering all kinds of topics related to Spain so tune in!

Soup

2009-01-19T05:00:00.001-08:00

I thought that I would just tell you about this lovely soup that I have just had. It's new to the product range in Mercadona. I often find Spanish shop bought soup to be very watery and you need to add fideos to it but this one has a lovely consistency.They come in huge sachets with enough for one portion in each one. There are two flavours, in my local Mercadona, Crema de Puerro y Patata (leek and potato) and Crema de Pollo con Verduras (Chicken and Veg). I have just had the chicken and veg for lunch and it was really warming and filling. I can't remember the price, will check. They are called "Platos de Cuchara".

I also forgot to mention that on Saturday we went to a new Italian restaurant that has opened in Palmones in Los Barrios area.I can't remember the exact name but it is next to the cinema. It would be a good evening out to combine a pizza and cinema as they always have loads of films on. I had cannelloni and the portion was a bit small for a hungry girl like me. The children's menu is good for six euros and included chips, pizza, drink and dessert.

Rainy Monday

2009-01-19T02:56:00.000-08:00

After a glorious weekend of sunshine, the rain is back.It was drizzly this morning but I didn't let it stop me from walking, in fact I quite like the drizzle mist in my face as I remind myself that in just a few months time it will be too hot to even contemplate walking as a from of exercise. It is a bearable cold which if you wrap up warm enough you can still get out to enjoy the fresh air and exercise.

We made the most of the summery weekend by getting out in it. On Saturday morning the girls and I parked the car in Estepona port and walked into town to have a mooch around the shops and pick up a birthday present. The Moroccan shop along the main road opposite the park is a great place for children to take their pocket money. I picked up a children's picture book version of Lazarillo de Tormes which is a classic in Spanish literature. The author of the book is unknown probably for his own safety as the book openly criticises the church. It is book that most children will cover at some point throughout their education as it was the start of a new genre in literature called the picaresque novel.

We noticed in Estepona, that everyone appears to have been given a puppy for Christmas. There are just so many and I really hope that they are not just for Christmas as the saying goes. Most of these pooches were wearing clothes. There was a pug in a pink hoody, a shi tzu (sp?) in a red and white gingham number with a huge pelmet, just to name a couple.

Yesterday, we went roller blading along the paseo in Sabinillas. I was pleased to say that it was buzzing with people having coffee and walking up and down. We left at around lunchtime when the restaurant seemed to be filling up.

We finished off the weekend at a birthday party and it was over ready for another week!