Why does Spain's National Anthem have no words?

Spain's National Anthem

SPAIN By definition, an anthem needs words, but Spain's is the only one in the world that doesn't. All too often, the wrong anthem is played at official functions abroad because the subject is confusing. For example, at the Davis Cup matches in Australia earlier this year, they played the Republican anthem - which was banished by Franco in 1937. More recently, the Vice-President of the Junta de Andalucía, Diego Valderas, was received in Palestine by an anthem with lyrics by José María Pemán, which was used -but never officially approved- during the Franco era (Valderas belongs to the Communist Party, a part of Izquierda Unida, or United Left, historically very much opposed to Franco in his time). It was the same music we hear today, but included the regime-approved words. This music is>>>

Pre-tax petrol prices in Spain are among highest in EU

SPAIN Deregulation and a lack of competition are the main causes of high fuel prices in Spain, according to a recent study by the European Commission. Only Denmark and Malta have higher pre-tax prices for petrol, and Spain is eighth among the EU's 28 for diesel fuel. Consumer organizations have for years been asking for a governmentally-established maximum such as was in force until the late 1990s, when the market was opened up under the excuse that this would bring in more competition. A spurious argument, it turned out, and a problem that no government has wanted to deal with - a situation of which the oil companies have been very quick to take advantage.>>>

Pre-tax petrol prices in Spain are among highest in EU

SPAIN Deregulation and a lack of competition are the main causes of high fuel prices in Spain, according to a recent study by the European Commission. Only Denmark and Malta have higher pre-tax prices for petrol, and Spain is eighth among the EU's 28 for diesel fuel prices. Prices at the pump, though, which include taxes (boy, do they include taxes!), has Spain at about the middle of the price range, which means that the oil companies are making more profit than might be reasonable (we are preparing an item on petrol price-fixing in Spain). Consumer organizations have for years been asking for a governmentally-established maximum such as was in force until the late 1990s, when the market was opened up under the excuse that this would bring in more competition. A spurious argument, it turned out, and a problem that no government has wanted to deal with - a situation of which the oil companies have been very quick to take advantage.>>>

So you think you can cheat the breathalyser...

SPAIN A series of myths exist in Spain (and elsewhere) that certain methods or actions can trick a breathalyser into reducing the alcohol level showing on a breathalyser at a roadside test. Among these are drinking black coffee or even sucking on a coffee grain. There are more, but we should start with a statistic. Spain's National Institute of Toxicology revealed in a recent survey that 35% of drivers killed in road accidents last year, showed positive on post-mortem blood/alcohol tests. All the same, there are a number of urban myths that supposedly bely the truth of science. So, a study titled published recently by Fesvial (Fundación Española para la Seguridad Vial) and Línea Directa, the insurance company, reveals that some 8 million drivers (about 30% of total license holders) really do believe that there are tricks that cheat roadside breath tests. Among the more 'popular' are>>>

Petrol and diesel prices up by almost 2% in a week

Fuel prices in Gibraltar remain lower
SPAIN As usual, the summer holidays bring with it an increase in prices at the pump. Petrol is up to €1.45/litre, and diesel, €1.36, according to the EC's Oil Bulletin. This has been so since the beginning of July - yes, the beginning of the holidays in Spain (and many other countries in Europe), when some 80 million vehicles are expected to begin their annual peregrination, plus a larger influx of tourists is expected. Fuel prices have gone up by 2.3% since July 1, and by 3.4% for the same week last year, despite the fact that Brent oil prices are showing signs of stabilisation. Prices in the rest of Europe>>>

Spain, one of the OECD's most expensive countries - for broadband

SPAIN We sort of knew this, didn't we? Spain is third in the OECD's ranking of charges for broadband service, next to Norway and Chile. Third out of the organization's 34 countries, according to its Communications Outlook 2013, which reports data for 2012. The ranking applies to the most common speeds: 2.5 megabits per second and 6GB capacity, for which Spain charges $52 (€39.8) in terms of purchasing power parity. At the other end of the ranking are Estonia ($19.23, €17.47), Slovakia ($16.83, €12.91) and Korea ($16.35, €12.53). Spain goes down the list as speeds and capacities increase, though this could be as the result of a lack of availability of the higher speeds and capacities other than in main cities. As for mobile broadband with a 2GB capacity, Spain is at the very top with charges amounting to $34.45 (€26.43), ahead of the USA ($33.61, €25.78), Japan ($33.20, €25.46). This compared to Finland's charges ($7.11, €5.45), Luxembourg's ($8.48, €6.50) and Estonia's ($9.04, €6.93). Operating companies make excuses>>>

Electricity to go up by 3.2% in August

SPAIN The weekly Council of Ministers last Friday approved a number of changes to the electricity supply industry. Most significant for the consumer is a price rise of 3.2% in August (no firm dat specified but we can assume it will be on the first day). This increase is aimed at sharing out the cost of what is known as the 'tariff deficit' and defined as the cost of electricity compared to what we pay for it. This amounts to some €26 billion, and the measure is aimed at cutting that by €4.5 billion, of which €900m is to be paid by the consumers, another €900m by the state, and the remaining €2.7m by renewable energy companies, which have suffered the most under the changes.>>>

Widespread cultural support for campaign against abandoning pets in summer

MADRID A household pet is abandoned every three minutes in Spain. That adds up to some 300,000 every year, 10,000 of them in Madrid alone (don't know/can't find figures or Andalucía - any help?). So the Federation of Animal Protection Societies of the Community of Madrid, FAMAP, has come up with a campaign this year aimed at, at least, stopping those figures from getting any bigger. The title: 'Would you abandon him just for a holiday?' The campaign is being supported by numerous celebrities, particularly from the theatre, cinema, music, arts and letters. These include such well-known names as>>>

Changing UK driving licence to a Spanish one

(Illustration only)
This is not Wendy's new licence

(By Wendy Tong) Feeling very pleased with myself having successfully achieved the first part of this, so thought I would pass this information on to others who may be considering doing the same thing. I think the law is now that if you live here you should do this, but my picture card is up in August anyway so I thought it was time. The information is probably on the Trafico website but simply, this is what you need (I went armed with every document I could find....) - your card driving licence and a photocopy, passport and photocopy, and your residencia and a photocopy. Plus, 2 passport photos (they don't like the bigger picture ones that you need for the UK passports, though) Make sure you have your NIE number. Plus form  E27.10.>>>

A rant about one of the many reasons Spain is in the mess it's in

Arturo Pérez-Reverte
(Photo: publico.es)

SPAIN Every now and then Arturo Pérez-Reverte (about whom a lot here), has a rant. One of the writer, journalist, member of the Academy of Letters, novelist, columnist and polemicist's most famous was about the state of the nation's education, which, alas, we never got round to translating. Thing is, his rants very often, maybe always, say the things most people want to say - and sometimes in the kind of language they want to say things in. Below is a translation/interpretation of an open letter to Mariano Rajoy, President of the Government (i.e. Prime Minister) that does not have his (or Rajoy's) approval but because the subject matter could very well be one of the principal reasons Spain is in the mess it's in, we feel he wouldn't mind.>>>

When is a taxi not a taxi, and should you care?

Licensed taxis at ferry port,
Algeciras

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR Licensed taxi drivers are up in arms at almost all towns and villages in the area, but particularly in Algeciras and La Línea. The reason behind the furore are their complaints about unlicensed competition. If you have traveled into Spain recently (anywhere in the country, probably), by air, bus or sea, chances are you have been accosted by someone offering 'cheap taxi'. Understandably, those who are lined up at the taxi rank, who pay their autónomo (self-employment) tax, income tax, business tax, etc. etc. might have to charge more for the same fare and are therefore very unhappy. They say they can guarantee such important things as proper insurance (an unlicensed 'taxi' does not cover a paying passenger), proper, professional conduct, etc. True, but what happens about licensed taxis from another place?>>>

Energy Efficiency Certificate IS OBLIGATORY in Andalucía

Page 1 of the official notice,
full text here

ANDALUCÍA There is a very dangerous rumour going around that says that the Certificado de Eficiencia Energética is not obligatory. This may have been started by something called the Citizen's Advice Bureau for Spain, presumably run by someone called Myra Azzopardi Swainson (See what it says here). The fact is, however, that it IS OBLIGATORY to present one when selling or renting out your property. We say this with the authority vested in the Junta de Andalucía, whose official bulletin, the Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía, says that Decree 2/2013 of January 15 'will come into force on June 1, 2013'. It also says that a Register for these certificates will be available as from that date. The date of June 1 is in just about every news item around that date (RTVE, Spanish Radio & TV; El Mundo, one of the country's leading newspapers; Idealista, a widespread property listing with pertinent articles; Fincadmin.com, the leading property administration company; etc. etc. etc.) The confusion may arise from>>>

Anywhere is good enough ...

Could just do with a snooze ... any pillow will do, says Tina here. (Can't remember where this photo came from, probably from one of hundreds of animal rescue/shelter/welfare sites in Spain - wouldn't it be great if they could all band together to force implementation of current legislation, let alone, making new, better laws on the subject of animal welfare ...) (Hey, you can share this with your Facebook Timeline, friends,  J.A.W.S., etc., just click on the Fb logo below. Or even via Twitter and lots more!)

Energy Efficiency Certificate needed as from tomorrow: are you ready?

SPAIN Chaos is rampant at most of the Autonomous Regional authorities because they haven't yet got a registry together, in which to register their region's energy certificates, the need for which comes into effect tomorrow, June 1. The exceptions are Andalucía, Balearics and Castilla y León. If you want to sell or let your home, you will need one. If you're building a new home, energy efficiency must be in the upper region of certification (A, B or C). But what is it, and how do you get one? The answers are below in Q&A form.>>>

Much ado about a great deal: torture and death in Spain

SPAIN We posted this photo of two dead greyhounds (galgos) on Facebookjust a couple of days ago as an example of what happens to these magnificent creatures when they get too old for hunting in Spain (and no doubt other countries as well): they get hung up alive until they die! Understandably, they caused much controversy, which ranged from 'I don't want/need to see the photos' to 'let's all get behind this anti movement (but don't know how)', from 'here's a petition' to 'you can't do anything about it, it's been going on for years'. Please give us your opinion -which we might or might not share but certainly respect- on comments below, or by answering the poll we will be putting up later today. (Here is but one petition - more to come, with luck: http://guestbooks.pathfinder.gr/sign/dogspetition)

Spain's ten best beers

SPAIN A recent survey among drinkers and experts revealed a list of Spain's best beers, in their opinion. Their opinion is of course highly subjective, particularly as some of them are not widely available (see a similar survey to the one reported here). However, we are sure you have your own list, Dear Reader, and it would be nice to let other Dear Readers know your ranking of locally available brews ... (The list is below.)>>>

Gotcha! Spanish National Police nab Britain's most wanted criminal

Andrew Moran, 31, has been on the run for four years after he escaped from the dock during his trial in February 2009 for a  £25,000 armed robbery of Royal Mail guards in Lancashire in 2005. The National Police (Policía Nacional) nabbed Moran, from Salford, Manchester, while he was sunbathing in an area known as the “Costa del Crime” – a favoured hideout of British criminals. The UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency had Moran on their most wanted list, with police described him as a “violent thug”. (See also Plastic surgery helped 'most wanted' fugitive evade arrest.)

Bombona goes up tonight to its legal maximum of €17.50

SPAIN The price of a household bottled butane gas barrel (bombona) goes up by 2.15% at midnight tonight to €17.50, the maximum price it is allowed to be sold at until next year. It will therefore have increased by 7.2% since January 1. In answer to possible questions about the whys and wherefores of yet another price increase (and we don't like the answers any more than you, Dear Reader) let us just say that it has to do with an accumulated tariff system that we simply don't understand, no matter how many times we have asked. Something to do with the suppliers selling at a loss (but posting enormous profits)...

Brain Drain is 'External Mobility', says Minister

(Image: www.noticiassin.com)

MADRID In a typically political euphemism, Employment Minister Fátima Báñez recently referred to the 'external mobility' of young employables who are leaving Spain in relative droves for jobs in other parts of Europe. This used to be called 'brain drain'. Whatever the name, Báñez has admitted that a good many people, mainly university graduates, have left this country to seek better employment opportunities for work or study elsewhere - not surprising with unemployment among the critical 18 to 25 group at over 57%. According to the minister, there is some balance to the figures: in 2012 17,300 young people left Spain, but there were a lot of foreigners coming into the country. She pointed out that there are 30,000  Germans, 40,000 from the UK and 60,000 Italians here. "What we want,">>>

Government plans to extend retirement age beyond 67

MADRID Despite protestations to the contrary last year, the Government has admitted that it is studying the possibility of extending the mandatory retirement age beyond 67. A document handed over to the Pacto de Toledo points to the fact that sustainability of the pensions system might be dependent on 'indexing' in a way other than today's measurement of the CPI (Consumer Price Index) figure for the month of November every year. A committee has until the end of this month to come up with a definition of the sustainability factor that could well mean that the retirement age is pushed back beyond 67, which at present is to be in place by 2027.