Style, comfort, class and cleanliness - La Villa Marbella Hotel deserves its accolade

Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice 2013 awards have bestowed the accolade of ‘Best Service in Spain’ on the excellent La Villa Marbella Hotel in the heart of Marbella’s Old Town.

The boutique hotel, which offers just 25 rooms each inspired by a different Asian city, was also voted the 25^th best hotel in Europe…

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Life goes on as normal for some in Spain, but many are suffering

If you’re a regular reader of my blogs, you will know that I’ve often been frustrated by the way the British media reports on Spain. In a culture where good news is no news, the worst of Spain’s crisis has been magnified and misunderstood in equal measure by willfully ignorant UK journalists happy to tell only one side of the story.

But sometimes, you have to listen to them. You have to check in, read what they’re writing and at least try to comprehend their stance. And occasionally, you have to admire their reach, influence and ability to garner reader engagement.

The master of this is the Guardian. Self-styled as a serious newspaper for left-leaning liberals, its readers are never short of an opinion or two. Be it football, celebrity, Europe or politics, their comments section is pretty much the busiest found anywhere on the web.

So it was with some trepidation that I clicked on Monday’s headline, which reads: Spain’s housing crisis – readers’ panel. But you know what? It makes for fascinating reading. The article ‘above the line’ –pieced together by the journalist – is a good scene-setter, but it’s what is happening ‘below the line’ that should be essential reading for anybody considering buying a property in Spain.

The commentators are passionate, informed, and impartial. They tell their own stories, not something spun or cherry-picked by an editor with his feet tossed absentmindedly on to his desk over in rainy London.

These are ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’-type tales. And largely, they are tales of loss, woe and misfortune. They do not paint a pretty picture of life in Spain at the moment. They confirm what the British press have been telling us – Spain is suffering, people are unhappy and in debt, and things are only going to get worse.

But look again. What else do they tell you? They tell you that this is a rich source of opinion and conjecture, and that only a media behemoth like the Guardian could achieve such a response.

But they also tell you why Spain is such a beguiling and popular country.

They tell you not to overreach yourself when buying property. They tell you to do your research, act sensibly and to work hard if you’re looking for employment. And they tell you that while things are bad at the moment, there are opportunities for people who have the cash, capital and desire to live in one of the most beautiful and varied countries in Europe.

In short, they tell you what we here at VIVA have always been telling you: Spain is no country of endless milk and honey right now. There is a crisis; that much is unavoidable and it would be a dereliction of our duty to ignore that. But if you have the means and the will, Spain is still a great country in which to buy property and put down roots.

So put the kettle on and have a read. And if you don’t find the comments refreshing, enlightening, inspiring and frightening in equal measure, then you know what to do – kickstart a similar discussion right here.

We’re always happy to hear about your experiences of living in, moving to, or purchasing property in Spain.

You can live the good life for longer in Spain

Barely a week after scientists ‘discovered’ that a Mediterranean diet is great for longevity, results of a five-year study by medical bible The Lancet have shown that Spaniards live the longest healthy lives in Europe.

The difference in average lifespans across Europe’s most developed nations is negligible, but the average Spaniard enjoys 70.9 years of healthy living, topping the charts ahead of Italy (on 70.2 years), Australia (70.1 years) and Sweden (69.9 years). The UK, meanwhile, languished in a lowly 12^th place – the average Brit can expect to lead a life of 68.6 healthy years…

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El Cajero de la Felicidad working its magic

It always sounds too good to be true, and usually – it is. But a recent marketing ploy by Coca-Cola left hundreds of Spaniards with very real smiles on their faces as they stuffed very real euro notes into their pockets… for free.

Let’s back up a little. Dotted around Spain in recent weeks there have been some rather conspicuous-looking ATMs popping up in random locations. Coloured in Coca-Cola’s trademark red and white, these cash machines have been labelled ‘El Cajero de la Felicidad’ – The ATM of Happiness…

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Brits' spending in Spain in 2012 increased by 12 per cent

Brits spent a total of €1.46bn in Spain in 2012 – a 12 per cent increase on 2011.

The figures, which were compiled by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, are likely to be well received by the Spanish government, who are keen to keep British tourists onside as Spain’s recession enters its fourth year.

They needn’t worry. After Spain, the second-place country for Britons’ expenditure was France, coming in a fair way behind – Brits spent just €515 million in France in 2012, which did, however, represent a 16.6 per cent increase on 2011 levels…

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Ana Botín has been ranked as Britain's third most influential woman

The CEO of the UK arm of Spanish bank Santander, Ana Botín, has been ranked as the third most powerful woman in Britain in a BBC survey.

The list, topped by the Queen with Home Secretary Theresa May in second, was compiled by a panel of media judges who ranked the UK’s 100 most influential females for a show on the popular BBC Radio 4.

Botín, 52, took up the reins of Santander UK in 2010, helping to grow the bank’s profile in Britain after its takeover of Abbey National in 2008. While Botín’s presence on the list may surprise the average BBC listener – she beats Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling, who’s only seventh, for example – the banker herself is no stranger to such accolades.

As the daughter of Spanish billionaire Emilio Botín, Ana has been primed for success from an early age, and in 2005 was already ranked as the 99^th most influential woman in the world by Forbes magazine.

After a successful career working for JP Morgan in the USA, Botín spent many years back in Spain helping Santander to become the banking behemoth that we all know today.

“Most women on our list were judged to have power because they had reached a place where they have control – of policy, of direction, of influence, of staff,” said Eve Pollard, one of the judges on the BBC panel.

“The panel, a democratic group, also felt that we should include some women who have what we describe as soft power – not hire and fire or innovative financial decisions but the ability to transform the way we think about ourselves.

“Inevitably, not everyone will agree with the 100 we have chosen. There are some omissions. For example, we had long debates about the Duchess of Cambridge. Is she influential? Hugely. Is she powerful? Not yet.

“What this list does is shine a light on those sectors where too few women are getting to the top, like politics, FTSE companies, the military and journalism.

“Our legacy, we hope, is that this list might change that.”

For now, though, Botín represents a rare measure of Spanish international success and influence, and for that, she should be applauded.

Gone, but not forgotten: Joe Strummer's legacy lives on in Granada

Sadly departed in 2002, legendary British punk rocker and Clash frontman Joe Strummer is to be honoured for his love of Andalucía – and the beautiful city of Granada in particular – by having a square named after him.

A concerted Facebook campaign saw more than 2,000 Granada residents sign a petition for Joe Strummer to be officially recognised and honoured. City hall officials quickly acquiesced, and so a square in the city is set to be renamed as Plaza de Joe Strummer.

The punk rocker was a huge fan of southern Spain, and even wrote a song about the Spanish Civil War for The Clash’s seminal album London Calling in 1979. As a vocal political activist as well as a throaty vocalist, Strummer developed a huge following among Socialists throughout Europe.

In the ‘70s, his profile in Spain went stratospheric when he first visited Granada with his Spanish girlfriend and fellow musician, Paloma Romero. Strummer even lent his musical expertise to local Granada band 091, taking them to Madrid to produce an album.

Members of Granada’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) threw their weight behind the Facebook campaign to have the city honour Strummer, stating that he “embodied the atmosphere of youth, rebellion, night and rock… he carried the name of Granada for the entire world.”

Speaking to the BBC, Granada City Councillor Daniel Galan said: “The initiative came from a neighbourhood association, backed by some political parties and was approved.

“It was a popular movement. It is very well known the connection between Joe and the city, and people still remember him.

“Joe Strummer loved Granada; he loved the whole of Spain but he had a very good connection with Granada.”

Strummer – real name John Graham Mellor – died suddenly from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect in December 2002. His death shocked the music world and led to a number of immediate tribute concerts throughout Europe and North America.

His legacy lives on in film, music and now – thanks to those passionate Andalusians so beloved of Strummer – in the stunning heart of Granada.

Hold the horses: Spanish cuisine is delightful and delicious

The news that traces of horse DNA have been found in Tesco’s Value Beef Burgers has been causing no end of headlines here in the UK (and prompting a flurry of jokes, too, a favourite of mine being: ‘Have you heard that the veggie burgers have been found to have traces of Uniquorn in them?’).

Debates of food standards rage; there’s wailing and gnashing of teeth over what many see as yet another strike at the heart of the British poor. But some of the more mature commentators have driven this debate: what’s so wrong with eating horsemeat? It’s eaten rather regularly in France, yet the British find the idea revolting.

To paraphrase a well-known refrain: It’s the culture, stupid. Horsemeat is safe, versatile, tasty (I’m told) and relatively inexpensive. But the Brits see horses as pets and modes of transport, so until Fido joins Fiat on the menu, hold the Shergar.

But cultural attitudes are interesting. In Spain, horses are treated with a similar reverence to the Brits, and so it is rare to find horsemeat in your local carniceria or Mercadona.

Spain, though, isn’t without its culinary kinks. Every country has their own. The Scottish love of haggis is well-known, but the ingredients that go into your average haggis are enough to make even sturdy Englishmen feel queasy. The Brits love a good cup of milky tea; yet nobody else but the Irish share such an affinity.

Spain’s most famous dishes are well known, but some of their more idiosyncratic tastes have – perhaps unsurprisingly – struggled to make it beyond the border.

But that’s the beauty of moving to Spain. While you think you may know tapas, paella and Spanish omelette, there is so much more to dining in Spain than that. Each region has its own specialties, each climate demands its own dishes, and pretty much every restaurant and bodega throughout the country will serve up something that is sure to delight you.

So while the wags and jokers stirrup (sorry) more trouble in the UK, why not stop horse-ing around and get yourself down to Andalucía to sample some truly exotic tastes?

2013 has so far brought welcome good news to Spain

The Spanish government’s tentative reforms of its economy have enjoyed moderate and positive success so far in 2013, with latest figures showing that the country’s borrowing costs have fallen for the first time in almost a year.

Last week, the government’s €71 billion funding programme took Spain’s borrowing costs below five per cent for the first time since last March – a move that not only earns the country valuable breathing space on the markets, but also injects a dose of confidence into the economy as a whole.

So what does this mean for the people of Spain, many beleaguered by unemployment and stagnant wages? In the short term, they are likely to feel little positive effect, but it’s great news for prime minister Mariano Rajoy, giving him and his party the confidence they need to continue with their reforms.

Rajoy is reluctant to request further financial aid from the EU, and this latest positive vote of confidence in Spain’s economy bodes well for the country’s recovery. Such an economic easing is good news for the property industry, too, which will thrive on the stability that such good news headlines bring.

More good news recently came Spain’s way too when official figures showed that the number of tourists visiting the country in 2012 rose by one million. Last year, a total of 58 million people visited Spain – three per cent higher than the 57 million who visited in 2011.

With tourism accounting for 11 per cent of Spain’s GDP, this was welcome news indeed.

Spain's unemployment rate has fallen

A rare ray of light shone on Spain’s economy last week when the country’s labour minister announced that the number of people registered as unemployed fell in December last year.

In total, an additional 41,023 people found employment in Spain at the tail end of 2012, reducing the jobless figure by 0.8 per cent. It may only be a small dent in the 4.85 million unemployed figure, but it is an encouraging step in the right direction.

As a whole, 2012 saw Spain’s jobless ranks swell by 10 per cent, and the situation is still disconcerting throughout many parts of the country.

However, Spain’s Labour Ministry revealed that last month was the best performing December since the existing records began back in 1996. Young workers, women and first-time job seekers had done particularly well, the Ministry said.

“I think 2013 will be better than 2012,” said Economy Minister Luis de Guindos. “The groundwork is being laid for us to begin to see positive employment growth rates in the fourth quarter of this year.”

External observers were a little more cautious, but were keen to offer words of encouragement.

“It is still a very dire situation as far as unemployment is concerned,” said Deutsche Bank’s economist Gilles Moec. “The corporate sector in Spain has made tremendous efforts in boosting productivity.” Such efforts have had a positive knock-on effect on employment, which has helped strengthen Spain’s economy and augmented its export sector.

Encouraging news to begin 2013; let’s hope for more of the same as the year progresses.