I received a message from our forum asking if I would post a request for help finding Madeleine McCann, abducted in the Algarve recently. This is obviously genuine and who knows, perhaps somehow this can help. Full information and numbers to call are available via this article here at sky news.
South of Watford has filled an important gap in Wikipedia, providing an interesting history lesson.
Rod wonders why he feels more at home in Spain than at home in the UK.
The Guardian takes us from Ajo to Zamora.
Our sponsors, holidaysinspain.com are running a photo competition via Flickr with big hotel discounts for entrants and winners.
Dan needs help planning the perfect 30 day trip to Spain in the forums.
Amy reminds me of the terrible nervous tension one feels when on the verge of leaving everything behind for a new life in Spain. Pop over and wish her luck!
Question: do you find the weekly link round-up interesting/useful?
OOh, NFS has made it onto the Guardian Abroad lists, so if anyone has a minute to click on the box below (or follow this link) and and say something about NFS over there (“Review this blog”), that would be great!
This post is dedicated to my mother, Lou, who died on April 11th 2007 aged 63, and is pictured above in Codoba’s Mezquita, a place in Spain she dearly loved. My mother spent most or our childhood telling my sisters and I things like ‘How could you be bored on a day like this?’, ‘Get outside and enjoy all the beautiful things in the garden!’, and ‘stop moping, life’s too short!’ Every time a beautiful landscape was lit by a warm evening glow she would exclaim ‘Look at that wonderful light!’, so that now I can’t go anywhere at the beginning or end of the day without looking at how the changing angle of the sun causes everything it falls upon to change for the better. I know some people feel uncomfortable with posts like this, but it is simply to pass on these messages – never be bored on beautiful days, always look at the light, and, if in doubt, ‘just get out and do something!’ – a favourite piece of advice that worked pretty well for me, and, in case you’re wondering, has everything to do with Notes from Spain.
Luckily she is survived by a Ducati-driving inspiration of a father who rode a motorbike 2000 km across India with me last year and doubtless has many more such journeys ahead. Where next, Dad?
I just wanted to say a big front-page thank you to everyone who made it to Madrid last weekend for the Great Madrid Escape. 30 adventurous individuals from all over the world (as far afield as Sydney and L.A.!) were in town and, despite never having met, got on tremendously well.
Marina and I have never organised anything like this before and we were nervous all weekend that people might not enjoy the places we took them to. But of course everyone was in a buoyant holiday mood, the food and wine was up to scratch, and energy reserves were summoned by those who made it through to daily post 3 a.m. finishes.
Many people remarked that this would never have happened 5, even 10 years ago… the idea of 30 strangers who met ‘on-line’ getting together and meeting in person would, until recently, have just appeared plain wierd. But that is perhaps testament to how the net is changing the world. Geographically disparate people with shared interests get to know each other well enough on line to know that getting together in reality is going to be absolutely fine.
So, saludos to all of those brave enough to follow Marina and I around the restaurants, bars, and Metro stops of Madrid for the weekend. Thank goodness none of us had anything of value picked from our pockets, and hurray for the sunny weather. There will definitely be more of the same in the future, thanks again to everyone, and watch this space!
If so then forum-user Ozgur would love to meet up!
We’re taking a few days off for Easter, I hope you all have the chance to do the same. Have a great Easter break, and in the mean time, we’ll still be checking in daily at the NFS Forum – see you there!
Ben and Marina
Gracias por ponerse en contacto con nosotros.
Esperamos contactarle en un plazo de 20 días laborables.
Gracias
Equipo de Atención al Cliente de easyJet
Which roughly translates as “We’ll answer your tiny question about changing a name on a flight some time in the next four weeks”… Wow, that’s speed for you! Outsourcing their customer service to Spain may not have been such a good idea. Still, better than finding a caterpillar in your sandwich.
Just in case you missed the video blogging action over at Notes in Spanish – come and join in the fun!
Notes from Spain by Ben Curtis 