Category: notes

A quiet start to the week as I recover from some sort of stomach flu that is a) either a virus that is doing the rounds or b) damage done by two cañas I really didn’t want last Thursday night but drank anyway. I think I’ve had it with alcohol, really.

However, I need to write something on this rainy Monday in Madrid, and have two recommendations, one churlish and Spain-related, the other quite the opposite on both counts.

1. It amazes me that a few Spanish people are still occasionally finding and leaving angry comments on the posts that caused me so much trouble late last year. The latest comment, where a certain MOWGLY brings Ireland into the equation, is a classic, and can be found about 45 comments down in this post. It’s easy to find, look for the CAPITAL LETTERS.

2. Having the energy to do precisely nothing all weekend, I downloaded an audiobook I’d been recommended, ‘Lady in the Van,’ by Alan Bennett.

Can you imagine letting a loopy old lady, that you really didn’t know, maroon her battered old van in your London driveway, and live there day in day out, all year round, for years and years on end? Most people would have had her committed at once, but Alan Bennett just let it happen and wrote about it.

It’s a true story, and this is how writing about reality ought to be. If you enjoy such things, or are interested in writing, I urge you to listen to this, read as it is by Bennett himself. Find it on audible.com or in iTunes. An hour and 20 minutes very very well spent.

Is it just me, or is there an error in this story from the BBC?

(Original story here.)

Notes from Spain started slowly in March 2005, and since then, according to this wonderful WordPress blogging software, there have been 736 posts and 5,582 comments, with, I hope, plenty more to come!

Many many (many!) thanks to all of you who keep reading and joining in. Without the encouragement, feedback, and occasional abuse, we would probably have stopped long ago!

OK, so that isn’t a very unbiased headline, but there is something so unappealing about the Partido Popular these days, that I really didn’t want them to crawl their way back into power again.

For deep analysis of the voting, see the BBC, or the front page of any major Spanish news site (El Mundo has pretty charts). Suffice is to say that although the PSOE once again failed to get an absolute majority, they did better than last time.

One final word, then no more politics on this blog for some time:

What I’d like to see the PSOE do over the next 4 years

– Find a new approach to the internal terrorism problem, and solve it once and for all

– Improve the lot of, and respect for, immigrants

– Find a way to make sure the economy doesn’t collapse when the construction trade tumbles

– Ban smoking in bars and restaurants, in line with so many other western European countries

What would you add to the list?

Every now and again I like to publish a classic comment from readers of this blog. The best this week comes from a Spanish reader who I’ll be sorry to see go. Here is the comment (originally posted here), in Spanish (apologies for lack of translation, it would loose its spice):

“…piedad, no te enfades, no captan tu ironia, para eso habria que tener al menos medio cerebro.

Con la disculpa de que aman España y les interesa el Español, en este sitio, que el principio estaba muy bien hasta que a su dueño Ben le dio por el sensacionalismo barato, hay una pandillita de xenófobos, acomplejados, envidiosos y amargados muy interesante. La mayoria tiene un complejo de superioridad-inferioridad con respecto a España que es digno de estudio psiquiatrico. En fin, salvo algunas honrosas excepciones como Edith, aqui hay mucho xenofobo, prepotente e ignorante, pero seguro que no te estoy contando nada que no sepas.

Obviamente, este es mi ultimo post aqui. Que os vaya bien a todos.”

Sorry to see you go 😦 And sorry if you or others feel the blog is lapsing into ‘cheap sensationalism’. For me it’s about writing fun posts every now and again, that lead to great discussion. Saludos.

Photo © Ryan Opaz

A few questions popped into my head recently about Rioja wines, about their predominance in the Spanish market amongst other things. Who better to clear up my doubts, I thought, than my good friend Ryan, at Catavino.net. Read on, and do check out his great site on Spanish wines.

Q: Why have a majority of people outside Spain only ever heard of La Rioja wines?

A: Marketing, that’s it really, and money. Rioja has invested early and well. Today the name Rioja stands apart from Spanish wine. In fact a recent survey by the Wine Academy of Spain found that 2 out of 10 wine drinkers recognized Tempranillo (primary grape used in Rioja) as a variety and 68% of wine drinkers thought Rioja was in Italy.

Q: Do they actually make some of the best wines in Spain?

A: Yes, and like any region in Spain they also make some of the worst. Wine is in most cases subjective, and therefore if you don’t like wine from Rioja don’t drink it, and if you do like it, well then do drink it. I would say that 80% or more of the Rioja on my supermarket shelf here in Terrassa, Cataluña, is pure rubbish. But the name sells so people buy it. Sad really.

Q: What Rioja wines should people look out for in Spain or abroad?

A: Really I think that most Rioja wines become interesting at the 10 euro price point. Sure there are cheaper ones worth considering, but in the end you get to 10 euros and most times you get a wine worth the money. Names I have always had luck with include: Muga, LAN, Lopez de Heredia, and RODA, none of which should surprise anyone, though I would look to new names such as Bodegas Tobia, a winery that is really tryinig to do new things, while at the same time respecting traditon.

Q: Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva – Does it really matter?

A: Yes and no. The best value you can get is from a Crianza. Usually they are not overpriced and are still full of fruit and vigor. Whereas Reservas and Gran Reservas can be over-priced and unless you know where to reach you can find yourself with a glass of tired grape juice.

Q: I want to do a bit of wine tourism in La Rioja, where should I head for?

A: Head to www.LaRiojaTurismo.com and check out what they have to offer. Rioja right now is working hard to show itself as a complete package. You can ride horses, take a balloon ride, see dinosaur tracks, visit ancient cities, and eat some amazing foods, all this and you’ll never be far from a great glass of wine.

Q: Any final La Rioja thoughts?

A: Follow us next week as we spend a week in Rioja tasting wines, visitng bodegas and doing a few things off the beaten track. I am a Rioja skeptic. I know Rioja makes great wines, but lately I’ve had trouble finding them. This next week is my chance to explore and search for some of the hidden treasures in Rioja. I’m really looking forward to what we find.

Thanks Ryan! Head over to catavino.net to follow Ryan as he spends a great week in La Rioja, and do let us know, do you drink it? Or do you venture into other wine regions of Spain?

We recently asked people what they wanted us to talk about on our Notes in Spanish podcasts, and we got lots of great ideas. So, I’d like to ask the same here at Notes from Spain. After all, one of my favourite podcasts of recent months, on Ramirez Guitars, came from a reader suggestion sent in by email.

What would you like to see on this blog? What would you like me or others to write or podcast about from here in Spain? Please (please!) write suggestions in the comments below, or send them in by email if you prefer.

Thanks, I can’t wait to hear your suggestions. Ben

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone!

If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to start learning, or to learn more Spanish this year, then Marina and I have written a free report to really help boost your Spanish learning in 2008.

It’s packed full of tips and pointers on how to really motivate yourself to learn more, and on how to enjoy learning Spanish to the full. Click here for full details over at NotesinSpanish.com

Happy New Year Again!

OK, I promised I would eventually tell you what I most love about my country of origin. Marina and I have just spent a week in the UK, coming up with the following list (in no particular order!):

1. Help for people in wheelchairs. We were very impressed by how British Rail helped people in wheelchairs on and off trains, and by the number of ‘push here to open’ buttons set up for people in wheelchairs outside shops and offices. I think the UK does very well at helping people with disabilities, though no doubt there is still a long way to go.

2. Marmite, and bangers and mash.

3. International food in supermarkets. Herbs, spices, sauces and ingredients from a huge range of the world’s cuisine can be picked up in a decent-sized supermarket. Not the same in Spain.

4. The British countryside. The rural landscapes in Britain are as majestic, stunning and alluring as any you might find in the rest of the world, all year round. Even in winter, when leafless trees rise out of back-lit, mist-covered hillsides, Britain is astoundingly beautiful.

5. BBC Television and Radio. So what if you have to pay for it, I’m pretty sure it’s worth it.

6. The general standard of living is very high these days. Most people have comfortable houses, big TVs, decent food on the table, and long holidays.

7. The social security/benefits system seems to work. Single mothers with several kids and no work seem to get by one way or another. The NHS may be short of hospital beds but at least all healthcare is free.

8. Loo paper is softer and longer (than that found in Spain).

9. The police are approachable and seem like a decent bunch. One policeman we talked to while waiting for a crashed car to be pulled off an icy road was a thoroughly nice chap. (Spanish police often seem a touch arrogant and uninterested by comparison, but that is a vast generalisation of course).

10. What would you put for number 10?

Hi everyone,

Marina and I want to wish you a very Happy Christmas and New Year, and to thank you enormously for reading, commenting on, listening to, and participating in Notes from Spain this year. We look forward to more in 2008!

The blog will be a bit quiet over the next week as we attend to the rigors of the Spanish Christmas schedule. In the meantime, do join in the discussions in our incredibly friendly forum.

Happy Christmas!

Ben and Marina