The town hall Square in Guardamar was the venue today for a classic car and Harley Davison display. The weather cleared after a damp morning and there was a fine display of vehicles to look at. Later in the afternoon Spongebob and Dora the Explorer were due to make an appearance. Beer and montaditos were being served for 1 euro and all the proceeds were for Caritas.
Despite some unseasonal weather, we do do need some rain after a particularly dry winter though, it does feel like summers if hot on the heels of spring. When the sun is out its got some real heat in it, Johns been in the sea already and nature is showing us a few well loved signs too. We particularly like to see the Swifts and Swallows arrive. A couple of weeks ago we were in the gardens of the old palace at Jacarilla and house martins along with one or two swallows were busy collected mud to build nests on surrounding buildings. Not a sight John will forget in a hurry as one house martin deposited a little reminder on his head, no don't laugh. I tried to convince him it was lucky, and we have won a weekend for two in Madrid this last week so....
As I say though we love to see, and hear, the swifts at this time of year. The first time we every saw them in great numbers was a few years ago when we were working on a hotel barge in france, now that was interestingway to spend a summer.
The swift is a medium-sized aerial bird, an amazing flier. Even sleeping on the wing! Although it is a plain sooty brown, in flight against the sky it appears black. It has long, scythe-like wings and a short, forked tail. It is a summer visitor, that winters in Africa. As the daylight goes they can be seen wheeling across the sky as the take insects on the wing. They look as if they are related to the swallows but in fact are in same family as hummingbirds. As one of the fastest fliers around they reach speeds of 18–50 km/h,
Guess they are the original members of the mile high club as not only do they feed, drink, and preen in flight the are the only group of birds known who actually mate on the wing.
We have read lots of theories as to why and when they make there evocative screaming call, whatever the reason it heralds summer to us.
Didn't know whether to laugh or cry at an item in the Spanish news this week. What do you think? its seems a 25 year old spanish man took his parents to court to demand they pay him 400 euros a month and let him continue to live at home. Now I know its very very difficult for young people in Spain at the moment, due to unemployment, but I ask you what next. This young man is neither working or studying, apparently he is what is know as the youngest ni-ni, Youngest child I guess. Anyway there he was happily living in the family home, Madre y Padre forking out the payments on his car, but i guess he felt he needed some pocket money too.
The judge, in his wisdom?, has decreed that the poor little lad should leave his cozy nest in one month, however he had also decreed that the long suffering parents will give there little darling 200 euros a month for the next two years. It seem the judge thought the son was capable of finding a job, he has some knowledge of the stock market, but he also needed help making the transition to "emancipation." He didn't need I help taking his parents to court though did he!
Else where in Spain this week young people have been standing up to be counted. In the Spanish capital of Madrid they protested about the lack of future they face in Spain today because of high unemployment, job insecurity and government spending cuts. The number of unemployed in Spain, which has the highest jobless rate among developed countries, could reach a record of more than five million, the labour minister has warned.
In contrast there was also a story of British students flocking to Salou to drink themselves stupid, which leads me to the conclusion they will not have far to travel down that road.
I would guess a few people will be checking out there motor homes if they bought on the Costa Blanca within the last three years. The Guardia Civil, have revealed that staff from Alicante ITV vehicle testing stations have assisted in the selling of written-off motorhomes as new. This follows the arrest of 27 people. Twenty one of them are vehicle inspectors at the ITV stations.
The 33 Motorhomes were amongst more than 400 which had all been sent for scrap as unfit to be on the roads. They had all suffered serious damage in floods which happened in France in 2008. The Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that a Czech company which bought the vehicles, supposedly to break up for spare parts,instead repaired them and fitted them with new plates and vehicle identification numbers.
33 were sold on to an Alicante company for 9,000 € each and then theses were given false vehicle inspection . The vehicles, which posed a serious risk on the roads and for their occupants, were then sold as new, some 10,000 € below the market price.
The total amount defrauded is put at more than 1 million €.
No news on whether or not the buyers have all been informed but I am hoping it was a top priority to remove them from the roads.
themselves from all the Royal wedding palaver that is. We shall not be watching listening or taking part in any way shape or form. Now we may share a name with the bride to be but that my friends is as far as it goes. And its not sour grapes because no invitation was forthcoming, any such missive would have gone the same way as the invitation I got to a royal garden party some years ago, in the basura that is. Never thought that was worth buying a hat for event either. Quiet honestly find it amazing that people here are holding "Royal Wedding" events, when someone said to me a few weeks ago that they would be at a local restaurant for the wedding I thought they must meant someone we knew and asked them who was getting married! Since then we have noticed an awful lot of bandwagon jumping going on from local businesses.
Now they may be a very nice young couple and there's no denying its nice to see people making a commitment. I am all for the institute of marriage, we celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary only this month. However its the monarchy I object to, more especially the UK one. If you are going to set yourself up as being a cut above the hoi polloi then I say you must be like Caesars Wife, above suspicion that is. Well lets face it they can hardly boast to that after the last few years. I know some people say " well there only human" well that's my point I suppose, apart from having several very large homes and pots of money they are no different nor better than you or me, except perhaps they had some very pushy ancestors.
And before you play the "good for tourism" card re the royals I have to say this, if the UK spend all the money required to keep a monarchy, on decent roads, public transport, clean beaches and generally improving towns and cities the much needed overseas tourist trade would no doubt improve.
So while 2.8 million children in Britain today live in poverty (Joseph Roundtree Foundation ) it is estimated that between 20 and 80 million pound will be forked out by the British tax payer for this wedding. its a pity they did not listen Boris Johnsons the eccentric Mayor of London who has said "If they want a cut-price deal with a central London venue with a view of London landmarks, the ideal place would be City Hall. I'm not saying the wedding should be cut-price or bargain, but a cost-effective wedding in keeping with our cost-effective times." For once he was speaking sense.
So is it a case of "let them eat cake" I rather think so. To my way of thinking donating to a charity that fights child poverty in UK rather than celebrating the wedding of people you do not know and will never meet is a far better option.
So we will not be huddled around a large screen, moist eyed with fellow brits in some restaurant or bar that's for sure. In fact we will be with the Aussie branch of the family and friends from UK ( they are coming over for the weekend to avoid all the flimflam) I am sure we will enjoy a right royal knees up and judging by the weather now it might just be on the beach
