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20 September 2008

Asturias Rail Tunnels Started

Work was started this week on the new rail tunnels which will link Asturias with Madrid. Prime Minister Zapatero was present at the start of operations for the two 24.6km tunnels which will make it possible to get to Asturias from Madrid in three hours by high speed train. The tunnels will be the sixth longest in the world and the second longest in Spain after Guadarrama.

Cercanias Trains to be Quieter

The train company RENFE has announced that piped music is to be ended on local trains (Cercanias) from the end of this month. A recent survey shows that more people are against the music than are in favour of it after 15 years of the service.

Ferrovial to Sell Gatwick

After pressure from the competition agency, the Spanish company Ferrovial has put Gatwick airport up for sale. The airport, which handles 35 million passengers per year, is valued at 2.5 billion euros.

EasyJet Ad Puts Gibraltar in Spain

An advert for cheap flights to Spain is to be modified by EasyJet. The ad, which featured several Spanish airports, also included Gibraltar as a Spanish destination, a sensitive subject for many in Spain and on the Rock.

Fishing Boat Escapes Pirates

A Spanish fishing boat managed to escape Somalian pirates this week when fishing for tuna off Somalia. The vessel is owned by the same company that also owns the one that was boarded by pirates and held hostage last April in the same area.

Under 10% Lefthanders in Spain

A recent newspaper article has revealed that less than 10% of Spanish people are left handed. The king, Juan Carlos, is apparently among one of the many that were naturally left handed but forced to use their right hands as children.

Woman Wins Cruise for 100 Friends

A woman from Villena near Alicante has won a prize of a cruise for herself and 100 friends. The competition was organised by a milk company, Pascual, and involved collection tokens from milk cartons. The woman has so far managed to find 55 friends that can get time off work to go on the cruise which starts at the end of the month.

Osborne Bull Wears Mask

Greenpeace campaigners have placed a protective mask over the face of one of the famous Osborne bulls near Burgos. They are campaigning for the government to reduce CO2 emissions from car manufacturers.

Hay Festival in Segovia

The Spanish equivalent of the Hay literary festival takes place in Segovia next week from September 27th to 30th. This year’s event includes lectures from Germaine Greer and Mario Vargas Llosa.

Lynx to Return to Jaen?

Officials of the Environment department have contacted owners of fincas in the Rio Garrizas region of Jaen with a view to re-introducing lynx to the area. A re-introduction project would need various security issues to be considered and local opinion and suggestions are being sought before a serious study can be undertaken.

End of Tobacco Production In Granada

The removal of EU subsidies means the end of tobacco growing in Granada province. Tobacco has been grown on the Granada Vega for over a century but will no longer be an economic crop with growers now to receive only 40% of the last year’s income. Cotton and olive producers also face cutbacks.

Woody Allen in Granada

Woody Allen and his New Orleans jazz band are to appear in Granada on 30th December. The famous film director will play his only date in Andalucia as part of his tour of European cities. Tickets for the band’s performances are usually sold out within hours of going on sale.

More Sand for Costa del Sol Beaches

The Environment ministry has announced a plan to provide more sand for the beaches of the Costa del Sol. The project will collect sand from the sea near Calahonda in addition to that already gathered from the rivers Fuengirola and Guadalhorce and will cost almost 6 million euros over the next two years.

Motorway Completion in 2010

Work has started on the final stretch of the Mediterranean coast motorway between Almunecar and Salobrena and is planned for completion in 2010 at the same time as the other section from Nerja to Adra. Work was delayed when a viaduct under construction collapsed killing 6 workers in 2005.

Mediaeval Market in Antequera

The mediaeval market returns to Antequera this weekend September 19th to 21st. Visitors will be able to buy products with a mediaeval theme from 70 stalls located in the Paseo Real area.

Beware of the Cat

Proceedings have been started by local police in Ronda against the owner of a Siamese cat. The cat apparently attacked a tourist carrying a Yorkshire terrier in her arms leaving her with bites and scratches on her legs. The cat’s owner could be fined up to 6000 euros as it has not been vaccinated or microchipped in accordance with national laws.

Malaga Metro Guided Tours

Interested parties will be able to visit the work in progress on the Malaga Metro from this week. Guided tours explaining technical points will be available in the tunnel from Martin Carpena stadium Mondays to Fridays 10.00 am to 2.00 pm and 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm and starting at 11.00 am weekends.

Google Views of Malaga

A car working for the internet site Google has been traversing the streets of Malaga this week taking photos. The vehicle has a set of cameras giving 360 degree views of the city which will soon be featured on the Street View section of Google Maps.

Feria in Torremolinos

The San Miguel feria takes place in Torremolinos from September 25th to 29th with the usual parades, dancing etc.

New Equipment for Alora

The Ayuntamiento of Alora has acquired new equipment to help improve rubbish collection in the town. This includes a new container cleaning truck to help avoid bad smells from the containers placed around the town.

Football

After last week’s goalless draw against Athletic this week Malaga take on Almeria away on Sunday September 20th at 5.00 pm.

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