Last weekend saw many countries come head to head in the Eurovision Song Contest. Sadly Spain was not hugely successful in the competition ending up in 23rd place with their entry from Lucía Pérez, Her song was called “Que me quiten lo bailao.”

Spain received 50 points in total. They came from Macedonia, Slovakia, the UK, Slovenia, Switzerland, France, Romania, Albania, Portugal and Estonia. Both France and Portugal gave the Spanish artist 12 points, meaning that she was the preferred entry of these countries!

Surprisingly despite the strength and popularity of some Hispanic artists like Shakira, Spain does not have a strong Eurovision tradition. In 2009 Soraya who performed "La noche es para mí" only managed to get 23 points. In 1999 the Spanish entry won only 1 point, and in 1983, 1965 and 1962 the Spaniards did not get a single point!

There have fortunately been exceptions to this trend. In both 1968 and 1969 Spanish entries won the competition, with Massiel´s perfomance of "La la la" in 68 and Salomé´s performance of "Vivo cantando" in 69.

What´s more is that there are currently many artists with Spanish blood who are making appearances in the charts. Enrique Iglesias was born in Madrid while Jennifer Lopez, although born in the states has Hispanic blood due to her Puerto Rican parents.

Although this weekend may not have demonstrated the strengths of Spanish music, there are actually several very successful Hispanic artists. Spain also has a strong music scene with the festivals Benicassim in Valencia, Primavera Sound and Sonar in Barcelona, all drawing large international crowds.

So whilst Lucía Pérez may not have won many points this weekend Spanish music is popular and definitely worth a listen!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_f23a920f-a11c-41e5-8926-6f288c245575

This week it is the annual Feria del Libro here in Salamanca. These fairs take place throughout Spain promoting Spanish literature. This week there is also a book fair taking place in Granada, and there will be one later this month in Madrid.

At the fairs it is possible to see various authors who are promoting their books, listen to speeches from the author and of course buy yourself some things to read!

There is no doubt that reading books, poems or newspapers in another language is a great way to increase your vocabulary and improve your skills in the language and it can also be very enjoyable, helping you discover more about the Spanish traditions.

At university we read Lazarillo de Tormes. This is a tale about a young boy who moves from master to master learning lessons about life upon his journey. It is written in old Spanish, which is almost like Chaucerian English, and so pretty challenging, I ended up reading a version in modem Spanish instead! Despite the fact that it was a bit of a challenge to read I did really enjoy the story.

While learning Spanish I have also studied a few works of the famous playwright Lorca. I found the plays much more accessible than the Lazarillo novel and also really enjoyed them! Having read Yerma, La Casa de Bernada Alba and El Amor de Don Perlimplin I feel that I knew a lot more about rural Spanish life! So reading in Spanish not only boosts your command of the language but also your understanding of the culture.

One of the most famous Spanish novels has to be Cervantes, Don Quijote de la Mancha. However there are many that are well known and worth reading!

If reading a book in Spanish seems too daunting for you then many of the most famous works have also been translated into English. What´s more is that there are many books written in English and set in Spain which will also help you learn more about Spain.

I hugely enjoyed Winter in Madrid written by C. J. Sansom. It is a spy novel set during the Spanish Civil War. It vividly describes both Madrid and what life was like during the civil war for the Spanish people. Another famous book set during the Spanish civil war is Ernest Hemmingway´s For Whom The Bell Tolls.

So why not pick up a novel, written in Spanish, or just set in Spain to learn more about the culture? If you really love literature then why not even take a course combining Spanish learning and literature?

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_e2f82776-8893-466f-afc7-cbf4f56cfb73

The Alhambra Palace is a fortress complex located in Granada, Spain that was constructed during the mid 14th century by Moorish leaders. It is one of the most famous palaces in the world.

A team of restorers have found 80 polychromatic (composed of various colors) drawings of animal and human figures hidden under wood and plaster in the Alhambra Palace. These types of images were strictly banned from Islamic art.

It is not the first time these forbidden paintings have been discovered; in 1959 some small paintings were found behind wood pieces that covered the ceiling in the Hall of the Ambassadors of the Comares Palace, Alhambra. At the time, little importance was given to the discovery and the workers assumed they were used to guide the artisans to fit the pieces together correctly.

However, a recent discover suggests that these finds are more important than originally thought. This time in the Lindaraja Viewpoint of the Alhambra Palaces workers discovered more paintings hidden beneath plaster and wood. The 80 drawings were done by artisans who worked decorating the Moorish Palace.

The Alhambra Palace is one of the most famous palaces in the world, and like many others, it has gone through many changes and restorations. These paintings represent something truly special because, since they have been hidden for centuries, they have been preserved in their original state. They are completely authentic and have not suffered from the humidity or other damaging elements throughout the centuries.

The drawings are very diversified and appear in the original colors. Animals, vegetation and fantasy creatures are clearly represented as well as verses from the Koran which are pending translation.

The human representations may explain why the workers chose to hide the drawings. At the time, human figures in Muslim art was strictly forbidden, so these graphical representations are not often found. The Koran states that it impossible to have an image of God and also suggests that no artist can compete with the divinity of the creation of real people. These suggestions greatly impacted Islamic art, to the extent that artists avoided the portrayal of human bodies (except for private rooms) and opted for geometrical designs that are common today. The Alhambra paintings were likely done completely in secret for fear of prosecution.
Besides the rare human representation, some of the drawings were even signed, something that is very strange in Muslim art. This may mean that person responsible for the designs may have had significant importance in the decoration of the Alhambra.

There are many mysteries surrounding the new discovery that are currently being investigated. It has been determined, however, that these drawings were in fact made by the same artisans that decorated the Alhambra Palace.

Perhaps these workers wanted to take a break from their grand geometrical paintings that decorated the Alhambra, and express themselves behind closed doors.
The director of the Patrimony reemphasized that the drawings were extremely valuable since they are in their original state.

Learn more about Granada, Spain

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_fe4e1bfa-4761-4a9c-9f2e-05540229c36c

Both Kate and Pippa Middleton are fans of the Spanish store Zara! On the Saturday after the royal wedding the two sisters both wore clothes from the Spanish chain.

Kate wore a blue dress with a black waistband whilst Pippa wore a blue buttoned jacket which she wore with white jeans. Although it is not known for definate whether the sisters conferred about their outfits it seems they may well have done. The Middleton family are all very close, especially Kate and Pippa.

There is no doubt that the two sisters have become fashion icons, so it is big news for Zara, and Spanish fashion in general, to have both Middleton sisters sporting it's clothes.

During the wedding ceremony they wore elaborate dresses by the British designer Alexander McQueen. Kate's bridal dress cost 44,000 euros whilst Pippa´s bridesmaid dress cost 22,000 euros.

However the outfits the pair wore the following day were considerably cheaper! Kate´s dress cost 49,95 whilst her younger sisters jacket cost just 59,95.

No doubt these items will have flown over the shelves over the weekend! A success for Spanish fashion!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_a6791b95-d7fe-4a2c-8a2a-54dd15e97ebc

I admit it, I LOVE the show "The Dog Whisperer". I love César Millan, and I LOVE the way he trains "people" to understand their canine friends... and I don't even have a dog! But his lessons and methods can be applied to almost any animal, I am a firm believer!

In Spain, you can find me watching his program every Sunday all morning long, although I know it aires at other times too. I recently found out that César Millan was coming to Spain for the first time, he will be giving two shows in Madrid at the Palacio de Deportes:

May 2, 2011 (TODAY!) at 19:30

May 3, 2011 (TOMORROW) at 20:00

Tickets are STILL available for both shows through El Corte Inglés - For those who want to be on stage, sorry that is sold out!

Now, if you are anything like me you are probably saying "DARNIT!!! I WORK on Mondays and Tuesday's and I don't live in Madrid!!!"... No worries, as far as I can tell you have one other good chance.

If you live in Spain you have seen our famous ant friends Trancas and Barrancas in the popular show "El Hormiguero" (The ant farm) that aires nightly on Cuatro at 21:30. César is a confirmed guest on the Wednesday May 4th show.

The Dog Whisperer, born in Mexico, will tell us about his life, from his illegal entrance into the US to becoming one of the most influential people in Los Angeles. He will also give Spain some helpful tips to live in harmony with your dogs.

Too bad the year's most important Madrid-Barcelona football match takes place around the same time tomorrow...

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_f4a6b49d-44ee-42e8-97e8-1099c55a614a

The tax increase last December combined with the new anti-tobacco law in January that prohibits smoking in enclosed public spaces is costing the Spanish government. Tobacco sales in Spain have decreased 25% which implies a first trimester loss of 127.6 million Euros in tobacco taxes. The data is based on January and February sales and March estimations.

On the 3rd of December the government approved a royal decree which increased the tobacco tax "moderately", according to Vice President Elena Salgado. For every 1,000 cigarettes the excise tax increased from 10.20€ to 12.70€ and the minimum tax increased from 91.30€ to 116.90€.

Salgado justified the decision as a matter of "public health; raising the cost of tobacco will reduce consumption and the higher taxes will contribute to the consolidation of public finances". She cited that the changes would amount to 780 million Euros in extra revenue from the tax increase.

So far, the government forecasts are not being met. Nevertheless, the Treasury's monthly data does not allow us to evaluate the total tax implication of tobacco since sales tax is not accounted for.

Tobacco companies and tobacconists belief that the increase has given rise to an old problem: the smuggling of tobacco. According cigarette sales and street surveys conducted by Altadis (European Tobacco company), the illegal trade of counterfeit tobacco has reached 6% of cigarette sales and around 10% in Andalusia.

The tobacco tax increase caused the manufacturers to raise their prices and this, combined with the economic crisis, has given rise to criminal networks that previously used Spain as a base to send conterfeit snuff (mainly from China) to other countries and now see Spain as a profitable market to distribute it.

Altadis directives believe that the Spanish government should take a look at the contraband problem. For Imperial Tobacco, which owns 100% of Altadis, Spain is its third largest market after Germany and the UK. However, after the fiscal changes in tobacco regulations, Spain has become its number one problem and sources from the company indicate that the dropping sales and contraband problem "could cause the company to consider some time of adjustment".

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_915733e4-bfaa-4f5c-8764-062fbad396fd

The Spanish artist Joan Miro´s works are being exhibited in London at the Tate from 14 April until September. Miro is famous for his modern and colourful Surrealist works.The exhibition includes more than 150 paintings, drawings and sculptures.

Joan Miro was born in Catalonia, in Barcelona, and spent several years of his artistic career there where he mingled with other famous Spanish artists, most notably Dali and Picasso.

Importantly Miro did not remain in Spain throughout his career. He spent many years in Paris and it was from here that he produced his famous work "Láidez L´Espagne" which supported the Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War.

Miro´s style is hugely distinctive and quite simplistic. He uses bright colours and basic shapes. The canvases however often very large and the works are striking. Having visited the Fundacion Joan Miro in Barcelona I would definitely recommend that you head to the Tate in London to see the exhibition if you get the chance! He is a great example of a successful Spanish artist.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_7d53f0b5-0a17-4336-b810-c3885c55d19d

Catalan investigators just recently presented to the world a very special baby born in Spain towards the end of 2010. Before birth, the scientists intervened by means of genetic selection in order to ensure that the fetus would be free of the gene that is strongly associated to breast cancer.

The gene "BRCA1", similar to "BRCA2", is a gene whose carriers, mainly women but also men, often experience tumors in the breasts and other areas such as the ovaries and the pancreas. The woman in this study was no exception. She and her partner decided to visit Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona to get information about the Puigvert Foundation's Assisted Reproduction Program. The woman's goal was to try to free her future baby from her family's long history of cancer.

The future mother applied to the board of the National Commission for Assisted Reproduction, which for the first time authorized the use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis techniques to avoid tumor related diseases in Spain.

Although the Assisted Reproduction Act Law authorizes the genetic selection of embryos that are free of certain diseases tied to single genes (like cystic fibrosis), cancer cases must be approved on a case by case basis since it is a more complex disease associated to various genes and environmental factors. The cases are approved based on a set of criteria such as the severity of the disease, history of early onset and the parties seeking intervention must not be actively receiving treatment.

Once the intervention is approved, the preimplantation genetic diagnosis procedure is simple. Several ova are fertilized to created several embryos. From these embryos, only those which lack the mutation in the BRCA1 are selected to continue growing. Next, the specialists at Sant Pau Hospital implanted two "clean" embryos in the woman for gestation, of which only one survived.

9 months later this embryo has become the first baby (boy) was born in Spain free of the genetic heredity of cancer. It does not mean that he is 100% guaranteed to be cancer free, but he is free of a specific mutation that would have meant an 80% probability of suffering from a tumor of some sort at an abnormally early age.

Although preimplantation genetic diagnosis has been very successful, the Sant Pau Hospital medical team does not want to get peoples' hopes up. Núria Terribas, the director of the Borja Institute of Bioethics warns that this process cannot be applied to all patients with a family history of cancer. She notes that each case must be studied "history by history" because "we are not able to cure everything, we have to impose certain boundaries" to avoid the possibility of those seeking an embryo "on demand" free of diseases. She also explained that certain possible ethical conflicts exist for doctors because "for many people the end does not justify the means, but we have to put ourselves in the family's shoes and understand that for them the means may be justified."

Also part of the controversy is the fact that Spanish Social Security fully funded the preimplantation genetic diagnosis of this baby in a time of crisis and harsh health care cuts. The director also defended this stating that "we will need to see how much a child born without the cancer gene will ultimately save (social security)"

Currently Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona is waiting for the green light for another similar intervention. In this case, the family has a history of severe colon cancer and both members of the couple have also suffered from the disease. They want to have a baby and are currently waiting for approval to do so with preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_c4c4d36d-3585-473f-9bfe-8b9c49367cc2

The last kiss that had us talking was between Iker Casillas (Goal keeper of Real Madrid and the Spanish National Team) and Sara Carbonero (Sports reporter voted one of the world's sexiest) when the Spanish Soccer team beat the Dutch in a passionate World Soccer Cup final in South Africa in 2010. After the win, Iker gave Sara a passionate kiss that was broadcasted around the world.

Another famous Catalan footballer Gerard Piqué is now making headlines. He is a young (24 year old) central defender for FC Barcelona who happened to meet famous Columbian singer Shakira in South Africa during the World Cup. She sang the theme song for the World Soccer Cup and he played on the winning team, it seems like a match made in heaven.

Shakira at the time was involved in a long relationship and rumors starting swirling when she left her long time boyfriend and moved to Barcelona. Soon later, Gerard Piqué and Shakira celebrated their shared February 2nd birthday together in Barcelona with friends, as seen in a picture that the footballer kindly published on his Twitter page. Pique turned 24, Shakira 34,10 years his senior.

Recently, with a photo obtained by Caras magazine, all of the rumors have been confirmed. Although you could have asked any FC Barcelona fan and they could have confirmed it earlier based on how the seemingly distracted Piqué has been playing lately... The magazine cover shows Piqué tenderly kissing the Columbian singer at what appears to be their birthday celebration, based on their clothes.

Gerard Pique recently appeared before the press as the new spokesman/model for the men's line of Mango clothes when he was confronted with the picture which he has apparently not seen previously. When he was shown the picture by a reporter he chuckled and said that "it is a nice kiss". Pique took the opportunity to explain that this picture will never unseat the passionate and intense kiss between Sara Carbonero and Iker Casillas, although he carefully avoided using the singer's name. The FC Barcelona footballer went on to say: "I don't know if this is this is the happiest year of my life, but right now I am living a very beautiful moment. I am also in love, and I hope it stays that way".

In regards to his new role as a model for Mango, the handsome young footballer commented that he does not feel as comfortable in front of a camera as he does playing soccer. He also commented that he does not want to be the Catalan version of David Beckham and that "I would like to have a private life, it is difficult but I try to do it the best I can".

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_65ccdce7-e12e-4cea-859c-52a0aae830c6

Spain has been a long time playground for visitors from more restrictive countries, but lately, it seems that Spain has adopted a more restrictive policy. In January the anti-tobacco rules went through, causing a wave of protests among those in the hospitality business. Now, a new measure has been adopted to supposedly save on the skyrocketing gas prices: the country’s freeway speed limits have been dropped from 120 km/h (74.5 mph) to 110 km/h (68.3 mph).

The new speed limits on freeways/expressways went into effect this morning at 6 am. The government was busy all weekend long changing all of the country's 6,100 speed limit signs to reflect the new 110 km/h limit. Whoever makes these 110 km/h stickers is dancing a happy dance after receiving such a huge order, the Ministry of Development reportedly spent a cool 250,000€ to change the signs. Yes, a quarter of a million euros; that could buy a lot of gas…

The excuse is that these measures are to combat the rising petrol (gas) costs that are being produced by a series of rebellions in various petroleum-rich Arab countries. At the moment, the measure is only approved through the 30th of June, at which time the government will study the impacts and decide whether or not to extend the new speed limit restrictions.

My thought is this... When do governments ever willingly become "less" restrictive...??? Yes, I think the new speed limits are here to stay.

According to government studies, the new speed limit will save the country over 2 billion euros by reducing their oil importations by 5%, a reduction of 28.6 million barrels a year and 12.5 million tons of CO2 emissions.

The consequences of going to fast aren't too devastating, coming from my point of view. Speeders can count on a nice 100€ ticket if they are caught going anywhere from 110 - 151 km/h (68.3 - 93.2 mph). However, their "points" will only be affected if they are caught going above 151 km/h.

Spain’s driving point system was introduced in July of 2006 in a continuing effort to change Spaniards’ driving habits and reduce their traffic mortality rate. In 2005 4,400 people lost their lives on Spanish highways and freeways and by 2009 the number dropped to 1,897 - a major improvement.

In addition to the speed limit reduction, other measures have also been approved tto save energy including the reduction of train tickets cost by 5%. The exception is in Catalonia, where the government refuses to fund this reduction.

After the dash effort to change all of Spain’s traffic signs, now the Traffic Department (DGT) has turned their efforts to the many fixed speed radars located across the country. 117 have been changed remotely to adapt to the new speed limitations, 25% of the non-mobile highway radars in Spain. A major effort is also being made to remind the citizens of the new changes with illuminated highway signs announcing the changes and asking drivers to adhere to the new rules.

According to a recent survey conducted for EL PAIS newspaper, 69% of Spanish citizens are not in favor of the new law.

In fact, many are speaking out against the measures and consider it to be just another restriction so that the government can make more money out of fines. Several reporters and radio stations have tested the theory that a speed limit reduction saves gas, but the overall consensus is that the benefit of going slower is minimal. Fernando Alonso, Spain’s famous Formula I driver, publicly criticized the new measures declaring that at 110 km/h drivers will be more at risk of falling asleep behind the wheel.

New Traffic fines:

111-140 km/h: 100€ fine
141-160 km/h: 300€ fine
161-170 km/h: 400€ fine
171-180 km/h: 500€ fine
+180 km/h: 600€ fine

Traffic point penalties:

110-150 km/h: No points lost
151-170 km/h: 2 points lost
171-181 km/h: 4 points lost
181-191 km/h: 6 points lost
+191: Considered a criminal offense that will be prosecuted


It looks like the “safest” speed for those who like to "put the pedal to the metal" is 140 km/h.

What do you think?

An energy saving tactic or a way to make more money on traffic fines?

I look forward to hearing what you think.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_40dfce46-b6a6-421d-a403-39fd6d7e038d