La Rioja declared world's best wine-producing region

US publication awards La Rioja prize for being the best wine producing region of the year

La Rioja has been awarded a prize by a US publication called ‘Wine Enthusiast’ for being the best wine producing region of the year. The prize is significant as it gives recognition to the popularity of Riojan wines in the US.

Víctor Pascual Artacho, the president of the Riojan Regulatory Board received the prize during at an awards ceremony and dinner held in New York’s public library attended by over 500 representatives from the wine producing industry both from the US and Europe.

In his thank you speech Pascual said that "this prize was international recognition of Riojan wines and gave him great satisfaction following years of hard work ".

The ceremony was attended the directors of Agriculture for La Rioja - Iñigo Nagore from the Basque Country, Gonzalo Sáenz from Samaniego and Begoña Sanzberro from Navarra all of whom were there as representatives of the Spanish exports industry

Rioja is Spain’s principal wine producing region and consists of parts of La Rioja, Navarra and the Basque Country all of whom share the official ‘Denominación de Origen’ classification of ‘Rioja’ for the wines produced there.

During the ceremony the prestigious US publication also awarded the Mexican company ‘Casa Herradura’ the prize for ‘distillery of the year’ for being one of the oldest and most respected producers of tequila in México.

Spain's new national anthem

Placido Domingo to sing Spanish National Anthem for the first time on 21st January

The jury commissioned by the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) and the General Society for Authors and Editors (SGAE) has finally chosen the words for the Spanish national anthem which until now only consisted of music. There were 7000 original entries to chose from. This number was whittled down to 1400 texts which were all given careful consideration.

The jury in charge of choosing the text for the national anthem had to take into consideration a number of things before making their final choice. They had to chose a text that was not only beautiful from a literary perspective but that also met certain requirements such as not being offensive to any one group, that was respectful towards Spain’s autonomous regions, diverse languages and politics and a text that was integrative.

Plácido Domingo is the person who had been chosen to sing the anthem publicly for the first time on January 21st at the Juan Carlos I Auditorium in Madrid. Other venues such as the Royal Theatre or the National Auditorium in Madrid had been considered but were unavailable. Domingo whose birthday is also on January 21st and who is currently in working in Brussels will be flown by private jet to sing the anthem for the first time.

The Orquestra for the Comunidad de Madrid directed by Miguel Roa will provide the music to accompany Domingo. Domingo was chosen in 1981 to sing the French national anthem when Mitterrand was sworn in as French president and also sang at the Spanish world cup in 1982 and at the centenary celebrations for one of Spain’s biggest football clubs Real Madrid.

Following its official acceptance by the Spanish Olympic Committee the COE hopes to get at least half a million signatures which will allow the text to be presented to parliament as a popular bill so that it can become Spain’s official national anthem.

Translation of the proposed words to the new national anthem:

Long live Spain!
We sing all together
With different voices
And one heart
Long live Spain!
From the green valleys
To the immense sea
A song for brotherhood
Love for the homeland
Which knows how to include
Below its blue skies
Free towns and villages
Glory to our children
Which give to history
Justice and greatness
Democracy and peace.

Guggenheim celebrates 10th million visitor

Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Receives its 10th Million Visitor
A couple of work colleagues from Zaragoza who were in Bilbao for a professional conference have become the 10th million visitors to the Guggenheim museum in the capital of the province of Vizcaya.

When Carolina Pamplona and Juan Carlos Pérez bought their tickets to see the museum’s exhibitions on American and Basque art at the ticket booth for individual visits they were told by museum officials that they had just become the 10th million visitors to the museum. Furthermore they were also told that they had won a prize consisting in a 5 day visit to New York for 2 people.

The 10th million visit to the Guggenheim, Bilbao has taken place in the same year that this museum of modern and contemporary arts is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Last month there were a series of events to celebrate its 10th birthday.

In August 2002, a couple from Cantabria, José Javier García López and María Teresa Macho Tagle were the 5th million visitors to the museum. Since its opening to the public 10 years ago the Guggenheim Bilbao has converted the Vizcayan capital into a tourist destination for visitors to the peninsula and had helped contribute to the regeneration of this old industrial city.

See Guide to Vizcaya, Hotels in Bilbao and Restaurants in Bilbao

Spanish scientists show memory can be recovered

A new study reveals how to recover memory

Researchers directed by José María Delgado at the Pablo de Olavide University in Sevilla have discovered new aspects relating to how our memories work. Experiments using living animals have shown how memory can be recovered.

In 2006 the research team together with María Dolores Muñoz, a researcher from the the Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid, demonstrated for the first time how neurons in our memories connect with others and how stored memories increase the potential or intensity of these connections. This is the process called strengthening in the long term which has been known for many years.

The research team showed that this strengthening process was produced whilst learning. However, they also demonstrated that if the strengthening process is induced in an experimental way it affects the natural or physiological processes which means it is impossible to learn. The study explained the effect of epileptic attacks and electric shock therapy. These discoveries were chosen by the magazine Science to be among the 10 most important advances in 2006.

In the new study which has been published in the magazine Journal of Neuroscience, the same research team have gone one step further and have demonstrated that once the inducement of the process of strengthening is stopped the animals in the study were able to learn once again and also remember what they had learnt previously.

Police concert in Barcelona

The Police triumph in Barcelona in the only Spanish concert included in their world tour.

Just a few months ago the news that British pop groupThe Police were going to play one concert in Spain as part of their world tour was greeted enthusiastically by Spanish fans. The concert, which sold out within hours took place last night in Barcelona in the Olympic stadium Montjuic.

At 10 pm to the sounds of Bob Marley echoing through the darkness Sting, Andy Summers on guitar and Stewart Copland on drums appeared on stage, then the first notes of Message in a Bottle were played and the whole stadium went wild. This was followed by Synchronicity II and twenty or more songs. One of the most goosebump-producing moments was then The Police sang, together with most of the audience, one of their most popular hits: Roxanne.

The stage was spectacularly large and there were six enormous screens showing different views. Needless to say the lighting and sound were excellent. Few special effects were necessary as the music itself played by the trio, who seemed to have the same charisma as twenty years ago, was enough to satisfy the audience.

The concert ended with an electrifying performance of Next to You.

San Sebastian International Film Festival 2007

The 55th International Film Festival in San Sebastian opened last Thursaday with Eastern Promises, a film directed by David Cronenberg starring Viggo Mortenson, Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel. Viggo Mortenson came to San Sebastian to attend the opening ceremony and was warmly received when he greeted the audience in Basque.

This year the festival is proving as popular as ever with many films completely sold out days before their screening. Many stars have visited the festival which is now at its halfway point.

Richard Gere in San Sebastian

Richard Gere arrived on Saturday night in order to receive the ‘Premio Donosti’ for his acting career. Gere delighted fans on his arrival by spending time signing autographs and chatting to the waiting crowds who had spent the best part of the day waiting for the American actor.

In a press conference Gere joked that he thought that perhaps he was too young to receive the prize given that he had many years left in his acting career. He also surprised Spanish reporters by getting up to hug a delighted Spanish reporter when she had difficulty in posing her question due to a sore throat (click twice to see video).

Last night ‘The Hoax’ which stars Gere was screened in the Victoria Eugenia theatre which has recently been reopened following nine years in which it was meticulously restored.

As usual the festival has many different sections offering a wide variety of films in different languages. Apart from the Official Section, Zabaltegi and Horizontes Latinos there is a retrospective section on Henry King and sections dedicated to films from Denmark, Norway and Finland called ‘Fiebre Helada’ as well as a section on Philippe Garrel.

Liv Ullman has also been awarded the ‘Premio Donosti’ for her acting career and Demi Moore is expected to visit the festival to promote ‘Flawless’ a British film also starring Michael Caine which is in being shown in the Official Section.

For more information on the festival and film listings go to http://www.sansebastianfestival.com/

Related: San Sebastian Film Festival ## San Sebastian Film Festival 2007 ## San Sebastian

Spanish cinemas on strike

Spanish Cinemas are closed today due in protest over new law

The Spanish Federation of Cinemas (FECE), which includes 90% of all cinemas in Spain, has called on its members to strike for 24 hours in protest over the proposed new Cinema law. The Managing Director FECE, Rafael Alvero, has accused the government of failing to negotiate with his organisation which is why the decision to strike today was taken. He also said it was just the first measure they would be taking in order to get their point across.

Last week Rafael Alvero said that FECE had spoken to nearly all the political groups in the Spanish parliament except for PSOE given that the period for amending the proposed law before it was passed finishes next week. In fact he said that today’s strike was a call for Spanish cinemas not to be forgotten by politicians.

As well as the strike Spanish cinemas have prepared some advertisements to publicise the problems they face which will be screened in cinemas through out the country. According to Alvero their tone is quite belligerent given the present situation which clearly favours the production sector.

The main demands of the FECE are that the quota for screening a film are reduced, competition is regulated, cinemas have the rights to screen a film for six months and that more efforts are made to combat piracy.

The last time that Spanish cinemas went on strike was in 1993 in another protest over the law governing cinemas and as far as Alvero is concerned they are facing the same battle today although he also admitted that perhaps the number of spectators had gone down partly due to a possible excess of cinema screens in Spain. However, he said that this was another matter not directly related to the proposed Cinema law.

Today’s strike is estimated to cost cinemas almost one million euros in lost ticket sales - cinemas are free to decide whether to participate or not

Bob Dylan Awarded the Principe de Asturias Prize for the Arts

The American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has been awarded the 2007 Principe de Asturias Prize for the Arts. Bob Dylan has been chosen above other nominees which included the Portuguese pianist Maria Joao Pires, the architects Frank Gerhy and Rafael Moneo and the British musician Andrew Lloyd Weber.

The jury for the Principe de Asturias Prize for the Arts who also awarded a prize for International Cooperation to Al Gore the ex US Vice-President is presided over by José Lladó , the former Spanish Trade Minister.

Pedro Almodovar was the last person to be awarded this prize. Other past winners include Woody Allen, Miquel Barceló and Paco de Lucía.

In total there are 8 Principe de Asturias prizes awarded annually. Prince Felipe usually presents the awards in person at a ceremony in Oviedo, the capital of Asturias. Each prize consists of a statue designed by Joan Miró and 50,000 euros.

According to the Principe de Asturias jury Bob Dylan, who first performed in Spain in 1984 in the Rayo Vallencano stadium, is a ‘living myth in the history of popular music and a light for a generation that dreamed of changing the world’. Carmen Calvo, the Spanish Culture Minister, considers the American singer to be a ‘guru for various generations throughout the world’. Gay Mercader, a music promoter, said of Dylan that ‘he was the first to give weight to popular music and his influence on his peers is enormous’.

Spanish actor Javier Bardem receives standing ovation in Cannes

Javier Bardem received a standing ovation for his performance in the latest Coen brothers film, ‘No Country for Old Men’, in which he plays one of the leading roles.

‘No Country for Old Men’ is considered by film critics as one of the best pieces of work by the Coen brothers in the last decade. It is based on the novel of the same name by the American author Cormac McCarthy, about a relentless persuit on the US – Mexican border. Apart from Bardem, the film stars Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones and Kelly Macdonald.

In a press conference held after the screening of the film yesterday, Bardem, candidate for the best actor prize at this year’s Cannes film festival after what many consider to be one of his best performances until now, said that he had had the time of his life while making the film and that working with the Coen brothers was like a dream for him.

Bardem said of working with the two brothers that he was very surprised to discover that they slept in separate beds, referring to the way in which the Coen brothers work so well together, a comment which brought laughs from those present. He also said that he had been very unsure about whether or not to accept the role, because he can't speak English and he doesn't like violence. But the chance of working with the Coen brothers was an offer too good to refuse.

Spanish film critics seem to agree that while the Coen's latest film is very good, it isn’t completely successful in that it doesn’t maintain the same level of tension right to the end and there are too many loose ends. However they all do seem to agree that Bardem’s performance adds weight to the film. The Spanish actor starred in The Sea Inside which won an Oscar a couple of years ago.

Related:
The Sea Inside wins Oscar

Spaniards prefer to work fewer hours and earn less

Three out of four Spaniards prepared to earn less in exchange for more free time

Accouring to a study published last week by the European Head Hunting firm, Cátenon, three out of four Spanish citizens are prepared to earn less in exchange for more free time. And a similar proportion believe that to be successful at work you need to be prepared to give up part of your private life according to a study.

The Director of Marketing for Cátenon, Cristina Villanova, said on Europa Press Television that the study showed a growing tendency for Spaniards to value their free time more and more in order to spend more time with the family or on hobbies and that the long working day was one of the main burdens for professionals in Spain.

She went on to say that there was high work satisfaction but that this did not mean that professionals in Spain would not be prepared to give up part of their salary in exchange for a better work life balance. Villanova highlighted that Spaniards valued the atmosphere at work and their work colleagues very highly and that gaining a higher salary and flexible working hours were the biggest incentive to changing jobs.

The study also discovered that 67% of those questioned would be prepared to live abroad as long as it was for a period of less than 3 years on condition that it was for a well paid post. Villanova said that while Spaniards had in the past been reluctant to move for work reasons that this was now changing.

On the other hand, the study also reveals that 75% of those who took part in the study thought that it was necessary to make certain sacrifices in order to have a good career and that this percentage was equally divided between men and women.
Lastly, Villanova said that those questioned also proposed increasing the number of nurseries for workers with children and improving flexible working hours.

Electronic ID cards in Spain

Half a million Spaniards now have an electronic National Identity Card

500,000 electronic National Identity Cards have now been issued by the National Police, a figure which meets targets set by Spain's Home Office. Joan Mesquida, the director of the National Police and Civil Guards has announced yestoday that the second phase of introducing these electronic identity cards will be launched in 27 provinces throughout Spain before the end of autumn.

By the end of the year, there should be more than two and a half million Spanish citizens with electronic national identity cards, and by the end of 2008 it is expected that this figure will have grown to over six and a half million. At present there are 47 offices in 22 provinces where electronic cards are being issued. Electronic cardholders are guaranteed extra security when using their cards over the internet.

One of the government’s main objectives is to achieve maximum security and respect for the privacy of citizens as well as making the new electronic IDs easy and straightforward to use.

The electronic national identity cards consist of a physical document which contains numerous secure elements. It is the first system in Spain which guarantees security for the card holder to authorize actions over the Internet or to prove their identity electronically.

Spanish boy bullfighter seriously injured

Spanish teenage bullfighter in intensive care

Jairo Miguel, 14 years old just last month, is in intensive care in a hospital in Mexico following being seriously injured when one of his lungs was perforated during a bullfight. The bull who pierced his lung last Sunday weighed 430 kilos. His father, Antonio Sánchez Cáceres who was a bullfighter during the 70’s, is said to be in shock. This week Spanish television has shown footage of the father complaining about the fact that whereas boys are allowed to play other high risk "sports" in Spain, bullfighters have to be at least 16 year old before they are allowed into an official bullring. He said that he had only brought his son to Mexico to bide time because in Spain his son wasn't allowed to fight.

Last Sunday’s bullfight was Jairo's 25th and was held in the third largest bullring in Mexico and was supposed to celebrate the start of the San Marcos fiestas. Jorge de Haro, president of the National Association of Bull Breeders in Mexico told Spanish reporters that he had seen Jairo in a bullfight against a bull weighing 450 kilos last year and claimed that like tennis or any other sport bullfighting was better learnt as a child and in his opinion ‘the younger the better’.

In Spain bullfighting is prohibited until the age of 16, although in the world of bullfighting not everyone agrees with this age restriction. According to Emiliano López, from the Bullfighting school in Ciudad Real, what happened to Jairo last Sunday was an accident which was possible whatever age the bullfighter be it 12, 14 or 35 years old. He told El Pais that it was like learning to read or teething because not all children do that at the same time. He said that the laws in Spain were far too strict.

On the other hand, José Conde, from another bullfighting school in Algeciras said that a 14 year old should not be allowed to fight a bull in a bullring and said that this situation would never have arisen in Spain where the limit was set taking into account many factors like physical ability and maturity.

The latest child bullfighter in Mexico who drove the crowds wild is Rafita Mirabal who is just nine years old. At present he is fighting young bulls just under 2 years old in Mexico.

Meanwhile Jairo Miguel’s father, Antonio Sánchez Cáceres, was still trying to justify the situation from the hospital in Aguascalientes, Mexico where his son is in a serious condition. He said that at first Jairo’s Cuban mother did not understand how important bullfighting was for his son but that eventually she understood, like him, that this is a passion for Jairo, even a vocation and that nobody had put ideas into his son’s head.

Related:
Barcelona declares itself an anti-bullfighting city
Pamplona San Fermin fiestas: anti-bullfight protests

British Museum Exhibition in Alicante

The British Museum exhibition Art and Empire: Treasures from Assyria in the British Museum opens today in the MARQ Museum in Alicante with exhibits dating from the 9th and 7th centuries B.C.. This exhibition has already been shown in museums in New York, Mexico, Copenhagen and Shanghai.

The Treasures from Assyria exhibition consists of more than 200 pieces and objects from the ancient Assyrian culture. It is divided into three main exhibition halls with exhibits from palaces and temples, magic and religion and everyday life and handicraft. Together these exhibits describe life, culture and art in the Assyrian Empire of ancient Mesopotamia from the Ninth to the Seventh Centuries B.C.

The exhibition opens today in Alicante and runs through to 30th September. Alicante's MARQ Museum is considered to be one of Europe's best and most didactic archeological museums. Security measures have been increased inside and outside the museum to ensure proper protection of the British Museum exhibition and the museum has also improved temperature and humidity levels in order to guarantee returning the exhibits to the British Museum in perfect condition. An audio guide is available to visitors in English, Spanish and Valenciano.

MARQ has announced that the exhibition marks the beginning of a new and ongoing collaboration between the British Museum and MARQ which will include exchange visits of art experts from both museums.

Related:
Visitors guide to Alicante
Hotels in Alicante
Restaurants in Alicante

Spanish Cinema goes online

Egeda, the Association for Spanish Producers has set up an internet company Filmotech.com, through which Spanish films will be available for rent or on sale legally from as little as 1 euro.

For at least the first two months the new webpage dedicated to Spanish cinema will make films available for just 1 euro. As many as 250 films, cartoons and documentaries will be for rent or for sale.

This ground breaking initiative is one of the most ambitious projects that Spanish cinema has ever undertaken. This step towards the future is down to Egeda Digital, a branch of a the company that manages the rights of Spanish Producers. According to Egeda’s president, Enrique Cerezo it is essential for Spanish cinema to embrace new technology and look towards the future.

The webpage will have a catalogue of around 250 films, however for the timebeing the most recent films will not be available so as not to compete directly with videoclubs and cinemas. It hopes to incorporate European films into the online catalogue soon which will increase the number of films to 400 – 500 available online in the near future.

Egeda is hoping to offer its users quality productions at a competitive price while at the same time respecting the rights of film makers and actors. At the moment the only films available online are illegal downloads which are often very bad quality.
There will be different options available to see a film through downloading it from Filmotech.com. Prices will range between 1 and 2 euros through which you will be able to watch the film by connecting a computer to a television. The first option is for users to have the right to see a film as many times as possible within the space of a week, this is the cheapest option. The second option is to download a film which can be seen 3 times within the space of 3 months counting down from the first time the film is seen.

The last option is TPS which stands for tuyo para siempre - ‘yours for ever. This option would limit the film to three reproduction systems. Prices for TPS will range from 3.80 euros to 5.80 euros.

DRM by Microsoft has been chosen by the Association for Spanish Producers as the programme by which users can download and see films. However, one of the drawbacks of downloading films is the time it takes. According to Filmotech.com using a standard broadband connection of 1Mbps, the time it takes to download a film will be 3 or 4 times the length of the film. If the connection is faster than 1 Mbps it will take less time to download a film.

International Conference on Spanish Language

Over a thousand academics and writers are participating in the 4th International Conference on the Spanish language which was opened yesterday by the Spanish King and Queen and the President of Columbia, Álvaro Uribe. The 4-day conference is being held in Cartagena de Indias, Columbia, and will look at the present and future of the Spanish language.

Special homage is being paid to the writer Gabriel García Márquez, Nobel prize winner for Literature in 1982 and who is 80 years old (his 80th birthday was on march 6th this year). The ex US president, Bill Clinton, the ex Spanish president, Felipe González and the Mexican writer, Carlos Fuentes, are all attending special events paying homage to the writer.

Writers, academics, scientists, teachers, linguists, historians, businessmen and women, editors, journalists, politicians and sociologists will all come together to analyse issues such as the presence of Spanish in diverse fields ranging from technology, computing, and science to culture and literature.

The relation between the Spanish language and other Hispanic languages spoken in Latin America will also be considered. This conference is taking place just 2 days after the 8th Conference of Academies for the Spanish Language took place in which the ‘New Spanish Grammar’ was approved, the first time since 1931.

Castellano or Spanish is spoken by more than 400 million people worldwide and is the 4th most spoken language in the world. The first three are Chinese, English and Hindi. Furthermore, Spanish has become the second language for international communication. Nine out of ten native Spanish speakers live in America (North America and Latin America).

Inrternational conferences on the Spanish Language began in 1992 following the Expo in Sevilla, since then they have taken place in Zacatecas (Mexico -1997), Valladolid (Spain - 2001) and Rosario (Argentina - 2004). This year’s conference is due to close on Friday with a number of cultural events from photography exhibitions, poetry recitals to folk concerts.

Experts agree on panhispanic version of Spanish Grammer

Panhispanic Grammer

The Real Academia Español (RAE) and the Associaton of Academies for Spanish Language have called for Spain to cease being the first reference when it comes to ‘the new grammar for the Spanish language’ during a special public session in Medellín, Columbia this weekend attended by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain and the President of Columbia.

Ignacio Bosque, professor of the Autonomous University of Madrid and author of Nueva gramática de la lengua española told El Pais that the ‘New Spanish Grammar’ is grammar which has been put together by 22 different academies representing Spanish-speaking countries.

This Panhispanic vision of Spanish grammar has roots dating back to 1931 when the grammatical differences that existed between each country were specified. Ignacio Bosque led the very complex process of gathering together 8 grammar experts from Latin American and Spain and producing a draft text that was then analysed by the RAE and then sent on to all the academies concerned. The text was then sent to the Interacademic Commission from which a provisional text was produced and sent back to the academies to be finally approved in a joint meeting.

Ignacio Bosque points out in the El Pais article that until now Spanish speaking countries had never discussed what they had in common and one of the surprising outcomes was that following the lengthy process described above it became clear that Spanish speakers from all over the world had more in common than previously thought. It is hoped that this ‘New Spanish Grammar’ will be reinforced in the 4th International Congress on the Spanish Language which starts tomorrow in Cartagena de Indias.

According to experts this is one of the most important advances for the Spanish language in all its history. Once final approval has been achieved efforts will be made to edit the text. The RAE hopes that the ‘New Spanish Grammar’ will be published by Spring next year. It will be divided into 4 sections: General Questions, Phonetics and Phonology, Morphology and Syntax with 55 chapters. There will also be a DVD on differences in pronunciation between countries to accompany the book.

Related:
Learn Spanish online
Spanish language courses in Spain

Picasso paintings stolen

Two Picasso paintings worth over 50 million euros stolen

Two Picasso paintings were stolen on Monday night from the Parisian home of one of the painters granddaughters according to official sources. The two works are estimated to be worth more than 50 million euros. They are two portraits. One of his daughter Maya and the other of Jacqueline the painter’s last wife.

The portrait of Maya was painted in 1938 and measures 60 cms by 74 cms in the picture Maya is wearing a blue dress and is sitting cradling a doll in her arms.
The robbers apparently entered the house in an exclusive district of Paris without forcing open the windows or door. The Parisian police are now taking charge of the investigation.

The robbery took place a day after the Picasso Museum in Malaga received 2 works by the painter which had belonged to his last wife Jacqueline and her daughter. These two paintings were acquired by the Ministry of Culture for 3 million euros.

In 1989 4 Picasso canvases were stolen from his grand daughter, Marina, in Cannes in France as well as a painting by Henri Matisse and another by Auguste-René Rodin. Fortunately the pictures were recovered 4 days later.

Penelope Cruz misses oscar

The Departed by Martin Scorsese, won best film and best director at last night’s Oscars ceremony. It was a great triumph for the director who already had 7 Oscar nominations under his belt.

Martin Scorsese, who received his award from Spielberg and George Lucas, asked for them to check the envelope, clearly referring to his previous 7 Oscar nominations. The other nominations in the same category were Alejando González Iñárritu for 'Babel', Clint Eastwood for 'Letters from Iwo Jima', Stephen Frears for 'The Queen' and Paul Greengrass for 'United 93'.

Most of Spain was convinced that Penelope Cruz would steal the show, and penelopemania hit its peak this weekend, to such an extent that the build up to Sunday could have easily been called "Penelope in America" rather than "The 2007 Academy Awards". However, in the end the Oscar for best actress went to Helen Mirren, as widely predicted outside Spain, for her lead part in the film ‘the Queen’, directed by Stephen Frears. The 61 year old actress who received the award from Phillip Seymour thanked the Academy and also the Queen who she said was the real winner.

The Oscar for best actor was won by Forest Whitaker for his role in ‘the Last King of Scotland’. He received the Oscar from Reese Witherspoon and gave an emotional speech referring to his Texan roots. and ‘The Inconvenient Truth’ by Al Gore, the ex US Vice-President, was awarded an Oscar for best documentary.

‘Pan’s Labryinth by Guillermo del Toro (see trailer below) saved face for the Spanish film scene winning 3 awards for best art direction, best make up and also best cinematography.
The award for best foreign language film went to 'Das Leben der Anderen' by the German director Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck.

Related:
Spanish film The Sea Inside wins Oscar

Trailer of Pan's Labryinth:

New Spanish TV channel in USA

New Hispanic public TV channel for the US

Hispanic residents in the US, estimated to number around 30 million, will soon have their own TV channel. Until now the only Spanish TV channels available were not very high quality consisting mainly of sensationalist news, game shows and poor quality soap operas.

However it is hoped that V-me (pronounced Véme), which will start emitting from the 5th March this year, will provide programmes of a higher quality. The channel is a result of collaboration between public and private companies.

According to Carmen DiRienzo, president of the new channel, V-me will offer intelligent programmes that explore issues facing Latin Americans today and help link the diverse Hispanic groups that live in the US. The channel will broadcast 24 hours a day and will include programmes for children such as classics like Sesame Street, documentaries and Latin American films. A quarter of programmes broadcast will be their own productions and the only soap opera will be Nuestro barrio (Our Neighbourhood) which will aim to not only be entertaining but also educative showing how to deal with US bureaucracy for example.

It is hoped that V-me will be seen by at least 60% of the Hispanic population in cities like New York, Los Angeles or Miami. The channel will be available on both cable and digital TV.

Television in Spain

National Library of Spain opens a new museum

National Library Museum opens in Madrid

Today the Culture Minister, Carmen Calvo, will open a new National Library in Madrid.

The library, which has been under construction for over 2 years, is distributed over 8 rooms covering 1400 m2. Exhibitions will take up 755 m2 while the rest of the museum will be dedicated to workshops and special activities.

The contents of the library will use the latest in technology including audiovisual exhibits and computer facilities for visitors. Exhibitions will cover the three centuries that books have existed and original copies and curiosities will be on display.

Special attention will be given to school parties with guided tours and a programme of activities aimed at schools. There will also be a programme of interactive workshops and weekend activities which will change from month to month.

Related:
Museums in MadridGuide to Madrid
Hotels in Madrid
Best restaurants in Madrid

Volver by Pedro Almodovar

Volver by Pedro Almodover acclaimed by critics

The American Critics Association have awarded the film director Pedro Almodóvar a prize for the Best Foreign Film for Volver which will represent Spain in this year’s Oscars.

Almodóvar attended the ceremony accompanied by Penélope Cruz who plays one of the main characters in the film, thought to be one of the best performances in her career so far.

See Trailer of Volver:



The Manchegan director didn’t speak to the press on his arrival at the ceremony last night but posed for photographs with Penélope Cruz. For many observers the award received by Almodovar last night strengthens the possibility of Volver being nominated for the Oscars. Volver has already received 5 awards by the European Film Academy. In Cannes it received awards for the best script and for the best female interpretation for its actresses.

Almodovar's film has received nominations for the Golden Globe Awards and if it is awarded a prize for the Best Foreign Film it would be Almodovar’s third Golden Globe, having already received awards for Todo sobre mi madre in 1999 and Hable con ella in 2002, both of which went on to receive Oscars. Penélope Cruz has been nominated as best female actress for the Golden Globe Awards a category in which no other Spanish actress has previously been nominated.

Related:
Spanish film The Sea Inside wins Oscar

Spain's Best Portal Website 2006

Today the results of Spain's Website of Year 2006 were revealed and we are delighted to report that Euroresidentes has been given the award for the best Portal Website.

This year 284 Spanish websites were nominated over 20 consumer categories. Over 350,000 votes were cast between 9th October and 1st December. The overall winner in Spain was Libertad Digital, a news site, awarded the Best Website of 2006, and the game site Zylom won the most popular site award.

Euroresidentes was awarded Spain's best web portal of the year, having obtained the highest average score on content, navigation and design with respect to the other portals competing in the same category.

We are delighted (and surprised!) to have won this award which has come at the end of what has been an outstanding year in terms of production of new content, expansion of our infrastructure, network of collaborators and visitor numbers. In November we received 20 million page views, and hopefully the trend will continue next year as we publish new material on a wide range of themes and subjects useful for people living or interested in Spain.

A massive thank you to all the Euroresidentes team, collaborators, friends, family and visitors and to everyone who has made this award possible.

Spain's best website 2006

Euroresidentes among the nominations for Spain's Portal Website of the Year.

Euroresidentes has been nominated for this year's edition of the best webs awards. This is the first time we have been nominated for the award.

Websites are classified in different categories and rated on three qualities: navigation, content and design. The site with the highest rankings will be judged to be Spain's best website in that category. Euroresidentes has been nominated in the category Portal.

Voting is easy. Step 1 is mark how you rate Euroresidentes in each of the three categories from five to one by clicking on the stars. Step 2 is for you to vote other webs in other categories if you want to. And Step 3 is to put your name and an email address in the boxes provided and then click on Enviar sus votos (Send your votes). Voters receive a confirmation message in the email account provided with a link which they have to click on to validate their vote.

Last year Miarroba won the award for Spain's most popular Portal and Forocoches for Spain's best Portal. If anyone wants to vote for us, click on this link.

And Thank you!

75 year anniversary women's suffrage in Spain

Yesterday Madrid's Complutense University organised a party to celebrate the 75th anniversary of votes for women in Spain.

Seventy five years ago a woman called Clara Campoamor gave a passionate speech in the Spanish parliament defending the right of women to vote, following which the Republican government passed a new law giving women this right. Until then women had been considered by the Spanish governments to be unfit to participate in elections because of lack of experience or because their vote would supposedly be too heavily influenced by the opinion of the Catholic Church. However Campomor, quoting Humboldt, argued that the only way women could learn how to excercise freedom was by becoming part of the system.

Unfortunately, as events would have it, Spanish women had very little time to exercise their new right, as the Civil War broke out just two years later, and when Franco set up his dictatorship on winning the war, neither men nor women were to enjoy the right to participate in democratic elections for the next forty years.

Yesterday the Complutense University in Madrid organised a festival to commemorate the anniversary with concerts, theatre, readings of poems and stories, cinema and art exhibitions.

Related News from Spain articles:
Women in Spain
Smoking among Spanish women on the rise
Domestic violence and women's rights in Spain
Exploitation of Spanish grandmothers

San Sebastián Film Festival 2006

This year the 54th San Sebastián International Film Festival will take place between 21st – 30th September. There will be a total of 16 films in the official section competing for the coveted Concha de Oro award.

John Boorman, Bahman Ghobadi, Carlos Sorin, Tom DiCillo, Agnieszka Holland, Marion Hansel, Nick Broomfield and Hirozaku Kore-eda are just some of the directors who will be competing for the top prize. Last year’s winner was a Cezch film called ‘Algo parecido a la felicidad’ directed by the Czech Bohdan Sláma.

The Official Section will finish with 2 films that are not competing: a comedy called ‘The Boss Of It All’ - a co-production between Denmark, Sweden and France by Lars von Trier, and a film by Joaquín Jordá, ‘Más allá del espejo’.
Other sections in the festival include Zabaltegi-New Directors, an Emmigrants retrospective including 30 films both contemporary and classic related to this theme, and a retrospective section dedicated to the French film director Barbet Schroeder.

The film festival takes place every year at the end of September in San Sebastian. Screenings for the official section take place in the Kursaal. For more information on films and how to book go to www.sansebastianfestival.com/2006

Related:
Visitors Guide to Guipuzcoa
Hotels in San Sebastian
Restaurants in San Sebastian
San Sebastian
Photos of San Sebastian

Rolling Stones cancel all concerts in Spain

The Rolling Stones have been forced to cancel all four concerts planned for Spain due to illness. The concerts which were planned for Barcelona, Madrid, Valladolid and El Ejido have been cancelled due to the lead singer, Mick Jagger, suffering from laringitis.

Although 20 lorries of equipment had arrived from Valladolid (where the concert had also been cancelled) all work on setting up the stage and special effects has been abandoned.

The Rolling Stones are hugely popular in Spain and over 50,000 tickets had already been sold for tonight's concert with just 2,500 remaining unsold. It is hoped that the group will be able to reschedule the dates.

The Who concert in Spain

Tonight the Who will perform live in Madrid for the first time. They are going to play a second concert in Zaragoza on Saturday. This is the first time that the legendary pop group have played in Spain in their 42 year history.

The singer Roger Daltry (62 years old) and the lead guitarist Pete Townsend (61 years old) will be accompanied by Pino Palladino on bass, John Rabbitt Bundrick on keyboard, Simon Townshend (Pete’s brother) on guitar and Zak Starkey, (Ringo Starr’s son) on drums.

The Who began as Mods in the 60’s , their most famous songs include My Generation (1965) and the excellent sound track to the classic film Quadrophenia (1973), later moving on to rock in the 70’s. Following some turbulent years the group have returned stronger than ever and have started composing new songs once again to great critical acclaim.

Jazz Festival in Alicante

Last night George Benson opened Alicante's 9th International Festival of Jazz in a concert held within the Lucentum Roman Remains site. George Benson's was the first of several jazz concerts to be held in Alicante during this festival which goes on until 28th July.

The full programme of the International Festival of Jazz is as follows:

• 13th July: George Benson
• 15th July: Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis, holder of nine Grammys
• 16th July: Roberta Flack
• 21th July: Herbie Hancock and Lili Hayden
• 24th July: Chano Domínguez, artist specialising in mixing jazz, latin and flamenco sounds
• 28th July: Gilberto Gil, winner of a Latino Grammy Award in 2003 and currently Minister of Culture of the Government of Brazil.
  

Previous editions of Alicante Jazz Festival were held in the Port of Alicante, but this year the Festival is being organised in Lucentum and attendance is limited to 2,000 spectators per concert. All concerts start at 22.30 and tickets cost 15, 20, 24 or 30 euros, depending on the location of seats.

New practical online travel guide to Spain

This new section is for people planning a visit to Spain or for residents here who want to find out the best places to visit, what to do and see and where to stay and eat in the area where they live or further afield.

The guide is divided into provinces. Each province contains a detailed description of the capital city (history, local gastronomy, sights, hotels, restaurants) and information about other places of interest in the province (towns, villages, natural parks, beaches, hotels, restaurants, photos...). The guides are intended to be a practical introduction to the different areas within Spain. So far visitors guides to the following provinces are available:

Alicante, Almeria, Avila, Balearic Islands, Barcelona, Badajoz, Caceres, Castellon, Cuenca, Formentera, Girona, Guipuzcoa, Ibiza, Jaen, Lerida, Madrid, Malaga, Mallorca, Menorca, Murcia, Salamanca, Tarragona, Teruel, Toledo, Valencia, Zamora.

The guides are based on the personal experience of ourselves and our collaborators, and anyone who would like to expand on the information or recommend a restaurant or hotel is invited to do so by sending us an email to euroresi@euroresidentes.com.

Coldplay concert in San Sebastian

Coldplay´s last concert in Spain took place in San Sebastian on Friday 25th November. Despite the freezing temperatures and torrential rain up to 10,000 people turned up to see them play.

Although the support band Goldfrapp, who played for less than half an hour, failed to impress the public, once Coldplay took to the stage, the party began. The group played a selection of songs from all three albums one of the most memorable being ‘Yellow’ when huge yellow balloons descended from the ceiling, finally bursting and showering the audience with gold streamers.

Coldplay surprised the audience with their energy, at one point Chris Martin appeared amongst the audience in one of the furthest seating areas. After a long encore which included Swallowed in the Sea and Fix You the group left the stage to deafening cheers from the public.

San Sebastian Film Festival

The 53rd San Sebastian Film Festival is running from 15th to 24th September. As usual there are a wide range of films on offer.

In the Official Section you can see a large selection of international films.

In the Zabaltegi section of films there is a selection of the best films from other festivals along side films by new directors.

Other sections in this year´s festival are films by Robert Wise (Director of West Side Story 1961 and The Sound of Music 1965); Rebellious and Untamed – films portraying the liberation of women, films by Abel Ferrara - and some of the best Latin American films in a section of their own called Horizontes Latinos

Homemade cathedral in Spain

A recent soft drinks television advert in Spain has bought hope to Justo Gallego Martinez and his dream to finish a project he started 50 years ago – a cathedral which he has built virtually single-handed mostly from recycled materials.

Justo Gallego, now in his late seventies, is a farmer and has no qualifications. He has built the cathedral in Mejorada del Campo, a small town just 20km from Madrid, on land he inherited from his parents, and has never applied for a building licence because the cathedral lacks plans with the official arquitect’s stamp of approval required by Spanish law in order for an application for planning permission to be successful. Justo says that the plans for the remarkable building exist in his mind rather than on paper.

Driven, in his own words, by faith in God and in his project, Justo Gallego gradually became quite a celebrity in Spain and abroad as the dimensions of his cathedral project became clear in the eighties and nineties. However given the sheer size of the project, and the fact that he had to build it largely alone because he lacked funds to hire helpers, in recent years it became doubtful whether or not he would actually live to see his cathedral complete. And even if he did, Justo was aware that authorities may demolish it as soon as he died because of the lack of official support from the town authorities. The cathedral, which draws thousands of visitors to the town, is not even mentioned in the official website of Mejorada del Campo.

The old man, who lived in a monastry when he was a young man for some years but was forced to leave before taking his vows due to ill health, has dedicated his cathedral to the Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Madre de Jesús and has bequeathed it to the Bishopric of a nearby town, Alcalá de Henares.

Until now, Justo funded his cathedral with money earned by renting out farmland and accepting donations from supporters (money) and local building companies (building materials). When he could afford to, he hired a helper, but otherwise had to rely on the collaboration of volunteers and members of his family who have helped him over the years to build 8000 square meters, including various cloisters, offices, a library and a 40-metre dome based on the design of the dome of St. Peters Cathedral in Rome.

This year his project has received an unexpected boost thanks to the latest advert of a popular energy drink. The advert uses Justo’s cathedral of an example of how to turn dreams into reality. The impact of the spot has been such that the company has set up a website through which Spaniards are able to donate money or simply express their support by posting messages on the site's forum. Viewers can also see the advert, by clicking on the link JUSTO EN IMAGENES in the MENU at the top of the page. For the first time since he started the project, Justo will at last be able to hire builders and buy materials and may fulfill his dream of seeing the cathedral completed. And, given the public interest generated, the local authorities may be forced to leave the cathedral standing once Justo Gallego is no longer around to protect it.

Life in Spain

One of the things which attracts so many people to this country is the Spanish lifestyle which is so different from many other European countries (see reasons for living in Spain).

The CIS (Spain's Center for Sociological Research) has just published a survey which indicates that Spaniards themselves are very happy with the main differences between Spain and their European partners, especially when it comes to eating habits. According to the results of the survey, over 85 percent of Spaniards prefer Spanish eating times and have never considered eating lunch or dinner earlier at similar times used in the rest of Europe.

Over half the people interviewed eat lunch from two to three o'clock and 19.9 percent between three and four o'clock. Meanwhile over 48 percent have dinner between nine and ten, and 27 percent from ten to eleven o'clock. Spaniards sleep on average seven and a quarter hours during the week and eight and a half hours at weekends.

Spaniards consider health and family to be most important to them (86 and 81 percent respectively), followed by work (56.4), friends (46.5), money (27.7). Only 11 percent consider religion to be important, and even fewer politics (6.2 percent).

Over 54 percent of Spaniards are very satisfied with family life, but only 22 percent are very satisfied with their home. The majority are happy, very happy or quite happy with their job, and only 6.9 and 7 percent are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied at work. Over a third would like to have more free time to spend with their families.

Related:
Beautiful places in Spain

Music festival in Benicassim

The organizers of one of Spain's most important music events have confirmed the news that veteran British band The Cure will be performing at this year's Benicassim International Music Festival.

Every year Benicassim, in Castellon on the Costa Azahar, holds a three-day music festival and in true Glastonbury-style (saving major differences like climate and visitor numbers), visitors camp in nearby fields and attend numerous open-air concerts. Because of the warm, dry weather which is guarenteed in this part of Spain during the Summer, many people don't bother with a tent, and just take a hammock or a sleeping bag.

This year 30.000 people are expected to attend the Benicassim Music Festival which begins with the performance of The Cure on 4th August and ends with a beach party on 8th. Tickets are on sale now and the confirmed line-up can be accessed here. So far it includes Oasis, LCD Soundsystem, Basement Jaxxx, Yo la tengo, Keane, Dinosaur Jr, Fischerspooner, Kings of Convenience y Underworld, Peaches, Hot hot heat, Mando Diao and Jori Hulkkonen as well as over one hundred lesser known groups and disc jockeys.

For people considering attending festival, the organization includes this helpful advice on the FIB website:

Remember to bring everything needed to make your stay more comfortable with you. Do not forget a camping area is a open-air, natural space, and using containers and dustbins is always a good idea tidy and take care of the enviroment. There will be selective containers installed at the camping areas so to collaborate with recycling.
Do not forget tents around you are your "neighbourghs". Respect their resting times though they might be scarce and at unusual times.
Do not forget to take care of yourself as well. Do not sunbathe without the appropriate protection and rememeber to drink water often to avoid dehydration. If you are in good shape you will enjoy the concerts more.
Be extremely careful when crossing over the railway or the national road. We have taken measures to make drivers run slow, but you have to bear in mind that you are ultimately responsible of what happens to you.
If you drink, do whatever you want to, except driving. Sleep at the beach if necessary.

For further info on the Benicassim music festival, visit the official FIB website.

Euromeeting 2005 in Alicante

On 14th May Alicante, Spain, holds Euromeeting, an annual event organised so that European residents in this part of Spain can share their cultural experiences. Euromeeting's aim is to encourage a model based on the diversity of cultures and respect between different nationalities.

This is the third time the province of Alicante organizes Euromeeting. Alicante has more European residents (165,000) than any other region in Spain. According to the provincial goverment which sponsers Euromeeting, Alicante should aspire towards “full integration, forming part of a single society that we would like to see more open, more united, democratic and integration – a modern day reflection of our history where we all become citizens, neighbours and people from Alicante”.

Tomorrow’s Euromeeting 2005 gathering will be held in Villa Marco, El Campello, Alicante. The programme is as follows:

12.00: Official opening ceremony, chaired by the President of the Alicante Provincial Government, Jose Joaquin Ripoll

12.15: Alicante, Europe for Everone. A commemorative act celebrating how citizens ferom different European counrtires live together

12.30: Opening of Info-Point:
A multilingual cultural information area about the Province
Representation of traditional professions carried out in the province of Alicante
Authentic traditional music from Alicante districts
Traditional Alicante dances


14.00: Lunch, giant paella made from ingredients typical to the province of Alicante

17.00: Closure of the 3rd Euromeeting


And throughout the day the following attractions will be on offer:

• Musical performances
• Sampling of local products
• Refreshments
• Gifts for all participants.

Women in Spain

Today is International Women's Day, and if anyone had any doubt just how much the situation of women in Spain has changed over the past fifty years, an e-mail sent to the euroresidentes mailbox this morning serves to illustrate the complete transformation of the role of women in Spanish society.

The email contains a collection of some short extracts taken from publications of Seccion Feminina, the organization under Franco that was in charge of the indoctrination and formation of the new Spanish woman. And they have to be read to be believed.

"Throughout her life, the mission of women is to serve. When God made the first man, he thought "It is not good for man to be lonely". And he made woman to help and accompany man, and to serve as a mother. God's first idea was "man". He thought of woman afterwards, as a necesary complement, as something useful" (Public and Social Studies, Secondary Education, 1962)

"When you get married, your name will become your first name, your first surname, then "de" (of) and then your husband's surname. Like this: Carmen Garcia de Marin. This is a pleasant formula, as we do not lose our personality, but we become Carmen Garcia who belongs to Mr Marin, that is Carmen Garcia of Marín" (syllabus of the course Domestic Economy for secondary school and teachers training level, 1968).

"The life of all women, however much they may pretend otherwise, is no more than an eternal search to find someone to whom they can submit themselves" (1944).

"When he arrives home from work, have a delicious meal ready for him...Take off his shoes. Speak in a low, relaxed and pleasant tone. Get ready - touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair. Make yourself look a little more interesting for him. He may need a bit of cheer after his hard days work, and your job is to give it to him. Looking after his needs will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

Minimise all noise. When he arrives, turn off the noise of the washing machine or vaccum cleaner. Greet him with a warm smile and show him that you want to please him. Listen to him, let him speak first - remember that his topics of conversation are more important than yours. Never complain if he arrives late, or if he goes out to dine or enjoy himself without you. Try rather to understand his world of tension and stress and his real needs... Remember he is the master of your house.

Encourage him to enjoy his hobbies and support him without being too insistant. If you have a hobby, don't bore him by talking about it because womens' interests are trivial compared with the interests of men. ...

At bedtime prepare the bed as quickly as possible. Although feminine hygiene is of maximum importance, your husband should not be expected to have to wait to use the bathroom. Remember you should look perfect at bed time. If you have to put face cream or hair-rollers on, wait until he is asleep as both can alarm a man last thing at night. As far as intimate relations are concerned, you must remember your marriage obligations. If he needs to sleep, let him. Do not intrude his privacy or stimulate him. If your husband initiates the act, then you should agree to it humbly, always bearing in mind that his satisfaction is more important than that of a woman. When the peak arrives, a small noise from you will be enough to express any enjoyment you may have felt. If your husband asks you to participate in unusual sexual practises, be obedient and do not complain" (Domestic Economy for secondary school and teachers training level, 1958).

Today Spain has more women ministers than any other European government, and one of the firmest and most repeated commitments of Spanish President Rodriguez Zapatero is to extend further womens rights in terms of working conditions, pay, positive descrimination, protection from domestic violence etc. Much progress still has to be made, but the extent to which the role of women in Spain has progressed over the last 30 years is a tribute to Spanish democracy (and a great relief to all of us women living here). Feliz dia de la Mujer!

Related:
Womens rights and domestic violence in Spain
Exploitation of Spanish grandmothers
Smoking among Spanish women on the rise

Stephen Frears in Spain

Stephen Frears is in Spain this week promoting his new film The Deal and el Pais publishes an interview with him today. According to the journalist who interviewed him, Frears answers questions politely but without enthusiasm, except when he is asked about politics and Blair - "Blair really has a strange way of choosing his friends.... Aznar, Bush, Berlusconi.... I would never choose people like that as my friends. Mind you, if you think about it, he hasn't got very many friends at all and quite frankly, as Prime Minister, he ought to have more. He could do with a good friend.... and a good therapist". The Deal is about British politics before the 1996 elections and especially about the relationship and rivalry between Blair and Gordon Brown. An actor takes the part of Blair, although Frears claims that the real Blair is an excellent actor himself: "If he wasn't such a good actor, he would probably be a much better Prime Minister. This is his great tragedy: he's so good at acting that he ends up convincing himself. I think it has got something to do with his training as a lawyer. He's used to defending cases whether or not he agrees with them morally"

This is what the Costa Blanca News makes of the recent elections here in Spain.