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Andalucia tops spend on research and development

With all the headlines about Whitney, the BAFTAS, Grammys and labour reform, you may have missed one news story this morning: the birth of the second baby who was born to save a sibling. Estrella was born on Saturday at the Virgen del Rocio hospital in Seville.

Estrella’s big brother Antonio has a rare blood condition, and stem cells from her umbilical cord might be able to cure her sibling. Estrella was conceived using assisted reproduction and genetic selection, whereby the embryos are screened to find the one which will be most compatible with the sibling.

It is a scientifically advanced process – and still in its early stages – which has only been possible in Spain since the Ley de Reproduccion Humana Asistida 2006.

The Catholic Church, needless to say, does not approve of such meddling with nature, and is dead set against this process of “bebe medicamento” – medicine baby, of whom Estrella is now the second (the first, Javier, was born in 2008 in the same hospital).

So it’s good to know that, despite the economic crisis, Andalucia (and Spain) is still at the forefront of such cutting-edge medical developments.

In fact, I was interested to read that Andalucia’s I&D (Investigacion y Desarrollo, or Research and Development) budget, far from shrinking, is actually growing. With spending in most areas being firmly reined in, it seems that the region’s 2,000-odd scientific research organisations are blooming. In the past ten years, this sector has grown by five times.

In 2009 and 2010, Andalucia’s I&D spend grew by 12.2%, while other regions’ all went down. According to the INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadistica), Andalucia spent 1,726 million euros on I&D in 2010. Part of this comes from EU funding, with 80,400 million euros being provided in the last four years for 234 European research projects. The large part of these projects are attached to universities (willing student workers), and they are thought to employ 30,000 staff. One of ten of such researchers is not Spanish.

Private sector investment in this area has increased by 23%, against public sector 3% – understandably. Andalucian companies have also upped their spending on innovation, with a growth of 64.4% in 2009-2010.

Grants have helped 951 young Andalucians in the past four years, from a fund of 80 million euros. It’s a small section of our unemployed youth, but something to be positive about, at least.

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British expats are happiest in Spain

A recent survey by Lloyds TSB International found that out of nine countries, British expats are happiest in Spain.

More than 11,800 expats were surveyed, in the following countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the UAE and the USA.

They were asked whether their overall happiness was greater; they had better quality of life; their cost of living was lower; they were financially better off.

British expats who chose Spain as their new country of residence came top in nearly all categories: 80% said their living costs were lower, the greatest proportion of any other country in the survey, while 77% said that they had improved quality of life – beaten only (and by a hair´s breadth) by New Zealand and the UAE, which took first and second place. In terms of being in a better position financially, only British expats in the UAE were better-off than those in Spain.

And when it comes to “greater overall happiness” – Spanish residents from Britain scored 75.9%, meaning that those of us who come to sunny Spain for a different lifestyle are finding what we wanted. Coming in second was Germany, with 71.4%. The lowest score in this category was New Zealand, with 50%- which proves that a good quality of life is not necessarily they key to happiness.

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Posted in Living in Andalucia | No Comments »

Lose weight, and help others too

While it’s probably too early to be worrying about your bikini body for beach trips, many of us still have “excess baggage” left over from the Christmas, New Year and Reyes round of non-stop eating and drinking.

Having the discipline to cut down on eating unhealthy foods – cakes, biscuits, crisps, frituras etc – on our own can be tough. But if you have someone helping and supporting you along the way, then it’s a different matter altogether.

Recently launched in Spain, the Cambridge 800 diet offers a range of tasty, nutritionally-balanced snacks such as soups, shakes, porridges and bars, as part of a flexible eating plan which aims to limit your daily calorie intake to a minimum of 800 – hence the name.

The products can be used either as a replacement for your normal meals resulting in fast, predictable weight loss; or together with your normal meals, for more gradual weight loss and controlled weight management.

On their website, there is a BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator, which enables you to find out if you are overweight.

There are five steps, according to how much weight you want to lose, and how fast, each with the total calorie intake per day, starting from 800 and going up to 1500. The Cambridge 800 consultant guides you through the process.

You can also become a Cambridge 800 consultant if you’ve used the plan successfully yourself, you’re aged over 18, are resident in Spain, and have a BMI of 28 or below.

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Sevilla Card: the new, easy way to see the city

When you come to a city, you want make sure to see all the main sights and experience all the culture – monuments, museums, shows; maybe take a few hours checking it out, and getting orientated, from the comfort of a bus (top deck, back row); or get an alternative view, from a boat – also much cooler in summer.

Now there’s a way to buy entry to all of these together, with one ingenious little card: the Sevilla Card.

Being launched later this month, the Sevilla Card is the first practical and useful idea to appear in the city since the Metro. With the all money being spent/wasted (depending on your point of view) on new projects, this is an initiative which will be of undeniable usefulness to visitors to the city.

The cards come in four different versions, depending on the length of your stay (or period allocated to hardcore sightseeing, as opposed to chilling out): 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, 120 hours (5 days). Each card comes with a map showing all participating establishments, and also buys you a free tapa and drink. (NOTE: I haven’t tried out one of these cards yet, so I can’t vouch for the quality of the complimentary refreshments.)

This is what you get:

24 hours (adults 33 euros, children 19 euros): free entry to two museums or monuments*; a river cruise on the Guadalquivir

120 hours (77 euros, children 25 euros): free entry to all museums and monuments; a river cruise and a bus tour, plus entry to Isla Magica (April to October, after 2.30pm )

The Torre de Oro, as seen from a boat on the Guadalquivir: one of the activities you get with the Sevilla Card.

The card also includes discounts, or free drinks, at various restaurants around the city; discounts or free gifts at shops (handicrafts, shawls and fans); a discount at Aire de Sevilla (Arab baths); discounts at four flamenco tablaos; as well as priority entrance (ie you get to jump the queue) at the Cathedral. Noone could claim these place are top locals’ hang-outs – they are tourist-orientated places – but the free entrance to monuments is worth it, to save the hassle.

There is also talk of transport being included: bus, local trains, metro and tram, as well as cycle hire (Sevici), and even important sites outside the city, such as the Roman ruins of Italica and the Monasterio de San Isidoro del Campo in Santiponce, although this hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Casa de Pilatos, one of the monuments included in the Sevilla Card.

*The monuments and museums include in the Sevilla Card (some, mostly the churches – iglesia, capilla, parroquia, basilica – don’t charge admission anyway, but it’s a comprehensive list of what there is to see) are:

Cathedral
Real Alcazar of Seville
Archivo de Indias
Hospital de los Venerables
Museo del Baile Flamenco
Casa de Pilatos
Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija
Iglesia del Convento de San Leandro
Iglesia del Salvador
Capilla de San José
Parque de María Luisa
Plaza de España
Costurero de la Reina
Museo Arqueológico
Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares
Museo Militar Regional
Palacio de San Telmo
Universidad. Fábrica de Tabacos
Hospital de la Santa Caridad
Reales Atarazanas (Royal Shipyards)
Museo Marítimo (Torre del Oro)
Plaza de Toros and Museo Taurino (Bullring and Bullfighting Museum)
Centro de Interpretación Castillo de San Jorge (otherwise known as the Inquisition Museum)
Museo de Carruajes
Capilla de los Marineros
Parroquia de Santa Ana
Parroquia de la Magdalena
Basílica de la Macarena y Museo-Tesoro
Hospital de las Cinco Llagas
Murallas and Arco de la Macarena
Iglesia de Santa Marina
Parroquia de Omnium Sanctorum
Museo de Bellas Artes
Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo

For me, the glaring omissions are the Metropol Parasol Walkway, the city’s newest and most exciting attraction, and the Antiquarium, a museum containing Roman houses in MP’s basement, discovered when the site was being prepared initially (a real life version of Stumble Upon). Not for the financial savings, but because it’s a monument, albeit a modern one.

You will be able to buy your Sevilla Card online or from the Cathedral; INFHOR at Santa Justa train station; INFHOR at Seville airport; ICONOS at Avda. de la Constitución, 21 (if you order your card online, you can collect it from INFHOR or ICONOS).

I’d love to hear from anyone who tries it out – did it work? Did all the places accept it? Do you think it’s good value for money?

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Posted in Culture and Customs, family, Flamenco, Food, History, Restaurants/gastronomy, Shopping, Tourism, Travel Andalucia | No Comments »

Seville and Malaga: the star performers

The Giraldilla, one of Seville's most important symbols. She is normally seen atop the Giralda, the cathedral's minaret-tower.

Late last year, I did a post about Seville’s positive tourism figures – airports and hotels were seeing record numbers of visitors. It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that boosts such as these are more needed now than ever.

In fact, recently it was announced that 2011 was the city’s best year ever for visitor numbers, with 2.23 million visitors, of whom 702,123 were from EU countries (of the Spanish visitors, nearly 500,000 were Andalucian).

The airport had nearly five million passengers, which is up an incredible amount on the previous year: 17%, to be exact. Also, 2011 was the first year that more non-Spanish stayed in Seville’s hotels, than domestic visitors. The economic crisis is clearly affecting Spain’s own citizens, in terms of their travels, while foreigners can’t get enough of Andalucia’s capital city.

A street in Marbella old town, one of Malaga province's most famous attractions.

Now a report by the Andalucian Economic Analysis (AEA) has found that in 2012 the economy of Malaga province “could grow by a similar amount as last year”: 0.7%. While this is not enough to create jobs – ojala! – it could “save the province from recession”. In 2011, Malaga’s growth was above the Andalucia average of 0.2% (though this only covers the first three quarters; the figures for October to December 2011 are still to be released), while the AEA predicts a rise in Andalucia’s GDP of 0.4% for 2012. Malaga and Seville, the two provinces which fared best last year, seem to be Andalucia’s star performers for now.

Ronda is one of Malaga's main tourist destinations.

Most interestingly, apart from the tourism figures (hotel visitors in the province were up by 5.5%), Malaga leads in business dynamism, with 3,111 new companies being formed in the province between January and September 2011, which represents a 13.4% increase, and one third of Andalucia’s total. (Obviously, the report doesn’t mention how many closed over that period.)

Malaga's covered market.

The AEA was realistic about unemployment this year, admitting that it’s unlikely to fall, the tourism industry seems to be going from strength to strength; while that is the case, there is at least some cause for optimism.

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Posted in Economy, Holidays, hotel | No Comments »

La Pepa on tour

When I saw in the newspaper last week that a replica 17th-century galleon had arrived in the port of Sevilla, I realised it must be the same one I had seen some time previously, just before it left on a 6,000km voyage.

Galeon de Andalucia docked in Sevilla, February 2010.

The ship's original name plaque.

Looking back through my posts, it took me a while to find the one about the Galeon de Andalucia. Partly because I wasn’t looking far enough back – I couldn’t believe that it was two whole years ago. It really doesn’t seem like it was that long since I first set eyes on this magnificent wooden galleon pulled up alongside the cobbled quay of Seville’s refurbished cruise port. At the time, the queue to visit was long and my children were small, so we contended ourselves with admiring it from a distance.

Since then, the ship has been to the Middle East, Sri Lanka, the Phillippines, Shanghai, and back to Spain’s northern Atlantic coast. Now named La Pepa, as part of the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Spain’s first democracy which will take place in March in Cadiz, it is in Seville until 29 January – this Sunday.

This time, we went aboard and explored the cabins, the Sala del Almirante and the below decks sections too. There were information plaques about the Cadiz of 1812 – its strategic importance as a trading port, as a location for Las Cortes (the parliament-in-exile), and its cosmpolitan and open nature, thanks to visitors from all over the world and its inhabitants’ enthusiasm for learning new languages.

You can see the ship's original name engraved on its bell, as well as where it was built: Punta Umbria, in Huelva.

When it leaves Seville, the sloop will head for Cadiz, although the crew told me there’s a possibility that it will visit Malaga too, if not in February, then after the La Pepa main ceremony on 19 March. But the ship’s next confirmed voyage is to the Levantine coast of Spain: Alicante, Valencia and up to Barcelona.

You can visit the ship, which is moored at the Muelle de las Delicias (behind the Pabellon de Argentina on Avenida de las Palmeras, opposite the Parque Maria Luisa) from 3pm-6pm tomorrow and 10am-6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Entrance is free. For more information about Galeon La Pepa’s next planned ports of call, check the Fundacion Nao Victoria website.

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Posted in History, Tourism, Travel Andalucia, Travel non-Andalucia | 1 Comment »

UNESCO’s verdict on the Torre Pelli: STOP NOW!

In a recent newspaper poll, 25% of people wanted construction of the Torre Pelli to be halted (it currently has 15 storeys out of the planned 40, and measures around 60 metres). However a massive 62% preferred that the project continue as planned.

This highly controversial building in Seville, designed by the Argentinian architect Cesar Pelli, is causing waves – of the tsunami type – in Seville’s town hall, at the bank which is behind the project, Cajasol, and at UNESCO, which is threatening to withdraw the city’s World Heritage Status if the tower reaches its intended height.

Last week UNESCO’s report, after two inspectors visited the city on 7-9 November last year, on the impact of the tower on Seville’s medieval city centre – its World Heritage site consists of a “monumental complex” of three buildings: the cathedral, the Alcazar and the Archivo de Indias – stated that the skyscraper would have an “excessive and undoubtedly negative impact” on Seville’s skyline. It will “end the Giralda tower’s pre-eminence in the urban landscape”. The Giralda measures 97 metres, to the Torre Pelli’s 178 metres, making it the tallest building in Andalucia. The UNESCO Committee requested that authorities “stop the construction and revise the project”, specifically by reducing the height of the tower, in order to avoid any possible adverse impact on the “nearby historic surroundings”.

Basically, if the tower gets any higher, Seville will most likely lose its WH status, without even going on the Danger list first.

Now the Ayuntamiento, led by PP Mayor Juan Ignacio Zoido, has said that it wants to negotiate with Cajasol – on Friday it “strongly urged” them to stop the construction and discuss an agreement for the future of the project, threatening to withdraw its planning licence. The bank, however, wants the Town Hall, together with the Ministry of Culture, to help it defend the tower against UNESCO.

If the tower continues according to the original plan, UNESCO can either rescind Sevilla’s WH Status at its next meeting (in June, in St Petersburg), or put it on the Danger list, for future consideration as the tower continues. The Danger List features 35 sites, of which none are in Europe.

It’s not surprising that most people would prefer to see the tower continue until it reaches its originally planned height. With the economic situation being as it currently is, the choice between your city losing a building project which will put it on the world stage of stunning architectural landmarks, give a modern edge, draw more visitors and, crucially, which is providing many people with employment; and your skyline not looking quite as nice as it did before, it’s a no-brainer. Mortgage over aesthetics, every time.

If things were looking brighter job-wise, the dilemma might get a different reaction and there might be more sympathetic ears lent to the arguments in favour of preserving the integrity of Seville’s skyline, dominated by its medieval tower. But the idea of removing an important source of jobs, and therefore income, from a shaky employment market – not to mention all the new jobs which the finished building with provide – is just not sensible.

The Torre Pelli as seen from the Torre de la Navigacion, an ex-Expo 92 tower nearby.

It’s not so cut and dried, however, for the local administration. The Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) and Alcalde (Mayor) are in a sticky situation – obey UNESCO, destroy jobs and pay a whacking compensation to Cajasol (200 million euros), or support the integrity of the building project and allow it to be completed?

If they ignore UNESCO’s very clear warning (which was also reiterated in a letter from UNESCO’s director to Spain’s UNESCO ambassador) to stop the construction, and modify the building’s height, they will be sticking two fingers up at this highly influential international body, and of course will also lose the related assistance and funding which come with WH Status.

They will also, for some, become local heroes, standing up to outside forces who are trying to tell them what to do, never popular in a country which experienced 40 years of fascist dictatorship, and is having to take orders from the European Union about its financial affairs. And they will win a powerful ally in Cajasol.

On the flipside, they will arouse the ire of conservationists and historians who feel that the tower will compromise the integrity of the city, eclipsing the other tower which has already been Seville’s most notable landmark for the past millennium.

Today discussion will take place over a possible compromise. My money is on Cajasol being left out in the cold, and the Ayuntamiento towing the line – but will Cajasol be willing to reach a compromise on the height of the tower? And what will the architect have to say about his design being changed?

Public opinion has moved firmly behind the Torre Pelli, so Zoido may have the first big fight on his hands since he took over as Mayor. It could get messy – watch out.

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Posted in architecture, Current affairs, Economy, Employment, Politics | 3 Comments »

Casa de Alba puts on a historic show

Titian's painting of the Gran Duque de Alba, who started the Casa De Alba's art collection, now one of the most important private collections in the world.

The Casa de Alba – whose head, the redoubtable Cayetana, 18th Duquesa de Alba, recently wed for the third time in her Seville palace – has one of the most important private art collections in the world.

Amassed over the centuries, starting in the 16th, it consists of a staggering 50,000 works, valued at 600 million euros – though some pieces are priceless. The Casa de Alba collection, largely housed in the Palacio de Liria, the Duquesa’s Madrid residence, includes works by some of the most significant and influential painters in history, stretching from Renaissance masters to French Impressionsists. Names include Titian, Rubens, Rapahel and Rembrandt, as well as Spanish greats Goya, Murillo, Zubaran and El Greco.

Later additions included works by English painters Reynolds and Romney. The current Duquesa made her own contribution, adding pieces by 20th-century artists such as Renoir, Picasso, Dali, Miro and Chagall, while Zuloaga painted a portrait of Cayetana as a little girl on her pony.

Documents include the first bible translated into Spanish, the Biblia de Alba, which dates from 1433, 21 documents signed by Christopher Columbus, and a first edition of Don Quijote, as well as 30,000 other books.

La Duquesa Cayetana con vestido blanco, by Goya.

The Duquesa’s antedecent, the 13th Duchess, was famously painted by her friend Goya, and this portrait is well-known to be one of Cayetana’s favourite artworks.

Now it has been announced that a selection of pieces from this priceless collection is going on show to the public, in Madrid at the end of the year. No, it’s not Andalucia, but it’s a big enough deal to stray outside our usual geographic confines. And for someone who hasn’t been to Madrid in 15 years (big cities + small children = no thanks), it might even be enough to get me and my brood onto the AVE and up to the capital.

The pieces which will go on display include paintings, as well as documents and sculptures which are currently in the Palacio de Liria, her Madrid residence, where the Duquesa lived as a girl. One of the best things about watching the TV miniseries of her life was seeing the inside of this magnificent building – the programme was actually filmed in the palace, thanks to the Duquesa granting permission.

This year the Palace will also be hired out for private events – even the aristocracy are feeling the pinch. The Palacio de Liria was bombed during the Civil War, and almost entirely destroyed – thankfully, the art was safely stored in various locations: in the basement, in bank vaults and in the British Embassy. (During this time, Cayetana was in London with her father, who was Spanish ambassador.) In the 1940s and 50s Cayetana, then married and with her own children, oversaw the reconstruction of her home.

The last time some of these works were on show to the public was the exhibition in 2010, at Seville’s Museo de Bellas artes. Now we will be able to see an even more extensive selection from the five centuries of the finest art and historic documents as garnered by the Casa de Alba. A fantastic opportunity, and one I won’t be missing.

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Posted in architecture, art, History, Royalty/aristocracy | No Comments »

The lions get their roar back

One of the most famous parts of the Alhambra, the Patio de los Leones, has finally got its central feature back in full working order after ten years.

The 14th-century sculpture in its centre, of 12 white marble lions holding a duodecagonal (12-sided) basin, was returned to its rightful spot last month. Now, at the weekend, its fountain was turned on for trials, so that the marble lions were able to resume spouting water as they have done for 700 years. The fountain is considered one of the one most important examples of Muslim architecture, and the return of this much-loved attraction of Granada’s magnificent palace has been long awaited and anticipated.

Four white marble channels carried the water from the fountain to various points around the patio; flowing water, fountains and pools were important aesthetic and spiritual features of Moorish gardens and palaces. These channels have been dry for a decade – the first lion (number 4) was removed back in 2002.

The fountain as seen on a visit in 2006, with lion number 4 missing.

So if you’ve visited the Alhambra in the past five years, since 2007, they were not the original lions you saw, but replicas.

And soon – hopefully in spring – when work on the floor of the patio is completely finished (marble from the same quarry where the original material was mined – Macael in Almeria – is being used), visitors will be able to get closer than ever to these wonderful beasts – although not touch them; traditionally, children used to sit on the lions to have their photo taken.

In a few months, you'll be able to get close up to the famous lions.

When this is possible, you will be able to see that each lion’s face is different, thanks to the two-million-euro three-year restoration process, which also mended cracks and marks from the water. Since 2010, the lions have been on display in the Palacio Carlos V, while they waited for their home to be finished.

Let’s hope that these tests are successful, and the lions will, once more, be able to keep up their gentle flow.

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Posted in architecture, art, History, Travel Andalucia | No Comments »

Jamon al chino? Que no!

If you live here in Spain, you’ll be used to seeing Chinese shops in every town. They are stacked high with ridiculously cheap goods, from clothes to toys to garden furniture and household crockery. Much of it is poor quality – I call it “CCC” – cheap crap from China. A high percentage of the toys are plastic, and break or fall apart after a few uses, especially when being manhandled by small, not-very-gentle kids like mine. I have more or less banned them from the house.

The Chinese are very good at imitating Western goods – some of their cars look very stylish. And we all know about the knock-off designer bags, belts and watches sold on street corners in every city of the world – Prada, Hermes, Gucci, Tag Heuer…

But now, a new product, made in China but based on a Spanish original, has had its marca (brand) removed, after the Spanish Embassy’s Economic and Commercial Office in China spotted the (ab)use of an official registered name. Here’s a clue.

A porker destined for your plate (though not from Jabugo).

Two Chinese businessmen had applied to have the marcas “Jabugo” and “Hamen Jabugo” registered, in 2006 and 2007; they were accepted in 2009.

Jabugo is world-renowned top-quality jamon serrano (air-dried mountain ham) from this Huelva town, which is included in the Denominacion de Origen (DO) Jamon de Huelva.

The DO’s Regulatory Council wrote to the Office of Brands of China’s Industry and Business Department, to explain its condemnation of the two “Jabugo” brands, and requesting the removal of them. Yesterday it was announced by a delighted Spanish press (especially here in Andalucia) that the Chinese had accepted the Onubenses’ complaint.

It’s an interesting case, which proves that while, with many products, the Chinese can’t be beaten for their monumental economies of scale, some traditional, geographically-specific food cannot be imitated or reproduced in another country, however sophisticated the techniques employed.

It also represents an important victory by a region of Andalucia, not by any means a world economic power, against exactly that. It must be a sweet victory for the people of Jabugo, and the Huelvan DO. And it’s a lesson to anyone who wants to try and imitate a Spanish one-off: don’t take our name in vain.

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Posted in Business, Food, gastronomy | 2 Comments »