Costa Del Sol Guide Home : Costa del Sol Guide News : May 2006
May 13, 2006 08:27 - Welcome to the first entry in our blog!
Well, its taken 8 years of living in Spain but we have finally decided to write about it. This blog will be updated as and when we get time and if anything major hits the news or our ears.
(Disclaimer: Of course, much of it could be speculation or gossip, but we all like a bit of that so in it will go!)
Visit this blog if you live in Spain or the Costa del Sol, if you are thinking of moving here or even if you used to live here and like to keep your finger on the pulse as to what is happening here.
Maybe you have a vested interest here...have you invested in a property here? Do you have friends still living here?
We will eventually have a message board where you can add your own thoughts and messages to friends or expats on the coast, but for now, why not go to our articles page and have a rant and rave there?
So for now, I just wanted to get this up and running and as it is a new site, there is probably no-one reading this.....oh well.
By the way, it is cloudy today 13th May 2006 - Estepona.
Costa del Sol Guide
May 13, 2006 09:47 - Exciting times ahead for the coast?
When we arrived here four years ago from Gran Canaria, it didnīt take long for me to realise that the area with most potential was Estepona and West. Many may argue with this but for me personally, I like to be away from the hub-bub of tourists and holiday makers and take time to enjoy the beautiful Spanish countryside inland.
We did live in Nueva Andalucia for a while and the noise in the summer was horrific. Donīt get me wrong, if I was in my 20īs and single, I would be out there with them, but now with 2 young children, we have quite enough noise without having "lively" holidaymakers and expats keeping us awake.
We decided to buy a place and move just outside Estepona. I have always liked this place as it has kept many of its typical Spanish traditions and still has that "feel" to it....you know, like you are actually abroad!
From day one, I said that the whole area surrounding Duquesa port had massive potential for development and lo and behold....away it went. I only hope they donīt ruin it.
We did wonder why the entire road system around the sleepy town of Manilva received a complete overhaul, and why were there 3 new golf courses being built?
It was only recently that rumours and speculation about a new Disney project planned for the area were re-kindled. By simply searching on Google for "Spain Manilva Disney" you can read many articles.
We are keeping a close eye on this because whereas our apartment is up for sale, we are nowing having second thoughts as this could bring fantastic rental potential to our home as we are about 5-10KM from the designated area.
So, put us in your RSS feed or bookmark us to be sure to receive news as and when it happens.
By the way, it is now sunny again.....13 May 2006 - Estepona
May 14, 2006 11:27 - Driving on the Costa del Sol
You may think that because this is Spain, the driving laws are a little more "relaxed"?
A few years ago this was most definitely the case. Even just 6 years ago in Gran Canaria I heard many stories of drunk drivers being told to stand by their car to "sober up" before driving home!
This is not the case anymore. A common sight on the Costa del Sol now is teams of Guardia Civil waiting on roundabouts or intersections pulling over drivers at random.
This seems to happen in abundance when elections are just round the corner, it is a great way of building the coffers as it were. They seem to have realised that this is a massive source of revenue for the council.
The hottest topic all over the world is talking on your phone whilst driving and Spain is no exception. A 60 on the spot fine and off you go again...
Gone are the days of being able to drive around in a battered, 20 year old Seat used for "getting from A to B". Gone are the days of driving home after one or two beers at lunchtime. Gone are the days of driving without an ITV or MOT.
I even fell foul to this new regime of motoring laws myself this week whilst driving with an expired ITV.
We had literally the night before, finished spending over 1,000 getting our car spic and span ready for the ITV test. The next morning I was on my way to get a light bulb for the rear break light and then off to the garage for the test.
I turned a corner to go to the shop and got pulled by the Guardia Civil. Not only did I get a fine of 150 (105 if you pay within 10 days), but I received a 10 fine for not having the ownership documents in the car (with my accountant in his files).
Even though the fines are bearable and small enough to make you want to "risk it", the hassle of dealing with the administration is a pain in the rear!
You need to go to Malaga and queue for an eternity to get this dealt with and Malaga is not a great place to drive and park in.
So my advice if you intend to drive whilst in Spain is to have everything in order...I felt I was quite lucky as sometimes the Spanish Guardia Civil really throw the book at British ex-pats...and it really isnīt a very nice book.
Nick
Costa del Sol Guide
May 19, 2006 17:11 - Summer Arrives!
Wow! Not sure how that happened but in the space of one day, the temperatures have soared into the mid 30īs!
It feels like the Calimaīs or siroccos that we used to get in the Canaries with a very warm wind with high humidity.
Anyhow, if you are on your way to the coast it looks like the bad weather had finally passed and the summer is settling in!
May 20, 2006 09:41 - Having a Baby in Spain - What is it really like?
With more and more Brits pouring into Spain and the Costa del Sol to live, there are inevitably more cases of people having children here.
An obvious concern when having a baby in Spain or the Costa del Sol is "will me and my baby receive the same medical attention as I would in the UK or other European country"?
The thought of being more "alone" without the usual family and friends support network can also be a worry....so what is it really like?
Having watched the birth of, and first 3 years of my childrens growth, I can safely say that the whole experience from start to finish was a pleasure (well I am the man, I would say that! I am sure my wife would have more "apt" words to describe it)!
In fact, I will let her describe it in her own words here.....
May 21, 2006 15:03 - The Early Bird....
Well. The weather on the coast is really playing up at the moment. With the sudden rush of very warm and humid temperatures, came some serious mist and fog this morning.
At 7.30am I decided to get in the car and shoot up the mountain behind Estepona thinking that the cover wouldnīt be that thick.
Wow! What a view....the entire Costa del Sol and ocean was completely covered in a thick blanket of fog....the first time I had seen this since the Canary Islands.
It is now mid afternoon and it is still struggling to clear.....storms brewing?
Here are some pics from this mornings weather looking out to Marbella and Puerto Banus from Estepona.
Nick
www.costa-del-sol-guide.com
