The entries are pouring in for our ’500 things to do in Spain before you die’ competition (you can win an iPod shuffle!) When I sent details to my Spain-dwelling friends I never expected to get two entries on the same experience, proving that this must indeed be one of the most memorable things to do in Spain before you die… Read the rest of this entry »

I know I’ve banged on about the little things about life in Spain that make it special for me, so stick your fingers in your ears as I’m here with my drum again I’m afraid! After a pretty miserable morning’s work in the office, I went for a sit down in the sun in a nearby park for my lunch, and was instantly reminded why it’s the silly little things that make me smile. Aside from the semi-regular “troupe” of old folk being taken out for a spin in their wheelchairs by their carers (probably one of my all time favourite sights from amongst the “silly little things” category) there was also the hilarious sight of a couple of obreros taking a nap on a bench. One had drifted off to sleep and was resting his head on his mates shoulder, who in turn had his cheek lying against the top of the first guy’s head. Quite cute really, as well as very amusing for me. Where’s my camera when I need it? I got told off by a friend last week (SteveW from the forums!) for not carrying my camera with me at all times, and I gave him the old “yeah yeah, whatever” treatment, but I regret it now as I could’ve easily got a cheeky snap of these two without them even knowing.

Also in this park there’s a large underground gym, and when the weather’s nice (as it is almost every day lately) a group of yoga enthusiasts do their bending and stretching outdoors on the grass. They were there today with their limbs folded up in a way I know mine would snap if I tried. Again, a picture would’ve been cool, and my theory is that I could’ve got one and run off before they unravelled themselves and came after me to complain about invasion of privacy

Back to reality in the office again now, but slightly happier than before, and left pondering what the collective noun might be for a group of people doing yoga? Hmmmm, a yoggle of yogaers? Prize to the best suggestion (or of course the “correct” answer if one exists!) in the comments below *

* Note: Prize may not actually exist. No correspondance will be entered into. Judges decision is final! jeje

The NFS Flickr Group is still going strong, feel free to add photos whenever you like! Today’s image was taken by Scott from ayearineuopre.com (lots of great podcasts from Spain on the site!) Scott explains:

“It was taken in Cordoba in the Caballerizas Reales. The Cordoba Ecuestre club was assembling there for a parade in celebration of Dí­a de Andalucí­a. Once assembled, the horses, riders and carriages then proceeded out of the stables and onto a route through the streets of Cordoba. We felt really lucky to stumble upon the event!”

…how I long to be in Andalusia…

It’s competition time! But this is a competition with a difference. The aim is it come up with 500 of the very best things to do in Spain, be it eating that tapa in a certain restaurant in Seville, taking a special train ride, or swimming off your own little-known deserted beach… I’m sure you all have one amazing tip to share! At the end of the competition on March 31st we hope to have a list of 500 amazing experiences, and one lucky winner, who will receive a brand new iPod Shuffle and a CD of great Spanish music to put on it.

But there’s more… once we have the list of 500 we will be putting it to good use, sharing it with the entire Notes from Spain community: the 500 experiences will be listed here on the website for a limited period after the competition ends, begfore being turned into a book that can be bought in downloadable pdf or actual book format, with all proceeds going to the Spanish Red Cross or another Spanish charity of your choice.

How to enter/Rules:

The theme of the competition is ‘Things to do in Spain before you die’ (and we hope that with your help the list will reach 500!) Your entry can be about any experience available to travelers anywhere in Spain, but the more specific you are, the better. For example, naming a certain bar, restaurant or harbor to eat seafood in will be better than just saying ‘eating prawns in Galicia’. The more details the better, but try to keep within a maximum of around 75 words. See my examples below and take your time, all entries are going to end up in a book remember, and the better the book, the more we can raise for charity!

Entries must be sent in to Ben by email. Please include your name and location. You may enter as many times/things to do as you like. The winner will be announced on March 31st 2007, and we will get to work on putting the book together after that (N.B. By entering in the competition you agree that your entry will be published in the book afterwards and that some entries may be edited for grammatical correctness!) In the meantime, all entries will appear here on the blog throughout March.

Here are some examples of the format we are looking for, but remember, your entry might be about a stunning train ride in Huelva, an unmissable tapas experience in San Sebastain, or an often-overlooked village just outside Cuenca, whatever you think everyone should do once in Spain before they die…:

Climbing the giant sand dunes in Bolonia, Andalusia: This is one of the wildest beaches in Spain, with random cows, dogs, and fisherman wandering up and down the white sands with no particular destination in mind. Climb to the top of the giant dunes at the far end of the beach for an eye-watering view across the glistening Straits of Gibraltar to the shores of Morocco, the very edge of Africa.

Walking down the Cares Gorge: This spectacular six hour walk between the hamlets of Poncebos and Cain in the Picos de Europa mountain range, follows a narrow footpath that clings to the sides of a 1,500 m deep ravine. Not for the faint-hearted, as the drops are severe and, being Spain, there isn’t a safety railing in sight!

Eating freshly bought sea snails out of a paper cone with a pin, on the harbour in San Sebastian, while trying to spot the friendly dolphin in the bay!

Right, it’s over to you, our inbox is waiting!

…is best left to bloggers. Backstory: Seville’s two big soccer clubs, Sevilla and Betis, meet in a Copa del Rey clash on Wednesday. A bottle is thrown hitting Sevilla manager Juande Ramos on the head, rendering him unconscious and the match is stopped. Turns out much of the manager’s presidents’ behaviour in the lead up to the game may not have helped calm overenthusiastic behaviour by fans. Over to the bloggers… From South of Watford:

Football clubs in Spain frequently seem to be run by megalomaniac businessmen with a mental age and maturity that would leave most three year olds feeling a bit superior. The two clubs in Sevilla are excellent examples of this.

…some might subsititute the term ‘businessmen’ for mafiosos. Rod places blame firmly in the same camp:

No doubt inquests and serious recriminations will follow. Obviously, the fan who threw this is in the end to blame. But should not the directors who have been behaving like children – see the previous post – also take some responsibility?

Personally I think the media should also take some of the blame, no doubt they played their usual role in stirring things up before the game.