After a couple of months without a television, we have ended up with a tiny 15″ set that we lent to a relative last summer, and have now had returned. This means the occasional return to Spanish tele in the evening – medical dramas for Marina (House, Grey’s Anatomy) that I can’t watch, and bad films for me, that she can’t watch.

The last two nights have been a real treat, with two trashy, poorly dubbed Steven Segal films – he obviously goes down well over here. Anyway, there I was enjoying the second one last night, “Belly of the Beast” (which gets a stellar 4.3 out of 10 on IMDB), reveling in the awesome final fight scene between big Steve and his psycho Thai nemesis, and at the very climax of the film, just as said nemesis had Steve down on the ground, ready to deliver the killer blow we knew would somehow be avoided, in fact in the very middle of the baddies final ‘now you die’ sentence… an ad break.

A twenty minute ad break in the middle of the films biggest moment. Again, right in the middle of the films biggest sentence! We had ads for every big internet provider, several cars, Andalusia, 6 trailers for other shows from the same channel, and god knows what other crap. Finally, when I was about to drop the little tele from our 6-floor balcony, the film was allowed to conclude.

So, classy stuff from TV1, Spain’s state TV flagship. What I’d really like to know though, is does this carpet-bombing approach to advertising actually work any more? What are the recall figures for ads presented in 20 minute batches? Is anyone actually taking this ad format in anymore? The fact that I was left with a an overwhelming desire to go to Andalusia might sadly provide an answer – I’m shocked and ashamed to say that one of those 20 ads did actually get through to me as I waited furiously to see big Steven Segal escape that killer blow and save the girl. Life was better without TV.

(Image courtesy wikipedia).

A quiet start to the week as I recover from some sort of stomach flu that is a) either a virus that is doing the rounds or b) damage done by two cañas I really didn’t want last Thursday night but drank anyway. I think I’ve had it with alcohol, really.

However, I need to write something on this rainy Monday in Madrid, and have two recommendations, one churlish and Spain-related, the other quite the opposite on both counts.

1. It amazes me that a few Spanish people are still occasionally finding and leaving angry comments on the posts that caused me so much trouble late last year. The latest comment, where a certain MOWGLY brings Ireland into the equation, is a classic, and can be found about 45 comments down in this post. It’s easy to find, look for the CAPITAL LETTERS.

2. Having the energy to do precisely nothing all weekend, I downloaded an audiobook I’d been recommended, ‘Lady in the Van,’ by Alan Bennett.

Can you imagine letting a loopy old lady, that you really didn’t know, maroon her battered old van in your London driveway, and live there day in day out, all year round, for years and years on end? Most people would have had her committed at once, but Alan Bennett just let it happen and wrote about it.

It’s a true story, and this is how writing about reality ought to be. If you enjoy such things, or are interested in writing, I urge you to listen to this, read as it is by Bennett himself. Find it on audible.com or in iTunes. An hour and 20 minutes very very well spent.

What is it? A high-energy, powdered milky chocolate drink designed to send kids loopy or adults to sleep. Or visa versa (see below).

Not to be mixed with: Drunk people with cigarette lighters. Who knew?!

Useful if: You can’t light your barbeque.

Not to be confused with: Estoy coloca’o, meaning, I’m stoned/totally spaced out.

Cast your votes below, what Brands would you add to the ‘Spain wouldn’t be Spain Without’ selection?

In our latest guest blog post, Gary Child, who has a great site offering Free educational resources for the Primary classroom, takes us to the other side of a much-maligned holiday location:

"So, are you going away for Easter?"
"Yes, Benidorm for five nights for a rest"
"Costa del Blackpool – for a rest!?"
"Have you ever been to Benidorm?"
"Err… no but I’ve heard all about it and seen it on the TV"

And so the myth is propagated in the minds of so many that equates Benidorm with a modern day Sodom, full of lager-crazed youths on a 15-day bender; stags and hens sleeping all day, drinking and fornicating all night.

I have no doubt that if you went looking for it that you could certainly find evidence that such activity takes place. But you would have to look for it. It certainly isn’t in your face on every street corner.

There is an area on the Playa Levante side of Benidorm known as ‘The Square’ where you would be most likely to encounter the mild debauchery that seems to have become synonymous with the resort in the minds of the twittering classes.

But there is another Benidorm; a very Spanish resort, that is a great place to holiday.

Where is it? The dividing line between the Spanish side of Benidorm and the ‘Brits abroad’ side is quite easy to find.

As a rough guide, walk to the south end of the prom on Playa Levante until you find Calle de Martinez Alejos and stand with your back to the sea looking up the street. Everything to your left is broadly Spanish, and to the right is the border with Guiri-land.

Some Benidorm Myths.. Read the rest of this entry »

Is it just me, or is there an error in this story from the BBC?

(Original story here.)

“Photo assignments from two travel guides, plus my day job,” I said to myself. “I’ll be spread a little thin, but I can hack it for a month, no problem.”

It’s time for another ‘Notes from Spain Flickr Group’ Pick of the Month. Or NFSFGPM for short! This month I don’t want to post the winning picture here, because it is more than a picture, it is a story too, and you have to hop over to Flickr to read the whole thing and get the bigger picture, so to speak.

The photo is by Greg Gladman (he has won before), who tells a wonderful tale about a Zen moment in his photographic and working life in Spain. Read the story here (then check out some more of his amazing photos from Spain).

Don’t forget to add your pictures to the Notes from Spain Flickr Group, and our Black and White Steet Photography group, which will have a mid-monthly winner too.