Sunday, November 22, 2009
Spanish Houses for Sale
Spanish houses for sale in Malaga Province. see www.spanishlocations4sale.webs.com
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Spain Produces 50% of Electricity From Windpower
Spain was celebrating its commitment to renewable energy yesterday after wind turbines dotted across the country produced more than half of all its electricity for the first time.
High winds across Spain on Sunday meant that for over five hours, over 53 per cent of the country’s power came from wind energy. The towering white wind turbines which loom over Castilla-La Mancha — home to Cervantes’s hero Don Quixote — and which dominate other parts of Spain, set a new record in wind energy production.
Most of the wind power was used immediately, 6 per cent was stored and 7.7 per cent was exported to France, Portugal and Morocco.
In the past decade Spain has relentlessly invested in wind power, along with other renewable sources, making it the third-biggest supplier after the United States and Germany. Luis Atienza, president of Red Eléctrica which runs Spain’s electricity grid, said: “This makes us proud. There is no other country of our size which has completed and bettered a renewable energy production of over 50 per cent in such a timescale.”
José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain’s Prime Minister, a strong believer in renewable energy, has hinted his Government may phase out nuclear plants.
The move has provoked opposition from within the nuclear industry, his own party and from the opposition conservative Popular Party.
Spain began its wind power push in 1997, but five years ago critics believed it could not produce more than 14 per cent of the country’s electricity.
Wind farms have produced 17,700 megawatt-hours (mWh) of electricity so far this year, but renewable energy industry figures believe this figure could rise to 40,000mWh by 2020.
Spain’s Socialist Government invested €991 million (£890 million) in wind power in 2007. Already it has reaped a return on its investment; in 2007 it saved €1 billion on fossil fuels, according to the Spanish Environment Ministry.
José Donoso, president of the Spanish Wind Energy Association, said: “A few years ago no one would have predicted these figures but we believe we can go on rising.
“It will be good for the environment and reduce our importation of fossil fuels.”
Red Electrica said this year wind power is expected to produce 13 per cent of all electricity, hydroelectric power 10 per cent and solar power 2.5 per cent. Spain’s solar industry is one of the fastest growing in the world.
Nuclear energy produced 20.9 per cent of Spain’s energy needs last year and critics claim the country cannot dispense with a source which supplies almost a fifth of its power.
One admirer of Spain’s sustainable energy programme is President Obama.
During a meeting with Mr Zapatero at the White House last month, the US President praised Spain as a “worldwide leader” in renewable energy.
The Times 10 November 2009
High winds across Spain on Sunday meant that for over five hours, over 53 per cent of the country’s power came from wind energy. The towering white wind turbines which loom over Castilla-La Mancha — home to Cervantes’s hero Don Quixote — and which dominate other parts of Spain, set a new record in wind energy production.
Most of the wind power was used immediately, 6 per cent was stored and 7.7 per cent was exported to France, Portugal and Morocco.
In the past decade Spain has relentlessly invested in wind power, along with other renewable sources, making it the third-biggest supplier after the United States and Germany. Luis Atienza, president of Red Eléctrica which runs Spain’s electricity grid, said: “This makes us proud. There is no other country of our size which has completed and bettered a renewable energy production of over 50 per cent in such a timescale.”
José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain’s Prime Minister, a strong believer in renewable energy, has hinted his Government may phase out nuclear plants.
The move has provoked opposition from within the nuclear industry, his own party and from the opposition conservative Popular Party.
Spain began its wind power push in 1997, but five years ago critics believed it could not produce more than 14 per cent of the country’s electricity.
Wind farms have produced 17,700 megawatt-hours (mWh) of electricity so far this year, but renewable energy industry figures believe this figure could rise to 40,000mWh by 2020.
Spain’s Socialist Government invested €991 million (£890 million) in wind power in 2007. Already it has reaped a return on its investment; in 2007 it saved €1 billion on fossil fuels, according to the Spanish Environment Ministry.
José Donoso, president of the Spanish Wind Energy Association, said: “A few years ago no one would have predicted these figures but we believe we can go on rising.
“It will be good for the environment and reduce our importation of fossil fuels.”
Red Electrica said this year wind power is expected to produce 13 per cent of all electricity, hydroelectric power 10 per cent and solar power 2.5 per cent. Spain’s solar industry is one of the fastest growing in the world.
Nuclear energy produced 20.9 per cent of Spain’s energy needs last year and critics claim the country cannot dispense with a source which supplies almost a fifth of its power.
One admirer of Spain’s sustainable energy programme is President Obama.
During a meeting with Mr Zapatero at the White House last month, the US President praised Spain as a “worldwide leader” in renewable energy.
The Times 10 November 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Biodiesel Provides Third of Andalucias Diesel Consumption
By the end of the year Andalucia will become Spain’s biggest biodiesel producing area. Biodesiel is a substitute fuel for diesel engines, produced from vegetable oils, or animal fats, six plants are already operating in the area. A total of eighteen plants will be in operation by 2010 and these plants will provide 33% of the fuel used in Anderlucia. There are currently 88 bio-fuel filling stations open to the public in the Andalucia area with more due to open. Andalucia already leads Spain in the production of electricity produced from wind and solar energy.
Visit my Trains and Travel Blog
Visit my Trains and Travel Blog
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Ronda's Pedro Romero Fair
Ronda’s Pedro Romero Fair
Last week my wife and I attended the Pedro Romero Fair held at the historic and beautiful inland town of Ronda. The fair started last Wednesday and attracts 200,000 people to the town over five days. The fair’s traditional events include three bull fights and a bullfighting on horseback show held on the Saturday and Sunday. We personally do not like bullfighting and give the shows a miss. Visitors are invited to the Wine Museum at midday on the Friday to watch the crushing of the grapes, which coincides with the start of the grape harvest. The town centre and the fair ground have many events and actives day and night throughout the fair and the atmosphere as to be experienced to be believed.
Last week my wife and I attended the Pedro Romero Fair held at the historic and beautiful inland town of Ronda. The fair started last Wednesday and attracts 200,000 people to the town over five days. The fair’s traditional events include three bull fights and a bullfighting on horseback show held on the Saturday and Sunday. We personally do not like bullfighting and give the shows a miss. Visitors are invited to the Wine Museum at midday on the Friday to watch the crushing of the grapes, which coincides with the start of the grape harvest. The town centre and the fair ground have many events and actives day and night throughout the fair and the atmosphere as to be experienced to be believed.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
After the Fiesta
Following the Fiesta life as just about returned to normal. We are still hoping to sell our present house within the next few weeks and then start to look for a smaller new home in the area.
I spend a lot of my time on the Internet writing my blogs and trying to promote various on line programmes. I also spend time feeding the chickens and keeping our land in order. Our three dogs Pepe, Becky and Maggi take us for a regular walk into the national park and are great company.
Tomorrow we are going to do our monthly shop in Coin and collect our mail. (no bills I hope) followed by a meal at a nice little restaurant called the Monticello in Alora run by some friendly Belgium people. They do a three course menu del dia for five Euros a head!
I spend a lot of my time on the Internet writing my blogs and trying to promote various on line programmes. I also spend time feeding the chickens and keeping our land in order. Our three dogs Pepe, Becky and Maggi take us for a regular walk into the national park and are great company.
Tomorrow we are going to do our monthly shop in Coin and collect our mail. (no bills I hope) followed by a meal at a nice little restaurant called the Monticello in Alora run by some friendly Belgium people. They do a three course menu del dia for five Euros a head!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
El Burgo St. Augustines Fiesta
St Augustine’s Fiesta
St Augustine is the patron saint of our local village of El Burgo and a fiesta is held at the end of August each year, usually 2 weeks after the one day Romeria (Gipsy Festival) and lasts for 5 days from Wednesday to Sunday. (or early the Monday morning) The Fiesta is a local event and everyone in the village takes the five days off as a local holiday whilst the rest of the world outside the village goes on as normal.
The Spanish really know how to enjoy themselves. Most nights the fiesta goes on to 4 or 5 in the morning. It is very unusual to see any bad behavior, men, women, old, young, children and babies in prams are in the streets all enjoying the events together. It is quite a sight to see a coach arrive from the neighboring villages at 2 in the morning and see a crowd of pensioners getting off. (Imaging a similar sight in the UK!)
St Augustine’s day, held on the Friday is the big religious day. After the church service there is a parade where religious effigies and icons are carried round the village to the accompaniments of the village band and firework rockets exploding all day. A large crowd turns out for the parade.
On the Saturday evening the village puts on a free meal for pensioners and invites pensioners from the three nearby villages to attend. About 700 people are wined and dinned and entertained for free. A presentation is help at the end of the evening where representative from each of the villages receive presents and local dignitaries make speakers thanking those attending for what they have done for the generations who have followed them.
On Sunday, the last evening of the fiesta the Bull Run is organized. In the old days bulls did actually run up and down the main street. Now the Bull Run is run by men dressed as bulls with fireworks packed on their backs who run up and down the street with fireworks exploding in all directions. Most people get into the bars and keep out of the way. A few young mainly men stay in the streets to show off their bravery.
After the event the 1000s of people who attended the evening went home around 6 in the morning without any trouble. Fiestas in Andalucia are great fun with each city, town and village organizing their own fiestas in their own traditional way. You never get bored with them because they are all so different, friendly and exiting.
www.my1standalucianhome.webs.com
www.spanishlocations4you.webs.com
St Augustine is the patron saint of our local village of El Burgo and a fiesta is held at the end of August each year, usually 2 weeks after the one day Romeria (Gipsy Festival) and lasts for 5 days from Wednesday to Sunday. (or early the Monday morning) The Fiesta is a local event and everyone in the village takes the five days off as a local holiday whilst the rest of the world outside the village goes on as normal.
The Spanish really know how to enjoy themselves. Most nights the fiesta goes on to 4 or 5 in the morning. It is very unusual to see any bad behavior, men, women, old, young, children and babies in prams are in the streets all enjoying the events together. It is quite a sight to see a coach arrive from the neighboring villages at 2 in the morning and see a crowd of pensioners getting off. (Imaging a similar sight in the UK!)
St Augustine’s day, held on the Friday is the big religious day. After the church service there is a parade where religious effigies and icons are carried round the village to the accompaniments of the village band and firework rockets exploding all day. A large crowd turns out for the parade.
On the Saturday evening the village puts on a free meal for pensioners and invites pensioners from the three nearby villages to attend. About 700 people are wined and dinned and entertained for free. A presentation is help at the end of the evening where representative from each of the villages receive presents and local dignitaries make speakers thanking those attending for what they have done for the generations who have followed them.
On Sunday, the last evening of the fiesta the Bull Run is organized. In the old days bulls did actually run up and down the main street. Now the Bull Run is run by men dressed as bulls with fireworks packed on their backs who run up and down the street with fireworks exploding in all directions. Most people get into the bars and keep out of the way. A few young mainly men stay in the streets to show off their bravery.
After the event the 1000s of people who attended the evening went home around 6 in the morning without any trouble. Fiestas in Andalucia are great fun with each city, town and village organizing their own fiestas in their own traditional way. You never get bored with them because they are all so different, friendly and exiting.
www.my1standalucianhome.webs.com
www.spanishlocations4you.webs.com
Thursday, September 3, 2009
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