Dawn

Dawn

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Fascinating Spain, the place to live; Summer fun; Paradors; & Easy payments


These are someone's idea of 50 fascinating facts about Spain. Be patient, if they don't immediately emerge.

And here's the answer to the question - Is Spain still a good place in which to retire? HT to Lenox of Business over Tapas.

Summertime is party-time in Spain and Galicia in no exception to the rule, even if the weather here may occasionally be a bit of a damper. Which a lead into the citation of one particular fiesta - the Festival SonRías Bixas. This is a clever combination of the Spanish for 'smile' (sonrisa) and the Galician name for our Lower Estuaries - Las Rías Baixas. Well, I liked it, anyway.

Galicia has 11 Paradors, the 4 or 5 star Government-owned hotels that were once castles, palaces or the like. Only 3 of these were (marginally) profitable last year - in Santiago, Baiona and Ribadeo. Pontevedra's lost €51,000. At least one - in Ferrol - has been closed. Though only in the winter, as I recall. This presumably an occupancy problem as they're usually good value for money. Especially if you're young or old and qualify for one of their discounts.

Finally . . . I may still be signing debit card chits here but back in the UK, I read, folk are using their phones and wristbands to pay for even the smallest items - by scanning them across a reader. Britain is different.

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