Driving on the right side

I don't know about you, but I feel nervous about driving in a foreign country – at least for the first few hours or sometimes for a day or so. Well, after 15 years' away, the UK is a “foreign” country for me and so I try to avoid driving when I am there and trust that my family and friends will be kind enough to transport me or I use public transport. There are so many signs on English roads, variable speed limits, speed cameras, warnings not to do this or that and of course, a lot of traffic in all but rural areas and apart from the ubiquitous yellow lines, there are now red lines (urban clear-ways, I think).

I cannot pretend that there is no traffic in Spain, but once you get used to driving on the right, it is generally a more pleasant experience. Major cities and conurbations do attract a lot of cars, lorries & motorcycles but once away from these centres, the main roads are good with smoothly flowing traffic, the motorways (autopistas) are excellent, though you will have to pay to use them, the “B” roads are also good, with few distractions. Roundabouts are used more here than traffic lights out of the town centres and there are inevitably speed cameras, but nowhere as many nor so closely packed as in the UK. In Catalunya the drivers are mostly courteous and it is obligatory to stop at pedestrian crossings if someone wishes to cross, which makes walking much safer. Sometimes, I have to admit, the crossings are too close to each other, which can delay the traffic, but as I am a pedestrian as well as driver, I am happy to be able to cross the road conveniently.

Road near Madrid

If you come to live in Spain from any EU country, you may keep your existing driving licence until it expires, or if you incur any points for traffic “crimes”, you will have to change your licence to a Spanish one. The process for changing it is relatively simple. You will need to go to your Provincial Traffic Headquarters, in my case in the city of Girona and take with you your passport, NIE number (foreigners identity number), your old licence, 2 recent photos, a written declaration that the driver has not been suspended or banned from driving plus another stating that the driver does not hold a similar licence in another country. Your new licence will be sent by post.

In Spain, licences need regular renewal. They are valid for 10 years if you are under 45, 5 years between 45 & 70, and just 2 years after 70, when you are required to bring a medical certificate for each renewal. As in the UK there is a points system for traffic offences, starting with a credit of 12 points.

One things that seems to be a universal problem is parking! Most small towns provide free car parking but this is usually situated some distance from the centre. It is inevitably difficult to park anywhere on market and fiesta days, during the high summer season and at Easter, however a little exploration down side streets where you see just white lines, may prove worthwhile, as this is also free parking. Blue lines mean you must pay at a meter. One thing I have discovered is that the space provided for each vehicle tends to be narrower than in the UK..I eventually gave in & bought a smaller car which has proved to be a very wise decision.

Anyway, wherever you are, happy motoring!

Sally

Tha Overseas Guides Company
http://www.spainbuyingguide.com

Flu, cigarettes and fresh air

Having much enjoyed 2 weeks in the UK with my family and friends it is good, however, to get back to a normal routine, catch up with those things put to one side and to wonder what 2011 will bring. As I write, the sun is shining and it is pleasantly warm here in north-east Spain, which is as good a start to the new year as one could wish for.

Whilst I was in England I was able to catch up with most of the newspapers. Of course, we can buy English papers here daily, as most are printed in Spain, but they are quite expensive and one usually buys just one. I much enjoyed reading many, the different points of view, the different editorials. The Independent of 22 December ran a very interesting article about Healthcare in Lombardy (Italy), which is one of the “Four Engines” in Europe for excellence. I was delighted to learn that Catalunya is another of these “Engines”, together with Baden Wurttemberg in Germany and Rhones-Alpes in France.

I have mentioned before that the health service here is extremely good and efficient. It was surprising to find that there is a UK national debate about flu vaccines this winter as here in Spain, all those in “at risk” groups are automatically contacted and given the jab. Others can get a prescription from their Doctor and buy the vaccine for 7€. People here accept that flu “la gripa”, is a normal occurrence in winter and so protect themselves accordingly.

Today I went for a routine blood test at my local CAP (Centre d'Assistencia Primaria) – the local clinic, offering GP and paediatric services, blood tests and a first-line 24 hour emergency service. The system here for blood tests is that about 80 people arrive at the CAP at 8.00 am and wait inside for their name to be called. You are then given a small plastic jar containing whatever number of phials you need & asked to go to another area to be shown to a cubicle where the blood is taken. The whole process takes about 15 minutes and you can be on your way, though in some larger centres it may take a little longer. It is not “cosy” but is highly efficient and practical and negates too much waiting around for the patient. Next Monday I shall see my doctor for the results.

That out of the way, I went for a walk in the countryside as the sun had just shown its face to the world. At this time of the year there is still a lot of greenery here but as yet no real signs of the emergence of Spring, though they shouldn't be too far away. It was very quiet, just 2 or 3 others with their dogs nodding “buenos dias” as we passed. It was now 8.30 am. and I was in no hurry as apart from the school children arriving for a day in class, the rest of the town was just waking. Offices open here at 9.30 or 10.00 and apart from local food shops, commerce does not fling open its doors until at least 10.00 am. Many foreigners find it difficult to get used to the shop opening hours in Spain, which differ in each region with a longer closure for a “siesta” in the south than in the north. Here in my town for example, the hours are 10.00 -1.00 and 5.00 -8.00 or 8.30, giving a four-hour siesta each day. Just down the coast, shops stay open until 1.30 and in Girona, the capital of this province, many stay open all day. At the height of summer you can shop till 9.00 or even 9.30, but in the south shops often stay open until midnight!


On my way home I walked passed a pleasant corner café and stopped for a “cortado” (small strong coffee with a dash of milk) and mingled with workmen having a quick breakfast before heading to their work. As of 2nd January this year, ALL smoking in public places is banned and you can't even smoke outside hospitals and other sensitive areas. As a non-smoker, I am absolutely thrilled to be able to enter one of the typical small Spanish bars without being confronted by a sea of smoke or to be able to eat a meal without the smell of a cigar wafting over me. Of course, I do understand that for smokers this is a difficult time, adjusting to a new regime and so, just as in the UK, there are groups of smokers standing outside, only here at least, they can usually enjoy their cigarettes in a warm climate. As for the rest of us – we can now breathe easily!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year

Sally

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Spainbuyingguide.com

The Three Kings, cakes and the New Year

I do hope that everyone managed to be with their friends and family over the festive period, as the weather decided to disrupt every type of travel around Europe. Now we are in a new year and I suppose we all wait with anticipation, wondering what 2011 will have in store for us.

Here in Spain, the festivities go on for a while! 6th January is one of the most important days of the calendar here, the day of the 3 Kings (tres Reis), when most local towns put on a pageant, mainly for the children, with the “Three Wise Men” as we know them, the 3 Kings here, riding in open horse-drawn carriages throwing sweets to the children in the crowd.. Other floats follow and this at dusk is something that the entire family looks forward to. In Sant Feliu de Guixols, on the coast and just 40 minutes' from Girona, the crowd gathers early to get a good position for the children to be able to catch the sweets thrown on either side, wrapped in colourful paper, easy to spot when they fall, as inevitably they do, on the ground. Traditionally, this was the day when children received their “Christmas presents”, but now, due to advertising and external customs, most children open their presents on Christmas Eve. Nevertheless, 6th January remains an extremely important event for everyone, so every year we hope the weather will be kind as we stand outside for 2-3 hours!

There is also a very special cake to be eaten on this day. It is a cake baked in a ring, so hollow in the centre and inside are hidden a miniature figure of a king or other court member and a bean – the person who receives the king in their slice will be “the King” of the household for the day, and the poor individual who finds the bean is the “servant”of the king for that day. It is a bit of fun and everyone looks forward to this as much laughter and ribaldry goes on when either the “king” or the “servant” are revealed.

On 7th January it is all over. Life begins in earnest again, businesses begin to think about the year ahead, late or “lost” postal deliveries slowly start arriving, the Christmas trees and decorations are taken down and everyone looks forward to the Spring with optimism. In these times of economic hardship, many will be facing the next few months with some anxiety. Before Christmas, some supermarkets were asking their clients to buy extra items to be put in a trolley for families who had become victims of the economic downturn and I am happy to say that in my town, almost everyone did contribute. Despite all the gloom, Spain does have several things in its favour, an excellent climate overall, some stunning coastline and pretty towns not ruined by over development – though one might not believe this it be generally true according to some foreign press articles – generally friendly people who regard tourism as a good thing, a country which over the last 40 years or so has modernised itself and is in the forefront of medical and technical excellence and last but not least, a country which retains its traditions but now looks to the future.

I really hope that Spain continues to deal with its financial adversity well as I, for one, thoroughly enjoy my life here and would not hesitate to encourage others to sample this existence for themselves, always of course, having taken proper advice from lawyers, tax consultants and the like before making the journey.

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL

Sally

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Spainbuyingguide.com