Although interest rates are at a historical low at present, the economic crisis, the difficulties in the housing market and the euro’s strength against other currencies are creating serious problems for some families when it comes to making their mortgage repayments.
Is 60 The New 40?
by Nicola Westby •
At my 11-year-old son’s birthday party this weekend, I had a conversation with a couple of mums about age; our own personal definitions of being old and more to the point, whether we are old!
Cat People & Dog People
by Marianne Lindahl •
I don’t know whether I am inspired by the fact that it has been raining cats and dogs over the past few months, but recently I have had many reasons to contemplate the perpetual question of whether a representative for Homo Sapiens is a cat or dog person.
Do No Harm
by Wolfgang K Piller MD •
Sometimes I feel embarrassed when I get the big pharma-bible out to check the list of side effects of a particular medication. But what else can you do, if a patient arrives puffing and panting and the specialists already reassured him, that there is nothing wrong with him?
Danish Birthday Bash
by Mette Owens •
The Danish-Spanish Club (Dansk Spansk Samvirke) in Almuñécár celebrated the club’s 23rd birthday on February the 27th. It took place after our March issue deadline, but I feel it is definitely worth a mention anyway.
Flea & Tick Time
by PerrosSi •
It’s coming up to flea & tick time again and I’m very, very excited to have nailed the problem at last.
Demolition Order?
by Editor •
Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Andalucía upholds the Junta’s case against the Town Hall and the development company, Playa Costa Tropical S.L., in which the Junta demands that the original building licence be revoked, because the urbanisation is sitting on green-belt land.
Tourism Paralysis?
by Editor •
The PSOE blames the Mayor for the ‘paralysis of the municipal Tourism Board.’
Velilla Open for Easter
by Editor •
The underground car park in Velilla is nearing completion, with the building company already laying curbstones at the water park end. One-way wheeled traffic will be available from the 26th of March to the 4th of April; i.e., over Semana Santa, before being closed again. The construction company that is building the groyne, Ferrovial-Agromán, is…
More Poor
by Editor •
Almost one thousand Almuñequeros have approached Cáritas (church charity) because they have no money to even buy food.
Police Presence
by Editor •
You might have seen a pretty impressive turn out of the Guardia Civil where the motorway ends a slip road leads off to join the N-340 at Taramay.
Burglar Bagged
by Editor •
Homeowners will be able to sleep just a bit more easily thanks to the arrest of a 20-year-old Lithuanian burglar who allegedly had been doing the rounds in Almuñécar.
Breaking News! Parking!
by Dave Nichols •
Breaking news! The latest stroke of brilliance from the Town Hall is as follows: in future, all tourists will be charged for parking along the beach area. Now, ‘Tourists’ are to be defined, apparently, as non-residents of Salobreña. How this is going to be applied in practice is yet to be announced.
Costly Corpse
by Dave Nichols •
Another sign of the times. A Town Hall employee has been detained by the Guardia Civil, accused of trying to extort €750 from a widow who was looking to bury some family remains in the village cemetery. Allegedly, the employee was looking for a private ‘payoff” in order to supply a ‘niche’ in the local cemetery for the aforesaid remains.
Unemployment Woes
by Dave Nichols •
Now, onto more serious stuff; the latest economic data for Spain indicates a national unemployment rate approaching 20%. In Andalucía, it’s higher still, about 24%. And in Salobreña, the Mayor has just announced that we have at least 21% unemployment within our small community.