ACOMSDave

Community Journalist

Visit ‘Pride’ in Spain – You Won’t Regret It!

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Pride 01Pride in Spain – Always!!!

What is it like being gay in Spain? Well like any question of this ilk, it depends on what you are looking for; but for any Spaniard it means one thing – BEING PROUD TO BE A SPANIARD.  They have pride in their country and their culture. Some of the major cities have a thriving LGBT culture, with clubs and bars, and other venues, but most often you will find that in Spain being gay means you have to travel if you want to socialise. That is not to say you won’t find gay friends in the small towns and villages, but it is difficult unless you are using the internet and apps on your phone – and remember internet access can be expensive in Spain, but a lot of bars/restaurants/cafes offer free internet so the possibility is there.

The following cities run Pride events during the season:

Pride in Bendirom

barcelona-viewpoint

Indeed this year the Benidorm Tourist Foundation,  travelled to Stockholm, along with Turespana and the Valencian Tourism Agency for the Stockholm Pride 2016 LGBT Festival. The objectives of Visit Benidorm where two fold, firstly to promote Benidorm Pride, one of the resort’s most important LGBT assets; and secondly to demonstrate to Sweden’s gay community that Benidorm can offer year-round advantages including LGBT accommodation, beaches, food, sports and leisure opportunities.

 

A visit to Cullera, Valencia

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The drive from Real Monasterio DeSanta Maria de la Valldigna to Cullera is a relatively unexciting drive, it takes you along the CV 600 then the CV605 and takes about 28 minutes.

 

Part of the way is well signed, but when you get close to the town then things got slightly more difficult, but with luck and guesswork we found our way to the metal bridge at the Oliva/Gandia end of town and then down to the beach area.  Parking was relatively easy, as at this time of the year there was free parking up to 8.30 pm – please note that during the various holiday seasons parking charges are in force, don’t get caught out, it does get costly.

Cullera Beach - 1

Cullera Beach – 1

Cullera Beach - 2

Cullera Beach – 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having successfully parked and made our way to the beach we walked up to the restaurants strip, and Eli my guide took me to her normal eatery – the service was attentive, and the food was lovely.  It was added to by being able to sit outside and look out over the sea and beach area and to see families and individuals enjoying themselves. There was a fair cross-section of ages, and a lot of those on the beach appeared to be Spanish.

Having finished and paid for our lunch, we then decided to go for a stroll looking at the few shops with things to sell – a lot of it was you would guess for the tourist market, but there were still some items of interest.  There was no point of us walking into the main part of the town, as it was Saturday and after 1.30pm which meant that the local shops had closed for the weekend.

At the end of the strip but the blue fountain, we were able to get a glimpse of the castle on the hill – or more rightly I should say  it is a fortress built in the 13th century over the old Moorish fortress.

Cullera - Fortress -2

Cullera – Fortress -2

Cullera - Fortress -1

Cullera – Fortress -1

It was then back to the car, calling into the Ale-Hop – a shop which seems to have a wild mix of items, but for myself I loved the books which they had for drawing and writing – wonderful exotic backs and covers, and not expensive for what you where getting.

 

ale-hop-cullera

ale-hop-cullera

The drive back to Oliva was uneventful, and everyone went home having had a wonderful day, both in terms of place and weather.

 

Links:

Real Monasterio De Santa Maria de la Valldigna

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Today I had the lovely task of chauffeuring two friends to see the Real Monasterio DeSanta Maria de la Valldigna, followed by travelling to Cullera for lunch.  Both of these locations are located in Valencia, and both for completely different reasons are worth seeing.

Valldigna - Two Friends

Valldigna – Two Friends

 

The monastery is set in superb grounds, in a lovely valley, with a lovely backdrop of mountain ranges.

…The monastery was founded in 1297 by James II of Aragon. Since the beginning, it was one of the most important monasteries of the Cistercian order. It was founded by the monks of Santes Creus in the Tarragona province. The whole Valldigna valley belonged to the monks, according to a royal order.

The monastery was inhabited by monks until 1835, when a revolt in the Valldigna valley took place after the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizábal. After that, the monks were forced to abandon the monastery. Most of its goods and works of art were sold, plundered or destroyed….(Wikipedia)

I was immediately taken by the tranquility of the location, of the range of buildings and outhouses, and with the internal art work shown in the main building in the grounds.  The interior of the main building shows only a flavour of what it must of looked like at the high of its occupation by the monks.

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Valldigna – Interior

Valldigna - roof atrium

roof atrium

 

I fell in love with quietness of the location, and with the beauty of the craftsmanship and thought which had gone into the plans for the monastery.  It obviously was a place of work, but also of contemplation and spiritual retreat.

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I have been smitten by this monastery and will be returning at least once a  month so that I can sketch and paint some part of it, and also to take time out to recharge my batteries.

 

Links:

Wonderful Cities to Visit in Spain

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I urge you to visit the wonderful cities of Spain, at every turn you will be dazzled by what they have to offer; each has its own unique nature and culture, however in this article, I hope to draw your attention to a shortlist of these wonderful cities to visit in Spain; I am not listing them in any particular order, but hope that you will during your travels attempt to see some if not all of them:

Spanish cities are wonderful, unique, full of character and surprises.  It is worth the effort to plan to visit them during your visits to Spain, to revel in their colour, vibrancy and also the wonderful food and people.

Travel, enjoy, and most of all spread the word about the wonderful cities to visit in Spain

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View a map of the wonderful cities of Spain here

References:

  1. Escape Here – http://www.escapehere.com/destination/the-12-most-beautiful-and-underrated-cities-in-spain/
  2. Touropia – http://www.touropia.com/best-places-to-visit-in-spain/

Same Sex Marriage

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Editorial:

Last week we published the wedding of two Spanish policemen in full uniform with full honour guard.  You have to admit that they did look very handsome and happy at their wedding.

Today we carry on the theme, but publishing information on the Spanish Conservative ruling party whose leaders attended the same-sex marriage of their deputy secretary-general, giving tacit approval to a law they once bitterly opposed.

Life is changing all over the world, and when our local politicians in Northern Ireland resolve their differences, bigotry and stupidity maybe we to will move forward.

 

LGBT_flag_map_of_SpainSpain’s conservative ruling party leaders attend gay wedding

By HAROLD HECKLE | Associated Press – 12 hours ago

MADRID (AP) — The top brass of Spain’s ruling conservative Popular Party including Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy have attended the same-sex marriage of their deputy secretary-general, giving tacit approval to a law they once bitterly opposed.

Javier Maroto exchanged vows with Josema Rodriguez late Friday at a ceremony in the northern city of Vitoria attended by Rajoy, secretary-general Maria Dolores Cospedal and other party dignitaries, the party said in a statement.
“In Spain, the right to marriage is for everyone and we all share that message today,” Maroto said afterward.
“Parties evolve,” he added. “Now my party and the government join in backing that right.”
Maroto and Rodriguez have been partners in a same-sex relationship for 19 years. Apart from being a senior leader in the Popular Party, Maroto is a former mayor of Vitoria.
Parliament legalized gay marriage in 2005 under a Socialist government, angering conservatives in once-staunchly Roman Catholic Spain. The Popular Party then challenged the law but Spain’s Constitutional Court — the highest in the land — upheld its legality.

Now, a decade after voicing strong opposition to gay marriage, photographs at the ceremony that ended early Saturday showed Rajoy with other party leaders smiling broadly as they posed beside the two grooms

The World’s First Gay Police Wedding Happened In Spain Over Weekend

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Two gay policemen tied the knot in Spain over the weekend and the whole world is celebrating with them.
The couple, who are being referred to as Chema and Jonathan by Spanish media, were married in Jerez de la Frontera on September 5 while dressed in their full police uniforms, in what many believe is a world first.
To mark the occasion, people all across the world have been uploading and sharing photos of the adorable couple to social media.
In an interview with a Spanish radio station, Chema said that he and his hubby have lots of gay friends and allies in the police force.
“If it helps someone who is being bullied in school for their sexual orientation to see it as something normal, then that’s great,” he said. “It’s not something that should be hidden just because you belong to a particular institution.”
The guys were married at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art and plan on road tripping from Seattle to San Diego for their honeymoon.

Scroll down to see photos from the wedding, and congrats to the happy couple!
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h/t: Gay Star News

Barcelona's Circuit Festival

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Going to Spain this year, have you been to Spain this year, did you go to Barcelona’s Circuit Festival?
 
C, Senior Editor, HuffPost Gay Voices has written an indepth article with superb photographs which will have you drooling!  I will give you one example here and then you will have to click on the link to find the rest:
 

BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 11: Festival goers enjoy the atmosphere at Isla Fantasia Water Park as part of the Circuit Festival on August 11, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. The Circuit Festival is considered the Europe's biggest gay and lesbian festival. More than 70,000 people flock to Barcelona every August to enjoy 12 days of parties and activities around the city. Festival goers are expeted to spend about 150 million euros during the Festival. The Festival was born in Barcelona in 2008 by the Matinee Group and nowadays they are organizing similar festival in more than 20 countries such as Dubai, Russia and Israel. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 11: Festival goers enjoy the atmosphere at Isla Fantasia Water Park as part of the Circuit Festival on August 11, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. The Circuit Festival is considered the Europe’s biggest gay and lesbian festival. More than 70,000 people flock to Barcelona every August to enjoy 12 days of parties and activities around the city. Festival goers are expeted to spend about 150 million euros during the Festival. The Festival was born in Barcelona in 2008 by the Matinee Group and nowadays they are organizing similar festival in more than 20 countries such as Dubai, Russia and Israel. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)


 
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Viva Espana

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This is my first blog entry in relation to my dream to move and live in Spain.  Over time I hope to develop my knowledge of Spain, its culture, customs and its language.  In the meantime I will keep my eyes open for appropriate and interesting articles to start the ball rolling.  Call To ActionAre you moving or living in Spain, if you have interesting stories or have information then please pass it on to ACOMSDave and his Viva Espana.

 

Want a great work-life balance? Then head to Spain

Author: Ian Clover  |  June 15th, 2015

There are many Brits who live on the Costa del Sol who never intended for their extended holiday to turn into a decade-long spell in Spain. Those early, carefree days of life in Spain can stretch out across the long and languid summer like the calm seas of the glistening Mediterranean, but there is always that nagging voice inside saying “this will not – cannot – last!”

But while expats who treat life on the Costa del Sol as one long, sun-kissed holidayare in for a shock, those prepared to balance living life with knuckling down will find that Spain is actually one of the best places in the world to strike the right balance…

A recent report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has found that Spain ranks second behind Denmark at delivering the best work-life balance in the world.

Denmark is a fine country, with excellent public services, high wages and superb beer, but its climate gives Scotland a run for its money in the ‘bleak and chilly’ stakes. Spain, blessed with abundant sunshine and the highest average temperatures in Europe, is a fantastic place in which to enjoy the ideal work-life balance.

According to the study, Spaniards who work full time actually devoted a greater portion of their day to personal care and pursuing leisure activities than any other nation in the world, racking up an impressive 16 hours a day doing things like sports, hobbies, dining, sleeping, meeting with friends or spending time with family.

What’s more, just six per cent of Spaniards worked more than 50 hours a week. And if you’re thinking that this may play a part in Spain’s recent economic woes, then think again – rich, stable, prosperous Denmark has just two per cent of its workforceclocking up more than 50 hours at work each week.

“Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents,” said the OECD report. “The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household.

“Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardise safety and increase stress.”

The report formed part of the OECD’s ‘Better Life Index’, which ranks the quality of living in all OECD member nations. Spain scored highly in many other areas, including housing – the country has some of Europe’s finest, most affordable property – community and health, with Spaniards living longer than most other nationalities in the world.

However, there is still room for improvement, with Spain performing below-average on environmental quality, education and income. These things, however, are all improving as the country continues its economic recovery.

The finer things in life – friends, family, health and happiness – Spain already gets right, although most Spaniards would admit that an extra bit of cash in their pocket each month would not go amiss…