La Vida Alcalaína

Televisión Española (TVE), the state-funded Spanish TV network, is to start broadcasting live bullfights again in September, it was announced last week . This practice was stopped in 2006, under the centre-left government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, because it was feared that children might be upset by seeing a matador killed or seriously injured in the ring (and because TVE were being priced out of the market for the major festivals by private broadcasters).  The edited highlights were broadcast late in the evening. Last year TVE pulled bullfighting from its schedules altogether, saying it contravened its code of conduct for programmes before Spain's late evening watershed hour.  Bullfights mostly start at 6 pm, falling into children's viewing hours.   (Interestingly, there is no age limit on children attending the events in person.)  Furious fans accused the broadcaster of shunning a key part of Spanish popular culture. "This means that TVE, which bel...

Last week, coinciding with the 8th Festival Internacional de Música , Alcalá had its first Paseo de Galerías. It was organised jointly by the Town Hall and the Painting in Spain art school. Local artists and craftsmen from all over the region of La Janda were invited to display their works in bars, restaurants and empty shops around the town, for the public to drop in, enjoy a drink and  tapas, and hopefully purchase a painting or two. Despite taking place in one of the hottest Augusts on record, and the failure of some of the participants to show up, the event was reasonably successful with several paintings sold, and was enjoyed by locals as well as visitors. Here are some of the exhibits. Watercolours by Benito García Morán on the Calle Real: Acrylics by yours truly in the Peña Madridista (Real Madrid supporters club), hanging amongst the Cristiano Ronaldo shirts and trophy posters: Oils by María Gómez in the San Jorge Hotel: Oils by...

Inexplicably, we had never visited Alcalá's splendid municipal open-air pool until a week ago.  Now we are there every day.  So much less hassle than driving 50 km to the beach! The 50m pool is open during the school summer holidays, from mid-June till mid-September, between 1 pm and 7 pm every day except Mondays.  Entrance is around €2, a little more at weekends.  There is a separate pool for toddlers, a cafe-bar selling drinks and snacks, and plenty of shade amongst the pine trees to picnic or relax after your swim.  Everything is spotlessly clean and there are a couple of lifeguards to make sure people behave themselves. The pool is located at the bottom of the town near the El Prado housing estate, by the roundabout at the junction between the CA6200 and the A2304.  There is plenty of space to park.  You can walk there in ten minutes from the town centre, but be warned - walking back up the hill is only for the young, fit or insane. Th...

This is a translation of a statement posted on Facebook today from the Alcalá council employees, following a fruitless meeting with the mayor earlier today.  They are now owed three months' back pay by the Council, and are effectively working for nothing.  I urge you to read it, especially if you live in or have property in Alcalá.   “Lend me something till I get paid ...” In the past, we could have counted on the fingers of one hand the number of times we said this. These days, unfortunately, we say it a lot. Some of us can only eat thanks to our families. The letters arrive from the bank warning about delayed payments and increased overdraft charges, our phones are cut off for non-payment, cars are kept in the garage because we can't afford the new tyres needed to pass the MOT, and because the insurance ran out weeks ago - renewing it is out of the question. Our workmates can't afford to go on holiday, only to the beach with a sandwich lunch; others can't ...