We’re all going on a lemming’s holiday

Everyone likes to squeeze the last moments out of their summer holiday, but no-one moreso than the Spanish. The ‘Salida’, the mass exodus from city to beach that takes place on Friday afternoon, the weekend nearest the 1st August, and the ‘Entrada’ the return on the Sunday of the last weekend of the month, are the times when you shouldn’t be seen dead on Spanish roads or that is what you might actually be seen – dead.
No-one seems prepared to leave a day later or earlier to avoid the record pile-ups or massive tail-backs, and each year the government and national police launch ‘Operación Salida’ (and ‘Entrada’) in an attempt to lessen the traffic blow – and invariably fail. The May holiday weekend is seen as a barometer of the August rush (a contradiction in terms if ever there was one) and this year’s indicates that is going to be a busy time for the emergency services.
The Costa Blanca has been historically known as la playa de Madrid - Madrid’s beach, and hordes of escaping masrileños descend on the beaches and resorts of the region. Last year traffic jams covered almost 170 kilometres of motorway during the salida, almost half the distance from the Capital to Valencia city, and a trip that usually takes a comfortable four hours was taking up to twenty. On their return, the tens of thousands who fought their way to the coast fought their way home again, this time, according to pleased police sources, they only had to endure tailbacks of 90 kms trying to enter the capital city. It was also a good weekend as far as deaths were concerned, a mere 39 people died in 37 accidents, while in 35 accidents in which no mortality occurred a paltry 16 were considered serious.
After a month of wall-to-wall people on Valencia’s beaches last year, fighting for a restaurant table and facing the worst traffic jams for years, the madrileños and Spanish from all corners of the country will have forgotten all about them in their lemming-like rush to the sea for the August holiday. Only one question remains to be answered – why?

@2009 Derek Workman

Beautiful house for sale in the hills above Benissa

Here is another beautiful house for sale in the pretty Village of Benissa, midway between Valencia and Alicante.
There is a main house and a great casita for guests, all set in the most wonderful terraced gardens. The gardens are around 100m2 and consist of great shadey areas and there is a small dip pool with wooden chalet (for more guests!) The Main house comprises large salon, kitchen, two terraces (one glassed) two huge bedrooms and two bathrooms. The casita has one room finished as a large bedroom and space for at least one more bedroom and bathroom. There is over 7,500 m2 of land
This is a wonderful buy at only 590,000 euros
click the headline to be taken to our property pages

More on the Prince Concert in Benidorm

The (artist formerly) known as Prince is to perform in Benidorm on August 25 - his only show in Spain before his temporary retirement. Between August 1 and September 15, he will give a series on concerts in London and travel to Benidorm on his private jet to give the concert there to promote his new CD 3121.
He has apparently stated that he is retiring from the business for a while to study the Bible as he has just become a Jehovah’s Witness. Following the announcement that he was performing for no less than 21 nights in London, fourteen nights sold out in twenty minutes.
Tickets for his Benidorm appearance will be available from next Tuesday from the usual outlets and online from www.ticktackticket.com.
For more on concerts in Valencia click on the headline.