Germany’s employment minister, Ursula von der Leyen, was in Madrid this week to meet her Spanish counterpart, Fatima Banez. The two ministers unveiled a scheme that could see as many as 5,000 young Spanish workers annually filling apprenticeships in Germany. Not a magic bullet for the problem of mass unemployment, but a positive gesture no doubt from Europe’s prosperous north. Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Ana Pastor was in Brazil, where she suggested the Brazilian economy might benefit from the expertise of Spanish engineers unable to find work at home. Spain … Read more
A middle aged-man came into the shop and strode over to the counter. Appearances, I felt in this case, offered clues to personality: striped business shirt with the top buttons undone to reveal a gold necklace; cuffs rolled back, exposing a gold bracelet, and on the little finger a ruby signet ring. A well developed sense of self, more than a little showy. “I’m told you have self-help books,” the man announced in a tone that suggested he would be very put out if I were unable to confirm what … Read more
Spanish government borrowing costs continued to moderate this week, the latest consumer price index figures showed a downward trend without being full-on deflationary, and the country posted a trade surplus of around 600 million Euros, prompting a practically giddy reaction from Economy Minister Luis de Guindos. Mr De Guindos cited the trade figures as evidence of “the economy’s transformation”. There are three ways to look at this. The first is that the Economy Minister is a sentimental sort of fellow whose exuberance errs a tad on the side of irrationality. … Read more
“Rain keeps falling,” Simple Minds memorably sang in 1985, reiterating this bald meteorological observation and then giving it directional specificity with the lyrical (if undeniably minimalist) mantra: “Down, down, down.” The song is a meditation on weather, on love, and on how life plays sometimes pleasantly surprising tricks. Accidents of nature produce astonishing outcomes; inauspicious circumstances are the occasion for celebration and the prelude to passion. At least I think that’s what it’s about. I hummed the chorus, à la Jim Kerr, when I was caught in a sudden downpour … Read more
It’s a tonic not just for the hospitality sector but for the country as a whole that El Celler de Can Roca in Girona has been named the world’s best restaurant. Nice too that Can Roca, which specialises in culinary experimentation (desserts that smell of recognisable perfumes, for example) is run by three brothers. When Joan Roca, head chef and oldest of the three, was asked at the award ceremony in London on Monday to identify the restaurant’s winning ingredients he cited hard work and the help of two extraordinary … Read more
The romance between Manola and the Major that began during the Festive Season has blossomed in springtime. It’s nice to see a couple in what Manola and the Major would undoubtedly describe as their “prime” (and in what other people would equally undoubtedly describe as middle age) behaving like teenagers. Neither of them has changed in a noticeable way: romantic passion appears simply to have highlighted the positive traits that were already woven into the fabric of their characters. Still, they are chalk and cheese, and, inevitably, well-wishers wonder if … Read more
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde warned last week that Spain shouldn’t pour its energies exclusively into cutting expenditure but should also focus on economic restructuring. This must have been galling for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who has, even his harshest critics would grudgingly acknowledge, maintained a commitment not only to reducing the deficit but to introducing accompanying reforms designed to generate growth and boost employment. The figures show that the deficit isn’t going down and employment isn’t going up, so while Mr Rajoy’s commitment may not be in question, his … Read more
Business is picking up. The number of visitors wandering in for a browse (some even wondering out again with a purchase) has been steadily rising, and this – along with the predominant maritime hue shifting from grey to blue – is a tonic. A party from the Midlands descended on us one afternoon, beginning in the internet cafe where they dispatched “arrived safely” emails and then coming through to the bookshop to stock up on holiday reading. Some people view familiarity as a positive attribute of beach books – people, … Read more
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A young British newspaper correspondent foils a global conspiracy in the picturesque setting of the Costa del Sol.