michelleinspain

I hope you enjoy looking at my photos, it's my cheap, democratic way of keeping family and friends informed of what I'm up to here in sunny Spain. Please feel free to add your comments, check out the links etc.

Monday, September 26, 2005


Every single newspaper has a similar photo on it's front page today-you're probably all going about your daily business completely oblivious to the fact. The first Spaniard to win the world championship, the youngest ever to get on the podium, win a grand prix or the world championship, the youngest ever to get pole positon, to get a fastest lap in a race and the youngest ever to lead a grand prix. It's great news for F1- at last it looks like we've got rid of the monotony of Schumacher always winning. it's also fantastic news for Spain- I can't wait until next May to see him race again here,but this time as N�1. Posted by Picasa

Sunday, September 11, 2005


Last Wednesday we had a few tornados-they had to close the airport for a while!!! It rained so much that the street in where I work turned into a river- the water covered the pavement, we had to leave work early because all the electricity in the area went. On the way home I passed several accidents-cars upside down and stuff. One man from the next village died when he was surprised by a torrent of water-he was a hunter and knew the area well. His friend who was with him, and is from our village, is still missing. The police are searching downstream but think he may have been washed out to sea. Tornados are not too unusual here, but they usually form out at sea-you can see them sometimes from the coast. It's unusual for them to for inland. In two days we had 4 big ones and several small ones. Some villages suffered plenty of damage due to the high winds.  Posted by Picasa

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Here is a bit of an article in the Independent, Sant Sadurni is about 8km from here and they are beginning to harvest the grapes-most of the fields where we live are dedicated to this. Although this year has been hot and dry - which is great for wine grapes, it's rained a lot this week which is terrible as the grapes become "watery" and moulds and fungus hit and ruin the harvest, it will probably ruin some farmer's harvests if they don't pick them soon.
Saboteurs hit at heart of cava region in Spain
Saboteurs armed with mechanical clippers and motorsaws have hacked down 475 vines belonging to Spain's winemaking giant Freixenet, producers of Britain's favourite budget sparkling wine. The sector's farmers' union is in the throes of a campaign of mobilisations for what it calls "a dignified price for the grape", but yesterday disclaimed any connection with the attack. The union warned, however, that it would radicalise its protests if a minimum price for wine destined for cava was not agreed.
Dozens of small wine producers in the farmers' union blockaded the vast wine-making plants of Spain's two main cava producers, Freixenet and Cordoniu, in the town of Sant Sadurni d'Anoia on Monday. They also picketed the installations of Torres, another big Penedes winemaker enormously popular in Britain. Growers were protesting at the low price they receive for white grapes which are destined for cava.
The union's spokesman, Josep Maria Coll, said the producers could not survive another year at current prices. He said that for the past three years growers had been subjected to prices that failed to cover costs. "It's increasingly difficult to keep vineyards going. The cava industry risks killing the goose that lays the golden eggs," Mr Coll said.
Talks between growers and winemakers over a price agreement broke down last month. However, with grapes now ripe for picking, the union is threatening to halt the harvest until agreement is reached.