English in Madrid

Image created with Chat GPT Feeling nostalgic for summer? How to beat the back-to-work blues The alarm wakes you with a shock, the summer holiday is over and it's time to face that inbox full of unread emails. This time last week, life was very different. You enjoyed late nights, lazy mornings balancing family fun and you time. Even if you enjoy your job, the transition from holiday to work can be hard, particularly in September as the days begin to shorten . Here are some ways of making the transition a little bit easier. Tick off small tasks It can be tempting to launch straight into tackling the hardest task first. But careers coach Sarah Robinson says it's better to " ease back in " by starting with small, manageable tasks and "quick wins". "It's about trying to build momentum, because I think sometimes it can just feel overwhelming when you've got a massive inbox," she says. Counsellor Susan Carr agrees. She says it isn't po...

Image generated by Chat GPT Question to Chat GPT: Can you give me a list of the lesser-known  towns or villages that are worth  visit ing in Spain, a couple for each region of Spain and a description? Andalusia : Setenil de las Bodegas: Known for its unique houses built into the rock formations of a gorge , offering stunning  views and a charming atmosphere. Vejer de la Frontera: A picturesque hilltop town with narrow winding streets, white-washed buildings, and a well-preserved medieval quarter. Aragon : Albarracín: Often referred to as one of Spain's most beautiful villages, Albarracín boasts a medieval fortress , narrow streets, and well-preserved architecture. Aínsa: Located in the Pyrenees, Aínsa is a medieval village with a stunning castle and a well-preserved old town. Asturias : Lastres: A charming fishing village with colorful houses, a picturesque harbor, and stunning views of the Cantabrian Sea. Cudillero: Famous for its cliffside location, Cudillero ...

Tens of thousands protest against Canary Islands’ ‘unsustainable’ tourism model Organisers say 50,000 turn out to call for limit on tourist numbers, saying model makes life unaffordable and puts strain on resources Tens of thousands of people are protesting across the Canary Islands to call for an urgent rethink of the Spanish archipelago’s tourism strategy and a freeze on visitor numbers, arguing that the decades-old model has made life unaffordable and environmentally unsustainable for residents. The protests, which are taking place under the banner “Canarias tiene un límite” – The Canaries have a limit – are backed by environmental groups including Greenpeace, WWF, Ecologists in Action, Friends of the Earth and SEO/Birdlife. “We’ve reached the point where the balance between the use of resources and the welfare of the population here has broken down , especially over the past year,” said Víctor Martín, a spokesperson for the collective Canarias se Agota – The Canaries Have ...

Image created with Chat GPT Spanish people have a secret code word for Brits - and it's not a compliment Brits heading to Spanish hotspots such as Benidorm, Lanzarote and Malaga may hear the word 'guiri' following them around, but it doesn't just get aimed at visitors from the UK The Spanish have a nickname for Brits who flock to the country - and it's not particularly complimentary. Brits who have been on Spain holidays may have heard the term 'guiri' floating about in the air.  Pronounced ‘guee-ree’, the term is typically aimed at or used to describe not just British tourists, but any who tick certain boxes . Those boxes typically include holidaymakers who enjoy lett ing their hair down and picking up a glass or two of alcohol. Given that five million more Brits visit Spain each year than any other country - and that their actions have even inspired debates in regional parliaments - it is no surprise the phrase may be more regularly directed a...

Source: David Švihovec on Unsplash Spain's Magaluf and Ibiza crack down on alcohol-fuelled holidays Spain's Balearic Islands have passed a law banning pub crawls   and happy hours in three popular tourist destinations in a bid to crack down on alcohol-fuelled holidays. Restrictions apply to the tourist hotspots of Playa de Palma and Magaluf in Majorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza. The regional government said it was the first law of its kind in Europe. Ibiza and Majorca have long been magnets for young British, German and Irish tourists. The measures adopted on Friday are just the latest effort by authorities to try to rein in heavy drinking on the Mediterranean islands. But some traders say the move could hurt small businesses. What are the new measures?  The new law includes a string of measures aimed at cracking down on so-called " booze   tourism", where visitors are encouraged to binge  drink . Organised pub crawls can no longer be...

Source:  Maxime Steckle on Unsplash Florence tourists face fines of up to €500 if they are caught snack ing on the pavement Florence has fired a fresh salvo in its perpetual battle against the effects of mass tourism by banning visitors from eat ing panini, pizza and focaccia on the pavement and on shop doorsteps . Tourists who find themselves on the wrong side of the law , which comes into effect today, face fines of between €150-€500 (£135-£450). The ban applies to streets and piazzas around a particularly popular delicatessen in the city centre - All’ Antico Vinaio, the Old Wine Merchant – which is situated between the Uffizi Galleries and Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s medieval town hall . Described by one food and travel magazine as “home of the world’s best sandwiches”, it has enjoyed a surge   in popularity after being favourably reviewed on TripAdvisor, where it is related “excellent” by 79 per cent of contributors. Like many Italian cities, Flor...

Source: Héctor J. Rivas on Unsplash UK's oldest postcard firm set to close When was the last time you sent a postcard? If the pronouncement of UK publisher J Salmon is anything to go by it 's likely   to have been a long time ago. The family-owned firm, which has been publish ing postcards and calendars since 1880, will close this December. The reason? It says instead of pen n ing a card , people are putting photos up on Facebook or Instagram or using WhatsApp to show friends and family at home just how much fun they're having. Brothers Charles and Harry Salmon, the fifth generation of the family to run   the firm , said the popularity of social media had had a huge   impact on the business. People are also tending to take shorter holidays, meaning they are likely to have arrived home long before their postcards, the brothers - joint managing directors of the firm - said. As a result the business was no longer viable, they said. " In...

Source: Photo by Maksim Ivanov on Unsplash Spain's hotels fight back against fake food poisoning claims from Brits  Spanish hotels are turning to private detectives and the courts to repel a surge   in fake food poisoning claims by British holidaymakers that has already cost them millions of euros. The number of food sickness claims soared   to more than 10,000 during the 2016-17 tourist season, from around just 600 in 2015-16, said the head of Spain's hotel confederation CEHAT, Ramon Estalella. It estimates that more than 90 percent of the claims - usually made through small-claims management companies that promise payouts of several thousand pounds - are bogus . For years Britons have been the biggest group of tourists to Spain by nationality. Estalella said they are responsible for virtually all of the fake illness claims. The problem has arisen because British consumer law does not require claimants to produce any medical evidence of illness, and...

  Source: Federico Giampieri on Unsplash Brits accused of TERRORISM in Spain as hotel bed numbers slashed and tourists intimidated SPANISH activists have accused Brits of terrorism in Spain as the Balearic government brings in plans to curb the thousands of UK citizens spending MILLIONS in the region. Holiday hotspots like Mallorca and Ibiza are set to limit the number of holidaymakers to the islands as locals clash with visitors. The number of beds sold to tourists will now be CAPPED at a combined 623,624 on the popular islands of Mallorca and Ibiza as boozy British groups are accused of causing mayhem around coastal towns. New plans will cut that number to 120,000 over the next few years and 70% of the beds assigned will be in Mallorca. Anyone breaking the laws will be fined up to €400,000. Tourism minister Álvaro Nadal has said he is urging lawmakers to protect visitors from “those who perpetrate and instigate acts against tourism”. He said: “R...

 For Spaniards, the summer holiday is still a beach, but with WiFi Nine out of 10 like to spend their holidays on the Spanish coast, armed with technology and enjoying the luxury of a hotel Ninety percent of Spaniards prefer to stay local during the summer holidays, according to the Spanish Holiday Habits survey , carried out by Madison Market Research for Cerveceros of Spain. Half of those interviewed, irrespective of their age, said that the beach was their favorite destination. A third of Spaniards also rated discovering new cities and sampling the cuisine during the summer months. The weather, the beach and the food are Spain’s main attractions and the reason that little has changed in terms of holiday preferences among Spaniards in the past 40 years, according to the Madison Market research which was investigating the evolution of the country’s holiday habits. One thing that has changed, however, is the choice of accommodation. From interviews with 2,000 ...

Source: You Tube (Woltersworld)  Key words: 5 loves hates Scotland Have you ever been to Scotland? What did you love and hate about it? Watch the video. What does he love and hate about Scotland? Vocabulary : No matter where you go... stuff First off, ... an off-licence  to rip / ripped (adj) pants purchase (v/n) affordable (adj) crappy (adj) to make sure a lane a roundabout annoying (adj) a traffic jam to work out ok the beauty a bartender a maid to die for cool (adj) trails golf (clubs) I like listening to people's  opinions about Scotland. It's great to hear positive things but it's also important to find out about the things people didn't like. It's true that many shops close at 6 though supermarkets stay open until 10 in bigger towns. In the summer, souvenir shops are open until late. I suppose Scotland is more expensive than some other countries but I d...

Barcelona struggles with rising tide of tourists Tourists are vital to Barcelona's economy, but the 27 million people who visit each year have become a headache for the new mayor as she battles to save the iconic Spanish Mediterranean port from becoming a bland theme park. "Tourists go home" is frequently found painted on the walls of buildings in the centre of Spain's second-largest city, which is struggling to cope with a surge in tourism that started when it hosted the Olympics in 1992. Source: France 24 Vocabulary : to struggle - to rise - a tide - a mayor - a theme park - to cope (with stg) - a surge - to host (v,n) - according to - to highlight - a (snaking) queue - to jam - narrow (adj) - room (unc n) - to lay down - to be at a crossroad - such as - tree-lined - to heave with (people) - to throng (a place) - to found (a business) - huge (adj) - a banner - a vendor - to complain - gaw...