English in Madrid

Nude landlord no excuse for holding back rent, rules German court Frankfurt judges said people would have to lean far out of window to see naked sunbathing in courtyard A German court has said that a landlord sunbathing naked in the courtyard of his building was not a reason for his tenants to reduce their rental payments. The case involved a building in an upmarket residential district of Frankfurt, which included an office floor rented by a human resources company. The company withheld rent because it objected , among other things, to the landlord’s naked sunbathing. In response, the landlord * sued . The Frankfurt state court on Wednesday rejected the company’s reasoning , finding that “the usability of the rented property was not impaired by the plaintiff sunning himself naked in the courtyard”. It said in a statement that it couldn’t see an “inadmissible, deliberately improper effect on the property”. Judges were ruling on an appeal against a lower court decision th...

Source:  Hamza Madrid on Unsplash Why are Spaniards the only people in Europe obsessed with window blinds ?  Spain enjoys plenty of hours of sun, but yet apartments and houses are often completely shut off to natural light. Why is this? “It’s like Spaniards are afraid of light,” says Caroline Jurgens, a 42-year-old Dutch woman who has been living in Spain since 2005 . One of the first things that surprised Jurgens when she arrived from Amsterdam to Spain was the number of homes with the shutters down.  “They pull them down all year long, even in winter even though it’s not so hot. The Dutch do the opposite: we need light all the time,” she says. While the use of shutters in Europe is only anecdotal, here in Spain they are part of popular culture – and almost always kept down. And it’s not just because Spain receives more hours of light – between 2,500 and 3,000 hours in an average year, compared to the 1,600 in countries such as the United Kingdom or Holland...

Source: Wikipedia   Kate and William angered by 'grotesque' invasion of privacy The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are hugely saddened over the "grotesque and unjustifiable invasion of privacy" by a magazine which published topless photos of Kate, a royal spokesman says. French publication Closer printed the pictures of the duchess, taken during their private holiday in France. The royals are now considering legal action over the case. Closer's editor says the couple were "visible from the street" and the images are "not in the least shocking". The BBC's Nicholas Witchell said that the royals were "incredulous that any magazine would have felt they had a justification in publishing these pictures".  "They could go to law or seek a remedy through the French court - that is a big step to take but that is clearly what is being considered now," he said.  "I have rarely heard quite such a level of public...

Source: Alora Griffiths on Unsplash Gym in Spain's Basque region offers naked workouts   A gym in Spain's Basque region has come up with   an eye-catching way of battling the recession. It has begun offering naked workouts, for nudists. Easy Gym in Arrigorriaga is the first of its kind in Spain, pioneering the peculiar practice of stripping while keeping fit. "With the crisis we noticed there were fewer people using the gym," owner Merche Laseca explained to the BBC. "I'm not a nudist myself, though I have no problem with it. But this initiative is about the money." Naked enthusiasm The gym did its research before opting to chase the nudist euro. It discovered that two local swimming pools already offered popular monthly sessions for bathing in your birthday suit . Every year, in nearby Sopelana, there is a mass naked run along the sands . There are at least 12 naturist beaches in the Basque region, and many more all over the Spani...

Barack Obama's streaker Juan Rodriguez sentenced A streaker who ran in front of President Barack Obama to try and win a million dollar prize has been sentenced to two years probation . Juan Rodriguez, 24, of New York City, was arrested in America on charges of indecent exposure, disorderly conduct and open lewdness after streaking at a rally in Philadelphia in October. "Philadelphia has a history of streaking," Mr Rodriguez said, as he sat fully clothed in a sweater and jeans at the probation office of the Criminal Justice Center. "I didn't pick Philadelphia out of the hat ." He said he thought the state "would be more lenient toward me and see it for what it was – a guy just chilling ." "You could see I had no weapons on me," he added. Mr Rodriguez, an unemployed father of three, had hoped to claim a cash prize offered by billionaire Alki David. Mr David said he would award $1 million (£630,000) to anyone who ran...

Source: Nathan Dumlao en Unsplash Source: You Tube (Gigabytexxl)   Key Words: Man arrested naked own house Man Arrested For Being Naked In Own Kitchen An American man who brewed coffee naked in his own kitchen is facing indecent exposure charges and could be jailed . Eric Williamson, 29, from Virginia, insists he has done nothing wrong and any exposure of his private parts was purely accidental. Williamson was making coffee in the buff at 5.30 a.m. when a woman and her seven-year-old son walked past his kitchen window in Springfield. The woman then called the police. Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Mary Ann Jennings said the woman claimed Williamson then moved and exposed himself again through a large front window. In his defence, Williamson said: "I'm by myself . So I come down here - the roommates are gone, and it's my house. "I never had a conversation with anyone, never saw anyone. Didn't cross my mind , came and got coffee. I mean if ...