Archive for March, 2009

Who turned the sun off?

EbroRose March 30th, 2009

Well last week saw us eagerly packing away all our winter tracksuits and woollies and singing “Happy Days” as we donned our shorts and sunny tops. One glorious week of blissful hot days up in the 24 degrees. Oh, we are trully blessed to be living in this corner of Eden.

What a shock when we had to light the wood fire again on Friday night as temperatures dropped, low cloud set in and rain was the order of the weekend.

However, last week was productive and we are enjoying the changing seasons of Catalonia.

Vigorously we set about re-potting our cuttings or planting out thriving young plants into the self-made garden beds – a feat in itself on rocky land, ideal for olives and almonds, but a challenge for other garden plants!

I was wheel-barrowing up one load of home cultivated compost after another from the bottom terrace. While pausing half way up to wipe the sweat from brow and cursing, “Whose bright idea it was to make this pile on the bottom terrace?” I notice young plants growing in the muck.

Oh yes!  We have potato plants now transplanted into big compost fulled plants on the patio.

“They will never grow in pots,”says him indoors the non-believer.

“Oh yes they will,” I argue back. ” If Jamie Oliver can grow spuds in a pot, so too can this Spud grow them!” I tenderly care for them daily to prove a point.

There is more.

We have now planted out 28 baby almond trees in bigger pots. All growing in my compost. All flung on there in temper last year when I had left them, by mistake in  a carrier bag and then found one of my delightful eight felines had “wee-ed” on them. Well their by-products did surely prompt rapid growth!

“What on earth are you going to do with another 28 almond trees,” says a surprised hubby.

“Plant them. Pick them. Eat them. Cook with them. All sorts of delightful things,” I say, full of the joys of spring and new life being breathed into this dry land.

Just flipped over to check Tortosa weather forecast for the week and I will not need to water the garden until the weekend, when temperatures will be baked in wonderful sunshine of 21 to 24 degrees.

To tourists coming out to this area bring change of clothing and a light waterproof jacket ideal for strolling or hiking in. Don’t let the rain spoil your vacation. Just come prepared and there is so much to do for all types of weather out here.

Just ask the locals. Read up on Tortosa Forum or ask me via my Contact page on www.BrighterSpain.com or leave your query on the Comments block.

Are Ryanair building a latrine for themselves?

EbroRose March 21st, 2009

Everywhere I turn over the last week whenever Ryanair is mentioned, up pops the topic, “Ryanair to charge to use the loo! What do I think? ”

The aviation marketing guru of www.Simpliflying.com beggars the question on www.LinkedIn.com; “Is this good PR or bad marketing?”

Well, it certainly has shaken the network of Ryanair’s frequent flyers into talking rather more explosively. Others seem more resigned to the fact, with little or no surprise, that Ryanair will find every which way possible to charge for every function they offer. The latest one being branded about of flyers’ bodily functions: ‘Pay to use the Loo’ is met with disbelief.

“Well, I just won’t use it” they retort.

If that is the case, lets hope Ryanair sells ‘in-flight diapers’.

How will they police it? In air cloakroom attendants to empty slots and to ensure the door is not held open for the next user and the next? Or will parents on a budget see how many of ‘Ma Plotters’ clan can fit into the loo at one squeeze. We could see some new statistics appearing in the Guinness Book of records 2009 or 2010.

I have yet to read a confirmed or denied statement from Ryanair executives as to whether this was a casual innocent remark made at a stab of humour (or is it humus?) or a major blunder. Whatever, it is they are building a whole pile of compost against their brand name.

With so many voicing their complaints to each other amongst the Catalonian Expat community in Spain, I fanned the question: “So why do you fly with Ryanair?”

They answered as I expected them to do.

“Who else can we fly with from the UK and ‘Brum into Reus at that price?”

I pushed back, “What would it take to make use another airline, if they flew the same route?”

“Price! Price! Price! – for a 2 hour flight I would happily fly a DC3.”

I wonder if “they” would then charge for disposable parachutes.

Well, for now Ryanair have the brand confidence in the UK market share cornered in routes in and out of Reus, Tarragona, Spain. Lets hope in this global crisis they haven’t dug their own ‘latrine in the sky’, because the expression “Shit will fly” takes on a whole new connotation.