The Spanish Post Office (correos) postal charges have long been a mystery to overseas visitors and foreign residents alike. Our Christmas cards last year cost an unexpected fortune, this year some advance homework has decoded the system, which unusually involves the size of the card as well as the weight. Weight limit 20 grams Maximum size 235 mm x 120 mm (91/4 x 43/4 inches) Postage to Europe including the UK .53 cents Postage outside Europe .78 cents If the envelope is larger than this it will cost Postage to Europe including the UK 1.05 euros, Postage outside Europe 1.38 euros but it must still not weigh more than 20 grams Heavier cards are charged more again, but the code for these is still a secret. You now know to shop for your cards more carefully than usual, but be careful because there is also a minimum size of 140 mm x 90 mm (51/2 x 3/12 inches)

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In these days of computer viruses, bugs and worms I should not really be surprised that the hackers have attacked our forum. After a couple of days of "under the bonnet" work I am afraid that they have succeeded in removing all of the posts and it has resulted in losing records of all the people who have taken the time and trouble to register with us. More to the point it means that if you have previously registered you will have to register again to enter our "FREE BAR CREDIT" draw (click on the link, below right) and because all of our current members have been erased the draw will involve fewer people, so more chance of winning! We will work on redesigning the forum and making it more secure. WE WILL BE BACK!

Link

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Having mastered the red tape that surrounds obtaining the padron we have decided to bite the bullet and apply for our residencia. I have scoured the web to try to download the application forms to no avail, and having turned up at Torremolinos police station at 10.00 am only to find that we were far too late to be seen.
We were told that there is a system in force whereby you join a queue that begins forming at around 7.00 am (when the office does not open until 9.00am) Once the doors open numbered tickets are distributed and after getting your number you will eventually be seen. Fine except we arrived at 8.00 am, and by the time we reached the front of the queue the allocation of tickets for the day ran out with the woman two places in front of us. I explained my frustration and was told to "go round the corner" where I would be given the forms. I waited at the end of the line of desks and eventually trapped a member of staff and explained my needs and was given a barely readable photo copy of the form. I explained that I needed forms for 2 people and was told to take photo copies (six will be required)
So I suppose that it is an ill wind. If we had got a number we would have been there all day.

I love it here, but it is a bloody frustrating country!!

-------------------- watch this space ----------------

OK We finally got together the appropriate paperwork

• Original form plus three photocopies
• Four passport size photographs
• Passport & photocopy of passport

This time we were at the Torremolinos police station just after 6:30 am and third in the queue and although we had to wait until after 9:00 am we were rewarded by being attended to efficiently and quickly and we were on our way back home by 09:45 am. Half the queue was sent away as the days allocation of tickets had run out and those behind us in line would be waiting for up to four hours to be seen, by which time the staff become slightly more tense.

So the next move is WAIT! We have been told to look in and see if our application is accepted in SEVEN MONTHS.

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Yesterday we took one of our favourite drives up into the mountain (see the link below)which normally I would recommend anyone to do at any time of ther year, but yesterday once up in the mountains it was extremely cold and one of the best drives around the reservoirs made me think that we were in the wrong place. The water has nearly gone, with the exception of a small lake at the dam end. Listenening to the radio this morning it seems that Marbella, San Pedro and that end of the coast have been put on severe water restrictions with the mains water only being turned on for a few hours each day in sequence. Apparently the desalination plant has run into problems and some people have been calling in to REM radio claiming to have had no water since last Tuesday. Anyone out there effected? If you have more information please use the "comments" link to let us know.

Link

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All Saints Day On November 1st, is a public holiday, fiestas called "Tosantos" (contraction of "todos los santos", or "all saints") are celebrated in the markets of Cadiz and the surrounding villages. As the 1st of November falls on Tuesday this year the weekend has been has been extended, and the majority of workers have taken monday off as well. The spanish call a long bank holiday a weekend El puente (bridge). It is also one of the busiest weekends on spains roads with record breaking traffic jams (colas) on Friday evening and again on the evening of the 1st and regretably one of the worst weekends of the year for road deaths. So if you are driving, give yourself plenty of room. Halloween is celebrated in some places in Malaga but it is not a Spanish tradition. 1st November - National holiday in Spain.

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