Paco de Lucia, one of the world’s greatest guitarists who dazzled audiences with his lightning-speed flamenco rhythms and finger work has died aged 66 in Mexico, reportedly of a heart attack while playing with his children on a beach.

In the last interview he said about the internal problems in Spain “the politicians are responsible, they are lying about the Spanish history our birthday like  country is in 1492 We are an old country, the problem are the politician they like money…”

Under the tutelage of Luis Aragones, Spain have produced captivating performances, serving up quality attacking football every time. He gave a bond for all of us. Thanks Luis. You were training us for the life.

En su última entrevista, concedida al diario peruano El Comercio el tristemente desparecido Paco de Lucíanos dejaba una clarividente declaración sobre la situación que estamos viviendo. A la pregunta ¿qué piensa usted del peligro de que España pueda desmembrarse?, el genio de la guitarra contestaba:

“Son los políticos que van envenenando a la gente y les hacen creer cosas que no son. Cosas de la historia y de la economía. Yo los detesto. Me apena mucho que el país se vaya a desmembrar, pues es el más antiguo de Europa luego de la reunificación en los tiempos de los Reyes Católicos. Ahora se quieren separar por cuestiones miserables de dinero. ¡Cabrones de los políticos! Ponlo en letra grande: ¡Cabrones de los políticos!“

Paco de Lucía, tan genio en el flamenco como en el análisis de los males que aquejan a España. Descanse en la paz del Cielo.

2013 record year for tourism in Spain

Record numbers of foreign tourists poured into Spain in 2013 to bake on sunny beaches but a new challenge lies ahead: luring them to holiday spots inland. An unprecedented 60.7 million foreign tourists came to Spain last year, spending an estimated 45.7 billion euros.

Spain received increased numbers of visitors from virtually all around the world, with the exception of Italy, which has been suffering the effects of the ongoing economic crisis.

The number of Britons, Scandinavians and French tourists to Spain all rose during 2013, although it was the Chinese and Russian markets which showed the strongest growth.

Around 35 percent more Chinese people visited Spain in 2013 than the previous year, while 31.6 percent more Russians came to the country.

Both of these are considered to be high quality markets by the tourist sector, given that the per-capital spending of Chinese and Russian tourists is higher than visitors from other countries and regions.

“It was a really good year which gives us a lot of hope after some difficult years,” Spain State President Javier Serrano told reporters.

Indeed, tourism is pivotal to the Spanish economy, which emerged in the third quarter last year from a two-year recession, still dragged down by a 26-percent unemployment rate. “We think tourism should be an engine to help improve the Spanish economy, as it always has been,” Serrano said.

This shows that foreign visitors are waking up to Spain as more than a destination for sun, sea and sand and are showing more interest in sectors such as gastronomy, wine tourism, culture and in visiting historic sites.

Next stop… Spain

The extraordinary turnaround in sentiment towards Spain is one of the

most remarkable property stories of this year’s Emerging Trends Europe.

Within weeks of the country’s bad bank, Sareb, opening for business last summer, the

rush of opportunistic investors into Madrid and Barcelona had turned into

a veritable stampede.

By the autumn, Spain’s transformation from property pariah to star market was complete.

By all accounts, the revival is expected to continue in much the same vein in 2014.

“As we have seen with Ireland, 24 months ago no-one wanted to know.

Now it’s the darling of the market,” says one interviewee.

“There is way too much capital chasing product in Ireland and that’s why Spain will also recover because all the investors in Ireland have moved down to Madrid.”

This information has been confirmed by http://www.geehomes.com.

Emerging Trends in Real Estate Europe 2014 – “Real estate returns” by PwC. 2014

1.) The Mediterranean coast is paradise

Spain’s long, sandy Atlantic beaches and cozy Mediterranean coves are rightly famous throughout Europe. That most get over 300 days of sun a year doesn’t hurt either. (Photo by Naxos).

See more photos of beaches in Spain

2.) …and the mountains are just around the corner.

Trivia: Spain is Europe’s second most mountainous country, after Switzerland. In Switzerland, though, you can’t have a cocktail by the sea an hour away from the slopes. (Photo by Adria V. Fernandez)

See more photos of natural parks in Spain

3.) It has the best restaurant in the world

Ferran Adria’s legendary elBulli was number one in its day, and now another Catalan eatery, El Celler de Can Roca, has taken the reigns as 2013’s best restaurant in the world. (Photo by guiarepsol)

See more photos of restaurants in Spain

4.) …and the oldest restaurant in the world

Casa Botín is the world’s oldest continuously-running restaurant (since 1725) and the painter Goya even worked there as a waiter. Plus, it serves a pretty mean roast pig. (Photo by Madrid Ciudad)

See more photos of Casa Botin

5.) There are Egyptian temples

Yup, there’s actually an Egyptian temple smack in the center of Madrid. The Egyptians, of course, didn’t live in Spain; the Temple of Debod was actually a gift from Egypt in 1968. (Photo by Pilar A. Bartolome)

See more photos of historical monuments in Spain

6.) …lots of Roman ruins…

Italy takes the cake on this one, but ancient Hispania has some fine Roman ruins of its own. Plus some, like the Roman theatre in Mérida, are still often used for performances. (Photo by Rodrigo Nieto)

See more Roman ruins in Spain

7.)…and Moorish palaces.

The Moors ruled Al-Andalus for nearly 800 years and their influence is seen on everything from the language to some of Spain’s most famous sights, like the Alhambra in Granada. (Photo by Eva PM)

See more photos of the Alhambra

8.) The parties are legendary

Few local parties make international news, but few places throw a party like Spain. The Tomatina is an annual fave and Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls drew nearly 100,000 people in 2013. (Photo by Albergue Tourism Rural)

Check out more photos of Pamplona

9.) …and there are dozens you still haven’t discovered.

Most Spanish villages have their own summer fiestas, ranging from folk dances to 5-story human statues, flaming effigies, and battles involving paint, meringue, grapes, or oranges. (Photo by Viveydeja)

See more photos of festivals in Spain

10.) There are amazing cathedrals…

Spain has cathedrals of every stripe, from Gaudi’s modern masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia, to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a place of international pilgrimage. (Photo by Santcer)

See more photos of cathedrals in Spain

11.)…1,000-year-old mosques…

Sure, Europe is full of cathedrals, but how about 1000-year-old mosques? The Mezquitain Cordoba is unique in Europe and has been a World Heritage Site since 1984. (Photo by Romaine Labadie)

See more photos of the Mosque of Cordoba

12.) …and mind-blowing water parks!

Lago Martianez, an oasis of sea water, palms, and volcanic rock in Tenerife, brings waterparks to the level of art. Plus, you can spend all day there for less than the price of your sunscreen. (Photo by Ireth)

See more photos of Lago Martianez

13.) The whole place is riddled with hidden beaches

Calas (coves) are a Spanish classic. Skip the city beaches and head for the Balearic Islands and find endless gems hidden between pine forests and crystal-blue water. (Photo by Menorca en Barco)

See more photos of coves in Spain

14.) It produces the best wine in the world…

The La Rioja region makes some of the world’s best vino, including Wine Spectator’s Best Wine of 2013. Since most of it is consumed internally, it’s still deliciously affordable. (Photo by Alava Incoming)

See more photos of wineries in Spain

15.) …and you get free food when you order a drink.

Serving something tasty with your drink is a time-honored Spanish tradition. In some cities, especially smaller ones, it’s entirely possible to have a full dinner just by ordering drinks. (Photo by Analia Plaza)

See more photos of tapas in Spain

16.) You can visit Salvador Dalí’s house…

Come for the priceless works of art, stay for the Cadillac in the patio and giant eggs on the roof. (Photo by May Lopez)

See more photos of the Salvador Dalí House-Museum

17.) …and eat chicken grilled on an active volcano.

You read that right. On the volcanic island of Lanzarote, you can spend the morning hiking the volcano at Timanfaya National Park then enjoy a lunch cooked over an open volcanic vent. (Photo by Naxos)

See more photos of Lanzarote

18.) People decorate their houses like this

Andalucía is full of sunny bougainvillea-draped villages, and Cordoba even holds an annual competition for the most flowery courtyards which draws thousands of visitors. (Photo by Zu Sanchez)

See more photos of Cordoba

19.) There are countless varieties of paella

From rabbit and snails to mussels and prawns, paella comes in dozens of local varieties which are a matter of regional pride in many provinces. Lucky for us, they’re all mouth-watering. (Photo by Anadel)

See more photos of Valencia

20.) Mediterranean lifestyle, anyone?

While many stereotypes (daily siestas, achem) are more myth than fact, the culture of long family meals, Sunday snoozes, and summers on the coast certainly has its appeal. (Photo Fito R. Serrano)

See more photos of Spain

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/minube/-20-reasons-to-drop-every_b_4601059.html

A poll of 15,000 women that rated the world’s best and worst lovers found that German men topped the worst list because they were deemed “too smelly,” they reported.

The Germans were followed closely by the English, who were considered “too lazy,” while the Swedes, who came in third, were accused of being “too quick to finish.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Latin countries topped the “best lover” list, with Spain at number one, followed by Brazil, Italy and France, reported the Daily Mail.

The poll was carried out by http://www.OnePoll.com and asked women from 20 countries to rate men from different countries based on their ability in bed. The women also had to provide an explanation for their answers, the Telegraph reported.

The Dutch were considered too rough, while Americans made it into the Top 5 on the worst lovers list because they were too dominating in bed, Fox News reported.

The other countries that also did badly are: Greece (soppy), Scotland (too loud), Turkey (too sweaty), Wales (too selfish) and Russia (too hairy), the Hindustan Times reported.

A spokesperson for http://www.OnePoll.com added: ”These results are an eye-opener for thousands of men around the world and female travellers might judge potential new lovers by looking at these results.”

WORLD’S WORST LOVERS:

1. Germany (too smelly)

2. England (too lazy)

3. Sweden (too quick)

4. Holland (too dominating)

5. America (too rough)

6. Greece (too lovey-dovey)

7. Wales (too selfish)

8. Scotland (too loud)

9. Turkey (too sweaty)

10. Russia (too hairy)

WORLD’S BEST LOVERS

1. Spain

2. Brazil

3. Italy

4. France

5. Ireland

6. South Africa

7. Australia

8. New Zealand

9. Denmark

10. Canada