Huddersfield ex-pat BRIAN HAYHURST reports from his home near Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol
What a welcome change in the weather here. From excessive heat and humidity to cooler days and nights, often with a mild breeze.
So it’s off with the air conditioning, after reports showed that temperatures at Malaga airport and sea temps were the highest since records began.
We have experienced a couple of rainy days – thank goodness – but nothing like the deluge experienced further up the coast in places like Benidorm where furniture and even cars were sent floating down streets with prolonged storms. It was probably on the fringe of the catastrophic Storm Boris seen throughout central Europe.
Good old Brexit! Yet another obstacle on top of the 90-day rule for Brits to negotiate in November (10th actually) is the introduction of the EES – European Entry/Exit System.
This will register travellers onto computers at all airports and ports when arriving or leaving Spain.
Each person will be required to produce name, passport and biometric data (fingerprints and photo).
This, the EU says, will replace the current passport stamping at borders, thus reducing long queues.
I wonder if the authorities will be enforcing this irksome task upon the hundreds of Moroccans and other asylum seekers flooding across the borders?
READ MORE: Catch up on Brian’s previous blogs HERE
Reading about Marbella hoping to encourage Chinese property buyers to an already buoyant market in high end homes, it’s not surprising after noting the news that Andalucia has secured a huge €2.5 billion deal with China to set up a lithium battery plant in the region and work is underway with a €135m Chinese funded solar farm in Antequera.
And with scheduled flights planned – direct to Beijing and Shanghai – this is bound to swell numbers coming from China.
I asked a long-established estate agent about general current property sales. Here’s what she said: “The property market is coming back after the summer peak season where unoccupied and ‘for sale’ properties get rented out, therefore cannot be viewed by buyers.
“Owners are returning after the heat and madness of summer but the number of potential buyers outweigh the amount of people selling.
“The huge amount of Airbnb short term rentals has driven long term lets through the roof, but many urbanisations are now refusing new rental licences due to the tourist protests.”
The donkey saga in the picturesque village of Mijas is continuing, now with the animal rights group PACMA filing an official complaint to the Town Hall, demanding that they have evidence of continued mistreatment of these much-loved animals.
PACMA are saying that these long-established tourist taxis are operating almost every day for sometimes 12 hours without rest.
These popular rides with tourists (some with very heavy passengers) began about 65 years ago and owners say the donkeys are well cared for.
A local animal rights group have raised €3,500 towards a target of 100K proposing to buy out all 63 donkeys and replace them with electric tuk-tuks.
It remains to be seen what the outcome will be, especially with the livelihoods of well over 100 people connected with the donkeys at stake.
And finally, one of the most popular characters on the Costa del Sol – Charlie Mullins, the millionaire former London plumber – has finally decided to move over here to live, having visited this region for many years. He’s always given very generously to local charities here.
Charlie’s move coincides with a statement by the Spanish President Sanchez, who is about to increase taxes on the wealthy saying: “More public transport and less Lamborghinis!”
