Twitter is an increasingly popular social networking tool, to keep up with friends, research your favourite topics and do business. Twitter asks one question, “What are you doing?” and answers must be under 140 characters in length. This concept has captured the imagination of web users throughout the world and now has more than 100 million registered users worldwide.

Twitter users in Marbella can put a face to an online name once a month at Tweet Marbella. This is an informal, bilingual and free networking event taking place in the evening on the first Wednesday of every month. You don’t have to be a Twitter expert to attend, everyone is welcome. It’s a social, fun and friendly networking event allowing people who are in contact online to build relationships offline and this concept is proving very popular, attracting between 30 and 100 people each month.

Organiser Nicola Erlich wants to welcome as many people as possible to this exciting event. ‘Tweet Marbella started back in early 2009 as a way to meet people I was in touch with via Twitter in my area, and I’ve been amazed just how well it’s been received. Since its early days, it seems to be as much about other social media, such as Facebook as it is about Twitter. There’s a real mix of Spanish and International attendees, both regular ‘tweeters’ as well as those who are simply ‘Twitter curious’ all keen to meet new people and learn more about the online world. It’s a great place to socialise and do business and it’s great to see really fruitful business relationships developing. We’re building a Tweet Marbella website where people can promote their businesses and I’m really excited to see the group grow.’

More details from this site

Hotel

Our small 3-star hotel has just 10 rooms, two of them en-suite. All rooms have outside views, full bathroom, television, telephone, heating and air conditioning.

Restaurant

Els Casals offers both traditional dishes and nouvelle cuisine, always rooted in the local gastronomy.

It is a terroir cuisine in which most of the produce comes from the family farm or nearby farms: from vegetables to eggs, milk and dairy products, poultry, pork, mushrooms, truffle … This makes the cuisine heavily influenced by seasonal produce, that is always handled with the utmost respect, so that all its qualities can be appreciated and that it can be enjoyed in the the best conditions.

Restaurant Awards
2008
Award for Best Restaurant of the Year (by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy)

2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010
Michelin Star

2004
Award for Best Young Chef of the Year (by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy)

The hotel website is in English, Spanish, French and Catalan

*******************************
ENQUIRE NOW FOR MORE DETAILS OF THIS SUPERB COUNTRY HOTEL.

Please note all bookings are made direct with the hotel and with no agency or booking fees.

Hotel

Our small 3-star hotel has just 10 rooms, two of them en-suite. All rooms have outside views, full bathroom, television, telephone, heating and air conditioning.

Restaurant

Els Casals offers both traditional dishes and nouvelle cuisine, always rooted in the local gastronomy.

It is a terroir cuisine in which most of the produce comes from the family farm or nearby farms: from vegetables to eggs, milk and dairy products, poultry, pork, mushrooms, truffle … This makes the cuisine heavily influenced by seasonal produce, that is always handled with the utmost respect, so that all its qualities can be appreciated and that it can be enjoyed in the the best conditions.

Restaurant Awards
2008
Award for Best Restaurant of the Year (by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy)

2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010
Michelin Star

2004
Award for Best Young Chef of the Year (by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy)

The hotel website is in English, Spanish, French and Catalan

*******************************
ENQUIRE NOW FOR MORE DETAILS OF THIS SUPERB COUNTRY HOTEL.

Please note all bookings are made direct with the hotel and with no agency or booking fees.

Samuel Johnson said,”Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. Sometimes I also think that about Spain but there is no doubting that Portugal has its own appeal and one place I can recommend is just over the border on the Algarve.

Monte do Casal is a beautiful old 18th century Country House Hotel offering a high degree of privacy
with an emphasis on comfort, personal service and first class food in a very special atmosphere of total
relaxation.

Monte do Casal is in a protected preservation area close to the ancient hill village of Estoi, yet only 15
minutes from the airport and 25 minutes from Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and the world famous golf
courses and beaches.

It has taken more than 25 years for Monte do Casal to evolve from an old manor house to become one of
the world’s classic small deluxe boutique five star hotels and a member of the prestigious and exclusive
‘Small Luxury Hotels of the World’
…… but the greatest endorsement is the sheer number of guests who return year after year.

Monte Monte do Casal is not grand and neither is it pretentious, but probably it is somewhere you have been searching for and most likely for some time’¦. Monte do Casal is ready for you to experience and enjoy. And hopefully, give you the best holiday in your life and one you will always treasure.

The lounge, with its traditional cane roof and eucalyptus beams, has extremely comfortable sofas with soft cushions and makes a perfect setting for afternoon tea or after dinner drinks in front of the open log fire. On the nearby mezzanine floor there are a complimentary computer with broadband internet facilities and a very adequate small library that has French Windows leading out to a private courtyard, set with chairs and tables. There is also a complimentary wireless broadband internet connection throughout the hotel, the pool area, the gardens and at the Villa.

To receive a guide to the hotel, to learn more about special offers and/or seek further information please complete the contact form

Please note all bookings are made direct with the hotel and with no agency or booking fees.

ENQUIRE NOW FOR MORE DETAILS OF THESE AMAZING OFFERS.

Please note all bookings are made direct with the hotel and with no agency or booking fees.

PLAY GOLF-2×1

Like golf and like saving money?

If you love playing golf in Spain and eating out, you’ve come to the right place. Golf Two 4 One is a club of avid golfers who use our combined strength of numbers to play more Spanish golf for less money.

Half the money in fact!

We also get loads of great two 4 one deals in over 100 superb restaurants, leading hotels and even on golf equipment and lessons!

We do this through or large and ever growing network of affiliated Spanish golf courses, restaurants and bars who reward our Two 4 One members with discounts on golf, meals, drinks and much more.

We have been established for several years and are the leading discount card in Spain so why not join us today and start saving.

Individual Membership: 1 person only 54 Euros

Our discount card costs just 54€ for a whole year and you can buy a card just for where you live or visit most, say the Costa del Sol or if you travel around a lot you could buy one for each region that they are available for in Spain, currently the Costa del Sol which would give you cheaper golf on the amazing Marbella golf courses for example or the Costa Blanca which includes the Costa Calida area around Murcia as well as around Alicante.

You can view the complete list of benefits by clicking here to find exactly how the card works.

Very simply though you can use each benefit on the card once, you simply choose the course or restaurant you want to go to, in the case of golf you contact the course direct, book your tee time and simply tell them you have a Golf Two 4 One card and two of you will be able to play for the price of one, simple.

Once you have used your benefit on a course or restaurant they will mark the card so they know you have already used that benefit.

We have so many great golf courses and literally once you played just one of the courses the card will have paid for itself and then you just have the great benefit of much cheaper Spanish golf and restaurants.

So join now and start saving on your Spanish golf costs today.

]]> http://thisisspain.info/costa-del-sol/golf-packages/feed 0 http://thisisspain.info/moving-to-spain/useful-spanish-phrases-to-secure-the-perfect-home http://thisisspain.info/moving-to-spain/useful-spanish-phrases-to-secure-the-perfect-home#comments Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:58:52 +0000 admin http://thisisspain.info/?page_id=2034 Useful Spanish Phrases To Secure The Perfect Home

Securing a perfect place to call home will be the number one objective for people who want to live in an Hispanic country for a period of time. Whether you’re going to be renting your home or buying the property, let’s have a selection of valuable Spanish phrases to help you obtain a dream place you can call home and immerse yourself in the fabulous Hispanic lifestyle!

Ok, first of all, you’re going to need to locate un agente de la propiedad inmobiliaria and ask them for details about the sorts of properties you’re interested in. Just say this helpful Spanish phrase:

Hola, me gustaría que diese información sobre los pisos/las casas en venta/alquiler – I’d like to have some information about apartments/houses to buy/to rent

More often than not, you’re going to be asked:

¿Qué busca usted? or: ¿Busca usted algo en particular?

Reply with the sort of property you’re interested in, por ejemplo:

Estaba buscando un piso/ático/una casa con al menos dos/tres habitaciones una de ellas de matrimonio, y con terraza o balcón – I’m interested in an apartment/a studio/a house containing no less than 2/3 bedrooms with one of them a double-room and with a terrace or balcony

Other key words you can include here are: A estenar – brand new, amueblado – furnished, con un ascensor – with a lift (and I make a point of always asking this if the piso is on the fourth floor or higher) and bien situado – good location. You could possibly furthermore come across this as bien comunicado in some agencies.

If they have a place that interests you and you’d like more details, merely ask:

¿Puede darme un folleto informativo? – Can you give me a brochure?

One thing that can cause confusion for non-native speakers regards the usage of two terms for the word “deposit”: Una entrada and Una fianza.

I think an example will describe this clearly:

¿Cuánto es la fianza del alquiler y cuál es la duración del contrato? – How much is the rent deposit and how long is the duration of the contract?

Para firmar las escrituras de la casa, es necesario dar una entrada del 20% y tener un aval bancario – In order to sign the deeds of the house, you are required to pay a 20% deposit and to possess a bank guarantee.

A pair of extra helpful Spanish phrases there: un aval bancario, a bank guarantee and las escrituras, the deeds. Let’s have several more really useful Spanish phrases you’re sure to come upon:

Soleados y amplios – Sunny and spacious. You’re bound to encounter this phrase even if the flat is too small for a mouse to live in!

Tiene humedades – If you see this be on your guard because your dream place has damp!

Calefacción general – If you’re looking for a flat, you need to be aware of this. This indicates that there is just one boiler servicing the whole building and it cannot be regulated by the tenants, all of whom will pay a share of the heating costs. A sensible move is to make certain the apartment has calefacción individual, so the heating remains under your control and you only pay for what you use.

To conclude, one more term in Spanish to be aware of as it can also confuse non-native speakers. When it comes to arranging payments for your new place, you’re very likely to encounter this on the agreement:

Se puede pagar por transferencia bancaria o solamente mediante talón

I’m certain you’ve got most of that Spanish phrase easily translated until you saw, talón which is the Spanish word for heel. This is where things become confusing! Paying by heel – what does that signify? Let’s end the confusion because it just denotes that you can make payments with checks, another canny useful Spanish expression to introduce to your ever-increasing Spanish vocabulary.

Barcelona-based Peter Christian is the author of “Streetwise Spanish”, a fun guide showing you how to speak Spanish with an authentic flair and you can add even more vibrant, useful Spanish phrases to your vocab by signing up for your free weekly Spanish tips only on the Streetwise Spanish website.

]]> http://thisisspain.info/moving-to-spain/useful-spanish-phrases-to-secure-the-perfect-home/feed 0 http://thisisspain.info/costa-del-sol/virtus-business-centre http://thisisspain.info/costa-del-sol/virtus-business-centre#comments Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:50:08 +0000 admin http://thisisspain.info/?page_id=2024 Virtus Business Centre, San Pedro De Alcántara

Virtus Business Centre offers 24/7 office space and virtual offices for the business professional.

We have instant office solutions with flexible terms and minimum up-front costs. Clients can focus on their businesses in our full service office setting. Whether you need full time offices or you work from home and need a part time office, Virtus has the trained, professional staff and the technology to meet your business demands.