Summer Day

Is there anything better than a day out on the green with a good book and a nap?

There's are my friends doggies. They were trained to be guide dogs. Unfortunately the black doggie didn't do so well. He has a learning disability. 

Dogs love toys!

Labour Protest - the not so glamourous side of Barcelona

I'm all for peaceful protest but no protest here in Barcelona is every civil. There is always broken glass, fires,  graffiti and more. This particular day was to protest the changes to the labour reform law passed by Zapatero last June reducing the severance pay from 45 days for every year worked to 35 days. The retirement age was also changed from 65 to 67. The thought behind this was to encourage more jobs in the economy as the old system proved that employers were scared to fire long time employees for whatever reason (effectiveness, incompetency or whatever), because the employer would be subject to pay a high severance. Once the recession hit employers were also not willing to hire new employees. If they did they offered short term contracts to avoid any severance pay issues, leaving the youth with no social security or protection. Of course the view of the labour movements is that this law benefits the employer and not the employees. This was a decision by the Spanish government to reduce the high unemployment rate. So I ask...how does a labour strike affect the economy of a country in the middle of a recession with a 20% unemployment rate and a 40% unemployment rate among youth and the highest unemployment rate in the euro zone?

Read more about the labour reform here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10385834

Autumn Sunsets

Sunset from the rooftop of the Barcelo Raval Hotel. Looking in the direction of Placa Espanya.

Alley

Quiet street in the neighbourhood of El Borne

Olivella Porn House

Fake grass with buddha statues in a porn house. This was our weekend in the small town of Olivella (15minutes from Sitges) in a very modern fabricated house. We called it 'The White House'. Everything was white. The outside, the inside, the walls, the furniture, the towels...you name it...white. It turned out to be a very rainy weekend so it felt like being trapped in the big brother house. After three days of channel surfing with Digital + I wondered how it was possible that with 300 channels we still couldn't find something we liked. I guess nothing is quite like a good book on a rainy day with a glass of wine, watching the fire. Oh I guess you're wondering about the porn house. We were told that this house gets rented out for porn filming.  Then we met the owners and hmm they look like porn stars. Looks like a family affair. *insert dramatic music*

Love is in the air...

More AIx

'Support the forest industry. Take as many napkins as you want' - Cafe at Vancouver Art Gallery

French Country

The pool at my friends house in Aix-en-Provence

My friends mom's office.  What a beautiful space to work. I took this photo because of the art work on the wall. Fanny is short form for Stephanie in French but in England it is known to be something vulgar; a woman's privates. 

The French Touch

Saint-Remy de Provence

This is love...

Montpellier, France

   

Hogwarts for Medic students.         

South of France

I was in desperate need of a mini break from work and stress so I decided to visit my friend in the South of France...

Arc de Triomphe in Montpellier