Speaking Spanish – Body Parts
One of my most upsetting and frustrating experiences since moving to Lanzarote was when I needed to go to the hospital. Although I could vaguely converse in general terms… I had no clue about body parts, symptoms or related Spanish words. The reception staff, porters amd triage were fortunately very patient with me… and all was going well until I saw a female doctor who was obviously having a bad day. She was brutal to say the least.
To save you going through the same experience… here are a list of Spanish words that you may find useful Continue reading
Funerals in Lanzarote
A sad subject I know, but the question “what to do if someone dies in Lanzarote” is one that we should all be prepared for.
If somebody dies in Lanzarote, then this must be registered here straight away. If this is on a holiday, then contact your Tour Operator direct, as they should take care of all the first lot of arrangements for you. They should have staff that speak the lingo and can contact the local police and / or the consulate. They cannot however, help beyond the preliminaries… and so it is important that you speak to the experts (links below)
If the person is in a hospital, the staff there can help advise you… but sometimes the language barrier can be daunting, and in upsetting circumstances such as these… then you want things to be a stressfree as possible. Bear in mind that the hospital will expect you to contact a funeral director almost immediately.
If the death is a sudden one, you must contact the local Hospital immediately. If it is under suspicious circumstances, then you must contact the Police straight away.
If you wish to have your loved one flown back to the UK and Ireland, then you must contact the Consulate immediately.
We highly recommend using the services of Lanzarote Funeral Care, as they have extremely strong links with the Consulate, the Police, and other official organisations… and can help you immensely. They can organise memorial services, cremations, burial, the contact of your friends and family, and much more. For peace of mind, we highly advise you to contact them as soon as possible in these sad circumstances.
For flowers, we will always recommend using the lovely Glynis from Flowers by Serenity.
Our thoughts will always be with you and your loved ones at such sad times.
Non Resident Income Tax (Property Tax) Due soon!
The 2009 non resident tax, officially called non resident income tax and referred to by many as property tax, to be paid by owners of property in Spain but non residents in this country (Spain) should be paid before the 31/12/2010.
Thanks to the lovely Ben Simkins for this reminder for those of you that own property in Lanzarote, but that are non-resident. Don’t be late!
If you need a hand in submitting your papers, then don’t hesitate to contact Ben via his website “Taxes Online“, and he can do this all online for you for the very low fee of only €49!!
Remember that we recommend Ben because we use him ourselves, and trust him to look after our financial and legal business. We recieve NO financial incentive for recommending him on this blog.
Elle xx
Back to the gym!
Given the walk I’m planning on doing in February which Elle has already mentioned, I joined the Princess Yaiza gym in Playa Blanca. Continue reading
Alan is on a mission
Some of you may have already heard… but Alan is planning to walk the length of Lanzarote, from Orzola to Playa Blanca on 4th February 2011.
Alan is a solitary creature, and had been planning this solo walk pretty much since we arrived a few years back… although his motivation needed a little help, as there is always something else to do instead.
So… to help him on his way, and to help him do it… he decided that it would be a great idea to raise a little money for charity too. This gives him the extra push needed to make sure it happens.
For more information, and to find out how you can help… have a look at this post from his personal blog: 4th February 2011
He’s a braver person than I! I love to walk, as you will know if you follow this site… but 73 kilometres is a long way! I’ll be cheering him on from behind my PC… and providing updates, photos and videos from his journey so you can all see how he’s getting along.
Yesterday he hit the gym for the first time in quite a while, and you can find out how he got on here: First day at the gym…
Elle xx
Gym in Playa Blanca
We are often asked by people to recommend a gym in Playa Blanca that either they can use… or to recommend for visitors.
Unfortunately, Alan and I are not currently tremendously fit – but recently we have made the decision to buff ourselves up a little, and head down for some quality exercise.
So… with this in mind, we will be reporting back in a while about the Playa Blanca gym we will be using, the facilities available, and the prices for residents as well as visitors.
Wish us luck! By posting this… we can’t be a lazy pair and back out. Oh, and there won’t be any sweaty photos I’m afraid – red faces aren’t a good look!
Arrecife Crematorium, Lanzarote
I sadly had reason to visit the crematorium in Lanzarote today – and lots of people were asking beforehand how to get there. So I’ve just popped some directions and a map to the Arrecife crematorium on here for you. We hope that you find them useful.
- Coming from the Puerto del Carmen / Tías / Playa Blanca direction, head along the circunvalacion towards Arrecife.
- Take the filter lane on the left that takes you towards Costa Teguise.
- Turn right towards Arrecife, via the turning that would take you to Eurospar and Informatica.
- As you get to the roundabout just before Eurospar, turn right into Calle Mosta
- Just after the kiddies playground, turn right again into Calle Mina
- Carry on up the road and turn left over the bridge into Carreterra al Cementerio
- You will see the Crematorium further up there with plenty of parking on the left.
Here is a map to Arrecife Crematorium to make life a little simpler.
Renewing Your UK Passport in Lanzarote
This page explains how you can renew your passport in Lanzarote. Please note, if you are applying to replace a lost or stolen passport, you need to visit the replacing a lost/stolen passport in Lanzarote page on this site for specific information related to that. Continue reading
Replacing a lost or stolen UK passport in Lanzarote
What should you do if your passport has been lost or stolen in Lanzarote? Continue reading
Discounted holidays for retirees in Lanzarote
The government in Spain works in conjunction with Imserso to provide discounted holidays for retired Spanish residents. Lanzarote in particular enjoys the company of many older persons – and we see many here on the island. Continue reading
Recent Comments