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Stargazing

Whether you have a keen interest in astronomy or just feel like doing something a little different, the Parc Astronòmic Montsec (or PAM for short) is well worth a visit.

Located about an hour’s drive north of the city of Lleida (approx. 3hrs from La Costa Brava) PAM can be visited both by day and by night. The conditions for stargazing are so outstanding here that it has even been classified as a “Starlight Reserve” endorsed by UNESCO. Apart from the obvious gazing at the stars, planets and nebulae at night time, our own star, the sun, can be observed on day visits and there is also an explanatory film shown, in case you’re not an expert! Guests can learn about all the different equipment at the observatory and there is also an exhibition devoted to the protection of nightlife against light pollution. The mobile dome measures 12 metres in diameter and is completely retractable Entry fees range from €7 to €10.50, depending on the time of your visit and you can check the opening hours on their website.

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Tap Water

A question often asked by foreigners coming to Spain is “Can I drink the tap water?” The simple answer is yes, you can! Between 1986 and 2008 Spain received €21 billion in EU funding for water infrastructure. Today they have some of the most advanced public water filtrations and wastewater management solutions in the world. Tap water in Spain complies with international water quality standards, but there may be issues such as taste, chlorine by-products, microplastics and local pipe contaminants. If you are concerned about any of these you could buy yourself a water filter, and this has the added advantage of saving you money in the long run compared to buying bottled water – and of course, it will help reduce the amount of plastic waste you produce too.

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Driving in Spain

This blog is intended to give you a quick overview of a few of the issues you might face around driving in Spain if you are a European citizen.

Driving licences
Let’s start with the basics… To drive a car in Spain you must be at least 18 years old and the same goes for a motorbike over 125cc. At 15 you can drive a motorbike up to 50cc and this increases to 125cc when you turn 16. If you are a citizen of a European Union country your licence from your home country will be recognised in Spain. (If you happen to be from the USA your licence may also be recognised, depending on what state it is from.)

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