The worm has turned. An unbelievably poor Real Madrid has finally lost. Almeria were winning 2-0 at home when I left with 5 minutes to go. All we have to do is secure three points tomorrow night against Osasuna. Barcelona is quietly optimistic tonight.

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Population: 2.016

The name of this town is said to come from the arabic Al-munia meaning fortress and it has a mosque from the 10th century situated amongst within the ruins of a castle. In the heart of the Sierra it offers spectacular panoramic views of the area and is ideal for nature lovers who can from here start various walking trails including one that leads up St. Christophers Hill, which is one of the highest points in the Sierra.

Population: 20,323

Isla Cristina is an important fishing port in Huelva as well as being a popular tourist resort, with 12 kilometres of white sandy beaches and a popular location for a variety of water sports. Many of the beaches are backed by pine forests and the Isla Cristina Salt Marshes are designated an area of outstanding natural beauty, home to a variety of birds including flamingoes.

Excellent website that lets you translate web pages by hovering over the word. Click to hear the pronunciation, save it to your vocabulary list, create flash cards and more.

Population: 18.636

Ayamonte is picturesque town situated at the westernmost point of Andalucia, on the Guadiana River which borders Portugal. Increasingly popular with tourists and investors alike, Ayamonte centre has a large pedestrianised area filled with boutiques, shops and café bars.

Lanzarote may well be Spanish sovereign territory. But this little speck of Spain lies just 70 miles off the coast of Africa - on the same southerly latitude as Florida and parts of Mexico. A privileged position that bestows a clement year round climate – where temperatures rarely fall below 20c even in the depths of winter. Creating a magnet for sun starved Northern Europeans and a year round demand for apartments and holiday villas in Lanzarote.

“The opera is a bit like sex: you never know how long it will last and you’ll feel a fool if you clap in the middle.” I don’t recall who coined these words, it was probably Mark Twain he had a way with a scurrilous comment and is attributed for all sorts of funnies, but I had no idea what he meant until last week.

Every now and again I pat myself on the back for having relaxed so much since coming to Spain.  No longer do I get a nervous twitch when having to wait 20 minutes at the bank while they discuss their life history instead of getting on with their transactions; if someone turns up late then I only start to get slighty irritated after they are more than an hour late as I would be shocked if they turned up on time.

But every now and again.....

Just on my way down to see how Barça get on against Athletic in San Mamés. I must admit that it's hard to feel enthusiastic about things at the moment - everything depends on the result of the Real Madrid-Villarreal game at 9 o'clock.

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