Sometime it seems the moors in Andalucia nearly blotted out the splendor of Ancient Rome in the south of Spain. Today it's easy to find moorish temples intact in busy city centres and see the influence of moorish art even in modern ceramics, while Roman culture still depends heavily on archeologists to uncover the dust and piece the mosaics back together.
Andalucia's most endangered citizens, the Iberian Lynx, are not without their staunch supporters. In fact, mid-November saw 200 experts from various countries meeting in Huelva to discuss the situation of this valued native to the Penninsula. Thanks to work by governments and activists, the Iberian Lynx has managed to reproduce successfully in captivity and now we're ready for the next step - release into the wild as of 2009.
Fasten your seat belts and keep your eyes fixed to the road. The Traffic department is starting a new campaign today which runs through the 25th of November. As is the custom, the Dirección General de Tráfico has chosen a single topic to emphasise in order to raise public awareness and this time the theme of choice is "Distraction" - with a capital D.
The World Travel Market fair in London runs from November 10 to 13 and has Andalucia running wild through the streets and metro and airports of London. In fact, our regional government is lavishing two million euros on an advertising campaign that will greet visitors at both Heathrow and Gatwick, travel with them through the city's metro line and continue to join them as they make their way throughout the streets of the capital, even into the heart of Picadilly.
Now here's something new for you. How about a little water chess? Playing chess in the water, however, is not exactly new. The 2008 Water Chess tournament that is taking place this month at participating Arab Baths in Granada, Cordoba and Madrid represents an attempt to re-live part of Spain's historical past.