King Juan Carlos delayed by plane problems on Middle East trip

It ain't exactly Airforce One it seems. King Juan Carlos of Spain was delayed after a visit to the Middle East on Wednesday, after the military Airbus A310 he was traveling in had engine problems. 

Apparently this is the fifth time there have been problems with Royal and/or Governmental air transportation in recent months.

King Juan Carlos  was on a business trip to the UAE and Kuwait at the time and was delayed for an hour due to an engine fault.

It isn't always the same plane causing the problems, however. The five similar incidents have involved the Airbus A310 as well as Falcon 900 planes which are regularly used to fly the blue bloods and various Spanish politicos around, all giving problems within last five months.

Queen Sofia experienced problems in late March after army pilots needed to make an unscheduled stop in the Dominican Republic due to an engine problem while returning from Guatemala.

In the same month, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was traveling back home from Dublin when the plane was forced to turn back with unspecified problems. He should have flown Ryanair (hey, apparently the UK's David Cameron did when flying to the Canary Islands on holiday recently, whoop-de-doo.).

Back in January, the plane carrying Crown Prince Felipe along with members of the Spanish Government had to divert to the Dominican Republic due to an oil leak.

It makes one wonder whether Rajoy's austerity measures have gone a tad too far and are now affecting Royal transportation, or possibly the Royal family has a secret yen for the Dominican Republic and all its delights?

Anyhow, according to the media the Ministry of Defence in Spain is planning a possible upgrade of the aircraft used to ferry members of Spain's top echelon around in the future. 

20 Minutos reported a couple of months back that the Airbus A310 was bought second-hand by former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, so definitely needs an upgrade, as he has been out of power for what, ten years now?

New Ibiza restaurant to be world's most expensive at €1,500 a head

If you are feeling "flush" on your vacation in Spain's party capital Ibiza this summer, you will be able to splash out on a truly exclusive meal at a mere 1,500 euros per person. That is around $2,075 for those of you in the U.S. of A.

If you are wondering what on earth you would get for this exorbitant fee, diners at the SubliMotion restaurant at the upcoming Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza in Spain's Balearic Islands will be treated to the very latest in “avant-garde gastronomy” in a literal "theater to the senses."

 The restaurant, opening on June 1, will be in the tender, expert hands of Paco Roncero, a master chef with two Michelin stars and three Repsol Suns under his belt, previously at "La Terraza del Casino de Madrid."

You will be in limited company, as SubliMotion only serves 12 guests per night. You and the other 11 guests can indulge in a "gastro-sensory" spectacle which includes not only excellent gourmet dishes, but also lights, sounds and levitating dinner plates. A unique experience that "transcends dining."

Of course there is also "location, location, location," as the restaurant will be found at Ibiza’s emblematic Playa d’en Bossa.

While the language is Spanish, the video below shows the planning stages of the restaurant. Introduced by Paco Roncero, it gives an idea of the decor and special effects that will be used, all backed by beautiful music from the music collective (and beach bar), Cafe del Mar (the "head office" of which is also in Ibiza incidentally).

Of interest is the fact that Spain already has the best restaurant in the world, after the prestigious UK magazine Restaurant gave the award to the Celler de Can Roca restaurant in Girona.

There is also Spain's most exclusive restaurant in Barcelona, which only serves one group per night. Mercès One offers a unique experience whereby guests can choose not only the cuisine, but also the decor to go along with it.

By the way, if SubliMotion is a tad too expensive for your tastes, the hotel is also offering a branch of the famous Estado Puro restaurants (Pure State), which already has two locations in Madrid. This restaurant will offer creative cuisine at more affordable prices and can seat up to 300 diners.

Oh yes, and if "party capital of the world" sounds a bit too hectic for your vacation, while the capital city on the island of Ibiza is famous for its incredible dining and nightlife, the island does also offer beautiful and traditional rural landscapes and villages for your more peaceful pleasure, all within easy driving distance of Ibiza city.

Videos of SubliMotion:


 


Sublimotion 3d from Sublimotion on Vimeo.


Original article by Anne Sewell

Previously unseen Gaudí stained glass windows found outside Barcelona

In a stunning discovery, two stained glass windows, made in the distinctive style of Antoni Gaudí, have been found hidden away in a chapel outside Barcelona.

Gaudí, famous for his modernism and many beautiful works all over Barcelona, including the emblematic Temple de la Sagrada Familia has two more masterpieces, which have been hidden away for decades.

During an inventory by the Institute of Catalan Studies, they unearthed two beautiful pieces. One is an immaculate rose window containing imagery similar to the Masonic ‘all-seeing eye’ placed against a hand.

The other masterpiece depicts a sword-clenching archangel on a beautifully ornate stained glass window, 75 x 25 cm (30" x 10") in size.

According to the rector of the chapel where they were found, they had been hidden away.  Until the Institute of Catalan Studies found them, he had no idea his predecessor had ordered the pieces from Gaudí himself.

Source

Man signs up as organ donor, shoots himself in the head

It happened at the University Hospital La Fe in Valencia, Spain on Monday morning. A 50-year-old man walked into the transplant unit with a revolver concealed under his belt. He approached two nurses and told them he wished to donate blood. He then asked for forms with which to be signed up as an organ donor.... read more