This might seem like a gimmick, but I assure you it's actually happening. The depressed state of the Spanish housing market means that many developers and some private home owners are now offering rent to buy schemes to entice buyers to enter contracts now, instead of holding out till the market recovers.

Here's how it works. The buyer and seller agree a time period for the contract, anywhere from a year to five years. The is a contract for sale, and is binding on both parties to complete the contract within the specified time period.

The buyer pays a deposit, typically 5-10% of the sale price, and this goes directly to the seller. It isn't held in trust, though legally it is a deposit so being a deposit should be refundable in the event the contract fails.

Then, for the duration of the contract the buyer pays a monthly rent that both parties agree to. This could be a fair market rent, or some other value, perhaps a nominal fee, or a higher than normal fee. The rent is not dead money, every payment is deducted from the sales price, so could be considered similar to a mortgage payment.

At the end of the contracted period, a balloon payment is required to complete the purchase. Typically this will be paid by the buyer's bank after they've successfully obtained finance.

Sounds good right? There are a couple of gotchas, and I think anyone entering a rent to buy agreement needs to be aware of these. First, the deposit goes directly to the seller, and isn't held in trust. Real estate agents might try to convince you this is normal and that the seller is taking all the risk.

My opinion is that the seller holds all the power, if they have your deposit, and they own the property, well anything that goes wrong could affect the financial well being of the buyer.

Secondly, a contract of this nature is likely to be taken up by two types of buyer. Those who are desperate and don't have access to finance now, and those who see this is a great from of bridging finance whilst they arrange finance or sell another property. In both cases, I believe there is a danger that they might be too quick to sign without properly reviewing what they are getting.

In particular, I would always encourage treating this as a full contract for sale and purchase, and any responsible person would have the property inspected and valued, boundaries checked, access rights determined etc. Sadly, I've heard of instances of boundaries being changed in rent to buy agreements after the contract was signed, and the buyer then having to undertake legal action to protect their investment.

On the plus side, this is a great way to purchase a property, and be in a position to make modifications, or redecorate, and all with the advantage that finance arrangements can be delayed until the economy strengthens again.

For some reason, the next month or two, my calendar is filled with birthdays, and of course many of them are nieces, nephews, children of friends, I think the age old adage of the spring time or summer time babies is manifesting itself, and I'm going to have to pay for it.

Toys are something I have very little knowledge of. I know what I used to play with when I was younger, but these days I see kids with toys that are completely different, I used to play with realistic action figures, now they play with aliens or dinosaurs.

The sad thing is that even though I see kids in the streets playing with these sorts of toys, and TV bombards you with commercials for toys before 9pm, I still have no idea what they are. And if I remember correctly, when I was a kid, we would imagine our toys being different. Let me give you an example, I was the only kid with a Ferrari miniature car, so I always got to play Magnum PI, even though my Ferrari was green.

So that makes sense doesn't it? the problem is I'm sure kids these days probably do something similar so it shouldn't be too hard to find toys for them, should it? Ah, you see that's where I think the thinking is flawed, I don't think kids actually play like we used to anymore.

My local toy shop is pretty woeful, all of the toys they stock are cheap, plasticy things that might cost a fortune but I'm sure will break after a few days. I'm not prepared to pay a small fortune for something that is going to break, so I tend to look for more solid toys from established brands, Cheapo Toy Factory of China is not my idea of a good brand.

But now I'm in uncharted territory again, many of the brands I knew as a child have changed or disappeared. The solution is Internet shopping, like so many things in life, online toy shops let you check out all the best brands, you can browse without being hassled, and then just to make even easier, pay online and have the toys delivered directly to the place it needs to go.

When I first heard about the election protests in Iran I don't think I believed they would last. Perhaps they'd be put down harshly, perhaps they'd go home of their own free accord, but now, well now I think things have gone too far for anyone to imagine this isn't a revolution in the making.

Millions of people have filled the streets of Tehran and other major cities, the army has stood to the side and not attacked the protesters, we're hearing of secret policemen going AWOL and being welcomed by the protesters, who throughout it all have maintained a peaceful silent protest.

My God, I haven't felt this way since the Berlin wall came down, or Ceaucescu was felled, or the streets of the Ukraine filled with people demanding freedom. Iran has all the makings of being the first Middle Eastern country to throw off the shackles of tyranny and join the free world.

People all over the Twitterverse are changing their avatar to green, the Iranian football team runs onto the field in South Korea wearing green wristbands, even here in Spain I see some school students wearing green wristbands. This is the big event of 2009, perhaps even bigger than Obama's election win.

Imagine, an Iran that truly works with the rest of the world to bring about peace, instead of an Iran that blocks and hampers every effort. If this goes all the way to full revolution, we could literally see one of the largest muslim countries stand up and lead the Middle East in a direction it has never been before.

I hope the protests in Iran succeed, and I hope they set an example for people in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Libya, and anywhere else living under tyranny, it doesn't have to be that way. Freedom is possible. You don't have to become carbon copies of the west, I'm sure you can create your own freedoms more suitable to your cultural background, but at least Iranians are standing up and saying they want their voice to be heard.

This is a political post, I don't often like doing this, but the situation in Iran is delicate and on Twitter I'm seeing genuine heroes in Iran having their message diluted through well meaning westerners getting caught up in the excitement of helping Iranians as they protest over the 'stolen election'. Please read the cyberwar guide for beginners.

Good Luck Iran!

There are so many different ways to learn Spanish these days, that almost every learning type is supported, from joining a class, to reading books, watching videos, or downloading podcasts, and learning spanish online for free is becoming easier by the day as academies rush to provide sampler lessons to encourage students to join their programs.

I'm lucky to be living in Spain, and to organize intercambio sessions with Spaniards who are also learning English, but I know a lot of people I've met in Spanish forums who don't live in a Spanish speaking country, and online intercambio just doesn't have the same appeal for them.

The first step to learning Spanish has got to be coming to grips with some simple Spanish grammar exercises, knowing that each verb had multiple varieties depending on the context and who is being addressed.

Here's a simple example, I have a cellphone; Yo tengo un movil. You have a cellphone; Tu tienes un movil. Notice how the verb changes, and it gets worse, the verb to have, is 'tener' in Spanish. Not only does the verb change for the person being addressed, it also changes for tense. If I wanted to say that I used to have a cellphone, I'd say Yo tenía un movil.

What I'm getting at is that English grammar is usually pretty straight forward. Our verbs only change slightly, perhaps we add an s to the end, lets forget about English irregular verbs for now, and we'll conveniently ignore the fact that tener is a Spanish irregular verb, it doesn't really affect this example, yet knowing how to use tener properly is incredibly useful.

Here is a breakdown of the verb tener;
Present tense
Yo tengo - I have
Tu tienes - you have
el/ella tiene - he/she has
nosotros tenemos - we have
vosotros tenéis - you (pl) have
ellos tienen - they have

Simple past tense
Yo tuve - I had
Tu tuviste - you had
el/ella tuvo - he/she had
nosotros tuvimos - we had
vosotros tuvisteis - you (pl) had
ells tuvieron - they had

Imperfect past tense
Yo tenía - I used to have
tu tenías - you used to have
el/ella tenía - he/she used to have
nosotros teníamos - we used to have
vosotros teníais - you (pl) used to have
ellos tenían - they used to have

Future tense
Yo tendré - I will have
tu Tendrás - you will have
el/ella tendrá - he/she will have
nosotros tendremos - we will have
vosotros tendréis - you (pl) will have
ellos tendrán - they will have

This morning I was treated to coffee at one of the oldest hotels in Ronda, the Reina Victoria, which is one of the Husa group's 5 star hotels in Spain. We sat on the terrace overlooking the tajo gorge, completely alone and in the shade, but looking out over the most incredible site, the sun kissing the hills as it rose on the other side of the valley.

I had no idea I was going to have coffee in the hotel cafeteria, the person I was meeting however is tired of the same place we always go, and she really wanted a break. The Reina Victoria (Queen Victoria Hotel to English speakers) has been home to some of Spain's most illustrious visitors, and despite her age is holding up well.

The hotel is well over 100 years old, but I think the staff take care to preserve that old world charm that must have captivated nobility of the early 20th century. The various lounges look dated, but in a luxurious way rather than a dowdy way.

The terrace was of course our reason for visiting, sure we enjoyed the coffee, even if it was a little bit more expensive than we would normally pay, yet the view made up the difference. As you'd expect from a hotel on the edge of Ronda's Tajo Gorge, the terrace looks down into the cauldron, and across to the Virgen de la Cabeza cave church, an old Spanish church.

Being one of Spain's 5 star hotels, you can expect the location to be perfect, far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but close enough to still be part of what's happening if you want it. I'm not saying I'd recommend the hotel for guests, I haven't seen the rooms or the quality of service or the food prepared in the restaurant, but for having a coffee on a lazy morning it's perfect.

One of the things I love about living in Europe is the huge number of churches, and here in Ronda we have several old Spanish churches that date back to the early 1500s, and one that goes back to the 9th century. I'm not especially religious but there is a sense of peace that comes from going into an old church, and just opening your heart to whatever you experience.

The biggest church in Ronda, Santa Maria de la Mayor is one of these churches that fills me with awe whenever I go into it. At first glance it doesn't appear very spectacular, certainly the outside is a bit of a disappointment, several styles of construction seem to compete for attention.

Entering is a different matter though, and transforms this otherwise awkward looking building into a place of peace and harmony, not a sound from outside enters, and if you close your eyes you really could imagine being in the presence of a higher power. Personally I sit somewhere out of the way, and just enjoy the cold, the kind of cold banishes the harsh sun outside to another season.

Old Spanish churches are quite unique I think, all are Catholic, and all include numerous icons that are carried through the streets during any major Christian festival such as Semana Santa, Corpus Christi, or the town's saint's day. Santa Maria in Ronda, being the largest church, tends to be the start or end destination for many of these Spanish processions.

However the thing I like most in an old Spanish church is the windows, those stained glass masterpieces of art that I'd love to have in my own home, high up where they can be appreciated without seeing the imperfections. The photo below is just one of the many stained glass windows in Ronda's Santa Maria church.

A really good friend of mine has asked me to accompany him on a trip to see the wonders of Egypt next year, which sounds like a fantastic trip, but is more than just a tourist trap, it is also a spiritual holiday to experience local mysticism.

I've always been wanting to visit Egypt, and I guess I'm lucky to be given the chance to go with a friend, and we'll both feel more comfortable traveling with like minded people without the pressures of having to be discreet about our lifestyle choices, at least not when we're away from public gaze.

A gay travel holiday is of course the obvious answer, and it certainly isn't a new innovation, a tour bus of gay men was shown in the Diane Lane film "Under a Tuscan Sun", although I thought the stereotype of the soft feminine gay man was taken a bit far.

The Egypt trip is scheduled for May 2010, giving me plenty of time to budget, and I hope, to get to know Spirit Journeys, the company that organizes the tours. Part of the attraction for this tour, and I guess the company, is the emphasis on getting to know local customs on a spiritual or metaphysical level, I mean indigenous people often have a deeper understanding of the universe, and I can't think of a better way to get to know the ancient Egyptians.

If my writing business continues the way it is going at present, then a trip to Peru to experience the ancient Mayan society and see Machu Picchu might very well be on the cards for the following year. A gay spiritual holiday in the Andes sounds perfect, good company, good vibes, and I suppose a great holiday.

Living in Spain I have a vested interest in learning Spanish, and you'd think the need would override the desire, after all, most Spaniards only speak a little English. In fact I want to learn Spanish, because I love living here, and I love spanish culture, and I love Spanish music, I'm even getting used to flamenco and copla.

Of course living in Spain there are still some things I don't like, bullfighting doesn't thrill me, copla doesn't excite me, and some traditional Spanish foods don't agree with me. Yet despite these dislikes, Spain remains one of the most exciting countries I've ever lived in.

Learning Spanish is difficult, especially for those of us who come from the English speaking world where very few of us ever learn anything more than the most basic grammar. Unfortunately Spanish grammar is very different from English, which makes Spanish a difficult language for an adult second language learner to grasp.

I'm lucky that living in Ronda exposes me to a city full of Spanish natives, and luckier still to know a few people who are polyglots and can communicate with me in my own language when I struggle to use Spanish. I keep telling them I want to learn Spanish, and now I have a regular meeting with some native Spaniard friends where we talk only Spanish. I is really helping a lot.

Apart from grammar, my vocabulary isn't strong, so today I'm going to buy a pad of post it notes, then write the Spanish word for everything in the house, well, at least for the most common things that come up in conversation, and then I'll attach these to the items. Hopefully this will give me a visual cue every time I look at things, perhaps that will be enough to build some basic vocabulary.

There is a very important lesson here though, despite the difficulty, if you want to learn Spanish it can be done, I just wish more foreigners living in Spain would make an effort. My Spanish friends are all great people, so genuine, so down to earth, and so welcoming.

Regular readers to this site will know I have in the past dabbled in web design, SEO, and of course travel. By a happy coincidence this has made me an expert in tourism websites for Spain. Finding a good tourism website is often difficult, especially here in Spain where many Spaniards aren't familiar with writing in English.

As a native English speaker I appreciate well written guides that tell me what to expect when I arrive at my destination, for example if I'm going to Barcelona, I know about the Ramblas and Gaudi's incomplete cathedral, but what else is there to do within the same area that is going to capture my imagination.

History and culture are important to me, I'm not satisfied with a brief two minute explanation of the facts, I research places I visit before I get there, so Spain tourism websites need to give me a fully researched article that gets me excited about seeing the city or it's monuments in person.

Once I reach my holiday destination I'm happy to see brief descriptions on plaques, perhaps even on the free maps handed out by tourism offices, at least by then I already know what I'm looking at. Sevilla is a case in point; the Torre del Oro has always fascinated me, more so than the Alcazar or Giralda tower. Consequently I'd read all about it, and I knew why it is now white, and not gold as it was in Moorish times.

Sadly most tourism websites for Spain don't seem to provide this depth of information, and it is rare to find a webmaster who even cares, mostly they just seem to want to encourage their site visitors to book car hire or a hotel reservation.

Even more annoying, many of the official tourism websites are put together as a last minute thought, mostly tacked onto the town hall website, so the quality of information is abysmal. Often a really good source of detailed tourist info can be found at a local hotel or country finca, at least the owners of these have a vested interest in attracting your business.