Valencia is currently hosting an array of artwork from one of the region’s leading artists – Joaquin Sorolla.

Presented free to the public at investment bank Bancaja’s Centro Cultural, the Valencian exhibition is making 14 of the maestro’s paintings available to Spanish audiences for the first time.

 
Having undergone a journey from New York to Spain’s third city, Sorolla’s paintings are seen as typically Spanish, capturing turn-of-the-century life and its people under the native Spanish sun.

Remeaining on exhibition until the end of March 2008, the 14 canvasses include scenes from the Holy Week in Seville, as well as images of tuna fishing at Ayamonte and the famous Elche palm grove.

The exhibit also contains a photography section showing how restoration has been carried out on the work of the popular artists – who left many of his paintings to the Spanish public on his death.

As well as providing an array of property across Spanish coastal regions, the Bancaja group – boosted by its new cultural centre – holds a wide range of Spanish artistic works, ranging from painting to sculpture.

It is no secret that many Brits are in love with Spain, but the country and other Mediterranean hotspots have become prime locations for Brits to honeymoon with the one they love.

Marriage information site Hitched.co.uk said that with people looking for secluded spots and "long white sandy beaches" when they have tied the knot, many honeymoons were being taken far from the UK – but not so far that travel became complex.

According to the Daily Telegraph, UK couples spend an average of about £3,000 on their honeymoon, and an average of £205 on a first-night hotel, but despite increasingly adventurous plans, Hitched.co.uk claimed that not all wished to blow it on expensive travel.

Francesca Moore, a spokesperson from Hitched.co.uk said: "People are getting more adventurous now as well, and people have active honeymoons as well.

"Mediterranean honeymoons are very popular because they’re not so far to travel, the flights are only two hours, and usually couples don’t want to travel for too long."

Recent indications have shown that a top Mediterranean location like Spain is not just a favourite for honeymoons, but also for marriages – with a reported increase in the number of British and Irish couples opting for the Costa del Sol’s sandy beaches for their dream wedding.

Spain could now become the prime location for green-conscious property investors, as ex-US president Bill Clinton gave the country’s environmental agenda his full backing.

With home design, water management systems and public areas all coming under increasing green scrutiny, Mr Clinton said that the future was bright for Spain, which was reconciling high economic growth with greenhouse gas reductions and sustainable planning.

The former president’s comments came at Madrid’s Moncloa palace, where Mr Clinton agreed to advise Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on environmental matters, with Spain pledging support to Clinton’s Global Initiative in exchange.

Mr Clinton said: "Over the last few years Spain’s economy has grown by 3.8 per cent, because three million jobs have been created and because there has been a four per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

"The terms of the Millennium Development Targets are being fully met. The world’s most advanced countries are supposed to invest 0.7 per cent of GDP to developments projects, and Spain is doing it!"

The Spanish government has looked to put environmental matters in the spotlight, with Zaragoza-based exhibitions next year set to target water and sustainable development issues.

Hot climates like Spain’s are likely to face future challenges from global warming, with sustainable Spanish planning likely to equip existing and new housing with the necessary means for adapting to change.

Valencia’s growing appeal as a prime location for real estate and for important international events could soon be boosted as the city bids to host another important sporting event.

Hopes are now high that Spain’s third city will host the Champions League final in 2011, after a Uefa delegation conducted a full review of the city’s suitability for one of football’s biggest events.

A new premium was placed on property in Valencia in recent months as the interest of sports enthusiasts was aroused by the Formula One decision to hold a circuit in the city from 2008.

But the likes of Lewis Hamilton could be accompanied on their Valencian visits by Europe’s top football stars – as city representatives claimed that the Uefa visit helped to show the strength of Valencia’s claim.

Competition for the honour of hosting the event will be stiff, with London’s Wembley Stadium, Berlin’s Olympiastadion, and fellow Spanish location, Real Madrid’s Bernabeu, also in the running,

But Valencia’s famous Mestalla stadium is a strong contender, located at a close distance to the city centre and served by metro links, while the city’s airport is well connected by various budget airline routes.

A piece of classic public property in the Costa del Sol is being revamped - to the benefit of local heritage and young people in the area.

Marbella’s old Hospital San Juan de Dios is the subject of major refurbishment work, with plans from the local mayor putting a high premium on the historic Costa del Sol building and declaring that it will be fit for ‘cultural use’ by 2011.

Refurbishment work on the Marbella site was delayed for years as local authorities stalled, but now plans to make the most of the building are also providing opportunities for local youth groups.

The Junta de Andalucía local employment workshop has been entrusted with responsibility for the building, looking to renovate it with around 50 apprentice workers.

With a reported budget of around €1 million (£700,000), the workshop group will look to renovate the building over a two year period, providing invaluable experience to the 16-25 year olds taking part in the project.

A renovated Hospital San Juan de Dios put to cultural use will add to Marbella’s prime residential real estate, making it a yet more desirable part of the Costa del Sol to live in.

Despite the massive popularity of Costa del Sol resort towns like Marbella, real estate advisors have claimed that top bargains can still be struck on beachside properties.

Information portal Easier.com said that beachfront apartments and villas with “uninterrupted golf views” could be found in close proximity to Marbella for prices below €400,000 (£286,000).

Explaining what could be snatched up for the reasonable price tag, Easier.com said that two bedroom two bathroom properties with access to leisure facilities like swimming pools and putting greens were still a real bargain possibility.

The site highlighted the bargain value of property in the highly sought-after Estepona area of the Costa del Sol, to the west of Malaga and Marbella – expounding the myth that beachfront property in top locations came only at a high price.

Beachfront houses with close proximity to golf courses are some of the most sought-after in Spain, with southern areas like the Costa del Sol boasting world famous golfing sites like the Valderrama course, host of the Ryder Cup in 1997.

Costa Blanca transport links could gain dramatically as plans are forwarded for a new inland road to relieve coastal traffic strains.

Regional government bodies in Callosa have released a report which proposed a new inland route for the N-332 road, running between Calpe and San Juan, via towns like Nucia and Polop de la Marina.

Now given the seal of approval by local labour business group, the Asociacion de Empresarios y Promotores de Benidorm y Comarca, the plans envisage crossing the mountainous Sierra de Bernia area by tunnelling below.

Callosa mayor, Bautista Saval, has urged the Generalitat to take on the plans, claiming that the plans would not be costly – and would greatly relieve the traffic burden around the coast.

The expropriations necessary to make space for the route would not be at huge cost, the report argued, as the route would cross low density rural land.

Costa Blanca infrastructure has been identified as in need of a revamp, with airports in Alicante and elsewhere bringing many to the sought-after region and its wide supply of top end property.

Plans for new expansion at London’s Heathrow airport have been brought into the next phase as consultation starts for a third runway and possible sixth terminal at the busy hub.

People travelling frequently to destinations like Spain will be enthused by news of plans to ease the airport’s current congestion, with delays at the airport often dissuading otherwise eager travellers from taking more trips.

Ministers indicated that the suggested new runway and accompanying terminal would not only ease current problems, but would allow Heathrow to handle as many 700,000 flights a year – around 50 per cent more than at present.

Transport secretary Ruth Kelly said: "For too long it has operated at nearly full capacity, with relatively minor problems causing severe delays to passengers."

Airlines such as Iberia run frequent flights between Heathrow and popular Spanish destinations like Valencia – with the planned expansion set to boost the potential for offering new routes from the London hub.

Leading Spanish carrier Iberia has long been in the throes of a takeover deal, with news emerging this week of a bid from a Spanish private equity group threatening to upstage current favourite for the deal, British Airways.

With more and more people taking winter breaks abroad in sunny European locations, travel specialists have claimed that online passport renewal procedures are a fast-growing phenomenon.

Home Office executive agency the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) said that comprehensive online facilities made travel much easier, with processes for document renewal likely to take only two weeks.

With the holiday season on its way and many Brits finishing the year with holiday leave still left over, an upsurge in winter breaks has been tipped this year, with Spain always a top destination for sun and relaxation seekers.

Making sure documents are valid can be an off-putting factor for potential holidaymakers, but the IPS said that enhanced online renewal systems like its Check and Send service made things easier.

A spokesperson for the IPS said that Check and Send "offers a basic check of the form, supporting documents, photographs and fee, so it reduces the likelihood of the Identity and Passport Service needing to contact the customer".

She added that the upshot was a waiting time not usually exceeding two weeks, explaining: "The vast majority of customers [go online] because of the convenience and ease of using the system."

UK hotel chain Travelodge is set to target the Spanish market, highlighting the potential of Iberia’s growing consumer market to provide business opportunities.

Travelodge is planning to set up 100 hotels by 2020, with the three major Spanish cities - Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia – identified as target locations.

The company said that its plans were based on the strength of demand in Spain for budget, no-frills services, with internal tourism growing and offering ample opportunities for accommodation providers.

Chief executive Grant Hearn said: "Travelodge has an important role in international markets, like Spain, which are building high-demand for the no-frills approach."

He added, however, that much of the demand for Spanish accommodation came from Iberia-loving Brits, stating: "We also know that 61 per cent of our 1.5 million UK online customer base is planning to take a trip to Spain within the next three years."

Valencia is likely to be a fruitful choice of location for Travelodge, with demand for housing and tourist services in the south-eastern city predicted to rise as the arrival of the Formula One circuit to Valencia boosts its already popular appeal.