expat magazine helping people live the life in Spain!
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JAX LAWSON Brings you the very best in LIVE entertainment on the Costa! FREE COMPUTERS Is your hard drive giving you a hard time? The Quirky Medium The Balaeric Marinero Sandra in Spain Kelly’s about! Mandy Tams too..! for the locals...by the locals..! AVOID DELAYS SENDING & RECEIVING MAIL OFFICE: C/San Luis 2, 03187 Los Montesinos Alicante Tel. 966 720 959 Visit our website: www.easypost.es Email: [email protected]GOT AN ACCOUNT? • COST effective postal & courier services • NO language barrier - we speak your language • NO queueing • FULL worldwide postal & courier service • DISCOUNTS for bulk mail (50 letters or more) Try us! SAVE MONEY! All parcels delivered within 48 hours NO DELAYS! Tracking Service FINAL document check prior to sending DAILY service to the Passport office in Belfast. The No. 1 Choice for Expats! Renew your British passport www.allabroad.es August 2015 issue number 49 Being tall is much better than being small... Discuss? Cover: Raquel Ferez (and her daughter’s right arm!) Lebanese & International Cuisine A World of Flavours 5 COURSES LEBANESE MENU for 2 people 19,95€ including dessert & 1 drink served all day (from 12 o'clock) Avda. Escandinavia, 72 - Urb. Altomar 2 GRAN ALACANT Tel. 96 669 9553 LIVE Entertainment OPEN - Every Day from 11.00am www.currencies4you.es • Expert advice • Simple process Talk to our friendly team! Alternatives & renting www.rentscooter.info [email protected]Tel. 619 072 832 RENT scooter
Transcript
JAX LAWSONBrings you the very best in LIVE entertainment on the Costa!
FREE
COMPUTERSIs your hard drive giving you a hard time?
The Quirky MediumThe Balaeric MarineroSandra in SpainKelly’s about!Mandy Tams too..!
for the locals...by the locals..!
AVOID DELAYS SENDING & RECEIVING
MAIL
OFFICE: C/San Luis 2, 03187 Los Montesinos AlicanteTel. 966 720 959 Visit our website: www.easypost.es
Ticket Outlets & Benidorm Bus Stops in Gran Alacant
TERRA MITICA (Theme Park)
HEALTH CENTRE9.20am
Consum/LIDL
Tickets
STOP
Tickets
HOLE IN THE WALL BAR (MASA SQUARE)
7 days 1pm - 2am.
SUENO AZUL
9:25am
Tickets
SHAMU CAFE(UPSTAIRS @ GA CENTRE)
7 days 9am - Late.
Shamu
SezaduSEZADU CAFE BAR
7.30am til late
Hole in the Wall
Webster´s
NEW MARKET 09:15am
STOP
Terra Natura + Aqua Natura (Zoo + Water Park)
NEW TRIP!
La Piedra
Molly Malone’s
Molly Malone’s
SCHOOL
EVERY Wednesday & Friday!
Tel. (+34) 610 300103BenidormBus
I just can’t see it…short, vertically chal-lenged, little…it doesn’t appeal to me that’s why I decided to become tall. Ok, maybe I didn’t decide so much as inherit genes somewhere along the line that gave me my six foot three inch frame. And I love it. Wouldn’t want it any other way, I mean who wants to spend their lives asking others to get stuff for them from the top shelf – of the supermarket – or looking for a booster cushion in the cinema because someone of normal height has had the cheek to sit in front of them.No, there may be the odd bang on the head, usually when entering a shorty’s house and clattering the low-hung lights but apart from that I can only see advan-tages in being tall. For instance being tall is generally accepted as being healthier, and better looking (ok I made that one up) as in history we have witnessed that those who eat well and look after themselves grow to be big and strong and of course tall.
Can’t see a thingBeing in crowds is a nightmare of the dinky people of this world, the view being not much better than that of a poodle if it was walking the same route. Imagine as the crowd see their favourite team score and jump up and the short person has to enjoy the view of people’s backs or chests rather than seeing any celebrations actually going on on the pitch.Always in the deep end of the pool.Yes standing up in the deep end of most swimming pools and still being able to breath is yet another benefit of being a lanky git and, rather than having to stay in the shallow end or not go out of your depth in the sea, us Lofty’s can march into the waves confident that the next wave coming is not likely to go crashing up our nose but will instead gracefully caress our chests.Dangers of being pocket-sizedGetting the jam from the cupboard can be another daily test for pocket-sized people as they drag a chair from the dining room
and somehow manage to clamber up on to it while retrieving the jam. We tall people don’t have that problem, or the danger of falling off the chair (quite a drop for the pint-sized of this world) and doing some serious damage to ourselves and the cat.DrivingBeing tall we can recline the seat back, re-lax a little stretch our arms out and drive in that chilled fashion. Now stick a short-arse behind the wheel and what happens? You see them driving down the road al-most kissing the steering wheel and with their feet above the pedals dangling down. Trying to reach anything inside the car in-volves reaching at all times whereas the taller people of the world can simply lean across and wind down the passenger win-dow or pull something from the boot of the estate car while still buckled in! Try that with a shorty and they can’t do it as the seat is so far forward that the driver’s door is behind them!No perspective Another thing I’ve noticed is that when a short person is with a dog it throws off the perspective? For example you see a tall person walking a dog and if the dog is small – it looks small. Same applies if it’s large. However, when the shorty is out walking Fido the Great Dane he looks like a jockey and when he takes Rex the Yorkshire ter-rier out the dog looks normal sized? Or is that just me?
We are a charitable lot us tall people too – surveys say we are more generous that our smaller friends so when we shrink our clothes in the washing machine…we can give them to short people…
And another thing, you don’t get neck ache looking down.
One more thing…Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Napoleon and Simon Cowell…all short. Just saying…
ALL ABROADwww.allabroad.es
Take a break!Take a break!with
Being tall…the long and the short of it…
At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea
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Bar open 10am-2pm and from 6pm til late
Sunday lunch is a local favourite and you can have a choice of meats from chicken, lamb, beef or pork all at a very reason-able 8€ for 1 course, 11€ for 2 and 13€ for the full 3 courses not forgetting your homemade apple and berry pie.
CHILDREN’S MENU!Football or any other sport you fancy – this is the place. Brothers has one very large, crystal clear screen for your viewing pleasure
OLD ENGISH & BUDWEISER 3€ a popEstrella 2€
and a glass of wine for 2€!Bottle of house wine 6€
Prosecco 14€
Darts practice with some free food is on a Monday and with karaoke and live music on at the weekends plus two large screen TV’s, what more could you possibly want?
Food served: Breakfast 10am-2pm & Evening menu from 6pm-10pm
4
Bar open 10am-2pm and from 6pm til late
Sunday lunch is a local favourite and you can have a choice of meats from chicken, lamb, beef or pork all at a very reason-able 8€ for 1 course, 11€ for 2 and 13€ for the full 3 courses not forgetting your homemade apple and berry pie.
CHILDREN’S MENU!Football or any other sport you fancy – this is the place. Brothers has one very large, crystal clear screen for your viewing pleasure
OLD ENGISH & BUDWEISER 3€ a popEstrella 2€
and a glass of wine for 2€!Bottle of house wine 6€
Prosecco 14€
Darts practice with some free food is on a Monday and with karaoke and live music on at the weekends plus two large screen TV’s, what more could you possibly want?
Food served: Breakfast 10am-2pm & Evening menu from 6pm-10pm
5
When you’re looking for somewhere cool to chill out with a nice cold drink and perhaps something to eat, the upstairs terrace at the Carabassi Centre in Gran Alacant is not a bad place to be and Brothers Bar which is situated to the left once you reach the top of the stairs has a very comforta-ble outside terrace where you can get away from it all – or watch the latest sport, outside or inside, on one of their three large screens.
Fresh cocktails are made to order the REAL way too and with beers from two euros, a bottle of good wine at just 6€ and a bottle of Prosecco for 14€ Brothers Bar has something for everyone.The kitchen is open for breakfast from 10am until 2pm and in the evening from 6p until 10pm. At the weekends food is served from 10am until 10pm while the bar is open at the weekends from 10am until late and during the week from 10am until2pm and the from 6pm until late. A full and varied menu is on offer and as they say at brothers ‘Happy hour is every hour!’Lots going on too at Bothers with Monday darts practice and darts games and a Beer Pong tournament every Thursday; 5€ entry and a min-imum win of 10€ plus a great laugh while you’re at it!
Daily specials such as sea bass served with crushed herby potatoes and veg in a wine and cream sauce, and all that for just 10€ or why not sample the homemade Steak and Ale Pie with mash and veg for just 8€ - great val-ue and great quality too!Find Brothers Bar on Facebook or at: www.placestoeatinalicante.com/list-ing/brothers/
You can contact them also via their email: [email protected] or on 0044 78631 78870.
Fine dining in the summer and all year round at Brothers Bar and set in this cool and breezy location it’s a must for visitors and locals alike!
Where every hour is Happy Hour!Carabassi Centre - GRAN ALACANT
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Abrimos todos los dias a partir de 18.ooh & los Sabados y Domingos tambien a
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Summer HoursFrom 1pm every day
7
This is a new, regular column which will showcase the attractions of my home village of Algorfa, which is around 10 miles inland from Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca. I call Algorfa the little pueblo with the great big heart, be-cause driving through its main street, Avenida Maria del Mar Rodriguez, you would never even guess at the delights this pretty, typically Spanish town has to offer. Over the coming months, I’ll be telling you about the facilities Al-gorfa has to offer for sports, eating out, shopping and entertainment and leisure. Let’s kick off with a few inter-esting facts about Algorfa.
Origins of AlgorfaThere were people living in Algorfa as long ago as 3000 years BC. Archeological study in the early 20th century uncovered 12 skel-etons from the Neolithic period, as well as various household items. However, it only became a municipality, with the name of Al-gorfa, when King Alfonso II made it part of the Kingdom of Valencia, and granted the privilege of building dwellings. There were just 15 of them, with 15 families as the first recorded residents of the town. Today, most of Algorfa’s Spanish residents are descended from four of those original families.The privilege was revoked by Felipe V fol-lowing the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, but restored at the end of the 18th century by Carlos IV, following representa-tions from the Marquis of Algorfa.
The orange grovesOne of the great things about Algorfa is the purity of the air. That’s because there is no industry here – the main occupation of the residents is citrus farming. The orange groves afford endless pleasure. You can stroll through the unfenced groves, and en-joy the peace and tranquillity, or watch the lizards bask in the sun, or the hares boxing. The groves really get to you!
When the earth moved!Algorfa lies on the Bajo-Segura fault line, and there is a lot of seismic activity in the area. In January, 2015, an earthquake of 3.5 magnitude rattled our patio doors, and set our dog Paddy off on a frenzy of bark-ing, although there was no structural dam-age, or damage to contents. However, this pales into insignificance alongside the 6.6 earthquake of March 21st, 1829. Almost 3000 homes were destroyed, around 2,500 were badly damaged, with 386 people killed and another 375 injured. The towns of Torrevieja, Guardamar and Algorfa’s nearest neighbour, Almoradi were totally destroyed, along with the surround-ing villages of Algorfa, Benijofar, Rojales and Benejuzar. That’s why there are no re-ally old buildings in the region. For many years, new builds have been constructed with built in earthquake protection, which is why these days, there is no serious struc-tural damage when the earth moves, as it frequently does around Algorfa.
La ErmitaThe chapel dedicated to the Virgen del Car-men was built in 1901, on the outskirts of
the village on the Benejuzar road, in 1901, by the Marquis of Algorfa. He also built a new palace behind it, to replace the pre-vious building. Both buildings were con-structed from two colour stone from local quarries.The buildings underwent major refurbish-ment in 2010 and today, La Ermita is the focal point of Algorfa’s fiesta to honour the Virgen, who is the patron saint of the village. The fiesta begins with a Romeria (pilgrimage) to La Ermita with the Virgen, followed by a Holy Mass with music and a breakfast of beer and sardines. The whole village turns out for this moving occasion.
A multicultural townThe first English family arrived in Algorfa in 1999, and they were warmly welcomed by the locals. Today, Algorfa is happy to wel-come expats, and encourage them to inte-grate into local life. Of the 28 nationalities that reside as expats in Alicante Province, 27 are represented in Algorfa. Most of these are British, with 70% of the 3800 people on the Padron being of British origin.The early years of the New Millenium saw a big influx of foreign residents into Algorfa, mainly because local builders offered large commissions to overseas property sales companies such as Parador, Atlas and Po-laris World. The town remains vibrant and multicul-tural –people want to live in Algorfa, even though they may not have heard of it be-fore their first visit. The town reaches out to your soul, and once you’ve been here, you’ll want to come back to the little pueblo with the great big heart!
Sandra in Spainwww.sandrainspain.com
Around AlgorfaThe little pueblo with the great big heart!
they head for Sion, Como, Milan, Genoa,
San Remo, then along the coast to Barce-
lona, Valencia, Calpe, Alicante and Quesa-
da. The guys plan to arrive in Quesada on
Wednesday 12th August after covering a
total distance of 2937kms where hopefully
a few of us from Team Cyclogical will cycle
out to meet them on their last leg. They
plan to arrive on the Wednesday so as they
can cycle with us on the Thursday training
ride and celebrate with a bucket or two of
beer at the end. Sam has also asked if we
can take him up the climb from Albatera to
Hondon de las Frailes on the Sunday as this
is where it all started.
If anyone is interested in supporting or
making a donation to Sam you can do so
at https://www.justgiving.com/SamMaun-
der/. You can also follow their blog at
www.maundering-around-the-world.
blogspot.com. As if that is not enough
two weeks after this epic ride Sam plans
to take a year out and depart on a round
the world trip while he can ( not on his
bike this time ) . He plans to leave in
early September and travel to Dubai,
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia,
Australia, New Zealand then America be-
fore flying home. He is planning a few
months’ work in Australia to help pay for
his adventures. What a guy.
Gary and Lynn are available at Cyclog-
ical, in Quesada Monday to Friday from
9.30am – 5.30pm and from 10am -2pm
on Saturdays to assist and advise you on
all your cycling requirements.
For those of you who read Cycle clips on
a regular basis you will all know and ap-
preciate Nick Dinsdales cycling articles,
inputs and features. Nick owns NJD Sports
Injury Centre and works very closely with
all the professionals including the British
Team and in particular Matt Bottrill. Nick
and Carol have been great friends of Lynn
and me for many years and Nick has been
an inspiration to many people including my
daughter’s boyfriend Sam Maunder who
was diagnosed with the same illness that
Nick has.
Sam just graduated from Edinburgh Uni-
versity with a first class honours degree at
the end of June. However earlier on in the
year Sam was diagnosed with Rheumatoid
Arthritis which was a shock to everyone.
He had been complaining about sore feet
all the time and being tired and everyone
told him to slow down that he was doing
too much. My youngest daughter Sonia
and Sam are regular visitors over here at
our villa and on one occasion 18 months
ago I asked Sam out on a road bike with
my regular Thursday night training group
which is pretty hard and he loved it and
didn’t find any pressure on his feet which
meant they weren’t sore, he also enjoyed a
few buckets of beer when we had finished
and through Dutch courage and a lot of
persuasion from the guys he said he would
come with us on the Sunday ride which
was 125kms and included the climb from
Albatera to Hondon de Las Frailes and back
via Aspe. A pretty tough ride for only your
second trip on a Road bike but he made it
and without walking, brilliant effort. On our
return home I told my daughter that she
could keep him as he was pretty tough.
After that holiday he went back to the Uni-
versity and got a group of guys together,
they bought some cheap bikes and formed
the Edinburgh University cycling club, they
got sponsorship from High 5 and Endura
clothing and even got Jans Voight to come
over as a guest and speak to them.
Sam is a real nice guy and a fighter and af-
ter some pretty tough times with his illness
and medication he became more informed
and aware of the illness so he decided to
try and raise some money for the Highland
Hospice Trust. He set his sights on cycling
from London to Alicante covering well over
2000kms and to raise well over £2000. He
left London with a close friend from Uni-
versity Matthew Benger on Friday 17th
July heading for Dover at 7 am to beat the
traffic. From Dover their route is to Cal-
ais, Lens, Compiegne and Paris where they
caught the train to Geneva. From Geneva
CYCLING tips advice routes
by Gary Routledgewww.cyclogicalcostablanca.com
“Get on yer bike!”“Get on yer bike!”Never Put Off Till Tomorrow
Open Mon-Fri 09.30-17.30 Sat: 10.00-14.00Call Gary or Lynn: 637 487 377www.cyclogicalcostablanca.com
Calle Los Arcos, 7 QUESADA
Sales, Repairs, Hires, Accessories & Clothing
9
10
Let’s get one thing straight. I’m not short, or undersized, vertically chal-lenged, pint-sized, petite, sawn-off, tiny, diminutive, little, pocket-sized, wee or dinky. I’m 5 feet, 2 inches of perfection, and I wouldn’t want to be any other height, for these reasons and more.
Lots of famous people are 5’ 2”Elizabeth Taylor, Loretta Lynn, Emma Bun-ton, Lulu, Tammy Wynette, Yoko Ono, Sha-kira, Salma Hayek and Amy Winehouse all measure up at just 62 inches. Didn’t do them any harm, did it? Well, apart from Elizabeth Taylor, Tammy Wynette and Amy Winehouse, but they didn’t die from being short. Nobody ever did. There are at least another 3,000 5’ 2” celebrities on the list, so maybe I’m headed for stardom!
You can lie about your age Now that’s something I’d never do, because Mother always said to tell the truth, and I do – mostly. However, if you’re short, or whatever synonym floats your boat, people automatically assume you’re younger than you are. That means you get fit guys in their forties coming on to you when you’re pensionable age. Let the games begin!
You never need to change a tyreOr a plug, or anything else for that matter. Rightly or wrongly, short girls are seen as more helpless that their taller sisters, even in situations where height is no advantage. We just rock that little girl lost, vulnerable look – and we do it in style. I have never been caught with my hand on a spanner. Lots of other things maybe, but never a spanner, screwdriver, or anything else that couldn’t be eaten, drunk or played with.
You get a better selection of clothesYou call it a t-shirt, but for me it’s a mini dress. Denim Capri pants are jeans. And I can get stuff from the children’s section at a fraction of the price my taller sisters pay. When it comes to the sales, small sizes and short lengths are the ones that come with
70% reduction, so I can restock my ward-robe on a shoestring.
You get a better selection of guysTall guys feel protective of me, and short guys think I make them look taller, so I get to choose from a larger male gene pool. Small gets all – or most of - the blokes. And when things get up close and personal, I can get myself into positions tall girls can only dream of.
You won’t bang your head on anythingHowever low the ceiling or door frame is, I can easily fit under it, so I’m never going to bang my head. So, on those historic tours of 500 year old cottages, I can get in all the rooms, and see everything. I’m never going to walk into a door frame, unless it’s on a Wendy house and I’ve been on the cava. You won’t get DVT on a long haul flightI’d never go on a long haul flight anyway, because I hate flying, but leg room on a plane is never a problem for me. Unless they push the seats back so they’re almost touching, I’ve always got room to stretch out, and I don’t need to pay for the privi-lege.
Mother always said I shouldn’t be sad that I’m short, because the best things always come in small packages. I didn’t believe her back then, but now I see she was spot on as usual. Would I want to be any taller? Not on your life! With my trusty, l ight-weight aluminium step ladder, I c a n go anywhere I want to, and w i th-out it, I can get into places t a l l e r people can only dream of. Sensa-tionally short, that’s me!
Short is Sensational!
www.sandrainspain.com
Sandra Piddock responds to Dave Bull’s article on page 3
11
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BAYA BAIXA beautifully restored Spanish country home. 250m² with 4 bed, 2 bath on 7,300+m² of land with pool, orchard. Close to beach and airport, more. €360,000. AA6240
GRAN ALACANT new construction townhouses with modern high end finish-es. 2 beds, 2 baths with mezzanine and 25 m2 of garden. €95,000. AA7480 Other layouts available.
LAS BAYAS lovely 3 bed, 2 bath country house minutes from Elche, beach-es and airport. Set among beautifully landscaped gardens with pool, more. €265,000. AA6135
GRAN ALACANT 3 bed 2 bath house in Novamar. BEACHFRONT Stunning views of the Med. Garage parking, inverter aircon, security bars and more. €249,950. AA5950
GRAN ALACANT luxury 3 bed villa with garage and private swimming pool. Ex-clusive Isla de Izaro gated community. Fully furnished with many extras. €360,000 €325,000. AA6118
GRAN ALACANT 3 bed, 2 bath house on popular gat-ed community of Med III with 2 pools, children’s play area, tennis court and private covered allocated parking. €176,500. AA5923
ALICANTE Exceptional 5 bed, 4 bath villa on Playa Albufereta in Alicante. Amazing sea views. 250 m2 house on 2000 m2 of gar-den with private pool. €3,250,000. AA7124
GRAN ALACANT 2 bed, 1.5 bath townhouse (82 m2)walking distance to the beach and amenities. Com-munal pool and gardens. KEY READY. Price includes a car. €92,000. AA7492
GRAN ALACANT walk to the beach! 3 bed, 2 bath house in gated community of Costa Hispania III. Communal pool, gardens, allocated parking, more. €141,000. AA5657
MONTECID spacious 5 bed, 4 bath villa with large pool and bar perfect for entertaining. Move in ready! Fully furnished with security bars, aircon, many extras. €285,000. AA1105
GRAN ALACANT jaw dropping views of the Med from this bright and airy 2 bed, 2 bath house. Guest apartment in basement. Private pool, garage, much more. €395,000. AA6499
GRAN ALACANT 3 bed townhouse in Altomar I. Communal pool and gar-dens. Close to post office, cafes, more. Views of can-yon and sea views from solarium €139,950. AA7459
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“Isn’t it hot?” And “Que calor!”
Been hearing that a lot lately. The weather
seems to be the main topic of conversation
at the moment. And it’s going to get hotter.
I bumped into a lady I know the other day
and her words were: “Ooh, Kelly, innit hot?
I read this morning that after this heatwave
has passed there’s another one coming
straight after it!” “Yes, dear,” I thought, “it’s
called August.”
So we just plough on through our sweltering
days and sticky nights. One of my friends
was complaining about the heat in the UK
recently. I just sent her a screenshot of the
forecast for the Costa Blanca for the next
few days. But I’m not going to talk about
the weather. Just because everybody else
is. You just get on with it, eh?
There have been a lot more ambulances
spotted around this way than usual, I know
the emergency services do a fantastic job
every day of the year but the heat can be
lethal. You need to be so careful.
A couple of folks I know are off to Ibiza. It
made me think of my first time as a tourist in
Spain. My sister had been on holidy to San
Antonio with her friend and begged me to
return with her months later. She was 17 at
the time and was looking to book a flight for
her 18th birthday at the end of September,
in time for the closing parties of all the “su-
perclubs” on the island. At 23, I had never
flown. Ibiza was full of ravers. I was well
into my ‘indie rock’ phase. So, I booked the
week off work and my poor sister had claw
marks in her hands where I had gripped her
so tightly by the time we landed. Yes, I was
scared. The first thing that hit us was the
heat. Yep. Even after dark. Sorry! I won’t
mention it again. I didn’t think I’d enjoy my
break in the sun. I didn’t think it would have
been my “style”. (I’ve never been much of a
sun seeker, believe it or not), but I loved the
place so much I went back again with my
friend in 2002. It was her first time there
and, yes, the departure was emotional after
an awesome week.
I had to, and still do, spare a thought for all
the tourist industry staff who keep us enter-
tained / fed / drunk / all of the above during
our holidays. The barman who keeps those
huge Spanish shots coming on a Friday
night, the chef who cooks your fry up the
morning after, the DJ who chuckles at your
‘Xfactor’ (so you thought) worthy karoke
performance of Westlife. Or Lady Gaga. Or
Neil Diamond.
I’ve worked a couple of seasons here myself
and it’s not easy. Lots of fun, but not easy.
It’s pretty much impossible to sleep at night
in the summer, so what do you do? Stay up
all night and go to the beach bar, of course!
Or sit on your balcony with some music,
(cold glass of your favourite beverage op-
tional) but not too loud, you don’t want to
disturb the neighbours. Or, you could cool
off by putting your head in the freezer. An-
other tip I found is to lightly spray your bed-
sheets with cold water before you go to bed.
I’ll try that.
But don’t worry, the Gota Fria is coming, and
then we’ll all be complaining about the rain!
There’s no pleasing some people, is there?
Until next time, stay cool.
Kelly
Kelly McLachlan
Notes from small town Spain
14
FEEL AT HOME
Estate Agent Victoria, established
some 30 years ago, offers its
clients a top quality service,
which can only be offered by a
company exclusively devoted and
experienced in property services
with a long running track record on
the Costa Blanca property market.
Over the years, Victoria Estate
Agent has satisfied the needs
of all its clients by searching for
and acquiring their properties.
Our priority has always been the
“wellbeing” of our clients and
looking after their interests not
only at the time of buying but
also with an excellent after-sales
service.
We offer all type of help to our clients
including the arranging of inheritance
tax when losing one of their loved
ones, making it as painless and easy as
possible. Our charges are far lower than
what one can find through other means.
Anyone who wishes to be informed
about our costs or would like a quote,
also enquire about all the other services
we have to offer, then please call at our
office in Gran Alacant at any time and
under no obligation what-so-ever.
All our staff have a good knowledge of
the English language and we also have
a German speaking member of staff.
Although the last couple of years have
not been easy for any of us, we are
optimistic that this year we shall start
to see some improvements in the
property market.
Inmobiliaria VictoriaAvda. Escandinavia, 72 C.C. Altomar II L.1003130 Gran Alacant · Santa PolaTlf. 966697779 · 966698180Fax 966697378 [email protected]
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GRAN ALACANT TV is a family business with a great experience in the Telecommunications sector,which is constantly adapting to the new technologies. With more than 30 years experience, working in Santa Pola and later in Gran Alacant areas, we have won our clients´confidence
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17
TO HAVE OR NOT TO HAVE...…WATER (part 1)
continued from last month... Two hours later, my husband has al-ready left to find hydration, food and sleeping bags, we have decided to bed down if neces-sary… One brave soul questions the length of time taken to receive help.
It is now 12 o’clock, they close at 1:00. Tickets are thrown like confetti by disgruntled folk with no stamina, they land to a serenade of grunts and groans and the odd Spanish swear word. A black market starts as older members of the queue begin scrapping around on the floor like a flock of black dung beetles unrolling scraps of paper searching for discarded tickets and begin trading lower numbers for cigarettes or bottled water, even a seat by the fan is worth trading.
A31 flashes up. We must be getting close.12:45, at least 20 people are still present, none sitting, all standing as though waiting for Ryan
Air to open a gate; elbows out, eyes glancing side to side making sure no one is going to slip past them. There will be no mercy.A 32 A small elderly lady slips a ticket into my hand, putting her fingers to her lips, I look, it’s A34, but she has to go indicating a bladder problem, the puddle gives me the clue… I palm the ticket risking I may be in the wrong queue.
12.55 am A33 flashes. Excitement builds; almost there. C35. Come on, in my head I am shouting the number when suddenly BING, the screen flashes, B3, at the same time the rep glances at the clock, disappointment crosses her face as I sit down, but she has pressed the button, she has to deal with me now. The oth-ers try to push irate customers out through the door but they are now on a sit-in.I explain our problem, and this is her reply ob-viously abridged.
LADY ‘Yes, you did not pay, but we have re-connected your water now at a cost of €125ME ‘Ah Yes, but you shouldn’t have turned it off; you didn’t request the money
MANDY’SSpanish Diary
by Mandy Tams
from our bank.’ I handed her the letterLADY ‘Oh you’ve changed banks, that’s your fault. You should have informed us,
Right about now, millions of Scandinavians are forcing their freezing bodies into the sea – where the water temperature is just 16°C.
We have the buyers! We are Sweden’s leading real estate agency in Spain. And we’re growing fast, from Barcelona to Gran Canaria. We know the market and have a register full of frozen Scandinavians who dream of a life in the sun. Let us prove ourselves! If we don’t manage to sell your home, you don’t pay anything. But since we sell more than one home every day, that’s probably not going to happen...
FASTIGHETSBYRÅN IN ALICANTE - GRAN ALACANT / +34 966 695 [email protected] / FASTIGHETSBYRAN.SE/OVERSEAS SWEDEN’S LEADING ESTATE AGENT IN SPAIN
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19
Over 3 million visitors hit Alicante’s beaches, shopping streets and his-torical old quarter every year and it wasn’t any different three thou-sand years ago with Greeks, Phoe-nicians, Iberians and Romans all having a go at the place.
Located on the coast of south east Spain,
Lucentum, Alacant, Alicante…call it what
you will but from those humble beginnings
Alicante has risen to become the capital of
the Province of the same name and now-
adays invites the visitor to ‘come and get
it’ with a fun and adventurous way of going
about things and with a castle, street life
and old quarter all brimming with attitude.
Home to the Volvo ocean race the impres-
sive port is what first brought trade to
the city and still does with over seventy
cruise ships calling in, bringing with them
over 110,000 people to sample the typical
friendly Mediterranean culture that this fab-
ulous place offers.
Strolling around and one is in amongst
pavement artists and the ‘hippy huts’ all
sell their wares on the beautiful esplanade
which was built using the ruins of the old
city walls and boasts over 6.6 million tiles in
the mosaic that runs along the seafront and
‘La Rambla’ is a must for anyone looking for
some nightlife. Don’t forget the local urban
legends too of the beautiful Carbonell House
on the seafront or the Moor’s face said to
be carved into the rock by a mourning ruler
centuries before.
Come meal times and you are spoilt rot-
ten for choice in Alicante with its outstand-
ing reputation for great food typified in its
speciality of local rice dishes although its
range of international cuisine will have your
taste buds bouncing up and down too! And
with a year round climate that was declared
the healthiest place to live in Europe (WHO
2006) visitors can enjoy this lively, modern
but historical city at any time of the year.
The Romans, as ever, where the first to re-
ally put Alicante on the map and so they
should they had seven hundred years to do
it in but it was in the eighth century that
the Moors arrived and civilised the place
somewhat, bringing irrigation, medicines
and books amongst other things. Over the
next four or five hundred years the city was
under the rule of various leaders until the
thirteenth century when it was claimed by
the Catalan King Alfonso and later James II
of Aragon under whom it became a Royal
Town and had its first representatives in the
Valencian parliament.
Read part two in next month’s issue.
Continued from the August issueTwo hundred years later the city was boom-ing mainly because of the growing demand for Alicante as a trading port and its exports of rice, oranges and wine to name just a few but, as ever in this City’s past, it didn’t stay quiet on the fighting enemies front for long and for the next three hundred years or so they fought a number of battles and were bombarded by the French and the British at different times over the period until along came Word War I which brought opportu-nities for a neutral Spain with the country benefitting from the increase in trade from fruit and food to military uniforms, all were readily supplied to the world at war.
A few more skirmishes in North Morocco (Rif) followed the war as did the abdication of King Alfonso XIII and the declaration of the second Spanish Republic in 1931.
The civil war came in 1936 pitting families and friends against each other and ending with Spain having a new leader, General Franco who was to stay in power and oppress many in Spain for the next thirty nine years.However, towards the end of his life Franco did take some credit for the start of tourism to Spain which saw over one million passen-gers arriving in Alicante at the new El Altet airport by 1970 and with the popularity of the region for its beaches and good all year climate that figure had doubled to two mil-lion by 1978 and by 1996 over nine million visitors were heading to Spain through Al-icante airport. The new airport, finished in 2011, has a capacity for 20 million passen-gers per year.
Historical and cultural Alicante may well be but it certainly hasn’t dwelt on the past and along the city’s streets you’ll find the latest stores blending nicely with the traditional
shops as you head down into the old quarter. Here you can soak up real Mediterranean life amongst locals going about their daily busi-ness as you head up to the sixteenth century Hermitage at Santa Cruz and then carry on climbing to the eleventh century Santa Bar-bara Castle itself that impresses every visitor to the town form below looking up to those who venture inside the castle’s formidable walls.
Bohemian this city certainly is, whether its the narrow streets and the chic and trendy cafes in the old quarter or its museums and art galleries. Stylish, historical, modern – many words can be used to describe this now peaceful seaside city that just oozes with tra-dition, history and culture. And with some of the best fiestas to be found in Spain, the city is alive with something going on somewhere at all times of the year.
Alicante IS the Mediterranean and just a short walk at lunchtime along the narrow streets of the old quarter and you will soon savour the scent of saffron drifting out of restaurant kitchen windows as the day’s pa-ella is prepared by the truck full!
But in Alicante it’s not just the food that invades your senses but the culture itself. Whether that means sitting at a street café and dining on typical Mediterranean fare and perhaps listening to the Spanish guitar be-ing played nearby, or on the port or shop-ping in Maisonnave (Alicante’s best shopping street). It is all here. Over 10 kilometres of some of the best beaches in Spain, a ma-jor airport, huge film studios and centre to the European copyright office means that this city is a cosmopolitan blend of all that is good in Europe and beyond.
Alicante City
A real taste of the Mediterranean
Bohemian, friendly, historical and modern THIS is the Med’!
By Dave Bull Part one Part two
Alicante City
A real taste of the Mediterranean
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FREEEstimates!
Saturday 8thLa Bodequeta, Lo Crispin - Dee – 9pmImanyos, Daya Nueva - That’s Life! Duo- 9pmMonos Bar, Quesada - Freddie Kool– 9pmThe Local, El Raso - Chloe Leigh – 9pmBrothers Bar Carabassi, Gran Alacant - J.J. Soul-man– 9pmLa Marina Urb Fiesta – tbaCocaloca, Campoverde, - Francis Sings – 9pmBillees Bar, Algorfa – Sa-mantha Curtis – 9pmThe Club, Quesada – The Beatle Duo – 9pmHondon Nieves – Medieval Market from 7pm – 1amLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Bella Luna – 9pmSunday 9thLa Marina Urb Fiesta – tbaSo Bar, Benimar CC – Paul Harris – 9pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca - Motown – 9pmBar la Torre, La Florida – Robert Bonovox – 5.15pmSaturday 15th Brothers Bar, Carabassi, Gran Alacant - Rebecca Holt- 9.30pmImanyos, Daya Nueva – Paul Harris – 9.30pmThe Fire Station, Via Pk 1, La Zenia, Debbie Slater, Vocalist – 9pmLa Bodequeta, Lo Crispin, Timewarp Duo, Benidorm Tribute. Tickets €5 - 9pmThe Local, El Raso, Tim Taylor, Guitar Vocalist – 9pmThe Fountain Bar, Dolores, Help for Heroes Fundraising Day – 2pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Freddie Kool – Vocalist – 9pmThe Club, Quesada – Ricky Patton as Roy Orbison – 9pmBar Carmen, La Siesta – Samantha Curtis – 8.30pmNonduermas Restaurant, Catral – Woody – 9.30pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Angie McKay – 9pmSunday 16th So Bar, Benimar CC – Paul Harris, Guitar/Vocals – 9pmFiesta La Romana - tbaPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Motown – 9pmSaturday 22nd Imanyos, Daya Nueva, Freddie Kool – 9.30pm
Brothers Bar Carabas-si, Gran Alacant, Francis Sings– 9.30pmLa Bodequeta, Lo Crispin, Benny Van De Burg – 9pmThe Local, El Raso, Daz – 9pmNonduermas Restaurant, Catral, Kevin Tyler -9.30pmMonos Bar, Quesada, Dee Vocalist – 9pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Pitu – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Bella Luna – 9pmSunday 23rdPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmSo Bar, Benimar CC – Paul Harris – 9pmBar la Torre, La Florida – Robert Bonovox – 5.15pmSaturday 29th La Bodequeta, Lo Crispin - J.J. Soulman – 9pmThe Local, El Raso, Cherry K – 9pmBrothers Bar Carabassi, Gran Alacant- That’s Life! Duo -9.30pmThe Junction, El Galan - Luke Wilder – 9pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Pitu – 9pmThe Taverna (Orange Bar), Vistabella Golf – The Beat-les duo – 9pmBilliees Bar, Algorfa – Sa-mantha Curtis – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Las Vegas Show 9pmSunday 30thPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmSo Bar, Benimar CC – Paul Harris – 9pmLa Vida Sunset Bar, Doña Pepa – Tim Taylor – 9pmSaturday 5th SeptemberRestaurante Los Rosales, Guardamar – Multi Tribute show – Tickets €14 - 7pm (www.lrshows.com)Imanyos, Daya Nueva, That’s Life! Duo – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Doña Pepa – Dee – 9pmLa Bodequeta, Lo Crispin – Samantha Curtis – 9pmSunday 6th SeptemberSo Bar, Benimar CC – Paul Harris – 9pmBar la Torre, La Florida – Robert Bonovox – 5.15pm
What’s On Gig Guide August - SeptemberLets Rock the Costas
Welcome to our brand new feature – an entertainment guide listing the best in entertainment in our area.
Having been in the entertainment business for over 30 years I am really excited to pass on some of the news and events for live entertainment that is happening in our lovely part of the country. We have such a wealth of talent here on the Costas that is can be difficult to choose where to go. I have been running Lets Rock Shows for some years now, and am lucky to have booked some brilliant acts on my shows, both in bars, restaurants and other venues. From soloist, duos and bands to hypnotists and drag artists we have some top talent here.
Lets Rock Shows was formed to help promote live music in Spain and to organise affordable shows with top class entertainment. We now have 2 websites (www.lrshows.com and www.keepenter-tainmentliveinspain.com)which are dedicated to all forms of entertainment, plus several Facebook groups with in excess of 2900 members.
Each month we will be listing the very best places for you to have a night out with live entertainment. Plus we will be bringing any news and special events that are happening in the area. You can also submit your event by emailing them to me at [email protected] I shall endeavour to give you the most compre-hensive events guide that I can..
As an entertainment consultant my job is to help the venues by providing them with not only the right acts for their customers, but also advice and promotion for their events. From poster design to press releases we offer a total package, so the venues can get on with doing what they should be doing – running their business. It is so important that venues are supported on a regu-lar basis. If this doesn’t happen then they will slowly decline until they are forced to close. Music is in our very soul and instilled in us from a very early age. Children are sung to in the womb, and it is an inherent part of all cultures to have music at any celebra-tion. We gravitate towards it like bees round a honey pot. Music brings us joy, whatever genre it is. So let’s turn off the telly and get out there and give ourselves lots of happiness and meet some new people along the way.
I do hope you enjoy this new feature and have many enjoyable nights out.
Keep on Rocking!
Jax x
www.lrshows.comTel - 697501992
25
Saturday 8thLa Bodequeta, Lo Crispin - Dee – 9pmImanyos, Daya Nueva - That’s Life! Duo- 9pmMonos Bar, Quesada - Freddie Kool– 9pmThe Local, El Raso - Chloe Leigh – 9pmBrothers Bar Carabassi, Gran Alacant - J.J. Soul-man– 9pmLa Marina Urb Fiesta – tbaCocaloca, Campoverde, - Francis Sings – 9pmBillees Bar, Algorfa – Sa-mantha Curtis – 9pmThe Club, Quesada – The Beatle Duo – 9pmHondon Nieves – Medieval Market from 7pm – 1amLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Bella Luna – 9pmSunday 9thLa Marina Urb Fiesta – tbaSo Bar, Benimar CC – Paul Harris – 9pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca - Motown – 9pmBar la Torre, La Florida – Robert Bonovox – 5.15pmSaturday 15th Brothers Bar, Carabassi, Gran Alacant - Rebecca Holt- 9.30pmImanyos, Daya Nueva – Paul Harris – 9.30pmThe Fire Station, Via Pk 1, La Zenia, Debbie Slater, Vocalist – 9pmLa Bodequeta, Lo Crispin, Timewarp Duo, Benidorm Tribute. Tickets €5 - 9pmThe Local, El Raso, Tim Taylor, Guitar Vocalist – 9pmThe Fountain Bar, Dolores, Help for Heroes Fundraising Day – 2pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Freddie Kool – Vocalist – 9pmThe Club, Quesada – Ricky Patton as Roy Orbison – 9pmBar Carmen, La Siesta – Samantha Curtis – 8.30pmNonduermas Restaurant, Catral – Woody – 9.30pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Angie McKay – 9pmSunday 16th So Bar, Benimar CC – Paul Harris, Guitar/Vocals – 9pmFiesta La Romana - tbaPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Motown – 9pmSaturday 22nd Imanyos, Daya Nueva, Freddie Kool – 9.30pm
Brothers Bar Carabas-si, Gran Alacant, Francis Sings– 9.30pmLa Bodequeta, Lo Crispin, Benny Van De Burg – 9pmThe Local, El Raso, Daz – 9pmNonduermas Restaurant, Catral, Kevin Tyler -9.30pmMonos Bar, Quesada, Dee Vocalist – 9pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Pitu – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Bella Luna – 9pmSunday 23rdPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmSo Bar, Benimar CC – Paul Harris – 9pmBar la Torre, La Florida – Robert Bonovox – 5.15pmSaturday 29th La Bodequeta, Lo Crispin - J.J. Soulman – 9pmThe Local, El Raso, Cherry K – 9pmBrothers Bar Carabassi, Gran Alacant- That’s Life! Duo -9.30pmThe Junction, El Galan - Luke Wilder – 9pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Pitu – 9pmThe Taverna (Orange Bar), Vistabella Golf – The Beat-les duo – 9pmBilliees Bar, Algorfa – Sa-mantha Curtis – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Las Vegas Show 9pmSunday 30thPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmSo Bar, Benimar CC – Paul Harris – 9pmLa Vida Sunset Bar, Doña Pepa – Tim Taylor – 9pmSaturday 5th SeptemberRestaurante Los Rosales, Guardamar – Multi Tribute show – Tickets €14 - 7pm (www.lrshows.com)Imanyos, Daya Nueva, That’s Life! Duo – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Doña Pepa – Dee – 9pmLa Bodequeta, Lo Crispin – Samantha Curtis – 9pmSunday 6th SeptemberSo Bar, Benimar CC – Paul Harris – 9pmBar la Torre, La Florida – Robert Bonovox – 5.15pm
What’s On Gig Guide August - SeptemberLets Rock the Costas
Welcome to our brand new feature – an entertainment guide listing the best in entertainment in our area.
Having been in the entertainment business for over 30 years I am really excited to pass on some of the news and events for live entertainment that is happening in our lovely part of the country. We have such a wealth of talent here on the Costas that is can be difficult to choose where to go. I have been running Lets Rock Shows for some years now, and am lucky to have booked some brilliant acts on my shows, both in bars, restaurants and other venues. From soloist, duos and bands to hypnotists and drag artists we have some top talent here.
Lets Rock Shows was formed to help promote live music in Spain and to organise affordable shows with top class entertainment. We now have 2 websites (www.lrshows.com and www.keepenter-tainmentliveinspain.com)which are dedicated to all forms of entertainment, plus several Facebook groups with in excess of 2900 members.
Each month we will be listing the very best places for you to have a night out with live entertainment. Plus we will be bringing any news and special events that are happening in the area. You can also submit your event by emailing them to me at [email protected] I shall endeavour to give you the most compre-hensive events guide that I can..
As an entertainment consultant my job is to help the venues by providing them with not only the right acts for their customers, but also advice and promotion for their events. From poster design to press releases we offer a total package, so the venues can get on with doing what they should be doing – running their business. It is so important that venues are supported on a regu-lar basis. If this doesn’t happen then they will slowly decline until they are forced to close. Music is in our very soul and instilled in us from a very early age. Children are sung to in the womb, and it is an inherent part of all cultures to have music at any celebra-tion. We gravitate towards it like bees round a honey pot. Music brings us joy, whatever genre it is. So let’s turn off the telly and get out there and give ourselves lots of happiness and meet some new people along the way.
I do hope you enjoy this new feature and have many enjoyable nights out.
Keep on Rocking!
Jax x
www.lrshows.comTel - 697501992
26
27
Computer help & advice
with
Computer help & advice
with
BALEARIC BANTERBy Johnny Mahonny (The Barnsley Marinero)
Greetings from Menor-ca. Mr Dave Bull, the Ayatollah of the Airwaves, the Prince of Print, the Crown Prince of the Cos-ta, has dangled the golden carrot (not to be sniffed at) and commissioned another pageful of nonsense from the Marinero.
Greetings from sweltering Menorca. Temperatures have been
well above the norm since early May, peaking yesterday, July
21st, at 39C, almost unheard of here. Luckily our constant sea
breeze hasn’t let us down, mitigating the worst of the heat.
On the bright side, my little Tiki-style bar in Puerto Addaia has
been doing good business. The sun drops below the pine ridge
to the west of the village around 8.30 pm giving us lots of long
So well was it going that I decided to branch out into cock-
tail-making. Now, as an ex-publican in the UK, my knowledge of
cocktails was minimal. Typical conversation from those days:
‘Hi, could I have a Dry Martini and lemonade please?’
‘If you must’
‘And could I have ice and lemon please?’
‘What do you think this is, the f**king Dorchester?’
As a real-ale specialist I wasn’t much interested in other bever-
ages:
‘Evening, do have any soft drinks, please?’
‘Aye. Foster’s. Do you want one?’
I decided, therefore, to enlist the help of Ray, the best barman
I’ve ever seen, who works in El Castillo, the bar/restaurant in
whose grounds my little chiringuito sits. Up to thus he’s been
making my cocktails for me, but last night he presented me with
my own cocktail shaker which he said was his spare one, so I
decided to try my hand at mixing a pina colada. Unfortunately
the top flew off the shaker, spraying pina over two people on one
side of the bar and colada into the faces of two others. Undaunt-
ed, I will this evening attempt the pina colada again, and again,
until I can at least keep the bloody liquid inside the shaker.
Watch this space.
A more successful line has been alcoholic smoothies. Chris,
who owns El Castillo, was given a few sobras of frozen fruit
smoothie thingies to try out so we unearthed from his almacen
an ancient machine resembling a prototype rocket launcher
from the 1940’s. The motor, when running at full speed, sounds
exactly like my petrol chain saw and the vibration is similar
also. The whole thing takes off across the bar unless one hangs
on for dear life but the resulting smoothie (with alcohol add-
ed, of course) tastes surprisingly good, except for the one with
blueberries in, which always comes out with the consistency of
coloured concrete. More work required I think.
There are definitely more visitors here this summer, in part
due to the problems in Tunisia and the eastern Med in general.
Thomson and Thos Cook have greatly increased the number of
flights to Menorca and are currently looking for more accommo-
dation. Good news for us but crushingly bad for the people of
Tunisia especially, who, like ourselves, rely almost exclusively on
tourism to put food on the table. Our hearts go out to them.
Now is the time of year when friends and family arrive to see us,
joyous occasions when we can spend time with our loved ones
catching up on the news from home, laughing and joking, rem-
iniscing and generally enjoying their company. Being away from
them is one of the very few negatives of our chosen lifestyle so
our time with them is precious. Hopefully, for the first time, Mrs
M and I will be in the UK for Christmas and New Year. Monarch
have kindly consented to operated direct flights to Gatwick this
winter so we’ll be visiting daughter Jess at her pub in Crayford,
south London, with a trip oop north taking in the rest of the
tribe.
Meanwhile, as I sit here in just my Primark undies (not a pretty
sight) I leave you with this month’s comedy interlude:
Chris tells his friend Rob he’s going on holiday next week. Rob
asks if he could bring 200 cigarettes back for him. ‘Certainly’
says Chris. The following week Chris gives Rob the cigarettes.
‘Thanks a lot, mate, how much do I owe you?’’ £65.00,’ says
Chris. ‘Blimey, where did you go for your holidays? asks Rob.
‘Scarborough’ says Chris.
And finally....remember, kilometres are shorter than miles so
take your next trip in kilometres and save fuel.
Hasta la proxima
Johnny Mahonny (The Barnsley Marinero)
28
Todos los dias Desde 17.00
AbiertoOpen
Las mejores hamburguesas caseras - The best of homemade burgers
Variedad en cocktail - Variety of cocktails
Open everyday From 17.00
Especialidad en pescados, cordero y cerdo Specialty fish, lam, pork
29
Computer help & advice
with
Todos los dias Desde 17.00
AbiertoOpen
Las mejores hamburguesas caseras - The best of homemade burgers
Variedad en cocktail - Variety of cocktails
Open everyday From 17.00
Especialidad en pescados, cordero y cerdo Specialty fish, lam, pork
It’s always good to see a new local business opening up and getting off to a flying start too! Finally Gran Alacant has its own official Es-tanco selling smokers merchandise at official prices – that’s usually around 15-20 cents less than vending machines in bars and cafes etc.!Good news for locals and visitors too, espe-cially holidaymakers wishing to stock up on their favourite brand before returning to the UK and northern Europe where they will pay normally around DOUBLE the price for the same product.
Having opened their doors at the new shop; Estanco shop 7 in Avenida Escandinavia in Gran Alacant (just up from the BBVA bank) on the 9th of July customers old and new have been flocking to the new shop. I say old customers as many will remember Jose and his team from their other shop, which he still owns and runs, just opposite the port in Santa Pol; the Gran Alacant shop is an extension of this one which is located in Avenida Granada, 2 and as I say it’s just opposite the port entrance.
As ever in the EU, bureaucracy rules which means that the Gran Alacant shop will sell at of-ficial prices until the twenty second of October when it will revert to machine prices. The great
news is that smokers will still get their favourite brand locally and in bulk if neces-sary. And if they do wish to pay the slightly lower official prices after the twenty second of October, well the staff, Belen and Blanca, at their Santa Pola shop 7 Tabacos will happily greet and help them.
But its not only smokers that are frequenting Estanco Shop 7 as Jose and his team, Estefania, Caroline, also offer a huge range of newspapers and magazines both in English and Spanish and other languages too.Gifts are also on display in the smart new shop in Gran Alacant and along with items for smok-ers, mobile phone top-ups and postage stamps
they also offer a very
competitive EuroChange service where visitors, ad residents of course, can change the sterling (or other currency) to Euros. Check out the rate daily as it is posted outside of the shop every morning.Having been in the business almost thirteen years, Jose and his team know their products and offer the very best service both in Spanish and English, and always with a welcoming smile.
Open all year both Estancos operate from 9.00am until 2.00pm and the reopen the doors at 5.00pm until 9.30pm from Monday to Satur-day while on Sundays they are available from 9.00am until 2.pm.
As I said at the very start it’s great to see new businesses opening locally and providing some-thing that the area desperately needs. Jose and his team have done just that so try and support our local businesses…you’ll get a nice welcome as I say!
GREAT NEWS FOR GRAN ALACANT RESIDENTSLife just got easier...
30
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As a Clairvoyant Medium no words are neces-sary when communicating with my beloved Spirit Guides which is just as well because they don’t have a voice box! One of the mis-conceptions about Mediums is that we can ‘read’people’s minds and it really makes me chuckle as I wouldn’t want to know what lurks in certain folk’s minds - they can keep their thoughts to themselves! But seriously, what exactly is telepathy? Telepathy is transmitted information from one mind to another or the communication between two people, the sender and receiver, using the transference of thought from one person to another on a vibrational level far beyond our natural senses and without the need for physical interaction. Telepathy is a way of receiving messages from higher guid-ance, or highly developed intuition.
The word telepathy is taken from the Greek words tele ‘distant’ and patheia ‘feeling’ and was coined by Frederick William Henry Myers in 1882. Myers was a leading founder of the Soci-ety for Psychical Research in London as well as an essayist and English Poet.
The ancient Greek philosopher Democritus felt that everything even the soul is made up of minute particles known as atoms which emit images of themselves which in turn are com-posed of other atoms and his theory was that information could be projected by people when charged emotionally (the sender) to someone asleep and dreaming (the recipient) and known as ‘dream telepathy’. William Crookes (1832 to 1919) was a British chemist and physicist and he likened telepathy to that of a “brain wave” theory stating that there may be parts of the human brain that may be capable of sending and receiving electrical rays of wavelengths.
A wonderful example of telepathy is the study of whales who can detect objects by sonar and can send out telepathic signals to other whales who are hundreds of miles away. Animals also appear to use their extra sensory skills when communicating with. Telepathy is a natural form of communication – you only have to look at animals how they sense that something is about to happen which is often hard for humans to perceive. For example, I will think “I will take the dog out now”. I don’t say a word, or move, so I know it’s not my body language that tells her I’m taking her out for a walk. It isn’t even that we go at the same time every day, because we don’t! Somehow she knows what I am thinking and is able to tap into my thought pat-tern by using her natural extra sensory skills.
Throughout tribes such as the Australian Abo-rigines it is accepted that telepathy is a human faculty whereas in more modern and advanced societies it is believed that telepathy or ESP
is something only psychics are capable of. For me, telepathy is a natural ability to ‘tap’ into a high vibrational state when working with spirit and it never ceases to amaze me what wonder-ful messages I receive from my trusted guides.
During my classes I draw a simple picture, and pop it into a sealed envelope which I hand to my student. One of my students is developing well and on his first visit to me, I used this exercise to demonstrate how telepathy works. He was “blown away” his words, by the accuracy of the exercise. I drew a very simple house, and for some reason the number 22 kept being repeat-ed to me by my spirit guide so I added the num-ber onto the door of the house and popped the rough sketch into an envelope and sealed it. I asked my client to sit quietly and concentrate. I kept the image of the picture I had drawn of the house clearly in my mind’s eye and I projected it to him telepathically whilst inwardly saying “It’s a house”. When he had finished drawing he couldn’t believe it because at first he had drawn a dog and cat and he said it didn’t ‘feel right’ so he concentrated harder and he drew a house. When I looked it his drawing, it was uncannily like the one I had drawn but without the no. 22 on the door. When I asked him what this num-ber meant to him, he said his father had passed away last year and the family are in the process of selling his house which is number 22.....
Try this exercise for yourself
Choose one other person to help with the exer-cise and find somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbedLight a couple of white candles and burn some basil in an oil burnerIn a different room, draw something easy such as a cat, or a tree (keep it simple!) & concen-trate on the image so you know every line of it in your mind’s eyePop it into an envelope, seal it, and join your partner in the other room
Close your eyes whilst holding the envelope in your hand and ask your partner to draw the first thing that comes to their mind. Have fun with what transpires and don’t worry if it doesn’t work at first, practice is the key to stilling the mind and focusing. After a few at-tempts you may surprise yourself!
I WILL BE TEACHING PSYCHIC DEVELOPMENT @ A SMALL CLOSED CIRCLE IN BENIJOFAR - NOVEMBER 2015. PLEASE E-MAIL ME IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING. E-mail: - [email protected] me on Twitter @ rescuemediumali
TELEPATHY
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