Magazine for expats and those wishing to Live the Life in Spain.
32
JAX LAWSON’s GIG GUIDE LIVE entertainment on the Costa! FREE THE KAYAK CHALLENGE! Editor & son to take on 52km of the Rio Sergura for charity The Perfect BBQ Dreamworld Kelly is about! 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 September 2015 issue number 50 Sandra Piddock Best things come in little packages..? Cover: Naomi Ferez (13) 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 LAWSON’s GIG GUIDELIVE entertainment on the Costa!
FREE
THE KAYAK CHALLENGE!Editor & son to take on 52km of the Rio Sergura for charity
The Perfect BBQ
Dreamworld
Kelly is about!
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
2 guys, 2 kayaks, 1 mission...& a blooming long river!Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/KayakforCancer
& LIVE on the day via GPS!
The Kayak Challenge for Cancer28th Nov
MURCIA to GUARDAMAR
Raising funds for th AECC & highlightng the Samritans in Spain.
Father and son plan to Kayak from Murcia to Guardamar to raise funds for cancer charity.
The idea came about when sadly they were told a close relative was diagnosed with having cancer. Dave said: “Mitch and I would like to think that the bat-tle can be won and we both want to do something to show our support and the first step in this slightly ‘off the wall’ venture is training! So here we go... the distance is 52k so first step - find a trainer Bea Cota is a little mad (and very strict!)and my training started on Monday 24th of August and blimey…just what have I let myself in for?
As many of you will know I am an early bird so a 5.30a.m. start did not faze me but the workout sure did! After a gruel-ling half hour with Bea I was ready for a strong coffee and a quick fag but no Bea said right that’s the warm up done now for the real stuff! We are now ready to start your first session... and I thought it was all over - it certainly felt like it should have been!!
Bea is a healthy eating lean mean ma-chine who thinks I should have the same diet as a rabbit… Thank goodness it’s just been proved that a glass red wine is good for you and no one said what size glass! I also think I am about to learn all about juicing, proteins and pasta, calo-rific values, optimum weight the lot. I am just really pleased I was blessed with the tall gene so at least being a lanky git weight will not be a problem! Mitch
at 6’7” to my 6’3” is even more pleased about that but more about Mitch and his training experience and love of good food next month!”
The lads will also be carrying GPS track-ing devices so those interested can fol-low their progress - each kayak will have a separate device - and the boys names will appear on a map on the website as they head down the Rio Segura s we can all see if they are progressing well.
The proposed date for this mega chal-lenge is Saturday November 28th so Dave and Mitch will be spending the next 12 weeks training and checking out the course - they do need a second Kayak to train with and to use on the day so if anyone has a basic model buried in their garage or underbuild now could be the time to unearth it and put it to good use.All that’s left for me to say now is good luck with the training guys and we look forward to hearing more from the Bulls next month!IF YOU DO HAVE A KAYAK that Dave and Mitch could use then please email or fb Susan Reader [email protected]
ALL ABROADwww.allabroad.es
Take a break!Take a break!with
Dave and Mitch Bull
TAKE TO THE WATER...
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4
As those who have read my diary before know, I am less able than some. I use crutches and a wheelchair when tired, as well as pack a couple of kilos of steel bars strapped up my knicker leg.Now I have worked hard when I could and earned good wages, better than my healthy engineer husband at one time.I have struggled through lots of situations, and put up with being pushed out of the way, poked in the back and tripped down stairs by healthy bodies rushing past me in an attempt to get out of the weather or get a seat or just being plain rude. I have put up with remarks such, as ‘Move, I bet I pay your benefits’, or ‘Come on shift it you’re too slow it’s raining here you know.’ Even, ‘Just get out of the way, why they let you people travel is beyond me,’ and one very nice hairdresser who did explain to me that all disabled people should be aborted. I was alright though because I was not born WRONG.’
Now these all happened before our PC society came into play and annoyed us all taking our freedom away to insult anyone we felt like. Equality and diversity became the watchwords of today, I am here to say it’s all a crock of, shall we say ‘poo’. I have a disabled friend who tried to get on a train with assistance, when he overheard someone say.
‘Why do they have to travel?’ He also had to pay first class just to get a seat. This friend is the most loving and charitable person I know and he ran his own business only to be struck down with a disease in his mid 50’s, but some moronic onlooker decided he ought not even think of travelling.Hotels, restaurants, and such like have to make their premises accessible for us ‘nuisances’ today, forgetting our money is as good as the next persons or they think they are paying for us with their tax money on benefits, I wish. I booked into a LONDON hotel with family and asked for a walk in shower and disabled toi-let they only had one and it had no window, I refused and asked for something else, they then said they had one with a walk in shower.
The excitement built on arriving at the hotel, what would the room be like. The card passed over the lock the door opened onto the smallest double room with the bed pushed against the wall, no other space available and the shower had a step too. But it would only be a couple of nights and London is expensive, but
on being invited into my relatives suite for the same price, just once again showed up that we are treated as second class and worthless citizens. Once again, back at the airport, thanks to the man standing in the queue. Rather than helping my slight sister in law with bags and the pushing of a wheelchair containing my none to light self, he shouted, ‘Hey guys let’s pretend to hobble and we will all get taken to the front of the queue, as security came to help my sister.I hope the slap his partner gave him hurt and his embarrassment is still on him. I offered to take his place and swap our situations but he was silent then.
Thanks to the woman who moaned that we were getting on in front of her off the ambulift, it was cold and wet. The fact that we also stood in the rain meant nothing to her as she suggested we were too slow and should wait until the able bodies were onboard.
Equality and diversity is a joke. We cannot choose our seats on a plane in case we block others exits, we have to be willing to burn for the rest of the payload we have to pay in hospital car parks the same as everybody else even though we have far more appointments than the average person. On the whole we pay for our own prescriptions which we also tend to have far more of.
Now some thanks. To the restaurants and bars in GA that do try and help, to the peo-ple that offer a hand and pass the time of day and a smile with us. Believe you me; you do not know how appreciative we are,
not for pity but recognition as a person.Don’t be afraid of us, yes sometimes we can be grumpy but so can you, give us a chance people please, and keep your hurtful comments to yourselves.
One day, you never know, when we, in this alien world of not be-ing fully able, rise up, our day will come when we take the world by storm. We may be the master race just biding out time, what goes round comes round and one day you may find yourselves in a similar situation through no fault of your own. Think about it, how do want to be treated then? Oh yes the blasé will say ‘I’d end it all and not be a burden,’ as if we have no life anyhow. Big mistake if you think that. When your time comes you will realise how precious your health is and how bloody lucky you are?
Equality and diversity = What a crock of…
by MANDY TAMS
5
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Malcolm PalmerAs those who have read my diary before know, I am less able than some. I use crutches and a wheelchair when tired, as well as pack a couple of kilos of steel bars strapped up my knicker leg.Now I have worked hard when I could and earned good wages, better than my healthy engineer husband at one time.I have struggled through lots of situations, and put up with being pushed out of the way, poked in the back and tripped down stairs by healthy bodies rushing past me in an attempt to get out of the weather or get a seat or just being plain rude. I have put up with remarks such, as ‘Move, I bet I pay your benefits’, or ‘Come on shift it you’re too slow it’s raining here you know.’ Even, ‘Just get out of the way, why they let you people travel is beyond me,’ and one very nice hairdresser who did explain to me that all disabled people should be aborted. I was alright though because I was not born WRONG.’
Now these all happened before our PC society came into play and annoyed us all taking our freedom away to insult anyone we felt like. Equality and diversity became the watchwords of today, I am here to say it’s all a crock of, shall we say ‘poo’. I have a disabled friend who tried to get on a train with assistance, when he overheard someone say.
‘Why do they have to travel?’ He also had to pay first class just to get a seat. This friend is the most loving and charitable person I know and he ran his own business only to be struck down with a disease in his mid 50’s, but some moronic onlooker decided he ought not even think of travelling.Hotels, restaurants, and such like have to make their premises accessible for us ‘nuisances’ today, forgetting our money is as good as the next persons or they think they are paying for us with their tax money on benefits, I wish. I booked into a LONDON hotel with family and asked for a walk in shower and disabled toi-let they only had one and it had no window, I refused and asked for something else, they then said they had one with a walk in shower.
The excitement built on arriving at the hotel, what would the room be like. The card passed over the lock the door opened onto the smallest double room with the bed pushed against the wall, no other space available and the shower had a step too. But it would only be a couple of nights and London is expensive, but
on being invited into my relatives suite for the same price, just once again showed up that we are treated as second class and worthless citizens. Once again, back at the airport, thanks to the man standing in the queue. Rather than helping my slight sister in law with bags and the pushing of a wheelchair containing my none to light self, he shouted, ‘Hey guys let’s pretend to hobble and we will all get taken to the front of the queue, as security came to help my sister.I hope the slap his partner gave him hurt and his embarrassment is still on him. I offered to take his place and swap our situations but he was silent then.
Thanks to the woman who moaned that we were getting on in front of her off the ambulift, it was cold and wet. The fact that we also stood in the rain meant nothing to her as she suggested we were too slow and should wait until the able bodies were onboard.
Equality and diversity is a joke. We cannot choose our seats on a plane in case we block others exits, we have to be willing to burn for the rest of the payload we have to pay in hospital car parks the same as everybody else even though we have far more appointments than the average person. On the whole we pay for our own prescriptions which we also tend to have far more of.
Now some thanks. To the restaurants and bars in GA that do try and help, to the peo-ple that offer a hand and pass the time of day and a smile with us. Believe you me; you do not know how appreciative we are,
not for pity but recognition as a person.Don’t be afraid of us, yes sometimes we can be grumpy but so can you, give us a chance people please, and keep your hurtful comments to yourselves.
One day, you never know, when we, in this alien world of not be-ing fully able, rise up, our day will come when we take the world by storm. We may be the master race just biding out time, what goes round comes round and one day you may find yourselves in a similar situation through no fault of your own. Think about it, how do want to be treated then? Oh yes the blasé will say ‘I’d end it all and not be a burden,’ as if we have no life anyhow. Big mistake if you think that. When your time comes you will realise how precious your health is and how bloody lucky you are?
Equality and diversity = What a crock of…
by MANDY TAMS
6
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7
Last month, I introduced you to my lovely home pueblo of Algorfa. The great thing is, we’ve got a great choice of eat-ing places here. Algorfa may be small, but it’s big on service, and there are all kinds of eateries, to suit all tastes and budgets.
For now, I’m going to concentrate on some of the places I’ve actually eaten at myself, because first hand recommendation is always best. Then, over the next couple of months, I’m going to chow down at as many places as I can, then come back to you with more reviews. The things I do for my art! Here are just some of the great places to eat in and around Algorfa.
Restaurante AlquiblaAlquibla was the first Spanish restaurant I ate in when we moved here back in 2008, and nothing has surpassed it since. It’s a typ-ical ‘Abuelo Restaurant,’ where Madre does the cooking, and Padre y Hijo do the waiting, with a little help from friends when it gets busy. When it’s not busy, Padre likes to play cards for cash in the bar, and that puts some people off, but for us, it’s another attraction!Take an empty stomach with you – you’ll need it to get through the bread with ali oli and tomate, salad, three courses and half a bottle of wine. Typical primeros are paella of the day, sopa de pelota (meatball soup with a meatball of gigantic proportions), macaroni, cold meats or gazpacho. During the week, there’s a meat or fish choice for segundos – maybe beef in sauce, pork loin with cheese, roast chicken, fried fillet of sole or hake in sauce. At weekends there are more choices
for the second course, and that’s reflected in the slightly higher price. All this food costs just €9 for lunch, €11 on weekday evenings, and €12 - €15 at weekends.Alquibla is on Avenida Maria del Mar Rodri-guez – Algorfa’s main street. Call 965 701 972 to reserve a table. It’s closed on Mon-days.
Restaurante La CosechaLa Cosecha (which means ‘harvest’ in Span-ish) is on the Algorfa – Benijofar Road. It’s a Mediterranean restaurant which has won numerous awards. The main dining room is a spacious conservatory with stunning views over campo, and the staff are mostly Eng-lish. The food, though, comes from all over Europe, with prawn cocktail, ratatouille, mus-sels, meatballs, pate and pasta featuring in the starters. Main courses include lamb’s liver, turbot – unusual to find that on a Menu del Dia – pork loin, Beef Bourgignon and veg-etarian options. And there are an incredible 10 desserts to choose from!With bread and salad for starters, and half a litre of wine to wash it all down, the MDD comes in at €12.95. The evening menu is €14.95, and there is entertainment several nights a week. Booking is pretty much es-sential, for lunch, and advisable for evenings. Call 966 194 018.
Hotel Algorfa Hungarian RestaurantSituated on the Castilio de Montemar urbani-sation on the Algorfa – La Finca road, this family run hotel offers excellent food. Eat in the stylish restaurant, or on the terrace overlooking the iconic Mount Escotera. At just €8.50, the Menu del Dia offers excellent
value. Starters include hot and cold soups, pate, and tuna salad, while main courses are typically Hungarian. The Goulash is stunning, and the Paprika Chicken is to die for. And the servings are enormous!You’ll receive a warm welcome from Kata and her family, so if you want something a bit dif-ferent, go Hungarian. Call 966 729 707 to re-serve your table.
El Chiringuito AlgorfaEl Chiringuito is Algorfa’s hidden gem. Situ-ated in the middle of the Sports Centre, with plenty of shaded seating, you can enjoy tapas or a full meal, although there isn’t actually a Menu del Dia option. On my first visit there, the friend who took me recommended the house salad, followed by paella and a fruit plate, washed down with a jug of Tinto Vera-no. (That’s red wine and lemonade with fruit, if you’re wondering – lighter than sangria).The salad has all the usual suspects, plus tuna, egg, ham and cheese. It’s a meal on its own. Then there’s the paella with fresh tuna, langoustines, mussels, squid rings and clams. That’s a real treat for the taste buds, and probably the best paella I’ve ever had, anywhere. And I’ve had a lot of paellas! This was followed by a huge plate of mixed melon chunks. I was being treated, so I didn’t see the prices, but I did notice that there was change out of €40 – and that was with extra drinks too. Phone 659 565 485 to book – par-ticularly at weekends.I seem to have run out of space, but don’t worry – like the Terminator, I’ll be back, with lots more information about Algorfa. Why not stop by for a meal soon? You won’t be disap-pointed!
Sandra in Spainwww.sandrainspain.com
Around AlgorfaEating Out
through the side of the fence and follow the canal all the way crossing over a tarred road on route and this irrigation canal will take you straight into the Park. Alternatively you can keep going on the La Marina road for about another 1km over the bridge and turn left at the next crossroads onto a dirt track road this will also take you to the canal turn right at the canal and again follow it to the park.
There are also another couple of entries / exits to the park which are on the San Felipe road which cir-cumnavigates the park. Hope you find a suitable way in and out and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Total Cycling time: 4 HoursTotal Distance: Approx 45 Kms.
Summary: Beautiful, Peaceful, Scenic route over flat ter-rain, with lovely views and great cycle tracks.
Cycle Route 30.
This is a great little ride and suita-ble for all levels of cyclists including young children. You can either cycle to the nature reserve or you can take your car with the bikes on the back. There are numerous entrances to the park by cycle but if you are going by car you need to drive to Dolores then Catral head for and through San Felipe Neri and about 1km past you will see the sign post for the nature reserve.
In some signs it’s spelt El Hondo and others it’s El Fondo. (There are also
some new cycle routes to and from Crevillente from here and are well marked). Drive along this track and you will arrive in a large car park where you can leave your car and en-joy the miles of beautiful cycle and walking tracks.
Just past the car park there is the park information centre which is al-ways closed when we are their but we have been told in good faith that it is well worth a look. There are walkways and tracks all around the park and they are well signposted. There is also a viewpoint tower to climb up where
you can see all the lakes and beauti-ful wildlife you can also see for miles from here. All around the lake there are information boards with pictures of the various wildlife and plants.
If you are cycling to the park you are spoilt for choice of entries. If you cycle towards La Marina from San Fulgencio at the crossroads where right goes to La Marina (Iceland, Lidl, N332) or left takes you to Dolores there are 3 ca-nals turn left at the last one and cycle
CYCLING tips advice routes
by Gary Routledgewww.cyclogicalcostablanca.com
“Get on yer bike!”“Get on yer bike!”Cycling Around...The EL-Hondo nature park.
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
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8
through the side of the fence and follow the canal all the way crossing over a tarred road on route and this irrigation canal will take you straight into the Park. Alternatively you can keep going on the La Marina road for about another 1km over the bridge and turn left at the next crossroads onto a dirt track road this will also take you to the canal turn right at the canal and again follow it to the park.
There are also another couple of entries / exits to the park which are on the San Felipe road which cir-cumnavigates the park. Hope you find a suitable way in and out and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Total Cycling time: 4 HoursTotal Distance: Approx 45 Kms.
Summary: Beautiful, Peaceful, Scenic route over flat ter-rain, with lovely views and great cycle tracks.
Cycle Route 30.
This is a great little ride and suita-ble for all levels of cyclists including young children. You can either cycle to the nature reserve or you can take your car with the bikes on the back. There are numerous entrances to the park by cycle but if you are going by car you need to drive to Dolores then Catral head for and through San Felipe Neri and about 1km past you will see the sign post for the nature reserve.
In some signs it’s spelt El Hondo and others it’s El Fondo. (There are also
some new cycle routes to and from Crevillente from here and are well marked). Drive along this track and you will arrive in a large car park where you can leave your car and en-joy the miles of beautiful cycle and walking tracks.
Just past the car park there is the park information centre which is al-ways closed when we are their but we have been told in good faith that it is well worth a look. There are walkways and tracks all around the park and they are well signposted. There is also a viewpoint tower to climb up where
you can see all the lakes and beauti-ful wildlife you can also see for miles from here. All around the lake there are information boards with pictures of the various wildlife and plants.
If you are cycling to the park you are spoilt for choice of entries. If you cycle towards La Marina from San Fulgencio at the crossroads where right goes to La Marina (Iceland, Lidl, N332) or left takes you to Dolores there are 3 ca-nals turn left at the last one and cycle
CYCLING tips advice routes
by Gary Routledgewww.cyclogicalcostablanca.com
“Get on yer bike!”“Get on yer bike!”Cycling Around...The EL-Hondo nature park.
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So, September is upon us, the days and nights will start to cool down a bit and we are thinking about going back to school.
I understand Spain has had a very busy summer this year, but who doesn’t head on down this way every once in a while for a bit of sun, sand, sangria and siesta on the beach? Ooh, let’s not forget the fiestas! Why? Why not? It’s a great excuse to have a day off work and have a party. We’ve al-ready had the Mig Any here in June and it’s a fun day of dressing up, parading down the streets and, well, drinking and partying, re-ally. There’s a party on every corner around here and I love it. At the beginning of Sep-tember it’s the Santa Pola fiesta, and every year we have a look at the programme and every year the fireworks for the last night (the grand finale) are always late. I mean 1 a.m late. This goes on for about half an hour and the kiddies go back to school the day after. How cruel!
September at school here is usually pretty laid back, trying to get organised for the year, sorting out schoolbooks, etc. They only have half days until the dining room opens in October, then it’s “heads down, full steam ahead, kids!”
I myself have had a very lazy August, spending days at the beach and nights on the balcony. Suddenly the tourists will have disappeared, and the residents will slowly trickle back to the costas. Normality will re-turn, quieter, (slightly) cooler autumn days and nights and rain and floods…and us San-tapolistas reclaim our town.
This year has been a steady stream of family and friends coming over to visit. More than usual, but it’s been good summer. I found a bit of work teaching English in a local school for July and was a little surprised that a few
folks around here can actually speak Eng-lish better than they let on! But there aren’t many of us “natives” down this way. I only know of a handful who actually live in the town. This is a good thing, because it forces us Brits to at least TRY to speak a bit, even if we are tourists, and come down to the mar-ket and some tapas.
When I first arrived in Spain with my friend we took it upon ourselves to hire a Spanish teacher and have a couple of hours a week with him. He opened the textbook and said the word that strikes fear into every expat’s heart. “VERBOS”. But, to be honest, I’ve learnt a lot more Spanish just from living in a Spanish town than paying a teacher to come in and check my verbs list. Chatting to people everyday, mums at the school gate, the girls on the tills in the supermarkets, the waiter in your favourite cafe. Every little helps, as they say.
It’s funny, on the buying selling sites I see adverts for interpretors, you know, for doc-tor’s, bank, town hall, paperwork all that kind of thing, and that’s great of you really can’t get to grips with the language, but I was thinking to myself, how handy would it have been if our teacher had told us where to go to sort out all our paperwork, who to talk to and what to say. Us Brits could have saved ourselves a fortune! Even now some-times, when sorting out various documents, I’m still not entirely sure where to go, but at least I can ask someone to point me in the
right direction!
Until next time,
Stay cool...
Kelly
Kelly McLachlan
Notes from small town Spain
14
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to see some improvements in the
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MORE MT THOUGHTS
The perfect BBQ.Yes its BBQ time once more, I will let you into a secret the best ones are pre-pared yet unplanned ones…
Be like a boy scout and be prepared to make an impromptu invitation. I have readied a list of essential items for the discerning.1. First of all a BBQ is always a good start, but which kind, Gas, briquettes or an electric one? The purist will say bri-quettes for that genuine charred, no one will know if you dropped it on the floor kind of taste, and the dry black colour with a perfume of cinders.For the more well-to-do, pull out a gas outdoor kitchen area with running water, bread oven and chef to use it.The more discerning amongst us, and therefore the lazy will plum for leccy, cos you only have to plug em in and wipe em clean.
Guess which I have?2. Next, bug repellent or bug killer, both handy but which do we try? The repellent that attracts every living bug around, or, smother ourselves in lemon juice, or just go for the after bite that smells of urine. A tough, but personal choice.We chose one of those electric bat things that you swipe back and forth like sema-phore, and then press the button to fry them, but we discovered there is a size limit to what you can fry on it.A. Mosquitoes got straight through it.B. Cockroaches over an inch long do not die; it is true they can live through anything. One obligingly landed on my bat thing and when hubby switched it on it looked like it was being defibrillated, he did it again, still a heart beat, again and again. Smoke rose from its legs, the aroma of fried cockroach assailed out nostrils. ‘Enough’ I cried, it must be dead leave it alone. It didn’t move, appearing welded to the wires so we left
MANDY’SSpanish Diary
by Mandy Tams
it and carried on with our non prepara-tions. Within 10 mins the beastie wrig-gled, removed each leg individually free of the wires and flew away. We keep waiting for its big brother to come and get us now with all its friends.3. Ice, ice is a must, it keeps the drinks cool.Insect bites from those that broke through the defences don’t swell as much if rubbed with a cube of ice.4. Yes nearly forgot, sausages. You can’t have a barby without snags, get a good fat pork sausage because they roll furthest hence when they drop off, you can combine this with entertain-ment. Have games, such as catch the snag, whilst waiting for wine to cool, or the chicken to reach perfect salmonella levels.
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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1. Helmets mandatory in cities for cyclists under 16. After a long row over safety issues, the Popular Party has backtracked on its intention to make helmets mandatory for all riders within municipal limits. In the end, only minors will have to wear them. Not doing so could lead to fines of 200 euros for parents.2. Small children may not ride in the front seat. Law enforce-ment officers will be able to stop and fine drivers carrying children under 1.35 meters in the front passenger seat, unless all the back seats are already taken up by other children also under the height limit (or the car has no back seats at all). Until now, under-12s could ride in the front as long as they had a booster seat or other approved retaining device. Taxis will have to follow the same rules, but parents, not taxi drivers, will be held accountable for violations. Fines can also reach 200 euros.3. Bigger fines for drunk driving. Driving with double the allowed limit of alcohol in the blood will now mean a fine of 1,000 euros rather than 500. Those caught driving under the influence twice within the same year will get slapped with a 2,000-euro fine the second time round.4. Fines for driving after taking drugs. The new law eliminates the need to prove that drug use influenced a person’s driving. Now, all it takes is a saliva test: if the result shows the presence of drugs in the body, drivers will be presented with a 1,000-euro fine regardless of whether the substances affected their driving or not. Prescription drugs are excluded.5. Alcohol and drug tests for pedestrians. Pedestrians caught violating a traffic regulation – by crossing the road at the wrong place, for instance – will be obliged to submit to a drug and alco-hol test. Until now, this was only the case if they were involved in an accident.6. New speed limits. While the current speed limit on highways and freeways is 120km/h, the reforms contemplate raising this to 130km/h. The new code scheduled for approval in June will deter-
mine where and when this speed may be legally reached. Penal-ties will be the same: starting at 100 euros for vehicles going up to 150km/h.7. No minimum speed restrictions for bicycles. This reform aims to solve a problem faced by cyclists in cities. Until now, vehi-cles could not travel at a speed below 50 percent of the limit. This was a problem for cyclists in spots such as Madrid’s Cuesta de la Vega, a steep slope where riders have a hard time going faster than 25km/h. Freeways remain off-limits to cyclists.8. Ban on speed camera detectors and jammers. The new legisla-tion expressly prohibits the use of speed camera detectors: driv-ers caught using them will be liable to fines of 200 euros and the loss of three points on their license. Speed camera jammers are considered much more serious and entail penalties of 6,000 euros and six points off the permit. Only alert systems offering infor-mation about the locations of speed cameras based on databases will be legal. Drivers with GPS devices incorporating speed camera detection capabilities will have to deactivate this option.9. Foreign residents must register their vehicles. Because foreigners living in Spain were not under the obligation to register their cars here, in practice it was difficult to get them to pay traffic fines or submit to controls. The new regulations will determine the deadlines and conditions for vehicle registration.10. Road works. It will be considered a serious offense to con-duct any kind of road works without first informing the pertinent traffic authorities.11. Road debris. Dropping items of any kind on the road will carry high penalties because of “the danger it poses to other road users.”12. Inspecting driving schools. Hindering health department or traffic inspectors trying to carry out checks on driving schools and other vehicle-related centers will be considered an offense.13. Police can fine vehicles without stopping them. Officers will be able to fine vehicles without hailing them down if they are performing duties that prevent them from doing so or giving chase.14. Drivers to be responsible in accidents involving game animals. Until now, such accidents were only blamed on drivers if they were in violation of the rules of the road, otherwise the state or the owner of the hunting preserve were held accountable. Un-der the new law, drivers will always be considered to blame unless it can be proven that the animal stormed the road as a result of a big-game hunt held that day or within 12 hours of one having taken place. The state will only be accountable if it fails to provide proper warning signals or to mend broken fences. In practice what this means is that no compensation will be handed out in the event of a driver being killed or seriously injured after a collision with an animal on one of Spain’s nearly 25,000 hunting preserves.
20 things you should know... ...about driving in Spain15. 50 percent discount for early fine payment extend-ed to 20 days. This is up from the current 15 days.16. Environmental restrictions. Vehicles may be barred from entering certain roadways based on environmental cri-teria. The Environment Ministry will establish the exact rules governing this point.17. New reasons for immobilizing vehicles. As well as the vehicles of drivers who let children ride without the prop-er safety devices, authorities will also be able to immobilize those being driven without the proper permit (a C permit in the case of vehicles weighing between 3,500kg and 7,500kg and a D permit in the case of buses).18. Ban on taking unsafe vehicles to other countries. This article is an application of the United Nations’ Global
Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, which aims to discourage the importing and exporting of new or used vehicles deemed unsafe.19. Priority for tow trucks. Tow trucks on their way to assist motorists will have right of way and have to be treated the same way as ambulances.20. Fewer driving restrictions for cancer patients. Right now cancer sufferers are hardly ever allowed to drive, unless their doctor takes it up with the traffic authority. But improved medical treatment is set to be reflected in the new road rules, which will place fewer restrictions on patients.
New traffic legislation that will affect how motorists and cyclists use Spain’s roads will soon affect most of us. While the law will not come into effect for a while, we’ve listed some of the biggest changes to keep in mind when driving or pedaling along Spanish roads in the future.
21
1. Helmets mandatory in cities for cyclists under 16. After a long row over safety issues, the Popular Party has backtracked on its intention to make helmets mandatory for all riders within municipal limits. In the end, only minors will have to wear them. Not doing so could lead to fines of 200 euros for parents.2. Small children may not ride in the front seat. Law enforce-ment officers will be able to stop and fine drivers carrying children under 1.35 meters in the front passenger seat, unless all the back seats are already taken up by other children also under the height limit (or the car has no back seats at all). Until now, under-12s could ride in the front as long as they had a booster seat or other approved retaining device. Taxis will have to follow the same rules, but parents, not taxi drivers, will be held accountable for violations. Fines can also reach 200 euros.3. Bigger fines for drunk driving. Driving with double the allowed limit of alcohol in the blood will now mean a fine of 1,000 euros rather than 500. Those caught driving under the influence twice within the same year will get slapped with a 2,000-euro fine the second time round.4. Fines for driving after taking drugs. The new law eliminates the need to prove that drug use influenced a person’s driving. Now, all it takes is a saliva test: if the result shows the presence of drugs in the body, drivers will be presented with a 1,000-euro fine regardless of whether the substances affected their driving or not. Prescription drugs are excluded.5. Alcohol and drug tests for pedestrians. Pedestrians caught violating a traffic regulation – by crossing the road at the wrong place, for instance – will be obliged to submit to a drug and alco-hol test. Until now, this was only the case if they were involved in an accident.6. New speed limits. While the current speed limit on highways and freeways is 120km/h, the reforms contemplate raising this to 130km/h. The new code scheduled for approval in June will deter-
mine where and when this speed may be legally reached. Penal-ties will be the same: starting at 100 euros for vehicles going up to 150km/h.7. No minimum speed restrictions for bicycles. This reform aims to solve a problem faced by cyclists in cities. Until now, vehi-cles could not travel at a speed below 50 percent of the limit. This was a problem for cyclists in spots such as Madrid’s Cuesta de la Vega, a steep slope where riders have a hard time going faster than 25km/h. Freeways remain off-limits to cyclists.8. Ban on speed camera detectors and jammers. The new legisla-tion expressly prohibits the use of speed camera detectors: driv-ers caught using them will be liable to fines of 200 euros and the loss of three points on their license. Speed camera jammers are considered much more serious and entail penalties of 6,000 euros and six points off the permit. Only alert systems offering infor-mation about the locations of speed cameras based on databases will be legal. Drivers with GPS devices incorporating speed camera detection capabilities will have to deactivate this option.9. Foreign residents must register their vehicles. Because foreigners living in Spain were not under the obligation to register their cars here, in practice it was difficult to get them to pay traffic fines or submit to controls. The new regulations will determine the deadlines and conditions for vehicle registration.10. Road works. It will be considered a serious offense to con-duct any kind of road works without first informing the pertinent traffic authorities.11. Road debris. Dropping items of any kind on the road will carry high penalties because of “the danger it poses to other road users.”12. Inspecting driving schools. Hindering health department or traffic inspectors trying to carry out checks on driving schools and other vehicle-related centers will be considered an offense.13. Police can fine vehicles without stopping them. Officers will be able to fine vehicles without hailing them down if they are performing duties that prevent them from doing so or giving chase.14. Drivers to be responsible in accidents involving game animals. Until now, such accidents were only blamed on drivers if they were in violation of the rules of the road, otherwise the state or the owner of the hunting preserve were held accountable. Un-der the new law, drivers will always be considered to blame unless it can be proven that the animal stormed the road as a result of a big-game hunt held that day or within 12 hours of one having taken place. The state will only be accountable if it fails to provide proper warning signals or to mend broken fences. In practice what this means is that no compensation will be handed out in the event of a driver being killed or seriously injured after a collision with an animal on one of Spain’s nearly 25,000 hunting preserves.
20 things you should know... ...about driving in Spain15. 50 percent discount for early fine payment extend-ed to 20 days. This is up from the current 15 days.16. Environmental restrictions. Vehicles may be barred from entering certain roadways based on environmental cri-teria. The Environment Ministry will establish the exact rules governing this point.17. New reasons for immobilizing vehicles. As well as the vehicles of drivers who let children ride without the prop-er safety devices, authorities will also be able to immobilize those being driven without the proper permit (a C permit in the case of vehicles weighing between 3,500kg and 7,500kg and a D permit in the case of buses).18. Ban on taking unsafe vehicles to other countries. This article is an application of the United Nations’ Global
Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, which aims to discourage the importing and exporting of new or used vehicles deemed unsafe.19. Priority for tow trucks. Tow trucks on their way to assist motorists will have right of way and have to be treated the same way as ambulances.20. Fewer driving restrictions for cancer patients. Right now cancer sufferers are hardly ever allowed to drive, unless their doctor takes it up with the traffic authority. But improved medical treatment is set to be reflected in the new road rules, which will place fewer restrictions on patients.
New traffic legislation that will affect how motorists and cyclists use Spain’s roads will soon affect most of us. While the law will not come into effect for a while, we’ve listed some of the biggest changes to keep in mind when driving or pedaling along Spanish roads in the future.
22
avda mediterraneo 72 - GRAN ALACANTBEHIND CENTRO OPTICA 96 669 5031
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FREEEstimates!
Saturday 12thThe Local, El Raso – Kevin Tyler – 9pmPablos International Bar, Pla-ya Flamenca – Pitu – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Angie McKay – 9pmInn on the Green, Entre Naranjas – The Everleys – 9pmPALS, La Siesta – Vinny Mack – 9pmThe Lounge Bar, La Marina – Andy McBride as Rod Stewart – 9pmJ’s Bar, La Marina – Plan B – 9pmThe Club Quesada – Chloe Leigh – 9pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Colt 45 Duo – 10.30pmInn at the Green, Entre Naranjas – Everly Brothers Tribute – 9pmLa Manga Camping, La Man-ga – JJ Soulman – 8.30pmVistabella Golf, Entre Naran-jas – Las Vegas Tribute Show – 8.30pmSunday 13thSo Bar, Benimar – Paul Harris – 9pmThe Club, Quesada – Maria O’Hara – 4pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmYolo, Cabo Roig – The Cages – 10.30pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Showaddywaddy Legend – 10.30pmThe Snug, Torre de La Hora-dada – Luke Wilder – 9pmThe Sports Complex, La Ma-rina – Woody – 9pmAuld Dubliner, Campoamor – Diverse Duo – 9pmSaturday 19thRestaurante Los Rosales, CV895, Guardamar – The Liverpool Band. Tickets 14 Euros with 2 Course meal. Tel 697501992. Doors at 7.30pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Francis Sings – 9pmImanyos, Daya Nueva – Di-verse Duo – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Bella Luna – 9pmThe Inn on the Green, Entre Naranjas – Chloe Leigh – 9pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Colt 45 Duo – 10.30pmTavern, Lo Crispin – JJ Soul-man – 9pmLa Campaña, Guardamar – Cherry K – 9pm
Vistabella Golf, Entre Naran-
jas – Rob Bonovox – 8.30pmThe Club, Quesada – Dee and Glenroy – 9pmSunday 20thSo Bar, Benimar – Paul Harris – 9pmYolo, Cabo Roig – The Cages – 10.30pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Showaddywaddy Legend – 10.30pmMadhouse, Pueblo Principe – Variety Show with Ed B Wil-liams and various – 7.30pm 15 euros inc 3 course mealSaturday 26thImanyos, Daya Nueva – Soul Train Duo – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – The Streeters – 9pmPablos International Bar, Pla-ya Flamenca – Pitu – 9pmThe Fire Station, Via Pk 1, La Zenia – Debbie Slater – 9pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Colt 45 Duo – 10.30pmLa Manga Camping, La Man-ga – Lynden B – 9pmThe Club, Quesada – Nikki G – 9pmSunday 27thSo Bar, Benimar – Paul Harris – 9pmYolo, Cabo Roig – The Cages – 10.30pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmLas Ramblas Golf, Las Ram-blas – Chloe Leigh – 9pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Showaddywaddy Legend – 10.30pmThe Tavern, Catral – Soul and Motown Party – 4pmLa Taberna, Entre Naranjas – Lynden B – 9pmAuld Dubliner, Campoamor – Diverse Duo – 9pmMonday 28thThe Firm, Los Dolses CC – Ed Temple Hypnotist – 5 Euros inc currySaturday 3rd OctoberMonos Bar, Quesada – Fred-die Kool – 9pmLa Bodequeta, Lo Crispin – Red Stokes – 9pmPablos International Bar, Pla-ya Flamenca – Sharni – 9pmYolo, Cabo Roig – Dougie Monroe – 10pmTuesday 6th OctoberRestaurante Los Rosales, Guardamar – Sexy Soul Power. Tickets 14€ inc. 2 course meal. www.lrshows.com
What’s On Gig Guide August - SeptemberLets Rock the Costas
After the blistering heat and many local fiestas during August, September finds us a bit more laid back and not fighting for table space with the tourists. August was a time that some of our acts were dropping like flies from working in the intense heat and with the added heat of their own lights, heatstroke did affect some of our acts. .
As an agent and show organiser, September is the start of the autumn season and a time when the locals come back full of excitement to see the programme of shows and entertainment on their doorstep. And what a choice there is here, from soloists of all genres, hypnotists, duos, trios, tribute acts and bands. We have them all to choose from on our own doorstep.
As we know – “Every night is a Saturday Night in Spain!” With most people retired or working unsocial hours it means that most don’t have to restrict there social lives to weekend alone. I frequently hold midweek shows as it gives me more chance of getting a top act to perform locally. With bands it is difficult to get all members together on one night as they often gig solo at weekends, like Soul Power (October 6th). During the week is the only other option. There is nothing like a live band for full entertainment value. With the mix of drums, guitars, vocals and sometimes other instruments it a sure fire recipe to get the heart rates of the audience up and get feet dancing. I personally love to watch anyone who plays an instrument of any kind, so having a full band playing is just wonderful. I think they often don’t get the recognition they deserve for the years of practice and devotion to their craft.
MY Top “Must See” September show is The Liverpool Band (Sep-tember 19th). The 4 Spanish musicians have been the top Bea-tles Tribute Band in Spain and Europe for some years now, and have played at The Cavern in Liverpool twice. They always have a full diary and their shows always sell out. Go to www.lrshows.com for details on this and other shows and nights out.
You can also catch my radio interview that I did with the lovely Dave Bull on www.keepentertainmentliveinspain.com. We will be having another chat on September 11th at 10.30am about the world of entertainment. Please tune in to www.cbfmradio.eu for some serious fun!
Life is there for living, so get out there and support your lo- cal bars, venues and entertain-ers:- without you they won’t exist. Keep on Rocking.
Jax x
25
Saturday 12thThe Local, El Raso – Kevin Tyler – 9pmPablos International Bar, Pla-ya Flamenca – Pitu – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Angie McKay – 9pmInn on the Green, Entre Naranjas – The Everleys – 9pmPALS, La Siesta – Vinny Mack – 9pmThe Lounge Bar, La Marina – Andy McBride as Rod Stewart – 9pmJ’s Bar, La Marina – Plan B – 9pmThe Club Quesada – Chloe Leigh – 9pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Colt 45 Duo – 10.30pmInn at the Green, Entre Naranjas – Everly Brothers Tribute – 9pmLa Manga Camping, La Man-ga – JJ Soulman – 8.30pmVistabella Golf, Entre Naran-jas – Las Vegas Tribute Show – 8.30pmSunday 13thSo Bar, Benimar – Paul Harris – 9pmThe Club, Quesada – Maria O’Hara – 4pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmYolo, Cabo Roig – The Cages – 10.30pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Showaddywaddy Legend – 10.30pmThe Snug, Torre de La Hora-dada – Luke Wilder – 9pmThe Sports Complex, La Ma-rina – Woody – 9pmAuld Dubliner, Campoamor – Diverse Duo – 9pmSaturday 19thRestaurante Los Rosales, CV895, Guardamar – The Liverpool Band. Tickets 14 Euros with 2 Course meal. Tel 697501992. Doors at 7.30pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Francis Sings – 9pmImanyos, Daya Nueva – Di-verse Duo – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – Bella Luna – 9pmThe Inn on the Green, Entre Naranjas – Chloe Leigh – 9pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Colt 45 Duo – 10.30pmTavern, Lo Crispin – JJ Soul-man – 9pmLa Campaña, Guardamar – Cherry K – 9pm
Vistabella Golf, Entre Naran-
jas – Rob Bonovox – 8.30pmThe Club, Quesada – Dee and Glenroy – 9pmSunday 20thSo Bar, Benimar – Paul Harris – 9pmYolo, Cabo Roig – The Cages – 10.30pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Showaddywaddy Legend – 10.30pmMadhouse, Pueblo Principe – Variety Show with Ed B Wil-liams and various – 7.30pm 15 euros inc 3 course mealSaturday 26thImanyos, Daya Nueva – Soul Train Duo – 9pmLo Marabu Lounge, Lo Pepin – The Streeters – 9pmPablos International Bar, Pla-ya Flamenca – Pitu – 9pmThe Fire Station, Via Pk 1, La Zenia – Debbie Slater – 9pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Colt 45 Duo – 10.30pmLa Manga Camping, La Man-ga – Lynden B – 9pmThe Club, Quesada – Nikki G – 9pmSunday 27thSo Bar, Benimar – Paul Harris – 9pmYolo, Cabo Roig – The Cages – 10.30pmPablos International Bar, Playa Flamenca – Richie Alexander – 9pmLas Ramblas Golf, Las Ram-blas – Chloe Leigh – 9pmPaddys Point, La Zenia – Showaddywaddy Legend – 10.30pmThe Tavern, Catral – Soul and Motown Party – 4pmLa Taberna, Entre Naranjas – Lynden B – 9pmAuld Dubliner, Campoamor – Diverse Duo – 9pmMonday 28thThe Firm, Los Dolses CC – Ed Temple Hypnotist – 5 Euros inc currySaturday 3rd OctoberMonos Bar, Quesada – Fred-die Kool – 9pmLa Bodequeta, Lo Crispin – Red Stokes – 9pmPablos International Bar, Pla-ya Flamenca – Sharni – 9pmYolo, Cabo Roig – Dougie Monroe – 10pmTuesday 6th OctoberRestaurante Los Rosales, Guardamar – Sexy Soul Power. Tickets 14€ inc. 2 course meal. www.lrshows.com
What’s On Gig Guide August - SeptemberLets Rock the Costas
After the blistering heat and many local fiestas during August, September finds us a bit more laid back and not fighting for table space with the tourists. August was a time that some of our acts were dropping like flies from working in the intense heat and with the added heat of their own lights, heatstroke did affect some of our acts. .
As an agent and show organiser, September is the start of the autumn season and a time when the locals come back full of excitement to see the programme of shows and entertainment on their doorstep. And what a choice there is here, from soloists of all genres, hypnotists, duos, trios, tribute acts and bands. We have them all to choose from on our own doorstep.
As we know – “Every night is a Saturday Night in Spain!” With most people retired or working unsocial hours it means that most don’t have to restrict there social lives to weekend alone. I frequently hold midweek shows as it gives me more chance of getting a top act to perform locally. With bands it is difficult to get all members together on one night as they often gig solo at weekends, like Soul Power (October 6th). During the week is the only other option. There is nothing like a live band for full entertainment value. With the mix of drums, guitars, vocals and sometimes other instruments it a sure fire recipe to get the heart rates of the audience up and get feet dancing. I personally love to watch anyone who plays an instrument of any kind, so having a full band playing is just wonderful. I think they often don’t get the recognition they deserve for the years of practice and devotion to their craft.
MY Top “Must See” September show is The Liverpool Band (Sep-tember 19th). The 4 Spanish musicians have been the top Bea-tles Tribute Band in Spain and Europe for some years now, and have played at The Cavern in Liverpool twice. They always have a full diary and their shows always sell out. Go to www.lrshows.com for details on this and other shows and nights out.
You can also catch my radio interview that I did with the lovely Dave Bull on www.keepentertainmentliveinspain.com. We will be having another chat on September 11th at 10.30am about the world of entertainment. Please tune in to www.cbfmradio.eu for some serious fun!
Life is there for living, so get out there and support your lo- cal bars, venues and entertain-ers:- without you they won’t exist. Keep on Rocking.
Jax x
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Computer help & advice
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Computer help & advice
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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 Menorca. The weather’s holding up, the people
are still here so fingers crossed we can keep busy into Septem-
ber. Our season is much shorter than it is for you lot further
south so any extension is welcome. Mrs M is busy doing double
shifts in the restaurant next door and I’m busy leaning on my
bar watching her. We had our first thunderstorm on Saturday August 15th. The
inside bar and restaurant were full and there were no empty
seats at my little Tiki bar either, with everyone enjoying the Eng-
land-France Rugby World Cup warm-up game on TV. About 9.30
the thunder and lightning started, way out at sea in the direction
of Barcelona. Long way off, I thought. No worries. Just before
ten, however, I felt the familiar rush of air which is the pressure
change before a downpour. A few seconds later the heavens
opened, accompanied by a very strong wind. Within a couple of
seconds every glass in the bar lay broken at my feet, swimming
in about two inches of water.
My punters had courageously abandoned me for the safety and
relative dry of the big bar so I was left to unplug all the elec-
trics, starting with the 42” TV hung on brackets over the bar. As
I stood there holding a live electrical appliance in the teeth of a
monsoon whilst standing in a pool of glass-infested water in my
flip-flops, I belatedly considered my position and decided to ditch
the telly and run for it. Good decision, albeit agonising due to the
broken glass in my footwear. Some cheeky Lancastrians won-
dered whether their tab had been damaged beyond recognition
but no, I reassured them they owed 42 euros please. They left
defeated, which is the natural state for Lancastrians when facing
Yorkshiremen. That doesn’t count as racism, does it?
POLITICAL CORNERI’m thinking of joining the Podemos (We Can) party as they
sound genuinely determined to change the status quo. PP and
PSOE have p**sed on the chips once too often so I reckon it’s
time for someone else to have a go.
COCKTAIL CORNERMy cocktail-making abilities have come on in leaps and bounds
since last month and I now have fewer ingredient/punter inter-
faces. I’ve even started collecting obscure, little-known cocktails.
A Geordie friend of mine, Sharon, told me about a cocktail called
Salty Bob or something, which is Vodka and pineapple juice in
a salt-rimmed glass. She said if you don’t salt the rim it’s then
called a Greyhound. Blimey. Well, then another friend, Pete, told
me about a concoction he’d seen in a local town, which consisted
of Menorcan gin (called Xoriguer) with tonic, orange peel and,
of all things, little bits of licorice. We replicated the drink with all
the aforementioned ingredients and it tasted like a regular G&T.
The peel floated on top and the licorice sulked on the bottom.
Maybe we did it all wrong. Do YOU have a secret cocktail you
would like to share with us? If so, email me the details at john@
menorcatrek.com and I’ll have a go. The ones causing less brain
damage will go on sale forthwith.
CORNER CORNERJust kidding.YOU COULDN’T MAKE IT UP CORNER
A few years ago the Menorca Comedy Players (aka the Tourism
Office) paid a shedload of euros for some clueless advertising
mob on the mainland to invent a new slogan for the island’s
laughably amateurish attempts at promoting tourism. They
came up with probably the most ludicrous and idiotic phrase
ever: ‘ALL FOR YOUR SENSES’. No one thought to ask any of
us Brits for our opinion on this nonsensical, meaningless drivel
otherwise we may have been able to save them some embar-
rassment, if not cash. The stupid thing was soon dropped but
not before thousands of leaflets and posters had been printed.
There’s no strapline at all now, not surprisingly. It doesn’t matter
much, anyway: when did you last see an ad for Menorca as a
holiday destination? Exactly.
On the subject of advertising slogans, the tourist board in
Norfolk, England, once came up with a cracker: ‘NORFOLK EN-
CHANTS’. Say it fast.FOOTY CORNERWednesday night (August 26th) saw my hometown club,
Barnsley, play Everton in the Capital One Cup. They went down
bravely, 5-3 after extra time. The game brought back memories
of my Saturdays at Oakwell supporting them. The team were
very poor and, after each home defeat, the season-ticket holders
would hurl their ticket books onto the pitch with cries of ‘That’s
t’last time am comin ‘ere!’ and ‘Ah’d sooner muck t’pigeons art!’
after which they would make as if they were leaving the ground,
presumably for the last time. However, they always sent one of
their number back to retrieve the season tickets so they could do
it all again next time. How I laughed. Come on you Reds.
AMEN CORNERAmen. See you next month.
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
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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
30
Lovely TerracesKids & Families welcome
CocktailsEvening Set Menu 11.95€
3 Course Sunday Roast 9.95€All fresh homemade produce
Daily Special
OPEN 8.00am until Late7 Days a week
Pool, Darts, TV Sports and more!Come and make friends at
Corn on the cob, Garlic mushroomsFried onions, Grilled tomato
59€ (Min 2 people)
Spanish BreakfastCoffee & Tostada
2.95€
2€
All La Piedra mains & special are served with vegetables or salad& your choice of Chimi Churi Chps, mashed or sauted potatoes
All SPORTS SHOWN - Over 50 channels!
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Computer help & advice
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“If you can dream it, you can do it. Always re-member that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse.”- Walt Disney Company
BELIEVE YOU CAN AND YOU WILLOne of my favourite words is ‘believe’. It conjures up everything magical about life. Even if you are feeling low, you won’t stay down for long if you have belief in yourself and your dreams. One of the things you can do is to ensure you have enough sleep! (Yes really, and I explain why, below). You can also ask your Guardian Angel to help promote good dreams prior to you falling asleep. Just ask, and thank your angel be-cause if you truly believe, they may ‘speak’ to you through your dreams.
SLEEP Sleep is essential to our well-being, for the repair of the body, and there is nothing as nice as a good night’s sleep. If I have a sleepless night or haven’t slept properly for a while I can get irritable, and feel unwell. Think about what you are eating or drink-ing before going to bed. Absolute no no’s are stimulants such as coffee or alcohol. Also avoid heavy meals, fatty foods, cheese or chocolate – unless you want to be awake for most of the night as your digestion system will be working overtime. So what happens when we are asleep?
DREAMINGI find dreams absolutely fascinating and have always had vivid dreams as far back as I can remember. I always intrigued me how some dreams stay with me for days after-wards whereas others seemed to come and go and no matter how much I tried to re-member them, the information had gone the minute I got out of bed. I believe that we are only meant to remember certain dreams as they have symbolic meanings and could be answers or clues to what is going on in our lives at this very time.
PEN & PAPER BY BEDSIDEIn order to remember details of your dreams, always have a pen and paper by your bed-side so you can jot down salient notes. I write mine down as soon as I can, and then I write them up properly in my own dream journal.
DREAM BOOKI also have a dream book, or dream diction-ary as they are sometimes called. If I feel I have had a dream that has an inner meaning that I cannot decipher myself, I will look it
up in my dream book and it usually denotes something that is going on in my life at that time.
SLEEP PARALYSISThis has happened to me lots of times over the years and I remember as a child lying in bed fully awake but not being able to move. I was so frightened, but I couldn’t speak or shout out. If anyone has experienced this, it can be a very frightening experience. So what is sleep paralysis? It is the inability to move at all, although you are fully con-scious. From a health point of view it is nothing to worry about as it is purely your body which is not moving smoothly through the stages of sleep. Sleep paralysis usually lasts no longer than a couple of minutes al-though it seems much longer.
PROPHETIC DREAMS I do try to make sense of my dreams & look up the interpretation as they are symbolic and can be attributed to my past or the pre-sent. Most of my dreams are so vivid I feel I am actually there, and I have had ‘visions’ in these dreams of places I will visit in the future, and when I go there, I will often get a sense of déjà vu that accompanies it. While working in Canada on the Rescue Me-diums show, I had a dream about one of our homeowners. For those of you who have not yet seen the show, we rely on Premonitions and Psychic Art given to us by our respec-tive Spirit Guides as well as our own psy-chic investigative skills when walking around the property. This particular evening, I had a dream about someone wearing what I could only describe as a crotched snood. I had never seen anything like this before, and I describe this to Jackie my co-host on the show and our head of Research, Edna. When we got to the property, the lady owner opened the door in exactly the same Snood I had had in my dream. We couldn’t believe it! I commented on the ladies beautiful head gear which suited her perfectly, and she said it was a Jewish Snood and she had several of them. It turned out that a lot of the activity in the house was around her, and the dream was confirmation of that fact.
Follow me on Twitter @RescuemediumaliCheck out my latest events on my websites - http://thequirkymedium.blogspot.co.uk/http://discovertheangels.com/If you’d like to book a reading call me on
693 062 794
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