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No. 12 February, 2015
February 2015, Nยบ012
Carnival - Hita - Aquilas Masks - Avila Vth Centenary Bookshelf and Submarines Cultural programme Quality of Life The Sal de Torrevieja Interview Juan Paul Mulero The Toastmasters Alpe sensory project - Rabbie Burns awards
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Are You up to it? Once again this year members of the international cofradia of Jesus in the Garden of Olives is looking for more members to join their ranks. This Holy Week group has aroused the admiration of the thousands of Spanish who come to Torrevieja to see the splendid annual processions. There are now several nationalities represented and the members meet during the year for social events and nearer Easter the group of men and women start preparing for carrying the float at two processions. If you are interested then please contact OARI office in Tourist Office
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You don’t have to be in Torrevieja to actively participate in the Holy Week processions, the lads above are a group in Pilar de la Horadada and below another group in Sucina. There is also a small group in Hondon.
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The bleakness of winter may not be so noticeable to us who enjoy the relatively warm Costa Blanca climate. But for those who live in many other parts of Spain wintertime is a fierce fight for survival in snow-clad mountains swept by freezing winds or in cities where temperatures drop to zero. Historically people have seen the end of winter and the
Torrevieja Senior and Infant Carnival Queens 2015
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beginning of the warmer Spring with its promise of new life as a new beginning and in Spain this has meant a fiesta. Carnival time has arrived. Brazil is probably the best-known place for its carnival in Rio de Janeiro, but in Spain Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a wonderful reputation for its fancy dress costumes which cost a fortune and are worked on from one year to the next. Often those wearing them have difficulty in walking, as the elegant costumes are so ornate, fragile and large to maneuver in. In recent years the ‘gay’ community has taken a high profile in this Tenerife romp. Carnival may be tied in with the beginning of the Church’s Lenten period and the need to enjoy oneself before the penances leading up to Easter or it may have been rooted in pagan rites, but there is no doubt that it is a time to get out of yourself, dress up and have fun. It is also a celebration that cocks a snoot at the hierarchy who govern our lives. Some three hundred years ago on 18th February, 1701, Philip V, the first Borbón of Spain, arrived in Madrid accompanied by a procession of carriages and outriders who had accompanied him in a picturesque journey from Versailles that lasted 80 days. It was a journey interrupted by constant fiestas and a great deal of adulation. In many ways the carnival parades irreverently copy this journey.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife aways has a spectacular show. All year round fantastic costumes are worked on by designers, each trying to outdo the others in their extravagance hoping to win won of the many prizes that are offered. aormi@icloud
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In the carnival people are almost anarchists as it is a festival where (with anonymity) almost anything can be carried out by people disguised in fancy, outrageous costumes. It is a subversion of the normal political and religious hierarchy with first place being given to the exaltation of sexuality, eating and drinking, with obvious roots dating further back to the Saturnial festivals of the Romans. Disguise and drink have always been an enemy to power and in the time of Carlos I and Felipe IV there were laws prohibiting the wearing of masks. Music, fancy disguises, indulgence of the table are all hallmarks that for a few days at least Don Carnal has triumphed. The magic of a mask hiding the face of man transforms him and releases him from daily responsibilities. Amid these magic-religious rituals, the personification of elements is symbolical as opposites attract: Winter - Spring, Light and Darkness, Heat and Cold, Pleasure and Pain, Life and Death. When you add the religious content you have the opposite of Carnival and Lent. In days gone by Lent meant no more meat and in Spanish meat is carne, hence another explanation of the name of Don Carnal.
Don Carnal revels in Beauty, forever tempting with the pleasures of lust, gluttony and other cardinal sins. In many carnival celebrations you can find Don Carnal leading the parade as he represents unbridled sexual desires pursuing his opposite, Do単a Cuaresema, who represents the virtue and self-denial associated with the Lenten period.
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Hita - where combat is a parody of medieval tournaments An example of this contest in July between Good and Evil can be seen when Don Carnal appears at the town of Hita to take part in the Medieval fighting that breaks out in this town, with a procession of wooden carts a central feature: this tradition of the Festivales Medievales de Hita is inspired by the “Libro de Buen Amor del Arcipreste” The Book of Love by the Archpriest. The suitably garbed knights of the cofradias parade through the town to Palenque where combat takes place. There is a battle to take the ‘castle’ and points are given to the attacking group if they can throw their ‘venables’ or lances to stick in the castle gate. There is another act that is found throughout Spain and South America, which is the ‘Cane Game’ where canes are used as lances to unhorse opponents. This type of festival is held in many towns and those of Hita began in 1961 although based on a long-standing tradition. They are related to Candlemass and the blessing of candles, although their roots are in Iberian mythology. The Hita Medieval Theatre Festival, held since 1961, is one of the most important in Spain, ranked of National Tourist Interest. As the title suggest, the main event of the Festival is the theatre performance that takes place in the night in the Plaza Mayor, based on themes and situations of the Middle Age, for example the battle of Carnival and Lent. Beyond the theatre the whole medieval life is represented through the festival: visitors can enjoy a large market, medieval games, exhibitions, workshops by local Craft School aormi@icloud
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of Folklore, a r c h e r y competitions; in a d d i t i o n traditional music and medieval restaurants mark this festival. Due to all this events, Hita become full of jugglers, jokers, knights, witches, poets, acrobats, all in their costumes having several street performances until the outstanding event of Medieval Tournament at Palenque de la Villa, where the knight on horse challenge, displaying their skills with lances in jousting exercises. The historical recreations are supported by the richness of this village for traditions and historical buildings. Hita was the domain of the Mendoza from 1368 until the end of the 16th century, which decided to reinforce the village defenses as well as the castle at the top of the hill; many sections of the walled area are still intact and can be discovered through guided tours through the historical centre. If you visit the House-Museum of the Archpriest of Hita you'll find it has the atmosphere of an old mansion. This museum also houses a collection of masks and posters from the Medieval Festival, held in the town since 1961. The return to the medieval epoch is normally held on the first Saturday of July.
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CHECK ALZHEIMERS SHOP FOR CALENDARS
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Aguilas Fiesta declared “Fiestas de Interés Turístico Nacional”. The Carnival of Águilas is a twoweek celebration in the streets, although work goes on all year round. This Murcian town also has a remarkable museum dedicated to its carnival where visitors can see for themselves some of the marvelous extravagant costumes of previous years. It is a fiesta for everyone in the town, from children to the grandmothers, which a wonderful night procession with feather-clad women doing intricate dances in the street. This particular carnival has been recognized at national level as attracting tourists since 1977. On This year’s poster shows the legendary bearthe Saturday you have all the like figure of the Mussona breaking loose. characters of carnival - Musa, Don Carnal, Doña Cuaresma y Mussona. On the Thursday the 'suelta de la Mussona', the release of Mussona, takes place. This act of the Mussona has recently been recuperated from ancient history and this personage represents the duality of man and the beast, which we all have within. This is the fight between the savage and the civilised man and this battle continues in the actual fiesta. There is the battle between Don Carnal and Doña Cuaresma, with her final triumph. Part of this battle is the custom of “los aormi@icloud
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cascarones" when empty eggshells, filled with confetti, are broken on heads. There are parades on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and over 4,000 people take part with musical bands and floats. On the final Saturday groups from other towns take part in a glorious colourful parade. A typical drink of carnival is the "cuerva", based on wine, fruit and other ingredients. Aguilas town dates back to at least Phoenician times when it was a coastal town with links to the nearby mines. The British built a connecting railway to Murcia city in the 19th century with a jetty that was used to dump the ore and coal down chutes onto the cargo boats. One of the engines is still on display, made in Glasgow in 1905 by the North British Locomotive Company. Just offshore there are fishing farms breeding Sea Bream and Sea Bass, both used in Torrevieja cooked in the oven buried under a mound of salt. So apart from the Carnival Museum there are other interesting things to see in this small but busy town.
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Cartagena stops for Civil War Cartagena has deep rooted carnivals, which, like everywhere else in Spain, came to an abrupt halt at the beginning of the Civil War in 1936. In 1981, with the arrival of democracy, was introduced again and since then has become one of the biggest carnival parades in Spain. Throughout the Murcian region carnival time has spread to all the surrounding towns including to Mar Menor where the towns of San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier, Santiago de la Ribera and Los Alcazares, all join together. More than 50 groups take part in a colourful celebration that continues to pick up more kudos each year, attracting thousands of visitors. The Chiringota is an event for electing a carnival king, a hangover from medieval times. It is a night of mockery, wit, double-entendre jokes, risquĂŠ songs and poems that poke fun at political figures and other VIPs.
Burial of the Sardine Murcia, Cartagena and Alicante have very large parades with an integral part being the Entierro de la sardina “the Burial of the Sardine�. The sardine fish represents the fasting and abstinence of the Lenten period consumed in the Mediterranean. This is usually a large effigy that often becomes part of a bonfire which consumes it in turn. The burning of an effigy represents a regeneration and liberation, The sardine features in many coastal celebrations at other seasons of the year, including the Torrevieja pensioners who have their own fun.
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Torrevieja has it all for everyone- 8 and 14 February. The Torrevieja carnival is over a three-week period centred on three parades. Each one is a fun parade with multicolourful characters in vibrant groups or as individuals exhibiting a great deal of good humour. This is a key word as humour is possibly the most important aspect of the carnival, combined with a great sense of imagination. Prizes are awarded for various categories of costumes. The festivities are not contained in just a couple of parades, but the various groups get together in sponsoring bars for some rowdy fun. These take place during February, depending on weekends. There is a Pre-Carnival Parade in which people dress up in costumes used in previous carnivals; this is just to get everyone in the right spirit to let their hair down and in the party mood. Then there is the official opening speech (pregon) of the carnival with a stage performance at la Murga; the election of the Carnival Queen and her entourage, and the appearance and approval of the latest designs.
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After that there are two main parades: the first on 8th February from the plaza de Asunción around 16.00 with over 1,500 people taking part. This wends its way to the town centre with a great deal of music, dancing and throwing confetti. For months groups have been planning and making their costumes and here you will see extravagant feathered beauties dancing to the rhythm of lively music, clowns throwing confetti in your face or people in ordinary everyday clothes wearing a gaudy mask. It is possible to buy simple adult fancy dress costumes for around 20 euros. Children have a large part to play in this parade and you can see them in groups and as individuals suitably dressed up in imaginative costumes flowing along to the beat of the samba, salsa and merengue. The other large parade is on the night of 14th February around 21.00, which is a more adult affair and begins from the plaza de Oriente. The carnival is an explosion of imaginative colour, plus dance routines set to loud Latin music. The carnival fun also spills into the schools where competitions are often held for the best in fancy dresses among the children. It is a sight to cheer up any bleak winter morning to see little ones dressed up as fairies, clowns, cartoon heroes or whatever, firmly clutching their proud mother’s arm on their way to school. Should you miss the carnival then during July some groups participate in the Summer Fiestas in La Mata.
Another fun night in the municipal theatre is a Drag Queen night where there are strict rules about dress including high, high, high heels.Costumes tend to be extravagant and the numerous sketches are peppered with saucy humour and this is on 28 January in Municipal Theatre.
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Carnival in Venice by Andy Ormiston One of my favourite records, yes a 78rpm plastic disc, was Harry James playing Carnival of Venice on his trumpet, a great piece of music, a double whammy as ‘The Flight of the Bumble Bee’ was on the reverse. Most people think that Carnival means Río de Jainero, but it really goes back a few centuries before that, in fact it was held in Venice in the 11th century, a playfully libidinous festival where people could hide their identify behind a mask. Originally it was over two months prior to the abstinence of Lent, but fell out of favour in the industrialized era of the 18 th century, perhaps because everyone was too busy working. It was reinstated in 1979 and has proved to be a great tourist attraction with a side industry of making extravagant masks. aormi@icloud
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It is a twelve day fiesta in Venice with a programme of musical and theatrical events in the streets and in theatres. Fancy costumes and magnificent masks add an anonymity permitting a sense of identifying freedom and excuse to leave every day burdens of life to the side. The Carnival kicks off with the "flight of the angel" when a woman, wearing an angel's costume, is lowered on a wire from the top of the Campanile to the Plaza floor. Similar events are held in parts of Spain at the outset of a fiesta, but usually it is an angelic looking boy lowered down. A lot of the masks reflect historical figures, but include animals, devils, comedy,
modern abstract designs. The columbine figure is a classic seductress carnival figure who wears a lot of lace and an apron, but no mask as such. The connection still exists between middle ages plague in the character of a 'plague doctor' who wears a black gown and a beak style mask, supposedly a protection against the dreaded disease. The revelry goes on all night especially around the San Marco piazza, the crowds swelling with decorated gondolas ferrying more party goers to the salacious fiesta.
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Almost all the music played during Rio Carnival is samba, a uniquely Brazilian music originating from Rio, a dance form that was invented by the poor AfroBrazilians. The word samba supposedly comes from the Angolan world semba that refers to a kind of
ritual music. The word had several meanings for the African slaves carried to Brazil during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It could mean to pray or invoke the spirits of the ancestors or the many African gods. It was the
Carnival in Rio Portuguese that first brought the concept of "celebration or carnival" to Rio around 1850. The idea of holding balls and masquerade parties was imported by the city’s hoi poloi from fashionable France. The local traditions among the African and native Amerindian rituals became embedded in the idea of carnival in Brazil. Although the parades were initially frowned on by the the authorities by the beginning of the 19th century competitions for best fancy dress, or parade that included music were organized and thus was born Carnival in Ro de Janeiro. Initially this music was influenced by European aormi@icloud
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waltzes, polkas and even Scottish bagpipes but after the Second World War the carnival, which had been stopped during the conflict, restarted and the samba influence really came into its own with a Samba Parade. More recently this parade has been confined to the specially built Sambodrome as Samba schools flourished and took an ever increasingly important part in the celebrations, which have become better organized and less riotous than might be imagined. These professional schools also have music written specially for their choreography. Another development is that schools have adopted specific colors for their costumes and immense floats that are also judged in competitions. These schools also have their own samba nights and these do tend to be a bit more riotous and can be dangerous for unwary tourists as they tend to be in poorer actions of the city, so check out with your agent if you decide to go. A word of warning to all tourists in Rio is do not go flashily dressed with loads of glittering jewelry; every hotel will tell you this as its for your own safety. The drink Caipirinha is world famous based don cachaรงa, it is the national alcohol of Brazil and is made from sugarcane, but don't be fooled by its clearness and innocent look it is a bombshell that can have you down in one, two three.
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of Spanish Cookery by Pat Hynd
Talking of Brazil Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, and without doubt, in Spain. You may be invited to "tomar un cafe" or take a coffee; the same verb is used for an alcoholic drink, " quieres tomar una copa". It came into Europe from the Middle East via Venice and gradually spread thanks to the specialized shops dedicated to making and selling it - cafeterias. Most people are quite happy to order in Spanish with "cafe con leche" and then stuck for words to try another type of coffee. But there are dozens of ways of presenting this drink that found its way to South America thanks to a Jesuit missionary from Alicante who was a botanist (he wrote a large botanical book complete with drawings of flora and fauna) and on one of his visits back to Spain became enamoured of this new drink. He took some beans back with him and the American climate proved to be perfect for growing the bean, which is why among Brazilians coffee beans grow by the millions as the song says. Like wine (or good whiskies for that matter) coffee has its expert aficionados who can talk endlessly about the quality and merits of a good coffee - the type of bean, how it's roasted and ground, it's aroma and flavours. So this article is not meant for you, but for the ordinary person who wants to order something other than cafe con leche. At one time I was bar manager in a large Berni establishment responsible for seven bars. The overall manager told me that he would rather an employee steal a bottle of wine than a pack of Kenco coffee as the profit margin on the coffee was so good. He was a great boss who taught me a lot and each evening would go around the bars buying customers a drink which made the place really popular with locals. Friendly service and a welcoming bar staff make a big difference to bars. You can see in many resorts aormi@icloud
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in Spain where two identical bars along side and in the sun, one is packed the other empty can often be put down to the staff. To pay for his drinks my boss would have me pick up his IOU chits at the end of the month, calculate them then give each bar the equivalent amount in packs of coffee so that the stocktakers always balanced the books. In these type of restaurants there is a huge profit on liqueur coffees at the end of a meal, and a very nice ending as well.
In 1980 Spanish regulations were altered permitting new technologies to be used, especially in distribution and storage allowing coffee to be ground, then vacuum packed, or soluble. The consumption in Spain is 3.9 kilos per year per person, in contrast Japan uses 2.5 kilos and Finland a surprising 9.8 kilos. Statistically in Spain the average annual consumption is 599 cups. In the United States, September 29 is celebrated as "National Coffee Day." October 1st is the official Coffee Day in Japan. Acidic, fruity, earthy, bitter, clean, dry, sounds like wine terms, but coffee connosiers use these terms to describe coffee. Depending on the type of coffee and method of preparation, the caffeine content of a single serving can vary greatly. On average, the following amounts of caffeine can be expected in a single cup of coffee—about 207 milliliters (7 fluid ounces)—or single shot of espresso—about 44–59 mL (1.5–2 fl oz): Drip coffee: 115–175 mg Espresso: 100 mg Brewed: 80–135 mg Instant: 65–100 mg Decaf, brewed: 3–4 mg Decaf, instant: 2–3 mg
Cafe solo is the most basic, without adding anything but will vary depending on the bar and who is making it. It should be freshly ground high quality beans, with equally good quality water, the correct amount and ideally served in a tall, narrow porcelain cup to enhance the aroma, rather how a bulbous brandy glass helps to savour that particular beverage or bevvy as the Glaswegians say. Cafe solo should also be served straight
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Coffee innovation... 1884 – World’s first espresso machine (Angelo Moriondo) 1985 – World’s first fully automatic domestic coffee machine 2014 – World’s first connected fully automatic domestic coffee machine
away. Café solo is a black coffee served in a small glass, considered a good wake up drink. Mind you many Spanish workers have their desayuno or breakfast in mid morning with a slice of hot toasted barra bread sprinkled with olive oil and fresh tomato flesh rubbed in. Maybe a couple of slices of Serrano ham on top. Others prefer the same bread, but with mantequilla (butter) and mermalada (jam Not Orange marmalade), or a croissant stuffed with chocolate. Café cortado is a variation of the cafe solo, with hot milk heated by a vaporizer and added to a small cafe solo.
Café con leche says it all - milky coffee. You should tell the waiter if you prefer hot milk (caliente), cold milk (fria), skimmed (desnatada). If you want decaffeinated coffee ask for descafinado which can be quite strong if it is made in a machine; if you ask for "descafinado con leche pero de sobre" you will receive a cup of hot milk with an envelope of decaffeinated coffee permitting you to flavour the aormi@icloud
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milk to a strength that suits your taste. Some places call it “Leche manchada" or milk with a stain of coffee, only a drop to colour it.
Espresso is coffee brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans. Espresso is generally thicker than coffee brewed by other methods, has a higher concentration of suspended and dissolved solids, and has crema on top (a foam with a creamy consistency). As a result of the pressurized brewing process, the flavors and chemicals in a typical cup of espresso are very concentrated. Cafe Americano, is a style of coffee prepared by adding hot water to espresso, giving it a similar strength to, but different flavor from, regular drip coffee. The strength of an Americano varies with the number of shots of espresso and the amount of water added and comes in a large cup which makes it popular among expats and in some parts is known as a cafe largo. Bombón/biberó/goloso - it's all the same by any of the three names, coffee served in a glass cup with condensed milk. Thus you have two layers, one white and the other black. It's up to you to combine the two flavours and you can see people playing with it using the spoon to make spirals. It's goloso because it's so sweet and a golosino is a person with a sweet tooth - mind you not particularly good for your tooth. Condensed milk is sold in every supermarket in various sizes tins and also in tubes which are easy to use and less messy as you use just what is required.
Carajillo is a black coffee with a splash of licor or brandy in it, although in some places the waiter will leave the bottle for you. It is served with piece of lemon peel, a few grains of the coffee with the cafe solo poured over it and lastly the alcohol. I have read in some articles that the brandy is flambéed, but have never seen this. My early memories of this drink is early morning Guardia Civil popping into the bar in early morning for a quick cup - that was before drink and driving campaigns of course.
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Cafe latte is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. The term as used in English is a shortened form of the Italian caffè latte or caffellatte, which means "milk coffee.
Asiático is peculiar to Murcia region and is Cafe solo with condensed milk, brandy, Cuarante-tres liquor and a touch of cinnamon. The story is that it was used by the fishermen to heat themselves. Incidentally cinnamon helps reduce diabetic glucose levels and I know people who sprinkle it in their porridge.
Belmonte is a cafe solo in a glass cup with condensed milk and a touch of brandy and popular in some Mediterranean towns.
Café del tiempo is very popular in our area in summertime being a normal sugared coffee or decaffeinated coffee, served cold with lots of ice and topped with a slice of lemon. It's also called cafe con hielo but it's hot black coffee with a separate glass containing ice cubes, the customer puts whatever sugar he likes in the coffee then pours it on top of the ice. A mocaccino is also called caffè mocha, is a chocolate-flavored variant of a caffelatte. In cookery terms there are many desserts that combine the mocha flavours of coffee and chocolate.
Barraquito is popular in the Canaries and is coffee, milk and condensed milk, with a liquor added, cinnamon and slice of lemon. Cafe granizado is black coffee in crushed ice and is often available in ice cream parlours or kiosks made by large companies and similar to the Hush Puppies popular in the 1970's. There are other drinks like this using fruits such as lemon, but most popular in this
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region is a horchata made with tiger nuts and deemed to be full of goodness. “Café helado” or "blanco y negro" black and white - is a delicious summer drink of black coffee with a lump of vanilla or cream ice cream in it. “Blanco y negro” is often presented as a granizado coffee which is ice crystals with sweet hot coffee poured over it.
“Café instantáneo” is instant coffee made of granules dissolved in hot water or milk. Sometimes this is made by using one of the machines, like Nespresso with preprepared capsules and made famous by George Clooney ads.
Capuchino is well known owing its origins to Italy with a little coffee, hot milk and a milky spume on top hence its name as a little cap. Irish coffee is cafe irlandes, but falls short as it is made of hot coffee with sugar and whiskey and cream on top. Here they tend to use whippy cream sprayed on top, whereas it should be thick double cream floating on the surface so that the hot coffee is drunk through the cold cream. No doubt I have missed someone's favourite coffee mix, but we are here to learn so drop me a line.
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Austrian Coffee Cake 6 ounces butter/margarine 6 ounces caster sugar 6 ounces self raising flour 1 pinch salt 3 eggs 1/2 pint strong dark coffee sugar, to taste rum or brandy, to taste 1/2 pint double cream toasted flaked almonds Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream butter, add sugar, cream together until light and fluffy add the eggs, beat together thoroughly. Sieve flour and salt into bowl add the creamed mixture folding in gently. Put into a greased ring mould and bake at 375 degrees F (Gas Mark 5 or 190C) for 25-30 minutes. Turn out and allow to cool. To the coffee, add sugar and rum or brandy to taste. Replace cake in ring mould, pour over coffee and leave to soak overnight. Its amazing how the sponge soaks up so much coffee. Turn out and decorate with cream, nuts and grated chocolate .
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No. 12 February, 2015
Avila’s breadbasket by Pat Hynd
This month we are taking a look at Avila as it is the Vth centenary of the town’s patroness and part of any visit to anywhere is to taste the local food. The 'Gastronomical Triad' of the town is made up of Judías del Barco (large haricot beans from the village of El Barco de Ávila, also known locally as 'pipos'), Chuletón de Ávila (veal chop from 500 g to 1 kg in weight, depending on your appetite) and Yemas de Santa Teresa (sweet cakes made from egg yolks and sugar). With such a menu, visitors will be satisfied, contented and ready to continue their discovery of the wonderful treasures the town has to offer. This type of menu is a true example of Ávila gastronomy, based on agricultural and cattle-farming products from
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a province that varies greatly in both geography and climate. Pulses and legumes have earned their fame thanks to the haricot bean from El Barco and the carilla (a small haricot bean with a black dot) from the banks of the River Tormes and the chickpea from La Moraña in the north of the province. Meat is also popular: kid from Candeleda, lamb from the Amblés Valley and roast suckling pig from the north of the province. Indeed, extending the menu that has already been suggested to other authentic dishes means considering tasty garlic or Castilian soup, with the characteristic flavour of paprika from the village of Candeleda or pork meats that are conserved in jars of oil in which they have been first of all fried, known locally as pork loin or chorizo sausage 'de olla'. As already mentioned, the roast meats come from local breeds (such as Designation-of-Origin veal, or kid and suckling pig, which have their own designation). However, the classic way of enjoying suckling pig in Ávila is fried and refried in small pieces, known locally as cuchifrito. It is important to accompany the food with local wines, which also follow the maxim of simplicity and taste. They are full-bodied and big on the palate and come from the area around the River Alberche. Sweet and fruity, they can be enjoyed as sangria during Holy Week in Ávila. And there are also liqueurs of different tastes and bouquets, made from orujo, a liquor made from what is left of the grapes after they have been pressed to make wine. The healthiest dessert is fruit and should be enjoyed in season: peaches from Burgohondo, Reineta apples from El Barco de Ávila, cherries from the Tiétar Valley and figs from Poyales are just a few examples. And for sweet-toothed visitors, besides the famous yemas, there are many other traditional sweets, such as mantecados, perrunillas, amarguillos, jesuitas, empiñonados and torrijas, etc. And the town also has many cake shops.
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Avila Vth Centenary of St. Teresa
In the la Inmaculada church of Torrevieja there is a side chapel to the right of the main altar dedicated to the Virgen del Carmen with a beautiful statue of her flanked by two famous Carmelite saints - St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. This year Avila celebrates the 500th anniversary of one of its most famous daughters – St. Teresa, with lots going on in March.
ÁVILA is the town for heritage, history, art, gastronomy, festival, mysticism, culture and nature. ÁVILA is the mediaeval town of the three cultures, a World Heritage Site and a town on the Jewish Quarter Network. ÁVILA is a contemporary town that combines modernity and tourist quality with establishments that bring together comfort and the avant-garde for accessible, social tourism. ÁVILA was designated a World Heritage Site in 1985 and has formed part of the Spanish Jewish Quarter Network since 2005, offering tourists a number of routes. Its cultural heritage is the result of its history, architecture, people and landscapes. This aormi@icloud
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heritage requires an unhurried visit at different times of the day and, if possible, with the help of a good guide to understand the ancient town, the mediaeval town, the Renaissance town and the recovery it underwent in the 19th century. Santiago - The Southeast Way of St James sets off from the Mediterranean and connects Alicante, Murcia and Valencia with Santiago de Compostela. The route passes through the provinces of Albacete, Cuenca, Toledo, Madrid, Ávila, Valladolid and Zamora and joins up with the Silver Way in Benavente. From Benavente, pilgrims have two options: the Sanabria Way or the route that takes them through Astorga to join up with the French Way of St James. As part of this year’s celebrations a Group of pilgrims set out from Avila on 15th October which will take them round 30 countries in the five continents. With them is the cane carried by the saint and the last leg of the journey will be visiting the 17 convents founded by the saint, returning to Avila on 28th and their journey is being shared day by day on internet. March.. The walls of Avila are the image that is unmistakably associated with the town of Ávila and they were the main reason, together with the Romanesque churches, why the UNESCO included the town on its list of World Heritage Sites in 1985. This impressive defense construction has a perimeter of 2516 m, 87 turrets and 9 gates and the walls of Ávila are the best-conserved example of their kind in the world. Tourists should not leave the town without going up to the allure of the walls or walking around its perimeter. Visitors can today walk along 1700 m
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of the allure and there are four entrance points, one of which is suitable for the disabled.The walls have reached modern times reasonably wellconserved, but a great deal of refurbishment work has been necessary. . Maintenance work has been carried out regularly since the walls were built, but it has been intensified in recent decades to turn the defense construction into a tourist attraction. The walls can be accessed at three places: House of Las Carnicería (next to the apse of the Cathedral), Gate of El Alcazar and Gate of El Puente (this section is open to visitors). There is also a fourth exit at the Gate of El Carmen. The walls have always formed part of local Ávila life. particularly as some buildings are built into it, and visits to the town and a good number of cultural events take place around it. The most important include the following: Theatre on the walls (from the end of June to the beginning of September) The Ronda de las Leyendas (Legends on the Allure, first weekend of June) Mediaeval Days (first weekend of September) and Poetry on the Allure Like other medieval towns of Castile, Ávila was also home to Jews, Muslims and Christians and each community left its mark in a way that makes them part of our world’s cultural heritage. Although there is an abundance of written documentation recording the presence of a large and influential Jewish community throughout the
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Middle Ages in ﾃ」ila, there are few architectural-archaeological testimonies that can be attributed to them. This legacy has recently been enriched with the archaeological find of the Jewish cemetery. A large number of shops and workshops run by Jews were opened in what is today known as Calle Reyes Catﾃｳlicos, the former Calle Andrﾃｭn that connected Plaza del Mercado Grande with Plaza del Mercado Chico (the town's busiest areas, together with Plaza de San Vicente). The street was also the location of one of the town's synagogues: the Synagogue of Belforad, where the Chapel of Nuestra Seﾃｱora de las Nieves was built in the 16th century. What was once the house of the Rabbi, immediately south of the Chapel, is now the hostel known as La Sinagoga, a magnificent house which, once used as the aforementioned House of the Rabbi, is full of Hebrew references and charm. Besides a fragment of a Star of David, the door that once joined the house with the church bears a cross engraved on one of the frames, a sign with which new Christians marked their homes to avoid problems in times of controversy. The Gate of San Segundo or El Adaja led to the vegetable gardens, country properties and craft areas that had been set up on the banks of the Adaja. The suburbs outside the walls around the River Adaja were areas dedicated to craft trades and the Jews were the ones who worked specifically on tanning leather and making clothes. Evidence of this tanning industry can be seen in the Tanneries of San Segundo.The enclosure has been uncovered on the right bank of the River Adaja, between the bridge over the Adaja and the shrine of San Segundo in an area
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that is currently part of the town's Nature Interpretation Centre.They make up a unique and relevant example of the craft trade complex that worked on tanning leather between the 14th and 18th centuries. The archaeological site has uncovered large earthenware jars and the bowls. The tanneries date from the Middle Ages and worked on tanning leather. Until their expulsion, they were always run by Jews.
If you are visiting the town in the evening it is worth your while to visit the shrine of Los Cuatro Postes in search of that intimate, magical moment when the town lights up with the walls in the foreground. Seen from here, the cabalistic structure of ﾃ」ila, the 'Jerusalem of Castile' as it was called by the poet Avner Pﾃｩrez, or, if you prefer, the interior Castle of Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada, is nothing short of glorious.
S.A.I. Catedral del Salvador - Cathedral Museum This museum has seven rooms that are located next to the Gothic cloister of the CATHEDRAL: The Chapel of the Cardinal and adjoining rooms (Treasury Room and Missal Room), which were used as the Chapter Room and Archive. The museum entrance is through the original Chapter Sacristy, which contains various ornaments from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The sacristy bore witness to the meeting of the Commoners of Castile when they planned their uprising against Carlos V. It offers a wealthy variety of artworks from the cathedral itself and from various parish churches in the province, classified under four headings: sculpture, painting, precious metals and embroidery work, dating from the 12th to 18th centuries.
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Another museum is the Mysticism Interpretation Centre, the only one of its kind in Europe, and its aim is to introduce visitors to the phenomenon of mysticism. I was reminded of a house in Murcia before it was taken over to make way for the Polaris World golf course as the owner had each room decorated to suit some form of mysticism – Hindu, Buddha etc. It stands as a compendium of universal mysticism and a work of mystic art. It is located in a refurbished building outside the walls, very close to the Convent of St Teresa. The size of the building has not been altered; it has a modern look and its most significant feature is the prismatic roof, which filters light through an exterior laminated membrane. It is separated into four rooms, which coincide with the four universal themes into which people have divided mysticism: Room 1, tradition; Room 2, knowledge of self, the place for being with oneself; Room 3, enlightenment, that of union with God; Room 4, action, the return of mysticism to the world. It shows the general features of mystic knowledge through symbols placed in the four rooms.
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Avila Fiestas
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Avila Semana Santa has been declared of National Touristic Interest, it is characterised by the sobriety and solemnity of its processions.
In addition to the processions that continue along the streets in the city from Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday, others activities of liturgical character should also be pointed out, such as the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday dawn around the wall, or the Sermon of the Seven Holy Words in Plaza del Mercado Chico. But these days other more popular traditions also live on such as the "juego de los borregos (game of the lambs)" that is played from Wednesday to Saturday in the casino of the city, where baccarat is also played, since these were the only days that the games were allowed; today some changes have been made, such as allowing women to participate which is much more in accordance with modern times. The RomerĂa (Pilgrimage) del Pradillo also survives and is celebrated by a procession on Resurrection Sunday in the hermitage Del Resucitado; those attending participate in popular auctions with hornazo (egg bread) and sangria (wine punch)
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May 2 is the celebration of the pilgrimage of San Segundo, patron saint of the city, commemorating the transfer of the saint's remains to the Avila cathedral in 1594. Various traditions are linked to these festivities, such as the procession to the hermitage in which the civil and military authorities accompany the saint, the youngest council member carries the flag or Bandera de los Voluntarios de Ávila. This is dedicated to the volunteers who took up arms agains the French invaders. In the Romanesque hermitage of San Segundo, pilgrims celebrate the feast day, venerating the saint with the hope that he will grant them one of three wishes. In order to do this, they must introduce a handker-chief, which must be of cloth, in an orifice of the sculpture of the praying saint, work of Juan de Juni, and touch the urn, which according to tradition contained the remains of the patron saint. Along with the festive activities, Avila becomes the backdrop for cultural events during summer, the programme Noches y Almenas (Nights and Battlements) takes place in the palaces and symbolic monuments of the city. During the summer the city hosts university extension courses from various universities and cultural foundations. During the first days of September the city regains its medieval image with stalls, haimas (Bereber hostels), the fragrances of incense, rosemary, and cheese; canned goods, slave auctions, puppeteers, jugglers, knights, kings, monks, and friars occupy the streets and plazas of the historic centre
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On the 15th of October, the city celebrates the festivals in honour of Santa T e r e s a ; celebrations begin with a proclamation from the balcony of City Hall. G i a n t s , cabezudos and tarasca roam the streets, a floral offering is made to one of the sculptures of the Saint in the Mercado Grande. On the day of the festivities a mass is given in the cathedral, the tradition indicates that during the liturgy, the city flag should flutter on the main altar.
Concerts, b u l l s , fireworks, and s p o r t s activities are performed throughout the festive week. The celebration of Flamenco W e e k coincides with the Festivals of Santa Teresa. aormi@icloud
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The Woman in the Centre by Pat Hynd
St. Teresa was an extraordinary woman who may seem to bear little in common with women today, but after five centuries she still has a message that God is Love. Her writings particularly have influenced many modern women to not only join a religious order, but a modern phenomena is the number of women who have chosen to become hermits, sometimes living alone, but attached to a larger group. Her position is unusual as she is recognized as a Doctor of the Church - a title given by several Christian churches to individuals whom they recognize as having been of particular importance, particularly regarding their contribution to theology or doctrine. In Teresa’s instance it was her contribution to spirituality and mysticism as she wrote down her mystical experiences. Teresa (Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada) was born in Avila, Spain on 28th March 1515, which is why March is a celebration month. Her parents were both pious Catholics and in some ways inspired their daughter to take up a life of prayer. As a young child Teresa showed signs of a deeply religious nature; she would often retreat into silence for prayer and would enjoy giving alms to the poor. She was very close to her mother, who provided a warm counterbalance, to the strictness of her father. During her teen years Avila lost some of her early piety and religious zeal and became interested in what was happening around her and enjoyed the company of a wide circle of friends. She had a natural charm and found it easy to make friends. In return she enjoyed the compliments and friendships of others. Then she developed a sense of being a “miserable sinner” probably the result of a harsh self-judgement, encouraged by her father’s exacting religious standards. Actually, lots of teenagers take stock of their lives and what is happening around them and some do something about it in a positive manner. At the age of 16, her father decided to send Teresa to a convent school to be further educated. This re-ignited in her an interest in following a spiritual life and after some deliberation resolved to become a nun of the aormi@icloud
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Carmelite Order wearing the brown habit. Shortly after becoming a nun, Avila had a severe attack of malaria, which left her in great pain for a long period. During this period of intense physical pain, she began to increasingly experience divine visions and an inner sense of peace. Most pictures of her depict her wing visited by a dove representing the Holy Spirit. Certain clergy felt they were just delusions of the devil and she learned to cut back in describing these experiences confiding in only a few people. When Teresa was 41, she met a Priest who convinced her to go back to her prayers and implore God to come back to visit her. An experience of many people in what we term as mid-life crisis, wondering what life is all about. On one occasion Teresa complained to God about her mistreatment from so many different people. God replied to her saying “That is how I always treat my friends;” with good humour St Teresa replied “That must be why you have so few friends”. She received the visit of the Prior General of the Carmelites, John-Baptist Rubeo (Rossi), who not only approved of what she had done, but granted leave for the foundation of other convents of friars as well as nuns. She was allowed to set up her first convent and devoted much of the rest of her life to travelling around Spain setting up new convents based along the ancient monastic traditions. In this she had the support of many nobility including Felipe II. Many resented her reforms and the implied criticism of existing religious orders. She often met with criticism including the papal nuncio who used the rather descriptive phrase “a
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restless disobedient gadabout who has gone about teaching as though she were a professor,” She is intensely personal, her system going exactly as far as her experiences, but not a step further. St. Teresa's position among writers on mystical theology is unique. In all her writings on this subject she deals with her personal experience which a deep insight and analysis enabled her to explain clearly. In 1566 she wrote ‘Camino de perfeccion’ (Way of Perfection), to tell the nuns how to reach their spiritual goal. In 1580 she wrote what is considered her greatest work; ‘The Castillo interior/ Las moradas’ this involved describing the various stages of spiritual evolution leading to full prayer. She also wrote ‘Las F u n d a c i o n e s (Foundations) from 1573 to 1582’, so the nuns would remember the early history of their order. One of the famous poems attributed to her has been used in music and videos on Youtube ‘Nada Te Turbe’ - Let Nothing Disturb You. which became a bit of a hit as it has been recorded by a Virtual Choir of Carmelites from all over the world.
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My Bookshelf by Pat Hynd - WW1 Submarines A book written by Elizabeth M. Campbell, a granddaughter of the famous George von Trapp probably best remembered for his family's musical talents as the Trapp Family as immortalized in 'The Sound of Music'. The book is largely a translation of an original book in German by the famous father of the troupe of singers and is about his time as a submarine commander of the Austro-Hungarian Empire operating in the Mediterranean. At the outset of the First World War there were two empires fighting side by side - that of the Prussians and the Austro-Hungariian emperor. This particular English book version has additional personal recollections of his children which makes it more appealing than the original. I find people's lives fascinating and each one of us has a book within our lives that could probably influence others. George Johannes Ritter von Trapp was born on the Dalmatian coast (now Croatia) on 4th April, 1880; his parents were August and Hedwig Wepler. George had a sister Hedwig, and a brother Werner, but his father, who was an Austrian naval officer, died of typhoid fever when George was only four. In the family tradition George was sent to navy academy as a cadet officer and his military education included dancing, violin lessons and etiquette, something lacking in some military I know. In other words, he was a product of the old school of a gentleman officer. Another part of his training was that the graduation class sailed on a schooner around the world, visiting Australia and the China coastline.
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Torrevieja has the 'Pascual Flores' sailing ship with the intention of serving in the same capacity in the future. The crew had a break in Egypt where a fortune teller is supposedly to have told him that he would have two wives, ten children and see two world wars and live to be an hundred years of age. He also visited the Holy Land where a Franciscan monk showed him the Biblical sights and he bought seven bottles of Jordan water that were later used to baptize the first seven children he did have from his first marriage. George von Trapp became a national hero as a captain in the Austrian navy during World War I in the Mediterranean. He commanded submarines with valor and received the title of "Ritter" (the equivalent of the British baronet or "Sir," but commonly translated as "Baron") as a reward for his heroic accomplishments. Two major alliances were in place in 1914 - the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. On the other hand there was the Triple Entante of Britain, France and Russia. The submarines of the Austro-Hungarian navy of aormi@icloud
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1914 were designed to operate on the surface most of the time. Initially there were agreed conventions of war, such as identifying the nationality of a ship, firing warning shots, inspection for contraband, and giving the crew the opportunity to abandon ship before it was destroyed. All that changed and commercial shipping became a target which dragged America into the war a bit late. George has a good eye for individual features and his book describes in detail lands and people visited in the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. George had married Agathe Whitehead, the granddaughter of Robert Whitehead, the inventor of the torpedo, in 1912. Her family were wealthy arms manufacturers of torpedoes, he met her when she christened his U-boat SMU-6 in 1910, and they lived at Pula, Croatia (then in Austro-Hungarian Empire). They had seven children together: Rupert, 1911; Agathe, 1913 ; Maria, 1914 ; Werner, 1915 ; Hedwig, 1917; Johanna, 1919; and Martina in 1921. After World War I, Austria lost all of its seaports, and George retired from the navy. His wife died in 1922 of scarlet fever that had probably developed into pneumonia. The family was devastated by her death and unable to bear living in a place where they had been so happy, George sold his property in Pola (now Pula, Croatia) and bought an estate in Salzburg. He appears to have been a loving, caring father who encouraged his children in whatever they did, especially singing and learning musical instruments: the von Trapps' priest, the Reverend Franz Wasner, the family chaplain, acted as their musical director for over 20 years.
The nuns came into the story with MarĂa, then a postulant novice, one of the children, also called MarĂa, caught scarlet fever and diphtheria leaving her weak, and he contacted the nuns at Nonnberg Abbey who recommended Maria August Kutschera to be her tutor. After a few months he decided she would make a good substitute mother for his children and proposed on that basis. Of his proposal, Maria said, "God must have made him word it that way because if he had only asked me to marry him I might not have said yes." No doubt as she was dedicated in her mind to lead a religious life, both the nuns and the family priest would have helped her to discern just what was God's will. Throughout history there have been many arranged marriages, unions not out of love, but for what is seen as the common good. The romantic idea of a Prince Charming sweeping us off our feet does not happen all that often in real life. Maria and George married in 1927 and obviously did fall in love. A love with the family as the basic bond, but also with the common interests of music and their religion. aormi@icloud
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Musical director Franz Wasner meeting Pope John Paul II
It was eleven years later that the family left Austria as they toured Europe giving concerts. MarĂa and George had three children together: Rosmarie, 1928; Eleonore, 1931; and Johannes, 1939. Later their daughter Maria said, "We did tell people that we were going to America to sing. And we did not climb over mountains with all our heavy suitcases and instruments. We left by train, pretending nothing." The von Trapps traveled to Italy, not Switzerland. As depicted in 'The Sound of Music', the family won first place in the Salzburg Music Festival in 1936 and became successful, singing Renaissance and Baroque music, madrigals, and folk songs all across Europe.Traveling with their musical conductor, Rev. Franz Wasner, and secretary, Martha Zochbauer, they went by train to Italy in June, later to London, and by September were on a ship to New York to begin a prearranged concert tour in Pennsylvania just as war broke out and they stayed in USA. Their son Johannes was born in January 1939 in Philadelphia. The outbreak of war decided them not to return to Austria, so in the early 1940s the family settled in Stowe, Vermont, where they bought a farm. George died in 1947 and was buried in the family cemetery on the property, not reaching the predicted 100, but seeing two world wars and ten children. In 1956, Maria, Johannes, Rosmarie, and daughter Maria went to New Guinea to do missionary work. Later, Maria ran the Trapp Family Lodge for many years. Of the children, Rupert was a medical doctor; Agathe was kindergarten teacher in Maryland; Maria was a missionary in New Guinea for 30 years; Werner was a farmer;
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Hedwig taught music; Johanna married and eventually returned to live in Austria; Martina married and died in childbirth; Rosmarie and Eleonore both settled in Vermont; and Johannes managed the Trapp Family Lodge (above). Maria died in 1987 and was buried alongside Georg and Martina.
Today the Von Trapps (formerly Von Trapp Children) are a musical group made up of August, Amanda, Melanie, and Sofia von Trapp, descendants of the Trapp Family Singers. They are the grandchildren of Werner von Trapp (1915–2007) and greatgrandchildren of Georg Ritter von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead, and the step-great-grandchildren of Maria von Trapp, Georg's second wife.
Readers looking for a first-hand account of the family's story should consult Maria von Trapp's The Story of the Trapp Family Singers (Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1949) and her autobiography Maria (Carol Stream, IL: Creation House, 1972).
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History in Black and White Submarines
To r r e v i e j a has Delfin, by Andy Ormiston its own submarine, as part of the Floating Museum and there is a book in Spanish and English about its history in the public library. It is interesting to visit it as it gives an idea of the conditions submariners lived in under water. It is larger and more roomier than the WW2 submarine I visited in the U.S: Navy dockyard in Brooklyn and I shuddered to see that the men slept in turns under the deadly torpedoes. It takes a very special type of person to enter one of these underwater boats and live there for months at a time, with the same people, the same stories, limited food and water, and the need to keep silence when in danger.
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The U-boat was invented by the Germans and used during World War I and World War II. It is a type of submarine and the actual name is unterseeboat but was shortened to U-boat. Submarines changed the rules of war. Until then, convention dictated that before sinking an unarmed vessel, a warship had first to warn and then evacuate a ship's crew. But submarines were too small to accommodate another crew, while surfacing would make them vulnerable to being shot at and sunk. Instead, the German navy eventually moved to a policy of "unrestricted" submarine warfare - sinking merchant shipping on sight and without warning. Initially this was really controversial. Submariners were viewed as pirates - and Royal Navy submarines still fly the "jolly roger" today as a way of nodding to that part of their tradition. But after WW1, when Britain tried to get submarines banned, there was little support. As always International opinion had adjusted to this new horror as today we become accustomed to so many modern weapons from the atomic bomb, Chemicals weapons, drones onwards.
Although at times submarines were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were effectively used in an economic warfare role (sinking commercial ships), enforcing a naval blockade against enemy shipping At the start of World War I, Germany had 48 submarines of 13 classes in service or under construction and in the first ten weeks, five British cruisers had been lost to them. On 5 September 1914, HMS Pathfinder was sunk by SM U-21, the first ship to have been sunk by a submarine using a self-propelled torpedo. On 22 September, U-9 sank the obsolete British warships HMS Aboukir, HMS Cressy and HMS Hogue (the "Live Bait Squadron") in a single hour.
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On 7 May 1915, SM U-20 sank the liner RMS Lusitania with a single torpedo hit, although it is debated whether a second explosion was due to flammable cargo or another torpedo. The sinking claimed 1,198 lives, 128 of them American civilians, including noted theatrical producer Charles Frohman and the millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt. The sinking deeply shocked the Allies and their sympathizers because an unarmed civilian passenger ship was attacked. According to the ship's manifest, Lusitania was carrying military cargo, though none of them were classified as ‘ammunitionÂĄ since they were classed as small arms and had bulk of non-explosives. This widely made the ship a non-military target. In fact, Lusitania had been carrying small arms for years prior to the sinking in 1915. It was not until the sinking of the ferry SS Sussex that there was a widespread reaction in the USA. Unrestricted submarine warfare in the spring of 1917 was initially very successful, sinking a major part of Britain-bound shipping. Nevertheless with the introduction of escorted convoys shipping losses declined and in the end the German strategy failed to destroy sufficient Allied shipping. An armistice became effective on 11 November 1918 and all surviving German submarines were surrendered. Of the 360 submarines that had been built, 178 were lost but more than 11 million tons of shipping had been destroyed.
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From 1914-1918 the World War raged, although Spain was not involved directly with the conflict, but the war had its effect on the life in Torrevieja. One of the tragedies that affected the whole world was the “Spanish ‘flu” of 1918. It was first detected in the USA in March 1918, but because of the war conditions, and so as not to upset the morale of troops, most countries censored the news and hid the fact. As a result Spain was one of first countries to acknowledge this strain and hence the name adhered to Spain where around 260,000 deaths occurred – 1.5% of the population. Worldwide, between 40 and 50 million people died according to figures released. Investigations of this Spanish ‘flu on disinterred victims in the 1990's helped develop vaccines that have benefited patients ever since to cope with this ever-changing virus, especially in the swine-flu scares of 2009.
Spain's king, Alfonso XIII, vigorously protested against the German Navy's use of submarines during the First World War. By the war's end, Spain had lost 140,000 tons of shipping to the U-boats. Admiral Wilhelm Franz Canaris, head of the Abwehr (German military intelligence service) from 1935 to 1944, was an intelligence officer of the German submarine flotilla in the Mediterranean. Canaris was decorated with the Iron Cross (1st and 2nd classes) and on 16th November 1915 and promoted to the rank of Kapitanleutnant. Because of his previous courage and experience Canaris was sent to Special Command in Spain where he was directly responsible to Admiral Naval Staff in Berlin. Officially, Canaris was in the Special Command in Spain from 30th November 1915 to 20th October 1916. He was collecting information about the Allies' merchant traffic and he ensured supplying of German ships and submarines. British intelligence officers in Spain uncovered Canaris' activities and with so many Spanish ships being sunk he was pressurised to leave Spain, so on 1st October 1916 a German submarine U-35 collected Canaris an two German agents in Cartagena and ferried them to the AustroHungarian port Pula (Pola). Canaris eventually returned to Germany for recuperation and training that prepared him for aormi@icloud
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the next world war. While in the Mediterranean he met Karl Dönitz, another German naval officer, who became the creator of Germany's World War Two U-boat fleet and briefly succeeded Adolf Hitler as German head of state in the last months of the second world war. Korvettenkapitän Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp was another successful submarine commander in the German Mediterranean flotilla who sank many ships, was a decorated war hero, but probably best known as the father of the singing Trapp f a m i l y famously depicted in "The Sound of Music." He was in command of SM U-6 which was christened by Agatha Whitehead, the granddaughter of Robert Whitehead who invented the modern torpedo; he later married Agatha and had seven children.
On Holy Thursday, 5th April, 1917, after a long, dangerous trip across the submarine plagued Atlantic, the Torrevieja brigantine “Joven Pura” entered the river of Santiago de Cuba flying the Spanish colours and was the centre of attraction for thousands of Cubans who were glad to see the Spanish flag again. The people still identified with the idea of a Spanish monarchy and in fact a marble plaque ‘plaza de la Reina’ was in the Salon de Sessiones indicating that the young Cuban Republic still had affectionate links with its mother country. Oquendo sinking
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Two other Torrevieja ships, the “Hernán Cortés” and the “Joaquina” accompanied the “Joven Pura”. During this voyage the sailors encountered the scuppered Spanish cruiser “Oquendo” (built in 1893) that had taken refuge at el Morr in 1898 during the Spanish-American War and was still there when the Torrevieja sailors visited in 1917. The last remains of the “Oquendo” was a cannon and a couple of boilers, discovered in 1978. The ‘Joaquina’ left Manzanillo, Cuba, with a cargo of timber for Spain. On its return trip across the Atlantic it was intercepted by a German submarine: the crew were obliged to abandon ship and take to the boats within 30 minutes before the Germans opened fire. The ship was sunk and the crew drifted for three days in the open boats until a British steamship picked them up and dropped them off at Gibraltar. Over the years fishermen often catch debris from this war in their nets: in February
Ville de Verdun being loaded in Brisbane
2008 the Torrevieja fishing boat “Nuevo Pedro y Loli” caught the projectile part of a German torpedo in her nets just off Cabo de Palos and which was later taken to Cartagena naval base for examination. Another well-known tale is that of the French steamship “Ville de Verdún” that was sunk by a German submarine " U-34 (Wilhelm Canaris" on 6th February, 1918 and the wreck was caught in the fishing nets at 52 metres depth in the waters between La Mata and Guardamar at the end of the 20th aormi@icloud
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century. The "SS Ville De Verdun,"was built by North of Ireland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Londonderry in 1917 and owned at the time of her loss by Cie. Havraise Péninsulaire de Nav. à Vapeur, Havre, a French steamer of 4576 tons.
Another story of the 1914-18 wartime period was that of a foreigner who turned up to visit Torrevieja. As everybody knew everybody else in such a small town, his presence was very noticeable and rumours abounded that he was a spy, a smuggler or involved in some clandestine work. He would stroll about in his Panama hat, a nicely tailored suit, with an amber cigarette holder in his mouth, then, in the afternoon, walk among the fishermen and the drawn up boats on the beach. One day he persuaded a captain to take him out to sea, and once out in the water kept insisting, “A bit further, a bit further”. The captain tried to dissuade him and persuade him to return. At one stage what appeared to be a sea serpent seemed to come out of the waves - it turned out to be the periscope of a submarine and the stranger expressed his satisfaction to the Torrevieja captain, presumably paid him handsomely, and boarded the submarine, which once more submerged.
If you have not done so, why not pay a visit to Torrevieja’s Floating Museum in the harbor and gave a guided tour around the submarine “Delfin”, the Customs cutter “Albatross” and the sailing ship built in Torrevieja “Pascual Flores”,
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Happy Birthday is probably one of the most common phrases in many languages and the song of the same name is sung in umpteen idioms. How did it all start? According to Internet pages its origins are in a mid-19th century Kentucky kindergarten run by two sisters Patty and Mildred Hill who taught their children to sing "Good Morning to All". In 1893 they published the song in their songbook "Song Stories for the Kindergarten" and some experts consider that the real origin of the song is similar songs in 1858, but like many opinions they real story is lost in time. The children enjoyed the sisters' version that they started sining it at birthday parties with the lyrics changing to Happy birthday. As such it was first published in 1918 and copyrighted in 1935 and a new company Birch Tree Group Limited claimed the copyright. But this company was bought over by Warner/Chappell Music in 1988 and the company insist that the song cannot be sung for profit without being charged royalties.In the EU, copyright lasts for the life of the author(s) plus 70 years; since Patty Hill (the last surviving author) died in 1946, the copyright in these countries would expire following December 31, 2016, if it is presumed that its copyright is valid. In USA copyright is a bit different and assuming that the music company does have the proper rights it will not fall into the public domain until the end of 2030, 95 years after the publication by the authors. In the meantime "Happy Birthday" or "Cumplea単os Feliz" will continue to be sung at millions of fiestas where people gather to celebrate.
So a Happy Birthday to Torrevieja Outlook and thanks to all our readers and visitors on Facebook and elsewhere.
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Photo of La Lola on Valentine’s day by Joaquin Carrion
Loves Lost and Found - Valentine Legends by Dave Stewart In the late 1990’s Saint Valentine’s Day gained more popularity in Spain, probably because of the foreign influence. As such there is no real fiesta for this day in the country. It is based on yet another Roman festival commemorating young men’s rite of passage to the god Lupercus, that was adjusted to Christian ideology in the fifth century. The Roman celebration included a lottery whereby the young men could draw the names of young girls from a box and this would be a sexual pair for the next year. Of course the Christian Church could not have this promiscuity and the lottery was of saint’s names instead of lovers. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers because of legends associated with him. He was a Roman soldier who as a Christian refused to pay allegiance to the Roman gods and was beheaded. During his time in prison, Valentine fell in love with the gaoler’s daughter who was blind. Their love and faith helped her to recover her sight and as he was being marched off to the chopping block she read his farewell message, which was signed, “from your Valentine.”As this feast was held in mid February it has come to be associated with the carnival. Another view is that he was a priest who secretly married young couples aormi@icloud
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In Teruel there is a medieval festival on the weekend nearest to the 14th February. This is based on another romantic legend of Isabel and Diego, with shades of Romeo and Juliet that happened in 1217. Isabel was the daughter of a rich and influential man of the town and Diego was poor, but the couple loved each other. The father agreed that Diego should go off to seek his fortune and return within a stipulated time and on a specific date, otherwise Isabel would be given in marriage to someone else. When the date arrived there was no sign of Diego so Isabel was married off. Diego came the following day, a rich man, but just too late. He pined for his Isabel and begged just one kiss, but too late again. Poor Diego languished and died and as he lay there awaiting burial Isabel heard the news and rushed to him to kiss his forehead, again too late. She herself died of a broken heart and the pair was buried together. This romantic tale has inspired an opera composed by Tomás Bretón - Los amantes de Teruel. You can see their marble statues lying side by side in Teruel. Since many people came visit Spain some especially to see the Lovers of Teruel, The mummies were exhumed in 1560 and put into two new tombs that were sculpted by Juan de Ávalos. The tombs are carved out of marble and bear the two family shields of Marcilla and Segura, but the most attractive part of the tombs are the lids. Guided Tours are available Landline -: 978 700 381 and Mobiles 667 260 601/ 617 666 950 / 651 300 984 or email - visitasguiadas@elandador.es This festival in the town includes a re-enactment of the story by two youngsters, dressed in typical costumes. Many other people take part and there is a market, dancing, and open fires in the street where suckling pig and other delicacies are cooked. It goes on late into the night, often broken up by sword fighting between chain mail clad ‘soldiers’ who are supposed to have fallen out with each other.
Torrevieja also has a love story in calle Cariño, which relates of how two young teenager neighbours fell madly in love and were inseparable. However, she became seriously ill and died. The boy just pined away and died of a broken heart and the street was renamed calle Cariño in their memory.
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Las Columnas restaurant and photographic gallery
Las Columnas is an area that was improved tremendously last summer with the opening of a high class restaurant, children’s area and cafe, ice cream parlour, cocktail bar, and lots of outside seating. It is a nice place now with views out to sea, and a pleasant spot on the night of a full moon. aormi@icloud
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But this article is about the tunnel which was previously abandoned but now houses the gin and cocktail bar as well as an impressive array of old photographs of Torrevieja past, sea and fishing, windmills, salt workings, boatbuilding, shipwrecks, railway, the former spas and local events. A drawback is that there is no information supplied but still well worth going to have a look as it is the nearest thing to a photographic gallery. The collection has photos of Darblade, Vera and more modern photographers. It would be an ideal place to take schoolchildren and explain a bit about the local history.
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Torrevieja Cultural Programme This is now the carnival season so many events in the next couple of months are related to these fiestas. January
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Palace of Music 20:30 British NGO’s Conference
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Virgen del Carmen CC 18:30 Coro Godspell Teatro Municipal 21:00 Drag Queen competition - 5 euros
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11:30 Street parade with UMT band 12:00 Teatro Municipal Los Saleros 25th anniversary concert in aid of AFA and GAEX associations 3 euros 20:00 Palace of Music, Derek Francis and Friends sing classic - 5 euros 29 Virgen del Carmen CC 20:30 Local Theatre presents “Mi Tio el Guru” 3 euros 31 Teatro Municipal 21:00 Carnival Murgas 5 euros.
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February 1st
Vigen del Carmen CC - 12:00 - IV Local Theatre 3 euros
6th Teatro Municipal Gala “Entre Yayos y Nanos” by Pensioners theatrical club - 8 euros Virgen del Carmen CC IV demonstration of local theatre - 3 euros 7th
Virgen del Carmen CC 16:00 Conference Hola Africa
Teatro Municipal 21:00 La Boheme – 30 & 35 euros
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Palacio de Musica 21:00 Theatre night of fear and mystery EL MONASTERIO DE LAS ANIMAS 8th Teatro Municipal 12:00 Winter Concert UMT and Union Musical Torrepacheco free entrance by invitation. 16:30 Main Carnival Parade round usual streets beginning at plaza de la Anuncion 12th – Palacio de Musica – 19:30 – Clalrinet concert 12th – Virgen del Carmen CC – IV Local Theatre 13th – Teatro Municipal – 21:00 Carnival Theatre 5 euros. 14th Night time Carnival Parade 21:30 15th – Local Theatre “La Connsulta”. 5 euros 20th – 12:30 Teatro Municipal School concert 21st – 19:00 Auditorium International – Bach/Vivaldi/Tchaikovsky from 5 to 24 euros depending on seating. 19:00 Palacio de Musica – Coro Nuevo Amanacer 20:00 Teatro Municipal VI Copla Festival 7euros Virgen del Carmen CC – 22:00 Night of Rock Instrumental. 22nd – 11:30 Street Parade by bands followed by special concert. 12:00 Teatro Municipal 25th anniversary of Los Salerosos with Union Musical Beniarbeig price 3 euros in aid of AFA and GAEX. 19:00 Palacio de Musica – “Equipaje” musical in aid of AFA. 26th –Virgen del Carmen CC - 20:30 - IV Local Theatre 3 euros Teatro Municipal 20:30 Opera by Verdi “Masked Ball”. 25, 30, 35 euros depending on seating. 27th Teatro Municipal 20:30 – 60th anniversary of Habaneras of Ricardo Lafuente. 27th - Palacio de Musica – 17:00 Instituto Playa Flamenca pupils concert. 28th – Palacio de Musica 19:00 Coro Bella Torrevieja 3 aormi@icloud
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euros. 28th – Palacio de Deportes Infanta Crisitina Concert “El Barrio” various prices. Préstame tus ojos or Lend Me Your Eyes is a programme of volunteers who use their own eyes for the benefit of those who can no longer see well enough to read. Each volunteer visits, usually elderly housebound, and reads aloud from a book or magazine
tel: 695 075 626 , 600 545 574 or email prestatusojos@gmail.com , or facebook Préstame tus ojos”. Or ask for Carmen in the Library Municipal Joaquin Chaparieta (Telf. 9655703168), y preguntar por Carmen.
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Torchlight Procession and Quality of Life by Andy Ormiston
11th February is designated as the Day of the Sick as it is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, associated with Lourdes in France that is a place of pilgrimage. Torrevieja has a very active association of Lourdes that each year organizes at least one such pilgrimage as well as to other places. People go on pilgrimage not necessarily to be cured. On the 11th the members carry the image from the plaza de la Constitution in a mini-pilgrimage as a torchlit procession. Sickness of some sort affects all of us and the Pope Francis recently spoke out about the present ideas of doing away with people who are ill and have no visible quality of life. This is something that has affected me as I am sure if my daughter had not been present when I was suddenly taken seriously ill then I think the A&E team would have given up. This was reinforced when it was agreed that I should leave the hospital in case I caught something else and a bearded doctor appeared at my bedside and stared intently at me. I asked him what was he on about and he replied he had to see with his own eyes that it was really me being released from hospital, as he had attended me on arrival at emergencies and couldn’t believe I had survived as he had never seen so many toxics in a person in his career. Given our known and recognizable parameters I am sure many people are left for dead when they could survive and go on to lead a very useful and full life. Most certainly it happened in the Second World War where recent studies on the bodies of dead soldiers who had been buried hastily revealed that many of them, although injured, were still alive when buried. So from my viewpoint I would prefer that there is a lot more discussion about ending someone’s life because they had no quality of life. A specialist at Orihuela Hospital queried me why an 80-year old friend should have an eye operation and raised his eyebrows when I said “Quality of life - he is a very good artist” and the operation was aormi@icloud
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done within two weeks and my friend continued painting and writing in exquisite calligraphy for many years afterwards. Is it our duty when someone is nearing the end of their life to take them out of their misery? If we think it humane to put down a suffering dog or horse, how much more humane is it to do the same to a fellow suffering human being? Surely if I am ill and wish to die that I have the right to choose to die and even ask someone to help me achieve that aim? IN UK Lord Falconer's bill is aimed at the terminally ill with an estimated six months of life ahead. Older people and disabled people are supposedly outwith these definitions so have nothing to fear as the law does not apply to us…or does it? Frankly it is open to debate what constitutes a terminal illness or disability. Another example springs to mind of a man who races along the Torrevieja promenade in an adapted wheelchair with a computerized soundbox enabling him to control with his mouth the chair and a soundbox that helps him communicate with others in different languages. I have no doubt that Lord Falconer's bill would be used as an excuse to get rid of him, even though he is enjoying a certain freedom and quality of life. A new film causing quite a stir is “The Theory of Everything” which is a wife’s perspective of living with a paraplegic husband who happens to be a brilliant scientist, namely Professor Stephen Hawking. If this bill had been applicable in his younger days would he have ended his life? The loss would not just be his and his family but to a much wider audience. Its a film that will likely be inundated with awards for acting, as well as its story content and message in general. Care can be empowering to both giver and receiver, just as it can be tiresome and depressing at times..but then don't we all experience that sometimes in our lives? The Assisted Dying Bill can easily be the thin edge of the wedge that makes people care less
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rather than more, taking the option of a quick fix injection to end it all. Many, many people I know have carefully and lovingly cared for a family member through some very difficult situations and when that person has finally died there are always memory messages of birthdays or other special days on social media, because that individual's life - and even suffering - was shared and in some way a benefit to those who were carers. Lord Alton argues that the so-called right to die will soon become a duty to die – and to die quickly – and that is why, for reasons of public safety, he will oppose the Bill. “It is significant that the media frenzy which accompanies this debate never mentions … the opposition – predominantly on the grounds of public safety – of the British Medical Association … the hospices and Disability Rights Organisations (and others) – who eloquently set out all the negative outcomes which would result from a change in the law. 95% of Palliative Medicine Specialists – these are the people who care for dying patients day in and day out – are opposed to a change in the law. Are they – or those who oppose a change in the law - all uncaring?” Fascism, Nazism and Communism – and, indeed, radical free market capitalism – share a common source, what is known as Social Darwinism. Basically, Social Darwinism is the transference of Charles Darwin’s evolutionary ideas onto the area of human society. It was a very popular theme in the late nineteenth century. There is a common idea that Darwin's theory is the survival of the fittest. What Darwin suggested was that species survival is because they develop to cope with their environment and deal with their competitors. This does not suggest a survival of the fittest at all; it merely suggests that species adapt to survive. Applied to human society, this faulty reading of Darwin became in the first place a pseudo-scientific justification for the unrestrained free market and capitalism. Then this was interpreted that the natural world justified the failure to protect the weak, which the Nazis used a) to permit them to eliminate the weakest such as disabled, and b) in doing so, according to the Nazi dogma breed a superior race which c) in turn permitted them to institute breeding programmes for a supreme (white) race. The notion of the ‘survival of the fittest’ was coined, not by Darwin, but by Herbert Spenser (1820-1903), in his Principles of Biology of 1864. Apart from the infamous German decree promulgated in 1939, it was not until the 1980s that the euthanasia movement had its first legal breakthrough: the Netherlands effectively legalised euthanasia in a Supreme Court judgment in 1984; and in Switzerland, where the law had long tolerated well-intentioned assistance of suicide: in the 1980s this permission was extended from individuals to include organisations. In 1994, the state of Oregon legalised physician-assisted suicide through a referendum, though legal wrangles prevented the Death with Dignity Act coming into force until 1997. In 2002 both the Dutch and Belgian parliaments passed laws permitting euthanasia, and since then there have been vigorous attempts in many different countries to legalise euthanasia and/or assisted suicide. However, to date, the practices have not expanded beyond the Benelux Countries, Switzerland and a handful of states in the USA.
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An attempt by a Belgian prisoner to have assisted dying on the grounds that being locked up in prison had no quality of life was thrown out of court
"You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.�
Dame Cecilia Saunders nurse and founder of
hospice movement. — The deaths of hundreds (perhaps thousands) of patients by non-voluntary euthanasia are increasingly accomplished in the Benelux Countries by means of sedation and withdrawal of hydration. In recent years Belgium has also witnessed a number of extraordinary individual cases: euthanasia for anorexia nervosa, euthanasia of someone who regretted gender reassignment surgery, euthanasia of twin brothers who feared losing their sight. Belgium has also pioneered the taking of organs from those who have died by euthanasia. In 2011, it was reported that these supplied 23.5% of lungs for transplant after cardiac death in Belgium - is this good or bad? Does it not open the gates to affect the dignity of life, unscrupulous groups urging individuals to accept euthanasia saying they will still live on through their organs and helping someone else? A year ago in February 2014 B e l g i u m extended the law to include children, which seems to have echoes of the Nazis approach to Jews, Poles and gypsies. I have no doubt that those carrying torches in the Torrevieja torchlight procession would vote against assisted suicide, but what would you do in the circumstances of serious ill health? aormi@icloud
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So what is a Toastmaster? No nothing to do with making toast or a toaster Speaking Skills are machine. Yes, it is allied to the man behind the mayor’s chair and clears Learned by Andy Ormiston his throat before announcing, “Lords, ladies and gentlemen..please raise your glasses after you have wiped them, then you can see better.” When I was 18 I was best man at my sister’s wedding and was told by the MC that I didn't have to make a speech, so I was unprepared when he asked me to do so. I stammered and stuttered for several minutes. Looking back I could have done with some training by the Toastmasters.
This month I was fortunate to be invited to a meeting of Las Palmeras Toastmasters first meeting of the year, which was a bit out of the normal from the usual format, exceedingly entertaining with a great dose of humour among the various speakers. A toastmaster is elected for the following meeting and his/her task is to organise the whole meeting regarding speakers, themes, and timing, which is important as part of the management skills required. The toastmaster has the back up of aormi@icloud
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experienced members of the group who offer useful advice based on their own experience and that of the international organisation’s manuals. The Las Palmeras branch is indeed a very international one and a truly excellent example of integration as there were several Spanish present, Irish, English, Scottish, a Portuguese guest, an American/Irishman and more nationalities. They come from a variety of lifestyles, backgrounds and bring a great deal of life and work experience into the group’s task in developing communication skills, not to mention humourous anecdotes. The format of a Toastmasters meeting is quite structured giving everyone an opportunity to speak. Important aspects are encouragement, leadership formation, the ability to use and link thoughts into words, honing skills of communication. Communication is not achieved only by speech but the use of body language, emotion in speaking, even acting out a story are all indispensable, in what is an example of further education. Seasoned members act as mentors and very supportive in this education process, so that people who may be naturally nervous about speaking in front of others, soon overcome their timidity. With this in mind there are training sessions, the opportunity to develop one’s skills and a certain amount of competitively as often speakers compete against other branches and can even go on to speak at international events. Speakers are assessed as they have a word of the day to use when they speak at the meeting, whether it be a word connection to organize thought processes in Table Topics of two minute speech, or a seven minute speech, which at this particular meeting was a fun Tall Tales theme with voting for True or False and underlining the experience each individual’s life. A secret vote is made as to the best talker of the day with a prize awarded and a bookmark marking the occasion. It is paramount that people are encouraged and this is noticeable by the
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amount of supportive handclapping and the polite attitude to the President, Toastmaster, members and guests that prefaces most of the speakers’ words. the webpage offers information such as Public Speaking Tips Video Library Toastmaster Magazine Club Experience Education Program Toastmasters Products. I asked some of the Spaniards present what they gained from these meetings and they all said it helps tremendously to improve their English speech and vocabulary - apart from taking away the fear of speaking a foreign language. They used English in their work situations and found the meetings a bonus to their ability to communicate at work. More English speakers could benefit if this was done in Spanish to overcome the timidity of some of us from being frightened that people would laugh at our mistakes. This particular Toastmaster group meets at the Asturias Restaurant off the main N332. They meet twice a month, every first and third Saturday. Meetings start a 10:15 AM and last for two and a half hours and guests are always welcome with no obligation.
Over nine decades, Toastmasters has evolved from a small network of clubs in Southern California to more than 14,650 clubs in 126 countries, with membership exceeding 313,000. Members of the first group of clubs pioneered the same basic principles still recognized today: Practice how to speak, keep meetings well-
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organized and on time, welcome new members enthusiastically and provide constructive feedback. Toastmasters became international in 1935 when it chartered its first club in Canada. As of the end of the 2013-2014 Toastmasters year, more than 45 percent of members live outside the United States. Dr. Ralph C. Smedley, the founder of Toastmasters, was fond of proclaiming that “Toastmasters is the only organization built on respect for the individual.” Respect has defined the organization since its inception and has remained a core value through the decades, along with integrity, excellence and service. From the start, cultivating leadership skills has been an integral part of the Toastmasters education program. Initially, Dr. Smedley envisioned the development of communication skills and self-confidence. The Toastmasters’ mission is to “provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.” - The Toastmasters clubs of Las Palmeras (Area H3) - Alicante Toastmasters Speakers Club - http://www.alicante-toastmasters.org/ - The Achievers Club (Marbella) - http://www.toastmastersmarbella.com/Valencia Toastmasters Club - http://toastmastersvalencia.org/
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The Salt comparsa of Torrevieja by Dave Stewart
Conchita Mercader is a lady in the forefront of the carnival preparations despite having to run two successful Valdés ice cream cafeterias, one in la Mata and the other in Torrevieja centre right behind the main church, la Inmaculada. Conchi is also a monitor in the ceramics class in the pensioners’’ club in calle San Pascual.
She is an active versatile woman whose input has been recognised in 1987 as the Most Popular Woman of the Year in La Union, and in 2008 Torrevieja recognised her entrepreneur skills with the Business Woman of the Year award in 2008. But for many Conchi is known as the spokesperson for the glamorous feather clad group the ‘Sal de Torrevieja’ that brightens up the streets of the town at carnival time. When the carnival was reintroduced this group
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were so outstanding and winning first spot prize that they graciously decided not to enter, so that other groups can have a chance at winning carnival top prize. But they still attend with stunning bright coloured, even extravagant costumes that thrill the crowd. They are such a spectacle with their different costumes that they have travelled regularly over the years to attend parades as far away as China in Macau and Peking, France in Cannes and other towns, Italy and Monaco, or nearer in Alicante or Murcia towns.
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Apart from entertaining dance routines in the various types of parades, being behind the Halloween mob flash events, the girls also organise concerts especially for children and do a tremendous amount of fundraising and support for various charities. Conchi has a workshop where the lavish costumes are produced, as they require a large area to put each costume together. Incidentally the Valdes cafes have a great menu that includes fish and chips on Fridays.
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In May we have local elections that affect all of us and foreign residents who are registered in the town hall pardon list, the census, are eligible and have the responsibility to vote in May. The financial crisis has brought its own problems for all but this is noticeable especially among the political parties as there has been a great deal of obvious mistrust and lack of confidence in political parties. This has resulted in the appearance of smaller fringe groups who aim to build on the obvious failure of the larger political parties. We intend to provide readers with more information in the lead up to May. This interview is with the current representative of the OARI office that was set up by the Partido Popular to improve the communications between the town hall and the foreign residents, in those days, mostly British expatriates. This was the first time this ever happened in Spain and the council appointed English resident Mr. Graham Knight to occupy this new post. He built up an excellent network of information that went both ways, from the town hall to residents and from residents to town hall, often able to solve problems in urbanizations. When he retired a couple of years ago his place was taken by Juan Pablo Mulero who speaks Spanish, French and English and among his responsibilities is Torrelink a messaging service that provides up to date information for associations and individuals who are registered to receive this service. He has a desk and support in the Torrevieja Tourist Office on the paseo Vista Alegre.
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Tell us a bit about yourself please I am French with Spanish origins, born in Torrevieja. I come from a military formation and have belonged to the French army for five years. I have a Bachelors degree and am currently studying in the University a degree in Business Administration and Management. I am an active person and always very anxious to improve my city. I returned to Torrevieja in 1993, I have had further training and experience in the best local companies (Torregrosa and Pablo Espinosa) and finally opting for the post of Director of the Office of Attention for International Resident (OARI). What do you consider to be your terms of reference in your job? I think the creation of this office has been successful, being myself a resident. It is crucial to have an attention point that can facilitate administrative procedures and is very important; we have to put ourselves in the place of an alien who comes first. My personal experience in this area initially was that its very traumatic and time consuming – the need to advise, facilitate and support in the proceedings, is the line of this office. What experience and personal talents can help you in this task? My experience as a commercial in specialized shops has allowed me to be in daily contact with the residents of our city and the assistance provided by my predecessor Mr Graham Knight, adaptation to this post has made it easier. The permanent availability, listening and immediate resolution should be the pillars, to give to all the residents a useful tool to resolve all their problems. How do you reach out to the foreign community? Availability and new technologies, because they are the current tools to keep in touch, the creation of Torreviejalink has been a success, and all residents can be informed at all times
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Juan Pablo Mulero assisting at the presentation of the 2015 Torrevieja Outlook solidarity charity calendar attended by various associations.
You speak several languages-which do you feel more at home with? I usually tend to speak Spanish, but when I meet with my brothers, I do it in French. The British citizens seem to have a bewildering number and variety of associations. Is there anywhere that that amount of expertise is useful to Torrevieja? All forms of associations, whether British or others, are positive for the city. We enrich the local culture and bring to the city a possibility for leisure or occupation for residents who want to settle in Torrevieja. Most of the foreigners are elderly; does this have any particular problem for the town and its services? Age is not a problem, our services are adapted and continuously in progress, we have one of the best hospitals in Spain, we are expanding our range of leisure in parks and gardens for the elderly, events etc .., but also we take care of our young; they are the future of our city. Is it difficult to bring councilors of different departments together to discuss any particular issue?
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Juan Paul Mulero joining in the English Christmas carols service with mayor Eduardo Dolon and other PP councillors.
The work of councilors is considerable, as you know they have had to manage the city with less money because of the crisis, but that has not stopped them being available when citizens have asked to speak with them, they have always been there and have attended various meetings. If the PP is re-elected how do you see your work developing, presuming you want to continue in this type of office? My job is very enriching and very useful: in the time I have been here, I realize the increasing need for an office such as OARI, to give both administrative help and support for residents who are very numerous. I would like to continue, but the decision is in the hand of the voters, I hope they can support us. I cannot say if the other parties want to keep this office. I have not seen any contact from them with the international residents Do you have any particular political ambitions, such as standing for the council? My current ambition is to serve my city and specifically be listening to the problems of our international Torrevejenses. Also to support the great work of our mayor and his government team, which is considerable and tireless. Otherwise, I will always be willing to do the work entrusted me by the mayor Eduardo Dolon, either here or in another department Is there anything that associations can do to support your work? Associations and our office are always working together. Thanks to them we can reach a large number of citizens, inform and be attentive to their problems. From here I want to thank everyone for working together and to reiterate our support and our willingness to help unconditionally associations and individuals where we can.
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ALPE is a school in Torrevieja for those with special needs and has always had a special place in the heart of the British community. In this Edition we have information about the input from the Lions Club and the Rotary Club’s recent donations.
Lions Continue Support For ALPE Torrevieja Following the support given to ALPE Torrevieja in recent months, where the aim is to provide and furnish a much needed sensory room for the students, The Torrevieja Costa Lions Club embarked on their annual festive season fund raising, with the guarantee that every cent raised would go towards the ALPE project. ALPE Torrevieja is an educational and social facility for disabled and handicapped children and young adults. With the help of very generous friends and members of the public who donated at each of the events, the Lions raised 2,800.00 euros. Lion President Iain Bennett, accompanied by Lions Peter and Polly Long, were delighted when they were invited to attend a celebration get together at ALPE entitled " Te de la Amistad" along with representatives of other local NGOs'. During the celebration tea everyone was shown a presentation of the latest work undertaken by the staff and students of ALPE. All
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given a conducted tour of the ALPE project to view work in progress. The Lions were impressed by the progress being made and that previous Lions donations had been spent very wisely with all sorts of gadgetry being purchased. Work however is very much in progress and more funds are needed to bring the facility to a reality. Lion President Iain was pleased to inform all present that the Lions were to present their festive funds to ALPE in a bid to drive the project forward. ALPE President Fina Sala was delighted to receive the donation and thanked everyone concerned for all their continuing support.
Torrevieja Rotary Club has also been helping with this project and Director Ana Lopez of ALPE was able to demonstrate to Fina Sanchez and other members of the Rotary Club the sensory system, which is not quite yet finished.
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Edinburgh amputee wins Robert Burns Humanitarian Award 2015
Volunteers are an important part of our social life, now and always. Constantly I hear about people who rise from a tragic experience determined to help others and make a better World. An Edinburgh lawyer, who lost her hands and feet following a serious illness and then set up a charity to provide people in developing countries with prosthetic limbs so they can walk, has been named winner of the global humanitarian award in honour of the Scots Bard, Rabbie Burns. We wrote about this annual award in our January issue. Olivia Giles OBE was presented with the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award (RBHA) 2015 at a special ceremony at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in aormi@icloud
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Alloway – Robert Burns’ place of birth – by the Minister for Europe and International Development, Humza Yousaf MSP. The Award was launched in 2002 and recognises those who have saved, improved or enriched the lives of others or society as a whole, through personal self-sacrifice, selfless service or direct humanitarian work. Olivia was selected as the winner from an incredible 120 nominations – the highest number ever received for the RBHA. It was 13 years ago, after contracting meningitis and needing emergency surgery, that Olivia had to be told the devastating news that her hands and feet had been amputated to save her life. Once back to full strength and very conscious how lucky she was to be alive, Olivia began to raise both money and awareness for the likes of the Meningitis Trust and other charities. During this time, Olivia learned about the difficulties experienced by amputees in developing countries, who didn’t have access to the same kind of healthcare and support that she herself had experienced. Instead, many of these people – including large numbers of children – were ostracised from their community and Olivia set out to tackle this by founding the charity, ‘500 miles’<, just five years’ after the loss of her hands and feet. A song apt for this would be “"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)” as
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500 miles is all about supporting the development and delivery of prosthetic and orthotic services to people with impaired mobility in Malawi, Zambia and, to a lesser degree, in Zanzibar. Thanks to Olivia’s efforts, 500 miles now has two centres in Malawi, run in cooperation with the Malawian Ministry of Health. Together, these centres now provide more than 1,650 devices each year to people who badly need them. The organization also funds and subsidises people to receive prosthetic and orthotic devices in Zanzibar and Zambia. Olivia’s work for the charity was recognised in 2010 when she was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty The Queen. Worth considering by associations on Costa Blanca is another Project by Olivia that is in the throes of being organised ‘The BIG Dinner’<http://bigdinner.co.uk/> on 7 March 2015, when she aims to raise £500,000 on one night with hundreds of dinners held in homes and restaurants across the country and donations being pledged. Humza Yousaf MSP, Minister for Europe and International Development, said: “The Robert Burns Humanitarian Award recognises the selfless vital work that is undertaken around the world, every day of every year, to help others. Olivia’s tireless work has undoubtedly improved the lives of the many people that don’t have access to the same levels of healthcare as we do. Countless people with impaired mobility in developing countries have benefited from the leadership that Olivia has provided and live a better life thanks to prosthetics. She is a welldeserving recipient of this award and an inspiration to others. “Now in its fourteenth year, the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award continues to be one of the highlights of Scotland’s Winter Festivals programme which draws to a close on Burns Night. Scots and Scots at heart all over the world will be celebrating Robert Burns this weekend and I would encourage everyone to take the time to honour the life of our Bard and his enduring message of humanitarianism, egalitarianism and equality.” Olivia said: “I’m both shocked and overwhelmed to receive this award and thank the judges for this unexpected recognition. I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to help out the people we work with and firmly believe that I got my second chance so I could help others get theirs. “It’s impossible to describe how it feels when you see a young girl walk for the first time thanks to a prosthetic leg we’ve provided or to hear that men who had to depend on family and friends to get around are regaining some form of independence because they are now mobile. It really means the world and I’m very privileged to be part of that. “As a proud Scotswoman, it’s a tremendous honour to receive the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award and I will continue to do all I can to live up to his beliefs of
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treating everyone as equals and working towards a fair and just society throughout the world.”
The runners-up for the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award 2015 were: Slavery is in the news nowadays and Sompop Jantraka is a Thai activist who has worked for more than 26 years to rescue children from exploitative labour, prostitution and child trafficking. In 1989, he founded the Daughters Education Programme (DEP<http://www.depdc.org/>), funding education in order to prevent vulnerable girls being forced into the sex industry. His work directly saved young women from an unimaginable life and also showed that women can be more valuable to their country as educated members of the work force than as sex slaves. Since then, Sompop has established numerous projects focused on helping young people reach their potential, find independence and contribute to their communities. And he continues to deliver anti-trafficking programmes throughout the region regardless of the threats this presents to him.
Many Readers can appreciated the work of another runner-up as he deals with cataract of the eyes. Dr Sanduk Ruit has dedicated his life to ridding the world of unnecessary blindness – eye conditions that are preventable but are left untreated due to poverty or poor access to healthcare. Dr Ruit founded the Tilganga Eye Centre – the first out-patient cataract surgery facility in the Himalayan region – in 1994. He also co-founded the charity, Himalayan Cataract Project<http://www.cureblindness.org/>, with the sole aim of bringing eyesight back to anyone who needs it, regardless of their ability to pay. The Tilganga Eye Centre now treats 7,000 patients a week, with surgery fees waived for the neediest. And Dr Ruit often treks into remote parts of Nepal and throughout the Himalayas to treat those who can’t come to the clinic. He has personally restored the sight of more than 100,000 people across Asia and Africa.
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