035 torrevieja outlook january 2017 by Andy Ormiston

Torrevieja Outlook

Nº 35 - January 2017

035 January 2017

January calendar – year round fiestas – Animal blessing – Orihuela medieval market – Bolillos of La Mata – Tourist Office for Blind – Female Focus Awarded – Murillo anniversary – Echoes of Christmas – RASCALS – Cross in Callosa – The Rain in Spain – Ice Factory – Mediterranean Columns – Sights and Sites – Christmas on the Beach – Bookshelf Silence – End of Year in Numbers – New Year Concert – Evening with Andrew Lloyd Webber – Organ recital – Guernica revisited – Hillgarth & Embassy – Diabetes and Vinegar – Art Exhibition – Music language – Lyrica Gala – Torevieja in pictures – End of year aormi@icloud.com

Torrevieja Outlook

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Torrevieja Outlook

Nยบ 35 - January 2017

Torrevieja Outlook

Nº 35 - January 2017

The Three Kings parade on 5th January in Madrid is spectacular.

Spain is noted for its innumerable fiestas and most fall on the same date or period. Fiestas are also holidays and there are eight main bank holidays, but if it is considered an important local fiesta then be careful, as banks are likely to work shorter hours only in the morning.

First we have National fiestas Three of these permit people to have a “bridge” especially on 12 October a Thursday, and 6/8 December falling on a Wednesday and Friday. Because of the position of the government fiestas fall on their actual dates as before, so the planned idea of putting fiestas on a Monday has fallen through for the moment. Because a usual feast, Saint Joseph (Father’s Day) on 19th March falls on a Sunday regions have the possibility to choose another holiday and Valencia chose 13 April, Holy Thursday. Similarly New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday so other regions (but not Valencia) chose to put it on the Monday. 1 January - New Year’s Day 14 April -Good Friday 1 May - Labour Day 15 August - Assumption 12 October - Hispanidad Day or discovery by Columbus of Americas 1 November - All Saints Day aormi@icloud.com

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6 December - Constitution Day 25 December - Christmas Day In addition Capital cities of the Provinces will have two more days fixed by each local government Then we have a day for each Autonomous Community. There are some national feast days, which can be substituted by individual regions. The Monday following the Epiphany of Jesus (6th January) 19 March - San Jose Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) 25 July - Santiago Apostol December - the Monday following the Immaculate Conception on 8th December.

In Valencia Region the following holidays have been approved. 6 January - Epiphany 13 April - Holy Thursday 14 April - Good Friday 17 April - Easter Monday 1 May - Labour Day 15 August - Assumption 9 October - Valencia Regional Day 12 October - Hispanidad Day 1 November - All Saintsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day 6 December - Constitution Day 8 December - Immaculate Conception 25 December - Christmas Day

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Each town has permission to add two local dates for fiestas. Every year each town will print a Labour Calendar fixing the holidays for the year for shops and schools. Torrevieja will have holidays on the following dates in 2017:Monday 24 April - San Vicente Ferrer Tuesday 26 December

In Murcia Region the following dates will be holidays:2 January Monday - New Year day. 6 January - Friday - Epiphany 13 April - Holy Thursday 14 April - Good Friday 1 May - Monday Labour Day 9 June - Friday - Murcia Regional Day 15 August - Tuesday - Assumption 12 October - Thursday - Hispanidad day 1 November - Wednesday - All Saintsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day 6 December - Wednesday - Spanish Constitution day 8 December Wednesday - Immaculate Connception 25 December - Monday - Christmas day.

El Bando de la Huerta of Murcia is a fiesta of International Tourist Interest and this year falls on 18 April. It has been going for 150 years now and people tend to dress in typical traditional farming clothes in a wonderful parade of caravans and floats.

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Nº 35 - January 2017

If a particular fiesta is of special interest it can have one of two denominations appointed by the Tourist Board: - National Touristic Interest - Regional Touristic Interest which are self-explanatory. A few like the Valencian Fallas or the bulls of Pamplona are OF INTERNATIONAL TOURIST INTEREST AND THIS YEAR UNESCO HAS DECLARED THE FALLAS AS PART OF HUMANITY’S HERITAGE.

This month of January the fiesta focus is on the arrival of the Kings to worship the baby Jesus on the 6th, although the main parade is on the evening of the 5th.

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The other main fiesta that has particular attention for animal lovers is that of San Anton Abad patron saint of animals and most churches will have some sort of blessing for the animals. The photo is of La Mata blessing of animals and the statue of San Anton has a pig which followed him about after he saved it from being killed.

Andalusia has around 130 fiestas including the famous Romeria del Rocio, a fiesta of International, National Tourist Interest and features a procession of caravans, drawn by horses, mules or oxen - over three days

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Nº 35 - January 2017

Each Region usually has a day chosen as a holiday for that region:Andalucía: Tuesday, 28 February. Aragón: 23 April passes on to the 24th a Monday. Asturias: 8 September, Friday. Islas Baleares: Wednesday 1 March. Islas Canarias: Tuesday, 30 May. Cantabria: Friday 28 July. Castilla-La Mancha: Wednesday 31 May: but also Corpus Christi (15 June). Castilla y León: Monday 24 April. Cataluña: Here they have four dates for their own festivities:- Easter Monday (17April) ; San Juan (24 June); la fiesta of Cataluña (Monday, 11 September) and San Esteban ( Tuesday 26 December). Comunidad Valenciana: Easter Monday (17 April) Valencia Regional Day , 9 October falls on a Monday. Extremadura: Friday 8 September. Galicia: Wednesday 17 May. Madrid: Tuesday 2 May. Murcia: Friday 9 June. Navarra, País Vasco y La Rioja: autonomous fiesta on Easter Monday (17 de abril). Ceuta: The city celebrates on Friday 1 September and regional day on Saturday. Melilla: celebrates Aid El Kebir on Friday

Romería de Nuestra Señora da Barca en Muxía. (9-12 Septiembre) is a Fiesta of International Interest in Galicia. aormi@icloud.com

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‘Les Danses del Rei Moro’, in Agost start on 26 December until 1st January using medieval musical instruments.

The following is a general guide to fiestas in January in the Alicante province and some in nearby areas.

1st January

New Year’s Day - a public holiday throughout Spain. In Agost the end of the ‘Les Danses del Rei Moro’, which have been celebrated since 26th December. 1-4 Alcoy representations of the Belén de Tirisit (a living nativity scene) that began on 23rd December and finish on 4th January. The Sunday morning before the Epiphany (6th) Les Pastoretes (shepherds) celebrate in Alcoy. On the night of the 4th three Hogueras (bonfires) are lit on the Monte de

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The Three Kings give homage to the newborn baby Jesus, a typical scene in many towns as a living crib scene

San Cristóbal, representing the presence of the Three Kings. An emissary of the kings arrives in Alcoy town to announce the imminent arrival of their majesties. On the Sunday morning prior to the Epiphany in Callosa de Segura the ‘Cantos de La Pastorela’ is sung. 1st and 6th In Albatera a procession on these days, carrying the Virgin’s image. 5th January In most of the towns there is a Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos, a procession of the Three Wise Men. Of importance because of their splendour or antiquity and worthy of mention are: Alicante, Alcoy, Banyeres de Marila, Benidorm, Ibi, Xixona, Xàbia, Pinoso, Gata de Gorgos, San Juan de Alicante, Torrevieja, Villena and Orihuela. 6th/7th January In Cañada the ‘Auto de los Reyes Magos’ is a play of the arrival of the kings. On the same day a similar act is carried out in Villena. The ancient dance of the kings takes place in Tibi - Les Danses de Reis. In Callosa de Segura the ‘Cantos de La Pastorela’ is repeated. 6th January Aleldo (Murcia) direction Sotana) La Estrella y Los Reyes Magos. 12th January In Muro de Alcoy ‘La Fireta de San Antoni’ is held. 16 - 17th The patronal fiestas of San Fulgencio are held. 17th January Feast of San Antonio Abad with many places holding a service aormi@icloud.com

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blessing animals. There are romerias to the hermitage of this saint held on either the preceding Sunday or the following Sunday, with a blessing of the animals. Alicante, Alcoy, Alfafara, Benidorm, Elche, Finestrat, Mutchamiel, Parent, Pedreguer, Pego, Sagra, Vall dÁlcalà, Xàbia, Xixona are some of the places for these pilgrimages. A hoguera is burned in Benejama with an auction of a lamb to pay for the fiesta. Jacarilla, Orihuela, Beniarbeig and Gata de Gorgos also celebrate this day. At the la Inmaculada, Sagrada Corazon and Holy Rosary Churches in Torrevieja a service is held with the blessing of animals. In Salinas the fiesta of los Mayordomos is held. A romeria takes place in Hondón de los Frailes. 19th January Xàbia celebrates San Sebastián, the town’s patron saint. 20th January Orihuela and Murla both hold romerías in honour of San Sebastián. Fiestas are order of the day in Sax. 22 January In the church of Agost there is a serenade of popular songs held heralding the patronal fiestas in hour of the Virgen de la Paz on the 23rd January. 26 January The people of Dénia have a pilgrimage to the hermitage of Santa Paula. 31st January The Festividad del Niño Jesús del Milagro (also known as the Segundo Corpus) takes place in Alcoy. Last weekend of Jan. In Caravaca de la Cruz las Cuadrillas, declared of National Tourist Interest as well as of Cultural Interest. It is a festival of oral music including folk music.

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Last year the La Mata festival known as the International Day of the Pig, beat all attendance records with around 3,000 people turning out. This fiesta is now in its 17th year and uses 150 litres wine, 9 barrels of beer, 50 kilos of celery, 150 barras of pan, 50 kilos of oranges, lemons and, of course, the pig itself around 650 kilos of chops etc. This is handed out for free and there is a lottery with prizes of hams. The day is organized by a club or peña “El Cerdo” who use 12 barbecues in the area of the plaza de Encarnacion Puchol.

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La Mata blessing of animals

Animal Day The Spanish use San Anton Abad as the patron saint of animals. His feast fall on 17th January so many owns hold events, especially, church blessings of animals. Evidently the good man saved a pig from a nasty end and the pig thereafter toddled around after its protector. The Spanish have a bad reputation among the British animal lovers as not doing enough to prevent cruelty towards animals, but this is far from the truth as there are countless animal protection associations and most families have some sort of pet that is treated like a family member. So on this day you will see many processions with owners proudly parading a variety of pets and in farming areas this includes horses and cows. aormi@icloud.com

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Orihuela Medieval Market After the many complaints last year of the annual medieval market being shifted to April, this year in 2017 it will be returned to its usual time space of February after the customary Medio AĂąo of the Moors & Christians. This Moors & Christians is a smaller version of main parades in July and caters for the many people who cannot join those festivities as they are working. But it is still a spectacle to see although often only half costumes are worn and not so flamboyant as in the main summer parades. The medieval market is a great follow on event as it takes place in the narrow streets of the town centre which lend themselves to the atmosphere of medieval town once the bunting and coat of arms are mounted. A medieval market has become a popular celebration in lots of towns, even those that don't have a medieval connection. They became popular in CataluĂąa and have spread southwards with many companies now offering package deals that include artisan stalls, jugglers, snake charmers, birds of prey, medieval musicians and dancers, and even knights in armor jousting under the sun. Sometimes the town halls will pay a company to organize it but in the case of Orihuela and its traditions a company will pay 6,000 euros to the town hall that will help cover publicity and policing. The Orihuela medieval market will take place on the first weekend of February the 3, 4 and 5 February.

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Nº 35 - January 2017

Bollilos de la Mata

One of the long standing associations in Torrevieja is that of the ladies of La Mata who get together to use bolillos to make traditional works of art sewing on frames. In early December the group “Las Salineras” organized a fair inviting similar groups from Guardamar, Fuente Álamo, Alicante, Novelda, Pilar de la Horadada, Rojales, La Mata, Orxeta, Altea la Vella, Elda, Aguilas, La Palma de Cartagena, San Javier y Alumbres. So it was great to see so many women amiably chatting away as the needles flew weaving out new fantasies. There were also stalls selling products connected with this old fashioned art.

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Tourist Office brightens up

Torrevieja Tourist Office has new guidelines in the floor. In case you are wondering what they are these blue lines are their to help the visually impaired find their way into the office as they also make a slight noise when you walk on them. So they have a double purpose as they help those a bit hard of hearing. The outside of the office also has been treated with a red material. At the press briefing the Director of the ONCE association for the blind and disabled in the area, Maria Teresa Sรกnchez was pleased with this addition and commented on the new markings on the glass doors making them more visible.

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Female Focus - Third best expatriate magazine in the world

Congratulations to Lesley and Mark Laird who are behind the success of the longest existing magazine on the Costa Blanca dedicated to the ladies. Originally started by Markâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father the magazine has developed its contents and services, so much so, that it has been elected as third best expatriate magazine in the world in The Expat Survey Consumer Awards TESCA 2016, behind The Economist and Expat Living Singapore. The Expat Survey received more than 27,000 votes from expatriates around the world who freely nominated their favourite media across 6 different categories: The Best Blog, The Best Magazine, The Best Newsletter, The Best Newspaper, The Best Radio and The Best Website. is great to know that after 23 years of publishing the Female Focus, has been recognised by its (her) readers in this way; even more so because it was a free vote and not a multiple choice survey. In an email to the magazine www.theexpatsurvey.com said "Servicing those outside their country of origin is often complex and requires a lot of dedication. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards gives expatriates the opportunity to nominate and commend the work of media owners and service providers that do an amazing job of adding value to the lives of expatriates around the world. Female Focus was praised by your readers who value your content. They also thought that your website was a good resource for information". Congratulations to all the staff and its readers.

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400th anniversary of Murillo in Seville by Pat Hynd

One of the most prominent Spanish Baroque painters is undoubtedly BartolomĂŠ Esteban Murillo who was born in late December 1617 in Sevlle. Several museums have collections of his works including The Museo del Prado in Madrid; Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia; and the Wallace Collection in London, National Gallery in Dublin. Apart from private collections several American museums and art galleries have his works on exhibition - His painting Christ on the Cross is at the Timken Museum of Art in San Diego. Christ After the Flagellation is at the Krannert Art Museum, Champaign, Illinois. His work is also found at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and at the Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. But one city that has a close connection with Murillo is Seville which, apart from being his birthplace, he visited in 1655 and stayed to do many public works. He had been in

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Madrid and probably previously in Italy, but Seville attracted him. His initial work was Triunfo del Sacramento in the Cathedral of Seville. Many events are planned for this fourth anniversary and at the moment a current exhibition in el Hospital de los Venerables de Sevilla features works of Velรกzquez. and Murillo up to 28 February 2017. 8 Euros Tickets are available online at elcorteingles.es. In 1645 Murillo married and received the largest commission to date, 11 paintings in the enclosured Franciscan convent of San Francisco de Sevilla but now scattered in different parts of the world in museums. We will keep you posted as to events planned during the 4th centenary of Murillo.

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On 24 March 1960 the Spanish Post Office issued ten stamps dedicated to Murillo and his works.

1 peseta self portrait 80 cents. Niños de la Concha

1.50 pesetas Sagrada Familia del pajarito 70 cents. Inmaculada Concepcion

5 ptas Niños con monedas 3 ptas. Niños comiendo

2,50 ptas - El juego de dado. 50 cents. - Virgen del Rosario

40 cents. Rebeca y Elizer 25 cents - El Buen Pastor

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Echoes of Christmas

Christmas is past us but some memories will linger for many people such as the annual Christmas Carol Concert held in front of the main church of Torrevieja. Over 2,000 people turned up for the traditional singing of mostly English carols with song sheets provided by Costa People newspaper. This is welcomed by local Spaniards who have several other villancicos concerts by local choirs in different places. Elements of the Phoenix Concert Band played, backed by a large mixed choir of individuals and groups, such as the red coated RASCALS. This year Christmas motifs were projected onto the church facade. Once again the Scandinavian community have provided a Christmas tree in the plaza, where the traditional Belen or crib scene is set up for several weeks until the Kings come on the 5th January. Because this concert follows hard on the heels of the patron saint of Torrevieja, there is still a delightful backdrop of flowers for the carol concert.

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The RASCALS have been a feature of the Torrevieja landscape for many years, not only for their memorable concerts, but for the tremendous support and fund raising for other associations. In December they were able to donate a specialized bed and wheelchair to Los Montesinos social services.

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Being Cross in Callosa by Dave Stewart

Juan Antonio Torres Campello, 28 years, farmer; Juan Montesinos, 60 years, a blacksmith; Rafael Roman García and Luis Estañ Mellado, 40 and 29 years were priests; Nicomedes Barbero Larrasa, 18 years, a flax dresser; … and up to 64 names are remembered on a stone cross in the plaza of San Martin in Callosa de Segura, a municipality of Alicante. A cross that the socialist mayor of the locality, Francisco Jose Macía, wants to remove, which is a memorial in the grounds of the local of 64 victims of the republican repression. All the religious buildings of the municipality were set afire and both priests murdered. A group led by Abogados Cristianos has opened a campaign to preserve the cross monument.

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During the years of the Civil war the small town had a population of less than nine thousand inhabitants, and they lived through a climate of terror imposed by the revolutionary meeting. All the religious buildings were burned and the works of art religious destroyed. This was a Stalin-like social cleansing programme as the aim was to look out for " right-wingers and Catholics " even those who escaped to other localities and murder them. This republican group was commanded by Braulio Zaragoza, a member of the socialist party PSOE . At the end of the war he escaped abroad. Another PSOE member, Rafael Zaragoza Ros, was the one who denounced the Falangists of the locality, who were attempting to go Alicante to liberate Falangist leader, Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, a prisoner in Alicante jail before the Civil war started. Rafael Zaragoza Ros’s denouncement led to the execution of 29 Falangists of between 20 and 40 years of age. Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera was executed in the jail as were two youngsters from Torrevieja Ramon Gallud Torregrosa and Patricio Perez. All the religious buildings of Callosa were assaulted, plundered and burned on July 30, 1936. The group of 30 militiamen belonging to the revolutionary committee planned the destruction of any vestige of religion and the murder of the priests Rafael Roman and Luis Esteban Mellado. The buildings destroyed included the Parochial Church, the Hermitage of the Holy Patron, San Roque; the Hermitage of the Virgin of Dolores, the Hermitage of Our Lady of the Rosario and the Church and Convent of the Carmelite Sisters. In addition the community centres considered to be right wing were burned also: the Traditionalist Circle, the locals of El Próspero y El Fomento were plundered and destroyed and also another 19 private properties, agrarian developments and workshops and shops. The mayor’s decision to remove the cross is typical gesture of many socialists who have taken over power in various places in Spain and rather than let bygones be bygones, which was the spirit of the new democracy after the death of Franco, intend opening up old wounds. Before Christmas there was a meeting between the two parties and agreement reached that the cross would remain for the time being. One of the arguments of those wanting to keep the cross is that it is part of the town’s historic identity, culture and spiritual citizenship. In Torrevieja there was a similar monument to the Fallen of the war which was interpreted as those on the Nationalist side and this has been removed from its place in the now plaza de Miguel Hernandez. aormi@icloud.com

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The Rain in Spain Does Not Fall on the Plain by Dave Stewart

We can’t let December pass without mention of the torrential rain that lashed the Spanish Mediterranean coastline for three days the week before Christmas. Although the sun shines one most day of the year we need rain so any that falls is welcome. Many people suffered flooding in their properties and had a tremendous job cleaning up accumulated the mud. Los Alcazares was especially hit bad and golf courses flooded. Orihuela and other towns on the banks of the River Segura had flood damage as the banks overflowed in places. I’m sure there will be many jokes about poor Father Christmas who ended up in hospital when the roof of his cabin fell on top of him at La Zenia. Beaches were reduced to rocks as the sea gathered all the sand back into its arms.

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This guy found his own way to get around

Just prior to the storm a new pathway was placed in the playa del Cura for the use of people with mobility problems and those using wheelchairs. Others will be used in the playa de los Locos and that of los Naufragos. Unfortunately the heavy seas and winds lifted them and they have had to be replaced.

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In some areas just over 200 liters per square meter and 90 kilometers per hour winds were registered. The Mediterranean coast of Spain was on yellow alert. The flooding in some places left motorists stranded and others vehicles underwater.

The River Segura overflowed its banks in some places and reached the highest levels in Orihuela and the Rojales bridges. aormi@icloud.com

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The Ice Factory by Francisco Rebollo Ortega

Many people ask about the triangle shaped building at the bottom end of calle orihuela, actually No 1. Formerly it was an ice factory known as Ice Fulton. It is a 300 meter square edifice of two stories and is a listed building according to the town hall. It belonged to D. Enrique Roca Togores y Fontes of Murcia.

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There was an area where fish of local fishermen could keep fish for conservation. Ice was kept in blocks that were ground to preserve the fish. But large blocks of ice were also sold to restaurants where chips of ice were served to customers in drinks. This was before refrigerators and families bought large blocks for their own needs. It was common to serve wine with ice and soda from syphons. In calle los Gases there was a factory that made gas for soda syphons. Inside the ice factory, to the left, was a channel where ice blocks were delivered for collection by customers. Some days the factory produced between 15 and 20 tons of ice. In summer at one time the flat roof was used to show films and occasional concerts in the summer nights in the open air. Prior to this ice blocks were carried by mule from the mountains of Murcia where there were ice wells; these were also used to preserve fish and food. Obviously as a protected building It really requires some repairs and hopefully the town council under a Green mayor will do something about preserving this unique building in the town centre in an historic zone close to another protected site the Eras de la Sal, now used as an outdoor theatre. Today the fishermen use a more modern building in the harbour area close to the fishermen’s wharf.

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One of the hidden corners of Torrevieja is that of the Columns near the playa del Cura. These columns are dedicated to the various civilizations of the Mediterranean and the seamen who sailed the waters. Each column has hieroglyphics and symbols relating to each civilization. This monument is also a homage to the debt that Torrevieja owes to the sea as its early inhabitants depended on it for fishing,boatbuilding and harvesting salt. Among the civilizations were the Greeks, the Romans and Egyptians, the Phoenicians and Iberians. This bit of land jutting into the sea is known as Punta Margallo or Punta Carral. One story is that the rocks here were used by the Romans to make stone basins that wee used to pound out garum, much prized as a condiment in ancient Rome. There is a good restaurant here that also has a bit of history of Torrevieja as there is a splendid exposition of old photographs, unfortunately without captions. It is another way to view the history of the town.

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Sights and sites of Torrevieja aormi@icloud.com

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Christmas on the Beach by Dave Stewart

What has turned into an annual event is spending Christmas day on the la Zenia beach. It is sponsored by Orihuela town hall who provide the music each year. It is a day looked forward to by over 3,000 people and this year was blessed with brilliant sun providing 20ยบ. Many people are dressed in Christmas outfits from full blown Santa Claus and Merry Christmas to just are hat and tinsel. many friends get together and bring their own food and drink.

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Bookshelf by Pat Hynd

Silence - Are you there God?

This month we look at two books (and a film) about Japan and its Christians: - In Search of Japan’s Hidden Christians: A Story of Suppression, Secrecy and Survival by John Dougill and Silence by Shūsaku Endō. The novel “Silence,” by Shusaku Endo, a Japanese convert steeped in European literature and the history of Catholicism in Japan. Published in Japan in 1966, “Silence” sold 800,000 copies, a huge number in that country. Endo was called “the Japanese

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Graham Greene” and was considered for the Nobel Prize. Greene referred to “Silence” as “one of the finest novels of our time.” B o t h b o o k s complement each other in a sense. The two books offer insights into the early attempts at Christianity and suffering of early Christians there. The Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier (who San Javier town is named after) brought Catholicism to Japan in 1549. In the next century, it was suppressed through the torture of missionaries and their followers, who were forced to apostatize by stepping on the fumie — a piece of copper impressed with an image of Christ.

Another Spanish Jesuit, Father Cosme de Torres, who wrote the first explanation of the country’s religion in a report to Rome, that even after five hundred years makes good sense, followed Francis Xavier. “They regard honour as their principle god,” he noted. Such was his admiration for the people that the comments must have raised eyebrows among readers back in Europe: “If I should strive to write all the good qualities and virtues which are found in them, I should run out of paper and ink,” he observed. That the Japanese should be so virtuous without having a belief in God is something on which he doesn’t dwell, but it should surely have given him pause for thought. Torres made history in Yamaguchi by celebrating Christmas in 1552 with a solemn High Mass, together with Brother Fernandez and a new arrival. Japanese converts were invited, and hymns were sung. Nowadays the city is keen to exploit it as the country’s first “Kurimasu,” and it puts together an annual program to promote “Yamaguchi City, the birthplace of the Japanese Christmas.” Today there are around forty separate events, beginning as early as October 27. Hot spring concerts, a light-up of the river, and a shopping arcade party were some of the delights on offer. In 1561, according to a Jesuit report, some preferred to abandon all their possessions and move to Bungo, “poor with Christ rather than rich without him.” It’s said too that at this time the first martyrdom in Japan took place, when an unknown woman was beheaded for praying before a cross.

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Silence is a novel that clings closely to the historicity of those fearsome years in Japan. It has now been released as a film with indications that it is up for several Oscar nominations including supporting foreign actor for 82 year old Japanese actor Yoshi Oida, determined to do his best to play a character crucified in the sea, hung on a cross as a wave machine pushed rising tides of water over him. Step by step, “Silence” got made. The picture Scorsese visualised some 27 years ago cost saw in his head and cost $46.5 million to realize. Scorsese took no salary for making the film and top actors worked for Guild rates. It is a film that seems to have immersed the whole cast and crew with silence on the set and even in the sound track’s music. Shūsako Endō’s novel, Silence, tells the story of two 17th century Portuguese Jesuit missionaries in Japan in search of the truth about what happened to their much-admired teacher, who is rumoured to have apostatised. As they come face to face with the reality of Japanese Christianity, the content and strength of the faith they encounter pose challenges to their own vocations and to their understanding of discipleship.The first half of the story is told via letters that one of the pair, Father Sebastian Rodrigues (played in the film by Andrew Garfield), writes to his Jesuit superiors. In the second half the narration reverts to the third person, but the reader is still privy to the intimate thoughts and struggles of ‘the priest’.The film will make potent watching in the wake of a year in which Pope Francis has encouraged us to reflect on and live out God’s mercy and which Martin Scorsese cazlls compassion. At one point the Japanese officials explicitly use the concept of mercy to torment and manipulate Rodrigues and his companion, Father Garrpe. The anguish that Rodrigues feels comes from his struggle to discern how to act mercifully, and his questioning of how his merciful God can be so silent in the face of the horrors that Rodrigues witnesses. Many

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filmgoers will resonate with the anguish of the priest questioning the presence of God as he asks “Am I just talking to silence? Or is God listening to me? “ In an interview Scorsese said, “There are so many obstacles in between us and the spirit. In a sense, to make this film was to try to make God accessible to people in the audience who feel alienated from the churches. I said: ‘I have had three divorces. Does this mean I can’t speak to God because the church says I can’t? No, no! I can talk for myself because I’m me.’ ” In one dramatic scene, Rodrigues hears the cries of Christians who are being tortured outside his cell. He has been told that he can save their lives if he will step on the fumie. He agonizes. He prays. He feels the offer as a temptation. Weary, hungry, surrounded by suffering and death, he hears a voice he takes to be Jesus: “Trample! It was to be trampled on by men that I was born into this world.” Although many people will see the film in a purely abstract way it is relevant today in many ways as we see daily the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, China and elsewhere often to the point of their own martyrdom. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the word “martyr” has taken on awful new connotations. “Silence,” then, is inadvertently topical. Like the novel, the film questions the very idea of Christian martyrdom, by proposing that there are instances when martyrdom — the believer holding fast to Christ to the bitter end — is not holy or even right. Equally we can look and question the motives of those who are deemed to be martyrs by Islamic forces just because they blow themselves up and destroy some infidels. The film locates, in the missionary past, yet so many of the religious matters that vex us in the post secular present — the claims to universal truths in diverse societies, the conflict between a profession of faith and the expression of it, and the seeming silence of God while believers are drawn into violence on his behalf. Who is more Christlike: the person who is strong in faith or the one who is weak, who is humiliated?

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Garfield’s take James Martin, S.J., an author and editor at large of the Jesuit weekly ‘America’ was brought in as an adviser. The actors were fascinated by their character roles and immersed themselves by undergoing the Spiritual Exercises outline by St. Ignatius Loyola. Andrew Garfield, known for his role in two “Spider-Man” movies, prepared to play Father Rodrigues by entering fully into the process that aormi@icloud.com

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Jesuits call “spiritual direction.” Raised outside London, with a secular Jewish father, Garfield developed his character by undergoing the “Spiritual Exercises” of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. The exercises, devised in the 1520s, invite the “exercitant” to use his imagination to place himself in the company of Jesus, at the foot of the cross, among tormented souls in hell. Garfield met with Martin for spiritual direction, and they swapped reflections via email and Skype. Then he set out for St. Beuno’s, a Jesuit spiritual centre in Wales, to undertake a seven-day silent retreat.

“If I’d had 10 years, it wouldn’t have been enough to prepare for this role,” Andrew Garfield said. “I got totally swept up in all things Jesuit and very taken with Jesuit spirituality. The preparation went on for nearly a year, and by the time we got to Taiwan, it was bursting out of me.” ”I’m not a Christian person. I consider myself pantheist, agnostic, occasionally atheist, and a little bit Jewish, but mostly confused.”

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Garfield, known for his role in two “Spider-Man” movies, prepared to play Father Rodrigues by entering fully into the process that Jesuits call “spiritual direction.” Raised outside London, with a secular Jewish father, Garfield developed his character by undergoing the “Spiritual Exercises” of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. The exercises, devised in the 1520s, invite the “exercitant” to use his imagination to place himself in the company of Jesus, at the foot of the cross, among tormented souls in hell. Garfield met with Fr. Martin for spiritual direction, and they swapped reflections via email and Skype. Both actors went to St. Beuno’s Spiritual Centre, a Jesuit house in Wales, to undertake a seven-day silent retreat. If my memory serves me right St. Bueno’s is the only Jesuit house in Britain actually built by the Jesuits as all the rest had a previously building to work on. It was also where the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins was traumatised by the wreck of the sinking of a German ship off the coast and wrote the famous poem "The Wreck of the Deutschland"

Driver’s role Adam Driver, who was raised a Baptist in Indiana, worked by analogy. “This movie is the story of a crisis of faith,” he said, and explained that he tried to apply the ideas of faith and doubt generally. “It could be faith in your work, in the project or in a marriage; it could be doubts about the work or the project or the marriage. When you think about it that way, it’s very relatable.” So he related to faith and doubt — and he lost fifty-one pounds nearly a third of his weight for the role as did some other actors. “It’s about control, and as an actor you want to have control. But it’s also about suffering: It gives you information you can use in the role.” He lost the weight over four and a half months, supervised by a nutrition coach.

At one point Rodrigues asks himself the question from the Spiritual Exercises: “What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What will I do of Christ?

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Liam Neeson who has played a Jesuit before in the film The Mission became Father Ferreira — the older Jesuit who apostatized after being tortured. Neeson underwent a simulacrum of the torture, suspended upside down by ropes over a pit of excreta.

“Silence” is a novel for our time: It locates, in the missionary past, so many of the religious matters that vex us in the post secular present — the claims to universal truths in diverse societies, the conflict between a

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profession of faith and the expression of it, and the seeming silence of God while believers are drawn into violence on his behalf. Scorsese arranged the shooting script chronologically, so the cast could feel the characters’ emotions in sequence. “I don’t know if there’s redemption, but there is such a thing as trying to get it right,” Scorsese said. “Failing, doing something that is morally reprehensible, that is a great sin — well, many people will never come back from that. But the Christian way would be to get up and try again. Maybe not consciously, but you get yourself into a situation where you can make another choice. And that’s the situation Rodrigues is in” — he can choose to save the lives of others by renouncing his faith, the act he considers most reprehensible of all. As the two Jesuits set out for Japan, they find a translator named Kichijiro in a seedy neighbourhood and drag him into their mission. He resists. He drinks himself sick. He lies. He bemoans his fate. A convert, he apostatized and was allowed to live, while the shogunate killed his brothers and sisters. Rodrigues decides that he is Kichijiro’s keeper and grimly bears up as Kichijiro apostatizes again and again and finally betrays him to the shogunate. But in a way he is the one with real faith as despite all his failings he depends on God’s mercy and keeps asking for forgiveness. Who is more Christ-like: the person who is strong in faith or the one who is weak, who is humiliated? One will take out of the film different ideas, for some it will be another Scorsese spectacular, for others a thought provoking jolt. One take of the film is that any Christian who would speak out against evil with the full knowledge that others (not merely himself) may suffer and die in threatened retaliation for his words is acting irresponsibly. There are many ways to fight evil and possibly the diplomacy of Pius XII, i.e. the holding back of comments he knew would cause others to die, saved lives during the war and was saintly in its own way.

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Cast of film Andrew Garfield as Sebastião Rodrigues (based on Giuseppe Chiara) Adam Driver as Francisco Garrpe Liam Neeson as Father Cristóvão Ferreira Tadanobu Asano as an interpreter for the priests Ciarán Hinds as Father Alessandro Valignano

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Torrevieja end of year Numbers

Torrevieja is a community of many parts a place of diversity and difference. In past years British residents have been over 13,000, but at the end of 2016 their numbers registered were 4,775. This is due to many returning to Britain, partly because of Brexit fears, but probably because many failed to register this past year n the town’s padron census roll. The new council decided that everyone must re-register and many British for one reason or another didn't do so. The total number of citizens fell from over 100,000 to 85,694 with almost 51% being Spanish. Of the total number registered 42,990 are male and 42,704 women so almost equally numbered. Of the Spanish numbers the largest group comes from Madrid with 6,595 and 2,375 from nearby Murcia. Some of those from other parts of Spain have their own clubs and have fairly high numbers of residents such as Asturias with 1,009. There are people from 111 countries in Torrevieja with Russians with 4,969 citizens resident in the town. Then it is the British followed by the Moroccans 2,897 and Ukrainians 2,691. There are 1,075 Germans, 1,043 Swedes, 850 Belgians, and 725 Norwegians. But we also have people living in Torrevieja from the Sudán, Macedonia, Kirguistán. U z b e g u i s t á n , Arzerbaiyan. Kazajstan and Turkmenistán. The numbers reflect a very varied community that in general live well together and integrate well introducing something of their own culture in concerts and other cultural events as well as their own restaurants with typical dishes.

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For the 7th year the Torrevieja Symphony Orchestra is offering a New Year’s concert on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th January in he Torrevieja International Auditorium. Tickets vary from ten to twenty euros and can be had at the Theatre Booking office when it is open (17:00 to 19:30) or at the offices of the Orchestra in calle Blasco Ibañez Nº 23 from 10:00 to 13:00 or at the auditorium itself. José Francisco Sánchez,will conduct the orchestra which will play a variety of fairly light music in the Vienna style with waltzes and polkas and some Spanish zarzuela pieces. Everyone attending will be treated to a glass of cava at the hall during the break, to make a toast for the New Year. Tickets can be acquired at: – At our office, at C/Vicente Blasco Ibáñez 23, on Mondays from 10am to 13pm – At the Torrevieja Theater ticket box (Plaza Miguel Hernández) on Mondays from 5pm to 7:30pm – Via instanticket: https://www.instanticket.es/description/?id=4738&site=465 – The very day of the concert, at the Auditorium ticket box, from 5pm to 6:45pm For further info: http://www.orquestasinfonicadetorrevieja.com

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(28th January) is AN EVENING WITH ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER. This means you will hear many fabulous songs from such musicals as Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Aspects of Love, Cats, Starlight Express, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, Jeeves and Song and Dance. You will also hear the famous Pie Jesu from his Requiem, sung by two of the leading singers on the whole Costa, Verity Hall and Rebecca Holt, as well as the songs he wrote for both the Barcelona Olympics and Eurovision Song Contest.

All in all this will be a veritable feast of choral and solo music, accompanied by a professional band from the UK, and all conducted and directed by Nigel Hopkins.

Tickets are NOW AVAILABLE from La Ponderosa Gift Shop on La Zenia island ... also at the Card Place at both Punta Prima and Benimar. Melody Makers International are proud to announce that these concerts will support the local charity, Reach Out. May we suggest that a Christmas present for those who have everything or for those whom you find difficulty in buying for ... could be a pair of tickets to finest concert on the Costa? There are, as usual, two performances on the day - at 2pm and 8pm - so you have a choice of how to spend the rest of your day around these times.

May we thank you very much for your continued patronage, and wish you all the warmest of Seasons' Greetings and a Happy New Musical Year.

Nigel Hopkins

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The official opening of the new concert organ of Torrevieja which is in the church of la Inmaculada was played in a special concert. Famous pianist Jorge Carrasco who now resides in London and performs at the Central School of Ballet, la Contemporary Dance School and the Royal Ballet School played magnificently to a crowded church. The former Coro Intermezzo Vocale de Torrevieja was reformed for the occasion with its singers who are now individually performing as professional singers. The new organ has 70 tubes that provide a tremendous resonance and timbre and will prove to be a great addition to the culture of Torrevieja.

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The Mexican-Spanish writer Max Aub asked Picasso to produce a work for the Spanish Republic to exhibit at the 1937 Paris International Exhibition. He could choose his theme and would be paid 150,000 French francs. Picasso used some of the figures he had painted before as part of this symbolic work. A symbol of the resistance of the Republican troops to the nationalist forces of future dictator Francisco Franco, the painting made its way around Europe, including Britain, and crossed the Atlantic several times as Spain’s embattled Republicans tried to raise awareness of their cause. It was housed in Norway, Denmark, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, São Paulo and Berlin until in the 1970s, Picasso asked for this constant movement to stop and for Guernica to be given a home in New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) until Spain returned to democracy. In September 1981, almost six years after the death of Franco, and following a 42-year stay at the MoMA, Guernica was moved to Madrid. With the 80th anniversary of the painting coming up, and the 25th anniversary of its controversial move to the Reina Sofia in Madrid approaching, the contemporary art gallery is preparing a major aormi@icloud.com

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exhibition for 2017. The project is titled Piety and terror in Picasso: The road to Guernica and is being curated by British art historian and writer T.J. Clark, who argues the painting’s germination took place long before Picasso learning of the bombing in the Basque Country.

The 2017 exhibition in Madrid – to be held from April 4 to September 4 – will be a major review centered on four main themes, with Guernica as the protagonist. The history of the painting will be told and the context in which it was created explained, as will the tale of the work’s odyssey and its eventual return to Spain. At the same time, the exhibition will highlight the latest theories about the painting. At the centre of the exhibition will be the room where the painting has been housed for the last quarter of a century, but an itinerant exhibit involving two trucks will focus on the Guernica’s travels. The Reina Sofia exhibition will include 60 paintings by Picasso as well as a large number of drawings from museums around the world. Among the works on show will be The Three Dancers (1925) on loan from the Tate Gallery in London, and Woman Dressing her Hair (1940) lent by the MoMA. The exhibition will also highlight the high-precision restoration work carried out on Guernica since 2012, which has involved robots repairing damage caused to the giant canvas.

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Hillgarth and Embassy by Dave Stewart

A few years ago Patricia Martínez Vicente visited Torrevieja to find out if the English language readers would be interested in a book about her father who spirited people out of Madrid under the noses of the Germans. Thousands of Jews and Allied soldiers were ghosted out of Nazi Europe from a quaint little English teahouse in Madrid. The book is now available in English. Author Patricia Martínez Vicente says the cafe was the unlikely centre of an escape plot operating under the noses of the Gestapo. In her ground-breaking book “Embassy”, Ms Martínez reveals the role of her father Eduardo Martínez Alonso played in the daring plan. He was a Spanish doctor who worked in General Francisco Franco's pro-Nazi regime as a British secret agent codenamed 055. She stumbled across his wartime diary after his death in 1972 and later unearthed classified MI5 documents aormi@icloud.com

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confirming his role in saving thousands of lives. According to the writer, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was told about the plan. The Embassy Cafe served as the headquarters for an operation that spirited refugees across the Pyrenees and out of Spain through Gibraltar and Galicia where the doctor had a house. She tells how her father, who grew up in Liverpool and was a physician at the British Embassy in Madrid, worked with his close friend Alan Hillgarth, the British naval attaché who masterminded the operation. Over tea in the bar, which has celebrated its 80th anniversary, the two men would plot how to help Jews, British servicemen and Poles flee the Nazis Ms Martínez said “Hillgarth told my father Winston Churchill wanted to set up an escape route for fleeing servicemen, but also became aware through Poland of what was happening to the Jews, so made sure they put extra effort into the operation.” She says that her father's roots in Galicia, a region in northwest Spain that was notorious as a route for smugglers, provided the perfect way to get refugees out of Spain. Using a trusted taxi driver called Manuel Rios, they would take the refugees to the boats of fishermen who delivered them to British ships waiting off Galicia. Dr Martínez faked medical records for thousands of Poles, Jews and British servicemen who were held at a concentration camp in Burgos, north of Madrid. Secret MI5 documents and others from the Polish Institute and Sikorksi Archive detail the names and fake diagnoses of thousands who were saved. His subterfuge allowed the British Embassy to put pressure on Spanish authorities to release those supposedly so ill they were at risk of dying. 'My father was a doctor. He risked his career doing this,' said Ms Martínez. 'To have been found faking a single diagnosis could have destroyed his position as a doctor.' Once the escapees were in Madrid Margarita Taylor, the owner of the Embassy bar who mixed in the capital’s most fashionable circles, hid the refugees. Tom Burns who also worked at the British Embassy was also involved.

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She dressed the refugees like the British customers to make them pass for other clients dropping in for tea or a Martini. Despite being a strict Roman Catholic, she acquired a reputation in Franco's austere Madrid as a 'bad woman' because she was seen so often with a queue of strange men at her door. When they had been given new false documents the refugees would be driven south to Gibraltar or Galicia and on to freedom. Dr MartĂnez was forced to flee to Britain in 1942 as the Gestapo closed in.

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He was secretly paid a monthly stipend under his codename Agent 055. Before returning to Madrid in 1946 he was awarded the King's Medal for bravery and was decorated by the Polish Government. Ms Martínez contacted the son of Mr Rios, who was unaware of his father's bravery. If he had been caught he could have ended up in jail or in front of a firing squad.

Alan Hillgarth is one of those Errol Flynn characters who took a prominent role in Operation Mincemeat. Operation Mincemeat was when the body of a fake British officer bearing false official documents was dumped off the Spanish coast, thereby misleading Hitler into thinking the Allies would invade Greece instead of Sicily. He was successful at simultaneously appearing to try to retrieve the documents before the Germans saw them, and yet making sure that they did, all without arousing suspicion. 'A lot of people know me,' wrote Alan Hillgarth in a letter, 'but I'm very much an enigma to most of them and regarded with suspicion because I don't fit into any category . . . I'm a trouble-maker. I ride the storm.' Born Hugh Evans in 1899, he was the son of a surgeon and grew up in London’s Harley Street, but at the age of 12 he was sent to the naval prep school Osborne College. Alan Hillgarth was just 15 years old when he found himself aboard the HMS Bacchante as the First World War broke out. Within months he'd fought at Gallipoli, bayoneted an attacking Turkish soldier, and been shot in the head and leg. After recuperation he was released for a while to study at Cambridge and began selling short stories about naval life to magazines. After the war, Hillgarth became an author of thrillers, a gold-hunter in South America, a diplomat and a spy-master. Back in the navy for a time, he helped evacuate White Russian soldiers from the Crimea to Turkey but after leaving the service in 1922 he spent the next six years pursuing a career as a writer of adventure novels – hence his decision to change his name to Alan Hillgarth – while embarking on several real-life adventures. He was a military adviser to the Spanish Foreign Legion in Morocco, sailed to Florida, collaborated in writing a musical comedy, and searched for gold in the Andes.

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From 1940 to 1943 he was Britain's most important intelligence officer in Spain, a key player in the successful Allied subterfuge Operation Mincemeat. Later he became Chief of Intelligence for the Eastern Fleet, in Ceylon, and a key advisor to Churchill, during and after the war.

He had an affair with a married w o m a n , Mary HopeMorley, who obtained a divorce, then married him and swiftly gave birth to their son. They settled in Majorca where Alan took the unsalaried diplomatic post of Vice Consul in 1932. He was considered a bit of a hero by Spaniards, when he acted as British Consul in Majorca during the Spanish Civil War, from 1936 to 1939, he saved countless lives acting as mediator between the two sides. Still there when the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, he began writing reports to the Foreign Office, monitoring the activities of Nationalist forces and an Italian bomber squadron stationed on the island from where Torrevieja and other Costa Blanca towns were bombed. . He helped organise prisoner exchanges (receiving an OBE for his various services in 1937). His shining moment came in 1938 when, with the support of a British cruiser to evacuate refugees, he helped negotiate the surrender of Republican Minorca to the Nationalists, an act that may have saved 20,000 lives. By now well connected with leading figures in the Franco regime, he was made naval attachĂŠ in aormi@icloud.com

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Madrid in August 1939. He built up a network of spies to monitor the movements of Axis shipping to ensure that no German submarine refuelled in a Spanish port surreptitiously and possibly plan for a German invasion of the Iberian peninsula. He began an affair with Jean Cobb, an English girl some 15 years his junior, telling his wife that he had found his romantic soulmate and wanted a divorce. In 1943 he was promoted to Chief of British Intelligence in the Far East, based in Colombo, where he was in charge of HMS Anderson – not a ship but a radio station which intercepted and analysed Japanese radio traffic. After the war, Alan obtained a divorce from Mary, married Jean, started a second family and settled in Ireland.

Duff Hart-Davis has written a biography of Alan Hillgarth called “Man of War”.

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Diabetes and vinegar By Andy Ormiston

Apple cider vinegar has been touted as a cure-all for decades. My sister swears by it for all sorts of ailments and cleaning around the house. There are several books available with lots of recipes and usage. Recent studies show that it can also be beneficial in some cases for diabetics to cut glucose levels and even fat. There is some solid research to back up apple cider vinegar as a healthy elixir, as long as you use it correctly. While a number of studies have looked at the link between apple cider vinegar and blood sugar management, they are usually small, and the results have been mixed. One study from Arizona State University found that taking 20 grams of apple cider vinegar diluted in 40 grams of water, with 1 teaspoon of saccharine, could lower blood sugar after meals. Another found that taking apple cider vinegar before bed helped moderate blood sugar upon waking up. But both studies were small, looking only at 19 and 11 participants, respectively. Given the importance of maintaining acceptable blood glucose concentrations, there is much interest in identifying foods and diet patterns that will help individuals with diabetes manage their condition. Based on previous data indicating that vinegar ingestion at mealtime reduces postprandial glycaemia (1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4), the aim of one pilot study was to examine whether vinegar ingestion at bedtime reduces the next-morning fasting glucose concentration in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

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People with pre-diabetes improved their blood glucose levels with vinegar by nearly half, while people with diabetes cut their blood glucose concentrations by 25%. Japanese scientists conducted a double-blind trial on obese adults with similar body weights and waist measurements in 2009. They divided the participants into three groups. Every day for 12 weeks, one group drank a beverage containing half an ounce of apple cider vinegar. Another group drank a beverage with one ounce of apple cider vinegar. And the third group had a drink containing no vinegar at all. At the end of the study, the people who drank one of the beverages with vinegar had less belly fat, lower triglycerides and waist measurements, and a lower body weight and BMI, compared to the no-vinegar group. This data suggests that vinegar ingestion at bedtime may favorably impact waking glucose concentrations in type 2 diabetes. The antiglycemic effect of acetic acid, the active ingredient in vinegar, has been attributed to reduced starch digestion and/or delayed gastric emptying

Apple cider vinegar is considered safe, so if you have diabetes, it may be worth trying. However, those who have kidney problems or ulcers should steer clear, and no one should substitute it for their regular medication. This form of vinegar is enriched with bacteria-fighting properties. It also has high mineral content, such as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sulphur, calcium, iron, fluorine, and copper. With such nutrients, it can help to control severe diabetic conditions.

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Vinegar is widely available, it is affordable, and it is appealing as a remedy, but much more work is required to determine whether vinegar is a useful adjunct therapy for individuals with diabetes. Investigations are needed to study the mechanisms by which vinegar alters postprandial glycemia and fasting glucose and to examine the efficacy of vinegar ingestion in individuals with inadequately controlled diabetes. While the evidence behind apple cider vinegar seems promising, there are a few things to keep in mind before you start downing the stuff. First off, it is not recommended drinking straight vinegar. Undiluted shots have been known to wear away tooth enamel, and damage the oesophagus. Also, too much apple cider vinegar may lower potassium levels in the body. Some ideas to use apple cider vinegar. If you want to give it a go, swirl two teaspoons of organic apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of organic honey into a cup of warm water once a day. Or simply use apple cider vinegar as a main ingredient in salad dressing, or chilled veggie side dishes, like vinegar-based slaw. If you expect that apple cider vinegar tastes awesome, then you are going to be badly disappointed. It tastes bad! In fact, science says that you should always avoid consuming undiluted vinegar. It is advisable to dilute it with aormi@icloud.com

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water and then drink to avail its benefits against diabetes. You can take it in various forms: Mix water and cranberry juice with apple cider vinegar. Pour few drops of lime juice to spruce up its taste. You can use it as a salad dressing with extra virgin olive oil. Use the distinctive flavour of apple cider vinegar to make your salads healthier and tastier. For better taste, you can add other ingredients, such as basil leaves and dried oregano to your salad. Whisk together one tablespoon each apple cider vinegar and lemon juice, add a half teaspoon of minced garlic, a dash of ground black pepper, and a few fresh basil leaves, chopped. It's fantastic drizzled over fresh leafy greens, broad beans, or cooked, chilled fingerling potatoes. Use it as a tenderizer for meat. You can also marinate chicken with this vinegar.

Tomato Cider Slinger

1 1/2 C. Fresh or canned tomato juice 1-2 Tbs. Apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp. Sea salt A few drops of hot sauce (optional) Stir together and drink.

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The Shot 1 Tbs. Apple cider vinegarÂ 1 Tbs. water or apple juice honey In a nutshell, apple cider vinegar is beneficial for your health. It is not a miraculous remedy. But in the long run, it has shown positive signs, especially for fighting diabetic conditions. So, you can include it in your diet and see the difference in your blood glucose levels to believe in its remedial properties. Cranberry Sangria 1/2 c. whole cranberries 2 apples, diced and tossed with lemon juice 1 c. apple cider 1/4 c. cranberry juice 1 bottle white wine 1 c. Seltzer water Thinly sliced apple, for garnish DIRECTIONS Add fresh fruit to a medium pitcher. Pour wine, cranberry juice, apple cider and seltzer over the fruit. Stir to combine. Cover pitcher and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Serve with thin apple slices for garnish.

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BBQ sauce Ingredients 2 c. ketchup 1/2 c. Apple sauce 1/2 c. apple cider 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 3/4 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. Freshly ground pepper DIRECTIONS Combine ketchup, apple sauce, cider, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper in a medium sauce pan. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook until the flavours meld and the sauce reduces slightly, about 15 minutes. Let cool and transfer to a re-sealable jar. Serve as desired.

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There is an Association of Artists of Torrevieja that regularly hold expositions of their work. Catlin Katalin Schlosser has a current exhibition in the association’s meeting place in Calle Maldonado Nº 46 and it is open until the 15th January fromMonday to Friday from 10:00 – 14:00 and in the evening from 17:00 – 20:00. The artists has used various techniques learned in various schools in Hungary and Sweden.

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Have you missed out? Not got a copy of the Solidarity calendar? Check out from Andy Ormiston at aormi@icloud.com

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Torrevieja Outlook

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We wish all our

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We wish all our readers a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2017

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