Torrevieja Outlook Nº 59 January 2019

Torrevieja Outlook

Nº 059 January 2019

Nº 059 January 2019

January Calendar – Three Kings illusion – Alcoy black pages – star leads way – Ellche Burning Palms – Fables and Flames - Demons and Topsy Turvy parades – Elda Moors – Alicante porrat – Back in Time – Home made music – Tunas in Uni – Romero Vinarós – San Sebastian – Film Festival – Jijona parades – Torrevieja over Christmas – Santa BBQ La Zenia – El Cau of Elche – Hexit Brexit – Civil War Gypsies – ABC Cheese – Leprosy Month – Unacceptable violence – Turia Gardens – Cab Cervera planting – Stuka Experiment – Drink and Be Merry - Santa Pola Skywalk – Reach Out to New Year – New Year Resolution – PM Brexit promise – Whats On

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Foto: Nativity scene in residence for elderly in Torrevieja 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 San Cristóbal, representing the presence of the Three Kings. An emissary of the kings arrives in the 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

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In Albatera a procession on these days, carrying the Virgin’s image.

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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 January

Epiphany or Three Kings is a public holiday in Spain.

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 (dance of the kings).

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 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 d Álcalà, 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 Sagrada Corazon and other Churches in Torrevieja a service is held with the blessing of animals. In La Mata on the Sunday nearest the feast there is a giant BBQ in the main plaza. aormi@icloud.com

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Nº 059 January 2019 In Salinas the fiesta of los Mayordomos is held.

A romeria takes place in Hondón de los Frailes.

19th January X à b i a celebrates San Sebastián, the town’s patron saint.

20th January Orihuela and Murla both hold romerías in honour of San Sebastián. Orihuela will hold its annual Medieval Market in the old town centre.

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 when men dress up and play ld medieval m u s i c a l instruments or just any old kitchen utensil. There is an ethnic instruments museum,probably the largest collection of ethnic instruments in Europe.

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Old into New Really the calendar starts with the last day of the year when the bells ring out the changes and people gather in their houses, in restaurants or in the plazas to celebrate the Old giving way to the New. This is symbolic of many of the Spring festivals. Television always broadcasts the midnight festive of the crowds in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol. There is a custom nowadays of eating twelve grapes (skins and pips, if any) as the clock strikes the 12 strokes of midnight. If you can get all twelve down then you will have a good year for the next twelve months. This is one of those customs that has its origins in a glut of grapes in the 1920’s and growers came up with this idea to boost consumption and today it is a really fun part of a New year’s party. The custom is supposed to have been imported from France with the intimacy of the family sharing.

It is mentioned in Spanish newspapers of 1897 but grape growers made the best of the idea and today grapes are often sold in dozens in champagne glasses, in tins even.

Revelers of the first day of the year will be on the streets and in bars and restaurants until early morning. After that it is usually a very quiet day to bring in yet another new year. A custom among youngsters is to wear red underwear…

Obviously the main celebrations after New Year’s Day is the wonderful Cabalgata of Los Reyes - a splendid parade through most towns and usually held on the evening of the 5th of January preceding the actual feast day on the 6th January. aormi@icloud.com

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The Three Kings bring illusion and hopes at the start of the year.

According to the Italian historian Franco Cardini, who has written a book about the history and legends of the Three Kings, they were not kings, nor three in number, nor did they travel on camels. The only evangelist who mentioned these popular characters is Saint Matthew who says some ‘magos’ came from the Orient following a star that signalled the birth of the king of the Jews. These were probably astrologists or Persian priests who professed Madeism, the religion of Zaratustra. The idea of there being three came from the interpretation that they brought three gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh. all suitable for a king.

It was in the time of Tertullian that they became popularly known as ‘kings’, based on the Psalms of David, where it is mentioned that some kings would visit the Messiah shortly after his birth. This interpretation of kings was more acceptable to the theologians of the day rather than magi, which was associated with witches and black magic. aormi@icloud.com

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Saint Augustine was the one who brought in the idea of the dromedaries.

One of the apocryphal epistles mentions that they travelled on camels and Saint Augustine, an African born in Algeria, knew that the dromedaries were of African origin and more swift than camels. So the magi travelled in 13 days from Asia to Bethlehem.

In one of his books Pope Benedict holds the theory that they originated in Spain. The kings are seen as a symbol of all the pagans who converted to Christianity without passing through the Jewish traditions.

Whatever the true story it is still one which brightens up a dreary start to another year, filling children with illusions of dreams about to be realised, thanks to three wise men, and, of course, the love and sacrifice of their parents.

Most towns will hold a Cabalgata on the evening of the 5th with the wise men and their entourage of pages parading through the town, throwing sweets to the waiting crowds as a symbol of sharing gifts.

ALCOY - Where pages scale the balconies The mountain town of Alcoy takes principal place because of the antiquity of its calvacade. In Alcoy on the 4th January three hogueras (fires) are set up on the Monte de San Cristobal to welcome a representative of the Three Kings and on this night the emissary arrives with a proclamation about the forthcoming procession of the Three Kings. Cabalgata (cavalcade) is the name of the actual procession by the kings and this has been celebrated in Alcoy since 1885, which was the first time ever in Spain.

The joy of Christmas leads to the parades of the Pastors as young people take to the streets in typical local clothing, dancing traditional dances, accompanying a flock of sheep, in memory of the shepherds who paid homage to the new born infant Jesus.

Over this period there is a marionette theatre with a continuous movement of wooden figures narrating in their own style the Christmas story. aormi@icloud.com

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On the 4th January another colourful parade takes place as the ambassadors of the Three Kings arrive in an ox-drawn float to announce the arrival of their Three Majesties the next day.

The children of Alcoy look forward to the magical night of the 5th January when the Three Magi arrive in a splendid cavalcade with sumptuous clothing, riding on horses and camels. Many towns with large zoos often provide animals for the processions and in Madrid you can even see elephants. Ranks of Oriental soldiers act as an extravagant escort while black faced pages carry long ladders which can reach up to the balconies just above the street. These ladders are set against the balconies and the pages shin up them to visit wide-eyed children, leaving them parcels and gifts. There is a custom that the children put out their shoes for gifts to be left in them. If they are considered to be naught children then ‘carbon’ a boiled sweet looking like a lump of charcoal is left for them.

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The cabalgata has been going on of 132 years and the pages are usually dressed in red with a red fez cap and faces painted black. Now last year a councillor of Podemos challenged the idea saying it was racist, an accusation made against Moors & Christians in Andalusia several years ago, ignored. Spanish are not going to let political correctness get in the way of customary fiesta time.

The streets are decorated with colour and light, lending a magical atmosphere to the ‘cabalgata’ which winds its way through the crowded streets so that, eventually, the three kings can pay homage to a representative local family, selected to play the part of Mary and Joseph with a newborn baby to play stand-in for baby Jesus. This is just one of the wonderful events which the people of Alcoy enjoy.

Alcoy is also noted for its sweets such as peladillas, tourist and pinyonets with sugared nuts, bravos de giitano and turrones.

Children have a special place with Les Pastorates or little shepherds. usually celebrated on the Sunday morning or day close to the actual cabalgata.

In 2000 the Alicante Tourist Board awarded the town the Gold Award of Merit for the annual Calvacade of the Three Wise Men and there is a monument to the Three Kings in the town centre. aormi@icloud.com

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Aledo where a star leads the way.

Aledo is a small fortress town high in the hills of Sierra EspuĂąa. This is an area that is becoming popular for those seeking the rough countryside. The fortress is on a prominent rock and is 52 kilometres form Murcia city. A lovely rural hotel is the Monasterio Santa Eulalia (monasteriosanteulalia.com) tel. 902 420 080) which is a four star rural type hotel with traditional cuisine and 35 rooms, 8 small rural chalet houses. Another hotel is Pinito del Oro (968 421 036), which has a nice restaurant.

This is one of those towns that was batted back and fro between Muslims and Christian forces. It overlooks a fertile valley of Guadalentin where parts of the road was the famous Roman Via Augustin connecting Tarragona with Cadiz, but in this case was a connecting road between Cartagena and Lorca. The church is dedicated to the Santa Maria la Real with two hermitages dedicated to San Sebastian and San Augustin. Although the church was started in the 16th century it was not concluded

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until the 18th century, yet inside is a statue of Santa Maria dating back to the 13th century.

Tourist office – Plaza Julián Romea 4, 968 277 675.

Each 6th January the people put on a cabalgata of the Three Kings that dates back to the XIII century. This is organized by a group called la Cuadrilla de Ánimas. Here we have the three kings mounted on horses following a star that leads them through the crowded streets to Bethlehem and the new-born child Jesus, the king of the a nation. The star is actually a small girl

dressed as a star again mounted on a small pony.

At the fiesta del Carro everyone joins in the eating and drinking based on local foods.

Breakfast are los Jaullullos which are made with flour, tocino (the fat of the bacon) garlic and the longaniza sausage. Migas is a popular dish here and the local mixed drink is mantellina made from water, lemon, honey and anis; but wine and warm bread are a great alternative.

The sanctuary is actually built over a mine dating back to the end of the 13th century dated as 1257. There is another important date of a statue of Santa Eulalia de Merida in 1498 that was enlarged over various years by devotees. The present image is probably the third or fourth one. It is a pretty place with the fragrance of the pine trees and a lovely view toward the Virgen Blanca. aormi@icloud.com

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Elche’s Burning Palms Show the Way There are many fiestas celebrated in Elche, almost on a monthly basis. One of the most awaited days is the 5th January when excited children impatiently await the arrival of los Reyes Magos, the Three Wise Men. This event marks the end of the Christmas cycle of celebrations and in Elche the kings parade through the town in the cabalgata procession.

Palms are an integral part of the culture and history of Elche and as a prelude to the arrival of the Kings children burn dry palms ‘les atxes’ at their doors as a symbol of the star of Bethlehem and to show the Kings the way, just in case they don’t know the way and forget to leave any gifts!.

Children prepare the palm branches and sell them in a small market in the Plaza de Baix.

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Fables and Flames of San Anton

by Dave Stewart

San Anton is Spain’s patron saint for animals and on his east day 17th January most towns in Alicante Province and Castellon tend to have blessing of animals and some have bonfires. Most statues or images show some form of animal close to him.

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Many people forget that the early Christian church had a large presence in North Africa. San Antón is Spain’s patron of animals. He was born sometime in the 3rd or 4th century in Egypt.

According to the legend he lived to 105 years of age. As a youth he gave away his money to the poor and retired as a hermit to the banks of the Nile. Many cures have been attributed to his intercession especially a skin condition which has a burning sensation and hence the name “the fires of San Antón”.

In Villanueva de Alcolea, a town in Castellon, this skin condition was rampant in the Middle Ages and disappeared thanks to the intercession of San Anton. The origin of this particular fiesta of San Anton that takes place over the weekend may, perhaps, be traced to Villanueva de Alcolea where, according to legend, St. Antony cured a pig of an infirmity. However, he not only cured animals but during the Middle Ages he also worked miracles curing people of the pestilence which burned the flesh with fever.

This has led to the saint’s feast becoming a Fire Festival in this town in Castellon Province held on the 16th January. People and animals parade around hogueras and a feast full of fear and happiness takes place. Some people, on gaily decorated horses, ride through the labyrinth of streets leaping over fires. This represents the contemplative soul in ecstasy viewing Life as a dangerous game. Here, during the fiestas, beasts and people jump over the many fires in the town. This connection has led to fire becoming a symbol of this saint and fires or hogueras are burnt on his feastday which is held with special devotion in the Valencian Communidad, Cataluña and also in Mallorca.

As with many ancient festivities there is a touch of the pagan element - in this case, the winter fires. The fire acts as a purification rite and in some of the fiestas the «devils» leap over the fires to be purified. Often men on horseback leap over the flames in these rites. Many of these fiestas are a strong representation of the ever present battle between Good and Evil which can be seen in many fiesta rites.

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The Demons of Forcall

by Dave Stewart

Forcall is small mountain town in Castellon Province with human roots in the Bronze Age, but a strong Roman influence. Toddy there are around 700 inhabitants who mostly work with agriculture. Tourism is gaining popularity with several inns and hotels being renovated. They have two main fiestas that attract people from far and wide. One is in January the feast of San Anton Abad on the weekend nearest to the 17th and the other is the patronal fiestas at the end of August going into September with lots of traditional dances.

Long, long ago in a time almost forgotten, two hermits known as Pablo and Antonio put a legion of demons to flight. This legend is the origin of a re-enacted celebration in Forcall. The scene is set in a cabin with two doors representing the entrance and departure of life. The holy hermits lived in this cabin until a devil-spy discovered them and brought back a legion of devils to torment them. The saints concentrated on their prayers and three loud knocks are heard at the door. Toc! Toc! Toc! The door opens to reveal angels who chase the devils out of the burning cabin through the streets. Some malicious devils climb walls and into the windows where they steal honey and wine. Others, with a different type of hunger, chase the town’s lazy women.

Around the plaza the devils run, their clothes spattered with serpents’ and dragons’ blood to protect them, dancing from door to door until Antonio appears bearing a large cross to frighten off the demon legion. The devils disappear as a woman representing “Temptation” dances amongst a barrage of rockets and fireworks frightening away the devils. There then follows a ‘purification’ dance around a hoguera. The bonfires are also used to roast meat accompanied by las coquettes and rotlletes. Pumpkin filling is used is these pastries.

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Topsy turvy parade In Cataluña the fiestas of San Anton are known as the Tres Tombs and are principally parades of animals, which are blessed. Processions and blessing of animals are held in many towns. In Urgell this is celebrated with a medieval market.

In Barcelona’s district of San Anton’s fiesta is known as la Fiesta de los Arrieros.

This is a topsy turvey procession of pets and it is common to see the donkey sitting in a cart being pulled by a couple of youngsters. This district has hot springs that were used by the Romans and still beneficial today. aormi@icloud.com

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Elda Moors & Christians As said elsewhere San Anton is the protector of animals but also a patron of Elda.

Each year on the weekend nearest his feast day thousands of Eldenses gather to enjoy events organised by the groups of the Moors and Christians of the town. This is known as the Media Fiesta or mid-year fiesta as it is a prelude to the main one later in the year as many shopworkers are too occupied in the busy summer period to play games - they have a living to make.

Not all, but many, of the Musulmanes, Marroquíes, Realistas, Huestes del Cadí comparsas march along the streets of Elda, followed by the Christian bands of Piratas, Estudiantes, Cristianos, Contrabandists and Zíngaros, all of whom parade to the cheers of the crowds and the firing of their blunderbusses. This year is a special jubilee year so throughout the year more events will be held apart from this Media Año.

2019 is the 75th anniversary of this fiesta in Elda and will take place from 6th to 10th June. When they began there were only five comparsas which has doubled, and this special year there are other groups from nearby Petrer,, Sax and Villena will lend costumes.

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Market Day in Alicante for San Anton In Alicante on this saint’s feast there is a ‘porrate´or street market near the Plaza de Santa Teresa. This market is noted for its sweets and dried fruits which are the produce of the Alicante Province. There is a custom that a handkerchief full of these goodies is given to the woman of your choice with a view to marriage included. It takes place from 12th to 24th January.

At eight o’clock in the evening there is a procession of Saint Antony’s image, although during the day there are many other activities in the surrounding streets.

There are events held throughout this time including a giant paella on 14th Sunday and on the Friday 19th at 18:00 in the plaza de Toros, a fancy dress competition.

Saturday 20th there will e a paella competition in Calle Valencia and on the Sunday after 12:00 Mass the bessing of animals.

The Sunday following the 17th is the day when another procession takes place, this time carrying the statue of San Anton Abad to the Plaza de Toros for the blessing of the animals and a horde of animals and their owners are rigorously processed underneath the statue to be blessed by holy water with the saint’s blessing. In the 14th century pigs were let loose in the streets, but this has given way to a pig being raffled to pay for the day’s events. Can you imagine winning a pig?

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Medieval Markets - Back in Time One of the most popular type of markets in recent years has been the appearance of medieval markets that have their own particular ambience with the smell of incense and aromatic oils, or freshly cooked bread. There is now a few companies of recognized group of traders who travel throughout Spain from one medieval market to another as more and more towns set them up as tourist attractions. One of the companies that deals with this is ‘Pegasus’, based in Barcelona and puts together a complete package of stalls and artists in suitable costumes.

In fact the whole Cataluña region has regular medieval street markets: one of the most famous and organised is at Montblanc where you can enjoy a jugglers’ competition, a royal banquet with authentic gastronomy and aromas to get you into a

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medieval atmosphere. There is also a medieval play about Druc who represents the devil tied in with the legend of Saint George who comes to the rescue of maidens about to used as human sacrifices: this is a spectacle of fire and light that uses the four elements. St. George (San Jorge) is the patron saint of Barcelona. on 23rd April.

This has spread into the Valencian region where the stalls are set up as little streets, strewn with straw, with the vendors suitably dressed in typical costumes of the age. It is possible to taste authentic Middle Ages wine, bread or sweetmeats made according to old methods and with their own special flavours. Bakers bake from their ovens in the street, while red faced matrons dish up small versions of churros and medieval barmen ply you with tapas to soak up their beer. Here you will find scented soaps, herbs, ointments, aromatic oils to help cure all ailments, while incense wafts through

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the air. Baskets, home made silk handkerchiefs and many other crafts offer a wide selection of different gifts to purchase. Children have the opportunity to play with authentic wooden toys and purchase them if they want - quite a change from GameBoy. The streets are decorated in a faithful reproduction of the Middle Ages with flags and banners flying above the streets. Apart from the costumed stall owners there are buffoons, magicians, street musicians, fakir (complete with a couple of live snakes)and in some instances the presence of a medieval king and his entourage.

Colourful yet elegantly dressed jugglers roam the narrow streets strumming lutes, mandolins and jingling tambourines. Stilt walkers lope their way through groups of folk being entertained by fire-eaters, dancers and jugglers. However, even here the interminible mobile phone is liable to send out its raucous tone and it seems strange to see a medieval merchant apparently talking to himself with his hand clamped to his ear as if he was the village idiot.

Many markets are associated with San Anton in January such as Oliva. In Orihuela, Ibi, Alcoy, Benissa and PeĂąiscola, there are medieval markets in the ancient streets of these towns in January. Finestrat holds a similar market in April. Also in Alicante at the beginning of July there is a street market in the cobbled streets opposite the port area around the Catedral de San Nicolas. Cocentaina takes on this atmosphere at the end of October and beginning of November for the All Saints feast. At Ondara's Medieval Market in November, all the stallholders are actually local art and craft folk, with many still making their own products by methods developed in the Middle Ages. Denia has this type of market the week before Christmas. aormi@icloud.com

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Home made music For centuries mountain towns would be locked in isolation during the winter and left to their own devices of survival. Animas would be sacrificed in January and sausages, black pudding would be made, hams smoked and hung up to provision a family or village for the rest of the winter. Villagers also had to provide their own entertainment and as a result kitchen utensils would be used as musical instruments rather like washing boards formed the basic skiffle music.

During local fiestas and parties brass mortars and pestles, frying pans, thimbles, spoons were only some of the home made variety of musical instruments that formed a background to traditional dancing that would also have its fair share of wooing between couples, often under the watchful eye of the local priest. Times have changed. Despite the curtailing of their liturgical uses, at the beginning of the seventeenth century a lot of church bells remained hanging in church towers. Ringing them was an activity pursued with great enthusiasm, often by groups of boozy young men. Paul Hentzner, a German lawyer who traveled through England in the final years of the sixteenth century, wrote that the English were “vastly fond of great noises aormi@icloud.com

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that fill the ear, such as the firing of cannon, drums, and the ringing of bells, so that it is common for a number of them, that have got a glass in their heads, to go up into some belfry, and ring the bells for hours together for the sake of exercise.”

Medieval Music In recent years there has been an upsurge of interest in medieval music which is one reason why you will find troubadours with lutes, gemshorn, mandolins,lizard or tambourine, pipes and flutes wandering around medieval markets. Spain has a tradition of ‘tunas’ which are groups of young musicians and singers playing these type of instruments and suitably garbed in style with fine raiment and cloaks. Often on these cloaks you will see badges which indicate the different tuna fiestas that have been visited. These were originally young university students who sang and played to earn some money for their studies. So today many tunas are attached to universities, notably in Murcia city.

Elche holds its Mystery Play in August and during this month there is an international medieval music exposition.

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Tu n a s in Universities Two days after the Bando de la Huerta in Murcia there is the Spring Parade full of colourful flowers from local garden nurseries. This parade has flower bedecked carriages accompanied by bands of music. During these dates the annual Certamen Internacional de Tunas ‘Costa Calida’ is held in the San Basilio district of Murcia city with colourful and animated groups playing this medieval style of music as they wander around the city. Each Faculty of the university has its own tuna group and originally they came about because poorer students couldn’t afford the university fees so they wandered around restaurants busking as troubadours to entertain the diners to make a little more money and amuse themselves at the same time.

There are tunas in the various university schools - Letters, Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, and Medicine, with a unique female group in Law. The Tuna de Distrito University (formed in 1912) released in 2003 their fourth CD of their style of music under the title of ‘Mujer’ dedicated to the beautiful women of Murcia. In fact you can find a wide range of medieval music available on CD’s.

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San Sebastian in Vinaròs.

Romerias are pilgrimages with a great deal of socializing and fun.

According to recent research in England the country’s religious events were rather like Spain’s before the crack in the church which led to the Reformation. Pilgrimages seem to be a typical example. There are always pilgrimages to some shrine or another in Spain most of them held at a local level.

Such a one is that of St. Sebastian in Vinaròs. This saint is well known and beloved by artists and sculptors as he died in Rome in 288 AD shot through with arrows. Legend has it that one of his fingers is a venerated relic in the town of Vinaròs and that Pope Paul V gave this as a gift to the Spanish Ambassador in Rome, Herrera de Pimentel.

On his return to Spain a storm threatened to overturn the ambassador’s ship and he vowed that he would deposit the relic in the first place his vessel could land at safely.

This proved to be Vinaròs on the 20th January, 1610, and since then the feast of St. Sebastian is celebrated in the town.

There is a hermitage on the Puig hill and the relic was translated to there from the parochial church and ever since then a pilgrimage has taken place on this date. It begins early in the morning and pilgrims walk the five kilometres to the shrine where candles are lit and innumerable flowers are offered. Outside the sanctuary the pilgrims dance the “Camaraes” which alludes to maidens collecting the olives aormi@icloud.com

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accompanied by singers with guitars, mandolins and castanets. It is obviously taken from the pagan harvest festivals and christianized. Joy in living is part of Christianity and the Spanish have it down to a T with the music, singing dancing and of course the dining and drinking. An important part of any fiesta is the food and open-air fires are lit to cook and the air is filled with the marvellous smell of paellas, sausages and other typical food of the region.

It is perhaps a little difficult for we modern Brits to imagine that our pre-Reformation ancestors enjoyed themselves in their religion in the same way.

A rough translation of the song to Saint Sebastian is:

“Oh Wonder worker, Sebastian, In our heritage so beautiful, Bring us health and keep us well, And make our harvest bountiful.�

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San Sebastian city The Basque seaside town dedicated to this saint is also known as Donostia and has for a long time been the chosen preference of a summer refuge for those who could afford it. During the early part of the 20th century most of the embassies in Madrid sent their staff to this pleasantly cooler town away from the suffocating heat of the summer months. The British embassy in Madrid was one of these and when the Spanish Civil War broke out there was only a skeleton staff and an officer took it upon himself to organs things and help refugees escape.

Its most famous beach is la Concha in the shape of a shell with a wide swathe of sand leading into safe waters. A few years ago I was with a group and a Canada lady in the group had never seen the sea so she toddled off to San Sebastian and fell in love with this new life experience. We are so lucky on the Csta Blanca with our long coastline.

Obviously the feast of San Sebastian is full of colour and a great expectation arises on the morning of the 20th with the famous Tamborrada when hundreds of groups dressed in costumes such as traditional housewife, chefs, soldiers etc. all beat time on tambours. This actually begins on the 19th but the 20th is the main day and the old town is full of great restaurants and bars where excellent traditional food of the Basque country can be found. The Basques have a long heritage of gastronomy and some of the best chefs and restaurants in the world can be found in this region of Spain. Previous to this another local festival is the Antiguoko Jalak from the 14th to the 24th, so it is possible to combine two events at the same time.

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Film Festival In addition to serving as an unquestionable showcase for national and international cinematography, Spain’s most important cinematic event, the Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival,is considered to be among the four most important film festivals in the world alongside Cannes, Berlin and Venice.

The entire city participates in its Festival as it fills with visitors attracted by the movies, the Festival atmosphere, the local food and tourist attractions. Queues of people are often to be seen waiting to enter the over 650 screenings offering every spectator the film of his or her choice. This also includes a section of films made in Spain with winners announced in a television gala.

During these ten days from 20th to 28th September in 2019, San Sebastián becomes the capital of the film industry with artists, journalists and professionals from all over the world. Bette Davis, Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Luis Buñuel, Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Caine, Claude Chabrol, Stephen Frears, Zhang Yimou, Bertrand Tavernier, Bernardo Bertolucci, Michael Douglas, Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Susan Sarandon, Catherine Deneuve, Sean Penn, Jeanne Moreau, Pedro Almodóvar, Jeremy Irons, Kevin Costner, Francis Ford Coppola or Woody Allen, are only some of the great figures from the film scene to have visited San Sebastián over the years, backing this important cultural event with their presence.

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Moors & Christians in Jijona San Sebastian has a similar feast on 20th January known as the “Porrat de la Candelaria” which takes place in Jijona and lasts up to the 2nd February (Candlemass).

This was formerly the time for the town’s Moors & Christians festival but these were transferred to the other town’s saint, St. Bartholmew, on 24th August.

However, the town actually re-instated their winter ‘Mig Any’ Moors & Christians fiestas in 1970 so that those who were working in the busy summer could participate.

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Torrevieja Celebrations

Christmas time is a space of sharing and the various Torrevieja NGO’s and others certainly took up the challenge to spread good cheer and help those less fortunate to enjoy this holy season.

Over Christmas various associations have decorated central Torrevieja streets.

ASIMEPP copied one of the busiest Barcelona streets with suspended red umbrellas in calle Darblade, whch completely changed the street’s appearance.

Shops had a competition for the best dressed windows. ALPE students also enjoyed their interpretation of street art 'Cuento de Navidad’, and the nursery Garanote Verde (Green Frog) kiddies visited the residence of the old people near La Loma Clinic and also put on a Christmas show in the theatre. - Christmas Story was their theme. aormi@icloud.com

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The Workshops of Tourism had a Project Reci-Christmas with plastic bottles simulating snowflakes. AFA, MADRILENOS EN TORREVIEJA, Bolilleando la Navidad' were other street art galleries by those associations.

Once again we must praise the other associations such as the Firemen, Cruz Roja, PP youth, etc. for their collection of toys and gifts so that no child would go without. Supermarkets allowed various associations to raise food for the homeless Reach Out or the Alimentos Solidarios kitchen who enticed top chefs of El Cortes Ingles to cook a Christmas meal for those who may be without, while others such as Nueva Fraternized held mini Fairs with home made products.

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The Firemen held an Open Day that attracted large numbers of people of all ages who donated over 300 toys and other goodies for kiddies who may otherwise go without. Apart from a fire engine, there was an Alfa1 helicopter and a display of aiding victims of a car collision.

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And Santa and his many helpers didnt forget to visit the elderly in Alzheimers Day Centre or the hospital and helped feed the homeless and the lesser off.

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Then hundreds invaded La Zenia beach for the annual Santa Bash wit live music and many in the sea and others barbecuing. All Good Christmas fun.

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El Cau - Las canteras de Santa María

by Dave Stewart

Las canteras de Santa María is a quarry outside Elche city, which today is often visited because of its open-air art museum.

This “museum”, like the quarry has a connection with the city. The stones for the Basilica of Santa Maria used in the UNESCO approved Mystery play held in August came from this quarry, known locally as El Cau. The nearby fortress/palace of Altamira was also built with these quarry stones: a building with a long history including serving as a factory and prison.

But apart from that, stone engravings and aormi@icloud.com

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sculptures by Mariano Ros and his friends Candido, Vicente and Pere connect these two buildings. These sculptures outline many aspects of daily life in Elche and the quarry as ramblers, bikers, climbers etc. enjoyed the open air and the nearby reservoir. Or the close connection with the city and its palms and dates.

These sculptures continue to attract lovers of the fresh air as it makes a good ramble out in the country for citizens of nearby towns who are now getting in on the act, claiming it comes under their jurisdiction. Mariano Ros died on 24 April last year aged 91.

But Mariano has left a legacy in this corner of Elche with carvings that remind the observer of various aspects of the history of Elche. Here you can see the famous Palmeral or the Altamira castle,Mystery play, the Dama de Elche, or even local fiestas. It is often visited by groups of local students and now many foreigners.

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Thanks to for the use of

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Mairi Walker her photos.

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HEXIT - BREXIT

The Saga of Brexit continues to dominate the news with many uncertainties amongst the British living in other European countries.

The Spanish government will issue some information about how Spain will react in whichever situation. The British consul in Alicante has arranged a number of meetings with British in the Costa Blanca outlining not only what we know about the negotiations, but also what we need to do as residents. Until the UK leaves the EU, the UK remains a full member of the EU and UK nationals retain their legal status as EU citizens. As a UK national, there will be no change to your rights and status if you live in the EU while the UK remains in the EU. Living in the EU after 29 March 2019 During the Implementation Period (30 March 2019 to 31 December 2020), free movement rights will continue to apply to you as a UK national. This means that you will be able to live in an EU country. If you are legally resident in the EU by the end of this period, you will be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, and will be able to continue living in your EU country of residence, enjoying broadly the same rights to healthcare, benefits and pensions as at present.

As a UK nationals living in an EU country by the end of the implementation period, if you remain in the scope of the Agreement, you will: • maintain the right to export an uprated UK state pension • receive associated reciprocal healthcare cover in the EU The UK State Pension is payable worldwide under domestic legislation.

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The UK’s exit from the European Union will not change existing double taxation arrangements. Double taxation agreements ensure that anyone (not just a British citizen) who is living in a country that has a treaty with the UK will not pay tax in 2 countries on the same income/gain and determines which country has primary taxing rights. The UK has a double taxation agreement with all EU countries, which will continue to apply after we leave the EU.

In the unlikely event of a ‘no deal’ scenario, EU citizens and their family members resident in the UK by 29 March 2019 will be able to stay and carry on with their lives broadly as now.

However, it is advisable to register in your local town hall on the padrón.

You do not need to own a property - you can register on the padrón if you are renting or live with others.

Take official identification with you such as: • a passport • your NIE or residence certificate / card • the deeds to your house or a copy of your rental •

contract a recent utility bill in your name

Your town hall will issue you a certificado de empadronamiento. You may have to return to collect your certificate, but the authorities will complete your registration on the same day.

Once you’ve completed the simple process, you can begin to enjoy all the advantages being on the padrón offers, such as: • access to public services and discounts • access to income-related benefits and social care • a reduction in taxes • discounted travel for residents on Spanish islands • voting rights in local elections • ability to register for local healthcare • enrol children in school • register a car with a Spanish number plate.

Register as a resident As an EU citizen you must register as a resident if you plan on living in Spain for more than 3 months. aormi@icloud.com

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You should register in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros (immigration office) or designated police station in the province where you live. Torrevieja has an office in calle Larramendi just off Avenida de Habaneras.

Before going to your local Oficina de Extranjeros or designated police station, you must make an appointment online, which can be done on the Spanish public administration website. https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/icpplus Once on the online appointment booking system, you should select the province where you live and then the option “Certificados UE” and follow the instructions to select and confirm your appointment time.

When you go to your appointment, you will be required to provide documents to support your application - see an English language summary of the documents you will need to bring The Spanish authorities will issue you with a creditcard-sized residence certificate with your: • name • address • nationality • NIE number (Número de Identificación Extranjero) • date of registration

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Gypsies of Spanish Civil War

by Andy Ormiston I’m afraid that gypsies in Spain often get a bad reputation.

They are a close knit community, marrying amongst themselves and with their own rules and laws. A popular theory, although without any documentation, claims they come from from North Africa, from where they would have crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to meet again in France with the northern migratory route.

Gypsies have been vilified over the years and during the second world war were among the groups the Nazi regime and its Axis partners singled out for persecution on so-called racial grounds were the Roma (Gypsies). Of slightly less than one million Roma believed to have been living in Europe before the war, the Germans and their Axis partners killed up to 220,000. The Federal Republic of Germany determined that all measures taken against Roma before 1943 were legitimate official measures against persons committing criminal acts, not the result of policy driven by racial prejudice.

Only in late 1979 did the West German Federal Parliament identify the Nazi persecution of Roma as being racially motivated, creating eligibility for most Roma to apply for compensation for their suffering and loss under the Nazi regime. By this time, many of those who became eligible had already died.

Spanish gypsies in Spain tend to be identified with flamenco dancing of Andalusia. You can easily see that this type of music and dancing has its origins in India, although today it has areas connected to other types of music and most recently with Fusion India. Many gypsies have become famous because of their singing and dancing talents and have become household names.

Today there are about a million Spanish gitanos or gypsies. The term "gitano" evolved from the word “egiptano" Egyptian; in English gypsy has the same origin. The boundaries among gitano and non-gitano ethnicities are so blurred by intermarriage and common cultural traits in the south of Spain, that selfaormi@icloud.com

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identification is on occasion the only real marker for ethnicity. Few Spaniards are aware, for example, that Andalusian singer and gitano popular icon Lola Flores was, in fact, not of gitano ethnicity and did not consider herself as such. She married into a gypsy family and her daughter Lolita is proudly adamant about her gating inheritance.

Most gypsies did not take an active part in the Spanish Civil War, though many were killed during the conflict.

Perhaps the most famous gypsy to take part in the war was Helios Gómez, leftwing artist and militant anarchist activist, responsible for a number of brilliant propaganda posters. He saw the war as part of a wider issue which would determine the fate of the Roma everywhere – in Europe, in Russia and Central Asia and in South and North America.

He helped to create the beginnings of a Romani movement and in an interview said: ‘…from this war, which will produce so many great things, there must come even in Spain the vindication of the Roma.’

After exile in France, he returned to Spain in 1944, but was arrested in 1945 and spent most of the next nine years in La Modelo Prison where he produced La Capilla Gitana. He died in Barcelona, two years after his release, in 1956.

Another famous gypsy was a young woman, Emilia Fernández, known as the first gypsy martyr. Her sentence was basically not to reveal who taught her to pray the rosary.

Better known as 'La canastera', she died on January 25, 1939, at the age of 24, in the Gachas Colorás prison in Almería. Despite being pregnant, she was serving a sixyear sentence for helping her husband not go to war. The reason? Her husband, Juan Cortés (who was also imprisoned) refused to go to war and she helped him feign blindness. She gave birth in an isolation cell, but her condition was serious and she had to be taken to the hospital, where she died.

In prison, 'La canastera' discovered a group of prisoners who secretly prayed the rosary and asked them to teach her how to do so; Dolores del Olmo was her catechist Emilia Fernández learned other prayers such as Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be. But the director of the prison, Pilar Salmerón, learned about the teaching of 'La canastera' and interrogated her so she would give her catechist away, in return she aormi@icloud.com

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offered several rewards. Emilia decided to remain silent and was punished to an isolation cell, which was where her martyrdom began, according to the Church.

In the cell she gave birth to a girl in the early hours of January 13, 1939, helped by several inmates. Dolores del Olmo, her catechist, baptized Emilia’s newborn daughter with the name Angeles. The new mother died 10 days later.

The baby went to the charities of the Diputación almeriense and it is suspected that she was given for adoption, but no more is known of her whereabouts). But Emilia's condition was serious and she had to be taken to the hospital, where she died of an infection due to childbirth and a picture of bronchopneumonia. She was buried in a common grave in the municipal cemetery of Almería.

“Emilia is a martyr of suffering, because she died some 10 days after giving birth for lack of medical attention, clutching her rosary. She had a chance to apostatize, to betray the one who taught her the faith, but she did not. She’s an example,” Historian Martin Ibarra said.

“Emilia's life up to 24 years of age was normal for an Andalusian Gypsy woman at the beginning of the century,” Ibarra said. “She devoted herself to her family, her work as a basket maker. She was a hard working woman, a Gypsy and honest.”

“Even though she had been baptized, she never set foot in a church. It was especially through the rosary that her catechist Dolores del Olmo taught her,” Emilia is the first Romani woman to be beatified. The first male Gypsy blessed, Ceferino Giménez Malla, known as El Pelé, was beatified by Saint John Paul II in 1997. He died in the religious persecution of the Spanish Civil War for protecting a priest. Before his persecutors shot him, he held a rosary in his hand and cried out “Long live Christ the King!”

"The Church does not consider a martyr to be the one who was murdered for living their faith, but rather to the one who, like Emilia, was punished by letting her die", affirms José Juan Alarcón.

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of Spanish Cookery

by Pat Hynd

SAY

CHEESE

Over Christmas I had lots of different cheeses, some French, some English and a number of Spanish ones to try. The most notable and best known Spanish cheese is Manchego from Don Quixote country Castilla La Mancha. Indeed it is often quoted in the famous tales eaten with an onion and washed down with wine.

Cheese making in Spain dates way back to the Iron and Bronze Ages. There were plenty of goats, sheep and cows around, but when the Arabs arrived they had a tendency to have large flocks of sheep. Today you can still come across flocks of goats and/or sheep in the Costa Blanca.

So what type of cheese do we find on the Costa Blanca? The cheese industry produces a wide variety of cheeses genially, but in the Valencia Region there are three unique ones - Queso Cassoleta, Queso de la NucĂ­a and Queso Servilleta. Often a cheese will take its name from the place of its origins or from its peculiar shape, quite often because of the container it is finally dried in.

Pastors would make their own cheese from the milk produced by their herd and you find cheeses make like a pudding as it was made in a large handkerchief or piece of cloth and even pots that were used for other things such as cooking. Valencia region chess tend to be made from milk or sheep or goats, or a mixture of both.

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Queso Cassoleta is made from pasteurized cow’s milk or goats milk, or a mixture of both of them. It is a brilliant white, compact cheese of one kilo. Its name is from the round mould it is made in. It is a bit damp but with a sweetish, fresh and creamy flavour, served in thin slices and used in salads.

Queso de la Nucía obviously takes its name from the place in Alicante and can be easily recognized by its shape, as originally it was an egg basket with a piece of muslin for straining the curd.

It is a cheese that can be eaten at any time as it is creamy with a spongy texture and often served as an aperitif with honey or dried fruits. The texture is rather like a Burgos cheese even though it is made from pasteurized milk of either cow or goat or both.

Finally Queso de Servilleta whose name derives from a serviette as it has a knott shape on the top. It is between half a kilo and two kilos in weight and made from cow, goat or a mix of both milks.

It takes a maximum of two months curation period so is fresh in the mouth with a very compact sensation, although often there are small cavities inside and it is slightly yellowish. In the countryside people make it in a cloth, placed in a pan that has already had pimientos cooked in the oil leaving an excellent and peculiar flavour.

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FONTILLES, ALICANTE

by Dave Stewart

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Did you know that Leprosy is fought in Alicante Province?

January is the month dedicated to raising a worldwide awareness of the Biblical disease that is conquerable, but still prevalent in many countries. Fontilles is a leper sanctuary the idea of the Jesuit priest Father Carlos Ferris and his friend lawyer Joaquin Balleslter for the treatment of sufferers of this horrible disease.

The San Francisco Borja Sanatorium was built in 1909 located in a peaceful valley behind prosperous Benidorm with four Franciscan nuns of la Immaculate and 8 patients. Some people in Spain still suffer from this disease, which is much easily treated by modern medication. The high protecting wall was built in 1923. The sanctuary gradually became a small village with its own bakery, carpenter shop, ironmonger, printers and binders

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The sanatorium has about sixty residents and treats 150 outpatients. Each year January 29th is dedicated to the fight against leprosy.

However, the Fontilles Association fighting against leprosy throughout the world has several programmes in various countries that are currently active. For example, in Honduras in Central America, a programme is underway for the detection of the skin blemishes that mark the beginnings of this disease and if caught in time the disease can be stopped. Spanish experts are currently giving formation to provide specialists in their own countries in Managua and with people from Honduras and Nicaragua. Dozens of doctors from various Third World countries met in Fontilles to complete their formation in attending to lepers.

According to the World Health Organisation new cases become less and less each year, from 800,000 NEW cases in 2001 to 300,000 new cases in 2005. Over 285,000 people worldwide have benefited directly from the projects of Fontilles in 2006 alone.

Today leprosy is connected with the geography of hunger and poverty and Fontilles has initiated action to put education and integral development projects in countries such as India, Nepal and Haiti.

Contact: e-mail: fontilles@fontilles.org o el tel. 96 351 15 83 http://www.fontilles.org/peque/index4.htm In 2019 a new project will be started in a slum Dharvavi in Bombay to help some 2,500 children who live in circumstances of poverty where leprosy can develop easily.

Your donation can help tremendously.

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You can help though these ways:

Tarjeta de crédito El pago por tarjeta de crédito se realiza mediante el servidor seguro, en el próximo paso podrás introducir todos los datos de la tarjeta Domiciliación Entra aquí para dejar tus datos y tu orden de domiciliación en un servidor seguro

El pago por PayPal se realiza mediante el servidor seguro del propio PayPal También puedes hacer una transferencia a una de estas cuentas:

ES79 2100 2831 5202 0008 3136 La Caixa ES18 0049 1827 8023 1038 1637 Santander ES61 0182 5941 4300 1200 0013 BBVA ES42 0081 1052 2900 0100 1208 Sabadell ES24 2038 9933 1460 0054 5513 Bankia ES05 2095 5018 1710 6004 8013 Kutxa

Ventajas fiscales

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Domestic Violence is Unacceptable

by Pat Hynd

There has always been domestic violence, but nowadays it seems to become part of the daily norm and even acceptable.

Well, it is never acceptable.

We seem to hear new cases every day, whether it is some famous person being violent towards their partner, or a renowned actress being victim of sexual extortion in return for sex. This has developed into movements like the #MeToo one. Then we have the seemingly endless denouncements against priests sexually abusing the children under their care; when Christ said to let the children draw near it was with a higher spiritual intention.

But, in reality and numerically most often family members abuse children.

Domestic violence, or family violence, is violent, abusive or intimidating behaviour in a relationship. As we can see there are many types of domestic violence, including social, physical, sexual and emotional. If you’re being subjected to domestic violence, there are a number of organisations that can offer you help and support.

Unfortunately for various reasons, many British women in Spain are often left on their own and feeling lonely. This can lead to them undertaking relationships that are fundamentally dangerous to them.

Spain has dedicated a great deal of resources to control domestic violence and well trained Guardia Civil agents who will respond to any call for help from someone experiencing violence in a relationship. 016 is the general telephone number for calling for real help. The police will usually proceed with confidence and caution, in conjunction with the courts, other social and psychological resources. Social services and Cruz Roja can provide an emergency phone (Atenpro) that can be tracked: this can be obtained if a judge considers the person to be in real danger. aormi@icloud.com

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For violence to be ‘domestic’, it doesn’t have to occur within your home, only within a relationship (with family or an intimate partner). It occurs when someone close to you has power and control over you. This control or abuse can be expressed in different ways. Do not be put off denouncing an aggressor by being unable to speak Spanish, as interpreters are available to help. The system is free so do not be put off because you're short of funds.

If someone is hurting you physically, or is threatening to hurt you, a loved one even a child or a pet, then you will need to take action to keep you and them safe. If needed the aggressor can be ordered by a judge to keep away from the victim. In extreme circumstances there are homes where victims can be safe.

Alicante has 24-hour resources, whereas Torrevieja has safe home space available up to 22:00 hours.

Emotional abuse often goes unrecognised and can be very hurtful. Someone who is emotionally abusive towards you will chip away at your feelings of self-worth and independence, thus diminishing your self-being.

Social domestic violence also occurs when someone insults or humiliates you in front of other people, keeps you isolated from family and friends, or controls what you do and where you go. In many situations men will put down their partner in front of others, often as a joke, but words can hurt greatly.

Spiritual domestic violence involves preventing you from having your own opinions about religion, cultural beliefs and values. It may also involve manipulating your thoughts on spirituality in order to make you feel powerless. This situation can occur in sects, often with terrible consequences.

How likely is it that someone will hurt you? Sometimes it’s hard to work out the danger or risks yourself. If you’re unsure about your safety, it’s important to talk to someone.

Perhaps a friend or family member, or even social services and police. If you feel uncomfortable, you may have to move to somewhere safe, to other family members or good friends, or if need be under police and social services protection.

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Nº 059 January 2019 If someone close to you controls your finances, and keeps you financially dependent on them so that you always have to ask them for money, this is a form of domestic violence. Really engaged couples need some practical classes about living and sharing together before they make any commitment.

Making a decision to leave a situation where you feel unsafe may be hard and scary. If possible, talk to someone you trust, such as a friend, counsellor or youth worker. If you feel unsafe, talk to the police. They’re there to protect you. You can also call support lines to talk about the risks you face. Never be afraid of the situation you are in. You are the victim and not the aggressor. If someone is hurting you, or threatening to hurt you, it can be hard to maintain your self-confidence or feelings of self-worth. You might even want to blame yourself. Remember that it’s never okay for someone to hurt you or threaten to hurt you. The best thing you can do in this situation is to remove yourself.

Recognising that there’s a problem is the first step in getting help. The second is to know that you’re not alone. If you need to get out fast, you have a number of options. If you can, get in contact with a trusted family member or friend and ask if you can stay with them while you work out what to do next. Unfortunately in this part of Spain many do not have a nearby family network to call upon.

But there is always a way out. Do not feel trapped.

But we do have humanitarian associations that can often help, even if it is someone listening on the telephone HELP VEGA BAJA have a 24-hour telephone listening service (Connections Team – 965 021 552) with trained and experienced volunteers who can offer support and everything is totally confidential.

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accommodation while you sort out your next steps. There are also usually other services available in refuges, including legal advice, emotional support, practical help (such as food and clothing), and good security.

If you’ve been injured or sexually assaulted, contact emergency services, 112 or visit your nearest hospital e m e r g e n c y department. Hospital staff will be supportive and can contact police in most cases.

Some services include psychological support and treatment, accompany victims to the courts, and receive periodic telephone calls to ensure the victim is safe.

ATENPRO is a service of attention and protection to women victims of what is called violencia de género or gender violence. They offer an app for mobile and telecommunication that permits the user to get in immediate contact with a centre that can offer a quick response to a particular situation. This is a 24/365 response and location app and the Centre can periodically contact the users to assure them. It is also able to deal with people with hearing problems (Module SOTA) with a text system.

To be able to use this system you need to meet some requisites: - Be a female victim of domestic violence.

- Do not live with the aggressor.

- Participate in the specialised programmes of your ambit.

- Accept the norms of functioning of the service and cooperate in its functioning. aormi@icloud.com

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More information from your town hall Social Services department. Telephone - 900 22 22 92 Information to Local Entities .- atenpro@femp.es www.messi.gob/es/ssi/violenciaGenero/Recursos/ home.htm Telephones of special interest: Cruz Roja Española 900 22 22 92 Cruz Roja Alicante 96 525 4141 Concejalia de Igualidad en Alicante (Centre for Equality in Alicante) 96 510 50 86 Centre for women 24 Hours (Centro mujer 24 horas) – 900 580 888 Domestic violence 016 Office for victims of domestic violence – 96 593 57 14 Police National (UFAM) 091 Guardia Civil (EMUME) 062 Emergencies – 112 Fundacion ANAR 900 20 20 10 School Bullying (acoso escolar )24 hour - 900 0018 0018 HELP VEGA BAJA have a 24/365 Connections team at 965 021 552or email:support@helpvegabaja.com who will listen to your problems and where necessary offer practical support.

SAMARATINS IN SPAIN can also listen to what you have to say. Their telephone is only available during the day up to 22:00 – 900 525 100 or email: PAT@SAMARTINSINSPAIN.COM

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Turia Gardens in Valencia

by Pat Hynd

Turia Gardens is one of the largest urban parks in Spain, a green space of more than nine passable kilometers through the city with leisure and sports areas and romantic corners in which to get lost. From the Park of Cebecera to the City of Arts and Sciences, the Turia Gardens are an ideal route for runners, cyclists, families and nature lovers. Crowned by 18 bridges that are footprint s for centuries of history, the old river bed touches on both sides with some of the major museums and monuments.

So how did this all come about?

For centuries there have been occasions when the River Turia that ran through the center of Valencia overflowed and flooded large parts of the city. Someone had the bright idea of diverting the river and using the nine kilometers of old river bed as gardens.

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The waters were diverted by Pinedo and the city now has a huge green lung crossing from west to east and has become one of the busiest places for Valencians and visitors for leisure and recreation activities.

Several planners and landscape artists designed the different sections of the channel, reproducing the ancient river landscape and creating a unique journey populated by palms and orange trees, fountains and pine trees, aromatic plants and pools, sports courts and roses. The immense garden is also limited by the Cabacera Park and Bioparc in the west, and the cutting-edge designed City of Arts and Sciences on the opposite side.

We could say that the Turia Gardens connect the African savannah in the Bioparc faithfully recreated, with the underwater world and ecosystems that can be visited in the OceanogrĂ fic, or the spectacular opera auditorium, the Palau de les Arts, both in the City of Arts and Sciences.

In the long river course there are other interesting stops such as Gulliver, a huge park with slides where children, like Lilliputians as it were, climb and slide down the fingers, hair or legs of this giant figure of 70 meters .

Not far from him, is the Palau de la MĂşsica, with a full annual programme, and wide esplanades on the outside to skate or play soccer for young amateurs. in the park can be rented small boats Swan and ponds surrounding the City of Arts and Sciences, in the summer months there balls to walk on water and canoes. aormi@icloud.com

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By the way there are also bars and cafes with extensive terraces to regain spirits and strength.

The Turia Gardens are crowned by 18 bridges from different eras and architectural styles.

Notable historic bridges of San JosĂŠ (S. XVII), Serranos (XVI century), Trinity (XV century), Real (XVI century) and the Sea (XVI century); and the most recent: the Bridge of the Exhibition, the 9 d'Octubre, the Flower or the l'Assut d'Or; designed by Santiago Calatrava; the Arts, together with the IVAM, Norman Foster; or the Guardian Angel, Arturo Piera.

The old channel connecting historical and important points that are a must see in Valencia; like the Serranos gate of the old wall embracing a privileged viewpoint of Valencia and today's historic center and gardens; the Valencian Institute of Modern Art (IVAM) and the Museum of Fine Arts, all located on the banks of the old Turia, which can now serve as a guide f o r a n interesting cultural tour of the city of Valencia.

An invaluable investment utilizing some of the best real estate in a city providing a green lung.

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Jarilla cabeza de gato

Unfortunately today much of our wildlife is disappearing under the onslaught of man’s greed. Many animals and plants are on the border of extinction. One of these is a Mediterranean coastal plant jarilla cabeza de gato, which has yellow flowers that will be coming out abut March.

About 200 plants of this species have been planted in Cabo Cervera recently as part of a town hall plan to recuperate this type of plant and uproot ones that are alien and damaging Mediterranean species.

The jarilla cabeza de gato has been successfully introduced in other green areas of Torrevieja such as the Molina de Agua, or Los Balconies reina del sal park.

It is a dwarf bush with bright yellow flowers that will look lovely in a group such as these in Cabo Cervera. These 200 seedlings have been grown from seeds in a Murcia greenhouse, in a nursery specializing in protected plants.

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Stuka Experiment

by Dave Stewart

For those of you who have WW2 memories they may remember the whining scream of the Stuka as it dive-bombed over London and other towns shooting up streets and dropping 500lbs bombs.

More of you will record the famous painting of Guernica by Picasso after the German bombing of that small town. After that Franco ordered that the Germans should not bomb civilian targets. It didn’t seem to bother Hitler though as he made an order to try out a new Junkers aircraft allied with a new large bomb.

A great number of documents, photographs and testaments have been uncovered in the past few years, as governments have declassified their secret files. In the past Nazis have met their due rewards because of their fanaticism in documenting everything and backing words up with photographs. One Recuperation group of Benassal uncovered a file of 66 photographs taken by members of the Legion Condor sent by Hitler in support of the Nationalists who were based at the La Sénia Airfield.

These photos show how effective was the Junker 87ª when it was used to drop 500lbs bombs (double the payload previously) over the small villages of Ares, Benassal, Albocàsser y ViIlar de Cane in the area of Alt Maestrat in the Castellón Province.

This find has led to a new film that is due to be released this winter made by Suica Films and simply entitled “Experiment Stuka”. It will likely be available on RTVE television eventually as they have been involved in the filming project.

On 25th May, 1938, German Aircraft bombed the small area without any apparent reason. At 7.30 9 bombs were dropped that ended the lives of 15 people including the old and children. Over a few days 36 bombs killed 40 people in these small villages. aormi@icloud.com

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Nº 059 January 2019 “When they heard the aircraft everybody came out to see them.

Some people thought the first bombs were just hay bales.”

It is all recorded in t h i s n e w documentary film directed by Pepe Andreu who said that it had been a laborious three years work of research and film planning. Part of

the information came from a book by historian Antony Beever The cache of photos shows the towns before and after the bombing, during the bombing including from 3,00 metres height, and a team of soldiers in a truck visited the towns photographing and assessing the damage caused by their bombing.

Today, 75 years on, people are trying to recuperate the historical memory of what happened before, during and after the civil war, seeking some peace for dead relatives buried in mass graves. People are also aware of the incongruity of memorials honouring people and events that are particularly nauseating to survivors.

At the request of the German Embassy in Madrid, Madrid City Hall has removed an inscription in the city’s largest cemetery commemorating German aviators who supported coup leader General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. Almudena cemetery – one of the largest in Europe – has a mausoleum honouring the Condor Legion, made up of air force and army units, and remained in place. Seven pilots are buried there. The facade has now been removed, leaving only the names of the pilots on their graves.

This new documentary should not be confused with another made in the early part of the war. ”Stukas” is a 1941 Nazi propaganda film, directed by Karl Ritter and starring Carl Raddatz, which follows three squadrons of Luftwaffe dive-bomber (Stuka) flyers.

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Drink and Be Merry

Bodegas Jiménez-Landi is a family-owned property in the little-known DO of Méntrida, west of Madrid and 40 miles north of Toledo.

Part of the family estate since the 17th century, brothers José and Daniel began breathing new life into the vineyards at the start of this century, taking an organic at first and eventually biodynamic approach in the vineyards.

Vinification is tradition with wooden vats used for fermentation and a blend of old barrique and barrels for ageing. Only indigenous yeasts are used and the wines are not filtered. Today Daniel has moved on to a new project and José continues the dedicated work alone.

The Jiménez-Landi vineyards are planted on sand and clay soils at an altitude of 550 and 850 meters above sea level in the foothills of the Sierra de Gredos and the valleys of the Tiétar and Alberche rivers. The climate here is fairly extreme continental. The vines are tended biodynamically.

The grapes for El Corralón come from two separate parcels in La Dehesa and Pedromoro. The grenache is almost half a century old and the syrah and cabernet sauvignon are younger at just 15 years old.

This crianza is bright garnet in appearance, the bouquet is full of wild blackberry, blueberry and black cherry fruit with touches of mint, liquorice, sweet spice, violets and balsamic. The palate has terrific finesse with wonderfully ripe fruit nicely further enhanced by herbal, spice and floral nuances. The purity and elegance here is surprising and most reminiscent of good Burgundy. The oak-ageing adds fine, soft aormi@icloud.com

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Nº 059 January 2019 tannins and a lovely smoky, mineral quality.

With incredible balance and finesse, this is a triumph!

The wine was aged for seven months in oak barrels and French barriques, ranging in size from 500 to 3000 litres.

El Corralon 2017 is a little bit special! Made by José Jiménez-Landi, one of Spain's brightest young stars, from old vine garnacha , syrah and cabernet sauvignon, Corralon comes from the little known appellation of Méntrida, west of Madrid and just north of Toledo, José is putting this harsh, arid region on the map of wine lovers everywhere. And with wines like this, it deserves to be far better known. The bodega produces five distinct tintos - Sotorrondero takes its name from one of the areas of this land . Piélago is the name of the mountain that towers over these vineyards.

Autulfos is the name of the area and the most expensive of the wines.

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One of the popular sightseeing spots in Santa Pola is known as Skywalk as you can walk overhead and have wonderful views over the whole area, looking towards Guardamar and out to sea towards Tabarca Island.

Thanks to Paul for sending the photos.

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Reach Out to New Year

All the volunteer associations were full out in December with w side variety of fund raising schemes, from magnificent Galas to bag packing in supermarkets. The public have been very generous indeed this year and dance schools and other entertainers have rallied round with their own fund raising events. The food kitchen Alimentos Solidario had additional help from various sources including a chef from El Corte Ingles who made up a Christmas dinner suitable for every taste.

Reach Out is a local based charity that deals with the homeless and over Christmas area all the volunteers were extended raising foodstuff and toys for children. On 24th December they organised a dinner for 60 people which was a great success as everyone received a basket of food and thermal underwear.

The association saw an 20% increase in the number of people they attended to in 2018, which was 85% men and 15% women. They actually have Reach Out cards for 1111 associates and the year previously gave out 6,500 breakfasts and 6,300 dinners plus lots of clothing, sleeping bags and other items that homeless people require.

On 15th December a Christmas fundraising event attracted the local mayor who praised them for their disinterested work among the homeless. The event raised 726,85 euros which the mayor promised to double. aormi@icloud.com

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New Year Resolution from HELP VEGA BAJA

A new initiative from HelpVegaBaja is intended to save lives in an emergency.

Following the successful launching of a 24-hour confidential telephone service aimed at supporting and advising individuals HelpVegaBaja is offering a new idea to help people of all nationalities. Like many new ideas it is a very simple concept.

It is a single sheet leaflet with information boxes to be filled in by the person him/herself so is not affected by Data Protection laws.

The sheet folds into a small easily carried information first aid leaflet , folded rather like an information prescription sheet in packets of medicine. In this way it can be kept easily available in your purse, wallet or pocket where ambulance and other emergency staff can locate it in an emergency.

Front line emergency services will be advised to look for it in urgent situations. So ambulance crews or police will be able to have essential information such as contact or allergies as well as medical conditions, treatment and medication.

Therefore if a patient is unable to respond, relevant information is immediately available.

It is up to each individual how much information to fill in, but there are obviously essential pieces like name, address, contact details, but The more information the better.

It may never be necessary, but is a backup for emergencies and can save your life.

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There is also contact numbers for associations that can help in various situations. Especially helpful if someone has experienced a life threatening illness and looking for friendly support.

It will be available from many associations and medical outlets. The Help Vega Baja president, Michele Masson, has put a lot of thought an work into putting this project together and sponsor MiguelAngel Aroca has

commented that if it can save one life it is well worth the effort and expense.

It is a very small paper bullet that could save your life. So do fill It in and keep It in your purses, pocket or wallet.

Thanks to sponsors It costs nothing except a few moments of your time to fill in.

It could save your life.

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