07 september outlook ok

September 2014

torrevieja outlook

007 September 2014 Flying High - Costas Tourism -Santa Pola - Romans v Carthaginians - Life of Norman -- ABC Cookery - Pasteleria - First Photos —

Torrevieja Salt Lakes - fotos: @jennyormi

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" "Extinction" by 22-year old Flying Officer Ernest Davey of 404 RCAF Squadron who died a few days later in action.!

Almighty and all-present power,!

Short is the prayer I make to Thee;!

I do not ask in battle hour!

For any shield to cover me.!

The vast unalterable way,!

From which the stars do not depart,!

May not be turned aside to stay,!

The bullet flying to my heart,!

I ask no help to strike my foe;!

I seek no petty victory here,!

The enemy I hate, I know,!

To Thee is dear:!

But this I pray; be at my side!

When death is drawing through the sky:!

Almighty God who also died,!

Teach me the way that I should die.!

"

Extract from "A Separate Little War" by Andrew Bird

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" This year 2014 we remember those who were involved in the first World War an hundred years ago. !

Victims on all sides, from many nations, from all five continents . !

Victims who were soldiers, sailors, airmen, civilian men, women and children - military and non-military alike. !

Victims not only of a fearful death, but an enduring life of pain and loss.!

September is also a special month for remembering those who fought defending their various countries in the Battle of Britain. So many young men and women who lost lives and limbs and loves, defending liberty. !

This month we dedicated this edition of Torrevieja Outlook to those who fly the skies, in war and in peace.!

Lancaster escorted by two Spitfires Fly Over Windsor Castle! oil painting by Maurice Thacker, a homage to the RAF and also King and Country aormi@icloud.com

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" You have arrived at Alicante/Elche Airport so what do you know about where you are?!

Today it is a modern bustling airport with excellent terminal facilities and, if you are disabled, friendly assistance by staff who are proud that they have been awarded an international award for their service. Alicante serves a wide area of the Costa Blanca and outgoing flights with 111 international destinations. But it wasn’t always like that.!

An important innovation that affected modern Torrevieja was the building of a civil airport at Elche/Alicante and we can see more of this in the later mass tourism. In 1923 there was an area designed for seaplanes in Alicante. One year later an airfield was constructed in Alicante province near Elche. Up to this time the air was mostly used by the military or for recreation and teaching facilities. Because of the continual growth of air traffic the Spanish government set up a network of civilian airports in 1926 and the National Aeronautical Council in 1927. However this was overtaken by the needs of the !

"

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Civil War. At the outset of the war there were only three Valencian commercial aerodromes at Manises, Castellon and El Altet, but these were extended so that there were 27 aerodromes in the Valencian Region, the majority just flat fields with a rocky surface and limited facilities. The present Alicante international airport was originally the military Rabassa aerodrome. !

The military airport at Rabassa was the nearest airport to Alicante, but a new era was introduced when the French company Latecoére (now Air France) wanted to use Alicante as a staging post for the air mail route of Aeropostal starting in Toulouse, then to Alicante and on to Tangiers and other African countries that formed part of the French colonies of that time. Rabassa was too small so El Altet was constructed and this opened the route for tourism as well. Then on 4th May 1967 a Convair Metropolitan plane of Aviaco Company landed at the new El Altet (Alicante) airport.

Most of the pilots of the company were former pilots who had fought in the World War and were very experienced. !

Rabassa airport

The French writer and pilot, Antoine Saint-Exupery was one of these men who landed at the new airport and his works include “The Aviator” and “Night Flight” writing about his experiences in flying in a wide variety of countries.

Saint-Exupery was a well-known journalist during the Russian Revolution and later in the Spanish Civil War. Almost every year since that inauguration there has been a race by monoplanes covering the route Toulouse to Senegal in October. ! !

" aormi@icloud.com

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End of year financial results for 2009 showed that both El Altet and nearby San Javier were amongst the most profitable airports in Spain even with a drop during that crisis year of half a million passengers; other airports were posting losses in both passengers and income. The destination for 14% of the airport’s passengers in 2009 was Torrevieja according a survey made by the airport.!

This new El Altet airport was the beginning of a boom in tourism for the region and the changeover of personnel from Rabassa to Alicante was done smoothly in one day.

People could sit on a terrace under umbrellas drinking and watch the arrival and departure of their flights. The Rabassa 1,100 metres runway was originally hardpacked earth and the difference was notable with an asphalted runway of 2,700 metres. The constructor of the new airport was French and used huge machines that had never been seen in Spain until then. !

Benidorm led the way in this new industry of tourism under the leadership of Pedro Zaragoza Orts who took his ideas of “bottled sun� to Madrid to convince Franco that this was the way forward for prosperity in his area. !

He won his case despite tremendous opposition and told a Torrevieja delegation that Torrevieja must learn to sell its beaches and sunshine, as tourism was the future for the Alicante province. The Torrevejense mayor, Don Vicente Garcia, took on board this advice and soon work began in constructing housing for the tourist sector. From such a basic idea the Costa Blanca was born and soon regular flights were bringing tourists from all over a prosperous post-war Europe. !

Benidorm foto by Darren Lilley

Pedro Zaragoza Orts aormi@icloud.com

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"

The Spanish Tourist Board under M a n u e l F r a g a i n t ro d u c e d a mandatory “Menu del Dia” Tourist menu of three courses including a first course, a choice of fish or meat, a dessert, bread, and wine at a fixed price, offering visitors a cheap Mediterranean meal. The original price was no more than 80 pesetas until 1981. This gave way in the late 1990’s and the ‘meal of the day’ idea crept in offering only one dish.!

As tourism increased with a million passengers by 1970, the El Altet runway was lengthened to 3,000 metres and a second terminal opened in 1974 to cope with two million passengers in 1978 and the latest reforms in 1996. !

The recent alterations and traffic volume of the first decade of the 21st century means that Alicante airport is among the top six in Spain and built to deal with air traffic until at least 2020, employing 10,000 people. !

" Strictly speaking the airport is in the municipal area of Elche whose Local Police have a station in the terminal and it is serviced by Elche taxis: this was a point of dispute between Alicante and Elche for years. In 2013 the el Altet tag disappeared and renamed the AlicanteElche Airport.!

" "

"

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"

" It was during the early 1920s, that the Spanish navy acquired a large plot of land near Santiago de la Ribera, on the Mar Menor, between the Cartagena-Alicante road and the sea, in a place which combined superb weather conditions with a perfect location for seaplane activity. The focus was on training pilots for seaplanes. In 1927, the first designs were drawn up for the construction of the air-sea base and work commenced the following year. Hangars, classroom buildings, accommodations, a power plant, blocks and warehouses were built and wells were drilled to provide drinking water. !

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Tanks, a hangar at one end of the field to house a SCA-type dirigible, a hydrogen factory and a small port were also constructed.!

In 1929, the facilities at San Javier and Los Alcรกzares (an army-navy base established in May 1915 to the south of the town) was opened to traffic. At that time, flight activity at Los Alcรกzares focused on the retraining of pilots as seaplane crews. In 1920, during a course, the Basic Pilot School was established there, as was the Air Combat and Bombing School in 1921.!

In early 1932, essential work was completed to make the San Javier air base usable, following which the Aeronautics services, began to be transferred from Barcelona. It served as a Republican base in the civil war. In 1963, a report by the Commission of the Provincial Tourist Assembly outlined the need to request the Air Ministry to open the San Javier and Alcantarilla airbases to commercial traffic. The General Air Academy was willing to receive commercial traffic at the San Javier airbase whenever it did not coincide with other military flights. In addition, the commercial traffic required a number of facilities and services which the San Javier air station did not have and these had to be provided. Finally, on 20 July 1964, San Javier air station was officially opened to civil traffic.In the early 1990s, various building works were carried out to equip the airport with a passenger terminal building 3,500 square metres in area, enough to handle four flights simultaneously. In June 2004, the terminal was expanded to provide an additional 1,100 square metres in its arrivals area. In 2006 the departures area was enlarged to have more check-in desks and a renovated departures lounge, and the aircraft parking apron was equipped with capacity for 11 commercial aircraft and 10 general aviation aircraft. In 2011 the airport's second runway was opened, intended for military use, so that the existing runway can be used during the mornings for civil flight operations, except for specific restrictions. 2007 was a boom year for the number of passengers at San Javier as it dealt with 2,002,949 and last year the figure was 1,140,447.!

British Legion on a guided tour of the San Javier military base aormi@icloud.com

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From 1991 to 2001 the Spanish Mediterranean Costas had seen a 614% increase in the number of foreigners in the region. During this decade, and the first one of the new century, hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans and Europeans decided to make their home in the sun hoping to improve their lifestyles and that of their families. Much of this increase has been partly due to the influence of low cost charter airlines permitting people to travel more cheaply and more frequently to a destination where they could buy a holiday home. The small military airport at San Javier became the destination for many of these low budget airlines and the Murcia Region authorities decided to build a commercial airfield on the former military airfield nearer to Murcia City due to in operation in 2014. The Alicante airport had been extended in the early 1990’s, but the air traffic soon outgrew the landing services and plans were made to build a new terminal and another runway in the first decade of the 21st century, so that by the end of the first decade it could cope with a traffic flow of 20 million passengers. On 1st November 2008 the European Union brought into effect new regulations stating that all air companies must show the total figure of flight prices including taxes and supplements as this was abused by air companies, as passengers were attracted to a price offered only to discover that the final cost including “extras” would double the offered price. There is a long list of air companies that are banned from flying in European airspace for security reasons.!

Like Rabassa the airport at San Javier was principally for military use, and a few commercial flights, mostly for nearby Mar Menor, i.e. La Manga, by Barwell Travel, landed twice a week and has gradually expanded. It was nice to be able to walk directly off the plane to be greeted by friends sitting under the trees drinking a glass of vino and swatting mossies; that was before Customs was taken seriously. Anytime a VIP or star of film, television or sports arrived there was a great deal of publicity by the airport manager and gradually restrictions were loosened so that it has become a very busy airport.!

Another Murcia airport, Corvera International airport, is reportedly to open in the summer of 2015, located 2 kms outside the town of Corvera in the Region of Murcia.

There are still many if and buts, dependent on European regulations and financial backing. Many people still doubt whether both airports form a viable proposition for the Costa Calida or whether it is another case of ‘empire building’ by certain politicians.

A similar situation holds at Castellon where an airport is built but largely unused.!

"

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torrevieja outlook Occasionally you will be treated to the sight of the Spanish Eagles flying overhead, either on training or as part of a fiesta.!

The Patrulla Aguila display team is based at San Javier Air Base, near La Manga, in the Murcia region of Spain, which is home to the Spanish Air Force Academy fleet.

The team consists of seven CASA C-101EB Aviojets and support is by a CASA 212 Aviocar - in fact there are twelve planes but fly in a team of seven.!

In 1985 the team was formed and flew just five Aviojets. They made their debut performance at Jerez de la Frontera on June 14th of that year. Their first International appearance was at Koksijde airshow, Belgium on July 18th 1986, when they flew with six Aviojets. In 1988 the team started flying seven Aviojet aircraft which they still do today.!

From 10 to 12 October the team will be demonstrating their skills at the AIRE 75 air show in Madrid as part of the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Spanish Air Forces.!

"

" aormi@icloud.com

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"

The whole of the Spanish Mediterranean was initially known as the Costa del Sol and a wine company even advertised its product as “bottled sun”. The international IberoAmerican expositions that were held in 1929 in Barcelona and Seville, people travelled between both cities along what was known as the Costa del Sol. It was an hotelier of Malaga, Rodolfo Lussnigg of Hotel Simon de Almeria, who actually advertised his bit of the coastline in 1928 as the authentic Costa del Sol and gradually the other costas – Brava, Blanca, Azul, la Luz etc., became popular names for the present zones. !

An early w o r d I learned in Spanish was avaricio greed.!

S p a i n ’ s fascinating Costa del Sol attracted the jet-set of f a m o u s p e o p l e , including m a n y Hollywood stars who had large villas in Marbella.

Southern Spain took on a new attraction in the 1950’s with regular visits from Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Deborah Kerr, Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer to their own villas or those owned by famous people. Among them was Stewart Granger (who admitted that he had a big ego) and was persuaded to front a property sales company. As is common in Spain, purchasers paid up in three stages and in this case letters pertaining to be from Stewart Granger were sent out to buyers with photos of how the construction of their property was progressing. This came to a halt when people would visit and find barren land. !

It is an example of some of the scams generated by the surge of residential tourism and created a whole industry of corruption at all levels of Spanish society and still continues to the dismay of the public, as VIPs end up in jail. Whole councils were convicted for land sales and land grabs, including the high profile entrepreneur Jesus Gil who used Sean Connery's name (he owned a villa there), as an international spokesman in his campaign to be Mayor of Marbella, later denied by the Bond star.

Acknowledgement and punishment is not much recompense for victims who lost all their lives savings.!

"

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SANTA POLA - Legends and Fishing.!

" Santa Pola is a town that is within very easy reach of Torrevieja visitors, is close to Alicante airport and is well worth a visit as it has a long history, interesting museums, picturesque port area and some lovely beaches: from here it is only a short boat ride to the inhabited island of Tabarca. !

Between the 3rd and 4th millennium before Christ, primitive men lived in the caves of las AraĂąas de CarabassĂ­ where they had protection from the elements. They lived simply off the land and sea. Later they dealt with Greek sailors and actually built a housing area surrounded by a walk near the coast and they called it Alonai.

For some unknown reasons this was abandoned sometime between 430 and 75 BC. !

The Romans arrived and built Portus Illicitanus as the principal port of the busy industrial town of Elche and thrust the area forward in a great impulse in commerce and economy. From the archaeological remains found in Santa Pola we know that the Romans had many beautiful villas along the 15 kilometres of coastline, and even a salt/fish factory that produced garum, a well sought after fish paste luxury used as a condiment that was shipped back to Rome. So the port dates back to fourth century before Christ, although not actually in the present site, but it has borne aormi@icloud.com

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witness to many historical events since the time of the Roman Emperor Augustus, the forced departure of the Moriscos, the visit of King Alfonsus XII and his review of the navy which attracted thousands of people from other towns and led to many men signing up in the armed forces.!

The local Museo del Mar has a fine collection of artefacts from early times including a coin collection. There are mosaics on display that were found in the El Palmeral Roman villa that show some of the scenes of life in Iberian and Roman times. In fact there are six distinct areas in the museum - Prehistoric, Iberians, the Roman settlement of Portus Illicitanus, the fortification period of the coastline, the fishing industry and the salt industry.!

The sea has always played an important role in the commercial life of Elche and this seaside town was the port for merchants from all over the Mediterranean. As early as the 5th century it was well known for its large fishing fleet. Salt was extracted from the nearby saltpans and it is this, along with fish, which was used in the making of garum. So the two industries - salt and fishing went hand in hand. Today the salt company is one of the most important in Europe and the lakes are protected natural areas. Travellers along the N332 can see some of the thousands of flamingos that take

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a rest over here, especially in June and July. It is a bird reservation area with over 150 species and bird watchers can often be seen watching and photographing the manoeuvres of swallows, seagulls and many other types of birds. In Santa Pola, in front of the town hall, there is an aquarium that shows some of the wildlife encountered in the nearby waters. A Salt Museum has been built just off the N332 and can be reached off the bridge on the N322. Here the visitor can see some of the workings of salt extraction and further on the road going in the direction of Torrevieja the piles of salt can be seen pouring off the conveyor belt that links the salt pans with the storage zone. !

"

The castle in the town centre was constructed around the 15th century to protect the town’s inhabitants from pirate raids, as at that time the pirates used the presently named island of Tabarca as a base. There is a Saturday morning open-air market in the town centre. The Santa Pola watchtowers were constructed in 1552 as part of a coastal defence system for the whole of Spain. They are the “Torre del Tamarit” in “Las Salinas”, “Escaletes” in the mountains and “Atalayola”, the present lighthouse. Both Atalayola and Escaletes, that used to communicate with the other tower of Tamarit, whose remains can be seen in the salt lakes, but as you see from the photos has been rebuilt as a square redoubt. !

Santa Pola has a wonderful harbour area with fishing boats, the ferry to Tabarca and many yachts, so well worth visiting, and there are many magnificent beaches and dunes for those who like to sunbathe or swim in the azure blue waters of the Mediterranean. A modern yacht club and a sheltered bay invite the visitor to practice windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, swimming or diving. Another popular

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activity is flying kites and there are several competitions for this. Because of the fishing industry the town’s gastronomy is based on fish, molluscs and rice. There are many restaurants that offer typically local cuisine as well as international fare.!

"

Like other towns there are many fiestas in Santa Pola. A very old legend relates how the image of the Virgen de Loreto arrived in Santa Pola in 1643 and this is commemorated in December each year. !

On 28th December a man on horseback, represents the coastguard, and reenacts the discovery of a small boat that holds a small statue of the Virgen Mary and he rides to Elche to tell the people about this miraculous event. This becomes a pilgrimage as hundreds of people turn out for the event and follow the horseman into Elche. This is actually the first event of Elche’s annual medieval mystery play festival in August dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgen held as a national holiday on 15th August. !

"

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As a fishing town Santa Pola celebrates the feast of the sailors and fishermen’s’ patron saint, the Virgen del Carmen, on 16th July that includes a maritime procession of brightly bedecked ships inside the harbour area. !

Santa Pola celebrate the Virgen del Loreto fiestas that will be from the end of August to the 9th September. As elsewhere the majority of the immense influx of summer visitors has gone by September and the town returns to a certain degree of normality. This means having a fiesta. Our Lady of Loreto is associated with the defeat of the Turks by the Christian armies and navies so it is a double motive that she reigns over these annual fiestas of the Moors and Christians.!

During the first week of September the Moorish army disembarks on the beach of this fishing town and conquers it: and then the Christians reconquer the town around the castle fortress that dates back to 1558. It houses the Maritime Museum and the chapel of the Virgen del Loreto. The area known as the Patio of Arms is a popular promenade area for local people and has a special historical significance for them.!

Formerly there was another fortress, that of the Duke of Arcos that was demolished in 1872 but was rebuilt and is now used as a cultural centre that is sought after for wedding receptions.!

Extravagant costumes marks the parades with colourful painted facemasks and feathers on the part of the Moors, while the Christians march in procession with their guns and cannons. This is an event when everyone can dress up and parade in the various files that have their own special name and character. !

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T h e fi n e l y d r e s s e d ambassadors of both armies parley and eventually the Christian a r m y conquers.

Santa Pola offers one of the most m a g n i fi c e n t fi r e w o r k displays along the coast that light up the sky and it can be seen right across the nearby salt flats. !

Each evening there will be celebrations in the kabilas, cuartelillos and barracas that are the armies’ headquarters, set up in the streets and used as a social centre for live music, dancing and concerts. During the week other local people hold the parade of the Multicolor Comparsas y Carrozas that has been going on since 1880 with floats and costumed groups dancing and parading. In the parade ground of the castle will be the traditional serenade to the Virgen de Loreto and a marvellous flower offering. There is a Mountain Bike competition, basketball games, futbito, volleyball and other sporting activities for young and old, not forgetting the nightly feasting, music and dancing. On the night of the 8th, the actual feast day, there will be a tremendous firework display on the last night by the water’s edge. !

During these fiestas there are many other activities with sporting competitions, children’s games and competitions, and the fabulous floral procession as individuals and groups carry flowers in a procession of bright flowers to be laid at the feet of the image of the patroness of the town. !

"

There is another Moors & Christians celebration known as the Mig Any or “middle of the year” in the first or second week of the year. This is very limited, but does give a taste of the large September fiesta. !

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Santa Pola Beaches and Coves !

by Dave Stewart

Of course for most visitors to Santa Pola and other resorts the main attraction is the sea and beaches. There are 11 kilometres of sandy beaches, many of them flying the European Blue Flag. !

EL PINET beach is 3,590 metres long, which is 
 next to the Saltpan Nature Reserve, which is an unspoilt beach accessible only by foot.!

LA GOLA beach 
 is another long beach (1,710 metes) with access by foot from either the Tamarit or aormi@icloud.com

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Pinet beaches. There is a kitesurfing area marked out. An interesting historical note is that this beach was one of those used for landing contraband after the Spanish Civil War (1036/39) when everyone was on rations for years.!

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TAMARIT beach is a Blue Flag one with a length of 830 metres. At the western end there was a salt quay built in 1897 with rails along which animal drawn wagons laden with salt were pulled and unloaded onto barges and loaded again on to the waiting ships. ! !

As said elsewhere the town has had a large construction programme since the 1960’s and the PLAYA LISA beach was the attraction then and today. There windsurf school and pedalos available on this 600 metre beach.

"

GRAN PLAYA beach is one of the most popular ones with a length of 1.060 metres. It too has a windsurfing area and a “chiringuito” which will disappear if the government has its way as it is preparing a law to take away all of these attractive kiosks from the sands of Spain. !

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Another Blue Flag beach is the LEVANTE which is rather short, only 460 metres, but popular nevertheless as it has many attractions including pedalos and easily accessible, with access point for the disabled. This beach is associated with the arrival of football to the Valencian region. In 1900 the Royal navy ship “Theseus” aormi@icloud.com

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was anchored in the bay for astronomical teams to observe the solar eclipse. The crew played football on the beach, a sport that took off and eclipsed the solar one. !

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VARADERO beach is another Blue Flag one with a length of 475 metres. Its name comes from the “Varadero” (ships’ dry dock) that is nearby. !

" Apart from the beaches there are several sandy coves along Santa Pola’s coastline.! "

SANTIAGO BERNABEU COVES take their name from the chairman of Real Madrid who enjoyed his holidays here for many years. The sand here is actually dumped by the Council as it is a naturally rocky zone. The length of the beach is 920 metres and there is an area for boats and pedalos. !

"

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The people of the 1963 housing urbanisation enjoy the short 380metre beach known as the SANTA POLA DEL ESTE COVES

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EL CABO COVES DE L’ALJUB COVES lie in a protected area with the 144 metres high Cap a unique example of a coral ref. d a t i n g f ro m t h e Miocene era. The length of the beach is 8 3 0 m e t re s . T h e Bancal de la Areba is a recreational area of that name.!

" Next to it is the Cuartel Coves and finally the!

Ermita beach that is the limit of the municipal area. ! !

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Romans versus Carthaginians

Dave Stewart

!

" " Barcelona and Cartagena have several things in common, one being that they were both original Carthaginian cities.

Barcelona was an Iberian town, but Hannibal’s father refounded it, the city taking its name from him Hamilcar Barca.!

Cartagena is an ancient Murcian city

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that has much to offer the tourists with its Roman remains and a long and deeply interesting history. The city is strategically placed with a deep bay protected by promontories making a stronghold since the time of the Carthaginians under Asdrúbal who gave it its name as Quart Haddast Nuevo Cartagena – the original Carthage being in North Africa. It was from here that Hannibal and his famous elephants set out to attack Rome during the Punic Wars.!

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" " The Romans captured Cartagena and there are many signs of their occupation, including part of the original city walls and the ruined Castillo de la ConcepciĂłn. In recent years more archaeological discoveries from various epochs have been unearthed.!

This rich cultural background was offered to the tourist in a Plan de Dinamizacion that was ongoing until November 2001. Because of this initiative forgotten treasures have been dusted off for public viewing and more reconstruction work done on old remains, including the Punic Wall that was discovered in 1989 with its origins dating back to 227 B.C., a strong, silent witness of the original Carthaginians. Alongside this is a symbol of how succeeding generations and civilisations build on what has gone before. In this case a Benedictine cemetery of the 17th century. This has led to the development of the tourist sector of Cartagena as the gateway to two civilisations.!

" "

Museums!

"

Museums are excellent ways to discover a city and Cartagena has a really interesting Nautical Underwater Archaeological Museum. Cartagena has centuries’ long aormi@icloud.com

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maritime tradition dating back to Phoenicians, Romans and is still the largest bay for the Spanish Fleet as well as a ship building industry. Among the boats built here is the Delfin submarine that is now part of Torrevieja’s Sea and Salt Museum. Another attraction is the Roman Theatre connected to a Museum by an underground passage.

This is fascinating, as the original amphitheater gave way to various other building works first as a market, then built over to remain hidden for a very long time until the area was redeveloped in the early 1990’s and the theatre was discovered. The cathedral was partially built over the old theatre. ! !

" !

Historic Battles!

"

During the last two weeks of September the battles between Scipio’s Rome and Carthage are re-enacted each year in a festival where a Roman encampment is built with typical Roman market, taverns and many other Roman institutions. This camp is located next to the football stadium. Hundreds of the townspeople take sides dressing up as Roman legionnaires or Carthaginian troops with parades and mock battles as when the Roman, Publio Corneilo Escipion, conquered the city in 209AD. The Romans land on the waterfront in the early afternoon and battle commences beneath the city walls at the Cuesta del Batel. At midnight the Romans are proclaimed as victorius and the following day parade in style from Calle Esparta to the encampment. !

A truce is made which binds both nations through marriage and the fiestas include a theatrical display of the marriage between royal Roman blood and a Carthaginian princess Anibal and Hilice, bringing a time of peace to the city. As well as the daily parades of soldiers the visitor is treated to a spectacle in the Roman Circus.!

Cartagena tourist office 968 506 483 or email: infoturismo@aytocartagena.es or see webpage www.cartagena.es!

" aormi@icloud.com

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Other fiestas!

" During February Cartagena is in Carnival with a tremendous imagination being used in the c o s t u m e s , parades and floats. !

Cartagena is also renowned for its sumptuous Semana Santa processions with a good-natured rivalry between the «californios» and the «marrajos». The former are descendents of people who came from California and the latter because this type of fish was sold to pay for the processions. The beautifully embroidered gowns on the some of the statues are examples of the needle as an art form. Some of the magnificent thrones, lit up by elaborate lanterns and garnished by lovely flowers, are carried on the shoulders of the men are works of art designed by Salzillo or Benlliure. Wednesday is one of the most important nights when the californios carry twelve thrones under the theme of Pilate washing his hands. Friday is the main evening procession for the «marrajos» with El Encuentro, the meeting of the tortured Jesus and his grieving mother, Mary.

These Semana Santa fiestas attract thousands of spectators.!

"

Throughout the year there are many musical events organised. During the first week of July the Festival of Mediterranean Music is held. Later in July an international cast presents the La Mar de Músicas and the International Jazz Festival. Habaneras music concerts are held in August, usually taking place at the lovely Cabo de Palos, whose lighthouse could tell many stories of sunken ships. !

"" " aormi@icloud.com

"

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Bookshelf

by

Andy Ormiston

The Life of Norman

One of the most emotional moments in my life was driving a pilot's widow to the Royal Air Force Memorial at Runnymede, which had the name of her husband engraved on it. I almost wept reading those thousands of names of young men, much younger than I, so many just out of their teens, who had died, defending their families and country. The widow had never remarried, although she could have done so, instead immersing herself in bringing up her daughter, which she did with great personal sacrifices. Her husband had never seen his little girl as he was killed in action. Many of these men came from other countries South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, both South and North Rhodesia, the Caribbean, India, America, and so many from countries that were already under the Nazi yoke France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Holland, Poland and Norway. The first Royal Air Force casualty list of the war was released on January 31, 1940. It listed 758 RAF aormi@icloud.com

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personnel killed and 210 aircraft lost. A total of 69,605 members of the Royal Air Force lost their lives in World War II. In Bomber Command alone, 55,888 servicemen and women died. Runnymede is a fitting site as it was here that the Magna Carta was signed on 15 June, 1215, forming the basis of modern democratic constitutions.!

Another widow, Yolanda, I knew had been married to a Polish pilot and she herself was aware of the day to day death toll, as she was a plotter in an RAF operations room, moving the small icons while the real planes roamed over the air, removing one as it failed to respond or return to base. For a time I lived in Northolt where Polish and Canadians flew from, and I used the pub that was their haunt: the pub changed its name to The Target as everyone reckoned the Germans were trying to bomb it to kill as many pilots as possible; there is a war memorial close by.!

I was reminded of all this when I received news of the death of another friend, a Battle of Britain pilot who was present at several important turning points in 20th century history. I met Norman Henry Jackson Smith when I moved to London in 1960. I was 21 and had finished my training as an engineer, specializing in toolmaking, but I always wanted to be a cook so in London a new phase in my career started, a turning point in my life. Norman Henry Jackson Smith had lived in the Wirral and I knew a girl from there and it turned out that he knew her family. One of many interconnecting lines of life. !

This book review is about three books on pilots and crewmen, "Coastal Dawn", "A Separate Little War" (both by Andrew W. Bird) and the third "Warburton's War" by Tony Spooner. The reason being that Norman features in all three books and he provides a good example of so many Battle of Britain airmen.!

aormi@icloud.com

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We always seem to recall the Battle of Britain as those pilots who flew up to the blue yonder to fight singlehandedly in Spitfires or Mosquitoes. Coastal Dawn brings out the battle fought by the slower three-crewed Blenheims formed into the Coastal Command who flew over the Dunkirk beaches trying to beat off screaming German Stukas strafing the beaches and sinking the overladen boats mustered for the evacuation. The Royal Air Force has often been vilified as not doing enough for the desperate soldiers of Dunkirk, but these pilots were on the go flying several sorties during those crucial days, with many losses of their own. On one of these sorties Norman hovered around a sunken vessel with dozens of men still clinging to the wreckage. He kept the Germans at bay, while he radioed for assistance and soon the men were picked up and taken to England. A few weeks later a very large bottle of brandy was delivered to the base, compliments of the French ambassador, in recognition of Norman's bravery in saving these Frenchmen who had noted the recognition code of the circling aircraft. I remember him telling me how frustrated they were when on reconnaissance with just cameras and unable to help those on the beaches, but the films and photos taken were an integral part of the Dunkirk operation and saved thousands of lives. The British pilots were inexperienced in war tactics, facing battle wise Luftwaffe who had fought in the Spanish Civil War.!

Pilot Officer Norman Henry Jackson Smith was only nineteen when he received his RAF wings, having earlier learned to fly privately from a small aerodrome near Liverpool at his own cost, after being an air cadet at his former school Mount St. Mary's; his two sisters attended the ceremony. He was one of the first pilots to join the Coastal Command 235 Squadron at Marston and one of the longest surviving members of it. They were all young men, aware of their youth they had a tendency to grow mustaches to make themselves appear older. Other new squadrons designed to protect Britain's coastline were 236 and 254 Stradishall in Suffolk, 248 at Hendon. His nephew told me that Norman flew 235 missions overall, including helicopters in the Malaysian post-war uprisings, and in reading these three books some pilots flew even more missions. Norman told me once that a hairy mission in Malaysia was extracting a wounded soldier out of a jungle clearing knowing the rebels were waiting to shoot down his helicopter. !

Author Andy Bird has painstakingly brought together daily accounts of these young men, thoroughly researched, quoting survivors' own statements, squadron book logs, RAF sources and often draws together air battle descriptions with statements from both the British and German pilots involved or ships' survivors and observers. The books also recount disastrous encounters through friendly fire as sometimes there was a lack of communication between squadrons on the same mission or using the same air space, with inexperienced pilots not recognizing the shapes of aircraft around them. He makes special mention of the information supplied by Norman, who spent many days with him filling in gaps of information, while he was writing these books. He describes Norman as an experienced pilot, having flown from the first days of the war, flying with Blenheims. Everyone on the base respected him, for when leading a formation the crews knew Jackson-Smith was courageous, but not foolhardy. In 1944, at Banff, Jackson Smith was promoted from aormi@icloud.com

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torrevieja outlook Squadron Leader to Wing Commander and already had a DFC, but was later awarded a bar to go with it.!

Norman was present at a number of turning points in twentieth century history, Dunkirk, Monte Casino, witnessed concentration camp inmates, briefly present with other officers at the Geneva convention, the Suez Crisis in 1956, and the launch of the hydrogen bomb in the Pacific and at the atomic research station Top- Pilot Officer Norman Henry Jackson

Smith foto - The Aviator - National Portrait Gallery!

" Ace pilot - Adrian Warburton! "

at Woomera. Norman is one of two people I know, strangely both Jesuits, who have witnessed the effects of nuclear bombs. He ended his Air Force career as a Wing Commander with a DFC-and-bar. !

His name is on the Battle of Britain monument as Pilot Officer NHJ Smith, on the Embankment, London, near the Houses of Parliament, opened in 2005, and also on the BOB monument at Cap de Gris Nez, near Folkestone, opened in 2005. The Digital Photograph in the National Portrait Gallery was taken in July 1941, the day he received the DFC from King George VI. It is used as an example of an aviator, and can be accessed by typing Jackson Smith in the search engine on the National Portrait Gallery website. www.npg.org.uk/. In the film"A Matter of Life and Death", starring David Niven (1946), Norman flew the plane in the opening minutes. This film often appears in the Top 50 films of all time: a short sequence, in which Peter Carter asks June her name, was used in the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics, in the "Frankie and June" musical number.!

Adrian

"

These books detail the actions and daily minutiae of the life of pilots and crewmen defending the shores of Britain and taking the battle to the enemy by attacking shipping that was crucial to the German war supplies, especially from neutral Sweden. A Separate Little War provides an almost blow by blow aormi@icloud.com

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account of Coastal Command in the Banff wilds and dreadful weather, full of human snippets of new weddings, broken marriages, deaths, grieving families and all the little things that are important in our lives. The Adrian Warburton story is also fascinating as it tells of the life of ace pilot Adrian Warburton who died in action over Germany in 1944 and whose body was not uncovered until 2002, still inside the cockpit of his plane that had embedded itself in a field. The book of his life had been published and n later editions there is a section on the recovery of his remains. He was a friend of Norman and had shared part of their wartime experiences together.!

After the war Norman remained in the RAF until taking voluntary retirement in 1958. He was unsure of what he wanted to do, but helped the former Group Captain Cheshire found one of his famous homes in the Lebanon, one of many flying aces he knew. He sold farm foodstuffs for a large company, but found that boring. He did a spell helping the sick people at Lourdes where he befriended a nun whom he confided in and she pointed him in the direction of leading a religious life. So it was that in September 1960 he joined the Society of Jesus as a novice brother, or temporal coadjutor, not a priest as quoted elsewhere. It was a choice probably influenced by his earlier schooling at the Jesuit prep school - Mount St. Mary's. He served as a Jesuit Brother mostly in administrative positions, including being the Georgetown bishop's secretary when he flew a small plane in Guyana ferrying priests, the sick and supplies up the River Rupinunini to remote mission stations. He died on 1st February this year at a Jesuit retirement home in Boscombe, a couple of months before 95 years of a busy life and 54 years in the order. !

Norman is a good example of a debt that people like myself owe to these men and women in these three books, who lived, loved, fought and survived (yet so many wounded or dead), so that I and my peers have been able to lead a fairly peaceful life, for which I am eternally graceful.!

"

"

Coastal Command Bristol Blenheims

" aormi@icloud.com

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Bottle of Britain - Beer at its Best by Dave Stewart

" Timothy Taylor's Boltmaker real ale beer of Keighley was crowned the best beer of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival in London this year. I can't help wondering if the present type of immigration will alter the British sense of humor that is portrayed in these Spitfire Beer adverts of the Shepherd Neame Brewery. !

Not only funny ads, but video clips, and even a book with a collection of the adverts.

London Transport would not use the ads in case they upset anyone! This Kent company made these tongue in cheek ads, partly because so many RAF pilots in the war were stationed in Kent, but also drank the brewers beer. !

So this is a liquid memorial to those young aces who lived each day as it came so we could enjoy our lifestyle and, I am sure, would just love the ads.!

" aormi@icloud.com

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aormi@icloud.com

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September 2014

" " " of Spanish Cooking by !

Pat Hynd!

" A couple of months ago we were discussing how restaurant eating habits have altered as chefs try to make it a more sensory experience.

One Ibiza restaurant employs a staff of thirty catering for a meal shared by only twelve diners at a time, each person coughing up €1,650. Well, let's hope that they are not actually coughing, because it is not merely an eating experience of top quality dishes by one of the world's top chefs, Paco Roncero. !

"

Sublimotion is the name of the elite restaurant and also the name of the game as the diners are surrounded by a 360 degree screen whose picture alters as each course is Paco Roncero and his gastrobar inMadrid ‘Estado Puro’ served. In this way the diner experiences being at the bottom of the ocean, or among the fields of Toledo, or even in Central Park depending on what is being served thus providing an experience that includes all the sublime senses as well an impression of motion. ! ! !

Paco wants to turn Sublimotion into a franchise and export it, as he has done with another of his successful gastrobar Estado Puro, in Madrid and now in Shaghai. This an avant garde presentation of Spanish tapas in a carefully designed restaurant that shouts SPAIN, as the ceiling seems to be covered with hundreds of Spanish hair combs known as barrettes, associated with flamenco dancers. !

" "

aormi@icloud.com

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" " " But I digress.. so back to our ABC and the b's.! " Brochetas are basically marinated pieces meat (or fish) and vegetables on skewers then grilled.!

Brochetas can also be of fruit and used to dip in melted chocolate in a fondue (you can try this in Valor’s cafeteria in Torrevieja centre).!

Brotola de Roca is baked fish with lemons, tomatoes and onions.!

"

Buñuelos are types of sweet or savoury fritters with filling; supermarkets sell a commercialised powder batter mix for those who do not want to make their own mix: these fritters are often available in the deep freeze department of supermarkets. During the Fallas of Valencia at March, Buñuelos of pumpkin (calabacin) are the most popular snack from umpteen mobile vans and kiosks.!

Buñuelos de Alboricoque are sweet apricot and spice fritters.!

Buñuelos de Bacalao are crispy salt cod fritters.!

Buñuelos de Viento are lovely light doughnuts filled with jam and cream.!

Butifarri is famous in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, being large pork sausages flavoured with pine nuts and spices.!

Butifarra con Rovellons is a butifarra baked with red pine mushrooms, oil and garlic.!

Butifarrones, coming from the same regions, are smaller versions, either white or dark - similar to black pudding.!

Brandy de Jerez. It is likely that it was the Greeks and Phoenicians who introduced wine into the Jerez region. In the XIII century the Arabs began distilling the local wine and in 1610 coñac for alcohol used in medicines and perfumes. It became brandy in Spanish. Jerez Brandy is guarded in oak barrels and there are three types - solera, solera reserva and solera gran reserva. The alcohol graduation is between 36º and 45º. It can be a mixed drink with tonic, orange juice. It is widely used in many dishes, savoury as well as desserts, because of its aroma. ! aormi@icloud.com

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" "

Caballas a la Parilla is grilled mackerel with parsley, garlic and lemon sauce.!

Cachelada is a potato and sausage stew from Leon.!

Chacheles a potato and cabbage dish cooked with ham and chorizo.!

Caqui is at the rather old fashioned English persimmon; a fruit that rather looks like a tomato, mind you it is classified as a berry. It comes from China but grows well in the northern area of the Valencian region: it came to Spain in 1870. It was known to the ancient Greeks as "the fruit of the gods". It is picked when it is a yellowy-orange colour, but eaten when bright red, if not quite ripe it can cause indigestion. The fruit comprises thick pulpy jelly encased in a waxy thin skinned shell. Compared to apples, persimmons have higher levels of dietary fibre, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and manganese, but lower levels of copper and zinc. They also contain vitamin C and provitamin A beta-carotene. The ripe fruit has a high glucose content, so diabetics beware.!

Cadera de Toro is unlikely to be meat from a bull, but braised beef and garlic, often with a chocolate flavoured sauce, the result of the influence of Mexico.!

Calabacine - courgette and with the e is pumpkin.!

"

Calabacin Estofado - STUFFED COURGETTES! This simple tapa, with its lamb and mint, is reminiscent of the Moors who introduced many wonderful dishes to Spain. !

6 small courgettes!

Half medium onion, finely chopped!

1 Tablebspoon olive oil!

225 grams minced lamb!

3 rashers of finely chopped lean bacon!

Salt and black pepper!

1 teaspoon tomato purĂŠe!

1/2 teaspoon sugar!

1 Tablespoon water!

1 peeled and chopped tomato!

1/2 small pot of plain natural yoghurt !

12 chopped mint leaves! aormi@icloud.com

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torrevieja outlook 30 grams of grated Parmesan cheese!

"

Trim off the ends of the courgettes. Put the courgettes in boiling salted water for five minutes. Cut in half lengthwise and using a teaspoon scoop out the seeds leaving a hollow cavity in the centre. !

Gently cook the onion in the oil until soft, adding the lamb, bacon, salt and pepper. Continue stirring and after a few minutes add the tomato, yoghurt, mint. Cook for about 15 minutes. Spoon this mixture into the courgette halves.!

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and black pepper and bake in a hot oven (200ยบC) until the cheese melts. Sprinkle with mint. !

"

Calabacines Rellenos are stuffed courgettes with a tomato, onion and cheese sauce.!

Calabacines y Tomates is another Catalunya recipe of sliced courgettes cooked in oil with tomatoes.!

"

Calamares or Squid!

Fried squid is a common dish in Mediterranean cuisine, usually a la Romana. It consists of batter-coated, deep fried squid, fried for less than two minutes to prevent toughness. It is served plain, with salt and lemon on the side.

The body (mantle) can be stuffed whole, cut into flat pieces or sliced into rings. The arms, tentacles and ink are edible; the only parts of the squid that are not eaten are its beak and gladius (pen).!

Calamares en su Tinta comes from the Basque country being squid cooked in their own ink with onions, tomatoes, garlic and brandy.!

Calamares Fritos are very common on the Costa Blanca being small crisply-fried squid. Calamares Rellenos is stuffed squid full of ham and onion.!

"

" " " " " "

aormi@icloud.com

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Monge Pasteleria

" !

In 1910 the population of Torrevieja numbered 9,000. One of the success stories of that particular year was the founding of the family bakery business of Monje, which operated in the family home in the town centre. This family-run business provided a wide range of confectionery goods, bread and a special almond-based "Torrevieja Tart� that is a real temptation and makes a nice souvenir to take home. The business prospered and a century later in 2010 had two shops in Torrevieja and another in Guardamar, as well as providing cakes for restaurants and other companies. !

A visit to any pastry shop in Spain is full of temptations, at least if you are like me and have a sweet tooth and enjoy e a t i n g . M a n y fi n e restaurants are disappointing when it comes to the dessert only offering ice cream or flan and there is no need as the nearest pasteleria has many lovely cakes. In addition all year round there are various desserts tied into a particular fiesta such as roscon at the Three Kings in January, the mona after Easter, buĂąuelos in March Fallas, coca in June San Juan fiestas, turron at Christmas which Monge produces their own brand. Monge also cater for communions, weddings etc. !

" "

aormi@icloud.com

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Darblade and His Camera

" " " "

by Andy Ormiston

Frequently Darblade’s photographs have! been mentioned, so it is about time we had a! look at this Frenchman who left such a rich! heritage for the people of Torrevieja. !

"

One of the greatest inventions in the last 150 years has been the possibility of freezing images and recording events for posterity in the form of photographs, as this has led scientists on to the entirely different communication systems of the 20th century with instant colour photography, moving pictures, television, computers, mobile phones with! visual communication and the latest technology of internet with all its wide applications.!

The arrival of pioneer photography in the Alicante area is a story of a trek from France! and the birth of a dynasty in Torrevieja that has left the town with a wonderfully unique! heritage of local life in Torrevieja and the lives, loves, aormi@icloud.com

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Tartana carriages waiting for passengers and goods at the railway station sorrows, and the daily grind of work of what was formerly a small fishing town with its sole industry gleaned from the salt lakes. The camera has captured for us some 140 years later, images of the type of baggy clothing favoured by those who physically grafted in the salt workings, as they carried heaps of salt crystals, which could cut unprotected hands.!

"

Darblade photographs remain telling us of the perilous life of the fishermen, before a safe harbour was built in the town and when there were many shipwrecks. Through the

eye of the camera we can see the arrival of the train, bringing many visitors (including royalty) to the town, which was gaining a aormi@icloud.com

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Salt being loaded from quay onto small boats then rowed out to ships in the bay. reputation as a resort. Buildings, long ago disappeared, are recorded, the first motorcar and petrol station, plus many other developments in Torrevieja are portrayed and we can gauge how life was ‘in the old days’.!

"

Albert Darblade was a young Frenchman who early on learned how to take and develop good quality photographs. He had loaned a fairly substantial amount of money to someone who had disappeared. Enquiries showed that the person had moved to Murcia, so the young man and his wife and son, moved by carriage with all their belongings southward, but the child became ill, possibly from unpasteurized milk and the family were stranded in a small fishing village called Torrevieja. !

Local people rallied around and the family often found baskets of food, fruit and vegetables at their doorstep. So the father decided to stay for a while in a place where the people where so friendly and he began taking photographs of paces and people. His fame for taking portraits spread and soon people, mostly rich, came from Orihuela, Murcia and other towns to have themselves photographed for posterity.!

The Darblades were able to make good use of sunlight in their studio and this is best seen! aormi@icloud.com

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torrevieja outlook in many of the excellent portraits, which are themselves works of art. As the years passed so the family prospered; young Albert recovered and married a local girl. He became the second generation of this famous family and expanded the photographic company, building on the expertise of his father, always keeping up to date with the latest developments in the young, but growing, industry of photography.

New smaller! cameras were introduced, emulsified rolls, celluloid films, electric lighting, magnesium! flash and many other innovations. The second Darblade generation gave way to a third, also Albert Darblade, who, in turn, continued the business until he reached the age of 70 in!

July 1963. The Darblade family moved to Alicante at this time. Photo - the last of the Darblades in Torrevieja. !

The third generation of Albert Darblade in front of the Torrevieja Casino

"

Antonio Conesa Morales, with studio in calle Darblade, has inherited the large collection of Darblade photographs and by skillful and patient care has been able to reproduce many photographs from the original glass plates, which are carefully stored as archive material. He has held exhibitions of some of these photographs and hopefully there will be many more, as through Darblade’s camera we can see the life, the customs, the culture, the tragedies and, of course, the fiestas of the citizens of Torrevieja.! aormi@icloud.com

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Robotic!

Art! Photographer

In the basement of Madrid's Reina Sofia museum, there is a giant robot that slowly snapped hundreds of microscopic shots of a painting. The robot has been nicknamed "Pablito" since the first work it was used to photograph was the modern art museum's top draw -- Pablo Picasso's immense canvas "Guernica", dedicated to the carnage of the Spanish Civil War and all wars.! !

The pictures taken by the robot enable restorers to see paintings in unprecedented detail and are obtained using infrared and ultraviolet photography, helping experts determine the condition of paintings, including the 1974 oil on canvas painting called "Women, Bird in the Night" by Catalan surrealist artist Joan Miro and dedicated to Pablo Picasso. The machine permits restorers to see not only cracks, scratches and creases, but often the underlying preparatory sketches and any subsequent touch-ups that would be otherwise undetectable by the naked eye.! !

The machine is nine metres (30 feet) long and 3.5 metres high and weighs about 1.2 tonnes when it is assembled at its full size. It took 22,000 pictures of Picasso's black-andwhite masterpiece, whose images are being analyzed by the restoration department at the museum. So far the robot photographer has been used on many other works, particularly

by Miro, for an exhibition of works by the Catalan artist which travelled to the United States earlier this year.! !

Like the MARQ museum the Reina Sofia Museum is housed in a former hospital.

The museum, housed in a re-modelled 18th century hospital which is home to works by Salvador Dali and Francis Bacon, teamed up with Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica to develop the machine, which cost around â‚Ź150,000 ($195,000).! !

The robot can work unsupervised round-the-clock and can be controlled by a computer from a remote location ensuring that no paintings are actually touched, although it is normally used in laboratory conditions where paintings are taken to be examined. The !

"Guernica" is a delicate painting and the robot was assembled in situ. Museum art experts say the information the robot provides about a painting makes the job of restoring works of art easier and more precise.!

"

aormi@icloud.com

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Culture Comes Alive by Dave Stewart One of the summer attractions in various parts of Spain that have links with Romans and other distant cultures is a resurgence in providing plays and music that can connect us to the past.

MARQ Museum has been holding a series of theatrical plays and there is still another two presentations in September 6th and 13th at 19:00 that recount the tale connected with the famous Roman sea baths known as the Baños de la Reina. Obviously in Spainsh but the theatrical gestures speak for themselves.

"

Torrevieja September Cultural Events

" " "

6th - 20:00 h. Municipal Theatre FLAMENCO FUSIÓN EXPLOSIÓN with Jay Marwick.!

7th - 19:30 h. Municipal Theatre FESTIVAL FOLCLÓRICO of Asturia !

13/14 MOWO Congress and exhibition of Mobile devices photogaphy and Instagram!

13th La Mata fiestas with Cycle ride 19:00 from Plaza Encarnación Puchol La Mata!

14th – LaMata fiestas 12:00 paella competition Pza. Encarnación Puchol La Mata!

27th – Municipal Theatre 20:30 h. CONCIERTO EXTRAORDINARIO Musical Torrevejense.!

27th La Mata 22:00 Verbena Popular Pza. Encarnación Puchol!

28th – Municipal Theatre 19:00 h. V GALA “TORREVIEJA Y SUS ARTISTAS” !

29th – La Mata Fiestas Virgen del Rosario!

30th – La Mata Fiestas Virgen del Rosario!

October !

1st - La Mata Fiestas Virgen del Rosario!

2nd - La Mata Fiestas Virgen del Rosario!

3rd - La Mata Fiestas Virgen del Rosario and 14:00 carnival style parade!

4th - La Mata Fiestas Virgen del Rosario with 11:00 parade and entertainment for children!

5th - La Mata Fiestas Virgen del Rosario 20:00 Mass and procession!

" " " "

aormi@icloud.com

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A Lot of Bottle - Street Graffiti by Dave Stewart I have no idea whose idea it was, but as I like street art forms I thought this Torrevieja graffiti competition using bottle banks was a great innovation. It was held in the park where the former railway is situated and ideal for youngsters who enjoyed the music and skateboarding in the specially designed area. There were lots of stalls pushing the idea of a green environment and the need to protect. This particular graffiti competition was to emphasize the need to use bottle banks for recycling so lots of youngsters set to with spray cans on the green containers and soon pictures emerged of how NOT using bottles affects nature around us.

aormi@icloud.com

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DON’T LET OTHERS PICK UP YOUR MESS Another theme close to my heart is how so many dog owners have no regard to others by allowing their pet to poop on pavements and give a wry smile and shoulder shrug if stared at. These owners are a disgrace to the majority who do carry a small plastic bag to scoop the poop."

This current poster campaign in Torrevieja aims to shame those dirty pigs who do not look after their pet.

After all there are enough parks that have enclosed areas for dogs to do their business in these " PIPI-CANS." You got a dog, you got a social responsibility , SO DON’T BE a PIG "

Dave Stewart!

Andy Ormiston!

Pat Hynd

aormi@icloud.com

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torrevieja outlook Football season is upon us and C.D. Torrevieja is looking for your support.

Founded in 1993, the team plays in Tercera División – Group 6, holding home games at Estadio Vicente García, with a capacity of 6,000 seats. They have played 11 seasons in this division.The supporters club is the Torry Army with Office in San Luis. Re-new your Torry Army membership for 2014/15 for 5 euro’s. Buy a season ticket for CD Torrevieja Home games 2014/15. Covered Stand-125 euros & General Ground- 90 euros.!

Its your town, its your team! and there are reasonably priced season tickets available known as abonos. Kids under 16 get in free, so it can be a reasonably cheap day out. With away matches there is the opportunity to visit other towns you wouldn’t normally visit.!

Football for all the Family.

Alicante

Volvo Museum

by Dave Stewart

! !

The 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race starts in Alicante on October 4th, 2014, and goes on until June 2015 finishing in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Along the way, the teams will stop at Cape Town (South Africa), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Sanya (China), Auckland (New Zealand), Itajaí (Brazil), Newport, Rhode Island (United States), Lisbon (Portugal) and Lorient (France).!

"

It is possible to experience some idea of what teams of competing sailors will face in possibly the most dangerous and arduous competitions in the world. The Volvo Ocean Race Museum in the Spanish city of Alicante, with a free entry policy, gives everyone a chance to experience the

aormi@icloud.com

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historic round-the-world sailing race first hand as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. It is located in the leisure area of Alicante harbour beyond the Casino and also has its own dining and entertainment areas. ! !

Recently the Museum opened a stunning new photographic exhibition entitled '40 years, 40 faces', offering an intimate view of a race that began life as the Whitbread back in 1973 and remains sport's ultimate test of teamwork and character. "We want everyone to be able to enjoy this spectacular interactive Museum and get to know a race that has been creating heroes out in the oceans since 1973," said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad.!

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Explore oceans today and learn about marine ecosystems and how mankind is threatening the survival of these habitats.! !

Experience Life on deck through a tour through the boats themselves and the trials of life at sea – from freeze dried food to extremes of temperature few of us will ever experience.! !

Learn about the History of the Race and the 11 editions of a race that began life in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race and has provided the world´s toughest sporting challenge ever since.!

One section deals with Heroes and Legends - people who have bravely participated in this gruelling and challenging race-regatta that has made heroes of its crew members, with Many people becoming legends for their sacrifice and achievement.!

Each year new Technology is developed and there are Interactive exhibits that take you through the cutting edge technology on board the boats, how they are tacked from the most remote locations on earth and HD video is transmitted back live.!

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" aormi@icloud.com

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