Gran Alacant Advertiser August 2019 by Gran Alacant Advertiser

AUGUST

2019 ISSUE 175

YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE SINCE 2005

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PHONE - ENGLISH : 865 663 993 Lou&Ged PHONE - ESPAÃ&#x2018;OL: 676 741 983 Camila

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Hi everybody!

We would like to thank the TOURISM COUNCILLOR for enabling Jose Manuel Blasco to join our magazines monthly column. Many of you will surely have met Jose at the Tourist Information Counter in Santa Pola. He always exudes enthusiasm for all that is happening in our area. Here are his suggestions of “Where to visit” and ‘What to see” for this month

This month you can enjoy so many different activities on Costa Blanca that it is impossible to describe them all! So whatever you are looking for, we are sure you will find it ranging from music to parades to fireworks…. and much more! In Santa Pola there is a cultural programme with plenty of activities to suit all tastes and you can find the full programme on tourism’s website: www.turismosantapola.es In addition to that, every day and in every little corner of the Costa Blanca you can enjoy a fiesta or a parade in different villages and towns. Main parades of Moors and Christians in Aspe, Cocentaina, Elche 9th to 12th, Verger, Castell de Castells, Benilloba, Xixona 24th to 26th and Camp de Mirra, Callosa de Segura, Denia. You can also see really special activities like “Misterio de Elche” which has been declared as the Cultural World Heritage Event, which will take place from 11th to 15th of August and “Nit de l’Alba” on the

13th - a fantastic display of fire works in Elche.

You can also experience not less important and impressive “Castell de L’Olla” on the 10th in Altea - a beautiful combination with fire works and music. Just to give you an idea more than two thousand kilos of powder will be burnt! The first week in September will be the start of the local fiestas: 31st August, the inauguration, opening speech, 1st and 2nd the mock battles, conquer and reconquering of the Castle on the 3rd of September, something not to be missed, the main parade of Moors and Christians! Bye bye for now

Hello Everybody, Hope you are all enjoying the hot weather. It’s great to see the beach packed and more tourists about. We have had our first meeting with our new Gran Alacant councilor Oscar Pedro Valenzuela and we would also like to say thank you to the previous councilor David Fernandez Ortiz for all his help, patience and support over the last 4 years. It was good to see Gran Alacant featured in A place in the sun again, you can read the full story in our magazine. Have a good month, Ged & Lou Our little dog Zia and our cat Casper have hidden themselves away in the magazine, can you find them? Last month Zia was on page 6 and Casper on page 28

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We at your Gran Alacant Advertiser continue to bring you all of the NEWS, including that from a representative from the Town Hall, as we have since May 2005.

If you have any QUESTIONS or PROBLEMS you would like us to discuss, please just email them to us at the magazine - granalacantadvertiser@hotmail.co.uk First of all, we would like to thank David Fernandez Ortiz, the previous councillor from the Santa Pola Town Hall for his help, patience and support over the last 4 years working with our magazine. This month, myself (Lou) and Barry met up with the new councillor of Gran Alacant, Oscar Pedro Valenzuela, where we had a very encouraging meeting. Tuesdays and Thursdays 686 801 323. Please message this number at any day of the week to let them know the name of the street you are leaving your large items on. This would help to make the service more efficient and keep our Gran Alacant nice and tidy.

Oscar lives on Gran Alacant and is as passionate as us about our urbanisation. Things are looking good for our future meetings with him. Q: Bins behind LIDL Dear Sir, please be kind enough to consider printing this in your next edition of the GA Advertiser. I would also be grateful if you would forward it to the authorities mentioned? Can someone ask Santa Pola council whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on with the bins at the back of Lidlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this mess has been here for 3 weeks and is growing by the day!

Q: Late night Buses to Alicante/Santa Pola Hi Ged&Lou A while ago now we contacted you regarding the lack of late night buses from Santa Pola to Gran Alacant You passed this to Bailes at the time who said they would look into the issue but unfortunately nothing happened. We have now got the Summer timetable from Vectalia who have now made things worse by cancelling the Nocturnal Service Bailes used to provide during July and August so we are now left with No late evening buses at all to get back from an Evening in Santa Pola.

GA Advertiser Reply: The Town Hall have given out a WhatsApp number 686 801 323 for anyone to report anything they think the Town Hall should be aware of so the bins have been reported.

Perhaps you could be good enough to pass on our concerns to Vectalia and the tourist information with the hope that they could provide a later return bus back that used to be the case on Friday and Saturday Bailes last bus returning from Alicante used to go back to Arenales to serve Gran Alacant Looking forward to your help. Regards, Ian & Paula Dickinson

There is also a number to have furniture, kitchen appliances etc picked up on

GA Advertiser Reply: We have forwarded your email to Vectalia

Thanking you in anticipation!

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and we are now pleased to see new time table for summer Nocturnal buses. Q: Airport Bus: Hello Ged & Lou I could write to you about how the local bus service has declined since Vectalia took over Baile but I want to keep it positive... so please can I ask you to publish the timetable for the GA to the airport bus? After we dropped people to the beach and at Arenales on Tuesday we were the only ones going to the airport. Our daughter reported the same the previous week. People simply don’t know about the service, and it’s not advertised at the bus stops either. You know what we Brits say.... like our local Post Office... you use it or you lose it, and that would be a shame. Many thanks Nicky GA Advertiser Reply: The new summer Airport timetable wasn’t available before our July issue went to print. But it’s now available at the back of our magazine (please see page 90)

BARRY’S BITS OF NEWS

I am writing this in mid July and Gran Alacant is heaving with people on their holidays. Cars and people everywhere. Let’s hope that all of the businesses make hay while the sun shines. With more and more houses being built on the urbanisation perhaps this is how it will be as the future years go by. after, and more regularly emptying the bins to try to keep them looking more attractive This is a great time of the year as you cannot to residents. beat a swim in the sea, and always a nice cool breeze on the beach. Looking around Every morning the Town Hall have a team on the beach it is so nice to see holiday pressure washing all of the rubbish bins to leave in a good condition both the containers, makers with their kids on their holiday, pavement and area of road. enjoying what we have here every day. There is a phone number, 686 801 323 that you can call and ask for a large item around ENTRANCE SIGN I wonder if the new councillors at Santa the bins to be picked up. Please put them out Pola would get our entrance sign changed, ready for a Tuesday or Thursday collection. saying we are Gran Alacant, not Santa Pola. There must be many visitors pulling into Please only put these items out on collection Gran Alacant, thinking that this is Santa days only! Pola. We will put this to the new councillor. Answer: Oscar’s answer said this might be a possibility in the future RUBBISH AND CLEANING This was one of Oscars first actions to take. Every Tuesday and Thursday, a truck will circulate the urbanisation taking big items away and will also be cleaning, looking READ THE MAGAZINE EVERY MONTH AT www.granalacantadvertiser.com

BEACH BAR We were on the beach by the little church on July 18th when the workmen started to build the food and drink facility. Seemed a bit late to be installing it!

SECURITY Policing was high on the agenda, and as a result will see more police patrols around the urbanisation. There will eventually be a police office outside the health centre. SILVER HORSE Is there any significance in the lovely silver horse and knight at the GA shopping Centre?

The answer to that, we are told, is yes. It is the knight of peace, sculptured by an artist in Elche, Fransesc Canto, who has donated it to the Gran Alacant Commercial centre. A Place in the Sun Our urbanisation of Gran Alacant is famous at last. It has been on the tele. The Monday programme on July 8th of A Place in the Sun, came to us and pointed out what a wonderful place we have all chosen to buy a property.

TOURIST INFO We now have a tourist information van where anyone can go to for more information about Gran Alacant. It is situated outside the health centre.

NEW HOTEL The construction of the new hotel in Gran Alacant continues at a very good pace. AJ Hotel, category 4 stars. 108 rooms, 8 suites, swimming pool, leisure and catering area and 160 parking spaces. I will keep updating readers with pictures every month until completion. I know this is more important for those of you who have properties here but do not live full time on Gran Alacant.

Ben Hillman was house hunting in and around Gran Alacant on the Costa Blanca with Mick and Dianne from Newcastle. With a budget of ÂŁ120,000 the couple were ready to make the permanent move to the sun, but with a granddaughter that wants a pool, friends that want to visit and 2 dogs that need lots of outside space, can Ben find the perfect property to keep everyone happy? Indeed they did. You can read the full story inside the magazine.

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SHOPPING TROLLEY Why do shoppers take trolleys from one supermarket and leave them on the pavement at another (Mercadona with Consum). Not only this, but you also see shoppers walking the trolleys back to their houses and I suppose just dumping them. Most cost the supermarkets a small fortune.

allotments. They seem to have gone into disrepair.

Also………….many of our bars mention the amount of toilet rolls being nicked from their premises with people too tight to go and buy their own. Yes.. the silly season is well under way.

Oscar tells us that they have a list of people who have the allotments and will talk with them to either keep their patch or whether they can be given to others on the waiting list.

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES Did you know that every Wednesday during the summer, the international library of Gran Alacant organizes activities for children?

RUBBISH CONTAINERS Urbaser is going to put this poster soon on the containers. There will be more local police around in future. Fines will start being dished out for those neighbours who leave mattresses, refrigerators, etc. in the street without notifying Urbaser. The amount is from 100 to 700 Euros and they

ALLOTMENTS What has happened to the site of the

When they were first made available there was a scrambled for the units as they were over subscribed. Has the novelty worn off?

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I was told the activities in Santa Pola will always take priority and did ask why the town hall could not provide another set of goal posts. We will keep on about this. Big news is that when the new 4 star hotel gets built beyond the sports centre, it is hoped the that astro turf pitch gets built on the site. They could then even attract professional football clubs to come to the warm weather and use the facilities. All takes time I know, but it would all be very nice. We will just have to wait. SPRAYING There's a team that's locating the mosquito colonies and spraying. STREETS WITH PROBLEMS There are major problems with certain streets on some urbanisations which are under review. want to start applying the maximum. So, be very careful. FOOTBALL Why does Gran Alacant always have to come a poor second to Santa Pola? The Gran Alacant football club pay the Town Hall a total of 600 Euros per year for a session almost every week. And we pay this money, up front. I wonder how many in Santa Pola pay in this way. Yet every time Santa Pola need a set of goal posts, they take ours from the sports centre and leave us with no proper goals. Santa Pola have numerous artificial football pitches and Gran Alacant has none. Yet they come first in the queue for our goal posts. Perhaps we will have to pay for a new set of goal posts from club funds, so we have our own? Come on Santa Pola Town Hall. PLAY FAIR

BUSES You may be aware that Oscar has already had talks with the bus company, who asked him what he wanted from them. This has resulted of an extra bus provided for the route that goes around Gran Alacant. This should result in no more than a ten minute wait for the bus. This assuming of course that the bus can negotiate all of the extra traffic at this time of the summer. MEETINGS Oscar is very keen to have monthly or six weekly meetings with all of the presidents on the urbanisation. So, if you have a problem, go to your president and he will bring it up at his meetings, or of course, you can write to this magazine. Oscar is very keen to work with our magazine If you would like to supply news and info for our next edition, please email: info@granalacantadvertiser.com

LOCAL TALENTS NEEDED

Local Charityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cabaret night will be held on October 3rd at LoungeD Bar, MASA Square at 8pm If you are an entertainer (professional or amateur) and would like to take part and show off your talent , please email Stuart & Sheila premcyp@yahoo.co.uk

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MONTEMAR BOWLS & SOCIAL CLUB

Sponsored by The Pub, Bowling Abroad, Avalon, LoungeD, Rogers, La Piazza & The Belfry

MONTEMAR BOWLS & SOCIAL CLUB BARBECUE On Saturday 15th June we held our first barbecue at the Santara Resort and it was a great success. The numbers at first were restricted to forty then extended to fifty and we still had to turn people down. Lynne Armitage did a very good job of organising the venue, the food and everything else that needed doing. Well done Lynne, you have a job for next year!!! A big thank you Lynne from all who attended. The food was well cooked by our three chefs, Ian Hamilton, Howie Williams and Ronnie Cairns so a big thank you boys!!! It was a very good afternoon/evening enjoyed by all who attended.

VCL LEAGUE Wednesday 19th June Monte Mar Montaneros v Greenlands Jasmine Away to Greenlands Jasmine on a extremely hot day we had good win against the Jasmines. Winning on three rinks and drawing on one well done to the winning rinks of Pauline Woodfine (singles) Sheila Roberts and Phil Goble, Lynne Armitage, Harry Dobson, Ian Hamilton and skip Dave

Melville and the drawing rink of Tanya Oliver, Jack Burrell skip Barrie Woodfine. Shots Montaneros 90 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 89 Jasmine Points Montaneros 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3 Jasmine. Another good result well done everyone. The Monte Mar Montaneros season finished with a lose against San Miguel Deputies on Friday 21st June, but we achieved a very creditable third place overall behind Vistabella Saxons (1st) and San Miguel Deputies (2nd). Our rinks teams won eight out of their ten games, with Lynne Armitage being our best player winning in all her nine games (seven rinks one pairs and one singles). Well done to all the twenty seven club members who took part in the VCL season and we look forward to doing even better next year. MIKE FARRELLY 80th BIRTHDAY Barbara did a very good job of organising Mike's 80th Birthday party and keeping it a secret from Mike. As instructed by Barbara everyone was at LoungeD by 6.30 waiting to surprise Mike, and what a surprise he got!!!! Mike looked quite

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MONTEMAR BOWLS & SOCIAL CLUB

Sponsored by The Pub, Bowling Abroad, Avalon, LoungeD, Rogers, La Piazza & The Belfry

MONTEMAR BOWLS & SOCIAL CLUB both teams BBC won 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4, the match was resolved on the last end of the rinks, which was the last match to finish. BBC won by one shot to secure the overall win.

emotional. The buffet was lovely the drink flowed and most people had a dance. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Thank you Barbara and Mike for a lovely evening. NORTH AND SOUTH FINAL

CHICKEN RUN Sunday 30th June On a very hot Sunday morning more than thirty members turned up for the monthly chicken run. After a good and enjoyable mornings bowling the eggs as always, donated by Julia and Ian Hamilton were won for the ladies by Jane Davis and for the men Phil Goble. The chickens this month were donated by Jean and Rod Chamberlain. For the ladies after a one bowl play off the winner was Diane Horsington and the men's winner was Cliff Norris. Another great club morning.

Monte Mar hosted the North v South final on Wednesday 26th June between BBC and San Louis. With some fine bowling by

For further information about Monte Mar Bowls and Social Club check out our website www.montemarbowls.com

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SUMMER L IN MASA SQUARE

Come and enjoy open air live music events throughout the summer...

TUESDAYS:

from 8pm

6/8 DAVE MCLEOD 13/8 PAUL PRYCE 20/8 RACHEL 27/8 ANDY J

FRIDAYS:

from 8pm

2/8 The Project 9/8 DEBBIE H 16/8 CARLA STONE 23/8 RANDY CORWOOD 30/8 DEJA NIELSEN

Sponsored by:

LoungeD

Rogers 14

PLAZA MAYOR, MASA Square (ABOVE PLAZA DIALPRIX), MAYOR CALLE Holanda 9, Gran Alacant

LIVE MUSIC IN MASA SQUARE

Fabulous square for drinks & places to eat...

SATURDAYS: from 8pm

3/8 JERSEY BOYS 10/8 ANDY MAX 17/8 SCARLET 24/8 BENIDORM SHOW 31/8 ROB LEWIS

OPEN AIR LIVE MUSIC CHOICE OF FOOD SPORTS ACTION in MASA SQUARE

SUNDAYS:

from 4pm

4/8 Mr.Bojangles from 4-6pm GEMMA from 6-8pm SEAN MAC from 8-11pm 11/8 Mr.Bojangles from 4-6pm JOJO from 6-8pm AUSTIN SLACK from 8-11pm 18/8 Mr.Bojangles from 3-5pm ANDY J from 5-7pm CHLOE LEIGH from 7-9pm MARTIN KAY 9-11pm 25/8 Mr.Bojangles from 4-6pm DIANE DIAZ from 6-8pm VANESSA MAE from 8-10pm

PLAZA MAYOR, MASA Square (ABOVE DIALPRIX), CALLE Holanda 9, Gran Alacant

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PLAZA MAYOR

COUPLE MAKE NEARLY 2,000KM ROUND TRIP BY CAR TO WATCH WREXHAM AFC IN THE ALGARVE "We are doing Sunday to Thursday, so we have made the long journey just for a few days here, but why not? "We booked a one bedroom apartment in Vilamoura but we have got to go back tomorrow because my daughter is over at the moment and she is flying back to Manchester on Friday, so we are going to have to do the journey back in one hit - 900km."

WREXHAM fans have come from far and wide to be in Portugal, but not many endured a near 2,000km round trip by car to be at the club's training camp. Mike and Ruth Jones, from Buckley, have a property in Gran Alacant, Spain and spend half of the year living in their Gran Alacant residence. With Wrexham on the Algarve during their current trip overseas, the pair drove hundreds of miles across the border to see their beloved Reds in action before making a hasty retreat. "Half of the year we live in Buckley, half the year we live in Alicante," they said. "We already booked to come over at the end of June and we had a feeling that Wrexham's training camp would be on. "We have driven 900km from Alicante, stopping overnight on the way, to be here.

The Jones' are no strangers to travelling long distances to see Wrexham in action. "We are both massive Wrexham fans," they added. "We used to go home and away to matches when we were working. "I remember going to Carlisle on the Tuesday for a cup match and back to Carlisle on the Saturday for a league match. "They won in the cup and one of their fans said to me 'I'd rather we beat you in the league'. And we went back and beat them in the league. "We went down to Exeter City one Tuesday night and we lost 1-0. Exeter went down that season and everybody was hammering them but we lost, although Wrexham ended up winning promotion. "We went to Bournemouth one time, got there and the game was called off!" BY RICHARD WILLIAMS @ LEADERRICHWREXHAM AFC REPORTER

AlacantKey We are based in Gran Alacant

• Property Management • Key Holding Service • Rentals 22

Email: alacantkey@gmail.com T: + 34 665 638 759 T: + 34 642 621 010

PLAZA MAYOR

C/Holanda 9, bajo 8 Gran Alacant

• • • • • • • • • • •

T: 865 789 554

www.familydoctors24h.com

HOW TO PREVENT A STROKE?

A Stroke or cerebrovascular attack (CVA) is a medical emergency which occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or when there is bleeding in the brain. It can happen to any person and from one moment to another, regardless of their age, sex orrace. However, there are risk factors that increase the chances of suffering it. Types of stroke or cerebrovascular disease: Ischemic: It can be embolic or thrombotic. It is when there is an occlusion of an artery, leading to the decrease or cessation of the blood flow in that part of the brain. Hemorrhagic: The blood vessel is broken. It can be due to several causes, among them, arterial hypertension, or causes such as a malformation of a vessel (aneurysms). Age: Strokes can be suffered at any age. The risk increases once you are 55 years old. Sex: both sexes are affected equally, but complications and deaths are increased in women. Having suffered a stroke before increases the chances of suffering it again. High blood pressure: this is possibly the most important risk factor, since controlling the tension considerably reduces the risk of suffering a stroke. Tobacco: Smoking increases the risk of stroke because nicotine and monoxide carbon directly damage blood vessels in various ways, hardens them, and lose

DENTAL CLINIC PEDIATRICS CARDIOLOGY GYNECOLOGY PSYCHIATRY PSYCHOLOGY OSTEOPATHY PHYSIOTHERAPY AESTHETIC MEDICINE GENERAL PRACTICIONER HOME ASSISTANCE 24H

elasticity, cholesterol plaques form, blood pressure increases, and this increases the risk of suffering a stroke. Carotid artery disease: the arteries in the neck that carry blood to the brain. If the arteries have cholesterol plaques, you decrease the flow of blood to the brain, and a clot can form which, if it breaks off, goes to the brain and causes a stroke. The diagnosis of this is made by the doctor listening to the arteries of the neck or a cardiologist doing an echo-Doppler of carotid arteries. Diabetes Mellitus: Having this disease is related to stroke, since it goes related to high cholesterol levels, hypertension, overweight, which further increases the risk of stroke. Obesity: being overweight, along with high cholesterol levels and lack of exercise increase the risk of suffering a stroke. Heart disease: A person with heart disease is at increased risk of have a stroke, since certain conditions, such as arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation) or increased heart size can produce clots that travel to the brain and cause a stroke Drinking excess alcohol: Excess alcohol can increase the pressure blood, obesity, triglycerides (blood fat), cancer, cause failures cardiac events and, consequently, cause a stroke.

PLAZA MAYOR

Certain types of drug use: Taking drugs intravenously increases the stroke risk due to a cerebral embolus. The use of cocaine has also been strongly related to stroke, heart attacks and various complications cardiovascular These problems have occurred, even when it has been consumed by first time cocaine. If we have not been able to prevent the stroke, we must be aware of the symptoms that they are presented, since to detect them in time and to treat them is fundamental in the survival and recovery in these cases Symptons: • Abrupt alteration in the language with difficulties to speak or understand. • Sudden loss of strength or sensitivity of a part of the body (face, • arm, leg) being the characteristic the one that affects one half of the body. • Abrupt alteration of vision: loss of ability to appreciate objects • located on one side of the visual field, sudden loss of vision in • one eye or double vision. • Sudden loss of coordination of movements or balance. • Severe headache, different from other normal headaches, sometimes accompanied by any of the signs or symptoms previously mentioned. HOW TO PREVENT A STROKE? Prevention is the most important thing in heart and cerebrovascular diseases. Diet: A healthy diet, avoiding saturated fats, controlling weight and maintaining normal cholesterol levels. Decrease the consumption of salt in the diet (this is to control the blood pressure). Exercise: Avoid a sedentary life. Exercise not only controls the weight, but it maintains a good circulation throughout our body, which avoids that cholesterol plaques form, and blood pressure is also controlled. Do not smoke: Avoid tobacco, and also avoid being a passive smoker. Contact with tobacco smoke increases the risk of suffering a stroke. Moderate alcohol consumption: Mild consumption (less than 12 grams per day) or moderate (12 to 24 grams) reduces the risk of suffering a stroke.

Control blood pressure, cholesterol, the sugar in blood, overweight. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, control and take your medications correctly, and also visit your doctor to test and take medical checkups, tests, electrocardiogram, review with the cardiologist to perform an echocardiogram, doppler of carotids, in order to prevent a stroke. Remember that when the stroke occurs, minutes and seconds are crucial, since emergency therapies are aimed at preserving the integrity of the brain and re-establish the circulation that is blocked up. In the fase of a person who presents any of the mentioned symptons, you must immediately notify 112, activate the emergency systems with the purpose of getting an adequate and rapid diagnosis and treatment. In most cases, strokes can be prevented controlling the risk factors previously mentioned. At Gran Alacant family doctors we have a health unit with multilingual and multicultural professionals at your service.

YOUR HEALTH IS OUR PRIORITY THIS MONTH’S PROMOTIONS : CARDIOVASCULAR RISK CHECKUP - Two consults with GP, complete physical examination - Blood test - ECG (electrocardiogram) 50 euros (normal price 110 euros) COMPLETE EVALUATION WITH CARDIOLOGIST - Complete examination - ECG (electrocardiogram) - Echocardiogram 150 euros (normal price 200 euros) WHITENING WITH LED LAMP in only one session 150 euros (normal price 200 euros) 20% DISCOUNT ON CONVENTIONALLY ORTHODONTIC 20% OFF DENTAL POLISH

PLAZA MAYOR

w TRUST US

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CARABASSI CENTRE

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The Royal British Legion

Caring and campaigning for our ex-Service community. The Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch meets

on the First Monday of each month 18:00 at “LoungeD”, Plaza Mayor (MASA Square) Gran Alacant.

NEXT MEETING 5TH AUGUST 2019 AT 18:00 New members always welcome and you Do Not need to be Ex Service to join. Further details from – Chairman 96 669 5423 or Email:granalacant.secretary@rbl.community

INTERCLUB

Interclub is a social group formed in 1983 that aims to provide a meeting point for ex-pats. The club meets on Thursdays in Infernum Restaurant C.C. & stages dinner dances & quiz nights. For more information email: bobnewby@live.com

CARABASSI CENTRE

The Reiki Room

COMMERCIAL CENTRE

Harmonious Healing

with Jackie Canale

International Practicioner of Holistic Medicine, fully licensed & insured LOVE YOUR SKIN

It’s August-the hottest time of our whole year. Time to really look after our bodies’ biggest organ- the skin! A day at the beach, a day off work lying round the pool…sounds like heaven, and we all know having that golden glow makes us feel so much better, but how much of it is actually good for us? The jury is still out on this one. The sun gets a lot of bad press, especially with the rising numbers in skin cancer cases, baking away under the big ball of fire is definitely not good for you, however, if you are careful, a “little” sun is also good for you. It is always wise decisions to stay out of the midday sun and in August most definitely from 12-4 try and hide in the shade as the UV rays are at their strongest, and we all know too much of the rays accelerates our ageing.

When we get burned, the skin turns red, this is literally our red blood cells response to the heat being generated on our skin, our blood is basically trying to cool our skin down. If you are darker, your skin contains more melanin, which can reflect UV rays. People with greasy skin produce more sebum in their skin, which helps to block the UV rays hence the reason people with darker or oilier skin are able to tan better and suffer less wrinkling. The fairer we are the more easily we will burn, the faster our skin will age, and the greater the risk of developing skin cancers. That aside, it is also good for our health to expose our skin from time to time as long as we do it carefully - having insufficient sunlight can result in a lack of vitamin Despecially D3 which is vital for healthy bones, teeth and immune functioning and it can also make the body produce less serotonin-the feel good hormone, which can trigger depression as a result. Modest sunbathing helps to lower cholesterol and increases hair and nail growth (so yes, its true, we all seem our hair grows quicker in the summer, because it actually does) but too much exposure will lower our immune function. Keeping it safe in the sun: • Try and avoid food and drinks that trigger dehydration like fizzy drinks, caffeine, and high-saturated foods.

AUGUST SPECIAL OFFER:

Mix it up - 30 min reflexology with either 30 min Aromatherapy back massage, Indian head massage or reiki for only 30 euros. Change your hot stone massage to cold stone massage (great for inflammation) ask for more details Aromatherapy face creams 120ml - made by me with love- for only 10 euros

FULLY AIR CONDITIONED at the Reiki Room T: 693 018 046

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The Reiki Room T: 693 018 046

Email: thereikiroom40@gmail.com Facebook: The Reiki Room-Harmonious Healing

The Reiki Room is situated in Don Pueblo across from The Life Resort

• •

•

Drink loads of water-your body will thank you for it. Add a little extra salt to your food, especially in August, make sure its Himalayan or a good sea salt, this helps balance the minerals in the body.

Protect your skin from the inside out by eating more foods with essential fats and carotenes. Foods such as carrots, asparagus, red peppers, steamed spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, mangoes, and papaya hold a lot of carotenes whilst you will find essential fats in sunflower, pumpkin, sesame or linseeds.

Avocado and olives in your salads is perfect. Apply your sun cream when you come out your shower, this will help it to absorb into the skin quicker, be sure to top it up throughout your day-a good organic grade factor 30 is perfect, noting more, nothing less and definitely no accelerating oils. •

Good UV protected sunglasses, a hat and shade wherever possible and remember sunblock on your ears and lips. Enjoy your August- stay hydrated and keep your beautiful skin safe…and if you still feel too white like myself, there is good old St.Tropez in a bottle get the ones with the SPFs included or a beautician somewhere willing to do a little spray tan. Much Love Jackie x READ THE MAGAZINE EVERY MONTH AT www.granalacantadvertiser.com

SANTARA LIFE RESORT

SIERRA MAR

Happy 1st Birthday La Piazza

. . . t u o b A Out & Happy 80th Birthday Mike x

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Silent Disco GA

. . . t n a c a l A n in Gra

ence Day

depend n I g n ti a r b le e C t s Ze

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Animals as Teachers By Jemma “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged in the way in which it treats its animals”. Gandhi

Sweep out the cobwebs of my mind ..

Hi, I’m Jemma.. I share what I continue to learn from animals through my work as a volunteer with them at www.satanimalrescue.com and at www.easyhorsecare.net This month’ s hot weather makes for a challenging time for all the workers and volunteers mucking out the manure in the hot, dusty paddocks at easyhorsecare rescue centre. My own contribution is just 2 days for around 3 hours a time. It’s true now that even though there seem more volunteers than ever, kindly prepared to give of their time to help keep the horses living areas clean; we can brush and shovel, scoop and load wheelbarrow fulls of old and fresh manure over and over again only for it to be replaced by more each day, it’s never ending work to keep the fields clean. This has made me ponder on a analogy, (I hope not to offend anyone by this) of the constant work I must do to clean (rid) myself of my own inner sh=t. By this I mean the daily feelings of insecurity and unworthiness, the inner berating of my mind, comparing and contrasting, questioning, worrying, stressing over unnecessary things, going over past events, wishful thinking, emotional sways, antagonistic thoughts... not to mention the sad, helpless and huge range of other thoughts and feelings I have over the state of the world today. Although I do feel some of the afore mentioned thoughts and feelings are justified and have their place in the fullness of my life, they also aid to prevent: living in the moment fully and enjoying what that means, and definitely block space up so not allowing for new thoughts and ideas to come in. And at SATs this month I have experienced being at times ,the first person to arrive and the last to leave…but maybe not on the same day. The dogs get so excited and animated when the volunteers arrive as they

know that it means their daily walk, which they so love… they seem to derive such joy at this such seemingly small gesture from us, barking and jumping in the air which I notice more when I arrive first in the morning. It’s began to move me internally to realise that I too can experience such pleasure and happiness in the relatively small things of life and from the actions of others... a smile, a well timed comment or remark, a hug, a piece of homemade pie/ cake given (Thank you Hazel and Karen x)

DOG OF THE MONTH

Lenny is 13 this month, he has been at the kennels for 5 years after being abandoned with 2 other dogs in July 2014.

He was rehomed for a little while but sadly came back as his new owners could no longer care for him. He so needs a forever home from someone who can give him space and time, as he has a few minor health problems under control with medication, and can be wary of people and other dogs ..but once he feels safe he is a friendly and affectionate dog. So often we don’t want to arrive first or last at a party, or event or a gathering, and have been conditioned to believe that we shouldn’t… but what joy to be the first to hear the squeals of excitement, and to have the last intimate connection with the last dog walked that day, it can have quite a feeling of connection and sacredness… Please get in touch with SAT or Easy Horse if you are interested in volunteering in any way. Jemma x

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SIERRA MAR

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HIKING WITH HEIDI & OLLI THE PATHS LESS TRAVELED

Planes - Gorg del Salt waterfall Barranco de La Encantada

My name is Heidi and I come from Helsinki, Finland. With my husband Olli-Pekka and our 3 dogs we live in Gran Alacant and enjoy the brilliant Mediterranean climate and possibility of discovering new hiking routes all over our Alicante province and sometimes even a bit further. Ironically, I have a fear of heights, but I love the views from tops of the mountains too much to stay away. Our dogs are getting older so all the hikes need to be suitable for them too as they always go on our adventures with us. I also love photography and always take load of pictures from our hikes. This month we are taking you to the enchanted ravine. The route is mostly unmarked, so you need to think about how the route continues. In few places there are painted signs to guide your way. But it’s still quite an easy route as you can see the landmarks all the time around you.

Driving Time: 1hr Walking Time: 4hours Google maps directions: corner of Carrer de Ľ Ermita, 45, 03828 Planes & CV-711

see a foot path going zigzag uphill towards Ermita del Santo Cristo. Once you see the writing on the wall “Viva el…” you have confirmation you are on the right path. From Ermita del Santo Cristo continue the road downhill. Once the asphalt road comes to a T-shape, continue straight down to a smaller road. There’s a painted blue arrow on the right side of the part. Continue uphill. On your right hand side there’s a small foot path going straight up, choose that. It also has the white and yellow stripes to mark the path. You will go over the hill to the other side where you will reach another asphalt road, continue right. You will soon see a lovely bridge when you go downhill. Follow the asphalt road until you have walked along the bigger road facing you (CV-700) for one curve and then choose the smaller road facing left so that the lovely bridge will be on your backside. Continue this road until your reach the sign “Atencion zona…”

This is the route on map. You can park your car in the village of Planes or park it next to CV-711. There are few wider places that makes it possible.

Walk down the steps and you can experience the beautiful Gorg del Salt waterfall. During summer months you can actually have a swim there (just be careful)! A place definitely worth seeing.

Start walking uphill CV-711 and you will

After Gorg del Salt we took a lunch break

THE PATHS LESS TRAVELED

HIKING WITH HEIDI & OLLI THE PATHS LESS TRAVELED following the river further. (The little red stray off route on the map.)

This route is fantastic because it does not require that difficult terrain, but also it contains very different landscapes. The climb up to the Ermita gives you fantastic views over Planes village and it’s surroundings. Gorg del Salt and walk along the river is lush green and beautiful. You can hear the river flow. After Gorg del Salt you can turn back and walk the same way back if your feet can’t handle a walk up the gorge. If you can handle it, I strongly recommend it. It’s one of the most gorgeous ones I’ve seen. No wonder it’s called enchanted ravine (barranco de la encantada)!

Hope you enjoy this lovely hike, See you next month, Heidi & Olli Ps. If you just want to have a refreshing swim in Gorg del Salt, just put that to your destination and you can drive right next to the steps to the waterfall!

So to continue walk along the river from Gorg del Salt. We will go around the mountain. The river will stay on our right side. Once you see few houses, continue to the dirt road right into the woods. After few meters you Always when going on hikes check that: will see steps and a gate on your left side. It will have the white and • Your Mobile Phone is fully charged yellow path stripes to indicate you are on a right track. Soon the path • Water - climbing up is hard job & you will need it will get more narrow and you will • Snacks (Remember to take all the garbage start to climb up the hill. Enjoy the back down with you!) vista! • Have good shoes for walking • Have small first aid kit with you Once uphill you will see a fence and a house on your left side. Follow along • Have layered clothes. Up hill might be the fence and you will reach a small very windy and cold, even on a warm day. road coming to the house. Continue Coming down might be chilly, so extra dry up and you’ll reach an asphalt road. t-shirt to change into if needed is not a bad idea Continue to follow it left and you will • Always tell someone where you are going reach the village of Planes. and when you’ll approx. be coming back The whole route is about 11km with climbing of about 400 meters.

CHECK LIST

THE PATHS LESS TRAVELED

DRAMA IN A TEACUP

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A small charge for flowers The fire engines had passes a few minutes earlier and now in his rear view mirror were the lights of the ambulance. As it passed he could see the glow on the horizon indicating a serious incident ahead. His first thought was the possibility of a diversion, but he quickly recognised his selfishness and hoped that the emergency services were just a precaution against the possibility of personal disaster. He was facing something of a minor personal disaster this evening. It was his wedding anniversary and his wife as always, expected him home on time. Since they celebrated their first anniversary, Megan had prepared a meal and sensitively decorated their home for the special event. He didn’t always make it home to the table in good time although he had only failed to make it home altogether, on two occasions, both because of flight delays. This week he had been at the other side of the country for a series of meetings and he had left work in plenty of time for the journey, missing only the vital task of buying flowers. His input to the anniversary dinner was first to turn up on time and second to put flowers on the table. Simple! He was disappointed that yet again he had had to resort to the last ditch option in finding flowers to give his wife on the evening of their anniversary but although she would immediately recognise where they came from, she would accept them with good grace. It was just slightly better that his one and only effort of lifting them from someone’s garden. He would never be sure how she had immediately recognised their provenance although he thought it might have been the way he had wrapped them in napkin from a well- known fast food restaurant. The glow was no longer in the far distance and he could see that it was a serious fire. Knowing the road ahead had only one option for a diversion he began to think that

ac nb y Te r r y L

the lack of floral decoration was of minor importance. There was a tail back of traffic beginning to form and as he checked his cars instruments, he realised that if they were diverted he might miss the fuel station he had intended to use as a florists and as a place to top up for the final part of the journey. Traffic was now moving at a snail’s pace and he considered phoning home to give the news of imminent failure, when a traffic policeman came into view. As he wound his window down the smell of burning fuel and plastic immediately made him reel. The policeman made it clear that although the petrol station was fully ablaze, there were no casualties, the fire service had the situation under control and there would only be a slight delay before traffic would be allowed to pass. When he mentioned that he had hoped to use the facilities at the petrol station, the policeman said that there were several drivers in a similar situation and they had been recommended to park in the nearby Café car park to consider their options. The Café car park was packed with cars, vans and their drivers, huddled in groups, wildly gesticulating at no one in particular, presumably trying to come up with some kind of escape plan. He cautiously drove round to the rear of the building and manged to park in a tiny space against the wall under what appeared to be the opaque windows of the toilets. Inside, the buzz of conversation was entirely focussed on where the next fuel station was and who might be best placed to play the good Samaritan, going to collect cans of fuel for their stranded compatriots. He bypassed the noisy, huddled massed and made his way to the pay desk where he spotted a bunch of flowers just begging to be taken away from this mayhem. As he parted with his cash he asked if it would be OK to pass his charging cable through the window of the Gents’ toilet, so that he could charge his electric car enough to get him home in time for his anniversary dinner.

FIVE MINUTE FICTION

AVDA.MEDITERRANEO

In July popular TV show A Place In The Sun showcased our very own Gran Alacant for the second time in 2 years! This time a couple called Mick and Dianne Kelly from Newcastle were looking to relocate with their 2 dogs to our lovely area having fallen in love with it some time ago. And what isn’t there to love about Gran Alacant - with its closeness to Alicante and the airport for great transport links, plus our beautiful Carabassi beach, the El Clot Nature Reserve, some fantastic bars and restaurants and just the general happy feel of the area! Gran Alacant is a great mix of nationalities and is perfect for holidaymakers and residents alike. Ben Hillman from The Place In The Sun showed them 5 properties (3 of which were in Gran Alacant and 2 in nearby La Marina). The first property was a 2 bed townhouse in Puerto Marino, near the GA Commercial Centre. Whilst they liked the house, they felt it a tad too small for permanent living. They then moved on to a townhouse in Monte y Mar with a large basement, but felt that all the stairs were not for them. Ben then took them to 2 properties in La Marina but they said they much preferred Gran Alacant (and who wouldn’t!) So it was back to Calle Chipre where they fell in love with a 2 bedroom Perla style bungalow with the added bonus of a private pool which they put in an offer on which was accepted. So

welcome to Gran Alacant Mick and Dianne! Mark Smith, Managing Director of Gran Alacant specialist holiday rental company Alicante Holiday Villas said “The recent Place in the Sun programme showcased Gran Alacant brilliantly not only as a great place to live full time but also a great place to own a holiday home, particularly if thinking of renting for short term holiday lets. Its proximity to the airport, amazing climate, the beautiful Carabassi beach, cycling routes, paragliding, watersports etc and the great mixture of bars and restaurants make Gran Alacant a firm favourite with our guests, many returning year after year and some several times each year. Owning a holiday home and letting it out is relatively easy and, in the right hands and with the right guidance, it is possible to get a great return on your investment.” And Chris Pile co-owner of local Gran Alacant estate agency Gran Alacant Properties said “We love Gran Alacant for many reasons. Gran Alacant has a privileged location on the Costa Blanca next to the sea. The local beach of Carabassi is one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in Spain, a lovely natural beach with pine forest and soft fine sand. When you come over the hill and first get a glimpse of the sea and Alicante beyond it is a real “wow!” moment. There is an amazing skywalk

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by the lighthouse where you have an amazing view of the sea, Tabarca island and the whole coast. If you are more of a land person, Gran Alacant also has access to lovely green spaces like the Clot de Galvany and Monte de Santa Pola where you have miles of walking and cycling paths as well as birds and other wildlife and the ruins of Civil War bunkers. Not just walking and cycling though â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thanks to the good weather and the surrounding landscape Gran Alacant is located in a great area for all kind of sport and outdoor activity. The weather is amazing here in Gran Alacant. We enjoy over 300 days of sunshine a year and mild winters. We have a great mix of people, Spanish and foreigners, holiday people and year-round residents. Unlike other beach communities, Gran Alacant doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t empty out in the winter. Proof of that is in the thriving primary school and number of families who live here and in the amenities we have on offer. The new 4-star hotel will be opening soon with another hotel nearer to the lighthouse to follow, every day there are more facilities and big brand names opening in the area, more importantly more people are choosing to live here full time or vacation here. Gran Alacant has an almost perfect location with access to modern speedy transport networks making it a great base for exploring the rest of Spain. There is an international airport with dozens of flights to other Spanish destinations, to the UK, to the rest of Europe and more. There is a train station 15 minutes away in Alicante with high speed rail service to Madrid. Plus we are surrounded by well-maintained modern motorways. Gran Alacant was not hit as hard as other areas of the Costa Blanca during the financial crisis. This was due in large part to the proximity of the airport and to the cities of Alicante and Elche. Here builders never really stopped building. They just slowed down a bit. Prices did drop some, but not to extent you saw in other parts of the Costa Blanca and Spain. Over the last couple of years, the housing market has rebounded considerably. There are more builders building, demand is high and the wait times for new build properties can be up to 2 years. The re-sale market too has changed dramatically. There also is very high demand and the supply of properties available has tightened up. This first stabilized the prices of re-sales and now prices are creeping up. More properties are being sold for full

asking price something that almost never happened during the worst years of crisis. It is important to note that Gran Alacant is still a very seasonal market so the amount of time a property is for sale is in no way a reflection of the quality of the property. That said, the average list time of re-sale houses for the region was 9 months to a year just a short time ago. Now, things are moving faster and provided a property is priced right, it could be gone within weeks or even days. There are factors like the location, views and orientation that you cannot do anything about so better to concentrate on what you can do to make yours the most appealing. Properties that are de-personalised and well-staged always sell far more quickly than similar properties that have not been prepared for the market. A good estate agent can be a great resource for you. Ask them what you can do to make your property more appealing to prospective buyers. They see hundreds of properties and hear the feedback from buyers so pick their brains on what would make your property more appealing than your neighbors. So we are all certain that Mick and Dianne made the right choice in choosing to live in our beautiful Gran Alacant!

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SIERRA MAR Mayka’s Kitchen TRUST US

Hi all, It’s been very hot the last few weeks. I don’t know how about you but after 16 years in Gran Alacant I still can’t get used to it. This month we are going to make a refreshing salad one of my customer has asked for. Salpicon de Marisco or Seafood salad. Hope you all enjoy. Have a great summer xxx

Salpicon de Marisco

Ingredients • • •

First, we clean the mussels, for this, and with the help of a knife, we pull the filaments that are trapped between the valves. In order not to tear the meat, we must pull towards the end where the two valves meet. In addition, we must scrape with the knife the crustaceans that may have adhered to the shell. Once we have them clean, we wash them under the water tap.

• • • • • • • • • •

COOKED OCTOPUS - 330 GRAMS COOKED PRAWNS 400 GRAMS COOKED MUSSELS - 100 GRAMS (WEIGHT WITHOUT THE VALVES) SURIMI - 8 UNITS RED PEPPER - 150 GRAMS GREEN PEPPER - 100 GRAMS CHIVE - 100 GRAMS OLIVES - 80 GRAMS FOR THE VINAIGRETTE: GARLIC CLOVES - 1 UNIT SALT TO TASTE VINEGAR - 2 LARGE SPOONS OLIVE OIL 4 TABLESPOONS

Peel cooked prawns, chop them and add them to the bowl. We also add the olives and mussels. Mix all the ingredients with the help of a spoon.

We put to heat a little water in a pan. When it breaks to boil, we toss the mussels and cook until they open. At that moment, we remove the pan and discard the valves.

Now, prepare the vinaigrette, for this, finely chop the clove of garlic or crush it with the help of a garlic presser. We put it in a bowl together with the salt and the vinegar. Mix with the help of a rod.

We put the body of the mussels in a colander to drain the cooking water. Next, finely chop the chive and put it in a bowl.

Add the olive oil to the bowl and mix well so that it is incorporated into the mixture. Once we have ready the vinaigrette we can serve our salpicón.

Remove the seeds from the peppers and, after cutting them into very small pieces, add them to the bowl.

Little advice: The prawns can be bought already cooked or cooked at home and the vinaigrette should be added just at the moment of serving the salpicón, if you do it too early, the vegetable will lose its crispy texture. Have a great August x

Next, cut the crab sticks into pieces and put them in the bowl. We do the same with the octopus.

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AVENIDA ESCANDINAVIA

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AVENIDA ESCANDINAVIA

Out & About with Star & Ashlee Ashlee goes to Summer School at Terra and Aqua Natura Hi my name is Star and I have been lucky enough to call Gran Alacant my home for over 11 years now. My 9 year old daughter Ashlee and I are often “Out & About” enjoying the local attractions and culture in this part of Spain. Over the next few months I will be sharing some of our experiences with you to encourage you to go “Out & About” yourselves and maybe learn a little bit about this beautiful place we call home. This year Ashlee was lucky to be able to attend the Summer School at Terra and Aqua Natura, which she has been wanting to do for many years. As we arrived at the entrance on the first day, Ashlee was really excited about the fun things she would be doing over the next two weeks. She met the Summer School monitors and was put into the appropriate age group as the kids are split into under 5’s, 6 to 8’s and over 9’s. I waved goodbye and couldn’t wait to pick her up later that day and find out what activities she had done. The schedule ensures that all the children go to both Terra and Aqua Natura every day, as some of them only attend from 0900 to 1400 and others stay for lunch and leave at 1500 or 1700. During the first week Ashlee learnt about the Tiger family, the new baby Jaguar, Petita the Elephant (whose birthday is celebrated with a Holi

Festival in August), the difficulties they had keeping the Prairie Dogs in their new enclosure and explained to me that many of the animals we believe to be Monkeys actually aren’t as officially Monkeys have tails! Who knew!!!

She also had to go around the zoo learning facts about the animals for her passport.

In Aqua Natura she spent lots of time playing with her new friends in the kids play areas and going down the many slides. Ashlee also got to Swim with the Sea Lions which she absolutely loved and was one

Out & About with Star & Ashlee CARABASSI CENTRE

of the highlights of her week. In fact, any visitor to Aqua Natura can Swim with the Sea Lions as they have many different options. A 15 minute experience costs from €38 per person and up to 5 people can be involved in a VIP group interaction that lasts for 30 minutes for €250.

For €90 per person you can spend 4 hours being a Sea Lion Caretaker and they also offer Sea Lion Therapy sessions for those with special needs that costs from €150. During the second week Ashlee made bird houses that will be used in the Aviary, helped to put fruit in the trees for the birds to enjoy, found out how important honey bees are and even brought some delicious honeycomb back for us to taste. Ashlee also got up close and personal with the amazing birds of prey and was able to become a Mermaid.

The Mermaid/Triton experience can also be done by anyone, lasts approximately 50 minutes and costs €20. Ashlee and her friends have done this experience before and she has loved it both times. It starts with a makeover and photo shoot before everyone gets into the pool and learns how to swim with a Mermaid tail.

The Summer School has a mission to “Save the Planet” and is for a minimum of 2 weeks. It costs from €150 depending on the hours and if lunch is needed and as Ashlee has an annual pass we were able to get a 10% discount off of the Summer School price (not the lunch). The kids do need to understand Spanish although some of the activities are in English. Ashlee really enjoyed her time at Summer School and didn’t want it to end. She has come away with new friends, an expanded knowledge of the animals and lots of great memories. There are also many other different activities that people can participate in at Terra Natura including being a keeper for a day, Donkey Rides, Raptor and Elephant Experiences going on a Night Safari or being a Fairy or Pixie (which Ashlee has also done and loved). We also want to remind you about the amazing Holi Festival which is a fabulous event to celebrate Petita the Elephants birthday and one of our favourite days out during the Summer. This year it takes place in Terra Natura on the 24th August and you can read all about it in one of our previous articles that is available at the Gran Alacant Advertiser website. Until next time Star and Ashlee xxx

Out & About with Star & Ashlee

71 71

SANTA POLA

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SANTA POLA

Pola port in darkness at 06.20 on the Sunday morning with 250 competitors on board. In the eerie glare of the artificial lighting the competitors sat. Noisy, nervous chatter could be heard from some groups but mainly people peered pensively into the dark, contemplating what was to come. For Esther from Elche this was her third Tabarca swim, whereas Pascual was swimming this for the first time. As daylight came, their attention was drawn to the course which is marked out by a series of buoys from the island to Varadero beach. Already the support craft (paddle boards, kayaks and

XXIV Travesia A Nado Tabarca – Santa Pola (Tabarca to Santa Pola Open Water Swim) as experienced by Geoff Young The weather forecast was excellent and sea conditions Good to very Good. For the first time in many years the one element the organisers couldn’t control was offering itself up to them in a sign that this year everything was going to be good. And good it was. This year they were not going to be held hostage to the sea conditions as in other years. 1500 competitors from 19 countries and from all parts of Spain

converged on Santa Pola to compete in the best Open Water course in Spain, swimming the 6000 metres from Tabarca to Santa Pola on Sunday morning 7th July. The scale and importance of this event cannot be underestimated. Planning and preparation for this starts 9 months before the actual event with thousands of entry applications submitted to the organisers in February such is the popularity of the swim. The “lucky” 1500 are selected to participate by means of a ballot. The first ferry to Tabarca departed Santa

inflatable boats) were in the sea, all on hand to support the swimmers in case they got into difficulties, which include exhaustion and jelly fish stings. Once on Tabarca, the swimmers prepare themselves, both mentally and physically for the challenge ahead. For some it is about racing to be first, for others, getting a personal best, but for the majority it is about the prestige of finishing. Some will make the distance in under 1 hour and 30 minutes, with the last competitors arriving in Santa Pola just under 4 hours. Alberto Esquitino Garrido was the first back to Santa Pola in 1 hour and 28 minutes, and the first female, Rebeca Santos Arriago, finished 4th overall in a time of 1 hour 36 minutes. Rebeca not only won the female section but is the current Champion of Spain and Europe at this event. They say, “Behind every great man is a great woman”, well the same is true for this

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event. Behind every great event is a great organisation team, and the organisers of this event need special mention. These are not highly paid “Events Organisers”, but a dedicated group of unpaid volunteers,

motivated solely on making this event one of the best in the country. That these volunteers persevere in the face of problems is testament to their unflinching desire to make things work – for you. The Club Natacion Alone was supported by the Town Hall and a large number of sponsors to bring this event to Santa Pola. If you are interested in participating next year, registrations open in February 2020, but be warned, the maximum number of participants is limited to 1500 swimmers and is always over subscribed. The race will take place in July 2020, so please go along and support the swimmers and organisers.

UPCOMING (PARTICIPATIVE) SPORTING EVENTS Every year we are blessed in Gran Alacant with a number of well hosted sporting events in and around Santa Pola. Recently there was the Tabarca – Santa Pola 6000 metre swim, and now we reach that time of year to contemplate three other events in Santa Pola and Gran Alacant. Of course there are many more in the surrounding towns and cities. Cross Popular Abel Anton, Gran Alacant Sunday 6th October 2019 (TBC) Start and finish in Mercadona Car Park 10km route along Avda Mediterraneo, passing into the Sierra at the top of the hill then making a circular route back to Mercadona Registration: Not open yet.

La Gran Carrera Del Mediterraneo 20k (The Great Race of the Mediterranean 20k) Sunday 3rd November 2019, 10.00am. Start in Alicante to la Cadena, Santa Pola East. 20km route from Alicante along the sea front, via Urbanova, Las Arenales, to Santa Pola East. Registration: Euro 22.00 until 31 August Euro 26.00 from 1st September – 27th October Registration: www.rockthesport.com 29th Mitja Marato Internacional Santa Pola Half Marathon Sunday 19th January 2020, Starting 10.30 Start, Calle Fernando Perez Ojeda, (opposite The Harbour) 21.1km Route around Santa Pola Registration: now open Registration: www.mitjasantapola.com

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CWW Electrical Services Qualified electrician All electrical work undertaken Tel: 617 872 405 *** Contact Clive or Wendy

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CARS FOR SALE

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WHAT’S THAT IN THE CLOT? by Mark Etheridge

NIGHTJAR

I don't really recommend the summer months for wildlife watching, it's all too uncomfortable and there are much better things to do! It can become very unpleasant to be out in the midday sun (accompanied by the odd mad dog) and besides that, most birds will be seeking the shade and making themselves difficult to see. But perhaps you can fit in a short evening trip to see something quite unusual, in fact it's a somewhat mysterious bird which few people know about – and our corner of Spain is a very good place to find them during the summer. And best of all, you don't have to risk sunburn to see it. If you go along the N332 south of Gran Alacant, you will have seen a signpost to the east pointing to the Faro del Cabo de Santa Pola – the Santa Pola lighthouse road. You may have already gone along this rather bumpy track to see the Skywalk, or the paragliders as they launch themselves off the cliff edge. An interesting day out, but for birdwatchers an even more interesting site, because of the presence of Nightjars. You need to visit just as the sun goes down, and watch the skies until it's completely dark There are two species of Nightjar in Spain, the Common or European Nightjar, and the Red-necked Nightjar, and both are found in this area. The best way to separate them is by their calls – the Common Nightjar has

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a call which is a low continuous “churrrr”, sounding a bit like a two-stroke engine going through two gears. The Red-necked Nightjar has a repetitive call “Kytock, Ky-tock” which can also go on for a while, and both species perform 'wing-claps' as they fly, a bit like a pigeon does when it takes off. The Red-necked Nightjar is slightly bigger – it is very difficult to separate the two species in flight in low light, but the Common tends to fly lower to the ground, in and out of the pine trees with it's wings in a V shape. The Red-necked flies higher, over your head and with a slower wing beat. They have a very similar plumage, but the Common has black leading edges to the wing which you may pick out if the light is not too bad. Both birds feed on nightflying insects, and rest up during the day, either on the ground or on a tree branch, where their cryptic colours make them almost impossible to see. The best place to see them is from the car park just to the east of the lighthouse, and some birders recommend that you wave a white hanky in the air at dusk to attract them – I've never tried it, but it may work for you! But my top tip is – when there is no light left in the sky, and you decide to return home, drive slowly along the bumpy track and watch the ground in front of you – my picture is of a Red-necked Nightjar just sitting on the road in the dark. The theory is that they are taking up the residual heat of the day from the road, and if you approach slowly, they will stay still and you can get a good view of them in your headlights. You can see more photographs of birds from our area by visiting www.marketheridge.smugmug.com See you next month.

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GRAN ALACANT GOLF SOCIETY Not a lot to report this month. Following the busy months of May and June for the Society, July has been relatively quiet. However, the summer holiday season is now kicking in and whilst we shall lose the occassional core member for the odd week we do expect visitors to swell our numbers across the remainder of July into August. Please bear in mind our comments last month regarding the closure of the Course from 19 to 30 August. So, for golfers thinking of playing with us in August should note that our last game will be Friday 16th, recommencing on Tuesday3 September. As always new members and/or guests are always welcome, whether a full time resident, someone with your own holiday home for regular visits throughout the year or a holiday maker in the region. We would love to see you.

For more information please contact either Barry C (686180585) or Barry D (966183018).

TENNIS CLUB - EURO TENIS For players of all standards near Gran Alacant, Santa Pola, La Marina and Elche. Playing Tuesday and Friday mornings, 10.00 12.00 at Club de tenis Elche. Details from Sally by email: sallymay113@ gmail.com

Group road bike rides with BICI Gran Alacant We are a small group who spend most of the winter here in Gran Alacant. If you are interested in joining one of our rides look us up on Facebook Gran Alacant Road Cyclist (Bici Gran Alacant) where ride details are posted.

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CLINICA VETERINARIA GRAN ALACANT EXOTICS

Tel: 966 698 569

Liliana Aldeguer Cerdán 793 English translation by Sergio Reina Esteban col 747

PROTECTING PETS, PROTECTING PEOPLE Let’s imagine a children classroom: the same way we don’t want any child suffering from lice at our children’s class, we have the responsibility of not to take our children to school if they are suffering from lice. In this cases, we just wait till they are back to normal, same as we would do in case of chicken pox: it’s not a very worrying disease, but it’s our duty to protect other people. Last week we were asked by a client if he could take his female dog to the dogs beach when she is in season. By a strictly veterinary point of view, there is no contraindication for her health, but common sense would discourage it since it’s not the best moment to go to the beach. Females in season are often more nervous than normal, and even very aggressive against other females. Not to mention what would happen with males... Definitively we wouldn’t take a female dog of ours to the beach if she is in season. Anyway, in most dog friendly beaches and dog parks, females in season are not allowed. The regulation is made by the Town Hall where the beach or park is located, and like any other official regulation, must be respected. Dogs must be chipped and have a valid and non-expired rabies injection. Of course, dogs suffering from contagious diseases such as kennel cough are also forbidden in these public places. When we have a pet, we have a double responsibility: • Protect and care our pet. • Prevent our pet causes any damage to other pets, people or environment. A good example of this would be notifiable diseases, such as Leishmaniasis in dogs and Toxoplasmosis in cats. This two diseases are specially important sice they can be transmitted to people.

In case of cats suffering from STD’s such as AIDS or leukaemia, the most logical option

is to neuter positive animals for stopping them from spreading the viruses. When we inoculate and give antiparasitic treatments to our pets, we are not only protecting our pet, but also other pets and people: it’s a proven fact that cases of tapeworm infestations in humans (including horrible hydatid cysts) have dropped dramatically since dogs are regularly dewormed. Other precautions such as walking dogs on the lead prevent accidents, which can be very serious in case bike and motorbike riders are involved. It’s true that everybody feels more relaxed about their obligations in summer, but we shouldn’t forget to protect our pets all year round, and this way we will protect people as well.

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PETS IN SPAIN www.petsinspain.com

Pets In Spain is a website dedicated to the re-homing of abandoned and unwanted animals on the Costa Blanca. Whether you are looking to adopt an animal, advertise an animal or if you simply want to know more about taking care of your pet in Spain, please take a look at our site or Call: 645 469 253 Arko is a 10 year old golden labrador in desperate need of a new home. He is a physically active boy and enjoys life but he is almost blind. Arko is gentle with all dogs but due to almost being blind he needs little time to get to know new animal companions. He is great with all people and has been neutered.

Charlie is a 4 year old Rottweiler in need of a new home. He has a fantastic temperament and is currently in a home with other dogs. Charlie is chipped, vaccinated and neutered. He sleeps in the house but likes space to run round during the day and is good on a lead.

From last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition all the kittens and Dexter were adopted. Dylan is a wonderful 5 year old Bichon looking for a forever home. He is great with other dogs and has been chipped, vaccinated and neutered.

For many weeks she has been in the garden of an empty house, however, new tenants were moving in and after being informed about this cat insisted that she is removed before they arrived the next day. We were able to rescue her and is now in a foster home. We have named this very people friendly Ragdoll type cat Regina

To view more animals for adoption visit our website. If you would like to advertise an animal email: info@petsinspain.com

Tel: 645 469 253

Fancy a partnership with a luxury motor Yacht in Santa Pola? I am looking for a responsible partner who wishes to have half ownership in a 13.10m x 4.00m Astondoa fly motor Yacht, year 2001. It had a complete refurbishment in 2014 and is kept in immaculate condition at Santa Pola. The boat costs about 800 euros a month to moor, insure and maintain properly so I am looking for a partner so I can reduce my expenses as I retired last year. There could be several options about partnership arrangements. The boat has a value of 125,000â&#x201A;Ź.

If interested call Elwyn on T: 633803044 READ THE MAGAZINE EVERY MONTH AT www.granalacantadvertiser.com

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WORDSEARCH WORDSEARCH: in English & Spanish LOS SERVICIOS DE EMERGENCIA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EMERGENCY SERVICES

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SUDOKU Difficulty Rating: EASY To solve the puzzle each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column must contain all the numbers 1 to 9. While the rules of this logic puzzle may be simple, there are numerous strategies to help you solve Sudoku. For hints and information visit www.sudoku.org.uk

Difficulty Rating: MEDIUM

SAMARITANS IN SPAIN

8 2 9 9 7

2 6 5

5 9

4 8

6 2

3 7

1 3 2 8

8 1 9

8 4

7 8 5

1 2 5

6 2

3 4 1

8 5 7 4

9 5

6 5

1 8 3

8 3

1 8

1 8 2

6 9 7

5 7 9

7 1

6 8

7 6

900 525 100

Difficulty Rating: HARD

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Find places of interest, and the locaton of all of our advertisers on Gran Alacant.

1. CARABASSI CENTRE • ALEXANDRIA • AQUARIUS • GRAN ALACANT PROPERTIES • OCEANS • PHOENIX • MAYKA’S KITCHEN • MILEY O’ROURKE’S • LIZARD LOUNGE • HEAVEN STAR

2. PLAZA MAYOR • VET GA EXOTICS • AZAFRAN INDIAN • THE PUB • CHILL OUT GRILL • PATAGONIA • LOUNGED • LA PIAZZA

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3. COMMERCIAL CENTRE • EURONICS ELECTRICAL • HOMEFINDERS • BRICO HOUSE • CENTURY 21 • INFERNUM • GLAROS • LOS DADOS • GET FRESH

GA ADVERTISER TOP UP DELIVERY POINT GRAN ALACANT PROPERTIES - QUICKSAVE - EURONICS GA SERVICES TAXI SANTA POLA & GRAN ALACANT Tel: 965 088 398 / M: 677 508 017 24h service - English spoken Accept card payment (VISA, etc)

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To get your business on our map call ENGLISH : 966 699 167 / ESPANOL: 676 74 19 83

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4. SIERRA MAR • PATAGONIA No.2 • LA PALETTA • ZEST

5. ESCANDINAVIA

• 5A CHIROPODY & PHYSIO

• 5B GA SERVICES • 5B VICTORIA • 5B HEMINGWAY • 5C GABY HAIRDRESSING • 5C BAR SIOUX • 5C GA TV •

6. AVDA.MEDITERRANEO • DENTIMAR • LA CESTA

5c 7. SANTARA LIFE RESORT 7

• GA INSURANCES • PILATE STUDIO • LUNA HAIRDRESSING

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Aquagest 24hr..(water co.) 902 250 170 Aeropuerto 966 919 000 Ayuntamiento-GA 966 697 749 Bus Station 965 130 700 Train Station 902 240 202 Bomberos (Fire) 085 Biblioteca (Library) 966 692 773 Butano gas 966 672 222 Emergency 112 Guardia Civil 062 Guardia Civil 965 411 290 Iberdrola (electric co.) 901 202 020

Library GA 966 697 110 Local Police 092 Local Police 965 411 103 Medical Health Service 966 699 081 National Police 091 Red Cross (Cruz Roja) 965 416 936 Red Cross emergencies 112 Rubbish collection 966 693 955 Suma 965 292 000 Taxi sited at LIDL 96 541 11 11 Telefonica 1004

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GRAN ALACANT BUS & TRAIN TIMETABLES

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