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ISSUE No. 05 Oct-Nov 2016
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PLUS PROPERTY • FOOD • PLACES TO VISIT • BOOKS • LIFESTYLE & MUCH MUCH MORE
WELCOME Welcome to The Costa Blanca Autumn edition for October and November. With the Ryder Cup, The new Premiership season and the England Cricket Teams tour of India it is a very sporty time of the year and although it seems Summer has only just finished it will be Christmas very son. Please read our various articles within the magazine and of course please use the business advertisers in this edition and tell them you saw their advert in the Ultimate Magazine. If you wish to advertise in the Christmas edition please call one of the numbers below or email us at the address below. This magazine is available in Costa Blanca North and South so if you like it why not drop us a line and suggest something you would like us to write about in future editions.
SALES DIRECTOR Gary Funnell (+34) 634 365 367 GENERAL ENQUIRIES Head Office: (+34) 950 473 102 info@ultimatemagazine.es
Contents
04 At the movies: BFG & Roald Dahl 08 Things to do: Doñana National Park 10 QI: Alan Davies 13 N332: Rules & Regs 14 Lifestyle: Go Bananas 18 A destination report: The Algarve 22 The Book Shelf 24 Gourmet Guide 27 Food Glorious Food: Baked Dorada 30 Photography Hints & Tips 32 Comedians: Ardal O’Hanlon 34 The Golf Pages: Club tips, Deals & Tournaments 37 Paella: Brief History 42 Worlds Most: Aphrodisiac foods 50 2016/17 Barclays Premiership 53 Come Wine With Me: Infusion revolution
Next Issue no.06 Dec-Jan 2016/17
Ultimate Almeria (Published by GSF Communications), Paseo de Mediterráneo, Mojacar. 04638. Tel: 950 473 102 www.ultimatemagazine.es If you wish to advertise in the next edition please call or e-mail us with your information or request at: info@ultimatemagazine.es Ultimate Almeria has taken due care and diligence in compiling this guide and cannot accept responsibility for advertisers work, services or goods. Please use standard practise and take up further references. We endeavour to ensure that all contents are correct at the time of going to press but cannot be held responsible for the effects of errors or omissions. 3
The
With a new film adaptation of The BFG recently released in July 2016, here are a few things you may not know about Roald Dahl’s much-loved story. The BFG, about the dream-catching Big Friendly Giant and young orphan Sophie, was first published in 1982. More than 30 years and one animated TV film later the story has now been set for the big screen directed by Steven Spielberg but were you aware of these other fascinating facts?
‘Sophie’ was originally ‘Jody’ In early drafts of the story, the child snatched by the BFG from an orphanage bedroom was not Sophie, but a little boy named Jody. Jody soon transformed into Sophie - named after Roald’s first grandchild - the resourceful and brave girl who helps the BFG outwit those other horrible giants.
The BFG speaks his own language, The BFG began life as a scribble in and it has a name. an exercise book. As The BFG says to Sophie, “Words... is oh such a twitchThroughout his life, Roald Dahl kept what he called his ‘Ideas Books’ - old school exercise books he used to write down any inspiration for a story that came to him. This is how The BFG began - as a note in one of Roald’s books, scrawled in pencil, revisited years later and published when Roald was 66. The Ideas Books books are now stored in the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre archive.
ticking problem to me all my life.” His idiosyncratic way of talking - with its tangled-up sentences and newly-crafted phrases - led Roald to draft long lists of words for him to speak. This formed the basis of ‘gobblefunk,’ which is what we call the BFG’s language, and these lists are also kept in the Roald Dahl Museum archive.
The BFG was Roald’s own favourite The Big Friendly Giant made his - and he even pretended to be the first appearance in Danny, the Big Friendly Giant. Champion of the World. Roald once said that of all his stories, The BFG was particularly The character of The Big Friendly Giant first appeared in Roald’s 1975 story Danny, the Champion of the World. He was a character in a bedtime story Danny’s father told him “which must have gone on for at least fifty nights,” and many of the details about the character are the same, from his ability to mix dreams to his incredible hearing.
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close to his heart. It’s certainly something that stayed with him throughout his lifetime - even before Danny’s father introduced us to him, Roald was telling the story of the dream-catching giant to his own children and, later, his grandchildren. He would climb a ladder outside their bedrooms and pretend to blow good dreams in through the window - just like the BFG.
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and fighter pilot. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide.
in Washington, Dahl sent a copy to the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt who read it to her grandchildren and the book was commissioned by Walt Disney for a film that was never made.
Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, Dahl served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence officer, rising to the rank of acting wing commander.
Dahl’s short stories are known for their unexpected endings and his children’s books for their unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic content, featuring villainous adult enemies of the child characters. His books champion the kind-hearted, and feature an underlying warm sentiment. Dahl’s works for children include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Witches, Fantastic Mr Fox, The BFG, The Twits and George’s Marvellous Medicine. His adult works include Tales of the Unexpected.
He rose to prominence in the 1940s with works for both children and adults and he became one of the world’s bestselling authors. He has been referred to as “one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century”. His awards for contribution to literature include the 1983 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, and the British Book Awards’ Children’s Author of the Year in 1990. In 2008, The Times placed Dahl 16th on its list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”. Dahl’s first published work, inspired by a meeting with C. S. Forester, was “A Piece of Cake” on 1 August 1942. The story, about his wartime adventures, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post for US$1,000 (a substantial sum in 1942) and published under the title “Shot Down Over Libya”. His first children’s book was The Gremlins, published in 1943, about mischievous little creatures that were part of Royal Air Force folklore. The RAF pilots blamed the gremlins for all the problems with the aircraft. While at the British Embassy
The Mystery Writers of America presented Dahl with three Edgar Awards for his work, and many were originally written for American magazines such as Collier’s (The Collector’s Item was Colliers Star Story of the week for 4 September 1948), Ladies Home Journal, Harper’s, Playboy and The New Yorker. Works such as Kiss Kiss subsequently collected Dahl’s stories into anthologies, gaining worldwide acclaim. One of his more famous adult stories, “The Smoker” (also known as “Man from the South”), was filmed twice as both 1960 and 1985 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and also adapted into Quentin Tarantino’s segment of the 1995 film Four Rooms. This oft-anthologised classic concerns a man in Jamaica who wagers with visitors in an attempt to claim the fingers from their hands. The 1960 Hitchcock version stars Steve McQueen and Peter Lorre.
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Things to do...Places to see...
Doñana National The Parque Nacional de Doñana is one of Europe’s most important wetland reserves and a major site for migrating birds. It is an immense area; the parque itself and surroundingparque natural or Entorno de Doñana (a protected buffer zone) amount to over 1,300 sq km in the provinces of Huelva, Sevilla and Cádiz. It is internationally for recognised for its great ecological wealth. Doñana has become a key centre in the world of conservationism. Doñana is well known for its enormous variety of bird species, either permanent residents, winter visitors from north and central Europe or summer visitors from Africa, like its numerous types of geese and colourful colonies of flamingo. It has one of the world’s largest colonies of Spanish imperial eagles. The park as a whole comprises three distinct kinds of ecosystem: the marismas, the Mediterranean scrublands and the coastal mobile dunes with their beaches. The configuration of the Parque Nacional de Doñana is a result of its past as the delta of the Guadalquivir river, the ‘big river’, or Wada-I-Kebir, of the Moors. But it is a delta with a difference. Unlike most, the river has only one outlet to the sea, just below Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The rest of what used to be its delta has gradually been blocked off by a huge sandbar that stretches from the mouth of the Río Tinto, near Palos de la Frontera, to the riverbank opposite Sanlúcar, and which the sea winds have gradually formed into high dunes. Behind this natural barrier stretches the marshlands (marismas).
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The effect of this extraordinary mélange of land and water was to create an environment shunned by people but ideal for wildlife. As early as the thirteenth century, the kings of Castille set aside a portion of the Doñana as a royal hunting estate; later the dukes of Medina Sidonia made it their private coto too. One of the duchesses of Medina Sidonia, Doná Ana de Silva y Mendoza, indulged her antisocial instincts by building a residence there that was more hermitage than palace. As a result, the entire region came to be known as the ‘forest of Doná Ana’, or Doñana. In the eighteenth century, Goya is known to have visited the Duchess of Alba at the Palacio de Doñana when she was its proprietress. Subsequently, the land passed through many hands before the official creation of the parque nacional in 1969. Meanwhile, adjoining areas of wetland were being dramatically reduced. Across the Guadalquivir vast marshes were drained and converted to farmland, until only the protected lands of the Doñana remained intact. For centuries there had been only a vacant spot on the map between Lebrija in the east and Almonte in the north west, but in recent years whole towns and villages have sprung up west of the Guadalquivir, and the resort town of Matalascañas has brought urban sprawl to the south-western edge of the Doñana, a place once occupied
Park
by reed-thatched fishermen’s huts. The proximity of these settlements has further complicated the work of the park’s wildlife guardians. Two of the Doñana’s precious lynxes, for example, have been run over by cars on the highway to Matalascañas; cats and dogs straying out of the nearest towns have killed animals in the park, and birds that have overflown the fences have been gunned down by trigger-happy hunters despite stringent conservation laws. A more permanent threat to the Doñana’s ecosystem are the new ricefields and other agricultural projects north of El Rocío, whose run-off waters sluice pesticides into the marismas and the sulphur mines upstream at Aznalcóliar which was effluvium into the river. ACCESS - Entrance to the park is strictly controlled. You can take half-day trips with official guides or explore the environs of the visitors’ centres on foot. To visit the principal visitors’ centre at El Acebuche, take the A483 south of Almonte and about 12km from El Rocío is the signposted turn at Km29 for Centro de Recepción El Acebuche (959 44 87 11), 1½km from the main road. Alternatively, you can drive 3km north of Matalascañas to the turn-off at Km29. The centre has an exhibition about the park, a café and a shop selling maps and books. From the centre is a signposted 5km trail through scrubland and pine trees. Next to the centre is the El Acebuche lagoon, with bird hides, where you can see purple gallinules, among other birds.
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QI Now that Stephen Fry has left QI, we have compiled some facts about his sidekick Alan Davies.
Fry, 58, announced his decision to resign from the show recently, with the BBC deciding that he will be replaced with fellow comedian Sandi Toksvig. Alan Davies, who has been a team captain on the show and worked alongside Fry since it began, has now revealed that he thought about quitting as well, saying that it wouldn’t be the same. “I didn’t want to [quit],” he said. “On balance, I wanted to stay. It’s a great job - anybody would like to have my job,
so why would you quit? I’ll wait until I’m pushed!” But the thought did cross the 50-year-old’s mind. “It’s been a while since I’ve been excited about QI, I must say,” he said, candidly. “But it’s different. And it’ll be weird when the lights go down and the theme music comes on and I look around and I go, ‘Who the f**k are you?’” He was quick to reassure that he hasn’t got a problem with who has been chosen to replace Fry.
A brief background on Alan Davies Alan Roger Davies born 6 March 1966) is an English stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He has played the title role in the BBC mystery drama series Jonathan Creek since 1997, and has been a permanent panellist on the BBC panel show QI from 2003. Davies began performing stand-up comedy in 1988 at the Whitstable Labour Club. In 1991, and he was named Time Out’s Best Young Comic. In 1994 and 1995, Davies hosted “Alan’s Big One” for three series on Radio 1 before appearing in Channel 4’s spoof travel show “One for the Road” In February 2014, Davies presented a chat show “Alan Davies Après-Ski” on BBC Two, which looked at some of the highlights of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Since 2014, he has hosted “The Dog Rescuers” for Channel 5 and chat show “Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled” for Dave. Davies’s first book, the autobiographical “My Favourite People and Me”, 1978-88 was published by Michael Joseph (Penguin Books) in September 2009. Alan is a lifelong fan & season ticket holder of Arsenal FC Davies married writer Katie Maskell on 13 January 2007 after a 6-month engagement. The couple first met backstage at QI in 2005. Friend and comedy partner Bill Bailey was Davies’s best man and delivered a speech at the ceremony. The happy couple have three children together. 10
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N332
the best place to find easily digestible information regarding road and traffic laws in Spain.
N332 is an informational portal written by ex Guardia Civil to give important information on Spanish Roads and educate ex pats and visitors on safety on driving in Spain. As well as other information regarding living and visiting Spain.
CYCLING ON SPANISH ROADS Is cycling two abreast LEGAL or ILLEGAL? Due to the large amount of cyclists who do NOT know the SPANISH traffic law, we have decided to publish the article of the law that explains if it is legal or not to cycle two abreast.
So if you are cycling two abreast and there are vehicles behind you, you will have to cycle in a single row, BUT if the group is too large, you will have to separate to small groups leaving enough space to let the other vehicles overtake you.
We underline SPANISH traffic law, because we know that in other European countries there are other legislations, similar but NOT the same, so if you are cycling in SPAIN you should read / know the Spanish Traffic Law before you start an meaningless argument with others.
Of course if both cyclists are on the hard shoulder, they can keep cycling two abreast because they are not obstructing the traffic.
Q. Can you cycle 2 abreast?
We hope this will clear all your doubts. Remember that the rules in Spain are not always the same as in your own country. Please ask N332 by visiting their facebook or website as they are there to help you.
A. In short, yes but not all the time and there are rules to follow.
Q. In what cases can’t you cycle 2 abreast?
A. On road sections when there is not enough visibility for the oncoming traffic and when there are vehicles behind you, waiting to overtake.
You can find more info, associated files to download and additional stories by visiting their website wwwN332.es or liking their page on Facebook/N332. 13
LIFESTYLE In addition to being eaten raw, bananas are a wonderful addition to a variety of recipes from salads to baked goods.
Go Bananas! Wonderfully sweet with firm and creamy flesh, bananas come prepackaged in their own yellow jackets and are available for harvest throughout the year. 14
E
Banana Ideas
Banana facts
Bananas are the king of fruits and one of the most popular fruits in the world. They are a bit like avocados - we all love them but we don’t really understand them. I have never eaten a fresh banana in my life but they are great to cook with.
Bananas are high in fibre but did you know that they contain around 75 percent water?
Knickerbocker glories, banana splits and banana milkshakes are all great but there is so much more you can do with bananas. They can be used in savoury dishes as well as sweet. You can treat the banana like a vegetable. Anything a root vegetable can do (for example a parsnip or celeriac) a banana can do and they can take a lot of salt. Try slicing a banana into 1cm thick slices and bake it in the oven – it will come out like celeriac. Another favourite is a pork dish with curry sauce, rice and bananas. It sounds mad but bananas work really well in curries. The next time you make a curry, put some bananas in it with sultanas and coconut, don’t tell anyone and see what everyone thinks! Black bananas are perfect for baking in the oven. Stick them in with the skin on at a low heat until it turns really black. When it comes out the banana will be almost jelly like to eat and it goes well with chilli, yogurt or curry sauce. If you let it go cold the natural jelly sets and it’s delicious. They are also fantastic cooked on the barbecue. Take a banana (peel on) wrap it in Parma ham, sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and bake for 40 minutes then sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Wonderful! There’s a classic dish called fillet of sole caprice (or filet de sole caprice) which is fillets of dover sole, capers, butter, noisette potatoes and roast bananas. Dover sole goes really well with bananas.
Here are 10 more fascinating facts that you might not know about bananas. Bananas are naturally radioactive because they contain relatively high amounts of potassium-40, a radioactive isotope of potassium. However, there’s no need to worry as this naturally occurring radiation have very little effect on the body. A banana plant is actually classed as a herb. A bunch of bananas is sometimes called a hand, while a single banana is called a finger Eating a banana can cheer you up. The banana is the only fruit that contains amino acid tryptophan and vitamin B6, which together help the body produce serotonin. Over 100 billion bananas are eaten annually worldwide. Banana plants belong to the same botanical family as lilies, palms and orchids. The goldfinger banana is a hybrid, created by Philip Rowe, which tastes like an apple. There are approximately 1,000 different types of banana plant in the world but most are unpalatable.
Why not try Yorkshire Pudding Surprise. Coat your banana with some Yorkshire pudding batter; deep fry and serve with onion gravy and thyme. It sounds weird but it works so well.
Bananas are one of the healthiest natural food sources around. They contain almost no fat, are low in calories and high in vitamin B6, fibre and potassium.
For a sweet treat, slice a banana (peel on) then sprinkle with sugar & stick under the grill. It comes out like a banana crisp.
Fibres taken from banana plants can be used to make clothes.
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Looking to rent out your property?
LONG TERM RENTALS There is always a great need for long term rental properties in the Javea and Moraira areas. The requirements of our clients vary and their budgets range from 400€ to 5000€ per month. There is a demand for all types of properties from studios and apartments, to traditional townhouses, family villas and luxury country houses - we have clients for all. Renting long term gives you as landlord a steady monthly income with relatively low outgoings, it’s a secure way to rent your property in Spain, especially if you do not live locally. Sunset take care of everything for you from finding a tenant to managing and resolving any issues. At Sunset we pride ourselves on selecting quality clients, usually British or from Northern European countries. We vet our clients ensuring they have good references and have the financial means to pay the rent. We charge our landlords a one off finder’s fee, equivalent to one month’s rent, this includes managing your property for a full year. If the tenants stay longer then we charge ½ a month for additional years. Sunset long term rental services are the most cost effective in the area, we always go above and beyond, ensuring that our owners return to us every time they want to re-rent their property. We have an unprecedented reputation for providing the best and most comprehensive long term rentals services at probably the lowest cost in comparison to other agents. From taking great photos and advertising your property on the best portals, to selecting quality tenants, getting the house ready to rent and being there for you and your tenants for the full term of the contract - You won’t regret choosing Sunset as your preferred agent.
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WINTER RENTALS There is a reasonably high demand for winter rentals in the Javea and Moraira areas. The price of winter rentals tends to be less than all year round as clients are not using the property during the lucrative summer months. This is a good opportunity for property owners to take advantage of both the summer and winter season increasing their potential income. From experience the type of clients we have seen over the years are usually British or Northern European and fit in to three main categories:
Pensioners Looking for Winter Sun
Pensioners often come to this area for the winter sun. We find that they are usually looking for apartments close to amenities and have budgets of around 600-1000€ per month excluding utility bills.
Families Testing the Water
It’s a big move selling up and moving to another country, so some families may try the move from September until June (one school year) to see how they settle in and will rent a property before they commit to anything permanent. Usually these people will be looking for villas or large apartments/townhouses and will likely have budgets of between 1000-2000€ per month excluding utility bills.
Property Purchasers
A cautious purchaser often rents for 6 months to test the area before buying. They vary in their requirements but will usually be looking for a low cost option to save their capital. Overall we find that the best properties for winter rental are well located apartments and reasonably priced villas with heating for the winter months.
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ION T A N I T S E D .. REPORT.
All about the Algarve Monte Rei Golf
Famous for its splendid, dramatic cliffs and golden sands, The Algarve, is Portugal’s jewel of the Atlantic.
Bordering Spain’s Huelva province, the journey by car from Almeria is less than six hours. Crossing the Guadiana river which forms the border between the two countries you find yourself in a different time zone (Portugal operates on GMT) and a different culture altogether.
Website ‘top 100 golf courses’ votes Monte Rei in the East of the province as the number one, while Nick Faldo’s, Oceanico course comes in fourth. Whatever your level of play and wherever you choose to stay you can be assured of an excellent course in this golfer’s paradise.
The Algarve has rightly earned the reputation of boasting some of Europe’s best beaches, the wide sweeping bays and coves with soft golden sand, a world away from southeastern Mediterranean beaches where the sand is darker and coarser underfoot. The backdrop of high cliffs conjures up tales of pirates and shipwrecks in the history of this great seafaring nation.
Off the fairway, visitors can enjoy jeep safaris, marine-life centres, lessons at a tennis academy or drive into the hills and get away from it all.
Some of the best beaches include Praia do Vau, near the bustling tourist resort of Praia da Rocha, where during low tide you can walk out and round to neighbouring beaches.
Enjoy a day out in the town of Silves, with its old walls and famous castle, you can step back in time to the seventh century and discover the historical importance of this town in which little has changed in 300 years.
Gale beach, near Albufeira, is great for families with its series of rock pools and fascinating rock formations. Faro island is accessed by a narrow bridge and sits on the edge of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, for plane spotters, the beach is in the flight path of nearby Faro airport so bring your binoculars! Away from the beach, The Algarve has plenty to keep you occupied, the area is a haven for golfers with no fewer than 35 excellent courses. 18
Boat trips are a popular choice and range from trips through the wonderful cave and grotto formations, dolphin and whale watching expeditions and romantic moonlight cruises.
Cape St Vincent, with its famous lighthouse is the southernmost point of Portugal and was the scene of many naval battles including the defeat of the Spanish fleet in 1797 by the then, ‘commodore’ Nelson. The lighthouse is among the most powerful in Europe and illuminates one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
The international sand-sculpture festival takes place in Pera every March. More than 35,000 tonnes of sand are used to create magnificent structures, some as tall as 12 metres.
sand sculpture
The 2016 edition had a music theme with participants creating amazing sculptures of bands and recording artists from throughout the ages. Foodies won’t be disappointed in The Algarve, of course fish and seafood feature on most menus but meat-eaters can enjoy delicious dishes, with fresh produce used in tasty dishes. In most restaurants you will automatically be brought a basket of crusty bread with a dish of sardine or cheese pate and a bowl of olives. Be aware, this is often added as a charge on the bill, so if it’s not your thing just politely decline. Piri-piri prawns is a popular starter, mop up the juice with chunks of bread, a chicken version is usually available for non-fish-eaters. Fresh catch of the day grilled over charcoal is a delicious choice for a main course and sardines cooked the same way are always on the menu. The Algarve is famous for its ‘peasant food’ and the thick bean stews, with either meat or fish are deliciously comforting dishes. Wash your meal down with vinho verde. Contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t mean ‘green wine’ it simply means the wine is young, often released as little as three months after harvest. Produced in northern Portugal, the wine is refreshing and low in alcohol.
The most difficult thing to do in The Algarve is decide where to stay, there is a vast choice of hotels, apartments and villas in towns along the coast or inland. Some of the most established resorts such as Albufeira, Praia da Rocha and Lagos have, in the most part, retained some authentic charm while offering a lively night scene and hundreds of bars and eateries. Villamoura is perfect as a golfing destination and boasts some of the most exclusive accommodation, while Portimao is perfect for a city-break. Tavira and Sagres are charming fishing towns and Faro, the region’s main city has some excellent shopping. The drive from Almeria to The Algarve takes you through some of Andalucia’s most dramatic scenery and the journey can easily be broken up with a night in Sevilla. Practically on our doorstep, this fascinating region of Portugal offers a break from the norm and a chance to experience another language, fabulous beaches and mouth-watering food without stepping on an aircraft.
Say hasta luego to Spain and bom dia to The Algarve.
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shelf With Halloween just around the corner, let us point you towards some chilling true ghost stories.
The Ghost That Haunted Itself. by Jan-Andrew Henderson
Haunted: The Incredible True Story of a Canadian Family’s Experience Living in a Haunted House Greyfrair’s Cemetery in Edinburgh has You leave us alone; we’ll leave you alone. By Dorah L. Williams a centuries old reputation for being haunted. Its gruesome history includes use as a mass prison, headstone removal, witchcraft, bodysnatching, desecration, corpse dumping and live burial.
Grave’s End: A True Ghost Story by Elaine Mercado
When Elaine Mercado and her first husband bought their home in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1982, they had no idea that they and their two young daughters were embarking on a thirteen-year nightmare. Within a few days of moving in, Elaine and her older daughter In 1998, something new and inexplicable began to experience the sensation of being began occurring in the graveyard. Visitors watched. encountered ‘cold spots’, strange smells and banging noises. They found themselves This book is the true story of how one overcome by nausea, or cut and bruised family tried to cope with living in a haunted by something they could not see. Over the house. It also describes how, with the space of two years, twenty-four people help of parapsychologist Dr. Hans Holzer were knocked unconscious. Homes next and medium Marisa Anderson, the family to the graveyard wall became plagued by discovered the tragic and heartbreaking crockery smashing, objects moving and secrets buried in the house at Grave’s End. unidentified laughter. Witnesses to these attacks ran into the hundreds. There were First Runner up for the 2001 Coalition of two exorcisms of the area. Both failed. Visionary Resources (COVR) Award for Best Biographical/Personal Book. The Poltergeist is still growing stronger. This is its story.
It was an irrational decision. Despite having just moved into a beautiful new house, the Williams family gave in to an odd, overwhelming desire to purchase and move into a Victorian home they had come upon by chance. They were curious, of course, as to why the house had, in the past, had such a high vacancy rate - no one ever seemed to live in it for a long period of time. But that curiosity didn’t last long, because shortly after moving in, strange things began to happen. Through her chilling reminiscences, we witness the all-too-real goings-on in the house. And we join the family as they seek a way to bring an end to the paranormal events that were occurring with ever more frequency and intensity, and learn why the events began in the first place.
these books are available online from Amazon. 22
CONTACT US NOW ON +34 96 693 2890 info@sunsetjavea.com www.sunsetjavea.com
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Sunset Real Estate Agency S.L. Calle Burdeos 9, Local 5, Moreras Del Saladar, 03730, Javea. 23
Algorfa Montys Bar 965 724 870 The Vestry 966 783 976 Baybrooks 966 729 243 Tapas y Mas 638 839 167 Benijofar Punjabi Virsa Indian Restaurant 966 843 939 Oasis Bar Bistro 603 169 090 Catorce 966 849 030 Auberge 965 724 276 El Gusto 966 714 456 Fratelli 966 713 645 Lets Eat 966 078 655 TJ´s 966 712 917 El Mundo 966 715 440 El Dorado 965 724 995 Route 66 966 715 825 Benitachell Casa De Beniasia 966 494 042 Alcasar 966 495 361 Canada Del Sol 965 020 030 La Cumbre 966 493 213 Pizzeria Antiquary 966 493 620 Tasca Les Fonts 609 477 476 The Venue Bar and Grill 673 872 079 Tres Arcos 966 494 143 Tribus Diner 966 493 291 or 672 264 364 Cabo Roig The Black Horse 693 452 189 La Rianxeira 673 149 527 Bar Med 965 320 507 Cabo Roig Restaurant 966 760 175 Chez felix 966 760 342 Manhattans 966 111 605 Balti Tower 623 456 789 Shakira 966 764 467 Campoamor La Finca de Eduardos
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Denia Tapas Tasca Eulalia 965 786 479 El Senyoret restaurant 966 422 958 Ortega 20 restaurant 966 424 717 Cafeteria Llunàtics burger bar 692 682 144 Pizzeria Sandunga 966 430 231 Restaurant Ca Nano 966 430 905 Cafe Bar Latitude 965 783 235 La Menta restaurant 966 431 851 Arena Bar Restaurant 966 425 860 El Trampoli Restaurant 965 781 296 Tasca El Gallego 965 789 594 Café Soles 965 781 980 Mapamundi 966 424 872 / 696 883 119 Restaurante la Senia 606 610 441 El Faralló 966 430 652 La Seu 966 424 478 Drassanes 965 781 118 Quique Dacosta Restaurant 965 784 179 La Barqueta 966 421 626 Kopi restaurant 965 787 881 Marriott Hotel 966 454 054 Guardamar La Caballeria Stan & Ollies La Vuelta
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Moraira Asia Ye The 631 274 015 Azur 965 745 144 Bajul 965 743 381 Bar Cascada 663 771 378 Bar Tropicana 634 318 023 Bayern Hutt’n 966 490 959 Brevis 965 741 029 / 639 379 738 Brisas Del Mar 616 856 612 Cafe Chic 966 933 107 CaPepe 965 743 311 Casa Toni 965 745 411 Del Mar 965 745 153 El Cafeti de la Mar 965 745 997 Fishy Fishy Fish & Chips 966 491 867 Gemisant Restaurant & Pizzeria 965 744 312 La Bonita 965 743 415 La Isla 966 497 080 / 639 231 741 La Serenna 965 743 193 La Sort 966 491 161 Le Dauphin 966 490 432 Le Soleil 965 743 254 Meli Melo 966 498 731 Monrose Carvery 965 744 114 No Nonsense 968 972 472 Olive Tree 966 490 655 Oona’s 669 318 799 Options Restaurant 966 491 899 Piscis Restaurant 966 490 616 Puerto de Moraira 686 964 513 Pulcinella 966 492 367 Raco de L’Arros 965 744 372 Rest Kosta 865 778 300 Restaurante Bela Dama 965 744 329 Restaurant Les Fouges 965 745 109 Restaurante Vespa’s 965 743 256 25
Royal Buddha 966 490 830 Satari’s 965 747 134 Taberna Suiza 966 498 222 Tasca Moraira 966 491 911 The Jacaranda 965 743 292 The Kathmandu 966 492 436 The Lowry 965 747 310 The Secret 692 862 881 The Welcome Stranger 603 345 215 Tiffany’s 634 332 111 Tropicana Bar 634 318 023 Zensatez Restaurante 965 744 255 Orihuela Costa Times Square 966 761 449 Amici 671 553 399 La Braseria 682 819 017 Alfies Place 628 298 900 Tandoori Nights 965 087 922 The Royal Oak 603 656 124 Quesada (Ciudad) Laurel & Hardy’s Bar & Restaurant 965 077 444 Auguste 865 679 381 The Bells 698 418 375 Pepas 672 517 408 Indian Ocean 966 718 211 Chrysellios 966 719 331 Mulberrys restaurant 966 719 819 Goyos 966 718 085 The Spicehut 966 731 063 Rojales Ronalds Restaurant 966 715 176 La Perla Roja 966 712 467 The Clubhouse Restaurant 637 583 373 Firenze 966 845 381 Ali Baba 966 712 969 San Miguel
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Bar Estabio 966 791 108 Frissan Restaurant 966 723 485 Market Street Restaurant 966 723 965 Manisha 965 720 617 Torrevieja Restaurante Christopher 965 710 007 Ole del Mar 965 719 983 La Ripaille 672 513 545 Carmens 965 077 480 Mumbai Blue 965 328 770
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If your establishment is not listed here and you wish to be included in the next edition please e-mail: info@ultimatemagazine.es
Glorious food food
Baked Dorada with Picadillo
Dorada (or Gilt-Head Bream in English) is a very common fish here in Spain. It is a fish that is usually served whole and most fish lovers adore it. Available from all the local supermarkets. You can prepare the fish on the grill, coated in sea salt. Then, serve it whole with a heaping side of picadillo, a fresh salad/salsa made of red pepper, onion and tomato.
Ingredients: • 2 doradas (gilt head bream) that have been cleaned and prepared for baking (ask your fishmonger to do this) • 1 lemon • 1 fish bouillon cube • ¼ cup dry white wine • ¼ cup olive oil • Fresh parsley and/or other herbs (I used an dried Herbs de Provence blend) • Salt and pepper
Picadillo: • 3 firm tomatoes (green, salad tomatoes are best) • 1 medium sized red bell pepper • 1 medium red onion • Red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper
Method: 1. Set the oven to bake at 285°F (140°C) 2. In a small bowl mix the wine, olive oil, juice from half the lemon, a pinch of salt, pepper, half a bouillon cube, and the dried herbs (if using). 3. Make three large cuts diagonally across each fish. 4. Place the fish on a baking sheet and cover with the marinade. 5. Cut the other half of the lemon into 6 round slices and place one slice in each crevice. 6. Dissolve the other half of the bouillon cube in ¼ cup of hot water and halfway through the cooking process cover in the liquid. 7. Put the fish in the oven on the middle rack for 40-45 mins. 8. For the picadillo, remove the seeds and pulp from the tomato and cut in a small dice. 9. Deseed the red pepper and do the same, and cut the onion in a small dice too. Season the salsa with salt and pepper and dress with vinegar and olive oil. 10. Enjoy! To eat the fish slowly pull off the spines and try to get most of the bones out in a few pulls. However, be extremely careful while eating as there are many other bones.
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8 PHOTOGRAPHYHINTS&TIPS
Each edition, local professional photographer, Dean Baker, will be supplying a few tips and guides to help us with our photography skills. Whether you’re a total beginner, enthusiast or keen amateur, we hope there is always something for you to take from this.
COMPOSITION
turning a snap into a photograph
The final piece in the Exposure Triangle I often use the old cliché that the only rule in photography is that there are no rules. However, I like to use a few tried and tested composition guidelines which can be employed in almost any shooting situation, to enhance the photo and give your shots a much more appealing aesthetic and feel because our brains recognise them naturally and accept them as pleasing. Utilise some of these when taking your pictures and you’ll make far more compelling images, lending them a natural balance, drawing attention to the important parts of the scene, or leading the viewer’s eye through the image. As you continue to become more at ease with these techniques you’ll start to see them in other imagery and you will instinctively follow some of them without even knowing, hopefully!
Basic rules of composition: Rule of Thirds This is probably the most common and widely implemented rule of composition. Imagine if you will, that your image is divided into 9 equal segments by 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines. The rule of thirds generally states that you should position the most important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they intersect. Doing so will add balance and interest to your photo. Balance Balancing the elements in your photos by understanding the ‘weight’ that your subject can suggest could lead you slightly from the rule of thirds but still produce visually pleasing results. Leading Lines Our eyes will be lead along well thought out, deliberately placed lines or suggested routes in our photos. Use this to take the viewer on a journey “through” the shot and try not to take the eye away from the subject. Fence lines, railings, roads or pathways work well here. Patterns or Symmetry The symmetry of buildings or patterns in architecture often work very well. Be careful not to disrupt this unless you deliberately intend to add some tension with a well placed subject. Viewpoint Simply giving some extra thought about where you are positioned to take your shot makes a huge difference. The difference between, standing, crouching or laying down on the same shot can be huge. Be creative and dare to be different. Background and Depth Often used hand in hand, try not to forget about the background of your shot when concentrating on your subject. Disruptive, messy backgrounds will detract from your subject whilst clever use of depth can give scale or interest to your intended focal point. Top: Rule of Thirds shown simply. Keep horizons and verticals along these lines. 2nd: An example of leading lines taking us to the subject matter. 3rd: Symmetry can make a boring shot interesting enough to warrant being taken. Bottom: Framing your subject in something natural or man made focuses our minds onto the subject 30
Framing & Cropping We have a whole host of natural framing elements on this earth so use trees, hillsides, archways or windows to focus the attention onto a particular element of your photo. Similarly you can create a “frame” with a tight, creative crop or go right in close and put your subject out of context forcing the viewer to think about what is “outside” the edges of the photo but be careful not to lose impact. NEXT ISSUE: A more comprehensive compositional guide with examples.
Property Sales Spain Listing properties in your area now, buyers booked for viewing appointments.
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Jacaranda Spain Avda. Joanot Martorell, Local 9,10,11
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www.jacarandaspain.com 31
OMEDY FUNNY JOKES LAUGH COMEDY FUNNY JOKES LAUGH COME
Ardal O’Hanlon Ardal O’Hanlon is an Irish comedian and actor. He famously played Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted and George Sunday in My Hero. He’s also appeared in Whose Line is it Anyway, Big Bad World, Blessed and has even shown up in Doctor Who. All this as well as a career in stand up comedy, hosting a show called The Stand Up Show.
There’s why men experience pain more acutely than women -- that’s because there’s always part of a woman’s brain thinking about shoes.
The wife replied, “I swear on everything that’s holy that he is your son.” With that, the husband passed away. The wife muttered, “Thank God he didn’t ask about the other three.”
If you expect a kick in the balls and you get a slap in the face, then it’s a victory.
The inmate on death row is scheduled to be put to death by firing squad. He doesn’t request a last meal or anything special for his last day. As he stands before the firing squad he says, “Actually, music is my life. One thing I would really like would be to sing my favorite song, one whole time through, with no interruptions.” The guard nods solemnly and tells him to go ahead. The inmate starts, “One billion bottles of beer on the wall... .”
A husband and wife have four sons. The oldest three are tall with red hair and light skin while the youngest son is short with black hair and dark eyes. The father was on his deathbed when he turned to his wife and said, “Honey, before I die, be totally honest with me: Is our youngest son my child?”
Thermoman in My Hero. The course of true love never did run smooth, but it’s bumpier for mild-mannered health food shop owner George Sunday than most. He’d like nothing more than to spend quality time wooing his girlfriend, Janet, but George has a secret: He’s actually Thermoman, a superhero from another planet. And just how is a bloke supposed to pitch woo when he’s constantly having to save Earth from one interplanetary menace or another? A very funny show currently being repeated on Gold. Father Ted
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‘What we could
do for you’ I never too early to think about saving for your retirement. It’s Governments are typically looking to reduce and delay the G sstate benefits they provide. IIt is now more important than ever to provide for your rretirement and the earlier you start saving the greater your o options in the future.
Starting a family is an exciting time for us all all. Apart from wanting to continue providing your family with a lifestyle you desire for them, it is vitally important that you provide for them if the worst happens and you are no longer around. Life cover is sadly all too often overlooked.
A our children hild fl the h nest, most off us start As prepare to fly c contemplating our future plans. It is an important time to consider whether or not we have sufficient funds in p place for the retirement lifestyle we want, or whether we w need to spend a few years accumulating savings.
years, we all look forward to living life to In our later years the full and with careful planning, you have the peace of mind that any funds you leave behind pass to your loved ones and not the taxman.
For your free consultation contact
Office: 965 020 444 or Ian Whitby: 634 706 748
Email: info@logicfc.com – www.logicfinancialconsultants.com Logic Financial Consultants is a trading style of Tourbillon Limited. Tourbillon Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Commission (Gibraltar). Licence Number FSC1118B. Registered Address Trinity House, 1-3 Ocean Village Avenue, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.
THEGOLFPAGES By Tony Myles ...your regular insight into Spain’s best and most played golf courses, world tournaments and news.
The 2016 Ryder Cup The Captains
By the time you read this article The Ryder Cup will have been won. Hopefully it will be full of thrills and spills of great competition with most of the greatest players in the World playing in the pressure cooker of matches for their country not for the usual large prize pots. The teams selected are based on performance over the year and then the Captains have their pick. Team Europe with Captain Darren Clarke picking Lee Westwood, Thomas Pieters and Martin Kaymer and the qualifiers Rory Mcilroy, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Andy Sulivan, Danny Willett and Chris Wood.
Team USA with Captain Davis Love III picking Rickie Fowler, J.B. Holmes, Matt Kucher and Ryan Moore with the rest of the team Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Zac Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Brandt Snedeker.
Great players on both sides should have made a wonderful competition on the Hazeltine National Golf Club located in Chaska, Minnesota, a suburb south west of Minneapolis. The place where Tony Jacklin won The US Open in 1970.
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“Rumours of my death have been exaggerated” - Golf By Tony Myles
Each year there are reports of golf courses closing down or changing the nature of their business. These changes tending to be temporary sticking plasters over what is a major wound. Since the dizzy heights of 2004 the US golf game has been losing participants at more than one million per year and with no pipeline of new blood to replace them, this is clearly unsustainable.
Why? What is the cause of this drop-off in interest?
The game hasn’t changed. The introduction of new equipment each year guarantees to make even the raw amateur successful.
Many place the blame at two major incidents:
1. The demise of Tiger Woods - he had been an inspiration for a new generation of players and, when he was practically unbeatable for season after season, many young golfers strove to emulate him. Until he lost all of his god-like features. So why haven’t any of the current young stars produced the same inspirational example? 2. The global recession - No one escaped the impact of the recession and inevitably golf was seen as a dispensable luxury.
But with all economies having emerged and restarted domestic growth, why hasn’t golf also returned to a state of steady growth?
The course has been set-up to test your skills. And the guys in front of you are keeping up with the guys in front of them. So if a round takes four and a half or five hours what is the problem?
Added to these questions you have the fact that there are exceptions and outside Availability - other than for planned of the US and parts of Europe the sport is maintenance there are no golf courses growing and doing very nicely. closing in Spain. And with weather conditions that allow the sport to be In Spain, where the recession hit hard, golf played at least 330 days every year, the is going from strength-to-strength. One of golfer can enjoy his sport whenever he or Spain’s major golf companies, Campbell she wishes. For the youngster there are Lamont Golf, reports strong growth for the several junior competitions every week sixth year in succession. with excellent prizes and incentives to remain a participant. “We are a good indicator of the health of the game as we handle a large percentage Typical of these is the Campbell Lamont of green-fees for courses right across the Junior Leagues which was started just country and each year this part of our two years ago and today has more than business increases. So our experience is two thousand competitors playing right that golf in Spain is in a strong and healthy across Spain every week. condition.” - Campbell Lamont The Golf Gurus in the US and the UK need to look closely at what Campbell There are two possible Lamont has achieved in Spain where no explanations for this... one is seriously considering widening the holes or swapping their driver for a pair of Expectation and Availability. Expectation - With the possible exception football boots. of the odd two-ball or those who choose to tee-off at sunrise, nobody arrives at a Spanish golf course and expects to play eighteen holes in under four hours. Why would they? The sun is shining.
35
36
The History of Paellas
Nearly everyone who travels to Spain on holiday will try at least one Paella and feel a little bit Spanish. Here we explored the history of this famous rice dish and how it came to be. Paella is a Valencian rice dish with ancient roots that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near Albufera lagoon on the east coast of Spain adjacent to the city of Valencia. Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain’s national dish, but most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish. Valencians, in turn, regard paella as one of their identifying symbols. Types of paella include Valencian paella (Spanish: paella valenciana), vegetarian/vegan paella (Spanish: paella de verduras), seafood paella (Spanish: paella de marisco), and mixed paella (Spanish: paella mixta), but there are many others as well. Valencian paella is believed to be the original recipe and consists of white rice,greenbeans (bajoqueta and tavella), meat (chicken and rabbit), white beans (garrofón), snails, and seasoning such as saffron and rosemary. Another very common but seasonal ingredient is artichoke. Seafood paella replaces meat with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat from land animals, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes beans. Most paella chefs use bomba rice due to it being harder to overcook, but Valencians tend to use a slightly stickier (and thus more susceptible to overcooking) variety known as Senia. All types of paellas use olive oil.
Possible origins
The Moors of Moorish Spain began rice cultivation around the 10th century. Consequently, residents of the Valencian region often made casseroles of rice, fish and spices for family gatherings and religious feasts, thus establishing the custom of eating rice in Spain. This led to rice becoming a staple dish by the 15th century. Afterwards, it became customary for cooks to combine rice with vegetables, beans and dry cod, providing an acceptable meal for Lent. Along Spain’s eastern coast, rice was predominantly eaten with fish. Spanish food historian Lourdes March notes that the dish “symbolizes the union and heritage of two important cultures, the Roman, which gives us the utensil and the Arab which brought us the basic food of humanity for centuries
Valencian paella
On special occasions, 18th century Valencians used calderos to cook rice in the open air of their orchards near lake Albufera. Water vole meat was one of the main ingredients of early paellas along with eel and butter beans. Novelist Vicente Blasco Ibáñez described the Valencian custom of eating water voles in Cañas y Barro (1902), a realistic novel about life among the fishermen and peasants near lake Albufera. Living standards rose with the sociological changes of the late 19th century in Spain, giving rise to gatherings and outings in the countryside. This led to a change in paella’s ingredients as well, using instead rabbit, chicken, duck and sometimes snails. This dish became so popular that in 1840 a local Spanish newspaper first used the word paella to refer to the recipe rather than the pan. The most widely used, complete ingredient list of this era was as follows: short-grain white rice, chicken, rabbit, snails (optional), duck (optional), butter beans, great northern beans, runner beans, artichoke (a substitute for runner beans in the winter), tomatoes, fresh rosemary, sweet paprika, saffron, garlic (optional), salt, olive oil and water. Poorer Valencians, however, sometimes used nothing more than snails for meat. Valencians insist that only these ingredients should go into making modern Valencian paella.
Seafood & mixed paella
On the Mediterranean coast, Valencians used seafood instead of meat and beans to make paella. Valencians regard this recipe as authentic as well. In this recipe, the seafood is served in the shell. A variant on this is paella del senyoret which utilizes seafood without shells. Later, however, Spaniards living outside of Valencia combined seafood with meat from land animals and mixed paella was born. This paella is sometimes called “preparación barroca” (baroque preparation) due to the variety of ingredients and its final presentation. During the 20th century, paella’s popularity spread past Spain’s borders. As other cultures set out to make paella, the dish invariably acquired regional influences. Consequently, paella recipes went from being relatively simple to including a wide variety of seafood, meat, sausage, (even chorizo) vegetables and many different seasonings. However, the most globally popular recipe is seafood paella. Throughout non-Valencian Spain, mixed paella is very popular. Some restaurants in Spain (and many in the United States) that serve this mixed version, refer to it as Valencian paella. However, Valencians insist only the original two Valencian recipes are authentic. They generally view all others as inferior, not genuine or even grotesque.
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38
CONEY S.
P
LA
Est. 1989
S T E RIN G
Are you fed up with those awful, tired looking, dirt catching, knobbly walls in your home or the horrible outdated rough cast render finish to the exterior? Coney Plastering ran a very successful family plastering company in London and now is offering its English standards to the Spanish market. Plastering is a tradition for the Coney family with skills of master plasterers being handed down for the past four generations.
“The biggest English plastering company on the Costa Blanca. We can fully plaster a villa in one week!”
Coney Plastering will turn your old style interior and exterior walls and ceilings into smooth and modern English style finish. Also plastering on to tiles (bathroom/kitchen).
Coney Plastering are also experts in : Monocapa / Rendering All aspects of fibrous (coving and moulds etc) • Polished (marble) Drywall ceilings + walls • Thermal boarding
Coney Plastering only use Spanish materials which are specially designed to deal with the rigours of the Spanish climate, so there are no cracks or other problems that can occur from imported brands.
They are recommended by and work with the best builders on the area. References are available on request.
Coney Plastering prides itself on its punctuality and cleanliness of work. Before each job is started they cover all floors, doors and other important surfaces so that when they are finished it is just a simple clean up and they`re off leaving your house the way they found it.
There are plasterers and there’s the plaster master
Call Us Today - Tel: 965 792 618 or 680 751 038
simonconeyplastering@gmail.com
39
For Sale
14,000m2 Plot / Building Permission
Orba Valley, Costa Blanca, Spain. Offers over 250,000 euros
DESCRIPTION Currently under construction on our plot is a six hole pitch and putt golf course with a professionally installed irrigation system plus 50 pop-up sprinklers. There is in place, full planning permission for a 220m2 two storey country house / villa, three additional out buildings of 30m2 each (stables or letting apartments) and a 10x5m2 swimming pool. This plot is situated in the Orba Valley, 15 minutes from the port town of Denia and 5 minutes from the thriving town of Orba, Costa Blanca. It is a flat rectangular plot within walking distance of 7 traditional Spanish villages all with their own bars and restaurants. 40
This plot is being sold with the prospect of continuing the golf course, or for any potential business the new owners may feel beneficial. On the plot is a large 50m2 garage and separate bar, shaded seating area and toilet/shower there is also a separate building that houses the irrigation and water controls. We had a well installed in 2005, 80 metres deep with full license to extract 7000 cubic litres per annum, we have used this well in the past, amongst other things, to grow and irrigate 2 acres of potatoes. Used now constantly throughout the summer to irrigate the golf course. We have chosen not to install mains electric (we run off solar and large generator) but have been quoted approx 15,000 euro for mains installation.
FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY for large property & business contact us now on: partresgolfspain@gmail.com
LOCATION
Reason for sale
Our land is in a semi rural location situated in the Orange growing region of Valencia. It is in a beautiful valley with magnificent panoramic views. This part of Spain is lush and green throughout the year.
Family commitments
Expansion Potential
More information and more pictures Contact us now on: partresgolfspain@gmail.com
As stated in the main description we are 85% complete on opening a six hole pitch and putt, we are also setting up a members club with over one hundred people interested in joining. When sold the new owners can continue with this plan or alternatively, with the irrigation, planning permission and land size, realise there own dreams. 41
the world’s
MOST.
our regular feature bringing you a host of astonishing facts and figures from around the globe.
Aphrodisiac Foods
For many people, two things dominate the mind, so it’s no wonder they go hand in hand. Food and sex are closely linked - romantic meals, sweet treats, and let’s not forget that scene from Nine and a Half Weeks. In fact, we’ve been firm believers in aphrodisiacs for about as long as we’ve been preparing food. But is there any truth in the libido-boosting claims, or are all the theories as limp as a lettuce leaf? Aphrodisiacs are named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, and it would appear that a lot of our common aphrodisiacs and associations of love stem from that time. Aphrodite herself was often imagined emerging from a clamshell, and still today seafood and oysters are recognised as aphrodisiacs.
1. CHILLIES Capsaicin, a chemical found in fiery peppers, increases circulation to get blood pumping and stimulates nerve endings so you’ll feel more turned on.
2. ASPARAGUS AND AVOCADOS The vitamin E in these green eats helps your body churn out hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone, which circulate in your bloodstream and stimulate sexual responses.
3. BANANAS Another reason to think about sex when you wrap your lips around this phallus-shaped fruit: Bananas deliver potassium, a nutrient key to muscle strength. So when you orgasm, the contractions will be superintense.
4. OYSTERS We know, we know: Oysters as an aphrodisiac sounds so clichéd, but they really can spark randiness. These shellfish are brimming with zinc, a mineral that cranks up the production of testosterone, which has been linked to a higher sex drive. 42
the world’s
MOST...
5. Chocolate Cocoa contains the chemical phenylethylamine a stimulant that conjures up subtle feelings of wellbeing and excitement.
6. POMEGRANATES The pom owes its passion power to antioxidants, which protect the lining of blood vessels, allowing more blood to course through them. The upshot? Increased genital sensitivity.
7. RED WINE Besides relaxing you faster than a neck rub can, red wine contains resveratrol, an antioxidant that helps boost blood flow and improves circulation before and during intercourse.
8. Vanilla Post dinner, devour vanilla ice cream as it mildly stimulates nerves, making sexual sensations even better.
9. Water Melon Phytonutrient citrulline contained in watermelons gives an uptick to the nitric oxide in your body. That spike causes blood vessels to relax and speed up circulation. As a result you get aroused much quicker.
43
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This Issue:
Wow, Brutal, Awesome, Never again! Just some of the words used to describe this years Marmotte. The Marmotte is one of the toughest cycling Sportives in the world and is an event that should be on every serious cyclists bucket list. The event is limited to 7500 riders and is sold out within 24 hours, with the vast majority (88%) of riders coming from outside of France It is a gruelling 174km with 5100 metres of climbing over 4 of the most iconic mountains used in the Tour de France.
46
Bourg d’Oisans we passed through stunning scenery up to Lake Vaujany and over the dam wall. 11km from the start we begin the climb of the Glandon. Suddenly there is very little chatter, with heavy breathing echoing through the trees as the massed throng negotiates its way up the 24km hill. It is difficult to pass other cyclists as there are so many crowded into the narrow road. With so many riders, with different fitness levels and targets, it is impossible for the five of us to stay together. After more than an hour’s climbing Alan, Torry and Noel, get to the top and stop at the feeding station, which is well stocked with food and refreshments. At this point the clock is paused and restarted once you reach the bottom of the mountain due to the technical and dangerous nature of the descent. This is to prevent riders from descending too quickly on steep narrow roads with no safety barriers which has seen fatalities in previous years.
First up is the Col du Glandon a long but consistent climb of 20km with an average gradient of 5.5%, ramps of 10% and tops out at 1924 metres above sea level. Next up is the Col du Telegraph which is 11.8km in length at an average gradient of 7.3% at a height of 1570 metres. After a very short downhill this leads to the longest and highest climb of the day, the Col du Galibier at 2645 metres. This climb is 35 km in length with an average gradient of 5.5% but ramps of up to 12%. Then to cap it all off after 161km of cycling the riders face Alpe d’Huez, probably the most famous climb in the history of the Tour de France. This beast is 13.2 km long with an average gradient of 8.1% and ramps of up to 13% and finishes at a height of 1815 metres. This mountain is famous for its 21 hairpin bends, which have plaques counting them down to the top and also have the names of previous winners of the Tour de France.
At this point the weather is still fair, although most riders put on another layer of clothing to keep warm on the descent. We keep an eye out for Tony and Owen, but with so many riders it is impossible to spot them. We head on our way down the Glandon, taking it easy on the fast technical corners.
On Saturday July 2nd five of the lads lined up to tackle this challenge: Alan Quearns, Tony Nolan, Owen Desmond, Torry Haugsdal and Noel O’Mahoney. The weather was overcast with the threat of rain and for the time of year it wasn’t particularly warm. Rain capes and arm warmers were the order of the day, although some riders braved the weather and suffered later when the heavens opened! There were two start times with the first 4000 riders setting off at 7am and the rest starting at 8am. Following a gentle start, with roads closed to traffic, through the town of
Once you pass over the timing strip to restart the clock there is a stretch of flat main road before you hit the bottom slopes of the Telegraph. This is a section where it is important to get into a large group of riders to save energy for the challenge ahead. In this section we see Tony, who is in a group of riders cruising along the valley floor. Soon the slopes of the Telegraph are upon us and at this point Alan and Torry start the climb together. We know we are going to be climbing for more than 2 hours with only a small respite of a 4km descent between the top of
the Telegraph and the start of the Galibier. At the feeding station on top of the Telegraph we meet Owen. We are all agreed it is a matter of survival now, the legs are dead and we still have two mountains to climb! After the short descent we are on the Galibier, a fearsome climb that seems to go on for ever.
riding from side to side across the road hoping it will make the slope less severe! It feels like the end is never coming, you are counting down the hairpins, 21, 20, 19 ….. and then there are corners with no number on them, that is soul destroying! But eventually the end is in sight and the feeling of completing this challenge is unbelievable.
There is snow on the top and you can see riders strewn all over the mountain. As we climb the mountain we see grown men crying at the side of the road, others stretching out their legs trying to get rid of cramp, people being sick, heads in hands and numerous people walking with their bikes, it is carnage! The air is starting to get thinner and colder the higher we climb and eventually there is snow on the side of the road. At last the top is reached and we have all split up again. Jackets are donned for the 40km descent. But it gets worse.
All of the guys agreed this was their most challenging event they had ever undertaken and all apart from Noel said they would NEVER do it again!
Turning the corner down the valley grey clouds are approaching and soon it is chucking it down with rain and hailstones making the descent even trickier. In front there is a rider with no jacket, who is shaking uncontrollably from the cold causing his bike to weave across the road. He is lucky not to crash. After swooping down the descent and through unlit tunnels there are flat roads where you try and get into groups to recover for the final challenge, Alpe d'Huez. Fortunately the rain has stopped and at the feeding station at the bottom of the mountain it is safe to take the jackets off for the long gruelling ascent. After 161km of hard cycling the last thing you want is another mountain to climb, but that is what makes the Marmotte such a difficult challenge. The climb is relentless with no short downhills for respite, it just keeps going up. There are lots of spectators shouting encouragement as the beleaguered riders ride slowly up the mountain.
Of the 7500 starters only 6687 were given an official time by the organisers. What a fantastic achievement for all of the guys who finished the event safe and sound, with Owen the only one who missed out on achieving a Gold standard time.The guys times for the event were: Alan Quearns
7 hrs 57 mins 3 s
Torry Haugsdal
8 hrs 30 mins 8 s
Tony Nolan
8 hrs 34 mins 49 s
Noel O’Mahoney
8 hrs 54 mins 28 s
Owen Desmond
9 hrs 11 mins 13 s
This was a truly memorable event, well managed and marshalled by the organisers. Gary and Lynn are available at Cyclogical in Quesada Monday to Friday from 9.30am – 5.30pm and Saturdays from 10am – 2pm to assist and advise you on all your cycling requirements.
A young boy passes a biscuit to one of the riders, who is grateful for the sustenance. At every hairpin riders are at a standstill, sitting on a wall or the ground taking a rest before climbing on the bike again in an effort to beat the mountain. Riders are going so slowly it is quicker uicker to walk,
All of our routes are now available from our website on www.cyclogicalcostablanca.com Remember Gary and Lynn are available at Cyclogical in Quesada Monday to Friday 09.30-17.30 and Saturdays from 10.00-14.00 to assist and advise you on all your cycling requirements. 47
If you are looking to purchase or sell a property around Guardamar, Quesada, Torrevieja orrevieja and surrounding areas, we can offer you a professional and friendly s service. M PR U S O T PE R TY
EL RASO
SE E
Ref. G1409S
DETACHED VILLA
320,000€ SOUTH FACING
MODERN PROPERTY!
EL RASO Ref. G1414J
DETACHED VILLA
162,000€
EXCELLENT CONDITION
3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Fully furnished Communal swimming pool Utility room American style kitchen
EL RASO Ref. G1416S
DETACHED VILLA
139,950€
EXCELLENT QUALITY
Y
329,950€
D RT N A PE BR RO P
DETACHED VILLA
EW
Ref. G1393C
3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Resale of brand new build Private swimming pool Great opportunity Sold with all extras
N
EL RASO
4 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms Air conditioning and underfloor heating Garage parking Private swimming pool
2 Bedrooms 1 Bathroom Tiled low maintenance garden Communal swimming pool Air conditioned Part furnished
EL RASO
Ref. G1375J
TOWNHOUSE
80,000€ REDUCED!
2 bedrooms 2 Bedrooms Communal pool Large front balcony Air conditioning Part furnished
For your choice of property on the Costa Blanca, do not hesitate to either visit Property Choice at their office in El Raso or contact them by the following means:
Tel: 966 111 970 607 898 336 617 513 351 info@propertychoicespain.com www.propertychoicespain.com
It’s all kickeD off
2016 / 2017
The Premiership The start of the new football season has recently begun with possibly the greatest collection of top managers in the world.
Of course with this collection of new managers the cheque books have been going crazy with lots of top internationals being purchased to strengthen the teams.
With Pep Guardiola moving to Manchester City and Jose Mourinho going to Manchester United this could be the most exciting Premier League ever. Chelsea, Everton, Sunderland and Southampton, to name a few, all have new men in charge with great expectations for supporters of all clubs.
The biggest buy of these so far is Paul Pogba from Juventus to Manchester United for a record 89 million pounds. The irony of this is that he left Manchester United for Juventus only four years ago for a pultry 1.5 Miliion pounds, wonderful business for Juventus.
AFC Bournemouth Eddie Howe Arsenal Arsène Wenger Burnley Sean Dyche Chelsea Antonio Conte Crystal Palace Alan Pardew Everton Ronald Koeman Hull City Mike Phelan Leicester City Claudio Ranieri Liverpool Jürgen Klopp Manchester City Pep Guardiola Manchester United José Mourinho Middlesbrough Aitor Karanka Southampton Claude Puel Stoke City Mark Hughes Sunderland David Moyes Swansea City Francesco Guidolin Tottenham Hotspur Mauricio Pochettino Watford Walter Mazzarri West Bromwich Albion Tony Pulis West Ham United Slaven Bilic
50
• Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach. 34 million • N’Golo Kante seals £32m transfer from Leicester to Chelsea. • Michy Batshuayi completes transfer from Marseille to Chelsea 32.5 million. • Sadio Mane Southampton to Liverpool 36 million. • Leroy Sane Schalke to Man City 37m. These are some of the biggest deals but perhaps the best business is Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a FREE transfer to Manchester United from PSG.
52
come
Wine
with me
Infusion revolution Infusions and herbal teas are a great way to rehydrate and take in some goodness at the same time. These potent, yet refreshing beverages have been drunk for thousands of years, initially for their healing powers, long before the days of antibiotics and modern medicine. The difference between the two is very subtle, infusions are usually a blend of herbs and/or spices while teas are usually flavoured and brewed more quickly. Infusions can be made from most herbs and should be steeped for four to six hours and drunk within 24-hours. Teas can be bought off the shelf in an array of flavours and drunk straight away after brewing with boiling water. Flavours include, zesty lemon, a perfect way to kick-start your metabolism in the morning, refreshing mint, ideal for easing the digestive system after a meal, camomile, mother nature’s ‘sleeping pill’ for when you need to wind down and relax.
Green, white and black teas, served without milk all contain antioxidants for when you feel the need for a detox and rooibos or red bush is known as an anti-inflammatory. Infusions can be blended to ease a number of ailments and illnesses, a liquorish and basil mix is said to help with weight loss, while passionflower is a great stress-buster. Echinacea is great for boosting the immune system, a cup a day can beat off colds and other winter ailments. Chai has become a big hit and is outselling traditional café latte’s in coffee houses around the globe, originating in India and Pakistan, the heady mix of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves, served hot with milk is a delicious soothing and healthy alternative to a caffeine fix. Whether it’s a thirst quencher you need or your body needs a boost of energy and goodness, indulge in an infusion and give your body a treat.
53
Tel/Fax Spain: [+34] 966 492 420 Mob: [+34] 619 210 423 English No: 0208 432 9616 Email: info@hotpropertyspain.net
property spain HP8044
475,000€
Moraira
www.hotpropertyspain.net
Centro Comercial Kristal Mar 24B, Moraira - Calpe (0.2km) 03724 Moraira. 10.00am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday & 10.00am – 2.00pm Saturday
HP8075
380,000€
Javea
HP8073
475,000€
Moraira
• 5 beds • 4 bath • Villa
• 4 beds • 3 bath • Country house
• 5 beds • 3 baths • Eco friendly villa
Traditional Spanish-style 5 bedroom villa in Benimeit, Moraira. Built in mid 80’s and offering PANORAMIC sea views. Private pool. Build 200m2. Plot 850m2.
This idyllic property is south facing and has outstanding views of the Montgo and surrounding countryside and also benefits from a separate guest casita. Garage. 8 x 4 pool. Build 208m2. Plot 1550m2.
This lovely villa is all on one level and within walking distance of the beach and amenities. Comes with a separate studio apartment. Build 200m2. Plot 900m2. Private pool 8 x 4.
HP8051
HP8050
1,520,000€
Javea
220,000€
Benissa Costa
HP8046
345,000€
Benissa
• 26 beds • 11 baths • Villa / Business
• 3 beds • 2 bath • Detached villa
• 4 beds • 1 baths • Country style villa
Amazing property, currently run as an Aparthotel, situated on a huge flat plot, with open views to the sea. walking distance to the beach. 6 x 12 pool. Garages. Build 1200m2. Plot 5000m2.
Contemporary 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom villa in La Fustera, situated on a flat plot, with partial sea views. Room for a pool. Build size: 124m². Plot size: 800m².
Situated in an outstanding position with panoramic views of both the sea &mountains, with two floor storage area that could be extra accommodation. Private pool. Build 226m2. Plot 2408m2.
HP7832
HP7843
435,000€
Benissa Costa
695,000€
El Portet
HP7747
200,000€
Benissa Costa
• 4 beds • 4 baths • Detached villa
• 3 beds • 2 baths • Luxury villa
• 3 beds • 2 baths • Villa
REDUCED - Beautiful villa, with lovely open and sea views, only a short walk to the beaches, bus route, shops & bars of la Fustera. Detached separate guest apartment. 11 x 9 x 7 private pool. Build 210m2. Plot 1052m2.
Situated in the very desirable area of El Portet. magnificent views of the Mediterranean, Moraira village & Ifach rock. South facing. All on one level. Private pool. Build 220m2. Plot 1300m2.
BARGAIN PRICE - Spacious south facing villa, well situated on a large corner plot, with small sea view separate guest apartment. 10 x 6 pool. Build 150m2. Plot 938m2.
Tel/Fax Spain: [+34] 966 492 420 Mob: [+34] 619 210 423 English No: 0208 432 9616 Email: info@hotpropertyspain.net
property spain
www.hotpropertyspain.net
Centro Comercial Kristal Mar 24B, Moraira - Calpe (0.2km) 03724 Moraira. 10.00am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday & 10.00am – 2.00pm Saturday
WE HAVE MOVED!
Hot Property have been trading successfully in the Moraira for over 11 years and we have now expanded our business by moving to larger premises. Centro Comercial Kristal Mar 24B, on the main Moraira - Calpe coast road (0.2km), 03724 Moraira, Alicante
WE URGENTLY NEED MORE PROPERTIES IN ALL AREAS... ASK FOR SARKA IF YOU PREFER TO SPEAK IN GERMAN, SWISS GERMAN, CZECH, FRENCH OR SPANISH ...on our books so if you are selling a property, then you are exactly what we need. The buoyant market means that we urgently need to replace the properties we are selling so quickly. Please contact us or call in and see us. You will find we are friendly, polite and considerate and we will leave no stone unturned, working together to help you sell your property.
FEATURED PROPERTY
HP8045
690,000€
Javea
• 4 beds • 3 baths • Modern villa Immaculate 4 bedroom house, with stunning views of Montgo and the countryside and is constructed to a very high standard. Only 100m walking distance to amenities and a short drive to the beach. Large private pool 11 x 5. Build 320m2. Plot 1892m2.
Ref: AVS 4133 Javea Spacious stylish four bedroom villa.
325,000€ 4
3
Ref: AVS 3823 Javea Charming villa in area of Balcon al Mar.
395,000€ 3
2
RE N DUOW CE D
SALES
Ref: AVS 3172 Sea views
399,000€ 5 2
Ref: AVSS 1161 Javea Apartment
189,950€ 3 3
Ref: AVS 1245 Immaculate duplex
150,000€ 3 2
Ref: AVS 3248 Villa in Javea
RENTALS PROPERTIES FOR SALE & RENT URGENTLY REQUIRED IN JAVEA AND MORAIRA AREAS.
Ref: AVR 4150 AVAILABLE
1,600€ pcm 4 3
Ref: AVR 4148 AVAILABLE
980€ pcm 3 2
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ES +34 965 796 311 UK +44 (0) 1189 076 206 Avda. De La Libertad 19, Local 12, Arenal Javea, 03730, Alicante, Spain
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275,000€ 3 3