Sunday, May 31, 2015

Flex those muscles

The eighth edition of the National Cup of Spain organised by the Spanish Federation "Bodybuilding" and "Fitness" culminates today in the Municipal Theatre, Torrevieja after two days of competitions in which 630 athletes took part. 

The competitions began early yesterday morning and lasted all day.

 Today, they will whittle down the final contestants to find a winner. You can follow the competition via the web at fvff.es in PPV mode. Or you can go and see it in the flesh at the Municipal Theatre - price 15 euros.

 Although this might just about look OK for the men, I must say that I find the women's bodies sculptured in this way repulsive.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Grandparents' Day - a wonderful idea

On the last Friday in May, the nearby town of Hurchillo celebrates Grandparents' Day. They have been doing it for 27 years now.

 Each year the town takes the time to pay tribute to the contribution that the older generation make to the upbringing of grandchildren. In some cases taking them and bringing them back from school whilst the parents go to work. In many cases just being with them, passing on the wealth of experience that they have acquired.

 Since we live in Spain and our grandchildren are in Sale, Manchester, it is not easy for us to have as much contact as we would like. We do know that the other grandparents do help out a lot, picking up Molly from school when Laura is otherwise engaged. Molly's other grandfather also spends a lot of time with her helping with homework.

 Pamela's parents, perhaps more so than mine, spent a lot of time with our children and I know that they benefited enormously from that contact. Having a Grandparents' Day is such a wonderful idea and perhaps one that Bigastro could consider adopting.

Friday, May 29, 2015

Looking a lot better

It is good that Bigastro is to receive all that money to lay tarmac on the streets of the town, well done. 

The shame is that, when we first came here Calle Purisima was laid with setts which I assume had been there for years. There were one or two patches where they needed to be relaid but on the whole they were in good condition and just needed a thorough clean. 

When the council received FEIL money, it was decided to rip up the existing setts and replace them with new ones. Unfortunately the job was badly done and the new setts were not smooth like the old one. 

Now, money is required to take up the setts and replace them with tarmac. As I said,  why did they not simply clean the old setts and save thousands of euros doing a job that has now had to be redone. They would have looked a lot more in keeping than tarmac for the main street in the town. 

There was a lot of waste with the money that came from the government, like the road into the town that has a cycle track that nobody uses or the fountain that has had to be rebuilt. Recent works like the playground areas in the parks have been better thought out and are a much more sensible use of money. 

On a further positive note, it is nice to see how clean the streets are now and how the parks on our estate have been groomed to look smart. The cutting of the trees to create doughnut shapes is also a great improvement. 

Perhaps we could now have some benches in the San Isidro park for people to sit and enjoy the view. I'm sure those ladies along with a few men who walk up here every day would appreciate them. 

One other thing I would suggest is a lick of paint on the benches alongside the road into town and maybe replace the bins that were ripped off by vandals with something that would be harder to remove. 

The quirks of the Spanish elections

In Algorfa, only 1008 (59.25% of those eligible) turned out to vote. There were just two parties in contention, the PSOE (socialists) and the PP (conservatives). Of the seats available, the PSOE won 6 against the PP with 5 and did so with a margin of 4 votes between them.

Better still, in the hamlet of Felechares de la Valderia only 3% of 163 eligible voters went to cast their ballot. Out of the five ballot papers one was declared null and void because of technical reasons and two more were empty envelopes. That left two votes for the two PP councillors who literally voted themselves into power.

In the town of Villaroya in La Rioja, the polling station opened at 9am and closed at 9:02am. In those two minutes all 9 of the people had voted. They apparently have an agreement to be at the polling station when it opened so that they could be the first to close in the country.

With those sort of figures in mind, it is true to say that every vote counts in Spanish local elections. It doesn't take a lot for a council to change from one party to another

Thursday, May 28, 2015

The caring bank

La Caixa  bank have donated a 9 seater vehicle, adapted to take two wheelchairs, to the Alzheimer Association "Remember me"  in Bigastro.

The minibus will help to transport those that the association helps and thus brighten up their lives.

La Caixa is the bank that Pamela and I use. It is heartening to know that they do good work with the profits they make from our accounts! 

Nip it in the bud

My friend, Scout John, informs me that there was a gang of young people roaming around our estate a few days prior to the vandalism up at the swimming pool. They were seen going into the abandoned houses and then into the pool at one of the holiday homes. They had apparently been into several gardens where the houses were unoccupied.

As John says, we need to keep an eye out for them and phone the police if they return. In a small town like Bigastro, they will be known. Nothing much escapes the locals here so I am sure that they will be told off by now. 

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Vandals attack the pool at La Pedrera

Vandals at the weekend trashed the pool complex at La Pedrera.

They tried to break into the restaurant but that was alarmed and had a reinforced door. Instead they dumped waste bins in the pool along with garbage. They also destroyed the large pots at the entrance to the complex. The manager of the company that looks after the pool estimates that 9,000 euros worth of damage was done sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning.

On their way back down to the town they moved other garbage bins from our estate down the road.


I wonder, what possesses people to do such things. The pool is an amenity which many from the town enjoy during the summer months. The new council will have their work cut out trying to regain pride in the town if hooligans continue to act in this way.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Not to be missed

11351246_798096550304940_5771992830909369905_nThe Bigastro band will be playing their traditional concert for Corpus Christi on Friday, 5th June. This year though, the venue will be the plaza in front of the church. I do hope the sky gods are kind.

Pam and I will be there - I will be recording the concert in both audio and with pictures. I will also be making a video of Corpus Christi for the church as I did last year.

Sadly not mine

cunardWhat a sight that was, the three Queens from the Cunard fleet in Liverpool with a fly past by the Red Arrows.

The Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Victoria and the Queen Mary 2 visited Liverpool on the 175th anniversary of the association  of the company with Liverpool.

Before people took to air travel to reach America and Canada, liners like the Queen Mary 2 were the only way to get there. 

When we emigrated to Canada in 1956, my mother, grandmother, brother and I travelled on a Greek ship – my father had flown across ahead of us to find a job. When we returned in 1957, my father was also with us on the Empress of Canada (an earlier Cunard liner). I still remember entering the Mersey and seeing the Liver building knowing that we were then back in Blighty.

Although flying to America might be convenient, there is something magical about crossing the Atlantic on a liner. 

Since I wasn’t in Liverpool yesterday, this photo is not mine. It is taken from the Liverpool Echo.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Alicante

Alicante 2015 The picture for Alicante province is complicated.

The smaller parties have broken up the dominance of PP/PSOE reducing the PP from 20 seats to 11 and the PSOE from 12 seats to 9.

Neither PP nor PSOE can rule without forming a pact with another party.
Alicante 2011 In 2011, the PP had a majority of seats.
Valencia The situation is more critical in Valencia where neither the PP nor the PSOE have anywhere near enough seats to hold a majority.

Bigastro municipal elections

Untitled-1 The results for this year show that the Conservatives (PP) won 7 seats taking one each from the Socialists and the Liberals. That means they have a slender one seat majority.

Note that the percentage turnout reduced to 78.75%.

In 2007 and 2011 299 votes were needed to gain one seat on the council. This year that dropped to 263 which is why every vote counted.

With just 173 more votes than they received in 2007, the PP have gained two seats and taken control.
Untitled-2 Although the Socialists had the most seats on the council in 2011, they did not have enough to form a majority.

The Conservatives (PP) and Liberals formed a pact to take control.

When that pact broke down, the PP continued to govern in the minority.
Untitled-3 This was the result from 2007 when the Socialists held the majority with 8 seats on the council. Notice that over 88% of the eligible voters turned out.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Almost native

Like any capital city, Rome is daunting when you first arrive. However, when you you have been here for a few days, it all starts to become familiar and you find yourself travelling the same streets to get to the places where you want to be.

It is an exhausting city though with heavy traffic and streets that are crowded with people. Apart from the locals, there are many tourists at this time of year including coach loads of Japanese.

Many of the visitors we have met on the guided tours have been Americans on a grand tour of Italy or    even Europe. One such couple were from California and had been away from home for seven weeks, travelling by air and train through London, Paris, Rome and Barcelona.

Quite what it would be like to live out of suitcases for that long a period is hard to imagine. Having taken in two cruises en route and flown over 11 hours from Los Angeles, I imagine they were pretty much exhausted. Certainly, they were looking forward to getting home.

As for us, we return to Bigastro tomorrow. For us it is just a one and a half hour flight back to Alicante - almost pathetic in comparison with the Americans and Australians we have met.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

At last

Finally, I have got into my account on my iPad to update you on what is going on.

As you might have guessed, we are not at home. In fact we are taking a break in Rome doing the usual tourist things like visiting the Vatican etc.

As per usual, we became too ambitious about how far we could walk and on the second day ended up with aching legs, knees etc etc.

Having learnt that lesson, we are pacing ourselves now and taking taxis when necessary.

For those who haven't been or who are planning a trip here, book everything you can in advance especially the Vatican where the queue for tickets is a whole day job. We had a guided tour which meant we walked straight in right in front of the queue.

Inside though we were herded like cattle along with the thousands of others until we reached the Sistine Chapel. From there things did improve and the tour around the Basilica was much more civilised.

We met a number of Americans who had just a few days in Rome and we're trying to take in two tours each day. At three hours each with travelling in between, that would be one hell of a tiring day - no thank you!

Friday, May 15, 2015

Root of the problem

The company that was awarded the contract for the swimming pool and bar-restaurant La Pedrera says that the reason the area is in such a state is because there has been no electricity supply since last August. The transformer was broken, then repaired and broke again.

The company now says that it is working overtime to get the place ready for San Isidro. The pool will be open on May 31st and there will be swimming lessons available from June.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

The wrong choice of words

In the televised three way debate between the candidates for the municipal elections, Raul Valerio Medina (PSOE) claimed that the fiestas in Bigastro have been destroyed over the years and are now shameful.

I think that I understand his point. The budget for fiestas has been eroded over the years since the financial crisis hit hard. If Raul Valerio Medina’s purpose was to suggest that the new council should provide a more suitable budget for fiestas, then sadly he was misconstrued by some.

His remarks have insulted members of the recent committees who have employed great ingenuity to put on something worthwhile within the confines of a restricted budget. The lavish budgets of the past meant that it was easier to stage something spectacular, to hire artists and pay for activities. Those days though are gone and so we have to applaud the people responsible for even being able to stage any kind of fiesta at all. The fact that they have brought back traditions from the past such as the “Carrera de Cintas” that provide entertainment at minimum cost is, in my opinion, pure genius.

Mainly though, we have to recognise that the members of the Commission are volunteers who give many hours of their time without any financial reward. In fact, I dare say that they are out of pocket. Destroyed and shameful were perhaps the wrong choice of words by the PSOE candidate for mayor. Watered down by budget restraints would be a better way to describe the situation.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

It’s too hot for some

AEMET have issued a warning for maximum temperatures of up to 38 degrees for tomorrow. The reason that we are getting such high temperatures is a wave of hot air coming from the Sahara desert. The good news is that temperatures will drop then on Friday back to about 25 degrees. As we have experienced in the past, spring seems to have been skipped as we moved from winter to summer almost overnight.

Whilst these high temperatures might be uncomfortable for us, they are a real cause of concern for farmers.

We had very little rain in autumn and winter, another year of drought. Water reserves in the soil are low and this affects those crops that rely solely on natural irrigation like the almonds and the olives. Although the almond trees blossomed well and set fruit, this heat could well have an effect on the quality of the produce. Olives are in flower now and this heat could adversely affect both the quantity and quality of the fruit.

Also affected will be cereals, citrus, vegetables along with the wine and table grapes.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

A fairer way–possibly

Whilst the Conservative party might be rejoicing at their success during the General Election and the SNP are basking in the glory of having 56 seats in the House of Commons, the other parties are less pleased with what happened.

The British system of “first past the post” does not truly represent the wishes of the people. To make matters worse, proposed changes to the boundaries that the Conservatives will now drive through will be to their advantage at the next election. Although the notion of proportional representation was rejected in 2011, maybe it is time to revisit the idea.

These bar charts from the Independent highlight what this would have meant to the results this year.

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As you can see, the Conservatives, SNP and Labour would have lost out and neither of the two largest parties would have been able to form a government without entering into a coalition. It is also pertinent to note that 36.9% of a turnout out 66% means that the Conservatives actually represent less than 25% of the voting public.

The sorry state of the outdoor pool

There are two swimming pools at La Pedrera; the original one is by the barbecue area, the new one is at Camping La Pedrera. The contrast between the two could not be more striking.

The original outdoor pool at La Pedrera used to be a popular place for young people from the town. The restaurant next to it served refreshments and even at times meals. At one point, they held fortnightly salsa dances up there which seemed to be popular as well.

It is now in a very sorry state, weeds are growing between the paving slabs, the water is green, the toilets are in a terrible state and the purification system is broken. There are heaps of rubble, large bags of prunings and the signs for the restaurant are broken. It is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests.

The opposition parties in the town complained that the mayor had taken three years to sort out a contract that would maintain the area. After a series of meetings during June of 2014, a contractor was finally appointed.  Loespama Mediterranean promised to invest money and make the place good for the summer but that has not happened.

With San Isidro later this month, the matter has become urgent. Whether it will be ready in time is hard to say, there is a lot of work to be done.  

Yet again

José Joaquín Moya, former mayor of Bigastro, faces another case in court. This time he is accused of six offences; fraud, disclosure of secrets (two counts), prevarication, influence peddling and embezzlement of public funds for which the prosecutor is asking for up to eleven years in jail, a fine of 450,000 euros and a seventeen year ban from public office.

Also accused is the former secretary, Antonio Saseta for whom the prosecutor asks for four years in prison and a five year ban from public office. Two others are implicated as well.

The case will be heard in Elche.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Aurelio’s manifesto

If you recall, Aurelio Murcia was expelled from the PP with which he had differences of opinion. He went on to form his own party which he described as liberal -centrist. At the last election Aurelio obtained enough votes to win two seats on the council. In coalition with the PP, the liberals ran the council with Aurelio as Deputy Mayor.

The pact though was fragile and broke down when Aurelio reported in a local paper that he did more work than the mayor and therefore should be paid her salary.

Aurelio intends to run again and hopes to gain more seats this time around.  

Here are his proposals which will be outlined in more detail at a meeting he hopes to hold up at Camping La Pedrera.

REDUCE LOCAL TAXES

--Rubbish collection by 25%.

--Private parking entrance reserved by 50%

--No charges for: administration services, using the streets for private business, establishing new companies or for using municipal buildings.

INCOME INCREASE AND GET MORE GRANTS

--Introduce a service specialized in getting grants from Valencia, Madrid and Europe.

--Stimulate private expenses in new buildings.

--Update all municipal debts.

--Approve new plans parciales.

REDUCE EXPENSES.

--Negotiate the financial cost of debts with banks and government.

--Reduce expenses of : electricity, petrol, etc.

--Energy saving of 25% over the actual cost.

--Better control on usage of materials and machines.

--Join services to save expenses and make better use of local installations and staff.

HERITAGE

--Purchase the part of the cemetery not owned by the Town Hall.

--Register rural land and garages owned by the Town.

--Recover plots of land sold but not paid for.

--Enlarge the industrial area with plots for

the Town hall.

SOCIAL SERVICES

--2% of the budget will be for these services.

--The Alzheimer and La Pedrera associations will be declared very important for the municipality.

--Town Hall will pay for maintenance and other works.

--Co-ordination between municipality services and these associations to get the maximum use of the buildings.

--Social services at home only for people that really need them and have no money

PROMOTION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

-- Reduce local taxes for new business, new building works, and use of the streets.

--Give more land to camping La Pedrera and extend the contract.

--Use La Pedrera area to install a nature reserve to promote this zone for education and environmental activities.

--Use the old school Calasanz as a professional school for young people.

--Create a special development office to help young people finding jobs.

--Increase industrial land to install new companies.

--Only companies from Bigastro will work for and provide local services paid for by the Town Hall.

--Municipal jobs board on the internet.

--Collaboration with the community of rural workers.

--Purísima street open to the traffic during commercial hours.

-Help the local shops and promote their activities.

--Local TV run by a private company.

URBANISM AND WORKS

--D6: Finish the project make it cheaper and give licences immediately.

--D5: Build the streets. Clean and lay out plots.

--D4: Clean and maintain.

--D12: Meet with owners to agree what is the best course of action.

--Only allow ground floor and two stories on the following streets:General Bañuls, Cervantes, T. Villanueva and C. Murciana.

--Remove the granite setts from remaining streets.

--Finish the works at la Acequia.

--Include Bigastro in Diputación´s plans.

--Finish the cemetery works.

--Lay asphalt on rural ways and install lights.

--Repair parks Lo Chusco and surroundings of old Calasanz school.

--Recover the parks in industrial area.

FIESTAS

--Keep the traditions and encourage everybody to participate in them.

--Celebrations for everybody and with everybody.

SPORTS

--Support all sports schools and clubs, providing them with the best facilities.

--Open the heated pool.

SECURITY

--Open a police office in the village.

--More police agents in the village.

--Special care to the rural areas and la Pedrera.

--Updated equipment for the agents.

--Reorganize the traffic routes in the town.

EDUCATION AND CULTURE

--Private company to run the nursery Bigastrin.

--Special budget for Unión Musical.

--Declare Unión Musical as strategic institution of local interest.

--Activities of culture and education at old Calasanz school.

--Buy electronic screens for all primary schools.

--Promote the exchange of books at schools.

--Meal service and activities in summer.

--Promote exchange of students to practice languages, mainly English.

--Recover the classes for adults, and Spanish for foreigners.

--Keep activities in Auditorium, specially for children and young people.

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND TRANSPARENCY

--Create an ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL with representatives from all of the local associations so that they can give their point of view on important matters before decisions are made.

--The political parties out of the government will be part of any local committee and part of any local contract. Also they will have direct free access to any municipal information.

--DIALOGUE: there will be a special committee of political parties leaders to study jointly all important matters.

--Every month the following information will be on internet:

--The state of the budget.

--Income and expenses..

--How much money there is in the municipal accounts..

--Record of all meetings.

EVERYTHING MUST BE CLEAR

WE ARE A BROKEN VILLAGE WITH VERY HIGH TAXES

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIOR

1.-TAKE LOCAL TAXES DOWN AND INCREASE INCOME.

2.-INCOME AND EXPENSES MUST BE BALANCED.

3. FIRST PAY STANDARD EXPENSES.

4.-THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INCOME AND

EXPENSES MUST BE DEDICATED TO:

A.- SOCIAL SERVICES.

B.- ECONOMICAL PROMOTION.

C.- CITIZENS SECURITY.

D.- CULTURE , SPORTS, CELEBRATIONS.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Election programme

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This one from the PP.

Saturday, May 09, 2015

Energy efficiency money up for grabs

The PP wanted to bid for 150,000 euros in support of a plan to install solar panels on municipal buildings and to buy two electric vehicles, one for the police and one for the council. At the time, the Socialists and Liberals opposed the idea. Instead they wanted to replace the boilers at La Paz school and to a new lighting system for the town with energy efficient bulbs. The deadlock meant that the town was unable to make a successful bid.

The deadline for submission is this Sunday, so the PP called an emergency council meeting in an attempt to get agreement from the opposition parties. This time, Aurelio says that he will back the PP because it is important that Bigastro does not miss out on the money available.

The other issue that is on the agenda is to look at the legislature from 2003 to 2007 which allowed José Joaquín Moya to exchange the right to build above three storeys in the town for agricultural land.

Friday, May 08, 2015

Lost revenue

Road improvements on the N-332 have hurt the AP-7 toll motorway. Autopistas del Sureste (AUSUR) made an appeal to the Ministry of Development for compensation but that has been rejected.

AUSUR, who have the concession until 2048, claim they will lose 311 million euros in tolls.

I would say that part of the problem lies with AUSUR who increase their tolls almost annually and have a higher rate for the summer months than for the winter. If you join the motorway and leave it at the right junctions then you pay no toll at all but stay on through the popular sections and you are several euros out of pocket. 

Well, well, well

As the voting finished, the polls were still predicting a close run call between Labour and Conservatives in the UK General Election. The exit polls told a different story with the Conservatives in the lead but still without enough seats to form a majority.

As the night rolled on though, things were becoming a lot clearer. Nicola Sturgeon’s charismatic personality worked in Scotland where the SNP have scooped up all but one seat. The Liberal Democrats have all but been wiped out and Nigel Farage looks as though he might lose in Thanet leaving his party with just one seat.

UKIP will be smarting, having 12% of the vote (more than the SNP and Liberal Democrats) but only gaining one seat so far.

With the possibility of such a slender majority, David Cameron will have his work cut out to hold on to his policies given that he has 20 rogue MPs on his benches and the SNP/Labour barking at his heels.

We could see a call for a second referendum on Scotland’s independence and with Nicola Sturgeon at the helm that could provide a different result to last time. Cameron has promised a referendum on EU membership which he will find very difficult to manage. The next five years could be both turbulent and decisive for British politics. In the end, the electorate will get what they voted for.

Thursday, May 07, 2015

That is good news

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Looks like the Ayuntamiento managed to get some funding to help pay for the events that took place in March 1) the Ruta de Tapa and 2) the Catwalk show.

Remember last year?

cache_2456621477Last year I thought it would be cool to get some photos of the riders stamping on their pedals as they climbed the hill up past the old tip to La Pedrera. I positioned myself on a bend where I could see a fair stretch of the hill with trees as a backdrop. Then it started to rain.

I stood in the rain for almost an hour waiting and waiting and then gave up. When I came back down the hill, the marshals had gone and cleared away the barrier.

Hopefully this year we will be blessed with better weather so that I can get some action shots of riders on their bikes. 

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

Will you be voting tomorrow?

May 7th is polling day in Britain and by all accounts it could be a close run thing with neither the Conservatives (PP) nor Labour (Socialistas) expected to gain enough seats to hold an overall majority. Of course we all know that the polls can be woefully wrong in their predictions; all those undecided voters may turn out in force and give one or other of the parties the seats they are hoping for. 

In preparation for this and knowing that West WIrral was a marginal seat, I registered to vote. There were two choices,  a postal vote or a vote by email so I opted for the latter. I did receive notification of my registration on the electoral roll in good time but there was no indication of how I was to exercise my franchise.

I thought that maybe I would receive instructions in due course or perhaps they would send me the form for a postal vote but no. I have had nothing to tell me how to vote, what a waste of time! I will still keep my eye on what happens but it is not the same when you haven’t actually cast a vote yourself.

Should Spain continue with the siesta?

When you came to Spain on holiday, one of the first things that struck you was the traditional siesta. In hotels that cater for tourists service is continuous throughout the day but venture into the local towns and everything shuts down for two hours or more. This is the period in the middle of the day when you want to avoid the heat, have a meal and enjoy a quick nap. it makes sense in the summer but less sense in the winter.

We got caught out by this one time in Estepona. There was a free shuttle bus to the town from the hotel where we were staying so we set off at 11:00 am; the return bus was at 5pm which we thought gave us plenty of time for some shopping and a bite to eat. How wrong we were, everything shut down at about 1:30/2pm and remained closed, even the cafes and bars were closed. It was a long wait for the bus on a hot summer’s day. We eventually managed to find a bar that was open and sat there for nearly two hours sipping water. When the bus arrived to take us back to the hotel, we were the first to get on it!

Of course, if we had waited long enough, the shops would have re-opened and stayed open until 7 or 8pm. In tourist areas we even found some shops open until 9pm to catch the after-dinner shoppers out for a stroll in the cool of the evening.

The problem for Spaniards is that the siesta makes for a long working day. Most start work at 8:30 to 9am, then they have that break for a siesta followed by work until 7pm. The evening meal can start at 10pm meaning that bedtime is around 12pm or later. The pattern deprives them of time with the family and time for leisure.

Attempts to reform the working day though meet with resistance. Once you have established a pattern of sleep that counts on a midday nap, it is hard to break it. I routinely have an hours sleep during the day and without it feel tired and grumpy.

Monday, May 04, 2015

The brain drain

Young people continue to leave the province in the hope of finding work elsewhere. The loss is particularly noticeable in the 30-34 age group and is most pronounced amongst men over 25 years of age.

At the same time, there are fewer babies being born, over 500 less are predicted for this year. By 2018, that number is expected to climb to 2,000. Along with increased life expectancy that means that the average age of the population will increase.

Whether or not the young people will return to Spain when or if the economic situation improves remains to be seen.

Floral Crosses in Bigastro

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Holy Cross

Yesterday marked the end of the Fiesta at the area of the Holy Cross.

First off, the Junior Band along with the courts of the queens from last year’s August Fiesta did a tour of the streets. Then at 12am there was Holy Mass in the pavilion erected by the park at Holy Cross. That was followed by paella for the neighbours and finally games for the children.

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It isn’t just in Bigastro though where they celebrate the Holy Cross. Yesterday was the date that the Catholic Church honours the cross on which Jesus Christ died. In Granja de Rocomora, they hold a centuries old celebration of the cross. Each May 3rd they ask for God’s blessing for all the people and especially their crops to ward off all evil and to prevent natural disasters that could damage their land.

Friday, May 01, 2015

As it was

10405410_692994440795468_8539076781969003795_n This is Patio Andaluz as it was back in 1975, how times have changed!
10644807_692994797462099_5733038347518422517_n Just look at the N-332 back in those days.

Fiesta time

The partnership “Remember Me”, dedicated to supporting families and Alzheimer, have  organized for today an activity that  they call “Solidarity Movement” to publicize their activities with patient care and respite service.

This second edition  will take place outside the Metro nightclub from ten in the morning. There will be musical performances along with children's entertainment and a craft market. Of course there will be food and drink prepared by residents of the municipality and volunteers  from Remember Me. The aim is to raise at least the three thousand euros they managed last year.

This weekend we can enjoy the FIesta at the Holy Cross in Bigastro with a diner dance on Saturday followed by paella on Sunday. For those who like flamenco dancing, the Sevillana Festival at Pilar de la Horadada finishes tomorrow.

Then, from the 6th until the 10th May, there will be the May Fair in Torrevieja. Plenty of dancing, a free concert by the duo “Camela” on Friday and the horse and carriage parades on Saturday and Sunday. It is anticipated that there will be 300 horses and between 25 and 30 carriages taking part this year.

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And on the 16th May, the traditional Romeria for San Isidro, the patron saint of farm workers.

Patio Andaluz

KWFU3147 Always worth a visit, Patio Andaluz serves good food and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays there is the bonus of a cabaret show with flamenco to entertain you.

Booking on those nights is essential though because the restaurant gets full.
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Recommended food: the fried baby squid and the prawns in garlic are great starters.
For main courses, the rabbit in garlic and the bull’s tail are both very tasty.