Medieval Market

 

For those of you planning to go to the Medieval Market in Orihuela this weekend, this is the weather forecast.

And here is the itinerary of events that will take place:

VIERNES 31 ENERO (Zona Árabe)

• 11:00 h. Folklore de “Al-Andalus” y el “Magueb”, Pza. Santiago
• 12:00 h. Pregón de Inauguración, Puerta Ayuntamiento.
• 12:30 h. Pasacalles “Laranda”, Pza. Santiago.
• 12:30 h. “Un Arcoiris de Cuentos” teatro infantil en Plaza del Carmen.
• 12:30 h. Exhibición de Cetrería Árabe, Plaza Santiago.
• 13:00 h. “Danzas Bereberes”, Plaza Santiago.
• 14:00 h. “La Mesta “ y “Pícaros y Truanes”, Plaza Santiago.
• 14:00 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Santo Domingo.
• 17:00 h. “Pasacalles de Animación”, Plaza Santiago.
• 17:00 h. “Malabares Medievales”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 17:30 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sta. Lucía.
• 18:00 h. Exhibición de Cetrería Árabe, Plaza Santiago.
• 18:00 h. Teatro “Montalvo Vs. Montilla”, Pza. Santiago.
• 18:00 h. Teatro “El Baúl Viajero”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 18:30 h. “Folklore Egipcio”, Pza. Santiago.
• 19:00 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 19:00 h. “Tersites el Persa”, Pza. Santiago.
• 19:30 h. “Danzas del Vientre y de los Velos”, Pza. Santiago.
• 20:00 h. Circo “La Gala”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 20:30 h. “Folklore Árabe”, Pza. Santiago.

VIERNES 31 ENERO (Zona Cristiana)

• 11:00 h. Gran Pasacalles Inaugural, Santo Domingo.
• 11:30 h. Exhibición de Cetrería Cristiana, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 12:30 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval” , Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 12:30 h. Malabares Medievales, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 12:30 h. “Circuento”, malabares Infantiles Rincón Hernandiano.
• 13:00 h. “Los Amantes”, de Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 13:00 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía hacia Santo Domingo.
• 13:00 h. “Torneo Medieval”, Rincón Hernandiano.
• 13:30 h. “Fantasía Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 13:30 h. “Anécdotas de Alfonso X el Sabio”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 14:00 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Santo Domingo.
• 14:30 h. Teatro “Montalvo Vs. Montilla”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 14:30 h. “Fantasía Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 17:00 h. “Pasacalles de Animación”, Pza. Santiago.
• 17:00 h. “Exhibición de Cetrería Cristiana”, Plaza Sª. Lucía.
• 17:30 h. “Las Lavanderas” y “Los Panaderos”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 18:00 h. “Torneo Medieval”, Rincón Hernandiano.
• 18:00 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval” , Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 18:00 h. Teatro “El Convidado”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 18:30 h. “Circuento”, Rincón Hernandiano.
• 18:30 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Salvador .
• 19:00 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 19:00 h. “Malabares Medievales”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 19:30 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Salvador.
• 20:00 h. Teatro “Cuentos de Amor y Locura”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 20:00 h. “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 20:30 h. Teatro Municipal Orihuela, Obra: “Halewyn” Autor: M.Ghelderode, C/Doctor Sarget -Caja Rural Central.
• 20:30 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval” Pza. Del Salvador .
• 21:00 h. “El Mito de Cupito y Psique”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 21:30 h. Teatro Municipal Orihuela, Obra: “Halewyn” Autor: M.Ghelderode, C/Doctor Sarget -Caja Rural Central.

SÁBADO 1 FEBRERO (Zona Árabe)

• 11:30 h. “Danza Clásica Oriental”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 11:30 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 12:00 h. “Pasacalles de Animación”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 12:00h. “Folklore Al – Andalus y el Magueb”, Pza. Santiago.
• 12:30 h. “Pregón Orihuela Medieval”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 12:30h. “Exhibición de Cetrería Árabe”, en Pza. Santiago.
• 12:30 h. “Laranda”, Pl Santiago.
• 13:00 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Salvador.
• 13:00 h. “Danzas Zíngaras”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 13:00 h. “Danzas Bereberes”, Pza. Santiago.
• 13:30 h. “Totus Nou” y “El Verdugo”, Pza. Salvador.
• 14:00 h. “Danzas Árabes”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 17:00 h. “Danzas Árabes”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 17:30 h. “Fantasía Medieval”, Pza. Del Salvador.
• 18:00 h. “Exhibición de Cetrería”, Pza. Santiago.
• 18:00 h. “El Baúl Viajero”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 18:30 h. “Danzas Zíngaras”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 18:30 h. “Folklore Egipcio” Pza. Santiago.
• 19:00 h. “Música Medieval”, Pza. Del Salvador .
• 19:30 h. “Fantasía Medieval”, Pza. Del Salvador .
• 20:00 h. “La Gala”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 20:30 h. “Folklore Árabe”, Pza. Santiago.

SÁBADO 1 FEBRERO (Zona Cristiana)

• 11:00 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval” , Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 11:30 h. “Exhibición de Cetrería Cristiana”, Plaza Sª. Lucía.
• 12:00 h. “Pasacalles de Animación”, Pza. Santa Lucía.
• 12:30 h. Teatro “Un Arcoiris de Cuentos”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 12:30h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 13:00 h. “Torneo Medieval”, Rincón Hernandiano.
• 13:00 h. “Circuento”, malabares Infantiles Rincón Hernandiano.
• 13:00 h. “Los Recaudadores” Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 13:30 h. “Malabares Medievales”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 13:30 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 13:30 h. “Anécdotas de Alfonso X el Sabio”, Pza. Salvador.
• 14:00 h. “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 14:30 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Salvador.
• 14:30 h. “Montalvo Vs Montilla”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 17:00 h. “Pasacalles de Animación”, Pza. Salvador.
• 17:00 h. “Exhibición de Cetrería Cristiana”, Plaza Sª. Lucía.
• 17:30 h. “Malabares Medievales”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 18:00 h. “Firma del Tratado”, Pza. Del Salvador .
• 18:00 h. “Torneo Medieval”, Rincón Hernandiano.
• 18:00 h. “Música Medieval” , Pza. Sª Lucía h.
• 18:00 h. “Montalvo Vs Montilla”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 18:30 h. “Circuento”, malabares Infantiles , Pza. Del Salvador.
• 18:30 h. “Fantasía Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 19:00 h. “Malabares Medievales”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 19:00 h. “Los Sastrecillos del Rey” y “La Familia Hontoria”, Pza. Del Salvador .19:30 h. “Danzas del Vientre y de los Velos”, Pza. Santiago.
• 20:00 h. “El Secreto Mejor Guardado”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 20:30 h. Teatro Municipal Orihuela, Obra: “Halewyn” Autor: M.Ghelderode.
• 21:00 h. “Concierto Celta”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 21:30 h. Teatro Municipal Orihuela, Obra: “Halewyn” Autor: M.Ghelderode, C/Doctor Sarget -Caja Rural Central.
• 22:00 h. “La Noche de la Bestia”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.

DOMINGO 2 FEBRERO (Zona Árabe)

• 11:30 h. “Música Medieval”, Pza. Salvador.
• 13:30 h. “Danza Clásica Oriental”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 12:00 h. “Folklore Al – Andalus y el Magueb”, Pza. Santiago.
• 12:30 h. Pasacalles“Laranda”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 12:30h. “Exhibición de Cetrería Árabe”, en Pza. Santiago.
• 13:00 h. “La Tierra de Jauja”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 13:00h. “Danzas Zíngaras”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 13:00 h “Danzas Bereberes”. Pza. Santiago.
• 13:30 h. “Fantasía Medieval”, Pza. Salvador.
• 14:00 h. “Danzas Árabes”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 17:00 h. “Pasacalles de Animación”, Pza. Del Salvador.
• 17:00 h. “Danzas Árabes”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 17:30 h. “Música Medieval”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 18:00 h. “Las Aceitunas”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 18:00 h. “Exhibición de Cetrería”, Pza. Santiago.
• 18:30 h. “Danzas Zíngaras”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 18:30 h. “Folklore Egipcio” Pza. Santiago.
• 19:00 h. “Cuentos del Magreb”, Pza. Del Salvador.
• 19:30 h. “Danzas del Vientre y de los Velos”, Pza. Santiago.
• 20:00 h. “La Gala”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 20:30 h. “Folklore Árabe” Pza. Santiago.

DOMINGO 2 FEBRERO (Zona Cristiana)

• 11:00 h. “Fantasía Medieval” , Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 11:30 h. “Exhibición de Cetrería Cristiana”, Plaza Sª. Lucía.
• 12:00 h. “Pasacalles de Animación”, Pza. Santa Lucía.
• 12:30 h. Teatro “Un Arcoiris de Cuentos”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 12:30 h. “Fantasía Medieval”, Pza. Del Salvador.
• 13:00 h. “Torneo Medieval”, Rincón Hernandiano.
• 13:00 h. “Circuento”, malabares Infantiles Rincón Hernandiano.
• 13:00 h. Pasacalles “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 13:30 h. “Malabares Medievales”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 13:30 h. “Te Nombro Caballero”. Pza. Del Salvador.
• 13:30 h. “Anécdotas de Alfonso X el Sabio”, Pza. Salvador.
• 14:00 h. “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 14:30 h. “Fantasía Medieval”, Pza. Del Salvador.
• 14:30 h. “Montalvo Vs Montilla”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 17:00 h. “Exhibición de Cetrería Cristiana”, Plaza Sª. Lucía.
• 17:30 h. “Malabares Medievales”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 18:00 h. “Torneo Medieval”, Rincón Hernandiano.
• 18:00 h. “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía .
• 18:30 h. “Montalvo Vs Montilla”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 18:30 h. “Circuento”, Pza. Del Salvador.
• 18:30 h. “Fantasía Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 19:00 h. “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 19:30h. “El Baúl Viajero”, Pza. Del Carmen.
• 19:30 h. “Malabares Medievales”, Pza. Marqués de Rafal.
• 19:30 h. “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 20:00 h. “Música Medieval”, Pza. Sª Lucía.
• 20:00 h. “La Endemoniada”, Pza. Sª Lucía.

A nasty surprise

Yesterday afternoon, at about 4pm, the heavens opened and a hailstorm rained on much of the Vega Baja. Towns on the coast from Torrevieja to Pilar de la Horadada were most affected. The forecast for the afternoon showed rain but certainly not thunder, lightening and hail.  Farmers were concerned that the hail might ruin their crops but fortunately it did not last too long.

The forecast for today is sunshine, we will have to wait and see.  

Medina accuses the mayor of cooking up evidence

The PSOE spokesperson, Raúl Valerio Medina, accuses the mayor, Charo Bañuls, of cooking up several lawsuits against him. He says that the mayor used reports produced by a temporary secretary to implicate him in alleged corruption and then rewarded the lady with a permanent job on the council.

About a year ago, the council had to fill a temporary vacancy created by a maternity leave. In doing so, the council’s attorney tailored the specification to suite his sister in law. In fact he was even on the committee that made the appointment. The day before the maternity leave ended, the mayor created the new post of Local Development Agent as a reward for the temporary  secretary. As you might expect, the returning secretary objected to the creation of the new post which she said duplicated hers but the objections were overcome and the ADL then went on to testify in court against Medina.

Although the case was eventually dismissed by the judge, it must have caused anxiety for Medina at the time.

Only in Spain

Only in Spain could they stage what is described as an “International Competition for Stew with Meatballs”. The event will take place on Saturday in the Municipal Leisure Centre, Torrevieja. It starts at 10am and by 2pm the stews must be ready for judging.

There are  four categories:

• Traditional Torrevieja recipe
• Stew with meatballs – free version
• Traditional meatball stew from the community, region or national.
• Typical recipe from a foreign country

There is apparently a lot of interest in the wider categories with entrants from, Orense, Ciudad Real, Guadalajara, Sevilla and even Argentina. It could turn out to be a hotly contested competition.

This is serious business because there is a long history of this dish and even a website that aims to safeguard the traditional ways of cooking it. Basically, there are two forms of meatballs; those with blood included and those without. However, from that point it becomes a lot more complicated as you can imagine. Apart from the choice of meat, there is the careful choice of herbs and spices to consider.

The last time we enjoyed lunch across the road with Pepe and Eladia, our Spanish teacher’s wife had prepared meatball stew for us all. I thought it was delicious but Antonio felt it was too spicy and dared to tell his wife as much. You can imagine the “discussion” that followed and the ear bashing Antonio received.

For those that might be interested here is a website that will get you started on the path to the perfect meatball stew.

 

 

Are they mad?

The running of bulls at Pamplona is legendary. Thousands make the pilgrimage to the small Spanish town each July to enjoy the ultimate thrill of being chased through the streets to the bull ring. In the afternoon, the corrida is held and the bulls are dispatched only to be replaced by a further set of six toros bravos the next day. This goes on for the whole of the festival. 

There are a lot more who would like to take part in the event but cannot make the journey to Spain and so two Americans, Rob Dickens and Brad Scudder came up with a plan to introduce the idea in their own country. This year, there will be 10 Great Bull Runs in the country, starting with one in Houston, Texas.

Of course, this being America, the participants have to pay between $40 and $70 for the privilege and sign a 1,800 word waiver beforehand. The organisers also have a very expensive insurance contract to cover the events.

There are no such formalities for the runs in Pamplona but then that is in Spain, not America where things are very different. Another difference is that the bulls in America are allowed to survive and return to the corral to be run again another day. It is therefore no surprise that the bulls are often reluctant to take part – after all they are not stupid animals.

However, the main difference is that in Pamplona, the bulls run through the narrow streets of an ancient Spanish city. There is a sense of history and tradition about the event whereas I imagine in the good old USA, it is all about razzamatazz. They may have captured the adrenalin fuelled rush but not the true sprit of running with bulls. I am sure that Ernest Hemingway would have winced at the whole idea.

The socialist stance

At last night’s council meeting, the socialists proposed  that Charo Bañuls should use the town’s legal services to explore possible action to force the reopening of the night time emergency service. The spokesman for the opposition said that they could even consider suing the regional government for discriminating against the town.  Raúl Valerio Medina believes that the PP proposal to merely send a letter requesting the reopening is not enough.

Medina also wants the town to sign an agreement to allow bigastrense children to attend the Early Childhood Centre in Orihuela. He says this would cost no more that 20,000 euros per year which he points out is less that the 30,000 euros saved when the two liberal councillors were dismissed.

Referring to legal services, Medina says that information about the cost of these and the use made of them are being kept a secret. By his reckoning, the town is currently spending 80,000 euros per year which he says is a vast increase on the 30,000 that the socialist spent when they were in power.

Medina sought clarification about how that money was spent. He suspects that much of it went on lawsuits for example those related to the compensation for unfair dismissal of 50 council workers. He claimed that the result of taking the issue to court only served to double the amount paid to the workers.

The problem is, when politicians use the words “open” and “transparent”, they are using a different dictionary to the rest of us. In spite of the claims that the parties make about being upfront with the electorate in their manifestos, when it comes down to it, they have a change of heart and only tell us what they want us to know.   

At last

Finally, we have some pictures, taken by the professional, of the wedding. This is Eladia, daughter of our neighbours across the road, on the day of her wedding day to Kinete. 

Careful retouching has resulted in a very glamorous image of a beautiful young lady.

I suspect that Francisco Montesinos used a programme like Portrait Professional to bring out the eyes, whiten the teeth and produce that satin smooth skin. I love the sepia toned treatment with the spot colour for the lips, nails and curtain.

A terrible winter

Our friends and family in Britain must be wondering when all this bad weather is going to end. Following the bouts of heavy rain in December, January has turned out to be no better.

Parts of the country, like Somerset, have been under water for weeks and the signs are they will get more rain over the coming days. There are 10 flood warnings for the south west and 29 flood alerts today.

The problem is that the ground is saturated and the boreholes are full. There is simply nowhere for the water to go other than to flood the surrounding land.

Looking at the satellite image, you can see that swirling mass of cloud that is bringing all that bad weather.

A million euros to save a plant

I read this morning that the Department of Environment in Orihuela has commissioned a study by the University of Murcia in order to apply for two grants. The first is to the European Union and second to the Biodiversity Foundation. Both of these grants would be used to protect the Grey Leafed Dwarf Rock Rose, an endangered species of plant which inhabits the Orihuela Costa.

The Department of the Environment has allocated 9,000 euros to conduct the study that could lead to the awarding of a grant of between 500,000 and one million euros for a ‘Life Project’ by the European Union.

The study by the University of Murcia will also be used to help an application for a grant from the Biodiversity Foundation for the same purpose.

Measures are already in place to protect the plant at Cala Mosca. However, the Councillor for the Environment, Manuel Gallud, now wants the provincial Department for the Natural Environment to allocate the status of a micro-reserve to provide greater protection for the plant.

I am sure that there are those who regard this as an important project but to my mind that is an awful lot of money to save a plant that you can buy seeds for at 4.99 euros* per packet.

* Available from the German company Rareplants.eu who claim that none of their seeds are collected from wild specimens.

A tricky problem to solve

Following a meeting with the Councillor of the Coast, Martina Scheurer, and protests by local residents and business owners, the Ministry of Development has cancelled the planned road closures at La Zenia Roundabout.

This has been hailed as a victory by those who would have been adversely affected but still leaves the issue of how to relieve congestion and improve road safety on the coast.

Several proposals have been made including the following:

1. New and visible signs for Zenia Boulevard at the 51km southbound exit from the N332 that leads to the town hall and the Saturday market to reduce traffic at the La Zenia roundabout.

2. Open an exit on the southbound N332 after Mercadona on to Calle Salzillo and connect this with Calle Madreperla by appropriating 50m of land to join both these roads that run directly to Zenia Boulevard.

3. Build a roundabout on Avenida Villamartin at the end of the Consum car park and the intersection of Calle Unamuno and Calle Cervantes, where the 4 way intersection is very dangerous.

4. Build a new road through the lower part of La Regia park to allow traffic to drive safely from the Cabo Roig roundabout on the N332 to Calle Talco, which leads directly to Zenia Boulevard

5. Complete the road at the southern end of Calle Talco to join with the road that links the N332 near Campoamor beach (Farmacia) to Lomas de CaboRoig and Campoamor golf. Calle Talco leads directly to Zenia Boulevard. This will ease traffic northbound on the N332 approaching the La Zenia roundabout.

I suspect that many, like me, take the most obvious route to La Zenia Boulevard along the N-332. That is the route which avoids the toll on the motorway and is most clearly signposted. I am sure there are other existing routes that I could take but the lack of clear signage makes me avoid them. 

Playing politics

The PP group in  Bigastro have filed a motion for next Monday's meeting demanding that the Generalitat Valenciana, the Minister of Health and President of the Generalitat  reopen the emergency night service in Bigastro.

In doing so, the PP are trying to avoid the political mileage that the PSOE might gain at the meeting when they follow on by presenting a similar motion. As I said previously, the socialists outnumber the ruling PP by one seat which means that they are in danger of losing any vote that the opposition don’t agree to. They need either the support of the liberals or the socialists to carry votes through at meetings.

Since the two parties cannot agree on the details of the letter, it will be left to Aurelio Murcia with his two votes to decide which will go through. There are a number of permutations possible; he could vote in favour of one or the other, he could abstain from both, he could reject them both or even vote in favour of both  (that would be interesting). I imagine that he will be playing his cards close to his chest and will wait until Monday to reveal his intentions. One thing for sure, his phone will be permanently engaged this weekend!

Since the PP motion will be discussed first, they will be waiting nervously to see just what Aurelio decides. If he rejects their proposal, it will be the turn of the socialists to bite their nails.  The object of the exercise to recover the night service could well be lost during the battle for one upmanship. 

Aurelio was dismissed as leader of the PP and later dismissed from his position on the council by them so his loyalties to Banul’s party are tenuous to say the least. When he was in opposition, he fiercely opposed the socialists, so there is no love lost there either. We shall all have to wait and see what happens. 

That’s interesting

Looking at the agenda for the next council meeting, there are some interesting items to be discussed:

The fifth and sixth items deal with the closure and liquidation of Bigastel.

Bigastel was introduced to provide affordable Internet access to those who did not have a landline connection. Apart from Internet, Bigastel could also provide a telephone connection via Wi-fi. Originally, the coverage was only in the centre of the town but was then extended to cover a wider area including Villas Andrea.

Item eight deals with the restaurant and swimming pool at La Pedrera. Last summer the pool did not open which must have been a blow to the people who regularly used it during the warmer months. The restaurant has been opened, closed, opened and closed again during the nine years we have lived here. It was only really successful when there were latin-american nights staged during weekends in the summer.

Item 12 is a motion from the PP (conservatives) regarding re-establishment of the night service at the Health Centre followed by a motion by the PSOE (socialists) about the same issue. The PSOE have campaigned to have the service brought back and since they have more seats at council than the ruling PP, they may win the day. It all depends what stance the 2 liberal councillors take.

The night service was halted when data showed that there were less than a handful of people using it most nights. However, the socialists argued that, those without transport to take them to Vega Baja hospital, would be severely inconvenienced by the closure. It is true that a fair percentage of those who live here do not own a car and would either have to rely upon neighbours or call for a taxi if an emergency arose.

New opening hours

In a bid to save money and reduce waste, the town hall announce the following opening hours for the Auditorium.

Auditorium Hours:Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9:15 to 13:45 and afternoons from Monday to Friday from 16:00 to 21:30.

Timetable for the Library: Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9:30 to 13:30 and afternoons Monday to Friday from 16:30 to 20:30.

The time of year

Having stated last week that type A flu was not at epidemic levels in Valencia, the Ministry of Health have now changed their minds. The incidence of the disease now numbers 190 cases per 100,000 of the population, an increase of 115% on the previous week. In the interior the incidence of flue is even higher at 200-400 cases per 100,000. The good news is that Alicante province is reporting the least number of infected people.

As always, it is the young and the old who are more prone to suffering ill effects from a dose of flu. For those who are normally healthy and strong, a few days in bed with plenty to drink, a box of tissues and paracetemol should do the trick. 

Effects of the change in demographics

Like in most other countries, towns in Spain receive money from the state according to the number of residents on the electoral roll. Once you have a home here, the town hall encourages registration on what is called ‘the padron’. Many of the new residents did not bother to register causing a major headache for the expanding towns but that is another story.

In the boom years, when towns grew, they received more money from the state which enabled them to develop ambitious plans to build sports facilities, new town hall, health centres, new schools etc etc. Of course, the extra money did not kick in straight away which left towns in the situation of having to provide services to the new houses without income. That didn’t seem to matter though because eventually things would sort themselves out and in any case, there was lots of money coming in from the building licenses.

There was also an issue with utilities. The demand for supplies of essentials such as water, electricity and sewerage put a great strain on the existing infrastructure. Still these problems would also be sorted out in time and the new residents would not mind living without an efficient supply in the meantime. As for luxuries like telephones, those would have to wait until such time as companies like Telefonica decided to extend their network to the new developments. That could be in one, two or more years – possibly never if the demand was not shown to be there.

Now we are in a reverse situation where many towns are experiencing a reduction of population. Not only are people leaving, the birth rate is also in decline which bodes badly for the future. In time, the money from the government will be less and the demand for services will reduce. Councils will no longer be able to afford to provide the same facilities as before.

In spite of what governments might tell us, there is no way of knowing when the country will get out of the mire and start to grow again. My guess is that it won’t be anytime soon. That is not entirely a bad thing because a period of stability and normality will be more settling and will provide a wakeup call to those who dreamt of exponential expansion at any price. 

The best laid plans

During the boom years for construction, towns in the Vega Baja created ambitious plans for their development. Probably the most ambitious of the lot was the plan for San Miguel de Salinas.

In the late 90s the town started to develop its General Plan. The population at that time was 3,800 but by 2003 that had grown to 7,000. The plan though was to increase the population to 100,000 by building a further 40,000 houses. Eyes were set on the foreign market which everyone believed would buy up the properties as second homes in the sun.

The plan for the town was passed by the Generalitat Valenciana and so construction of the road networks and the infrastructure for the new houses began in 2008.

In 2009, the Association of Residents' San Miguel Archangel’ and the group ‘Friends of Sierra Escalona’ took action and raised objections to the plan on the basis that there was no statement of environmental impact issued to support it. A Strategic Environmental Assessment is mandatory for all plans that could have a significant effect on the environment and there was no such assessment  accompanying the general plan for San Miguel.

Sierra Escalona is a protected area, a Site of Community Importance and an Area for Birds of the European Union. An application has been made to declare it to be a Natural Park in Valencia.

The Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV)  annulled the General Urban Plan November 13th last year and communicated its decision to the affected groups on the 15th January.

The mayor, Angel Saez says that he has submitted an appeal against the decision to the Supreme Court. Whether his appeal is successful or not could well be academic because the plan is widely regarded as ‘unsustainable, speculative and irrational’. Last year the town lost over 500 residents. In the present climate, it is hardly likely that anyone would consider putting money into building more houses there.

It may be a bitter pill for those mayors who dreamt of presiding over sprawling metropolis to swallow, but the reality is that they just let greed get the better of them. Northern Europeans were willing to buy a home in the sun when the prices were cheap but not when the developers increased prices on an almost monthly basis. The ‘lets get rich quick’ mentality got the better of Spaniards and now they are paying the price.

A sign of the times

With the numbers of Russian residents increasing, it was bound to happen.

The Costa Blanca News, which was once aimed at British ex pats, will now be printed in Russian.

It is only a matter of time before bars, cafes, restaurants and shops in the area respond to the change and put up signs in Russian.

The Senegalese, who trade fake goods, will have to change their patter – no more “lovely jubbly”, “cheap as chips” and “nice price”. To keep up with the trend, they will be learning some stock phrases in Russian.

Of course, any Russian who happens to drop by on this blog can find a rough translation into their own language via Google Translate. To help them, this is the translation of this post!

С численность жителей России растет, это должно было случиться.

Коста Бланка Новости, которые когда-то были направлены на британских исключая, похлопывает, теперь будут напечатаны на русском языке.

Это только вопрос времени, когда бары, кафе, рестораны и магазины в области реагирования на изменения и поставить знаки на русском языке.

Сенегальский, которые торгуют поддельные товары, придется менять их скороговоркой - не более "прекрасный Jubbly", "дешевый как жареный картофель" и "хорошая цена". Чтобы не отставать от тренда, они будут учиться некоторый запас фраз на русском языке.

Reducing congestion

Closure of access to roads from the La Zenia roundabout are going to cause problems for residents and businesses. These closures were deemed necessary to reduce the number of accidents that now occur. The new commercial centre has increased the amount of traffic that now crosses the existing roundabout creating major problems at peak times. The council have therefore proposed that a half roundabout is constructed on  Villamartin Avenue. 

There is also a problem with parking alongside the roads leading to the centre. Parked cars are causing both chaos and accidents, so it is proposed that parking spaces are removed from the affected roads.

The other proposal made is to remove the toll at La Zenia to encourage more motorists to use that route rather than the overcrowded N-332.

When we visited La Zenia Boulevard in mid summer, access was a nightmare as traffic backed up on the approaches to the roundabout. Spanish drivers are not the most patient and so many took a chance slotting into a space on the roundabout which barely existed. I imagine there were quite a few minor accidents at that roundabout this summer.

The beetle has moved on

When the red palm weevil first appeared in 2006, it was the shorter, fatter canary palms that were its target. In the Vega Baja, the trees along the Segura river at Jacarilla were the first to be infected.  From there the beetle spread. Trees in public areas were treated but those in  private gardens, especially holiday homes were missed. That gave the beetles the opportunity to spread and find new targets.

In Torrevieja, there are approximately 4,200 palm trees in public places. The annual job of pruning them started a few days ago and in the process, they have found trees that are infected with the red beetle including one of the palms on the promenade La Libertad which is over 30 years old. They have also found two others in the plaza de Europa and in the urbanization Calas Blancas, close to the La Loma health centre. All of the affected trees are date palms which originally were thought to be safe from attack.

In order to prune the tall Washington palms, they have to use a cherry picker and close the road. That is what they have been doing outside the Casino on the front at Torrevieja. At the same time as the trees are pruned, they are treated. Although it was originally thought that the beetles would not attack taller trees, having found date palms that have been infected, they are taking no chances.

What you may ask happens to the tons of prunings?

In the past the date palms were pruned in autumn and the dates that fell were sold in the market. Now that pruning takes place in winter, the material collected is taken away to recycle into agricultural compost. 

A year of exodus

Over the last 20 years the population of the Vega Baja has grown, fuelled largely by foreign immigration. However, in 2012 that all came to a halt when 14 out of the 27 towns actually shrunk in size. The biggest loser was  Benijófar  which lost 693 of its residents, a massive 16.5%. Nearby Rojales lost 320, San Miguel de Salinas 590, Catral 435 and Los Montesinos 160.

In towns where agriculture rather than tourism forms the main source of employment, the losses were much smaller. Even still, San Isidro lost 20, Rafal 43, Granja de Rocamora 24, Dolores 48, Daya Nueca 40, Callosa 43, Benferri 7 and Jacarilla 38. I do not have a figure for Bigastro but I image it is in line with the other municipalities.

Overall, there was a net gain of 0.3% but only because the two largest areas of population, Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa grew. There were 1,173 new residents in Torrevieja and 1,485 along the Orihuela Costa. These new neighbours mainly came from Russia and Scandinavia; the British invasion has now largely dried up. it is possible that there are more Brits leaving than arriving although I don’t have figures to show that.

The biggest surprise is Guardamar, which like Torrevieja is on the coast. There the loss was 181 residents. The local PP party put that down to the fact that Guardamar has a socialist held council.  

As I have said before, Pam and I have no plans to leave. After over 9 years, we are still content with our lives here. Of course, you can never say never and we keep an open mind on the situation. The key to our satisfaction has been the determination to integrate with the community and to involve ourselves in the life of the town. Without that, we could well have been in the queue to sell up and leave.

What was Top of the Pops

A lot of the controversy at the BBC is centred around the programme Top of the Pops which ran from 1964 to 2006. For those of us who were young in the late 60s and 70s it was compulsive viewing. Although it was a live show, the acts mimed to their music because it would have been impossible for them to reproduce the studio produced versions of their music on the show.

As much as the musicians, the DJs thought they were the stars of the show - Jimmy Saville, David Hamilton, Noel Edmunds, Ed Stewart, Tony Blackburn, Dave Lee Travis etc. Of them all, none was more flamboyant than Jimmy Saville with is blonde locks, his flamboyant clothes and huge cigars.

For the young ladies at the time, the appeal of the show might have been their favourite stars. For we men though, it was the dancers as well. Starting with Pan’s People who appeared on the show from 1968 and by the 70s were a regular feature. When a particular star could not appear on the show, the girls would perform a routine to their hit song. For we men, the eye candy was often more preferable to the limp haired, unwashed appearance of the stars.

it wasn’t just the professional dancers though that caught our eyes. When mini skirts because fashionable, the producers of the show built a high platform for the girls to dance on with a camera placed low to give glimpses of their underwear. It was all heady stuff that mirrored the sexual freedom of the era.

With all this overt sexual tension going on, was it any wonder that things happened? As many stars have commented, the girls made themselves readily available and you didn’t always have the time to ask for their birth certificates. Interestingly though, the recent complaints and accusations have all been made about the DJs and not the pop stars. Perhaps in was the case that young fans sought out attention of the stars whereas in the case of the DJs it was more the other way round. 

Of course, none of this excuses what went on but does perhaps explain why it happened.

In fact these things have always gone on and still happen today. For example, fans at Robbie Williams concerts lift their T-shirts to show him their boobs and hold up placards telling him they want his babies. The difference is that, at live concerts with a stage and security guards between them, there is much less of a chance of actual interaction between fans and the stars

An age of liberty

Those of us who lived through the 60s and 70s knew of a time before political correctness and equality of opportunity were even dreamt of. We said and got away with things that today would land us in hot water.

I’ve had this discussion with my daughters on several occasions and tried to make it clear to them that I am not condoning what when on in those days. That is just the way it was.

There was banter in the workplace and men would make remarks to their women colleagues that today would be regarded as wholly inappropriate. For the most part though, that is all that it was, just banter. Even in those days, we knew not to take things too far although there were obviously those who would try and push the boundaries to test the limits. Instinctively, the majority of us  knew which ladies would “play game” and how far to go without causing offence. For the most part, the women concerned were of mature age and able to defend themselves.

In some work places though things clearly got out of hand and so it was the case at the BBC. Recent revelations highlight the extent to which the so called stars were able to get away with actions that would have made even the most liberated of us wince. There is a world of difference between  harmless banter and blatant sexual abuse especially when it involves young vulnerable fans – many who were under aged.

As shocking as it may sound, it came as no surprise to us to find out that these things went on at the BBC and that they were largely  unchecked by management there. The Corporation at that time probably thought it was being trendy and that a certain amount of promiscuity was part of the ethos. Only now, in hindsight, are the leaders red faced about what went on and the way a blind eye was turned to it. The actions of the stars then might not have been condoned but they were tacitly accepted as part of the norm.

Fifty or more years later, the victims of these unacceptable acts are now able to tell their tales and be listened to. In the case of Saville, the possibility of retribution has passed but for Stuart Hall etc, the accusations are being heard in court. However, the handful of  people that have been charged are merely the scapegoats. You can be certain that many thousands of so called stars got away with what would now be regarded as inappropriate behaviour and their cases may never come to light. It is also likely that the smart lawyers of the accused will riddle holes in the accounts of the complainants and get their clients off.

Eventually, the events of the 60s and 70s will be laid to rest. The lessons of the past will have been learnt and hopefully not repeated.

Still no decision

The future of the Plaza de Toros in Orihuela still hangs in the balance but then so does the building. It has been closed for 20 years and is now in such a state that it has become dangerous. It was scheduled for demolition but then other things became more important like the high speed train line and the closure of the road into the city.

All sorts of plans have been made to restore the building including a recent study which talked about a liaison between the council and a private company. The idea was to provide underground parking for 500 cars, a retail complex at ground level and a multipurpose arena above. The proposal included a hotel of up to five storeys high.

The stumbling block, as always, is the cost. Even knocking it down would cost money

Take better photos

Buying a new camera can be both exciting and daunting. Even basic compact cameras these days have advanced facilities that enable you to take better photographs. Unfortunately, the manuals that come with these cameras rarely help. All they do is describe the various features of the camera without explaining how best to use them.

There is a company called Photogenics who can help though. They run courses at La Herradura Restaurant in Los Montesinos.

One such course will take place on Tuesday 28th January where they will explain how to use the facilities of a compact camera to achieve better photos. The course lasts from 10:30am to 4:30pm and costs 45 euros including a light lunch.

The company are also running a two day course entitled, ‘Know your camera – the basics’ on the 4th and 5th of February. During the course they will be explaining how best to use  aperture and shutter speed along with tips about composition.

Knowledge of the triangular relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO (film speed) is essential to your understanding of exposure. Once you understand that, knowing which of these three settings to adjust to get the effect you desire is the key to producing good photographs. When you have grasped all of this and moved on from the fully programmed setting of your camera to the more advanced modes, your pictures will start to become creative rather than just mere snapshots.

The third course, to be held on the 21st and 22nd of January  covers how to use Adobe Lightroom to enhance your photos. Software is provided, you just need to take your laptop with you.

More details of these courses can be seen on the website www.photogenics-cb.net, or you can email them at info@photogenics-cb.net.

NB It is well worth going to the site even if you are not interested in the courses offered. You will find lots of informative articles and links to other useful sites.

You can enrol or contact them for more information via email or the website. Alternatively call David on  649613517.

Going nowhere

The Catalan parliament voted yesterday on whether to seek the right to hold a referendum on independence. Although the supporters of the move just failed to get the necessary two thirds majority they still made the point very clear.

Of course, Madrid has the last say  on these matters and both Mariano Rajoy’s ruling party and the socialists have said that they will not allow the referendum vote to go ahead.

If the Catalan politicians try to go ahead and force a vote, they could find themselves in a perilous legal position. Their only alternative is to use the regional elections as an unofficial referendum with parties declaring on which side they stand. If the pro independence groups gather enough support at the election, that might encourage them to push for a referendum without the approval of parliament.

A windfall turned sour

The company, Vicente Producciones Artísticas, which organises local fiestas in northern Spain, handed out its usual Christmas gifts to mayors in over 300 communities. The package included tickets for the Christmas lottery.

As it happened, the number on the tickets came up as a winner, netting the mayors with a share of 5million euros which meant at least 5,000 euros each. Many would have won larger sums given that they had more tickets. It is rumoured that some mayors may be sitting on as much as 100,000 euros.

The unexpected win has created a dilemma though because the question arises, “who does the money belong to?”. Given that it was the villages that paid for the contracts to the company, many feel that the money should go to help all the citizens out. On the other hand, the gifts were given to the mayors personally so they have every right to keep the money to themselves.

The moral thing to do would be to use the winnings to benefit the whole community and that is exactly what some have already said will happen but then there are some who are greedy. In these small communities, which may only count 50 people, the villagers are afraid to speak out against their mayor for fear of reprisals. If their mayor wants to keep the money, that is what he or she will do – thank you.

You can imagine that this whole issue has caused a lot of controversy. In fact, since there is no law to govern this sort of problem, it has been taken to the public prosecutor who says it would have to go through the courts but there are no funds to take on the case. An association that represents many of the municipalities involved now wants legislation to set out recommendations about how such gifts should be handled – a sort of “guide to good conduct for politicians”.    

This whole business highlights one of the problems that rural Spain faces. Many municipalities are just too small to have a mayor and council making important decisions that affect peoples lives. Those that are in control of small communities have been given so much power and influence,they are now feared as much as they are respected. It is likely that many of them will have held their position for so long that they now regard themselves as being beyond reproach and indeed above the law.  Appealing to their moral conscience may turn out to be a complete waste of time.

Settling their debts

When the socialists were in power, the opposition party in Bigastro claimed that the council workforce needed to be reduced by half. Once they got into power, in a coalition with the liberals, the conservative PP went ahead and made the promised cuts. The move was never going to be popular but it was deemed necessary given the disastrous state of finances in the town.

The dismissed workers took their case to court and won compensation amounting to 340,000 euros. Although hat sounds like a huge sum of money, it has to be compared to the year on year savings made by losing 50 staff.

In last year’s budget, 140,000 was set aside for payment of the debt. The rest will be coming from the 2014 budget. That means the council workers will now all have been paid.

Of course, the situation in the council changed when the mayor expelled the two liberal councillors from the government team. She now relies upon support from the socialist group to approve any measures taken and they  have already refused to agree to dismissals and the strategy of staff cuts.  

PS In case you were wondering what Aurelio Murcia is doing these days following his dismissal, I can confirm that he is working as a driving instructorand I understand he is also dabbling in real estate. It’s a far cry from his previous situations but at least it should keep the wolf from his door.

PPS I hope he teaches his pupils how to use the signals on the car because most Spaniards on the road don’t seem to know what they are for!!

We did our bit

Pam and I bought ourselves new cars last year which helped in a small way the increase in sales experienced by dealers in the province.

Since 2007, new car sales in Spain have dropped sharply with the exception of 2010 when the state offered aid to buyers.

With the implementation of the PIVE plan and the generous discounts offered by garages, sales increased in 2013 by 7.19%, a total of 38,965 cars. That compares well with the increase for the whole of Spain which was 3.3%. Pam and I did not qualify for PIVE but we were offered very good discounts on the cars we bought. I also got a fair price for the car I traded in.

Although this is encouraging news for the dealers, we must still remember that half the cars in circulation throughout Spain are over ten years old. With massive unemployment in the country and job uncertainty, it is unlikely that many will be tempted to contemplate a new car in the near future. 

Out of the cars sold in Alicante province, Ford were still the best seller followed by Volkswagen who actually increased their sales by 21.37%. A long way back came Opel followed by Citroen, Seat and Renault. I’m not sure where Skoda came in the list but I do know that Pam and I accounted for two of their sales.

PS I passed a Ford Orion on the CV-95 last Friday. That car was produced from 1990 to 1994 making the vehicle I saw at least 20 years old. The old girl might have been travelling slowly but there was no blue smoke from the exhaust and the bodywork looked reasonably tidy.

A white elephant

The desalination plant at Torrevieja has now been in production for eight months turning sea water into drinking water. The clean water is transferred to the dam at La Pedrera. At full capacity, the plant is capable of producing 80 hectometres of water but at the moment is only operating at less that 5% of that total because there is no longer the demand.

The demand for the plant was driven by wild predictions about the expected population growth of the area e.g. the fifty thousand houses they were going to build around San Miguel de Salinas. Since those developments have come to a halt, there is no call for the water the plant was going to provide.

A lucky escape

Some people like to keep war relics like the man in nearby San Bartolome who had a bomb by his garage that dated back to the Civil War thirty years ago. He thought that the bomb must be harmless after all this time and just left it there open to the elements.

Last Tuesday,on the advice of a neighbour, he mentioned the fact to local police officers who were on patrol. The Civil Guard were called and they alerted bomb disposal experts who cordoned off the area immediately and wrapped the shell in a protective casing before removing it.

Apparently the bomb still had its explosive charge and could have caused a lot of destruction if it had gone off. 

Not good

Manchester United are not used to losing matches so losing three in a row, the first time in 13 years that they have suffered this way, has not gone down well with the players. Added to which, there is a strong possibility that United will not qualify for the Champion’s League next year. The club have qualified for this prestigious European trophy every season since 1995-96. Although there are no signs of a mutiny amongst the team, there are a couple of key players who may not renew their contracts at the end of the season.

Moyes remarks in the press about “playing referees as well as the opposition” have not gone down well with the Football Association and his wholesale change of coaching staff is now being cited as a bad move by many.

Of course Moyes style is very different to his predecessor, so there was bound to be a period of settling in.  The question is, how long will he be given to return to winning ways? Other clubs would be seriously considering sacking the manager at this stage but that is not United’s style and in any case it would not make a lot of sense half way through the season.

My son-in-law, who is a devoted United supporter, reckons they will give Moyes two years, we shall see. When I went to the pub with Dave to watch United play last week, the City game was being shown in one of the other bars. At the end of the match, the loyal United fans sang “We are the champions” followed by shouts of “20” just to remind the City fans of who are still holders of that cup and how many times they have won it. I very much doubt they will be singing that next year.

A Russian take over

Torrevieja can be said to be truly international because out of the 107,492 registered inhabitants, 53,13% are foreigners. The leading group are from the UK with 12,759 residents. However, the Russians are fast catching up. In 2005 there were 3,72 Russians in the city, now there are 4,925 an increase of almost 1,000 in the last two years. The third group are the Germans but their numbers have declined by 200 in the last year down to 3,906. British numbers are also in decline – 467 in the last year.

To highlight the growth of Torrevieja though we need to look at the figures from the past. In the 1980s the population was 13,000, By 1990 that number had risen to 23,000 and at the millennium it had exceeded 50,000. In the last 14 years, that total has more than doubled.

In years to come, we may see more and more signs in Russian about the city along with bars and cafes to cater for them. 

That didn’t last long

The reopening of the CV-95 into Orihuela lasted for one month. The route is now closed again and will remain closed until October.

Shopkeepers in Orihuela have suffered a serious decline in business since the road was closed. They say that, rather than take an alternative route into the city, shoppers have opted to go elsewhere. 

Building the line for the high speed train between Alicante and Murcia has caused enormous problems for Orihuela with no benefit whatsoever because, as far as I can gather, the train will not stop in the city.

In fact most people I have spoke to cannot see the point in having a high speed link between the two cities given the distance between them. The current lime between Alicante and Murcia by train is about 1 hour 20 minutes, how much saving will the high speed train make on that?

The original plan was to create a Mediterranean corridor which would stretch from the French border to Portugal. The next section would take the train from Murcia to Cartagena and then onwards to Almeria. Although some work has been done on the section to Almeria, work stopped awhile ago and there are no indications of when it might resume.  On that basis we cannot pin too many hopes on the link between Murcia and Cartagena being started anytime soon.

Further misery for the royals

The Nóos case centres around Iñaki Urdangarin and his business partner, Diego Torres. They are accused of siphoning off 5.8 million euros of public finds from the regional governments of Valencia and the Balearic Islands. The money was apparently funnelled through the not-for-profit Instituto Nóos along with the Aizoon family business and was supposedly used to organise sports and tourism conferences which never happened. Instead the money disappeared into privately owned companies and offshore tax havens.

Princess Cristina, who is seventh in line to the throne of Spain and is the wife of Urdangarin, has now been named as a formal suspect in the case for the second time. Last year she was cited by the investigating judge, José Castro but his decision was overturned by Mallorca’s provincial court. This time she has been summoned to appear in court on the 8th March, a decision that may again be overturned by a senior judge.

The King said in his Christmas message in 2011 that nobody was above the law and that of course includes the princess.  Judge Castro says in a 227 decree that the princess must have been aware of what her husband was doing even if she was not part of his conspiracy. At best, she turned a “blind eye” to what was going on. There have already  been questions raised about the 6m euro mansion that the couple own in Barcelona, the 3m euro refurbishment of it and how they were able to obtain a 5m euro mortgage on the property. Papers show that Cristina signed herself as both owner and tenant of the mansion.

If she is found guilty, Cristina faces a term of up to six years in prison for money laundering and a fine of three times the amount that was involved. She also faces further punishment for tax evasion. However, most sources say the chances of this happening are highly unlikely.

Spain may be on the brink of recovery from financial disaster but there is still a lot of clearing up to be done.

Oh dear

Santiago Calatrava is renown for his spectacular bridges, airports and museums and yet some of his projects cause massive headaches for the towns and cities where they are built. 

- In Oviedo, he and his team had to pay 3.3 million euros in compensation for a conference centre that suffered a structural collapse.

- The spectacular bodega that he designed for Ysios in Avala has a persistent leaking roof.

- And in Bilbao, the glass tiled bridge that he built to take people across the river to the Guggenheim museum has proved to be too slippery in the rain. The authorities covered it with a huge black rubber carpet but even that caused problems when it flipped up during a storm.

- His Ponte della Costituzione across the Grand Canal in Venice has exceeded its budget threefold and his 15 million euro plans for three skyscrapers and eight residential blocks in Valencia were scrapped when the property bubble burst in Spain.

The latest controversy is over the opera house at the Palau de las Artes in Valencia. In spite of only being built eight years, the white ceramic skin was starting to show wrinkles over a year ago. Last week’s high winds brought masonry down forcing the authorities to cancel concerts there. 

Blame for the rapid deterioration of buildings within the complex lie with Mr Calatrava, who was paid close to 100 million euros for the project that came in at four times over budget with a final price tag of over 1 billion euros.

You can’t help but feel that some modern architects go too far in their desire to create spectacular designs. Maybe they should take a step back and produce buildings that are longer lasting and are fit for their purpose.

Of course, the issue about whether Valencia should have embarked on such an expensive project in the first place is another matter.

The King’s birthday present

In a poll released on Sunday, the King’s birthday, almost two-thirds of Spaniards said they want their king to abdicate and hand the crown to his son, Prince Felipe.

King Juan Carlos, who has been on the throne for 38 years, was once one of the world's best-loved sovereigns, respected for his common touch and for helping guide Spain to democracy in the 1970s after the death of Francisco Franco.

The scandal of his daughter, Princess Cristina, and her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin - particularly at a time of economic crisis and widespread unemployment has not helped. Urdangarin has been charged with embezzling €6m in public funds. The couple deny any wrongdoing.

This follows the scandal in April 2012 when Juan Carlos fell and broke his hip during an elephant-hunting safari in Botswana, a lavish, privately funded trip that was secret until his accident.

Back home

Back to Bigastro safe and sound after another adventure in Sale, Manchester. It was supposed to be a quiet and restful week this time round but somehow that did not seem to happen. Of course we had New Year and my birthday to fit in along with a trip to the cinema to see “Frozen”, a meal out with some of Dave and Laura’s friends, a trip to the ice rink and a few shopping expeditions.

It looks like it got windy here whilst we were away. There are one or two things that have got blown about but no damage. Mind you, any wind here could not compare with that in England over the last month or so. Our flight to Manchester on the 27th was delayed because it was too dangerous to use the steps to the aircraft on its way to Alicante. Fortunately, the delay meant that the wind had calmed by the time we reached our destination making landing less precarious.

They have also had a lot of rain in England. We were lucky and only saw a few days of rain during our trip but some parts of the country have suffered a deluge. That, combined with strong winds and a spring tide have caused havoc for many along the coast.