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Vol 2 Edition 4 September 2001
Costa Blanca Netguide Newsletter
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com
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Hi,
Welcome to this edition of the Costa Blanca Netguide Newsletter.
This month we see the second part of our special look behind the
scenes of Fiestas and Festeros. Also we have further news on our
Screensaver as well as a new enhancement to the website that we'd
like your opinion on. Due to our editorial deadline the new Business
section will return next month. Some of you also requested CBNG
Car stickers and I'm pleased to say that after an initial Email
problem on our servers, that meant some of your requests weren't
processed for 6 weeks, we are now receiving the requests correctly
and a batch were posted out last week. If you would like to receive
a car window sticker please email stickers@costablanca-netguide.com
and we will send them directly to you. (Max 3 per application).
As always if you have any comments, questions or ideas for the Netguide
please email us comments@costablanca-netguide.com .
Until Next Month
Robin
Editor - Costa Blanca Netguide.
editor@costablanca-netguide.com
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CONTENTS:
1. Fiestas and Festeros in Spain - Part 2.
2. Local Radio Station Update.
3. Enhancements to the Website.
4. Costa Blanca Netguide ScreenSaver.
5. Spanish Book and CD review and recommendations.
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Fiestas and Festeros in Spain - Part 2
As promised in last month's newsletter more on the very important issue
of 'Fiestas'. Anyone who has ever spent any time here will know that Spaniards
just love to fiesta. It seems that any excuse sees rise to a party. However
there is usually a very good reason and invariably a religious ceremony is
playing a very big part of the festivities. Various Saints days are celebrated
and always the Patron Saint of the town is honoured as with the main fiestas
described last month. At 8a.m. every morning of the fiestas the town receives
a 'wake up call'!! This includes plenty of firecrackers, blunderbusters and general
noise provided very kindly by the festeros themselves. However don't be lulled into
thinking they get up early in order to get ready for the day's events they are just
finishing from the night before!! It's then time to get a few hours sleep before
the day really begins. Each day they dress again in their formal outfits, hair again
intricately coiffured for the girls, and normally dark shades for the lads! ready
to be collected at 11a.m. from their homes which have the doorways adorned with
palm branches. The town band accompanies the festeros around the town until all
the couples are gathered, walking in their pairs to the church. On arrival at the
church with much bell-ringing the people of the town join the festeros and their
families to enjoy Mass together. This happens for the first days of the celebrations.
After Mass everyone goes for lunch. Various activities have been organised by the
festeros for each day. It has been part of the festeros duties throughout the year
to decide and then organise these activities and budget for them. They can be anything
from bouncy castles for the children to traditional cock races. A parade of floats is
always included in the Jalon fiestas with a prize for the best float. Anyone in the
village is welcome to join in. A sports day is also included with all manner of sports
such as Valencian pelota, a type of ball game played in the street, volleyball, handball
and football available.Each night starting at about midnight a live band performs in the
square until the early hours. After eight days things then change. The main square
becomes a bullring overnight with made to measure constructions bolted together around
the perimeter of the square. These are built so that each group that owns these
constructions can watch the bull running from a high vantage point whilst the barred
section below protects the rest of the viewers from the bulls. Some towns which don't
have an accesible or large enough square or plaza use a particular street within the town,
usually the main street. Whether you agree or disagree with bull fighting or running
the Spaniards certainly still seem to enjoy it immensely even to the point of having
a childrens bull running afternoon using the very young bulls. So all this partying
as we now know takes all year to organise but what does it cost and how do the festeros
raise the money? Well for a town the size of Jalon with approximately 2000 inhabitants
it costs approximately 6-7 million pesetas with around 2 million of that donated by the
Town Hall. The bull running alone costs approximately 2 million pesetas the rest pays
for the live bands each night and the daily activites laid out for the towns folk to
enjoy plus the meals each evening for the festeros. All the dresses and suits worn by
the festeros and festeras comes out of their own pocket. Each year there are about a
dozen festeros with the mamouth job of getting those funds together. How do they do it?
Well by various means. Good old fashioned lotteries held each week with prizes donated
by local businesses and towns people. Be careful though when buying a ticket if the prize
is a lamb. It has been known for a foreigner on winning such a prize being absolutely
flabergasted when a live lamb was brought to the door on a length of rope.....this is a
rural area! Also rock concerts are held with part of the door takings being for the fiesta
funds, fashion shows and a glossy brochure is produced with a running order of the fiesta
events and a chance for all the local businesses to advertise and the profits again towards
the funds. So lots and lots of hard work and a great deal of responsibility is bestowed upon
these youngsters but well worth the effort and a chance for everyone to enjoy themselves
together and this year the bulls won 3-0....all the injuries were obtained by foreigners
so its not as easy as it looks obviously.
Researched and Reviewed by Suzanna
info.es@costablanca-netguide.com
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2. Local Radio Station Update.
As you may have noticed from the directory Lifestyle radio is no longer listed. This is
due to it no longer being available. We are now happy to welcome Onda Cero International
instead which has taken its place with Beverley Gallant and Hugh Stewart both formally
of Lifestyle heading the team there. Beverley informs me that at the moment they are the
only 24 hour English language station available. The station covers most of the Costa Blanca
and will soon cover from Torrevieja to Javea. Plans include other languages, (German, Dutch
or one of the Scandanavian languages) in the future. For more information look them up on
the Costa Blanca Net Guide Directory under Radio Stations.
The Costa Blanca Net Guide are also very happy to have received an invitation to talk on
Onda Cero International in the very near future so listen out folks.
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3. Enhancements to the Website
The Netguide staff have been discussing putting a message and bulletin board onto the website.
This would be a simple message posting and general discussion area that would be restricted
to Newsletter subscibers only. We would like your feedback and opinion as to whether you would
like to see this service become available. It would be completely free of course and the only
requirement would be subscription to this newsletter. Please email us discussion@costablanca-netguide.com
with your comments and if you would like us to implement this we will design and test it in the next 6-8 weeks.
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4. Costa Blanca Netguide Screen Saver.
Back in the June edition of the newsletter we mentioned the Costa Blanca Screensaver.
This is now almost complete and will feature new and original digital photography taken
this Summer on the Costa and a commissioned Spanish guitar composition that will play in
the background. The pre-release version should be ready by the end of September and
newsletter subcribers will be notified by email as soon as it is available with the final
version ready by mid-late October.
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5. Spanish Book and CD review and recommendations.
Book - Tapas : The Classic Small Dishes of Spain
by Elisabeth Luard
£6.29
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/tapas.html
Tapas are the small snacks traditionally served with drinks in bars in Spain. From these
somewhat humble beginnings, tapas have developed a degree of sophistication and artistry
and are the latest arrival on the fashionable eating scene. The book allows the reader to
create these appetizers at home.
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CD - Trip Around The Med | Compilation
by Various Artists
£2.99
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/tatm.html
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CD - Spain
by Michel Camilo
£13.49
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/spain.html
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DVD - Discovering Spain
£12.99
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/ds-dvd.html
The film takes the viewer on a journey through Spain and visits many places of particular
interest, including Madrid, Avila, Segovia, Granada and Barcelona.
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As always if you have any ideas or suggestions for the Guide please email us at
info@costablanca-netguide.com
If you know someone who may benefit from any of the articles in this newsletter
please feel free to pass it on.
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