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Vol 3 Edition 2 July 2002
Costa Blanca Netguide Newsletter
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com
This newsletter is only sent to subscribers
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CONTENTS:
1) Feature Article - Fuentes de Algar
2) Article - History of Manisses
3) Website Updates
4) Costa Blanca Resources
5) Sticker/Screensaver Info
6) 2002 Publishing dates
7) Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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Hi ,
This month is definately a trip down memory lane for yours truly. The Falls of Algar
(Fuentes del Algar), our feature article this month holds one of my own earliest
memories of the Costa Blanca.
Picture the scene : It's 1975, just outside of Benidorm. A small 4 year old boy is
hoisted up on the back of a donkey to sit with his Dad as they start the long bumpy
trek to Guadalest via the Falls of Algar. I still just about remember that day and over
the years I have returned many times (but never by donkey!!) and still love
the place. Personally highly recommended!! (I have posted an actual picture of me
on the back of the donkey with my dad to Costa Blanca Website. It's only there
until tomorrow lunchtime so be quick if you want a laugh)
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/donkey-to-algar.html
As I have such good memories, I am running a site competition this month to win
a bag of CBNG goodies.
(Full Version Screensaver, stickers, accommodation discount coupons.. plus more)
The questions will be taken from previous newsletter articles and posted on the
website this Friday. Don't worry we'll email you with the exact access details
then.
Our second article this month is a short piece about Manisses, nr Valencia. It was
after last months newsletter that I received an email from one of our subscibers
Isamar van Hilten who said
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"THANK you for the lovely article on VALENCIA.
For sure a trip to do.
A suggestion: visit MANISES (located in/around the Valencia airport) where
you can admire and purchase (!) beautiful ceramic pieces and tiles. A
fabulous little town worth visiting.
Met vriendelijke groet/Best regards
Isamar van Hilten
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Thanks Isamar, well we have been out digging for info on Manisses and you
can read all about this little known town in our second article this month.
On to slightly more serious matters. Theft of content from the Costa Blanca
Netguide information page found during our regular excursions around the net to review
new topics and ideas for the site and this newsletter. It was only during this we
uncovered another site aimed at the Costa Blanca that had literally copied word
for word, line for line, our information page. All our research work and time stolen
in less than five minutes. To add insult to injury the website in question had also
claimed the entire page as their own creation and put their copyright notice underneath.
Fortunately we have an extremely efficient security team who have tracked down the
UK owners of the site and we have emailed them to ask them to either take down
the page or correct their copyright information.
Please, if you ever find another site that has copied information you have found on
the Costa Blanca Netguide please email me and let me know. We have put
a lot of effort into creating and maintaining the CBNG and it is very annoying to find
other people who have no regard for our time or effort who steal content and
re-publish it without permission
Until Next Month
Robin
Editor - Costa Blanca Netguide.
editor@costablanca-netguide.com
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1) Feature Article : FUENTES DEL ALGAR
There are plenty of places to visit along the Costa Blanca and
one which is a must is the Fuentes del Algar (Algar Waterfalls) a
natural park which receives a huge amount of tourists.
It is an easy trip meandering through the groves of nisperos, the
fruit we wrote about some months back. These groves are covered
by huge frameworks of netting to protect them from the birds.
Some 22 million kilos of nisperos are produced in the Guadalest
and Algar valleys.
To get to Algar take the road to Callosa d'en Sarriá and then
follow the signs for the Fuentes del Algar. On my recent visit
the road between Callosa and Algar had a slight diversion which
proved a bit bumpy but no doubt they will be improving the road
as quickly as possible.
On arrival there are numerous parking areas under the shade of
trees or carports and most are watched over by attendants. The
price for each vehicle is a couple of Euros and the ticket you
are issued with you can then use to redeem some of the cost of
refreshments in the ajoining bar.
You then walk up past various bars and restaurants some of which
boast swimming pools - one is even the shape of a guitar! There
is also a small train museum signposted. You pass a couple of
souvenir shops selling the usual selection including bottled
nisperos and nispero products.
Entrance to the waterfalls is free and you actually enter through
a bar/restaurant. At this time of year there are a couple of
photographers capturing the moment as you enter and the finished
product is on display as you leave for a small fee. As most
people don't even realise they are being photogarphed or aren't
expecting it there are some very surprised faces amongst the
lines of photographs!
By this time you will feel the fresh mist filled air and the
noise of the cascading water is amazing. By taking a dozen steps
down you will be at the main pool where the largest of the
waterfalls cascades down to. Lots of people do take a dip so if
you are up to cold, fresh mountain water swimming take your
cossie.
A small wooden bridge has been erected across this pool so you
can climb the steps the other side up to the top, although I
assume due to the torrential rainfall earlier in the year, the
bridge is damaged and cordoned off at the moment. You can still
climb to the top however, following the steps which are situated
behind the bar/restaurant. They are fairly steep as you can
imagine but its worth going up and following the path around to
the left. You will arrive at the top of the main cascade under
rushes, orleanders and fig trees.
Definately take a camera or video. They are not the largest
waterfalls in the world but truly wonderful to see.
Next month we carry on the journey up to Guadalest.
Researched and Written by Suzanna
info.es@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.
PLEASE NOTE: These articles are for personal use only and may not
be posted on any website, newsgroup or bulletin board. If you
wish to use any of our articles for commercial purposes please
contact us articles@costablanca-netguide.com
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2) Manisses
Spanish Pottery history dates back to medieval times, dominated then by Arab and
Moorish Invaders who brought with them the methodology of Tin-Glazed and
lustred earthenware. The Valencian suburbs of Paterna and Manisses, from the
15th century onwards, were the main centres of the industry. It was here, under
Christian rule however, that Moorish potters produced ceramics decorated in
blue and white and blue and gold lustre.
Christian emblems along with Arabic inscription gradually merged together with
epigraphs in Gothic letters, together with heraldic and foliate patterns of power
and distinction with the human figure rarely represented.
Famous French and Italian families, such as those of René of Anjou and Lorenzo de' Medici
superbly depicted on alberelli and great dishes, indicate that these objects were highly
prized and valued as a sign of high social status, indeed contemporary writings assert
that 'Manisses work was gilded and painted in mastery fashion,
with which the whole world is in love--people, cardinals and princes ordering it by
special favour, and marveling that things of such excellence and nobility could be made
from clay'. Towards the latter part of the 15th Century gadrooned and relief-decorated
pieces started to appear while Persian arabesques were still in use.
As the number of aristocratic patronage declined throughout the 16th century this
was reflected in the diminishing number of coats-of-arms being commissioned and
though manufacture continued there has been no revival of it's previous excellence.
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3) Website Updates
The maps page has been updated with new styles of mapping. We have had
a large number of map requests (over 200) in the last month so we are working
through them and will be adding these maps over the coming months
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4) Costa Blanca Resources
Maps and Travel Guides
i) Michelin Map: Southern Spain
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/mmss.html
ii) Euro Map: Costa Blanca
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/emcb.html
iii) Costa Blanca Mountain Walks
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/cbmw.html
iv) Landscapes of the Costa Blanca
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/lotcb.html
v) Autoroute 2002
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/ar2002.html
vi) Video Visits: Spain
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/vvss.html
Dictionaries and Phrase Books
i) Collins Large Spanish Dictionary
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/csld.html
ii) Berlitz Spanish Phrase Book
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/bspb.html
iii) Spanish: with Michael Thomas
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/smt.html
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5) Sticker Information
We have available our Costa Blanca Netguide car or shop window
stickers that we will send out to you free of charge.
Just email stickers@costablanca-netguide.com with your name and
postal address and how many you require (3 Max) and we'll post
them out to you anywhere in Europe FREE.
Screensaver Information
Version 1 of the Costa Blanca Screensaver can be downloaded
at http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/screensaver.html.
The Free version has a few limitations but gives you a good
idea of what you can expect from the Full version which is
priced at 7 EUROS
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6) 2002 Publishing Dates
5th August - 2nd September 7th October - 4th November
- 2nd December.
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7) SUBSCRIBE INFORMATION
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