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Vol 3 Edition 3 August 2002
Costa Blanca Netguide Newsletter
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com
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Hi,
Welcome to the August edition of the newsletter.
This month sees Suzanna continue up the mountain to Guadalest in our feature
article. There is always plently to do on the Costa, especially during the Summer
months, so we have some Jazz news for you, as well as details of other activities
in and around the Costa Blanca. We have also expanded the Costa Blanca
resource section to include Property Buying Guides for Spain as well as a bit
of fiction for those long hot days days on the beach.
If you are on the Costa at the moment, sit back, pour yourself a long cool one
and relax.......
Until Next Month
Robin
Editor - Costa Blanca Netguide.
editor@costablanca-netguide.com
p.s. My apologies to you all for the delay with the competition. Mainly caused by
limitations on my own time as well as code problems with the javascript. The
competition will now run throughout August instead and I will email you later this
week. (I promise!!) with the details
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CONTENTS:
1) Summer on the Costa
2) Feature Article - Guadalest
3) Jazz Festival News
4) Other Activities and Fiestas
5) Costa Blanca Resources
6) Sticker/Screensaver Info
7) 2002 Publishing dates
8) Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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1) Summer on the Costa
If you are in Spain at the moment you will know that August is definitely here
with the inevitable hot weather and influx of tourists. Parking can be a nightmare
and the supermarkets are full! In the village where I live it is the main fiestas at
the moment so a decent nights sleep is also out of the question. The rock bands
don't usually start until midnight, at 3 o'clock this morning we were entertained by a
moving firework display which started at the end of our road to the
accompaniment of very loud music and then the usual wake up call started at
7a.m. with firecrackers
BUT we LOVE IT and wouldn't live anywhere else.
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2) Feature Article - Guadalest
OK, if you remember last month we took a trip to the Fuentes de
Algar. Usually we then take a trip up to Guadalest as it is on
the same route. If you take the road from Algar back into
Callosa d'en Sarria and turn right at the roundabout in the
centre of the town you are on the road to Guadalest. It is of
course signposted well. The road meanders up through the
valley of Guadalest and you can again see the nisperos groves
on either side of the road which I'm pleased to say has been
resurfaced in recent years. There are also a few bars and
restaurants along the way and outlets selling bags of orange
and lemons and local honey. You will be able to see the castle
of Guadalest as you approach sitting high on a pinnacle of
rock. It is said to be the second most visited place in Spain
and was declared an artistic historical monument.
Guadalest is an ancient town and the tiny network of streets
are fascinating with plenty of souvenir shops selling leather
goods, paintings, ceramics and all the usual tourist ornaments
plus there is also a Lladro outlet. When we arrived on a recent
trip we were greeted by the sounds of the Spanish guitar being
played by a few guys just sitting on a wall. They had a handful
of friends joining in on vocals and clapping along and passing
about the crowds with a hat. All good fun and certainly in the
spirit of Spain. Once you have visited the shops there are
plenty of small museums to see from a "Micro-Gigantic Museum"
where they tell you that you can admire, a bullring constructed
on the head of a pin, an ant playing the violin, the giant tree
of human fruit among other things. Also worth a visit is the
Museo Antonio Marco. This museum is the work of one man Antonio
Marco and has taken him 15 years to complete. It houses
miniature models of churches and houses, built from real stone,
bricks, concrete, iron, wood and the roof tiles of baked clay.
The interiors are exact replicas of authentic houses. On the
top floor there is a giant "Belen" a nativity scene that weighs
12 tons and is set in the style of the early 20th Century. It
has received awards from many different tourist associations,
and the compliments of the Spanish Royal Family.
Once you pass through the tunnel of rock you enter the town as
it were. You can see a 19th century house and of course visit
the castle situated at the top. The view over the reservoir
from such a high vantage point is quite astounding. The
original prison is open to visit and even if a bit eerie is
cool inside!
There are plenty of bars and restaurants and most have
air-conditioning now. Again you will be photographed entering
and can purchase the photos or key-rings which are now produced
double quick as you leave.
Certainly a good day out and well worth a visit. I've been
visiting since a child and still enjoy it.
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3) Jazz Festival News
The Valenciana Community is well known for its cultural events
and John Anthony, the guitarist, told me of one such event
starting this week. >From the 6th August until the 13th August
is the 2nd International Jazz Festival in Javea (Xabia). There
are 6 concerts being held over this time and tickets are 12
Euros. A quick run down of the concerts include on the 6th Jazz
at the Philharmonic revisited, on the 8th is Trio Excellence
with Mulgrew Miller, Niels-Henning Řrsted Pedersen and Alvin
Queen, on the 9th, Melos with the Paolo Fresu Quintet, on the
10th Richard Rodgers, Fred Astaire and other songbooks by
Stacey Kent, on the 12th Per l'altra banda with the Ramón Cardo
Big Band and on the 13th Negro Body Expressions- Ernesto
Lecuona's Music by the Ramón Valle Cuban Quintet. You can
purchase a pass for the 6 concerts for 60 Euros. Ticket sales
are from the Tourism Office in Javea Town Centre Phone: 96 579
4356.
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4) Other Activities.
Other activities started on Friday last with the opening of an
exhibition of photography entitled "Photography: 20 years of
Valencian Jazz" The photographs depict jazz music and musicians
both on and backstage. This is being shown in the
Archaelogical and Ethnographic Museum "Soler Blasco" in the old
town of Javea and is on until the 16th August. John Anthony
actually played solo jazz guitar for the opening attended by
local dignitaries and went down a storm.
There are also during the festival some Jam Sessions with the
Ricardo Belda trio and guests performing at the Aparthotel
Pinosol.
Researched and Written by Suzanna
info.es@costablanca-netguide.com
[FIRSTNAME], 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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5) Costa Blanca Resources
Property Guides
i) Buying a property in Spain
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/bapis.html
This guide to buying a property in Spain offers first-hand advice on where to stay,
dealing with estate agents and builders and the types of properties available.
It covers building your own home, renovating a ruin and renting a cosy cottage.
ii) Buying a home in Spain
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/bahis.html
A handbook on buying and developing property in Spain, which provides advice on
choosing the best location, dealing with estate agents, renovation and restoration,
security, moving house, utilities, and legal matters.
Maps and Travel Guides
i) Michelin Map: Southern Spain
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/mmss.html
An annually updated road map of Southern Spain, covering the main and secondary
road networks across the region. Scale: 1/400,000 - 1cm=4km Legend/Key in four
languages (Spanish, French, English, German)
ii) Holiday Map: Costa Blanca
http://www.costablanca-netuide.com/bac/hmcb.html
This map covers the holiday destination of the Costa Blanca in Spain. Tourist attractions
are highlighted with a red flag. The map is supplemented with photographs and text.
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
Covering the area north and west of Benidorm, this guide includes walks in: Sierra Aitana,
Monte Ponoch, Puig Campana; the Val de Arc; the Benidorm Area - Sierra Helada,
Sierra Cortina; Sierra Serrella/Aixorta; Val de Algar; Val de Galinera/Forada; and the
North-west Sierras.
iv) Landscapes of the Costa Blanca
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/lotcb.html
The Costa Blanca is ideal for countryside exploration all year round. Travel only a short
distance inland, and the bustle of the resorts is left far behind. You find yourself surrounded
by market gardens, orchards and orange groves, while the dark rugged silhouettes of the
sierras beckon you close....
v) Autoroute 2002
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/ar2002.html
Route planning software is always very popular and looking at the capabilities of Autoroute
2002 it is not surprising. This CD-ROM is full of tweaks and twists beyond its central function
of producing journey plans, including a database of potential stopping off points for any trip,
vi) Video Visits: Spain
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/vvss.html
Experience the contrasts of a country filled with castles and whitewashed houses; where
bull-fighting coexists with the clicking castanets of Flamenco dancing and where the food
reflects the flavour of Spain.
Dictionaries and Phrase Books
i) Collins Large Spanish Dictionary
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/csld.html
A sixth edition of the dictionary which also details aspects of Spanish life and culture
ii) Berlitz Spanish Phrase Book
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/bspb.html
This Berlitz Spanish phrase book features over 1200 useful phrases and expressions and
over 2300 words that aim to cover just about any travel sutuations encountered.
The book includes "point to" panels which troubleshoot difficult situations such as visiting the
doctor as well as mini-dialogues.
iii) Spanish: with Michael Thomas
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/smt.html
Michel Thomas's approach to language learning aims to provide in a few hours a functional
working knowledge of a language without books, note-taking or conscious memorizing.
This CD provides an eight-hour course in Spanish.
Related Books
i) Driving over Lemons
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/dol.html
All Provenced out? Then head further south this year, to the breathtaking mountainous
climes of Andalucia. Just don't be squeamish about driving over lemons.
ii) Parrot in the Pepper Tree
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/pitpt.html
Chris Stewart turns another leaf on his life in southern Spain in this "Sort Of" sequel to
his biography, "Driving Over Lemons". It is in fact part sequel - further (mis)adventures
of Chris and his family on their remote Andalusian farm
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6) 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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7) 2002 Publishing Dates
2nd September 7th October - 4th November - 2nd December.
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