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Vol 3     Edition 6     December 2002
Costa Blanca Netguide Newsletter
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Hi,
Welcome to the final edition of the Costa Blanca Netguide
newsletter for 2002. Many of you emailed me last month to ask
about the absence of The November newsletter. My apologies to
you all but this was largely due to a sudden increase in my
work commitments both on-line & off that led to not much being
ready for the newsletter in time and by the time enough
was ready it was already December!!!
We will be back to normal for 2003 though, with the new
option of an HTML format newsletter, various updates
and additions to the main website as well as more
news, reviews, information and history from Spain and the Costa
Blanca.
We have a nice fishy recipe from Suzanna to end the year,
as well as details of new Business added recently and a run-down
of the all the most popular Books & Guides, Maps, Videos, CD's and software
recommendations, purchased by our subscribers over the course
of 2002. So wherever you are have a relaxing time in the next
few weeks and I'll e-see you next year.Robin
Editor - Costa Blanca Netguide.
editor@costablanca-netguide.com
MAIN CONTENTS:1)  A Fishy Christmas
2)  New Businesses on the Guide
3)  The Top Books & Guides, Maps, Videos, CD's & Software 2002
4)  2003 Publishing dates
5)  Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information==============================================================
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Currently featuring Free Additional Drivers,
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1)
Hi,
If you are a lover of fish and shellfish then this part
of the world is a great place to be. Not only is the fish
wonderful but it is cheap too. In our local supermarket
the array of gambas alone is a sight to see. In Calpe the
Town Council and the Fisherman's Guild have started a
promotion campaign for the "Peix de Calp" (Valenciano for
the Fish of Calpe). Their aim is to make known the
virtues of their fish which you can see on the arrival
back into the harbour each day and at the auctions at the
fish market where there is a specially designed vantage
point for you to watch from.Before the appearance of the tourist phenomenon that
started in the seventies, the economy of Calpe was based
on fishing and agriculture. From time immemorial fishing
has been the fundamental activity of the town, from the
original fishing from the coast, to trawling in sailing
boats "les parelles", trapnetting and to a lesser extent
the trammel (triple dragnet) and the paternoster line,
until arriving at the present day's trawling in powerful
boats.Fish nowadays still constitutes the base of the
traditional cuisine of Calpe which has been passed on for
generations and which is tasted by locals and tourists in
most restaurants. Along the front of Calpe close to the
harbour many restaurants display the fresh fish and
shellfish for you to choose from and then they cook it to
your requirements. The wonderful aromas is enough to
entice you in! The fish unloaded in "La Lonja de Calp"
(the fish market of Calpe) is mainly distributed for
consumption to the local market that extends from
Valencia to Murcia, but its qualities are also known in
other important cities like Madrid and Barcelona, where
fish is especially appreciated. Lots of establishments
offer dishes which are full of fish and sea food, but
only those which display the "Peix de Calp" symbol can
guarantee that the fish served is the fish unloaded and
sold in the harbour and fish market of Calpe and
therefore gives their guarantee of quality. The symbol is
a blue circle with the words Peix de Calp around it and a
fish of yellow and red in the centre. Also the Ministry
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food obliges by law that
all fishing products; fresh, refrigerated or boiled are
labeled. Therefore all fish which comes from Calpe is
labeled again with their symbol.So what type of fish is in a typical catch from Calpe?
The most representative and commercialized species in La
Lonja de Calp are the giant red prawn, medium sized
prawns, sardines, conger eel, mackeral, swordfish, red
bream, monkfish, red mullet, blue whiting, forkbeard,
whiting, plaice, mantis prawn, squid, octopus and small
cuttlefish.
There are many dishes using fish in this area and quite
varied, but outstanding in the local traditional cuisine
are: Llauna de Calp, the Arros del Senyoret, the
Parillada de Marisco (mixed grilled seafood), the
Marinera de Peix (a fisherman's pot), the Arros Negre
(black rice), the Putxero de Polp (octopus in sauce) and
the Blanquet (black pudding).You can try one yourself.....here is a recipe for Llauna
de CalpIngredients for 4 persons:1kg of varied fish of your choice (e.g. conger eel,
crabs, mantis prawn etc)
4 slices of hake, whiting or place
4 potatoes (sliced not too thickly)
1 tomato (sliced)
1 spoon of paprika powder
garlic
parsley
salt and saffron
4 soup spoons of olive oilPreparation:
This dish can be cooked on the hob or in the oven. It's
preparation is very easy as all the ingredients are put
in together raw and the results obtained are very
satisfactory.
An earthenware dish, paella pan or any other flat
receptacle is needed.
Spread the potatoes out on the bottom of your chosen
dish. The spread the tomato slices on the potato. Next
add the fish of you choice in such a way that the firmest
ones (crabs, prawns etc) are placed under the tender ones
(whiting, plaice etc)
Sprinkle with the oil. Cover with water and add the
chopped garlic and parsley, paprika powder, salt and
saffron.
Cook for about half and hour on a low setting.

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==============================================================2)  New Businesses on the Guidei) Codyama
British supermarket and general store established 8 years on
the Costa Blanca. owned by julie and her daughter Georgina.Products include:-British food including chilled and frozen foods.
Sweets and ice creams.
Pet food and Pet accessories
Stationery and Books
Toiletries, Make up and Avon products
Cleaning and Household Products
Video and D.V.D.. library
Bedding. Electrical.
Flowers for delivery in the British Isles
Swimming pool chemicals and accessories
Collectible soft toys
Camera films and photo developing. postcards
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/290.html
ii) Theatre ExpressTheatre Express offers children and teenagers between 4-16
the opportunity to train in the three major performance
disciplines of drama, dance and singing, taught by specialist
teachers. Each child trains for three hours per week, during
term time but out of school hours. Under the umbrella of
Express will be fitness classes for adults during the daytime
and language classes in Spanish and English.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/291.html
iii) Access Travel SpainWe at Access Travel Spain are based in the picturesque Jalon
Valley on the Costa Blanca and can provide you with all you
need for a HOLIDAY TO REMEMBER on one of the best coastlines
in Spain. Villa & Apartment Rentals and Management : We have
Properties in Denia, Javea, Moraira, Calpe, Benidorm, Jalon
and More.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/293.html
iv) Javea property S.L.Property Management, Rentals, Sales and Maintenance etc.
A small friendly property management and rentals company
specializing in villa and apartment rentals. All our selected
properties have individual private swimming pools, and are set
in superb locations, in or around Javea. We offer very
competitive rates for your holiday accommodation, with a
complete service including Welcome packs as required, weekly
linen change, all gas, water and electricity. We have a hire
department which can supply all your holiday needs from cots,
high chairs, fans etc, etc. We can also arrange car hire from
your arrival airport.

http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/294.html==============================================================The Top Books & Guides, Maps, Vidoes CD's & Software 2002
Top Books & Guides 2002i) The top book of 2002 was..........Living & Working in Spain
This ever popular "essential" for those thinking of taking
the plunge.......... What's it really like living and working
in Spain? Not surprisingly, there's a lot more to life than
sun, sand, sea and sangrķa. This book is guaranteed to make
your life in Spain easier and more enjoyable. Regardless of
whether you're planning to stay for a few weeks or
indefinitely, Living and Working in Spain has been written
for you.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/lawins.htmlii) The Story of Spain: The Dramatic History of One of
Europe's Most Fascinating Countries
Mark Williams has drawn on years of rigorous research to
re-create the drama, excitement and pathos of the crucial
events in the history of the western world. 'The Story of
Spain' brings together the myriad fragments of Spanish
history into a clear and enlightening mosaic of the past
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/sos.htmliii) You and the Law in Spain:
Incorporating "The Spanish Property Guide"
Moving to Spain - importing your possessions - residency
- buying and selling property - building your home
- renting and letting - mortgages - insurance
- real estate agents - lawyers - property and income taxes
- driving in Spain - working and starting a business
- employing others - birth, death, marriage and nationality
- Spanish wills and inheritance tax - your legal advisers
- Spanish authorities - how to complain
- your community rights and obligations
- the Law of Horizontal Property in English ... and much more.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/yls.htmliv)   Buying a Property in Spain:
An Insider Guide to Finding a Home in the Sun
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.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/bapis.htmlv) Costa Blanca Insight Pocket Guide
Including a chapter detailing the Costa Blanca's history and
culture, this text provides 23 itineraries taking in sights
ranging from jungly-green valleys filled with citrus groves
to 24-hour Benidorm, leisure-time suggestions, and a
comprehensive information section containing essential contact
addresses and numbers. It also includes dozens of photographs
and numerous maps, including a detailed pull-out map.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/ipg.htmlvi) Costa Blanca Mountain Walks
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.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/cbmw.htmlvii) Landscapes of the Costa Blanca
The Costa Blanca is one of the most popular areas of Spain,
with mild winters, in an area that is known for its beautiful
sierras. Featured in this guide are 50 walks, 5 car tours,
26 picnic suggestions, pull-out touring maps and timetables
for public transport.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/lotcb.htmlviii) Gardening in Spain
How to plan your garden, what to plant, when and how to plant it,
how to make the most of flowers, trees, shrubs, herbs.
***Reader review***
To any ex-pat living in Spain this book is a must for
those of you having a garden. It gives you great ideas for
those gardens that have 52 weeks sun, or those gardens like ours
that has a micro climate of sun on one side and constant shade
on the other.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/gis.htmlix) The Oxford Spanish Cartoon-strip Vocabulary Builder
Claire Bretecher's amusing cartoons illustrate how to speak
Spanish as the Spanish do. Although designed primarily as a
supplementary text for classroom use, this work should also
prove useful to the general reader looking for an entertaining
way to expand their knowledge of colloquial Spanish.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/csvb.htmlx) The Oxford-Duden Pictorial Spanish-English Dictionary
There are certain kinds of information that can be conveyed
more readily and clearly by pictures than by descriptions
and explanations. This dictionary identifies over 29,000 objects
by means of numbered illustrations, offering at a glance their
Spanish and English terms.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/odsed.htmlxi) The River Cottage Cookbook
A practical and lively smallholder's bible, essential reading
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/rcc.html

Top Maps 2002i) Euro Map: Spain:
Costa Blanca/Valencia/Alicante/Murcia/Castegna (Euro Maps)
(So good they are currently out of stock........)
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/emcb.html
ii) Costa Blanca Insight Fleximap
This flexi map includes six maps covering Costa Blanca,
Alicante, Costa del Azahar, Elche, Benidorm and a locator
map of the whole coastal region. It also lists Top Ten
recommended sights - from the unspoilt coastline around
Calblanque to the unusual, fortified gothic church at Xabia
(Javea) - as well as useful travel information, climate
tables and local transport details.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/cbif.html

Top Videos & CD's 2002i) Spanish with Michel Thomas--Complete Course CD [AUDIOBOOK]
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.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/smt.htmlii) Cantamus - Aurora [Audio CD]
With its first CD, Aurora, the 45-strong girls' choir Cantamus
moves away from the traditional repertoire into
New Age/classical crossover territory for nine luxuriant
pieces by film composer Sarah Class.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/ca.htmliii) Conquistadors [VIDEO]
In Conquistadors Michael Wood travels in the footsteps of some
of the greatest of the Spanish adventurers from Amazonia to
Lake Titcaca. He experiences first hand the reality of epic
journeys, such as those made by Herman Cortes, and Francisco
and Gonzalo Pizarro, and explores the turbulent and terrifying
events surrounding the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca
empires.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/cnq.htmliv) The Pilot Guide To Southern Spain [VIDEO]
Traveller Christina Chang goes beyond the tourist hotspots of
the Costa del Sol and travels inland to discover the real
Southern Spain. Starting in the ancient town of Ronda, she travels
along the southern coast to La Rabida and upriver to Seville.
Travelling through the north of Andalusia, and then through the
Sierra Nevada Mountains, she ends her journey in the city of Alcoy,
in Valencia.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/pgss.htmlv) Legacy - Origins Of Civilisation [VIDEO]
Historian Michael Woods presents a six-hour programme which
journeys into the past to see how ancient cultures have affected
the modern world. Includes visits to India, Pakistan, China and
Mexico. A two tape package.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/oac.htmlvi) Discovering Spain [DVD]
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/ds.html

Top Software 2002i) Linguaphone In Action Spanish 2.0 [CD-ROM]
Travel has never been more popular, but that doesn't mean it
has become any easier, which is why learning some of the
language before you go remains a sensible option--even if
you do find that many people in your destination speak
impeccable English. Studying the Linguaphone Spanish in
Action 2 CD-ROM will mean it's no longer necessary to be
humiliated by people speaking English to you after you
have mangled their language. The package is very much based
around life in Spain: it includes an excellent travel guide
to some of Spain's most famous tourist attractions together
with video footage that gives a real flavour of Spanish life.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/lia.htmlii) Spanish for Everyone [CD-ROM]
Reviewer: A software user from Guildford, Surrey 
I am actually enjoying learning Spanish. I thought it would
be hard work but this program makes it really easy to motivate
myself. It even has a games room where you can practice what
you have learnt.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/sfe.html==============================================================6)     Sticker InformationWe 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==============================================================7)    2003 Approximate Publishing DatesJanuary 13th | February 10th | March 10th | April 7th |May 12th
June 9th | July 7th | August 4th | September 8th |October 6th
November 10th | December 8th
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