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Vol 5 Edition 3 July 2005 Costa Blanca Netguide Newsletter http://www.costablanca-netguide.com This newsletter is only sent to subscribers You are currently subscribed as: [FIRSTNAME] [LASTNAME] - [EMAIL] ------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS: 1) Editorial 2) New businesses on the Guide 3) Cherry Picking by Dave Ash 4) Costa Blanca Rock n Roll Show 5) Bella Vista Apartments 6) Sticker/Screensaver Information 7) Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information ------------------------------------------------------------- CAR HIRE AT ALICANTE MURCIA AND MALAGA AIRPORT Discounted car hire at Alicante Airport, Valencia Airport and Murcia Airport, Spain:- Free Additional Drivers, Baby Seats and Roofracks Iberocar Car Hire Via de Servicios- Alicante Airport 03170 Spain, iberocar@iberocar.com http://www.iberocar.com/cbng.php ------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Editorial ¡Hola! [FIRSTNAME], I hope this finds you fit and well. I can´t believe that August is almost upon us. Temperatures here are in the mid 30´s and above every day so a little on the warm side but that´s why we´re here isn´t it? My little cherub has nearly finished his summer school which he has thoroughly enjoyed despite the heat, thank goodness. Local fiestas take up the first two weeks in August and then the grandparents are due out so we are fairly well organised. We have lived here for over 16 years and thoroughly enjoy it but Spain and Spaniards still amaze me daily. I have to tell you about the latest in telesales. You all know how aggravating telesales can be. You just sit down of an evening and the phone goes and it´s some bright sounding person trying to sell you something as boring as double glazing or the latest mobile phone or a conservatory. Believe me I know it well and I have to admit to once being one of those "bright sounding persons!" OK so I was between contracts, "resting" at the time! Well Spain wins hands down on the subject matter here. I was busy working at the computer the other day when a bright sounding Spanish person telephoned mid afternoon. The questions went something like "Which do you prefer red, rosé or white wine?" "Wine or cava?", " Semi, dry or brut?" Well this was obviously far more interesting than computer work and in the interests of the Costa Blanca Net Guide research you understand I was obliged to answer! So having made my choices I was then offered a case of 12 bottles of my preferred cava at 72€uros, 3 more bottles thrown in for free plus no postage and packaging to pay for. What a great marketing strategy. So if you are interested check out www.maset.com. This month we introduce Dave Ash as a guest writer. Dave has been a friend of my husband´s for over 25 years and first visited us six months after we arrived in Spain. That was it, he was hooked and bought a house immediately. Some years later he moved over permanently and has entertained and amused the locals and extranjeros (foreigners) ever since! Dave certainly sees the funny side of most situations and he has agreed to add his anecdotes to the newsletter. He would love to hear your thoughts and comments so email him at dash41@telefonica.net Hope you enjoy this month´s newsletter, lots going on as usual and keep your comments and suggestions coming. That´s all for now, see you soon, Cheers, Suzanna. Suzanna Editor - Costa Blanca Netguide. editor@costablanca-netguide.com ------------------------------------------------------------- 2) New Businesses on the Guide i) C.V.Carpenter & Associates We have been providing sound financial advice to the expatriate community in Spain for over 25 years. We are members of the Colegio Official de Agentes Commercial Alicante, this prestigious regulatory body ensures that its members operate all of their business activities in a professional, ethical and honourable manner. http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/320.html ii) Millie Munro is a new addition to the Costa Blanca Net Guide Directory and has been advising and promoting Private Health Care and Pre paid Funeral Plans for over two years here in Spain. Her new office has recently opened in Benitachell. Join her on July 29th between 7pm and 10pm for a glass of cava and tapas. Millie Munro Avda. Lepanto, 6 03726 Benitachell Alicante (opposite Bancaja) http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/321.html ------------------------------------------------------------- 3) Cherry Picking by Dave Ash Hello [FIRSTNAME], It was a foul winter up until the end of March, with temperatures reputed to have hovered just above zero in that little trough that runs alongside the river. The lemons shrivelled and dire were the mutterings in the village. Lumped into the calamity equation were the nísperos, the almonds and the few ornamental shrubs that dot the landscape. Heads were shaken, boles of trees were kicked in despair and the sheer futility of life weighed heavy upon the village's shoulders. But today, the first of June, I can report that we've turned the corner. The almonds are well advanced, the níspero harvest is almost over and the lemon trees, destined for firewood, are now sprouting leaves at the thick end of each branch. The one crop to rejoice during a prolonged cold snap is the cherry and so it was that Vicente casually asked me in the bar yesterday lunchtime if I'd like to go cherry picking with him. In for a penny, in for a kilo, thought I, as I stuffed two plastic bags in my pocket and met him in the square a couple of hours ago. Salt of the earth is our Vicente and he knows the "campo" like the hairs on his hand, so with great enthusiasm I squeezed into his dirty old Renault between the walking stick and orange box. Peering past the grime behind the steering wheel I noted with interest that this veteran banger had one just 40,000 kms in twenty years, which is not bad going when only 4K of this would have been on tarmac. If the neighbours' vans are anything to go by then Vicente's will remain in service for a repeat twenty. You can quash all thoughts of Sloane Ranger 4x4's around here…what is required is short wheel base, narrow track between the wheels and a high lift to the sump. So up and up we jolted, first past the buxom hippie lady with the one-winged parrot, then past a mournful caravan which sat in despair on its plot of land, an unloved reminder of a broken romance. Just twenty metres more and we arrived, facing the most magnificent tree, with bright red fruit peeping behind every leaf. As Vicente said, there were at least 150 kilos just waiting for us............ if only we had the time……………. A cherry is a cherry- and confronted by this fruit mountain it was impossible not to be humbled. A computer simulation, an artist's detailed oil painting, a potter or just about any human representation can never capture an unplucked cherry in that moment of maturity. A wordsmith would have to tailor his description, avoiding such terms as luscious, succulent and glossy but rather go for more sinful words like plump, fleshy, and those suggesting that the fruit might yield gently to the touch. But enough of the open-eyed wonderment…I was more concerned about Vicente's leg and his walking stick. "What have you done to your leg", Vicente?. "Nada" said our man of few words and, hoisting the stick, indicated that the crook was used to pull the upper branches down. "Go for the dark ones", he said and "don't pull, twist them up a bit". This I duly did after blowing a few cherry stones into the field below, and found that twisting and tugging on one cherry resulted in two'ers and three'ers. As they tumbled into the bag I asked my mentor why the tree was covered with strips of old video tape instead of having a scarecrow standing sentinel or plastic bags hung from the branches. As V explained, simultaneously filling his own plastic bags, the shiny side of the tape fluttering in the breeze frightens the birds. At that point he stood on the orange box to reach a juicy cluster and saved me from asking another daft question like, how long will it take to fill the box and wouldn't the weight of the fruit crush the lower layers!! Forty minutes gone, each of us with two bags bursting, and it was time to go-after all, there is only so much cherry picking you can do before it gets a bit "samey". Into the footwell of the Renault went the bags, orange box and walking stick and Vicente returned to the tree to remove the fallen leaves and squashed fruit underneath. All I could think of was that the pips might take root and somehow draw the sap from the parent tree, resulting in a reduced fruit yield. "Is that really necessary, Vicente"? I asked in all innocence, only to hear him mutter something along the lines of "It's not my tree and if the owner found out we'd been here he wouldn't like it". All the Best, Dave ------------------------------------------------------------- 4) Costa Blanca Rock n Roll Show COSTA BLANCA ROCK ´N´ ROLL ROAD SHOW Saturday 27th August 7.30p.m. Oliva Nova Beach and Golf Resort The Costa Blanca Rock ´n´ Roll Road Show present a non-stop evening of the great days of Rock ´n´Roll with an entertainment line up including:- "The Heartbeats" - a six piece live Rock ´n´Roll Band - Rock of Ages! Two Guest Cabaret Rock ´n´ Roll Artists - bringing Rock ´n´Roll Stars of the Past to Life! Rock ´n´ Roll Road Show Disco - Playing Golden Oldies from the past! Costa Rock Dance Duo - Giving Demonstrations - getting you involved - Judging dance Competitions The Costa Blanca Rock ´n´ Roll Road Show also includes the following:- Buffet Spot Prizes Galore! - How good is your Rock ´n´ Roll knowledge? Dance Competitions with prizes! - Can you jive? Well give it a go! Raffle! - Lots of Rock ´n´ Roll Prizes and Drinks! PLUS Special deals on the hotel rooms and facilities! Tickets:- 20 Euros - Adult 10 Euros - Child This event is being well supported by CHG and the Oliva Nova Beach and Golf Resort is being provided free of charge with proceeds being donated to the Against Domestic Violence Campaign headed by the Women in Business Club (WIBC). The hotel are offering attractive deals on rooms and to book simply contact the hotel direct :- Urb. Oliva Nova Golf 46780 Oliva (Valencia) Tel. + 34 96 285 76 00 Fax: + 34 96 285 76 76 olivanova.hotel@chg.es ------------------------------------------------------------- 5) Bella Vista Apartments Bella Vista Villas have now more to offer. With a charming and peaceful Mediterranean style complex set within a sought after location, characterised by a rich diversity of landscapes and dramatic views. Bella Vista Apartments are a range of fully furnished and equipped 2 & 3 bedroom apartments with large terraces offering stunning views for the sea and the valleys. All the apartments come with a TV and telephone and their own parking spaces and the prices vary from 115.000.- Euros to 159.000.- Euros per a two bedroom apartment and from 170.000.- to 199.000.- Euros per a three bedroom apartment. The Bella Vista Complex provides a wide range of facilities, which you can enjoy by owning a home here. They include: - A very large outdoor pool - Heated indoor pool - Gymnasium ans Solarium (Sauna, Jacuzzi and Turkish Bath) - Mini golf and Landscaped gardens - Living pool bar showing live sporting events open early till late plus an "a la carte" Restaurant. For more information contact: Hira Company, Bella Vista Apartments hira@bellavista-club.com www.club-bellavista.com. Tel: 96 640 0400 Fax: 96 640 0409 ------------------------------------------------------------- 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 at no cost. 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) SUBSCRIBE INFORMATION To subscribe to this newsletter please either sign-up at our website www.costablanca-netguide.com/subscribe.html OR Send an email with subscribe as the subject line and your first and last name on separate lines in the message body to: subscribe@costablanca-netguide.com UNSUBSCRIBE INFORMATION To unsubscribe at any time please send an email with unsubscribe as the subject to: unsubscribe@costablanca-netguide.com ******PLEASE NOTE****** The request to unsubscribe must come from the same email address you used to sign up which we currently have on file as: - [EMAIL] ------------------------------------------------------------ |