Good News for Mallorca

 Mallorca

Mallorca - Slimming World Founder and Chairman, Margaret Whittaker, recently received an Honorary Degree of Master of the University from the University ofDerby. This award recognises Margaret's remarkable achievement in founding and establishing a Derbyshire company, which has been able to contribute to the improved health, happiness and well being of a large number of people.

Margaret was the adopted daughter of a mining family, left school and was married at just 16 years of age. She had been an excellent student with ambitions to study medicine, but fate had something else in mind for her.

At the age of only 21, Margaret started Slimming World from her home in Derbyshire after struggling with her one weight for years and decided for herself an entirely different approach to weight loss, by banishing hunger and guilt and by helping raise self esteem.

Even today, Margaret continues to play a key role in Slimming World's success and the company has invested tens of thousands of pounds into research of weight management.

She also shows deep concern for her staff and has always recognised the importance of investment in employee well-being. Staff at the company's head office benefit from free fruit, a subsidised restaurant that prepares healthy meals and a free gym.

Here on the island, Margaret is better known for her commercial activities, especially Mood at Costa den Blanes, amongst many others, and she carries out many fund raising activities both here in Mallorca and further a field.

This Honorary Degree of Master of the University coming so soon after the OBE Margaret says that she feels truly humbled, but at the same time wanted to salute all the Slimming World Consultants, staff and members everywhere who have made this very special club what it is.

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Article Reference: euroweeklynews .com/2010021172976/news/mallorca/honours-for-slimming-world-founder-margaret-whittaker.html

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Murcia - Spain - The City, The Attractions, The Property for Sale

Murcia - Spain (The City at its heart)

Murcia Spain with its about 300 000 habitants lies about 75 km south of Alicante about 30 km west of Torrevieja.

The cathedral of Murcia in SpainThe city of Murcia can be reached via the national road E15 from Alicante or using the C415 from the Madrid direction. You can also use the bus or train, but do not look for a Murcia airport, you might not find one.

The mild climate with very little precipitation year round and the diversified ecological landscape draws you into an incredible state of well-being.

Its coast, with over 200 beaches, shares two different bodies of water: the Mediterranean and the Menor Sea, which has an outstretched piece of land called La Manga. Murcia is the capital of the province and got its own University.

The Mediterranean bathed region of Murcia, is not only known for its beautiful beaches, but also for a great number of natural beauties still to be discovered. It is precisely its natural charms and contrasts that makes Murcia outstanding from other regions.Natural open spaces that look like the most desolate deserts share common ground with lush fertile green lands like the valley of Segura and the valley of Guadaletin: modern residential neighbourhoods reaching out to connect with small medieval towns.

What's to Sunshine in Murcia

Embedded in between parts of the mountains of the Sierra de Orihuela and the Cresta de Gallo lies Murcia, the city which is due to the large and sophisticated watering system, very famous for vegetables. La Manga has become one of the most important resort areas of what is called the 'Costa Calida' or the Warm Coast together with Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca.

The Murcia region was first populated by the ancient Iberian tribes which started intense commercial relationships with the Phoenicians and Greeks, founding commercial factories on the coastal area. It is maybe thanks to this that its history has always been connected to seafaring activities and agriculture. It was a Carthaginian colony and then taken over by the Moors who graced this part of Spain with an advanced system of irrigation which has made Murcia's crops famous world wide, even nowadays.

This aspect has helped its gastronomy become very popular with a rich balanced Mediterranean diet in elaborating stews, salads, baked meat and rice dishes. But you must not forget that its closeness to the sea also gives it its rich culinary seafood delicacies. And what would be a Spanish meal without a good wine. As mentioned before, its fertile land is producing better wines every year and Murcia is becoming a strong competitor in this market.

Tourist attractions

Front of the Murcia CathedralFrom a tourist point of view, Spain and Murcia itself offer you a huge amount of interesting places to visit as the history of the city goes back to the years 800 where it was originally founded as part of Cordoba. Certainly amongst the famous visiting points for any traveler is the Cathedral de Santa Maria. Finished in the 15th century the cathedral is the most impressive monument of Murcia. The city is divided by the Segura River and is known for its beautiful Baroque Cathedral, Almudi Palace and the castle of Monteagudo ( where the Arab influence can be well appreciated ), a fortress from the 11th c., the Market de Veronicas, the Malecon Garden, the University of Murcia and the Museum Ramon Gaya. The Museum Ramon Gaya, dedicated to the artist with this same name and native of Murcia, is found in Casa Palarea in the Catalina Square. It was inaugurated in 1990 when the artist was 82 years old and also includes other works of art from other artists. Ramon Gaya was influenced by famous artists such as Vazquez and Rembrandt, so you have an idea of the intense precision of his work.

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Article Reference: alicante-spain .com/murcia.html

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Almeria - Southern Spain

The City of Almeria - Southern Spain

The city of Almeria is Andalucia's most eastern capital. Years ago, it was not as well known by tourists as other capitals like Malaga, Sevillle, or Granada. However, that has changed drastically in the last while with its growth as a major holiday area.

Almeria holds a great deal of charm and is steeped in history. It is located at the foot of a mountain range which is crowned by the magnificent Alcazaba, an Arab fortress built by the Caliph of Cordoba, Abd-erRahman with three huge walled enclosures (in the second of which are remains of a mosque, converted to a chapel by the Catholic kings).

THE ALCAZABA

In times of war, the Alcazaba could hold an army of more than 20,000 men. From here, there is a good view of the city's famed cave quarter, Barrio de la Chanca and of the strange fortified cathedral with its gothic style construction and renaissance facade.

The Alcazaba dominates the city and is the main reminder of Almeria's heyday when it was the major port of the Cordoba caliphate. It grew wealthy on trade and the textile industry with silk woven from the silkworms of the Alpujarras.

Connected to the Alcazaba, the Muralla de Jairan was built in the 11th century by Jairan, the first ruler of the Almeria taifa; the wall descends the valley on the north side of the Alcazaba and climbs the Cerro de San Cristobal on the far side.

THE CATHEDRAL
Alcazaba de Almeria

In 1489, the city was taken over by the Catholic monarchs and its Muslim populace expelled soon thereafter. Almeria's cathedral is at the heart of the old part of the city and was begun in 1524 to replace a predecessor wrecked by the earthquake in 1522. The architecture is a combination of Gothic and Renaissance, its fortress like appearance was due to suffering raids by pirates from North Africa. The north facade is an elaborate mid-16th century design by Juan de Orea.

The cathedral was built during an era when the southern Mediterranean was terrorised by the raids of Barbarossa and other Turkish and North African pirate forces and therefore, its corner towers once held canons. Situated in the centre is the great altar with its wealth of priceless art work including a tabernacle dating from the 18th century, designed by Ventura Rodriguez, paintings by Alonso Cañón; a typical Andalucian altar piece made by Araoz; and the statue of St. Indaletius, the patron saint of Almeria, sculpted by Saizillo.

The spacious interior has a Gothic ribbed ceiling and makes use of jasper and local marble in some of its baroque and neo-classical trimmings. The chapel behind the main altar contains the tomb of Bishop Villalan, founder of the cathedral, and is another work of de Orea, as are the choir (with its stalls made out of walnut wood) and the Sacristia Mayor with its fine carved stone roof, windows and arches.

MUSEUMS

Almeria as one of the eight provincial capitals of Andalucia houses various museums. True historians will appreciate the Almeria Museum which contains numerous objects discovered by the well-known Belgian mining engineer, Louis Siret. The contemporary art museum is well worth visiting. Take a stroll around Almeria and discover for yourself numerous examples of beautiful street art.

RESTAURANTS AND CUISINE

Almeria is also well-known for its restaurants and local cuisine. The best place for reasonably priced restaurants and bars is around the Puerta de Purchena at the end of Paseo de Almeria. In the old town you can find many good bars and cafes near to the town hall.

Gastronomic specialities include "Gurullos" (stew with pasta), "Trigo" (stew with grains of wheat, pork, beans and herbs), "Gachas" (hot and spicy clam stew) and "Escabeche e Sardines" (fresh sardines in hot sauce). As well as cultivating tourism over the past decade, Almeria has also cultivated innumerable plastic-covered greenhouses and now produces the bulk of the province's fruit and vegetables, much of it for export.

Almeria begs to be explored. Spend some time enjoying its winding streets, visiting its fine museums, and dining out on the local cuisine. You will want to return time and time again.

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Article Reference: andalucia .com/cities/almeria.htm

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Tenerife - Facts - Why Property Remains at a Stable Price

Facts About Tenerife | Things to do in Tenerife

Facts About Tenerife

Size Tenerife Island: 2,053 square kilometres.
Population Tenerife Island: 778.000.
Population Santa Cruz (Capital of Tenerife): 220.000.
Density: 29 inhabitants per square meter.
Highest mountain: 3718M Mount Teide.
Average Temperature: During the winter 20Cº and during the summer 25Cº (77Fº).
Sunny Days a Year: +300 days.
Annual Rainfall: 23.7cm a year.
Tourism: Over 5 million tourists visit the Canary Islands each year.


Source: (INE (National Institution of Statistics) and the Spanish Tourist Board)

Things to do in Tenerife

Try out the mojo
Without a doubt, one of the most essential parts of Canarian cuisine is "mojo", and every person, family, bar and restaurant has their own special mojo recipe. If you're wondering just how good these sauces are, let's just put it this way: they have entire songs dedicated to them. These sauces are typically green, orange or red, depending on the intended "spicy factor" and the concoction of spices and herbs, and give a local flavor to meats, fish, potatoes and more.

Enjoy the great outdoors
With a nickname like "the island of eternal spring", Tenerife is a place where you can and should be outside as much as possible! The island's beaches, ranging from the volcanic black-sand coves of the north to the golden stretches of the south, are spectacular settings for sunbathing and watersports, and inland you'll find myriad natural wonders. El Teide, a dormant volano and Spain's highest peak, is one such wonder. El Teide National Park encompasses enormous volcanic craters, fantastically abundant wildflowers, free guided hikes and more.

Get a bird's eye view
Speaking of El Teide, if you want the great views but could go without the hours of hiking and sore legs, just hop on the teleférico - or cablecar - right up to the peak... well, almost the peak. Make your way to the La Rambleta viewpoint, where you can climb aboard and in a mere eight to ten minutes be atop Spain's highest peak.

Go whale watching
Believe it or not, Tenerife is actually the second most popular spot in the entire world for whale watching... so don't pass up this fantastic opportunity to see earth's gentle giants at play! 25 of the world's 78 species of sea mammals - including blue whales and dolphins - make their home off Tenerife's shores, but the real highlight is the colony of over 550 pilot whales!

Island hop
Tenerife is only one of several islands that make up the Canary Islands. Constant ferries and inter-island flights link together the archipielago's seven islands, meaning that you can easily see and experience all that La Gomera, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and El Hierro have to offer!

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Article Reference: spanish-town-guides .com/Tenerife_Facts.htm | enforex .com/do-tenerife.html

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Marbella Property Market

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Prime Marbella market

Local lore attests that 'Que mar bella' was the exclamation Queen Isabel la Católica made when travelling along the southern coast of Spain during her reign. Thus, Marbella was christened.

Contemporary visitors might struggle to concur. Like much of the southern coast of Spain, modern living and infrastructure have rendered Marbella's charm hidden from view. The Marbella Club, which in its heyday was the alternative playground to the stuffy French Riviera for European aristocracy and film stars, now stands on a four-lane highway. And although a Lamborghini might be spotted purring down the once achingly fashionable promenade of Puerto Banús, the stag- and hen-party brigade stamp out any embers of glamour.

Expectations of a renaissance are, however, gathering momentum. Since the publicised misdemeanours of the Sres Gil and Roca, the new mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, is coming down hard on anyone who strays a hair's breadth (or a brick's breadth) out of line. The first two illegal blocks have received a demolition order, and all planning issues now go through the Junta de Andalucía in Seville. With time, this clean-up will give the property market a much-needed boost.

Interestingly, some fans of the area haven't been shaken by the bad press that the Costa del Sol has received—the European glitterati still flock to its shores. 'Since the beginning of the year, about eight houses worth in excess of €5 million have been sold in La Zagaleta, the area's smartest address,' says Michael Corry-Reid of Aylesford International.

In all of Marbella and Sotogrande, more than 100 houses valued over €4 million have been sold since January. 'Houses are taking longer to sell, but there's no distress at the top of the market,' says James Stewart, Savills' associate in Marbella.

This will surprise those who have been reading headlines pointing to near total collapse of the market, and, undeniably, the Spanish market is in bad shape. Mark Stucklin of spanishpropertyinsight .com isn't mincing his words: 'The market's in a slump, and I dare say we're closer to the beginning than the end.' His belief is underlined by several factors, not least reduced mortgage lending, rising unemployment and high-profile developers goinginto administration over the summer.

However, some agents remain unshaken. 'We've been through difficult times before,' says Mr Hornung of Marbella Club Real Estate, 'but this time there's a key difference: the Euro. In the early 1990s, the peseta f luctuated dramatically, discouraging investors. The Euro is a more stable bet.'

Of course, the strength of the Euro is one of the contributing factors to the slowdown of the market: everything is 20% more expensive than it was last year. Having said that, Marbella was never a cheap destination. Before the advent of no-frill airlines, the average price of a flight was about £250. Today, there are 29 scheduled flights to the Costa del Sol every day from London alone. Furthermore, when Delta tentatively began a weekly flight between New York to Malaga in April, it had to quadruple the frequency because demand was so high.

'Southern Spain went out of fashion with the arrival of long-haul destinations, but if the price of oil remains high, it's unlikely that anyone is going to spend £5,000 for a weekend. Malaga is so affordably accessible,' explains Edward Hill, who runs an advertising agency in Marbella.

Barbara Wood of The Property Finders (thepropertyfinders .com;) has focused on the Andalucían market since the early 1980s. 'I've been driven to distraction in the past nine months. There has been no attempt by the British media to underline the difference between utter rubbish and what we all know and love. All the garbage that's gone up has just reinforced how good the good areas are.

'There hasn't been an oversupply in the prime areas, so you can't expect to get 40% off the price, but there's now more choice and you'll find people who have to sell.'

Since the launch of gated residential development Sotogrande in 1962 by American entrepreneur Joe McMicking, a number of 'safe bet' areas have followed suit. In terms of on-site facilities, however, no other development comes close to Sotogrande. It's an adult's playground with five golf courses, a golf academy, polo grounds, a marina, a riding centre, an international school, beach clubs, tennis clubs and a sailing club. It's also attempting to re-create the lost glamour of Puerto Banus by opening a large new designer shopping centre at its port, Blue Sotogrande.

Clearly, this is a high-end buyer's market. 'Look in prime areas and don't stray from there,' advises Miss Woods. 'Bargain hard, walk away if necessary,1 accept no compromises and you should now be able to pick up a complete steal.'

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Article Reference: countrylife .co.uk/property/guidesinternational/article/277317/Prime-Marbella-market.html#part2

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Costa Calida

"EL CARTAGENERO" THRILLS THE CROWDS

The recent fiesta at Ramonete in Murcia climaxed with a spectacular bullfight in the village. Hundreds of locals gathered to watch the action in a temporary bullring, erected especially for the event.

The two matadors, who performed on horseback, fought a total of five bulls in this traditional Spanish entertainment. Jose Antonio Navarro Orenes and Pedro Hernadez de Trivino, showed a fantastic level of bravery and skill to defeat the bulls.

The real star of the show was the young matador, El Cartagenero. With his daring horsemanship and film-star good looks, the matador thrilled the audience. His performance was totally fearless and the control of his horses was amazing to witness.

The matadors fought two bulls each. Orenes struggled with the first beast, eventually killing it at the second attempt. El Cartagenero had no such problems with his prey. The judges enjoyed his performance and gave him the traditional prize of the bull's ear as reward for his stylish victory.

In the second round of fights, Orenes gave a more accomplished performance, impressing
the audience by performing a number of dressage routines as well as fighting the bull. He too was awarded the ear for his efforts.

El Cartagenero then returned for his second contest, turning the excitement level up even further with a fantastic performance. The crowd loved his flamboyant skills and cheered loudly as he frequently made his horse rise on it's hind legs. As El Cartagenero finished the contest, hundreds of spectators were on their feet cheering and waving white handkerchiefs in appreciation. The judges shared the crowd's enthusiasm by giving the matador the ultimate bullfighting prize: the bull's two ears and tail.

The bullfight finished with both matadors teaming up to contest the final animal. After another impressive performance the fight was soon over. As the crowd applauded and cheered, both men were carried shoulder high around the bullring by their supporters.

By Kevin Coleman

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Article Reference: theleader .info/article/6021/spain/costa-calida/el-cartagenero-thrills-the-crowds/

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Granada

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Granada was first settled by native tribes in the prehistoric period, and was known as Ilbyr. When the Romans colonised southern Spain, they built their own city here and called it Illibris. The Arabs, invading the peninsula in the 8th century, gave it its current name of Granada. It was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians in 1492, at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon.

One of the most brilliant jewels of universal architecture is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th C. This mighty compound of buildings – including the summer palace called Generalife, with its fountains and gardens - stands at the foot of Spain's highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the fertile plain of Granada.

At the centre of the Alhambra stands the massive Palace of Charles V, an outstanding example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Other major Christian monuments found in the city are the Cathedral, including the Royal Chapel where Isabel and Ferdinand lie buried, the Monastery of La Cartuja and many churches built by Moorish craftsmen after the Reconquest, in Granada's unique "mudéjar" style.

The hill facing the Alhambra is the old Moorish casbah or "medina", called the Albaicin, a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and whitewashed houses with secluded inner gardens, known as "cármenes". The Plaza de San Nicolas, at the highest point of the Albaicin, is famous for its magnificent view of the Moorish palace.

The Sacromonte hill, which overlooks the city from the North, is famous for its cave dwellings, once the home of Granada's large gypsy community.

The name Granada is ancient and mysterious. It may mean "great castle", for the Roman fortress which once stood on the Albaicin Hill. When the Moors came here, the town was largely inhabited by Jews, for which they called it Garnat-al-Yahud - Granada of the Jews. The Jews are said to have been one of the first peoples to settle in Spain, even before the Romans

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Article Reference: andalucia .com/cities/granada.htm

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Investment in Spanish Property is Advised During Poor Economy

Spain left with ham mountain after poor Christmas sales and economic crisis
Spain is groaning under a glut of ham after Christmas sales of one its most celebrated products plummeted with a crash in demand for traditional gift hampers.

By Fiona Govan in Madrid
Published: 3:22PM GMT 04 Jan 2010

Spain is groaning under a glut of ham after Christmas sales of one its most celebrated products plummeted
An elderly woman watches an Iberian pig in the streets of La Alberca near Salamanca Photo: AFP/GETTY

The nation's top hams - the world-renowned jamon Iberico - were traditionally given away in corporate gift hampers to employees and favoured clients but the practice greatly diminished this season as companies struggle to survive the recession.

The industry estimate sales of the traditional cured leg of Iberian pig could be down as much as 20 per cent during the festive season, a period which usually accounts for more than 60 per cent of annual revenue for ham producers.

Hams have become the most popular promotional gift being offered free to Spaniards who purchase a Caribbean cruise, open a new savings account or even purchase a one-way ticket with a budget airline.

Spain's pig farmers fear the nation's austerity during the economic crisis has coincided with years of excessive production culminating in an unwanted ham mountain.

Julio Revilla, chairman of the meat industry association Iberaice, said the boom years of Spanish ham production had created a bubble much like that in the nation's property sector.

"On the basis of easy credit and thanks to permissive legislation that treats all types of ham equally, many people, including many real estate investors, got into the business, and production increased massively," he told the newspaper El Pais.

The ham market had become saturated by lesser quality products, he said, with about 6.5 million legs of grain-fed Iberian pigs offered on the market in 2009 compared with 1.5 million a decade ago.

Although the top-quality jamon belota from the acorn-fed pure-bred Iberian pigs still commands a high price, the cost of lesser quality hams has halved in the past 12 months.

The glut of jamon follows a similar crisis in the foie gras industry in France. Last month producers gave away 14 tons of the delicacy to charity after hugely overestimating the demand at Christmas.

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Article Reference: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/6931899/Spain-left-with-ham-mountain-after-poor-Christmas-sales-and-economic-crisis.html

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