The world’s healthiest pork......

WITHOUT a doubt one of Spain’s genuine world-leading gourmet delights is Cerdo Iberico – the pork from the black Iberian Pig. 

 What makes this meat so incredibly special is that for the last few months of each pig’s life, they are allowed to graze free-range in dehesas, acorn forests, munching their way through literally tons of bellotas, acorns, which have fallen from both holm and cork oak trees.
It is these acorns which gives the fat of the pigs its unique, sweet flavour, whether you are eating the ham or cooked pork. 

Take a look at the pork in its raw state and you will notice how the meat is shot through with streaks of creamy white fat.
Best of all, this fat dissolves during the cooking process, flavouring the meat and making it perfectly tender.

The happy Iberican pig can only be bred in a few parts of the Spain and nowhere else in the world does it get its unique flavour.
In Spain this region stretches from as far south as the Aracena region, around Jabugo – the jamon capital of Spain – and then up into the far north of the Salamanca region.

With oak forests becoming increasingly endangered and shrinking each year, it is a finite production becoming more in demand each year, particularly since the US finally allowed its import in 2007.

Now priced at around 96 dollars a pound, these hams are often described as “the most expensive” in the world.

The acorns are the key to the quality of the meat, not just in the way they sweeten the fat.
The acorns make the pigs thirsty, forcing them to run around looking for water and making them more athletic, developing fine bones which are evident in a leg of jamon Iberico.

The fat off a slice of ham, also referred to as Pata Negra because of the pigs’ black hooves, is a delicacy.  Its sweetness literally melts in your mouth and rapped around a tiny break stick, pico, followed by a sip of Fino sherry,  is simply divine.

 Breeding these pigs is no cheap task – it is literally at the opposite end of the spectrum of normal intensive pig farming. This is obviously reflected in the price.

The most expensive and best quality is called jamon iberico de bellota.
This ham comes from pigs, who have lived free-range all their lives, dining almost entirely on acorns. The more exercise these pigs get, the more the fat blends into their muscles and the tastier the meat becomes. 
It is considered that 5J, cinco jotas, is the King of jamon bellota.

 The next grade is called jamón ibérico de recebo. This ham is from pigs that are both pasture and compound fed a combination of acorns and grain. 

The third type is called jamon iberico de pienso, or simply, jamon iberico. This ham is from Iberian pigs that are solely compound fed on grain and some acorns. 

The term pata negra is also used to refer to jamon iberico in general and may refer to any one of the above three types. 

It is important to note that jamón serrano comes from Cerdo Blanco, the more common white pigs that are solely grain fed.  

This comprises around 90 per cent of the pork and ham production in Spain. This is the cheapest of the jamons. It’s still delicious and perfect for sandwiches or cooking should your recipe call for jamon.


Another important thing to understand – in terms of price and quality – is which leg you are buying. A jamon iberico is normally the hind leg of the pig. A paleta is the front leg.
Nevertheless, a paleta can have an excellent taste and undergoes the same processes of ham-making. The difference is that a paleta is smaller and has more fat. Therefore it’s cheaper. 

So if you’re considering buying a ham, but can’t afford a Jamon Ibérico de Bellota, ask for a Paleta Ibérico de Bellota, it is usually less than half the price.

 
Finally, it should be noted that this type of saturated animal fat is actually good for you as not only is it the best quality fat, it also leaves you feeling more satisfied. Animal fats give us energy and boost the immune system and can actually lower bad cholesterol.

The Magical Night of San Juan............

Certain festivals seem to summarize life in Spain, with its love of having a good time in the company of friends and loved ones. 
 

 The Night of San Juan is one such of these events. It is a celebration that is  held on the beach with roaring bonfires, drink, food, and friends.
 It can be a memorable, almost surrealistic scene and one that needs to be experienced.

   In Andalucia, San Juan is celebrated on the night of June 23rd with some towns, such as Motril, in Granada, allowing the beaches to be used as campsites for a single night.

 So welcome to the magical night of San Juan. 

San Juan is about changes. It is about night to day; it is about fire to water. Fire purifies and water recuperates, refreshes, and rejuvenates.

 According to tradition, if people jump three times over a bonfire on San Juan's night, they will be cleansed and purified, and their problems burned away.

It is ritual that rules at San Juan. 
 After midnight, for example, people wash their faces and feet three times in order to be granted three wishes and for a happy twelve months thereafter. 

A maiden is said to be able to see the face of her future husband or lover reflected in the water as she washes after midnight. 

  Bathing at this time is also said to be beneficial for skin complaints.

 Traditionally, the Spanish did not visit the beach until this day in each year. 

The sight of hundreds and even thousands of people wandering into the water after midnight with the haze of bonfires everywhere can be close to awe inspiring.

 As well as the bonfires that burn continuously, there are also muñecos or dolls that are burnt. This is usually done around midnight. Originally, the effigies were supposed to represent Judas Iscariot but now, the religious relevance seems to have become secondary to the enjoyment factor.

 Depending where you experience San Juan, you might find yourself almost entranced by the spectacle. In some places, hundreds upon hundreds of fires dot the coastline. The smell of smoke permeates the air and there is a feeling of camaraderie that crosses age, culture, and background.

History

The Festival of San Juan dates back to pre-Christian times and is an ancient pagan festival.

The long tradition of the festival held at the start of the summer solstice goes back to the sun worship of the pagans who were seeking for sun in order to yield a large crop. The days around the 23rd of June are the longest ones of the year and the sun shines with maximum intensity so it’s logical that the celebration of this event is dedicated to the element fire.

Sun setting into the Mediterranean on the eve of San Juan

 In the ancient pagan tradition the rituals of this night were supposed to purify and clean human beings from their sins.

Later this festivity was christianised in honour of San Juan the Baptist.
 It was important for the upcoming Christianity community to celebrate similar events to the pagans in order to make it easier to spread their beliefs.
The celebration of the birthday of San Juan was so close to the summer solstice that it inherited a lot of pagan rituals mostly the ones that were related to purifying fire according to the function of San Juan the Baptist in the bible.

St. John's Cake - Coca de Frutas de San Juan

Coca San Juan

 The "Coca de Frutas de San Juan" is the traditional sweet prepared on the feast of St. John in June. It is a light sweetbread with candied fruit scattered throughout, as well as on top. It makes the perfect sweet to accompany a cup of tea or coffee at breakfast, brunch or for an afternoon snack.

Prep Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 envelopes (1/4 oz each) dry yeast
• 4 cups unbleached white flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• rind or zest of 1 lemon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 egg white
• several types of candied fruit – oranges, cherries, etc.
• 3 Tbsp pine nuts, optional

Preparation:

Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk in a glass measuring cup. Melt butter.
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Make a hole in the center of the flour. Add eggs, sugar, yeast-milk mixture, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon to the center of the flour. Stir slightly.
Add canola oil and melted butter to the bowl. Mix thoroughly, while adding water a bit at a time until a soft dough is formed. (The amount of water needed will depend on temperature and weather conditions.) Form a ball in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave it in a warm place, out of drafts. Allow to rise until dough has doubled in size.
Heat oven to 350F (176C) degrees.
Turn the dough onto the greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle flour on the dough. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to the form of a long oval, about 1/2-inch thick.
Lightly beat the egg white. Brush top of coca. Decorate with the candied fruit and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Place the baking sheet in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until coca turns a golden brown. Serve warm.

 

A-7 Creeps Forward......

46m euros is being given to Corsán-Corviam

Just after we announce that the A-7 wasn’t going anywhere fast, the Government announced that it had finally awarded a construction contract for the completion of the Gorgoracha-Puntalón section of the A-7, Autovía del Mediterraneo.

The only activity that has taken place on this particular stretch in the last two years has been the growth of weeds on the dormant cuttings, but according to Santiago Pérez, who is the Provincial Sub-Delegate, the contract, worth 46m euros has gone to Corsán-Corviam.

The Ministerio de Fomento (Public Works) announced that they had earmarked 24,8m euros from the annual budget and that work would commence… soon.

 Now, this section, which also includes a connection for the port, has an execution period of 18 months, meaning that it won’t be ready until the very end of 2013 or the beginning of 2014… if works begin ‘soon.’

There is still no news on when the Lobres-Taramay section will be completed which will eliminate the tail-backs between Salobreña and Almuñécar on the N-340.

The Gibraltar First Minister has been in the United Nations......

Gibraltar denounced to a United Nations Consultative Commission on Friday the ‘hypocrisy of Spanish diplomacy’.

Gibraltar Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo told the United Nations that Spain is scared to test its ‘feeble claims’ in Court, whether in respect of Gibraltar’s undisputed right to self determination or its undisputable waters.
 

He made the charge on Friday before the United Nations Committee of 24 as he challenged Madrid to take these issues to the appropriate international courts.
This group, currently presided over by the Ecuadorian, was set up in 1961 to protect territories with a special status, such as Gibraltar, the Falklands or the Western Sahara. It makes recommendations, but they are not legally binding.


Picardo said Gibraltar was confident of success and was equally confident in the assertion that ‘Open your eyes, Gibraltar will never be Spanish’.
 He said Spain should be following Gibraltar into the 21st century and drop its claim.

‘Since the representatives of General Franco’s fascist regime gave us their view, and to the modern age of the democratic Spain, the substance of the message from Madrid has changed very little’, he said.
 
‘How can Spain in the 21st century adopt an attitude from the 18th century?’. He said that the Spanish Ministry seems to be ignoring the failures of the past, and is working hard to make sure of even more failures in the future.

 FULL TEXT OF ADDRESS TO THE UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE OF 24
by GIBRALTAR CHIEF MINISTER FABIAN PICARDO:  see below:

http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/headlines.php?action=view_article&article=8958&offset=0



June 16 - Typically Spanish

Fined For Flight......

After a foreign, paragliding enthusiast was fined for launching himself off the side of the impressive canyon face of Ronda, the Town Hall  decided that it would be far better to nip that sort of thing in the bud.

 The Río Guadalevín has been busy over the last few hundred millennia, excavating this 100-metre-deep gorge, just so our flighty friend – who just had to be a guiri –  could launch himself into the void from the Paseo de los Ingleses, waving as he went a fond farewell to a passing local policeman.

Fortunately, the fire-service was not required, armed with spatulas, mops and buckets, to retrieve a badly buckled bird man.

But you would be wrong to believe that the Ronda Town Hall completely shuns people plummeting into the gorge in adrenaline-inspired moments.
  
They don't mind so long as people have ropes attached to them, which is why they have installed a sort of metal structure from which bungee-jumping enthusiasts can launch themselves… under strict supervision, that is.


The Seaside Gazette

Butano Going Up – Surprise!

Yes, yes, they’ve only recently put the price up for a bottle of butane gas, but that isn’t going to stop them putting it up again on the 1st of July, so that a bottle will cost you 16.43 euros!

This summer rise equates to a 5.8% increase, meaning that the price has gone up a total of 8.8% since January, bless their cotton socks.
It doesn’t appear to matter that the price of carbon fuels is dropping because of a dropping off in demand, due to the economic crisis.

When you consider that Spain has between eight and ten million butane users, then ‘somebody’ is going to pocket between 7.2m and 9.0m euros, thanks to this increment, and it’s not going to be the producing countries…

During 2011, the price rose every quarter: January 3.3%, April 6.0%, July 5.7% and October 1.96%, meaning that the price of a domestic butano bottle went up a total of 14.23%.

 Did your income/salary rise by that much?


The Seaside Gazette

Life rumbles on for expats in debt-struck Spain......

Jason Webster  says he's still enjoying life in Spain – so long as he doesn't switch on the news

"The pain in Spain" is quickly becoming a new Spanish cliché, next to flamenco, bullfighting and tacky beach resorts. Switch on the television news here these days, and you are hit by a daily tsunami of woe and misery. The economy’s collapsing! The banks are collapsing! The Royal Navy is on its way to pick the Brits up and ship them back to safety in Blighty!

 It’s not quite Greece, but we’re getting there. Every few days I wonder about dashing off to the cash machine to withdraw as much as I can. Should I be keeping a wodge of euros under the mattress? What if euros become worthless overnight? Will I have enough to keep my family fed? Historically speaking, Spain’s track record on social harmony isn’t great. Could the country collapse into chaos? Is armageddon really on the cards? 

And so it goes on, until, taking a break from the news media, I stick my head up, have a look around, and realise that life isn’t so bad. At least not yet.

 Yes, a lot of expats have been suffering over the past few years, and many businesses have gone bust. I’ve heard more than once about Brits stopping at the bank on their way to the airport, dropping off the keys to their "home in the sun" before catching the first flight back, unable to keep up with mortgage payments.

But apart from these few horror stories, life seems to rumble on. A British estate agent I know here in Valencia even insists he’s having his best year yet. There’s a chance that everything will turn out fine after all. Famous last words, perhaps, and maybe this blog entry will be appearing next to reports about Spain breaking off the continent of Europe and sinking into the Atlantic. 

But, well, they are quite a resourceful lot, the Spanish. Within living memory they have known relative poverty and how to deal with it. When I first came to live here, in the early 1990s, the unemployment levels were as eye-watering as they are today, and people survived. I often think that the British, for whom real austerity and impoverishment are a very distant, even historical memory, would find it much harder to cope with what the Spanish now have to face. 

And it’s not just the financial crisis. Corruption here is endemic among a certain class of politician, it seems, and so stories of closing hospitals next to the dodgy millions that a local mayor or regional councillor has siphoned off don’t go down well. Are people angry? Absolutely. Will that anger turn into something nastier? That’s the question. A while ago I might have said there was a possibility of that, yet already the Indignados movement that started just over a year ago is losing some of its fizz: there's talk of splits, a lack of focus. 

Away from all this, walking the other day along the Valencia beachfront, people were sunbathing, having drinks in bars, chatting, strolling arm in arm – as they always do. Spanish friends talk of little else except La Crisis these days, but this is still, if you’ve got some kind of income, a great place to live.

Will it last? A tornado is blowing, and we watch it from a distance as it dances and skips over the landscape, hoping that it will pass us by, fearful lest it sucks us in. In the meantime, we get on with life. And for now, at least when I remember to switch off the news, I’m enjoying it.

Jason Webster - The Telegraph

Meet the neighbours.......

In this extract from 'Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools', British expat Victoria Twead gets to know her neighbours over a bottle, or three, of homemade wine…

 Clearing the old furniture out of our house was hard work.

 The sun was hot, the sofa heavy and the street uphill.
Sweating and panting, we rested halfway, settling ourselves on the sofa awhile, to regain our breath and admire the view.

And that was how we first met Paco and his wife.
About our age, short, and dressed in working clothes, Paco rounded the corner and stopped in astonishment.
Then his swarthy face split into a huge grin.
We jumped up off the sofa and shook hands.
“Soy Paco,” he announced, pointing at himself with a horny finger.
Then, poking his wife, “Bethina!”

In case he thought English people usually relaxed on sofas in the middle of the street, we explained using a mixture of bad Spanish and hand signals.

Our Spanish lessons hadn’t prepared us for situations like this but Paco seemed to grasp that we were carrying the sofa out to be dumped. He nodded, but cut us short.

“Come with me,” he said, and dismissed the sofa with a wave of his hand.
The sofa was abandoned in the middle of the road.

Joe was frog-marched back down the street while Bethina and I followed, my arm clamped in a vice-like grip.
We were herded into their little house, and what a contrast!
Where our house was dusty and damp, their house smelled of herbs and the white walls gleamed.

“You will have something to eat and drink, no?” said Paco and pressed us into chairs. “Here, I have something for you to try.”

“Thank you…” we said, watching him wrestle with an unlabelled bottle. He puffed and blew until the cork surrendered with a satisfying pop.

“Home-made,” he said, smacking his lips. “Taste the Andalucian grapes! Taste the Spanish sun!”
“Delicioso,” I said, taking a sip. “This is delicious!” And it was.

“Last year was a very good year. Plenty of rain in spring, then a long hot summer.
“In September, I will show you how we make the wine, no? You will come with me to my cortijo; you will see how wine should be made.”

“Thank you that will be lovely.”

“And now you must try this one, too.” His face turned red from the effort as he uncorked bottle Number Two.
“This is from the year before, also a very good year.”

We quickly drained our glasses and held them out to be refilled. I couldn’t taste the difference, but it was very nice.
“Now you must taste this one! Tell me what you think… ”
He battled with a third bottle and finally won.

Joe and I obediently drained our second glass and waited. Paco splashed red wine Number Three into our glasses. We tasted it and nodded at Paco.
“Delicioso,” I said again. It tasted the same as the other two.

“Delicioso?” said Paco, outraged.

“Delicioso? This is the wine of my friend, Juan Pedro. It is rubbish wine! See how clear my wine is! Now look at Juan Pedro’s wine! His wine is cloudy, no?”

Alarmed, Joe and I stared at the three bottles, comparing them. They all looked identical.
“Pah!” His fist slammed down on the table making me jump and the glasses rattle. “That Juan Pedro has no idea! He should take a lesson from me! I try to teach him how to make good wine, but does he listen? No!”

“Yes, I can see the difference,” said Joe, betraying me utterly. “Your wine is much clearer, and tastes much better.”

Paco beamed again, his outrage forgotten.

“Women!” he said, putting his arm round Joe’s shoulders. “What do they know about good wine?”

Bethina clattered around her tiny kitchen while the red wine flowed freely. She put plates of smoked ham, tomato, cheese and bread on the plastic tablecloth then joined us to sit at the table.

British Secretary of State, Nick Harvey, says the Royal Navy will defend the waters of Gibraltar.....

The problem of the Spanish fishing boats working close to the Rock continues.

The British Secretary of State, Nick Harvey, has warned that the Royal Navy will ‘stop and challenge’ all the ‘incursions’ of boats which ‘threaten the integrity of the territorial waters’ of Gibraltar.

 

‘The Royal Navy squadron in Gibraltar will continue to stop and search’, said the Defence Number Two, in answer to a parliamentary question table in the House of Commons.

He made it clear that any incursion of Spanish boats, in reference to the Guardia Civil patrols, ‘has been given the opportune warnings’. In addition the corresponding protests have been made by diplomatic channels. He said that between May 21 and 28, Guardia Civil vessels had entered Gibraltar waters a total of 38 times.

Nick Harvey said his department continues to be ‘absolutely committed’ to the ‘defence’ and ‘security’ of Gibraltar, its inhabitants and the British territorial water around the Rock.

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_34991.shtml  -  June 13th

Some Friends.............

We have some friends who keep saying that their friends are rich and quote yachts, villas, motorhomes etc. but.......

........these friends of ours......  own a house in England and a car, not to mention a huge caravan, an enormous motorhome and have lately purchased yet another medium sized motorhome so they can drive along the 'Camino's instead of having to stay on the 'Autovias'  because, to cap it all, they  spend almost the whole of every year swanning around Europe and North Africa in their luxury motorhome.

How idyllic a life is that?

Is that not rich?


The following is an excerpt from their latest Blog:

"The van has yet to have a real name, so far the choices are:
Bruno - Bruisin around Europe
Twinkle - The star living the dream
Enterprise - Boldly going where we have not been before
Titchy - Small but perfectly formed

The sticker we want to put on is:
My other vans a REAL motorhome"


You might know them...or you might not..... but no pics I'm sorry to say, we must respect their privacy!

Gibraltar embraces Prince Edward and Sophie.......

On arrival the Earl and Countess were greeted by Governor Sir Adrian Jones and Chief Minister Picardo at the airport. 

 Sir Adrian in his Naval uniform saluted them as they stepped out of the plane.
Mr Picardo, having met with the couple last week at the Diamond Jubilee weekend celebrations in London, shook his hand and told the Earl it was good to see him again.

They were immediately driven to RAF Gibraltar where the Prince inspected a Tri-Service Guard of Honour from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, RAF and Navy.


Then the couple were driven to the Piazza where they were received with cheers of ‘God Save the Queen’, ‘welcome to a British Gibraltar’ and chants of ‘Edward, Edward’.

Pupils from all local schools had gathered in John Mackintosh Square amid great excitement especially when approached and spoken to by both the Earl and Countess who waved to everyone and shook hands. Both were interested in what the young pupils had to say. The Earl asked several times what their favourite subjects were and greeted the children with a smile and a big “hello”.

Emma and Matthew from Governor’s Meadow School could not help their own big smiles, “it’s so exciting to see a real Prince,” they cried.
 
 As the Royal party sat under a canopy in the centre of the square in the bright June sunshine, the Gibraltar Academy of Dance presented a selection of dance pieces from their Diamond Jubilee show ‘An Audience with the Queen’. On a specially erected stage, the young dancers presented ‘Dressage’ with all ‘The Queen’s horses’, and a spectacular ‘red, white and blue’ moment celebrating the best of British. Later The Earl and Countess met and spoke to some of the young dancers and teacher Paulette Finlayson. They told the girls they had really enjoyed the show, keen to know what the girls would be doing next in their studies.

 The walkabout was scheduled to end at 1pm at the Convent, but the Royal couple had just managed to enter Main Street at this time and would take another hour to reach their destination. There were people at every step of the way all wanting to meet the Earl and Countess. The couple were keen to meet as many Gibraltarians as possible as they walked up a very tightly packed Main Street, from the pavements at several junctures, four and five lines deep. Personal cameras were clicking with every second from every possible angle, as everyone wanted their moment captured forever.

From everywhere there were cheers and applause. Friendly and warm, the Royal couple did not seem to mind the attention and spoke to hundreds on the Main Street.

“Sophie, you are beautiful,” someone cried in the crowd.

“It is lovely being here,” the Countess replied to those standing near. From within the crowd came a call for the Earl, “this is your homeland Sir, come as often as you want.”

The Earl thanked him, smiled and shook his hand. “Welcome to Gibraltar,” cried another.

Prince Edward, with a smile that lasted the whole length of Main Street, simply replied again, “Thank you”.
There is no denying it was a tight squeeze for all as the party proceeded to The Convent and the press photographers certainly did not have an easy day.
The visit has sparked much interest especially from the Spanish media but there is also media here from the UK.
As the couple entered The Convent to prepare to undertake the many engagements on the Rock, The Royal Standard was raised, and will now fly until the couple leave tomorrow.
 Today Their Royal Highnesses have another busy schedule and tonight will attend the Queen’s Birthday Parade in Casemates Square followed by the Queen’s Birthday Garden Party at The Convent.

  The crowds enthusiastically waved their flags of red, blue and white and broke into the Gibraltar and British anthems as the royals arrived at the Convent.

Thousands of people turned out on Monday afternoon to welcome their Royal Highnesses, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and his wife, who were welcomed with a 21 gun salute from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
The public lined the streets in greater numbers than when the royal visitor was Princess Anne.

 In total, the pair spent over an hour chatting to shop owners and bunting-waving children, amid a sea of union flags.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex plant a tree at the Governor's residence

During the three-day visit they are set to take in a wide variety of sites.

On arrival today they inspected a Tri-Service Guard of Honour at RAF Gibraltar before laying the foundation stone for the Diamond Jubilee Monument.

Prince Edward and Sophie lay the foundation stone for a Diamond Jubilee memorial

 The Earl is also scheduled to present Duke of Edinburgh Awards, visit Gib Dock and name a new boat and present regatta awards at the two rowing clubs. Meanwhile, the Countess’s busy program includes visits to the Girl Guides’ headquarters and to St Martin’s School.

 On Tuesday they are set to visit the British Forces HQ, the Upper Rock and attend the Queen’s Birthday Parade, before finishing with a tour of the new airport terminal on Wednesday morning.

A plane painted with a tribute to the Queen flies over the Royal Navy's base on Gibraltar during a visit by Prince Edward and his wife Sophie to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

The Earl and Countess of Wessex unveil a memorial to Moroccan workers in Gibraltar, at Alameda Gardens

The Earl of Wessex chats with Moroccan community members in Gibraltar

Spain has two enclaves, Ceuta and Mellila, on the Moroccan coast across the  Mediterranean, opposite Gibraltar.
They see nothing wrong with this historical arrangement and do not even think of returning them to Morocco.

 To even question the issue is to ignore centuries of international law. Let alone the moral issue.

 Spain always protests when any member of the British Royal Family visits Gibraltar and there was a similar outcry in March 2009 when Princess Anne visited the Rock.

  The Gibraltar Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, has told Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones that, ‘In Gibraltar we feel attacked by Spain’.

Fabian Picardo told Spanish journalists that the current crisis had mobilised the Gibraltar public to support their royal visitors who stay until Wednesday.

...The sound of a brass band playing Rule Britannia was clearly audible over the barbed wired border in La Linea, where a handful of Spaniards had turned out to watch the spectacle. Antonio Jimenez, draped in a Spanish flag, called it 'an act of provocation'.

 Comments from Spain

Today, Monday, the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation repeated the Government’s ‘disagreement and discomfort’ by the visit, already expressed to the British Ambassador, Giles Paxman, in Madrid.

“I said from the outset that this visit was deeply unfortunate,” reiterated Spain’s foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo.

Algeciras mayor Jose Ignacio Landaluce, added: “The royal visit has sullied the atmosphere.
 “This land is ours and it’s a tense situation. It is a most inopportune moment for them to come.”

 Spain maintains it ceded Gibraltar only to the British in 1713, not the waters ...

In recent weeks, an ongoing dispute over fishing rights in the waters surrounding the territory has led to stand-offs between Spanish Civil Guard vessels accompanying fishermen in the area and Gibraltar police patrols enforcing a ban.
Spain has retaliated by slowing traffic crossing the border causing tail-backs and delays of up to three hours.

 When the Queen visited in May during the second year of her reign it caused such outrage on the Spanish side that Gen Francisco Franco blockaded the border isolating the territory for the next 18 years in punishment.

                                                          .................................................


As the Duke and Countess of Wessex toured the peninsula there was no doubt over where the loyalties of Gibraltarians lie.

 

 "Gibraltar values its Britishness above all else," Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, who came to office for the Socialist Liberal Party in December, told the Daily Telegraph. "And in Her Majesty's Jubilee Year we are delighted to welcome the Earl and Countess of Wessex as her representatives to demonstrate our loyalty and affection for the British crown and as guarantors of our constitution and our Britishness."

The people of Gibraltar, he said, would not allow complaints from Spain to dampen their spirits.

Comments from Britain and Gibraltar

The odd thing is that the Moors occupied Gibraltar - its name is Arabic - longer than the Spaniards.

Thank you Wilson, also Gibraltar has been British longer than America has been American. We are proud to be British, thank you for your support.

 Gibraltar is British and that is that..........To even question the issue is to ignore centuries of international law. Let alone the moral issue.

Anyone want to start a pool betting on how much longer Gibraltar will remain British?

I'd bet you anything it will remain British.

I'd say longer than Spain will be Spanish. There are so many potential breakaway regions in Spain nowadays.

The people of Gibraltar are British and wish to remain that way; they deserve to be visited by members of the Royal Family, just like any other UK territory. 

Most Spaniards couldn't give a damn about Gibraltar being British. I live there and I know.
The idiots that do care are the backwards thinking politicians.
Gibraltar provides much needed employment, tourism and an airport to the local area. Without it, the people of La Linea (who are suffering 45% unemployment thanks to their PP political party), would probably have a much higher rate.
On top of this, many thousands of people rent property in Spain thanks to the businesses in Gibraltar and once again, the  property market would collapse without those people.
Once again, it's not the people who have an issue with this; It's the Spanish politicians.

Spanish fury over Prince Edward's 'deeply unfortunate' royal visit to Gibraltar......

Spain's foreign minister has described as 'deeply unfortunate' today's royal visit to Gibraltar by the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

As excited residents hung out flags and bunting to welcome Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Rhys-Jones, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo rained on their parade, making it clear that the Spanish government was vehemently against the three-day visit. 

Speaking to reporters at the end of a conference in Madrid, he said: 'I said from the outset that this visit was deeply unfortunate. Spain's reaction is well known.' 

When asked if the Spanish government would take additional steps to protest at the visit, Mr Margallo said: 'We have not stopped taking measures.'

It was the second time that he has complained about the royal visit - last month he referred to it as 'unfortunate both in timing and manner'.

Tensions between Britain and Spain have increased in recent weeks due to a dispute over fishing rights off the peninsula, a UK territory which Spain also claims.

Spanish fishermen are demanding the right to fish in Gibraltar waters, in breach of a 1999 ruling. Some 59 Spanish boats based in towns near the Rock are affected by the ban on using their nets there.

But residents on Gibraltar are determined to pull out all the stops for the royal couple.

They are due to arrive at lunchtime today and will be met by Gibraltar's Governor Sir Adrian Johns and the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.

 After that, they will be driven to nearby RAF Gibraltar to inspect a tri-service Guard of Honour. 

As part of a packed three-day itinerary, the Earl and Countess will lay the foundation stone for Gibraltar's Diamond Jubilee Monument, attend a Queen's Birthday Parade, tour Main Street in front of thousands of Gibraltarians and visit the headquarters of the British Forces. 

They will also meet 91-year-old Aurelio Montegriffo, who dined with the Queen when she visited Gibraltar in 1954.

Of Spain's reaction, Mr Montegriffo said: 'It is just ridiculous. Everyone here is so excited. Why do they have to be so silly about it?'

Last month, in the shadow of the fishing dispute and the planned royal visit, Queen Sofia of Spain pulled out of attending a Jubilee lunch at Windsor Castle - a move which came at the request of the incensed Spanish government. 

And last week, a group of Spaniards was escorted out of Gibraltar for their own safety after angering locals celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

 Police took the five football fans to the border after a 50-strong mob surrounded them, claiming to have been provoked by seeing one of them kissing the badge on his Spanish national football shirt.

Royal Gibraltar Police said: 'People are hyper-sensitive at the moment and you can compare kissing the badge to going round Tel Aviv celebrating Hitler. We moved them for their own safety.'

By ... Mail Foreign Service.. June 11


 Their Royal Highnesses the Earl and Countess of Wessex arrive in Gibraltar at midday today as part of the Royal tour to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Of course Gibraltar would have dearly loved Her Majesty’s to have honoured us with another Royal Visit, after her last in 1954. But this in Gibraltar’s case was not to be. This mainly I suspect because the Queen’s travels abroad are very much controlled by her diplomatic travel agency at Westminster who gauge the political weather and ensuing diplomatic environment before booking the queens excursions around the world. But like the weather forecasts, it’s not always accurate! 

Any Royal Visit is a Historical One. Prince Edwards Visit to Gibraltar is For a Special and Historical Royal Occasion Most of Us Will Not Witness Again!


 Leo Olivero

Cheap Aldi wine from Spain wins international award.......

PROVING you should never judge a bottle by its cover, a cheap Spanish red from budget supermarket Aldi has scooped an international award.

 Judges at the International Wine and Spirit Competition honoured the own-brand 2011 Toro Loco Tempranillo with a silver medal, describing it as ‘fruity, rounded and appealing’.

It comes despite a price tag of just £3.59.
Indeed the wine, made by Bodegas Covinas in the Utiel-Requena region in Valencia, excelled in blind taste tests alongside reds costing nearly ten times as much and beat several French Grand Crus.

In total Aldi took home an ‘unprecedented’ 18 medals in the competition including a 2010 Shiraz for £3.49, a Cava Brut for £4.48 and a £6.99 Prosecco.

“We work closely with some of the world’s leading wineries so we can deliver high-quality own-label wines to our customers,” said Tony Baines, from Aldi.
“It is fantastic that our commitment to quality has been recognised by as prestigious a group as the International Wine and Spirit Competition tasting panel.
“We’ve always known our wine range has got a lot of bottle and now it looks like the experts agree.”

Ministry for Development preparing to stop illegal property from being demolished.......

The Ministry for Development is preparing an amnesty for the thousands of illegally built properties in Spain. The reform will stop the carrying out of any demolitions, even there is a firm sentence against the property.
                                         

A demonstration in Sevilla

                             
                   El País reports that the draft reform of town planning legislation will be sent to the regional government and local town halls notify them of what is effect a change in the Ley del Suelo, Land Law. The Ministry notes that this is a ‘technical document without political backing’ which is open to suggestions. The document has 58 pages and is titled, ‘In favour of urban rehabilitation, regeneration and renovation’.

The text says ‘It will be legally impossible to carry out’ a firm sentence which orders the demolition of a building which was constructed with the purchasers acting in good faith. This is the case in Marbella where people purchased property which was later declared illegal.
This will affect dozens of thousands of properties across Spain, but especially along the costas, Marbella, Cantabria, the Axarquia and Almería.

El País says for example, that those who purchased homes in Marbella which were later declared to be illegal, if they did so with all the municipal papers, no longer have to fear demolition.

In many cases local councils granted licences for villas on rustic land, and then these licences were annulled by the courts. In the Axarquía, where there could be some 10,000 homes built on rustic land, many of them were sold to the British.

To benefit from this proposed law change the constructors of the properties must meet three conditions. The homes have to be completed; the sale of the property has to have taken place after the property was competed (to ensure it is the occupant and not the developer who benefits from the legislation), and finally the property cannot be in the public domain, in river beds or on the beach front line. Therefore this reform will not affect those properties built on the beach.

The Development Ministry document also suggests a change in the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, to favour certain works in communities of owners. For example the installation of solar panels would only need a third of votes of the owners.

Jubilee Joy....

A flotilla of over 100 boats sailed round the Rock as part of the celebrations in Gibraltar of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The boats of every shape and size sailed round the Rock flying their flags, ringing bells and tooting their horns, all part and parcel of Gibraltar's day of celebrations to mark The Queen's 60-year reign.

Most of the Government took to the sea on Monday in support of the Jubilee Flotilla that departed Ocean Village and sailed round the Rock to Eastern Beach.

The aim of the event was to commemorate and celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen with the flotilla moving through British Gibraltar Territorial Waters decorated with bunting with Union Jacks and Gibraltar flags flying. The event was privately organised by Ocean Village.

The majority of Ministers were taken round in official launches by the Port Department which they boarded and disembarked at Ocean Village.

Acting Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia and Traffic Minister Paul Balban were ferried by the Port launch "Samurang II". Port Minister Neil Costa and Culture Minister Steven Linares boarded the "General Elliott" and Environment Minister John Cortes together with Housing Minister Charles Bruzon and Social Services Minister Samantha Sacramento were conveyed on the "Mistress". Justice Minister Gilbert Licudi QC backed the event aboard his own boat.

The Government would like to thank the Port department, the Royal Gibraltar Police and all the other agencies as well as the many boat-owners who took part in the event.

The Acting Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia said:

"The flotilla was a wonderful way in which to celebrate 60 years on the throne of Her Majesty the Queen and the Government was very pleased to support the event. It was a very significant event at many different levels and it is obvious that the political dimension was not lost on many of those who took part."

06-06-12
 

Madrid's gay penguins about to become parents......

Two gay penguins in Madrid are about to become parents. Six months ago Inca and Rayas fell in love, according to the zoo keepers and we are told they had a dream, of being parents.

Considering the solidity of their relationship, those responsible in the park have given them an egg to hatch which they are incubating like any female penguin  would.

 “At first they were very surprised and very nervous, not knowing what to do, but they soon began to care for it,” explained a zoo keeper.
“They love each other as if they were a male and a female and are courting just the same.”

 In a few weeks we hope for a happy ending.

Spain's Beijing Embassy bans book as “it would anger the Chinese”

In an unusual move, Spain's Embassy in Beijing has effectively banned a book written by two Spanish investigative journalists that is critical of the way that the expansion of Chinese companies across the globe is draining raw materials and energy resources from other countries.

 The 320-page book, La silenciosa conquista china or The Silent Chinese Conquest, was written by Heriberto Araújo and Juan Pablo Cardenal, who both conducted more than 500 interviews and traveled to 25 countries to research their work.

In it, the two authors explain the recent phenomena of China's transnationals, and describe the economic and social implications, both good and bad, for countries where Chinese investment is extensive. However, Spanish diplomats believe that the book paints China in a negative light.

"Spain's ambassador [Eugenio Bregolat Obiols] called me in and told me that he could not support our project and that the book would not be available at the Cervantes Institute because it would anger the Chinese and could endanger Spanish interests in the country," said Araújo, who lives in Beijing. "I later asked him what it was about the book that he didn't like and if he had read it, and he told me no but the people on his team had read it and he trusted their judgment."

Mexico has accepted our offer to present the book as a cultural event”

Embassy officials say that the only reason that the book was not going to be promoted at the Cervantes Institute was because it was not going to be available anywhere in China.

"This is one of the criteria that is used in determining whether a book will be presented at Cervantes," said María Linares, a spokeswoman for the cultural institute. When asked whether it was true that Bregolat had told Araújo that the Chinese would not like the book, Linares said: "In an off-the-record meeting with the journalist, the ambassador may have given his opinion, putting things into context. But it was the Cervantes and not the ambassador who made the decision not to present the book."

La silenciosa conquista china is already in its fifth edition, and has been published in Latin America. It has already been translated into French, English, Polish and Chinese for readers in Taiwan, according to its authors.

The book has sparked interest among Latin American diplomatic circles in Beijing. A presentation is expected to be held at the Mexican Embassy on June 7. "Mexico has accepted our offer to present the book, billing it as what it is: a cultural event," Araújo said. "We are not engaging in any type of anti-Chinese propaganda. We are Spaniards. It is just so unbearable that Latin American diplomats support us and the Spanish Embassy won't."

Nevertheless, co-author Cardenal, who lives in Hong Kong, explained that they had decided to try to distribute the book in China because "there is a potential audience that is interested in this issue."

"As a Spaniard, where is the first place you would go?
 The embassy or preferably the institute. I never thought they would turn us down because the book obviously brings up some critical points about China.

 It doesn't matter who likes or doesn't like the subject matter; the book has all the information that is needed to make your own judgment."
 

Annual Motril Air Display......

This highly popular yearly event has come around again and will be held on the 17th of June on Playa Granada, Motril.
The star attraction this year is the French air force (Armée de l’Air), acrobatics display team, Cartouche Dore, which was formed in April 1989.
The display team consists of three Socata TB-30 Epsilon aircraft and a sprinkling of lunatic Frenchmen.

 On previous occasions this air display has drawn crowds of up to 10,000 spectators.
Last year apart from all the aircraft; fixed wing and rotary, there was also a sea-rescue exercise just off the beach.

The location is easy to find, as all you have to do is take the port road, either from the junction where it passes under the N-340, or alternatively, from the Granada N-340 junction, which also leads down to the port, directly or via the golf course. Whichever route you decide to take, make sure that you get their early if you want to park.

Finally, you can always email the organizers for more details at motrilairshow@gmail.com. Don’t worry; if they like aeroplanes, then they’ll speak English.