045 november torrevieja outlook

Torrevieja Outlook

Nº 45 November 2017

045 November 2017

Calendar – Fiestas – Benidorm Patronal Programme – Flowers for the Dead – Constitution Day – Home Alone with CARE – Solidarity Calendar presentation – Experiment Stuka – Diabulimia and diabetes – Salt Documentary – Torrevieja’s Tropical Island – Torrevieja Love Story – Not so Modern Housing – Spanish Cookery (Andalucia) – Spain, America & Vikings – Books Without Words – Poppy Coin – Wellness Tourism – Integration Recognition – Help Christmas Fayre – Ouch, Flu Jab – What’s On. aormi@icloud.com

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November Fiestas

November has become a month where we tend to remember those loved ones who have died. In Spain this is important at the start of the month with All Saints on the first and All Souls on the second of the month. For many countries is an especially emotive month as those who have e died in wars are remembered. For the British this is always around the 11th November.

1st Nov.

1st week

All Saints Day is a public holiday when people visit the cemeteries. Special day in Orihuela and DĂŠnia. Some towns, including Torrevieja have a free bus service to the local cemetery. a busy an popular Fair is held in Villena.

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1 - 5th Nov. A very large and old Medieval market of La Fira de Tots els Sants is held in Cocentaina. This year the town celebrates the 671 edition of this huge fair that is of National Tourist Interest. It has a large agricultural section and now incorporates a New Technology area.

7 - 10th 2nd weekend 3rd weekend

Patronal fiestas in L’Alfàs del Pi. patronal fiestas lasting five days in Benidorm.

Festa de la Carxofa in Benidorm.

Romería in La Nucia to the San Rafael sanctuary.

22nd Nov. Teulada celebrates the fiesta of Santa Catalina.

24th Nov. Pinoso has hogueras and on 25th a procession in honour of Santa Catalina.

28th - 30th Fiestas and romería in Tibi.

The Saturday nearest to the 28th similar fiestas in Onil.

30th Nov., Saint Andrew fiesta in Almoradí.

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Benidorm honours its two patron saints, the Virgen del Sufragio and San Jaime apostle, with the annual “Fiestas Patronales” local fiestas. The streets are transformed for the entire event with floral decorations, lively musicians, open-air theatre, firework displays and religious parades.

Benidorm Fiestas 2017 start Friday 10th November and end officially on Wednesday 15th November with a spectacular Firework display. On Thursday 16th November there will be the “British fancy dress day” which starts around mid day on the Calle Gerona & British square.

Benidorm Fiestas 2017 start Friday 10th November and end officially on Wednesday 15th November with a spectacular Firework display. On Thursday 16th November there will be the “British fancy dress day” which starts around mid day on the Calle Gerona & FRIDAY 18:00 The button gets pressed for the ARTISTIC ILLUMINATION, by the various Fiesta Queens, at Martínez Alejos Avenue and Opening of the “Porrat” street market.

19:00 Inauguration of a large fairground, next to the Bullring. Children’s day: special prices.

22:00 Meeting of the “Peñas” at Ruzafa street for a great Parade around the streets Ruzafa and Martínez Alejos.

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SATURDAY

As it is not only a secular event but a religious fiesta there is a 10:00 MASS at the Church of San Jaime, in honour to the Virgin of the Suffrage, the Mass sung by the choir of “La Barqueta”.

9:45 Opening of the doors at San Jaime Church, to sing the aurora in honor of the Virgen.

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12:00 BELL RINGING and spectacular “AIR BOMBING” from Plaza Castelar, done by “RICASA”, to announce that the town’s principal fiestas have started.

THE MAJOR FIESTAS HAVE BEGUN! 13:00 Various Music Bands congregate at Plaza de SS. MM. los Reyes de España, to perform the musical piece “FIESTA IN BENIDORM”.

14:00 a very large “MASCLETA” at Plaza de la Hispanidad, by “RICASA”.

17:00 On the Poniente beach there is a theatrical performance of the discovery of the image of the Virgen of the town. Many towns have this type of event as so many times an image of the Virgen Mary has been miraculously uncovered.

18:30 SOLEMN PROCESSION, leaving from Parque de Elche (Harbour) through the following streets: Paseo de la Carretera, Alameda D. Pedro Zaragoza, Mayor and Plaza de San Jaime. When the procession gets to the church, there will be the traditional Flower Offering that precedes the formal announcement of the fiestas. Afterwardsa marvelous firework display at Plaza Castelar.

23:00 Concert of Juan Ramon, in the Gambo Street.

00:30 Music Band, at Plaza de SS. MM. los Reyes de España.

SUNDAY : VIRGIN OF THE SUFFRAGE´S DAY 08:00 Air Bombing from Plaza Castelar.

08:00 Grand “Chocolatada” Chocolate supplied by Chocolates Marcos Tonda from Villajoyosa.

11:30 There is a large play park for children at Plaza de SS. MM. los Reyes de España 11:30 A Solemn sung Mass in honor of the Virgen of Suffrage at San Jaime Church, sung by the choir “Agrupación Coral de Benidorm”.

Afterwards, AIR BOMBING and Parade around the streets of the Old Town. aormi@icloud.com

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14:00 Another typical ear-splitting“MASCLETA” at Plaza de la Hispanidad, by “RICASA”.

17:00 Extraordinary concert performed by “UNION MUSICAL DE BENIDORM” on Gambo Street.

19:00 Another solemn procession in honour of the patron saint Virgen de Sufragio.

Itinerary: Mayor, Alameda de D. Pedro Zaragoza, Los Ángeles, Pintor Lozano, Virgen del Sufragio, Martínez Alejos, Paseo de la Carretera, Santa Faz and Plaza de San Jaime.

Afterwards “ESTAMPETA” in honour to the Virgin of the Suffrage, at Plaza de San Jaime.

23:00 Traditional COPLETES sang to the Virgin of the Suffrage at Plaza de San Jaime..

23:00 Music Bands at L’Hort de Colón (Tomás Ortuño street) and Plaza de SS. MM. los Reyes de España (Town Hall).

00:00: DJ Oscar Martinez plays dance music in the Gerona Street MONDAY 11:00 The bullring offers some amateur bullfighting using young bulls.

11:30 There is a large play park for children at Plaza de SS. MM. los Reyes de España 11:30 In honor of the church’s patron there is a solemn Mass at San Jaime´s Church, sung by the choir “Agrupación Coral de Benidorm”.

Afterwards, AIR BOMBING and Parade around the streets of the Old Town.

14:00 Another MASCLETA at Plaza de la Hispanidad, done by “RICASA”.

17:00 Bull fighting at the Bullring.

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19:00 SOLEMN PROCESSION IN HONOUR TO SAINT JAMES through the streets: Mayor, Alameda D. Pedro Zaragoza, Paseo de la Carretera, Santa Faz and Plaza San Jaime.

Afterwards, “ESTAMPETA”, in honour to Saint James.

23:00 GREAT MUSIC BAND, at Gambo street.

00:30: Concert of the famous band “FORMULA V”, at the town hall square. Afterwards, spectacular “Correfoc”, a splendid fire and sound show.

TUESDAY 10:30 At San Jaime Church a SOLEMN REQUIEM MASS. Afterwards, OFFERING OF FLOWER GARLANDS to the Dead in the Sea, at Plaza de la Señoría, followed by a visit to the cemeteries.

14:00 The daily MASCLETÀ at Av. Mediterráneo, done by “PIROTECNIA VALENCIANA”.

19:00 FUNNY COSTUMES PARADE. Itinerary: Venus, Ruzafa, Martínez Alejos and Gambo.

23:00 Musical performance by “Orquesta Factory” in Huerto De Colon.

23:00 Magnificent evening MASCLETÁ , at Av. Mediterráneo, by “RICASA”.

00:00: Performance from the famous DJ “SANTI BERTOMEU”, at Plaza de SS. MM. los Reyes de España.

WEDNESDAY 11:30 “FESTA DE LES FESTES”. Parade of the different Fiestas organising Commitees, departing from Plaza Neptuno. Itinerary: Almendros, Mercado, Tomás Ortuño, La Biga, Ruzafa, Herrerías and Plaza de SSMM Los Reyes de España. aormi@icloud.com

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13:00 CANDY (and bangers) STRING, CHILDREN PLAY PARK and children’s MASCLETÁ at Plaza SS. MM los Reyes de España, 17:30 FLOAT PARADE through the following streets: Parque de Elche, Almendros, Marte, Venus, Ruzafa, Martínez Alejos, Gambo and finishing at Plaza de la Hispanidad.

Finally, a stupendous firework display at Poniente Beach (Harbour), by “RICASA” The Fireworks generally start at around 21.30.

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FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD

by Pat Hynd

Halloween is celebrated on the 31st October, the holy evening of the feast of All Saints. November the 1st is a public holiday in the whole of Spain. This festival of the 1st November is a bit different from all the others as it is not normally a time for feasting as people remember the dead members of their family. For some it is a feast when some people do not mourn, but celebrate the life of a loved one and this concept of rejoicing about a person’s life and what they have achieved is coming more and more to the front of Christian thinking.

A life to celebrate and rejoice in what a person has achieved and endured.

There is little doubt that the feast of All Saints is a day par excellence for flower power. Florists stock up for the seasonal rush of flower buying, as people remember those who have died and hopefully gone on to better pastures. This is a time of sincere emotions and honest memories. aormi@icloud.com

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It is a time to think about just why are we here?

It is a time to remember good and bad periods in our life. It is a time to remember love. It is a time of religious and s p i r i t u a l reflection: “From where did I come? Why am I here? Where am I going?”

Each person will have to find his own answer to these basic questions. Religion offers some answers and comfort as can be seen in some of the inscriptions one reads on the gravestones. Hope of a better future shared with those we love is what November 1st is all about. Among the grief is the hope that by being faithful and loving we will share in a better future. It is a reaffirmation of just what we do in our everyday actions as we journey towards an inevitable end.

On the 2nd November there is the Feast of the Holy Souls which is dedicated to deceased relatives.

The Torrevieja town hall put on special free buses from the Plaza de la Constitucion to the cemetery for people wishing to lay flowers at the graves of their departed loved ones.

Flowers have been put on tombs since time immemorial and it seems that as far back as the Neanderthal man flowers were used, not only as an ornament, but to help overcome the smell of decaying corpses and attract good spirits. Recent excavations have shown that in Scotland and Denmark garlands of flowers were used in burial rites between 2,500 and 3,000 years ago. aormi@icloud.com

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November is renowned as a time to remember and commemorate the lives of those who have died. On the 11th November or the Sunday nearest it, many Europeans will take time out of their lives to think and pray for those who gave their lives for their countries during the two World Wars and other conflicts. In Alicante cemetery groups from various countries gather to celebrate the anniversary of the termination of the first war. One such group is the UFACRE/ CEAC with representatives from Germany, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Spain, France, Britain, Luxembourg. Several Consuls also attend this remembrance ceremony. Another group is the UniĂłn Francesa de Antiguos Combatientes Residentes en EspaĂąa and again consuls will be representated.

Along the Costa Blanca another British and Allied group hold remembrance services to honour those who have died in conflicts. This is the British Legion, an international group that has raised funds since 1918 to help those who have been injured in active service or who have run into difficulties since their military service. These services are definitely not to honour war, but rather to honour ordinary men and women who have died in the service of others trying to make this world a safer and better place for their children and grandchildren.

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On 12th November there is a Feria held at Ondara.

Saint Raphael´s Auction is held on the morning of November 15th at La Nucia. A lively auction is held on this day for the privilege of carry the statue of the saint in the annual procession through the old town.

Because of telephone cables overhead this can be a bit hectic for the saint as he gets tossed around.

18th November is feast in several towns with a colourful romeria (pilgrimage) in La Nucia and the play of La Rendicion in Petrer.

Callosa de Segura was well known for its hemp industry and today there is an artisan school to teach people about the various skills associated with manufacturing articles woven form hemp. During November, on the 4th, the town celebrates the anniversary of the town’s declaration of the title of city. On the 11th November the historical memory of the conquest by Jaime I when the Arabs were defeated in the town. On the 14th the parishioners of the San Martin church celebrate the occasion of the temple being considered as a National Historical Artistic Monument. Most emotive is the 16th when the citizens aormi@icloud.com

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celebrate the apparition of their patron saint San Roque to some shepherds.

During November there are numerous events including a medieval market and some examples of mock battles with a medieval flavour with belly dancers and traditional dancing Moors & Christians hold a short parade and exhibitions of the hemp makers.

Saint Cecilia 22nd November is one of the important musical festival dates as it is the feast of the patron saint of music, Santa Cecilia. Every town’s bands and choirs will be holding concerts for a couple of weeks, so watch out for them.

25th November, the feast of Santa Catalina, is held in Jarafuel, Sueca and Xativa.

There will be a parade of carriages in Pinoso, Alicante.

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30th November in La Pedrera holds a romeria in honour of Nuestro Señor Robado a La Pedrera in Tibi.

Saint Andrew - Scotland and Almoradi For those who come from Scotland there are several dinner dances organised in honour of Saint Andrew, Scotland’s (and Russia’s) patron saint on 30th November.

San Andrés is also the patron of the small town of Arnedillo in Rioja. Every year the townsfolk burn romero (rosemary) and sabina (juniper) so that each household produces a smokescreen to keep infirmities at bay.

According to the traditional tale the population was saved from an epidemic through the intercession of San Andrés thus the connection with the idea of burning these herbs which acted as a purifier. Nowadays, strange to say, the smoke doesn´t seem to harm anyone but rather the reverse as the inhalations stimulate. The traditional procession takes place carrying the statue of Saint Andrew.

At the end of November the patronal fiestas of Torrevieja begin on a low key note acting as a lead in to Christmas. Torrevieja holds its patronal fiestas leading up to the 8th December, the feast of la Inmaculada. Each day, at mid-day and at five o’clock in the afternoon, the traditional BigHeads hold the children in suspense with their aormi@icloud.com

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antics and distribution of sweets.

Every night a barraca popular is held with pop concerts, dances and other forms of entertainment supplied: during some of the days special programmes are put on for children. On the 4th December the Floral Offering procession is held about 5.30 pm at la Inmaculada church with individuals and groups making up a stupendous floral display in honour of the town’s patroness. This is followed by a sung Mass.

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The 6th December is the Day of the Spanish Constitution and is a public holiday.

The 8th December is the actual feast day of la Inmaculada (public holiday) and most of the events are of a religious nature with an evening procession followed by a firework display.

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Home Alone

by Andy Ormiston

CARE meeting , made up of presidents and representatives of various caring associations at Quiron Hospital discussed the problem of social isolation

Today each of us has challenges and problems to deal with. Recently I asked a number of people, what do you consider to be the most important problem facing society? There were several interesting answers, but many of them thought loneliness as a priority problem. Nowadays this tends to be called social isolation, which also includes people with issues such as bereavement, homelessness, depression etc.

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I also attended a meeting of CARE made up of presidents and representatives of a number of charitable associations where caring for the elderly and offering a reach out to those who live alone. This isolation is not just a British problem, but for every nationality, including the Spanish as many of them from other parts of Spain are advised to come here as it is better for their health. For the British it is exacerbated largely because of a lack of language.

One of the most important innovations this past year in the voluntary social associations sphere has been the introduction of CARE. This is a bi-monthly meeting at Quiron Hospital for presidents and representatives of various NGOs to discuss how they can cooperate and collaborate in their work. It has already shown fruit, as there is a greater understanding of each other’s problems and how they can work together on some aspects of social problems.

Probably the major problem facing society in Europe is the elderly population that has many issues – health, cash flow, and loneliness among others.

The CARE meeting discussed how loneliness affects people living on the Costa Blanca for a number of reasons. Each year, every week, people die alone in their home. It affects every nationality including the Spanish. People come to Spain in their retirement years to have a better quality of life, and in general they do so with a greater social life. There are so many clubs, associations and charitable organisations that there is something for everyone. And each of those clubs can help their members who may feel isolated.

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The degree to which a person perceives him/herself as isolated is informed by personality. Life course changes, such as retirement and bereavement, or moving to a new environment such as living in Spain, may lead to a loss of social roles. Older adults’ perceptions of their social resources and relationships may not reflect their actual levels of connectedness. Many people are quite happy living alone and with their own company. Individuals who lack social connections or report frequent feelings of loneliness tend to suffer higher rates of morbidity and mortality.

The degree to which a person perceives him/herself as isolated is informed by personality. Life course changes, such as retirement and bereavement, or moving to a new environment such as living in Spain, may lead to a loss of social roles. Older adults’ perceptions of their social resources and relationships may not reflect their actual levels of connectedness.

There is a world problem for many people of isolation that has an effect on individuals, families and communities. They can end up as forgotten entities that are a burden on welfare and medical services. They have a lack of communication and unable to communicate even though they may have neighbours around.

In many ways it's a subject related to mental health and it costs the country health system a lot of money. Researchers in U.K. have put a financial price on an "epidemic of loneliness" - estimating it costs £6,000 per person in health costs and pressure on local services.

But the London School of Economics study of older people says for every £1 spent in preventing loneliness there are £3 of savings.

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Socially connected individuals may receive instrumental support from network members or co-residents (if in a residence), which may assist in active coping and ultimately reduce stress. Individuals who rarely experience loneliness and those who perceive high levels of social support tend to have more active coping strategies and greater self-esteem and sense of control, each of which can diminish the effects of stress. On the Costa Blanca we have a wealth of social clubs that offer support and friendship. Often these require a pairing up so that individuals phone each other, go out for a coffee apart from social meetings or outings.

Those present at the CARE meeting made observations and suggestions from their individual charities, including: a) The need for more day centres where elderly can be accommodated – this would also provide some respite care for carers. b) Age Concern have the facility to collect people to bring them along to their day centre perhaps 1 day each week. They can help with the alarm systems that they supply in conjunction with VESTA. In hardship circumstances there is financial assistance available, sometimes from charitable sources and other times from town hall social benefits. c) Cruz Roja confirmed that when they are made aware of vulnerable people via social services etc, they would visit and phone them. They also have a Teleassistance programme for a main line phone and also smartphones, as well as a Tracker device for wearing on a belt. d) Tomas Ballester pointed out the various nursing homes locally which offer respite and these will be looked as possible short term respite care. e) Michaela (British Consulate) spoke about “Alexa” a new gadget that works alongside the internet which people can speak to – to find out the weather, time,

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play music and much more. Michaela suggested that this might be something that charities may consider hiring out to elderly living alone. f) There is a need for discussions with town councillors at community meetings to raise awareness of the vulnerable as well as discussions with administrators. g) HELP Vega Baja suggested that perhaps local communities could become involved – perhaps have a dedicated “warden” who would agree to call upon those vulnerable within their apartment blocks for example. Hospital visiting.

Diabetes club. Mobility aids. This association also have Friendship Centres, a Parkinsons Group, a Bereavement Group, and a 24-hour helpline. h) The SAMARATINS have a drop-in centre at Punta Mmamrina that helps by talking to people who may feel down because of loneliness.

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i) Especially if there are severe health issues people who do not speak the language can feel lonely and all alone, such as cancer then there are possible house visits by AEEC or AFECANCER. Or Stroke Support group for those who have suffered this. j) Help at Home is another association that has experience in the field of caring for people alone requiring some sort of support. k) Churches also have a responsibility for reaching out to at least their parishioners, seeking out the lost sheep as it were, that lives alone. l) Many people who live alone lose their appetite or at least their appetite to cook for one person. There are a number of ready made, oven ready meals that are useful to have on stand by. A new company Made with Love offers a good variety of food made to British tastes, delivered to the door throughout the Vega Baja at reasonable prices.

Social awareness can be seen on a personal level if we look around us and see a neighbour living alone, try to make contact and offer help, maybe with shopping or taking out to do shopping as many elderly people no longer are able to drive.

Perhaps this is something that could be addressed by groups such as Neighbourhood Watch.

It was agreed that this is an extremely serious matter and we would continue to place it on the CARE agenda for future meetings. In addition, work will continue outside the meeting to make progress. 


In passing I would like to commend all the volunteers who do such wonderful work in our community. Volunteering in some capacity has its benefits such as the feel-good factor.

I would be grateful to hear from clubs, associations in general about this subject of social isolation. Email: aormi@hotmail.com

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SOLIDARITY CALENDAR PRESENTATION

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The annual solidarity calendar, produced by Andy Ormiston, is once again being given free to over 30 groups and associations who can sell them on for their own charities funds, thus spreading a little light and happiness. It is free thanks to the generosity of the six companies who are paying for the graphics and printing of the calendar – ArocaSeiquer Abogados, Alamo Costa Blanca, Cambridge Currency, MAPFRE Brithol Insurance, Atlas Seguros brokers and Currency Direct.  The presentation was held in the lovely gardens of the main offices of ArocaSeiquer Abogados in Rojajuna. In his presentation Andy paid tribute to the volunteers representing so many other people who freely give of their time and experience for the benefit of others. The calendar is meant as a dedication to all the volunteers and professionals who help make the Costa Blanca a better place in which to live. The calendar is a tool by which they can reach out to others and perhaps involve them in the different tasks of so many associations. He stressed how their voluntary work is paramount as it fills a void in public services, reaching out to the most vulnerable in our society, whether healthy or homeless, the sick and dying, the lonely and so often forgotten victims of our society.

Every year the solidarity calendar has a theme and this 13th edition is dedicated to the Costa Blanca with information about the place in which we live. Carlos Garcia has been a mountain of strength, laying out the graphics and doctoring the colouring so that we have a calendar that is a delightful piece of art on the walls

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of our homes. Once again Andy said that he was indebted to the generosity of photographers who have donated their skills and photos – Phil Fryer, Antonio Garcia, Joaquin Carrion, Nicholas Garcia and John Rook. There are 138 towns in the Costa Blanca so the decision was that rather than just photos of coastal places with sea and sand, they have looked inland with the variety of agricultural towns, mountain places and included the only habitable island here – Tabarca.

Graham Knight translated into Spanish for the benefit of the many Spanish present.

D. MiguelAngel Aroca host and sponsor

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Present was Eduardo Dolon Vice-President of the Alicante Diputacion and responsible for tourism on the Costa Blanca, who at the end commended Andy on providing such a lovely piece of propaganda for the Costa Blanca tourism. Without tourism the Costa Blanca would not be such a prosperous area. The cover photo is of Calpe and its famous rock of Penyal d’Ilfac, followed by two information pages containing a short report outlining some of the advantages of being here. These have smaller photos of places, sports and

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things to do and visit - including sea sports, inland rambling, mountaineering, golf, fortress routes with Villena, the contrast of the beaches of Finestrat and the dunes of Guardamar del Segura, the colourful houses of Villajoyosa and the lovely blue rooftops in Altea.

The January photo shows Calpe with the intention of demonstrating that the sky is a beautiful place as well, and each month’s photo has a couple of lines about each place. It is a well printed, colourful A3, 16-page calendar and as always there is a date box with notes of special fiestas, bank holidays in Spain, UK and Ireland, as well as the full moon and other astronomical information, not forgetting main public holidays in Spain, U.K. and Ireland. There is space for writing appointments and notes. Then underneath in each month, notes of some of the fiestas that may be of interest. This is rather limited as every town has fiestas of some sort or other. Andy apologies to anyone who feels missed out.

At the bottom of the page there is a small dedication to the sponsors who support the calendar. The photos of each month picture aspects of Benidorm, Alicante, Villajoisa, Moraira, Tabarca Island, Elche, Novelda, Pilar de la Horadada, Callosa d’Sarria, Guadalest and Torrevieja. The back page is a kaleidoscope dedicated to culture.

As in previous years MiguelAngel Aroca, in conjunction with Currency Direct aormi@icloud.com

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Above:- Billie Sewell, Peter Loveday of Currencies Direct with Andy Ormiston Below:- Leigh Barron of Cambridge Exchange and Andy.These two companies arrange transfer for thousands of British buying and selling houses.

and Cambridge Exchange, used commissions obtained from transfers by clients, had cheques made out for charities and this year 20,600 euros was shared between five organisations of the Vega Baja. So each one received a cheque of 4,120 euros that went to ALPE the comarca training school for the disabled; 22q which is an association that supports those with rare diseases especially children; The Stroke Support association based in Benijofar; the San Jose orphanage in Orihuela and the Help Vega Baja association.

At the end of the day the main sponsors ArocaSeiquer provided refreshments with Andres, the champion Serrano jamon cutter, offering paper-thin slices of a beautiful ham. Â aormi@icloud.com

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Experiment Stuka

by Andy Ormiston

For those of you who have WW2 memories they may remember the whining scream of the Stuka as it divebombed over London and other towns shooting up streets and dropping 500lbs bombs. The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft.

Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935, easily recognisable by its inverted gull wings and fixed spatted undercarriage. Upon the leading edges of its faired main gear legs were mounted the Jericho-Trompete ("Jericho trumpet") wailing sirens, becoming the propaganda symbol of German air power and the blitzkrieg victories of 1939–1942.

More of you will record the famous painting of Guernica by Picasso after the German bombing of that small town. After that Franco ordered that the Germans should not bomb civilian targets. It didn’t seem to bother Hitler though as he made an order to try out a new Junkers aircraft allied with a new large bomb.

A great number of documents, photographs and testaments have been uncovered in the past few years, as governments have declassified their secret files. In the past Nazis have met their due rewards because of their fanaticism in documenting everything and backing words up with photographs.

One Recuperation group of Benassal uncovered a file of 66 photographs taken by members of the Legion Condor sent by Hitler in support of the Nationalists who were based at the La Sénia Airfield.

These photos show how effective was the Junker 87ª when it was used to drop 500lbs bombs (double the payload previously) over the small villages of Ares, Benassal, Albocàsser y ViIlar de Cane in the area of Alt Maestrat in the Castellón Province. aormi@icloud.com

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Wolfram von Richthofen, (left) the commandant of the Condor Legion and Leopold Graf Fugger who wrote the report of the effectiveness of the Stukas in Castellon

This find has led to a new film that is due to be released this winter made by Suica Films and simply entitled “Experiment Stuka”. It will likely be available on RTVE television eventually as they have been involved in the filming project.

On 25th May, 1938, German Aircraft bombed the small area without any apparent reason. At 7.30 9 bombs were dropped that ended the lives of 15 people including the old and children. Over a few days 36 bombs killed 40 people in these small villages.

A child scrambles through the ruins of her village after the bombing.

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It is all recorded in this new documentary film directed by Pepe Andreu who said that it had been a laborious three years work of research and film planning. Part of the information came from a book by historian Antony Beever The cache of photos shows the towns before, Turing the bombing including from 3,00 metres height, and a team of soldiers in a truck visited the towns photographing and assessing the damage caused by their bombing.

A German reviews the damage done in the villages and reports on the effectiveness of the combination of the Stuka and the new bomb.

Today, 75 years on, people are trying to recuperate the historical memory of what happened before, during and after the civil war, seeking some peace for dead relatives buried in mass graves. People are also aware of the incongruity of memorials honouring people and events that are particularly nauseating to survivors.

At the request of the German Embassy in Madrid, Madrid City Hall has removed an inscription in the city’s largest cemetery commemorating German aviators who supported coup leader General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. Almudena cemetery – one of the largest in Europe – has a mausoleum honouring the Condor Legion, made up of air force and army units, and remained in place.

Seven pilots are buried there. The facade has now been removed, leaving only the names of the pilots on their graves.

This new documentary should not be confused with another made in the early part of the war. ”Stukas” is a 1941 Nazi propaganda film, directed by Karl Ritter and starring Carl Raddatz, which follows three squadrons of Luftwaffe divebomber (Stuka) flyers.

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Your Health

by Pat Hynd

In our fast moving technological world we face new opportunities to improve our health.

Thanks to the advances in the discernment and treatment we tend to live longer generally speaking. But researchers are also facing comparatively new medical disorders, sometimes going unnoticed.

For many, many diabetics the minute you wake up you think ‘I’ve got to do my blood sugars’. You don’t get a day off. Every day is all about numbers. But for those with Diabulimia it’s all about numbers with an eating disorder. Diabulimia is also known as ED-DMT1. As yet, it has not been officially recognised as a medical or psychological condition.

The BBC Three documentary ‘Diabulimia: The World’s Most Dangerous Eating Disorder’ is a harrowing, hard-to-watch account of three young women struggling to rebuild their lives. It’s also compelling, essential viewing that necessitates acknowledgement amongst diabetes and medical communities.

Diabulimia is a term coined to represent diabetic bulimia, which is defined as the intentional skipping of insulin injections to avoid weight gain. Because insulin acts as a storage hormone and promotes fat, avoiding injections leads to weight loss. The consequences are severe, though. Doing this can raise blood sugar levels dangerously high, risking complications of the kidneys, feet and blood vessels. It can even lead to blindness.

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Diabulimia has become one of the most serious e m e r g i n g problems in recent years among young people with type 1 diabetes, mainly girls.

The core mission was to raise awareness of diabulimia, a n d t h e fi l m m a k e r s c e r t a i n l y accomplished this.

For diabetics on insulin this disorder seriously affects their quality of life and how they cope with the world around them as there is a continuous focus on food and controlling and restricting diet that is needed to manage Type 1 Diabetes.

Then this is complicated with the emotional and psychological impact of living with this chronic medical condition – it is tough and sometimes skipping insulin may start as a simple rejection of Diabetes but gradually develop into an eating disorder While Diabulimia mostly affects women at present, men do suffer too, and the numbers are growing.

Because missing out on insulin causes a diabetic’s blood glucose levels to rise too high, someone who has Diabulimia may well show signs of hyperglycaemia: • Intense thirst • Need to urinate often • Extreme tiredness • Blurred vision So diabetics should be aware of the very high risks in skipping an insulin shot.

Diabulimia: The World’s Most Dangerous Eating Disorder is available to watch on BBC Three’s iPlayer channel but may not be available in Spain.

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Diabetic Tattoo for You

Last month we had a look at tattoos and this month continue, but with a look at tattoos in medicine and health treatment. Harvard University and MIT has created a tattoo with the power to monitor blood glucose levels. Scientists have developed something called a “biosensing” tattoo that could help change the lives of people living with types 1 or 2 diabetes. Although it is not in the public domain as there are still some issues such as making the tattoo more permanent, it is still a n exciting possibility for diabetic patients and even some of us in the sun as it can pick up on dehydration.

Named 'Dermal Abyss', the device works by reading and picking up biomarkers from the body's interstitial fluid, which is a thin layer of fluid surroundings the cells. The ink turns from green into brown when blood glucose levels increases.

It is designed to overcome some of the limitations of current wearable glucose monitoring devices. Short battery life is one of the major drawbacks, as is the need for wireless connectivity.

Researcher Ali Yetisen, who is studying as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, said: "We were thinking: aormi@icloud.com

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new technologies, what is the next generation after wearables? And so we came up with the idea that we could incorporate biosensors in the skin. We wanted to go beyond what is available through wearables today."

The invention also has the ability to indicate dehydration, with the green turning darker the more dehydrated people are when viewed under a blue light. As dehydration is often a problem for those of us in sunnier climes, a simple change in colour could call us to the water cooler.

Researcher Ali Yetisen, who is studying as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, said: "We were thinking: new technologies, what is the next generation after wearables? And so we came up with the idea that we could incorporate biosensors in the skin. We wanted to go beyond what is available through wearables today."

The invention also has the ability to indicate dehydration, with the green turning darker the more dehydrated people are when viewed under a blue light.

These biosensing tattoos join the ranks of other technologically-based advancement in the art of tattoos. MIT has previously created a range of tattoos that turn your body into an interface, allowing you to do everything from display how you’re feeling to change the volume of the music you’re listening to.

You can also get a tattoo you can hear, which inks the soundwaves of your favorite song onto your forearm.

Regardless of whether you’re a fan of tattoos or would rather admire them from afar, we can all agree these recent developments in tattoo technology are changing the way we think and use tattoos.

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Salt Documentary Dave Stewart

The salt lakes are part of two main industries in Torrevieja. In the La Mata Park lake it is a tourist attraction for ramblers, bikers, photographers, bird watchers, nature lovers, stargazers etc.

In the Torrevieja one salt is produced and shipped to all parts of the world and used in a number of ways. At the moment a short 20-minute film is being made in conjunction with the busy local cultural association Ars Creatio about the rose lake, as it is called. It is well-known world wide as taxi drivers tell me often they have Chinese visitors who ask to see the pink lake. The aormi@icloud.com

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filming is using two cameras plus a drone that can get aerial shots otherwise not available. The drone can be guided over the lake to the actual area where the salt is being collected and ferried back to become part of the large salt mountains that are a feature of the town and used as logo by the Torrevieja Hospital.

It is planned to release the documentary in February that includes interviews with artisanal workers and backed up by a soundtrack by Fran Barajas.

On YouTube there are several clips of the lakes here is one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SiAV-Ok5xM aormi@icloud.com

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Torrevieja’s Tropical Island

by Dave Stewart

One of the nicest spots of Torrevieja has to be lo Ferris beach where there waving palm trees offering a tropical panorama.

On the first day of last month volunteers spent a day picking up rubbish from the beach and just offshore in the waters.

This was the group “Salvemos Lo Ferrís” who united in a national project to clean up our seas from plastic and other rubbish. In 47 areas within 22 coastal provinces aormi@icloud.com

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1,200 persons of various groups gathered on beaches to pick up rubbish, that people carelessly dispose of.

Lo Ferris is close to the Torrevieja salt lake and is also an habitat for lovely birds, some just passing through.

The beach has been separated from the land owned by Ferris Hills by the wall as they intend to cultivate the land there with cereals and other crops.

It is an area that has featured in a number of films, including one version of Robinson Crusoe.

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Torrevieja - A Love Story

by Dave Stewart

In Torrevieja this past month was one of my favorite Spanish actors is Javier Gutiérrez who starred in television series “Aguila Roja” that ran for several seasons. He played the humorous part of the Red Eagle’s medieval version of a superhero.

Currently he is the star of “Estoy vivo” a science fiction crime series where he is a dead policeman killed by a butcherous villain, but on his way to an afterlife he is offered to return as himself. but in the body and having the identity of another dead policeman.

Now he is planning another short film of a young couple in Torrevieja and falling in love. It is being directed by Belén Verdugo with other well known actors and actresses Alba Rico, Carlos Mures and Pilar López. The filming is mostly in Torrevieja and many of the features of the town will appear intros short romantic film - Eras de la Sal, salt piles, promenade etc. They were shown around possible sites by the Cultural Councillor, Domingo Pérez.

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Modern Housing?

by Dave Stewart

One of the most popular style housing just now is the white cubic style in many parts of the Costa Blanca, rather like an IKEA product. They are actually very well designed with lots of natural light. It seems to be ultra modern, but in fact has its origins ninety years ago in an archaeological plan in Stuttgart.

The Weissenhofsiedlung is one of the most significant landmarks left by the movement known as "Neues Bauen�. Today it is a museum with free admittance.

The development was erected in 1927 as a residential building exhibition arranged by the City of Stuttgart and the Deutscher Werkbund. Working under the artistic direction of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, seventeen architects created an exemplary residential scheme for modern urban residents.

The ever-changing story of the Weissenhofsiedlung reflects the societal and cultural changes of the Twentieth Century. Largely shunned during the Third aormi@icloud.com

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Reich, destroyed in part during World War II, the development was later approached with a lack of understanding for its precepts. It was only in 1958 that the Weissenhofsiedlung was enrolled in the register of historical monuments. The 75th anniversary of the Werkbund Exhibition at the Weissenhof provided new impetus. In 2002 it was possible for the City of Stuttgart to purchase Le Corbusier's semi-detached houses, in which to install the City of Stuttgart to purchase Le Corbusier's semi-detached houses, in which to install the Weissenhof Museum.

Organised by the city of Stuttgart and Deutscher Werkbund (DWB) — an association of German artists, architects, designers and industrialists — the Die Wohnung (meaning ‘The Housing’) exhibition showcased radically innovative domestic housing.

Its centrepiece was a real estate project called Weissenhof. Built on sloping ground to the north of the city, this comprised 21 cuboid, flat-roofed buildings, included apartments as well as terraced and detached houses. These were generously glazed, their huge windows drawing natural light into their open-plan interiors.

17 European modernist architects, including Le Corbusier, his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who masterminded the project as artistic director, designed them. Although famous now, these revolutionary architects were almost unknown then. Van der Rohe decreed that all references to past styles were verboten in this exhibition and zero tolerance for ornament, that was regarded as superfluous and indulgent.

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Originally two factions of architects vied to showcase their work. One group were architects with a deep connection to the region’s architectural history. But the modernists, led by Mies van der Rohe, won the battle and persuaded the city to help finance the show The houses showcased interior design and furniture, while nearby a construction site put the spotlight on the materials and machinery needed to create the architecture. In the city centre, another arm of the exhibition displayed pareddown products that reflected the project leader’s zero tolerance for decoration or historical styles. In addition, a show called International Plan and Model Exhibition of New Architecture highlighted other cutting-edge items - photos, drawings or models – that van der Rohe and his collaborators considered important, and which lent credence to Die Wohnung’s audacious designs.

These included moveable partitions that could allow a space to be subdivided easily and flexibly into two or three rooms, floor-to-ceiling internal glass walls and linoleum flooring in one continuous colour. The furniture was equally avantgarde — van der Rohe’s classic Weissenhof chair with a tubular-steel, cantilevered frame was created especially for the show.

“The show was also concerned with progressive social ideas,” says Friedemann Gschwind, a Stuttgart-based architect and town-planner who initiated the creation of the museum. “For example, it showed flats for single, professional women”.

One goal was to build mass housing cheaply for those who couldn’t afford expensive homes, another was to demonstrate that, thanks to prefabrication and

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modern materials, housing could be built quickly. Construction of the first house started in January, 1927 and took five-and-a-half months to complete.

The houses were to be rented out by the city of Stuttgart, which owned them, and tested in real living conditions.

In 1928, many were displayed as drawings or models in a travelling exhibition, which, by 1930, had toured 14 European cities. Its influence was extensive.

Architecture students in Gothenburg, Sweden, who had seen it, even boycotted all lectures based on traditional principles.

But the scheme fell foul of the Nazis who, in 1933, pronounced it a blot on Stuttgart’s landscape. It was dismissed as a Semitic or Bolshevik suburb, and before Photoshop, even went to the length of using a photo collage used as Nazi propaganda depicted it with Arabs, camels and monkeys to suggest it was unsuitable in Germany. Yet, during the War, Nazis rented the houses and loved their roof terraces.

In 1939, the city of Stuttgart sold the estate to the Third Reich, and in 1944 it was partly destroyed by Allied bombings. It was then badly neglected in the post-war era, and today only 11 buildings remain.

Today Die Wohnung’s importance has been recognised by Unesco, which has awarded the museum, as well as Taut’s Berlin housing estate, Hufeisensiedlung, built from 1925 to 1933, World Heritage status.

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of Spanish Cookery

by Pat Hynd

Andalucía is the second largest region in Spain comprising of the provinces of Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Sevilla. Geographically it is only 14 kilometres from North Africa. The people have their own special culture that has its origins in so many conquerors. This culture is the quintessence of Spain and how most foreigners see the whole country. It is marked by the soft Southern accent, the flamboyant flamenco and Sevilliana dancing, or the drumming beat of guitar that stirs the blood. Hans Christian Anderson wrote that, “The Spanish dance allows the beautiful human form to be seen in natural movements, the castanets relate the pulse of the blood that can increase with the passion, but never leaves the realm of beauty…”

Flamenco dancers were around in the time of the Romans as a famous dancer was summoned to perform in Rome, before the arrival of the Arabs. One of the oldest cities in Western Europe is Cadiz, founded by the trading civilization of the Phoenicians because of its proximity to the aormi@icloud.com

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Mediterranean and the Atlantic. It was also known as Gades and indeed the Romans had an alliance with Gades and Julius Caesar bestowed Roman citizenship on all its inhabitants in 49 BC. Doñana National Park is a natural reserve in Andalusia, southern Spain, in the provinces of Huelva (most of its territory) and Seville. It covers 543 km2 (209.65 sq mi), of which 135 km2 (52.12 sq mi) are a protected area.

The park is an area of marshes, shallow streams, and sand dunes in Las Marismas, the delta where the Guadalquivir River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It was established as a nature reserve in 1969 when the World Wildlife Fund joined with the Spanish government and purchased a section of marshes to protect it.

The 800-year old rule of the Moors has left more of a mark in southern Spain than anywhere else in the country. Those early Arabs had a great civilisation that can be seen in the architecture, in the irrigation system, as water was so precious in the desert they had left behind. It is also noticeable in the music, crafts, as well as the creativity of the gastronomy.

In Andalucia cooks were able to bring together the different confluences of the Mediterranean, Atlantic and continental climates. The whole region has a mixed topography marked by large swathes of agriculture, some very large natural parks, inland rivers and lakes, the snow capped Sierra Nevada mountains to the deserts of cowboy films.

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The cuisine includes the harvest of sea and land, trout farms, black pigs that fatten up on acorns producing one of the delights of Spanish cuisine in its hams. Not forgetting the gold of the olive tree with its oil and olives, or the wines, especially sherry, much loved by 19th century English ladies.

Thanks to the climate there are vast abundances of fruit – peaches, cherries, strawberries, quince, avocados, even the prickly pear. The Arabs (and Jews) were noted for their sweet tooth and brought lots of delicious recipes. They brought with them from Africa pomegranates, figs and melons. And these trees grew thanks to the irrigation systems they had combined with the as noria waterwheels that had their origins three centuries before Christ, and arguably may have been introduced by the Romans in Spain.

So with so many wonderful ingredients the cuisine of the region has plenty to offer.

Trout Stuffed with jamon

Jamon is one of the most famous products of Spain and exported all over the world and is a favourite in China and Japan. This dish proved to be a winner of writer Ernest Hemmingway. He travelled Spain extensively and he enjoyed this one during his days in Navarra. aormi@icloud.com

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4 trout ready to use 4 thin slices of Serrano ham 1 tablespoon of pitted green olives, roughly diced 1 shallot, finely sliced 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 tablespoon of almonds, roughly chopped

Wash and dry the trout. Rub the inside and outside with salt and pepper. Mix together the almonds, olives, shallot and parsley. Spread a quarter of the almond and olive mixture on each slice of ham. Roll up the ham and place it into the abdominal cavity of the trout. Close the opening using wooden picks. Brush 4 sheets of aluminum foil with olive oil. Place a stuffed trout on each sheet and fold the foil over to cover the fish. Press the folds down firmly. Grill the trout in the foil on a hot rack for 10 minutes on each side. Before serving open the foil to let the steam escape and serve the fish in the foil.

This is a popular dish that restaurateurs make a show of, by chopping the cooked pig into pieces with a plate. aormi@icloud.com

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Roast Suckling pig Ingredients for 6 people: 2,1/2 kg of suckling pig 1 head of garlic 500 g of potatoes 1 large onion 1/2 cup of white wine bay leaf, salt, ground pepper 1/4 cup of olive oil.

Preparation Wash the suckling pig and dry. Singe the ears, trotters and any part containing hair or down over a flame. Coat the suckling pig evenly with lard. Season the suckling pig evenly with salt and pepper. Place the suckling pig with the skin facing upwards.

Heat the oven to maximum. Moisten the suckling pig with water and salt and roast at a medium heat for an hour, until the skin is crisp and golden.

Peel the potatoes and the onion and cut them into slices 1/2 cm thick.

Remove the suckling pig and put the onion and potatoes at the bottom of the dish.

Place the suckling pig on top, pour on the wine and put back in the oven for about 50 minutes or until the meat is tender and ready to eat.

Finish the meal with fresh fruit or some of the Moorish sweetmeats of Arabic origin like polvorones, Tocino de cielo, or pastas de chocolate.

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Spain, America and Vikings

by Andy Ormiston

The Viking descendants were among the first resident tourists of Torrevieja and settled in the area near the Torre de Moro and several streets are named after the Scandinavian countries. The Norwegians have an excellent cultural and religious centre in La Siesta urbanisation. The Norwegians also celebrate in a big way their national day on 17th May each year.

Between the IX and XI centuries, the Arabs had to contend with raids from the fearsome Vikings all along Al-Andaluz and they actually reached as far as the River Segura, which was navigable in those days, and attacked Orihuela. In 865 the Nordics commenced a series of epic voyages that led them to Britain and Ireland as well as establishing colonies on Iceland and Greenland, skirting the North America coastline. The word Viking means “raider" or "trader�. From the 8th to the 11th centuries these daring Scandinavian pirates carried out surprise attacks on the monasteries and towns of Britain and Europe. Some even voyaged

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as far as North Africa, Turkey and North America to seek out booty and rewards.

Vikings conquered Normandy in France - the land of the Northmen - even parts of Italy and the Levant. They also founded Dublin, made deep inroads into England and island-hopped across the North Atlantic. Orkney, Shetland, Fair Isle and Iceland.

Large rivers became their highways - the Rhine, Seine, Thames and the Guadalquivir that brought them right into Seville in 844, the heart of the AlAndalus Arab kingdom. In 842 they had already sacked sixteen towns in the La CoruĂąa region. Lisbon was attacked in 844 and in August of the same year the Vikings occupied the port of Cadiz. On 29th September they made a base on a small island in the River Guadalquivir, sacking Seville; but on 11th November the emir Abderraman II destroyed the Viking army. They returned to Seville in 859 attacking the rebuilt town again and continued their excursions until 971.

One of the main reasons for the final defeat of the Vikings in the Mediterranean was the large fleet that was built around 866 and another Arab fleet built in 956.

Another reason was diplomatic negotiation between the Arab kingdoms and the northern invaders. In one episode Hastein faked his own funeral to gain access to the ancient Mediterranean city of Luna. Once inside the church he leaped from his coffin and sacked the town.

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But when the Arabs defeated them, Vikings were offered the opportunity to settle in Al-Andaluz and it seems that many did enjoying the favours of local women, hence so many redheads in that area.

One of these Arabs was Ibn Fadlan who has left a description of the Vikings as he saw them in Risala, one that would not go down well with modern Scandinavians who love their saunas and baths. He says, “They are the dirtiest creatures of Allah. They do not wash after their corporal necessities, nor after having sex, nor even wash their hands after eating.”

Recently researchers in Sweden have found Arabic characters woven into burial costumes from Viking boat graves. They were kept in storage for more than 100 years, dismissed as typical examples of Viking Age funeral clothes. Patterns woven with silk and silver thread have been found to spell the words "Allah" and "Ali".

The researcher Annika Larsson realised she was not looking at Viking patterns at all, but ancient Arabic Kufic script. There were two words that kept recurring. One of them she identified with the help of an Iranian colleague. It was the name "Ali" - the fourth caliph of Islam. When the embroidered letters were enlarged they were seen to be mirror copies of these two Arabic words. These names appear on at least 10 of the nearly 100 pieces on which she is working. The small remnants are of burial costumes from male and female boat and chamber graves originally excavated in Birka and Gamla Uppsala in Sweden in the late 19th and mid-20th centuries.

"The possibility that some of those in the graves were Muslim cannot be completely ruled out," she says, “it is more likely these findings show that Viking age burial customs were influenced by Islamic ideas such as eternal life in paradise after death.

Two years ago, researchers re-examined a silver ring from a female tomb at Birka and found the phrase "for Allah" inscribed on the stone.

Again the text was Kufic, developed in the Iraqi town of Kufah in the 7th Century - one of the first Arabic scripts used to write down the Koran.

"The use of Ali does suggest a Shia connection," says Amir De Martino, programme leader of Islamic studies at the Islamic College in London.

"But without the phrase 'waly Allah' accompanying the name - meaning 'friend of Allah' - this would not be from mainstream Shia culture and might just have

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been copied wrongly from something that was," adds De Martino, who is also the chief editor of Islam Today, a British Shia magazine.

"The pattern suggests Ali is being equated with Allah, and therefore there is a slim possibility it has some connection to very early, extreme, mystical fringe movements who believed in this, but more likely it is a wrongly copied pattern."

A new discovery has revealed that the Vikings may have travelled hundreds of miles further into North America than previously thought. It's well known that they reached the tip of the continent more than 1,000 years ago. In 1960, a site on the very northernmost tip of Newfoundland in Canada, L'Anse aux Meadows, was investigated and archaeologists were convinced that it was a Viking settlement. Â More recently researchers had been led to Point Rosee in Newfoundland by satellite data captured 383 miles (600km) above the Earth.

The attack on Portmahomack on Easter Ross is the only Viking raid in Britain for which we have archaeological evidence. (Could there be any significance in the two names Easter Ross and Point Rosee, both on promontories jutting into the sea?)

Over two aormi@icloud.com

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hundred pieces of sculpture have been found, some of it broken up in a layer of burning, suggesting that the monastic buildings at Portmahomack were violently destroyed, possibly in a Viking raid, about the year 800.

Other incursions, such as the attack on Lindisfarne at about the same time, echo only through the reports recorded in chronicles. Together these two violent raids mark the start of an era of attacks from across the North Sea. The Vikings or Norse exploded out of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, using hugely sophisticated navigational skills and shipbuilding technology as they pushed ever further into the wider world.

Vikings travelled light, living on the harvest of sea and land wherever they landed, sacking villages on route. They left nothing behind. No massive stone memorials for them. They voyaged in longships with a strong oak keel, and thin overlapping planks fanning out to form the iconic, graceful hull - the gaps between the planks stuffed with animal hair and tar. The rudder was fixed on with a twisted birch sapling. Sails were spun from wool. Food was pickled herring; lamb smoked using reindeer droppings, fermented salmon. Almost everything on a Viking ship would get recycled or rot away. But they did leave a trace when they landed on another headland, almost the very western tip of Newfoundland; 400 miles further south and west than the only known Viking site in North America. Leif Eriksson was an Icelandic explorer and probably the first European to voyage to North America, 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

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Vikings warriors were a fierce bunch, trained in archery, spear-throwing and swordplay from the age of 10. The most fanatical warriors were called “berserkers”, so there we have another foreign word in English. Inspired by the Viking god of war, Odin, these fighters worked themselves up into a battle rage that they believed gave them superhuman powers and made them invincible.

The Norse raiders had a culture as rich and complex as their Christian victims.

They believed in a universe made up of nine worlds inhabited by gods and goddesses, giants and giantesses, men, dwarves and elves. They passed on these beliefs through elaborate and eloquent poems and sagas.

Vikings were given courage in battle by their belief in a glorious afterlife.

Life for a Viking warrior was usually brutal and short. Perilous voyages, bloody battles and a hard life of raiding and subsistence farming meant few survived beyond their 40’s. Their heavenly ideal was Valhalla, where battle wounds were healed and the mead never ran out. Knowing they might end up there encouraged them to embrace the dangers of the battlefield, much as Muslims look for maidens in the afterlife. Folkvangr is a meadow or field ruled over by the goddess Freyja where half of those that die in combat go upon death, while the other half go to the god Odin in Valhalla.

Before they converted to Christianity in the 11th Century, Vikings were buried with all the belongings that they would need in the next world. The wealthiest were buried in ships and a warrior's burial would include his highly prized weapons. aormi@icloud.com

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Bookshelf

by Pat Hynd

Books Without Words

Elsewhere we have talked about social isolation. One of the groups of people who are isolated, and in many cases totally ignored, are those with mental illnesses or with learning difficulties as these people have problems in communicating their thoughts. Most people know what it is to worry about life changes and the effect on their health, well-being and loved ones. Information that aids understanding and coping is an important means of support. However, there are few accessible books that address these issues for young people and adults with learning difficulties.

Text comprehension often presents a barrier to struggling readers’ investigation and understanding of key issues they need to explore as adults. Wordless books provide an alternative, allowing the reader to jump over text decoding into the higher order thinking using illustrations that provide ‘memory pegs’ allowing readers to connect with the pictures, understand the back-story and make associations with information, experiences and emotions in their own long-term memory.

People with learning difficulties often experience exclusion from the community.

In the 2015 Sense survey, 77% of young disabled people and 53% of all disabled people reported feeling lonely, expressing a desire to get out more (40%) and to have more opportunities to meet people (25%).

Professor Sheila the Baroness Hollins founded Books Beyond Words in the 1980s in response to the needs of her son and his friends, the word-free books have enabled people with learning difficulties to express their fears, worries and why they are hurting inside, as well as to understand the feelings they experience as adults.

The award-winning Books Beyond explores everyday experiences in our lives.

The books are designed to be therapeutic as well as informational, and there is aormi@icloud.com

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written guidance at the back of each book for facilitators. Using the pictures, readers can interpret and extend the story-lines to reflect and explore their own aspirations, concerns and experiences around the topic.

People with communication and learning difficulties, often together with their friends, families, supporters and professionals; use Books Beyond Words books in many different ways. They may want to raise awareness about and prepare for life’s challenges, to increase their understanding and reduce their anxiety about a forthcoming event, as a way to introduce and talk about difficult topics or to come together socially with their friends to relax, read and enjoy the stories.

The books can also enable them to build a dialogue with health professionals and other people who support them.

Books Beyond Words model better ways to support people and include a plain English introduction to the topic of the book in the ultimate pages.

When Dad Died means the same story with a different cultural context whether the person is in Britain or in China. These stories empower people to take more control of their lives, as these books are not just imparting information but have the emotional and relational aspects of life explored.

There are almost 60 books in the series and being wordless are not language dependent, so work with different nationalities.

Although Books Without Words is a secular organisation, the values encountered put the common good or those who are marginalised.

These books are ideal for small groups and often possible for individuals to discover themselves and explain their thoughts and actions.

Books are also available as paperbacks, sorry app, downloads, or as E-books and also in sets such as Surviving Abuse Book Set.

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We all like to have a hug, but it can always be misconstrued. An example is Hug Me Touch Me. So here is its simplified storyline for each picture in the book.

1. Janet was walking in the park.

2. Janet looked around. She felt happy.

3. Janet saw a woman with a baby and a pushchair.

4. Janet wanted to hug the baby. The mother held her baby tight. She did not want Janet to hold her baby.

5. The woman was cross with Janet, “Go away,” she shouted. “Strangers don’t touch babies.” Janet felt upset and empty.

6. Janet walked on. She saw some children playing. She liked playing with children.

7. Janet tried to play with the children. They were scared of her.

8. The children shouted names at her. They ran away. Janet didn’t understand.

9. Janet walked on. She saw a couple kissing. She felt warm inside. “Me too” ….she thought!

10. Janet tried to hug them. The man and woman looked startled.

11. The couple shouted rude things at Janet. They walked away. Janet wondered why they were so angry.

12. Janet walked on. She felt upset and lonely.

13. Janet went home. She was trying not to cry. She thought, “Nobody wants to hug me”!

14. Indoors it was private. Janet let herself cry.

15. Janet remembered her friend, Monica. She decided to ring Monica.

16. “Hello, Monica. This is Janet. Nobody likes me, and I’m all alone.”

17. There was a knock at the door. Janet wondered if it was Monica. aormi@icloud.com

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18. Monica came in. Janet felt sad and awkward.

19. Monica asked, “What’s the matter?” Janet found it hard to say at first. Monica waited.

She comforted her quietly.

20. Janet told Monica all about the people in the park.

21. Monica and Janet had a big hug. Monica said “It’s OK to hug good friends when we both want to. But it goes all wrong if we touch strangers.”

22. Monica said, “Let’s go out. We’ll try and do it better.”

23. Monica said, “Here’s a friend of mine.

When we meet someone new, we smile and say hello.”

24. “We might shake hands, and say our names. This is my friend, Barbara” said Monica. “Hello, I’m Janet”, said Janet.

25. Janet, Monica and Barbara went for a drink. Janet asked Barbara about herself. Barbara said she works in a shop. She told Janet she has a boyfriend called Harry.

26. Harry came to join them. He kissed Barbara on the cheek. Janet felt a bit left out.

27. Janet shook hands with Harry. She said “Hello, I’m Janet”. That was OK. 28. Barbara and Harry had a dance. Janet wanted to dance too.

29. Harry asked Janet for a dance. She enjoyed it very much.

30. Janet’s new friends walked home with her. “Nice to meet you”, they said and they shook hands with her.

31. “Thank you, Monica,” said Janet. “I had a lovely time - it was much better - nobody is angry now”.

32. “Goodnight” said everyone. “See you”.

33. Janet had a hot drink. She thought about what she had learnt about hugging and touching.

For more information go to:https://booksbeyondwords.co.uk/bookshop/

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The 11th November is a poignant day when the nation gathers and falls silent to remember the fallen men and women from conflicts past and present. Poppy wreaths are laid on cenotaphs and memorials all over the country and indeed the world.

As a tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, a brand new Proof £5 Coin has been issued for 2017 in support of The Royal British Legion.

The 'Ode of Remembrance' is taken from Laurence Binyon's famous poem 'For The Fallen' written during the First World War and is widely recited at remembrance services and engraved on war memorials and headstones throughout the world. It's regarded as one of the most moving tributes to all casualties of war.This year’s design features the stylised poppy that’s synonymous with the Legion, as well as the poignant Ode of Remembrance which is recited each year during remembrance ceremonies all over the world. The well-known line, ‘We Will Remember Them’ has been carefully highlighted in red ink to match the poppy.

Each coin has been expertly plated in 24 carat gold and struck to a pristine proof finish which is enhanced by the intricately coloured red poppy.

Just 4,950 coins have been authorised and they are presented in a deluxe presentation case with their accompanying Certificate of Authenticity. aormi@icloud.com

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Or there is a Silver version

• Prestigious Silver Edition • Only 2,017 to be struck • Minted in 925/1000 Silver • Displayed in a Wooden Presentation Case with Certificate of Authenticity Only 2,017 collectors will ever be able to secure what is the ultimate version of this prestigious coin - the Silver Proof Edition. Today you can be one of them.

Minted from beautiful Sterling Silver, and struck to a shimmering proof finish, this is the most exclusive way to add this new and official 2017 Remembrance Silver Proof £5 Poppy Coin to your collection. Displayed in a Wooden Presentation Case, your silver coin comes complete with an individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

Sales of official poppy coins and commemoratives have raised over £700,000 towards the work of the Legion, and demand for this new issue is sure to be high.

Today British soldiers are still active in many countries of the world. Many have died and many more have suffered terrible life-changing injuries. Let us never forget.

‘We will remember them' aormi@icloud.com

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Wellness Tourism

by Pat Hynd

'Wellness tourism', is a sector which is growing twice as fast as overall tourism, according to the Global Wellness Institute. The industry is worth many hundreds of millions of dollars.โ จ The best-studied area is mindfulness, based on principles of a Buddhist form of meditation. Its popularity has been fuelled by extensive scientific research.

'Mindfulness-Based Interventions have been shown to improve health outcomes in a wide range of clinical and non-clinical populations,' reports Mindful Nation UK, a study from the British Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group. aormi@icloud.com

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Mindfulness means paying attention to what’s happening in the present moment in the mind, body and external environment, with an attitude of curiosity and kindness. There has been a huge increase in academic research on the subject with more than 500 peer-reviewed scientific journal papers now being published every year. Meanwhile developments in neuroscience and psychology are illuminating the mechanisms of mindfulness.

The Beatles were a big influence in opening up Eastern spirituality to young Western minds when they took a break and sought a guru to guide them. They realised that there was more to life than just the physical sphere and that our spirit requires space and sustenance.

John Lennon’s “Imagine” is a wonderful reflection on our very existence.

It is already clear that Mindfullness is an important innovation in mental health that warrants serious attention from politicians, policymakers, public services in health, education and criminal justice as well as employers, professional bodies, and researchers.

Buddhist meditation has long had a big advantage over Christian contemplation, because the latter hasn't been scientifically researched. While it is not a panacea, meditation does appear to offer benefit in a wide range of contexts.

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Mindfulness is a way of being in wise and purposeful relationship with one’s experience, both inwardly and outwardly. It is cultivated by systematically exercising one’s capacity for paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally, and by learning to inhabit and make use of the clarity, discernment, ethical understanding, and awareness that arise from tapping into one’s own deep and innate interior resources for learning, growing, healing, and transformation, available to us across the lifespan by virtue of being human In the past 40 years, mindfulness in various forms has found its way into the mainstream of medicine, health care and psychology, where it has been broadly applied and continues to be evermore extensively studied through clinical research and neuroscience. It is even used or recommended by some in the judiciary system to help some who are classified as criminals.

Interest in mindfulness within the mainstream of society and its institutions is rapidly becoming a global phenomenon, supported by increasingly rigorous scientific research, and driven in part by a longing for new models and practices that might help us individually and collectively to apprehend and solve the challenges threatening our health as societies and as a species, optimizing the preconditions for happiness and wellbeing, and minimizing the causes and preconditions for unhappiness and suffering.

Mindfulness practices in various forms can be found in all the meditative wisdom traditions of humanity. In essence, mindfulness - being about attention, awareness, relationality, and caring - is a universal human capacity, akin to our aormi@icloud.com

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capacity for language acquisition. While the most systematic and comprehensive articulation of mindfulness and its related attributes stems from the Buddhist tradition, mindfulness is not a catechism, an ideology, a belief system, a technique or set of techniques, a religion, or a philosophy. It is best described as “a way of being”. There are many different ways to cultivate it wisely and effectively through practice.

This allows people to develop healthier, more compassionate responses to their own experience, as well as to events in their lives and relate to the people around them. Regular meditation practice is considered helpful as a way of cultivating mindfulness.

This allows people to develop healthier, more compassionate responses to their own experience, as well as to events in their lives and the people around them.

In what is thought to be a first, researchers have investigated how undertaking a Christian Ignatian retreat can change the brain. A new study has examined the impact of an Ignatian retreat on 14 individuals, aged between 24 and 76. They were placed in brain scanners before and after a retreat at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.

For one week the individuals undertook prayer exercises based on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius including imaginative contemplations. The results, aormi@icloud.com

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though preliminary, show similar effects when compared with studies of Buddhist techniques.

The Ignatian retreatants reported that their physical health improved, feelings of stress decreased and they also experienced an increased sense of the transcendent. The researchers also looked at changes to important neurotransmitters in the brain. Levels of dopamine indicated that the emotional depth of the participants was enhanced. Also altered were levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter thought to contribute to feelings of wellbeing.

The researchers conclude: “Whether one evaluates the religious and spiritual literature or the scientific literature, there is substantial evidence of a relationship between positive emotions, including love and compassion, that are associated with spiritual practices such as those performed in the seven-day retreat in the current study”.

Christopher Krall SJ, believes that Christian meditation is fundamentally relational as it is about being open to God. It can develop human consciousness from basic modes of functionality, such as sensing surroundings, to higher modes that include perceiving good in the world and acting compassionately. 'Enriching consciousness can be fostered,' he explains. 'It can take us to the best we can be as humans.'

As someone who has done several such spiritual retreats I would highly recommend people to try them out. Several people in the area teach Mindfullness techniques, but it should be taught by someone qualified to do so.

aormi@icloud.com

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Marta Dueñas Minguez is a psychologist, trained in teaching Mindfulness with an MBCT from Bangor University. She regularly holds Mindfulness classes and speaks English and Spanish. She has a blog listed below.

http://madumi5.blogspot.com.es/?m=1 Nombre:Marta Móvil:+34 628 57 72 25

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Integration Recognition

Every year c o f r a d i a s (fraternities) of the Semana Santa hold congresses to discuss ideas, problems, and r e n e w t h e enthusiasm of each group.

One of these was held in October at Ronda where 25 brotherhoods met. Part of the proceedings revived round a talk about the International Cofradia de la Huerta of Torrevieja. This was received with great enthusiasm and caused a bit of a sensation amongst those present. Notable was the interest of the idea of the cultural integration of other nationalities in the files of the annual processions. Those who went from Torrevieja expressed their feelings as a marvelous experience that provided many more ideas, new friends and renewed their intention to continue to work to make the Torrevieja Semana Santa even better.

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HELP Vega Baja Christmas Fayre, 18th November. 10 am Christmas is always a time when we give and receive gifts,whether or not we want to. However, many associations reach out to give that bit extra to those less fortunate than ourselves. Today there are so many people living on the breadline, some without homes, many separated families as there is a tendency for grandparents look after their grandchildren because parents have no employment. So please look around you and see if there is someone you can help personally. If not then there are many associations that will be glad of your support. One suggestion is the HELP VEGA BAJA who assist social workers to pinpoint cases that would welcome that little bit extra help that you can give.

On the 18th November the HELP Vega Baja Christmas Fayre will be held at Parroquia Cristo Resucitado, near La Zenia.

This year profits from the event will be used to help families in the Vega Baja area. Working alongside social workers in various town halls, we aim to provide fresh food for families at Christmas to make their day just that little bit special too.

If you would like to contribute to the fayre, we would particularly like to hear from anyone who is able to offer bottles for our bottle stall and prizes for the tรณmbola. Also any home baking that can be brought along on the day would be very welcome! Please call 966 723 733 GRAND RAFFLE......

Do you own a business or know someone who does? Or perhaps you would like to contribute yourself? We are gathering prizes for the grand raffle which last year raised a terrific amount of money thanks to the efforts of Jan and James who worked tirelessly and the generosity of our supporters and local businesses. If you would like to contribute to the raffle, please leave a message on our Facebook Page or via email at president@helpvegabaja.com and we will get in touch you.

aormi@icloud.com

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Ho, ho, ho. Its that time of year again. No, not Christmas, but the flu jab, now available at all the clinics in the health Department 22. In Spanish it is gripe with accent on the e at the end.

Flu vaccination is free and available every year to help protect adults and children at risk of flu and its complications. If you don’t come under the Spanish health system, but still want a jab then you can buy the current vaccination in a chemist and a nurse can inject you. Sometimes there is a reaction, but that usually only lasts a few days.

Flu can be unpleasant, but if you are otherwise healthy it will usually clear up on its own within a week. This year Australia and New Zealand had a nasty bug that is expected to find its way over here soon.

Flu can be more severe in certain people, such as: • anyone aged 65 and over • pregnant women • children and adults with an underlying health condition (such as diabetes, long-term heart or respiratory disease) • children and adults with weakened immune systems Anyone in these risk groups is more likely to develop potentially serious complications of flu, such as pneumonia (a lung infection), so it's recommended that they have a flu vaccine every year to protect them.

Studies have shown that the flu jab will help prevent you getting the flu. It won't stop all flu viruses and the level of protection may vary, so it's not a 100% guarantee that you'll be flu-free, but if you do get flu after vaccination it's likely to be milder and shorter-lived than it would otherwise have been.

There is also evidence to suggest that the flu jab can reduce your risk of having a stroke.

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International Children’s Day

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15 December Annual Christmas Carols in the Torrevieja main plaza at 17:30

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The Long Ride Home Dave and son Mitch Bull are now doing well in their bike ride from Gibraltar to drum up support for their chosen charities - AEEC cancer, and the Samaratins.

24th October Leave Gibraltar to Marbella 25th to Rincon de la victoria 26th to Motril 27th to El Ejido 28th to San Jose 29th to Isleta del Moro 30th to Mojacar 31st to Mazarron 1st to Mar Menor 2nd to Torrevieja 3rd to Gran Alacant

AECC https://www.aecc.es/…/Donaci…/Paginas/OpcionesDonacion.aspx…

SAMARITANS IN SPAIN http://www.samaritansinspain.com/donations.html

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