July Newsletter

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Around the valle july 2016 Issue no. 7

CAROL & BEN ENJOYING A WELL DESERVED BREAK ON OUR RECENT TRIP TO BENALMADENA PHOTO SUPPLIED BY DOROTHY & PETER GIRVAN

Chairmans report by carol caldwell Hi everyone and welcome to the July addition of the El Valle News letter we would also like to welcome our new members that have just joined us .

Our last trip to Benalmadena to the Botanical Gardens and the boat to Malaga was a great success . Don't forget our next event Picnic in the Park the

members who came last year will tell you it's not an event to miss we will be selling tickets at our club meeting on the 4th of July €9 members and €12 for non members .The food is being prepared by Anita and her husband Owen it was so yummy last year so don't miss out and Owen will be teaching us Salsa.

I hope to see you all at our monthly Club night on the 4th July to celebrate American Independence Day

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contents CHAIRMANS REPORT MAY MEETING & NEWS FRO SAT.CO JUNE WALK

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CADIZ TRIP 4 & 5 FORTHCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS & WALK SCHEDULE

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BENALMADENA TRIP JUNE QUAD REPORT

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COMMITTEEE

june meeting report by alan impey

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The June meeting of the ElValle Asociación took place on Monday 6th June at the usual location of Camping Bar, Vinuela.

At long last the meeting was accompanied by good weather and 60 members turned up for the evening.

The entertainment for the evening was to be a talk on The History of Amateur Theatre presented by Adrian Woodward.

The meeting was opened by Carol who advised us due to health related problems the newly elected Secretary had to stand down and that Stewart, retiring secretary, had agreed to once again to fill the role, many thanks Stewart.

Jane then took over the mike' and went through the

forthcoming social events including a mention of the Winter Ball to be held at the Nerja Caves Restaurant on November 28th.

It was now back to Carol who suggested a short break to book events, visit the bar or wherever before the evenings talk.

At 8.05 pm Adrian began his talk and stated that he had been involved in AM-DRAM for something like 55 years and had participated in all aspects including production/sound effects/lighting and direction.

He also told us that AM DRAM dated back to Ancient Greek and Roman times where most productions were often religious based.

We also learned that many big names in Theatre and Film owed their beginnings to AM-DRAM and it was obvious from Adrians’ knowledge that he had researched his subject well.

Adrian's talk ended at 8.45pm and after questions Carol thanked him for his time.

It was now time for the "BOX" which stood at €395.00 but no one managed to pick the lucky key.

The meeting was closed by Carol with a reminder that all events could be booked at the El-Valle meeting point 11:30 am on Fridays at Meson Sara.

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NEWS FROM SAT.CO BY DICK ATTERBURY We are still seeing a lot of problems with remote controls so here are some tips.

Keep your remotes clean and dry even put them in plastic bags to protect them they still work. Check and replace batteries regularly and remember not rechargeable's. If they have failed completely pass them to us and in most cases we can try to repair them. If you find that your remote for you TV has failed try an old Sky remote as in most

cases they can be re-coded to pair with your TV. Go to Sky remote codes on the Internet for the instructions on how to do it.

Some really good news is that Channel 5 is now available free to air on Intelsat 907. We now have the software to fix the system so that it can be acquired.

More new channels have been added to the Spanish TV network. Time for you to

tune that digital on board tuner, in your TV to receive them.

Need any more help and advice give us a ring at Sat.Co any day of the week. Always call before 10am for same day service. You will always find our advert in the Sentinella.

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JUNE WALK BY ALAN IMPEY PHOTOS BY JANE JOHNSTON Thursday, 9th June, 2016 and the occasion of the latest El-Valle walk. This months walk was led

by Martyn and Rebecca Higgins with starting point in Canillas de Aceituno at 11 am.

It was beautiful day and as we all gathered for Martyns pre-walk talk it was shaping up for a lovely day and we were not disappointed.

Martyn advised us all that the walk was not too long or difficult but that certain sections of path might, to some people, be considered "scary" He went on to say that there were enough macho males on the walk to help everyone.

Our return route started off back the way we had come but within a few hundred yards we branched off left onto a path which steadily climbed up the hill side in the woods.

This path emerged from the woods high above Canillas and next to the old football ground.

Martin then led us into the village along the best of the flower decked streets and eventually to the Restaurant Maroma in the village centre.

Many thanks to Martyn and Rebecca for organising Junes walk.

We started off through the village up a steep road way but very soon turned off the road onto a single file path following a water course that contoured round the hill side on a mainly level route.

We were soon into the woods still following the water course and all the "scary" bits were negotiated by everyone, some with a little bit of help.

We eventually reached the end the accessible water course and we all gathered for a while to regain our breath.

This was to be our lunch spot and 20 plus of settled down at a long table for our menu.

When the food started arriving it seemed to never stop as plate after plate of fish dishes for sharing were placed on the table including of course a salad.

It was a feast but for those with a preference for meat they had to settle for what they could find in the paella mixta!!!!

A drink was also included but it was more than A drink as jarras of beer and tinto verano began to appear and as they emptied they were replaced.

It was a definite good value â‚Ź10.

Menu.

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Cadiz trip by alan impey The latest El-Valle short break took place on Tuesday 17th May 2016 and involved a three night, four day trip to Cadiz and Jerez de la Frontera.

The pickup point for all but two of the group was outside Miss Tapitas bar, better known as Billy's Bar, in Puente de Don Manuel.

In spite of the early start, 7am, everyone was on time and we left on time, to collect our final two travellers at the Repsol Garage near the A7 autovia.

As we travelled along the coastal motorway I, for one, was a little puzzled at our start time as the drive to Cadiz should have been in the region of two and a half hours which would have had us there somewhat early for the hotel to be prepared.

All was revealed later as when we reached Algeciras we turned inland and travelled through beautiful country side and very soon we were all "storks nest" spotting.

The storks have always chosen to build their substantial nest on the top of the electric pylons, so much so that the electric companies now include a framework on the top of pylons to facilitate the nesting.

After some two hours there was the obligatory breakfast stop/comfort break and after thirty minutes we were on our way again heading towards El Puerta de Santa Maria.

We did however, after forty minutes, make another "comfort" stop.

After driving through more beautiful countryside we arrived at our first "real" stop, El Puerta de Santa Maria, a lovely town and marina

and the place we would be exploring and taking lunch.

The old town is very nice and there is an imposing bull ring in the centre which just begs to be photographed and it was!! (Photo courtesy Neil)

At this point my report becomes personal as we all split into our own groups to explore and as I mentioned earlier, my party, went to be bull ring area and tried to find somewhere for lunch. By Spanish times we were far too early but did find a Tapas bar which was happy to accommodate us and we began to order various Tapas until the owner told us to stop and that we were ordering too much. As a crowning glory we did a final order of patas brava and French fries.!!!!

BIG MISTAKE. When the food started arriving every tapa was substantial and every tapa came with chips!!!

There were only four of us but we made a valiant effort and only a little was wasted!!!!

Back to the coach and the final part of the journey to our hotel in Cadiz, The Barcelรณ.

As we approached Cadiz we had a good view of the new road bridge, an elegant structure, only completed last year. Check-in at the hotel went smoothly and as far as the rooms were concerned ours was very good and I was not aware of any complaints about the others.

The rest of the day was "free time" so once again a personal insight.

After freshening up, four of us went for a walk down the "prom" the beaches were great with golden sands and chiringuitos that were all very busy.

We were staying in the "new" part of Cadiz but had great views from the paseo across the bay to the old walled town. In the evening we found a lovely restaurant for dinner and retired that night happy with the first day.

Wednesday morning was a 10.30am start and after a very good breakfast at the hotel we met up with our English speaking guide, known by her nickname, Paqui, a delightful young lady with a good command of English!!!

The first part of our tour of Cadiz was by coach and we drove into the old town with Paqui pointing out various sights we would be seeing later on foot and then we drove back into the modern quarter where again places of interest were pointed out including an impressive new football stadium which hosted the Cadiz team and was affectionately known as The Yellow Submarine, because the team was constantly being promoted and relegated!!!!

It was now back to the old town for our foot tour and we were taken to all the main points of interest, The Cathedral, The Admirals House, Church of San Francisco, Port Area, complete with cruise liner!! and,

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the two castles guarding the port entrance.

There were many more buildings of interest all fully explained by Paqui and as the centre is really quite compact it would be easy for anyone visiting to explore yourself, after arming yourself with the extensive information on offer, in English, at the Tourist Information Office.

Following the foot tour it was either back to the hotel on the coach or stay in the old town to explore further. Our group chose to stay, have lunch, and eventually make our own way back to the hotel.

This was very easily achieved by making use of the No1 bus which ran every fifteen minutes from the port area and stopped near our hotel at a cost of â‚Ź1.10 That night we again dined out locally to our hotel.

On Thursday morning it was back on the coach for a short trip to Jerez and a visit to The Royal Andalusian

School of Equestrian Art. We were entertained here by a display of the famous Andalusian horses dancing and performing to music and the training for this display must be intense. I have visited the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria, and the Jerez School is equally impressive.

We had lunch locally in Jerez and also a guided tour of Jerez (on foot) with our guide who endeared himself to us by his mannerism of ending every sentence with YEAH followed by a throaty chuckle and it was not long before we were ending sentences for him!!!!

In terms of interest, I personally, was more impressed with Cadiz than Jerez but as they are so close it would be a mistake not to visit Jerez.

After returning to our hotel it was time to freshen up for a night out in Cadiz Old Town via the No1 bus.

Cadiz at night is beautiful and very easily explored with numerous eating places, bars etc. and the lighting on the ancient buildings is superb.

The bus service runs until the early hours so no need to rush.

The next morning, Friday, was our final day but before returning home we had one last visit!!

The Sandemans Bodega in Jerez.

Our guide there took us through the

process of the fermentation of the sherry produced there, the ageing of it, the barrels used, the strict temperature control, types of grapes, number of pressings and the whole tour was very interesting and concluded with the obligatory tasting session. It was here that various members of our group tried on the famous Sandeman hat and cape!!!!

It was now to start our return journey and there was no rush as we once again travelled through stunning scenery to arrive back at our original departure point of Puente de Don Manuel in the early evening.

I cannot finish without thanking Carol, (El-Valle chairperson) who was our "leader" for the trip and who took care of any problems that occurred and kept us together for the trips etc and also thanks to Miguel, one of our group, who stepped in if fluent Spanish was required.

It was a great short break and I would say to anyone who has not visited Cadiz then do so!!

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FORTHCOMING MEETINGS JULY 4TH

American Independence Day!!! We are having a Hoe Down!!!

AUGUST

NO MEETING

SEPTEMBER 5TH

“Bee Day” by Lee the ‘Miel Man’

July 20 2016 th

7:30 for 8 Picnic in the park Bring your own wine/drinks Music, salsa and games €9 members €12 non members At vinuela picnic ground near the football field Visit to antequerra & el torcal 30 september th

Leave for antequerra at 9:00, leave el torcal at 18:30 €14 members €18 non members Includes an english guide

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November 28

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A winter ball will be held at the nerja caves There will be A bus, provided we have sufficient numbers Cost €27 members €30 non members Bus €8 members €10 non members Tickets on sale now

WALKS SCHEDULE JULY 14th

Led by Anne Dibden. Start at 19:00 . Start will be on the side road of the Hotel Vinuela. Please note start time at 7-00pm

AUGUST 11th

Led by Stewart & Elaine. Start at 19:00 Start at Caleta de Velez outside the Piramides Muebles showroom. Park where you can. Start at 7-00pm

SEPTEMBER 8th

Led by Stewart & Elaine. Start at 11:00 El Charco restaurant in Los Romanes.

Park on road after at El Charco

OCTOBER 13th

Led by Ian & Barbaran Taylor. Start TBA at 11:00

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Trip to Benalmadena by chris morton & jan toase Do you remember the two incredibly hot days we had in June this year? They were followed on the third day by a wind strong enough to blow chairs into pools and which felt like it came straight from a hot giant hairdryer. Those days were

cold force 5 breeze we all looked at the waves and wondered whether it would be cancelled!

the 13th, 14th & 15th of June so you can imagine how apprehensive many of us who booked for the El Valle Trip on the 16th were feeling.

Walking round any park in 40 degrees or any boat trip in a force 7 with a huge swell is not everyone’s cup of tea. Somehow the organizers organized the temperature in Benalmadena to be perfect and for the wind to drop just in time for our sea adventure to Malaga. Great planning Sue!

Bus ride: Those of us who went a trip to Córdoba some time ago would have instantly recognised the driver by the way he drove our Pareja coach.

He has a style all of his own and managed keep us all awake with his unexpected and sharp breaking, kind of like being on a circus ride.

Park: It is an excellent attraction with so many chickens and chicks strutting around, far too many to count. The garden and plants were well maintained and the cactus display needs a special mention, with its large ‘mother-in-law’ cushions at the front.

We failed to see the goats but did see some rabbits, guinea foul and two peacocks, one with a white breast who refused point blank to show us his magnificent tail feathers. We waited camera ready for many minutes even tried to mimic his calls but to no avail.

What a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours and for those who want to entertain grand children it's a must.

Marina: Most of us had a snack in the marina area, which surprisingly had the England-Wales match on TV.

And the ladies were able to forego the match to enjoy browsing through the shops.

Boat ride: It was quite a long walk from the Marina to the Benalmadina - Malaga ferry. While waiting in a brisk

However once out of the marina and round the headland, the wind and waves were behind us so the ride was much smoother than expected, we even had to remove all our windcheaters and fleeces.

Malaga: After the ferry trip back to Malaga we had free time for a meal or shopping Our meal was outside at El Pimpi which was crowded as usual so we ended up having to hurry to the waiting coach at the Ayuntamiento, we were last on but hasten to add with least 4 minutes to spare before the deadline. In fact we would have been earlier had we not met Stuart and Elaine romantically celebrating Stuart’s birthday!

Bus ride: A relatively uneventful ride back home was briefly interrupted by a change of driver as our ‘Cordoba’ driver had exceeded his hours, apparently he had signed in too early!

Thanks again to Sue, not forgetting Dorothy and Peter for a really great trip.

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June quad report by roger and Jackie Frewin As I mentioned at the end of last month’s report I begin this one with details of an additional run we took on the last Friday in May. While he was in the UK Mike G spent many hours on Google maps and Google Earth plotting a possible new route for us to try out when he returned to Spain. We went out with him and Ev, armed with 18 pages of maps, to try it out and see if it was navigable. We drove into the river bed between Trapiche and Triana and crossed over the Rio Benamargosa to the Rio de Almachar. For the most part the river beds were totally dry but after several kms, as we approached Almachar itself, the familiar stench of the water attacked our olfactory senses. We had only been here once before, also when trying to find a new route, probably well over a year ago, but that smell was quite memorable. We continued regardless along the river bed, eventually passing the site where the annual Almachar Romeria is held, and then rode under the Almachar bridge and continued on towards El Borge, now in the Rio del Borge which was totally new territory for us. The odour had subsided by this stage but we did encounter a few interesting areas that were very narrow, very stony or very steep although nothing the bikes couldn’t handle. One delightful spot was lined on both sides with beautiful pink oleander flowers. For the most part the river bed lay in a fairly deep gorge with mountains on either side that were picturesque in the main but was somewhat imposing at times.

We finally left the river some distance after El Borge, continued alongside the river for a while, then crossed it and followed a very steep track up onto the surrounding mountains. There was some doubt as to whether this was the track Mike had intended to take but a local, who we’d encountered there, said we couldn’t follow the river any further and the track did seem to head in the right general direction. We eventually arrived on a long, fairly level ridge on the mountains marking the boundary between the Axarquia and the rest of the Malaga province. The views from up there were absolutely stunning. You could see virtually the whole of the Axarquia with La Maroma to the north-east and Comares to the north, amazingly at a similar altitude to where we were standing.

We continued along the ridge until it emerged onto the main road between Almachar and Moclinejo, recognising that we were now definitely back on the route that Mike had planned. We followed the road for just a short distance before turning off to the left to join yet another track but from here onwards the maps were even less easy to follow. We passed close to Vallejo and felt we were heading towards the coast, which it transpired we were, albeit in a rather roundabout way. The condition of all the tracks we’d taken was remarkably good. Eventually we spotted a signpost to Cajiz and followed that to enter the village from the south-west. We had been travelling for a significant period of time and desperately needed some refreshments on this rather hot day but we had great difficulty trying to find our way through the village. On arriving at a dead-end we’d had to reverse down a very steep, narrow and winding path. It was nerve-wracking and quite exasperating at the time. Eventually, with some assistance from English locals, we found the correct route that would take us via an equally narrow path and past the church to join the proper road and continue on to the bar. Had it been a nice bar we might have stayed for a second drink and perhaps some lunch but it wasn’t too welcoming so we left and took the main road south, under the motorway and down to the coast where we turned left and headed for Almayate. Here we stopped for further drinks and a very pleasant lunch

10 before continuing our homeward journey along a familiar route cross-country, taking us past Viveros Brokaw and Hotel Cortijo Bravo. The track led to the Benamocarra road which we followed over the A-356 and onto the Trapiche road, the home strait.

It was a delightful day out, even if it didn’t go quite to plan. Well done Mike, who remained cool as a cucumber throughout all the trials and tribulations of the day.

I have to confess that was my last day out. I’m too sensitive to the heat and the sun and my arms got quite burnt that day, despite wearing long sleeves for the best part of the trip. There was only one other trip for which I received any photographs so I’ll tell you what I can about that one. It was another scouting run aimed at finding the bits of Mike’s original route that we’d missed out on. 3 quads turned out that day. The weather was hot and it was quite blustery at times. The part of the Rio del Borge that we were previously told was not navigable transpired to be quite acceptable on the quads and the group continued along there for a fair distance before taking a track off to the left. Like the track taken last time this led steeply up into the mountains but skirted round in a much wider circle and the views shown here were obviously to the south, beyond the ridge, rather than to the north as before.

Moclinejo was not far from here but that was by-passed and the intrepid explorers dropped down into Chilches and then proceeded to Benajarafe for refreshments and a menu del dia at Hostal Esperanza. The food was good but the service was rather disappointing. The return trip went via Almayate then the river bed as far as the Triana airfield and finally Trapiche and the back road home.

Other trips this month included one to Algarrobo where 4 quads followed the normal route but as we did last time visited the alternative bar in Arenas for refreshments. The service there was equally as good as before so that is likely to become our regular venue in Arenas. Lunch at Pippos was excellent as always.

Another trip that warrants a mention was a Sunday trip, led once again by Mike G. Unfortunately, I have no photos and only a vague idea of the route taken. All I know at present is that it took the group of 5 quads all the way out to the Malaga masts. The views from there must have been spectacular and I’m really sorry I wasn’t there to see it for myself. If I can get more information on this I’ll report on it next month.

Are you interested in joining our friendly group? It’s a really fun way to explore and appreciate the area. You’ll find more information and contact details on the El Valle web page at http://www.el-valle-asociacion.com/the-quaddies/.

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Asociacion el valle del embalse Committee 2016/2017

David Evans Tel: 622690581

Chair : Tel: Carol Caldwell 635291532

Treasurer: Chris Wishart Tel: 609952926

Almoner: Christine Goreham Tel: 635361233

Newsletter Editor Sue Jones Tel: 680407894

Head of Social Jane Harris Tel: 633615154

MEMBERS

Elaine Edwards Tel: 647076177

Barbara Jenkinson Tel: 616264067

Pauline Ward Tel: 665886471

Dorothy Girvan Tel: 676320615

Peter Girvan Tel: 676320615

INFORMATION NEWSLETTER EDITOR newslettereditor2012@gmail.com WEBSITE - www.el-valle-asociacion.com A REPRESENTTIVE OF THE COMMITTEE WILL BE ON DUTY EVERY FRIDAY BETWEEN 11:30 AND 12:30 AT MESON SARA