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Around the valle May 2016 Issue no. 5
GATEWAY TO CADIZ Chairmans report by carol caldwell We had our AGM on the 4th April where the new Committee was formed .We Are now busy putting together our plans for Club nights and Events for the rest of the year and also for 2017 .We have plenty of ideas and hope you will enjoy what we have planned for our members. Our new secretary Dave Evans
has been in hospital for the past 3 weeks he is now recovering at home we wish him a speedy recovery Members that haven't renewed your membership it is time to do so so you can take advantage of the cheaper price of our events Our trip on the 17 th May to Cadiz is fast approaching a re-
minder to remember to bring your passports as the hotel will need it to check in thank you . ALSO, PLEASE REMEMBER OUR MAY MEETING IS ONE WEEK LATE THIS MONTH DUE TO THE BANK HOLIDAY. IT IS NOW ON 9TH MAY, USUAL TIME, USUAL PLACE!
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contents CHAIRMANS REPORT APRIL MEETING & LVPC EXHIBITION TRIP TO GRANADA NEWS FROM
april meeting report by alan impey
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SOHA & INTERNATIONAL DAY FORTHCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS & WALK SCHEDULE
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QUAD REPORT
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PETANQUE 10 & UPDATE FROM SAT.CO COMMIT11 TEEE
For the second month running horrendous weather arrived to coincide with the El-Valle monthly meeting so it was with mixed thoughts that I made my way to the Camping Bar. Apart from the weather it was the AGM which traditionally means a lower turnout of members. I was therefore pleasantly surprised that we had 60 plus members present when Carol opened the meeting at 7.45pm. She quickly handed over to our Treasurer, Chris, who gave his report which was accepted by the membership. The figures showed a healthy financial position and actually managed to reduce the bank balance by 30 Euros!!! El-Valle membership continued its remarkable run of once again keeping the total number of members within single figure difference. Carol then gave a rundown of the past years achievements and thanked Stewart who was standing down after many years of service to the asociación.
The new committee were quickly voted in and it was a pleasure to see Jane Harris back as Head of Social. Forthcoming events were mentioned and one was of particular interest, a Christmas Ball/Meal at the Nerja Caves venue. It was stressed that this was only in the early planning stages. There was a short break called before the next part of the evening’s entertainment, a quiz hosted by yours truly based totally on Acronyms and Abbreviations. The quiz was received in its usual good natured ribald way which became more vocal when the answers were read out. To the gentleman querying LV, Life's Good, His answer of Lucky Goldstar was dropped by the company in 1995 when it incorporated Life's Good as its Tag. I do however hold my hand up to one other wrong answer on my part. The winning team with a creditable score of 46 out of 51 each received a bottle of wine.
Time for the Cash Box!!! which stood at €180.00 but no one, not even myself with two numbers drawn or Terry, last months winner, managed to select the all important key. The meeting was then closed and we all wish the newly elected committee all the best and let us all support them by supporting the events and functions they organise on our behalf.
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TRIP TO SIERRA NEVADA & GRANADA Thursday, 31st March 2016, and a relatively early start for the El-Valle day trip to Sierra Nevada and Granada. An 8.30am start was the plan and it came to fruition as everyone was there on time and it only remained for a further two person pick-up on route. It was interesting to see the coach temperature gauge show an outside reading at Puente don Manuel of 15 dgrs and this slowly climbed as we travelled down to the coast to an eventual high of 18 dgrs by the time we travelled past Nerja and Almunecar. From this area of course we turned inland to make our way towards Granada and ultimately the Sierra Nevada. The gauge started its downward journey as we climbed inland and as we skirted round Granada it was 12 dgrs and then as we continued climbing through heavy mist and cloud the temperature dropped to a low of 7 dgrs.
We did eventually clear the cloud cover to emerge into sunlight and blue skies and a pleasant 12 dgrs. although it did feel a little chilly. It had taken two hours or so to arrive at the ski resort which was very busy with skiers/snowboarders of all ages and nationalities.
BY ALAN IMPEY the other four were enticed by Granada El Cortes Ingles store. Having found a sunny bar terrace we settled to wait for the happy shoppers!!!! and we were eventually joined by them for yet more libations!!!!
It was agreed to meet back at the coach at 1pm and we all made our way to either explore the shops/bars etc or take the reasonably priced telecabins up the slopes. My group opted to take the telecabins and although it was a little frenetic we were soon being whisked up the slopes high above skiers/snowboarders descending the slopes. At our staging point there were more bars/restaurants etc and we enjoyed a welcome hot chocolate. After passing a leisurely half hour watching events we returned by telecabin to the centre for something a little stronger in the drink department before boarding the coach to drop down into Granada and for our group of six a long relaxed lunch at a restaurant first discovered on the El-Valle Granada walking tour. A six o'clock return time had been agreed so whilst Ian and myself ambled off in the direction of the pickup point and the intention of stopping for further refreshment
The highlight of the afternoon had to be when our intrepid leader, Sue, approached our table and said to Ian, "Is it OK if I relieve you now!! it will be €320.00" It was over very quickly and Ian was €320.00 lighter!!! Drinks were quickly finished, the coach boarded and a return to Puente don Manuel took just under two hours ending what had been a very nice relaxed day and thanks must go to Sue and Dorothy for escorting us and the whole committee for organising. Alan Impey. Photo's courtesy of Sue. & Peter Girvan EDITORS NOTE Ian was paying his final balance for the Cadiz trip!!!! I wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea!!!
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International day in vinuela Saturday 23rd April saw many nationalities converge on the lower car park of La Vinuela, gazebos had been erected and all the different nationalities were allocated a table within the Gazebos, England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland were well represented as were Spain, Belgium, Germany, Romania, Argentina, Morocco and Jamaica!
A lovely way to bring the community together.
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FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
MAY 9th
PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE DUE TO MAY BANK HOLIDAY. Music Quiz by David Lawrie
JUNE 6th
Talk by Adrian Woodward on THE HISTORY OF AMATEUR THEATRE
JULY 4TH
American Independence Day!!!
Our 4 day, 3 night trip to cadiz & jerez Is now full Please remember your final payment is now due. CLOSED
June 16
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visit to parque la paloma Benalmadena with return to malaga port by ferry Leave mis tapitas at 11:30 Leave the park at 16:00 Free time in the marina until we catch the ferry for malaga at 18:00 The ferry journey takes approx. 1 hour which will then give us free time in malaga until 21:30 €18 members
€22.50 non members
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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 footall 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 WALKS SCHEDULE MAY 12th
Led by Douglas and Jane Johnson. Start at the bottom of La Vinuela village at 11:00
JUNE 9th
Led by Martyn and Rebecca Higgins. Start at the multistory car park at the entrance to Canillas de Aceituno at 11:00. After at La Maroma restaurant
JULY 14th
Led by Anne Dibden. Start TBA at 19:00
AUGUST 11th
Led by Stewart & Elaine. Start TBA at 19:00
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quad report by Jackie and Roger Frewin We began the month with a delightful trip devised and led by Mike L. It was a pleasantly warm day, though quite cloudy at times, but despite predictions of light rain the weather was kind to us this time. Six quads left Mis Tapitas and followed the route shown on the Satellite image below. The lake, although very sparse now, still displayed that wonderful rich deep turquoise hue and the surrounding mountains were a spectacular sight. At Hotel Vinuela we passed a group of familiar faces, participating in a hash we assumed. Inevitably, on such a lovely day, there were lots of people out walking too but most surprising was the number of people, cars and even caravans at the picnic and barbecue area, near Las Mayoralas. Beyond there, after crossing the river (which was far deeper than we’d expected, given the lack of rain) we followed the track along the western side of the lake and turned sharp right to head up to the main road where we turned left and continued for a few kms until we reached the track that would take us along the Camino de Leon and on to Bar Ortega. After some welcome refreshments we aimed for Comares, along campo tracks and crossing the rickety old bridge at Los Hijanos. We by-passed Comares town centre itself to take the main road heading south and then eastwards towards Benamargosa. Before reaching there we took the steep track down to the Rio Benamargosa and completed the last few kms in the river bed. There was very little water in the river so there were no issues to contend with. We had a drink and a snack at the bar before embarking on our return journey which took us up steeply from the northern side of the town and along campo tracks to Los Romanes then from El Charco we followed the main road down to the dam where the group split and took their respective routes home.
The following Wednesday we decided to take another trip out to Alfarnatejo. It was a surprisingly warm day and although we had all reduced the number of layers we wear, while on the quads, we found it uncomfortably hot and had to shed extra layers part way through the trip. We followed the normal route but still certain elements stood out from the norm. The sky was and unbelievably deep blue between the patchy white clouds and this was mirrored in the lake, along with the reflections of the surrounding countryside. In addition the wonderful aroma of orange and lemon blossoms filled the air in several spots along the route and the green meadows just before the gorge between Rio Gordo and Alfarnatejo were the richest green. We stopped to
8 admire this unique setting and without the engine running were suddenly aware of the sound of the babbling brook just a couple of metres away from where we stood, partially hidden by the brambles alongside us. We were in no hurry to leave this beautiful Tranquil haven but eventually decided to continue on to our destination to discover what culinary delights would await us at Restaurante Los Pirinios, where we always enjoy an excellent menu del dia at an astonishingly low price . After a very filling lunch we took the northern exit from Alfarnatejo and followed the road from there, althrough Alfarnate, up past Puerta del Sol, at 1085 meters and then began the steep descent down to Periana and made our homeward journey.
As we reached the middle of the month some of the group began to disperse and technical problems kept Ted’s bike off the road for a week so for some of our trips only two or three quads took part. One Wednesday, with only two quads, we decided to investigate new routes by taking a look at some of the tracks we’d passed by on other trips. The first such track we had spotted many times when travelling between Puente de don Manuel and Canillas de Aceituno. In fact it led to the top end of the village of Rio Bermuza but rather than descend into the village we remained at the upper level and continued along the track until we emerged at Los Gomez. From there we travelled into Vinuela village and took the back road out of there to follow the track through the olive groves and along to the lake. We followed the same route around the lake that we had taken during the first trip of the month but after we’d crossed the river by the picnic area we remained on the track close to the shore, heading south. It was a beautiful day and the colour of the lake was absolutely spectacular.
There was evidence in several areas along the track that some levelling had recently taken place, making our trip far easier than it might have been but eventually our luck ran out and we encountered one of those tricky situations where we were unsure as to whether the quads would cope with the camber. Roger and I had seen how precariously Mike L, who was in the lead, had navigated through there and in order to lower the centre of gravity of our quad I dismounted before Roger attempted it. Note from the picture below how he was poised, ready to attempt a leap to safety, should the quad have toppled over. Having safely navigated that obstacle we continued, hoping nothing more sinister was going appear. As luck would have it the one that might have caused us significant problems was being addressed as we arrived. A digger was levelling the track before our very eyes. We had to wait about ten minutes until the driver felt that he had done enough to make it passable but there was one awful moment when the digger itself reared up onto its back two wheels, where it rocked back and forth for quite a while before it finally came safely down to rest on its four wheels again. Fortunately, there were no further setbacks and the rest of our journey went quite smoothly, except that the time it had taken us to get around the lake meant we could not have reached the Chicken Shack by the Zafarraya Pass in time for lunch so we decided to eat at Bar Ortega instead and make our way back home from there.
9 The following Sunday was cooler and more cloudy but very pleasant for the fairly lengthy trip we had planned. The six quads met up at Trops and followed the back road from the Poligono along to Velez-Malaga, near the Crematorium, and took the track up along the Arroyo de Mineral to the masts. We stopped at the top to admire the views but sadly the hazy weather made them somewhat less spectacular than normal. We continued on then down the other side of the ridge heading towards Arenas but veered off northwards, to the old wooden house. A right turn there took us along the rugged track that meanders down into the valley and crosses two rivers before climbing up again onto a ridge from where the views of the Sierras de Tejeda can be absolutely stunning, except today that pleasure was not forthcoming. The track eventually leads to the “Brick Shell” and from there we headed northwards again towards Canillas de Albaida and then west to Salares where we stopped to rest from the long and arduous journey and enjoyed some very welcome refreshments. Mike L had kindly invited us all back to his house for drinks and some delightful cakes prepared so expertly and lovingly by Frances. We each ate as much as we could of this fine fare and chatted well into the evening before finally making our own way home from there.
Roger joined two others to participate in one more trip this month but fortunately I did not go myself that day. I say that because, from what Roger tells me, I would have had to alight from the quad numerous times and would probably have covered a significant distance on foot. The route involved a couple of interesting new tracks between the main road, beyond the Camping Bar, and Mondron. They appeared to be farm tracks, which provided a few challenges along the way. From there the route went along the donkey track, which was the most demanding it had been for some considerable time, en route to Guaro. So engrossed in their discussions of the ordeal the group had not even noticed that the bar/reastaurant, El Caseron de Guaro, was closed. Without refreshments the trip continued along familiar tracks from Guaro up to the old railway track and then up to the Chicken Shack at the Zafarraya Pass. The menu del dia there was described as mediocre, but good value for money. The intention had then been to return to Venta Baja via Espino but part of the track was closed. Several attempts were made to find an alternative track that would by-pass the obstruction but some of these were extremely rutted and potholed and none led back to the Espino area. The final choice, in preference to back-tracking and taking the main road instead, was to cross a very uneven field. This was the first real off-track 4-wheel-drive quadding experience that any of the group had encountered in a very long time and to make matters worse it had started to rain and no-one had sufficient wet-weather gear. All the same it was an exhilarating experience with a number of obstacles to overcome but the more challenging it became the more the morale grew. All participated in deciding how to attack each obstacle. Finally, after negotiating a very steep bank they re-joined the original track and made their way to Espino and on to Venta-Baja from where they each made their own way home. Unfortunately, no-one took any pictures to record the experience so I can only pass on what I was told. 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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Petanque
by alan impey
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!! World Petanque governing body stated today that an investigation is under way into allegations of match fixing involving the El-Valle Asociacion based in the Axarquia Region of Southern Spain. It is alleged that this occurred Tuesday 19th April in Torre del Mar. Word reached the Petanque body that for two years running the organiser of the competition came out as the captain of the winning team claiming the first prize on each occasion.
Update from sat.co
Spanish TV There have been some recent changes to Spanish TV. We recommend that you retune the on board decoder in your TV to update and get the additions. For those of you that are not sure what to do you have the option of going to the start up menu on your TV and following the menu to Automatic Tune. Then wait until the TV completes the cycle for you. If not give us a call and we will talk you through it on the Phone. There are about to be some changes to the Sky Sports package when it starts some channels may be affected in this part
Twenty two players took part not realising that the result had been established before the competition even began!!!!
Joking aside an enjoyable day was had by all, a couple of teams were charged and convicted of slow play but only because the rest of us were hungry and thirsty!!!!!! Chris's team ran out as worthy winners claiming prizes of wine and a set of new balls, yes the ladies as well!!!!
Following the competition we all adjourned to Tannit Restaurant for a good menu del dĂa and a well deserved drink. Despite a somewhat "iffy" weather forecast we avoided any rain and at times it was even warm!!! Thanks to Chris for organising the event and a request that next year he lets someone else claim the title!!!!
by dick atterbury of Europe. Dont panic just yet. We will let you know!!! If you are a Sat.Co customer the upgrade will be free to your software. There are some great new TVs coming on the market with lots of new options. Much like new cars they can be hard to get accustomed to. If you are in the market for a new TV come and see a demonstration with us before you buy. We can show you how it works for FREE. Really, no obligation to buy from us. For those of you that like Football we have a new package with more of the great game that you can shake a stick at. Come and
see us at the Tuesday market for some advice or one of our Saturday demos. If Tuesday and Saturday are not for you call us and we will arrange another time for you. Remember advice is always FREE at Sat.Co Are you already a Sat.Co customer well introduce us to a friend and see what we can do for you. At our weekly demonstrations we enter the names of all those who attend into a draw and every six months we give away a free HD system.
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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