Canoeing Regatta

THE University Rey Juan Car‐los from Madrid came to Santiago de La Ribera on Sat‐urday, May 6 to participate in the Inter‐University Canoeing Regatta. It began at 9am on Barnuevo Beach.

The event was organised by the Club Escuela de Pi ‐raguismo Mar Menor and the San Javier Town Council and was broadcast world‐ wide on the YouTube chan‐nel of the Canoe Federation. The event was attended by the mayor of San Javier José Miguel Luengo and the Colonel‐Director from San Javier Air base Pascual Soria. The air base supplied a fight‐er plane cockpit simulator which was open to the public and a giant paella was pre‐pared for the participants.

Chef María Gomez, who de‐signs the dishes using products from the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean.

El Odeón de Odiseo in Mur‐cia on Avenida Juan de Borbón has a restaurant with one Michelin star and two Repsol Suns. There is also a casino, a chill‐out terrace, and an area where you can watch live mu‐sic or cabaret‐style shows.

And finally, we have Alma‐Mater on Calle Madre de Dios in Murcia by head chef Juan Guillamón with one Michelin Star and one Repsol Sun. They create Murcian dishes with a modern and traditional touch.

Protected peaches

THE European Union has granted the definitive approval of the Protected Geographical Indi‐cation (PGI) to the ‘Meloco ton de Cieza’ (the peach es from Cieza).

This means that this product can now also be la ‐belled with the quality seal on the international mar‐ket. Cieza is consid‐ered to be the town with the highest peach production in Europe pro ducing approximately 180 million kilos per year.

There are two varieties of peach included in the PGI the Baby Gold 6 and the Romea. The PGI also includes farmers from Abarán, Calas‐parra, and Jumilla.

Metal Detecting Club

THE Adapt Metal Detecting Club in San Pedro del Pinatar is looking for new members. All are welcome regardless of your experi ‐ence.

They are supporters of the ‘hippocampus group’ and ‘save the seahorse project’ and so they charge €20 an‐nually as a membership fee. You will receive a valid photo ID with your details and you will need to provide a valid NIE.

They were recently filmed having metal‐detecting fun on channel 5 ‘Brits in the Sun’. If you are an early riser that would like to join this charity club, go to their web‐site for more information www.adapttheatregroup.w ordpress.com.

SOME people say the best coffee is found in Italy, and some prefer their coffee from Star‐bucks, but I think the best coffee can be found in Murcia, more specifi‐cally Cartagena. Have you ever tried a Café Asiático or seen locals drink an unusual‐looking coffee from a glass and wondered what it was?

Café Asiático is a cof‐fee with a long tradition, inspired by sailors who arrived at the port of Cartagena from Asia at the beginning of the 20th century and or ‐dered coffee with con‐densed milk and brandy.

This combination soon merged with the personality of Cartagena creating the recipe now used.

Café Asiático contains many layers, the first is condensed milk fol ‐lowed by brandy then Licor 43, the coffee is added next topped with foamed milk, a touch of lemon peel, some grains of coffee, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

The use of condensed milk in coffee spread to the rest of the Murcia region so if Café Asiático is not for you try a ‘Bom‐bon’ which is condensed milk with an expresso on top usually served in a small glass.

Or a ‘canario’ which is condensed milk coffee and foamed milk.

Whatever you choose you won’t regret it, the only problem is return‐ing to a flat white when you are not in Murcia!