may-june

Revista
May/June 2014
Heart Attack — Page 4
The return of “Up Close and Personal”— Page 10
Do you use tap or bottled water?— Page 14
Have you been abducted by aliens?— Page 15
Catalan News — Page 16
Spanish insults — page 19
1
Grand Summer Ball
Thursday
June 19th 2014
Lo Mirador
19:00 for 20:00
MENU
FIRST COURSE
Fresh pasta ravioli stuffed with gorgonzola, pears and walnuts
Salad of avocado and anchovies with casse tomatoes
Carpaccio of tuna with pine nut oil and black olives
SECOND COURSE
Baked salmon with caper and mango sauce
Veal tenderloin with salt flakes, virgin olive oil and porto
Pork tenderloin with pineapple and rosemary honey
DESERT
Pineapple Carpaccio with burned catalan cream and strawberries
from Maresme
Chocolate cake with mascarpone mousse
Citrus sorbet with white chocolate and puffed rice
Bread, water, half a bottle of wine per person, coffee and petit fours
included
Cost: 27 Euros per person
Bookings to Pat Sturgeon by 7th June:
Tel: 97277 2324
Email: traveller16444@telefonica.net
2
Dear Readers,
Goodness nearly another 6 months of
the year has gone by!
The major pre-occupation in our house
is my upcoming hip operation. My hip
has become more of a problem over recent weeks/months so I shall be
pleased to have it sorted out. I am certainly hoping for the
same levels of success that many of you have experienced
with similar operations.
The weather has remained broadly very good with some
much needed rain for the gardens. As ever Spring is marching
on and we are looking forward to the approach of Summer.
We recently had an excellent visit to the Exile Museum in La
Jonquera and you can read more on pages 24/25. It was also
good to see so many people at The Walrus Cancer Walk
which looks like it may raise 3000 Euros.
There are a number of events during May and June
5th May Maggot Racing at The Walrus
15th May Treasure Hunt
9th June Queens Birthday
19th June Annual Summer Ball
Remember all monies raised at these events will be donated
to local charities and good causes.
Yours Mary.
3
Heart Attack!
I have been meaning to write this article for the magazine for a while, in fact 14
months ago!!!! My excuse is that everything is slower in Spain….
One Sunday over a year ago I had some friends coming round for coffee and
cake, I really didn’t feel up to it as I had woken up with the best way to describe
it was a pain behind the heart. Anyway to cut a long story short I had a nap in
the afternoon and when I woke up the pain had gone. So I convinced myself it
was either indigestion or I had slept badly on my left shoulder.
The next day I did the usual housework and went to hang out the washing, as I
raised my arms to peg out the clothes the pain came back stronger. I mentioned it to David who said “Don’t tell me you are having a heart attack!” ( He
regrets saying that to this day!) I carried on and at 5 we went down to the village and in all visited five shops, by this time the pain was in the arm and up to
the jaw!!! David had taken his camera wanting to get a few shots of the sea,
whilst he was doing that I thought for two pins I would drive round to CAP, but
thought that would scare him, so we went home and I took two ibuprofen and
was immediately sick. By now the pain was unbearable, so I just said take me to
CAP please, I grabbed my CAP health card and within 4 minutes I was telling
David don’t park the car , just drop me at the door. I went in and the receptionist was chatting to a nurse, they looked up and I said in my best Spanish , pain
in the chest, arm and jaw. I was whisked into a room and before David had a
chance to park the car I had had an ECG, a drip, nitro under the tongue and
three aspirin. He came in the same time as the ambulance with their stretcher,
looking white as a sheet and kicking himself for saying the thing about a heart
attack that morning!!!
I was supposed to be taken to Girona, David stopped off to tell friends who live
just around the corner from CAP as the ambulance drove by, they made the decision that they would drive as David looked a bit shaken. On the way there
was a radio message to take me directly to Barcelona Val d’Hebron where a
team of surgeons were on stand by.
I was wheeled from ambulance to theatre where quite loud rap music was being played, in 9 seconds I was stripped and painted with iodine all down my
right side, my socks were left on, funny the things you think about, thank goodness my underwear was matching and how embarrassing that I lay completely
starkers with David's socks on!
They explained what they were going to do and set about looking for the blockage. A stent was put into my right wrist and a feeling of heat all over my chest
4
and below the waist was felt.
The pain stopped as if by magic, I had watched everything on the screen, I lay
as still as I could and they congratulated me on being so good ( got to be a first
for everything in life, right!) !!!
I told them that the last time I had had such a pain that had stopped as if by
magic I had given birth to my daughter, where was my baby? They laughed, I
also asked if the tablets they were holding were game boys, to which they said
it was a bit more complicated than that!!!
I was wheeled out of theatre and away from the music and there were David
and friends waiting, I was tucked up in bed on a special moving massage mattress ( I so want one ) and I looked at the clock , 10,30pm. So from 6,30 going to
Cap it had taken four hours. Amazing .
The next day I was taken to Girona where I stayed a week. Check up a month
later, with ECG and medication check and then three months later and now we
are on to twice a year.
I still don’t like rap music more of an Adele fan, but if that what these surgeons
like to operate to , so be it, you won’t hear me complaining!!!!
I must just add that the following day David came down to Barcelona this time
with our neighbours, as they arrived I was being taken to Girona. Tina hates
lifts and had just climbed 9 floors to be confronted by me being wheeled out,
they followed to Girona where she climbed 5 floors, to go down again to the
supermarket to get me some small bottles of water and re climbed the 5 floors
again!!! Bless.
Moral to this story, don’t ignore any chest pain, no you haven’t slept badly and
no it’s not indigestion, get yourself to CAP, better safe than sorry
Susan Scarr
DISCLAIMER
The British Society of Catalunya can not be held responsible for the legality, accuracy or quality of the
services offered by the advertisers in the publicity of The Revista . Whoever engages any of the advertised services does so at their own cost and risk.
British Society of Catalunya no se hace responsable de la legalidad, exactitud o
cualidad de los servicios ofrecidos por los anunciantes en la publicidad de la Revista. Quienquiera que contrate alguno de los servicios anunciados lo hace por
su cuenta y riesgo.
5
Through the Lens
How often have you taken a picture of a wonderful sunset and been so disappointed with the resulting photograph.
You seemed to do everything correctly, chose aperture priority mode with a good
wide aperture, low ISO and metered on the sky but the resulting image does not
have all those wonderful colours you saw in the sky.
The problem lies not with you but the camera metering system. It will try to render
all those colours to a mid grey tone! This works fine most of the time but not with
sunsets or dawns.
The answer is simple, take a note of what the exposure meter is telling you and
then apply some exposure compensation. Dial in 1/3rd or one whole stop and check
the result. For if the meter is telling you F16 at 1/250 second try F16 at 1/500 second for one whole stop. This will under expose the photograph but will reveal the
colours in the sky. To set up exposure compensation take a look in your camera
manual.
As an alternative try bracketing. This involves multiple shots and different exposures and you can then take the best one.
The above picture was taken from the seafront at L’Escala early in the morning just
before the sun came above the horizon. I used bracketing and some shots were
very bland and some dark but this one was just as I remembered the sky. This was
taken with a shutter speed of 1/30 at F11. At that speed a tripod is essential as very
few people could hold the camera perfectly
6 still as the lens was zoomed out to
300mm.
If you remember a simple rule is you can hand hold the camera if the speed
is more than the reciprocal of the lens range. In this case 1/300 and I was
using 1/30 of a second.
Here is another wonderful dawn. It really is worthwhile getting out of bed
early and seeing what shots you can get.
David Brown
7
We’re here to help.
The Anglican Church in the Costa Brava has been here for a long time but it was
not until September 2012 that I arrived as a permanent Priest in Charge. My
name is Anne Jenkins and before I came here I worked in Leeds, around Yorkshire
and in Ghana. Now that I am here the church is able to hold more services and
we have a service in the church of Santa Eulalia Garriguella ( North of Roses) on
the first Sunday of the month, in St Ampeli Penedes (near Llagostera) on the second Sunday of the month and at St Stephen’s Madremanya on the last Sunday of
the month. You can find more details of those services on our website anglicancb.org
We are also able to perform wedding blessings, either in one of our churches or
in a venue of your choice, and baptisms and funerals. It is sad but true that people who come to spend their retirement in Spain sometimes die here and their
relatives are left confused and grieving. The death of someone close can be shattering. Dealing with the death of a family member and organising the best way to
say goodbye is both daunting and distressing in any situation, but it is even more
intimidating when dealing with a death in a foreign country where certain customs and methods may be very different.
In your home country, of course, things would be much easier for you. You would
not be faced with local regulations in a language you may not understand. And
you would not be forced to make decisions at such a bewildering speed. So
please do not allow yourself to be rushed into agreeing arrangements for a funeral. You can usually delay the service for a few days, for example, to enable
other members of your family and friends to fly out for the funeral.
Although we can help you arrange any type of funeral including the interment of
a coffin in a niche in the local cemetery, most people choose cremation, and
have their loved one's ashes spread over a favourite beauty spot, or at sea or
take them back to the UK for burial or scattering at a favourite place.The normal
Church of England Funeral Service can be held in any of the crematoria in the
Costa Brava or in a church if you prefer. You will need to ask the Funeral Director
for the Pastor Anglicano and then they will contact me and you can have a service in English (or German) very similar to one at home. You can also contact me
directly on 615887560. On occasions when the cremation has taken place
quickly, we are always prepared to arrange a Memorial Service in the Church at a
later date to enable other family and friends to pay their respects.
Just remember that we are here to help - whatever your needs and personal circumstances may be. You may also contact The British Benevolent Society – they
too can offer support and help at times of bereavement. They can be contacted
through the British Consul in Girona 9028 109 356 or by email at britbengirona@hotmail.com
Make the best of our special deals for Car Insurance
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WEB: www.sammythomas.com
Sammy Thomas SLU Núm. registre DGPFA J387GC Col·legiat Núm. 68554 Concertada Pòlissa RC Professional
segons l’article 27.1 e) i acreditada la capacitat financera segons l’article 27.1 f) (Llei 26/2006, de 17 de juliol, de
9
mediació d’assegurances i reassegurances
Up Close And Personal
EUROPEAN GARDEN SPIDER.
Araneus diadematus.
Roger Arndell
This is one of the commonest of orb-web
weaver spiders found throughout Europe.
The male is 4-8mm in length and the female 10-12mm in length. The webs are
built by the larger females who usually lie
head down (as can be seen in the photograph) waiting for prey to get entangled
in the web. The prey is wrapped in silk before being eaten. Orb spiders are said to
eat their webs each night along with the
many small insects stuck to it. They spin
new webs each morning.
The colouring can range from extremely
light to a very dark grey. All European garden spiders have mottled marking across
the back, with five or more large white
dots forming a cross. The third pair of legs are specialized for assisting in spinning
the orb web. The spinning legs are of little use when the spider is on the ground. It
tends to be a passive spider and difficult to provoke to bite, if it does, the bite is
very slightly unpleasant
but completely harmless to humans.
During mating the much
smaller male will approach the female cautiously, if he is not careful he could end up being eaten by her.
During last summer I
had two orb webs at a
time in the garden.
10
11
One Liners
My thanks to Elaine Kilvington for these
Moses opens his tablet. - The notification says, "You have 10 unread commandments'.
Did you hear about the Dutchman who had shoes made of bubble-wrap? Popped his clogs.
All the shops in my village have signs that say "No Hoodies". - They've been
sold out for months now.
I had a happy childhood, I can remember my dad putting me inside a tyre and
rolling me down a hill. - Those were Goodyears.
A crèche. - I thought this was a motor accident involving posh people.
Suffer insanity? Nope I love every second of it.
What is small, red and whispers? A hoarse radish.
They say male lions will often turn to cannibalism when they're desperate for
food. - They just have to swallow their pride.
I love vegetarian food. All you have to do is add a some meat and it's delicious.
I didn’t bother with the Grand National this year. Last year my horse started
off at 33/1 at Aintree, and ended up at 2 for 1 at Tesco.
For Sale: One full packet of Polos – Unopened - Mint condition
If Cinderella's shoe fit perfectly then how did it fall off in the first place?
I once thought I had a Japanese friend But it was just my imagine Asian
Q. What's the singular of 'werewolves'? - A. 'I'm a wolf'
12
Home Insurance policies in English
20% off original prices on home insurance and
50€ cash back if you contract your policy before the 31st of December.
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Our aim is to find for you the policy to cover every important detail possible. From Robbery, to a burst pipe, even if there is no damage caused,
electrical damages, All Risk and cover for jewellery worldwide, etc..
We guarantee to look for the best prices & cover within a big range of
insurance company’s we work with.
Tired of not being able to communicate with your actual insurance
agent, company or bank?
Trust in us you won’t be disappointed. Sammy is from, England, but
based in Girona since 1990 and has a Master in Life & General Insurance.
English & Spanish Cars, Travel insurance. etc.
You name it we insure it.
CALL 972221639 / 691148797 / 677535614 ask for SAMMY THOMAS
Sammy Thomas Insurance Brokers
Plaza Marqués de Camps 9-10 Entlo 1ª, 17001 Girona Spain
Fax: 972-204038
Email: sammy@sammythomas.com
WEB: http://www.sammythomas.com
Sammy Thomas SLU Núm. registre DGPFA J387GC Col·legiat Núm. 68554 Concertada Pòlissa RC Professional segons l’article 27.1 e) i acreditada la capacitat financera segons l’article 27.1 f) (Llei 26/2006, de 17
de juliol, de mediació d’assegurances i reassegurances
13
Do you cook your meals with tap water or do you buy drinking water?
For years we bought the big drinking water containers in the Supermarkets,
but with what result for the environment? We drink each about 3 l a day, that
are 365 big plastic containers or if buying 1,5 l bottles it sums up to 1460 for
two persons. The amount of only about 250 to 300€ is not the theme, but is
that water really of the quality that we expect of pure drinking water? When
has it been analysed and by whom? What are the ill
making ingredients that must not being displayed on the label?
I have an
extremely sensible nose therefore I often refuse mineral waters in restaurants,
because of bad or odd smell, when it’s getting warm.
Here is an experience that we made on a cruise:
We had to pay 2.50 € for a small jug of table water. One evening I took the
glass to my mouth and I found it
stinky. I told it first to Lucie and the
table mates who did not realized
that it was different. I called the
head waiter, he could not smell the
difference, so he called the „chef de
cuisine“who immediately refused
the water. So all passengers got bottled water for the following days.
They forgot to renew the osmosis filters.
Back home, we bought an osmosis
filter system for less than 350€ Since
we do not pollute the environment
with loads of plastic bottles anymore
and we have the safest and purest
drinking water. The system that we
bought was very easy ( DIY) to install
and included all necessary material.
The change of filter is extremely
easy, because it is only one part instead of four or five as usual and
only about after 6 months.
14
This is how it works:
The membrane is the main filter unit the heart of the system and needs to be
changed after about 2 years. The in tap water contained substances (eg. lime,
lead, uranium, injection & fertilizers, pharmaceutical residues, etc.) bounce off of
the membrane and will be immediately discharged into the sewage .
The 4-in 1 pre filter (photographs) system consists of 4 filtering stages:
•
Polypropylene Filter 5 Micron catches sediments, sand, silt, rust particles
and tiniest parts that are hardly dissoluble in water.
•
1st Nano Silver layer suppresses germs and microorganisms.
•
High efficiency active carbon layer eliminates
chlorine and volatile organic matters that exist in
water, as well as odd smelling impurities.
•
2nd. Nano Silver layer suppresses bacteria and
microorganisms.
Here are some photographs that I took after the
change of the 4 in 1 pre-filter module after 6
months. It is full of slimy dirt and it smells very
unpleasant.
Now you can imagine what you get to eat and
drink and possibly were you or your children,
grandchildren are getting ill from. If you have
questions about our system, do not hesitate to
ask me.
Manfred Gottschalk
___________________________________________________
The UK's first support group has been founded for people who claim to have been
abducted by ALIENS.
The Anomalous Mind Management, Abductee, Contactee Helpline is staging its inaugural conference to help those who believe they have had contact with extraterrestrial beings.
Organisers hope that the event will allow people to share their experiences without
being teased.
It will be held in Hastings, East Sussex.
Founder Joanne Summerscales told the Daily Star: "We aim to provide a safe platform for them to tell their stories without ridicule and fear."
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/alien-abduction-uks-first-support15
3444674#ixzz2zhFPcCzD
Catalan News
Catalonia represents over 25% of Spanish exports
Barcelona (ACN).- In the first two months of 2014 exports of Catalan companies increased by 2.2% on the same period last year, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Spanish Ministry for the Economy and Competitiveness. In fact, Catalan companies were behind 25.3% of all exports from
Spain. Spain's exports in January and February reached €37.76 billion, a 4%
increase on figures from the same period last year. In addition, the amount
reached in the first two months of 2014 represents an historical record. The
main industries behind those numbers are food, drinks, and tobacco, as well
as manufacturing and automation. The main markets for Spanish products
were the UK, Portugal, the United States and Germany. 64.6% of the exports
go to the European Union while the remaining 35.4% go to the rest of the
world.
http://www.catalannewsagency.com/business/item/catalonia-representsover-25-of-spanish-exports
HP to set up its world centre for 3D printing in its Greater Barcelona offices
Barcelona (ACN).- Hewlett-Packard has announced that it will locate its world
centre to develop 3D printing business in its facilities at Sant Cugat del Vallès,
in Greater Barcelona, where it has already developed part of this technology.
In fact, HP's Catalan offices are one of the multinational's main R&D centres
at world level. HP also develops the technology for large-format printing in
Greater Barcelona, employing some 350 engineers. In addition, from Catalonia it also runs its marketing services for Europe, the Middle East and Africa,
among other business and innovation activities. Now, HP has decided to foster its 3D printing business and innovation. This is a technology that experts
believe can totally revolutionise not only manufacturing but also people's
daily lives. 3D printing might enable people to create their own parts from
raw materials to build all sorts of objects.
http://www.catalannewsagency.com/business/item/hp-to-set-up-its-worldcentre-for-3d-printing-in-its-greater-barcelona-offices
16
Catalans’ English skills on an upward trend – still behind Spaniards and European leaders
Emma Garzi
Barcelona (ACN). - In 2012, 26.5% of the Catalan population could have a conversation with someone in English, according to the most recent survey on foreign
languages issued by the Catalan Institute of Statistics (IDESCAT). The survey also
revealed that the youngest population was the most skilled, with 50.8% of teenagers aged 15-19 having a good knowledge of English. According to EU studies on
bilingualism and foreign language acquisition, Catalonia should offer a more
positive context for English learning, due to having two main official languages,
Catalan and Castilian (referred to as Spanish abroad). But quite ironically, despite
the improvement on previous figures, dating back to 2008, the Catalans’ skills in
English remain slightly lower than the Spanish average. Furthermore, according
to the latest English Proficiency report on European countries and cities, Barcelona has gained much ground on Madrid but is still outdistanced by the Scandinavian leaders. Nevertheless, the latest data points towards a positive change in
trend, sparked by a school system that fosters bilingualism. Catalan and Castilian
have traditionally coexisted in a peaceful manner in Catalonia, with the majority
of the population understanding both languages. However, it is interesting to
note that Catalan has become and still is the minority language, following successive waves of immigration from other regions in Spain and Franco’s political and
cultural repression. As a consequence, many households are Spanish monolingual families and while all residents can understand Castilian, the same cannot
be said of Catalan. Besides, in spite of the growing number of Catalan speakers,
Castilian remains predominant in specific contexts such as the workplace, particularly in large-sized companies.
http://www.catalannewsagency.com/society-science/item/catalans-englishskills-on-an-upward-trend-still-behind-spaniards-and-european-leaders
Catalan Rumba, the soundtrack of Barcelona
Paula Solanas / Aina Valldaura
Barcelona (CNA).- Catalan Rumba, also known as Gypsy Rumba, is not flamenco,
pop or rock music. It is a way of living, sensing and expressing feelings. This kind
of music, born in the heart of Barcelona during the Sixties, is without a doubt as
much part of Catalan identity as the typical folk dance Sardana or Castellers, the
traditional human towers. The Sixties were the golden age for Catalan Rumba, a
time when artists “were treated as jet-set” and used to wear fancy suits, according to musician and producer Johnny Tarradellas. Although it has been less popular for some years, nowadays this genre17
is experiencing a fresh powerful period
with a wave of new groups. A cheerful sound that now enjoys official recognition in the Catalan Parliament and can be heard in many bars and pubs all over
the city.
http://www.catalannewsagency.com/culture/item/catalan-rumba-thesoundtrack-of-barcelona
Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister accuses the Catalan Government of lying
about independent Catalonia's EU membership
Barcelona (ACN).- The Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, José Manuel GarcíaMargallo, has accused the Catalan Government of "not telling the whole truth"
regarding the EU membership of an independent Catalonia. García-Margallo
stated a month ago that an independent Catalonia would "roam across space"
and would be "excluded from the European Union for centuries of centuries".
On Wednesday he referred to an expert report issued this week by the Catalan
Government's Advisory Council for the National Transition (CATN), formed of
prestigious academics holding university chairs in Constitutional Law, Economics, Political Science or Sociology. This report stated that EU Treaties are not explicit about what would happen regarding the EU membership of an independent Catalonia, and that EU Treaties do not include provisions for automatic expulsion nor for automatic admission. Therefore, the final decision would be
reached in a negotiation with political and economic interests at play. For the
CATN, the most likely scenario is "an ad hoc admission", based on transition
measures to guarantee the continuity of EU Law, the Schengen Area and the
Euro, waiting for the official admission of Catalonia to be accepted. However,
the Spanish establishment has totally downplayed the report, refusing to comment on its arguments and saying it lacked political and legal rigour. In addition,
yesterday in the European Commission's midday briefing, the institution's
Spokesperson was asked to repeat explicitly the general principle of becoming
"a third country" and therefore outside the Treaties in the event of independence, since at the beginning the Commission refused to comment on the CATN –
which it only knew from the press. The Catalan Government responded to the
Commission comment by saying that Brussels had not issued "a formal judgement" yet, as it will only do so after a request from the Spanish Government,
which has not made a request in all these months. They also insisted that the issue is not crystal clear and has many nuances, as otherwise the European Commission would have been for more explicit.
http://www.catalannewsagency.com/politics/item/spanish-foreign-affairsminister-accuses-the-catalan-government-of-lying-about-independentcatalonia-s-eu-membership
18
Spanish insults get a 21st century revamp
PUBLISHED: April 18, 2014 TheOlivePress
THERE is a whole world of Spanish insults out there that go unused – from cebollino to pagafantas.
The average Spaniard uses around 1,000 words in their everyday speech – compared to nearly 5,000 for a native English speaker. GQ magazine has decided to
widen the vocabulary of Spanish-speakers with a list of 221 spicy insults. For
example, a ‘pagafantas’ is a man who fancies a girl (always paying for her
drinks, or literally ‘Fantas’) but she just sees him as a brother, someone she
would never be romantically interested in.
Other put-downs to be used when necessary include alcornoque (blockhead),
cebollino (a chive, or literally stupid) and zampabollos (greedyguts).
A dirty dozen, or how to start a bar fight:
•
Abrazafarolas – literally ‘lamppost hugger’ – someone who drinks too
much
•
Quitahipos – hiccup stopper – if someone is really ugly
•
Esbaratabailes – cheap dancer – a sleaze on the dancefloor
•
Bebecharcos – puddle drinker – alcoholic
•
Barriobajero – low class
•
Bocabuzon – mouth like a letterbox – a gossip
•
Cabezaalberca – water brain – empty-headed
•
Cuerpoescombro – rubble body – wimp or someone weak-willed
•
Culopollo – a chicken’s ass – a really ugly person
•
Perroflauta – a dog flautist – a hippy with a dog and a penny whistle
•
Lameplatos – a dish licker – a proper idiot
•
Peinaovejas – a sheep comber – even more stupid
19
The Walrus Walk in aid of Cancer
Saturday 12th April, we held our fourth annual walk raising money for the
AECC, LÉscala. The AECC are a volunteer organisation who help care for the
terminally ill and their families, providing much needed care and helping families wherever necessary.
The day started with the many walkers and their dogs meeting at the Walrus
where a bus took them to Estartit for the start. After coffee and nibbles, provided by Joe at Harveys, the walkers started their 10-12k walk over the hill
down to Montgo and finishing at the Walrus for a well earned glass of Cava
and buffet.
The President of the AECC handed out certificates to each of the walkers. Interested in seeing the finish to the walk which was featured on Empordá Canal
10 TV go to http://www.canal10.cat/media-gallery/mediaitem/11059-70participants-a-la-caminada-pel-c-ncer
Sunday we held a bric a brac at the Walrus and was entertained by “The
Brothers of Blue” , an excellent effort by everyone raising 307.50€
On behalf of Tony and myself we would like to thank once again the many
walkers, not forgetting the dogs, and all those who helped in any way, its looking like we will be on target to raise 3000€ but the final figure will be reported
in the next issue of the “Revista”.
June Joyce
Editors Note: You can see more picture at http://www.bsce.ch/revista/
walrus2014
A Treasure Hunt On Foot In Aid Of The BBA
The British Benevolent Society are holding a Treasure Hunt
(on foot) Tuesday 27th May in Palamos. It is 5€ to enter followed by lunch at the Hotel Trias. If you are interested
please contact June Shimmin, at
juneshimmin@yahoo.co.uk
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June making sure everybody is booked in
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Coach filling up nicely!
These boots were certainly made for walking
Last 2 arrivals—lots of kissing going on!
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Visit To The Exile Museum La Jonquera
29 of us met up at 11:45 in the foyer of the exile museum. The
hubbub increased and the receptionist had to ask us to quieten
down!. We all paid our entrance monies only 2 Euros per person
if you were over 65. Very smart telephone style tour guides were
issued to each person and we started the tour. We learnt how the
Spanish Civil War progressed during the 1930s and how refugees
were placed in camps all over southern France. There were some
brilliant but harrowing drawings and photographs and some most
interesting newsreel footage. It became very obvious how the
civil war and the refugee camps became prototypes of what was
to happen in the Second World War. Living in our relatively comfortable and peaceful times it is hard to imagine how these people coped with the disruption to their lives.
I personally found the visit most moving and interesting and well
worthwhile visiting. We spent almost 2 hours in the museum and
the time just whizzed by.
We then moved on to the restaurant Els Fogons. Whilst only a
5minute drive away from the museum the road climbed very
steeply and we ended up very high with views over Jonquera and
the Catalan countryside. We had time for a quick drink before being shown to our private area in the restaurant. Pat Sturgeon got
us all organised and orders were taken from a very extensive set
menu. I was most impressed with the levels of service provided,
wine and water appeared at appropriate moments and the beautiful food was all served without fuss. The atmosphere over lunch
was fantastic and we finally had to be ushered out of the restaurant after 4:30.
Overall another excellent BSCE event and many thanks to Pat
Sturgeon for organising everything.
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GUIDED TOUR of PERETALLADA with NIK DUSERM.
At a committee meeting on
the 7th November 2013 we
discussed what future events
we could offer to members
during 2014. There were a
number of suggestions one of
which was made by Mary
Clark who suggested a guided
tour of Peretallada. A number
of us had enjoyed guided
tours with the U3A local interest group, which had been guided by Nik Dusan, a local officially accredited tourist
guide. I contacted Nik with a number of dates and eventually made a provisional
booking for either the 13th or the 20th
March. At the next committee meeting
it was decided to plump for the 20th
March. This was confirmed with Nik and
on a recent tour of Figueres I discussed
the arrangements for the day. With Nik
we are able to visit buildings that are
not usually open to the general public;
some of them have unseen treasures
with wall paintings, frescos and ceramics.
The weather forecast was not particularly good but we completed the tour
without rain.
We met at the car park near the church.
It is a Romanesque church dedicated to
Saint Esteve (St Stephen) and is outside
the town walls. The tour started in the
church where Nik described and explained many features within the
church. Before moving into the village
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Nik showed us an information board that described how the present village had developed over the centuries from three walled enclosures.
From here we crossed the main road to the medieval gateway into the village.
Just outside the entrance we looked at the fosse or moat that had been
excavated into the bedrock, the marks of the excavation tools are still
clearly visible. It is from here that the name of Peretallada is derived
(pedra tallada), meaning carved stone. We learned that many of the narrow streets and building foundations are carved into or built on the natural bedrock. There are also ancient cartwheel ruts cut into the road. As
we strolled around the cobbled streets we were able to admire a range of
well-preserved buildings whose origins date back to pre-Roman times. In
the centre of the village is the privately owned and dominant Castle of
Peretallada. Nik is still trying to obtain permission to visit this interesting
building. On the return to the car park Nik pointed out numerous interesting features on the buildings in the narrow cobbled streets.
Lunch was at Can Joan in Sant Feliu de Boada. As always we were very
well looked after.
Twenty-seven members took part in the tour and three further members
joined us for lunch.
Roger Arndell
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The UK budget and pension reform
By Brett Hanson, partner, Blevins Franks
The uk chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne delivered his budget to parliament on 19th march. By far the
biggest surprise was the announcement of a complete overhaul to the pension regime.
Several measures were introduced in one of the largest reforms of the defined contribution pension system since
1921. The government decided that the existing pension
regime perpetuated an unjust system for taxpayers who
have “done the right thing” and saved all their lives. Pension holders are now
being granted a far wider range of access to their funds after retirement.
The following changes came into effect on 27th march 2014:
A reduction in the minimum income requirement for accessing flexible drawdown from £20,000 to £12,000.
An increase in the capped drawdown limit from 120% to 150% of equivalent
annuity.
An increase in the total pension wealth people can have before they are no
longer entitled to receive lump sums under trivial commutation rules from
£18,000 to £30,000.
An increase to the small pension pots lump sum limit from £2,000 to £10,000,
and the number of pots that can be taken as a lump sum increased to three.
A key change will come into effect from 6th April 2015. Members of defined
contribution schemes will have much more flexibility in how they deal with
their pension on retirement. The requirement to buy an annuity has already
been removed and the 25% tax free lump sum will continue to be available, but
from 6th April 2015 retirees will have three choices for the balance of their pension:
Withdraw their entire pension fund on retirement, with the withdrawal to be
taxed at their marginal income tax rates, rather than 55% as currently the case.
Purchase an annuity.
Flexible drawdown benefits over time.
Remember, it is essential that you consider local tax in Spain.
A consultation has been launched regarding transferring out of public and private defined benefit schemes into defined contributions schemes.
Consideration will be given to allowing individuals aged 75 and over to claim
tax relief on pension contributions.
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The government will also consult on increasing the minimum pension age
so that it remains ten years below state pension age.
HM revenue & customs has been given new powers to help prevent pension liberation schemes being registered, and to make it easier to deregister such schemes. This measure is designed to catch schemes which
allow members to access their pension fund before reaching retirement,
which HMRC views as pension fraud.
This is just a summary. It is important to seek specialist, personalised advice
to clarify how you are affected.
Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised;
an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.
To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check
out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com
__________________________________________________
Investigation launched into Spain’s ‘biggest ever’ fraud case
PUBLISHED: April 18, 2014 at 4:37 pm TheOlivePress
SPANISH police are investigating what could be the country’s biggest ever fraud
case, involving officials in Andalucia syphoning off EU funds worth up to €2 billion.
The secret police investigation is still in its infancy after anti-corruption detectives
are reported to have discovered the embezzlement of money destined for retraining
schemes for the unemployed.
‘Operation Edu’ has not yet been registered with an investigating judge.
It is alleged that regional governments, trade union leaders and employer’s associations teamed up to receive EU and government grants for re-training sessions that
never occurred.
So far, over 200 people have been interviewed in Malaga province, although the investigation will expand to cover the whole of Andalucia in the coming months.
As well as a shortfall between the amount of funds provided and the amount distributed by regional authorities, there are cases of companies being given education
grants and then folding before any schemes took place.
Andalucia received €2.3 billion from the European social fund between 2007 and
2013, plus another €710 million from the Spanish central government.
29 disappeared in shortfalls and commisIt is believed as much as €2 billion could have
sions.
Thousands of British expats leaving Spain
PUBLISHED TheOlivePress: April 24, 2014
BRITISH expats who moved to Spain for a happier life are returning in droves,
with nearly 90,000 abandoning their new Spanish life last year according to national statistics.
The number of Brits registered with town halls dropped a steep 23% in 2013,
plummeting from 385,179 on Jan 1 to 297,229 at the end of December.
Research has also revealed that those who choose to move to sunnier climes end
up less happy than those who stay in Britain.
Dr David Bartram, from Leicester University, has discovered that 329 migrants registered an average happiness rating of 7.3/10, compared with an average of 7.5/10
for the 56,000 people surveyed still in their homes countries.
He surveyed people who had moved from northern European countries to Spain,
Portugal, Greece or Cyprus.
Possible reasons for this decline in happiness are an inability to fit in with a new
culture, language and society, while leaving family, friends and homes behind. The
economic crisis, shrinking job market and unemployment rates have undoubtedly
played a part too.
Other European expats are also giving up on Spain, with the registered German
and French populations falling by 23.6% and 12.7% respectively.
This mass exodus of immigrants saw the total population of Spain fall for the second year running, this time from 47,129,783 to 46,725,164.
___________________________________________________
Costa Brava Ladies Clothes Sale
Despite the weather the clothes sale went ahead on March 26th at
Roberts restaurant in L’Estartit.
The event raised 450 euros which is planned to be given to the oncology unit in Girona.
Many thanks to those who took part as sellers and buyer s, a well
worthwhile result.
30
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Sammy Thomas SLU Núm. registre DGPFA J387GC Col·legiat Núm. 68554 Concertada Pòlissa RC Professional segons l’article 27.1 e) i acreditada la capacitat financera segons l’article 27.1 f) (Llei
26/2006, de 17 de juliol, de mediació d’assegurances i reassegurances
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BANDED DEMOISELLE.
Calopteryx Splendens.
Roger Arndell
The Banded Demoiselle is a species of
damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygiade.
It is often found along clean slow flowing
streams. This is where these damselflies
were photographed in the Auvergne during August 2013.
It is a large damselfly with a total length of
48mm and a hind wing length of
36mm. The male Demoiselle has a dark
iridescent black-blue spot or band.
The dark wing patch on the male starts
midway on the wing and can reach up
to the wing-tip in southern places.
The female has translucent pale green
wings with a white patch near the tip
and a metallic green body. Females lay
up to 10 eggs per minute for about 45
minutes. They lay their eggs on emergent or floating plants, sometimes
even submerging to do so.
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The Revista Recipe—CUMIN
Hello everyone, this month I thought that I might mention the
wonders of cumin seeds.
These seeds look similar to both aniseed, caraway and coriander seeds but smell quite different. Cumin is a half - hardy
annual that grows to about 15cm high and bears tiny white or
mauve flowers. The seeds are only produced during very hot
summers. The seeds can be ground or used whole and add a
unique flavour to meat, fish and poultry dishes. They are transformed by cooking. Roasted and crushed. They release nutty,
lemon notes, fried in oil, they lend dishes like dahl a lively, piquant bite. One such
suggestion is to inhale cumin and dried mint and you could be in the middle of Cairo.
Use them together to season lamb kebabs or burgers. They are also delicious with
broad beans. When cooked, potatoes and cumin take on a new sweetness. Boil unpeeled new potatoes until just tender, then drain, dry and cut into halves or quarters. Fry in oil with cumin and salt until browned. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.
Here is a recipe of mine using cumin.
LAMB KEBABS—Serves between 2 – 4
These lamb kebabs are all the better by marinating for a few hours before cooking.
You will need:
300g lamb fillet cut into cubes
Wooden skewers -soaked in water before using
For the marinade:
½ onion –peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves – peeled and crushed
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the sauce:
4 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
½ lemon – juice only
3 spring onions
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
This is what you do:
Toss the onion with the lamb in a mixing bowl. Mash the garlic
with a little salt and Add to the lamb along with black pepper,
cumin, cayenne pepper and olive oil mixing well together.
Cover and marinate for a few hours before cooking. When
ready to cook, thread skewers through lamb and barbecue.
Accompany with the prepared sauce
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Jacqy Harding
Spain still has best healthcare in Europe, claims report
PUBLISHED: April 27, TheOlivePress
SPAIN’s healthcare system is the best in Europe, claims a new
study.
And the country is ranked fifth best in the world, in the study by
Bloomberg which measured efficiency, life expectancy and cost.
The report comes after a number of studies showed that Spanish
health care has deteriorated dramatically over recent years due to
national budget cuts.
British medical journal ‘The Lancet’ recently slammed its quality following drastic 30% cuts over the last few years.
Despite this, Spain’s efficiency rating was 68.3, its life expectancy was
82.3, and the cost of healthcare as a percentage of GDP per capita
was 10.4%.
This is compared to the UK’s efficiency rating of 55.7, life expectancy
of 80.8, and healthcare cost percentage of 9.4%.
Hong Kong topped the list of the ‘most efficient healthcare countries
in the world’, followed by Singapore.
Japan and Israel also made the top five, while the UK came 14th, and
the US ranked 46th.
The results were greatly affected by Bloomberg’s decision to take
cost into account. This sent countries with good but very expensive
healthcare – like the US – far down the last.
37
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Fax: 972-204038 / Email: sammy@sammythomas.com
Sammy Thomas SLU Núm. registre DGPFA J387GC Col·legiat Núm. 68554 Concertada Pòlissa RC Professional segons l’article
27.1 e) i acreditada la capacitat financera segons l’article 27.1 f) (Llei 26/2006, de 17 de juliol, de mediació d’assegurances i
reassegurances
38
V.S CAR HIRE S.L.
EMPRESSA DE SERVEIS IMMOBILIARIS
info@villaservice.info
B.P. 40
www.villaservice.info
Av. Montgo,10
17139 L’ESCALA
Tel. (+34) 972 77 02 62
Fax (+34) 972 77 26 51
(Girona) Spain
NIF: B-17343609
Established in L’Escala since 1986
Holiday rentals of quality Villas & Apartments with full back up from
experienced staff
Supply of sheets, towels, cot, high chairs and anything required for a
successful holiday.
Car rentals, modern air conditioned Fords, Pick up at airport, L’Escala, bus and train stations.
Villa & Apartment Sales
Villa & Apartment management for owners, regular security checks
on your properties.
39
Your professionals for the purchase and sale of property
−We
speak your language
−We have been in L'Escala for 14 years
−We have more than 100 properties for sale
We have experience with everything concerning your property
−Purchase
and sale at the best price
−Free valuation when you use our services
−Planning and control of your renovation or your
new construction
We are an agent of one of the largest banks
We can offer you
−New
mortgages or re-mortgages
−Property insurance etc.
Visit us in our office
Passeig del Mar 19
Telephone 972 77 35 97 or 666 760 227
40
Your Committee
Chairperson
Mary Clark
marylescala@yahoo.co.uk
972 77 05 17
Vice chairperson
& Event Organiser
Pat Sturgeon
traveller16444@telefonica.net
972 77 23 24
Treasurer
John Sienczak
john@virtual-friday.com
972 77 46 26
Secretary
Roger Arndell
rogerdenromi@yahoo.co.uk
972 77 01 30
Membership Secretary
Barbara Hanson
barbaraandroger@talktalk.net
972 77 16 79
Revista Layout/production
and advertising
John Sienczak
john@virtual-friday.com
972 77 4626
Event Organiser
Denise Fenn
denise.fenn@gmail.com
Event Organiser
June Joyce
gerryandjune100@hotmail.co.uk
972 77 25 85
Event Organiser
Lynn Taylor
casalollipop@hotmail.com
972 77 68 89
BSCE Web Site
Des Sherriff
janddsherriff@gmail.com
972 62 35 25
Welfare Organiser
Norma Trueman
972 77 49 03
Thanks to all our contributors
Thanks also to DIGITAL Copisteria, Torroella, who take great care to ensure that
your copy of The Revista is crisp and clear
41
British Society of Catalunya Empordà Branch
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM to December 2013
Name
-------------------------------------------
First name(s)
-------------------------------------------
NIE/NIF/Passport No.
—————————————--
Name of spouse/partner
Address:
Street
-------------------------------------------
Town
-------------------------------------------
Province/County
-------------------------------------------
Postcode
-------------------------------------------
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-------------------------------------------
E-Mail
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Any other relevant details -------------------------------------------(Next of kin in case of
--------------------------------------------
Emergencies?)
--------------------------------------------
Currently membership always runs from 1st January—31st December
Cheques, in Euros, drawn on a Spanish bank please, payable to
British Society of Catalunya or transfer the money from your
bank directly to Bank Sabadell l’Escala account British Society
of Catalunya
ES74 0081 0237 6800 0111 2415
The cost of membership with The Revista delivered electronically is €15.
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