EOS MAIL BOX

The Jerte Valley, in northern Extremadura, is famous for the cherry blossom in Spring; an amazing spectacle when over two million trees bathe the valley sides in white.

Following a century-long family custom, the cherries are grown in the traditional way on terraces carved out of the high mountainsides of the Jerte Valley, among crystal-clear springs and pure air. Only such a unique spot with a privileged microclimate could grow the best cherries in Spain.

The cherry blossom is one of the major tourist attractions of the Jerte Valley. The region has more than two million cherry trees. During the Spring, when they bloom, they create a real natural show. The slopes across the region dress in white.

In the Jerte Valley, the cherry blossom announces the arrival of the first cherries of the season. This is dependent on the weather conditions. The cherry blossom usually lasts between twelve and fourteen days, and normally occurs during the last weeks of March.

On these dates, the region celebrates the Cherry Blossom Festival, declared an event of National Tourism Interest. Alternately, the villages of the Valle del Jerte welcome the opening and closing events of a festival that has been held there for more than four decades. For local farmers, it symbolises the arrival of a new crop.

In the Valle del Jerte, cherry trees are grown on the slopes of the mountain, on terraces. To flower, they need to accumulate between 800 and 1,000 cold hours during the winter, supporting temperatures between zero and six degrees centigrade. They must wait for the frost to end in order to display their flowers.

The cherry blossom does not bloom along the Jerte Valley in a homogeneous manner. This is due to the arrangement of the trees on the mountainside and the different varieties of trees. The Jerte Picota - the most precious, and the Burlat cherries are the ones that need to accumulate more hours of cold temperatures. Likewise, those trees at the bottom of the valley will bloom before the trees that are higher up.

If you would like to plan a walk through the Jerte Valley use this walking guide to get the best views.

To get daily updates about the state of flowering of the Jerte Valley go to this official blog

Strawberries are back in season! The earliest varieties have already appeared on the shelves of supermarkets and, strawberries are typically a spring fruit that we love to enjoy at this time of year in a thousand different ways. Full of virtues, they have a small drawback: they are very delicate and spoil quickly. To extend their life we can apply simple steps at home that will avoid the annoyance and wastefulness of having to throw them away, especially as strawberry punnets tend to be fairly big in Spanish supermarkets.

We need to be aware that strawberries are non-climacteric fruits, that is, they no longer ripen once they have been collected, unlike apples or bananas. This means that when we buy them, they have already started to deteriorate and lose quality, and it is something that will only become more pronounced as the days go by. The key, therefore, is to buy them at the optimal time and conserve them properly to slow down this deterioration process.

Don't be carried away by temptation unless you know you are going to be able to consume all the strawberries in a short period of time. If we decide to buy them, as always, it is convenient to check the labelling to know the collection date or packaging date, and thus choose the most recent. It is also important to examine the strawberries carefully as well.

It is preferable to choose strawberries that are not too tightly packed, in rigid and protected containers that allow you to see the contents clearly. Check that there are no mouldy, stale or pieces that are too green, that they are not crushed or apparently damaged. Very green or white fruit will no longer ripen, and old fruit will likely show dark spots, cracks, or a loss of juices as the strawberries start to weep with time.

When in the trolley they need to be treated with care and never put other objects on top. If possible, keep them at the top, away from damp or very fragrant food, and also separated from apples and bananas, which emit ethylene.

Although they are at room temperature in the store, strawberries, like berries and other delicate fruits, must be refrigerated. The sooner we get them in the fridge, the better, and always without washing. Strawberries should only be washed just before eating, as the humidity would only accelerate their deterioration.

Once at home, you should open the container and check them one by one, discarding those that may have mould or very visible damage. The most strawberries that are most mature should be separated and consumed quickly.

Mouldy or rotten fruits must be thrown away. It is not safe to cut off the rotten or mouldy part as fungi are dangerous pathogens that spread through the food.

Do not remove the stems, as it would be an easy entry point for microorganisms. This can be applied, as a general rule, to all plant products.

Place the fruit in a clean, spacious container, preferably in one which allows them to be arranged in a single layer, without piling them up. If we have too many, you can always split them between two containers.

We can line the bottom of the container with kitchen paper or with a special cloth for preserving vegetables, such as those sold for refrigerator drawers. This allows air to circulate and will absorb any possible moisture that is released.

Strawberries need to "breathe" so you should never close them tightly. If we want to cover them, make sure you leave access for air to circulate freely.

Inside the refrigerator, ensure that they are kept at a constant cold temperature, never lower than 2ºC, and not higher than 6ºC. Again, away from foods that emit strong odours or ethylene.

Strawberries will keep fresh like this for between four and five days, but it is always advisable to check the status of all fruits daily, to quickly discard any specimen that shows signs of mould or any deterioration.

The regional government of Guillermo Fernández Vara (PSOE) is working on the expropriation of more than 200 hectares that will pass into the hands of the promoter of the Elysium City macro-project, in Castilblanco (Badajoz) in the region known as La Siberia Extremadura. In this urban operation, it is expected that more than 8,000 million euros will be invested in hotels, casinos, villas, theme and water parks, among other infrastructures.

The expropriation will be carried out by the Junta de Extremadura, but it will be paid for by the promoter of the operation, the real estate company called Castilblanco Elysium Corporation, behind which is the Sevillian businessman Francisco Nuchera. Once the forced purchase is complete, they will pass into the portfolio of the private firm.

A spokesman for the Extremadura Ministry of Finance and Public Administration indicates that the expropriations will be carried out "as soon as possible." Sources familiar with the process indicate that it is foreseeable that it will be expropriated before July, the deadline that the promoter has to start the works. In fact, it would be necessary for these lands to be in the hands of the Castilblanco Elysium Corporation before beginning development since the firm could not start infrastructure work on land owned by others.

The Government of Extremadura published the Elysium project in the Official Gazette of Extremadura (DOE) at the beginning of January, to which it granted permits to begin construction, but to which it was marked as an obligation that the works should begin within a maximum period of six months, a period that ends in the first days of July. This operation is part of what is known as Legio (Law of Large Leisure Facilities in Extremadura), approved in 2018.

The project affects 1,185 hectares of this area in Extremadura Siberia, adjacent to the provinces of Cáceres, Ciudad Real and Toledo. Of that territory, the project approved by the Board grants the qualification of urbanizable to 835 hectares and the rest will remain undevelopable or environmentally protected. In the 200 hectares to be expropriated by the Government of Extremadura, there is both developable and protected land. The rest, up to 1,185 hectares, already belongs to the company.

"The expropriator is the Junta de Extremadura, however, the beneficiary is the promoter, who receives the farms and must meet the payments and other expenses in accordance with the Forced Expropriation Law," explains the spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance and adds that the price cannot yet be determined, since the fair price must be assessed. The company met with the owners at the Castilblanco City Hall and no opposition to the expropriation was detected, according to knowledgeable sources.

The Board has identified around a hundred farms to be expropriated, as published by the Official Gazette of the Province of Badajoz, with registry and cadastral data of the owners. The Treasury spokesman explains that there is a "great variety of legal situations" among these owners. In fact, these lands come from the confiscation of Mendizábal in the 19th century and there are situations of shared land between several owners who distribute grazing and planting rights, according to Administration sources.

Currently, the company Castilblanco Elysium Corporation is negotiating with seven foreign operators and one national to select the investor to develop Elysium, which will depend on whether some aspects, such as casinos, have more or less relevance.

Romantic Spain, land of castles and fortresses, relics of the Arabs and Romans. Andalucia, with its image of flamenco and bull fighting. To the west of Málaga the old Spain has been erased and replaced by the glitzy coastal resorts of Fuengirola and Marbella, better known for their sun drenched beaches and package tours than for their castles. To the east lie the towns of Nerja, Torrox Costa, Almuñecar and Salobreña steeped in history. Nerja has drawn visitors to the caves since the 1950s but what of the castles of area, and Roman ruins. Volumes have been written about the palaces of Granada, the last stand of the Moors against the mighty armies of Castille and Aragon led by Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic Kings. Little has been chronicled of the castles of the eastern Costa del Sol, the gateway to North Africa, ripe with piracy in the Middle Ages and attacked by generations of would-be Arab rulers. The gloss of the travel brochures show scantily clad bodies and relentless sun but nothing of the magnificent peaceful gardens of the castle of Almuñecar, Salobreña and Almeria.

Almuñecar is situated 15 km west of Salobreña, 56 km south of Granada and 18 km east of Nerja. En route from Nerja, you witness such beauty spots at La Herradura, "the horseshoe", an apt name for the shape of the bay, and the salubrious development of Marina del Este snuggle amongst the trees on the hillside. The road winds down to the coast when you leave the main road, and runs beside a shingle beach lined with cafes where you can sip your beer and watch the waves roll onto the shoe. Follow the road towards town and take the turn for Castillo San Miguel. The road twists and turns and suddenly you arrive at the ruined Moorish castle. It was a stronghold of the Kings of Granada and where they kept their treasure before being ousted by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492, the same year as Columbus discovered America. The narrow cobbled streets between cube-shaped houses are negotiable by car, and, if you have a good sense of direction, you can drive through to the centre of town.

The coastal town of Salobreña lies 10km east of Almuñecar. The coastline to Salobreña along the tropical coast is wild and rugged. To the left are the awesome peaks of the Sierra Nevada and to the right the glistening blue of the Mediterranean. Salobreña stands unmolested by mass tourism, although now boasts an eighteen-hole golf course; in the winter the snow-capped Sierra Nevada provides a magnificent backdrop to the green of the third hole. The narrow winding streets of the town remain as a tribute to the Moorish era, the cube-shaped buildings nestle together beneath the looming fortification of the Arab castle. The maze of narrow streets defies the sense of direction and one encounters colourful plazas and little cafes tucked away in the back streets. Calle Antón Segovia leads directly to the gates of the castle, a pretty paved avenue with plants and flowers. The castle has served as a retreat for the Muslim Kings, a defender of the port and beach, and also as a prison. It was one of the most important strongholds on the coast of Granada both from civil and military points of view. Most of the restoration work was done during the Muslim period, but there is evidence that other work was carried out during the reign of the Catholic King and Queen after the earthquake of 1494. The work continued in the 16th and 17th Centuries. During the late 17th Century and 18th Century, the importance of Salobreña deteriorated despite being kept as a defence against pirates.

In the 19th Century, its prestige was restored when the castle was used as a fortification against the invasion of the French troops. No further news can be found until 1956 when restoration began again and the Granada newspaper "La Patria" uncovered some earlier articles about the castle as well as some hand-drawn plans. The castle is now fully restored and summer festivals are held every year on its grounds.

Further down the coast, Almeria is home to yet another imposing castle. The drive from Salobreña takes about an hour and the terrain changes dramatically. Gone are the orange groves and fertile valleys to be replaced by a sea of plastic posing as greenhouses - a scar on the landscape. From these eyesores the mountains become rocky, yielding neither crop nor greenery. The road snakes along the coast and eventually straightens into long avenues. Almeria looms, its Alcazaba is the focal point of the town. The Arab fortress was built by the Caliph of Cordoba Abder-Rahman III, enlarged by Almanzor and completed by Hairan, and covers an area of 35,325 sq.m. with a perimeter of 430 metres and an average width of 83 metres. The castle is situated on a small hill, 95m high, close to the sea and lying east-west, which provides a natural defensive wall and shelters the ravine of La Hoya (the jewel), the site of the original city on the side of the hill. The hill also overlooks the small cove formed between the foothills at the edge of the Sierra de Gador and the mount of the Rambla de la Chanca river - a fishing district whose name still recalls tuna fishing store.

Some kind of fortress must have always existed on the castle hill for defence and look-out purposes to guard the natural harbour of La Chanca, which was used firstly by the inhabitants of Iberian Urci, then came under Roman occupation, and although its population disappeared or was dispersed during Byzantine and Visigoth eras, the settlement reappeared during Arab domination under the name of Bayyana (Pechina) using La Chanca as its port and the castle for the defence. The castle was enlarged and modified in the time of Abdurahman III ad the Almedina was built in front of it, by the sea, surrounded by walls. This led to the founding of the city of Almeria in 955, the Arab town of Bayyana gradually ceding to Almeria as the capital of the region, due to the importance and security afforded by the castle to the Moors of the Almedina.

The castle underwent changes under different Moslem governors, such as Almanazor and Havran the Slave, the first independent ruler-lord of Almeria, who extended the walled area of the city towards the plain by three times the size of the original city of Almedina. The time of Banu Somahdis brought an era of splendour and was the setting for a cultured and literary court in the 11th Century. Later, in the 14th and 15th Centuries, under the Kings of Granada, it retained only its role as a coastal defence. It underwent two sieges, which demonstrated its effectiveness as a fortress; one in 1147, when it fell for the first time to the Christians of Alfonso VII, who was helped by the Genoese, the Catalans and the people of Pisa; and the other in 1309, which lasted a year, when James II of Aragon failed to take the castle.

On 26th December 1489, it was surrendered to the Catholic Kings and subsequently, in 1522 and 1560 - was partially destroyed by earthquakes. Having been abandoned since 1800, its reconstruction was begun in 1950 to restore it to its former glory and today it stands as a reminder of the fierce and warlike past of the area, representing to the Almerians the history of the founding and origins of their city. Much of the grounds have been cultivated and developed into beautiful gardens, a tranquil place to visit on a sunny afternoon. It seems impossible that the rigours of war and earthquakes once threatened to destroy the castle.

Southern Spain is littered with such remnants of the past, pieces of history fitting into a jigsaw and enriching our knowledge of another way of life.

 [Author: Tina Irving :  I have lived and worked in Spain for over 25 years.  I spent a year in Madrid University, launched two businesses and owned three houses.  I am a freelance writer and split my time between Spain and Scotland.]

British outdoor gear specialists Cotswold Outdoor have revealed Europe's best national parks for hiking, including Spain's Teide National Park!

Cotswold Outdoor's latest research has identified Europe’s top natural backdrops that also make for the best hiking experiences. Combing through 80+ of Europe’s national parks, from Slovenia’s famed Slovak Paradise to Croatia’s incredible Krka, they assess multiple factors across the popularity, difficulty, and activities/amenities categories.

The research reveals...

• Analysing popularity, ease of hike, and activities/amenities, Teide National Park in Tenerife, Spain has been revealed as Europe’s third-best for hiking.
• Tenerife’s Teide National Park owes its high overall ranking to the fact that it is Europe’s most popular national park
• Although campsites are limited, Teide offers five viewpoints and landmarks to marvel at, alongside 85 hiking trails to choose from

UK-based New Forest and Lake District place first and second, whilst Calanques (France) and Krka (Croatia) complete the top five, respectively.

Hiking has become a massive trend over the last couple of years, especially due to the pandemic. This has been proven further by predicted 2023 travel trends, which indicate a further increase in adventure trips. What better time to book a trip to the Canary islands?

Those who happen to have visited the bars along Carrer de la Mercè, a street that runs through Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, will have undoubtedly encountered Panther Milk. Known locally as "Leche de Pantera". This dangerous drink is basically a cocktail of condensed milk, gin, water and a few other touches which I will share with you shortly. Although not so widely spread as a drink, it does have an interesting history.

Head back nearly one hundred years to the 1920s and you’ll find that the Spanish Foreign Legion is responsible for this notable mixture. Legion Founder General José Millán-Astray wanted a drink that was easy to produce and could be served in ‘any situation’. With time spent in some of the harshest environments, such as deserts, the drink needed to have a good shelf life and be easy to reproduce. The tale goes that the general approached legendary barman Perico Chicote at the Ritz Hotel in Madrid, to forge such a beverage. While the idea of Chicote solely aiding in Panthers Milk’s creation makes a great story, most agree that the legion themselves had the biggest hand in bringing the mixture back from the front to the bars. While injured the soldiers would mix medical-grade alcohol with condensed milk for quick pain relief and later, once out and about it was upgraded to gin and other common liquors.

In the ensuing decades, panther milk largely disappeared. In the 1970s, however, it was resurrected by a newfound fervent fanbase: college students. Around 1975, a former Spanish Legionnaire opened a bar called La Barretina in an alley along Carrer de la Mercè. There, he began whipping up chilled bottles of the old favorite. Students flocked to this revolutionary cocktail, which became a staple in the area. La Barretina’s neighbours quickly caught on to the new trend. The bar across the street, Tasca El Corral, hopped on the bandwagon by making a less potent, more palatable pink version. La Barretina has since shuttered, but the neighbourhood’s “pink panther milk” (Leche de Pantera rosa) spot remains popular three decades later, and here is the contemporary recipe:

Pink Panther Milk Recipe

0.1 oz. BOLS Grenadine (do not add if you want white Panther milk)

0.9 oz. BOLS Triple Sec Curacao liquor

1.7 oz. Gin - any one you like but London Dry is best.

1.3 oz. Condensed Milk

Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top if you want

Serve chilled from the bottle or shake the ingredients into a mixer filled with ice, strain and serve.

Salud!

Online travel agent, loveholidays, looked for the sunniest European destinations. Where’s the best destination for Brits to escape the UK winter?

The best winter sun destinations are:

1. Almeria, Spain
2. Las Palmas, Spain
3. Larnaca, Cyprus
4. Cadiz, Spain
5. Seville, Spain
6. Valletta, Malta
7. Valencia, Spain
8. Faro, Portugal
9. Barcelona, Spain
10. Marseille, France

Almeria, in sunny Spanish Andalucia, was ranked the brightest city for a break in the winter sun.

The beautiful destination has an average of six hours and 18 minutes of sunshine between December and February.

Almeria’s top attraction is the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata, Andalucia’s largest protected coastal area.

A visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “We really enjoyed Cabo de Gata and went to Playa de Los Genoveses. The whole area was very unspoilt.”

Another said: “The views in this park are amazing. The seas, the mountains and especially the pine smell, make it worth a trip.”

Tourists can also visit the Alcazaba of Almeria, a fortified complex built in the time of the Moors.

A tourist wrote on Tripadvisor: “This is a magical place with incredible views. Well worth a visit- and we’ll come back!”

Almeria can enjoy highs of 16 degrees in January with the temperature rarely dropping below nine degrees.

Christmas is all but upon us. A time for traditions, celebration, gifts and, above all, joy: the day of the “Santos Inocentes”, cribs, family dinners, Three Kings’ parades, New Year’s grapes… Should you decide to spend your Christmas in Spain you will find a country transformed although not as it is back in the UK.  Excessive Christmas decorations, lights and cheesy Christmasy TV adverts are few and far between. If you are not careful you could even miss that fact that Christmas is around the corner... but then again, Christmas is celebrated differently here.

Calendar of Christmas Events:

December 8th – This is the public holiday of Immaculada (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) which marks the beginning of the religious Christmas celebrations. Most notable in Seville.

21st December – In a few cities including Granada the celebration of Hogueras (bonfires) takes place. This date marks the winter solstice (shortest day) and where it is celebrated involves people jumping through fires to protect themselves against illness.

22nd December – All over Spain people never stray far from a TV or radio as the Christmas lottery is drawn over a period of many hours. Everybody in Spain buys tickets for this lottery in the hope of winning El Gordo (the fat one) and the winning number usually means that a good number of people from the same village become a lot better off overnight. Besides the big three prizes there are thousands of smaller prizes shared by people all over Spain. You can buy Spanish Christmas lottery tickets online.

24th December – Christmas Eve is called Nochebuena in Spanish (The Good night) and it is the most important family gathering of the year. In the evening people often meet early for a few drinks with friends then return home to enjoy a meal with the family. Most bars and restaurants close in the evening. Seafood platters followed by meats or roast lamb would be a typical meal rounded off with a typically Christmas sweet called turrón which is a nougat made of toasted sweet almonds. Another typical festive sweet is called Polvorones which is made from almonds, flour and sugar. Cava, Catalan 'champagne' and Asturian cider, would be the chosen drinks for the Christmas toast though plenty of fine Spanish wines will also be consumed with the meal.

25th December – Children may receive a small gift on Nochebuena or on Christmas morning but the day for presents is still 6th January, The Epiphany, when the Three Kings bring gifts for the children. However, this tradition is starting to change with the younger parents as everyone realises that if they give their presents on Christmas day the kids have more time to play with them. Christmas Day is a national holiday in Spain so shops are closed yet it is not a day of great celebration but rather a calm day when people go out for a walk, drop into a bar, visit relatives etc. Another large family meal at lunchtime is common though it’s becoming more common to see families eating out on the afternoon of Christmas day.

28th December – This is the day of Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents) and is the equivalent of April Fools’ Day when people play practical jokes on one another. Often the national media will include a nonsense story in their broadcasts. In some villages youngsters light bonfires and one of them acts as the mayor who orders townspeople to carry out civic tasks such as sweeping the streets. Refusal to comply results in fines which are used to pay for the celebration.

31st December – New Year’s Eve is known as NocheVieja. To get involved, don’t forget to buy 12 grapes in advance. Why? According to Spanish tradition, everyone has to eat one grape in time with the striking of the clock at midnight. If you manage to eat them all on time, you will have a New Year full of luck. Although the New Year is broadcast on television, you will have an amazing time if you head for the main squares of towns and cities, normally the location of their clock towers. One of the most emblematic places to experience the celebration? Following the clock at Puerta del Sol Square in Madrid. There you will find thousands of people decked out with hats and squawkers joyfully toasting and welcoming in the New Year. Later on you can join one of the many parties held until dawn at hotels, bars and clubs 

1st January – A low key public holiday with plenty of people sleeping off their excesses.

5th January –  To ensure smiles on the children’s faces at Christmas, nothing better than the Three Kings Parade held on 5 January, the day before the feast of the Three Kings. In Spain it is the three Wise Men of the East, Melchoir, Caspar and Balthazar, who bring Christmas presents to children who have been good. Three Kings Parades, with their page-boys, camels and all kinds of weird and wonderful characters, make their way through the streets of villages, towns and cities all over Spain, to then leave gifts and toys at the houses. They are all spectacular, but special mention should be made of the one in Alcoi, in the province of Alicante, one of the oldest in Spain. Another is in Sierra Nevada where the Three Kings (Wise Men) can be seen to ski down to the village from the mountaintops.

6th January – This is the Feast of the Epiphany (Día de Los Reyes Magos) when the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem. For many Spanish children, this is still the most important day of the year when they wake up to find that Los Reyes Magos (the Three Kings/Wise Men) have left gifts for them in their house. Santa may leave them some token gifts on December 25th but the Three Kings are their favourites, but this may not be the case in years to come, Santa is gaining ground on the Kings. During the day of 6th, the Three Kings continue their good work and are seen distributing gifts to children in hospitals all over Spain.

7th January – The day after receiving their gifts children return to school, their parents go back to work and Christmas in Spain is all over for another year.

Depending on where you are this Christmas ...

“Feliz Navidad” from Spain
“Bon Nadal” from Catalonia and Valencia
“Gabon Zoriontsuak” from the Basque Country
“Bo Nadal” from Galicia

Would you like to play golf at any time of the year, enjoying springtime temperatures and a pleasant sea breeze? You can, in the Canary Islands: a veritable paradise for golf lovers, close to the beach and offering excellent services.

In the Canary Islands, you are sure to enjoy an ideal holiday playing golf. Many reasons make it possible: a privileged climate that enables you to play golf 365 days a year; spectacular, varied scenery including exceptional volcanic landscapes, beaches, mountains and nature reserves; a first-class infrastructure of services and leisure to satisfy every need and offering magnificent value for money; and, of course, an excellent variety of golf courses. Most courses are to be found on Tenerife and Gran Canaria, but there are also excellent fairways on the islands of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Gomera. There is no doubt about it: any time of the year is ideal for playing your favorite sport in the Canary Islands, where you can enjoy some truly extraordinary conditions.

Another attraction of playing golf in the Canary Islands is that you can try out different courses by simplymaking short trips around the islands without having to change accommodation. Wherever you go, you will find top quality, modern facilities with all the necessary conveniences. Fun, original courses dotted with bunkers of black, volcanic sand and surrounded by unique indigenous vegetation await you on the islands. You are sure to have fun overcoming the challenges they pose while admiring the fabulous views over the Atlantic ocean or the magnificent mountains that dominate the archipelago.

You will find courses to suit all tastes, ideal for both professional players and those who wish to improve their skill: from golf clubs that are venues for major PGA tournaments, such as the Tenerife Ladies Open, to courses for beginners or improving your game in a friendly, quiet atmosphere.

One of the clearest indications that the islands are perfect for golf is the abundance of available space: as well as the existing courses, many more are planned or are already being built and expected to be opened shortly. 

http://www.federacioncanariagolf.com