Laine's Alcaidesa Newsletter - December 2009
Hello Everyone
Well, the end of the year is nearly here and Christmas is even closer. It has been a strange year. Alcaidesa was quite busy throughout the summer months but it’s now rather quite.
I was hoping by the end of this year we would at least have had a supermarket and a few shops etc. around us but can now only hope they appear in the New Year. Saying that they are coming but we always seem to be waiting!!
What have I been reading lately, well, here goes:-
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Temperature in Spain
We have actually had the warmest October on record for more then 70 years. The average temperature has been around the 21.4 degrees.
November was another record-breaking month as the average temperature was 17.9 degrees instead of 15.1. November is normally one of the rainiest months of the year, but not this year so we can’t complain about the weather, this year has been great.
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Valderrama to host Andalucia Masters in 2010
The European Tour will reinforce its formidable partnership with Andalucía and the magnificent Club de Golf Valderrama in 2010 with the announcement that a new tournament, the Andalucía Masters, will join the Open de Andalucía on next year’s International Schedule.
The €3,000,000 event will be staged at Valderrama from October 28-31, 2010, and will be the last event of the year on The European Tour’s home continent before the season-ending finale of The Dubai World Championship in November.
A return to Valderrama, the iconic venue that played host to The Tour’s season-ending Volvo Masters for 21 glorious years, can only enhance the appeal of the Andalucía Masters.
Felipe Ortiz-Patiño, President of Club de Golf Valderrama, said: “Today is a giant step not only for Valderrama but for tourism in Andalucía. After a year of discussions and meetings, the Junta de Andalucia, The European Tour and Valderrama announce their intention to create a new event which will be one of Europe's most important and which, over the years, could establish itself as one of the ‘not to miss’ events on The European Tour calendar.
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Tom Cruise in Cadiz
Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have been in Cadiz for their new film Night and Day. Now, would you believe they had to stop filming because seven bulls they were using on the film escaped and raced through the city centre slightly injuring two ladies. The filming has been stopped until the Town Hall comes up with a better security plan.
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Miss World
The new Miss World, Kaiane Aldorino, was given a rapturous welcome on her return to the Rock yesterday. Several thousands people waving the red and white Gibraltar flag jam-packed the John Mackintosh square. "I am thrilled," she told the crowd from a balcony in the City Hall. "I knew it would be a big welcome, but not that big," she said.
Earlier, when driven through the Main Street to cheering crowds, she felt "on top of the world."
The parade through Main Street, in an open top car, took her from Casemates to the City Hall via Cathedral Square. The parade was preceded by the band of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
A spokesman for the Miss World organization, in Gibraltar for Kaiane's homecoming, said: "We've never had a welcome like Gibraltar's. It's the most special home-coming ever."
Prior to her appearance at the balcony, Francis Chipolina sang the ever-popular 'Llevame Donde Naci', followed by Nathan Payas singing the Gibraltar anthem.
Kaiane told the massive crowd that she was 'very proud'. "Dreams can come true," she added.
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Body Found
Work being carried out in a Road in Mijas gave local people a surprise when a worker digging a trench found a vault containing human bones. This vault apparently is typical of the Moorish era and now tests are being carried out to determine the origin of the remains.
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Burglars Arrested
I know people do not want to hear about Burglars but this was different.
Police arrested four people after they robbed a house in Marbella. Why is this different you may ask, well, the Police tracked the owner of the house, a lady, and surprisingly she did not even know her home had been broken into.
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Missing Pesetas
Who has all the missing Pesetas?
There are still Pesetas to the value of 1,746 million Euros out there somewhere. In September, up to 2 million euro’s worth of Pesetas were exchanged in notes. This is a million less then the month before and no coins were exchanged.
Did you know that the Pesetas were in use for 133 years and in January 2002 there were 48,750 million Euros worth in circulation, of which 46,230 million were notes and 2,520 million coins. Many of these have either been lost or in the hands of collectors.
If you have any Pesetas please note that they can only be exchanged in the Bank of Spain, which claims that there are less being exchange each month.
If I ask all of you to send me your old Pesetas maybe I could become a Millionaire!!
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Money from the Airlines
The EU Court of Justice has ruled that airline passengers who are delayed for more than 3 hours have the right to compensation. Passengers whose flights are cancelled with little or no warning or land more then 3 hours late can claim compensation of between 250 and 600 Euros and an alternative flight. Of course there are Rules – flights are only deemed cancelled if the passengers are taken to another flight later than their original estimated departure time. The airline is not obliged to compensate passengers if it can be proved that the delay was beyond their control. Technical problems with the aircraft are not considered the Airlines fault unless they derived from anything other than the normal use of the aircraft, so maybe not so easy to get your money!!
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A kitten is for Life
It’s the time of the year when many unwanted kittens and puppies will be found lost or abandoned on our streets, some in the most tragic of circumstances. There are a few places that take in abandoned cats and dogs to re-home them, but they are full to the capacity. So like us, you can help by giving one (or two) a good home.
These two don’t know how lucky they are:
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The Christmas Tree Fairy
This month I am going to end on the subject of Christmas and I think a Story for you.
Do any of you out there know how the tradition of the Fairy on the top of the Christmas tree began? No, then I think this is the story I’ll choose!!
THE CHRISTMAS TREE FAIRY
One Christmas Eve Santa jumped out of bed in the greatest of moods, he enjoys Christmas so much, what a wonderful day ahead for him.
Tea and toast to begin my day thought Santa and off he went to the Kitchen, toast in to toaster, O dear Santa no butter – tea bag in the cup O dear Santa no milk. Needless to say Santa was a little put out but no worry, lets get on thought Santa.
Off to see the Elves – what’s this, a note from the Elves they have decided today of all days to go on strike! O dear Santa is just a little more put out now, but never mind lets go to see the reindeer.
In the barn Santa found two reindeer being as sick as anything due to a batch of bad carrots – never mind thought Santa I have two spare Reindeer. On looking in on the two spare reindeer no one had told Santa they were both heavily pregnant. O dear, Santa was now maybe a little bad tempered.
Never mind thought Santa – Go home site by the lovely roaring fire and have a special glass of Christmas Port.
Entering the house Santa noticed how cold it was; poor Mrs Santa had no time to chop wood, especially with the elves on strike. Well, I will just have to do with the Christmas Port thought Santa.
O dear Santa the shelf was empty; Mrs Santa then explained that the Elves had already drunk the Christmas Port. Now Santa was getting a bit red in the face and very angry but No, there on the shelf was the Christmas Whiskey. Taking the whiskey from the shelf it just slipped through Santa’s fingers and smashed on the stone floor.
Well, that just about finished Santa off he was now at boiling point and just about to blow his top when there was a knock at the door.
There standing on his doorstep was the most beautiful Fairy he had ever seen and she began to tell Santa about the wonderful Christmas Gift she had brought for him. The Fairy had brought Santa the prettiest Christmas Tree she could find and sweetly said to Santa where would you like me to put this tree.
Thus the tradition of the Fairy on the Christmas Tree had begun.
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I wish Everyone I have meet this year, all the People I work with and Everybody who might be reading this –
Happy Christmas and a Great New Year.
Until next Year,
Elaine
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