Laine's Alcaidesa Newsletter - January 2008

Hello Everybody

Christmas is over and the decorations have been put away for another year and at last I am getting my house back to normal. It seems to me that I have spent most of the festive season in the kitchen either cooking or tidying up.

What weather we have had, the storms and rain have been incredible, in Estepona most of the sand has been blown away and washed from the beach. Motorways closed and vehicles trapped in tunnels. In Churriana more than 20 cars become stranded in a restaurants car park.

Well another year has begun and I hope it will be a good year for everybody. Hopefully a lot of people will be visiting Alcaidesa and enjoying the sun, beach and of course Golf.

If you are coming to see us why not take a look around the local attractions.

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Local Attractions

The Museum of the Catacombs in Ronda, which has recently re-opened after a facelift. You could see 20 codices dating from between the 5th and 6th centuries. Some of these works are unique in the world – for example Carlos VII’s Book of the Hours valued at about 9000 euros. The museum is in the crypt of Santa Maria Encarnacion La Mayor Church.

Two baby red pandas have been born at Selwo Aventura, Estepona, they have been named Laura and Amador. Why not visit the zoo or even the nearer zoo at Castellar.

We went to Jimena de la Frontera and had a walk around the old ruins yesterday and also had a good lunch in a local restaurant. We had a small salad each, two whites wines and a large beer and the cost was only 10.00 euros.

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New International School in Alcaidesa

In the ceremony for the laying of the first stone, the head teacher of Sotogrande International School, Christopher Charleston, announced that La Alcaidesa International School will be a reality in September 2009
The project, backed by the mayor of La Línea, Juan Carlos Juárez, will have the cooperation of the school located in Sotogrande Alto and the Alcaidesa business group.

The new centre, with a capacity of 1,000 students, will have an innovative design which includes an indoor gymnasium, a heated pool, a football ground and a theatre, in addition to the canteen and the classrooms, production and recording studios, a psychomotricity room and a photographic studio. The architectural project was executed by the McLundie studios.

According to the architect, Francis Trico, one of the aims was to integrate the building with the life of the community living in La Alcaidesa, hence the theatre is located at the entrance to the school so that it can be easily accessed by residents.

In his presentation talk on the project, Christopher Charlston underlined that the main aim of the new school is to achieve effective learning and to instill the children with a commitment to global awareness, all of which will be done through programmes that will ensure bilingualism.

The students will also have access to IT resources as a support tool for their studies, which the school’s managers see as essential for meeting the challenges of the 21st Century.

Two portals will be launched: the Learning Platform Portal, which will allow the students to access information relating to their course from the school, from home, or even when travelling; and the Learning Gateway Portal, which will allow parents to obtain up-to-date and useful information on their children at any time.

SERVICES
La Alcaidesa International School will offer a complete programme of services which includes a school guidance and support office both for students with specific study needs and those with a high academic standard.

The pupils will also have an extensive network of buses that will cover routes from La Línea, La Alcaidesa, Sotogrande, San Roque, Tarifa and Marbella.

Another significant aspect is the existence of a well-equipped infirmary, with qualified medical personnel, and the launch of a school health scheme.

The school will also have an ethical and moral scheme that will guide students during their education.

PROJECT
For the construction of the new school, La Línea Town Council granted the use of 14,410 square metres of the municipal land. The first stone of the project was laid by the mayor of La Línea, Juan Carlos Juárez and the head teacher of SIS, Christopher Charleston, before the attentive gaze of members of the town’s governing body, Alcaidesa, Sotogrande International School and representatives of the McLundie studio.

Another significant aspect of the agreement reached is the publication of grants for pupils from La Línea and for students with disabilities. The initiative will also create jobs, with an estimated 60 new positions.

The project is backed by Sotogrande International School’s 30 years of experience.

Mayor of La Línea, Juan Carlos Juárez and the head teacher of SIS, Christopher Charleston.

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New Shopping Mall in Sotogrande

Management of Urban Development has granted planning permission to the company Sotodepaniagua for the construction of a new shopping mall in Sotogrande. This project, scheduled to begin this year, will also include local entertainment and offices. The building will be between Sotomarket and Sotogolf, opposite Pueblo Nuevo.

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Pueblo Nuevo Service Road and link to Sotomarket by Underground Passage

The eagerly awaited building work on the Pueblo Nuevo service road is due to begin after Christmas. Residents of the Guadiaro Valley have been demanding the new road for some time and if all goes to plan it will be completed before next summer, with the addition of an underground passage for pedestrians.

The announcement was made by the socialist MP Salvador de la Encina, stand-in mayor Juan Antonio Ledesma, councilor Juan José Guillén and state roads director for Cadiz, Miguel Ángel Somolins, in a press conference.

Malaga firm Obras, Caminos y Redes will be responsible for starting the work in January, and leaving Pueblo Nuevo via the service road should be possible within a period of six months.

The project, with a budget of 1,744,000 Euros, will help to free Avenida Los Canos of traffic, and in addition it has been announced that an underground passage between Pueblo Nuevo and the Sotogrande shopping area will be built.

The underground passage that will link Pueblo Nuevo with Sotomarket will be built by a private company with the support of the authorities and, although yet to be decided, the same joint venture that has been awarded the contract for the service road is expected to do the work.

The underground passage will be built at the same time as the service road, without delaying the already approved project.

Councilor for planning and stand-in mayor, José Antonio Ledesma, underlined that “it is only right that this project will be getting underway because, among the deficiencies in San Roque’s road links, this was one of the principal issues which the public had been crying out for in protests over a period of ten years”.

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Olives and Olive Oil

Olive oil and table olives are very beneficial for health and the backbone of the Mediterranean diet, low in saturated fatty acids and rich in carbohydrates and fiber.
The table olive has a high energy content due to its concentration of lipids, and it also possesses proteins, vitamins and minerals.
100 grams of olives provide around 150 calories. Virgin olive oil contains vitamin E, so it is particularly recommendable for children and the elderly. It is also rich in antioxidants and, although it is a fat, it has been demonstrated that families who consume olive oil every day lead a healthy life and avoid excessive weight gain. It also provides vitamin A, making it a good protector of eyesight.

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Hangover Cures

I know it is a bit late now but I have been reading about Hangover Cures and as usual some of the ideas are a bit odd.

1. Throw it all up before bedtime and drink a pint of water.
2. A couple of paracetamol with a pint of water before you go to bed. The water helps stop dehydration, but the paracetamol will stop you waking at 5.00 am when the headache starts.
3. Eat a banana sandwich – Bananas contain sugar in the form of fructose and potassium. Which is one of the things you lose lots of when drinking.
4. Marmite on toast – Gives you a Vitamin B top up – you either love it or hate it!!
5. Cold Pizza – Who knows why but it works – so they say.
6. If you can stay in bed and sleep all day.

Sometimes I wonder who thinks these articles up, have you tried any of these? I just stay in bed that works for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year,

Elaine

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