Travel Man: 48 Hours in Valencia.

Not exactly Almeria but only 4 hours up the coast.

Travel man in Valencia

If you haven’t seen this long running channel four series you are missing the best travel show since Rob Brydon and Alan partridge climbed aboard for “The Trip” This week he has the lovely Sara Pascoe for company, lucky man!

This week the sarky but entertaining Richard Ayoade is soaking up the history and culture of Spain’s third largest city with Sara Pascoe. Among the highlights: a paella lesson-turned-Wicker Man-style ritual, which Ayoade says is “a compelling argument for Deliveroo”; discovering the super-alcoholic Agua de Valencia, which leaves them both worse for wear; and ditching the city’s cultural centre to go zorbing. Hannah J Davies in The Guardian.

If you haven’t seen the show this clip gives a flavour of what to expect.

Vera Fiesta 2017

VERA FAIR AND FESTIVALS IN HONOR OF SAN CLEOFÁS 2017, 21 to 25 September.

 

Vera Fiesta 2017

 

The annual fiesta and a promise of late nights starts on 21st September with one of the highlights for some people being the bullfights.

More information regarding the bullfight.

Reservation of tickets and more information can be obtained on the following telephone numbers: 676 385 583 – 650 275 262, and on the website: www.grupovientobravo.es

Vera Fiesta Bullfight 2017

Pilgrimage in Honor of Our Lady Virgen de las Huertas. In Vera.

The first weekend in September is marked on the calendars of Vera´s people. Tradition dictates that they join a pilgrimage to honor the Virgen de las Huertas (Virgin of the orchards). The shrine is a simple building of local architectural tradition dating back to the sixteenth century.

Romeria Hermitage

Given that the patron saint of Vera is the Virgen de las Angustias (Virgin of Sorrows), this is not a major celebration. However, devotion brings neighbors to the shrine located on the outskirts of the town year after year. The pilgrimage is held to pay homage to the people of Lorca who assisted Vera´s population when the town was besieged by the Moorish king Aben Humeya in 1569.

In fact, the city of Lorca did not have to intervene. The Moorish king turned back when he heard relief was on its way shortly after the attack on Vera’s walls had already begun. Thus began the memory and gratitude towards the patron of Lorca.

The celebration is marked by parades of horse drawn carriages that are colourfully decorated flowers and it wouldn’t be Spain without some loud music and dancing. The parade passes the local roads and reaches it’s destination at the Heritage. There the party will continue with Flamenco dancing music and fireworks until late in the night.

On Sunday it will all start again and will include a large Paella and a Children’s Piñatas Contest. There are some links and a google translation of the programme below. Sounds like fun!

ROMERIA VIRGEN DE LAS HUERTAS 2017 PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES

SATURDAY 2

17:00 h. Begin the journey from La Legua through the usual roads, with all those floats and horses that want to accompany to the hermitage to snack.
9:30 p.m. Performance of the Flamenco Dance Academy “Las Chibancas”
10:30 p.m. Fiesta with the performance of “Ensía de Almería”
00:00 h. Great Musical Piro Show.

SUNDAY 3

11:30 a.m. “Pilgrimage of the Virgin of the Huertas” from its hermitage to make the habitual route.
We want to encourage everyone to participate in our Pilgrimage, dressing in the typical costumes, as well as decorating floats and vehicles without missing horses and riders to give a great color and splendor.
The Queens and Ladies of Honor for children and youth 2016 paraded in a chariot adorned for the occasion, accompanying our Virgin of the Huertas.
2:00 p.m. Arrival of the Romería to the Hermitage and we will be able to taste a paella.
5:30 p.m. Awarding of prizes of the Children’s Piñatas Contest, we encourage all the children to present their original piñata.
6:45 p.m. Performance of the flamenco group “Virgen de las Huertas”
7:30 p.m. Holy Mass officiated by our parish priest D. Carlos Fortes García, accompanied by the Choir of the Fraternity of Our Lady of Rocio de Garrucha.
Then, as is traditional, the Raffle will be held in honor of Our Lady of the Huertas several prizes that will be displayed at the entrance of the hermitage.
To end the party we will have the live music performance of “El Bartolico”

Here you can see some photos and videos of previous years.

A map of the location, click at the top right to enlarge.

Shrine Of Our Lady Of The Orchards
Shrine Of Our Lady Of The Orchards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Romeria Programme

Dolphins Off The Cabo de Gata

This fantastic film was shot by the Guadia Civil off the coast of the Cabo de Gata a couple of days  ago.

The Cabo de Gata is about 30 minutes drive from Finca Arboleda and offers fantastic landscape and gorgeous beaches.

5 Tips for a day at the Cabo de Gata

A guide to the Cabo de Gata

Sweet California Come To Vera

Sweet California

Sweet California are a popular female Spanish band and they will perform in the Bullring on Saturday.

Formed by Sonia Gómez, Alba Reig and Tamy Nsue. They have achieved success thanks to the albums  “Break of Day”, “Head for the stars” , with which they were awarded discs of gold and platinum in Spain, with their last album “3” again set to break records of sales they will tour throughout 2017.  Sweet California  have more than 300,000 followers on  Twitter  and 500,000 on  Facebook , plus more than 85 million views of videos on  Youtube . Sweet California’s songs on Spotify  have been heard by more than 390,000 people.

Enjoy singing along with  Sweet California to the songs that you know by heart,  “Vuelves”, “Hum”, “Good life”, “Empire”  and many more.  Do not miss out on the chance to enjoy Sweet California in concert, on a night you will never forget. The popularity and affection  Sweet California are receiving is growing all the time, both in Spain and Latin America, where they will arrive in 2017 with the “Ladies tour” . They are in great form and they have already obtained Platinum Discs, with more than 100,000 discs sold, as well as  MTV Awards and Prizes Los 40 . Now they are coming to the city … Come on!

Prices: There is a single price for the Vera concert, € 21 (General). Tickets for the Sweet California concert in Vera are available on the RedEntradas.com website and on the phone 958 10 81 81 (Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.). Also on the official website of Sweet California.

You can catch a taste of them here if you can not wait until 22.00 on Saturday.

A Few Words From happy Guests

Just a few words from a happy couple who left the Orange Grove yesterday.

 

La casa està genial,un entorno muy tranquilo y una piscina con el agua buenísima,tanto que dan ganas de pasarte el día ahí metido. La casa también muy completa,tal y como se describe. Sin duda repetiré. Azahara, from Airbnb

The house is great, a very quiet environment and a pool with very good water , so much so that it makes you want to spend the day there. The house also very complete and as described. I will definitely return.

 

Feria Gallega Del Marisco

Vera Seafood fayre The GALLEGA DEL MARISCO FAIR is on in Vera.

From 13 to 23 July at the El Palmeral Exhibition Centre. Free admission. Open from 12 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to midnight. More information on tel. 666103447

If you love fresh seafood this is a must, we went a couple of years ago and it was tasty and interesting to try dishes that are not easily available locally, washed down with a glass (or  two) of Albariño.

Yummy, try it for yourself.

Vera Seafood fayre

 

Lorca Castle Invaded By “Hairy Bikers”

BBC-Hairy-Bikers-chefs-LorcaThe BBC chefs “The Hairy Bikers” were in Lorca a few weeks ago to film for their new series on Mediterranean cuisine which will air in February 2018.

Lorca Castle is about 40 minutes from Finca Arboleda just over the border in Murcia. It was built between the 9th and 15th centuries. It consists of a series of defensive structures that, during the Middle Ages, made the town and the fortress an impregnable point in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula. Lorca Castle was a key strategic point of contention between Christians and Muslims during the Reconquista. It is listed as a Site of Cultural Interest.

Archaeological excavations have revealed that the site of the castle has been inhabited since Neolithic times. There were archaeological excavations conducted between 1999 and 2011, in conjunction with other excavations conducted in the centre of the town of Lorca. The excavations revealed the existence of an Argaric town that extended from the castle to the actual site of the current town. The excavations revealed funerary sites, homes, and a wall.

During Muslim rule, Lorca Castle was an impregnable fortress and its interior was divided into two sections by the Espaldón Wall. In the western part, there was an area used to protect livestock and grain in times of danger. The eastern part had a neighbourhood called the barrio de Alcalá.

Lorca was conquered by the Castilian Infante Don Alfonso, the future Alfonso X, in 1244, and the fortress became a key defensive point against the Kingdom of Granada. For 250 years, Lorca Castle was a watchpoint on the border between the Christian kingdom of Murcia and the Muslim state of Granada.

The Castle is well worth a visit and entry costs from only €4 They have lots of events there and the night visits look lovely. Their web site in English has loads of information Castle website

Car Hire Tips

car_holiday_hireOne of the most asked questions we get from guests is “Who Do You Recommend For car Hire?”

This year guests have been picking up some absolute bargains with prices from 5 Euros a day! We always suggest buying an independent insurance policy to avoid the hard sell when you collect your vehicle, but be aware this will probably mean the hire company will put a large retainer on your credit card.

Another thing to consider is the fuel, if you are not going to use a full tank, a full out, full in policy may be best for you.

Automatics seem to be at a premium so make sure you book early if this is important for you.

We also have a few tips on http://www.fincaarboleda.com/carhire.html

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at holiday@fincaarboleda.com