Shopkeepers and offices have obviously been inspired by the trend, the commercial centre being adorned with Christmas lights and   ‘pasqueros’ in every corner. At the Plaza Madrid there is a huge white cone decorated with stars, reminding me of the hats the star boys wear in the Saint Lucia processions in Scandinavia.

The old magnolia trees at plaza de Los Magnolios, which had to be cut due to old age and disease, have now been replaced by new ones and the whole square has been given a ‘face lift.’ Similar renovations are going on in many places in the town centre.

The taxi driver who drove me, and my husband, home from a ‘mulled wine’ party some days ago said that all this is due to ‘the feminine touch.’ Of course we have to thank many men and women for their efforts to beautify our town, but especially our new mayor Trinidad Herrera, who has also set out to restore places in need of repair.

Our thanks also go to the councillor for Fiestas and Relaciones Institutionales, Maria del Mar Medina, who got the idea to borrow some left over decorations from Malaga in order to create a fantastic Christmas atmosphere in spite of shortage of money in the communal till.

When swallowing our grapes on New Year’s Eve we have many wishes to make, on a personal as well as a general level. On the general level, the wishes I will make is that the European Union will come to some concrete and final solution regarding the future of the EU, and that the governments in Europe will finally stop overspending and that they will find a way out of the catastrophic unemployment situation.

The New Year will be a challenging one in many ways. The European Union is going through its worst crisis, and the measures taken so far seem to be more or less ‘band aid’ solutions.

The overall unemployment figures are higher than ever, nearing 30% in some regions. While general unemployment figures in Europe vary, the north European countries present the best statistics; youth unemployment seems to be a global problem. Almost wherever you look, the figures for youth unemployment are appallingly high. Here in Andalucia about 40 % amongst15-24 year olds are unemployed. Many people, old as well as young depend on charity to make ends meet.

In Almuñécar, Caritas are doing a fantastic job to help people getting through everyday life. A good promise for 2012 is to help Caritas by giving food, clothes or money for the benefit of those in need. The churches of Encarnación and El Salvador are open for contributions daily. Details regarding times etc. are posted at the church entrances.

With best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
P.S. One personal wish for 2012 is that the Andalusians would learn how to drive in the roundabouts they are so good at decorating.

As always, Zoe is offering handmade, quality pieces that cannot be found anywhere else and if you are thinking of a New Year’s resolution… they are planning a fine art course, which will begin in January.

For more information check out the website at www.indigointeriors.es or visit the shop in C/Gonzalo Barbero 12, La Herradura. Tel. 958 640 632.

The Councillor for Institutional Relations, Maria del Mar Medina, also held a meeting with the Chairman of the Asociacion del Centro Comerical Abierto, which is an association of all the shops and businesses in the town centre.

As its Chairman, Diego Jimenez, says, things are going to be tight this Christmas, so it’s hard to find the funds to brighten the streets, both physically and figuratively:

“I realise that we’re all going through the same tight spot and we cannot ask our neighbours to spend what they do not have, but what we’re trying to put over is if they do some shopping, they should it in the Almuñécar and La Herradura businesses and shops. To do that, we will have to offer them competitive prices, good customer service and activities that motivate them to visit our establishments,” he said.

The message is clear: Almuñécar traders have to cut prices to bring them as near as possible to big department stores and supermarkets – it’s impossible to equal them – but in turn, people from the town should spend whatever they can afford within the town to keep small businesses afloat.

Everybody should make sacrifices and an effort to help each other, basically, but isn’t that what Christmas Spirit is supposed to be all about, anyway?

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(News: Almunecar/Herradura, Costa Tropical, Grandada, Andalucia)

After Christmas day, with the weather perking up a bit, some stalls made determined showing, which was appreciated by the townsfolk, as it did lend a bit of a festive air to a demoralised Christmas.

More that 40 times: Madrid (76), Barcelona (47)

Between 11 and 39 times: Valencia (18), Sevilla (16), Málaga (13), Cádiz (12)Up to 10 times: Alicante (10), Vizcaya (10), Zaragoza (10), Murcia (8), Asturias (8), Cantabria (8), Badajoz (7), Islas Baleares (7), Granada (7), Guipúzcoa (6), Córdoba (5), Burgos (4), A Coruña (4), Lérida (4), Navarra (4), Álava (3), Ciudad Real (3), Cuenca (3), La Rioja (3), Lugo (3), Segovia (3), Almería (2), Castellón (2), Girona (2), Guadalajara (2), Jaén (2), Las Palmas (2), León (2), Palencia (2), Pontevedra (2), Toledo (2), Valladolid (2), Albacete (1), Cáceres (1), Huesca (1), Soria (1), Tenerife (1), Teruel (1)

Provinces where it has never ‘visited:’ Ávila, Huelva, Orense, Salamanca, Tarragona, Zamora

As the prizes come out, we will update this article, however, if you prefer to watch it for yourself, you can follow it at http://www.rtve.es/sorteos/loteria-navidad/directo/.. These prize quantities pertain to the whole number, not to los decimos; i.e., a single ticket, which as their name suggests, is a tenth part.

Standby…

09.33h: 1st Fifth Prize: 75,869 worth 50,000 euros, sold in Galicia, Cataluña and Castellón…

09.56h: 2nd Fifth Prize: 73,684 worth 50,000 euros, sold in Barcelona, Coruña, Madrid & Valencia..

10.10h: 3rd Fifth Prize: 77,992 worth 50,000 euros, sold in Asturias, Madrid & Vizcaya…

10.16h: 1st Fourth Prize: 57,896 worth 200,000 euros, sold in Granada, Barcelona Cáceres & Toledo…

10.30h: 2nd Fourth Prize: 25,506 worth 200,000 euros, sold in Barcelona, Córdoba & Asturias…

10.43h: 4th Fifth Prize: 69,069 worth 50,000 euros, sold in Palma de Mallorca…

10.52h: 1st Second Prize: worth 00147 worth 1,000,000 euros, sold in Vélez Benaudalla, just above Motril, and about half a dozen other places around the country…

10.56h: 5th Fifth Prize: 34,141 worth 50,000 euros, sold in Madrid…

11.15h:First Prize, 79,250 worth THREE MILLION EUROS, sold in Madrid, Barcelona, Murcia, Cáceres, Murcia, Guipuzcua, Palencia, Alicante

The Trocadero has the pleasure of offering a winter’s carte, whose content comprises of Game Meat, Homely Hot Casseroles & Stews, Macrobiotic Cuisine, Alicantino-Style Rice, Red Meats from North of Spain, Artisan Foie Gras, Exclusive National Cheeses, a selection of homemade desserts and much more.

El Trocadero is also doing firm dinners, fom Christmas and New Year’s Eve. For further information, phone 958 88 07 47

When a loved one passes away, suddenly and without warning, it is heart-shattering. It is also hard to come to terms with the fact that you will never see or speak to that person again. You will forever miss them. You will never have that last opportunity to tell them how much you valued, appreciated and loved them.

Naturally, the sudden death of a loved one also makes you realize what is truly important in life and just how short life can be. In my case, I started to think about my family and friends – how they enrich my life and help to give it meaning. My original plan was to fly to Vancouver for three weeks. My step-dad was going to take care of Chekko, my dog, while I was away. My step-dad had bought a ticket to fly to Vancouver three days after my return to Spain. He wanted to be home with the family for the holidays.

Of course, his death changed everything. My mother was in total despair, having lost her life partner of 35 years. When she asked me if there was any way I could change my ticket (and also bring my dog) so I could stay in Vancouver for the holidays, I didn’t hesitate. It was quite the challenge, as I only had one week to arrange it all. But if there is a will, there is a way. I don’t care that it has cost me a fortune (580 € for the dog alone), because after what happened, valuable time with the family is priceless. The memories I will have with them will last a lifetime.

I have also decided that rather than buying my family Christmas presents this year, I am going to give them something from my heart and soul. I am going to write each of them a long beautiful and personalized letter. I want to tell them how and why they are so special to me, how grateful I am that they are in my life and how much I love them. Lest I should never have that chance again, because life is short and we never know what might happen.

Christmas is around the corner and these are hard times. However, the best gift is one from the heart – and doesn’t necessarily cost money, but rather a bit of your time. So I’d like to share some of my gift ideas with you:

If you are musically inclined, you could write a song or piece of music for a loved one, or simply play a tune for them. You can also use your creative talent to write a poem, knit a scarf, and make a drawing or piece of artwork. You can make your own gift certificate valid for any number of things, such as cleaning someone’s home, washing their car, babysitting their children, or minding their pets.

You can offer to do all of the household chores for a week, give a massage, or cook a nice meal. You could make a CD with all the digital photos you have of your friends or family members and give that as a gift. We all seem to have so many photos yet sometimes forget to share them. Making a photo collage is another idea. Perhaps, you have items that you don’t use anymore and could pass on. As they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

Volunteering is another gift of giving. There are countless organizations that are desperate to find people willing to donate their time. As Christmas nears, remember to cherish what is most important in your life and that the best gift of all is love. Happy Holidays!

There are lots of reasons for people to overdo it at Christmas; perhaps you need a little something to take the edge off things, if you are heading off to see your family. There is nothing like some unresolved issues with your parents or continuous sibling rivalry to really fuel the emotions over the festive dinner table.

Maybe you need to take the edge off over-bearing parents, who want to spend every spare minute of the holiday with you. Maybe it is dealing with the visit to your in-laws, which pushes you to having a couple of drinks. Maybe it is the financial stresses of Christmas, where there seem to be so many presents to buy and not enough money to stretch.
Maybe it is a problem with time. Not enough time to fit in all you need to do …Christmas Eve with friends, Christmas Day with your family, Boxing Day with the in-laws etc. Maybe you have too much time on your hands! No work for 10 days, as many businesses close during that time. If you drink excessively for any of these reasons, change your thought process and be a little more grateful for all the things that are good in your life. Don’t be so selfish and judgemental of others.

Maybe Christmas is just a good excuse to be excessive (guilty). Too much beer, too much food, too many chocolates, too many late nights, too much time slouched in front of the TV watching greatest TV moments repeated again and again. Christmas is one of those times of the year that it is acceptable (if not expected) for people to drink more. The same reason people drink at 8 o’clock in the morning at the airport when they are going on holiday. Normally you wouldn’t even consider drinking in the morning unless you have a drink problem or unless you were on the way home from the night before (Medinas: wine and hot-pork bocadillo; highly recommended!)

Key indicators that you have had too much will include the fact that you can focus better with one eye closed or you start buying shots like its someone else’s money (my husband), or when you believe you are the best dancer in Almuñécar and dance to the sound of the fruit machine to prove it!

Dr. Nutt’s research that gave alcohol a most-dangerous, top score of 72 out of 100 also scored cocaine at 27, tobacco at 26 and cannabis at 20. The great news for vegetarians is that magic mushrooms only scored 5. That could make an interesting addition to the Christmas menu this year…with Auntie Ethel tripping to the sound of Jingle Bells!

Whatever the motivation, remember to drink responsibly and be careful not to spill any. Red wine is really difficult to get out of your party frock! Take care and Merry (no pun intended) Christmas.

Take the cholera epidemic in Haiti, the coal mining tragedy in New Zealand and the tragic stampede at the Phnom Penh Water Festival in Cambodia, not to mention the economic crisis in Ireland, which will have severe effects on the whole EU-economy and might trigger a snowball effect within the Union.

And Spain, especially Andalucía, is hit by the worst unemployment rate for decades and here in Almuñécar many people have great difficulties in making ends meet in their everyday life. For many families there is no question of extra Christmas-spending. People who are better off can help by contributing to Caritas, the Red Cross or by arranging events, the revenues of which go through different charity organizations to those in need of help.

All this makes you long for a quiet Christmas holiday, like in the olden days. I remember my Christmas holidays on my grandfather’s farm house in Ostrobothnia on the east coast of Finland.

On Christmas Eve, after the cows had been milked and the horses fed, we had a nice Christmas dinner with ham, lute fish and rice porridge. When the Christmas gifts had been handed out by Santa Claus, my grandfather reappeared and sat down in his rocking chair singing Christmas carols and reading the Christmas Gospel to us children. Early on Christmas morning when it was still dark, we went to church in sleighs with jingling bells on a snowy road lined by hundreds of blinking candles in the farmhouse windows. Those were the days.

Christmas 2010 we will celebrate in Almuñécar, according to Spanish traditions, with fish, seafood, turrón and Cava and the twelve grapes on New Year’s Eve. To get something of the ‘country feeling,’ we will visit our friends in the village of Saleres in the Lecrín Valley, south of Granada.

Saleres is one of the most traditional and less-developed villages in the valley, but it has a unique feel to it. You see the men folk working with the mules and the women sweeping their paths and chatting with each other and with passing folk. The people of Saleres are delightful, polite and helpful. It seems that everybody is related, if not brother and sister, then as ‘primo’ or cousin. The village is full of characters, nearly all on the old side, since the young people have gone off to find work in Granada or Barcelona.

We will have a drink and tapas in the village bar in the main square, the door hidden behind an old striped curtain. Only the village men go in there, but tourists are welcome as couples also. After the drink, we will take a stroll down to the beautiful old church, which is highlighted in many guide books. The day will end with a typical ‘post-matanza’ dinner with ham, morcilla and longaniza.

After an eventful autumn, our Nordic associations will end their season with a Christmas bazaar in the clubhouse, followed by a glögg party on December 8th and the traditional Swedish Lucia celebration in Chinasol on December 13th. Feliz Navidad, God Jul, Merry Christmas!

Restaurante Maspalomas

Traditional Christmas Lunch 25th at14.00h
Prawn Cocktail – Roast Turkey, Roast Potatoes, Traditional Veg., (Sprouts, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower & leeks) Cranberry Sauce & Gravy – Christmas dessert – Bottle of Rioja per couple. Coffee – Nougats & Marzipans. €25 IVA included.

Christmas Eve Dinner
Cava Cocktail – Jamón Ibérico – Timbale of vegetables, Monkfish and King Prawns – Fillet of Plaice in Champagne Sauce, boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables – or – Traditional Stuffed Turkey: Chestnuts, Plums, Apricot, Red Cabbage and Blueberry Sauce. Followed by a selection of Christmas Desserts – Nougats & Marzipans. Drinks: 1 Bot Vino Rioja Crianza – or – Vino Blanco Rinsol – Agua Mineral, Café. €35 VAT included.

New Year’s Eve Dinner at 20:00h
Cava Cocktail – Jamón Ibérico, Truffled Paté with Cold Meats, Caramelised Onion – Steamed King Prawns in two Sauces – Cream Soup of Crab – Sirloin Steak in Wild Mushroom Sauce with Potatoes and Steamed Vegetables – Christmas Dessert. Drinks: 1 Rioja Crianza Bordon (per 2 pers.) – or – Vino Blanco Rinsol – Party Bag – Traditional 12 Grapes, glass of Cava – Churros con Chocolate – Free bar until 2am. Price per person €70 IVA included. Please reserve before 20th Dec.

Arrayanes Festive Menus

Traditional Christmas Lunch 25th at 14.00h
Cava and Orange – Prawn Cocktail in Two Sauces – Roast Turkey, Roast Potatoes, Traditional Veg., Cranberry Sauce & Gravy – Christmas dessert – Crianza Bordon Red Wine/ Rinsol White Wine. Mineral Water, Coffee – Nougats & Marzipans, Brandy/Coñac, Xmas Party Bag – Live Music: Bagpipes with Patrick Wight. €40 IVA included.

New Year’s Eve Dinner at 20:00h
Cava Cocktail – Jamón Ibérico (Bellota), Truffled Paté with Cold Meats, Caramelised Onion – King Prawn Skewers, wrapped in Bacon – Grilled Scallop a la Gallega – Crab Cream Soup – Sirloin Steak in Wild Mushroom Sauce with Potatoes and Steamed Vegetables – Christmas Dessert. Drinks: 1 Rioja Crianza Bordon (per 2 pers.) – or – Vino Blanco Rinsol – Party Bag – Traditional 12 Grapes, Bottle of Cava (2 pers) – Churros con Chocolate – Live Music: 23.00h with Patrick Wight and his multi-instrument show. Price per person €65 IVA included. Special accommodation offer on the night, plus breakfast (parking included) €20 supplement. Please reserve before 20th Dec

Iguana Festive Menus

Christmas Day
Aperitivo de la Casa – Homemade ‘Fois Gras,’Salmon Tartare, Pumpkin Soup – Duck á l’Orange – Dark Chocolate & Mint Mousse – Glass of Cava with Xmas Cake, Mince Pies. 35 €

New Years Eve
Aperitivo de la Casa – New Year’s ‘Fois Gras, ’French Onion Soup, Fish & Seafood Casserole – Roast Lamb with Gratin Dauphinois & Vegetables – Mandarin Mousse – Glass of Cava with Christmas Cake – Grapes & Mince Pies. €45

Reina Sofía

New Year’s Menu
An aperitif – Dates filled with Creamed Peanut with Jamón Ibérico, accompanied by Fino/Martini or Beer – Cashew Panna Cotta with Razor Clams in an Orange sauce and Squid Ink – Shrimp Tempura, Mountain Potatoes, Vegetable Strips in Prawn Sauce, covered in ‘Amarga y Pica’ Olive Oil of the province. – Cod in Normandy Sauce, garnished with Mussels and Strips of Plaice and Crispy Bread – Vodka & Lemon Sorbets – Duck Tournedos with Foie, accompanied by Stuffed Peppers and Red-Wine Sauce – Chocolate Cannelloni on a White Fondue base, Red Fruits with Crispy Muesli & Pistachio Crumbs. Includes a Glass of Cava, Party Bag and Midnight Grapes. Price €65 per person.

Arbol Blanco Festive Menus

Christmas Menu
Select Antipasto Ibérico – Voulouté d’Oiseau – Lemon Sorbet al Romero – Stuffed Roast Turkey with Sweet-Potato Purée and potatoes – Christmas Roll. Price €26

New Year’s Dinner
Welcoming Drink – Selection of Iberíco Salmantino – Bouillabaisse Soup – Sorbet de Mojito – Steak Diane with a lamina of Foie, accompanied with Risotto Falso (potato) and shredded truffle – Dessert of 3 Chocolates with iced Vanilla and Crunchy Caramel – Bottle of Crianza per couple, Party Bag, Glass of Champagne and Midnight Grapes. Price €55.

Los Laureles

New Year’s Menu
Glass of Cava, strawberry pearls – Lobster Consummé – Tuna Carpaccio, Crab Croquettes, Coriander Pesto, Sweet & Sour Dressing or Foie Gras Mousse, Roast Quail, Fried Eggs, Bacon Celeriac Puree, Tokaji Reduction – Wild Sea Bass, Stuffed Baby Squid, Vegetable Ratatoille, Olive Dressing or Roast Venison Loin, Confit Shoulder, Doulphnoise Potatoes, Braised Cabbage Shallot Jus – Passion Fruit Sorbet – Chocolate Tube, Strawberry Mousse, Strawberry & Cointreau Ice Cream or Apple Soufflé, Vanilla Ice Cream, Peanut Crackling Cava & Grapes Price: 60 euros