La Vuelta Route Through Garrucha Has Been Updated.
It has been very hard to find exact information about the route La Vuelta will take through Garrucha and Mojacar but Garrucha town hall have posted this, so you would hope they know which roads need to be closed.
It is fairly self explanatory but is different to the last route I published. I f anyone knows the exact route further along please let me know.
If you’re in the UK be sure to catch the highlights at least, they are on ITV 4 at 7pm on Weds 30th August.
Not being golfers the beautiful restaurant at Desert Springs doesn’t normally feature when we are recommending a venue. This week we were guests of good friends celebrating their wedding anniversary.
Desert Springs offers a lot more than Golf, there is a Cricket Academy, conveniently located within the resort, within walking distance from team accommodations, comprising an international size world-class quality grass pitch complemented with floodlights, shower and changing facilities. A number of County teams use it for winter and pre-season training camps. They also host Football, Cycling and Tennis camps, have a fully equipped fitness centre and there is the Gym, developed in consultation with Daley Thompson. Ian Botham has a villa here and can often be seen in and around the area.
There is a good choice of places to eat. The Deck at the Club House offers a wide choice of light lunch time food available through daylight hours, including tasty soups, tapas, salads, burgers, pasta, wraps and filled ciabattas.
The Crocodile Club Restaurant & Rosewood Bar. The ‘Croc’ features an eclectic menu of Mediterranean, Pacific Rim and Thai dishes, along with fresh fish and grills, Pastas and Pizzas and Desert Hamburgers; lots for kids and something special for the adults. Tables are available in the restaurant around the open fire or on the terraces or outside in the semi-secluded terraced garden. The restaurant is open for lunch and/or dinner according to the season.
El Chiringuito Pool Bar, serves light lunches and a range of superb healthy fruit punches of the innocent and more grown up variety, the pool bar is a great place to lounge and shoot the breeze.
The Cave Bar, known as La Cueva del Almanzora, this original but refurbished cave has a really cool bar and offers an extraordinary private meeting room and exclusive and atmospheric private dining facilities in its underground gallery.
We went to the El Torrente Restaurant, it is known for its fine Spanish dining including several very special local dishes and fresh fish. It is in a beautiful setting with a relaxing and welcoming atmosphere. The main restaurant is open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also provides a Bar and Deck Menu with a wide choice of light lunch time food available through daylight hours, including tasty soups, tapas, salads, burgers, pasta, wraps and filled ciabattas. We ate from the Chef’s Selection Menu..
CHEF´S SELECTION MENU STARTERS Chilled Cream of Almond Soup with Honeyed Croutons and Sweet Tomatoes Raf Tomato Salad with Longfin Tuna and a Garlic and Parsley Oil Lightly Battered Pickled Fish with a Carrot Dressing Iberian Pork Cheek and Goat´s Cheese Vol au Vent MAIN COURSES Slow Roasted Pork Shank with a Black Pepper Sauce Accompanied by Hassleback Potatoes and a Courgette and Yellow Pepper Ratatouille Baked Swordfish Steak in a Tamarind and Ginger Sauce Accompanied by Vegetable Basmati Rice Creamy Rice with Squid, Prawns and Tarragon Vegetarian Dish – Pasta with a Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce CHEF´S SPECIAL RECOMMENDATIONS Pan Fried Iberian Pork End Loin with Sautéed Garlic and Apple Vinegar Accompanied by Hassleback Potatoes and a Courgette and Yellow Pepper Ratatouille Pan Fried Fillet of Norwegian Salmon with a Dijon and Maple Syrup Sauce Accompanied by Vegetable Basmati Rice Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce Accompanied by Hassleback Potatoes and a Courgette and Yellow Pepper Ratatouille Grilled Fillet Steak 200g / 250g Accompanied by Chips and Salad Sunday Roast- Please ask the waiting team for further details Accompanied by Roast Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables DESSERTS Chilled Coconut Custard Apple Crumble with Ice Cream Orange and Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries Fresh Fruit Salad Starter, Main Course, Dessert and Coffee
A couple of the “Big Boys” opted for the large steaks and the clean plates told their story. I had the tasty Pork Shank. The ladies had the Cod and Duck and all were very nice. The Muga was a good choice of wine and the “special” chocolate brownies and coffees rounded off a lovely evening.
Desert Springs is well worth a visit for a celebration with friends or a special meal for two.
I can’t comment on price as we were guests but we found it very reasonable! Check out their web site here for lots of information, as we haven’t been to the other restaurants I have used some of their text but I’m sure Desert Springs won’t mind the publicity and we intend to visit the Croc bar soon.. This video gives a “taste” of the restaurant, the sound is not essential!
We normally pick our Olives in early November. It proves very popular with guests. Some like to join in for an hour or two, others like last year spent three whole days helping out and very grateful we were to. Whether guests help for 10 minutes or three days they all enjoy the trip to the press to see for themselves the process of producing Extra Virgin Olive Oil from fruit they have helped to pick. We have 55 trees and hope to get around a tonne of Olives but it varies from year to year. The yield also varies depending mainly on the water content, a lot of rain before harvest will result in around 1 litre of oil from 25KGs to 1 litre from around 20Kgs of Olives.
We pick the fruit over a three day period, it is important not to leave the Olives any longer than 72 hours before pressing as this increases the acidity of the oil. The fruit is gathered by combing the branches with small plastic rakes so they fall onto large nets spread under the trees, these are then emptied into our trailer for transport to the press.
At the press the Olives are cleaned and separated from any leaves and twigs and then the Olives are “Cold pressed” at around 35º to release the oil from the water. Depending on which press we use either we bottle it ourselves or they do it for us.
It’s not all hard work though. We try to enjoy a nice lunch each day during the picking and when we go to the press we have a nice coffee and tostado while the pressing is taking place followed by a long lunch on the way home.
We still have some availability during the beginning of November if you would like to help while enjoying a break at Finca Arboleda.
Liquid Gold
Spain is the largest olive oil producer in the world, accounting for 44 per cent of the world’s annual supply, and the country’s love affair with the diminutive fruit shows no sign of decline despite new challenges.
With an estimated 340 million olive trees, Spain produces around 1.2 million tonnes of olive oil per year, enough to fill 400 Olympic swimming pools. About 45 per cent of the country’s olive oil is produced in the Andalucian province of Jaen, where olive plantations occupy 590,000 hectares including 66 million trees. These account for a fifth of the global olive oil supply, with the region producing more than the entire country of Italy, the world’s second-largest manufacturer. Olive trees are said to have been introduced to Spain by the Phoenicians almost 3,000 years ago, but it was the Romans who started large-scale production, with the Moors later introducing improved growing methods.
Fruity facts:
There are over 100 varieties of olive grown in Spain, but only 24 are regularly used to make oil.
Olive trees live on average for 3-600 years, with some of the world’s oldest examples found in Spain. One individual in Tarragona is said to be over 2,000 years old.
Despite leading the global production ranking, Spain with 11.3 kilos is runner-up to Greece (12.8 kilos) in terms of per capita consumption.
The Spanish word for oil, aceite, is derived from the Arabic word al-zait, which literally translates as ‘olive juice.’
There are four types of virgin olive oil, extra virgin, virgin, ordinary virgin and lampante, all of which differ in acidity with extra virgin, the highest grade, having the least.
I found this fun video on YouTube and have promised myself that I will make one this year.
We normally pick our Olives in early November. It proves very popular with guests. Some like to join in for an hour or two, others like last year spent three whole days helping out and very grateful we were to. Whether guests help for 10 minutes or three days they all enjoy the trip to the press to see for themselves the process of producing Extra Virgin Olive Oil from fruit they have helped to pick. We have 55 trees and hope to get around a tonne of Olives but it varies from year to year. The yield also varies depending mainly on the water content, a lot of rain before harvest will result in around 1 litre of oil from 25KGs to 1 litre from around 20Kgs of Olives.
We pick the fruit over a three day period, it is important not to leave the Olives any longer than 72 hours before pressing as this increases the acidity of the oil. The fruit is gathered by combing the branches with small plastic rakes so they fall onto large nets spread under the trees, these are then emptied into our trailer for transport to the press.
At the press the Olives are cleaned and separated from any leaves and twigs and then the Olives are “Cold pressed” at around 35º to release the oil from the water. Depending on which press we use either we bottle it ourselves or they do it for us.
It’s not all hard work though. We try to enjoy a nice lunch each day during the picking and when we go to the press we have a nice coffee and tostado while the pressing is taking place followed by a long lunch on the way home.
We still have some availability during the beginning of November if you would like to help while enjoying a break at Finca Arboleda.
Liquid Gold
Spain is the largest olive oil producer in the world, accounting for 44 per cent of the world’s annual supply, and the country’s love affair with the diminutive fruit shows no sign of decline despite new challenges.
WITH an estimated 340 million olive trees, Spain produces around 1.2 million tonnes of olive oil per year, enough to fill 400 Olympic swimming pools. About 45 per cent of the country’s olive oil is produced in the Andalucian province of Jaen, where olive plantations occupy 590,000 hectares including 66 million trees. These account for a fifth of the global olive oil supply, with the region producing more than the entire country of Italy, the world’s second-largest manufacturer. Olive trees are said to have been introduced to Spain by the Phoenicians almost 3,000 years ago, but it was the Romans who started large-scale production, with the Moors later introducing improved growing methods.
Fruity facts:
There are over 100 varieties of olive grown in Spain, but only 24 are regularly used to make oil.
Olive trees live on average for 3-600 years, with some of the world’s oldest examples found in Spain. One individual in Tarragona is said to be over 2,000 years old.
Despite leading the global production ranking, Spain with 11.3 kilos is runner-up to Greece (12.8 kilos) in terms of per capita consumption.
The Spanish word for oil, aceite, is derived from the Arabic word al-zait, which literally translates as ‘olive juice.’
There are four types of virgin olive oil, extra virgin, virgin, ordinary virgin and lampante, all of which differ in acidity with extra virgin, the highest grade, having the least.
I found this fun video on YouTube and have promised myself that I will make one this year.
Almeria’s most famous son will play in Huércal-Overa.
David Bisbal will perform the final Spanish leg of his Hijos del Mar (sons of the sea) tour on Saturday, October 14 at 10:00 pm at El Hornillo football pitch in Huércal-Overa.
Bisbal is a Spanish singer, songwriter, and actor. He gained his initial fame as a runner-up on the interactive reality television show Operación Triunfo.
He has since released six studio albums, all of which topped the Spanish Albums Chart, in addition to recording a number of live albums. He has toured throughout Europe and Latin America and is now considered to be a crossover international artist. Bisbal has recived around 50 platinum discs for his recordings.
Hijos del Mar is his sixth studio album, recorded and produced in the United States, England, Sweden and Spain. It was released to the market on December 2, 2016, achieving in just two weeks platinum status in Spain. The first single “Antes que no” (Number One) achieved No. 1 status on iTunes in 9 countries including Spain and several Latin American nations in the first days after its launch, as well as achieving good reviews in social networks due to the innovative production made in the video of the single. David Bisbal launched the music video for another song included in the sixth studio project “Hijos del Mar” called “Hurts too much”. This song arises from the idea of making a collaboration with Unicef and is dedicated to children who suffer the consequences of wars. As a promotion, the Hijos del Mar Tour covered most of Spain, saving the best till last in Huércal-Overa. It then continues the promotion in Latin America.
Tickets are €80 for the front rows and €32 for a general seat, plus all the usual fees. You can buy them through ticketmaster.es, David bisbal’s website or la cafetería del Teatro Villa de Huércal-Overa y en Joyería Vasary in town.
The accommodation was great. Very well equipped, very clean and lots of attention to detail. We would highly recommend if you want peace, quiet and comfort. The area is also lovely with lots of places and beaches to explore. Eating fresh figs every morning and picking lemons for a gin and tonic in the evening… What more could you ask for. The owners were also great and very helpful.
N&D just left “The Old Stables” after a 2 week stay and posted this review here.
(We do advertise on Owners Direct but always recommend that guests book direct with us and save their commission)
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.
Vera is blessed with a 6 Km golden sanded coastline.
There are 4 separate beaches. Las Marinas-Bolaga, Puerto Rey, Playazo and Quitapellejos. They are about 6Km, a 10 minute drive, most of the year from Finca Arboleda.
Quitapellejos, located to the north of the coastline is a small charming beach free of crowds.
Playa el Playazo, has more than 2Km of golden sand and is very popular but peaceful, it is designated as a nudist beach, so not for everyone.
Puerto Rey, is very popular and home to the lagoon which in itself is home to flora and fauna as well as various types of Ducks. There are various sports and nautical activities available. It also hosts many restaurants catering for all tastes, ideal for lunch and a break from the sunbathing.
Las Marinas-Bolaga, is ideal for those who seek a bit more activity with horse riding, tennis courts, water sports and gyms. The beautiful palm lined promenade has chiringuitos and restaurants.
All the beaches are very well maintained and policed for your safety. It is recommended that you read the “Do and Don’t” boards as you arrive at the beach.
They are very strict on not allowing Dogs on the beach especially in high season. While I can understand this to some extent it would be nice if there was a small strip where people could walk with them early morning or in the evening. This isn’t just a Vera rule but it covers most of Andalusia.
The 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
Wow! we have just received our 100th guest review on our own independently hosted guest book.
We had stopped using the guest book for a while as listing sites like Owners Direct, Spain Holiday, Trip Advisor pressure it’s clients to get guests to post reviews and we are very aware that people returning from their holiday have better things to do than post multiple reviews. There are more than 100 more reviews scattered around the web but our own guest book is the one that stays with us.
A big thank you to all the guests who have taken the trouble to review us over the last 11 years. I’m going to look back at some of the early ones but they are all here if you are interested http://tinyurl.com/yc98pex
Not being golfers the beautiful restaurant at Desert Springs doesn’t normally feature when we are recommending a venue. This week we were guests of good friends celebrating their wedding anniversary.
We normally pick our Olives in early November. It proves very popular with guests. Some like to join in for an hour or two, others like last year spent three whole days helping out and very grateful we were to. Whether guests help for 10 minutes or three days they all enjoy the trip to the press to see for themselves the process of producing Extra Virgin Olive Oil from fruit they have helped to pick. We have 55 trees and hope to get around a tonne of Olives but it varies from year to year. The yield also varies depending mainly on the water content, a lot of rain before harvest will result in around 1 litre of oil from 25KGs to 1 litre from around 20Kgs of Olives.
At the press the Olives are cleaned and separated from any leaves and twigs and then the Olives are “Cold pressed” at around 35º to release the oil from the water. Depending on which press we use either we bottle it ourselves or they do it for us.
We had a fabulous stay.
The 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.
Wow! we have just received our 100th guest review on our own independently hosted guest book.