Costa Tropical Blog

Rental advertising - picture quality

Posted in General by heloise on the October 27th, 2006

Scooting round various websites as I do most days, I am still astounded by the poor picture quality provided by property rental owners.  Only yesterday, and this is what got me writing this post, I saw rental details showing pictures of a recently built property - the kitchen photo was just a room with wires and tubes coming out of walls - not one kitchen fitting, cupboard …. nothing! - there were 3 or 4 more photos in the same vein.  Why, I ask myself, put these photos onto websites and why do websites allow these photos?!  What is the point?  As a potential property renter would you want to rent this property for your annual 2 week holiday?  I don´t think so somehow! 

Some picture tips
1.  If a website you are going to advertise your property on says photos should be no less than 300 x 250 then pay attention!  Smaller photos sizes uploaded will look distorted and blurred.
2.  If you have a digital camera but you know no more than point and click photography - ask someone with more photo experience for assistance.  It doesn´t hurt to ask and you will find you have better quality photos for your advertising.  How about paying someone with good quality camera gear and experience to take the photos?  A wide angle lens is very useful in smaller rooms.
3.  Think about what it is a potential renter wants to see about your property - a picture of a bedroom showing the end of a bed and a window really doesn´t offer too much to the viewer - especially if the bed is unmade and there are clothes dumped in a corner on the ground! (yes, there are plenty of photos knocking around websites like these!)
4.  Think about the lighting of the photo - far too many photos on websites where no one has thought to turn on the lights and all you see is a dark room with some images of furniture in the background.
5.  Although I have always been of the opinion that photos will be the deciding factor for potential rental clients and I therefore always put as many photos as possible onto websites - you will often be asked for more.  Perhaps you haven´t shown the outside of the property sufficiently and its surroundings?  Therefore, if you advertise your property with 4 photos always have additional photos to hand to send to your potential clients.
6.  Many websites stipulate a total of 4 or 5 photos within an advertising fee - you pay more for each additional photo.  This can be expensive but if you think 6 photos will show your property off to its best advantage (and you have 6 good quality photos), then pay the additional amount. 
7.  Before taking photos, prepare your property as if you were getting it rental ready and then take the photos - give yourself plenty of time.  I know of too many owners who wait until the last minute while they are staying at their property and just before they go out of the door to the airport suddenly remember they haven´t taken photos. 

In the final analysis, if you want to rent your property well then ensure you make the time and effort to show it off to its full potential. 

And finally, don´t nick other people´s photos - there are copyright laws……

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¿Cuántos gatos tiene Jose Mª?

Posted in General by heloise on the October 26th, 2006

Primero fué la-madre-negra-sin-rabo. Me parió en el macetón de la entrada. Tuvos dos: una-negra-con-rabo y otro negro-con-medio-rabo.

A ella, la-gata-negra-con-rabo, le dimos anticonceptivos en su momento. El llegó a tener un problema de parálises en las patas traseras. Se desarrollaron bien. Durmieron en las casa la mayoria de los dias.

La-gata-negra-con-rabo me parió en un sillón, a pesar de los anticonceptivos, una noche en la que yo estaba sólo. Estaba muy asustada, tubo dos crías, una muerta. Tiré el cadáver y trasladé a la-gata-negra-con-rabo y a su cría a un sitio más apropiado. La-gata-negra-con-rabo, me hizopiruetas en la ventana diciéndome que no entendia aquello.

La dejé aquella noche para que se acostumbrara con su nueva situatión.

La-madre-negra-sin-rabo, que habia parido antes, se habia traídp a sus crías para acompañar a la-negra-con-rabo, e hija de la madre-negra-sin-rabo.

De pronto me encontré con un montón de gatos.

El gato-negro-con-medio-rabo, la-gata-negra-sin-rabo, la-gata-negra-con-rabo, el-gatillo-negro-con-rabo de la-gata-con-rabo y otros tres: el-gatillo-blanco-con-rabo, la-gatilla-blanca-sin-rabo y el-gatillo-negro-con-medio-rabo de la-gata negra-sin-rabo.

Los gatillos-blancos eran como siameses y los negros de meno presencia: casi escuchimizados.

El menor, el de la-gata-negra-con-rabo; el-gatillo-negro-con-rabo, se parace más a un ratón que a un gato.

Los blancos, con-rabo y sin-rabo, son los más grandes.

Tengo pedidos: el-blanco-con-rabo y el-blanco-sin-rabo de la-gata-negra-sinrabo.

¿Alguno de vosotros quiere algún negro, ya sea con-rabo o medio-rabo?

José Mª Zapata

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Las Apujarras Region

Posted in Las Alpujarras by heloise on the October 17th, 2006

Las Alpujarras are a very special and beautiful region of Spain, where the interrelationship of geography, ecology and history of human settlement is unique. They make a wonderful and memorable area for walking, cycling, mountain trekking or horse riding.

This region, once very inaccessible, is now easily approached by car and most of the holiday properties on the http://www.rentcostatropical.com are within one hour’s journey away.
In Granada province Las Alpujarras consist of a system of deep and majestic river valleys south of the usually snow capped Sierra Nevada mountains (the highest in Europe after the Alps) and separated from the coast by the lower sierras of Lujar, Contraviesa and Gador. The principal valley runs some 50km east-west, containing the Rio Cadiar, flowing westward into the Rio Guadalfeo, which finally reaches the Mediterranean between Motril and Salobrena. The high Poqueira and Trevelez tributaries have cut spectacular ravines into the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. The region also spreads eastward into Almeria province, where the landscape becomes more open and arid, eventually merging with the desert north of Almeria city.
The upper Alpujarra of Granada province are well watered year round from the Sierra Nevada, and over the centuries this has allowed a rich and varied agriculture to develop. Typically at 1200 metres above sea level, chestnut and walnut woodland, terraced hillsides of almond, cherry, olive, orange, lemon and vine stand in contrast to the more arid landscapes of lower altitudes.
While there is evidence of human settlement going back at least 2000 years to the Visigoths, it is the Berbers and Moors from about the 11th century onward that made this area unique in Europe in its pattern of settlement. Berbers first populated the area as refugees from Seville, followed by the Moors in the 15th century fleeing the Christian re-invasion of Granada. This was the last enclave of the Moors in Spain before they were totally banished in the 16th century, when Philip II forcibly populated the Alpujarra with Spanish from Galicia and Asturias. Even then, two Muslim families from each village had to remain, since only they had the knowledge of how to operate the intricate irrigation system, built over generations, of channels or acequias, that carried the rainwater and melted snow from the mountains to the valley farms. The area at that time must have seemed like a green oasis of rich agriculture in strong contrast to the barren surroundings. Numerous villages prospered in the production of exclusive silk for selling in Almeria, and some of the mulberry fields on which the silkworms were kept are to be seen to this day. The irrigation system was an amazing feat of engineering for its time, some 800 kms remain today with much still in use.
After the final eviction of the Moors right until the end of Franco’s era in the 1970’s the area fell into deep economic decline. Gerald Brenan, a World War I veteran and fringe member of the Bloomsbury Group, came to live here in the 1920’s at Yegen, and his book ‘South from Granada’ describes a way of life little changed from mediaeval times. Even in the early ‘80s, this was the poorest area in all Spain, living standards being comparable with third world levels.
In recent times, the area has improved economically, partly due to an inflow of English and other north Europeans settling here to make a slightly ‘alternative’ way of life in the sun. Best known perhaps is Chris Stewart, who in his best selling books ‘Driving over Lemons’ and ‘A Parrot in a Pepper Tree’ describes the life of his family and Spanish neighbours in re-building a farm not far from Orgiva.
Of the original four hundred or so, some seventy Berber and Moorish villages remain in the region. Their architectural style is to be found nowhere else in Spain, being almost identical to those in the Rif and Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Thick stone walled, and generally low flat roofed, finished in launa (a compressed mud made from the local clay) and with characteristic circular chimneys, the style is a clear response to the geography and climate. Another unusual feature are the tinaos, upper level bridges that link one house to another. Originally in bare stone, most are now whitewashed, which makes the villages look less dour than some of their Moroccan counterparts.
Principal access to the area by road is via either Lanjaron or Velez Benaudalla (near the massive new Rules dam), off the main road between Motril and Granada city. A more adventurous route is from the coast near La Mamola up a magnificent, twisting mountain road high above the sea, signposted to Polopos. Winding up through terraced hillsides cultivated in almond and vine (from which Costa wine is made), in late afternoon it is sometimes possible to see the mountains of North Africa silhouetted in the sinking sun. The road continues up and over the Sierra de la Contraviesa and down into the main Alpujarra valley linking Orgiva to Cadiar.
The more visited towns and villages are the health spa of Lanjaron in the west, Orgiva the main market town, (Thursdays), then the high villages of Pampaneira, Bubion, and Capileira in the Poqueira gorge and Trevelez in the high valley of its namesake. These are now somewhat on the tourist trail, but still remain very attractive and peaceful. Perhaps the prettiest is Pampaneira, centred on its small church square, where one can relax at one of the alfresco restaurants, sampling the traditional cuisine such as ‘Plato Alpujarreno’ (ham eggs black pudding), choto in almond sauce, trout or patates povres. Trevelez is most famous for its production of air-cured mountain ham – Jamon Serrano, easily the equal of the best Prosciutto de Parma! This village claims to be the highest permanent settlement in Spain at 1476m, but only true because the boundary includes Mulhacen, the highest mountain in Spain.
The climate is cooler than down on the coast – the higher villages often get snow in winter, but the valleys can be hot in high summer. This is a region perhaps best experienced on foot, many hiking trails start from Pampaneira and many offer guided tours for walking, trekking, horse riding and information on skiing conditions. There is also a National Park Information Centre here. The more strenuous routes are up into the Sierra Nevada mountain national park. Here there are varieties of flora and fauna to be found nowhere else in Europe – with over fifty species of wild flower including rare varieties of blue gentians. Rare butterflies, wild goat, wild boar, hoopoe, golden eagle, buzzard, raven, bunting and warblers make this a very special area for wildlife spotting. Probably the best time of year for walking is late spring and early summer when many wild flowers are in bloom. Early autumn is also good, but high summer can be exhausting. Skiing in winter is possible from Capileira.
A less strenuous but still rewarding area to walk is in and around the Taja villages below Pampaneira. Scarcely visited, these hamlets have a far more authentic Berber appearance, although probably some too are now being discreetly restored by foreign residents. Walking trails on old cobbled mule paths by woodland streams and springs, across terraced hillsides of almond, cherry, mulberry or open cornfields connect the villages of Pitres, Mecinilla, Ferreirola, and Atelbeitar. Walking here offers peace and tranquillity in a sublime landscape that is simply a world away from the 21st century life on the Costas.
Acknowledgements and further references:
‘South from Granada’ by Gerald Brenan
‘Driving over Lemons’ and ‘A Parrot in a Pepper Tree’ by Chris Stewart
‘Sierra Nevada, la Alpujarra’ - Alpina Map and Tourist Guide
‘Alpujarras’ – A Discovery Walking Guide
‘Andalucia’ – The Rough Guide
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Motril, Costa Tropical de Granada

Posted in Motril by heloise on the October 17th, 2006

Why do so many families visit this area year after year for their holidays? It is unspolt and very Spanish and the prices in the area haven´t shot up when they see a tourist coming (well, OK I know of one restaurant where a drink on the terrace brought to you will cost you an additional 0.50c !)

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Los Moriscos Golf Course, Playa Granada, Costa Tropical

Posted in Golf courses by heloise on the October 17th, 2006

Club Los Moriscos (18 holes)

Urb. Playa Granada
Motril (Granada)
Tel/Fax: 958 82 55 27 - please add international dialling code

Necessary to book your tee off time 24 hours in advance on above telephone number. English spoken.

Designed by Ibergolf and Manuel Piñero, this is a flat course next to the sea. Open since 1974.
Green Fees 2006 (published prices at 1 August 2006)
Individual - €40
Couple - €70
Under 18 years - €20
One year ´membership´ card (30 x 18 holes) - €900
Half hour lesson - €20
1 hour lesson - €30
Golf cart hire for 9 holes - €15
Golf cart hire for 18 holes - €20
Trolley hire - €3
Full club set hire - €15

No discounts for ´seniors´ with this new pricing structure.

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Planning a holiday to the Costa Tropical de Granada?

Posted in Holidays on the Costa Tropical by heloise on the October 17th, 2006

If you are planning a trip to the Costa Tropical and are looking for any specific information then this might be the place to post your question?

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Beaches and Coves on the Costa Tropical de Granada

Posted in Beaches by heloise on the October 17th, 2006

Add your comments on the beaches and coves on the Costa Tropical.

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Visiting Almunecar, Costa Tropical de Granada

Posted in Almunecar by heloise on the October 17th, 2006
Almuñecar is considered to be one of the oldest towns of the Western world dating back some 3,000 years. According to legend, it was once known as EX, while the Phoenicians named it Sexi. Today the town has become an important tourist centre offering hotels and a good range of services.
There is a popular outdoor market on Friday mornings which you cannot miss as it is on the main N340 road through town - and on the first Saturday of the month there is always a ´boot sale´.The beach area is nice for strolling or watching the world go by. For those with children, there is a water park (high season only) at one end of the beach where you could spend a full day.

Try to locate the town hall and the church - there is a nice square and lots of little shops.

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Visiting the Alhambra Palace, Granada

Posted in Alhambra Palace by heloise on the October 17th, 2006

The Alhambra Palace is only 50 minutes drive inland towards Granada from the coast and is a very popular and worthwhile destination for everyone who visits the area.

Telephone bookings: 91 346 59 36 - please add international dialling code
Internet bookings: http://www.alhambratickets.com
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Flamenco Roots

Posted in Looking for good Flamenco? by heloise on the October 17th, 2006
If one were asked “What is the essential spirit of Spain?”, probably most would readily answer “Flamenco” or perhaps “Bullfighting’. Indeed the Granada-born poet and writer, Garcia Lorca, claimed that Flamenco is “…deeply related to bullfighting, not only sharing root emotions and passions, flashes of erratic genius, but because both are possible ways to break out of social and economic marginality.”
In fact, Flamenco belongs to the south of Spain, to Andalucia, and while its history is obscure and disputed, its origins were contemporary with the Moorish era. Its sources were probably related to the waves of immigrants in this period: from Morocco, Egypt, Greece, and the Middle East. Jews in the Spanish Netherlands may well have had an influence; indeed one (unlikely) theory is that the word flamenco is synonymous with Flanders. In the 15th century, with the re-Christianisation of Spain, the Catholic Church marginalized many of these immigrant communities, and the arrival of gypsies (gitanos) from India at about the same time perhaps became a focus for these deprived sections of society. However, arguably, there is no such thing as ‘gypsy music’, there is ‘gypsy musicality’ – where ever they end up and settle, they take the local music and make their own versions of it.
In the following centuries it fused with elements of Arab and Jewish music in the Andalucia mountains where those sections of society took refuge to escape forced religious conversions. Today it is often thought to be a gypsy art, but there are in fact two strains: gitano and payo (non-gypsy). What is apparent, is that the roots of its expression are essentially without religion, or more specifically non-Catholic, and in a culture of deprivation - ‘life must be lived for the day, with a passionate need to preserve self-esteem’ and ‘without a God, death must be faced with intense courage, pride, dignity and humour’. This attitude to life and death must have engendered an intense feeling of community, and the developing flamenco music its deepest expression.
It is ironic, therefore that its characteristics may well have been most heavily influenced by the early Church in Spain with its adoption of Byzantine ecclesiastical music. The Spanish classical composer, Manuel de Falla, argued in his writings on “Cante Jondo” that this was the decisive historic event in flamenco’s development. It is suggested that this influence led to the general use of the ‘Phrygian Mode’ in flamenco. (simply put, this is the scale based on the musical note ‘E’ rather than the typical western scales, Major – based on C and Minor – based on A, and that gives it its characteristic oriental, plaintive melancholy sound). Spanish Classical music has also been strongly influenced by Flamenco - in works by composers such as de Falla, Albeniz, Rodrigo, Tarrega and Granados, the connection is clear.
Earliest Flamenco seems to have been purely vocal (Cante), accompanied only by rhythmical hand clapping (Toque de Palmas). Only during its ‘golden age’ in the 19th century was the guitar introduced, and its full expression in Cante the song, Baile the dance, and Guitarra or Toque the guitar accompaniment came about. At this time, the main centres were the Barrio Triana in Seville, Moron de la Frontera, Cadiz, and Jerez and later in Granada. Performances usually took place in ‘Peñas’ or ‘Café Cantantes’.
Castanets or Palillos were traditionally used with the regional dances, in particular Sevillanas, Fandangos de Huelva, and Tanguillo de Cadiz, and came into more general use in the mid-20th century, when perhaps a less ‘earthy’ and more ‘sanitised, kitsch and politically acceptable’ form of the music was fostered in Franco’s era. Their use is frowned on today in the more serious dances, since they detract from the use of the hands; they are used primarily if no singer is available to interpret the Cante.
ELEMENTS OF FLAMENCO
The Guitar (Guitarra or Toque)
The basic element of rhythm in Flamenco is called the ‘Compas’ – a recurring pattern of accented beats that gives it a regular pulse, repeated again and again like a heartbeat and it is the guitarist who strictly maintains this in a performance. It is the deepest understanding of the Compas, and the physical identification with the rhythm that brings the performance to life. The different forms are called Toques – Soleares, Seguiriyas, Tientos, Fandangos and so on. Some are folk influenced e.g. Sevillanas, Peteneras; others are regionally based e.g. Malagueñas, Granadinas. Some of the names describe the mood e.g. ‘Soleares’ – ‘solitude or loneliness’ or ‘Alegrias’ – ‘joy or gaiety’. These are not single musical pieces, but are forms on which the guitarist and singer improvise. The guitarist accompanies the singer in a close understanding of the mood and at various times extemporizes ‘falsetas’ or short variations.
The two guitar techniques that all will recognise as flamenco are the ‘rasgueado’, or long backward strike with all fingers across all the strings and ‘tremolo’ which is the rapid plucking of a single string by each finger in succession. Virtuosos can reach extraordinary speeds of tremolo – at least fifteen notes per second.
While the guitar seems to have come late to flamenco, and then at first only as accompaniment, it is now recognised as a powerful solo instrumental form in its own right. Early solo performers were Ramon Montoya, Andrés Segovia initially in Granada (but who later became more famous for classical guitar) and Niño Ricardo. Currently the best-known players internationally are Paco Peña, Paco de Lucia and Juan Martin.
The Song (Cante)
Urged into mood by ‘jaleo’, or palmas hand clapping, and often with a harsh sounding voice, flamenco singers express great emotion, pain and melancholy. Together with facial expressions of anger and desperation and expressive body movements, the singer occasionally achieves ‘duende’ - a total emotional connection with their audience, which even when expressing happiness can create a profound effect. One of the greats of the century, accompanied by Montoya, was Antonio Chacon, and in more recent times, the distinctive cracking voiced, intense El Camaron de la Isla.
The Dance (Baile)
As opposed to the popular ‘Sevillanas’ folk dancing, real flamenco dancing can express all the high emotion that the singer or guitarist can evoke. Through interaction with the guitarist, the dancer improvises with huge physical and emotional control and extraordinary footwork expressed in heel to toe movements. Traditionally, women dress in the characteristic red polka-dot Sevillana dresses, while male dancers wear high waisted black trousers and waistcoats.
The Audience
An essential component of the performance is the connection with and the reaction of the audience. The total emotional connection and appreciation will be expressed with hand clapping, and calls such as ‘Olé!’, ‘Eso Es!’ or ‘Asi se toca!’ Toca bien o toca en el campo!’ is reserved for familiar surroundings – ‘Play well or play in the fields!’
MODERN FLAMENCO – NUEVO FLAMENCO
After a fairly uninspired period under Franco, Flamenco has enjoyed a resurgence, starting in the late ‘70s with Pace Peña and perhaps more significantly the ‘payo’, Paco de Lucia, born in Algeciras. He, less constrained by tradition, has fused his music with jazz, Latin American and rock. More recent are groups such as the (French) Gypsy Kings – mixing with rumba, and Ketama and Radio Tarifa – mixing with North African and other world roots.
There are numerous other comparatively unknown performers, and CD recordings that are only available locally are commonplace in street markets.
WHERE TO FIND FLAMENCO
Flamenco is fairly easy to find in Granada. Granada city is the best place to plan to see it - where it is played frequently, but much in the Sacramonto, the gitano district, is pretty bad and geared to tourists. In the Albaicin district below the Alhambra there are good places to go for aficionados – El Niño de los Almendras -“unforgettable flamenco when it happens” Peña Plateria – “come in small groups and speak Spanish”
There are annual flamenco festivals in the bigger cities – information is available on the Internet. Sometimes you may notice flyposters for a forthcoming performance almost anywhere in the province, and some restaurants at coastal resorts in the summer months will have players. Sometimes it will be performed at village or town fiestas. But perhaps the most unforgettable way is to come across it unexpectedly, or by word of mouth, - usually late at night and into the early hours, played impromptu by unknown performers at some insignificant bar or cafe – but - when ‘duende’ might just happen.
Further references and discography:
“El Arte Flamenco de la Guitarra’ – Guitar Method by Juan Martin
“Flamenco Guitar’ – Paco Peña – double CD
“An Introduction to Flamenco” – Charles Keyser
“Flamenco” – Jan Fairley
“Andalucia – The Rough Guide”
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