Work began – to everybody’s surprise and joy – on connecting up the Nerja-La Herradura autovía to the N-340, just in front of Urbanisación San Antonio. But before you run out to the garage, hop into the driver’s seat and start revving the car, we should point out that it won’t be fully functional until the end of autumn, i.e. the end of December.

The work on this link-up was put on ice for the duration of the summer, because of the impossibility of working on the main road under its normal summer-traffic strain, so they waited until the second half of last month.

The UTE (Provisional Union of Companies), formed by Dragados and Obras Subterráneas, is reticent about giving a firm completion date, citing the need to ‘tidy things up’ and carry out ‘corrections’ to remedy the ‘environmental impact,’ but they did begrudgingly say that they ‘do not discard the possibility of finishing this autumn.’

Almuñécar October Agenda. We have a variety of events this month, starting with the Torrecuevas Fiestas from the 10th to the 15th. On Saturday the 14th, there is the Foreigners’ Day celebration in the Majuelo Park, which is a must. Don’t forget! From the 19th to the 21st, there are some very interesting conferences on the Omeya Dynasty (Arab culture from Damascus), which will take place in the Casa de la Cultura. Although the first lecture isn’t until 18.30h on the 19th, activities kick off at 10.30h the next day, finishing at 20.00h. The last day concludes at 13.30h. There are two treks organised by the Town Hall; one on the 8th to the Junta de los Rios (Otívar), and the other on the 22nd, which takes place near Montefrío. More details: at the Town Hall. Lastly, don’t miss the San Miguel Fiestas on the 29th, 30th & 1st November. Sorry that it’s all crammed in like this, but we’re awash to the gills with texts this month and don’t have room for more. Anyway, look for this leaflet at the reception desk of the Town Hall, as it contains all the info for organised treks for the rest of the year.

I wanted to be able to tell you more about the anecdotes that customers have at the Leonardo’s Café, regarding the golden years of Almuñécar, but it will have to wait until next month, I’m afraid. You can always pop in there, in the meantime, and ask Andreas, of course!

It has been announced that there will be a kind of museum installed within the Roman Aqueduct precinct (next to Carbonells). It will have a floor space of 116sq/mts and have two main rooms for the public; the first being an area for maps and scale models, and the second, a projection hall for informative films on the subject. There will also be a rest area for tourists, complete with a small canteen. As to when, the only information that we can glean is that it will happen one day when there is some spare cash floating around.

Damned Avenida de Don Juan Carlos is closed again to traffic, for God knows how long, for the work on the underground carpark… Yeah, that’s the excuse they gave last time, but the only thing that appeared was a bloody great 11-storey hotel, which they haven’t even bother to render before opening. The whole affair stinks. I’ve been out taking photos around it, but I haven’t room for this month – think yourselves lucky; they would make your hair stand on end!

The new underground-parking project, beneath the El Coso leisure centre, which will be situated in the P-4 area, has been approved by the Town Council. The contract went to Comercinvest S.A. and counts on a budget of 1,334.876 euros, covers 14,000 sq/m of floor space and has a construction completion schedule of 18 months. El Coso leisure centre also includes a bullring; it will be remembered.

The local PP (conservative party) under its leader, Juan Luis González has requested that the Public Prosecutor should look into the road works, which have been stopped for some months, on the old road to Granada from Almuñécar, known as La Cabra. The reason being that they believe that protected flora might be in danger… (Oh, that’s alright then – I thought that it was that the bloody road has been a shambles for over a year, with nothing being done!) The plant in question is the ‘taxon’ (arenaria delaguardiae), which was discovered and named by G.López & Nieto Feliner in 1985. Well, apart with this rare little blighter, one look at the almond and olive trees along the road will reveal that they’re not that impressed by their mantel of dust, renewed by every passing vehicle (most of which are huge lorries carry produce from the local quarry.) The road was a beautiful leisurely affair before, much loved by those that enjoy the spectacular view upon reaching the mountain passes above the coast. Now, it is a death sentence for everything with suspension, not to mention the phantasmagoria, trees burden with mantel of powder earth and swirling clouds of dust. That’s progress for you.

Following on from last month’s front page that dealt with the police having rounded up a gang of car thieves that entered people’s houses to steal the keys, the Guardia Civil arrested another member of the gang, also of Romanian nationality. Furthermore the police have also recuperated a Mercedes, a Maurice Lacroix gold watch and five mobile telephones. It also came to light that the same gang was responsible for several robberies in Nerja. I seem to remember that I received either a phone call or an email, asking about whether the police had recuperated certain items. From the photo in the Ideal newspaper, you can see what appears to be a silver Mercedes, with the following number plate: 9171 DRM. If it’s yours and you haven’t got in touch with the police already, do it now.

The IU (United Left) have blamed the Mayor for the fact that Almuñécar is the only area in the whole of the province where you cannot received terrestrial digital TV transmissions. The Town Hall has had ample time, the IU spokesman claims, to set this up, but it obviously hasn’t been a priority for them, suggests the United Left. Well, whatever the reason for this omission has been, they had better get their skates on (hurry up) because normal analogical transmissions will be phased out soon.

The Mayor’s old party – the PA – finally has a candidate for the coming local elections: 42-year-old Luis Aragón. Luis is an administrator by professions and currently handles the Almuñécar 77 football club. So, this man has the unenviable tasking of demonstrating whether ‘There is Life after Benavides.’ If that were not task enough, he announced that his intention is to ‘end political tension in Almuñécar.’ Luis is convinced, thanks to his connection with kids through the football team, that he will be able to win over the young vote, thus getting at least a footing in the next elections. “We are fed up with confrontation and fear in Almuñécar. What this town needs is a bit of peace in that respect, and we are willing to try to achieve this,” he promised. Good luck, Luis, because you’re going to need it, Mate.

The policeman who was found guilty of leaking the answers to a local-police, entrance exam lost his court appeal. Therefore, his one-year sentence and three year barring from the police force stands. Agustin Martínez, who was sitting on the examining board, obtained the keys from the cleaning lady to enter an office to obtain the answers for the exam on the next day, so that he could pass them on to seven aspirants for the exam the next day – there were seven vacancies available for Local Policemen in Almuñécar. The seven examinees did their exams so suspiciously well, that the rest of the examining board order them to sit the exam again – with different questions… They failed miserable, which set the ball rolling to discover the culprit of the leaked exam answers.

The Central Government in Madrid has refused permission to the Mayor of Almuñécar to hold a referendum on the PGOU, reasoning that such a consulting measure encompasses facets that are ‘supra-municipal,’ i.e., outside the competence of the municipal authorities. The Mayor has responded that he is will to take the affair to the country’s supreme court and even to European Union Supreme Court in Strasbourg, if necessary. That might produce a favourable verdict for the Mayor, of course, but will the long wait for the judicial process to complete itself – probably years – be beneficial for Almuñécar. Many would think not. What then is more important: an acceptable PGOU in force as soon as possible, or proving the provincial, regional and now national administrations wrong?

I went for a spot of lunch at the new Greek restaurant along El Pozuelo way, and from there looked over the building going on at Playa Galera, which is the land between the Pozuelo and Cabria beaches, or in other words, where the Hotel Playacálida now stands. Now, the bloody horrible blocks going up are an aberration in the opinion of not a few, but credit must be given to the Mayor for the park area that runs parallel to the beach, which is very, very good, with its replanted trees and bushes, as well as the pathways. It is the building that is going on, however, that concerns this article, as the PP has denounced that there are an extra 600 dwellings being crammed in there, which were not included in the projected PGOU, but have been added thanks to a nice little Convenio Urbanístico (posterior building agreements that are tagged on to existing PGOU’s). On 14th November 2005 the Town Hall signed an agreement between themselves as the building development company, Inonsa S.A., which permitted the building density to rise from 170 dwellings to 350 in the RIA Zone, 131 to 285 in the RIB Zone and 184 to 400 in the RIC Zone. This means that the building ration has increased to 0.78 to 1.72, which the PP leader Sr González qualified as ‘crass mistake and absurd’. We are talking about over a thousand dwellings (flats) on that once empty and virgin landscape between to headlands. Basically through selling the land to the developer at 558 euros the square metre – well below the market price – the Town Hall rakes in 14m euros; four of which it has already received.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, 593 new dwellings will be built in Lo Colorao and La Mariquilla. This, however, is contemplated in the 1987 PGOU, which is still in force. “It will permit the building rhythm to continue in Almuñécar,” commented the Mayor. I.e., until the new PGOU comes into force and provokes another cement and brick vomit puddle, one could add. Lo Colorao (P-8) is above the N-340 and flanked by two existing residential developments. It contains a total of 94,280sq/mts, 18.856sq/mts of which are building land. Eighty-five percent will be for houses (128), but will also included gardens, squares and a school. As for la Mariquilla, which is above Cantarriján, up against the Málaga border. Most of the development will be above the main road and the rest below it. The project contemplates 85% for housing and 15% for business premises. The project includes 233 dwellings. The developer says that they are waiting for the autovía to be concluded, so as not to cause problems with the N-340.

Cantarrijan parking has been criticised by ecologists and the owner of La Barracca Severino Rodriguez defends the efforts they’ve already made to protect this beautiful beach. There’s been quite a bit in the press lately about the possibility of this beach being closed to cars, just as its neighbour, Cañuelo. Speaking to the proprietors of this well know chiringuito, though, this will not happen, since the owners are already doing what they committed to with the Junta de Andalucía, by containing the movement of vehicles in the area and doing everything they can to keep the beach clean, safe and as natural as possible. It’s true that the western access road to the beach has been cut off for a while, but that’s only been due to actual road works to improve this track. By the time you read this, according to the owners, you should be able to use this route. Even though the other access road has meant that the beach has been anything but cut off, business has continued as usual throughout the summer and beyond. Interestingly, the family tends to be cynical about the ecologists’ actions, since they feel that what happened in Cañuelo hasn’t really offered a solution. If anything, there have been many beach goers that have migrated across to Cantarriján, in some cases, only to create problems by protesting against the naturist culture here. It does make you wonder about people sometimes. Anyway, suffice it to know that it’s business as usual down here with La Barracca in full swing, night and day!

The High Court (TSJA) turns down the Junta’s appeal against Hotel Fuerte. Do you recall seeing banners some months back with a campaign to set up another four-star hotel in the village, on the basis of boosting the local economy? Well it seems that the Junta has appealed against the Town Hall’s decision to development this project on non-urban land (virtually across the road from the restaurant La Gaviota). The Town Hall had gone ahead claiming that it was ‘of public interest’ despite the projected hotel illegal occupation of green-belt land. There had also been protests that it would actually help to give jobs to locals. Not only has the Junta lost the appeal against the previous court decision that had decided in favour of the Town Hall, but, having lost appeal, it will now have to pay all court costs. Does it really matter, you might ask? After all, whether the Junta has to find the money, or the Town Hall has to, as the end of the day, it’s taxpayers money, i.e., ours. By the way, this is a particularly noteworthy outcome when the tourist sector in the Costa Tropical has announced how ‘satisfied”’ it’s been with the occupancy rates throughout July and August, anticipating some 85 to 95% fill rates in September. Not so sure that the hype matches the reality, though, when we know that the total capacity currently on offer is for some 7500 tourist bodies, then we actually chat with contacts who work within this sector locally…All a bit confusing really!

More improvements to the track up to Rescate, behind La Herradura, as almost nine kilometres of track is tarmacked between Los Pagos and Rescate. This section known locally as ‘Forestal’ is featured on the local government’s plan to upgrade rural roads and is seen as a real improvement for neighbours within the area. It also brings us one step closer to completing the main artery between the coast and the route up to Peña Escrita. In fact as the local councillor for Road Maintenance, José Rodriguez, pointed out, there are only some two kilometres left to complete on this route and it’s possible this will be achieved before the spring. Other areas included in this plan are located in the Mezquita, El Cerval Bajo and Rio Jate, amongst others. There has also been work on the hard shoulders of most major routes, as preparation for the inevitable rains (fingers crossed, people!) that arrive in autumn.

Oasis of palm trees costing 300,000 euros in a Town-Hall attempt to enhance the natural beauty of the beaches of Almuñécar and La Herradura. Together with the rafts, walkways, signposts and other equipment for disabled visitors, this forms part of a commitment between the Town Hall and the Department of Tourism to invest some 400,000 euros on our beaches. Curiously, part of the explanation given was that some of the tall palm trees previously growing in Altillo (the plaza beside the post office which was destroyed over 2 years ago) were extracted because they were worrying neighbours and have now been thoughtfully ’re-housed’ in this latest PR effort. Given the height of the beach trees being planted, I sense that this is a bit unlikely, but then I’ve been wrong before…

The Guardia Civil has been clamping down on non-Spanish drivers, yet we’re given conflicting information about what we need to be able to drive in Spain. There have been a number of cases recently where the Guardia Civil has definitely been on a mission - some would say simply a revenue raising exercise. OK when it comes to wearing your seatbelt on the ‘carretera’ (N340) it’s pretty clear that you haven’t got a leg to stand on, even if the officers themselves aren’t exactly adhering to the law. Where it does become hazy, however, is the use of non-Spanish licences.

We have more than one friend who has recently been stopped and fined for not having a Spanish licence, the Guardia Civil assuming that the person in question was actually not on holiday, but living here and probably resident. Depending on where you look and to whom you speak, this is perfectly acceptable, or not. Certainly, when we visited the Guardia Civil office itself in Almuñécar, even they couldn’t be sure which.

When people have actually contested a fine (and we‘re not talking peanuts, but literally hundreds of euros), it’s been a pain in the neck to follow through since you have to go to Tráfico (Motor Registry Department) in Granada, where they agree that it is not compulsory to drive with a Spanish licence, if you have a non-Spanish European photo card licence and will nullify the fine for you. Of course, this costs time and money, not to mention the original stress and agro of having the police land on you like a pile of bricks. What’s been recommended is that you print out a copy of the decision of the European Court of Justice C-195/02, 9th September 2004. You will find this at www.spainvia.com/ drivelicenceletteradsl.htm. If you keep a photocopy of this page in the car with you, it could be a preventative measure and even help educate the local constabulary.

The other reason foreigners in particular seem to be getting booked is for not having the correct documentation in the car. What you’ve got to have with you is a proof of identification (passport or ‘residencia‘ card, for example) plus vehicle registration document, the latest ITV inspection (if applicable, since new cars don‘t have this) and insurance policy, plus receipt as proof of payment. However, if you are pulled up, Tráfico havs confirmed that you should still get 10 days to present these documents before you have to pay a fine. Sadly, perhaps we’re seen as easy and unsuspecting prey for those on said mission.

Felicia Hall Art Gallery this month features the works of Pepe Molero from 6th October through to 5th November. Born in Madrid, but now living in Granada, Pepe has studied drawing, painting, print making and photography with scholarships at Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, and with Pedro Cano, Pérez Villalta and Mark Klett. His work provides us with some beautifully haunting images of Spanish towns, including our very own Almuñécar! Reminiscent of Cezanne, the artist has responded to questions about the influence of other artists on his work by saying that he has picked up on things he’s liked, but more realistically, they are thinking and working in the same way. In his own words, “No busco; encuentro.” – (I don’t look for things, I just find them.) I don’t know about you, but I’m intrigued!

Happy birthday at El Ancla as they celebrate three years and still going strong! And talking about celebrations, during October the ladies at the Anchor have the monopoly on birthdays. Many happy returns to both Jean and Katie. In fact, on October 6th from 7pm onwards, the crew are inviting you to come in and share some cake and cava with them, raising your glasses to both young ladies (sorry, I’m sworn to secrecy about which special birthday this might be for Katie). And all this for a poorly Jonathan to cope with - admirably smiling as always!

OK so the rest is good news and sad news. Firstly, a fond farewell to Leona - off to try their luck the other side of the Mediterranean, in Italy. Arrivederci and best of luck with the singing! Who knows, might be your chance to try out the opera? Meanwhile, back in La Herradura, don’t forget about the smashing, full Sunday roasts, available at the Ancla, as the colder weather kicks in (advisable to book, as ever more popular!), not to mention the fresh á la carte breakfasts, which Katie continues to rustle up with a vengeance. Finally, make sure you’ve got some other important dates in your diary: 18th October marks Chelsea vs. Barcelona and 22nd October sees the biggest game of the premiership with Manchester vs. Liverpool. Now you know where to come!

Spooks & Ghoulies set to haunt SunLounge with the kiddie Halloween party destined to beat all Halloween parties. So, on 31st October get your costumes on and you could win a prize for the best, Fancy-dress boy or girl! From 6pm onwards, they welcome all long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night in the village to Bob Apple and a whole host of other favourite children’s games. Traditional food will be available, including toffee apples at this horrifying Halloween event and as we’ve seen many times in the past, this team really know how to throw a party! So make sure you contact them early to find out how it’s going to work.

For those of you who are more in tune with the many other activities on offer at the SunLounge, you’ll be pleased that the Sunday roasts are still in full swing, so get your reservation in to avoid disappointment.

You get someone to knock up a water deposit and, lo, it leaks! Never mind, the builder promises to come back and fix it. You ring and ask around to find out who has a water tanker, how much he can load and at what price. Horror! It doesn’t matter whether it’s someone with a 10,000l bowser or one of only 5,000l – it’s going to cost you the same, i.e. 100 euros a trip.

The bloke with the 10,000l bowser is hardly ever available, as he is up to his eyeballs in work on the motorway construction.

So, you find one that claims he has a 7,000l bowser, who actually turns up, but without sufficient pipe to reach your water deposit – even though you told him at least twice that he needs at least six metres of pipe. Furthermore, it turns out that he doesn’t have a pump, so if it’s uphill, you’ve dipped out. The 7,000l actually only turns out to be a little over 5,000l – you know because you’ve marked the inside of your tank with metre readings. But it costs you 100 euros all the same because he will point out that it’s the trip not the content. The water costs him nothing, so it’s the diesel that worries him.

So you think about drilling for water. It’s about 60 euros per metre. You can expect to go down about 100mts, so that’s 6,000 euros. Fine, as long as you actually find water or don’t break a drill bit. You’ll need to spend at least another 2,000 euros on a pump. Then there’s the paperwork. In the end, you’ll be lucky if it costs you less than 10,000 euros. The bloke who is going to drill the well assures you that he will handle the necessary permission from the Junta de Andalucía and he does in fact hand over a document with an impressive Junta stamp, but you’re left with the doubt that if, one day up come the police, seal the well and hand you a hefty fine…

Congratulations, you’ve got yourself a pretty lump of secano with marvellous views… now the fun is going to start!

Even the Bagdad Brickies have a lower attrition rate than Andaluz builders; just in one week, three construction-site builders were killed in the province of Granada only! Hardly a week goes by without one death or serious injury, if not in our autonomic region, then in the whole of Spain. So, it should come as no surprise to learn that a labourer was seriously injured in Molvízar, after falling just two metres. Another worker, you might have heard, had his arm caught in a lift door, and had to be rescued by the Motril fire service. The 30-year-old man was working in a building in the Avenida de la Constitution in Salobreña, when his arm became trapped, suffering a partially crushed forearm. It took the firemen just 15 minutes to prise him free – it probably took them an hour and 15 minutes to get there and process the two dozen pieces of advice that was offered by bystanders, who always know better than the actual person who is doing the job, mind. Finally, another warehouse worker was crushed and killed by 200 kilos of falling fruit…

The small but vociferous United Left Party has been busy. They appear to be under the impression, by the way, that if they do not issue a minimum of one communiqué for the press per week, they will be ingested by their own digestive output orifice in the most abrupt manner… Anyway, they have announced their plans for the coming municipal elections, which can be reduced to this: if something’s wrong; it is the fault of the Right, but if something’s going quite well, it’s because the Right has been thwarted in their wicked attempts to enslave the world. Have I ever mentioned that I don’t like Bush? Aha… there you go, you see; just because you dislike the NeoCons, it doesn’t make you a commie, anti-Semite, terrorist apologist, now, does it? And what has Bush got to do with Salobreña? Bugger all, so on with the article. The IU announced that they intend to conquer the Costa Granadina, and rescue it from the clutches of the PP conservatives. The provincial head of the IU, Pedro Vaquero announced that Ángel Coello will lead the struggle for the capture of the Salobreña Town Hall. It might be worth translating into English Sr. Pedro Vaquero’s name: Peter Cowboy. Hmmm… His wingman in Almuñécar will be Iván Sánchez, (Ivan, you must admit, sounds just a touch ‘over the Volga’), and with their heavy artillery in Motril, in the sound hands of Felipe Villa (with whose name you can do sod all and is thus not to be trusted). The IU’s firm intention, therefore, is to be elected to run all three Costa Granadina town halls. There is more chance, however, of Mr Bush being elected Miss Universe… Wait a moment! Do they have electronic vote counting for Miss Universe?

Hey! The Local Police has acquired two large-cylindered bikes for the Boys to pose with! Now, we’re not talking about a couple of cheapo Japanese ones, but two sod-off BMW’s, Hmmm… Hang on; why do the Local Police need two powerful road cruisers, capable of going well over 200kph, for the inner streets of Salobreña? I mean, they’d be just the job for getting around in the old town, won’t they? And I’m sure that they’ll have countless occasions to whistle along the paseo, with all the speed bumps, and perhaps get into third gear once or twice before changing them in. Now, if they were Guardia Civil, who have to patrol the main roads and autovías, that’s a different story. You could probably buy a whole herd of more practical 125cc scooters for the same price, right?

Now, I’m looking at a photo of the Casa Roja, where they are planning to build 94 VPO (state-subsides housing), but I can’t, for the life of me, make out where it is. It’s probably taken with a wide-angled lens or they have the negative around the wrong way, but in either case, I guess it’s not far from where the old Guardia Civil post and sugar factory is. Anyway, these 94 houses will be in the North (66), East (8) and Calle Fuente (20) areas of town. This was approved in the last town council meeting, with the opposition abstaining, claiming that the available land could have been used more efficiently, providing for at least 180 dwellings. Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, just because people tend to fornicate like rabbits, it doesn’t mean that they want to live in rabbit hutches, does it? So far, there are over one thousand applicants. The purchase price will range between 69,000 for a 70sq/mt house, and 89,000 for a 90sq/mt one. Each house will be on three floors.

The Molvízar lot are always popping up in the news, aren’t they – the little devils. A builder was arrested by Seprona (Guardia Civil department concerned with the environment and wildlife protection) for building an unauthorised house in the Camino de los Palmares. So far, only the builder has been nabbed, but the GC is looking into how much the owner of the illegal construction ‘was involved’. The owner, an Englishman it would appear, had left all the legal paperwork, i.e. building permission etc., to the builder, for the construction of a 1,120sq/mt chalet.

Ecologistas en Acción have requested that the approved Salobreña PGOU be frozen, as it allegedly permits housing to be erected in areas of risk. The ecologists consider the section that deals with the geological make up, fauna and flora, to be ‘ridiculous’. Ha! Ya should see my knees when I’m in shorts (not recommended) if you want to know what ridiculous really means! Anyway, the spokesman of the group points out that the plans foresee the construction of housing on the western slopes, ‘which have already suffered uncontrolled earth movements, affecting existing houses there.’ He also points out that the low-lying hitherto agricultural land next to the river has a propensity to flood.

Beggars outside Supermarkets. There has been an increase in the number of beggars outside the supermarkets in recent months, both in Salobreña and Motril. I now regard them as another scam, aimed at cheating you out of your money! Most of those begging seem to be either from Britain or northern Europe. I recently witnessed a scene, which will certainly make me think hard, before I put any money into their begging bowl now. A man got out of a car near the Lidl supermarket in Salobreña, took off his shoes and put them in a carrierbag. He then scuffed his feet about in the dust to make them look dirty, rubbed dust and dirt into his face and went across to the supermarket to sit outside. He was equipped with a blanket and a piece of card saying that he was out of work and starving. I was tempted to suggest to him, that if he really was so short of cash and starving, then he could always sell the car! What do you think about these people? Do you give them any money or do you provide them, or the dog, with something to eat?

The Prince and Princess of Asturias visited Motril. Don Felipe and Doña Letizia visited Motril on 19th September for a special ceremony in the port. They flew from Madrid to Granada airport by conventional aircraft and then from there to Motril port by helicopter. They were attending a ceremony, organised by Granada City Hall, in which they presented a Battle Flag to the first of four, new, type-F100 frigates. The new vessel is now fully commissioned and ready for action. The frigate has been named Alvaro de Bazan, after the sixteenth century Admiral, who played a key role in sea battles during the reign of Felipe the second of Spain (Lepanto, for example). The reason that the ceremony took place in Motril is that the Admiral was born in the Granada Province. As was to be expected, there was a very strong police presence in the port area, as well as in the town and the Guardia Civil had helicopters in the sky all the time the visit took place. I saw lots of school parties from the town and surrounding area being escorted into the port for the Royal visit. It was wonderful to see the joy on the faces of people of all ages, as the Prince and Princess walked round after the official ceremony, to greet as many of the crowd as possible. The Prince and Princess appeared to enjoy the whole event, as they presented the flag, inspected the Guard of Honour, and greeted many of those in the crowd. The Princess looked very regal in black and, during the walk about even kissed some of the flag waving and cheering children in the crowd. It is a day the people of Motril will long remember.

Thinking of selling your house or flat? Well there is a new show in town and it is certainly well worth considering! Mike Dyson, at the ever popular Cybersurfer Internet Café, down by the beach in Salobreña, has been acting as a property-rental Agent for more than a year now. So many people have enquired about the benefits of buying a property, compared with renting, that Mike is now expanding his business to take on property sales. If you have seen how many people go through his doors every day, you will perhaps have a clue as to how many enquiries he actually gets! Mike promises to provide a personal, individual and efficient service. They will arrange everything concerned with sales and purchase and ensure that any transaction is legally conducted. The business is making a Special Launch Offer for anyone wishing to sell their property, in the form of a reduced commission to sell your house or flat. This means you have more money in your pocket! They are well worth a visit, or you can call on 958 612 539.

The Socialist Party in Salobreña, the PSOE, has asked for the proposed development plan for the village to be withdrawn. They say that the proposal will only benefit estate agents, will do little or nothing for the economy of Salobreña and produce more flats and other housing stock that will remain empty for most of the year!

The campaign and demonstrations staged by groups of motorcyclists and scooter riders over the last year seems to have achieved very little so far. This group wants the supports for the Armco barriers along the N-340, the coast road, to be replaced with ones that are safer, more flexible and do not kill bike riders. It is now more than six months, since a motion was passed in the Motril town hall, to ask the Development Ministry in Madrid to replace the current barriers with ones with cushioned supporting posts. To date, Motril town hall has done nothing and riders are still being killed! I wonder what type of barrier support is being used on the new coast road and other newly constructed highways, the old type, a new safer type, or ones that are determined by their cost and not by their safety?

Illegal immigrants are still trying to land on local beaches for what they believe will be a better life here in Spain. A boat carrying 28 people, including three children, was intercepted near Castell de Ferro on 10th September and they were taken into custody for deportation. To risk so much in crossing to Spain from North Africa must mean they are really desperate to escape from their current life and country!

Salobreña Church Bells are going to be repaired at the church of Iglesia del Rosario by Ausio Europa, the same company that worked on another project in the village and with whom the town hall was very satisfied. The work should be completed by December and the budget allocated is 60,000 euros.

Salobreña tourist figures have increased again during this summer. Those of us who live here, suspected that already, from the number of people on the beach and around the village, but now it’s official and has come from the Salobreña local tourism councillor, Esther Lopez Haro. However, they seem to base their figures on the number of requests for information about the village and not the actual number of people who come on holiday! As they say there are lies, bloody lies and statistics and the biggest lies of all are statistics!

News from over the water. The Changing Horizons of Motril! The skyline behind Motril is going Green and I don’t mean in colour! As you now look inland towards the Sierras, there are a series of new constructions that have nothing to do with housing! They are further examples of wind-powered generators, similar in construction to those already built by the side of the Granada road. These are described as an environmentally friendly, alternative solution to conventional, power-generating station by those who plan them, design them and give permission for them to be built. However, I doubt that any of these designers, planners or politicians has allowed them to be built in a position that spoils their views! Not in my backyard mate, no matter how good for the environment they are! However, they are good for the environment, no matter how ugly these wind generators are and they will continue to march over the countryside all over the world, just like the machines in War of the Worlds.

A more aesthetically pleasing change in Motril is concerned with the beachfront from the Los Moriscos golf course towards the Port of Motril. The council workers are busy working on this stretch of the new Paseo, including the planting of shrubs, trees and the construction of rest areas with seats. This new facility will eventually link Motril and Salobreña by foot or cycle and further work will be taking place to connect the end of Salobreña beach to the golf course beach.

The Motril Golf Course becomes 18 holes. The Los Moriscos golf course, which was first opened in 1974, became a full eighteen holes course on 20th August this year. However, as predicted in this magazine, the price to play there has increased alarmingly! I talked to Pepe Martin recently, who is the Caddy Master at the club and he said that, despite the increase in the green fees, the comments made by golfers playing the new course have been very favourable. My wife and I played there recently, the course has improved and we enjoyed the new holes. It is a much better course, with the introduction of more bunkers and water hazards, although the total distance to play has not changed. However, they are charging the new full price to play, despite the current use of some temporary greens! It took us about three-and-a-half hours to play the course, which is quicker than it used to take on the old course, but in some places you have to walk further between holes. The course now employs some fifteen staff, opens at eight in the morning and closes at eight in the evening, as does the Driving Range, you have to book a teeing-off time, but it is possible to turn up and play if they are not too busy. However, that would not be possible at the weekends, which is their busiest time. The course is open every day during the times mentioned, but the driving range closes half an hour earlier on Sundays and Mondays. The course was much quieter when we played, perhaps due to the price increase, but at least there is now no need to wait to tee-off again at the first hole, when you were going round the old nine-hole course for the second time. They have also provided toilet facilities, with washbasins, on the tenth and the fifteenth/sixteenth holes and wooden benches have been placed behind every teeing-off point. One problem that still exists is where to park, made worse when people come down to the beach, go to the bar or restaurant and are not going to play golf. The bar and restaurant are nothing to do with the golf club, as they are run and owned by a separate business. However, Pepe told me there are plans to build a new club-house near the driving range and change the playing order of the eighteen holes, but this will not be done for another two to three years. A single green fee is now €40, a couple can play for €70 and it is €900 for a thirty game ticket, valid for one year. However, there is no reduced fee for ladies! You can hire golf carts, clubs, have lessons and the club house has toilet and shower facilities.