Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Why Calahonda In Southern Spain?

Sitio de Calahonda is the largest property development you will find between Marbella and Fuengirola, the town is rustic in style with limited high rise buildings and lots of green areas. In fact, this neighbourhood has grown so successfully that it could qualify as a town. However, residents have been attempting for many years to separate Calahonda from Mijas to no avail, they still have to pay their taxes to Mijas townhall.
While the vast majority of Calahonda's 600,000 square metres is devoted to villas, townhouses and space for ten golf courses (one with a 10KM radius), selected areas have been dedicated to providing residents with every amenity imaginable. There are three main commercial centres with shops, 45 restaurants, bars, 7 banks and three 24 hour medical centres, amongst a wide variety of other businesses including: hardware, furniture, garden supply, travel agencies, car hire, car repair, property management and much more, there are tennis courts, a fitness centre, a marina (Cabopino) and a range of water sports.
Health care needs are provided for by a chemist and three medical centres, offering 24 hour service. Furthermore, the state-funded Hospital Costa del Sol is well known as the Coast's state-of-the-art medical facility and is just minutes from Calahonda.
There is a nursery schools in Calahonda and private primary and secondary schools are located nearby. One of the best known international schools on the coast, the English International School (EIC), is approximately 5 to 10 minutes drive from the urbanisation. Those interested in high quality Spanish schooling for their children can enrol girls in Las Chapas and boys in Ecos, private Catholic schools run by the Grupo Atendis, which are located just off the N-340 on the way to Marbella. State-funded schooling is available in La Cala de Mijas, where schools provide free bus service to students coming from Calahonda.
Climate
The Costa del Sol has the best climate in the whole of Europe, with an incredible 325 days of sunshine each year, which is called their micro climate. It is not unusual to be sitting in glorious sunshine in the winter months, while the rest of Europe shivers under a cloud of rain. Just imagine relaxing on your own private terrace or next to your swimming pool with a sangria in your hand, your friends nearby and your partner or children all having the time of their lives...
Buying Calahonda also makes good business sense. A sunny climate means that investing in property on the Costa del Sol will always be a good financial proposition.
Spanish Lifestyle
The activities available on the Costa del Sol are overwhelming. Boasting some of the cleanest stretches of coast anywhere in Europe encourages an excellent beach life and is a big draw for many people on the Costa del Sol, some beaches have been awarded the European Blue Flag of merit. The Costa del Sol also promotes great gastronomic delights with many beach restaurants, bars and clubs for those of you who like to party into the night.
For those who like to delve into more sporting activities there's waterskiing, yacht trips, adventure parks, tennis, quad-biking and even skiing (crazy but true, skiing is just a two hour drive away in the Sierra Nevada mountains). And last but not least.....Golf. It's no co-incidence that the Costa del Sol is also known as the Costa del Golf, with some of the world's premier championships having being held here over the years, including the 1997 Ryder Cup, the World Golf Championships in 2000, and the Volvo Masters in 2005.
Those of you who enjoy a shopping trip or simply window shopping then you will be very satisfied on the Costa del Sol, the choice of hyoer markets, cobbled streets and designer boutiques is extensive. The Costa del Sol also has several cinema complexes showing English films with subtitles in Spanish, ten-pin bowling, aqua parks, a modern efficient health service, and top quality international schools.
In summary, the Costa del Sol is for people who like the finer things in life and who enjoy the best that life can offer. Or, if you are the quiet type, you can just ignore all that, sit back, relax and take in the peace and quiet surrounded by nature. The Costa del Sol has numerous protected wildlife parks and natural parks that are to be enjoyed and display the true inland Andalucia.
Commuting
Flying to southern Spain is now easier than ever, there are several low-cost airlines that fly from all major UK airports and northern Europe competing for business to Malaga International Airport. The airport is currently under major construction to accommodate more people coming into the country, the new motorway toll road (E15) has been upgraded and now provides a fast efficient connection to any area along the coast. There is also a new development of a new high speed rail link between Malaga and Madrid. Spain has caught up with the rapid growth of internet and is now providing more high speed internet lines and cheap telephone rates - all these reasons make Spain a very good access point for the whole of Europe.
Where to eat & drink in Calahonda

Highlander Bar
Little Italy


Charley's Bar
La Luna de Calahonda
Restaurante Royal Beach
Bar Bananas
Doña Lola Club
Chiringuito La Lucera
Merendero el Juncal
David's Bar
Merendero la Familia
Merendero el Bombo
Chiringuito Los Moreno
Restaurante Arroyo
The Boat House
Akira Fuji

Where to stay in Calahonda
The list below is for hotels that are decent and located centrally in Calahonda and include some direct links to their websites or websites with features of the particular hotel.

Atlantic Club Calahonda
Las Palmers Hotel
El Ancla
Calasol II
El Oceano
Club Algaida




Reference : www.thaisabuy.com

Thursday, November 4, 2010

The 5th World Meeting of Families in Valencia, Spain: A Pilgrim's Perspective

The 5th World Meeting of Families held in Valencia, Spain last week. My son just got married and his wife attended the conclusion of the Assembly, as a family of newly created, one with enormous growth potential! I went with them as a mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and other interested parties. We were only three of the pilgrims in a mass rally of over a million and a half.

If you followed a meeting of any kind, a meeting, or just for a change of pace,The Spaniards always ask: "¿Te has divertido? Which can be translated" he liked or not you have fun? "And as you might expect, I had the question was asked more than once. I had to give some thought to my answer, so they do not. Dull sound Well, to be honest, no, I had fun, was a honest-to-goodness pilgrimage experience.! was tough, but then there was a positive, but the development of this website to make it ...

We left for MadridValencia on a bus at eight clock Saturday morning - needless to say, our day was much earlier than just begun. The forecast for the weekend had requested an increase of temperatures, and as the year is normal in most of Spain, this time, even across the sky clear. This meant a lot of sunshine and temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Time has not demonstrated the forecasters wrong, like the sun in all its force and the torrid heat in all of usthe road.

Fundación Nuevo Entorno had made every preparation for our pilgrimage. Two buses have been directed at Valencia, with just under 100 people, mature adults, young adults, adolescents and children. On the way to Valencia, we went to lunch in the town of Turis stop about 35 miles from our destination. The families of the parish town had offered to open their home to us. We were fed lunch and made beds available for the night for those who did not wantValencia stay on the ground in the area where the pilgrims at the end of the session, closed the call Saturday night and Sunday morning Mass, the two events are collected in his chair Holiness Pope Benedict XVI would do.

In the hospitable city in the province of Valencia Turis, we experience the reality of the family, the church is. The families that welcomed us were actually members of our extended spiritual family, and lived up to expectations. Fedus well and made us feel at home and among friends. We ate and talked for nearly two hours, as if we knew all along. It 'been a great experience in our first pilgrimage, and the others would follow.

After lunch, many of us leave the members of the recent discovery of our spiritual family, and was back on the bus. Soon we arrived at Valencia, who seemed elated as they prepared to welcome the pope. Flags of all types hung from balconies and windows. WomenChildren and men were in their bright costumes. Yellow and white, the colors of the pilgrims' shining across the busy streets. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people were employed, actively moving, as if on a mission. And here we are! Drop-off in the middle of the action, amazed, trying to find our way.

We walked almost an hour, or so it seemed. The backpacks seemed heavier than when we started, the sun hotter, and the crowd thickened. There were sprinklersthe upgrade of the city for pilgrims, but we came in spite of everything, not as drawn with the masses to fight for the wells. Finally we found our assigned area, but what a disappointment! I had decided to sleep outside, if I, as if ready to camp on the banks of the river, wrapped in my sleeping bag I rest peacefully on the fresh grass.

The painful reality was so different. We rely on commodities and a dusty track where just a little 'shadow, our sleeping bagsarranged on a bed of stones. We had few other options. It 'been a breath of wind away from the sea so that the sandy soil and rock was more attractive than the hot pavement of the adjacent street blocked. That was our only other option. After the sun went down and the floor of the cold, we moved forward on the sidewalk and away from dust. Tight camaraderie among adults 8 or so mature, that has been developed by our group as we adapt to our situation has been resolved,the best of them, laughing at their absurdity.

There were big screens and speakers, where we could see and hear the activities planned for the eve rally Saturday. Too many people had already claimed the ground around the screens, and the only way, our group was to stand. After staying for a short period, the group finally decided to listen only to the testimonies and music, as we seriously expected the Pope's message heard.

We heard encouragingProducts in many languages of husbands and wives, mothers and fathers of many nations. The statement of these witnesses has confirmed to us the truth that the Church has not ceased to proclaim that, in accordance with the plans of God, marriage and family are irreplaceable and permit no other alternatives. The family is an indispensable foundation for society. As a grandmother said that the future Holy Father's words to my heart: "The family includes not only parents and children, but alsoGrandparents and ancestors. The family is a community of generations and the guarantee of a patrimony of traditions. "

The family rally ended Sunday morning with a closing Eucharist. After the show we saw with enthusiasm, the Holy Father left the rally site and move from our place in the popemobile. The crowd cheered and applauded. They sang the words of support and affection as they have given up their flags and hands with enthusiasm. He answered with a joyous smile as he refrained fromin his vehicle. He could feel the affection of the people affected found applause, which, in turn, his love for the people. As I watched the exchange between the Pope and the people, I could feel satisfied with the authenticity of their interactions.

The 5th World Meeting of Families in Valencia, Spain, and thus ended our pilgrimage. But the pilgrimage of our life continues with all its joys, mistakes and disappointments. We have learned to recognizethe value of imperfect fitting situations and learn from them to do what is good, positive and beneficial. For our extended spiritual family, as we have seen, we are always in our hearts, treasure of the Church community, the family of God