The streets of Guardamar

Just a few pictures of the streets of Guardamar - gives an idea what the place is like.

Here is the road leading down to the park area 

Below a view of the Mediterranean Sea at the bottom of this road.

Calle Mayor still has the fancy lights - erected for the Moors and Christians parades.

Below another part of Calle Mayor - near to where we reside 

That's it folks ........

Hot Hot Hot in España

Well we've just returned to the UK after two  weeks in Spain and as expected it was really HOT.

Went to Guardamar to watch the Moors and Christians parades and had a good time but the weather was rather too hot for us - we like to potter around during the daytime but far too hot for that ! So it was lazy afternoons and late nights with too much beer drunk !

Spain is supposed to be in economic crisis - less foreign holiday makers  - and locals unwilling to spend their own money whilst on their holidays. The town had a large number of tourists but I think that there are reduced numbers compared to when I was last in Guardamar  at this time of the year - that being 5 years ago.

Still plenty of flats for sale and it is evident that the prices are falling rapidly .. 

We'll have to wait a see what happens with the economy over the next few years and hope for an improvement - as with the UK prices are rising fast especially for foodstuffs. 

PhotoHunt - Support

This PhotoHunt is really about some important  SUPPORT - without it there would be no apartment blocks on the Coasta Blanca.

This seems to be the modern way of building a block - steel strands or fibres  are encased in concrete as SUPPORT ( I'm sure strand is the wrong word - but it's not a post or string - anyone know the correct word -  there must be some technical term ? )

A concrete floor is created on top and then they start again with the next floor - same method - more Supports and then another floor is laid.

Once the frame is completed then the outer wall is bricked up - as you can see on the bottom floor - picture below . The exterior is then covered with a layer of plaster ( I assume ) and painted .

From start to finish takes about two years from digging the hole in the ground to selling the properties - not long to complete the frame and bricking up but it seems to take forever to complete the individual flats with their kitchens and bathrooms - plus the lifts and the outside pools and gardens .

Guardamar - Fiesta

It's not only at Christmas that the streets of Guardamar are light by bright festive lights - fiesta time - the re-enactment of the removal of the Moors from Spain  by the Christians sees colourful street lights and parades.

The parades are usually held at the end of July and attract large crowds ..  Hopefully we will be in Guardamar again this year to see all the action !

PhotoHunt - Pointed

Pointed leaves on these plants give a clue to their hardiness - these plants seem to grow with ease along this barren coast - drought resistant - they are very tough and I think they are unlikely to be eaten by anything ..

Picture taken near La Zenia on the Costa Blanca, Spain .

Southern Spain is certainly warming up - forecast for tomorrow is 90 degrees Fahrenheit  ! The heat will be no worry to these plants ..

PhotoHunt

Vantage Point

Wednesday is cinema day for us over 50's - cheap deals with free coffee and biscuits - yum yum !

Today it was Vantage Point with Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forrest Whitaker and Sigourney Weaver - a really good action film set in Salamanca, Spain - concerning a presidential assassination bid - eight different people give their own versions of the events - an excellent film which I would recommend .

BUT I've been to Salamanca and did not recognise any of the places filmed . Unusually for us we waited until the very end of the film and watched all the credit titles to find that it was filmed in Mexico City ! !

Why not set the story in Mexico and not Spain ?? It just gets us old folks confused ..