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There was
high drama one day last month in mid-morning when a coaster was
spotted in apparent difficulties not far off Burriana beach.
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The coaster in
rough seas off the beach |
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The weather was stormy with very strong and gusty winds whipping the
sea into enormous waves and forcing the cargo vessel, en route from
Motril to Málaga and loaded with cement, to seek shelter in the bay
when engine trouble struck. However, the skipper was unable to set the
anchor and the ship began drifting further and further inshore until
there was a distinct danger of her becoming grounded or striking the
cliffs between Nerja and Maro.
Dozens of people along the beach and at other vantage points
recognised the difficulty she was in and several alerted the
authorities. Guardia Civil patrols monitored the situation and for a
time it was thought the crew might have to be rescued. However, a
little after 1 pm, the captain managed to anchor the vessel and a
potential catastrophe was averted.
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Incidentally, identifying ships which can be seen passing Burriana
beach is now very easy, thanks to the excellent website at
malagaweather.com. Click on the link marked ‘AIS ship tracker’ and
a real-time display shows a map with coloured pins marking the
location of all major vessels in the vicinity. A click on each pin
will then display the name, destination, speed and other information.
Bad weather also resulted in the postponement of the fourth annual
sea-bed clean up organised by Bernabé and Catharina Toledo of the
Buceo Costa Nerja Dive Centre. It was rescheduled but continuing rough
seas that day meant dives had again to be ruled out. Instead, the
volunteers undertook a clean-up of Nerja’s beaches.
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Teams were sent off to collect junk from five points along the
town’s shoreline, all of which was carefully weighed on their
return (left).
An impressive 122 kilos of waste, including bottles, tyres and a
caravan towing arm, were later taken to the municipal dump for
disposal. On hand to support the effort was Councillor Jonathan
Mendéz who posed (right) with the volunteers at the end of the
morning.
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Councillor Méndez is also responsible for the creation of a parking
area for 100 motorcycles at the western end of the beach. Trees were
felled in late September (below) with work progressing during last
month. Some 500 metres of the path at the foot of the cliffs, closed
since landslips made it too dangerous, are reported to be in line for
an upgrade as part of the same project.
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Tree felling in
progress |
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Talk of strong winds and stormy seas reminded us that winter is
not far away.
It seems that Simon and Matt at H2O made the right decision to
start serving warming crumpets and muffins last month! The cup
cakes have also gone down well as a special tea time treat. The
latest innovation is a trial of Maki, which is a kind of
vegetarian Sushi and sounds scrummy to us!
The boys are also planning to restart their trips to the Sierra
Nevada for a day’s skiing as soon as conditions are right. If
you’re interested in joining their party, pop into the bar, check
at their website
here or email Matt directly
here. |
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Christmas is coming and all the trimmings are in stock at the Deli.
Alison has crackers, mince pies and other festive goodies already on
the shelves, and is now taking orders for fresh turkeys, sausage meat
and other essentials for the big day. Alternatively, if you plan to
relax this winter, you can stock up on your favourite British produce
and perhaps choose a book from the second-hand selection on display.
And although the holiday week is still some time ahead, many places
are already heavily booked for seasonal meals, so don’t leave that
reservation too late.
Bitter and Twisted are offering a traditional Christmas Day lunch plus
a vegetarian option for €45, with home- |
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made Christmas Pudding to follow. Booking is essential on (+34)
95 252 3683. Gill, Tony and Mike will be closed during the evenings of
December 24 and 31, but open for business with a full programme of
sport on the big screens on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Bitter and
Twisted are now closed on Mondays, so the popular curry night has
moved to Tuesdays instead.
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Jaon asks all the
questions
at All That Jazz |
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With the soccer season now well underway, there is a haven of peace
for those who don’t like sport on TV. All That Jazz proudly remains a
football free zone, with not a flat screen in sight…
It was here we attended a quiz night recently, with Martin and Joan
(aka Fred and Ginger) once again stumping us with their questions.
Needless to say, our team did not come first (or second or third, for
that matter.) However, a good night was had by all even if our brains
ached afterwards. The next quiz night will be on Wednesday, November
19, starting at 8pm.
Mark and the team at All That Jazz also plan a splendid Christmas Day
lunch with a main course of roast turkey, ovenbaked salmon or spinach
and cream cheese filo baskets. Bookings at €40 per person can be made
with Mark on (+34) 699 552 714. While the staff will have a day off on
Boxing Day, reservations can also be made for the gala a la carte
dinner planned for New Year’s Eve.
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The new owners at JJ’s Café del Mar are preparing for their first
festive season on the paseo and plan to be open throughout. Janet and
partner Miguel ran a restaurant in San Juan de Capistrano for a time
and, after a year’s break in the UK, returned to Nerja, along with
Janet’s brother Graham, to take over the Café in July. Since then,
they’ve been offering their home cooked and produced fare and settling
in to their new venture. They’re open every day except Wednesday and
we wish their business a long and prosperous future.
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The party nights at Bar Blue Med have already proved popular with
the most recent arranged to say farewell to Kate who, with fiancée
Xavier, is moving to the UK.
An impressive selection of buffet food was served at the tables by
Joe and Nick overseen by owners Anne and Stuart, ably assisted, as
always, by son Thomas.
If you have a special event coming up, contact Stuart to discuss
your requirements and the style of food you’d like for your
guests.
He’s a fully-trained and experienced chef, a fact reflected in the
range and quality of the fare at Kate’s party
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Joe, Nick, Anne,
Xavier, Kate and Stuart with Thomas in the foreground |
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Finally, thanks to Deborah and Billy for this month’s archive
photograph of Nerja which they say was taken around 1980.
It was taken at the junction of the main N340 road and Calle
Andalucía which leads to the Hotel Villa Flamenca.
Note the Verano Azul apartments under construction on the right,
the advertisement pointing towards The Pirates pub (now Potters
Bar) and the road sign marking the eastern boundary of the town.
The red structure on the left of the picture is a temporary
bullring where Deborah and Billy recall attending a corrida. |
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