Excellent condition.

Desks measure 5ft 10″wide and 2ft 7″” deep.

They can be flat packed for transport.

Price 200 euros.

If you are looking to make your holiday money go a little further or just like to sample the atmosphere of a typical Spanish market then you will be spoilt for choice.

In the Orihuela area there is at least one market to be found everyday at one place or another.

If you like your fruit and vegetables then the markets will give you a chance to use that little bit of holiday Spanish or the universal language of pointing. With fruit you will often have the opportunity to sample before you buy which all adds to the occasion.

The markets generally sell everything from clothes, leather coats, shoes, bags, toys, books, paintings, ornaments, flowers and more. On a hot summers day the food and drinks stalls are a welcome site and most markets will have the freshly cooked chickens roasting on a spit making it almost impossible to resist.

Always worth a visit and have a go a haggling as everyone is looking to make a sale.

One word of warning which is basically common sense and this relates to pick pockets. The markets will be busy and crowded and they provide an ideal venue for the opportunist thief so keep you wallets in front pockets and bags to the front and just be vigilant!

A list of the markets is shown below.

Monday

Santa Pola, San Pedro del Pinatar

Tuesday

Orihuela, Benijofar, San Fulgencio

Wednesday

Algorfa, guardamar, la Mata, San Miguel de Salinas

Thursday

Rojales, Bigastro, San Javier, Urb La Marina

Friday

Dolores, Torrevieja (am) Los Montesinos (PM) Pilar de la Horadada (eve) Daya Vieja (am) Albatera

Saturday

Playa Flamenca, Santa Pola, Almoradi

Sunday

Campo de Guardamar, Algorfa, Urb La Marina, Zozo (near Quesada) Albatera

For a taste of the real Spain and a chance to take in the splendour of the traditional Fiesta, Caravaca de la Cruz is a must for anyone fortunate enough to be in the area at the beginning of May each year.

This lovely town is always worth a visit at any time of the year but at the beginning of May they celebrate the way only the Spanish can. Festivities commence on 1^st May with Bell ringing and the offering of flowers to the holy cross together with various other activities, but it is on 2nd May when the visitor will be treated to an experience to remember.

Town Square

Early on, the day starts with more bell ringing and fireworks followed by the Mass of Commemoration of the Most Holy and True Cross of Caravaca. This dates back to 1232 when legend has it that the Moorish King Zeytb Abuzeyt ordered a captured priest called Chirinos to say mass to satisfy his curiosity. The priest started to prepare but had no cross as the Moors had destroyed them all. Insistent that he could not say mass without a cross the king became angry and accused him of making an excuse. At this point 2 angels appeared carrying a cross with two arms. Upon seeing this, the Moorish king fell to his knees and converted to Christianity along with all his Arabic subjects.

The town gets its name from the cross with two arms and there are constant reminders of the importance of this symbol which can be seen all around the town, from the structure on the roundabout leading into the town, to banners and signs on every street. All of the jewellery and souvenir shops can also boast a large selection of crosses for sale.

A procession of marching bands make their way through the streets together with the beautifully decorated horses that take part in the race later in the day. These horses are pure bred and are generally happy to stand still for photographs as they wend their way through the town. The embroidered costumes worn by the horses take a year to make and the serious nature of the competition for the best dressed horse is clear to see.

The town is alive with activity and in the main square the banners are draped from the surrounding balconies and giant figures of Kings, Queens. Knights and Moors weave in amongst the crowds. On any street corner you are likely to come across another band or group of Knights in traditional mantles and Moors in brightly coloured costumes with many carrying swords.

Spectators can get more involved in the proceedings by simply purchasing one of the red scarves available for sale in most of the local shops which are worn by the young men who take part in the horse race later in the day.

A typical street market meanders through the town offering the usual choice of leather goods, jewellery, toys, food etc.

Not all shops will be open during the fiesta but there will be enough for the souvenir hunter and anyone wanting something to eat or drink.
At around 1.45 the main procession starts off led by the Moorish King and Queen followed by their subjects split into different distinctive groups of men and women brandishing weapons and followed by their bands with powerful brass and drum sections. After the Moors come the Christian King and Queen supported by the various Knight Orders and plenty more marching bands.

The festival Princess makes an appearance on horse back followed by the Mayor and his entourage carrying flowers up to the Castle.

Next come the horse’s one a time to the starting point for the 10 second dash up the hill. This is known as Los Caballos del Vino (Wine Horses) and dates back to the 13^th century when the Christians who were besieged in the fortress by the Arabs managed to break out in search of water. They could not find water so returned with wineskins filled with wine. The horses are all pretty lively and once a group of 4 men are in position each hanging onto the horse, it charges up the hill with each man doing their best to hold on to the straps and complete the race to qualify for a time. Not everyone makes it to the top it has to be said and the crowd has to be quick to part and make way for the horses if they want to avoid being a casualty of the day. You can watch this spectacle from the Castle above or by the road side. If you want to avoid the crush you can watch all the action on one of the large television screens located in the castle grounds or in the town square.

At the end of the race each horse makes its way into the castle grounds where there are more photo opportunities and the beautiful church itself where its many volunteers hand out hundreds of bunches of fresh flowers to anyone who wants them. This introduces even more colour to this spectacular event.

The fiesta carries on into the evening and then starts again the next day when there is a children’s parade depicting the Moors and Christians once again. The procession of the bathing of the cross then sees the Cross leave the Parish Church to reach the Cuesta de la Cruz before the Blessing of the Water at the temple.

The town of Caravaca is regarded at the fifth holiest City in the world following Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostella and Santo Toribo de Liébana.
The original cross disappeared in 1932 before the Spanish Civil War and has never been found so the town asked the Vatican to help. A copy of the cross was donated by the Pope and the reliquary holds 2 pieces of the cross (“True Cross”) that Christ was crucified on. Pope Benedict XVII visited Caravaca on 1^st December 2002 for the benefaction of the cross and now they can celebrate the perpetual year of Jubilee every 7 years and is next due in 2010.

Other Attractions.

At other times the visitor can take a more leisurely stroll around this charming town and take time out to visit “The Museo de la Fiesta” where the colourful embroideries and costumes can be seen. There are 3 other Museums in the town together with fine churches and monuments.

There is also a newer part of town where the visitor can enjoy the cosmopolitan shops and the large market held on a Monday.

Situated 625 feet above sea level in the North West province of Murcia, Caravaca is easily accessible form Alicante and Murcia.

Caravaca is well worth the visit and will definitely represent a taste of the real Spain for anyone who wants more from their holiday than sun and sea, at least for one day anyway!

Jacqui and Steve with new car and graphics

We are pleased to welcome Jacqui and Steve Ward into the Property Hounds Group. Jacqui and Steve will be taking over the Playa Flamenca area with effect from 20th March.

They have owned a property here in Spain for the last 6 years and started their relationship with Property Hounds when they decided to change from the existing Managing Agent in 2006. They signed with Property Hounds at that time and remained with us until they moved over here towards the end of 2008. They had been considering a permanent move to Spain for some time and knew that they wanted to run their own property management business.Having been impressed with the service they had received from Property Hounds it made sense to them to take advantage of the opportunity we were offering.

With their own experience of letting and owning a property in Spain combined with our support, they are looking forward to the challenge and in particular their first year which already looks promising with a healthy number of holiday rental bookings already in place for the summer.

We wish them every success.

These notes are meant to try and give you a feel for Spain and point you in the right direction but with constant changes in procedures and rules and regulations you should try to do as much research as you can before you arrive.

10 Keys Points to Consider Before you make the move

1. Bring enough money with you to survive for at least 6 months if you are intending to make a living in Spain

2. Do not rely on public transport

3. Either bring a car or be prepared to buy or rent one if you are seriously looking for work and in particular if you are going to work for your self.

4. Bring with you or be financially prepared to invest in tools or equipment if you are looking to work for yourself.

5. Make sure every member of the family who comes over is committed to the idea

6. Think very carefully about what stage your children’s education has reached before bringing them to Spain

7. Be prepared to work hard and for less than you would in the UK

8. Be prepared to be patient

9. Be prepared for very hot weather in the summer and the effect it will have if you are working in it and not laying by a pool.

10. Be prepared for changes in even some of the more simple and basic things that you take for granted in the UK like a reliable postal service, ease of having a telephone and internet installed, roads with names on them shops and services closing at between 2pm and 4pm.

If you are happy that you can deal with all these points then come on over and start a new life in the sun!

There has been a lot in the UK press and on the television about crime in this part of Spain and it would be foolish to think that crime did not occur.

In most cases it is petty crime and opportunist criminals. That’s not to say there are not more organised crimes which you can’t really do much about but a good percentage of crime can be prevented if you act sensibly.

In the UK I doubt that you would leave your front door open and most certainly not if you were upstairs sleeping or out in the back garden. So why would you leave such an open invitation for some one in Spain?

If the property has grills on the doors, additional locks on windows and alarms then use them.

If you have valuables in the car and you have to leave them in there, then do not leave them on display.

If you are out shopping or dining don’t leave valuables on a table while you go to the toilet or have a bag open and inviting at your side or behind you when in a crowded shopping environment.

These are all pretty obvious but you would be surprised just how many crimes occur where the victim has made it so easy for the criminal.

There are other examples of crimes that are more disturbing and does after a time impact on how you react in certain situations. If you return to your vehicle and you have a flat tyre then have a good look around for anyone looking suspicious and if you are on your own make sure the car is locked whilst you are seeing to the tyre.

Beware a stranger asking for directions, change or help, and again be aware of who else is about in case the person is a distraction for something else that is going on.

This is not meant to frighten you, but hopefully will make you just a little bit more attuned to things

There are more medical facilities now available especially in the area surrounding Torrevieja with a new National Health Hospital and a private one on the edge of the town. There is another National Health Hospital in Orihuela which is useful if you are living more inland.

At Cabo Roig there is a 24 hour 7 days a week medical centre and there are a number of private doctors who anyone can register with or just use as and when needed. They all have different rates and schemes so you will need to see which one suits you best if you want a private doctor. If you do not pay into the Spanish national health system and you are not of retirement age then you will not be entitled to national health services.

If you do not intend working and paying into the system and you are not retired then you should look into private medical insurance which again is advertised in all the local papers with different companies offering different schemes at various rates.

There are also plenty of private practioners in Dentistry and other specialist medical services.

Chemist (Farmacia)

There are many Farmacias in and around the towns and quite often they can prescribe drugs and treatments themselves for many routine illnesses and injuries. Many of the drugs that you can only obtain with a prescription in the UK can be purchased over the counter in Spain. Depending on the medication you may find it very much cheaper than in the UK or in some cases more expensive.

If you are in the system and obtain a prescription from the medical centre you will normally pay a reduced price for the medication.

Burial Insurance

When someone dies in Spain things actually move quite quickly. It’s ironic really that the only time you get to witness anything moving at speed is when you die.

Basically when someone dies, you will need to make a number of telephone calls which include the doctor, the police, the ambulance and the undertaker. If you do not speak Spanish then you almost certainly have to make a fifth call to a translator.

Add to this the requirement for the body to be buried within 24 hours and this becomes a very stressful experience at a very emotional time.

Undertakers also want payment up front and are not always willing to wait for a traditional insurance payment at a later date.

You should consider some of the funeral plans that you will see promoted here in Spain as they will normally be able to offer a service where you just make the one call and they will take care of the rest and can defer the burial for up to 4 days which will give relatives time to make travel arrangements.

You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to supermarkets and that is without considering the smaller independent UK ones.

The list is endless and include Mercadona, Consum, Mas y Mas, LIDL, ALDI, GAMA, Eroski, Carrefour, Super Cor and Super Valu and Quick Save.

You will soon discover which ones stock the type of things you want and at the price you want to pay, but generally a UK based product will be more expensive than a home grown variety.

In the bigger stores like Carrefour you will find that you can buy almost anything and not just food.

There are more commercial centres opening up now offering more choice in the one location and you can now find more home furnishings, furniture, books, and clothes including C&A, opticians including Spec Savers, sports shops, jewellers and lots of banks!

Shopping is also one of the best ways to start to pick up bits of the language as you will soon become familiar with the Spanish names for items that you buy on a regular basis and you will hear the language more in the shops and at the tills where you will see the cost of your purchases and hear them say the amount in Spanish.

Hiring

If you are going to rent a car in Spain then there are some basic requirements that you must be aware of.

You must be 26 or over.

You will need a credit card and your passport to hire a car.

You will probably need the address of where you will be staying to provide to the hire car company.

UK Registered cars (insurance)

If you are driving over with your UK registered car then you need to consider a few basic requirements.

Insurance: Check with your UK company to see what you are covered for by moving over to Spain for a longer period than just a touring holiday. If your are not going to be covered under your existing policy then try to get something sorted out before you set off as you may find it very difficult and expensive to insure a right hand drive UK registered car in Spain .

Tax: Although you will not see a tax disc displayed on a Spanish car, they are required to be taxed and the paperwork for this is kept within the car. Consider this when you UK Tax.

MOT: This is known as an “ITV” in Spain and this is actually displayed on the windscreen of the car and shows how long it is covered for. So once again if you UK MOT runs out think about how you are going to keep your car legal.

If you buy a Spanish car the ITV requirements are for a test after 4 years from new then every 2 years thereafter. If you have a commercial vehicle the re test requirements may differ so be sure to check this when you purchase the vehicle.

Re-registering

You can have your UK car re registered with Spanish plates which will make it legal to drive in Spain. There are a number of companies and individuals who can offer this service although it is not necessarily cheap and certain features on the car may have to be altered to meet Spanish requirements.

Even once you go through this process, if your car is a right hand drive you may still find yourself paying a higher insurance premium that the equivalent left hand drive car

By the way re registering the car is not optional if you intend to keep it in Spain as you only have 6 months from when you bring it over before you either have to take it back to the UK or go through the re registering process

Driving Licence

Provided you have a photo style driving licence from the UK you can carry on with this in Spain. If you do decide you would prefer to have a Spanish licence then you will have to surrender your UK Licence. Again there are people who can offer this service unless you speak Spanish and want to try yourself.

Driving Generally

The law requires that certain specific items be kept in the car.

Documentation: The following should always be in the car when you are driving and should you be stopped by the police you will be required to produce them. Vehicle registration document, ITV certificate (Unless the car is new under less than 4 years old) Vehicle Tax papers, Insurance Policy and you passport and driving licence. We have recently heard (April 2009) that this is no longer required but it may be safer to keep them with you.

Equipment: Reflective jackets equal to the number of people who could be travelling in the vehicle.(They must be kept inside and accessible as they must be put on before exiting the car in the case of breakdown or accident at night.) 2 triangles, a complete set of bulbs for all lights on the vehicle, first aid box, a bottle of water for drinking and one for use for the car. If the driver wears glasses then a spare pair must be kept in the car.

Seat belts: Seat belts must be worn at all times by all passengers. It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that this is applied. A fine of €150 was applied to an individual who we know personally for failing to wear a seat belt.

Mobile Phones: It is an offence for a driver to use a mobile phone whilst driving. We even know of a case where the driver had his Blue Tooth ear piece on his ear and was not even using the phone and was fined for having part of the phone touching his body whilst driving.

On the road: When driving expect the unexpected. Indicators seem to be optional and overtaking of 4 or 5 cars at a time seems to be the national past time. Don’t be surprised if someone stops in front of you and conducts a conversation with someone in another car or on the pavement. Stopping at pedestrian crossings is also optional, well unofficially anyway and they often make idea parking spaces especially in crowded streets. When it rains then expect roads to be flooded and afterwards watch out for pot holes, man hole covers lifted and sand banks suddenly appearing. Although this is written with tongue in cheek, you will soon find that it has more than a hint of truth behind it.