Archive for the 'Business Enterprises' Category

“Rice Festival” – Amposta – 1st October until 30th October 2007

EbroRose October 4th, 2007

The gastronomy fair for Rice Festival in l ‘ Ampolla, finishes on the 8th October. So you still have a few days left to try out the tasty dishes there, while enjoying the beauty and tranquillity of the marina. Whereas, the Rice Festivalampostaricefestival.jpg of an equally high and exhalted standard of true delights of gastronomical flare, abounds in Amposta from the 1st October, right up until the 30th October. Oodles of time to try not once, but twice or more “rice” times as you choose.

Rice is not boring. If you think that, these chefs will prove you wrong.

Why not take a gentle drive along all the lanes of the Ebro Delta and watch the rice being harvested in time honoured way. If you wish to go on an organized tour then contact the Tourist Information office, as you enter the Delta off the N340 from Amposta.

Too good to hurry – at Murray´s

EbroRose September 29th, 2007

The friendly Londoners have now opened “Murrays” in the Sabeco complex in Tortosa, (off the C12 and near Hotel Corona´s roundabout.) Terry and Jackie are the smiling faces that will greet you with a warm welcome. They have been up and running for just five young weeks, but are doing very well after making lots of changes to the decor and the menu.

They also have a select choice of English products to try and their freezers are full of frozen delights. So don´t be shy to ask if you can look. Their meat and chicken pastries are wonderful for an easy snack, especially as the autumn chill sets in and a lovely tin of Heinz Soup does warm the old cockles.

Murray’s are currently open on Sabeco shopping days, from 10:00 until 18:00. As they progress they hope to extend this until 21:30. Open during siestas. Hoorah!

Need a photocopy of your passsports or forms for NIE´s? They can oblige. Colour photocopying is also available and this is handy for school projects or for your scrapbooks and journals. Maybe you just want to pop an enclosure into a letter to send back home. All copying is A4 size.

Internet is available for One Euro for 30 minutes. Come in for a cup of “cha” and a slice of cake for afternoon tea. If you have never been online and are curious, they will show you how to sign on and you can surf to your hearts content. Beware! It is addictive.

Friday’s wouldn’t be Fridays, if they are not rounded off with a good size piece of cod in batter, chips and oh, the all time English favourite, mushy peas! But hey, why wait until Friday for a favourite meal? Everyday there is an “English Speciality” that is freshly cooked on the premises.

Couldn´t make any of the meals through the week? Don´t worry! Saturday is “The British Roast”. And best of all, you always have a choice of three; Roast Chicken, Roast Pork or the proverbial and genuine Roast Beef. All covered in “proper gravy” and always accompanied with Roast Spuds, vegetables and Yorkshire Puddings. (Makes me hungry just writing about it!). And all this, for just 8 euros. We suggest you book early for it and they start serving from midday onwards.

Apart from a good cup of coffee or English tea you can mingle with Spanish traditions and have a beer or two, cider, wine or cava. Still room for more? How about apple crumble and custard, apple pie and custard or ice-cream, banana split or a choice of cakes? Once tasted – never forgotten. All the sweet baking is from the delightful hands of “Dee” that equally matches her gentle disposition.

 

Smaller meals are available with hot and cold sandwiches, with generous fillings. Traditional Ham Burgers or try a chicken or turkey Burger, served up with chips and a healthy salad to balance out the carbs! Yummy jacket potatoes for your body “central heating” system this winter. English meat or chicken pies served with mashed potatoes and peas or baked beans and gravvvvvvvvy…

Light breaks are on offer too, with a hot drink and toast or crumpets with jam and marmalade. These just about full Grandma to bursting point. Now, for the Englishman who boasts a hearty appetite in the morning (or all day long) and Murray’s will full their tums, with a full and hearty English Breakfast. Served with bottomless cups of tea or coffee. You just have to try it, to believe it. You will not be disappointed. A breakfast that size will keep the wolf from the door throughout the best part of the day!

For a more “petite” size breakfast, make up your own combination from a range of “hot” options. This way you can have as much or as little as you wish. No need to hurray your meal at Murray’s, as they have two big TV screens for English satellite telly.

You can also pick up your latest copy of “Catalunya Life” and the German / English magazine “Caminos Cost Daurada”, each for the nominal sum of 1,50 Euros, and page your way through them over a drink. Smokers can sit and eat their meals outside under umbrellas.

But before you rush off, browse their “grocery shelves” and freezers for some of your favourite English goodies. They even have sugar-free juices for diabetics, so you no longer need travel miles up the coast to find some.

Enjoyed yourselves? Email us and tell your friends too. Forget the English reserve and why not go and invite your Spanish neighbours to join you there for a meal or a snack!

**Newsflash** Hot roasted, full sized Chickens will soon be available as a “takbslogo1.jpgeaway”.

Like I said – no need to hurray at Murray´s! Murray´s a Brighter Cafe in Brighter Catalonia. Highly recommended by the Voice of the Ebro and

Go Dance – Go Roquetes – Go celebrate their 1st Anniversary

EbroRose September 13th, 2007

I keep hearing the lament of Expats and Tourists that there is “nothing to do” for young people in the Lower Ebro Valley. I intend to enlighten them. “Young people” here I regard as 18 and over. In other words “aspiring adults” – those who can stay up late, party all night and still rise early enough to scooter off down to work or tractor up those fruit groves.

“Go Dance Club” in Roquetes to all tense and purpose to other Europeans is not a dance school. It is a nightclub . It is situated just off the Hotel Corona´s roundabout, pass Caprabo Supermarket on your right , a vacant piece of land and boom there it is “plonked” slap bang in front of the Cinema complex and behind the Buddha Lounge.

Travelling alone or on your own as “Billy no mates” you will soon have many friends at GO as you mingle and dance away the late hours of the night.Over the next few nights there are different musical enticements for you to absorb and revel in.

Keep watching. ‘The Voice of the Ebro’ will be posting other nights’ activities at Go here later on.

Don’t speak the lingo? Don´t worry. Music has no barriers or difficult verbs.

Dave and his staff will welcome you…boogie on down around midnight or 00:30. Let the fun begin!

Postscript: What is your favourite nightclub, Disco or Music bar in Southern Catalonia or Northern Valencia? Send me a comment.

BRIGHTER TRAVEL FOR THE DISABLED & ELDERLY – “SNOWY” TRAVELS TOO…

EbroRose July 26th, 2007

We welcome the herald of the EU, for bringing in new regulation from today, for the travel industry, airports and airlines for improved services and access for travel towards the elderly and Disabled! This will enhance the journeys for the Blind, as free travel must be provided for guide dogs. (Obviously they will need their own passport!) Though I am not sure if Snowy, the Labrador, gets her own seat and in flight drink and complimentary snack…

Our friends back in old blighty, Gary and Janet, have faced this problem for over 20 years now, since Janet was struck with crippling MS. Constantly, he has had to fight with airlines to allow Janet to travel and to get the extra leg room seating for her. I often heard him complain that they did not treat her with dignity and respect, rather as an encumberance and someone who merely slowed down their work routine, irrespective that she was a paying customer and a twice a year traveller and with a very good working brain that could comprehend their comments and attitude!

But, unless he booked twelve months in advance they would not have been abled to find her a seat. Likewise, the hotel tourist “hot spots” were limited to their choices, as the Disabled accommodation did not cater for adequate bathroom facilities (they supply the diasable toilet and completely overlook the bath and / or shower facilities)for them and often if they did, he could not get her wheelchair through the narrow doors of their allocated room.

Now, the low cost airlines whine that this change in regulation, will increase their costs, but surely that will be combated by disabled groups being able to travel together? This will also increase confidance in the elderly travelling out to their families who have relocated to Brighter Catalonia. Let alone, more wheelchair bound individuals from making spontaneous bookings and flying out more frequently and probably even further afield than Spain.Likewise, if hotels in Spain and Catalonia, had a couple of rooms with bath lifts or wheelchair access showers, this will also draw the disabled tourists. I know Gary and Janet would love to hear of those available near us in the Lower Ebro Valley in southern Catalonia.

We now hope that our dear friends ( who we do miss so much) Gary and Janet will be able to visit us,once these airlines get up to speed, ( full range of the EU law to be enforced by July 26th, 2008).

We know that as the Catalonians will definitely give them a warm welcome!

There are sporting facilities becoming more available to cater for Disabled people. Here, in the Lower Ebro Valley of Southern Catalonia, Spain, Natalie and Graham of www.ebrocatfishingadventures.co.uk – have already forged links with the British Disabled Angling Association ( http://www.bdaa.co.uk/)

Furthermore, “It was while I was reading the news, on www.eubusiness.com, this morning, on the new EU laws coming into force today, where elderly and disabled people have to be provided with the same travel service like other abled-bodied travellers on airlines, airports access and the ´the right to travel´ by travel agencies, I thought, ´this will open up boundaries beyond the beliefs of the diasbled´. Then I found your link on www.ebrocatfishing.co.uk – with the amazing name of my very own thoughts. Lets hope more sports people can travel better and sooner! If there are other activities available in Catalonia, Spain, we would love to hear from you.www.beyondboundarieslive.co.uk

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MIQUEL TO THE RESCUE -¿Que passe? -

EbroRose June 26th, 2007

English speaking car mechanic.

This business card says it all. When in Tortosa and you have that strange noise under the bonnet, or wobble in the wheel, that you cannot even describe in English, let alone Spanish, then it is time to visit Miquel.

Why is it always when you are running late, to drive your husband to a hospital appointment, the car develops, a loud and ominous clunking noise? Not when you start the engine up and reverse through the gates. Only when you set off down the lane.

Must be the empty gas bottle in the back rolling about, I pray silently to myself. Oh no, not more car expense; Tortosa car tax bill has already hit the mat this week and car insurance is due end of July. Does it ever end, I feebly wail to myself?

I tune the radio onto FM 102.9, to calm my frayed nerves, and “FLAIX FM” bellows forth.

Him “indoors” matches the loudness. “Well, that is typical of a woman! Turns the radio on full blast so she drowns out the sound of the noise! Stop the car!!”

I do as bidden. The royal “we” removes the empty gas bottle. I go back and forth, but the noise vibrates louder.

Oh dear, I groan, ” Miquel here we come”, again.

Slowly we proceed to Roquetes to “Taller Miquel”. He greets us with such a welcoming smile.

- ¿Que passe? -

He ducks under the car, there and then, in the street.

In perfect English he volunteeers, “There is a hole in the exhaust. I will order the part and I can fix it very quickly for you in the morning. Nine o´clock will be okay?”

Fabulous! Miquel saves the day again for an English settler in Catalonia!

 

 

 

Hola Holland de l´Ebre =MadeinHolanda

EbroRose June 24th, 2007

Each day living in the lands of the Ebro, I am surprised how many NL registration plates I see. A Dutch friend of mine, Angelique Keuning, (met initially from her enquiry for holiday accommodation in the Mora area) will now be moving out to our region next year.

We met at Tea Gardens in Tortosa to bond and exchange chatter etc (you know,the woman thing..verbage craft!) and meet her charming little girl Shannon.


Well, she has been beavering away back in “Clog Land” to kick start her business before packing up the family and driving down.She sent me a lovely email and I have permission to share it with all of you.

“Maybe you haven’t heard from me for quite some time now. I’ve been busy. I’ve been building without seeing one construction worker at all.But I did it. I build a shop and you are one of the first who can look around.”

There is more for both our Dutch and English readers:-

“Doordat we volgend jaar naar Spanje gaan verhuizen, is het idee van Made
in Holanda geboren.
Kinderkleding, sieraden en andere gadgets, speciaal voor Nederlanders in het
buitenland.
En wie weet, misschien zullen ook Nederlanders in Nederland en buitenlanders
in het buitenland de producten leuk vinden.”

“Because we’re moving to Spain next year, the idea of Made in Holanda was
born.
Shirts for kids, fashion accessories and other gadgets, especially for Dutch
families who emigrated to other countries.
But you’ll never know, maybe the Dutch in Holland and other nationalities in
other countries will also enjoy the products.”Angelique Keuning

larsshannon.jpg www.MadeInHolanda.com

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