The Coolest Deal in a Spanish Hot Spot 
| Blijburg, one of Amsterdam's four urban beaches, is booming this summer. Concerts and cocktails guaranteed. Photo courtesy of www.blijburg.nl. |
The European
Vol.1. Issue no. 34
July 31, 2007
Paris, France
Around the Continent, city-bound office workers with no vacation days left are heading in droves to the nearest urban beaches at the weekend-be it in Paris, Amsterdam, Bristol, or the heated waves of Reykjavik. Temperatures will have to reach at least 28°C (82°F) for me to strip off at the city hall but hardier souls are baring almost all in capitals throughout Europe. Read on to find out about one of the oldest of these manmade shores in this week's The European, and discover how to keep cool in southern Spain. Enjoy! Leigh Fergus
Editor, The European
Cool caves in the scorching summer heat by Rachel Webb 
| Dig that cave-this bright underground property will keep you cool when temperatures soar outside. And your wallet won't get overheated either. Photo courtesy of Country Properties in Spain. |
With Granada province in southern Spain attracting more property buyers, it pays to look at unlikely spots for better value real estate. One such site, literally off the beaten track, is in a long-deserted arid area of Andalucia. This is where 200-year-old caves are being transformed into modern homes costing from 115,000 euro ($159,000) for a three-bedroom ready-to-move-into cave. The altiplano, a high plain surrounded by three mountain ranges in Granada, has been inhabited by cave dwellers for probably 500 years, the towns of Galera and Huescar being particularly noteworthy for several cave settlements on their outskirts. Carved out of soft-yet-waterproof rock, the caves were originally just a cheap way to put a roof over your head, and if more space was required, another room was just dug into the hillside. With a constant 16°C to 21°C (61°F to 70°F) year-round, there's no need for air conditioning and scarcely any need for heating in winter-having environmentally friendly low maintenance is definitely an added bonus. The other attraction is that caves are naturally soundproof, so there are no worries about noisy neighbors. 
| This little three-bedroom hideaway costs 115,000 euro. Photo courtesy of Country Properties in Spain |
Most caves were abandoned in the 1950s, when people began to move into the towns, then a few were renovated for tourism, and the area opened up. Now modernized caves with mains water, sewage, electricity, and broadband access-some even with their own pool-are becoming much sought after, particularly by the Dutch and British. The local community has gained from the influx of foreign money and the new residents are breathing life into their rural communities, many of which are losing their own youngsters to the big cities. Many couples with young children have relocated here, thus helping to keep rural schools open. Guadix is where I first encountered Granada's unusual house fronts. On the higher sloping ground, round white-painted chimney pots sprung up amongst the stony banks. Well-kept facades and bright-colored geraniums sprouted out of every type of available container. Seeing the interwoven streets and homes in hillsides was like a glimpse into Gerald Brenan's South of Granada: "the soil is bare except where a prickly pear sprawls over it, and the caves are sometimes piled on top of one another in such a way that one family tethers its pig or goat to another family's chimney." Although the pigs and goats have now been replaced with TV aerials and satellite dishes, this is living history. These cave-houses are in the Barrio de Santiago, a stone's throw from the town center where a museum, Cueva Museo, tells you all about cave living and contains, in case you didn't get a look at the real thing, a replica of a typical cave. Guadix also boasts the remains of a Muslim fort and a 16th-century sandstone cathedral designed by Diego de Siloe. Useful websites:
www.cuevaslaatalaya.com/uk/nuestrascuevas.htm for rentals.
www.countrypropertiesinspain.com lists rough caves in need of repair for around 90,000 euros for a 70-square-meter cave, as well as the finished article. Buses and trains run daily from Almeria and Granada, both around 1.5 hours away.
Berlin-on-Sea by Roberta Beach Jacobson 
| You'd never know this was a city beach-in Berlin. Photo courtesy of
www berlin-tourist-information de2. |
The urban beach along the bank of the Spree River is billed as Berlin's "open air meeting point." The 80 tons of sand (imported from Italy) needed to create this trendy concept have been welcomed as a user-friendly element to shake off that big-city feeling-it's hard to imagine that the urban beach occupies the site of former industrial ruin (mostly closed-down factories). The instant success of the man-made beach caught some by surprise. So many locals and tourists have flocked to the sandy oasis that more than a hundred excursion boats have started offering river trips. Business is booming and locals are scrambling to rent out spare rooms to so-called beach tourists. Nightlife is pulsating as well. Seemingly overnight, beach bars appeared on the scene. Most don't charge an entry fee, though they are by no means ultra-chic. A beach bar is born when someone cranks up a turntable and invests in a few plastic chairs and tables. Fancy cocktails and cheap beer flow, and the mainstays in terms of food are stone-oven pizza and snacks. Each bar offers its own unique version of a beach party to attract the crowds. As one party-goer commented, "This is where the underground culture discovers fresh air." Beach volleyball offers no-cost entertainment in the sun with a bit of friendly amateur competition. Locals have learned that if they set up nets, people will come. Waiting times to play can be long, but this just means more spectators. And more thirsty beer drinkers.
Playing (or dancing) on the beach is a new concept in the German capital, although Berlin certainly has never been short of waterways (the rivers Spree, Havel, and Dahme converge here). Several nearby outdoor swimming pools attract swimmers who then like to use the city's beach for an afternoon snooze. All this celebrating happens in the heart of the city's otherwise rather stuffy government district. And the downside? The fun is limited to the months of July and August only.
What it costs to live in… Paris by Leigh Fergus In this occasional column, we report on the costs incurred to you, should you make the move to Europe. This week, we visit Paris, France, for the low down on some general items you'll be paying for. The cost of living in Paris is still attractive compared to Moscow, London, and Copenhagen (according the latest Mercer cost of living survey), although property prices are rising. The most photogenic city of all time, Paris has excellent transport links with the rest of Europe-and the world-and although property prices haven't reached London levels, there is still potential for a good return on your investment here. Rental of a modestly furnished two-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot apartment in a central area such as the 7th arrondissement will cost about 4,000 euro per month, while a similar apartment in the less central 20th will set you back 2,000 euro. Lower rents can be found in the suburbs, although similar homes in the desirable outlying towns of Versailles and St. Germain-en-Laye to the west will still command rents of over 1,600 euro per month. The cost of rentals in the capital is much higher than provincial rentals. The nationwide Lidl and Ed chains are the cheapest cash-and-carry supermarkets, but Monoprix, Champion, and Auchan offer quality products at reasonable prices and usually have longer opening hours. Outdoor markets provide fresher pickings, and bargains can be had if you head over toward closing time, at around 1 p.m. The Marché d'Aligre in the 12th is one of the cheapest-and busiest-markets and is complemented with a covered market for meat, poultry, and cheeses.
The following are examples of prices in the medium-range Auchan supermarket in Paris:
A loaf of sliced white bread 1.10 euro
A dozen eggs 1.80 euro
1 liter milk 1.03 euro
Pack of butter (250g) 1.27 euro
Fresh chicken per kilo 6.24 euro
2 ground beef patties 2.60 euro
6 frankfurter sausages 1.48 euro
Tomatoes in season per kg 2.00 euro
6 bottles of local beer 2.79 euro
1 bottle local wine 3.80 euro
1 large bottle Coke 1.5 litre 1.27 euro Ticket for the movies 9 euro
Lunch for two with wine 30 euro
Espresso coffee 2 euro Other monthly costs for running an apartment for two people:
Electricity 45 euro
Monthly telephone rental fee 15 euro + cost of calls
Unleaded gas super 97p/liter 1.36 euro (diesel: 1.13)
Broadband Internet fee 26 euro
Cable TV 20 euro Prices given are those recorded as of July 20, 2007. $1.38 equals 1 euro
The best fish and chips in England by Leigh Fergus With chicken tikka and sweet and sour pork ranking as two of the most popular dishes in England, you'd be forgiven for thinking that we have no native cuisine. But we do. It may not compete with French, Indian, or Chinese in terms of variety and sophistication, but for a reasonably priced fill-you-up type of meal, you can't do much better than traditional fish and chips. Although this humble fare is currently being given a new lease on life by trendy, big-city restaurants that serve it with a glass of white wine, I prefer mine in its basic form, doused in malt vinegar, wrapped in kitchen paper, and eaten out of sight of greedy gulls on a windy seafront, or in the cozy shelter of a real café-or caf'. And the best is to be found up north, on the northwest coast of England at Harry Ramsden's, on the Blackpool promenade.
Harry Ramsden's is a chain of efficient good-value family-friendly fish-and-chips outlets, and their haddock in light batter is unbeatable. Generous portions are served with perfectly golden chips (French fries) and peas or baked beans. Sliced bread and butter is on the table if you need it. Washed down with a strong pot of tea, there's nothing like it after a bracing walk on the beach (most seaside walks are "bracing" here, even in the heart of summer) or to prepare you for the din and excitement of the arcades. A more upmarket-and independent-fish outlet is on the other side of the country in northeast Whitby, at the Magpie. The queues here for fresh take-away fried cod or haddock and chips speak for themselves as they stretch on along the seafront of this Victorian resort, testimony to the Magpie's consistent good quality. As well as the traditional fried cod, a wide selection of fish and seafood is served here too. You may have to wait a bit longer than at Harry's, but the service is good, the batter crisp, and the surroundings a touch more genteel. Harry Ramsden's, 60-63 The Promenade, Blackpool FY1 4QU; tel. +44 (0)1253 294-386. Open seven days a week: 11.30 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sun-Thurs, closing 10 p.m. Fri-Sat. Haddock and chips: £7.49. Other outlets exist in London, Brighton, Manchester, Sheffield… The Magpie, 14 Pier Road, Whitby, YO21 3PU; tel: +44 (0)1947 602-058. Open: Mon - Sun: 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. Haddock and chips: from £7.49. IL | 
