Mock Battles, Border-Zone Greece, And Chocolate "Kisses"
The European
Vol. 1. Issue no. 45
October 16, 2007
London, UK 
| "Sundown fishing at Sappho's Rock, Skala Erassos, on Lesbos island. Life is easy here-and the fish is tasty." Photo courtesy of Steenie Harvey |
Great news for the Europe versus the Americas debate: The latest Reader's Digest study of the greenest and best places to live has eight European countries in its top 10, with Finland winning the number one position. Italy, Slovenia, and France are also in the top 20. And the five greenest, most livable cities? All in Europe! Stockholm tops the list, followed by Oslo, Munich, Paris, and Frankfurt. The world's top 10 greenest, most livable places 1. Finland
2. Iceland
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Austria
6. Switzerland
7. Ireland
8. Australia
9. Uruguay
10. Denmark Source: Readers Digest |
These places all offer a great quality of life and a cleaner environment, not to mention excellent health care. And they can be as cheap-or as expensive-as you want them to be. For example, I have friends living comfortably on 1,500 euro a month in Paris-they entertain and eat out regularly, go to exhibitions and the movies on cheap nights, and don't think of themselves as particularly frugal.
I admit it's harder to make do in London, but this week I'll be checking out the excellent free museums and concerts that the city offers. And if you read on, you can find out where to pick up restored stone houses for 125,000 euro on a Greek island, learn about the miracle of the "snail" in southern Spain, and discover where all chocolate lovers should go this month. Enjoy! Bests,
Leigh Fergus
Editor, The European
Celebrating the "Snail" of Calpe
by Veronica Shine
| Penon d´Ifach dominating the Mediterranean beaches of Calpe, on the Costa Blanca in southern Spain. Photo courtesy of Veronica Shine |
It's impossible not to enjoy Calpe, on Spain's Costa Blanca. How many areas can boast a history of Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Iberians, and Moors? Set against a backdrop of luxury hotels, a quaint old town, an active archaeology site, and a breathtaking landscape, Calpe is filled with folklore, good food, and excellent wine. Calpe manages that rare balance of a centuries-old past with the demands of modern-day tourism. The dominating image, Penon de Ifach, splits the six-mile stretch of Calpe's coastline into two well-formed beaches. Declared by the Spanish government as a nature reserve, this rock towers 1,088 feet above the sea, and the views from the summit are spectacular. Fine white sand
Calpe offers plenty to do. The beaches are widely known for their fine white sand and facilities, but if lying on a beach is not your thing, why not take a day cruise to nearby villages or stop by the docks when the fishing boats return every afternoon and watch the fish auctions? If you enjoy exploring on foot, there are many challenging walks, hikes, and climbs in the surrounding mountains, especially during the cooler weather. The old town provides ample evidence of Calpe's rich history in murals, monuments, and museums, keeping alive the town's links with the past. The narrow medieval streets and walled city bring you back to a bygone age. The locals are proud of their town, welcoming to tourists, and eager to share their heritage. Over 150 Festivals of Moors and Christians take place all over Spain, and Calpe is no exception. The town's own festivities run from October 19 to 23. This is an ideal time to visit as the weather is still warm, the summer crowds have subsided, and prices have dropped. Cannons at noon
Parades and processions with colorful costumes are held each day, while street vendors serve churros (long skinny donuts) and bunuelos (fried pastries). Live music and dancing takes place at dusk in Plaza Major, and the fireworks displays each evening on the beach are a delight for the whole family. Bring your appetite because a giant paella is cooked in the town center to feed everyone. But the real highlight is paying homage to "The Miracle" or "Caragol" that apparently took place in 1744. Appealing to all the senses, a mock battle commemorates this ancient local legend between Moors and Christians, setting Calpe's festival apart from others throughout Spain. Cannon fire at noon signals the start of the festivities. The Snail resists
The story goes that the Moors planned a major attack on Calpe. The bells of the church were rung to remind Calpe residents that they must fight in the name of Christ. But the Moorish troops fought long and hard and forced the townspeople to retreat. Try as they might, however, they couldn't quite get the outer gate of the walled city to close. Only one man was able to heave closed the massive door: "Caragol" (snail), otherwise known as Jeronimo Ferrer Mulet, who sold snails on the seaside. The Moors thought "Caragol" had supernatural powers and ran away, overcome by superstitious terror. The inhabitants of Calpe agreed that this victory was a "miracle" and vowed to give thanks each year to their savior on October 22. Since that day, the residents have kept their word with a series of holy processions, mock battles, and an exceptional fiesta. Residents hang coats of arms and banners outside their houses, don traditional costumes, and dramatize various scenes in the streets. Fireworks, thundering guns, and clattering swords are part of both the parades and plays. The festival of Moors and Christians gives a good introduction to the origin of the names and customs you see and experience while visiting Calpe. Getting to Calpe:
Calpe is 58 km from Alicante airport. Where to stay:
Calpe offers the full range of accommodation from big, modern hotels, small "hostels", self catering apartments, and villas with pools.
Roca Esmeralda Spa, website: www.unitursa.com
Sol Ifach, website: www.solmelia.com
Hotel Bahia Calpe, website: www.bahiacalpe-hotel.com/
Self-catering: website: www.unitursa.com
Living on Lesbos by Steenie Harvey 
| This 70m2 restored stone house with courtyard and separate bijou cottage in Eressos village is being sold for 125,000 euro. Photo courtesy of Steenie Harvey |
I'm not making assumptions about her. And I hope she's not making any about me. But Joanna has just given me a red carnation and said I'm her "date" for the day. Female real estate agents don't usually treat me to flower offerings. Then again, I've not visited the Greek island of Lesbos before or its summer haven of Skala Eressos. Along with running Sappho Estate (www.sapphoestate.com), Joanna Savva also owns Sappho Travel and helps with the September Women's Festival. This two-week event is billed as being for all women--not a lesbian-only shindig--but you can expect a strong gay attendance. Lesbos is Greece's third largest island, but public transport is dire. In September, only one daily bus goes from Skala Eressos to the main town of Mytilini-at 6:15 a.m. Despite Greece being the wrong side of the road for me, I'm renting a car for 35 euro a day. It took three hours to drive some 55 miles across the mountains to Skala Eressos. Roads are terrifying, but it beats paying some taxi shark nearly 70 euro ($100). Winding down in winter
Essentially a beach village, Skala Eressos hibernates between October and Easter. Greeks running businesses usually winter in Athens, Mytilini town, or the inland village of Eressos. Home to around 1,000 locals and 100 expats (not all gay women), Eressos is less than four miles from the coast.
With deep cherry-red shutters-blue isn't the traditional color here-Eressos has some lovely restored stone houses. Greeks tend to cover old stonework with ugly plaster, but seeing what foreigners have done, more locals are returning to the traditional look. One restored stone village house (70m² or 753 square feet) with wooden ceilings and bijou guest cottage in its courtyard is 125,000 euro. In these parts, the starting figure for small stone houses that need fixing up is around 70,000 euro (budget roughly 65,000 euro for renovation). Plots of 1,800m² within a village boundary start at 45,000 euro; building costs around 800 euro/square meter. At the other end of the scale, a 5,000m² property in the Eressos countryside with olive trees and three restored buildings-main house, "bohemian" house, and artist's studio-is 450,000 euro. Big price, but it offers all kinds of tourist potential. Border zone means more paperwork
Outside village boundaries, building a home requires at least a 4,000m² plot. Two UK women are now selling their immaculate village home for 250,000 euro and are planning to build their own home. Co-owner Amanda spoke of some scary moments after their architect told them an archaeological survey was needed. It sounds wonderful to live in a richly historic area, but expect lengthy delays if artifacts are found. They were lucky: none turned up. Non-EU citizens can also expect extra bureaucracy. Due to its proximity to Turkey, Lesbos is classed as a border zone. Americans and others need special permission from the Greek Defense Ministry to buy. Joanna says obtaining it takes around six months. Three other things I've learned today:
1. Should you acquire a Greek island mother-in-law, she'll insist on accompanying you on house-buying expeditions. Any surviving Grannies will come too.
2. If you have a husband or male partner, buy a cheap sofa. All Greek wives do. It's for the man to lie on while he's watching TV.
3. Planting both a fig and a pomegranate tree invites good fortune. P.S. Joanna is Greek, so for some expats she's a lifeline. She told me, "One woman came to me in tears because an angry farmer said her dog had killed three of his chickens. He wanted 60 euro compensation. I told him he could buy 60 chickens for that!"
A kiss is still a kiss by Elise Warner The way to chocolate wonders By car
From Milan & Florence: A1 motorway south, Valdichiana exit and link road to Perugia along the shore of Lake Trasimeno.
From Rome: A1 motorway north, Orte exit, Orte-Terni link road to exit in direction of Perugia by the E45 Highway The factory is three miles west in San Sisto - Freeway E45, Madonna Alta exit.
Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; tel. 075/652-767-796 |
The medieval city of Perugia, capital of Umbria, Italy is famous for its fortified walls; universities; and Etruscan, Roman, and papal history. But another less historic attraction draws visitors from around the world: Perugina chocolate. From October 13 to 21, thousands of citizens and visitors open umbrellas to catch morsels of chocolate flying from the chisels of artists who sculpt masterpieces of chocolate. The annual fair, known as Eurochocolate, is held in honor of "the food of the Gods." Perugina features in the Guinness Book of World Records for the 2003 production of the biggest, most edible kiss (Baci) in the world. It took 1,000 hours to sculpt, weighed 13,156 lbs, measured 22.96 feet in circumference, and was almost seven feet in height.
Chocolate addicts both, my husband and I decide to nibble our way through the Perugina factory and Historical Museum. Bowls filled with gold-wrapped Bacio (soft chocolate with a whole hazelnut on top, coated with dark chocolate) await us as we enter. Known as the most romantic of chocolates, a message of love is slipped inside the wrap of each "kiss." It's good for you!
In a screening room, we're offered samples of the dark chocolate Luisa Bar. The Rossana comes in a bright red wrapper with a center of rum cream and is named after Cyrano de Bergerac's sweetie, Roxanne. A short video shows the history of chocolate from the cacao beans' origins in Central America to its arrival in Europe in the 16th century when trendsetters had it as a refreshing drink and medication. The hot drink became all the rage in European courts in the 18th century, but production of the solid chocolate we enjoy today did not start until the 19th century.
Perugina began downtown in 1907 as an "Artisan Workshop for the Manufacture of Comfits" and by 1913 was starting to make a name for itself. The company's ads changed with each decade: In the '70s, romance flourished, and celebrities like Frank Sinatra were the spokespeople. The '80s was all fitness and aerobic dancing trends-Perugina changed their packaging to a slim-line tube, but the chocolate remained the same delectable treat. Today it seems that health and nutrition are key, as the flavonoids in dark chocolate contain antioxidants equal to those in red wine, blueberries, and green tea-great news if you have a sweet tooth. IL |
