It has a good selection of audiobooks and are constantly adding more.
Nothing better, in my opinion, that relaxing and listening to a story.
The website offers, spanish lessons audio, classic audio books, audio short stories, childrens audiobook, history ect.
They dont insist you register as a member, which is a thing that gets up me nose.
There is a great nine part audiobook that covers the Spanis Civil War
Narated by David Roland and presented by Pauline McGough from Spains OCI Radio the series takes you through the build up, the war itself and the aftermath.
I found it very interesting. Go take a look! … er…I mean listen :))
The “Friends of the Children of EMAUS Association” are pleased to announce two events being organised in May to help raise funds for the association.
On Sunday May 4 the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.), Costa Blanca Chapter are holding their annual Matinal at the Riverside Rastro Site in the Jalon Valley. The day gets underway at 10.00 with a “Ride In” from Calpe together with the Santa Faz Chapter. Other events taking place are Bike Riding Olympics, Bike Customise Competition, Bike Demonstration Rides, Rewaco Trike Display with Rides and a “Ride Out”– supported by Live Music from Dark Horse, rock/blues band. There will also be a Kid’s Bouncy Castle, Catering/Beer Tent, Tattoo artist and a raffle for the “Friends of the Children of EMAÚS Association”. For further information call Tony on 96 588 7003.
Due to this event being on the first Sunday in the month the Jamming Session at Emilio’s Bar, Llosa de Camacho will now take place on Sunday May 11 at 15.00.
DARK HORSE – ROCK/BLUES/POP BAND
Dark Horse are a band who play a mixture of rock, blues and pop – comprising of Des (Irish Des) McGillycuddy - vocals and lead guitar, Nick Hollings - vocals and keyboards, Rowdy Willemsun - vocals and Bass, and Nigel Clegg - drums. They perform in top local venues, Don Quixote Bar, Paichi Centre, Moraira, Shamrock Irish Tavern, Moraira and the An Sheeben Irish Bar, Javea. This year they are performing in the Moraira Music Festival and the Javea International Festival, plus many private parties.
The Town Hall in Benidorm, Costa Blanca Spain, is going all out at the Madrid international tourism fair, FITUR, which takes place from the 30th of this month until 3rd February. They are spending 400,000 € on their 270 square metre stand, and will be handing out thousands of T-shirts imprinted with the slogan, ‘I Love Benidorm.’
The Mayor of Benidorm, Manuel Pérez Fenoll, says he wants tourists to feel proud of visiting the town.
Roc Gregori, Benidorm’s tourism chief, told EFE it’s part of a new image campaign to show the place the resort has amongst the top destinations of the world, depicting tourists all over the planet – from the Eiffel Tower, to Big Ben, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Statue of Liberty – sporting their ‘I Love Benidorm’ T-shirt. He said the aim is to show that tourists who have visited the Costa Blanca resort are proud to be wearing their Benidorm T-shirt when they visit other parts of the world.
Based near Benissa offering a selection of music for all ages.
Middle of the road music to suit all tastes!
“Want to entertain em and get em up dancing”
Give me a call!
616 595 389
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Sample Live Recordings
Malcolm Adams, who moved to Spain from the UK in 1999, has a love for music.
Every song is a trip down “memory lane” and will get your feet tapping.
Great songs from…
The Beatles - Stones - Dylan - Chuck Berry - Chris Rea - Creedence Clearwater - T Rex - Eagles - Everly Bros - Johnny Cash - Dire Straits - Garth Brooks - Buddy Holly - Simon & Garfunkel - Bee Gees - Cliff - Beach Boys - Mungo Gerry - ELO - Donavan - Hermans Hermits - Eric Clapton - Kinks - Steve Harley - Clen Cambel - Moody Blues - Bellamy Brothers - Canned Heat - Don Williams - Mavericks - Loving Spoonfull - Van Morrison - Wilson Pickett - Ricky Nelson - Bread - Travis - Dave Edmunds - Elvis Costello… To name but a few. Call 616 595 389
A selction of views from Port of Pollenca Majorca Spain - Beaches - Promenade - Pollenca Town - Cafe/Bars - Sand Sculptures - Enjoying the Sunshine.
Great weather, soft sand beaches, interesting scenery, Majorca has it all. Once a fishing village, Port of Pollenca still retains its old charm. Stroll down to the marina in the evining with the warm air breeze from the sea. People in bars and cafe´s just enjoying the view. You wont want to leave!
This is me and Pauline with our Harley Davidson Softail Springer. Spain is a great country to explore on a bike and, in my opinion, you cant get better than a Harley.
We are fortunate to have great weather in Spain for 95% of the year making it the perfect place to ride a bike.
We traveled down to Fuengirola in the summer to the European Harley bike meeting. Spent 5 days there and there must of been 10,000 bikes. We went with some friends from the Costa Blanca chapter which we joined earlier in the year. We had a great time. Thousands of bikers of all shapes and sizes and everyone I met where decent people just out to have a good time.
As members of the Costa Blanca Chapter, we have a rideout once a month and there is normaly 15-20 bikes take part. Trips into the mountains, stopping off for coffee about an hour in, (to prevent our rumps getting to sore) we travel about 100km and a always stop for lunch about 1.30. The restaurant is pre-booked and the Spanish people are always glad to see us. Then its back, (a different route) and a stop-off at a bar before we head on home. I guess a normal trip is about 250-300km.
I sometimes wonder if life can get any better than this, heading home with the sun setting over the sea!
We are thinking of taking the bike to Majorca next year, what a fantastic island that is! My favorite place is Pollenca, in the north of the island. If we do, I´ll let you know how we get on.
OCI Radio operates from Altea in the Costa Blanca Spain. My wife, Pauline McGough is the presenter of “The Prime Time Show” that goes out week days from 10-12am.
Mon 29th Oct on the Prime Show Pauline McGough will be talking to Chris Wood all the way from South Africa. Chris is from Qdos Productions in London and at the moment is setting up Peter Pan at the Nelson Mandella Theatre in Johanasburg! Chris is also working in collaboration with Going Live Productions here on the Costa Blanca who are producing Proms at the Palace at Benidorm Palace on Sunday 18th Nov.
There are 2 shows, one at 4pm and one at 9pm. Get your tickets now with a special price reduction by calling 699 840 213 and mention you’ve seen it on the Spain-Holiday-Sun.com blog! Also mention that Malcolm Adams sent you, you may get a free drink!
This is my wife Pauline and me at a music gig in Moraira.
On Tues Prof Tony Rest is Pauline’s guest. Tony has been a science Professor at Southampton, is now retired and mixes science with travel!! Tune in to find out how.
Kathy Nomad has some interesting Halloween recipes for us after the 11 o/c BBC News.
More Spooks! Wed is Halloween and on Thurs 1st Nov another Spanish fiesta. Let’s face it the Spanish do know how to party - why else would we all be here!! That doesn’t stop Irish Des and the Shamrock Express on Thurs tho’. The week rounds up with the News Review on Fri.
Des is a mate and he performs as a solo artiste and with the band called “Dark Horse”. Ivé played alongside he a few times and he comes (gig´s permiting) to the monthly jamming session in Emilios Bar in Llossa De Camacho, between Pedreguer and Alcalali, on the first Sunday of the month. But more about that in the next blog…
You can contact him on 966 471 875.
He is well worth watching and a great musician! From easy listening to Rock & Roll whatever your taste is in music, Des is your man! He works along the Costa Blanca in towns such as Javea, Moraira, Calpe, Denia, Altea. Cach him if you can!
Tell him that he was recomended by us, Pauline and Malcolm.
We dont get much rain in Spain but when we do, especially in Gota Fria, we can get a lot.
The “Gota Fria” (cold rain to us) only comes now and then and the last time people remember rain like this was in 1998.
It washed away cars and bridges and the normal “dry river beds” we are use to became torrents.
Beniarbeig Bridge Collapsing!
We had as much rain in a day, on the 12th October, than we normally get in a year! Me and my wife woke up, got out of bed, and stepped in an inch of water. Thing is, we live in an old townhouse and the bedroom (which is on the ground floor) is higher that the rest of the ground floor. So, we had about 4 inches throughout the house.
We spent the next 4 hours bailing out and mopping up. Found out later, a blocked drain, in our courtyard, had caused the problem. A few darn leaves, washed down by the rain had given us so much work.
A friend of ours was cleaning up the mess left by the storm and a wall fell on him, breaking his leg and pinning him into a dip in the ground. He couldn´t move and water which was still trickling down from the hill, was filling up the hole he was in! The police had to walk 2km to the house, because the road was washed away, and managed to get him out and off to hospital.
I am glad to say he is OK! His wife tells us “life goes on” and he was in his wheel chair hoovering up the house. Things are now getting back to normal but there is still a lot of work to do in some of the less fortunate towns.
Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is promising cash handouts to young people in search of their first home. But rather than subsidise home buyers, he wants to encourage young people to rent a home rather than buy one. He proposes cash handouts to young people as a remedy to rising property prices and trying to revive a stagnant rent market.
Zapatero, known for liberal policies such as introducing gay marriages in a traditionally Catholic country, is no stranger to breaking with tradition. Spain is by far a country of homeowners rather than renters, and a red-hot market has seen house prices treble in the past decade, although the market is now cooling off. House ownership is a much-cherished value in Spain, where 80 per cent own their homes.
The ownership feeling was inculcated by General Franco’s right-wing dictatorship in the 1960s and 1970s, as the way to follow for an “honest” family. Spain has one of the highest percentage of vacant properties in the European Union, with 15.5 per cent of all Spanish properties standing empty, compared to the EU average of five per cent. Approximately 3 million of Spain’s overall housing stock of 21 million properties are empty.
Spanish landowners are reluctant to put their property investments for rent, mainly due to laws protecting tenants. The property boom in Spain has also resulted in environmental havoc with 57 per cent of the Andalusian coastline and 80 per cent of Malaga’s coastline already built up with residential developments, marinas and hotels. Property investment absorbs 50 per cent of all Spain’s private investment thus penalising the growth of other sectors of the economy. The Spanish government now wants to help young workers pay their rent under a plan announced last month that aims to end Spain’s status as the slouch of Europe when it comes to emptying the family nest.
The handout , €210 a month for four years, is the latest in a series of spending packages unveiled by the Zapatero government as it starts unofficial campaigning for general elections expected in March of next year. The legislation also calls for a €600 loan for workers aged 22 to 30, to put down as deposits for rental housing and letting low-income people of any age deduct part of their rent from their income tax. To qualify for the handout and the loan, one must be aged between 22 and 30, be employed, earn no more than €22,000, and have been living in Spain for the past four years. Eight of 10 Spanish young workers stand to benefit from the measure. People of any age are eligible for the tax deduction if they earn no more than €24,000.
The tax break will cost the government an estimated €348 million a year in lost revenue. The aid to young renters will cost around €436 million in new spending. The Spanish government wants to encourage mobility in the labour market by getting more Spaniards to rent instead of buy.
Malcolm Adams, who moved to Spain from the UK in 1999, has a love for music. 
This is me and Pauline with our Harley Davidson Softail Springer. Spain is a great country to explore on a bike and, in my opinion, you cant get better than a Harley.
