I just couldn’t resist writing a post about this, it’s just my thing. It seems that a Norwegian company is planning to build in the Alicante province of Crevillente an international centre that will specialize in the training of dogs that will be able to detect mines. In Spain we don’t have that type of explosives, but don’t tell the dogs that.

Even though the dogs will be trained to discover the mines, the enclosure will not suppose a threat to neighbours or the environment.  The trainers will use rocks that will smell like the mines, so the dogs will not be in contact until the latter training which will be performed in specific designated areas.

The canines that don’t finish their training with success will be directed to other tasks related to security such as, drug detention. Poor dogs either sniff drugs of mines..

photos in Flickr

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This October begins the IV Muestra Internacional de Cine y Derechos Humanos in Alicante. This initiative which has been gaining more and more followers will travel to Spanish cities such as Alcoy and Madrid, and other Latin American countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina and Ecuador.

The programmings for this year will premier in the Alicante capital on October 15^th where it will develop until the 26^th of October. The head offices where the movies will be seen and where there will be debate tables after the showing will be in the Arniches Theatre from the 15^th to the 19^th of October and in the city of Seu of Alicante in the University of Alicante from the 22^nd to the 26^th.

New this year is the, the event will be present in the University of Alicante as a free course that will consist of three morning sessions each one. There will be different hour long audiovisual works projection each day with a master class given after the showing by professors of the UA regarding the theme of the movie.

The organization has already received close to 200 audiovisual works from 22 countries around the world.

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One of the great pleasures in life, for me at least is being able to enjoy good food and be surrounded by nature at its best. For that reason I love to explore new places and one of those places I have discovered in the enological routes through the province of Alicante designed by Esatur and Vins del Comtat.

This initiative offers a series of excursions to discover the province of Alicante in a different way, through the aroma of its wines and the taste of its gastronomy, visiting its vineyards, and all the history that surrounds the world of wine.

This cultural experience should be shared with friends, family members or a team of co-workers, in order to enjoy truly appreciate its meaning in society and feel the culture of this land that offers such a rich history.

In these day trips you could truly enjoy a complete gastronomical and cultural adventure by the hands of El Comtat. You can see how the wine is processes, where it comes from while you enjoy the best gastronomy of the Mediterranean region.

photo Flickr

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One of the most referent cultural structures in the Costa Blanca is turning 160 years old. I’m talking about the Principal Theatre in Alicante and it will celebrate this event with a lyrical gala of opera, zarzuela, choirs, the Azahar baler and the collaboration of the Chapi symphonic orchestra of Chapi.

This event will take place the 25^th of September at 8 pm with entrances costing between 20 and 40 euros. The program will combine fragments of operas such as Carmen by Bizet, Puccini´s La Boheme, as well as zarzuelas such as La patria chica of Chapi and Penella´s El gato montés.

The Rabino Choir, the Magdala Choir, the Azahar ballet and the Chapi theatre orchestra of Villena under the direction of José Alberto Fernández, will contribute to this very special night.

With this gala, the principal theatre will host homage to those alicantinos which in the middle of the XIX century had the idea to create a great coliseum that will bring joy to the city. The proyect to build the theatre was initiated by the architect Emilio Jover with the donation of the land offered by the city hall. Its construction began in 1846 and was inaugurated on the 25^th of September of 1847 with the representation of the very romantic work of “Guzmán el Bueno”,  by Antonio Gil y Zárate.

photos in Flickr

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My vacation is over, but I’m going to try to enjoy the last bit of summer before the new season heads in. I think I will start with an interesting fact about the demographics of Benidorm during the summer months. The town, who has in actuality about 70,000 censured inhabitants, multiplies by six during the months of July and August.

The Alicante province remains a very attractive vacation destination, due to the fact it has about 12 tourist municipal areas in the Valencian Community lead by Benidorm and its surrounding towns such as Torreviaja, Calpe, Denia, Santa Pola, Orihuela and Xabia, all these double its population during this high summer season. We don’t really need to ask why; it is evident that the Costa Blanca is still hot.

Benidorm continues to be the touristic star in the Communitat. The demographic data assures that the city reaches 400,000 inhabitants in summer, between national and foreign visitors. To all of you who still have a couple of days of enjoyment, live it up to the fullest.

source ABC

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The original members of the Electric Light Orchestra will perform next Friday the 24th of August in the Julio Iglesias Auditorium at 11 pm

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During August the month of the Fiestas of Moors and Christian’s different towns of Alicante take turns being the protagonists of these special times. Cocentaina, Villajoyosa and Jijona are among the contenders in these events. Year after year more and more tourists from other regions attend these fiestas. The Desembarco de Villajoyosa is now considered an international tourist interest point.

In Cocentaina we can see the DIANA that is performed during the morning of the same day of the entrance of the Moors and Christians. This year it was celebrated the 11^th of August.

And lastly, in Jijona we can see the different acts such as el Correfocs, where different demons fill the streets with fire and smoke in the old part of town to a rhythm of dulzaina and tabal, the entrance of the Moors and Christians, where the streets turn in to a full fledged party with music and color to the company of the moor and Christian troupes, and the Moro Traidor (moor traitor), where a staged jury accuses a moor of converting to christianism due to the fact he fell in love with a Christian dame.

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The school of magical arts in the Alfaz castle offers its clients during the days of magic a very special surprise with great energy powers.This special surprise is a Magical Chocolate fountain, which transforms all those who drink from it along with fruit into powerful magicians.

This initiative from Magic Costablanca is something new in the midst of the restoration of its hotels, offering their clients and friends something different, original and very energetic.

The fountains are a great success, the clients who have dinner at the hotel during the days of magic comment that they feel a lot stronger after this magical experience.

This is just another example of the changes that the hotels and restaurants are experiencing in the Benidorm destination. There are more and more original ideas proposed everyday making the magic hotels a perfect place to spend magical vacations.

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Alicante and the Baixa Marina will now be a lot closer thanks to line 1 of the TRAM that will welcome more than one million new passengers.

This new direct connection between the Vila Joiosa and Alicante will allow the train-TRAM to transport passengers in about 40 minutes to their destination without any change of trains.

The new line counts on 32.2 kilometres and offers a  semi direct service with stops at the Alicante Mercado, the MARQ, Isleta, Lucentum, El Campello, Venta Lanuza, Paradís, La Vila Joiosa and Creueta.

This transit will have a link to Line 9 Creueta so passengers could continue of to Benidorm, Altea and Denia.

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