We’ve waited very patiently and now we’re back with our face-to-face events – and we love it! On April 28th we visited Bodegas Faelo for wine tasting. Bodegas Faelo is a small, family-run winery with more than 100 years of winegrowing tradition. You can find it in the outskirts of Elche, in the heart of the wine growing countryside. We took a tour of the vineyards, were introduced to the wine cellar and enjoyed some typical local dishes.

 
Bodegas Faelo Website

Out latest trip out together was to Alma Restaurante & Beach Club in La Mata on May 26th. This is a fabulous beach side venue with two small swimming pools – one on the rooftop. You can choose to dine either outside on its terrace with sea view or inside in its beautiful restaurant. If you haven’t been already we would recommend you stopping by. On this occasion ÁbacoClub members met at 11am and enjoyed tapas, drinks and music. And now we’re very much looking forward to the next outing.

These events are totally free to ÁbacoClub members and they are handpicked by
club organiser Sofia Zajac. You can sign up for our activities online and we have been delighted by the feedback. You’ve told us how much you enjoy the opportunities we provide for getting to know Spain and to meet new people.

Don’t forget to check your ÁbacoOnline account to keep up-to-date with our latest events and invitations.

 
ÁbacoClub at Ábaco Online

If you have forgotten your password you can click on ‘have forgotten your password?’ link and with your registered email address you will receive a new access code in your inbox.

You can also like us on Facebook and watch out for the posts about new events:

Following the wettest April in decades we’ve been catapulted into a heatwave in May! This sudden change in temperature has at least made me trawl out the summer wardrobe and consider a dash to the shops:

How are you managing to keep cool? Here are our tips for keeping sane in a
heatwave:

If you’re expecting to pop into the town hall for a refreshing air-conditioned burst of cool air, you just might be disappointed. Public buildings are set to have a limit of 27C:

As it’s warming up you might want to cool down a little by visiting one of the lakes and lagoons listed on the Idealista website.

Their list even includes our very own ‘Laguna Rosa’ although officially, bathing is not allowed in this one, there are many lakes and pools where you are allowed to take a dip and we’ll be featuring some of these in our ÁbacoClub Magazine later this year. To read previous issues:

As the water warms up, it’s a good time to refresh our memories when it comes to keeping safe. Here is an article with common sense advice:

Beach Safety Tips For Families And Children In Spain

Find out about rip currents, how to avoid them and what to do if you’re in one:

 
Rip Currents: How To Stay Safe On Spanish Beaches

A swim in the sea is a fabulous way of refreshing yourself and with so many blue flag beaches in Spain, you are spoilt for choice. This summary of the blue flag beaches in the Costa Blanca and Valencia area is from 2021 but most will continue to hold their status this year too:

 
Blue flag beaches: check out the full list for the Costa Blanca and Valencia areas of Spain

If you’re a family with young children living in Spain then you might be interested to read this summary of what’s available for children from 0-6 years. It often comes as a surprise to discover that school is not compulsory for children until they are 6. However, as it is free, then most families do take up the opportunity and place their children in the infant section of their local primary school. For a succinct overview:

A feature of many Spanish skylines is the Osborne bull. Our nearest one is on the drive between Alicante airport and Torrevieja. This silhouette of a bull against the horizon has been a sitting target for many graffiti artists over the years. Using the bulls as a blank canvass we’ve had many Banksy-type images created there. But blue?

On the outskirts of the Galician town of Xinzo de Limia, the traditional black bull has been replaced by a sky-blue version:

 
Cow you see me, cow you don’t: Spanish town’s Osborne bull turns sky blue

Did you watch the Spanish Grand Prix? Whether Formula 1 racing is your thing or not, it is quite a spectacle. It takes place annually in Montmelo which is a small town just outside Barcelona and attracts an enthusiastic crowd. This year was no exception. The 2022 winner was Max Verstappen from the Red Bull team followed by team mate Sergio Perez. In third place was Britain George Russell for Mercedes.

For a summary of this year’s race:

 
Verstappen leads Red Bull 1-2 after Leclerc retires from rollercoaster Spanish Grand Prix

It might be over for this year but you can read something of the history of it on this website:

It’s not only on the race track that Spanish drivers have been racing around. The German Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel ended up chasing bag snatchers in Barcelona:

We would welcome any suggestions for future themes you would like us to cover either in the newsletter or in an article on Spain Explained.

Please let us know by email at newsletter@abacoadvisers.com.

Thank you!