Almost without fail many Spanish cycle clubs visit the Hondón area each weekend. The local mountains are ideal for cycling, mountain bikes or walking enthusiasts. And Hondón has been part of the country’s major tour “Vuelta España” tour.
These are serious “peddle pushers”, all geared up, with bikes that probably cost a few months wages. They most often come over the very long and steep Albatera mountain ranges into the About the Hondón Valley. That’s one hell of a climb (even for a car) so it requires a very good level of fitness. They then stop off at the local bars and restaurants in Frailes & Nieves for refreshment and a rest. It gives the villages a real buzz on weekend mornings.
Now on to the coast ... Do you fancy a relaxing cycle ride overlooking the Mediterranean sea? This 26-km (16-mile) route from San Juan beach through El Campello village is ideal for bikers of all ages. Get to the finish line and cool down at Coveta Fuma cove before taking the tram back to the city center.
The Hondón Valley is to have a bumper grape harvest despite the reported activities of high numbers of wild rabbits! Harvest time does seem to vary a lot across the valley and Costa Blanca. Near Nieves it seems to be anywhere between September and New Year. The late grapes are used for the New Year Celebrations with ’12 grapes and champagne’.
The grape harvest creates about 10,000 temporary jobs across the Costa Blanca and local growers have had a good year, despite a new “plague” of wild rabbits which have threatened the harvest in some areas.
In the main they grow table grapes in the areas of Novelda, Aspe, Hondón de los Frailes, Hondón de las Nieves, La Montanosa Urb, La Romana, Monforte del Cid and Agost. (most wine grapes are grown further north in the Jumilla area).
You will see millions & millions of grapes wrapped in paper bags to protect the grapes until they are picked from September onwards.
Last year production in the Hondón region was more than 40,000 tons.
We love the wine in Spain – and at about €1.25 per litre from the local Bodegas it is a absolute bargain!!
In the Hondon Valley and beyond we have a nice array of wine growers wine merchants to choose from but the most spectacular one has to be Bodegas Cerda in Hondon de las Nieves. This building could grace any major town or city. It is a working producer and seller of many wine varieties to suite all pockets. As well as a museum to Hondon’s wine producing history it has an audio / visual room for tourists and educational trips.
The cobbled court yard is an ideal place to sample the wines with local tapas, cheeses and cured hams.
If you have not visited it yet … please do so as you will not be disappointed! It is truly the prize of Hondon’s architecture.
Hondón Villas help run the Facebook Group “Hondon What’s On” which lets local bar & restaurant owners, charities and groups advertise their menus, events, fiestas and celebrations in the Hondón Valley areas. It’s a good way fro residents and visitors find out what is going on or to ask questions about your interests or hobbies.
Anyone with a Facebook account can join: » Here is the web address: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hondonwhatson/
The Mediterranean diet has been linked with good health, including a healthier heart. A Mediterranean diet incorporates the traditional healthy living habits of people from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including France, Greece, Italy and Spain.
It was awarded the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity designation in 2010 because it is much more than just healthy food, and because it has been consolidated as culture that promotes social interaction, respect for the land and biodiversity, and preservation of traditional and craft activities connected with agriculture and fishing.
In general, it is high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil. It usually includes a low intake of meat and dairy foods and a lot of seasoning and spices. It is usually consumed with wine, water or infusions. The UNESCO mentions Soria, in Castile-León, as a clear example of a city that is committed to the Mediterranean diet, even though it can be enjoyed all over Spain.
The Food Is Really Fresh
You won’t need to roam the frozen food aisles for the Med diet…. like the locals hit the bi-weekly markets for fresh seasonal food and keep it simple & mouth-watering such as salads, soups and stews. The Med diet in general is no-fuss and family food. You can build a yummy salad from market garden spinach, spring onions, asparagus, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Add classic Med’ ingredients like olives and local cheeses or cured hams or make a fresh cold soup such as Gazpacho.
Tapas
The Greeks have meze, Spain has tapas! We love ’em! A tapa is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine and translates to small portion of food usually to accompany a drink in a bar. You’ll find dedicated tapas bars all over Spain but Andalucia is famous for them. Tapas may be cold or hot. In some bars and restaurants in Spain, tapas have evolved into a more sophisticated cuisine. Many tapas are often combined to make a full meal. Some of our favourites are Tortilla, Serrano Ham, Manchego cheese, grilled asparagus, chorizo in red wine, olives, Pinchos (small open sandwiches) and of course Patatas Bravos! And the garlic dip Ali-Oli served with fresh bread is pretty much the law in this area.
Olive Oil
You cannot have a Med Diet without Olive oil, a good green virgin type is a must. It’s healthy than other oils or fats.
It is extracted from olives, the fruit of the olive tree which, together with wheat and vines, makes up the triad of Mediterranean plants.
The oil composition of this fruit varies, depending on the type of olive, the soil, the climate and how it is grown. Olives are composed of about 30% oil. All olives can produce excellent virgin oils, each with their particular characteristics. They need to be picked carefully and they must be processed the same day they are harvested. Olive oil has exceptional properties for human health and its consumption is essential in most of the culinary creations made nowadays in Mediterranean countries.
Saffron
Saffron is a deeply rooted condiment, both economically and culturally, in many parts od Spain, traditionally used in Paella. It should not be considered just another agricultural product, rather part of the historic and cultural patrimony of the region that must be protected and preserved. It has enjoyed a Protected Denomination of Origin since 17 March 2001.
This plant was introduced to Spain by the Arabs. Cultivation has been maintained ever since its arrival to the region of La Mancha. Saffron is obtained from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus: Crocus sativus. It is used as a condiment, providing dishes with a characteristic orange colour and slightly bitter taste, as well as an exotic aroma. Saffron from La Mancha under the Denomination of Origin must always be saffron from the current harvest, since it loses quality over the years.
The Spices Are Delicious
Whilst Med food is not “hot” like asian food they do use simple herbs and spices such as bay leaves, cilantro ( coriander ), parsley, rosemary, garlic, pepper and cinnamon to add so much flavour… rarely will you need to reach for the salt shaker. Some have health benefits, too. Coriander and rosemary, for example, have disease-fighting antioxidants and nutrients.
You Can Have Wine
A glass of vino with meals is common in many Mediterranean countries and Spain is no exception (and so cheap!), where dining is often leisurely and social. Some studies suggest that for some people, up to one glass a day for women and two for men may be good for your heart! And despite the wine snobs aversion to Spanish wine, there is excellent quality and variety to choose from and priced a fraction of French or Australian wines.
Research Sources: Spain.info / Wikipedia / WebMD /
On the night of the 13th of August, Elche celebrates la Nit de l’Albà…
AMAZING! CRAZY …. 1000’s of rockets and the finale “La Palma” is beyond words … the biggest firework you will ever see launched from the main Basilica. If you have not been THEN GO! … or go again but get there very early has Elche is crammed full around the old town.
On that night, you’ll witness thousands of fireworks and the night sky is ablaze with light, colour and sound.
This is a highly characteristic festival of the city and has its origin in the Middle Ages, where families used to make offerings to the Virgin by way of a rocket launched for each of their respective children. Currently, that tradition has turned into the setting off of hundreds of palm style fireworks that are launched in a coordinated and alternating way from different points of the city. Furthermore, the citizens purchase and set off fireworks individually and in a spontaneous fashion during the shower of light that characterises the “night of fire”.
Copyright Fundación Pascual Ros Aguilar
The rockets and the fireworks take place at about 23:00 onwards and cease barely minutes before the clock strikes midnight. At that moment, the fireworks cease and the lights of the city are turned off and the people of Elche wait in silence for the culminating moment of the night, while in the background we can hear the most significant musical fragment of the Misteri d’Elx: “the Gloria Patri”. Amidst the utter darkness of the night, we see the Palm of the Virgin, a huge palm represented by white light which is launched from the Basilica of Santa María, and which for some seconds, lights up the skies, above the city of Elche magnificently.
After this magic moment, the light come back on and in the tower of the Basilica, a small “virgin of fire” appears as we listen to the famous habanera “Aromas ilicitanos” and all of the local folk join in and sing it from their terraces and balconies.
To conclude, there is a tradition of celebrating the end by eating watermelon. Some locals will continue to set off fireworks well into the night. Other locals, the most daring, will participate in the traditional “guerra de carretillas”, a mock fight with firecrackers in a place in the town centre specially fenced for it, only for those who are passionate about fire.
Elche (Elx) is well worth the visit. it’s only 20 minutes from the Hondon Valley, so our nearest city. As well as an vast array of modern shops and services you’d expect in a city it’s clean, beautiful (“The City of a Million Palms“) and offers a rich historic culture.
Image c/o WikiPedia
Steeped in religious history, Elche has centuries of architecture, museums, a central park & old rambla with more than enough varieties of palm trees to keep you intrigued for an afternoon. This Palm Grove is just one of Elche’s three cultural assets registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
But Elche’s centrepiece has to be the Basilica De Santa Maria, a landmark church built over the ruins of a Muslim mosque in the city centre. It features an ornate baroque portal with square towers. It was built in various stages from mid 14th century after the Christians conquered the Moors long before (1265).
You will see many copy busts of La Dama (The Lady of Elche) around the city. She has a unique headdress. There’s a painted one at Alicante Airport too. Discovered in 1897 at L’Alcúdia, an archaeological site on a private estate two kilometres south of Elche, now a museum and worth a visit. The original bust is kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid. The fiesta day of Our Lady of the Assumption is on the 15th August
Image c/o WikiPedia
In August you can see The Mystery Play, or Festa d’Elx, the most authentic symbol of the city´s identity. It is a chanted drama of mediaeval origins and performed in the City’s Basilica. It’s a sacred part of the local heritage. Check YouTube for footage.
If you want a real taste of Elche life of old then visit the Museum of Pusol. Created in 1969, as a celebration of local rural trades, crafts, farming, traditions and the environment of the Campo de Elche. They have interactive workshops, events and historic exhibits. Many Spanish schools use this in their history curriculum.
Thousand’s will gather to watch and take part in Palm Sunday. Locals parade their carved white palms from Elche’s Palm Grove to the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. Also popular is La Burreta and Easter Sunday, when millions of little pieces of coloured paper, known as Hallelujahs are showered onto the image of the Resurrected Jesus. Search YouTube for “Procesión Aleluyas Elche“.
Also in August, in addition to the Moors and Christians Festival, which recalls the conquest of the city by the troops of King Jaime I in 1265, is the Nit de L’Albà, on the night of the 13th August and la Nit de la Roà, in the early hours of the 14th and 15th, which take place on the same dates as the performances of the Mystery Play of Elche. THIS IS NOT TO BE MISSED if you like lots of fireworks… the finale display “Palmeral de la Virgen” is an awesome sight… a firework launched from the Basilica so big and spectacular people oooh and aaaah in awe!
In December, with the celebration of the Coming of the Virgin, the origins of the Mystery Play are commemorated, when the legendary, sacred image of the Virgin Mary, arrived by sea in an ar brought by the coastguard Francesc Cantó, who on his horse gallops the city to announce the good news.
And there is much, much more to see and do in Elche. Go and immerse yourself in the festivals, the sights, the history and its people. Enjoy yourselves with the men and women who make possible one of the richest festival programmes in Spain.
NOW SOLD SOLD SOLD! COMMERCIAL BAR & RESTAURANT FOR SALE, HONDON VALLEY, SPAIN Hondon Villas are pleased to offer at a reduced price this great opportunity to buy a popular, busy and up & running bar/restaurant.
Centred in the popular Spanish village of Hondon de las Nieves plaza. It can accommodate more than 150 covers with seating inside and out.
More property for the Hondon Valley and areas on our Hondon Villas website: LINK : http://www.hondonvillas.net/
Hola! thank you for your visit.
If you are looking to buy or sell property in the Hondón Valley area, please consider Hondón Villas, a local family business for 15 years. We are passionate about property and can advise & hold your hand throughout the process. Our office is in the main Frailes plaza, open Mon-Fri 10.00-17-00 and by appointment at evenings and weekends, WEBSITE : WWW.HONDONVILLAS.NET
Now on to the coast ... Do you fancy a relaxing cycle ride overlooking the Mediterranean sea? This 26-km (16-mile) route from San Juan beach through El Campello village is ideal for bikers of all ages. Get to the finish line and cool down at Coveta Fuma cove before taking the tram back to the city center.
