Still Discovering Spain...

The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid continues to be a well-known guide to what is now universally recognized as the “gold standard” eating pattern that promotes lifelong good health. It has been widely used for years by consumers, educators, and health professionals alike to implement healthier eating habits.

It represents the optimal, traditional Mediterranean diet, is based on the dietary traditions of Crete and southern Italy in the 1960s at a time when the rates of chronic disease among populations there were among the lowest in the world, and adult life expectancy was among the highest even though medical services were limited.

The key to this longevity is a diet that successfully resisted the last 50 years of “modernizing” foods and drinks in industrialized countries. These "modern" trends led to more meat (mostly beef) and other animal products, fewer fresh fruits and vegetables, and more processed convenience foods. Ironically, this recent diet of “prosperity and modernization” was responsible for burgeoning rates of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. So The “poor” diet of the people of the southern Mediterranean  is clearly a healthier option, consisting mainly of fruits and vegetables, beans and nuts, healthy grains, fish, olive oil, small amounts of dairy, and red wine, proved to be much more likely to lead to lifelong good health.

 The diet pyramid is structured in the light of nutrition research carried out in 1993 and presented by Professor Walter Willet during the 1993 International Conference on the Diets of the Mediterranean, held in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

It underlines the importance of the foods making up the principal food groups. Each of these individual food groups offers some, but not all, of the nutrients one needs. Food from one group cannot replace that of another group. All the groups are necessary for a healthy diet. 

The basic products of the Mediterranean diet, in descending order of  recommended quantity and frequency,  are:
 
GRAINS

These form the base of the majority of meals in Mediterranean countries - bread (wholemeal or otherwise), pasta, couscous and rice.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Meals are more flavoursome when in-season products are selected and they are cooked very simply. In the Mediterranean countries the dessert is generally fruit.
 
LEGUMES AND NUTS

A wide variety of legumes and nuts, such as chickpeas, lentils, haricot beans, pine kernels, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc. are used in cooking.
 
OLIVE OIL AND OLIVES

"Olive oil" and "Virgin olive oil" are used throughout the Mediterranean. The former is normally used for cooking. The latter, which is appropriate for all uses, is excellent when consumed raw to best appreciate its aroma and flavour and to benefit fully from all its natural components.

The proportion of fats in the traditional diet of Crete observed by Professor Ancel Keys, was >40% kcal/day of which 8% were saturated fats, 3% polyunsaturated and 29% monounsaturated (olive oil).

DAIRY PRODUCTS

Cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products, with no special mention of milk. FISH Offered as a first class protein, before eggs and poultry.

The highest point of the Pyramid, meaning that its consumption is least advised, is occupied by red meat and just slightly below, but also of little importance, are sweets and pastries.

Regular physical activity and proper hydration are vital to maintaining good health and optimal weight.Wine can be consumed in moderation, primarily with meals (1-2 glasses/day). It is optional and should be avoided whenever it puts the individuals or others at risk.

Apart from bears, wild boars, packs of wolves, sharks and some crazy drivers. Spain has other dangerous and small nasty creatures on offer. Here are a few people should be aware of and their children and pets in particular should be protected from. The Procession Caterpillar, Mediterranean Scorpion, Snake, Spiders, and Fire Salamanders  to name a few, although to be honest I've been here many years and I am yet to see many of them.....but they are out there!

Caterpillars (Processional Pine Caterpillars) :

Pine Caterpillars (Latin name thaumetopoea pityocampa) are probably one of the most unpleasant creatures you will find in Spain, certainly in areas where pine trees grow in abundance. They are found throughout the warmer regions of Southern Europe, the Near East and North Africa. As well as causing much damage to pine forests, they are a major danger to animals and, to a lesser degree, human beings.

Do not touch them. Warn your children that they are not like the friendly English caterpillars. The very fine hairs on these creatures are poisonous and most dangerous. They can be seen living in silk cocoon style nests hanging in the pine trees to which they are most harmful, stripping them of their pine needles. When hungry, they leave their cocoon to seek another uninfested tree on which to feed. They travel nose to tail in a line, hence the name Processional. They are most noticeable from January to mid April and are at their most dangerous in mid/late February. The caterpillars are often seen in the evenings, walking in procession from tree to tree.

If they drop onto you or your pet, don't brush them off with your hands because the effect is most unpleasant, causing great irritation, rash and pain. Dogs, cats and people can suffer from shock. The hairs of the caterpillars are still virulent even when the creatures are dead. Do not hit them with sticks because hairs flying in the air are just as dangerous. Burn them, but be careful of floating hairs. If the caterpillars are in the tree cocoon state, first spray the nest with hair spray (to seal down the hairs), cover the cocoon and the affected part of the branch with a plastic bag, cut down the branch, place it on clear ground and burn it.

If the caterpillars are on the ground marching, it is better first to spray them with lighter fuel and then set them alight. This reduces the risk of flying hairs.
Take care to only do this where you cannot inadvertently start a forest fire because during the summer months the undergrowth and trees are very dry.

If you live near pine trees, it is recommended that you keep Anti Histamine tablets handy as an early treatment. In particular, avoid ingesting the hairs. Dogs are most at risk by sniffing the ground where the caterpillars have marched.

Take particular care with your eyes. If affected the result is serious, causing pain and swelling similar to a bad case of conjunctivitis.

Treatment: If a person or animal shows signs of shock, get them to a doctor, hospital or vet immediately.

If you have children and are considering buying property, take the above details into consideration.

Mediterranean Tiger Centipede – Escolopendra tigra :

Found throughout Southern Spain and North Africa. The Mediterranean Tiger centipede is largest in Europe and can grow up to 150mm in length. The centipede’s markings change, depending on location.

Generally they are yellow with black stripes, hence the name tiger. Nocturnal and venomous; they can give a nasty bite. Rarely lethal, unless algeric to the venom, their stings are none-the-less extremely painful and require medical assistance. They were given a toxic rating of two.

Mediterranean Scorpion (Buthus Occitanus - Escorpion Amarillo) :

The most common scorpion in Spain is the Mediterranean scorpion (Buthus occitanus, escorpión amarillo or just alacrán) and though its North African cousin is more dangerous, it will still give you an extremely nasty sting. You might want to think about wearing boots and thick socks if you plan to hike in dry rocky areas (most of wild Spain) as they are by no means rare. The female will make a meal out of the male if food is short on the ground. The European black scorpion is also present in Spain, preferring more northerly and wetter areas. It's sting is short-lived. Scorpions have a bent for resting in your shoes, so be careful.

The European Black Scorpion (Euscorpius Flavicaudis) :

Mainly in the northern part of Spain. The sting is very painful but not deadly to humans.

Snakes:

There are a total of 13 snakes present in Spain of which five are venomous. These are:

Seoane’s viper (Vipera seoanei – víbora de Seoane)

Asp viper (Vipera aspis – víbora áspid)

Snub-nosed or Lataste’s viper (Viborade lataste – vibora hocicuda)

False smooth snake (Macroprotodon cucullatus – culebra de cogulla)

Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus – culebra bastarda or de Montpellier)

Seoane's viper lives in Galicia, León, the Cantabrian coastal strip (Cornisa Cantábrica) and the Basque Country. Confusingly some authors class Seoane's viper as a subspecies of the common viper or adder (Vipera berus - víbora europea) and, more confusingly still, some experts believe both exist in northern Spain.

The Asp Viper is restricted to the Pyrenees. Lataste's viper or the Snub-nosed viper is present throughout the rest of the Peninsula , though like most snakes, nowhere is it common. It takes it's name from the prominent horn between its eyes. It is grey, short (around 50cm) and is distinguished by its triangular head and the zigzag pattern on its back, although this varies amazingly from one individual to another. It lives in dry, rocky areas, away from human habitation,

The other two snakes are not so dangerous, but watch out for the 2-metre long Montpellier snake. It is blue with a white underbelly -don't go picking one up to check- and has prominent ridges over the eyes. However, the position of its venom fangs means that you would be unlucky to have poison injected into you, and if you are, its venom is much weaker then the vipers.

If you are bitten by a snake, remain calm and seek medical attention immediately. Bites only occur in the spring and summer as snakes hibernate. Of the estimated 50 snakebite deaths a year in Europe, only 3-6 occur in Spain, so don't worry too much. More people die from bee and wasp stings. The Canaries are snake-free, and only the milder False smooth snake is found in the Balearics, probably introduced there by the Romans. 

Spiders :

There are more than 1,700 species of spider in Spain but only three are in way harmful to us. By far, the most dangerous is the black widow (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) which gives a medically-complex and painful bite though it is not fatal. They are commonest in Valencia and Andalucía, and they are a problem in the greenhouse estates of Almeria .

The sting of the black widow, along with hysteria, was often responsible for the condition of ‘tarantism’, though at the time the much less-potent but more fearsome-looking true tarantula or wolf spider (Lycosa tarantula) was blamed. Wolf spiders are no relation to the much larger bird spiders of South America which have inherited the name, and their sting is weak. The hysteria began at some time during the Middle ages in Taranto in Southern Italy from where it spread out, reaching Spain in the 15th century. Victims were cured by making them dance to a frenzied music: the tarantela. As late 1875, the Spanish Royal Faculty of Medicine was recommending such antics. Other techniques for expelling the spider demon were less kind to the victim. In Corsica , the victim was placed in a sweltering oven, while on the Island of Hierro in the Canaries sufferers were treated with ‘internal doses of human excrement'. Old world tarantulas (wolf spiders) are found in arid zones such as Los Monegros in Aragon.

Their bite can be painful but not dangerous. However it is the Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans) and the Recluse spider that can cause most pain.

The Black widow is Spain’s most venous spider and considered to be one of most dangerous in Europe. The black widow is found throughout Andalusia. A close relative of Australia’s red black spider and is very similar in appearance.

With its black body and distinctive red spots, thirteen of them in total. The male spider usually measures 10mm, while the female is around 15mm – body length. Generally nocturnal, the spider’s prey tends to be other insects and but has been known to occasionally eat small rodents. The black widow spider has a particularly toxic venom, which can prove fatal. Its toxic rating was three.

The Recluse Spiders are found in parts of Spain but are less virulent than in other parts of the world and is not lethal. Bites from this spider cause a tender blister to develop, characteristically with a “bull’s eye” appearance (a red centre). At the time a person is bitten, it is often hardly noticeable and it can be several hours before the venom to takes effect. Then, it is very painful.

Fire Salamanders

(Salamandra salamandra)
Very distinctive don’t get to close to this creature, it can discharge poison.

The Mosquito (Culicidae)

Encephalitis, Yellow fever, Malaria can be passed on via painful bites and now in Spain the bites can be even more painful thanks to the arrival of the Tiger Mosquito. The Tiger Mosquito is said to be aggressive, attacks in the daytime and resides in gardens. It can transmit a list of major diseases, Including Nile fever and Dengue.

Sand Flies (Leishmaniasis)

Normally found in gardens or wooded areas not as the name suggest exclusive to beach areas.
They are most active from dusk till down 2am to 4am August is the worst month. Painful bite and are dangerous to pets. Dogs can get Kala-Azule past on from dog-to-dog via its bite. A collar called ‘Scalibor’ can be worn to protect your dog and give over 90% protection from sand fly bites. The world health authority is researching into the possibility that the disease can be passed on to humans.

Ticks

As in most hot countries, Ticks are prevalent in Spain and they can transmit nasty diseases to your pet such as canine Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis. They can cause dogs and cats incurable damage which incurs lifelong administration of drugs. There is as yet no known cure. If you find one on your pet, if you find a tick attached to your skin, there's no need to panic. There are several tick removal devices on the market, but a plain set of fine-tipped tweezers will remove a tick quite effectively. According to the "Centre for Disease control and prevention" this is the procedure:

How to remove a tick

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible.
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
4. Dispose of a live tick by submersing it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers.

According to figures released last week from the Egatur tourism expenditure survey conducted by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, spending by international tourists visiting Spain reached 20,129 million euros up until the end of May, which represents an increase of 9.1% over the same period in 2013.

This data suggests that tourism and shopping tourism go hand-in-hand. Spain, increasingly, is seeing a rise in the number of tourists of different nationalities, who are attracted not only by the country’s weather and the high degree of cultural heritage, but also by the shopping tourism possibilities.

Traditionally tourists visiting Spain have come from Europe and North America, but now the country is receiving a large number of Asian and South American visitors, and to a lesser extent, visitors from Africa. During a meeting in Madrid last week, attended by representatives of various associations and tourism institutions, major Spanish brands and members and associates of the UNWTO, to discuss new projects and improvements which will increase quality tourism in Spain, the Secretary General of the UNWTO, Taleb Rifai, highlighted the increase in tourism in Spain in the first five months of 2014 and said: “shopping tourism is a new phenomenon spreading throughout the world connecting the public and private sector, with the intention of promoting a destination, shopping being one of the main factors which improves the economy”.

The Spanish Leading Brands President, José Luis Bonet, said that Spain receives 60 million tourists each year and that the majority of Spanish cities are meeting the high expectations of the foreign tourist, but that both brands as well as services are having to offer a wider range of possibilities in order to enhance the touristic offer and keep the tourists coming.

The first General Secretary of Culture of the Embassy of the Republic of China, Gang Ping, drew attention to the difficulties faced by the Chinese tourist in getting a visa to visit Spain, and in addition he pointed out that the Chinese traveller is also looking for gastronomy, culture and shopping for luxury goods.

The Advisory Minister from the Russian Federation Embassy, Sergey M. Melik-Bagdasaro, said the Russian tourist is a consumer and faithful, but that things should be made easier. He also emphasised that Spain is very attractive for the Russian traveller as it is considered to be a great shopping destination.

The conclusion reached after the meeting is that tourism shopping or shopping are a motivation for choosing which destination to travel to, and the attendees agreed that, “the tourism sector in Spain is on track”.

In Alicante, the euros are flowing in from Moscow. Russians have become the saviors of the Mediterranean province's property market and tourism sector, and now that Cyprus - their former Eden - has been bailed out by the EU, Russians are turning to Alicante to lay down their money. First they come on vacation for a few days to check out the beaches and the climate on the Costa Blanca, and later they return to purchase a holiday home, cash in hand - no down payments, no mortgages necessary.

Clients from Russia have overtaken the British in the foreign home-buyer ranking. Half of the 7,000 residences sold to non-Spaniards in Alicante province last year went to Russian families, a market that represented less than five percent of the total just four years ago.

"We have clients looking to buy something inexpensive, no more than 70,000 euros, and then we have other clients seeking luxury properties for half-a-million euros and more," says Alex Citnik, a Russian real estate agent who works for Innova Dom Invest in Torrevieja.

"The British are now the main foreign home-sellers and Russians are the main foreign home-buyers," says Antonio Navarro, president of the Torrevieja Residential Tourism Association, who admits that this "sustained and growing" demand by Russians began five years ago and has not stopped since.

Most pay in cash and need assistance from somebody who speaks Russian
Elena Granados, of the realtor Remax Ábaco, where Russians represent 70 percent of sales, admits that they are "special" clients. "They look around a lot and they think it over; they come several times and compare, but in the end they buy," she says. Most pay in cash and request assistance from somebody who speaks their language and understands their culture.

What with the Russians buying and the British selling, the area of La Vega Baja is experiencing a new property boom that places Alicante at the top of the Spanish list of existing home transactions. According to Public Works Ministry figures, the province topped the list of home sales to foreigners during the first nine months of 2012. Most of the total of 2,501 transactions involved Russian buyers. Málaga was a distant second on 1,111.

According to data released by Provia (Association of Real Estate Developers of Alicante), 1,442 title deeds were signed in 2011, while last year they went up to 2,016, representing a 40-percent increase. Jesualdo Ros, the secretary of Provia, admits it's an "important" market whose clients sometimes arrive here planning to spend 120,000 euros but end up "investing a lot more if they like the house."

On May 4 and 5, the luxury hotel Villa Gadea in the seaside town of Altea is organizing an international real estate fair sponsored by Excellent Choice, a property firm that specializes in the international market. One of its managers, Olessa Uteva, trusts that the event will be a meeting point for developers, builders and companies willing to sell to foreigners.

"This year we are noticing a greater desire to buy and invest," says Uteva, who has been working locally in the sector since 2009. Navarro, of the Torrevieja association, concludes that the Russians are the foreigners who are investing the most in real estate in La Vega Baja, acquiring the most expensive homes for an average of 202,000 euros, followed by Norwegians, Belgians and French clients.

Beginning this month, L'Altet airport is running two daily flights to Moscow and one to St Petersburg. The numbers speak for themselves: in 2010, Spain welcomed 30,951 tourists from that country; in 2011 it was 53,084 and the following year 84,684. This season, up to 119,000 plane seats are on offer, an 88-percent rise compared with last summer.

Tourism is the other sector that seeks to attract the attention of Russia's new middle classes. "We have a goldmine that we have yet to exploit," says Antoni Mayor of Hosbec, the Benidorm Hotel Association. He says that in the last four years, the number of Russian visitors to Alicante province has grown 40 percent. And industry professionals are perfectly aware that while the average European tourist spends around 700 euros, the Russian spends more like 1,700 euros. No wonder the Costa Blanca is going Slavic.

The report ‘Spanish Coast 2014′, prepared by the real estate appraisal company Tinsa, which analyses the current state of housing on the Spanish coast paying particular attention to residential tourism, shows that the property prices on the Mediterranean coast have accumulated an adjustment of 47.7% since their maximum values reached in 2007, compared to the overall average adjustment of 40%. In contrast, the Canary Islands, is the region that has best weathered the housing crisis. The study finds that prices continued to stabilise in the first quarter of 2014, compared to the same period of 2013, yet the appraisal company reflects that sales are still weak and are being maintained primarily by foreign demand.

According to the report, there are areas that have begun to show the first clear signs of stabilisation in the first quarter compared with the values of 2013, such as in Málaga, the east coast and the Catalan coast. In this sense, the lowest annual price declines were registered in A Coruña (-0.9%), Malaga (-1.1%), Mallorca (-3.4%), Almeria (-3.8%) and Ibiza and Formentera (-3.8%). At the other end, the highest annual price reductions on coastal properties were recorded in Lugo (-15.1%), Fuerteventura (-11.9%), Valencia (-11.8%), Huelva (-11.4%) and Castellón (-11.2%).

Another positive indication with regard to real estate on the coast is the timid recovery in the construction sector after the crisis resulted in works being left half-finished, and put the brakes on ambitious urban plans and leisure projects. Some areas, such as the Alicante coast, are experiencing positive changes in the numbers of new building permits. For example, in Alicante, the construction of 57% more homes began in 2013 than in 2012, and in the first quarter of 2014 this trend continued.

Housing demand on the coast usually comes from the domestic market, although it is continuing to lose ground to international buyers. Buyers often originate from the same region in which the property is located or from neighboring provinces, but the foreign client is gaining ground in some areas. The Russians and citizens of Central and Eastern Europe have emerged as the newest buyers in the market for a holiday home, often searching for a high-end product, mainly on the Catalan coast and Malaga.

Foreign residents accounted for more than 35% of the sales transactions carried out in the provinces of Alicante, Gerona, the Balearic Islands, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Malaga during 2013. Moreover, in the first quarter of 2014, Tarragona, with 51% of total transactions, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (44%) and Malaga (38%) were the areas most attractive to foreign residents. However, El Mundo reported that those foreigners not resident in Spain accounted for a much smaller percentage which, according to the Ministry of Development’s data, did not exceed 6% of the transactions.