October 2010
Hot Property News Letter – October 2010
Welcome to this issue of the Hot Property news letter which we hope you find informative and helpful. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, which we can address in future issues, you can contact us at info@hotpropertyspain.net
1: TRINQUET (A VALENCIAN BALL GAME)
Trinquet is the name given to a court used to play two different codes of Valencian Pilota, the Escala i corda and the Raspall.
The court is a closed room, which can be or any size, but usually between 8.5 to 11m wide and 45 to 60m long.
The short walls are called "frontons" and the long are "muralles" and are 4 to 6m high.
The ball may bounce at them as many times as desired. On the "frontons" can be seats for the spectators "galleries" and on some occasions on the "muralles" as well.
There are also stairs built on one of the "muralles" on which spectators can sit, at their own risk, as the ball is played many times on them since the stairs and the spectators may cause fast and unexpected bounces.
The court is divided into two midfields, the "dau" and the "rest". On the corner of the "dau" frontó and the stairs there is a square drawn on the ground. This is the dau (dice in Valencian) and is the place where every quinze or game begins.
On the corner of the "dau" frontó and the other muralla there is another place for bold spectators, the llotgeta (little balcony in Valencian).
When an Escala i corda match is going to be played, there is a rope ("corda" in Valencian) used as net to divide both midfields. Under that rope there is a special mark on the ground. This mark is where a special player (the "feridor") must bounce the ball before sending it to the dau in order to begin every quinze.
The spectators may sit in different places of the court. The more prudent or simply casual watchers may choose to sit on the galleries on the top of the walls, where, in the Bancaixa league, is out of bounds.
However, many people prefer to sit on the stairs, the "escala". In Escala i corda the spectators are restricted to sit on the "rest" midfield, where it is not too dangerous but spectators still have to keep an eye on the ball because players may send it toward them in order to cause a special effect or an irregular bounce. In Raspall games the stairs are out of play, so people sitting there may feel a bit safer.
Renowned Trinquets
Many towns and cities have trinquets, with some dating from the 15th century, with one of the most famous being Pelayo trinquet in Valencia, a place every pilotari wants to win. In fact, despite the hundreds of players that have played there, only five have been honoured with pictures in the Honour Gallery.
In our area, towns with courts are Trinquet El Zurdo, in Gandia, also called The Raspall cathedral. Altea. Benidorm. Benissa. Calpe (where at the moment the town hall are planning on building a new court) Denia. Jesus Pobre. Murla. Orba. Parcent. Pedreguer.
Escala i Corda
(Catalan for "Stairs and rope") is the most prestigious variant of Valencian pilota, and the only one, with Raspall, that have professional players.
This variant first began around 1910, when the player Nel de Murla settled a 1.80 m high rope in the middle of a trinquet and thus divided the court field in two sides. Until then, the midfield was variable.
Ball
In the "Escala i corda" a ball called pilota de vaqueta (Catalan for little cow ball) is used. This is small and extremely fast, very tough and a good bouncer. Made of cow leather, the size for adults is 42 mm diameter, 138 mm circumference, and 42 gr of weight.
Rules
The objective of an Escala i corda game is sending the ball over a net by hitting it with the hand. When the opponent doesn't return it, the sending team wins the quinze.
Matches are played to 12 games, every game scoring is valid for 5 points. Every game is divided in 4 "quinzes" (15, 30, val and game). The team who first gets 60 points for 12 games is the winner.
Every quinze begins when the "feridor" player throws the ball to the opponent "dauer", who must turn it back to the team in the "rest" midfield. This way, both teams will be sending each other the ball over the net with only a hit of the hand. They may hit the ball on the volley or when it has bounced once on the ground, until one of the teams is not able to throw it back or a "fault " is committed, by which the ball bounces twice, or the same team (or player) touches it twice; when the ball touches the net or passes under it; when, in the "ferida", the ball doesn't enter into the "dau"
There is also a way to get direct "quinzes", by throwing the ball to the gallery of the trinquet or the "llotgeta" and without the ball coming back. But there are competitions where it is not allowed (such as the Circuit Bancaixa league), or special challenges, because this way is too easy for certain players and it is regarded as less spectacular.
Players
"Escala i corda" may be played one-on-one, but it is mainly a team sport. Teams may be formed by 2 or 3 players, and they may be in every combination (2 vs. 2, 3 vs. 3, or 3 vs. 2 if those three players are considered not to be as good as the other two). This way allows for handicap and bets are more interesting.
The favoured team (the one organizers thinks is better) will dress in red, and the other one in blue.
Players are called according to their position in the "trinquet". So, there is "dauer", a "mitger" and a "punter". There used to be also two special players called the "feridors" which are raffled before the match begins to know who they will play for (the "punter" may be the "feridor" as well).
The dauer (also called as "rest", "reboter", or "escalater") is the player closer to the walls, hence he's in charge of throwing back the bouncing balls and the main amount of balls sent to the stairs. He will also begin every "quinze" by standing into the "dau" and replying the serve of the "feridor". He is the player who plays the "caiguda d'escala".
The mitger is positioned in the middle of his team’s field and his main shot is on the volley, when the ball hasn't bounced on the ground. If the ball has bounced once he is able to aim and throw the ball to the corners, to the non-protected places of the opponent team, or to the special places as the "galleries", the "llotgeta" or the stairs.
The punter is the player closer to the net, and will play less balls (because they are so fast he won't be able to hit them properly) and who needs less strength in order to throw it back, but also, he'll receive the stronger, or faster balls, so will use more protections on his hands.
The feridor is a special player. He might be a "punter", but many times, before the match begins, two "feridors" are raffled in order to know who they will play for. He's in charge of beginning every "quinze" by throwing the ball to the "dau", this serve is called "ferida" (Catalan for "wound"), because the more difficult to play the "dauer" receives the ball the more painful it will be.
Raspall
This variant of the game is mainly in the Valencian regions south to the Xúquer river: the Safor, the Costera, the Marina Alta and the Marina Baixa. It is also popular in the Ribera Baixa and, as with the Escala i corda, is one of only two variants that have professional players.
The game may be played either indoors in a trinquet or, more usually, outdoors on the street. In either case, the playing area is divided into two halves called the "serving" and "receiving" fields. Among its distinguishing features is the lack of any formal divider between the two halves and the rule that the ball is allowed to bounce as many times as desired. This rule makes the game one of the most energetic variants of Valencian pilota, as the players must frequently stoop to hit the ball close to the ground.
Playing areas
If played outdoors, the street must be flat and straight, around 75 m long and 8 m wide. It doesn't matter much if there are irregularities such as balconies, traffic signs and signals, since they may be used to change the bounce of the ball. The ends of the street are called the "fault lines", that is, if the ball bounces on the ground behind them the defending team loses the "quinze". Spectators may seat behind those "fault lines" or on one of the pavements.
Ball
The same ball as in "Escala i corda" is used, and, similarly, hand protection is used and the players wear red or blue, red being the colour of the allegedly stronger team or the favourite in the bets. Finally, since the players are stooping many times during the match, they wear shorts.
Rules
Raspall can be played in one-on-one matches, but it is most often played as a team sport. Teams have two or three players. Opposing teams do not necessary have the same number of members. Unevenly matched sides make the game more interesting to betters, so matches will often oppose three average players against a twosome consisting of a strong and weak player.
The winner of a "Raspall" match, when played on the street is 40 points (25 if playing in a trinquet). Points are counted in five blocks called jocs. That is, a match is played until a team gets five "jocs". Every "joc" consists of four quinzes: 15, 30, val and joc. Whoever wins the "val" gets the "joc" and scores five points.
Teams play face to face, throwing each other the ball with one hit of the hand until one of them is not able to send it back to the opponents ("fault" by the loser and so a quinze for the winner), or the ball is sent to a place where it can't be thrown back (direct quinze). Those special places are the "llotgeta" and the "galleries" (if the match is played in a trinquet or the ball is sent behind the opponent's "line fault" (if it is played on a street).
The "quinze" begins when a player serves by bouncing the ball on a marked stone from the "fault line" It doesn't matter if the ball bounces on the ground as many times as needed.
If the ball is sent to the spectators on the street's pavement, the ball is immediately "blocked". That is, it will be placed in the middle of the street where it was blocked and a player of the opposing team will hit it from there. This way, it is not convenient that balls get blocked, since player used to be able to throw it up to the "galleries" or far away the "fault line
So that, in a nutshell is Trinquet/Raspall. So, if you come across a game, particularly the street version, then you will be able to surprise the Spanish locals with some knowledge of the game, or at least understand what is going on.
2: BEE KEEPING IN SPAIN
Bee keeping is a very important Spanish industry, both for the production of honey, and for the pollination of citrus trees and other crops.
The earliest record of humans harvesting honey in the world is from La Cueva de la Araña in Bicorp, "cave of the spiders" where there is a cave painting showing a figure collecting honey from a wild hive. This is deemed to be such an important find, that a copy of the painting has been reproduced on a stamp.
There are estimated to be some 720,000 million domestic bees in Spain, which is the largest bee herd in Europe, approximately 18,000 bees per person. There are 2.4 million hives of about 30,000 bees per hive, with 26,000 beekeepers of which 6,000 are professional.
Total honey production (based on 2003 figures) is 30,000 metric tons, the largest in Europe. There are a number of different varieties, with the most common being Multifloral (milflores - a thousand flowers. Orange blossom, thymes, rosemary and heathers are typical local single flower varieties, some which are protected by 'Denominaciones de Origen'.
Between 2004 and 2005, bee numbers have been dramatically reduced by a disease known in Castilian as desabejación or desabejamiento (de-beeing) which has wiped out 40% of Spain's bee flock. In parts of Spain 70% of hives have been affected, though the strange geography of epidemics means that there are areas where just 10% of bees have died right next to pockets of 90% mortality.
Beekeeping is also increasingly beset by cheap imports from China, selling at 1 euro a kilo, well below anything Spanish bee-keepers can compete with.
Spanish translations
bee abeja
bumble bee abejorro
honey bee abeja melera
drone zángano
honeycomb panel
beehive colmena
bee-keeper apicultor
Honeybees have been in the news for some time regarding collapsing numbers, caused by disease, agricultural practices, parasitic mites, etc, as it has become clear that agriculture relies on the humble honey bee to pollinate many crops and is therefore very important for food production. Which, in turn, has lead to many more private individuals wishing to produce their own honey.
How to start
The most likely place to start searching the internet or at a local Bee Keepers’ Association.
There are many English websites with excellent information, but we have only found one in Spain, www.apicultura.com which is in Spanish.
Whichever way a beekeeper starts out, it is clear that the initial financial outlay can be considered to be fairly large. However, it is perfectly possible to become a beekeeper virtually for free!
Equipment
The essentials are simple enough: some sort of hive, a hat and a veil, an old white shirt and, to start with, at least a pair of decent gloves, as well as the agreement of the people who share your living space. It doesn't matter whether you are a town or a country dweller, so long as there is an abundant and varied supply of flowering plants from early spring onwards.
Most novices start with a conventional, framed hive, the kind with sloped-sided outer boxes familiar from children's books. However, an alternative is the top bar hive - one of the oldest and simplest types of beehive - that requires little skill and few tools to build.
The principle is simple: a box with sticks across the top, to which bees attach their comb, with central, side entrances, sloping sides and a pair of 'follower boards' (3/4 inch plywood or other material, cut to the size of frames for better air circulation in winter and less condensation close to the bees and the queen will lay closer to them than she would the hive body wall in the summer) to enclose the colony. There are many variations on this theme and all have the essential guiding principle of simplicity of construction and of management. There are no frames, no queen excluders, no ekes, no mouse guards, no supers, no foundation and there is no need for extractors, settling tanks, filters, de-capping knives, in fact no need for any other equipment or storage space, other than that provided within the hive itself and, if you have just spent an hour leafing through suppliers' catalogues, wondering how you can possibly afford to keep bees, that will come as some relief!
Building a top bar hive is no more difficult than putting up shelves and can be done using hand tools and recycled wood. Top bar beekeeping really is 'beekeeping for everyone' – including people with disabilities, bad backs, or a reluctance to lift boxes: there is no heavy lifting once your hives are in place, as honey is harvested one comb at a time. From the bees' point of view, top bar hives offer weatherproof shelter, the opportunity to build comb to their own design – without the constraints of man-made wax foundation – and minimal disturbance, thanks to a 'leave well alone' style of management.
So where do you get bees from?
Bees can be bought, caught, or for the really lucky, they might just move in. Bees swarm in response to their instinct to reproduce – mostly in spring and early summer and contrary to popular belief, this is the time when they are least likely to sting, as their only concern is to find a new place to live.
So, offering the right sort of accommodation at the right time – such as a pleasant smelling, cosy beehive – they are very likely to move in of their own accord. Many people become beekeepers by enticing a passing swarm using a few drops of citronella or lemon grass oil, or better still, rubbing the inside of the hive with pure beeswax.
Capturing a swarm is not difficult either – hold a basket or cardboard box under their football-sized cluster on a tree branch and give a good shake! It is not always as easy as that, but it is rarely as difficult as getting a cat out of a tree.
The last swarm that we know about which was caught this way, was in the spring of this year in Moraira, and they are now residents of a private hive in the Jalon valley.
If you think you want to keep bees, I suggest you first get to know a local beekeeper who is willing to let you visit and handle his bees. Most beekeepers' associations have 'meet the bees' days during the spring, giving newcomers a chance to see inside a hive and test their responses to being surrounded by bees.
Will I get stung?
Most likely you will get stung from time to time however careful you are. Local swelling, redness and itching is a normal reaction: faintness, breathing difficulties and collapse are true allergic symptoms and are potentially life-threatening. Most people who keep bees become less sensitive to stings over time, but sometimes it goes the other way and occasionally an experienced beekeeper may suddenly become allergic. So if you have any reason to suppose you may be sensitive to bee venom (only about one in 200 people are) be sure to carry Benadryl or an Epipen (adrenaline injection) and ensure that whoever you are with is properly equipped to deal with an emergency.
Whether you approach it from the point of view of conservation, entomology, crop pollination or simply a love of honey, beekeeping is an engaging pursuit and a fascinating window to the natural world.
Bees are in trouble right now – from pesticides, industrial farming, pollution, parasitic mites and viruses – and we need all the 'natural' beekeepers we can get to build up their numbers and give them a chance to solve their own problems. So, if you want to keep bees, build yourself a hive before the swarm season, and you could be tasting your own honey by the end of the summer!
Further reading
A really good book with plenty of advice is The Barefoot Beekeeper, which describes the top bar hive, its management and discusses the philosophy of natural beekeeping: working with the natural impulses and habits of the bees. Available from lulu.com or any bookshop using ISBN 978-1-4092-7114-7.
Internet
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php (An international bee keeping forum which has much advice and information)
This newsletter is intended as a guide and to be informative and helpful in the process of searching for and purchasing a property in Spain. Total accuracy cannot be guaranteed and in all legal, fiscal and other matters a fully qualified professional should be consulted. Reproduction of any part of this newsletter is not permitted without written permission.