Week of 19/05/2012 – 25/05/2012
 

• Saturday 8.30pm – Travel through the decades, live music with Michelle Jane
• Sunday 8.30pm – Live music with Monica Díaz
• Monday 6.00pm – Welcome meeting
• Monday 8.30pm – Jason Oliver’s welcome show
• Tuesday 8.30pm – Fun night with Team Marina
• Wednesday 8.30pm – The Legends, music from the 50′s to 80′s
• Thursday 8.30pm – The 80′s Revival Show with Jason Oliver
• Friday 8.30pm – Karaoke Night

Safari Restaurant and the Sunset Clubhouse, the following schedule is for week beginning 19/05/2012 until 25/5/2012.

If you are currently styaing at Club La Costa World’s resorts of Santa Cruz Suites or San Diego Suites here on the Costa del Sol or due to arrive this weekend, then this is what is in store for you throughout the next week.

Sunset Clubhouse

• Saturday 9.00pm – Live music with Monica Díaz
• Sunday 6.30pm – Welcome meeting
• Sunday 9.00pm – Tribute to the greats with guitarist Jesus Palma
• Monday 9.00pm – International music with Nuria Lima
• Tueday 9.00pm – Karaoke night
• Wednesday 9.00pm – Black Jack evening with Team Marina
• Thursday 9.00pm – The Big Quiz Night with Team Marina
• Friday 9.00pm – Party Night with Jason Oliver

Safari Restaurant

• Sunday 8.00pm – Harmonious melodies with our resident Harpist
• Monday 8.00pm – Easy listening music with pianist Miguel Angel
• Tuesday 8.00pm – Musical evening with Nuria Lima
• Wednesday 8.00pm – Nuria Lima & Manu vazquez in perfect musical harmony
• Thursday 8.00pm – The Safari Jazz evening

All musical events will take place in the bar.

Tarneybackle kick-off proceedings on Saturday 26 May at 7.45pm and on Sunday from 8pm Sandy Marshall will be playing live.

If you fancy a weekend of Scottish music and are staying at Duchally Country Estate, or live nearby, drop into the bar area from 7.45pm on Saturday night.

Thousands of torch bearers will carry the flame far and wide from its starting point of Land’s End until it reaches the Olympic Stadium in London 8,000 miles later on July 27th. And one of the biggest grandstand events will take place on the opening day at the world famous Eden Project.

The Olympic Flame is due to arrive at Eden at around 4.20pm, stop outside the visitor centre, where it will be transferred into a lantern and transported to the Rainforest Biome. TV daredevil presenter and torchbearer Ben Fogle will hold the flame aloft as it soars 50 metres into the air aboard Eden’s helium-filled Rainforest Balloon, piloted by Ben.

To celebrate the historic day Eden is laying on a host of activities for families to enjoy, including Cornish wrestling displays, performances of traditional sea shanties from the Barrel Rock Boys and dance demonstrations. An Eden sports day will feature hobby horse dressage, bean bag shot put and an obstacle course relay.

By 6pm the Flame will be passing through Bodmin on its way to the Tamar Bridge, when it will cross into Devon to continue its journey. Guests staying at Club La Costa World’s Cornish resorts Trenython Manor and Hustyns are within easy reach of seeing the Flame on its journey.

Picture Credit: Jarvin

The team: Phil Thomson, Paul Merson, Chris Kamara, Kennedy and Windass, are taking part in a charity golf day and dinner on behalf of UK based charity Marie Curie Cancer Care.

When the VIP guests are not on the golf course they will be around the resort between Sunday May 20th and Friday May 25th.

Image by Magic Ketchup

In the tiny Austrian town of Wattens, just 20 minutes from Innsbruck, a giant’s head with illuminated crystal eyes that change colour and a waterall falling from his gaping mouth guards a glittering subterranean world devoted to fantastical works of modern art celebrating the crystal craftsmanship of the famous Swarovski company.

The Swarovski Crystal World is one of Austria’s most popular tourist attractions – more than 10 million visitors have passed into its subterranean Chambers of Wonder since it opened in 1995. The labyrinth is home to a magical marriage of paintings, sculptures, installations and music drawing on the influences and talents of surreal artists like Salvador Dali and musicians like Brian Eno, providing a visual and aural feast for the senses.

Image by Magic Ketchup

The 14 chambers powerfully combine light, sound and modern art – nowhere else can you see the Taj Mahal, the Empire State Building and a pyramid in such a setting. Here you can walk into the biggest kaleidoscope in the world and see your reflection in nearly 600 mirrors. In another chamber the famous designers Alexander McQueen and Tord Boontje combined thousands of Swarovski crystals and polished steel branches to create a gleaming and fragile looking magical work of art.

Outside the gallery is surrounded by beautiful gardens and a maze and in winter the mountains in the background are snow capped while the waterfall gushing from the giant’s mouth turns into a glacier. And those who love Swarovski jewellery, miniatures and other objet d’art will find themselves passing through the biggest Swarovski shop in the world.

Guests staying at Club La Costa World’s Austrian resort Alpine Centre at Saalfelden will find Swarovski Crystal World (kristallwelten.swarovski.com) a day visit away at less than 75 miles from the resort – head to the A12 to Innsbruck and take exit 61 for Wattens. To complete the day call in at the charming city of Innsbruck, the capital of the Tyrol region.

Picture Credit: eisenbahner

This is great news for CLC World members and guests throughout the Midlands area booked in to our Costa del Sol resorts as one of the destinations served is Malaga.

More choice will also be available at Birmingham Airport as Monarch has stated they will be expanding their operation at the airport and increasing the frequency of their existing flights.

CLC World members can book flights through their very own travel agency – Club La Costa Travel with the added advantage of financial protection for complete peace of mind.

Call Freephone 0800 031 9707 today.

A combination of Team Marina activities and live music, karaoke and party nights create those long lasting holiday memories for all to cherish.

Here is a run down of the next week’s entertainment and Zacary’s for week 12/05/2012 to 18/05/2012.

• Saturday 8:30pm – Travel through the decades: Live music with Michelle Jane
• Sunday 8:30pm – International music with Vicky Reid
• Monday 8:30pm – Tribute to the greats with guitarist Jesus Palma
• Tuesday 8:30pm – Fun Night with Team Marina
• Wednesday 7:45pm – Music from the 50′s to the 80′s with The Legends
• Thursday 8:30pm – The 80′s revival show with Jason Oliver
• Friday 8:30pm – Karaoke Night, sing your favourite songs!

Here is a run down of what has been organised for both the Safari Restaurant and Sunset Clubhouse for week beginning 12/05/2012.
 

Sunset Clubhouse

• Saturday 9:00pm – Soul & Rock n Roll with Duo Blackbird
• Sunday 9:00pm – Live music with Monica
• Monday 9:00pm – International Music with Nuria Lima
• Tuesday 9:00pm – International Music with Vicky Reid
• Wednesday 9:00pm – Black Jack evening with Team Marina, come and try your luck!
• Thursday 9:00pm – The Big Quiz Night: Fun for all the family with Team Marina
• Friday 9:00pm – Jason Oliver’s Party Night!

Safari Restaurant

• Wednesday 8:00pm – A musical evening with singer Nuria Lima and pianist Manu Vázquez
• Thursday 8:00pm – Music from the 50′s to the 80′s with The Legends

The Alcazaba illuminated at Night in Malaga City: Picture Credit: Vankuso

Last year saw nearly 200,000 visitors flock to the city centre to experience the activities and culture of this unique event which sees visual and performing arts come together throughout Malaga.

The event takes place Saturday 12th May between 8pm – 2am and comes highly recommended for guests staying at Club La Costa World on the Costa del Sol.

Every museum in Malaga, including the Picasso and Carmen Thyssen, is open and provides the chance for you to discover their amazing artworks – for free.

Art galleries and exhibition centres, large and small, all throw their doors open, alongside the city’s theatre’s and clubs which showcase the best in culture and entertainment that Malaga has to offer.

Take a stroll down the main Calle Larios, the city´s main shopping street, and be entertained by a myriad of street entertainers and artists. Create some music of your own with your feet on the “Poor Man’s Piano”, a giant outdoor piano that you can step on in Tribuna de los Pobres.

Listen to mellow jazz played by some of the many street bands or watch fiery flamenco shows that take place in the crowded Spanish back-street bars.

Major city landmark the Alcazaba will be illuminated by artificial light and is offering visitors the “Visita de los Sentidos”, visit of the senses, where panoramic views of the city by night can be seen.

There are far too many activities and events to list here, but everything takes place between the hours of 8pm – 2am this Saturday evening.

If you are staying here with CLC World this weekend, La Noche en Blanco in Malaga is well worth a visit.

You can download a full program of events here. (only in Spanish)
http://www.lanocheenblancomalaga.com/DESCARGAS/Programa_LNEB2012.pdf

Gary, at the tender age of 54, took up the challenge of returning to his home town of Sunderland to take part in the Marathon of The North.

Gary astonished onlookers when he broke into a fast sprint for the last 70 metres of the gruelling test – he had spotted that if he could summon up one last burst of energy he would complete the course in just under 5 hours, an unofficial target he had set himself. The photograph shows just how close he was!

Gary works in the CLC World offices outside Fuengirola and was spotted pounding the Costa del Sol pavements during the 16 weeks he devoted to training. Advantages of running a marathon: gaining the waist size he last had in his twenties. Disadvantages: yearning for chocolate but now worried about his waist size – although he succumbed to chocolate cake on offer in the office just three days after his success!

Anybody wanting to add to his fund-raising coffers can do so at justgiving.com/garyd.

Picture Credit: Null Value

CST: The Experience is a hugely popular hands-on travelling exhibit which has now set up home in the Sunshine State and invites visitors to play the role of crime scene investigators solving multiple mysteries. They carry out scientific testing in labs, visit the autopsy room for pathology analysis, and build a case based on scientific evidence.

From DNA and firearms analysis to blood spatter analysis and toxicology, visitors find themselves part of an exciting multi-media environment, enjoying dazzling special effects direct from the hugely popular series. Cast members welcome guests from a large video monitor, lead them through the experience and praise them for a job well done at the end. Those who successfully solve the crime get a certificate!

The Experience is recommended for ages 12+ and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. The exhibition can be found at the brand new 7220 Exhibition and Event Centre on International Drive near the Titanic Experience and will be located in Florida until the end of 2012. It opens daily from 9am to 9pm.

To find out more about the exhibition visit orlando.csiexhibit.com

Visitors to CLC Worldwide’s Encantada resort in Kissimmee will find the exhibition within easy reach and near all the top attractions on the famous I-Drive.

Pictured from left to right are: tournament organiser Robin Mills, winner Richard Fletcher and CLC World’s Managing Director Martyn Aldridge.

The annual tournament raises funds for The Smile Foundation, Club La Costa World’s charity, and brings together friends and colleagues to celebrate the memory of Cruz Dias, the much-loved Managing Director of Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels who sadly passed away in 2002.

Around 40 brave souls turned out for this year’s event at Marbella Golf Club and the overall winner was Richard Fletcher, CLC World’s Resorts Management Director – who won at the 10th time of asking!

Just before the tournament Richard discovered at the bottom of his golf bag a ball marker given to him by Cruz Dias which was a gift from the Augusta Masters more than a decade age.

“I had forgotten I had it, and decided to use it so I reckon Cruz was smiling down on me!” said Richard. CLC World’s Club Operations Director Guy Mantel hit a spectacular shot at the 17th to take the longest drive award just as the rain was at its heaviest.

Richard is happy to share his top golf tip for playing in wet conditions: wrapping a handkerchief around the grip stops the club twisting round – and this was clearly instrumental in his triumph this year!

CLC World’s Managing Director Martyn Aldridge said: “Many thanks go to Robin Mills for organising the event and to Guido at Roka Bar in Elviria for the post-tournament refreshments. Despite the weather it was a great day and brought together old friends and colleagues.”

Image by Timmargh

The image of man walking for the first time on the moon will forever be a part of mankind’s history. Neil Armstrong and his colleagues were launched into space from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center – and this year the space center celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Launch pads and towers rose one by one on the scrubland hugging the shoreline of Florida’s east coast and on July 1st 1962 NASA officially activated the Launch Operations Centre. The following year it was named to honour John F Kennedy, the president who dreamed of putting America on the path to the moon.

For the last five decades it has been at centre stage of America’s great space adventure. It has been the departure gate for every manned mission and hundreds of advanced scientific spacecraft. From the early days of Project Mercury when an American was sent into orbit for the first time to the space shuttle programme and international space station, from the Hubble telescope to the Mars Rovers, Kennedy Space Center has marked its place in the history books.

A stay in Florida isn’t complete without a trip to the space center. It’s 45 minutes east of Orlando with its theme parks and attractions, and is the only place on earth where you can tour launch areas, see giant rockets, train on space flight simulators and meet and question a real astronaut. Guests at CLC Worldwide’s Encantada resort will find it an easy drive to the Kennedy Space Center and discover that the sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.

Wet’n’Wild introduced the world to the waterpark concept back in 1997 and today more than 15 themed rides and attractions are part of a bumper package providing thrills for all the family. Its new sandcastle-themed water playground will be the largest of its kind in the Sunshine State.

The attraction is built around a 60 foot high sandcastle and boasts 17 rides, more than 160 soakers, jets, waterfalls and water cannon and is bound to be a big hit with families looking for high octane fun and thrills.

Wet’n’Wild is located from Exit 75A of I-4 and is within easy reach for guests at CLC Worldwide’s Encantada resort in Kissimmee.

Foto by smileham

The Rock Oyster Festival, a mid-summer celebration of food, music and art in Cornwall which lays on an amazing choice of entertainment for the whole family, will take place in the town from Friday June 22nd to Sunday June 24th.

This annual crowd pleaser is a heady mix of eclectic music from a wide range of acts to culinary delights and demonstrations by top chefs. There are special events lined up for youngsters, including storytelling, puppet shows, acrobats, illusions, and pottery classes. The charming village of Rock is just 15 minutes from Club La Costa World’s Cornish resort Hustyns and on the other side of the estuary from Padstow, so sure to be popular with guests.

Find out more about the festival and what’s on offer at www.rockoysterfestival.co.uk and enter the competition to win free tickets.

Foto by iatraveler

A series of events designed to commemorate the centenary of the tragedy is this year taking place throughout the UK. And visitors to Orlando, in Florida, can also pay their own tribute at “Titanic, The Experience” – a blockbuster attraction on International Drive near Universal Studios, Sea World and Walt Disney World.

You can become a passenger and travel back in time to April 1912 – authentic artefacts and interactive story-tellers in period costume help you to absorb the unforgettable sights, sounds and emotions surrounding the most famous ship ever to set sail.

A 17 gallery tour includes full scale room recreations including the Grand Staircase, the First Class Parlour Suite, the Captain’s Bridge and The Promenade Deck. More than 400 unique pieces of memorabilia and 100 artefacts recovered from the wreck – including 21 recently restored and on display for the first time – are exhibited. They include a three ton portion of the ship’s hull – the second largest piece of Titanic ever recovered – the Captain’s wheel and personal belongings from passengers and crew.

The exhibition is open from 10am until 8pm and is easily reached – along with Orlando’s other attractions, by guests at Club La Costa Worldwide’s resort Encantada in Kissimmee. To find out more go online to visit titanictheexperience.com.

Fans of the comedy genius, who has also built up an impressive acting CV, will want to note the date in their diaries. His tour, Force Majeure, will take in 25 countries around the globe and covers Europe, the USA, Africa, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Nepal and the Far East.

The star will definitely draw the crowds to the world famous Eden Project in Cornwall and tickets go on sale on Friday May 4th 2012. The Eden Project is easily reached by guests staying at Club La Costa World’s Cornish resorts, Hustyns and Trenython Manor.

When you are in strict training for distance running keeping up the carbs intake and being motivated is important – and team member Laura Harris has found her motivation by stopping off for a burger mid-way through the Wednesday training sessions when the gang leave their offices outside Fuengirola to run to the port and back! After a quick snack she runs back to join her team mates.

Everyone has been putting in special training – some have been going to the gym regularly, and others have been running every day. Team member Pat Fabisch recently lost her father to cancer and reckons that while she may not be able to run every one of the 10 kilometres in London she is determined to finish the course in as fast a time as she can.

The run covers part of the London Olympic Marathon route and takes in iconic sights like the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. So for team member Tabitha Park who has never been to London it’s an opportunity to get in some sightseeing at speed!

Polina Budarova, who along with management team boss Helen Smith has run charity races in Spain for cancer research, said: “We all know someone who has been affected by cancer, so we wanted to do what we could to help make a difference. The training is great fun and we are all enjoying the challenge.”

Club La Costa World is paying for the team’s flights and accommodation and those wanting to donate can do so through their fund raising page at virginmoneygiving.com/team/clublacosta.

The team, pictured in their new shirts, are back row left to right: Tabitha Park, Laura Harris, Paloma Paton Sanchez, Pat Fabisch and Polina Budarova. Fabrice Durand and Helen Smith are at the front.

Both new and upgraded attractions were cited as the reason for the impressive increase in visitors. After the relaunch of the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh it quickly became the busiest attraction in Scotland last year with 1.5 million visitors.

The opening of the brand new Riverside Museum in Glasgow has attracted more than one million visitors since it opened in June 2011 and other major tourist attractions in Edinburgh also saw rises of 20% and upwards.

Historic sites such as Edinburgh Castle with more than 1.3 million paid visitors and Stirling Castle, which enjoyed a rise of nearly 15% after a £15 million refurbishment of the palace apartments, clearly benefitted from an increase in visitor numbers.

VisitScotland chief executive Malcolm Roughead said: “These are extremely encouraging figures, helped in no small part by the continuing trend for Scots holidaying at home and the ‘daycation’ market, which last year contributed £6.2bn to the Scottish economy.”

Guests staying at Club La Costa World’s Duchally Country Estate will find themselves perfectly placed to take advantage of a wide range of visitor attractions in Scotland.

Located on the A9 in fabulous Perthshire, Duchally is only an hour away from both Edinburgh and Glasgow where there are many sites and attractions to visit.

Perthshire is also considered the gateway to the Highlands and offers stunning scenery made up of mountains, glens, lochs and rivers just waiting to be discovered during your stay at Club La Costa World’s Duchally Country Estate.

© Pictures courtesy of Volvo in Golf

A world class field of golfers will once again be making their way to the Costa del Sol in May to take part in the Volvo World Match Play Championship.

This is great news for golf fans staying at Club La Costa World’s resorts on the Costa del Sol as the host venue, Finca Cortesín Golf Club, is just a 50 minute drive away near Casares.

Last year’s winner Ian Poulter will return to defend his title against a field of 24 players including Majors Champions Martin Kaymer, Retief Goosen, Darren Clark and Paul Lawrie.

Spain will be well represented in the championships this year with stars Alvaro Quirós and Rafael Cabrera-Bello taking part in the exciting format of which these matches are played.

© Pictures courtesy of Volvo in Golf

Big-hitting Álvaro Quirós, already a six-time winner on the European Tour, explained, “I am so pleased to have finally qualified for this year’s Volvo World Match Play Championship. To play in Spain in front of my home crowds against such an elite field is very exciting and I hope, with their support, I can go a lot further than I did last year. It is fantastic for Spain to host such a prestigious event and Rafael and I will be doing our best to make the Spanish fans happy.”

Finca Cortesín is located towards the western end of the Costa del Sol. From our resort head towards Marbella, pass by Puerto Banus and through Estepona, Finca Cortesín Golf Club can be found a short distance between Estepona and Casares, the tournament and golf club will be well signposted.

Tickets are available to purchase for any or all of the four days action from the official website below.

http://www.volvoworldmatchplaychampionship.com/

© Pictures courtesy of Volvo in Golf

Finca Cortesin Golf Club location

View Larger Map

A beach holiday has always been known to be a great tonic for a busy stressful lifestyle, but it has now been found that a walk along the sand has far more of an impact on emotional wellbeing than a stroll in the park.

Data from 2,750 participants with an age range of 8 to 80 years old was studied across a two year period to measure their engagement with the natural environment.

Enjoyment, calmness and refreshment were associated with all outdoor environments, but in particular the seaside showed to have the most positive impact while urban parks had the least.

Even when taking into consideration the time travelling to the coast, the age group and the presence of others, the seaside trend still came out on top.

Matthew White from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health in Truro, Cornwall, who ran the study, has suggested that the feelings of positivity people experience when visiting the seaside may be ‘hard wired’ into the brain.

Dr White added that other possibilities could be that people consider the sea a ‘good thing’ because they are constantly told so and that there was growing evidence that positive feelings have an impact on one’s health.

CLC World started out life 28 years ago on the coast of the Costa del Sol in southern Spain and has been providing excellent beach holidays ever since.

Over the years as the company has grown, a number of resorts in other prominent coastal regions such as Tenerife and Cornwall have also been added to our inventory providing holidaymakers with a great choice of relaxing holidays.

To find out more about Club La Costa World and the many holiday options available, visit the website below.

www.clcworld.com

Picture Credit: Paco Cameo

The annual festival of the Cruces de Mayo (May Crosses) is no exception and visitors to Spain and the Canary Islands will discover fireworks, singing and dancing, as the sound of traditional music fills the air and flamenco frocks flounce through the streets.

The religious legend is based on the discovery by Saint Helena of the “True Cross” on which Jesus was crucified. During her search, Saint Helena found three crosses under the Temple to Venus, built over the site of Jesus’ tomb near Calvary. People made miraculous recoveries from illness when touched by one of the three crosses – this was declared the True Cross and Saint Helena asked Christians to celebrate on May 3rd, the date of its discovery.

Crowds of locals and visitors fill the streets of each village, town and city to admire the three metre high crosses beautifully decorated with flowers, their rich scent filling the air. Each neighbourhood decorates their own crosses, which are erected in local squares, and where you find the crosses, you will find a temporary bar, and folk eating, drinking and partying with typical Spanish exuberance.

In some places there is more on the line than just impressing onlookers. Pride and prestige is at stake everywhere – but never more so than in the Andalucian cities of Cordoba and Granada, where prize money is at stake too as judges determine which of the crosses is worthy of the top prize.

Competition is fierce. In Granada the main squares and the Albaicin and Realjo districts are festooned and in Cordoba more than 80 crosses are spread throughout the city, filling each neighbourhood with the heady scent of flowers.

Visitors to Tenerife will discover an explosion of noise and colour in Santa Cruz and Los Realjos, where spectacular fireworks displays are added to the heady mix.

The celebrations pay tribute to the religious legend, but also commemorate the arrival of spring and the shrugging off of the winter blues. So for visitors to CLC World resorts in Tenerife and the Costa del Sol it’s a time to join in the party.

Instagram is a very popular app for smartphones and can be downloaded from the Instagram website here.

Once installed, just search for #clcworld or #clublacosta and follow us!

The band will be supporting headliners Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, and features the three Staveley-Taylor sisters, Emily, Jessica and Camilla.

The girls use three-part vocal harmonies in combination with subtle acoustic arrangements and will be playing Eden just before the release of their debut album so festival goers will get a great preview. The Staves have previously provided backing vocals for recent albums by Tom Jones and Fionn Regan and are supporting Bon Iver on their upcoming North American tour.

Guests at CLC World’s Cornish resorts Trenython Manor and Hustyns are within easy reach of the world famous Eden Project and its iconic Biomes.

To find out more about the Eden Sessions, which run from Saturday June 23rd to Wednesday July 11th, visit www.edensessions.com