Guided Walking Week April 2016

    Dates: April 30^th-May 7^th 2016

    Location: Abdet, Costa Blanca

    A week of guided walking in the mountains around Abdet. Highlights include the climbing of Valencia's highest summit (Sierra de Aitana), traveling completely around the impressive Puig Campana, and several explorations in the Sierra de Aitana. Ancient trails lead through spectacular canyons(峡谷) to abandoned settlements situated high in the mountains. You will discover the snow trader routes which lead from the incredible snow holes high in the mountains down to the villages and towns on the coast. These years, golden eagles have made a return to this area, and you may also see other animals—wild goats, foxes, wild pigs and red squirrels.

    As part of the week you are invited to help clear some local walking paths. This involves clearing collapsed （坍塌的） walls and rocks, cutting back fallen trees. This is of course optional and is just for half a day, it's actually great fun!

Price:$499

Includes:

    Accommodation in the beautiful mountain village of Abdet

    All food-good home cooking

    Beer, wine, soft drinks

    Snacks and post walk treats

    Packed lunches & drinks(except café/bar visits)

    Expert guiding

    Photos/Videos of your days in the mountains

    Airport pick-up/return $25 each way(fly to Alicante)

    Single room supplement $75

    To book or get further information, please contact info@abdet.com.

    Movie Nights at the Museum brings you classic movies in a classic location. Each film has been chosen for its connection to an area of our knowledge.

We start this movie season with ocean-inspired cinema to celebrate the arrival of the noble blue whale in the Museum's typical hall, the site for the series.

    So get your popcorn, take your seat, and settle in for Movie Nights at the Museum.

Jaws

    Did you know that great whites actually find the taste of human flesh not tasty? However, this legendary Steven Spielberg thriller sees a giant great white shark cause destruction on the shores of a New England beach town in the mid-1970s.

Free Willy

    Did you know that the killer whale is not a whale? It's actually a dolphin. In this heart-warming 90s classic, orphan Jesse makes friends with a trapped killer whale and does whatever it takes to return him to his family and ocean home.

Finding Nemo

    Contrary to popular belief, fish are actually good at remembering things. Follow young clownfish Nemo, taken unexpectedly from his Great Barrier Reef home, and his father and forgetful partner who go on a brave journey to find him, in this charming Disney adventure.

The Little Mermaid

    In this classic Disney tale of a mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human, Ariel falls in love with a handsome prince, much to the sadness of her father and long-suffering friends. But did you know that a fish is actually brown and flat, with both eyes on one side of its body?

Ticket: £ 28, Member: £ 25.

    One of the greatest gifts one generation can give to other generations is the wisdom it has gained from experience. This idea has inspired the award-winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman. He interviewed and took photos of fifty over sixty-five-year olds all over the world. His project explores various aspects of their lives. The photos and interviews are now available on our website.

    Click on the introductions to read the complete interviews.

    Let us now have a culture of peace.

—Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Spain

    Federico Mayor Zaragoza obtained a doctorate in pharmacy(药学) from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1958. After many years spent in politics, he became Director General of UNESCO in 1987. In 1999, he created the Foundation for a Culture of Peace, of which he is now the president. In addition to many scientific publications, he has published four collections of poems and several books of essays.

    Writing is a discovery.

—Nadine Gordimer, South Africa

    Due to a weak heart, Nadine Gordimer attended school and university briefly. She read widely and began writing at an early age. She published her first short story at the age of fifteen, and has completed a large number of works, which have been translated into forty languages. In 1991, Gordimer won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

    Jazz is about the only form of art today.

—Dave Brubeck, USA

    Dave Brubeck studied music at the University of the Pacific and graduated in 1942. After World War Ⅱ he was encouraged to play jazz. In 1951, he recorded his first album. Brubeck's 1959 album has become a jazz standard. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.

    For more figures CLICK HERE.

    Held in Valencia, La Tomatina is a tomato-throwing activity that causes the number of people to increase to more than 40,000 in a town of just 9,000 persons.

    The festival takes place on the town's main square. At 11 o'clock, the third Wednesday in August every year, a large pole(杆) with a ham tied to the end of it is raised into the air, and there is a mad climb as people struggle against each other to pull it down. Once this is achieved, a rocket goes skywards and more than 100 tons of ripe tomatoes are tipped from trucks to the waiting crowd. For precisely one hour, until a second rocket is fired, everyone joins in a cheerful tomato battle.

    La Tomatina began in 1945, but it is not known why. Locals have many theories, including the popular tale of angry townsfolk attacking city councilmen(议员) during a town celebration. However, it could also have started because of anything from an anti-France protest or simply a fun food fight between friends. Whichever way it started, the townsfolk of Valencia enjoyed it so much that it was repeated year after year, finally becoming an officially recognized celebration in 1952. Despite being cancelled briefly during the 1970s for having no religious significance, it has returned every year since then.

    Most people come for the day, arriving on the morning train from Valencia and heading back in the afternoon. But if you want the full La Tomatina experience, stay for the week-long celebration which involves music, dancing, parades and fireworks. The night before the fight, a cooking competition is held where women traditionally dress in white, and men without shirts altogether.

    Protection for the fight is recommended—wear old clothes and shoes and a pair of glasses to protect your eyes. What you don't bring to La Tomatina is also important. The crazy tomato-throwers attack each other with all their strength: cameras are seen as positive invitations to throw at the owner.

    There are a number of reasons that can be given as to why children should be taught swimming at a young age. If your child knows the basic swimming skills, you can be at peace when your child is near the water. If you are in the process of teaching your child how to swim, then here are some points that you should keep in mind.

    Help your child pick a bathing suit. If you child wants to wear bathing suit and get wet then it is certain that your child will be able to handle the water.

    If the pool has steps, then it is great. Start from these to help your child gain some confidence. You should make sure that there is one place in the pool where your child can be left safely.

    The best way to teach your children to swim is to make them join swimming classes. In this way, you will be at peace because there is a professional trainer around your children who can teach them all the tricks of swimming. You can join in the parent-child lessons to make your child feel comfortable. If your child is a bit older, then get permission and sit by the pool to watch him/her learn. When you get your child admitted to swimming classes, make sure that the lessons go according to the swimming goals that you have set for your child.

    Swimming is a fun activity and you can make it easy for your children to understand and coordinate(协调)the movements of their arms and legs will take some time. But, with regular practice and training this can be overcome. So, start with the basics and be around your children when they are learning how to swim. Once they know how to swim, then you can be at peace when they play around the water.

    I was driving home the other day on a sunny afternoon. I had a smile on my face as I sang along to the songs on the radio. It was such a beautiful day that I felt full of happiness. My good mood ended, however, when the radio station took a news break between songs. Then suddenly I found myself listening to yet another story of a rich famous man who had broken the law. I shook my head as I came to a red traffic light.

    As I pulled to a stop I noticed four leather­jacketed bikers. They were standing in the middle of the road with two on either side of the light. They looked rough and dangerous, but as I got closer I noticed each one was holding their helmet in their hands. I rolled down my window as one approached my car. "We are the Brother of the Wheel," he said. "We are collecting money for Christmas Toy Drive for needy children." As I pulled a dollar out of my wallet I looked past his beard and into his eyes. They shined with goodness and kindness that came right from his soul. I dropped the money in his helmet and waved to the other bikers as I drove off. My good mood had returned. My faith in mankind had been bolstered. And I remembered once again never to judge people by their appearance.

    Our society often judges books by their covers but God reads what is written in our hearts and souls. Perhaps one day we will all learn to see the world through the same eyes. Perhaps one day we will realize that looks matter little and actions matter much.