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Walk. 12th March 2010. El Golfo to Tenezar
Published April 14, 2010 | 
The feedback I have been receiving about my recent walks in Lanzarote has been phenomenal. Thank you! You may or may not know that my walking buddy is the lovely John B from Playa Blanca. It is he who has encouraged me to get out and about and see the island in a whole other way. Thanks for that John – it really is appreciated! Continue reading
Flower Basket Arrangements in Lanzarote
Published February 2, 2010 | Front Facing Basket Arrangements
When using a basket with a handle it’s often the first instinct to make the arrangement circular to the basket shape and to keep the flower and foliage material contained within the basket frame. This isn’t the only way to use a basket as a container and it’s a good exercise to try other style arrangements with baskets just to see what works.
This design is a front facing arrangement, rather than the more common ‘all round’ design which is so often the first choice with baskets.
The design breaks the boundaries of the basket in so far as it has tall placements which exceed the handle and the basket dimensions.
The first picture shows the oasis secured to a floristry dish with post tape and the dish is secured to the basket with oasis fix.
The framework of the flower arrangement is decided by the foliage and you can see the first placements of foliage, ruscus and eucalyptus parvifolia.
In this second picture you can see how the foliage has been grouped (the ruscus to the front) and comes out of the basket frame and down to touch the surface of the table. When using long stems, always try and angle the material downwards by inserting in an upward angle into the oasis foam, it makes the whole design look balanced and that the center of gravity is low, this gives visual balance to the overall design.
White Gerbera, Freesia, Purple Statice and Cerise Alstromaria have been added – small sprigs of foliage inserted deep into the spaces between to add depth and you can, if desired add an organza bow to the handle to set it off. See how the basket handle is still visible and able to be used without interfering with the design.
This is a very simple and reasonably cheap design for a basket arrangement for those of you who are a bit fed up with the usual low round designs often associated with baskets.
So, grab a basket and get creative!!
A huge thank you to Glynis who has kindly provided this article (and future ones). You can order your wedding bouquets, flower arrangements, and gifts for friends via Glynis’ website at www.flowersbyserenity.net
Detox for 2010
Published January 9, 2010 | Now it is time to ensure our new year’s resolutions are still being stuck to, and get back on track to get your new year kick started and be feeling fabulous and refreshed again!!
If you decide to detox, a massage will be a great way to get maximum results, and with regular sessions you can look forward to a stronger immune system, better circulation and less stress. Massage of any sort helps perk up the circulation, sending the blood pumping around the body with new vigor, with it go the oxygen and fuel we need to function in the form of nutrients, which are turned into energy once they reach our muscles. Our organs benefit too, improved blood circulation encourages them to do their best work, particularly those concerned with the elimination of toxins.
Tips for detoxing
- Start each morning with half a lemon squeezed into hot water.
- Drink a minimum 1.5 litres of water by sipping throughout the day.
- Avoid coffee, strong tea and alcohol.
- You should find the urge to comfort-eat is reduced, try to focus on good quality proteins, whole grains, and lots of vegetables and fruits.
- Try to avoid cow’s milk products and wheat products.
- Make up a salad dressing with olive oil mixed with balsamic wine vinegar and keep to hand in the fridge, add mustard, herbs or garlic according to taste.
- Avoid butter and margarine – use olive oil for cooking.
- Choose healthy cooking methods – steaming, baking and stir-frying with minimal oil.
- Detox your environment too by clearing away any clutter. A calming environment will help you to recharge your energy levels.
Good luck!
A big thank you to Lisa Carlin from the Flutterby Wellness Centre in Lanzarote for this reminder to stay healthy… as well as some great tips for detoxing.
Some of you may remember that I visited Lisa and enjoyed an excellent, relaxing massage that left me feeling as if I was walking on air – it was a great way to de-stress and relax. Highly recommended!
You can contact Lisa via her website at www.flutterbywellnesscentre.com
Flower Arranging in Lanzarote
Published January 1, 2010 | Ok, so you have decided you want to make a flower arrangement but not sure where to start………….here are a few tips and guidelines… follow these and you will have a perfect arrangement to adorn your home.
Choosing the flowers
I know what you are thinking……………not such a varied choice as back in the UK…………true……….but don’t despair……….there are still choices available.
1. Choose flowers and foliage with different shapes, colours and textures for a more pleasing design.
2. Generally, you will need three sorts of shapes of flowers and foliage……………
(a) Line materials – straight leaves i.e. Bear Grass, Steel Grass, Palm Leaves – flowers such as Lilies, Iris, Strelizias, Heliconia, Gladioli – use to form the outline shape of your design.
(b) Round materials – Carnations, Roses, Gerberas, Chrysanthemums etc. – used as focal flowers
(c) Intermediate or filler materials – Gypsophilia, Ferns, Statice, Solidago, Ruscus etc.
3. Choose different textured flowers and foliage which will reflect the light differently and give interest to the design.
4. When using Lilies, always remove the stamens. There are several reasons for this.
(a) The pollen will stain the flowers and any clothing or furnishing that it comes into contact with.
(b) Removing the stamen makes the flower last a bit longer (a flower that has been pollinated has completed it job and dies fairly soon after pollination, by removing the stamens this pollination is prevented) NEVER NEVER cut off the stamens with scissors, this is ugly and causes discolouration. Use you fingers to gently pull the stamens off. Kinder to the Lily and looks more professional.
Making the arrangement
Here are the basic 5 different types of shapes.
1. Choose the right foam for the flowers you are using.
Green water retaining foam for fresh flowers and brownish stiffer foam for the dried or artificial flowers.
2. Before choosing the container, think about the size of the space where your arrangement will be placed. A huge vase and lots of flowers will look overcrowded on a small table.
3. If making an arrangement for a dining table, keep it low (no more than 9” high) so that guests can converse without having to fight their way through the flowers.
4. Try, wherever possible to using flowers in different stages of development. Buds at the top and edges, largest and fullest blooms in the centre and towards the bottom. When using open flowers, use them at different angles so that they are not all facing the same direction.
5. Ensure that your colours are evenly balanced……i.e. do not use all strong colours on one side.
6. Imagine an invisible outline of the shape you want to create and choose which side will be the front of your arrangement.
7. Choose your tallest and widest flowers and arrange them in your container first within the outline of your chosen shape.
8. Fill in around the base and lower part of the arrangement with more large blooms.
9. Working up and outward user smaller blooms or filler to fill in the arrangement.
10. Use the smallest blooms, foliage and filler to hide stems, oasis and the edge of container.
There you have it, a few guidelines…………..so go on………………give it a go…………you will be surprised at what you can achieve.
A huge thank you to Glynis who has kindly provided this article (and future ones). You can order your wedding bouquets, flower arrangements, and gifts for friends via Glynis’ website at www.flowersbyserenity.net
Em’s Story – starting at Tahiche School
Published September 18, 2009 | Emily started the special school in Tahiche last week, she was a bit aprehensive at first, [not as much as me though] but has very quickly settled in with the routine of getting up early and catching the bus at 8am to get to school. Continue reading
Traffic Fines Not Payable?
Published September 5, 2009 | Following well informed sources, the traffic fines imposed by the Yaiza local police, will never be claimed and charged… except in the cases of “on the spot” fines which offer a discount – because:
- There is no formal administrative procedure to recover later payment
- There are no recovery vehicles to remove your car
- There is no “pound” in which to leave said vehicles
In other words… if the fines are not paid, then nothing happens. This means that people who infringe traffic rules do not have to fear rhe fine… even if the police detain and sanction them
The reasons for the above situation has to be one of the following:
- Neglect or imcompetence of the administration of the Yaiza Town Hall government in order to organise the corresponding system of collection and apply it efficiently
- Political convenience, because if minimum severity ios applied at the execution of the traffic rules this could lead to discomfort of the victims and therefore a possible loss of votes by the poilitical party that is supporting the opportunr measures
- A mixture of the two
In any case the lack of action in this sense leads to a relaxation of the traffic by-laws, because the payment of the corresponding sanctions is not demanded and this leads to the absence of income for the municiapl ark, income which, in times like these, could be used to help the most needy citizens
These views do not reflect our own, but are gratefully received from Yolanda and Claudia of Playa Blanca Hoy. We would never recommend the non payment of fines, and would advise all persons to treat police officers with respect – whilst adhering as far as possible to the letter of the law (even if you disagree with it).
Holistic Therapy in Lanzarote
Published August 11, 2009 | When I tell people I am a Holistic Therapist they always say, “oh what’s that then?” It’s very simple “A Holistic Therapist is qualified in providing a range of treatments, specifically selected according to the client’s needs, giving them a sense of health and wellbeing.” Continue reading
The Right Way to Buy in Lanzarote
Published July 24, 2009 | The information below is not intended as a comprehensive guide to purchasing. You are strongly advised to use the services of a Spanish lawyer based in Lanzarote who speaks your language. Good legal advice will ensure the safety of your investment.
First Steps
As there is a wide variety of property for sale in Lanzarote, it pays to give some thought to the type of property you are looking for. Whether you are looking for an apartment for sale in Puerto del Carmen or a luxury Lanzarote villa, do spend time getting to know the area(s) before you take the plunge. A good agent should listen to your requirements and advise you of your options when choosing your Lanzarote property. If you are planning a visit to the island, contact agents in advance. That way you can spend your precious time here on the island viewing properties that best match your requirements. When budgeting, remember to allow approximately 10% on top of the purchase price to cover stamp duty and all the legal costs involved in buying property.
Finance – the key to negotiating a better price
If you don’t need finance or you have a pre-arranged mortgage, congratulations! You will have a distinct negotiating advantage when it comes to settling a price. If you do require a mortgage, but have not yet arranged a loan, we recommend you do so before viewing property. Essentially you have two options: obtain the loan in your home country (if you are a non-resident) by remortgaging your existing house, or apply for a mortgage on the house you intend to buy with one of the Spanish banks here on the island (both residents and non-residents).
Spanish banks’ lending criteria:
- Recent bank statements
- Last three pay slips
- Your last tax return, or if you are a resident your Spanish Tax Declaration (IRPF) for the last financial year
- Letter of reference from your bank manager and/or employer.
- Passport / Residence permit / Spanish Identity Card of applicants.
- Proof of other income, if applicable.
- Declaration deed for new building from developer (new building)
- Property deeds of the current owner (second hand home)
- Private sale-purchase contract or letter containing offer.
In the case of self-employed or independent professionals:
- Proof of income tax payments made during the current financial year and declaration of assets and accounts for the last three years
- N.I.E. (Foreign Resident’s Number)
Terms vary, but as a guideline non-residents can borrow up to a maximum of 70% and residents up to 80% of the purchase price or bank’s valuation (whichever is lower).
Once you have agreed a selling price with the vendor, the next step begins the conveyance and at this stage we recommend you use a lawyer.
Legalities:
1. Title search:
Your lawyer will investigate the Escritura (Title Deed) for the property you wish to buy and will carry out the local Land Registry Search (Nota Simple). This is to make sure that everything is in order, for example that the sellers are indeed the lawful owners and that there are no charges, encumbrances or legal problems with the property. Mortgages in Spain differ from those in the U.K. and Ireland in that they are levied on the property, not on the person who owns the property. This means it is important to check that the property you buy is free of outstanding debts and mortgages before you sign for the property.
2. Exchange contracts:
As soon as your lawyer confirms that everything is legally in order, usually a deposit contract is drawn up between you and the vendor. This states the conditions of the transaction, identifies the property and the parties involved, as well as the deadline for completion. It will state if the property is being sold furnished or unfurnished. If the property is being sold furnished, it is advisable to include an inventory signed by both you and your vendor. Once the contract is drafted and both parties sign, normally you transfer 10% of the sales price to your vendor (or to your lawyer, who will then pass the money on) and you have entered into a contract which is regulated by the Spanish government. If you change your mind after this stage and decide not to buy, you will lose your deposit. If the seller fails to sell after this stage, they will be forced to repay your 10% deposit back to you, with the same amount again as compensation. The law on deposit contracts is regulated by the Spanish Civil Code, and is designed to prevent gazumping.
Completion:
Your new title deed will be signed by you (or your lawyer if you have granted power of attorney) in front of a Spanish notary and the outstanding amount will be paid over to the vendor. Before this happens, the notary will require the vendor to provide evidence that municipal rates are paid up to date. In addition to the purchase price, you will need to pay notary costs, Land Registry fees, Impuesto sobre Transferencias Patrimoniales – Transfer taxes (stamp duty), lawyer’s fees and legal costs, as well as several minor taxes including the Plus Valía, which is a land appreciation tax paid to the local municipality. There will be a minor cost for verbal translation of the deeds into your language before signing. Utilities bills will be transferred to your name and direct debits will be set up to pay future bills. The same applies for telephone (if relevant) and the community charge, if your property is on a complex with a community of owners.
After completion:
Your lawyer will finalize the paperwork by submitting the deed to the Land Registry. Your registered deed which is your proof of ownership and should be kept in a safe place. The entire process from signing in the notary’s office to receiving your registered deed takes up to 2 months, but you are entitled to receive a Copia Simple (preliminary copy of the deed before it is presented in the Land Registry) within 2 – 3 days of signing. All that is left is for you to enjoy your property and make the most of the Lanzarote lifestyle.
A very big thank you to Lanzarote Properties for this informative article. If you have an article that you would like us to consider for this website, then simply let us know via the contact page on this website.
A Case Study – Mark and Pauline
Published March 12, 2009 | A big thank you to Mark and Pauline, who have kindly shared their experiences of moving to Lanzarote with us – we wish them all the very best for the future, and we are certainly going to be amongst their most regular customers at their brand new Terrace Bistro in Playa Blanca! Continue reading
Moving to Playa Blanca – Fergus and Hazel’s Story
Published March 10, 2009 | Not many residents of Playa Blanca have managed to avoid Fergus and his infectious humour. Both he and Hazel have become good friends of ours, as we moved to the town at around the same time. His dry approach to everything has us roaring with laughter at his bar on a regular basis. Continue reading
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