NEWS SNIPPETS FROM VALENCIA - POPULATION = 4.8 MILLION

Francisco Camps, President of the Valencian Government is heading a trade mission to Dallas, Texas, accompanied by Belen Juste, Valencian Government Councillor of Industry, Trade, and Innovation; Mario Flores, Valencian Government Councillor of Infrastructures and Transport; Gerardo Camps, Valencian Government Councillor of the Treasury, Income Tax, and Employment, and Alberto Catala, chairman of Valencia Trade Fairs.

Yesterday President Camps presided the signing of an agreement between the Valencian Government and the International Inland Port of Dallas - IIPOD, one of the major logistic platforms in the United States of America made up of ten American Town Halls headed by Dallas and ten private companies, to create transatlantic ties between Texas and the Valencian Region, with Mario Flores, Valencian Government Councillor of Infrastructures and Transport signing on behalf of the Valencia Government and Ron Naitinsky signing on behalf of Dallas (top photo).

The Valencian Region has 41 ports of which 5 are apt for heavy traffic, viz., Valencia, Sagunto, Gandia, Alicante, and Castellon. In the period 2000-2007, ports in the Valencian Region grew 84% and moved 72 million tons of merchandise per year. Valencia Port is also leader in container traffic, above Marseilles in France, Genoa in Italy, and Barcelona in Spain and is the port used for 65% of sea trade of goods from Madrid, that has a population of 25 million people. Also 40% of all containers with Spanish merchandise destined abroad pass through Valencia Port.

With three international airports, 800 kilometres of railway, 1,000 kilometres of highways, and 15,000 square metres dedicated to logistics, the logistics and transport sector in the Valencian Region employs 100,000 workers and involves over 20,000 companies.

The Vicente Gandia Cellar held its first awards gala in the Westin Hotel in Valencia with some four hundred guests and with Maritina Hernandez, Valencian Councillor of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food presiding the event. The Generation Award for the Best Sommelier was received by Francisco Olivas, owner of the Pirineos Restaurant. The Ceremonia Award for the Propagation of Wine Culture was received by Canal 9 Television for the programme "Entrevins". The Hoya de Cadenas Award for Hostelry tradition was granted to Alvaro Oyarbide, recently deceased.

The El Miracle Award for the Revelation Restaurant that was voted over the Internet, was received by the Arrop Restaurant.

The Vicente Gandia Award for Innovation was received by Quique Dacosta, owner of the El Poblet Restaurant.

The Fusta Nova Award for an Enterprising Woman was received by oenologist M. Luisa Martin, from Councillor Maritina Hernandez (photo on the left).

The jury panel was made up of the following distinguished wine experts; Rafael Anson, chairman of the Spanish Academy of Gastronomy; Raul Aleixandre, chef and owner of the Ca Sento Restaurant; Maximiliano Bao, sommelier at the Kailuze Restaurant and director of the Committee of the Valencian Association of Sommeliers. He won the Golden Nose Award in 2005; Alvaro Cerrada, trade director of the Verema website; and Javier Gandia, corporative and marketing director of the Vicente Gandia Cellar.

Between January and August this year, the Valencian Region exported wine for a total of 82.6 million Euro - an increase of 13.5% when compared to the same months in 2007.

Angelica Such, Valencian Government Councillor of Tourism, signed an agreement with Juan Mesquida, Tourism Secretary of State, to carry out a joint international tourism promotion of the Valencian Region, mainly in Britain, Germany, Belgium, and Holland. The campaign will have a budget of over one million Euro of which half will be funded by the Spanish Central Government. The slogan to be used will be "Valencian Region. I offer you all" and will be displayed on giant screens erected in train stations in Frankfurt, Berlin, Köln, and Munich, on 204 taxis and 150 buses in Britain, and in 27 newspapers and magazines.

Rafael Miro, Autonomic Secretary of Culture and Sports, presented an exposition of 65 paintings and sculptures by Valencian artist Nassio Bayarri, in the Carmel Centre, Valencia, that will close the 18th January 2009. The artist attended the presentation accompanied by Felipe Garin, scientific director of the exposition, and its commissioner, Jose Garneria.

62 horses arrived in Valencia yesterday to participate in the Cavalia Show that starts next Monday the 24th November in the marquee erected beside the Veles i Vents building in Valencia Port, and ends the 15th December. Tickets for the Show are on sale in various locations and may also be purchased on the Internet from Euro 30. Further information and photos are available at the website http://www.cavalia.net

Angelica Such, Valencian Government Councillor of Tourism, presented the two new legal proposals for tourism homes (apartments, villas, chalets, bungalows, and managing companies), to Antonio Mayor, chairman of Hosbec; Sergi Gambi, chairmen of APTUR; Francisco Verdu, chairman of ALOGA; Mariano Espinosa, chairman of the Entrepreneurial Association of Rental Homes in the Province of Alicante; M. Dolores Cabanes, of the Federation of Tourist Apartments; Lourdes Soriano, general directress of the Counsel of Chambers of Commerce; and Virginia Ochoa, Secretary of the Tourism Commission of the Chamber of Commerce of Castellon.

One of the proposed laws covers homes as housing units, and the other regulates the blocks and groups of tourism dwellings. Through the new law, all tourist lodgings offered over the Internet must be registered.

Paz Olmos, head of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Valencian Government Council of Culture and Sports, revealed that mural paintings by Jose Vergara, in the Pias Schools, are being restored at a cost of 15,384.61 Euro to be paid by her department, with the remainder to a total of 22,277 funded by the Pias Schools.

Jose Vergara (1726-1799) was son and brother of sculptures, and founded the Academy of Santa Barbera, that is now known as San Carlos. He painted mainly frescoes both throughout the Valencian Region and in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.

The "Nuevo Futuro" Charity Bazaar or "Rastrillo" that sells handmade baby clothes, embroidered towels, and tablecloths, along with a wide range of other articles, is a wonderful place to buy Christmas gifts, for all the family at reasonable prices, while at the same time aiding a charitable organisation obtain funds to run tutored homes for children, adolescents, unmarried mothers, and battered women. The Bazaar is located at Isabel La Catholic Street number 12, and is open from 11:00 a.m. to 09:000 p.m. with lunches in the Cafeteria for Euro 12, and in the Restaurant for Euro 30.

Owing to the recent heavy rains in Valencia, the Albufera Lake is filled to capacity, enabling thousands of sea birds spend the winter there. In previous years, up to 30,000 ducks, 1,200 herons, and between 20,000 and 30,000 seagulls have taken up abode in Valencia.

Francisco Camps, President of the Valencian Government, at the head of a trade mission that includes some 200 Valencian entrepreneurs, inaugurated the Valencian Region Show House in Dallas, that exhibits a wide range of Valencian products including furniture, textiles, ceramic tiles, lamps, toys, and footwear.

Lighting products in the Valencian Region accounts for 22.4% of the Spanish lamps sector; textiles manufactures account for 17.1%; and footwear manufactures account for 66%.