CONSERVATION AT MARO AND CERRO GORDO
The Junta de Andalucía are to include the project for the conservation of the Maro-Cerro Gordo nature park, in Málaga province, among the actions to be presented to the Life and Nature 2001 European funds. This programme allows the purchase of private land to protect the rich natural setting of the area, as well as for the construction of reefs and the regeneration of vegetation at a cost of more than 400 million pesetas. The Environment department has assured that all the areas of the Andalucian coastline under threat could be declared as a natural monument.
Staying in Málaga province the case of the Artola dunes in Marbella has been proposed for protection. The preservation of the Málaga coastline was exactly one of the objectives of a course carried out at the Aula del Mar in Málaga and attended by some 30 environmental civil servants from the Junta de Andalucía - with the goal of better understanding the richness of the marine life of our coasts.

FIESTA OF THE RONDELS
Christmas carols, and the light from fires and candles set on balconies. It's the Rondels fiesta which is held ever December 12 in the Málaga village of Casarabonela. This tradition is centuries old, from when the millers of the village set fire to areas of esparto grass bathed in olive oil to give thanks to La Divina Pastora for the harvest. This is one of the oldest and most spectacular fiestas in the province of Málaga, and marks the start of Christmas in Casarabonela. All the village is dark apart from the fire which lights the way of the Virgin who is carried through the village from the hermitage to the church. During the route old carols are sung, some of them more than 500 years old. The fiesta ends in the village square, where locals and visitors taste tostones - toast - and buñuelos - fritters - made with the olive oil from the first harvest.

GASTRONOMY IN ARACENA
The gastronomy in the Sierra de Aracena and the Picos de Aroche, inland in the province of Huelva, is one of the most exquisite in Andalucía. The dishes are based, mainly, on the Iberian pig, chestnuts and wild mushrooms, of which more than 200 different and edible species have been collected. 24 restaurants in villages in the area, such as Alájar, Almonaster la Real, Aracena, Cortegana, Jabugo or Linares de la Sierra, have served some of these tasty dishes in the third Gastronomic Days of the Sierra de Aracena, which were presented in Sevilla recently. Oven baked salt cod, Pork Iberica, Croquettes filled with wild mushrooms and pork and chestnut paté are some of the delights which have been on offer, together with the local puddings such as chestnut tocino or fig flan. The object of these days is to promote the cuisine of the Sierra de Aracena and recover traditional recipes which use local produce. In Córdoba too he have been able to admire the cooking skills of 65 youngsters who have been taking part in the Second 'Cervatillo' regional cookery, confectionary and cocktail competition, where again local produce was used such as ham and iberian pork. These are some examples of the quality and richness of Andalucian cuisine, which we cant let escape us.

JAMES BOND IN CÁDIZ
The city of Cádiz will be the scene of the new James Bond film next year when Pierce Bronsan once again plays the British secret service agent. The company producing the film has been looking at several central streets of the city, the Santa Catalina and San Sebastián castles, as well as the beach and the spa at La Caleta. The lady mayor of Cádiz, Teófila Martínez, considers that the appearance of the city in the film means a good promotion for Cádiz. Although the exact date and duration of the filming are to be finalised, the producers are already preparing their team and equipment so filming will take place without a hitch.

NATURAL MONUMENTS
The Andalucian parliament has declared a total of 15 areas of Málaga province to be Natural Monuments. El Tajo in Ronda, of great tourist interest, El Canuto in Utrera, A gorge in the shape of a sickle in Casares, El Peñon del Cuervo in Málaga, and the straits of the Guadalmedina River in the town of Benahavís, are some of the places awarded this distinction. In addition the list of natural monuments includes the Rio de la Venta gorge in Teba, the Rio Jorrox valley in Alozaina, the gorge of the Alaminos river in Coín, the Marín stream in Archidona, the heights of Alfarnatejo in Riogordo, the Zafarraya forest in Alcaucín, the gorge in Alcázar, the Nerja caves, the Peñon in Almayate and the bull in Torre del Mar as well as the Artola dunes in the municipality of Marbella.

PICASSO FROM MÁLAGA
The house of Picasso's birth in Málaga hosts a collection from the talented painter made up of 35 of the 44 illustrations which form part of the exhibition 'Picasso From Málaga' shown in New York until November 16. There the show was organised by the Cervantes Institute in the North American city and was very successful visited by more than 16,000 people. The illustrations have already returned to Málaga where they will remain on show until March 3. Among them are works carried out between 1905 and 1960 such as 'Guerrero con lanza y escudo'- one of his last creations and 'Sueño y Mentira de Franco' from 1937 which, according to the foundation is a clear precursor of Guernica. The exhibition also offers the Foundation's latest purchases among which are paintings, illustrated books and etchings, as well as works from other Málaga painters. The show 'Picasso from Málaga', after its stay in the house of his birth, will travel again to places such as Rome and the French city of Pou.

RESCUE OF MARINE SPECIES
The attempt to rescue a dolphin on the Los Genoveses beach last July was just one of the 51 calls made along the Almeria coastline during the second marine species campaign, started by 'Ecologistas en Acción', with the collaboration of the Environment department and the Spanish Cetacean society. The capture of turtles in fishing nets has reduced, but the numbers if small turtles affected by different types of virus has increased. Those responsible for the campaign advise that when you see an animal in problems on the beach or in the sea, that you signal the place and immediately advise the Nature Protection Service of the Civil Guard. A campaign which helps, without doubt, to rescue a number of beautiful marine animals which on occasions come close to the Almeria shoreline.

VISITS TO THE SCIENCE PARK
Around 400,000 people have visited the Granada Science Park this year, which represents an increase of more than 11% compared to last year. These figures cover both the entrances to the museum and the planetarium, and show that the park has consolidated its position as part of the cultural and tourist offer of Granada in its short six year history. The third expansion phase at the site, opened last June, has also played an important part in the increase in numbers. Of the new attractions in the third phase, the 50 metre high observation tower has been the most popular, although the Astronomy garden and the Hydrodynamic granite sculptors have also aroused much interest. Currently the buildings of the Science Park occupy some 30,000 square metres, which could be increased to 64,000 metres if the fourth phase of the project comes to fruition - this would make the museum one of the most competitive in Europe.