NEWS SNIPPETS FROM VALENCIA - POPULATION = 4.8 MILLION

Rita Barbera, Mayoress of Valencia, received J. Carlos Aparicio, Mayor of Burgos, in the Town Hall of Valencia, where they spoke of the many historic connections between Valencia and Burgos, especially the fact that 600 years ago the Valencian Dominican Friar Saint Vincent Ferrer, converted the Rabbi of Burgos, Selomo Ha-Levi, to Catholicism. He later became Bishop of Burgos with the name Pablo Santamaria, and a relative of his was one of a group that started the construction of the Cathedral of Burgos. In the photo, Mayoress Rita Barbera receives a copy of this Cathedral as a gift from Mayor Aparicio.

Rita Barbera, Mayoress of Valencia, attended the opening of the XXVI edition of the International Ceramics Show for Architecture, Bathroom and Kitchen Equipment, Raw Materials, Enamels, and Machinery - CEVISAMA, that continues in the Trade Fair Complex of Valencia till Saturday the 9th February. Mayoress Barbera was accompanied by Francisco Camps, President of the Valencian Government, by Milagrosa Martinez, chairperson of the Valencian Parliament, by Alberto Catala, chairman of the Valencia Trade Fairs, and by other relevant politicians and businessmen. Representatives from countries around the world are participating in this edition of CEVISAMA.

Maritina Hernandez, Councillor of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, presided the IX edition of the Nougat Gala in Alicante, during which J. Enrique Garrigos, chairman of the Regulation Council of Protected Geographic Indexes - Alicante and Jijona Nougat (Turron), bestowed the Boixet d'Or Award on Jose Ferrando.

Felix Crespo from the Town Hall of Valencia accompanied the senior and junior Fallera Queens in the main square of Valencia when they received the fleet of cars that Ford Motor Company annually lends the Queens and their Court of Honour for the duration of the Fallas Festival ending the night of the 19th March.

We advise our readers that a fault in the electronic system of the gear shift of Fiat automatic drive cars, causes sudden stoppages that can produce whiplash to the driver. This has been the experience of our editor while driving an automatic Fiat Stilo Abarth. The stoppages are also highly dangerous if they take place when passing out another vehicle, or in heavy traffic.