Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Under the town gate at Garachico
Photo: Peter Sinfield
Click here or on the image to visit Peter's site to see full size.Whilst mooching around the web for information and more photos of the local area, I came across this image (right), which shows the ancient Puerta de la Tierra (literally, Door to the Land) in Garachico, originally used to control passengers and goods that came in and out of the port.
The image was of particular interest to me, because unlike my own snapshot - my image is taken from the front and above and, makes the gate look too low for its former use - placing the man in the shot shows the perspective and size more clearly.
It is also of great interest from the point of view that you never quite know whom you might bump into in the back streets of Garachico ...
For the good reason that the gentleman in the picture, it transpires, is none other than Peter Sinfield, self-described "hippy without portfolio" (a title I could probably borrow with reasonable impunity) and former wordsmith for King Crimson. Peter has also worked with such greats as Roxy Music, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Cher and, amongst others, won an Ivor Novello award for his part in co-penning Celine Dion's “Think Twice” in 1992 (I shall think of Peter next time I belt it out on the karaoke), as well as putting the lyrics to “21st Century Schizoid Man", which is reputed to be Tony Blair’s favourite song.
I've worked out from other references on the site that this photo was taken last winter - seeing the poinsettia, probably around Christmas - which is when I spend a lot of time in Garachico. In future, I should keep my eyes open!
And my message to you is, of course, that this is proof positive that you definitely get a better class of visitor here in the north of Tenerife.
Under the town gate at Garachico
