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Thursday, July 26, 2007
Postcards from Tenerife: All your news tidbits
Gazpacho, fish and beer is the summer menu for Canary Islanders
During the hot summer months, Canarians prefer foods that are fresh, natural and traditional, apparently. A study, carried out by Quota Research for Cerveceros de España, revealed the ideal summer menu in the Canaries as; chilled gazpacho soup to start, fish as the main dish and ice cream for desert, with beer as the favorite drink to wash it down.
The Canaries Maintain Second Place for Beer Consumption
They don't tell us which Spanish region beats us, but this comes as no surprise, based on the previous news item. Canarian Beer Company Compañía Cervecera Canaria (CCC) are reporting "very positive" results anyway, with 54% of the Canarian market, where, would you believe, there are 150 brands of beer to choose from.
La Laguna's Market Closed After Building Damaged
Last Friday, the Mercado de La Laguna (market) in the Plaza del Adelantado, in La Laguna was closed as a precaution for the security of both stallholders and users, after defects were found in the structure of the building. It is not yet known how long the market, which is of significant commercial and tourist interest, will be closed to the public.
Apparently, the building is in danger of "imminent ruin" and they have not yet discounted the possibility that it may have to be demolished. The cause of the damage appears to be demolition work being carried out next door to the market hall and the courts.
The market sells spectacularly fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and flowers, amongst other things. Well worth a visit, when it reopens.
Speaking of markets, Los Silos, here in the north of Tenerife hopes to launch the island's first organic market in 2008, at which local farmers will be able to sell their ecologically produced products at reasonable prices, direct to the public. It is envisaged that the market - which is to be located in the center of the town, close to the former convent of San Sebastián and the church of Nuestra Señora de La Luz - will open weekly or fortnightly on Sundays.
Meanwhile, the new farmers market in the town of La Orotava that opened last month, on Saturdays and Sundays from 8.30am to 3pm, has already established a popular following with locals and visitors alike.
Tenerife Farmers Are Revolting
About the plans to change the route of the proposed train to link Santa Cruz with the south of the island.
Typically Spanish say that the farmers claim that the train will cost them 2 million euros a year and are angry at plans to divert the tracks across their land in San Miguel and Arona.
Whilst it would be easy to take this as the usual resistance to change that comes with all proposals of this type - no matter where they are in the world - when reading the full report (in Spanish), we discover that this is an area of intense agriculture (one of the largest extensions of bananas, oranges and pineapples), declared for protection and that has, since 1993, been supported by European Union funds so that it wouldn't disappear.
The new route would literally cut plantations in two with a 20 meter wide corridor and make it impossible to get from one part of a plantation to another, interrupting the already existing irrigation systems.
The farmers are asking the route moved back to where it was originally planned to go, alongside the motorway, and for the electrical supply cables to be put underground, as the farmers say they have been told that it is the pylons that are occupying the space where the train should have gone.
This, presumably, would be UNELCO's new electrical supply to the south: needed, but with the big ugly red and white painted eyesore towers that - in my 'umble opinion - should have gone underground in the first place.
Google Earth Images of Tenerife Updated
Finally! A post at Gerald England's Hyde Daily Photo alerted me to the fact that Google Earth had an update, so I thought I would take a look.
If you're in the UK, you really want to do this: I had a look at my mother's house in the south of England, which previously was just a blur.
Now I can clearly see the patio outside her sitting room, that is only about 6 slabs and the fact that her trees did need a bit of pruning! :)
But, that's by the by ... Getting back to Tenerife, WOW!
The difference is astounding. The current images are much clearer, wonderful resolution and, more importantly, are considerably newer.
The previous "ancient" images, supplied to Google by local public company, Grafcan, were at least six years old and had provoked a lot of criticism, even to the point that some believed there could have been a conspiracy to cover up the true level of construction and development on the islands.
Using local landmarks as a guide, I'd say that the new images are around a year old. Probably the ones that Grafcan told the local press last July that they would taking, by airship, within the month. I'd tell you exactly, but looking at the angle of the shadows, they flew over too early in the day for me!
Fly here to see those local landmarks »
May looks to sky to complete PhD
Guitarist Brian May is to spend two days studying the night sky in the Canary Islands as he completes the PhD he abandoned in 1971 to join Queen. May is going to La Palma to observe the formation of "zodiacal dust clouds".
May looks to sky to complete PhD
Ballesteros ends dazzling career
On a personal level the idea of Ballesteros retiring, is scary: he's a month younger than me! :) Anyway, you can't imagine him not touching a golf club again though, can you? So, are we likely perhaps to see more of him at the golf course he lent his name to, here in Buenavista del Norte?
Even if not, Seve?s Golf School at the course will continue to teach a personalized program for beginners as well as advanced golfers, using the natural skills of each student and techniques introduced by Seve.
Ballesteros ends dazzling career
Meanwhile, Joe Cawley, author of More Ketchup Than Salsa, thinks that last weekend's Radio 1 gig at Tramps was good for Tenerife.
The previous week's Festival Eólica in Granadilla surpassed expectations with a crowd of around 17,000. You can see photos from the festival here.
And, the biggest prize in the history of the Euromillions lottery fell next door in Gran Canaria. Almost 57 million euros (about 40 million quid). Not a bad return for a 4 euro (£2.50) ticket. So near and, yet so far! :)
3 Comments:
Pamela wrote (on
July 26, 2007)
And who could be better qualified? (No offence.) Surprised me too, because Dorada seems so entrenched as the island favorite.
Joe Cawley wrote (on
August 10, 2007)
I suppose when you include all the Belgian fruity beers and head-spinning wheat versions, the numbers add up. Prefer to stick to Dorada myself. If I'm in a tropical mood, I might stretch to a wedge of lemon in a Coronita or Sol.
150 different brands of beer in the Canaries!!!! Methinks it's time to do a taste test... it's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it!
Joe Cawley
www.joecawley.co.uk