Monday, December 03, 2007
So Good They Named It Twice
Well, Buenavista del Norte is hardly New York, but the Canary Islands have been called plenty of things; The Fortunate Isles, The Garden of the Hesperides, Atlantis ... and we sure like a bit of myth and mystery here, but this is a new and novel puzzle.
In May of 2006, this press release (the gist of which I translated here) announced that the first stage of remodelling work on the Plaza General Eulate behind the church in Buenavista del Norte had been completed. The photo, above, was taken the first time I saw it, without the barriers that had been obscuring it previously, on August 27th, 2006.
Almost as soon as I'd taken that photo, work started on the pedestrianizing of the streets and the adoquines (cobbles) project and, guess what? The plaza you see here was dug up all over again, as I had commented upon there.
(It's all about "dynamizing" the tourist attractions around these parts.)
It also struck me as really strange that the plaza - right next to the church - might have been named after an excommunicated, openly contemptuous former Governor and Captain-General: the only ranking Eulate I could find mention of. That indeed, would be reason to give the plaza a new name.
... or is there some other mystery being played out here, I wonder?
Because, today, I read another release, announcing that work has just started on the less creatively entitled Parque de La Cruz - also described as being in the town center of Buenavista del Norte at the backside of the church - that has been closed to the public, since the fire that destroyed the church in 1996.
It goes on to describe how this area (of 1,500 square meters) was used to house rubble and building materials, etc., during the 11 years of renovation works.
Hummm .... Well, so was the Plaza General Eulate. Yes, it's the same place!
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Hello Pam,
I now live in the suburb that they call "Los Pinos" or "The Pines". This town had a lovely little plaza shortly before I arrived in November 2005.
Unfortunately, to make way for the "new and improved" road, the *entire* plaza was dug up, ALL the pine trees were cut down and it was all replaced by a big ugly roundabout with fountain (as if La Orotava doesn't have enough of those already!). I mean for Pete's sake! They town was named after those lovely pine trees!!! Luckily I wasn't there to witness the horrific act.
Anyway, the very last pine tree of Los Pinos has recently died, which stands a few hundred metres down the road from where the plaza was.
Of course, they've planted a whole bunch of new plants (including some fairly sparsely-branched, lanky but small pine trees) close to the noisy new fountain, but they don't get the amount of water they require for healthy growth. So now most of those green plants lining road TF21 are also withering away a slow death...
It was really sad to talk to Ņaņo (my aunt-in-Law) last week, a local old lady (seņora) who was born here. I asked to see some photos of the way it was, and it nearly broke my heart to see how perfect it once was. It was the quintessential spanish village plaza. Really, I just felt a mixture of deep saddness, rage and pity all at the same time, thinking about it.
And I'm positive that I once travelled down by that lovely old plaza without realising it back in '99 and again in '05. I needed some hot chocolate to pick my mood up after imagining how it would have been. :-(
Now we have to contend with a 30 foot monster retaining wall, which I've nick-named "The Berlin Wall". This thing is so hideosly big it remains visible from over 2km away.
But I guess that's 'progress' for you! I've made a promise to myself that one day I will replace those pines. I think I'll buy everyone in the family a beautiful young pine tree this christmas.
Doc Brown.