Friday, July 23, 2004
Holidays pose sexual health risk
No surprises here then. I expected Tenerife to get a mention in this article, even before I read it. And it did, namely:
"A study of holidaymakers in Tenerife showed 50% of people aged 25 and younger had had sex with someone new while on holiday, compared to 22% of those over 25."
What bothers me is that we always get a name check in these matters. Oh, I know it's because Tenerife is a popular destination, thus a good place for a meaningful survey sample, but all it does is perpetuate the sun, sea, sand and sex image that the island invariably gets in the press, especially in the UK.
Whilst I don't doubt there is plenty of willing local participation for this dangerous sport, never forget that an awful lot of it is instigated not by the place, but by the tourists themselves. I do have the benefit of speaking both languages and hearing both sides of the story.
Whilst common sense (as well as condoms) should be on everyone's holiday packing list -- I'm often sure the former is deposited in "left-luggage" at Gatwick -- what holiday-makers really need to be informed about is that there are also lots of other "cool" ways to have fun in Tenerife. Ones that don't involve getting drunk and can be done with your clothes on!
Thursday, July 22, 2004
St James the Moor Slayer, Spain's patron saint
Most fiestas in Spain revolve around a saint of some description: a patron of a place or protector of something or someone; animals, fishermen, etc., but when a local event comes up and I ask what it's all about and why, I often find that the reasons have been lost in the mists of time. Oh, I am sure there are those who know, but local people tend to resort to the "just because" and "that's the way we've always done it" stories.
Likewise, I have seen many references to Saint James, the "Camino Santiago" (St James's Way) and the pilgrimage to his shrine at Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, northern Spain, but had been able to discover very little more of the details. All I knew was that "his day" is July 25 and there is a "Tarta Santiago" -- an almond confection, decorated with sifted icing-sugar in the design of the cross of Saint James.
This article from the Telegraph Public outcry forces church to keep Moor Slayer's statue tells us more of his history.
Related:
Catholic trek turns secular
This summer, the throngs arriving in Santiago de Compostela have found more-immediate gratification: concerts by Lou Reed, The Cure, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
