Monday, July 30, 2007
News from Tenerife: Disappearances, Mystery Appearances, Extreme Heat & Intentional Fires
Plenty of news from the islands today and, none of it good, I'm afraid.
Have you seen this girl?
Tenerife is currently living its largest ever search for the disappearance of a young girl. Fernanda Fabiola Urzúa - who is 15 years old, originally from Chile and who moved to Tenerife with her family six years ago - went missing on Thursday, just meters from her home in the Ten Bel area (Arona).
On Saturday, 100 soldiers were called in to join the search for Fernanda Fabiola, who was wearing a black shirt and white pirate trousers when she disappeared.
A shoe and a belt found at the scene are said to belong to the youngster.
Since many English speaking foreigners live in or visit the areas of Las Galletas, Ten Bel and Costa del Silencio - and since the smallest clues can often produce the biggest breakthroughs - I wanted to pass this on, so that if you are due to visit the area in the near future, you can be on the alert.
On a personal note, having lived near that area myself and, probably having walked my dog on the very track where, from the reports, I believe she disappeared, I have to say that it sends chills down my spine.
Army called in to help in the search for missing teenager on Tenerife
Tenerife vive la mayor operación de búsqueda de su historia por el caso de la menor
Mencey Taoro II Found in Panamanian Waters
Meanwhile a lifeboat belonging to the Mencey Taoro II, which disappeared on July 23rd, 2006, when it left Puerto de la Cruz on the north of the island, to cross from Tenerife to the neighbouring island of La Gomera, has been found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a few miles east of Miami, by a Panamanian fishing boat, 2,000 nautical miles from the archipelago.
The mystery continues, because, while 5 lifejackets and personal documents of the crew have been found in the waters around the inverted boat, there was no sign of Antonio de la Cova, Luis González and Pedro Santos - all three experienced sailors - who left on that trip.
Aparece a 2.000 millas del Archipiélago el "Taoro II" desaparecido hace un año en aguas canarias
Forest Fires in the Canary Islands
In Gran Canaria currently, they are dealing with a forest fire of "historic proportions" - the biggest ecological disaster on the island - that has affected 3,500 hectares of land, 2,500 that have suffered direct consequences.
The uncontrollable fire has worsened considerably, after today entering the village of Mogán, where 2,000 people have been evacuated and where at least 30 houses had already been destroyed. Now more houses are burning, including that belonging to the mayor - not to mention the ecological disaster of losing prime forest, habitats for endangered birds and the hundreds of wild and domestic animals that are being prematurely cremated.
The fire had 8 active centers this morning (later reports counted 9) and winds of up to 75 kilometers per hour, temperatures of 40 C and humidity of only 8% are making the situation "very complicated."
It's so bad, the fire can be seen on this NASA satellite image.
Forest Ranger Started Fire To Save Job
And the pyromaniac whom, it appears, allegedly, deliberately started the fire was a fire watchman, whose job contract was about to expire, so it seems he thought he would create himself enough work to get it renewed.
The 37 year old, named as Juan Antonio Navarro Armas - Canarias Bruta show a photo of this "Face of Shame" - was detained by the Civil Guard and later confessed to setting the fire with matches. After a first court appearance today, he has been imprisoned without bail.
Forest Ranger Started Fire To Save Job
Meanwhile, another fire has been raging on the island of La Gomera that has devastated more than 100 hectares in the district of Vallehermoso. Most of the inhabitants of the village of Chipude, who were evacuated on Friday, have now been able to return to their homes.
Another Forest Fire in Tenerife
And today, in Icod el Alto, Los Realejos in the mountains close to La Guancha in the north of Tenerife, the alarm was raised at 10 a.m. over a forest fire with several centers. The local authorities are working to evacuate homes and campsites close to the area and, it seems from the reports in so far that this fire may also have been deliberately set.
Declarado un conato de incendio en las cumbres de Los Realejos, Tenerife
Barbecues Prohibited in Tenerife Mountains
And, in Tenerife the Island Corporation has prohibited lighting fires in the recreational areas of the forests around Teide (Corona Forestal), Anaga and Teno, owing to the extreme heat and the meteorological alert currently in vigor to prevent the risk of forest fires.
El Cabildo prohíbe hacer fuego en las áreas recreativas de la zona forestal de Tenerife por las altas temperaturas
Sirocco causing temperatures close to 40ºC
As you will see from the screenshot with the post I made on Saturday (actually, it was written late Friday night), the Canary Islands have been colored in orange on the Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (National Meteorological Institute) Avisos meteorológicos (Meteorological Warnings) map since at least then - and the forecasts have merited that level.
I'm glad I took that screenshot when I did now, because it is dated and it makes it slightly worrying to think that maybe the weather men might take weekends off, because, we read from Canarias24horas that the INM only declared the orange alert officially today, Monday.
The extreme heat, with temperatures expected to reach close to 40ºC - well, they already did over the weekend - today and tomorrow, are being caused by a strong sirocco - wind that comes from the Sahara and reaches hurricane speeds in North Africa, Wikipedia tells us. All I know is that opening a window is equivalent to turning on a hot air blower.
And, of course, it's bringing with it a great plume of dust.
The heatwave is expected to continue until at least Wednesday and, say Canarias24horas, the south of La Gomera, and the east and west of the island of Tenerife are the areas where the heat will mostly be felt.
If you're feeling the heat, you could follow these recommendations to "keep hydrated, stay in the shade, avoid going out during hours of sun and to use sun protection." Though, to be honest, we've done all that and find that not even sitting naked and wet in front of a fan in a darkened room is doing very much to prevent the one remaining brain cell from frying! :)
Canarias con temperaturas que rozan los 40ºC y fuerte siroco
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What's the weather going to be like in Tenerife?
When you're planning a visit to Tenerife - and deciding what to pack - you want to know what the weather is going to be like on the island in a particular month, so here we reproduce a chart for the whole year, giving you the number of hours of sun, the average day time temperatures, average temperature of the sea and the number of days when it might rain.
| Climate data | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Hours/Day | 5.9 | 6.6 | 7.1 | 7.7 | 8.8 | 9.8 | 10.6 | 9.8 | 8.5 | 6.9 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
| Air [°C] | 17.9 | 17.9 | 18.6 | 19.0 | 20.4 | 22.2 | 24.3 | 25.0 | 24.3 | 22.8 | 20.6 | 18.7 |
| Water [°C] | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 20 |
| Days with rain | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
[Reproduced / translated from Wikipedia.]
Now, bear in mind these are averages and for the whole island.
As far as the number of hours sun goes, we are in the northern hemisphere, so there is a difference between summer and winter, but it is nowhere near as marked as it is in the UK. Here it doesn't get dark at 3 p.m. in winter: it's more like 6 p.m. and, conversely, it doesn't stay light as late in summer.
The average air temperature makes me giggle, when you consider that, at time of writing, in July, it's 37°C currently, when we should have 24.3°C.
These "official" averages, I half suspect, were taken in a dark room, at the top of Teide, with the air-conditioning on. I suggest that you take them that the temperature is not usually likely to go below those given. Of course, I have to add the qualifier that they may do so in some exceptional circumstance.
Water temperature, you can check by dipping in a toe. :)
Days with rain can mean anything really, from a five minute shower to a few consecutive days. It's never that many days and rain seems to come all at once here, so once it's over - generally (adding the usual proviso that nothing is guaranteed with the weather) - you won't see any more for a long time.
Since most of you will stay in the south, you will also be glad to hear that 73% of the rain that does fall in Tenerife, falls in the north and, most of that in the mountains above La Orotava at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,200 meters.
Check the Latest Weather in Tenerife
Labels: Tenerife Weather, Weather
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Sunday, July 29, 2007
Tenerife: 106° F / 41° C in the shade
It seems such a "Terribly British" thing to keep harping on about the weather, but in my experience anyway, the preoccupation isn't merely confined to those nations who are only used to weather of the crappy variety.
Whenever I go to my local supermarket, you can be sure there will be some comment, if not lengthy conversation about the current state of it. Whilst the concerns of locals here in this agricultural valley normally revolve around the scenario of too much / not enough rain for the crop of the season, the other day, we were discussing the fact that what the weather reports say and what we feel, in relation to heat, seem to bear scant relation to one another.
This, of course, is because the official temperature readings are taken in the shade (we'd all managed to "blow up" a thermometer at some point too trying to get a "real" reading. Bunch of kids!) I also think that the north and south temperature readings in Tenerife are taken at the respective airports.
Vast open spaces with nice cooling breezes whipping through them.
Something the average house, poolside or sun-trap patio doesn't have. 
For most of the year in Tenerife, the south is hotter than the north. The latter usually has the vientos alisios (trade winds) cooling it and bringing along clouds. Only sometimes, in the hottest part of the year, around August usually (give or take a few days), the situation can get reversed.
Today, while at around 4:30 this afternoon, it was 91 °F / 33 °C in the south, in the north, it had reached 102 °F / 39 °C, having had 105° F / 41° C forecast for the hottest part of the day.
By 5:30 p.m., the situation was back to "normal", with the south clocking up 106° F / 41° C and the north dropping to a "cool" 100° F / 38 C!
Yes, curious thing, but as the sun starts to drop here, so do the winds (not that there has been much today to begin with) and, so the temperature can go up in the early evening, not dropping again until the early hours.
Today is definitely not a day to be without air-conditioning and merely reliant on a pathetic fan that bearly "recycles" the hot air. (Mind you, in winter, people in Tenerife bemoan the fact that pathetic fan heaters are ill equipped to deal with the "freezing" temperatures, that, in truth, seldom drop below 15° C.)
It's also one of those days when you'd love to take a cold shower to cool off too, but never mind frying an egg on the pavement, you could almost boil one in the sun-heated water that is coming out of the "cold" taps!
(Money saving ecological tip: do laundry and wash dishes during the hottest part of the afternoon in summer with machines on the "cold" setting to save energy. Your stuff gets a very hot wash too!)
Tenerife Island, the largest in the Canary Island archipelago, is approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) long and 32 miles (54 kilometers) at its widest point. With Pico de Teide, its volcanic peak, rising 12,198 feet (3,718 meters) above the sea, Tenerife has the distinction of having the highest elevation in the Atlantic Ocean. The island has a surface area of 2,034 km² (785 sq.mi).
[Sources: Earth from Space and Wikipedia.]
Not huge, but with vast changes of height, landscape, etc., in the relatively small area, this is what causes some startling changes in climate.
It's actually fascinating how different the temperatures can be in different places. Not just north and south, but at lower and higher altitudes - again, the higher altitudes are generally cooler, until you get to the hottest part of the year when their inland location, away from the breezes, tends to trap the heat - and, even between different places just minutes away from each other.
Andy Williams, who also lives in the north of Tenerife, writes:
"Here in Tenerife the weather is a little strange. Yesterday, at my house, the temperature was 25C. I went off to the market (its about 10 minutes away on the motorway), and the temperature there was 36C there. After the market, I went of to Santa Cruz (another 15 minutes drive), and the temperature there was 42C. Phew, that's hot.
Anyway, we headed off back home, and the temperature began to drop. Within the space of 1 Km, the temperature dropped a staggering 9 degrees. Back home, the temperature was 26C. That's 16 degrees difference in temperature for two places 20 minutes drive from each other."
So when you want to know what the temperature is in Tenerife, it helps to know which bit, otherwise you could get a wide variety of answers. But, let's face it, that same variety is what gives us so much to talk about! :)
You can check north and south current weather and forecasts here
Labels: Tenerife Weather, Weather
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Saturday, July 28, 2007
Summer weather warnings: Tenerife
August is almost here and, after a lot of not at all July-like, July weather here in the north, today, whilst it's a "nice cool" 28 C / 82 F here indoors, opening the front door was like opening the door on a blast furnace. So I've never opened the door of a blast furnace, but it's what I imagine it to be like. The very hot air came at me and hit me in the face like a brick wall!
In the south of Tenerife, even though there are scattered clouds, it's passed the "magic" 33 C mark (more on that in a moment), today reaching 34 C, with 35 C forecast for Sunday and 36 C on Monday/Tuesday and, with lows of around the 25 - 26 C mark at night, according to Weather Underground.
This means the weather alert situation has been raised to orange.
Why, where do we get that information and what does it all mean?
The weather alert information in Spain comes from the Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (National Meteorological Institute) and, specifically, this page: Avisos meteorológicos (Meteorological Warnings). This screenshot, taken today, shows that much of the south of the Spanish mainland and the Canary Islands are colored in orange, while other areas are yellow or green. 
Green No risk Yellow Low risk Orange Important risk Red Extreme risk
On the map on the live page, if you hover over any of the areas where there is any level of alert yellow, orange and, if there were any, red; a little icon shows above the map, indicating what weather condition is the cause.
Those little weather pictures are pretty easy to understand, even without knowing any Spanish, but you can get English explanations for them and see the similar map for the whole of Europe, here at MeteoAlarm.
What each of those colored risk levels mean, explain INM, is that "risk" is directly related to "rarity": that is to say that the more unusual a phenomenon is, the less prepared the population is to deal with its effects.
| GREEN | No meteorological risk exists. |
| YELLOW | There is no meteorological risk for the general population, although there is for some activity in particular. This level does not produce a warning, but does alert people to be attentive to the forecast. |
| ORANGE | An important meteorological risk exists (meteorological phenomenon that are not habitual and that pose a certain grade of danger for normal activities.) |
| RED | The meteorological risk is extreme (meteorological phenomenon that are not habitual, of exceptional intensity and with a very high level of risk for the population.) |
Something they do not take into account, but you should, is that the levels given for Tenerife and the Canary Islands considers "usual" for these islands. If you're visiting temporarily from the north of Europe, your personal level of preparedness to deal with high temperatures, for instance, will be less. Your level of risk may therefore be higher than the general, local, population.
What criteria are usual / unusual on these islands?
The INM have published all the facts and figures (in Spanish, naturally) in a PDF document, but Canarias24horas have explained it all in plainer language (still Spanish) here. Ah, but you want it in English, don't you? :)
Levels and Recommendations
To qualify as a "heatwave" in the strict sense, temperatures have to reach some maximums and minimums simultaneously. These thresholds are fixed by the National Meteorological Institute and for the Canary Islands, they are 33 C maximum and 23 C minimum (i.e. nighttime).
Level one yellow is activated when the forecast (note: not the actual) is for temperatures equal to or above the 33 maximum and 23 minimum for one or two days. At this level, you are recommended to drink water frequently, avoid going out during hours of sun and to use sun protection.
If the forecast for these temperatures prolongs to 3 or 4 consecutive days (as you'll note from what I told you above about today, tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday's forecast), then level 2 orange is activated. A warning to the population is issued so that people can be especially attentive to the needs of special risk groups, such as; young children, old people, pregnant women and the chronically infirm. Recommendations are to keep hydrated, stay in the shade, avoid going out during hours of sun and to use sun protection.
If the high temperatures prolong for 5 days or more, then level 3 red comes into force and the above mentioned precautions need to be reinforced as well as using air-conditioning (ha, if we had any). They also recommend precaution when undertaking sports activities and in carrying out any heavy work. In case of any symptoms, such as exhaustion, muscle cramps, symptoms of fatigue or dizzinesses, get medical attention or call 112.
Another cause of weather alerts are the calimas (Saharan Air Layer) that can happen at any time of year. In winter, these same levels and their corresponding recommendations, will come into force for different reasons, such as heavy rains, high seas, strong winds or unusual storms.
Labels: Tenerife Weather, Weather
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Open-air classical music concerts in Tenerife
Every Wednesday (except August 16th, when that week it's held on the Thursday) between July 18th and August 22nd, CajaCanarias are sponsoring a series of open-air classical music concerts at the beautiful old finca "La Baranda" that is Tenerife's wine museum, La Casa del Vino in El Sauzal in the north of Tenerife.
You can download a PDF document with the program here. There are English and German translations of performers' bios at the end.
Shows start at 20:30 and prices are 12 euros (about £8). Space is limited, so you will need to book. Telephone numbers are in the program.
More information from the Casa del Vino website
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Friday, July 27, 2007
Tenerife: Something for the weekend 27/7 - 29/7
This weekend in Tenerife, if you don't want to simply lie on a beach, you can take your pick from; a motorbike tour, traditional fiestas in picturesque villages, music of various styles and a wide variety of exhibitions.
XX Vuelta a la Isla en Moto
The 10th annual Round Island Motorcycle Tour leaves La Orotava this Sunday, July 29th, at 10 a.m., with stops for breakfast (they don't say where) and lunch in the south (free food), returning to the Plaza del V Centenario in La Orotava at 7 p.m. for dinner and a raffle.
Likely as not, you won't be taking part, but if you like bikes, you'll want to look out for them passing (probably can't miss 'em)!
More information from the Ayuda en Emergencias Anaga (Anaga Emergency Help) website (in Spanish). My reporters, Jack and Andrea Montgomery of Real Tenerife Island Drives, had this advice to proffer:
"In our experience, if you're not actually going to be a part of the tour, it's best to stay off the roads altogether as several thousand motorbikes, assorted 2 and 3 wheeled vehicles and the occasional gorilla suit on a quad bike cause absolute havoc!"
Fiestas Aguamansa 2007The La Orotava district of Aguamansa have their fiestas this week, which began on Saturday 21st and culminate this weekend with the selection of the fiesta queen tonight, Friday, 27th July. On Saturday, 28th July there is a Verbena (Open air dance) from 9 p.m. onwards and, on Sunday 29th July, there's a foam party and bouncy castles for the kids from 3 p.m. and Mass at 8 p.m. with folk groups, a procession and events rounded off with a firework display by Los Realejos' celebrated pyrotechnics firm, the Toste Brothers.
Fiestas Aguamansa 2007
Fiestas Del Batán: Virgen De CandelariaOn July 27th, La Laguna celebrates the Fiestas de San Cristóbal. Do you think we could find a program of events for it? Nope. But, we did find one for the Fiestas El Batán, which, it appears from the photo and the description, are taking place in the hamlet of El Batán / village of Taganana in the Anaga mountains.
I'm afraid that we missed last weekend's attractions; football matches of single girls v. married women and single blokes v. married men, the bouncy castles and a good meal of Papas, Piñas y Costillas (Potatoes, Corncobs and Pork Ribs), amongst other things.
However, on Saturday, July 28th there are still some final events:
At 07:00 canons will be fired to wake the old folk up to make their way to the fiestas from various parts of the island. At 14:30, there is lunch. At 17:00 there is a kinda afternoon tea dance and in the evening, from 23:00 onwards is a Verbena Fin de Fiesta (End of Fiesta Knees Up / Street Party).
XII Festival de la Canción
The 12th Candelaria Song Festival, a song contest that has gained much importance in the islands and in Latin America over the years, kicked off in Candelaria this week, with Puerto Rican pop singer Ricky Martin in concert at the football stadium on Thursday. Tonight, Friday, July 27th, are the semi-finals of the song contest, when 6 of the 12 semi-finalists will be chosen to go through to the finals, to be held on August 4.
Argentinian singer, Coti, performs in the Plaza de la Basílica, from 22:00.
On Saturday, July 28th, "The Salsa Gentleman", Giberto Santa Rosa performs also in the Plaza de la Basílica, from 22:30.
Just my opinion, of course, but this is the real quality end of salsa. Puerto Rican born Santa Rosa, has worked with El Gran Combo and Andy Montañez, just to name a couple of my personal favorites.
Link to video: Perdoname - Gilberto Santa Rosa
It's wholly appropriate that salsa is popular here and that many Puerto Rican artists perform on these islands. When you see images of some of the old parts of Puerto Rico they are very reminiscent of the architecture on these islands, which comes as no surprise when, "Thousands of Spanish settlers also immigrated to Puerto Rico from the Canary Islands during the 18th and 19th centuries, so much so that whole Puerto Rican villages and towns were founded by Canarian immigrants, and their descendants would later form a majority of the Spanish population on the island." [Wikipedia]
Música.- El XII Festival de la Canción de Candelaria arrancará con el concierto de Ricky Martin
El Festival de Música de la Candelaria en Tenerife ya tiene semifinalistas para la duodécima edición
Virgina (NF 2007) in Festival La Candelaria
More from the Candelaria town hall website (in Spanish)
La Noria Urban DJ Festival '07Every Saturday during July, August and September (23:00 to 03:00) in the Calle La Noria in the old part of Santa Cruz; urban DJs doing whatever it is that urban DJs do these days, in a predominently 16th and 17th Century setting.
This seemingly strange inter-marriage is what I would call a very typical Tenerife vibe.
La Noria Urban DJ Festival '07 Via Marchaymas
II Semana de Jazz Costa Adeje 2007Costa Adeje's Second Jazz Week at the Magma Arte & Congress Center in Adeje, Tenerife, on the 26th, 27th and 28th July, 21:00 to 23:00.
II Semana de Jazz Costa Adeje 2007
Summer Tour 07 - Seven Eclectic Dance ClubFriday, July 27th, Seven Eclectic Dance Club, Playa de Las Vistas, Los Cristianos.
Electronic
Doors open at 10 p.m., but Marchaymas warn that as it's a limited sized venue, that it might not be possible to get in on the night.
Summer Tour 07 - Seven Eclectic Dance Club (in Spanish)
Moulin Rouge - La Goulue. (1891) Poster.Homage to Toulouse-Lautrec
"Intrepid reporters", Jack and Andrea Montgomery of Real Tenerife Island Drives, also inform me that there is a fantastic exhibition at the Cultural Center in Los Cristianos; a Homage to Toulouse-Lautrec.
Sixty graphic designs from around the world spanning the 1930s to the end of the last century, together with photographs of Toulouse-Lautrec and reproductions of his posters are being shown to the public in Spain for the first time.
The exhibition is on from July 25th to August 25th, 2007. Opening hours are Monday to Friday: 08:00 to 22:00 and Saturday 09:00 to 13:00. Sundays and Public Holidays, closed.
Diseñadores para un mito. Homenaje a Toulouse-Lautrec
Still ongoing exhibitions elsewhere include:
* Tenerife, un balcón al Universo (Tenerife, a Balcony on the Universe)
* Exhibition, Beñesmen Arte (Prehistoric art of the islands)
* Festival Ben-Gara, Garachico (Religious art)
Plus the summer sales are still on, on the islands. For more details on those and more, you can now visit our Calendar, which I have been busy trying to update with events, fiestas, exhibitions, markets, holidays, etc. (Please note that I will never be able to catch all of them, but hopefully include the most important that, in my judgement, can be enjoyed by English speakers.)
You can subscribe to the calendar itself, if you use Google Calendar.
You can also subscribe to a feed of calendar events to be updated with "What's On" info (note: this will serve them in the order I add them, which is not necessarily date order), or get that same information by email.
Labels: Something for the weekend
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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! :)
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Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Cunard Queens Tenerife Visits 2007/8
The Victoria was one of the five ships of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition.Queen Victoria's First Visit
As we've already mentioned, Cunard's new cruise ship, the Queen Victoria, to be launched in December 2007, will spend her first festive season around the Canary Islands.
She will visit during the Maiden Canary Islands Festive Celebration voyage. The actual date she will be in Santa Cruz, in Tenerife (for any ship spotters on the island who wish to take this first opportunity to see and photograph her), will be Monday, December 31st, 2007, between 8:00 am and 11:00 pm.
After the cruise to the Canary Islands, the Queen Victoria will embark on her first world cruise, circumnavigating the globe in 107 days (the first ship to do so was also called Victoria; in 1153 days from 1519 to 1522).
On September 6, 1522, the Victoria returned to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, with Juan Sebastián Elcano and 17 survivors of Ferdinand Magellan's 265-man expedition, becoming the first ship to circumnavigate the globe.
Full circle: Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese maritime explorer who led the first successful attempt to circumnavigate the earth, is said to have visited Tenerife, arriving on September 26, 1519, near the start of that particular important three year voyage of discovery.
QE2 in Brisbane. Photo: GarryQueen Elizabeth 2 Final Calls
The Queen Elizabeth 2, last in the Canary Islands during her 108-Day Silver Jubilee World Cruise in January, is due to come to Tenerife a few more times before her retirement - to become a luxury floating hotel in Dubai - at the end of 2008.
The next time you'll be able to see the QE2 in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, will be on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 (All Saint's Day - a National Holiday - so those Santa Cruz shops will be shut again!), on the Canary Islands Splendour cruise. Following that, she'll be back a month later, on Saturday, December 1st, 2007, during the Atlantic Isles Idyll voyage.
In 2008, the Queen Elizabeth 2 again calls into Santa Cruz on the Atlantic Isles Idyll trip, on Friday, June 20th, 2008. It has also been reported widely that she will be back on the autumn Canary Islands Splendour cruise, however, it looks to me as if that plan has changed. Listed for that date now at Cunard's own site, is a Farewell to the British Isles Voyage, leaving Southampton on September 30th. For your final chance to see the Queen Elizabeth 2 in Tenerife, I would take the June 2008 date to be true.
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Saturday, July 21, 2007
Get the TripAdvisor Guide to Canary Islands
TripAdvisor have produced a printable Canary Islands guide, which they say, "captures the very best of Canary Islands as reported by millions of real travelers like you."
It's not a very big guide, but it does contain a few tips you might find useful and, interestingly, 8 out of the top 10 attractions they list are in Tenerife.
Listed are; Favorite hotels, restaurants and attractions, Hidden gems and best views, Recommedations for romance, families and traveling on a budget, How to get around, what to pack and more ...
Right click to download the Canary Islands Guide ...
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Friday, July 20, 2007
Tenerife: Something for the weekend 20/7 - 22/7
If China has it's Great Wall, Icod de los Vinos, in Tenerife - home to the emblematic Drago Milenario (Dracaena draco canariensis) - has it's Muro de la Vergüenza (Wall of Embarrassment) - the wall constructed in front of the tree that currently has lettering and a bunch of flags obscuring visitors' views.
So the weekend starts off on a high point on Friday at 11 a.m. when the town hall has organized a press call in the Parque Andres de Lorenzo Cáceres opposite the tree, for the grand occasion of the removal of the flags.
This is stage one in a wall reduction or elimination plan, which hopefully means that people will be able to see the tree that we're so proud of.
Icod's town hall are also studying the possible reopening of the Mariposario (Butterfly zoo) that is also alongside the Drago Park and church area in Icod. This attraction, which I visited some years ago, had been closed by the previous administration in the town for some bureaucratic infraction.
BBC Radio 1 Coming to Tenerife
Meanwhile, BBC Radio 1 is taking over Tramps Terrace Bar, in Playa de Las Americas, for two days 21-22 July. "With JK and Joel, Judge Jules and a special extended Dance Anthems from Dave Pearce, Tramps is the place to go that weekend", they say.
Or place to avoid, if such boisterous parties are not your style. :) But, hey, at least Tenerife is still on the map, even if this does merely serve to promote the "sun and sea", "party island" image that we're trying hard to shake.
"The Tenerife roadshow is part of Radio 1?s ?Six Weeks of Summer? event, which also sees live broadcasts from other European holiday destinations such as Majorca, Ibiza and Zante.", say Isle of Tenerife - Blog.
BBC - Radio 1 - Six Weeks of Summer 2007
Fiestas: Horse Fair in La Laguna
As part of this month's Fiestas de San Benito Abad in La Laguna, there is the II Feria del Caballo (II Horse Fair) at the Casa del Ganadero en San Diego, in the Avenida San Diego from 11 a.m. onwards, 20/7 to 22/7.
Art and Culture
In Puerto de la Cruz until July 31st there is the exhibition, Beñesmen Arte, covering prehistoric art in the islands. From July 15th to 31st there is the Festival Ben-Gara in Garachico: part of a program of events in honor of Cristo de La Misericordia (Christ of Mercy). And, in various locations, among them; Puerto de la Cruz, Los Realejos and Santiago del Teide, there are musical events as part of an International Folklore Festival.
Ongoing (from 1/6 to 2/9) at the Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos (Museum of Science and the Cosmos) in La Laguna, there is an exhibition from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., entitled Tenerife, un balcón al Universo (Tenerife, a Balcony on the Universe) showing some of the marvels of the universe captured from the island's peaks.
There's the Festival de Danza, Arte y Movimiento de Granadilla de Abona 2007 (Festival of Dance, Art and Movement) on 21/7 al 22/7, from 8:00 to 17:00, in the Plaza del Médano, El Médano, Granadilla de Abona.
Meanwhile, the Boston Ballet is performing at the Auditorio de Tenerife.
Otherwise, it looks to be a pretty quiet weekend coming up in Tenerife, but after the number of festivals in Tenerife lately (with more coming up next month), last week's Fiestas del Carmen and next week's Fiesta de Santiago and the commemoration of Nelson's defeat, this may be a good thing.
More events, exhibitions and what's on, in our calendar.
Labels: Something for the weekend
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Thursday, July 19, 2007
Harry Potter Magic at Tenerife Carnaval 2008
Harry Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe, is to be one of the panel of judges to select the Carnaval Queen in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, in next January's Carnaval Gala.
Meanwhile, David Copperfield - the American magician and illusionist, that is, not the David Copperfield that actor, Daniel Radcliffe, played in 1999 - will be providing the actual magic.
The theme of the 2008 Carnaval in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, in case it wasn't obvious by now is, "La Magia" (Magic) and, Santa Cruz seems to be very keen to put some of it back into Tenerife's Carnaval, by every means with this prestigious, all-magic cast for the most visible of Carnaval events, given that the spectacular Gala is televised, both nationally and internationally.
At the Gala for the Selection of the Carnaval Queen in Santa Cruz, on January 30th, 2008, Copperfield will make last year's outgoing Carnaval Queen, Elizabeth García, appear and disappear, costume included.
The 2008 Gala, which will be directed by Jaime Azpilicueta - who is also directing a musical on the life of Celia Cruz to open in New York in September - is to be held outside again, (as it used to be, previously, in the Plaza de España), this time in the car park of the Parque Marítimo which is alongside the Auditorio de Tenerife, rather than the Centro Internacional de Ferias y Congresos where it has been held in recent years.
An interview with the new Councillor for Fiestas in Santa Cruz, Maribel Oñate, gives the reason for the move outside again (they've been studying various sites on the port) as being that there was not enough time to organize it in the Recinto Ferial. Just my opinion here, but since there are still over 6 months to go and, I'm sure that Carnaval organization is very high on everybody's agendas year round, I wonder if the real reason might have been to make a clear contrast (if not total disassociation), with the venue that was the scene of last year's disastrous gala directed by Rafael Amargo.
So while Las Palmas in Gran Canaria will be going to Ancient Greece next year, the town hall in Santa Cruz has already started meetings with the murga groups. They are looking into the possibility (depending on the football fixture calendar) of holding the finals of their contest in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium: home ground to CD Tenerife.
Santa Cruz town hall have also announced that they are planning a future Museo del Carnaval (Carnival Museum) in the city too.
Carnaval is early in 2008: Shrove Tuesday (Carnaval Tuesday), the day of the Main Carnaval Parade in Santa Cruz, will be February 5th, if you're planning to attend. We'll publish more carnival dates in due course.
David Copperfield, actuación estelar de la gala de la reina del próximo Carnaval
Labels: Carnaval 2008
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Tenerife temperatures soar
Airflights.co.uk say that, "While the UK wallows in distinctly unseasonal downpours, holiday hotspots like Tenerife and parts of Spain are expecting the mercury to top 32 degrees Celsius over coming days."
It's 25°C now in the south of Tenerife - according to Weather Underground - and I'm writing this at 2:30 a.m. here in the north, where it's only meant to be 61°F / 16°C. The thermometer on my desk, however, says that it's 80° F. / 27° C. My other "barometer": four cats and a dog, lying flat like trappers' pelts on cool, tiled floors confirms the fact. :)
Nevertheless, there are no current weather alerts: the forecast has to be for 33° C and over for several days running, before it's called a heatwave.
The forecast for Thursday is a high of: 86° F. / 30° C, but judging by the current night-time low temperature, I would say "and the rest ..."
Labels: Tenerife Weather, Weather
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Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Stay safe under the sun
Rosanna de Lisle offers golden rules for looking after your skin in the sun, starting with: "Stay out of the sun in the middle of the day. If your shadow is shorter than you are tall, seek shade. Be aware that the solar noon may not be 12pm; in Spain it is more like 2-2.30pm. Act like a local and take a siesta." In Tenerife, it's an hour earlier. Same time as the UK.
Stay safe under the sun
Labels: Tenerife Weather, Weather
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Friday, July 13, 2007
Tenerife: Something for the weekend 13/7- 15/7
Plaza del Adelantado, La LagunaTonight, Friday the 13th, as part of the city of La Laguna's July Fiestas, is the Pasacalles: Noche de Burros (literally, a Night of Donkeys, a procession of carts), at 20:30 in the Plaza del Adelantado. On Sunday, from 10 a.m. in the Camino Tornero, La Laguna has their country fair, with livestock and traditional sports and games. More info in our feature on July Fiestas.
Gran Telescopio de Canarias First Light Live on the Internet
Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) on the island of La Palma. Photo: L@ OCT@V@ ISL@Don't get too excited, because at the moment it's merely the inauguration / switching on ceremony, in which the Prince of Asturias will do the honors, however Telefónica are transmitting the "Primera Luz" (first light, or pictures), live on the internet.
Below the video on this page, they also list Seguimiento de la Primera Luz (literally, Following the First Light) for 11 p.m. tonight (midnight CET), which I interpret to mean that we can all see the first images that the telescope - for a short time will be the largest in the world - will capture.
Take advantage of this free offer, because a night of observation with the Gran Telescopio de Canarias will cost 100,000 euros and Spanish astronomers have already reserved 90% of it's time.
Brinsley Forde at Festival Eólica
The lineup for the Festival Eólica (or Festival Internacional de Energías Renovables) tomorrow, July 14th, in Granadilla, has increased by one.
Former lead singer and founder of British Reggae band, Aswad and presenter of "Dub Bashment" on BBC 6, Brinsley Forde, will be on the Organic Stage for a 2 hour DJ session.
Eólica 2007 amplía cartel con Brinsley Forde, líder reggae de Aswad Founder
Brinsley Forde's MySpace Page
Brazillian Rhythm in Santa Cruz
Meanwhile, double Grammy winning Brazillian pop musician, Lenine, will fill the Centro Cultural de La Caja de Canarias (Caja Canarias Cultural Center) in Santa Cruz, tonight, July 13th, with his mix of Brazillian and international styles.
Los ritmos del brasileño Lenine llegan a Canarias
Lenine in the Canary Islands: photos from his own blog. He seems to have found out where we serve the food OK! :)
If you're staying at home this weekend (I can't imagine why: the weather's nice now), you may like to know that the Colegio de Ópticos de Canarias (College of Opticians in the Canary Islands), say that the controlled use of video games improves visual and spatial memory.
And, don't think you can relax when the weekend's over, because on Tuesday, July 17th, are the Fiestas del Carmen in Puerto de la Cruz More events, exhibitions and what's on, in our calendar.
Labels: Something for the weekend
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Direct Gatwick to La Gomera flights
Far be it for me to suggest that you miss Tenerife out all together on the way, but the neighbouring island of La Gomera is very much worth visiting and, from November you'll be able to do just that, when Cadogan Holidays begins Gatwick to La Gomera flights, which avoids the 20-minute catamaran transfers from Tenerife.
Astraeus describes La Gomera as "nature in its purest form: leafy woodlands, rugged ravines, cliffs of impossible shapes and villages that have conserved their most ancient traditions so as to offer you a different kind of holiday".
This is certainly true, but, while it's bad enough that people come to Tenerife and never see what's outside of their hotel, let alone the resort, to do that in La Gomera would be a sin. It's an immensely beautiful place and, since the island is only about 15 miles in diameter, is just begging to be explored.
Every village has it's speciality, but I think the gofio from the mill in Alajero is the best on the islands. The pottery in Chipude is notable for it's simple beauty and there's a bar at Las Rosas that sells an unique pan de queso (bread with herbs and chunks of goats' cheese in it) that you really must sample, to name just three things that stuck out in my mind.
In Guanche times, Travelotica tell us, "it was customary, particularly in La Gomera, for the guest in a Gomeran household to be offered use of the wife - a facet of local culture that many conquistadors eagerly embraced."
Around September 6th is a good time to go to San Sebastian in La Gomera, as that's when they hold week-long festivities to celebrate the anniversary of waving Christopher Columbus off on some important journey.
The date of Columbus departure could have been earlier, but he dallied around for a month partaking in some of that ancient local culture!
These days, I think you'll have to be content with touring the island's beautiful small towns and villages and visiting the Garajonay National Park, but I'm sure you'll also want to hang around once you get there.
You can read more about the island of La Gomera's ample attractions in this article, West Canaries Tourism Guide - San Sebastian de la Gomera
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