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Thursday, July 31, 2008
Table Top Sale of items for babies and kids
Saturday, August 2nd, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Table Top Sale of all kinds of articles for babies and children at the lowest prices.
The sale is being held at Calle Eucaliptus, #15 (Local 3) in Los Cristianos, which is close to the Avenida de Suecia, main shopping street.
(Also, if you're a parent wanting to sell some of your kids' things, there's a phone number on the poster where you can call to book a table.)
Labels: What's On?
Inspiración Tenerife 2008
Another event for your weekend pleasure ...
Inspiración Tenerife 2008 at the Lago Martiánez in Puerto de la Cruz, which is an open air festival taking place from 8 p.m. on Saturday, 2nd August, until 3 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Three stages will be playing soul, alternative and house, by a lineup of DJs that are mostly from Tenerife and the UK - you can read the list here, because it hardly needs translation.
Tickets 10 euros in advance, 12 euros on the door.
Labels: What's On?
Anniversary of Tenerife's Forest Fire
In the recorded history of our islands, we have never seen a natural catastrophe of these proportions said Jose Miguel Perez.
One year ago, on July 30th, 2007, a forest fire was declared, in the Los Campeches area of Icod el Alto in Los Realejos, Tenerife. The alarm was raised at 10 a.m., according to most news reports at the time. By early afternoon, the fire had advanced towards La Guancha and, during the following night, raced westwards across the island, out of control. Ten districts; Los Realejos, San Juan de La Rambla, La Guancha, Icod de Los Vinos, Garachico, El Tanque, Los Silos, Buenavista del Norte, Santiago del Teide and Guía de Isora, 18,800 hectares of land and around 11,000 people were affected.
Maybe there's some press embargo I'm unaware of, but given the magnitude of this ecological disaster, I'm surprised I haven't spotted any reports to mark this date in any of the digital editions of the Canary Islands' media. Are they afraid mentioning it will affect tourism? Surely, avoiding the truth of anything, always backfires in the end. So, if nobody else is going to do it ...
This is not a date I shall forget in a hurry, having been amongst the people who were evacuated last year and I think it wants remembering, because there are still way too many unanswered questions and, despite suspicions, nobody has been arrested or held responsible for the fire in Tenerife.
More than one eyewitness reported that they saw large plumes of smoke as early as 8 a.m. This alone begs the question as to what Tenerife's very own Neros were fiddling at while the island burned for a couple of hours.
Then, after being told that "helicopters can't work at night" (period) ...
On the morning of July 31st last year, we woke to a frightening view like the one to the left (only closer), because, seemingly, not much at all, if anything, had been done to stop the spread of the fire during the night. Maybe the wind prevented using helicopters. Maybe the terrain doesn't help and I'm damn sure all the hanging electrical cables add to the hazards, but helicopters can and do work at night. Think police or border helicopters using infra-red cameras at night to search for suspects, immigrants, etc.
The next night, inexplicably, helicopters could and did operate in Tenerife.
There certainly weren't enough people fighting the fire on the ground either and whatever happened to the firebreaks that the engineer responsible for managing fires in Tenerife's mountains had claimed that they have and that divide the forest into 500 hectare portions (yet 18,800 hectares became affected) is probably a larger mystery than the meaning of life itself.
While travelling across the north of the island from the extreme west to Puerto de la Cruz (roughly a 90 minute journey) we saw smoke like this coming from the mountains, practically all the way along the route ...
Photo: Fire aftermath by darijus We saw whole mountain sides stripped bare by the fire. It cleans, it probably brings benefits too, but it's still sad, it's still ecological disaster and it should not happen. What a difference 4 crucial days made (from green to brown).
Knowing that only a chance change in wind direction is the only reason I escaped the fate of some of the people in Masca who lost their homes ...
Early promises that there would be help for everyone affected were great big untruths. Even those who suffered direct loss and damage; houses burnt and possessions lost only got partial help and slowly at that. Those of us out a few hundred euros, having had to evacuate humans and pets, still suffered post traumatic stress (mostly from knowing you were surrounded by abandoned land, covered with easy to burn material and that nobody gave a flying f... fig about it), got nothing.
As a matter of interest, I'd read that those who lost homes and possessions were paid an initial amount of around 2,500 euros. That was supposed to replace everything except the bricks and mortar? My mother's family were bombed out during World War II and, I remember her telling me, with some indignation, that the family had only got around £200 in compensation from the British government at the time to set up anew. That doesn't seem much at all, even for wartime. However, I did a bit of research on the relative values and purchasing power of money between 1940 and the nearest to the present day, which was 2006. What I found was that to equal that "measly" £200, victims in 2007 would need to have been be paid around £7,500 (11,250 euros), i.e. around 4.5 times more than they received.
It will take 4 years for vegetation to recuperate fully, but this photo of a future fir tree, by José Mesa, is just one of a set of images taken in May 2008, 9 months after the fire. Those, in turn, are part of his collection of images (see map), taken at various intervals and, which show that despite it all, nature is coming though. We must take our hope from that.
NB: Extreme heat (~40C) and high winds had "helped" last years fire along and hindered efforts to fight the fires. Once again, the islands are on pre-alert, which, Shelia in La Palma explains, "means don't panic yet, but check before you go out". Winds of Force 8 on the Beaufort Scale are expected.
Labels: Tenerife Fire
Gloria Estefan tickets go on sale
Tuesday, 10,000 tickets went on sale for Gloria Estefan's concert in Tenerife on September 19th, which, Santa Cruz mayor, Miguel Zerolo is calling "the biggest Latin music show in Tenerife, since the death of Celia Cruz."
Certainly will be and, for me, that makes the choice of venue something of a surprise, because I would have thought that Gloria Estefan could fill a huge football stadium twice over.
However, though that was the original intention, the Heliodoro Rodríguez López (home ground of CD Tenerife) was ruled out because of the replanting of the grass on the pitch.
Gloria Estefan's concert is to be held in the Centro Insular de Atletismo de Tenerife (CIAT) 
, in the Tíncer area of Santa Cruz, right alongside the TF-2 motorway - the connection between the north and south motorways.
This 4,000 capacity, 15.8 million euro sports facility, opened on April 21st, 2007 and designed by local architects, AMP Arquitectos (Artengo, Martín y Pastrana) to resemble a volcanic crater, has also also won architectural recognition.
Tickets to see Gloria Estefan are 40 euros in the stands and 30 euros in general area, from El Corte Inglés, Generaltickets, Tick Tack Ticket in Carrefour, Discos Noda, La Camisoteca and LM Producciones.com - but No Llores (Don't Cry) if they all sell out quickly - that's if a mere 10K haven't gone already.
Labels: Gloria Estefan in Tenerife
Chuck Berry in Tenerife
US Rock and Roll legend Chuck Berry, 81, performed in a concert held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on March 28, 2008. Chuck Berry singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was one of the most popular and influential performers in rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll music in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s.
Here, you'll find several videos from the concert and more images from the Chuck Berry concert in Tenerife here ...
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Santa Cruz' new Plaza de España
Photos of the new Plaza de España in Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz, designed by Swiss architects, Herzog & de Meuron, have been appearing since the inauguration last week. Reactions seem to be mixed, mostly at the extremes of either love or hate, which is probably exactly what is to be expected.
Anyway, the geyser (a spurt like a volcanic heat source would do, not to be confused with this geezer) is working now and the lake is filled, though some people have said that there are enough lights strung up over it to make it seem like there is always a party going on. You mean there isn't? :)
Here's a video of the inauguration on July 24th, complete with suits (thankfully short excerpts of speeches), lights, geyser, fireworks y todo ...
There are various views here, one from the other side (with older Santa Cruz buildings behind the vegetation camouflaged kiosk building). Here's a view at dusk, which shows the lights reflecting on the lake and another, that shows them in darkness. Another angle across the lake to the gardens.
One interesting feature that I'd not seen mentioned before, although I knew that the discovery of the remains of the San Cristóbal castle had caused alterations to the original plans, are the black lines that appear in these images; here, here and here. Those lines trace the old castle walls.
The underground grotto beneath the plaza, where a section of the castle wall has been preserved, will not now be able to be visited until September.
Perfectly predictable: there are numerous photos showing people paddling, walking or playing in the water. The caption below this photo ponders on how clean the lake will stay during Carnaval. Colin Kirby says, he looks forward to "seeing how many people can end up in the lake at Carnaval time."
Quite a lot of them, I should imagine, until it's fenced off. :-)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tenerife for pharologists (lighthouse bagging)
Faro de Teno, Tenerife (with La Gomera in the background) Photo: ahisgett
Oh, I couldn't resist ... I spotted a note at the bottom of Colin Kirby's post about tram spotting in Tenerife, where he says, "Coming soon on hobby corner, Lighthouse bagging." Er what? Obviously, having lived on, if not under, a rock for 16 years, this new fetish hobby had passed me by. I had to check it out.
Punta de Abona Lighthouse. Tenerife, Canary Islands. Photo: Gabor AmbrozyAnd, surprise, surprise, it really is to do with lighthouses - well, you can never be sure - and Princess Anne is a regular anorak wearer and "champion pharologist", apparently.
The term makes sense, because the word for lighthouse in Spanish (substituting the PH for an F always), is "Faro." So, here to assist Colin with his future lighthouse bagging exploits and for you too if you're similarly afflicted enthused, is a list of Lighthouses of the Canary Islands.
That page kindly informs us that navigational lights in Spain are regulated at national level by the Comisíon de Faros and that the lighthouses of Tenerife are operated by the Autoridad Portuaria de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
View Larger MapPharology tourists (a.k.a. lighthouse bagging holidaymakers) have quite a few lighthouses - I count 8 sites, but some have 2 structures - to bag on the island of Tenerife at:
Punta de Abona, Punta de Rasca, Punta de Teno, Buenavista, Puerto de la Cruz, Punta del Hidalgo, Punta de Anaga and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Muelle Sur ("Farola del Mar")
Not all are working.
Faro Punta de Teno
Punta Teno Lighthouse.
Photo: Liam Quinn.Most highly recommended, is to take a trip out to the lighthouse at Punta de Teno, Tenerife's most westerly point (clearly, Jack and Andrea Montgomery have already bagged this one too, in swimming cozzies, if not anoraks), where you can see the North side and the South side of the island at once from out on the headland.
The view from Punta de Teno lighthouse towards the Los Gigantes cliffs is one of the most spectacularly breathtakingly beautiful sites in the whole world (IMHO), as are some of the sunsets that can be witnessed from there.
So is the spectacular road along the cliff edge (again and another) and through a long, dark, damp tunnel to get there. But beware, it is not always open, it can be hairy - if not downright comical - and there is talk of them closing it all together and laying on buses from Buenavista.
Here are more images of Faros de Canarias
The province of Santa Cruz, of which Tenerife is just a part, if you add in the islands of La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma, offer even more delights.
Faro de Orchilla, El Hierro
Probably the most famous lighthouse to bag on these islands, is the Faro de Orchilla, in Frontera, El Hierro. It's an important lighthouse, because it was once the most westerly point of the "known world" and, from the 17th Century, was used to mark the zero meridian, until the British moved it to Greenwich in the 1880s.
Other types of lighthouses in Tenerife
There's the Faro Chill Art (disco), where, obviously, pharologists and other hobbyists go to relax; purely decorative lighthouse structures on the island, such as this lighthouse in Tenerife, this which appears to be at Fañabe and you'll even find the odd temporary lighthouse appearing on the backdrop to staging at the fiestas.
But I guess I should end here with something by the Lighthouse Family. :)
Puerto de la Cruz' crazy Embarkation Tuesday
From these images, it's possible to get some sense of Puerto de la Cruz' crazy "Embarkation Tuesday", as it looks like most the town and not a few visitors all join in to push the boat out, jump in the water, splash around ...
Reuters say (as did the police estimates, if memory serves) that about 25,000 people attended the boat procession of the Virgin of Carmen (Virgen del Carmen), the protector of fisherman, on July 15, 2008.
More images of the July Fiestas, Puerto de la Cruz, The Virgen del Carmen and of the Fiestas del Carmen in Puerto de la Cruz
Monday, July 28, 2008
What's on in Tenerife 28 July - 3 Aug
A mainly musical lineup this week, starting with tonight, Monday, July 28th, when three groups; Lagareta, Alabama Dixieland Jazz Band and La Otra Habana bring the Fiestas del Carmen in Los Realejos to a fitting climax. The show kicks off in the Plaza de San Agustín at 9.00 p.m. Entrance FREE.
Mumes 2008 (Festival of Fusion Music)
The Festival de Músicas Mestizas (Festival of Fusion Music), MUMES 2008 which began on, July 22nd runs to Saturday, August 2nd. This is the 5th year of the festival, which is also billed as being "for tolerance." Among artists appearing at the main events on Friday and Saturday, are La Laguna based reggae band, Jony's Moon.
Details and tickets (in Spanish) from the festival's website, General Tickets or El Corte Inglés
Festival de Candelaria 2008
The 13th Candelaria Song Contest is being held, in Candelaria, Tenerife. As well as the performances by entrants to the contest, there are concerts by Big Band, Kike Perdomo y Esther Ovejero (July 29th), Can' Rock II; Altraste, Keyko and Downstairs (July 30th), El Puma (July 31st), Monica Naranjo (August 1st) and, topping the bill on Saturday, August 2nd is two-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Spanish singer and actress, Rosario Flores. All concerts will be in the Plaza de Candelaria. First two are free, tickets for three final nights, from El Corte Inglés, Discos Noda or General Tickets. Program: Download PDF.
Classical Music in the Open Air
The Casa Del Vino, "La Baranda" wine museum, housed in a beautiful 17th Century farmhouse in El Sauzal, is holding their 12th annual Circle of Concerts in the open air in their central patio. The concerts are every Wednesday night at 8.30 p.m., until August 27th and you can download the program here (PDF), which has a full list, with artist bios in Spanish, English and German. On Wednesday, July 30th, the concert is by the Trío Chromos (consisting of piano, cello and trumpet), from Gran Canaria with a jazz inspired repertoire. Entrance is 13 euros per person, details of how and where to book in the program.
Rubén Blades in Tenerife
Panamanian born salsa artist, songwriter, lawyer, actor, Latin jazz musician, and politician, Rubén Blades (website), is in concert on Sunday, August 3rd at the International Fairs and Congress Centre, in Santa Cruz, as part of the Festival Internacional de Salsa del Atlántico 2008. Tickets from 18 euros at; Base Deportes Salud, El Corte Inglés, Sonora Discos and General Tickets.
Often mispronounced the Spanish way, Blades is an Anglo-Saxon surname, originally from the U.K.
More events, exhibitions and what's on, in our calendar
Labels: What's On?
How Tenerife avoided another conquest
"Actors re-enact on Friday, July 26, 2008 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife the naval battle and disembarkment in which the infantry of the Canary islands prevented the conquest of the Canary islands in 1797 by English hero Horacio Nelson. Horacio Nelson lost his right arm in the battle."
Rosa Rodríguez, writing in Canarias 7 suggests that, if Nelson had travelled through time 211 years, he wouldn't have dared try to take Santa Cruz this time, because on Friday, not only were General Gutiérrez' men waiting for him, but also an enthusiastic (bloodthirsty, maybe?) crowd of 3,000 spectators.
Nelson probably shouldn't have tried to take the city 211 years ago, but it's a good job he couldn't time travel, because he might have been able to go back and stop himself before making such a huge error and then there wouldn't have been anything to re-enact ... which seeing how it all turned out in the photos - like a better Hollywood movie - would have been a shame.
Here's the story told again, in more pictures: the troops form, preparing the defences, the English arrive, the struggle begins, observing the battle, defending the castle and the troops parade after the battle.
But I reckon the best bit is where one of the readers commenting here says that this same Oracio (sic, he appears to have lost and H now, as well as an arm) Nelson defeated the Armada. There's another wee point of logic I could pick up on in their statement, in that it couldn't have been a very "Invincible Armada" if it got vinced, I mean defeated, but never mind that part ...
(The writer could have meant the Other Armada of 1779, I suppose, except I'm pretty sure that isn't what they were referring to. And they probably didn't mean the Armada Sur of expat football supporters either. :)
Anyway, if Nelson had trounced the Armada (of 1588) and then lost in Tenerife (in 1797), rightly, says the following comment, not only would Santa Cruz be celebrating victory, but also the longest known life of a human being! :)
What the other reports failed to mention is that Nelson also got his own tram in Santa Cruz, to mark the 211th anniversary of his defeat. Wonder what he'd make of that if he time travelled forward 211 years? Colin Kirby was out, in an anorak, spotting that and he was there on Saturday morning too, to see the period costumed, military parades and got some photos.
At the end of the day, Santa Cruz was, once again, saved from the tyranny of British rule (at least for a couple of hundred years until the "invasion of the beaches") and they all lived happily everafter. It's all 'armless fun, isn't it?
See more images of the re-enactment of the Battle of Santa Cruz
Living under a cloud - Pinolere
Despite its stunning location; bordered by barrancos on both sides and backed by the vast, sheer, pine clad face of the cumbre, it’s difficult to get a good photo of Pinolere due to the near-constant presence of the sea of clouds which hovers above the settlement.
Known by the locals as living under ‘panza de burro’ (belly of the donkey) because every time they look up they see grey, the cloud is a legacy of the trade winds that frequent the La Orotava Valley. It may be a nuisance when you’re looking for clear blue skies to light up your photographs, and Pinolere is unlikely to knock Playa de las Américas off its pole position for Brits coming to Tenerife in search of a suntan, but for the 700 or so inhabitants of Pinolere the cloud is a friend and ally. Along with lower temperatures, it brings moisture and humidity, essential ingredients for abundant growth.
For centuries the community of Pinolere has been virtually self-sufficient, producing everything it needed from the land; potatoes, corn, wheat, grapes, rice, rye and cane all thrive here. Goats, cows and pigs grow fat on the rich grazing while the forests produce pine needles for their bedding; the trees produce tea and chestnut wood, firewood, charcoal, building material and resin. Once prevalent over much of the ‘medianías’ or central lowlands of Tenerife, the houses of Pinolere were until recently constructed of dry stone, roofed with chestnut wood entwined with branches and then thatched with straw.
As a result, Pinolere is a community of craftsmen and women; basket weavers, carpenters, iron workers, embroiderers, potters, stone workers and charcoal makers.
Pinolere Craft Fair
The intoxicating smell of cakes assails our nostrils as we saunter past the opening stalls groaning under the weight of sugar, almond and syrup coated ‘dulces’ , sweets and chocolates. Then comes mojos, honeys, jams, herbs and spices, each stall more inviting than the next. The wine stalls are particularly popular, small cups dispensing samples from individual cosechas.
Following the winding path as it gently climbs from one level to the next the stalls change to wood carvings, ceramics and toys. Small children pull brightly painted little tin carts on string from a stall that’s doing a brisk trade. The noise and bustle of the crowd is augmented by shrill screeches produced by water filled whistles from another stall.
Sitting within thatched, open sided huts, rows of elderly men and women are weaving cane strips into baskets, hats and trays.
In an open clearing by the refreshment stand, an elderly man in a beret is spinning a top and making it dance, flipping it from his toe to his head and back again to the delight and applause of a small crowd.
On a stage, a group of musicians are demonstrating traditional Canarian musical instruments through the ages and getting a group of children to reproduce the sound each one makes.
Some of the thatched buildings house exhibitions; in one there’s a history of the little hats worn on the side of Canarian women’s heads and in another, a collection of avant-garde handbags made from cane and leather, each one a work of art.
The stalls seem to go on for ever. There are clothes and shoes, dried flower arrangements, beautiful ceramics, dolls houses, Tiffany lamps, glassware and ornamental stoneworks.
And far from being dull, old fashioned, “why-on-earth-did-I-buy-that” when you get it home sort of products, there are the most beautiful and modern designs of ornaments, accessories, furniture, shoes and clothes that fuse craftsmanship and traditional materials with contemporary colour and design.
In short, it’s a revelation and an Aladdin’s cave of early Christmas presents.
This year the Pinolere Crafts Fair will be held over 5th, 6th and 7th September in Pinolere in La Orotava.
As well as the annual crafts fair, there’s a permanent museum housed in thatched buildings which recreates various aspects of local life. Open every Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00 -14.00; entrance €2 adults, €1 children. (Map)
Copyright © 2008 Real Tenerife Island Drives. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of Real Tenerife Island Drives.
Lying on a beach all day every day might make for a relaxing holiday, but memories of it fade as quickly as your sun tan. Island Drives is aimed at travellers who want to experience the real essence of Tenerife, not just its pools and beaches. If you want an unforgettable holiday as opposed to a good one, Real Tenerife Island Drives will make the difference.
Labels: Real Tenerife Island Drives
The Scent of Tenerife Grass
For the first time this season, curiously, this report informs us, Tenerife football team, CD Tenerife's home ground at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium is to have grass on the pitch that has the scent of the island.
The grass has been getting a complete transplant, between July 16th and 25th, with turf cultivated specially in Tenerife. The seeds were sewn in February in the districts of Geneto in La Laguna and in Tegueste.
Eight months later, the mature grass, cut into 8 meter strips, was transported to Santa Cruz and the puzzle put back together again.
For geeks who like figures, or if you're thinking of replanting a soccer pitch any time soon, you may like to know that during the process:
- Hardisson Jardinería used 1,400 turfs of 8 meters in length and 70 centimetres wide. (A football pitch measures, approximately, 105 x 70 meters and they need extra for the bits round the sides and ends.)
- The transfer from Geneto and Tegueste was made in a lorry with capacity for 14 rolls of turf; 7 pallets holding two turfs each.
- They made 100 journeys.
- At least 7 technicians were commissioned at the stadium to place the lawn (we'll resist suggesting that it was one to work and 6 to watch.)
The new pitch will be ready to play on in 2 weeks.
All that's left, they say, is for Tenerife to get promoted to the Primera! Let's hope the new scent of Tenerife grass works like aromatherapy then. :)
Source and more images: Césped con olor a Tenerife
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Puerto de la Cruz Air Show
This Sunday, July 27th, as part of the Fiestas de Julio 2008 (July Fiestas), Puerto de la Cruz has been celebrating its XXVI Festival Internacional de Aeromodelismo y Aeronáutica (26th International Aeronautical and Aeromodelling Festival). All you have to do is decide which are models and which are real. Click here to see more images of the air show ...
Photo: XXVI Festival Internacional de Aeromodelismo y Aeronáutica - 7, originally uploaded by Alejandro Amador.Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Day of Traditions in Chirche
The village of Chirche (map) is 3 kilometres from the town of Guia de Isora, in the western part of the island of Tenerife and preserves the typical traditional architecture of the south - nowadays turned into rural tourist accommodation, such as the Casa de Abuelo (it means Grandpa’s Home) - and serves as a living museum.
This weekend, the quiet village is to celebrate its 8th annual Day of Traditions, where locals carry out jobs, do household chores and play children's games typical of the village from the first half of the twentieth century.
From 10.30 a.m. on Sunday, 27th July, visitors can see how the rural inhabitants thresh wheat, made rustic tejas (roof tiles) in the old tile ovens, toasted the grain, or ground almonds, as well as other domestic tasks, such as sewing, doing laundry in the public washtubs, or bringing water from the community tap.
Prior to that, on Saturday, 26th July, from 7 p.m., there's various workshops of folklore and dance, as well as traditional sports and games, which continue until 9.30, when there will be a showing of a documentary film.
More images of Él Día de las Tradiciones
How to get there: the 417 bus goes from Los Cristianos to Guía de Isora, via Playa de las Américas, roughly every 60 minutes at weekends. From Guía de Isora to Chirche (and back), there is a bus 491, but this does not (normally) operate on Saturdays, Sundays or weekends (whether they might lay any on special for this event, I can't say). If you're feeling energetic, you might walk, otherwise, there are sure to be taxis in Guía de Isora.
Santa Cruz set to repel the English, again
... with a budget of 240,000 euros (over £190,000). Friday, 25th July is the 211th Anniversary of Santa Cruz' defeat of Horacio Nelson and Tenerife's capital is to commemorate or celebrate (the latter, I think, is more apt) the date with a reenactment of the 1797 naval battle and English landings.
The fun starts, in the area of the Castillo Negro 
(Black Castle) (alongside the rather more modern day Auditorio de Tenerife), at 12.00 mid-day and, unlike real battles, will last for just one hour. 130 people are taking part in the reenactment, with the city being defended, once again, by the battalion of Canarian infantry, under the orders of General Gutiérrez.
British retreat and victory for Santa Cruz
The following day, Saturday, 26th July, at 11.30 a.m., sees a military parade from the Plaza Weyler to the Plaza de España, then from 8.30 p.m. there's to be a further recreation, this time in the streets of the old town, remembering how Santa Cruz' population succeeded in causing the English troops to retreat. That will be taking place in the area around the bridge over the Barranco de Santos, the Iglesia de La Concepción (church) and the Calle La Noria in the old part of the city.
Both reenactments are to be directed by Teodoro Ríos, who will ensure careful attention is paid to historical detail. Costumes are under the watchful eye of José Carlos Iribarren, who worked on the film Alatriste and, the special effects (as well as fireworks during the Verbena de La Victoria (Victory Celebration Dance)) will be provided by Los Realejos firework firm, Hermanos Toste.
In addition, 75 reenacters have been invited from various points of the Spanish mainland, from England and from Holland.
You can even download a "souvenir" program of the events here (PDF)
an entire festive week ...
(We could say that the celebrations continue, as Santa Cruz had already paid homage to the French involvement in defending the city, in which 2 French lives were lost, by celebrating the National Day of France on July 14th.)
On July 21st, in the Museo Militar de Almeida (images, more pics - the museum's highlight is the famous 'Tigre' canon which, according to tradition, injured Admiral Horacio Nelson during his failed attempt to occupy Tenerife on July 25th 1797, resulting in the amputation of his right arm) was the presentation of a new book and a conference on the events of 1797.
On July 22nd, again in the Military Museum, is another conference, centring on the personalities involved on July 25th, along with a presentation of a new book by local historian Daniel García Pulido, as well as a showing of the rather ominously titled film, La isla de las cabezas cortadas (Cutthroat Island.)
On July 23rd, it's the turn of historian, Ronald Brighouse to give a talk centred on Nelson and the Royal Navy. Another film follows.
On July 24th, from 10 a.m. will be a public reading of books related to the events. In the evening, the British flag captured that night in 1797 will be (re)presented, having been restored.
On July 25th after the reenactment of the sea battle and the English landings at midday, at 7.30 p.m., mass will be celebrated in the La Concepción church, with a procession around the local streets in honour of Santiago Apóstol (Saint James) and a floral offering made to the tomb of General Gutiérrez.
Also on July 25th there's an exhibition of reproductions of paintings that recreate these events, as well as some military paraphernalia that is part of the municipal heritage. They're also studying the possibility of installing 14 commemorative milestones along the capital's coast. These monoliths, with their corresponding plaques would be placed at strategic points where the defence of the city was cemented (and they're outside the 240k budget.)
The town hall is to award silver medals to all babies born on Friday.
July 26th 11.30 a.m. military parade "of the epoch" (another recreation of the 18th Century) from the Plaza Weyler to the Plaza de España. At 7 p.m. various military bands will parade through the city's streets. From 8.30 p.m. will be the recreation of the street battles in the old part of town and, from 10 p.m., the party starts proper, with a Verbena de La Victoria (Victory Celebration Knees Up), at which attendees will wear 18th Century costumes also.
And, finally, on July 27th, the festive week (their words) closes with a concert by the Unidad de Música de la Subinspección del Mando de Canarias (a military band), in the Plaza del Príncipe (where you can get a good Barraquito.)
Via: this post at the Flickers Tenerife group.
Labels: What's On?
Official inauguration of the Plaza de España
On Thursday, 24th July, the newly redesigned Plaza de España will get its official inauguration. (More pics.)
Then, from July 25th, residents of Santa Cruz (and presumably visitors too) will be able to visit the underground remains of one of the walls of the Castillo de San Cristóbal, which were found during the remodelling works.
Santa Cruz grew up around the San Cristóbal castle, which was built in 1575 and demolished in 1928, during which time it formed the axis of the city's defensive system and played a large part in military events on the island, including the invasion attempt by British forces on July 25th, 1797.
Photo: Salva.ToNight from the Secret Tenerife (Pool)
Santa Cruz from the air
An absolutely amazing view of Santa Cruz and the Anaga Mountains from a plane. Best seen Large (1024 x 683) or Original (3456 x 2304).
Photo: ahisgett
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
This Summer's Trends in Tenerife
So much for the island's new upmarket, 5 star hotel image, as Europa press report that bookings this summer reveal that tourists are maintaining their length of stay, but are opting for cheaper hotels.
No surprises there. People are looking for ways to stretch the budget in the current climate.
If you're watching the pennies too, take a look at Andrea Montgomery's article on Getting Your Pound's Worth of Tenerife. One of the best ways, being to get out of the hotel complex (so a cheap one does the trick if all you need is a place to sleep.) Getting out of the resort areas is the best way to avoid "special tourist prices" (go and see something real instead), though they probably aren't as high as the prices for tourist attractions in London.
What's London got to do with it? Well, likewise, Londonist say, "... it's only a rip off if your idea of a good holiday involves posing with waxworks of Kylie or poking about Queen Liz's smalls." In Tenerife, you'll only think prices are high if you stick to things specially laid on for a (voluntarily) captive clientele.
Tourist numbers still up, despite economic woes
Tourist activities in the Canary Islands generated 12,007 million euros (around £95.3 million) in 2007, providing almost a third (28.3%) of the islands' gross domestic product (GDP) and 33.2% of the region's employment.
At the same time, we learn that the number of foreign tourists received in Spain during the first half of 2008 was 26.6 million, a 2.6 percent increase on the same period last year. The Canary Islands was again the second most visited region of Spain (after Catalonia), with 4.7 million tourists in total.
The United Kingdom continues to be where the largest number of visitors hail from, sending 7.3 million tourists (27.5% of Spain's total) to the country so far this year. Germany is in second place, sending 4.7 million visitors.
Tourists Become Increasingly Unplugged
Interestingly, the article tells us that, between January and June, for the majority of international visitors - 18.4 million of them (69.4%) - the tendency is slightly increased (by 7%) for visitors to avoid packaged holidays, but to organise their own trips and book hotels, flights and extras separately.
Nevertheless, 20minutos report that Tenerife has dropped to 7th place on the British tourists' list of Top 10 holiday destinations this year.
Again, looking for something more economical this year:
In top slot is Dalaman (the airport gateway to Turkey's south west corner and to resorts such as Marmaris, Fethiye and Dalyan), followed by Mallorca, Crete, Bodrum, the Algarve, Cyprus, Tenerife, Costa Blanca, Sharm el-Sheikh and, Rhodes.
That works during the summer, whilst those destinations offer good weather, but when you want a getaway in winter, you'll find that the Canary Islands are the nearest and cheapest destination that offers sunshine. You'll be back!
Monday, July 21, 2008
What's on in Tenerife 21 - 27 Jul
To be, or not to be ...
... among the audience to see this new review of William Shakespeare's most famous play, HAMLET, directed by Juan Diego Botto (IMDB), at the Guimerá Theatre in Santa Cruz. There are two performances, on Friday, 25th July and Saturday, 26th July.
Naturally, it will be in Spanish, but either you know the play and will still be able to follow, even if you don't know the language, or, if you're like me and don't understand a word of Shakespeare even in English, then it will make no difference whatsoever and can be enjoyed on a purely aesthetic level. On the other hand, I could never understand the offside rule in football, until someone explained it to me in Spanish, so it may have t