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August 4 – August 31, 2016 Active tourism

Summer special

Fine food

The Blues Brothers

High accident rate

Barbecue brilliance

Fifty five good reasons

Music, comedy & fun

Page 9

Pages 12 to 15

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Page 33

Critical endangerment

Angelshark anger

The angelshark, a critically endangered species of shark, has made the headlines in the Canaries recently – for all the wrong reasons.

Due largely to overfishing, the angelshark (squatina squatina) has all but disappeared from Mediterranean and North Atlantic waters in recent times. However, the shark has found refuge in Canarian seas where a small population still exists, although they appear to be far from safe here based on two recent news stories that caused a stir.

Photo: Alianza Tiburones Canarias

Continued on page 2

Two endangered angelsharks were killed on the beaches of Las Teresitas and Las Canteras

Playa de Las Teresitas

Dreaming of a beautiful beach Tenerife’s capital city Santa Cruz is one step nearer to having the beach it deserves after a wait, and scandal, of many years’ length.

Santa Cruz is already an excellent area for those who live there and its hundreds of thousands of visitors. There’s plenty to do, a great atmosphere, fabulous shops, and beautiful architecture. All it needs now, says local mayor José Manuel Bermúdez, is a beach that is worthy of its holiday haven status.

The development of the city’s Las Teresitas beach has a long and complicated history, but Bermúdez and his associates are determined there should be a happy ending to the sad and sorry story.

A shadow has hung over proposed improvements to Las Teresitas since plans for the area fell through in style, ending in one of the longest judicial sagas in the Islands’ history. The ongoing allegations of massive corruption involving the previous mayor, Santa Cruz officials, and well-known property developers have been running since 2001. Pro-

A beach oasis of greenery is to be built by Playa de Las Teresitas

ceedings have been passed through various courts, with another round expected to start in September.

Accusations centre around ex-mayor Miguel Zerolo and various council cronies for wasting vast amounts of public money in buying up expensive tracts of land for the previous redevelopment project. The operation cost the council – and taxpayers – about €40 million. However, it later emerged that the land

was already in public hands but had been acquired by the accused developers after they supposedly received insider information on the upcoming seafront project.

The ensuing legal battle has cost more than money – it has robbed residents and visitors of the new beach and surrounding leisure facilities that have been proposed for decades. However, the dream is not over.

In late July the mayor presented the latest plans to the public and press. Developed by the Gestur Company, they are based on earlier proposals by French architect Dominique Perrault. The project has an estimated cost of €30 million and expectations are high that it will receive initial approval by the end of this year.

Continued on page two

CANARY ISLANDS

On the beach

Continued from front page This time, Bermúdez insists that the process will be followed through “correctly” and with total transparency.

One of the main attractions will undoubtedly be the extension of the sandy beach by approximately 11,400 square metres.

A park of around 37,000 square metres will be created opposite the beach, integrating the existing cemetery. A skate park or climbing facility will be included, as will children’s playgrounds, landscaped leisure provisions, and designated zones for beach sports.

In addition, extensive parking will be provided. The existing ‘Mamotreto’ car park is to be demolished and in its place a new area will be created for 1,200 vehicles, part of it underground, all of which will be free of charge for visitors.

Angelsharks mutilated Continued from front page

Double deaths The head and other severed body parts of one angelshark were found on the Las Canteras beach in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Experts believe that the shark was caught and dismembered for amusement the previous night. Just 24-hours later and CD Tenerife football club was caught in a media storm after the La Opinión newspaper published photos of several players on the Las Teresitas beach near Santa Cruz holding aloft a harpooned baby angelshark that they had reportedly caught and killed.

The Island Council opened an investigation into the incident involving players from the Spanish second-tier side after the images emerged, causing an instant outcry. In the most circulated photograph, footballer Marc Crosas is seen running alongside several other Tenerife players while holding

Tropical Teresitas for people with disabilities. In addition, the road to El Suculum and Igueste de San Andrés via Valle de Las Huertas will be redirected.

Holiday hotel

An aerial view of the planned project

Streets and stores Approximately 1,800 square metres at the top of the beach will be reserved for a commercial zone which will home various small shops and the fishing cooperative. On the beach

there will be up to six kiosks.

The Avenida Schwartz will be extended down to the top of a small plaza with trees, from which bathers will be able to walk directly to the beach, and a bike lane around the area is also planned. Infrastructure is set to occupy approximately

19,800 square metres. Specifically, two principal thoroughfares are proposed. These are an extension of Avenida Maritima de San Andrés, which will provide the main access to the beach, and a second road that will be reserved for public transport, services and access

The plans also include a hotel.

This will be sited away from the beach area, on a councilowned 200,000 square metre plot located north of the old gun emplacements. Construction and operation will fall to private investors. The hotel will be no more than five storeys high and have a maximum of 400 beds. In addition, it will be endowed with a further 150 parking spaces. The hotel is expected to provide up to 200 direct jobs.

Jorge Marichal, president of the Ashotel association for Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, generally welcomed Santa Cruz council’s inclusion

of a hotel in the plans, with the belief that a new clientele base could be created, particularly as an attractive option for cruise passengers to extend their visit to Santa Cruz.

However, he also included an admonishing appeal, saying that investors would be looking for security when it came to planning, legislation, timing and traceability. “We do not want entrepreneurs to be brought on board and then simply dropped halfway. Nor for a citizens’ movement to simply say ‘No’ to the proposals - typical on this island”, said Marichal, referring to cases in Arona and La Palma where projects were derailed. Nevertheless, he believes the plans are positive: if implemented correctly.

A video clip of the proposed development can be seen on Santa Cruz’s website at: www. santacruzdetenerife.es. n

The Iberian lynx of the sea up a speared angelshark. The incident took place as the team carried out a pre-season beach training session.

The club and players involved issued an apology afterwards, claiming they were unaware of the shark’s protected status.

However, animal right activists and environmental groups are claiming that the incident would be no less ugly had they sportingly killed a more populous creature, and believe that the Canarian Government should impose appropriate penalties on those responsible.

Canarian protection For scuba divers, encountering an angelshark in the Canaries is a probable and harmless experience, which is one of the reasons why the Islands attract so many divers from around the globe. In the Canary Islands, angelsharks have been preserved with strict protection measures since 2009. They were never hunted but used

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to get frequently caught up in fishing nets until the measures were introduced, and for seven years the endangered species has been allowed to thrive without incident – until now.

The angelshark is the aquatic equivalent of the critically endangered Iberian lynx cat, and numerous organisations, government institutions and conservation groups work to protect and strengthen its population, including: University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Museum Koenig in Berlin, Zoological Society of London, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Angelic fish Well adapted for camouflaging itself on the sea floor, the angelshark has a flattened form with enlarged fins, resembling a ray. This species can be identified by its broad and stout body, conical barbells, and grey/brown colouring. They measure up to 2.4 metres in Disclaimer: Island Connections Newspaper is published and printed fortnightly by ISLAND CONNECTIONS S.L. Adverts, texts, photos or other parts of this publication are property of the publishers.

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length. Like other members of its family, the angelshark is a nocturnal predator that buries itself in sediment and waits to ambush passing prey, mostly bony fish but also skates and invertebrates. Intense commercial fishing has decimated its population across most of the northern hemisphere, and the prospects of the remaining subpopulations scattered across the globe are made more precarious by the shark’s slow reproduction rate.

During daytime, the angelshark usually lies motionless on the sea floor, buried under a layer of sediment with only its eyes showing. Numbers of up to a hundred have been seen off the coasts of Tenerife and Gran Canaria during the summer months.

Angelsharks are aplacental viviparous, meaning the young hatch inside the mother’s uterus and are nourished by a yolk sac until birth. Females have two ovaries, with the right one containing more oocytes

while the right uterus has more embryos. Unlike most sharks, in which the yolk formation occurs at the same time as the pregnancy, the onset of vitellogenesis in the angelshark is delayed until halfway through the gestation period. The reproductive cycle has been estimated at two years with ovu-

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lation typically taking place in spring. The angelshark deserves to be protected so that their numbers are maintained and the species does not become extinct. If you happen to encounter an angelshark this summer, you should feel lucky rather than frightened – it’s a n very rare experience.

European Union European Regional Development Fund

“Creating Europe” This company has qualified for subsidies from the Spanish Government, cofinanced by funding from the European Regional Development Fund, for the transport of merchandise in the Canaries.

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

CANARY ISLANDS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Water relief

Green light for Siam Park II The Gran Canaria Council, San Bartolomé de Tirajana Borough Council and Siam Park officials have finally reached an agreement regarding the holdups that prevented the construction of ‘Siam Park II’ in El Veril, located in the southeast of Gran Canaria.

The water park, a near replica of Tenerife’s hugely successful Siam Park, and like it, the brainchild of the Kiessling family - which also owns Loro Parque in the north of Tenerife - was due to be built on 180,000 square metres of land, including 120,000 square metres publicly-owned.

However, it became the subject of a bitter legal dispute triggered by a company which challenged the Kiessling family’s right to benefit from the granting of public land.

Following several meetings between representatives of all the parties involved, an agreement has now been reached and construction of a second water kingn dom modelled on the Costa Adeje park can begin.

The new water park will be a near replica of Tenerife’s successful Siam Park

Climate Change According to Pedro Dorta, the professor of history and geography at the University of La Laguna (ULL), global warming is very much a reality in the Canary Islands.

As part of the course: Resilience, Risk and Climate Change held at the Adeje Summer University, Dorta presented a number of scientific studies pointing to a continual rise in temperatures, particularly the average figures for the minimum and night-time temperatures across the Islands.

With regards to rainfall, researchers are divided on opinion. Dorta believes that the average rainfall across the Canaries in recent years has decreased, although other experts maintain that while rainfall is less frequent, the downpours are more intense, suggesting an increase in the concentration of precipitation. However, such torrential downpours, as seen in Telde in Gran Canaria a few months ago or in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in October 2014 and March 2002, are obviously potentially dangerous to people and island infrastructure.

Feeling the heat Preparing for the worst Pedro Dorta works in close cooperation with local boroughs regarding emergency plans for extreme weather situations. Civil protection is given top priority and Dorta believes that residents need to be well-informed and educated on crisis situations so that they are better prepared if something happens.

Experts continually analyse potential scenarios and draw the necessary conclusions, devising the best plan of action for each one.

Torrential rainfall can be extremely dangerous

Pedro Dorta is a professor of History and Geography at the University of La Laguna

Global problem Climate change is not only affecting the Canary Islands as a number of sunny tourist destinations around the world are also feeling the heat. The Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Bali, Lombok, Aruba, Cuba and the Dominican Republic are all experiencing the effects of global warming, with many of those areas suffering extreme weather conditions. For now, Canarian experts continue to study the weather situation and formulate emergency plans based n on new knowledge.

CANARY ISLANDS

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

No discrimination

Loro Parque

Transsexuality Act reform request In a majority vote at a meeting in early July, representatives of the Gran Canaria Island Council are calling for the Canarian and Spanish Governments to bring the country’s laws on transsexuality up to date.

The European Commission has decreed that each person has the right to be respected for their individual qualities and that

for the legal recognition of this form of self-determination.

Throughout Spain there are nine areas which have information offices where transsexual adults or parents of transsexual children can seek advice and support. These are in Asturias, the Basque Country, Navarra, Aragón, Cataluña, Valencia, Madrid, Andalusia and the

cial figures, throughout Spain there will be between one in every 9,665 to 21,031 men who feels they should be a woman. Conversely, for those born a woman that should be a man, it is between one in 15,456 and 48,096. Though the true figure is hard to ascertain due to lack of resources and recognition, nevertheless,

Making dreams come true

‘The art of being normal’ - among other things, associations provide guides for young people

During late July, Loro Parque welcomed the German paratriathlete Markus Häusling, a well known sportsman in his own country who has enjoyed a very successful career.

Among the awards Markus has received, the most outstanding were in the medium distance category at the 2014 European Championship, and for achieving the ninth position in the 2013 World Championship.

After his dreams of taking part in the Olympic Games in Rio this year were shattered due to a worsening of his medical condition, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Loro Parque decided to make another of his dreams come true, so they invited Markus to visit the zoo and paid for his travelling expenses. The Hotel Maritim, only a few metres away from Loro Parque, also helped by covering the costs of his stay.

During his tour of Loro Parque, Markus and his family were able to see some of the park´s fascinating attractions, including the home of the red pandas, the aquarium, and the renovated Penguin Planet, one of the most innovative and modern in the world, where penguins live alongside other species such as puffins.

The sportsman was also able to enjoy the orca and dolphin shows, not to mention the sea lion spectacular n which delighted his whole family.

In May this year, judges in Valencia allowed two minors to change their sex in official identity documents, for the first time ever

discrimination towards someone with a transsexual identity should be abolished. Members of the Gran Canaria Council are asking for this to be recognised on a national level and for transsexualism to no longer be classified as a mental illness, stating that electing one’s own identity without feeling prejudice is a human right.

Thankfully, other areas of the Canary Islands, as well as several Spanish autonomous regions, are also making a case

Canary Islands. According to the latest figures, up to the end of 2014 a total of 4,459 people have sought help from these organisations, around 10 per cent of whom were minors.

Two precedents in which parents officially ‘unregistered’ the sex of their child led to the creation of the Daniela Foundation, and the Chrysallis Association, formed by affected couples in Valencia.

According to an extrapolation based on the above offi-

this already shows the level of intervention that is required to meet these people’s needs.

Despite the headway made in the area, many transsexuals are still fighting for their right to determine their own identity and to be allowed to develop their own personalities. The European Commission is asking its members not to allow discrimination against transsexuals and not to force victims to present a passport and name with which they n do not identify.

Contacts Asociación Chrysallis Tel: 606 54 57 85 or 619 90 99 22 Email: canarias@ chrysallis.org.es www.chrysallis.org.es Fundación Daniela Tel. 615 235 909 Araceli Email: araceligr@ hotmail.es www.fundaciondaniela. org

Markus Häusling during his visit to Loro Parque

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

CANARY ISLANDS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Transplant successes

Research grants for University Hospital The University Hospital (HUC) in La Laguna is one of the national leaders in transplant surgery.

The head of the department in charge of general and digestive technical surgery and surgical coordination of pancreas transplants, Antonio Hernández Alarcó, has now received another research grant.

This, the third of his career, has been awarded by the national research assessment authority, Comisión Nacional Evaluadora de la Actividad Investigadora (CNEAI). The CNEAI evaluates investigations undertaken by university professors and scientific staff, which form the most important complementary activity in Spanish universities. This grant is awarded as an appreciation of the work done and as a symbol of status and prestige in the university. It is also an important element which allows for doctoral theses to be allowed, for participation in quality doctorates, and to facilitate academic promotion.

Alarcó Hernández has been a university lecturer since 1996.

He is also the clinical head of national public examinations, known as ‘oposiciónes’, and since 1999, head of general and digestive technical surgery at the University Hospital. He has written more than 20 books, published over 180 articles in national and inter-

is now one of the six leading centres in Spain for this type of surgery.

Organ donation helps

Doctor Antonio Alarcó is a leading specialist in the field of pancreas transplants in the Canaries

national medical journals, and been a guest speaker over 250 times at national and international medical congresses. He is also in charge of the TELCIMAC project, whose objective is to promote the development of an international tele-surgical cooperation network between the Canary Islands, the Azores and Senegal.

Transplant success Transplant surgery is an area in which the Canaries are very successful. Juan Jesús Pérez

was the first of 102 patients in the Canaries to have received a pancreas transplant, 14 years ago. At that time, the then 33year-old patient had suffered as a child from diabetes type 1, developed kidney problems and had to rely on dialysis, daily insulin injections and glucose control. When he was first put on the waiting list, pancreas transplants were still considered new territory. On March 22, 2002 his life was changed when he was given a new pancreas and liver. Juan recently celebrated the fact that he is

The hot season

Fire danger in the Canaries

Fortunately, the fire in Risco Blanco was limited to the fenced property

At present, teams of fire fighters, environmental agencies, and the forest fire brigades are on high alert for forest fires.

The consistently high temperatures increase the risk of fires daily. The dry underbrush

burns like tinder, and can be set alight with a single spark.

In late July, there were two such fires in Gran Canaria within just one hour. The first fire broke out at 3pm around Taidia in Santa Lucía de Tira-

jana in the south. Thanks to the fast response on land and from the air, only approximately 800 square metres of scrubland were burned. At 4pm, another fire was reported at Risco Blanco in the municipality of San Bartolomé. In this case it was a fenced 2,000 square metre site where fruit trees, a greenhouse and plants were alight. With another fast response from emergency teams, the fire was brought under control, no danger was posed to the houses nearby, and only around 500 square metres of land were affected.

The police once again pointed out that it is strictly forbidden to use anything which could create sparks, such as welding and soldering equipment n or circular saws.

now living a normal life, having left all those treatments behind him. He appeared at a press conference to commemorate the fact that the HUC had carried out over 100 pancreas transplants, and that it

During the press conference, the doctors thanked all organ donors and their families for their help. The kidney specialist Lourdes Pérez, who is responsible for the pancreas transplant programme, explained that in Spain, chronic kidney disease affects about ten per cent of the adult population. Many of these cases are suffered by patients with other serious conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Pérez explained that the transplant of a kidney or pancreas is the only way that glucose levels in diabetics with the chronic terminal type 1 disease can be controlled. Seven years after the operation, around 52 per cent of patients still enjoy a good life with their new organ.

She added, “The patient’s life expectancy increases by about 18 years, and their quality of

life changes radically”. Before his surgery, Juan Jesús could only work for about half a day, today he manages for 14 hours without any problems. To be given a double transplant, some basic requirements must be met: The patient must not be over 50 years old. He or she must not have any problems with the blood vessels in the heart and legs, and there must be no great risk of rejection.

During the celebration, the regional transplants coordinator, Vicente Peña, outlined the precise work that precedes the surgery. He explained that between 80 and 100 people are involved in each case, and that the matter is treated with the utmost urgency. Those taking part include police officers, telephone operators, pilots, porters, security guards and other hospital staff. He also pointed out that in the Canaries there are currently seven patients on the waiting list for a new pancreas, four of whom are waiting for a kidney-pann creas double donation.

CANARY ISLANDS

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Playing with knives

Hostages in Santa Cruz Local police were recently called to mitigate in a domestic hostage situation in Santa Cruz.

When they arrived at the home in the La Salud area they discovered that a 40-year-old man had apparently locked his sister, mother and friend of the family in the kitchen while he remained with a seven-year-old girl and 22-month-old toddler in the living room.

The accused allowed the police to enter the house without resistance. He told them that the emergency call was a “joke” and that he was simply “playing” with the children who had been sat in the living room with a knife and two sets of scissors apparently left deliberately in their sight.

It was at this point that one of the officers discovered that

Lucky escape

Frenzied attack prevented

A young couple strolling on Puerto Rico’s promenade in the south of Gran Canaria had a very lucky escape recently.

According to witnesses, a 34-year-old man was in the middle of a heated discussion with the two youngsters when he tried to attack the female of the party. Onlookers interceded and the aggressor returned to his car with the apparent aim of leaving the scene.

However, minutes later he leapt out of his vehicle and ran after the couple. He was armed with a metal saw and was reportedly shouting death threats. Fortunately, an offduty police officer from Las Palmas noticed the altercation and ran after the assailant, managing to catch and disarm him.

The local hero called the Guardia Civil, who shortly turned n up to arrest the attacker.

Paper cut

Summer break Serious acts of violence are not within the Local Police’s remit or experience

a large screwdriver had been used to barricade the kitchen door shut from the outside.

The ‘hostages’ were freed and the man taken to the Mental Health Unit at Candelaria Hospital under suspicion of having suffered a psychotic attack.

Although the case was brought to a close with a safe ending, the episode has received criticism from various quarters.

Though the Local Police successfully dealt with the situation, they are not actually trained for such operations.

It is the National Police that would normally affront possible hostage and kidnapping cases, and the CEP Association of the Spanish police along with the SUP Union were quick to remind those concerned that they have been condemning

Island Connections will be taking a short summer break.

Our offices will be closed from August 4 to 22, with edition 778 due on the streets on September 1.

For advertising, feel free to contact our sales manager, Jamie Lee Armstrong, on 616 460 728. For all other enquiries, n please send an email to: editorial@ic-news.com.

the National Police’s lack of resources and personnel in the Santa Cruz area.

The Canarian Government, however, has denied that there

is any shortage. Nevertheless, it seems that more and more emergency calls are being forwarded to the Local Police due to staffing deficiencies. n

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

CANARY ISLANDS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Paedophile arrested

A 45-year-old man has been arrested in the north of Tenerife for the production and possession of child pornography, one of the victims being his own daughter.

The case against the accused began in November of last year when his ex-wife issued a complaint against him at the La Victoria Guardia Civil station for the alleged abuse of their daughter, who was 12-yearsold at the time.

Due to the complexity of the allegations, the Santa Cruz Judiciary Police were called in to instigate enquiries, in what became known as ‘Operation Observer’.

The suspect’s computer was later seized during a house search and passed to agents

Photo: Asim18 CC A 3.0 UL

Child porn and hidden cameras

Police found incriminating evidence on the paedophile’s hard drive

from the Technological Investigation Unit. Although much of

its content had been encrypted, officers found numerous photos of a sexual nature that clearly showed the man’s daughter.

Officials also discovered that the accused had a collection of photos of his work colleagues.

These had been taken by a hidden camera which was placed in the company’s toilet facilities. He had produced photomontages with the images, using sexually explicit scenes that had been downloaded from the internet.

Currently, further investigations are taking place to identify the known victims, determine whether there are any more, and find out whether any of the photos have been shared via the internet. The accused n will remain in custody.

Gran Canaria arrests

National police recently arrested six people, including two in Las Palmas, for the trade of illicit sports’ drugs.

The investigation began in November 2015 when a bodybuilder who was training at a gym in Albacete in the Peninsula suddenly died. During the enquiries it was discovered that both he and another man, who was seriously ill, had been taking un-prescribed anabolic steroids supplied by the owner of the gym facilities. Said proprietor and another three men – a further one from Albacete

Photo: Tom Pickering / freeimages.com

Sports’ doping death

Some bodybuilders use illegal substances to build muscle mass

and one each from Madrid and Jumilla - were arrested in June of this year. Around 70,000 doses of the steroids plus 1,380 boxes of doping substances were seized. Suspicions of there being a nationwide trade in the illegal supplements led investigators to the Canary Islands. Two more suspects were duly arrested in Las Palmas at the end of July and more than 20,000 units of doping drugs confiscated.

The substances were used to accelerate the building of musn cle mass.

Santa Cruz de La Palma

Work starts on capital’s beach The Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Isabel García Tejerina, recently ordered the completion of the new town beach in Santa Cruz de La Palma, much to the delight of residents.

As well as time-related wear and tear, a storm in Febru-

ary 2015 wrecked a portion of the north quay, furthering deterioration to the coastal area. Necessary repairs have been well overdue, but several reasons were cited by the authorities for the hold-up.

These included the delays to the current construction of a new sewage pumping station to replace the old, outdated one located in the beach area. Interestingly, the announcement stating that

repairs would go ahead came shortly before a public protest which was set to take place on the last weekend in July.

Refurbishments include the demolition of the original sewage station, updating of accesses to the beach, and the fitting of showers and other services, to the cost of around €31 million. A further two million is needed for the n repairs.

Baywatch

Thwarting the thieves During the coming weeks, extra National and Local police will be patrolling beaches and promenades in the Los Cristianos, Playa de Las Américas and Costa Adeje areas with the aim of reducing opportunist robberies.

Every year a large number of bathers and strollers, mostly tourists, have their belongings stolen from them. How-

ever, reported thefts in the area have rocketed from two or three incidents a day up to a record 15 or 16 during the last few months.

This damages the image of the region and of course ruins the holiday of any unfortunate victims. The initial campaign involved extra police presence on just Wednesdays and Thursdays, with notable drops in the

level of this type of crime. It will now be extended throughout the week using uniformed officers and several in plain clothes.

Nevertheless, precautions should still be taken when visiting tourist areas. Carry only enough money for the day on you, leave credit and debit cards at home, and do not carry any valuables or leave n them in the car.

CANARY ISLANDS

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Wines and cheeses

Cultivating Gran Canaria’s agriculture Gran Canaria’s top wines and cheeses were recently presented for the island’s 23rd Gran Canaria Official Cheese Competition and the island’s 21st Wine Tasting Awards.

Presiding over the event, the president of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, spoke about

needs via their own production.

That’s truly fresh food, and an approach that makes economic sense, as well as staying true to the popular environmental motto: from the field directly to the table – having travelled the minimum distance possible. And that’s not all: Thanks

the goats are always eating the very best greens. For the category of cheeses made from pas-

have had a hard choice, as for the first time ever there were an impressive 52 entrants

The Agala 1175 was named Best Young Red Wine while the Agala 1050 took the silver medal

This year’s best cheese comes from Angelita, Valsequillo

the importance of agriculture for the archipelago. He highlighted the need to encourage young people to see a future in the sector, not only as agriculture is vital for the island’s population, but also as a key element for a successful tourism industry. One of the reasons for the latter, he continued, is that quality holiday destinations stand out when they offer excellent culinary products. These can not only be enjoyed whilst vacationing but they often make popular souvenirs as they provide that exotic ‘holiday’ taste.

One of the other important goals that Morales spoke of is for Gran Canaria to eventually provide 40 per cent of the island’s alimentation

to concerted investments and the integration of young professionals with their new ideas, the quality of local products has improved considerably over recent years.

Cheese champions For the competition, a total of 35 honours at Gold, Silver and Bronze levels were awarded in various categories. For Best Hard Cheese 2016 the Queseria Angelita from Valsequillo was chosen over nearly 70 other varieties. The cheese was a clear winner as it scooped up almost double the points compared to the other semi-finalist, possibly because the producer swears by the practice of regularly changing grazing, meaning

teurised milk, the semi-cured Lomo Gallego from Telde and the cured Capicran from Valsequillo won the day.

Produced via raw milk processing, the soft Quesos Bolaños cheese from Las Palmas took the Semi-cured title for cow’s milk cheese.

The Best Soft Mixed Cheese was presented by the Del Rosario dairy in Agaete, and Las Lajas from Artenara took the Mixed Semi-Cured Cheese award. Last but not least, the top Pure Hard Cheese came from Cortijo de Pavón from Guía.

Winning wines One of the nicest accompaniments for cheese is most certainly wine, so it stands to reason that they should also have received their due accolade, with some of the finest wines from across the island being picked. The judges must

this year, 35 of which were graded good, very good and excellent.

The Agala 1175 was named Best Young Red Wine, and the company also took away the silver medal with their Agala 1050. Bronze went to Rincon de Guiniguada from Santa Brígida.

The Señorío de Agüimes, which was given the bronze award last year, this time took away the gold, and thus changed places with last year’s winner Agala Altitud 1318. Silver went to Mondalón from Las Palmas.

In the category of Semi-sweet, Sweet and Liqueur-style wines, Valara Dulce lifted the gold, Berrazales Semiseco from Agaete was presented with the silver, and Dulcelechuza from San Mateo bronze. Best Presentation and Labelling went to the Plaza Perdida from Las Palmas thanks to its outstanding n appearance.

Cueva Pintada Museum

A trip back in time The Cueva Pintada Museum in Gran Canaria celebrated its tenth anniversary on July 26.

The centre provides useful insights into the lifestyle of the pre-Hispanic natives of the island. In addition, this archaeological site is unique in the Canaries.

Almost by chance, this cave with geometric paintings was discovered in 1873 by José Ramos Orihuela, who entered through a tight opening. The historians, Celso Martín de Guzmán, who is especially remembered, and Elías Serra Rafols, were fundamental in the awareness campaign which began in 1967. This resulted in protection work being undertaken, including isolating humidity at this valuable archaeological site.

Two years later, the cave was declared a Historical Artistic Monument, but it wasn’t until 1987 that the first excavations began under the direction of Martín de Guzmán and Jorge Onrubia, a professor in prehistoric subjects at the Castilla-La Mancha University. It was an initiative which revealed the unique presence of the population of the former village of Agáldar below the surface of the remains.

It was probably inhabited from the 6th to the 16th centuries by natives. To date, this well-preserved complex is an important testimony to the presence of aborigines in Gran Canaria.

By 2006, the cave had a roof and a museum of great historical significance was opened. Since then it has received around half a million visitors. Of these, over 148,000 children and members of social and cultural groups have been to see the Canarian legacy.

The Museo y Parque Arqueológico Cueva Pintada de Gáldar is definitely worth a visit. With the Fred Olsen ferry to Agaete it is even worth taking a day trip from Tenerife to walk in the footsteps of the natives. The search for their footprints is not yet complete. Up to the end of July this year, 16 students from seven universities took part n in the search for other possible excavation sites.

A legacy, offering an overview of the lives of the natives

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ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Active tourism

Addressing the high accident rate The Canarian Government’s Tourism Department has responded to the high number of rescue missions and use of emergency services in the field of active tourism with a new set of regulations.

Authorities have stated that tourists who undertake highrisk recreational activities and act irresponsibly, such as participating in a watersport during rough weather or paragliding in strong winds, will have to pay towards the costs involved. Other regulations include stricter insurance terms and companies involved in active tourism must have full liability cover up to €600,000. Individuals and companies must also respect weather alerts, whether local, island-wide or regional, and adhere to modernised legislation regarding equipment, installations, training, and qualifications needed for active leisure practices.

News stories of tourists drowning and paragliding accidents

the conditions, all too often running into trouble. Local companies have been cooperating with officials regarding the new legislation, supporting the need to address the situation before their practice, or the island as a whole, is unfairly tarnished.

Scuba diving is another activity that sees a high number of accidents, usually due to a lack of necessary experience. Activities such as dolphin and whale watching, hiking, and kayaking are also covered by the new rules, as are music events, recreational programmes in zoos and botanical gardens, and a number of aerial, aquatic, rural and urban leisure pursuits. The only exception is sportspersons and athletes who have appropriate insurance cover through their respective clubs and associations.

Visiting participants of active leisure pursuits such as paragliding often misjudge the conditions

have dominated the headlines in recent times, with local

enthusiasts often bemoaning that visitors don’t fully under-

stand the air and water currents and generally misjudge

Erring on the side of caution Even if it means going against the famous holiday buzz, it’s

important that all visitors take necessary precautions during their stay, especially if participating in risky activities, and follow all meteorological and administrative warnings.

The Canary Islands have very high drowning statistics, with stories reported on an almost weekly basis. It is therefore important that visitors behave sensibly on the beach. Alcohol should be avoided, while drinking lots of water is a must for children and adults alike.

Beachgoers shouldn’t expose themselves to too much sun, and young ones need to be monitored at all times. Observe the beaches’ coloured flags and swimmers should not be further than 200 metres from the shore.

At beach spots where bathers and water-sports enthusiasts mix, such as windsurfers or jetskiers, all care should be taken to ensure there are appropriate distances between swimmers and fast-moving boards n and watercrafts.

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Vocational education

Smart summer universities Photo: Cabildo El Hierro

El Hierro president, Belén Allende, with ULL vice-rector, Francisco Javier García

Photo: Cabildo La Gomera

It’s summer university time on La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma.

These Universidades de Verano are open to everyone, regardless of qualifications, are free or low cost, and organised by the island councils in conjunction with the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s University of La Laguna (ULL).

The idea of offering extension studies was conceived years ago as a means of taking education out to more remote areas. Courses started on the smaller islands two decades ago, when inter-island communications and road networks improved and, until recently, were based in the island capitals of Valverde (El Hierro), San Sebastián de La Gomera, and Santa Cruz de La Palma.

If you live in the south of Tenerife, you’ll perhaps know about Adeje’s excellent Universidad de Verano, as ULL also gives summer courses there.

This year’s mid-July selection included Buddhism and meditation; climate change; Canarian tourist destinations; the early detection and prevention of school and domestic violence; critical appraisal of the media; new tourist accommodation models; multidiscipline sports perspectives; sub-aquatic medicine, and institutional transparency.

How’s that for diverse!

My favourite this year was El Hierro’s Universidad de Verano, which consisted of just one course from July 25 to 27 in El Pinar, a location chosen to facilitate transfers to the

Photo: Canarias actual

By Barbara Belt

island’s more seismically active regions.

Included were ‘The volcanic processes at work in the natural environment of El Hierro’, and ‘Basic terminology associated with the Volcanology of the island’. Students had the chance to learn to use a series of concepts, methods and techniques in order to design different walking routes in El Hierro’s volcanic landscape.

Volcanoes and walking doesn’t get much better than that! The lecturer was Dr. Ramon Casillas Ruiz, whose considerable research and prestige as Geochemistry and Petrology Professor at ULL were on offer

for just €35. Unsurprisingly, places on the three day course were snapped up.

La Gomera’s Summer University offered less specialised content, with four different courses. The first took place from July 28 to 29 in San Sebastián and was an instant sell-out – an inappropriate term for a freebie, which La Gomera’s courses were.

Its title was ‘Community Manager: the management, development and maintenance of virtual communities’. Its objective was to equip students with the necessary skills to understand and use social networks to advantage, in the develop-

ment of commercial brand imaging. Hot stuff! Anyone

who can exploit social networks reaches all those device slaves

we’re surrounded by daily, everywhere. Have you watched small children’s resigned faces as their mothers obliviously tap away? How prophetic of The Eagles to sing “we are all just prisoners here of our own device” in their hit song, Hotel California.

The second course was ‘New Business Models for Holiday Accommodation’, which was held from July 27 to 29 in Valle Gran Rey. Now, as the island’s main tourist destination, this should have been an appropriate location, but enrolment was slow, as anybody here could have predicted.

This is because a fair percentage of the valley’s accommodation owners find themselves in an uncomfortable situation of illegality, as do accommodation providers throughout the Canaries whose income is from tourist accommodation. This is all thanks to a powerful lobby formed by the hotel association Ashotel and cronies, and its hold over a bunch of suspect Regional Government politicians.

Said Regional Government, despite tremendous pressure, refuses to amend offending decree 113/2015, which in article 3.1 permits the category of ‘vacation homes’ (which would cover most illegal beds) and then in article 3.2 prohibits them in ‘tourist zones’!

The ‘No’ lobby maintains legalising these extra beds would destroy their business – a ridiculous idea, since Canarian self-catering holiday homes and hotels have co-existed for decades. We imagine the ‘No’ politicians holidaying in

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777 Biological Water Quality, from July 25 to 27; Allergies, the 21st Century Epidemic, from July 20 to 22; La Palma as a Special Interest Tourist Des-

CANARY ISLANDS

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tination, from July 18 to 20; Technical Business Tools and Classroom Realities: Learning Difficulties, were both from July 25 to 27, with the last

course, Towards Sustainable Tourism, running from July 27 to 29.

All the courses were well attended, despite their set-

Photo: Pwagenblast CC A-S A 3.0 UL

Photo: Cabildo La Gomera

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

in order to stay out of trouble.

Whilst it was laudable to run a course on ‘new models for tourist accommodation’, was it disingenuous or ingenuous to do so where people are nabbed for doing exactly what the course recommended?

The third course, ‘Towards Total Equality between Men and Women’, was on July 25 to 26 in San Sebastián. Its aim was to inform students about the politics of equality and was sufficiently broad to scare nobody away, although there was an unsurprising imbalance in the students’ sexes.

Vallehermoso hosted ‘Productive and Commercial Opportunities for La Gomera’s Agricultural Products’ from July 25 to 27, which was well attended by local producers anxious to learn more about potential opportunities and principal operators

All the summer courses in Santa Cruz de La Palma were wellattended

Photo: Cabildo La Palma

considerable luxury in the Canaries’ best hotels.

An amendment to include these illegal beds was fought for, and won, to great rejoicing from the Asociación Canaria del Alquiler Vacacional (ASCAV) and its president Doris Borrego, whose campaign on behalf of the illegal multitude has been tireless, but it was revoked shortly afterwards.

ASCAV calculates that 90 per cent of holiday home owners have been excluded from legalisation, affecting over 53,000 families in the Canaries. The present situation is a five star example of corruption and the abyss between logic and politics.

Owners in Valle Gran Rey, which has spent half a century growing little by little, blissfully free of large hotels or sprawling tourist complexes, keep quiet

Photo: Diego Delso CC-BY-SA 3

La Gomera president, Casimiro Curbelo, signing a summer university agreement with ULL vice-rector, Francisco Javier García

Courses were organised by the island councils in conjunction with the University of La Laguna

in each sector studied. La Palma’s Universidad de Verano featured six, very diverse courses, each available for a mere €12 in the Casa Rosada in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Course titles and dates were:

The scene of all La Palma’s summer university courses

ting in the capital, but La Palma is the biggest ‘small’ island, with an overall population of nearly 87,000, over 16,000 of whom live in the capital, compared to La Gomera’s 21,000 population, with 9,000 in San Sebastián, and El Hierro’s 10,000, nearly half of whom live in the capin tal Valverde.

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bbq special

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Sizzling social gatherings

BB

Barbecues are a great way of getting together with friends and family and relaxing in each others’ company.

Right now, many of us have holidays or long weekends to enjoy the beautiful weather, and social gatherings around a grill are a great way to spend free afternoons and evenings.

Don’t forget the tongs Never turn pieces of meat over using a fork because tasty juices will be lost, it is much better to use wooden tongs for sausages or specially-coated tongs for meat.

Food should be cooked at ambient temperature and turned only once. Both types of tongs can be used when preparing meat in the pan.

Delicatessen Delicias del Sol At Delicias del Sol on the main street in Chio, there are some wonderfully fruity chutneys in exotic combinations, as well as Canarian mojos and spicy sambal.

They are the perfect addition to any barbecue party, whether meat, fish or vegetarian food is on the table.

Summer opening times: Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.

A myth of unknown origin is the use of beer whilst barbecuing meat.

According to legend, it will make the meat more tender and intensify the taste. Of course, it’s all nonsense!

If beer gets into the hot embers, it burns and releases carcinogenic substances. So the advice is to stay away from the beer, unless you are going to drink it.

However, there is obviously an exception: A research team from the University of Porto led by Isabel Ferreira found that pieces of meat that have been coated with black beer before grilling only develop half as many carcinogens as untreated meat. This comes from the polyphenols that give the beer its dark colour. They are responsible for the protective effect, because they are recognised antioxidants. Master butcher Werner swears by the use of malt beer, especially Prost, during grilling.

If you’re not sure, just drink it instead!

With or without beer?

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bbq special

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Brill grills Most barbecue enthusiasts prefer only the very best grill, and charcoal grills are certainly the most popular.

The disadvantage, however, is that flames can burn the meat and that can sometimes be harmful, although the risk is extremely small. Typical barbecue spices such as mustard, thyme, sage, oregano and rosemary prevent the intake of carcinogenic substances to the body as they have a neutralising effect.

The gas grill is healthier because the food does not come in contact with an open flame. It is easier to regulate and keep clean, but it lacks the campfire effect. The electric grill is similar to the gas grill in that it is easy to clean and handle, but it must always be used near a power outlet.

The kettle grill with a lid is very versatile and useful for large hunks of meat which need a long cooking time. Hence your food can be prepared in advance, and it takes on a strong smoky flavour. The three latter variants are referred to as indirect grilling.

Spotlessly clean

A public grilling Home designed grills Anyone who has a specific idea for a barbecue grill can have it custom made by a specialist craftsman.

Thanks to a retractable fireclay plate, the grills can also bake pizzas.

To ensure that your next barbecue goes well, the grill must be cleaned after each use.

If you have a garden with a lawn, you can simply leave it out overnight on the grass. The dew and moisture soften the hard substances and make the grill easy to wipe clean. If you don’t have a lawn, it’s no problem: moistened newspaper serves the same purpose. The rust and dirt soaks in the moisture discharged from the newspaper pages overnight and the next day it is easily removed with a sponge and soapy water. Even the ashes from the charcoal have a cleansing effect. Put some ashes on a damp cloth and then rub the grate with it. This acts like soapy sandpaper. The charcoal ash can also be used to fertilise the garden.

Family and friends often like to meet at public barbecues in recreation areas, many of which are set within a pine forest.

These facilities are available all over the island, and they are especially practical for large groups celebrating an event.

Everyone brings what they want and your own home stays spotlessly clean.

During the summer months the recreation areas with barbecue facilities are usually closed because of the risk of forest fires, and the lighting of fires during hot weather is banned.

But that’s no problem - there are plenty of places outside urban areas and below pine tree level which can be used.

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Pulling your meat For those thinking of preparing an American speciality such as pulled meat, you’ll need plenty of time and a barbecue which can be kept closed.

A kettle grill, for example, would be ideal for this.

Large pieces of meat such as pork, lamb and beef are first seared and then cooked at a low temperature.

The meat is covered with a spicy

marinade and cooked slowly at about 80 to 100 degrees Celsius.

The meat is ready when you can simply pull it from the bone. However, you might need to schedule four to five hours cooking time.

It is best served with a barbecue sauce or in a sandwich. By using a closed grill the meat takes on a hearty smoky flavour.

Veggies can have fun too Vegetarians don’t have to miss out on the fun of a barbecue.

Vegetables can be delicious when cooked on the grill. How about, for example, potatoes wrapped in aluminium foil and cooked on the barbecue while other vegetables are placed alongside, grilled to perfection? Vegetables particularly suitable for grilling are green asparagus, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, whole onions, half green bananas in their skins, and corn cobs. Served with a tasty cheese and herb dip, the vegetarian feast can begin!

Incidentally, even fruit such as pineapple, peach, mango or papaya can be roasted on the grill. A chocolate sauce or ball of ice cream completes the dessert perfectly.

Salad days Potato or pasta salads are popular additions to a barbecue, but why not be a little more daring?

How about, for example, creating a salad of watermelon, lettuce, goat or sheep’s cheese, black and/or green olives, three pickled peppers, onions and slightly smoked ham?

All the ingredients are chopped and tossed in a dressing of five tablespoons of water

and olive oil, two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, a tablespoon of mild honey, half a teaspoon of mustard, a crushed clove of garlic, salt, pepper and paprika.

This salad is perfect for any barbecue buffet. It can be prepared in advance because it tastes even better after standing for a while.

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bbq special

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

15

Sausage Source

BBQ fun for family and friends

Fishing for options Barbecues are not always just about meat – tasty fish fillets can also be cooked on the grill.

The only problem is that they tend to stick to the grate easily so it can be a bit tricky. One of the best solutions is to use a plank of cedar wood. It has to be soaked for several hours in water and then dried. Brush one side with oil while the other side faces the flame.

When the board begins to glow and smoke, move it to your warming corner and put the fish on it to cook.

For whole fish, you can buy special barbecue tongs which are big enough to pick them up complete. An alternative and interesting method is to use normal roof tiles or bricks, which you can get from your hardware store.

Rub the tiles with olive oil then place a bed of herbs on them, and then the fish or fish fillets.

As an option, a saucepan or pot lid can be used as a grill pad for the fish.

Photo: www.regierung.oberbayern.bayern.de

Most barbecue accidents are caused by incorrectly lighting the grill so be careful when using methylated spirits or lighter fluid, and never pour liquid fuel on an open fire.

Anyone who is grilling should try to remember to use dry wood as it has the advantage of giving additional flavour. If you want a smoked effect, place a piece of green wood on the burning coals. Those best suited to barbecues are beech or spruce.

Despite everyone’s relaxed and possibly intoxicated mood, never underestimate the danger of fire when grilling and keep children and pets away from the barbecue. For emergencies, keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Markus Werner, Managing Director of Sausage Source at La Luz in La Orotava says: “As a master butcher I recommend care when purchasing meat if you want to grill it. The quality of the product is crucial for later enjoyment. A lean piece of steak is simply not suitable, it will be too tough. I always recommend that people buy meat which still has a fatty edge. Anyone who doesn’t want to eat the fat can always cut it off afterwards but during cooking, it gives the meat flavour and makes it tender so it plays an important role. Next, it depends on the right preparation. I always recommend that the barbecue is prepared with two heat zones: a hot area for quick searing and a warm corner where the meat can sit without burning. It is essential that first, both sides of the meat are seared. This

Grill temperatures can often reach over 150 degrees Celsius so remember to take care.

©2015 FLN

Up in flames

The barbecue season is also the time for the butcher to prepare delicious cuts for our meaty events.

Buying fresh meat from the butcher does make a noticeable difference, especially when you are planning to grill it. Special attention should be paid to buying quality fresh meat so that it will taste good. Supermarket meat is often sprayed with water, and is cheaper and inferior. Frozen meat is just not suitable. It loses a lot of liquid during thawing and if grilled, can be rather tough.

closes the pores of the meat and rind so that it remains juicy and no fat drips onto the coal. Once it is seared, I put it in the warmer area where it can continue to cook to the desired level. At this stage, I recommend fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme and garlic, as they give off a nice aroma. I would only season the meat with sea salt and freshly ground pepper at the end of the cooking process. Our customers always want marinated steaks and of course we offer this. Personally, I think that meat should be grilled as naturally as possible then the flavour takes centre stage.”

For Markus Werner, grilling is a wonderful pastime and even though it needs considered preparation and patience, it also gives him joy. He says that the pinchos (skewers) of pork are popular with his English, German and Spanish customers, as well as beef or turkey and Greek-influenced Suflaki skewers. Sausages are very popular too, and not only with children!

The German master butcher sums it up well: “Grilling is not fast food, it’s a ritual – but it also tastes better!”

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Pedal power

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Isle of Wight to Tenerife bike ride

By Colin Kirby Cycling from the Isle of Wight to Los Cristianos is the perfect way for two grandsons to honour their beloved grandmother, Joan Newnham, who cherished 30 years of happy memories holidaying in Tenerife.

The Earl Mountbatten Hospice on her home island comforted Joan through her final days battling cancer, so Alex Oliver and Ben Woodhouse saddled up for a long road and ferry fundraiser to make money for the hospice.

Although sporty and active, the two teachers admit to having hardly any cycling experience and Ben didn’t even own a bike. “We wanted to do something meaningful for Gran. She always loved her times at Hollywood Mirage so we put this challenge together. We started with a 15 mile (24 kilometres) sprint from Porchfield to Ryde to catch the Wightlink ferry to Portsmouth on July 26 and then boarded a 24-hour ferry to Santander in the north of Spain. We’re currently on the main part of the route, which is 620 miles (998 kilometres)

The start of that stretch was slower through the mountain regions of the north. At least

Fruit, especially bananas, are good for our stamina, and never ending amounts of water.”

Alex summed up their inspiration: “We’re calling this journey ‘Home to Heaven’. TenThe pair saddled up to make money for their grandmother’s hospice

Ben Woodhouse (left) and Alex Oliver (right)

down to Huelva on the south coast for the ferry to Santa Cruz, arriving on August 8 for the final road leg down to Los Cristianos”.

“The heat has been a big challenge. We are splitting the Santander to Huelva leg into early and late shifts to avoid the hottest times of the day.

the UK heat wave gave us a little taster, training on the Isle of Wight’s limited hills. We have travelled light with panniers packed with a few changes of clothes and a tent for overnight stops. We are also trying different foods and drinks as well.

The intrepid pair will arrive in Los Cristianos around noon on August 8. Their legs will be throbbing and they will be mighty glad that they have booked their bikes in the hold of their return plane to the UK.

erife was always very special to Gran and the hospice does such brilliant work on a very limited budget.”

If anyone would like to make a donation to the fundraiser, visit: www.justgiving.com/funn draising/Alex-Oliver13.

TENERIFE GENERAL

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Letter to Editor

Dear Editor,

By

Photo: Mojansami / FreeImages.com

My friends and I saw the letter in your newspaper (edition 774. Ed) from the happy couple living in Adeje and thought we would write a line or two about our life in Tenerife too.

We have all been here between 10 and 15 years, some working, some retired, and I have to say that we are having a grand old time of it!

The weather is superb almost all the year round. The locals are friendly, even when you speak to them in sentences that must sound hilarious sometimes, and the scenery just lovely. Here in Tenerife you can see everything from sandy beaches through to impressive mountains, wide expanses of rocky shores, our very own volcano, and even green lush landscapes. And almost anywhere you go you can see the Atlantic Ocean stretching away to the horizon. We really are very lucky.

And the way of life is so laid back that it’s almost horizontal. Okay, so for the workers amongst us that can be very frustrating, and dealing with any kind of authority can be a bit difficult, even if you do speak the language, but all in all, it is a first-rate place to be.

The health care is much better than at home, the doctors generally friendly, the hospitals cleaner than their UK counterparts, the public transport isn’t bad, and there is plenty of entertainment. And if there’s nothing else to do you can choose from one of hundreds of perfectly situated bars, have a quiet – not to mention cheap – drink and enjoy the view! Even the coffee is great too.

Bless the Canary Islands! They are most certainly the place to be (let’s hope we can stay here!).

A happy bunch, Guía de Isora

Even the coffee is great here

Wow, isn’t it hot? Mind you it doesn’t seem very long ago we were all saying “Wow, isn’t it a chilly winter?”

To be honest with you all, I haven’t been on my soap box for ages, so I’m just going to step up onto it now for a few minutes to see if it’s any cooler up there!

I’m shocked and bewildered by there being so many bigots in the lovely UK after the Brexit result. I avidly watched every single debate, both Remain and Leave. Even though I couldn’t vote (well, it was in 1991 when I left to build a new life here after a horrible divorce), I knew that the effect would be intense whichever way it went. Yet it never once occurred to me that the ‘immigration problem’ meant anything other than future unlimited immigration, and never meant the people who are already there. I’m quite convinced that the result of any vote actually lies within the hands of those who decided not to bother.

Well, that’s one foot lifting from the soap box. The other foot is still firmly planted because of Andrea Leadsom’s horrendous mistakes when being interviewed by a journalist. I was very impressed by her when she appeared on a debate that featured Boris Johnson and herself versus Nicola Sturgeon and Angela Eagle before the referendum and Theresa May’s subsequent appointment as prime minister. Sturgeon and Eagle spent their time throwing nasty comments about Boris, while Andrea was firm and impressive, and neither she nor Boris responded in like mode at any time. Boris spoilt his own chances by being too lackadai-

y Kat

Hi everyone,

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katykennedy@telefonica.net

Photo: Matthew Smith CC A 2.0 GL

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

Andrea Leadsom speaking at a previous Conservative Party Conference

sical, and Michael Gove spoilt his own chances by reneging on his support of his colleague for whatever reason.

Now Mrs. Leadsom is apparently a nice lady and she is very proud of her children, but politics is a hard and harsh world and she should have left out all reference to Mrs. May’s lack of offspring.

Oh, and by the way, before I jump down from my soap box (it isn’t any cooler up here as it happens), two of my pet hates are about famous sayings. One of these is: ‘The proof of the

pudding is in the eating’. Not ‘The proof is in the pudding’ – full stop. The proof of what is in the pudding, I ask? The proof of athlete’s foot, or the proof of a cough starting in the fingers? It could be anything.

What are they talking about?

And all the people that go around saying “I’m fed up of this diet” or “I’m fed up of this heat” or whatever. They’re fed up with something or other all the time it seems! Fed up with being overweight or even with having a big bum, all of which apply to me, I have to say, as

my Nan would often come out with: “I’m not casting nasturtiums at anybody”.

Oh hecky thump, I’ve let my thoughts run away with me, and I haven’t written a word about what I was intending to write so I’ll have to save it until next time.

If any of you are still talking to me, you can send me an email at: katykennedydj@ yahoo.co.uk or ring me on: 616 110 930.

Until next time, take care of yourselves, and especially of n each other.

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PROMOTION

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Healthy & Delicious

Mix and match at Fernando’s Fernando’s is a unique restaurant set in the heart of downtown Playa de Las Américas which bridges the gap between fast food restaurants and the more conventional venues.

It has the casual, fun feel of a fast food outlet, with the excellent menu and service that you would expect from a conventional restaurant.

The big difference is that the food served at Fernando’s is not only delicious but also healthy. Only fresh products are used and food is prepared to order.

The restaurant itself is light and airy, and you can choose to sit inside or out on the terrace which has wonderful sea views. The speciality is PeriPeri chicken, a spiced Portuguese dish. The chickens arrive fresh every day, are cut into large portions and marinated in Fernando’s very own secret recipe Peri-Peri sauce for 24 hours. The chicken is then steam cooked for 25 minutes, and the final touch is that it is topped with the spices ordered by the customer and flame grilled on the publicly viewable barbecue grill. These spices can be Inferno (very hot), Hot, Medium or Mild. There is even the choice of Lemon and Herb for those who are not as keen on the hotter sauces. The result is succulent, flavoursome meat, just as you like it.

While your chicken is cooking you can either watch it being prepared in the large open kitchen, enjoy a drink, or tuck in to an appetiser. There are several to choose from, and apart from the chicken varieties you can also opt for a red pepper dip with pitta bread, garlic bread with cheese, spicy mixed olives, or take pot luck and order wing roulette to share. This consists of 10 chicken wings in a random variety of all the Peri-Peri spices, so you never know what you are going to get!

Fernando’s also has a fabulous range of four salads, to which you can add extras.

The main idea of the menu is that you can order your PeriPeri chicken and then make a meal of it by adding a couple of side dishes, such as spicy

Enjoy your meal on the large terrace which has amazing sea views

dressing they prefer, and we ordered Lemon and Herb.

The thick chicken breast slices were deli-

ciously succulent, tender and subtly spiced. We also enjoyed a fresh fruit apple and berry smoothie. Other varieties available include a tropical mix, fresh mango and red banana.

The portions were very generous, so we couldn’t manage a dessert, but we could have chosen from a chocolate fudge cake, carrot cake, a real American cheesecake, waffles and ice cream, or a Bramley apple pie among others. We will have to return, just to try one of them!

The chicken is marinated, steam cooked and finally flame grilled with your chosen spices

Fernando’s has a full range of drinks including top brand labels, and spirits and mixers are served in one pint goblets. The logic here is that

Delicious crispy dressed salad topped with grilled Peri-Peri chicken

rice, coleslaw, corn on the cob, potato fries, macho peas, chargrilled vegetables, potato or sweet p o t a t o wedges, grilled Halloumi cheese, or salad, among others. The possibilities are indeed endless.

For those who want something different, there are some more amazing items to choose from: vegetarian burgers, 100 per cent beef burgers, chicken burgers (which are actually chicken breast), pittas and wraps, and of course you can add side dishes or toppings to these.

During our visit we chose a Fernando’s salad with Peri-Peri chicken. This contains salad leaves, onions, cucumber and lots of baby piccolo tomatoes with avocado and sweet potato chunks, topped with a sprinkling of feta cheese and seeds.

Customers can choose which

ian and gluten free options are available. There is also a children’s menu, and many kids (big and small) would die for the Oreo milkshakes!

not only does your drink last longer, but also, you might not need to order another one! Customers can pop in for drinks only if they wish, pick up a takeaway too, and even though the prices are very reasonable, a discount card is available for residents. There’s an added bonus: wifi is available too!

The staff at this restaurant aim to please, you can request any concoction from the menu and they will produce it for you. Fernando’s has been very much designed around what customers like, and what is missing from other restaurants. It has been open since December last year and is already proving to be very popular.

We definitely believe it has the recipe for success, make sure n you try it soon!

Why not try a Peri-Peri chicken wrap with fries and coleslaw

A delicious hot chocolate fudge cake with cream and ice cream

Service is given with a smile, and not only are the menus available in six languages, but between the extremely jovial staff, 10 languages are spoken. Many of the waiting staff are also chefs, and they all keep their hands in by doing one kitchen shift every week. This restaurant carries a full allergies list and vegetar-

Fernando’s, as seen from the street side

Fernando’s Peri-Peri Chicken 1st Floor, Verónicas 1. Playa de Las Américas Open: 11am to 2am • Facebook: FernandosTenerife

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FOOD

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Hard Rock Cafe Tenerife

Smoke, fire and spice Hard Rock Cafe Tenerife is serving up a new menu that embraces the hottest ethnic street flavours from around the world.

Beginning in August, the Smoke, Fire & Spice limitedtime menu will be available at participating Hard Rock locations across the globe. The new menu draws inspiration from the spices, seasonings and sauces of popular street foods found around the world, including Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Hard Rock has developed a variety of specialty rubs, seasonings and sauces that guests will be able to pair with their choice of meat

and garlic, inspired by flavours of Jamaica.

Satay (Thailand) – a fresh peanut and soy sauce mix, inspired by the flavours of Malaysia and Thailand.

Yakitori (Japan) – a slightly sweet mix of soy sauce, sake, mirin and finely ground pepper, inspired by flavours of Japan.

Piri Piri (South Africa) – a scorching mix of chilli peppers inspired by flavours of South Africa.

Barbacoa (Mexico) – a savoury mix of chipotle peppers, cilantro, red onion, cumin and lime juice, inspired by flavours of Mexico.

About Hard Rock International

Spicy beef

The Smoke, Fire & Spice chicken option

Hard Rock Cafe Tenerife’s spicy pork

The shrimp option

“A big food trend this year is getting creative with robust, ethnic ingredients from places like Africa and East Asia, and the Smoke, Fire & Spice menu presents an opportunity for guests to sample seasonings and spices they might not have a chance to otherwise”, said Darryl Mickler, Senior Director of Research and Development for Hard Rock International. “The grill is the perfect platform to showcase variety, from protein choice to flavour, and we believe the new items speak to consumers’ evolving

palates and interest in experimenting with unique culinary profiles.”

Chicken, beef, shrimp or pork As part of the new menu, Hard Rock has developed a variety of speciality rubs, seasonings and sauces that guests will be able to pair with their choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or pork.

Each protein will be served on a sizzling skillet accompanied by naan, a marinated salad mix, grilled vegetables, mixed

cheeses and complementary dipping sauces.

New menu Served steaming-hot and fajita style, the Smoke, Fire & Spice flavour options include: Chimichurri (Latin America) – a tangy mix of parsley, coriander, basil, garlic and black pepper, inspired by flavours of Latin America.

Jamaican Jerk (Jamaica) – a fiery mix of habanero peppers, thyme, green and yellow onions, black pepper, allspice

With venues in 70 countries, including 165 cafes, 23 hotels and 11 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognised companies.

Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, live performance venues and an award-winning website.

The company owns, operates and franchises cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/ casino properties worldwide.

Destinations include Bali, Chicago, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Macau and San Diego.

Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include Reykjavik, Shanghai, Baku and San Juan.

New Hard Rock Hotel projects include Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Berlin, Dubai, Itapema, London, Los Cabos, New York City, Tenerife, and Shenzhen, Dalian and Haikou in China.

For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www. hardrock.com.

Hard Rock Cafe Tenerife Guests can stop by Hard Rock Cafe Tenerife to try out the latest Smoke, Fire & Spice menu items or visit: www.hardrock. com/tenerife for more inforn mation.

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Promo

Fifty Five reasons to visit the Golf Restaurant Fifty Five on the main square in San Blas, Golf del Sur, offers a true touch of class in the south of the island.

The owners and chefs, Omri and Nadav, are Israeli and recently celebrated the venue’s first anniversary. Nadav was trained by Gordon Ramsay at his famous Maze Restaurant in London’s prestigious Mayfair.

It’s not easy to find a restaurant in a tourist zone that is so committed to style, quality and service as Fifty Five, with the owners and staff highly-trained and dedicated to providing the very best for the customer.

The restaurant offers exquisite Mediterranean cuisine with impeccable presentation and flair. They proudly boast that they do not use microwave ovens, as is common with other establishments in Golf del Sur, and guarantee that all dishes are prepared with only the freshest produce from local farmers. This is because everything is cooked to order, with nothing pre-prepared.

Starters & Tapas There are a number of cold and hot starters to try, or to pick at while enjoying a nice glass of wine, including Tuna or Beef Carpaccio, Gazpacho, Garlic & Chilli Prawns or Fish Tacos, among many others. The Gnocchi, Sweet Potato & Cream option is definitely worth a try.

Alongside a number of fried starter options, such as Baby Calamari, Hand-cut Chips, or Chicken Goujons, there are several salads to accompany the meat and fish dishes.

Restaurant Fifty Five can be found on the main square in San Blas, Golf del Sur

It’s not easy to find a restaurant in a tourist zone that is so committed to style, quality and service

Tequila Sunrise, Bloody Mary and Caipirinha.

Ambience

The restaurant has a large, open kitchen

Decoration in the dining area and large terrace is tastefully minimal

Meat & Fish Restaurant Fifty Five’s ‘From the Farm’ options include: Beef Fillet with Grilled Potatoes, Lamb Chops with Saffron Puree, Pork Steak & Zucchini Chips, Chicken & Artichoke Risotto, as well as a spellbinding Beef Bourguignon & Rosemary Puree, among other delicious dishes. The ‘From the Sea’ menu has five fantastic varieties to select from: White Fish Fillet with Baked Cauliflower; Tuna Steak with Quinoa Pesto; Seafood Paella 55 Style; Fish Fillet & Grilled Potatoes; and Calamari & Chorizo Risotto.

Many clients return to Restaurant Fifty Five to take advantage of their exclusive wine labels and cooked to order dishes

Staff can also cater for business lunches and events, and provide a tasting menu for diners to enjoy the best creations available in one sitting. Restaurant Fifty Five prides itself on the excellent food they prepare, and will happily accommodate any request with full professionalism and a level of expertise not easily found in Tenerife.

Desserts Following on from the excellent tapas and main meal options, there are three desserts available – all well worth trying!

The Chocolate Soufflé with Ice Cream simply melts on the tongue, while the Caramelised Banana Split is to die for. The Surprise Jar is a fruity pudding that perfectly tops off a great

dining experience. Served in a glass pot, it is creamy and not too sweet with an excellent base.

Wines & Cocktails Omri and Nadav pride themselves on their choice of wines and offer a top selection of Spanish and Canarian varieties as well as exclusive labels. The organic Mother Earth is a must for lovers of red, or the slightly more expensive Castillo Monjardin is a lovely fruity option.

There are several white wines, including Montesierra and La Grieta, as well as Cava and Rosé options. Some customers return to Restaurant 55 just for these wines. Alternatively, try one of their delicious cocktails, including

Pleasant background music plays while you enjoy your meal, and the decoration in the dining area and large terrace is tastefully minimalist, creating an intimate and romantic atmosphere where the food is undeniably the star of the show and deservedly

takes centre stage. The restaurant proudly displays an enormous and very attractive open kitchen, designed for all to see, and not a microwave or freezer in sight!

Restaurant Fifty Five has a unique stamp of quality that will make for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. You will be made to feel very special and no request is too big. This establishment feels exclusive yet casual, ideal for a romantic dinner with a loved one or for entertaining important clients – all at very reasonable prices. We recommend you try n it soon.

Restaurant 55 CC San Blas, Local 55 Golf del Sur Information and bookings: 922 738 878.

Open: Monday to Wednesday, 6pm to midnight. Friday to Sunday, 6pm to midnight, with the restaurant closed on Thursdays.

044

Canary Islands’ attractions for tourists and residents Where to visit

General information

Upcoming events

What’s on

Islands summary

Useful contacts

Spin news

Cultural guide

Pages 22 & 23

Pages 24 & 25

Page 26 & 27

Page 28

Remastered master

The Raphael symphonic concert A chance to see one of the most talented all-round Spanish artists at work is coming up on September 16 in Santa Cruz.

Popular singer and actor Raphael is one of the top stars of the Spanish music scene and has a career that has spanned more than five decades. His latest tour sees him directing orchestras in remakes of some of his endless hit songs – with big sounds, impressive mixes and classical twists to tunes that have formed the background to Spanish life for as long as most people can remember.

Raphael is credited with making romantic ballads popular throughout the Spanish speaking world, though this is only one of his achievements.

Born in Andalusia in 1943, he moved with his family to Madrid shortly after and was fascinated by the world of entertainment from an early

age. He began singing at the age of three, being given the stage name of ‘El Niño de Linares’ – the child from Linares: his birth place. He joined a youth choir just one year later and at nine years old was officially named as the best young voice in Europe at the Salzburg Festival in Austria.

By the early 1960s his career had really taken off and he soon became known for his very expressive style of singing. In 1966 he appeared in his first film, Cuando tú no estás, followed by seven more, each of which has been a box office hit in various countries around the world, including Russia and Japan.

For two years running, in 1966 and 1967, he represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest with two of his own records: Yo soy aquel and Hablemos del amor.

Although he only reached the seventh and sixth places

respectively, his appearances put him under the international spotlight.

He has been invited to sing at some of the world’s top venues, such as the Olympia de París and New York’s Madison Square Garden. He also starred

on the Ed Sullivan Show, singing in English, Italian and Spanish. His appearance was so admired by audiences that he was invited back only a few months later.

By 1982 he had sold more than 50 million records. Continu-

ing his success and ongoing releases, he has also sung in various duets with stars such as Tom Jones, Julio Iglesias and Patti LaBelle.

Never one to take it easy, these days Raphael is considered one of the most dynamic stars of

the romantic ballad genre, still touring widely across the American and European continents, after more than 55 years. His interest in modern music is well known and many of his best songs have been re-mastered with contemporary takes on them to appeal to younger audiences.

Not only that, but more than 30 of his greatest hits, including Mi Gran Noche, Provocación, Escándalo, Yo soy aquel and Digan lo que digan have now been adapted for orchestras.

Raphael began touring with these latest works last year, with concerts as far afield as Colombia, Mexico and the United States.

You can see him with the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra at the Adán Martín Auditorium from 8.30pm onwards.

For more information and tickets for the Raphael Sinfónico show, see: www.auditorioden tenerife.com.

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The Canaries have what is considered one of the best climates anywhere on the planet, making the Islands the perfect destination for all year round tourism.

ous luxury hotels and some very nice, small white sand beaches.

In the foothills above these towns you will find three great places to visit. Siam Park (The Water Kingdom), recently declared the best in the world, has something for everyone, from beach lovers to adrenaline freaks. See: www. siampark.net Aqualand, on Avenida de Austria, a water park with a dolphin show.

See: www.aqualand.es.

The Jungle Park, at Las Águilas del Teide, is great fun for kids of all ages. See: www.aguilasjunglepark.com

Tenerife Teide National Park The highest peak in Spain, at 3,718m, is one of Tenerife’s greatest attractions. It is possible to hike to the top, and also to catch the cable car. See: www.telefericoteide.com.

To access the summit of the volcano, Pico del Teide, you need to obtain a free permit in advance, issued by the Administration Office of the National Park, which you can download at www.reservasparquesnacionales.es.

Los Gigantes

Benijo beach

summer solstices. See: www. piramidesdeguimar.es

Santa Cruz

Playa de Las Américas

Santa Cruz, the vibrant, bustling capital city of Tenerife, is located on the northeast coast.

It has a variety of interesting museums and art galleries, a well maintained historical centre, and an important commercial port. See: www.santacruzmas.com.

Currently Tenerife’s main tourist destination, this area has spectacular views of La Gomera. There’s a big night-life scene which attracts younger tourists, but it’s also somewhere you can relax, eat, and go sailing, whale and dolphin watching or golfing.

La Laguna La Laguna, a university city, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. It has a lively night life and a thriving cultural scene.

Puerto de la Cruz The town of Puerto de la Cruz was a popular tourist destination long before the south was.

Its attractive and busy town centre has maintained its picturesque fishing-village charm, and nearby is the prestigious, award-winning Loro Parque Zoo. See: www.loroparque.com.

Bananas

La Orotava One of the prettiest towns on the island, La Orotava also gives its name to the whole valley, which has a very prosperous history. The town centre has beautiful old mansions reflecting the wealth of the past.

Anaga Rural Park The Anaga Rural Park occupies much of the mountainous mas-

Los Cristianos sif in the northeastern corner of Tenerife. This is a steeplysloping area with exceptional natural and cultural treasures, and amazing landscapes.

Güímar This northeastern town is best known for the ethnographic park which was developed

by Thor Heyerdahl. The pyramids are a complex construction, astronomically orientated according to the winter and

Once a little fishing village, Los Cristianos began as a tourist destination for ailing Swedes who came to enjoy some rest and recuperation. From the port you can take a ferry to La Gomera, La Palma or El Hierro.

The two main beaches offer safe swimming with disabled access.

Costa Adeje Costa Adeje is an upmarket area of South West Tenerife

which is popular with European, Russian and national tourists. There are vari-

The town of Los Gigantes, which lives mainly from tourism but on a much more modest scale than Playa de Las Americas or Los Cristianos, is overlooked by the towering cliffs. There is good diving and a small harbour.

El Duque beach

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

Other islands La Gomera Only a 45 minute ferry ride from the port of Los Cristianos, La Gomera is a small, peaceful island with amazing hiking and a prehistoric rainforest which is a UNESCO world heritage site and the only one of its kind left in the world.

The ferry will take you to the capital, San Sebastián, famous for being Christopher Columbus’ last stop before crossing the Atlantic on his voyage of discovery.

Valle Gran Rey, in the southwest of the island, and Playa

HOLIDAY GUIDE

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is Fuencaliente: the place to go in La Palma to see a real volcanic landscape. The western side of this borough has nice beaches and withstood the many volcanic eruptions the island has suffered, the most recent being the Teneguía volcano in1971.

La Palma has a lovely variant of Carnival called Los Indianos, where everyone dresses in white and people take to the streets during the day to cover everything, including each other, in talcum powder.

like parts of North Africa than it does the other islands. The interior is mainly empty, with a few sun bleached villages and a surprising amount of goats, but the coast has some lovely towns and villages and kilometres of white sand beaches ideal for sunbathing and surfing. The capital is Puerto del Rosario, a relatively modern port town, rather sleepy and quiet despite the fact that nearly half of the island’s population live there.

The two main tourist towns are at opposite ends of the island; Corralejo in the north and Morro Jable in the south.

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Gran Canaria Teatro Pérez Galdós, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

green and rugged, with breathtaking sights and one of the best places in the world for star gazing, hence the location of the world’s most important astrophysical observatories on its Roque de los Muchachos.

The capital, Las Palmas, is a much bigger city than Santa Cruz de Tenerife and has a nice historical quarter, a good night-life and Las Canteras - a long, yellow sand beach with areas for supervised swimming - and another beach for surfers of all levels. The main tourist areas are Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas, with its beauti-

Lanzarote Lanzarote is known as the ‘Isla de los Volcanes’, with over 300 volcanic cones. Like Fuerteventura, it’s flatter than the other islands and there’s very little rain, even by Canarian standards. The whole island was

Laurel forest, La Gomera

Santiago, in the south, are the main tourist towns. Valle Gran Rey is a beautiful valley with good beaches and great restaurants. The harbour still has a small fishing fleet.

Garajonay National Park houses an ancient laurisilva (laurel) forest at its heart, with over 400 species of flora and fauna. The forest was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987.

El Hierro The smallest and westernmost of all the islands, El Hierro only has three municipalities; Valverde, Frontera and El Pinar.

For exploring, it’s best to hire a car, and you can easily drive all over the island in a day. Valverde is a small town in the north, the only capital in the

Canaries not located on the coast. Frontera (El Golfo) is a milder, bigger town to the west, with more going on and better weather, and right down in the south is La Restinga, famous for its diving.

La Palma Also known as ‘La Isla Bonita’ (the pretty island), La Palma is

Las Canteras beach, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

The capital, Santa Cruz, lies to the east of the island. It’s a pretty city of seafaring tradition, although Los Llanos de Aridane in the west is in fact the biggest city on La Palma.

The towns in the north of La Palma are also very beautiful and in the south of the island

ful sand-dunes and all-night bars and clubs. The island also has some spectacular archaeological sites.

Fuerteventura Flat, arid and sparsely populated, this island looks more

declared a Biosphere Reserve

by UNESCO, and those who take the time to explore the island will find it’s strangely beautiful. The capital is Arrecife, to the east, and the three main tourist resorts are Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise.

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General information for visitors

Useful contacts Tenerife Santa Cruz Tourist Office, Plaza de España Tel: (0034) 922 281 287/922 289 287 Open Mon - Fri: 9am - 6pm; Sat, Sun: 9.30am-1.30pm

Time zone: The time zone in the Canary Islands is the same as in the UK and Ireland.

Foreign exchange The Spanish currency is the Euro. You can change currency in any bank by showing your passport (Mon – Fri, 8am – 2pm), or in the many exchange agencies in resorts.

Can I drink the water?

You can drink the tap water in the Canaries, but the change may affect your stomach. If your visit is short, it’s perhaps best to stick to bottled.

Discounts Students and senior citizens may receive discounts on ferries, tickets to concerts, museums, etc., so always ask, as long as you can provide ID to prove it.

Shopping Normal opening hours in the Canaries are from 10am to 1.30pm and 5pm to 8.30pm.

However, in big tourist resorts and shopping centres the opening hours are longer, often from 10am until 10pm, sometimes even later. On Sundays and Bank Holidays only the shops in tourist resorts open.

There is a flea market in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, every Sunday morning Duty Free Despite popular belief, it is generally cheaper to buy alcohol and tobacco on the Islands than on the plane or at the airport.

Limits are: 200 cigarettes/50 cigars/ 250grs rolling tobacco 1L spirits over 22% or 2L spirits under 22% 2L wine 60ml perfume, 250 ml eau de toilette Medical care All residents of the EU have the right to free medical and hospital care from Tenerife’s Public Health Service whilst on holiday (ie less than three months). To receive this you need to have the European Medical Card or equivalent document, which can be applied for in your home country. It doesn’t cover all treatments; excluding dental treatment, except for emergency extractions, and repatriation due to illness.

Plaza del Duque, Adeje

If you are ill, find a Centro de Salud or Centro Médico. The ones in the tourist resorts generally speak some English.

Make sure they provide care under your insurance policy or EHIC before you sign for anything. Unscrupulous taxi drivers have been known to take back-handers for taking sick people to private clinics so make sure you are in the right place before paying.

Safety Only take out credit and bank cards you actually need: leave the rest in the hotel safe, along with your passport and other valuables. A UK driving licence with a photograph is usually accepted as ID for most credit card purchases, a photo credit card will still have to be accompanied by photo ID, daft, but there you are. Do not leave belongings unattended. Particular vigilance on the beach and when you are travelling with luggage is recommended.

Take the minimum with you on excursions and lock everything in the boot that you aren’t carrying with you and only access it where you are not overlooked.

Do not leave anything in sight.

Cars have been broken into for a beach towel before now.

If you are at a bar or nightclub, don’t leave your drink unattended and avoid dark streets on the way home.

The Islands are safer than many places in Europe, but there are always those who prey on the unaware: relaxing your vigilance could cost you dearly, not just in money but in precious holiday time - reporting the loss of a passport to the police for example and then the visits necessary to the consulates to replace it.

Emergency number: (all Canaries) 112 Guardia Civil (all Canaries): 062

Post Offices Open Monday to Saturday, generally 8.30am - 2.30pm. Some city offices open later.

Blue Badge users Parking for Blue Badge holders in the Canaries is limited to the ‘disabled only’ (Minusválidos) parking spaces in each town. There are no concessions to park on yellow lines or anywhere else normal parking is not allowed. And even if you have a Blue Badge, don’t park in a disabled area which has a registration number marked on it – you will be fined and probably towed away. For further information: www.bluebadgetenerife.com

Consulates British Consulate Tenerife: (0034) 922 286 653 British Consulate Gran Canaria: (0034) 902 109 356 Honorary British consulate Lanzarote: (0034) 928 262 508 Indian consulate: (0034) 922 241 416 Irish Consulate: (0034) 922 245 671 Consulates can issue passports, give information about medical care, education and Nature and Man Museum, Santa Cruz de Tenerife

legal matters, give assistance to people under arrest, under exceptional circumstances give you enough funds to be repatriated (on loan), and help you in the case of emergency/catastrophe.

Inter island transport: Fred Olsen (Ferries): 902 100 107 www.fredolsen.es Naviera Armas (Ferries): 902 456 500 www.navieraarmas. com Binter (Flights) 902 391 392 www.bintercanarias.com Canary Fly: 902 808 065 Airport and flight Information: All Canarian airports are controlled by AENA. www.aenaaeropuertos.es Buses The transport company TITSA has buses that reach all corners of the island. The main bus station is in Santa Cruz, near the Adán Martín Auditorium. Clients can choose to purchase a ticket on the bus for each individual journey or to buy a Bono-bus ticket, a card which can be shared by various people and will mean saving up to 50 per cent of the fare, depending on the route. They are on sale in any of the TITSA bus stations and also in a number of kiosks and small establishments (often newsagents), identified with a green sticker on the window.

If your Bono-bus has insufficient credit to purchase your last journey, the difference can be made up in cash on the bus, but not with another Bono-bus card.

For information you can call TITSA on: (0034) 922 531 130 or see: www.titsa.com

Taxis Tenerife taxis are white and, unless they are minivans, the maximum number of passengers is four, including children. Eurotaxis have ramps for wheelchairs.

Eurotaxis, Santa Cruz: (0034) 609 867 581/607 612 816/629 132 269 Taxi Santa Cruz: (0034) 937 780 030 www.teletaxi.es Radiotaxi San Pedro: (0034) 922 310 000 Parque Marítimo César Manrique (next to the Auditorium) Open every day: Sun-Thurs: 10am-8pm, Fri, Sat: 10amMidnight Adults: €2.50, Children (under 12): €1.50, Over 65s: €1.50 Tel: (0034) 922 229 368 https://es-es.facebook.com/ parque.manrique Palmetum Open Tues – Sun, 11am - 2pm, 4pm-6pm.

Adults: €4, Children (under 12): €2.80, Canarian residents €1/1.50 Tel: (0034) 697 651 127. info@palmetumsantacruz. com Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre (Nature and Man) Open Tues – Sat, 9am - 8pm; Sun, Mon, 10am - 5pm. Tel: (00 34) 922 535 816 www.museosdetenerife.org Museo Militar (Military Museum), C/ San Isidro.

Tel: (0034) 922 274 224.

Open: Mon-Fri 10am-2pm, ecocmar@et.mde.es Castillo de San Cristóbal, Plaza de España Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm www.museosdetenerife.org Auditorio Adán Martín Tel: (0034) 922 568 600 www.auditoriodetenerife.com Teatro Guimerá, Plaza Isla de la Madera.

Tel: (0034) 922 609 408/922 609 400 www.teatroguimera.es

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La Laguna Tourist Office, Casa Alvaro Bracamonde, C/ La Carrera.

Tel: (0034) 922 631 194/922 601 106.

The tourist office offers a free guided route around the city.

Call to make a reservation.

Tenerife South Playa de Las Américas Tourist Office Plaza del Centro Comercial City Centre, Avda. Rafael Puig, 19.

Tel: (0034) 922 797 668

Museo de Historia y Antropología de Tenerife, Casa Lercaro, C/ San Agustín. Open Tues - Sat: 9am-8pm; Sun, Mon, Bank holidays: 10am 5pm. www.museosdetenerife.org.

Oficinas de Turismo: Avda. Juan Carlos I (Bus station) Tel: (0034) 922 730 133 Paseo Marítimo Playa de Las Vistas Tel: (0034) 922 787 011

Taxis: (0034) 922 715 407

HOLIDAY GUIDE Twin Tickets can be purchased for Siam Park and Loro Parque. www.siampark.net Lost Property Offices Tenerife North Airport: (0034) 922 635 855 Tenerife South Airport: (0034) 922 759 391 Arona: (0034) 922 725 562 Costa Adeje: (0034) 922 710 606 La Laguna: (0034) 922 608 805/922 251 080 Puerto de la Cruz: (0034) 922 378 448

Evangelical Service Centro Apolo, 1ª planta, Los Cristianos, Arona.

Tel: (0034) 922 792 007 Services: Sundays at 11am and 6pm Swedish Church Abroad Coronel, s/n, Los Cristianos, Arona.

Tel: (0034) 922 75 00 68

Radiotaxi La Laguna (0034) 922 255 555.

Puerto de la Cruz Tourist Office, Casa de la Aduana, C/ Las Lonjas.

Tel: (0034) 922 386 000.

Centro de Información Turística, C/ Puerto Viejo.

Tel: (0034) 922 370 243/922 388 777.

Taxis: (0034) 922 378 999.

Loro Parque, Avda. Loro Parque s/n Tel: (0034) 922 373 841 Open every day from 8.30am to 6.45pm www.loroparque.com

Taxis: (0034) 922 747 511 Tourist Office Costa Adeje Avda. Litoral Playa Fañabé Tel: (0034) 922 716 539 Jungle Park: Urb. Las Águilas del Teide, s/n Tel: (0034) 922 729 806. www.aguilasjunglepark.com.

Aqualand Avda. Austria, 15 Tel: (0034) 922 715 266. www.aqualand.es Twin tickets can be purchased for Aqualand and Jungle Park, see websites.

Siam Park (The Water Kingdom) Avda. Siam Park s/n. Tel: (0034) 822 070 000.

Santa Cruz: (0034) 922 606 354 Religious Services In Spain, Catholicism is the main religion and almost all towns and cities, including tourist resorts, have churches where mass is frequently held.

Below is information about Catholic services held in languages other than Spanish and services for other faiths.

Holy Communion Anglican Church, Iglesia de San Eugenio, Las Américas.

Tel: (0034) 922 793 143 Services: Sundays at 10.15am Anglican church, Puerto de la Cruz www.allsaintstenerife.com/

San Sebastián Tourist Office C/ Real, 4. www.sansebastiandelagomera. org/turismo/ Taxis: (0034) 922 870 524

Tourism Board C/ Triana, Las Palmas. Tel: (0034) 928 219 600. www.grancanaria.com/patronato_turismo.

Valle Gran Rey Tourist Office C/ La Noria, 2, La Playa.

Tel: (0034) 922 805 458 www.lagomera.travel/islascanarias/la-gomera/es/acerca/ visitar-valle-gran-rey/

Las Dunas Tourist Office Avda. De Tirajana (Hotel Riu Maspalomas), Playa del Inglés.

Tel: (0034) 928 765 242.

Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos, Avda. Los Menceyes.

Tel: (0034) 922 315 265.

Open: Tues-Sat: 9am-8.pm.

Sun, Mon, Bank holidays: 10am - 5pm. www.museosdetenerife.org.

La Gomera

Gran Canaria

Las Canteras Tourist Office Paseo de la Playa de Las Canteras (opposite the Hotel Meliá) Tel: (0034) 928 446 824. www.lpavisit.com.

La Laguna

Teguise Tourist Office Plaza de La Constitución, s/n Tel (0034) 928 845 398 www.turismoteguise.com

Island Tourist Board Avda. España (Yumbo shopping centre), Playa del Inglés.

Tel: (0034) 928 771 550. www.grancanaria.com/patronato_turismo.

El Portón Tourist Office El Portón Shopping Centre, Playa del Inglés. www.turismo.maspalomas. com.

Lanzarote

Taxis Valley Gran Rey: (0034) 922 805 058

Costa Teguise Tourist Office Avda. Islas Canarias s/n Tel: (0034) 928 592 542 www.turismoteguise.com

La Palma La Palma Tourist Office Avda. Blas Pérez González s/n Tel: (0034) 922 412 106 www.visitlapalma.es Taxis: Radiotaxis La Palma: (0034) 922 181 396 www.taxilapalma.com: 686 553868 Radiotaxi San Miguel: (0034) 922 416 070 Los Llanos de Aridane Tourist Offices: Avda. Dr. Flemming, s/n Tel: (0034) 922 402 583 / (0034) 922 402 528 www.lapalmacit.com Llano de Argual, 31 (also handicraft shop) Tel: (0034) 922 401 899

Playa Santiago Tourist Office Avda. Marítima, s/n.

Tel: (0034) 922 895 650 playasantiago@lagomera. travel

Taxi rank: (0034) 922 462 001 www.taxilapalma.com / (0034) 686 553 868

Taxis: (0034) 922 895 698

Puerto Naos Tourist Office Puerto Naos car park Tel: 618 856 516

Fuerteventura Puerto del Rosario Tourist Office Avda. De la Constitución, 5 Tel: (0034) 928 530 844 Taxis: (0034) 928 850 059 / 928 850 216 Corralejo Tourist Office Plaza Grande de Corralejo Tel. (0034) 928 866 235 Taxis: (0034) 928 866 108

Arrecife Tourist Office Parque José Ramírez Cerdá s/n Tel: (0034) 928 813 174 www.turismolanzarote.com

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Morro Jable Tourist Office Avda. Saladar, Jandía shopping centre Tel: (0034) 928 540 776 turismo@playasdejandia.com Taxis: (0034) 928 541 257

Fuencaliente Tourist Office Plaza Minerva, s/n (Minerva Square) Tel: (0034) 922 444 003 Taxis: (0034) 922 434 071 www.taxilapalma.es Caldera de Taburiente National Park www.visitlapalma.es/recursos/recurso-parque-nacionalde-la-caldera-de-taburiente / www.reddeparquesnacionales. mma.es Theme Parks Maro Parque, Breña Alta.

Tel:(0034) 922 417 782. www.maroparque.com Palmex Cactus, El Paso Tel: (0034) 922 464 862 Paraíso de las Aves, El Paso Tel: (0034) 922 485 701 All information was correct at the time of going to press.

Please confirm before travelling.

Lago Martiánez Avda. De Cristóbal Colón, 1 Tel: (0034) 922 385 955 Taxis: Servitaxi (0034) 922 378 999 La Orotava Tourist Office C/ Calvario, 4 Tel: (0034) 922 323 041

Pickup Point 2nd Home Tenerife C.C. Plaza del Duque

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HOLIDAY GUIDE SPIN NEWS

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Exciting exhibition

Not on your nelly!

Did you know that it was in Tenerife that Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson famously lost part of his arm, ever more to be depicted with it tucked inside his coat?

Known as the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Nelson headed an amphibious assault by the English Royal Navy on the port of Santa Cruz on July 22, 1797.

The attack was spectacularly defeated, and three days later, on July 25, those from the British side who still remained were allowed to withdraw peacefully under the terms of a truce with the Spanish, though it was too late for the several hundred men of the landing party who had already lost their lives. It was during the assault that Nelson was wounded in the arm, part of which was later amputated.

Every year the battle is fervently re-enacted in the Plaza

de España, Plaza La Candelaria, Calle Doctor Allart and Calle Cruz Verde areas of Santa Cruz.

Actors in period costume race

through the streets to a background of roars and gun and cannon fire, much to the joy of the enthusiastic crowds who gather

to watch the famous defeat being played out once again.

Though the annual celebration has passed, there is still plenty of time to visit the Centro de Historia y Cultura Militar de Canarias where a collection of fascinating artefacts from the time will be on show until August 30.

The exhibition is entitled Affair of Teneriffe, the name given to the encounter by Nelson himself. Amongst other aspects, it shows the story of the rout as told from the British point of view – which somehow managed to make it anything but the defeat that it was.

Find the Fuerte de Almeyda CHCM Canarias military centre on Calle San Isidro, Santa Cruz. Opening times are 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm on Saturdays.

Entrance is free.

See: www.ejercito.mde.es for n more information.

Culinary escapades The sixth annual Tegueste Food and Agricultural Treasures line-up is on from now until December.

Aimed at promoting local produce, the event involves various activities based on individual foodstuffs, which mainly take place at the area’s Agricultural and Artisan Market.

One of the main draws this year is the agenda’s focus on the ‘slow food’ movement. Each month is dedicated to a particular tasty product from the region, with watermelon being in the spotlight for August. This is followed by avocado for September, whilst peppers are the protagonists for October. November sees pumpkins and courgettes take centre stage, and during December it’s the turn of legumes, to celebrate the period that the United Nations designated as the International Year of Pulses.

With a focus on seasonal eating and the benefits of choosing organic foods, the programme will include cooking demonstrations, talks, tastings and many more gastronomic activities each month. Find more information on Tesoros n Agroalimentarios de Tegueste at: www.tegueste.es.

Get real

Sansofé

Rap and reggae

Photo: Petra Winkler / FreeImages.com

Great Granadilla!

As part of their yearly Sansofé programme of events for summer, Granadilla council still have plenty of activities lined up for every member of the family.

Tasty Tegueste

The seafront in Los Abrigos from 11am onwards on August 6 is the place to be for the VII Tapas y Cañas de Verano Festival (Summer snacks and drinks), and later that evening,

from 7pm, there will be a celebration of Canarian dinghy sailing on El Médano Plaza, with music and displays of traditional games. On August 7, also on El Médano Plaza, from 7pm there will be a stage show for the younger members of the family, and no doubt they will also enjoy the foam party and games which will be held in the same place on August 12. In addition, that day you can head down to the seafront in Los Abrigos where there will be live music starting at 9pm.

The fun for kids starts at 6pm on August 13 on the mini plaza in Los Abrigos, and it is back over to El Médano Plaza at 9pm for the Santa Blues de Tenerife Festival with some great music from The River and the Rojas Blues bands.

On August 14 there is a free open-air film at 9.30pm on El Médano Plaza, and this will also take place at the same time on August 20 on Los Abrigos Plaza. You’ll have to take your pick on the night, or visit both, as there will be live music on the seafront in Los Abrigos from 9pm as well.

From 9am on August 27, El Médano Plaza will be the scene for an informative social and environmental day given by the Red Cross, with games and a foam party for the little ones from 6pm on Los Abrigos Plaza.

For the very last event in the Sansofé summer programme, it is back to El Médano Plaza at 9pm with a concert from Ruts y La Isla Music.

Check out the full list at: www. n granadilladeabona.org.

A charity concert with a difference will take place in Garachico on August 12.

The Rap and Reggae Canario Festival will include various concerts, an arts and crafts fair and a whole host of chances to sample some wonderful local cuisine.

Groups providing the entertainment include Ras Kuko, Stereoman, Guiyo, Don Virgilio, Dadda Wanche, the One Love Band and Javadub, as well as DJ Cisco and DJ Maquina.

The dance group Breaking Rules will also be showing off their skills. For all this you have to pay just €1 and it’s all for a good cause.

Get yourself down to the town’s Plaza de San Roque on the night, or see: www.garachico.es for more info in the interim. n

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Carefree customs

Garachico parties The biggest fiesta of Garachico’s annual calendar of events is on right now until August 16.

People travel from all over the island to join in the San Roque celebrations, with some great traditional get-togethers which are well worth a visit.

The top dates for joining in the local customs start on August 5 with the Fiesta de las Tradiciones where you’ll see old-time practices, games and cuisine, rounded off with folk music aplenty.

The following day is the Romería Chica with a gathering of farm animals and pets to be paraded and blessed. August 13 sees a combined fiesta and animal gathering in Plaza del Roque which starts at 9pm at night and carries on right through to 6am to the accompaniment of various bands.

The closing act on August 16 will be the Romería de San Roque with all of the above and more. n Visit: www.garachico.es for a full list of activities.

Be square

Musical moments Buenavista del Norte is once again laying on its yearly EnPlázate programme of concerts.

On until August 25, a series of varied Thursday night outdoor musical moments ensures that there‘s something for every musical taste throughout the month. Taking place in the town squares, the groups are some of the best around. Each of the music nights start at 10pm. There is also a range of top films in Spanish being shown each Wednesday in the Teatro Municipal until August 31. For the lowdown on the shows, n see: www.buenavistadelnorte.com.

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On the go

Fit fun in Arona There’s plenty to do over summer for those living in the Arona area thanks to the local council – and lots of it is free as well!

There are games for youngsters between the ages of six and 14 down at Playa de Los Cristianos between 10am and 12pm, Monday to Friday. The kids have the chance to get fit, enjoy the beach and make new friends whilst enjoying a range of activities.

Volleyball is available for older members of the family, so those between 12 and 18 can also make their way to Los Cristianos beach between 10am and midday from Monday through to Friday to enjoy a good game.

Still with the young ones, there is a full programme of sporting activities that will visit each of the main council sports halls around the borough. These events are aimed at children between six and 14 years old and will take place Monday through to Friday at the following venues at the appointed times. In Buzanada the hours

are 10am to 12pm, and in Cabo Blanco it is 6pm to 8pm.

Down in Las Galletas it is also 10am to 12pm, and it is the turn of El Fraile for another 6pm to 8pm slot.

The same activities in the town of Arona are also open for children as young as four, and they can join in between 6pm and 8pm. Valle San Lorenzo’s games take place in the Agricultural market’s sports hall, 10am to 12pm.

Adult’s aren’t left out of Arona’s drive for summer fitness,

as those over the age of 17 can take a trip to Los Cristianos beach to join in a range of entertaining games and exercises between Monday and Friday. Participants even have the choice of two different times each day. The morning session is between 8am and 9am and the evening hour is from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.

For all of the above leisure pursuits all you have to do is turn up on the day and join in!

For seniors there is stretching and exercise on Playa de Las

Vistas on Mondays and Thursdays and transport is even provided at 8am from local Third Age Centres from around the borough if needed. Just sign up at your nearest centre.

Everything listed so far is free but there are also many more events, games and sports to take part in throughout the month of August, including tennis, swimming and kayaking.

See: www.arona.org for full details of the Arona Muévete programme and make the most of this great opportunity. n

Guía de Isora

Nature and culture As part of an ongoing programme of environmental and cultural events run by Guía de Isora council there are three free guided walks coming up which everyone is welcome to take part in.

With a variety of hikes that take in some of the most beautiful areas of the borough, the aim of the series of outings is to unite residents and visitors whilst promoting appreciation of the area’s traditional customs and incredible scenery.

Already a success so far this year, there are three walks which you can still enjoy.

On August 21 the ‘Ruta de

Photo: Julia Freeman-Woolpert / FreeImages.com

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

las Estrellas’ (Star Route) will cover the area between Chasogo and Chiguergue in a night walk which will include some serious star gazing.

The following month, on September 11, it’s the turn of the ‘Ruta de los Hornos’ from the Chirche viewing point to the centre of Guía de Isora, pass-

ing by the region’s many traditional stone ovens.

The last of this year, the ‘Ruta por los Caseríos’ (Hamlet and small village route) will amble through Chío, Vera de Erques, Chirche, El Jaral, El Choro and Las Fuentes on October 9.

Transport, insurance and the services of the guide are all included in the day out. See: www.guiadeisora.es for more information on the Promoción del Patrimonio Natural y Cultural programme. To register for one of the trips, call: 635 797 284 or email: promocionguiadeisora@gmail.com. Spaces are limited so sign up soon. n

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

August

August

GRAN CANARIA TENERIFE DIARY DATES August 7 12pm: Children’s show, Cancionero isleño, songs and legends from the Canary Islands, Casa Museo Pérez Galdós, Las Palmas, free entry. www.casamuseoperezgaldos.com.

9.30pm: Alejandro Sanz concert, Anexo Estadio de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas. Tickets between €35 and €70. www.ticketea.com.

DIARY DATES It’s still a busy time for local fiestas, most of which have plenty of varied events for all ages and tastes, leading up to, on, and after the local patron saint’s day. Banks and some businesses may be closed on the actual day. For more information see the events’ programmes on local council websites.

10pm: Markeliñe Theatre, Temudas Fest, Plaza de Santa Ana, La Palmas, free entry. www. lpatemudasfest.com.

August 12 & 13

August 5

10pm: Los malditos, theatre show, Temudas Fest, Plaza de Santa Ana, La Palmas, free entry. www.lpatemudasfest.com.

All day: Fiesta de las Tradiciones, traditional games, cuisine, folk music, Garachico. www. garachico.es.

9am to 6pm: Swimming excursion to Bajamar for 14 to 35 year olds. www.arona.org.

Until August 15 Fiestas de San Lorenzo, Las Palmas. Music, dancing, various activities. Facebook: Fiestas de San Lorenzo.

August 18

8pm: Trails in Motion Festival, top quality films and documentaries about running, Roca Negra Hotel and Spa, Agaete. Entrance from €4. www. ticketea.com.

9pm: The Original Blues Brothers Band, Gran Canaria Arena, Las Palmas, tickets from €45 to €120. www.entrees.es.

August 20 10pm: Miguel Bosé concert, Gran Canaria Arena, Las Palmas. Tickets from €38. www.

Miguelbose.com.

Thursday – Sunday CamBuyon Market, art, second hand, vintage and antiques, Mercado del Puerto, LPGC, Thursdays and Fridays 7pm – 11pm; Saturdays 6pm – 11pm; Sundays 12pm – 3pm.

Exhibitions

10pm: Live music, Plaza de Los Remedios, Buenavista, free entry. www.buenavistadelnorte.com.

August 27

August 4 9.30pm: open-air cinema night, Plaza del Príncipe, El Sauzal. www.elsauzal.es.

10pm: Live music, Plaza de Los Remedios, Buenavista, free entry. www.buenavistadelnorte.com.

August 9 & 10

August 25

9am: Social and environmental day with the Red Cross, El Médano Plaza. www.granadilladeabona.org.

6pm: Children’s games and foam party, free, Los Abrigos Plaza. www.granadilladeabona.org.

9pm: Concert with Ruts y La Isla Music, free, El Médano Plaza. www.granadilladeabona.org.

9.30pm: XXVI Baile del Candil, traditional fiesta with folklore Group Princesa Iraya, Canarian costume must be worn. Plaza San Bartolomé de Geneto, La Laguna, free entry. www.lalagunaahora.com.

Until August 31 to charity, Plaza de San Roque, Garachico. www.garachico.es.

9pm: Free traditional concert, Los Abrigos town. www.granadilladeabona.org.

Monday to Friday: Beach games for children and adults, Playa de Los Cristianos and Playa las Vistas, Arona. Various times of the day. www.arona.org.

August 13

Until further notice

6pm: Children’s games, mini plaza in Los Abrigos. www.granadilladeabona.org.

9pm: Fiesta and animal gathering, live music, Plaza del Roque, Garachico. www.garachico.es.

9pm: Santa Blues de Tenerife Festival with music from The River and the Rojas Blues bands, El Médano Plaza. Free entry. www.granadilladeabona.org.

Open air cinema at the Magma Centre, Adeje, from €4 for residents, many films in the original language. See: www.openaircinematenerife.es for programme and non-resident prices.

August 14

Every Saturday morning Events for specific groups, families, seniors, women, etc. Activate Sports Club. www.tenerifeactivate.com.

9.30pm: Alejandro Sanz in concert, Estadio Francisco Peraza, La Laguna. Tickets between €35 and €70. www.ticketmaster.es.

9.30pm: Open-air cinema, free, El Médano Plaza. www.granadilladeabona.org.

August 6

August 16

All day: Romería Chica, gathering of farm animals and pets to be paraded and blessed, Garachico. www.garachico.es.

11am: VII Tapas y Cañas de Verano Festival (Summer snacks and drinks), seafront, Los Abrigos. www.granadilladeabona.org.

7pm: Celebration of Canarian dingy sailing plus music and displays of traditional games, El Médano Plaza. www.granadilladeabona.org.

All day: Romería de San Roque, gathering of farm animals and pets, parades, live music, Garachico. www.garachico.es.

10pm: Live music, Plaza de Los Remedios, Buenavista, free entry. www.buenavistadelnorte.com.

Collection of paintings and sculptures from students of the El Médano and San Isidro Municipal Art Schools, Antigua Escuela de El Médano, C/ El Confital, every day from 6pm to 10pm.

Exhibition about the attack on Tenerife by RearAdmiral Nelson in 1797, Fuerte de Almeyda CHCM Canarias Military Centre, Calle San Isidro, Santa Cruz, Monday to Friday, 9am 3pm; Saturdays, 10am to 2pm, free entry. www. ejercito.mde.es.

August 7

August 19

Until September 11

7pm: Children’s entertainment, El Médano Plaza. www.granadilladeabona.org.

8pm: The Original Blues Brothers Band, Pirámide de Arona, Playa de Las Américas, tickets from €45 to €150. www.ticketbell.com.

Limbo, photographs by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, Santa Cruz, free entry, 10am to 8pm, Tuesday to Sunday. www.teatenerife.es.

Until August 28

August 11

Photos based on descendants of Canarians in the USA. Casa de Colón, Las Palmas. Monday 10am - 9pm; Saturday 10am – 6pm; Sundays and holidays 10am - 3pm. www.casadecolon.com.

And if I die? Collection of works by Egyptian artist Amira Parree, paintings, performance and visual arts, CAAM, Plaza San Antonio Abad, Las Palmas, free entry. Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 9pm; Sundays 10am – 2pm. www. caam.net.

10pm: Live music, Plaza de Los Remedios, Buenavista, free entry. www.buenavistadelnorte.com.

August 12 7pm: Children’s foam party and games, El Médano Plaza. www.granadilladeabona.org.

7pm: Rap and Reggae Canario Festival, various alternative bands, arts and crafts fair, dance show, food, DJs, entrance costs €1 donation

August 18

August 20 9pm: live music, free, seafront in Los Abrigos. www.granadilladeabona.org.

9.30pm: Open-air cinema, Los Abrigos Plaza, free. www.granadilladeabona.org.

August 21 Over night: Guided walk ‘Ruta de las Estrellas’ (Star Route), Chasogo and Chiguergue. www. guiadeisora.es.

EXHIBITIONS Until August 30

Until October 15 Exhibition ‘Georges Méliès. La magia del cine’ (Georges Méliès. The magic of cinema), more than 140 artefacts relating to the man who is known as the ‘father of special effects’, Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias, Plaza del Patriotismo, Santa Cruz. Free entry. Monday to Thursday, 11am – 1pm and 5pm - 9pm; Fridays, 11am – 1pm and 5pm - 8pm; Saturdays 11am - 2pm and 5pm - 8pm. www.cajacanarias.com.

For regular church, charity and recreational events, please see: www.islandconnections.eu/1000003/1000027/0/41004/living-lifestyle-article.html

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

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ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

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Investment Diversification

How will your portfolio cope with Brexit?

By Paul Montague, Partner, Blevins Franks

However well we have settled into our new way of life in the Canary Islands and consider it our home now, most UK nationals living here continue with some British lifestyle habits.

Whether it is a Sunday roast with all the trimmings, watching BBC, etc, there are some ties with the UK we do not like to lose, and we find comfort in familiarity.

It is the same with investments.

Many British investors tend to own UK investments. They prefer shares listed on a FTSE index or corporate bonds issued

by UK companies. Yet we live in a global world now and the UK market comprises just one part of the global markets, and not a particularly big one.

British expatriates also often hold on to their UK investments. Many continue using their UK financial adviser, with

the result that their financial planning is often more suitable for a UK resident than a Spanish one. This can have undesirable consequences. Consider taking advice from a wealth manager who lives here and is experienced providing advice to British expatriates living in the Canary Islands.

Having such a narrow investment focus is not advisable at the best of times. It is even less advisable following the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Whatever the future may hold, the UK is going through a period of uncertainty.

The Brexit negotiations will take at least two years, maybe a few more, and it will be some time before we know what the UK/ EU deal will look like.

It is more important than ever for British expatriates who retain UK portfolios to seek advice from a local adviser and look at improving diversification. You need a long-term strategic asset allocation plan based on your current and expected future circumstances, needs and risk profile. This applies to your pension funds too.

your investments are set up in the best way for your particular circumstances and to provide flexibility to change currencies if necessary.

At Blevins Franks we take an objective assessment of each client’s risk profile and develop portfolios around that as well as their needs and objectives – portfolios designed to control risk through multiple layers of diversification.

“It is more important than ever for British expatriates who retain UK portfolios to seek advice from a local adviser and look at improving diversification.”

Diversification gives your portfolio the chance to produce positive returns over time without being vulnerable to any single area underperforming. You need to spread your capital across various asset classes and diversify across geographical areas, sectors, company size, etc.

Currency is an important consideration. If you are spending Euro in your day-to-day life, whether to pay bills, make purchases or for entertainment, all this will get more expensive if you are taking income or lump sums in Sterling and the exchange rate falls. You should

have some investments denominated in Euro. If you also spend money in the UK, expect to return someday, or plan to leave an inheritance to UK residents, you may wish to have both Sterling and Euro investments. This is another key issue to discuss with your adviser, to ensure

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices, which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

Blevins Franks provides tailormade advice on investment strategies, tax mitigation and estate planning. It has decades of experience advising British expatriates in Spain. Contact Paul Montague on 922 716 079 or paul.montague@ blevinsfranks.com. www.blevinsfranks.com

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BUSINESS

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Coworking together

My place is your place The My Place Coworking Tenerife centre in La Orotava offers individuals and small businesses from different areas a unique space to work and collaborate to turn ideas into projects.

My Place is a pleasant working environment providing low-cost, modern offices and workspaces, with good transport links for businesses and self-employed people in the north of Tenerife.

The company believes that creativity must unfold and individuals need suitable space, conditions and atmosphere to make that happen. They provide the right level of professional independence to increase productivity and help to put people in contact with others in related fields. If synergy is created, everyone benefits.

Coworking Coworking is a working model that is based on ente-

rprises and professionals sharing an infrastructure together, but also independently of each other, to realise projects.

My Place My Place is located in the San Jeronimo industrial park

lifts and wheelchair ramps.

Its eye-catching feature is the design, which affords well lit, spacious workspaces with modern and creative furnishings and furniture. The feel is intended to encourage innovative flair and emphasise the sustainable aspect of the coworking principle.

reliable exchange of information with clients and associates all over the world.

The office space also offers pleasant, adjoining chillout areas for relaxing and has a basement with 20 fullyequipped offices ranging between eight and 37 square metres. There are conference

My Place Coworking Tenerife centre in La Orotava

From an economic point of view, this inspiring environment is highly attractive because the costs are much lower than managing an independent office.

in La Orotava, just a stone’s throw from the motorway exit for the Alcampo shopping centre. Across two floors, it offers floor space of 1,600 square metres and is equipped with

Private offices and office spaces are available to rent via a number of flexible price options

The high-performance wifi connection (1,000Mb) on all 82 workstations enables rapid and

and meeting rooms of different sizes where clients can be received, and the premises are

also available to external users.

For example, there are numerous companies that use the space to meet with clients in the north of the island.

Affordable office space For people under 30 years of age it’s possible to enjoy use of the coworking space, kitchen, lounge areas and meeting rooms for only €50 a month. It is €70 for those over 30 years of age. Offices with or without windows are available from just €150 per month, along with access to chillout areas, kitchen and conference rooms.

You can also rent a meeting room from just €9 an hour, including the use of whiteboards and projectors.

There are discounted member rates and many other, flexible options. For further information visit: www.myplace-canarias. es/en. Also, telephone: 922 099 201, or email: hello@ n myplace-canarias.es.

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

BUSINESS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Life after Brexit

Get your affairs in order

Transparency in Arona

The initial tremors from Brexit have died down and it’s time to take stock and see what needs to be done, if anything.

As has already been said numerous times, no one here needs to worry as almost all the things we currently enjoy, such as free healthcare for UK pensioners, and visa free travel, are likely to be renegotiated with Spain directly instead of through the EU. There are already precedents in place for this.

However, having said that, it is common sense that if you live and work in Tenerife you should at least have your paperwork in order, and although the two year countdown to the actual exit has not yet begun, it’s not something you would be advised to leave until the last minute.

Paperwork and taxes can be extremely complicated and involved here in Tenerife, and add into the mix the language problem and it can seem an impossible task. But it’s not wise to put it off because one day that might be a costly mistake.

If you are working here but have a white NIE number rather than a green ‘registro’ card for example, it would be a good idea to get this sorted now, so you have a full two years of registration before the actual Brexit.

If you are a pensioner registered as living in Tenerife and in receipt of free healthcare as part of the reciprocal agreement, are you clear that you have your tax affairs in order?

Some of the penalties for not declaring what and where you should be are extremely high, and there is an increasing level of transparency between the UK and Spain.

Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Many non-resident property owners are not aware, for example, that they are required to make a declaration each year.

If you have a trusted fiscal representative or accountant who already deals with your paperwork, then you probably don’t have anything to worry about. If you don’t, it might be a good idea to talk to someone and put your mind at rest.

Consultations are free at the Free Advice Centre Tenerife (FACT), as the name suggests, and referrals to professional and ethical affiliates are also free. Visit us at the Wheeler Dealer premises in Las Chafiras any weekday morning. n

DO YOU WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR COMPANY HERE 922 750 609

What happens to my taxes?

Photo: Martapada CC A-S A 2.0 UL

Sponsored by the Free Advice Centre Tenerife

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Residents of Los Cristianos will benefit from their council’s transparency plans

Arona is to become the first municipality in the Canary Islands to adopt a transparency system whereby residents can find out what is being done with the local taxes they pay.

The system will offer all the Arona Council’s budgetary and spending information in a simple way, and will be interactive and visual, thanks to the technical support given by the Fundación Cíudadana Civio.

Systems developed by this foundation are already being used by councils in Madrid, Torrelodones, Rubí, Móstoles, Pinto, La Vall d’Uixo, Castellón and Polinyà in the Peninsular, and will soon be used in Barcelona.

Regional governments are already running the system too, including the Basque Country, Aragón and the Region of Murcia. This means that over six million residents in these areas already understand what is going on in their immediate

Mayor Reverón is about to place all Arona Council’s information at your fingertips

environment and where their taxes are being spent.

The project in Arona will cost €17,334 to implement and the foundation will use all the data supplied by the council to create a global vision of the budgets, the evolution of municipal budgetary policies, and spending programmes in detail. There will also be a search facility which will be able to filter results by year, or to find specific expenditure, even if you don’t know

beforehand which council programme it belongs to.

This programme should be accessible to everyone from October, meaning that all the council’s finances will be completely transparent. The public will be able to find out what their tax money is used for, what projects cost, which ones are already paid for, and how much the council pays to suppliers. These and many other questions can be answered by

the system. Arona mayor José Antonio Reverón said: “We are working to create a transparent administration. A municipality like Arona must go beyond that to create a well-functioning democratic system.” He explained that access to the information must be effective, and it should be clear and easy to understand.

The Fundación Cíudadana Civio’s work in the public sector has already been recognised with several international awards including one from the Open Knowledge Foundation as the best non-public Transparency Initiative 2014 and 2015. In addition, the foundation received the iRedes 2015 award from the IberoAmerican Congress for Social Networks for placing technology at the service of the public for participation and transparency, and the Premio Empodera 2013 for making social use of new n technologies.

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CULTURE

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Marianne Robiou

Mademoiselle Electroswing Last October we published a review of the album Mademoiselle Electroswing, the first solo album from Marianne Robiou which is now on release. As promised, here’s the full review.

The first gold marks go to Marianne for dropping the cover tracks which she sent me in the pre-release and for focusing only on her original versions. As good and innovative as her cover versions are, the author certainly doesn’t need to record other artists’ work with her own writing talent.

If you haven’t yet heard of this French born singer-songwriter, you must have been asleep for the best part of this decade. Founder of the Tenerifebased group Liqueur de Feeling, which released its debut album Dreamland in 2013, Marianne has performed in numerous music festivals, on local TV stations, and her music has an important presence on Qfm.

much so that on a handful of tracks it almost outshines the vocalist’s charm. However, when we hear Marianne’s

this artist and her wonderful creations.

These tracks will continue to pound the airwaves on Qfm

TRACKLIST

Her ability to compose and sing in French, English and Spanish has opened many doors in the industry, not forgetting her vibrant stage presence and photogenic style.

Throughout last year, she has focused much of her energy in the recording studio, collaborating with legendary producer

Bebo Best. The result of many months of work is Mademoiselle Electroswing, a collection of original tracks written

by Marianne, with a few classic covers given a radical ElectroJazz-Lounge makeover.

Bebo’s unique style of upbeat Bossa-Jazz is very present throughout the album, so

1. Start It All Again 2. Get Up 3. Electroswing in Paris 4. Sol y Luna 5. Jazz Man 6. Magic Scene 7. I Got Some Motivation 8. S’évader 9. Do It 10. Swing in Paradise 11. Sol y Luna (Instrumental Version) character shine through on songs such as Sol y Luna and Magic Scene, we appreciate the producer’s skills in bringing out the very best from

94.3 this summer, and you can also preview or purchase the album or individual tracks from the artist’s website: www. mariannerobiou.com.

And whatever you do, if you get the chance to see her perform live, don’t miss it. One word describes her concerts: elecn trifying!

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

CULTURE

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

33

The Blues Brothers

Music, comedy and fun The Blues Brothers is the title of a 1980 American musical comedy movie directed by John Landis. It starred John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as ‘Joliet’ Jake and Elwood Blues.

These two characters evolved from a Blues Brothers sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. The movie featured songs by numerous soul and blues singers, including James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker, and was set and filmed in and around Chicago, Illinois.

The story is one of redemption for paroled convict Jake and his brother Elwood who set off on a ‘mission from God’ to save the Catholic orphanage where they were brought up from foreclosure. For this they had get their R&B band back together and organise a performance to raise money for the orphanage’s tax bill.

During their efforts, they were targeted by a destructive mystery woman, Neo-Nazis, a country and western band, and at the same time, the police!

This is the background to the tribute show to The Blues Brothers here in Tenerife.

Before Island Connections met the duo behind the music and comedy extravaganza, Paul was asked how we would recognise him. The reply was: “tall with a bald head”. Well, you never know what lies beneath the black suit and hat!

The act we currently see in several bars and hotels in the south of Tenerife and beyond, has been running for nearly 16 years. Paul has been working the tribute show from the start and due to changes was joined

by Mark six years ago. Paul was brought up in the entertainment business, while Mark was previously a chef in the UK. Until he got into show business he was quite shy, something which is difficult to believe now!

When the act began, they obtained mostly late-night gigs,

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so they did an adult show but nowadays with gigs in both bars and hotels, they adapt to suit every audience. They began to concentrate on hotels for the Blues Brothers show a few years ago when all-inclusive holiday packages became popular, because this had such an adverse effect on many bars and restaurants.

The show features the muchloved songs from the movie and subsequent Broadway musical plus all the comedy and fun that goes with it, including plenty of audience participation – in fact they usually involve the bar staff, waiters and managers too. They tease and make fun of some, most of whom take it all in good heart, and many gluttons for punishment make a point of seeing the show time and again.

Their aim is to reproduce the music and dance from the movie, bringing out the main characters in a totally carefree stage act.

Their family show used to incorporate backdrops and smoke machines, providing more music and less talk, but they have found that it generally works better without all the props and that people are more willing to join in. Their main audience in the bars is British, but in the hotels they have people of other nationalities to entertain, so if they feel that their audience won’t really understand their jokes, they adapt the format and concentrate more on the music. They have become experts in evaluating their audiences and perform the show accordingly.

The duo has been very busy over the last two years, and at some hotels and bars they have been resident artists for a long time, such as the Guayarmina Princess Hotel on Costa Adeje where they have worked continually for three years. Paul and Marks’ main fortitude is that they are simply good mates; they just bounce off one another.

Many tribute shows are scripted but The Blues Brothers show is totally ad-libbed and in their

Paul and Mark have heard that the Original Blues Brothers Band will be performing at

Original Blues Brothers Band: “Is there any chance that you could make another film, but

own words: “we just get on stage and have a laugh”. And so does everyone else!

Their current gig pattern is 10 shows a week over five days with a 10pm family show in a hotel, followed by an adult show with more comedy at 11pm in a bar.

Catch them if you can in the south of Tenerife.

the Pirámide de Arona in Playa de las Américas on August 19 as part of the Legends Live series of concerts. Paul commented: “We’ve heard really good reports about them. We will be going to see them and we’re looking forward to the show. We love the music!”

Mark has a request for the

wearing just shorts and flip flops this time, please?” n

HEALTH

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Coping with the heat

Oh baby, it’s hot out here!

Being bitten

As the summer heat continues, the number of people suffering from heat-related health issues is also rising.

There are a number of illnesses and mishaps that have a greater incidence during the summer months, with consequences that range from merely inconvenient to possibly lifethreatening. Here is the lowdown on a few of the common ones, with some self help tips and various treatments.

Bite, stings, rashes and heat related ailments are all common during the summer period Bees don’t tend to sting unless you bother them Bites and stings are generally irritating but have short lasting effects Mosquitoes bite at dusk more than any other time Gabor Bibor / FreeImages.com

By Xena Fox

Photo: Philip Mason / FreeImages.com

Photo: Marie Keanne Lliescu / FreeImages.com

Photo: Brenda Lamothe Coulomme / FreeImages.com

Most insect bites cause itching and swelling that usually clears up within several hours or overnight. Spider bites can be a little more bothersome, but don’t worry: generally speaking there isn’t any tiny wildlife here that can do you any great harm.

Removing a sting If you have been stung by a bee and the stinger has been left in your skin you need to remove it as soon as possible. This has to be done in a particular way to avoid spreading the venom in the sac which is attached

Photo: Iwan Beijes / FreeImages.com

to it. Never try to pick it out with tweezers or your fingers; what you need to do is scrape it sideways diagonally, using a fingernail or hard, flat edge such as a credit card.

If it’s a wasp or hornet that has seen fit to attack you then there is the possibility that they can do so again, as they do

For minor bites and stings, first wash the area with water and, preferably, unscented soap. To reduce any swelling you can use a cold compress such as a cloth soaked in cold water. And, irritating though they may be, make sure that you or your child doesn’t scratch as this can lead to infection.

If it is actually painful or swollen, you can use a stronger compress such as ice (or a

bag of frozen veg) wrapped in a towel, but never leave it on the skin for longer than 20 minutes at a time.

Alternatively, you may want to invest in an anaesthetic spray or cream, or one that contains antihistamine or mild hydrocortisone (at a level of around one per cent). This will also help prevent itching.

If you develop a blister, try not to burst it as this would leave the area open to infection. A plaster covering the affected spot is the most effective approach.

swelling, a rash or itching anywhere else other than the site of the bite or sting, or if you begin wheezing or have difficulty swallowing, then you will need emergency treatment. A systemic reaction can lead to anaphylactic shock, which is life threatening.

Never fall asleep in the sun If a blister forms or the skin is irritated, place a plaster over the area

That should do the trick. However, if the redness and irritation does not go down within a few days, or gets noticeably worse, you should visit your local medical centre.

Uncomfortable rather than painful, the unsightly rash causes a stinging or prickling sensation, and often develops a few days after you have been exposed to too much heat.

It is caused by sweating more than is usual for any individual - so the summer heat in the Canary Islands is perfect for its development. Sweat can get trapped beneath the skin and, although it often appears on areas which have been exposed to the sun, the condition is usually worse when it pops up under clothed parts of the body. This is because the covered areas have sweated more and the material may have rubbed against the skin, compounding the effects.

Although it is very common during summer, you can also suffer from it during winter – if you are exercising heavily, for instance.

It isn’t a serious condition and can usually be left without treatment until it disappears on its own after a few days.

However, to make it more bearable meanwhile, it is a good

Possible complications

Bothersome bites Although annoying, most bites and stings cause only minor irritation around the area of the bite and can usually be treated at home. There are rarely complications unless someone is allergic to the insect’s venom, which can lead to the need for emergency hospital treatment.

Treatments

Pesky prickly heat Those small and red raised bumps or spots which you sometimes find on your body during hot weather are known as miliaria rubra, or prickly heat.

Photo: Kevin van Belle / FreeImages.com

not leave their stings behind as many bees do. Simply stay calm and walk away from the area in a relaxed manner.

Bites and stings can become infected. It may feel sore to the touch and/or fill with pus.

Your glands could also swell and you may develop flu-like symptoms. Your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics or a short course of oral corticosteroids if the swelling is pronounced.

One extremely serious complication for some people is an allergic reaction. If you develop Therapies, Spiritual hypnosis, Past life regression Come, unleash your internal power and heal your mind, body and soul completely through energy healing, hypnosis and past life regression.

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35

Taking simple precautions can help reduce the symptoms.

Keeping away from areas where there is lots of vegetation, as

Though not a serious threat to health, sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses) can develop from hay fever, and middle ear infections are quite common in children suffering from it.

heat. It won’t harm them but there are other types of rash that most certainly can. If in doubt, visit your doctor.

sunlight for too long. These latter two are less common than heat exhaustion. However, they put immense strain on the brain, heart, lungs, liver

can quickly worsen into heatstroke, which can lead to disorientation, seizures, a loss of consciousness and, ultimately, death.

quickly as possible. If you can, get someone to help you in case your symptoms worsen. Find some shade or a cool room to lie in. Remove as much clothing as you can, wet the skin using a flannel or similar, and place a fan blowing in your direction.

Cold packs can be placed under the armpits or around the neck.

A cool, wet sheet can also be useful. Drinking fluids, preferably water, is vital. Fruit juices or rehydrating sports drinks are also good. If you or the person you are caring for hasn’t started to recover within 30 minutes, has slipped into unconscious, is confused or starts fitting then you should call an ambulance immediately.

Photo: Hans Thoursie / FreeImages.com

Self-help

Photo: Bugdog / FreeImages.com

idea to stay in the shade if outdoors, drink plenty of fluids, and wear loose clothing which is made out of natural fibres such as cotton.

Babies and young children are particularly prone to prickly

HEALTH

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Be sensible

Ideally, you should not leave your head bare when it’s hot, to avoid sunstroke There is generally more skin exposed during the summer months Children should be covered up when out in the sun Tiredness and confusion are signs of heat exhaustion Babies and small children are particularly susceptible to heatstroke

Sundar Chinnusamy / FreeImages.com

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

Taking simple precautions when it’s very hot can help you prevent all this potential suffering. Don’t spend large amounts of time in the sun between the hours of 11am and 3pm. Wear a hat and loose-fitting cotton clothes outdoors, stay in the shade as much as possible,

Treatments Medication to reduce symptoms includes antihistamines to prevent allergic reactions and corticosteroids to lessen inflammation and swelling.

A nasal decongestant can relieve a blocked nose, and eye drops can reduce the allergic conjunctivitis that causes a lot of the redness, itchiness and watering.

Heat exhaustion and heatstroke These are potentially serious conditions that, as the names suggest, occur if you overheat.

Visitors to the Islands are particularly vulnerable to these as they are not used to the elevated temperatures, but anyone can suffer from them, even in a cooler climate - people doing strenuous exercise for long periods, for instance.

One of the riskiest times is during a heat wave, but as the summer is so hot here people need to be on guard constantly.

Heat exhaustion is when you are too hot and your water or salt levels start to fall below normal. If not treated early enough it can lead to the much more serious heatstroke - where the body is no longer able to cool itself and its temperature becomes dangerously high. Heatstroke is also called sunstroke when it has been caused by being out in direct

and kidneys, and can be lifethreatening.

All of these can develop over minutes, hours or days.

People are more susceptible if they are dehydrated, wearing tight clothing, overindulging in alcohol, using drugs such as diuretics, antihistamines, beta-blockers, antipsychotics and recreational ones, or are in a hot area where there is little breeze or ventilation.

Signs that someone is suffering from heat exhaustion include a general feeling of tiredness and weakness, being faint or dizzy, having a headache, muscle cramps or intense thirst, plus feeling nauseous and/or vomiting, sweating heavily, urinating infrequently with the liquid being a dark colour, having a faster pulse than usual and a decrease in blood pressure. If left untreated these symptoms

Treatments With heat exhaustion, it is important to try to cool down as

don’t over exert yourself, drink plenty of cold drinks, moisten the skin at regular intervals, and avoid excess alcohol, cafn feine and hot drinks.

Pedro Alegre Alonso Pilates trainer ä Physiotherapist ä

Tel. 699 521 649

pedroalegrealonso@hotmail.com

©2014 FLN

well as staying indoors when the pollen count is high, can be useful but may not always be possible.

Using wraparound sunglasses will reduce the amount of pollen that enters your eyes when you’re outdoors, and applying a small amount of petroleum gel, such as Vaseline, around the nostrils will trap some of the particles before they can enter your nose.

Changing your clothes and taking a shower as soon as you return home will remove any grains on your body – therefore minimising the amount you breathe in.

Photo: Vincent Valentino / FreeImages.com

Hay fever is a very common allergic reaction to plant pollen that is said to affect up to 20 per cent of people at some time in their lives.

Symptoms of hay fever include a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing. This is due to a certain protein that pollen contains, which can cause the throat, nose, eyes and sinuses to become irritated and swollen.

Though some people only suffer mild symptoms, various plants and trees release pollen from spring through to autumn so for those more susceptible it can mean a great deal of discomfort for a large part of the year.

Anyone of any age can develop hay fever, though it most commonly begins in childhood or adolescence. Particularly prevalent in people who have a family history of allergies, especially asthma or eczema, the condition is generally more common in young boys than girls. However, in adults, men and women are equally affected.

You can suffer from it for the duration of your lifetime or just for a few years, symptoms usually diminishing as people get older.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any cure for this common ailment so it is a case of dealing with the effects as best as possible.

Photo: C. Leconte / FreeImages.com

Horrible hay fever

36

GARDEN

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Great gardening

The pretty flower of the Schlumbergera jungle cactus

Definitively desert

A shot of a desert cactus with its one-day lasting flower

This type of cacti is perfect for growing in the hotter areas of the Canary Islands as they are designed to thrive in arid regions where water is available in small amounts or is delivered infrequently.

The stems of desert cacti are not only capable of stor-

The soil must never be waterlogged. To gauge whether to water or not, gently push your finger into the top one centimetre of earth – if it is dry then go ahead, if it isn’t then wait until it is. Jungle cacti will also enjoy a nice misting every now and again.

Those that use trees for support will need something to rest on or climb up, and can provide fabulous decoration for walls.

ing large amounts of water, they can even photosynthesise, a job which is normally undertaken by leaves.

These have turned into spines that protect the plant rather efficiently and also reduce evaporation and water loss – a further ploy to maintain moisture levels.

Desert cacti also come in an impressive array of shapes and sizes. All of them will make wonderful plants for

Cacti are usually quite happy in a pot that is only slightly bigger than the plant Desert cacti in Lanzarote’s Jardín de Cactus designed by artist César Manrique

Photo: Marco Feola FreeImages.com

Photo: Valeria Moreiro / FreeImages.com

Photo: Mauro Sakamoto / FreeImages.com

Cacti are wonderful plants to have in your garden, especially here in the Canary Islands.

They love the hot weather, don’t need specialist care, can be very drought tolerant and are perfect for being grown in pots and containers. That’s if you choose the right sort, of course. These charming plants are broken down into two main groups.

Desert cacti are the kind that most people would instantly associate with the word: They tend to be spiny and either barrel-like or the long-limbed behemoths you see in cowboy films. All of them hail from arid regions. However, the home of the other sort, Jungle cacti, is the humid conditions of the rainforests.

Photo: Miguel DP / FreeImages.com

Charismatic cacti

No matter which sort, all of them are native to the Americas and surrounding islands, with only one exception. Rhipsalis baccifera, commonly known as the Mistletoe cactus, is the only one naturally occurring in the Western world.

Both types can make attractive plants for the garden or balcony, but they require different care and conditions.

Join the jungle Unlike their desert relatives in so many ways, Jungle cacti come in various shapes and sizes and very few of them have spines. They include Acanthocereus, such as the aptly named barbed wire cacti; Epiphyllum (climbing cacti); the elegant, segmented Rhipsalideae; and popular house-

plants Hatiora gaertneri (Easter Cactus) and Schlumbergera (Christmas cactus).

Most of them perch on rocks or grow on trees. They are not parasitic, however: they only use their elegant hosts for support.

If you keep Jungle cacti’s natural environment in mind when you are looking after them, this can give you many clues as to the care they need.

Think of the conditions of the rainforest and jungle and the dappled light filtering down through the vegetation. This sort of plant appreciates moister conditions than their cousins and will not do well in all-day sun. At least six hours a day of filtered sunlight will keep most of them happy and healthy, though if they are in full sun at any time, make sure they are receiving the morn-

ing’s gentler rays rather than a harsh afternoon scorching.

They can also live in full shade, but will grow stretched out, thin and spindly as they try to reach more light – a condition that won’t allow them to bloom either.

When it comes to their soil, it is worth taking into consideration that this type of plant gets most of its nutrients from dead leaves and other debris that collects in cracks or crevasses in rocks or trees.

You can buy specially prepared soils, or you can make up your own from a mix of potting compost, pumice, coarse orchid bark, coconut coir and/ or husks, tree bark and coarse gravel. Start with around 25 per cent potting soil and work from there – experiment until you find one that works best.

your garden, balcony or terrace. Though growing conditions vary depending on which type is chosen, there are some basic rules which apply to all of them.

First and foremost, whether in the ground or a container, the soil they are in must be an airy mix with exceptionally good drainage. Again, you can buy specific soils or can experiment with mixing your own.

Try 50 per cent pumice with varying amounts of potting soil, sand, peat, coconut coir and gravel.

Most desert cacti like plenty of light and can usually take as much sun as they can get, with the exception of very young ones, those recently replanted, or cacti in pots - the problem with the latter being that the roots will get far too hot. Use white containers or, preferably, keep them in the shade for part of each day.

Always allow the soil to dry well between waterings – they will cope much better with being under-watered than being drenched.

If they are in a pot, they will be perfectly happy in one that is only slightly bigger than the plant itself, and if indoors place them somewhere where they can get as much light as possible - south facing windows are perfect.

When the time comes to plant or repot spiky versions, simply fold a newspaper in length and wrap it around the cacti - if you use gloves the spines may stab through or even break off into the gloves, both situations being extremely uncomn fortable!

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

BEAUTY & FASHION

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

37

Fresh Orange

This Carmen blouse cuts a great figure in orange on the beach.

From Penney`s

All photos: www.prshots.com

The epitome of happiness

The unusual neckline of this simple A-line dress is a real eye catcher. From La Redoute Shoulders are making a comeback. Mini dress by River Island

You only have to see certain colours sometimes and they just put you in a great mood.

Orange is definitely high on the feel-good scale and it’s no wonder: This is one very hot-looking colour that is reminiscent of balmy sunsets. And it even flatters every skin tone!

This summer, orange is absolutely in fashion. Whether in a sporty style or romantic outfit – this fabulous sunny tone is welcome everywhere. Incidentally, it’s not only clothes that are shining so brightly.

Accessories and make-up are right on target with this trend. If that’s not a reason for a happy summer mood, we don’t know what is. n Good for daytime, but also a real looker in the evening. From Primark Orange for lingerie that stand out. From Marks & Spencer A sunny summer dress with lacing at the waist. From Joy

Back to the 70s! Narrow pants and detailed top. From Very

Casual and light: a floor-length dress in soft orange. From People Tree

38

PETS

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

ADOPT, DON’T BUY

Looking for love

Animal charities’ round up Live Arico (PAWS) On August 13 we will be doing something a little different at the Cube, Pueblo Canario.

Apart from live entertainment there will be some horse racing: come and back your favourites and help the dogs at the same time. Thank you Clouseaus in Palm Mar, and all the entertainers and people who came and supported our great afternoon there. We raised just under €400!

For some of the best charity store chic around, bag a

Purrrrfect

them. To help with this we now have a webpage (www.catswelfare-tenerife.com/how-toage-a-kitten) with some tips so they can be aged more accurately prior to contacting us.

Unfortunately, it is only very young kittens that can be successfully homed. Apart from markers that only vets would recognise, the best way to age a kitten is by its posture and size. Kittens open their eyes between seven to 14 days, and start to sit up straight and stand like an adult only after five weeks. Kittens are best rescued for re-homing

How can anyone resist a kitten?

Cats Welfare Tenerife has many beauties such as this one, as well as older cats. For more information, call or n WhatsApp Maria on: 646 629 129.

Volunteers from Holland and Belgium spared some time from their holiday to make some dogs very happy Helpers with the dogs at Acción del Sol

dino), open seven days a week 10am to 6pm (Saturdays, 11am until 4pm). If you don’t have transport or have large bulky items, please ring Mark on: 636 590 557 to arrange collection.

Acción del Sol

bargain at our shops in: San Eugenio (Opposite Hotel La Niña. Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm); Los Cristianos (Calle Reverón, near the Thistle and Dragon Bar. Open daily, 10am to 4pm); Golf del Sur (Golf Park, just before the lottery kiosk. Open Monday to Friday: 10am to 6pm, Saturday: 10am to 4pm, Sunday: 10.30am to 3.30pm). Don’t throw things away! Call us on: 629 388102 and we can sell it to help the dogs. Find us at: www.livearico.com, on Facebook, or join us on Twitter: twitter.com/live_arico.

Cats Welfare Found a kitten? Often, the ‘tiny’ street kittens we are contacted about are actually three, four or even five months old as it can be difficult to age

under eight weeks old, otherwise they are too accustomed to street life and may remain feral forever, thus unsuitable for becoming a domestic pet.

Here’s a simple check-list to see if a kitten needs rescuing and is suitable for re-homing: Is the kitten under four weeks of age? If it has a mother, do not remove the kittens from her. Contact us.

Kittens between four and eight weeks of age are ideal. Again, let us know. Is the kitten more than 12 weeks? If so, it has very little chance of being domesticated and re-homed so will need to be caught, neutered and released back on the streets. If a domestic cat is obviously newly abandoned and reporting it as lost hasn’t found the owner, then it may also be suitable for re-homing despite being older.

Contact us but please remember we do not have a refuge most are in foster homes - so may not be able to help on every occasion.

See adult cats on our website: www.cats-welfare-tenerife/pets. Kittens are usually in foster care as well but in the south of Tenerife some can be seen at the Don Perro pet shop in Las Chafiras and in Yaiza’s veterinary practice in Los Cristianos. In the north, some are in the Kiwoko pet shop in the El Trompo commercial centre just outside Puerto de la Cruz.

If you are looking for something specific then contact Maria on: 646 629 129 (9am to 6pm everyday) and if we don’t have one we can put you on a waiting list.

Donated items can be dropped into the shop on San Blas in Golf del Sur (Behind Hiper-

Aktiontiers’ vet in Germany, Dr. Tina Holscher, has issued a warning that plastic hedgehog balls, rubber ducks and rubber bones, etc. may look innocent and be much loved by our dogs but can actually cause serious dangers. Plastic pet toys are not subject to legal restrictions as are children’s toys so they can often contain toxins which can cause poison-

ing, vomiting and diarrhoea. Dr. Holscher advises that natural products made from untreated rope are far better.

Twenty-two lovely volunteers from Holland and Belgium spared some time from their recent holiday to make some dogs very happy with a stroll down to the sea, a cool paddle, and an abundance of tender loving care. It means so much to our dogs to spend quality time with our volunteers so please come and make one or two happy.

Timo, one of our resident dogs, who is loved by everyone that meets him, was found to have two tumours but luckily they have been removed and he is on the road to recovery.

We had a lovely surprise when two large boxes arrived from Kathrin and Dino in Germany.

They were full of much needed items for the dogs, many thanks to all our volunteers and supporters: we really do value your help.

Please call us on: 922 778 630 if you can help in any way. We are always in need of tinned dog food for our older

dogs, plus blankets, towels, sheets, dog toys, and collars and leads for everyone.

If you have any of the above to spare they would be very much appreciated, or visit the refuge on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons from 2pm to 5pm and Saturdays 1pm to 4pm. We are situated directly under the Eolica Parque’s wind turbines at exit 52 on the TF1 north bound, which is after the El Médano junction. Just head for the wind turbines on the coast and you will see our buildings on the right. Alternatively, email the refuge at: teneriffa@aktiontier.org or visit our Facebook page: action tier Acción del Sol.

K9 Our shop on Alcalá Plaza is in continual need of donations.

If you have anything suitable please take it to the shop.

The kennels are open every day from 11am until 2pm. If you have any enquiries or are looking for a dog or cat, the number n is: 667 638 468.

FARMERS MARKET

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Farmer’s Markets Alcalá Plaza de Llano Monday 8am – 1pm Telephone: 922 850 100 Arafo Plaza San Juan Degollado Thursday 8am – 1pm Telephone: 922 511 711 Arico Porís de Abona Sunday 8am – 1pm Telephone: 676 159 034 Arona Valle San Lorenzo, Carretera General 122 Monday/Friday 8am – 2pm Telephone: 922 767 138 Buenavista del Norte Plaza de San Sebastián Opening times: Saturday 8.30am – 2pm Telephone: 922 129 030 Candelaria Wednesday 8am - 2pm Next to council offices Saturday 8am – 2pm.

Plaza del Centro Comercial de Punta Larga Telephone: 922 505 014 El Médano Plaza Principal Wednesday 8am – 2pm Telephone: 922 759 966/62 El Rosario Carretera General del Norte, la Esperanza Saturday/Sunday/festivals 8am – 4pm Telephone: 922 010 160

Photo: Kelvin Yu FreeImages

El Sauzal Hoya de la Vida, next to the church, Ravelo Friday/Saturday/Sunday 7.30am- 2pm Telephone: 922 584 657

Güímar Plaza del Ayuntamiento Sunday 8am – 1pm Telephone: 922 526 105

side behind Titsa Depot) 8am – 3pm closed Mondays Tel 922 076544

Guía de Isora Plaza del Pueblo de Garachico Friday 8am – 1pm Telephone: 922 850 100

Playa de San Juan Plaza de la Iglesia Wednesday 8am – 1pm Telephone: 922 850 100

Icod de Los Vinos Calle Key Muñoz 5 Monday/Friday 8am – 2pm Telephone: 922 815 700 / 922 447 938 La Guancha Carretera General TFS km 49 Saturday/Sunday 8am – 3pm Telephone: 922 360 788 La Laguna Plaza del Cristo Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday 6am – 2pm Telephone: 922 601 100 / 922 253 903 La Matanza de Acentejo Ctra. General del Norte Saturday 8am – 3pm, Sunday 8am – 2pm Telephone: 922 577 120 La Orotava Calle Educadora Lucía Mesa Saturday 8am – 1.30pm Telephone: 922 336 804 / 681 277 633 Los Realejos Camino Viejo de San Benito, Finca el Llano, Realejo Alto Saturday/Sunday 9am – 2pm Telephone: 922 346 234 Los Silos Plaza de la Luz, Los Silos Sunday 9am – 2pm Telephone: 922 840 004 Parque de la Reina – El Cho Calle Infanta Elena, 32 (before Karting on right hand

Island support!

Puerto de la Cruz Avenida Blas Pérez González, 4 Wednesday to Saturday 8am – 2pm Telephone: 922 386 158 San Isidro Mercado del Agricultor de Granadilla Off the roundabout leading to El Médano Saturday/Sunday 8am – 2pm Telephone: 922 759 966 San Miguel de Abona P.I. Las Chafiras, San Miguel de Abona, next to the fire station Saturday/Sunday 8am – 2pm Wednesday 2pm – 7.30pm Telephone: 922 735 386 Santa Cruz de Tenerife Avenida José Manuel Guimerá Sunday 8am – 1pm Telephone: 922 606 000

We at Island Connections are sure in the knowledge that one of the best ways to help yourself, and the economy, is to buy locally – even if you are just visiting for a short time.

Canarian farmers harvest an extensive range of crops, which can be seen growing in the typical stepped-terrain farms around the Islands. Products range from

Santa Úrsula Carretera General, near the town hall Saturday 8am – 1pm Telephone: 922 301 640 Tegueste Calle de Asuncionistas, 6 Saturday/Sunday 8.00am – 2pm Telephone: 922 316 100 Vilaflor Plaza de Vilaflor Monday to Thursday 8am – 1pm Telephone: 922 709 002

Photo: by Frank C. Muller

Adeje Calle Archajara, s/n, in front of Makro Saturday/Sunday 8am – 2pm / Wednesday 4pm – 8pm Telephone: 922 775 200

39

Farmer’s Markets

Photo: Carlos Paes FreeImages

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

tropical fruits, such as mangoes, to worldwide staples like lentils, potatoes and onions.

According to the agricultural group COAG-Canarias, prices of fresh fruits and vegetables differ greatly between the amount the farmers receive and the sale price in the supermarkets. For instance, towards the end of last year, small marrows, which the farmers were paid just €0.07/ kilo for, retailed at €0.84, and leeks sold at €0.36 were passed onto the consumer for around €2.23 a kilo. Many of the prices don’t even seem to cover the cost of production - and this is when subsidies became neces-

sary to keep farms from disappearing, which, like the hiked prices, also come out of our pockets.

Enter the farmers markets, where the grower can sell directly to the customer without an intermediary. They are dotted all over the Islands, with at least one in almost every town. They allow customers to purchase fresher, higher quality produce at cheaper prices, and the farmers receive a fair payment for their efforts. This enables them to maintain or raise the standard of their crops and uphold productivity levels – it’s a win-win situation.

In these markets you will be sure to see a variety of seasonal products, as well as some local home-made delicacies such as preserves, honeys and Canarian goat’s cheese. A selection of meats and fish can also be found among the stalls, along with an assortment of cakes, pastries and biscuits.

Buy locally, eat healthily, pay fairly – this is one way we can all help each other.

So, to show our support of local farmers we are taking this timely opportunity to publish the details of the many farmers’ markets around the island n of Tenerife. Enjoy.

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HOROSCOPES | CLASSIFIEDS

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Horoscope for period: August 4 to August 31 Aries 21.3 - 20.4 Try to have a little more confidence in yourself. It’s not what others think of you that counts, it is your own opinion of yourself. Don’t let problems at work get you down, try to deal with them effectively in order of importance.

Contacts

Taurus 21.4 - 20.5 You may be frustrated with what is going on in your life at the moment.

But if you’re feeling like you are banging your head against a brick wall on a particular issue, take a step back and have faith.

Los Cristianos, 2 girls: slim and discreet. Hungarian, and a dominant English girl (sado, toys), both young, all services, discreet apartment, Edificio Royal, in front of the bus station, Los Cristianos. Call first.

Tel: 626 712 090.

Gemini 21.5 - 21.6 We can never control everything around us. Sometimes you just have to let go and allow situations to develop of their own accord.

If you do, you may find the outcome is even better than you could have wished for.

Cancer 22.6 - 22.7 If there is a situation that is making you angry right now, you need to weigh up your own involvement in it before you make any accusations. Words cannot be withdrawn: think carefully before you speak.

Leo 23.7 - 23.8 The warning signs have been there for a while but we humans can be very closed down sometimes. You have been making great efforts lately so don’t worry about this small glitch – it is only a temporary one.

Virgo 24.8 - 23.9 It is time to make a firm decision regarding a situation with a member of your family or a loved one. If you don’t act soon then the outcome will be decided for you – with results that you may find undesirable.

Libra 24.9 - 23.10 Unfortunately, we cannot just expect everyone to fit in with our own plans and expectations. To achieve a happy and productive life we need to put the effort in. Try to be proactive over the next few weeks.

Scorpio 24.10 - 22.11 When we keep our thoughts and feelings locked inside us it is very unhealthy - they eventually burst out at the worst time possible.

Speak to a friend if you can, it will help you deal with your emotions more effectively.

Sagittarius 23.11 - 21.12 There are big changes coming up and you are not sure which path to follow. Try not to panic – listen to your intuition. Deep down inside you know what is required and what you actually want to do. Follow it.

Capricorn 22.12 - 20.1 You really need to focus on improving two areas of your life: finances and interpersonal skills. Strangely, they are interconnected. You may have been using money as a substitute for communication.

Aquarius 21.1 - 20.2 Not everyone is as dedicated to work as you are, but it’s not your place to criticise. Getting stressed about it won’t help either. Keep your head down and continue in your own manner. Don’t worry about others.

Pisces 21.2 - 20.3 It is important that you practice effective communication right now. Think carefully and take great care with what you say and to whom you say it. You may make mistakes but you will know that you have tried.

Los Cristianos, Victoria, a lovely Latin girl. 34 years old, full of sweetness and sensuality, I am hot and playful, and always in the mood. Put me on my hands and knees and leave me breathless. Tel: 666 977 142.

New in Los Cristianos, classy Italian girl, 27 years old, big breasts, kisses, full French, Greek without limits. Available for erotic massage. Only for special gentlemen. Available 24 hours. Tel: 604 165 759.

Transsexual, 37 years old, beautiful, tall, fat, blonde, long big penis, active/passive. €60 half hour, €80 one hour. Apartments Royal, in front of the bus station, Los Cristianos. SMS/ WhatsApp for info. Tel: (0034) 602 626 848.

Outcall same price: Tantric massage for impotence, premature ejaculation, sagging.

Prolong your erection and enjoy an incredible experience. I’m Amaia from Colombia, I’m a very exotic woman. I offer you two orgasms, internal and external, prostate massage, body to body, couple massage. Full body relaxation, more than pleasure. For more about me see: www.sensesmassagetenerife.com. Tel: 0034 673 631 177. Also by WhatsApp. Better price available from the Green Banana Guide App. New, Brazilian blonde, delightful, amusing, beautiful, green eyes, slim, dancer, professional masseuse, sexy, pure luxury. Don’t miss this opportunity, you will want to repeat it! Los Cristianos.

Tel: 634 201 680.

Los Cristianos, Patricia from Venezuela returns. Beautiful.

Blonde. Big breasts, French, positions, kisses, vibrators, massages, private apartment in Calle Noruega, near the Altavista supermarket in Los Cristianos or I can come to you 24 hours a day. Tel: 650 442 665.

Los Cristianos, Anahi, age 25, no limits, French, positions, kisses, Greek, private apartment in Calle Noruega. Tel: 672 970 209.

Los Cristianos, Paula, Latin girl. Enjoy my kisses, body, vibrators, no limits. Available 24 hours in my private apartment, or I can come to you.

Tel: 604 115 052.

Christy, Latina, Playa de Las Américas, 25 years old, brunette, slim, 120cm bust, affectionate, profound Greek, I offer all services and attend to you in my private apartment in Torviscas Alto, or I can do hotel visits. Tel: 602 612 891.

Los Cristianos, Gisell, transsexual, 30 years old, very feminine, sexy body, full services.

Tel: 677 289 132.

Come and enjoy our erotic body to body massages with a happy ending! Unforgettable experience, beautiful Polish ladies.

Opening hours 10am to 10pm, Playa Paraiso, Costa Adeje area.

Tel: (0034) 662 960 065. www.edentenerife.com.

Los Cristianos, Laura, Canarian, brunette, perverted, playful, vibrators, massages, positions. I have a private apartment in the centre of Los Cristianos, or I can visit you.

Tel: 650 427 737.

private parties for singles and couples, also quickies and threesomes. English and German speaking. Tel: (0034) 648 245 425.

English model, showgirl, professional striptease, quality service, general entertainment, stag nights, dominatrix, fetish, luxury conditions, visits 24 hours, escort service available. Tel: 697 227 139.

For ladies: Excursions and escorts, erotic massages and more, with Marc who speaks good English, German and Spanish. I have my own apartment and car in Tenerife South.

I can come to you. Tel: (0034) 630 759 974.

Cockney girl, Ana, just what you need to get pampered.

Stunning, hot brunette. Let my pleasure be your pleasure, owo, French kissing. Los Cristianos, opposite the bus station. Tel: (0034) 611 203 925. Busty and curvy.

Tantric and Thai massage with a happy ending (no sex) at Los Cardones, San Isidro, second exit after the airport. Shower and tea service offered. There’s the possibility of a 4-hands massage. For appointments call: 631 801 293.

Pamela, brunette, Las Chafiras.

Massage service available for gentlemen only. Private apartment, HH Franciscano street, beside the large park, Las Chafiras. Number has changed: was 635 801 105, new: 608 285 035.

I’m Diana, a pretty Latin girl, 23 years old, good body, pleasing, French, positions, massages, available 24 hours. I’m waiting for you in my private apartment in the centre of Los Cristianos. Home/hotel visits available. Tel: 605 072 917.

Los Cristianos, Tatiana, Colombian. I am waiting for you in my private apartment. No limits.

24 hours. I can visit you at your hotel. Tel: 628 895 416.

Los Cristianos, Silvia, blonde, Spanish, no limits, all services.

I visit hotels, 24 hours. Tel: 672 518 835.

Erotic massages, Tantric and other services. Attractive lady from Germany. Without rush.

Nice location. Jacuzzi. Tel: (0034) 619 614 380. Erotic

To advertise your services with us, please call 922 75 06 09

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

The deadline for edition 778, which is published on 17th August, is 15th August.

No classifieds will be taken after this date.

Head Office: Calle Francisco Feo Rodríguez 6º- first floor.

Pol. Industrial Las Chafiras 38620 - San Miguel de Abona.

Tel.: 922 75 06 09 Fax: 922 795 810 Office Hours: Mon-Frid 9:30 -16:30 hours

Classified Info Adverts for our Classifieds Section must be sent by email or hand delivered to the office.

If you would like to advertise, please send your classified text to: classifieds@ ic-news.com.

Alternatively, place your classified advert with one of our four agents: Now Tenerife.com in Golf del Sur, Redhound Bookshop in Los Cristianos, The Bookswop in Las Américas, Petras Deutscher Bücherstand in Puerto de La Cruz.

Rates: * Lineage classifieds: From 16 € * Small & Long Term: Ask for long term advertising (3, 6, 12 months) and our special discounts. * Further Options: color / boxed adverts.

To Place your advert call: 922 75 06 09 You are welcome to come to our offices in Las Chafiras to place small ads. Card payment facilities are available.

Island connections media group s.l. www.islandconnections.eu

Island Connections Online: www.islandconnections.eu

Classifieds Deadline Next Edition

CLASSIFIEDS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

General Services Massage and more. Offer: 60 minutes body massage €36.

Couples, four hands, lava stones tantric massages, etc.

Playa de las Américas, Ernesto Sarti no.8, across from Iberostar Hotel Torviscas Playa. Tel. 602 608 626

Integrated Tax Planning and Wealth Management since 1975

922 716 079 www.blevinsfranks.com

Spanish and English Lawyers

Conveyancing • Inheritance & Wills Family Law • Criminal Law Civil Litigation & Personal Injury Timeshare • Tax & Commercial law

For sale. Home-produced ecological vegetables, Tenerife south. Interested businesses, call 650 323 751 (Spanish only), send WhatsApp or email to: michelteide@hotmail.com www.mascuidados.com Website for our massages, dedicated to bringing the benefits of therapeutic massage to your home or hotel, no charge for travel. Do you want a massage? www.mascuidados.com Tel. 663 190 727 After school classes, help or activities in English, German or Spanish, please contact Mrs. Garus. Tel. 602 506 793. We are 5 minutes away from Wingate School in Cabo Blanco.

Qualified specialist from Germany helps you with back pain, neck pain, sciatica, headaches and insomnia. Tel. 0034 699 15 61 47 (ask for Eugene).

Spanish native teacher and interpreter gives Spanish lessons at reasonable prices. Tel: 747 790 001. k.arim555@ live.com Masonic Lodge - Ave Fenix No.73. New meetings starting in October 2015 on the fourth Thursday of the month.

If interested, all visitors are welcome to come down. For further information, lodge secretary John Donaldson is available to contact on Tel: (+34) 922 178 091 or Email: ave.fenix73@gmail.com You’re invited!!! FREE BEAUTY SESSION. This is your time to relax with friends or on your own, share the excitement of trying new products, learn about the latest techniques and trends and of course, earn fabulous rewards. More info: 642 601 553 Maggie.

MASONIC MEETINGS Logia Ave Fenix Nº 73

Are you looking for an opportunity with financial independence and personal fulfillment? Become an Independent Beauty Consultant!!! More Info: 642 601 553.

For sale, cooker with three burners, spit roaster for chickens, three freezers, chairs and decoration. Tel: Carlos on 676 243 558.

Renovations, small and big. All types, quality and fast. Free quote. We will give you the best deal. Please call Nuria on (0034) 602 670 080.

Cleaning company offer all types of service: apartments, villas, offices, etc. Free quote.

We will give you the best deal.

Please call Nuria on (0034) 602 670 080.

Santiago del Teide Lions Club Bargains galore From clothes and children’s toys to kitchenware and books – there are plenty of great deals on second-hand goods.

They even have sets of golf clubs!

Don’t miss out – visit their shop below the plaza in Puerto Santiago (Behind Vigilia Park). Open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10am – 1pm and Wednesdays 2pm to 8pm.

BLOCK BUSTERS WE UNBLOCK ALL TYPES OF DRAINS

Edificio Simón, Los Cristianos.

Meetings every fourth Tuesday. We are back in October!

internal and external using our high pressure jets and cameras.

All Visitors welcome Contact John Donaldson (Secretary):

Call

(+34) 922 178 091 or ave.fenix73@gmail.com

41

647 928 223

We sell furniture suitable for bar/restaurant (tables, chairs, kitchen accessories, decoration etc.) in excellent condition. Price negotiable.

Tel: 922 717 613 or 671 912 301

T: E:

922 719 520

tenerife@decottalaw.net

Av. de Los Pueblos, Residencial Villaflor B-20, San Eugenio

www.decottalaw.net

42

CLASSIFIEDS hour concierge, pool, sea views. Minimum three month contract. €500 per month.

669 652 149

Rental Classifieds

TO RENT: Large STUDIO apartment in Las Américas, 2 minutes walk from Torviscas Beach. Separate kitchen, Sat/TV, wifi, fabulous terrace, views, parking, swimming pools and gardens. €590 plus bills. Tel: 670 558 208. No agents.

Looking to exchange or rent: Luxury 85m2 apartment in Travemünde (on the Baltic Sea, Germany) in exchange for 2/3 bedroom apartment in Tenerife for 4-6 weeks January/ February 2017. Our property is located on the 2nd floor overlooking the sea and the city and furnished to a very high standard. There is a Wellness and Spa on resort and underground parking. We are looking for a 2/3 bedroom apartment in Tenerife in a nice complex with heated pool and Spa facilities.

Email: m.perling@gmx.de or 0049 179 51 75 987.

Studio for rent, in quiet Bio Finca, 25 sqm, in Los Realejos, close to Restaurant Monasterio, furnished, balcony, parking, garden, terrace, SAT TV, Internet, €280/month, incl. additional costs. Tel: 616 802 861 or 699 044 668.

Apar tment for rent, 1 bedroom, fully equipped, near Playa Martiánez, in Puerto de La Cruz, €470 / month + electricity. Tel: Theresa on 606 105 101.

Winter letting Puerto de La Cruz Studio apartment, 24

Looking to swap my house in Tenerife for a house in Dublin or surroundings. If agreed, the time could be arranged. From a month to a year time gap.

Call Carmen 693 727 683 Apartment and Villa for rent in Tenerife south. Tel: (0034) 662 507 191.

Garage to rent, double width.

Victoria Court 1, Los Cristianos. Close to Sunday market. Very secure lock-up. Tel: 679 919 623.

Large villa for rent, San Isidro. 4 beds, garage, large terrace, 3 bathrooms, sea views. €750 per month. Tel: 669 831 439 or 686 290 903. Email richard@larkinproperty.com.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044 all on same level, garage and a marvellous tropical garden with 800m 2 landscaped with various plants and lots of fruit-trees. Private sale contact: info@ simonsananes.com. Tel.: 00 34 699 444 879 For sale Apartment Tabaiba Alta For sale, only five mins away from the German school, roughly 102ms, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, living room, utility room, garden, big terrace. Spectacular views of the sea and mountain, big garage with 2 spaces, 2 closed store rooms, price €180,000, mob. 686 798 367, email eoptenerife@ gmail.com www.teneriffa-fincas.net

Beautiful seafront apartment for private sale. One bedroom, garage, sea views and in a sunny position.

Price: €120,000. No agents.

Tel: 922 752 759. Mobile: 608 425 426.

Property for Sale Playa Honda Urb. Oasis Dakota, Playa Fañabé

3 Bed Semi Detached.

Toilet, complete bathroom, separate kitchen, totally equipped, furnished, 35m2 terrace, secure access to pool, infant park, good views, beside commercial centres, 800m from Playa Fañabé, community fees

Las Américas

One bedroom apartment, tiled throughout, American-style kitchen, separate bedroom and terrace. Located in the center of Las Americas within 3 minutes walk from the beach.

€ 122,000 Alan: 634 098 838

British Style Bar

Playa de Las Américas Located just off front line, excellent reputation, regular clientele. Terrace for approximately 10 tables and refurbished interior in timber. Bar walls adorned with memorabilia. Includes store room and Ladies & Gents toilet facilities.

€ 25,000

Alan: 634 098 838

30€/month

Tel 629 244 958 € 155,000

SALEs Classifieds

For sale, Bungalow 160m2 Costa Sauzal, situated front row with guaranteed spectacular sea-views, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, living room with panoramic windows, modern kitchen, dining room connected to the terrace, including a heated 4 x 8 m pool,

orden 11309

Servihabitat.com

902 15 01 02

Pickup Point

your office at “la Caixa”

2nd Home Tenerife C.C. Plaza del Duque

Wonderful rustic house available for holiday rental in San Miguel de Abona. 4 bed rooms, independent flat on the roof. Very well furnished with amazing views. Please call for further information. €70 per night for 2 people. €15 per extra person maximum 5 people. Close to the local town, restaurants, bars, cultural centre.

Tel. 616 460 728

The easy way to sell or rent properties

CLASSIFIEDS | PASTIMES

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Situations Vacant / wanted

Instructor required to teach essential life skills and thinking for young kids, in south Tenerife.

Diplomas not needed.

Please send CV to lin@ rebl.biz. Tel: 696 713 635 Lin.

Vehicles To advertise please call 922 75 06 09

Ford Fiesta 1.6, 2007.

ITV until February 2018.

Good condition. 87,000km. €4,750. Tel: 922 861 332 / 609 227 562.

MG Sport 1.6 Convertible 2003, ITV to October 2016, one owner, excellent condition, only 25,000km. €8,500. Tel: 922 861 332 / 609 227 562.

Mercedes 420 Elegance, 1996. 115,000km. ITV to November 2016. €4,500.

Tel: 922 861 332 / 609 227 562.

Are looking for international girls to model swimwear in the south of Tenerife for an immediate start. Must be presentable and speak good English, other languages are an advantage. PR experience essential. Daily work, salary, commissions paid and contracts given.

Call José, between 11am and 5pm on 606 181 946 or 922 751 021

Veterinary practice for sale / Tenerife south Fully equipped veterinary practice (small animals) for sale leasehold, due to health issues.

The practice is located on the busy main street of a small town in the South of Tenerife.

It measures 85m2 and has a spacious waiting area, a small shop, a consulting room, toilet, laboratory, operating room, etc. It is sold including stock, furniture, equipment and instruments. The only vet in town. Good customer base. All licenses and permits are fully up to date. Interested? Contact 667 811 462 or veterinariotenerifesur@outlook.com.

Place your advert at

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Classified Agent for

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Across

LA PEPA FOOD MARKET Av. San Francisco, Los Cristianos, Arona, Tenerife South

43

(For Crossword and Sudoku solution see pag 40)

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

Books, Cards, Internet Pto. Colón 1st floor Las Américas 922 715 682 bookswop@spantel.com

1 - plane (3) 3 - explanation (3) 5 - customers (5) 8 - irritate (4) 9 - pain (8) 11 - hardened (10) 13 - end (6) 14 - squeezes (6) 17 - untidiness (10)

21 - silly mistakes (8) 22 - stead (4) 23 - surrender (5) 24 - enquire (3) 25 - period of time (3)

Down

1 - correctional institutions (5) 2 - stimulating (8) 4 - smells (6) 5 - undo (5) 6 - level (4) 7 - groupings (7) 10 - probability (4) 12 - shore (8)

13 - strengthen (7) 15 - legal document (4) 16 - support (6) 18 - weaved (5) 19 - breathing apparatus (5) 20 - rife (anag) (4)

MOTORING

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

EVERYDAY MOTORING

Safe motoring in the summer months

Remember to keep your cool in the hot summer months

are tourists, and therefore unfamiliar with the road layout and sometimes the side of the road they are driving on, and this can cause a disruption in the flow of traffic. This can be particularly true in the area surrounding the airport when people have just picked up an unfamiliar car and are at the beginning of their journey. They may also be tired and distracted by other family members, so keep your distance and be prepared for

unexpected manoeuvres without signalling (although to be fair, this could be true at any time in Tenerife).

Because we have a two lane motorway, even the smallest bump can result in huge tailbacks. Those of us who live here or visit regularly will be aware of the practice of using the left indicator as a warning to show that there is traffic ahead, but this may not be immediately obvious to visitors. Also, if there is

an accident ahead and the traffic is at a standstill, it is good practice to move to either side of the motorway to allow the emergency vehicles to pass unobstructed through the middle.

Roundabouts are another bone of contention as the inside lane is seldom used!

Tempers can also fray a bit in hot weather, so patience is the key, and tolerance for those who are on holiday.

After all, it’s their presence here that keeps many of us in employment!

Based on their years of experience in the car industry, Wheeler Dealer will be providing useful advice and indepth information for the coming editions of Island Connections. Call Wheeler Dealer, Las Chafiras, on: 922 73 64 51. n

Tamaimo Uphill Rally news Aznar in preparation for a previous race with Auto-Laca

Aznar in action (archive photo)

This year he will join hopefuls in the fast paced run up the windy and steep hill between Los Gigantes and Tamaimo, in the borough of Santiago del Teide, for what is one of the most prestigious races of the year in Tenerife.

Aznar will be part of the AutoLaca team which is directed by Don Ángel Ramos and which, of course, is expected to do rather well. This was the obvious contact for the Spanish driver as he competed with the group in the Adeje and Canary Island Championships in 2015. This is the 42nd year

The latest innovation by the Islands’ leading supplier DISA is an economic fuel that is also said to boost a vehicle’s performance.

With its secret ingredient, created by Innospec laboratories, the new mix is said to keep the system cleaner and to provide between two and five per cent better fuel consumption per litre.

The so-called DISAeco is available in both petrol and diesel and in each of the DISA garages across the archipelago.

According to the Director of DISA en Canarias, Francisco Pelaez: “We have listened to those who have been filling their vehicles in our stations and with this latest offer we are trying to answer their expectations: more kilometres for less consumption.”

The launch of the fuel is being fronted by Formula 1 driver Pedro de la Rosa who has firmly given it the thumbs up after tests. The environmental aspect is also being pushed: less consumption, fewer emissions.

See: www.disagrupo.es for up to date news on the DISA

n group’s latest plans and events.

Formula 1 driver Pedro de la Rosa has firmly given the thumbs up to the new DISAeco fuels

Northern lights

Top drivers

The dates for one of the most important rallies in Tenerife are set for October 1 and 2 and a big name in the field has recently signed up to join the race.

José Antonio Aznar recently added his name to those taking part, much to the joy of the organisers and fans. Aznar has many titles already under his belt, including the Spanish Mountain Rally Champion as well as coming out on top at various national competitions such as the Andalusia Mountain Rally Championship.

Ecological and economical

that the ‘Subida a Tamaimo’ will take place and is expected to draw thousands of spectators from across the Islands.

This event is a real test for the race organisers as they have applied for the contest to be included as part of next year’s Spanish Mountain Rally Championship.

If all goes well the rally, which already counts towards the Tenerife Interisland Championship, will be a national competition again.

Keep up to date with developments and race news at: www. subidaatamaimo.net. n

Rally round for the show Summer is a great time for car fans, with a seemingly endless stream of shows to visit.

One of the latest for the month of August is a display of rally cars aimed at enthusiasts of all kinds.

The exhibition will take place in El Sauzal on Calle San Cristobal in the area around the Casa Juventud de Ravelo on August 27. There’s plenty of opportunity to check them out as they will be stationed ready for your admiration between the hours of 8am and 10pm. n

Rally cars on the go

©2016 FLN

Longer days and warmer weather, plus an abundance of tourists on the Islands, means that the roads are likely to be very busy over the next few months.

Everyone wants to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, and some of the obvious things you can do are keep your tyres in good condition, make sure your windscreen wipers work (they are needed to clear dust just as much as rain) and that your brakes and lights have been checked.

There is evidence that keeping your sidelights on can help to prevent accidents. This is because you will be much more visible, particularly in areas where there is a change between bright sunlight and shade on winding roads, or when coming out of tunnels, for example.

Bear in mind that a large number of cars on the road may be driven by people who

Photo: Jenny Rollo / FreeImages.com

By Wheeler Dealer

New fuel on sale

Photo: Max Payne / FreeImages.com

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4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

Camino Real

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

Blazing a Trail

OUT THERE

By Colin Kirby

impressive views of the famous cliffs. With detours and rests, the Camino Real took nearly five hours but what a pleasure to retrace the steps of those early pioneers of commerce.

Feeling thankful not to be herding cattle or ferrying supplies, I was free to enjoy the views and serenity of the ancient Camino Real trade route from Santiago del Teide down to Puerto Santiago, just above Los Gigantes.

On a day when it was 35 degrees Celsius at the start point, the breeze gave me some relief as it was channelled along the rough track bordered by dry, stone walls.

The long wispy grass at the edge of the path was parched and transformed into a golden glow as the trail started to dip downwards.

It’s always good to have choices, just 30 minutes into the 6.7km route I was tempted astray by a steep upward path to Risco Blanco, a further 4.2km return walk.

Having been rewarded by this offshoot in the past I gave in to the call. The white mountain had been playing peeka-boo over the ridge on the bus trip so it would have been rude not to say hello. There was a large overhanging boulder perched delicately at one point above my path, shrugging that aside I eventually rounded a tight bend to see the magnificent site of the cracked and pitted Risco Blanco with the island of La Gomera emerging from a hazy cloud in the distance.

Retracing my route back to the crossroad I continued on the Camino Real as it plunged and

followed an old, dry barranco with a derelict water pumping station. Managing water has always been vital to this area, these days the springs and streams are channelled through large metal pipes.

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Santiago del Teide Santiago del Teide is a great place to linger a while, walkers tend to whizz through en route to Masca, Icod, and the volcanic lava fields. A great place to take stock of the history is the Visitors Centre at the lower end of the town. This free attraction in two big halls brings the past to life. Interactive displays in several languages tell the story behind the last big eruption at nearby Chinyero in 1909 and how it affected the local community. There’s also a guide to the many walking routes that lead off from church plaza and beyond. The tourist information office is near the church but

There was another temptation ahead, a signpost up to Los Misioneros, a mere 1.1 km each way. I resisted, as I had done this before, it leads to a tight ledge giving an overview of Risco Blanco and

the hills beyond. My tunnel vision took me downwards to the dried river bed; my ample water supply tasted close to bubbling by now so I took a 30 minute break and followed the sign up through Tamaimo for a few ice cold soft drinks in a local bar.

Suitably refreshed, I rejoined the main track passing several more circular detours, the view ahead was opening up to show the west coast in the distance.

To my left I could see the water pipes filling reservoirs below, feeding a lush green patchwork of crops. To my right, the steep cliffs harked back to ancient times with caves hewn into the rock face and an old concrete viaduct bridging a small barranco.

The walk was far from over, more undulations in the path kept me alert and the loose

shingle tested my footing.

Finally, a bigger dip brought me out over a large, murky reservoir ahead of acres of bananas.

Skirting around the planta-

tions added a further 30 minutes before emerging on the main road that twists its way into Puerto Santiago and past the Los Gigantes mirador for

the staff at the Visitors Centre are also very helpful and knowledgeable. The centre is open from 8am to 2.30pm, Tuesday n to Saturday.

SPORTS NEWS

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Champion racers

Revving up the rankings

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEWS 044

Endurance running

The extremities of Ultra Northeast Over 460 local runners took part in this year’s Ultra del Nordeste de La Laguna (Ultra Northeast: La Laguna) endurance race, which started at the Punta del Hidalgo football ground and finished in Tejina.

Taking in various picturesque points of the Anaga Rural Park, 117 runners participated in the Ultra trail, 155 ran in the Trail circuit, 94 raced in the Vertical trail, and 90 athletes competed in the Ultra trail as part of a three-person team.

The event had four principal categories: The Ultra was 94 kilometres, raced by individuals as well as teams who competed in a single section of the same route, which was split into three parts with three runners. The Trail and Vertical routes were both 32 kilometres.

The contest took place between July 28 and 30 and visited many villages and areas of Anaga, including: Chinamada, Las Carboneras, Taborno, Afur, Taganana, Almáciga, Benijo, Draguillo, Las Palmas de Anaga, el Faro de Anaga, Roque Bermejo, Chamorga, Lomo de las Bodegas, El Bailadero, San Andrés, Roque Negro, Bejías, and El Batán.

For additional information on the endurance race, visit: n www.ultradelnordeste.net.

César Alberto is taking part in only his second season of motorcycle racing

The Antigua Borough Council in Fuerteventura recently congratulated car and bike racers, Manuel García, Erik Guerra and César Alberto following their performances in the Fuerteventura classification stage of the Canarian Car & Motorcycle Championships held in Salinas del Carmen.

The three sportsmen from the borough reached the podium in their respective categories.

Race driver, Manuel García, and co-pilot, Erik Guerra, won

La Gomera

Twenty residents of Playa de La Cueva in San Sebastián de La Gomera recently participated in an introduction to scuba diving organised by the local council and El Sebadal dive centre.

As part of the borough’s summer entertainment and leisure programme, the introduction to scuba initiative was a huge success. The experience was organised so that local residents could learn firsthand about the basics involved in the sport before leaving the shore to breathe, for a few minutes at least, underwater in the ocean while being supervised by El Sebadal’s experienced instructors.

Alongside the diving intro-

Manuel García and Erik Guerra with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evola

first place in the Slalom category in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evola for the Maxo Sport race team. César Alberto, a promising 16-year-old taking part in only his second season of motorcycle racing, participated in his first Canary Islands Motocross Championship and finished second in the General category. This follows on from his third place achieved during the Lanzarote qualification stage last month.

The Canarian Car & Motorcycle Championship turns to Tenerife

The kind of tough terrain endurance runners had to cope with

next, with race classifications taking place in August before returning to Antigua in September.

Antigua Sports Councillor, Fernando Estupiñán, formally congratulated the local racers and their teams and wished them every success for the Canarian

championships as well as future competitions. Estupiñán concluded that “perseverance, commitment and courage have seen these fine sportsmen achieve their goals in this regional contest, in the process thrilling many motorsports fans with their techn nical skills.”

Welcome to scuba

Participants were given basic training before trying their first dive Divers preparing for their first scuba experience

duction, the borough of San Sebastián de La Gomera has

also organised a Salsa dancing master class on the Plaza de

Las Américas, as well as various workshops and sporting

activities. For further information on San Sebastián’s sum-

mer programme, visit: www. sansebastiangomera.org. n

4.8.2016 – 31.8.2016

FOOTBALL

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 777

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CD Tenerife

Pre-season derby win for blanquiazules

By Chris Todd With the Gran Canaria Stadium

against Getafe in the Heliodoro Stadium.

League action gets underway on August 21, away to Cordoba before receiving Sevilla B at home on August 24 at 9pm.

Warm balls?

Photo: CD Tenerife

The Mahou Cup – First-leg UD Las Palmas 0 CD Tenerife 1 You could say that there is no such thing as a ‘friendly’ with local pride at stake but the recent Mahou Cup first-leg between Las Palmas and CD Tenerife provided plenty of hotheaded incidents.

So much so in fact that Las Palmas manager, Quique Setién, stormed into the post match press conference, demanding answers as to why Tenerife played in such a manner in a pre-season game: “I do not understand their aggressive nature, the hardness in the tackles, and their willingness to break play with fouls”.

The Mahou Cup is an annual competition between the Canary Islands’ two top teams, played over two legs, and usually in good spirit but this game had added spice. The blanquiazules travelled to Gran Canaria after playing just one warm up match, a 3-0 victory over lower league side UD Las Zocas, with goals by Nano, Omar Ramos and Darixon Vuelta.

undergoing pitch improvements, this year’s Mahou Cup was switched to the tourist resort of Maspalomas in the south of the island. Over 6,000 fans filled the small stadium on a hot, sticky evening but the balmy would soon turn to barmy as the tackles started to fly. La Liga side Las Palmas showed their class early on with some good one-touch football but Tenerife, with their lightning young trio of strikers Nano (21), Omar (23) and Cristo (18), were continuously catching the home side on the break.

Tenerife manager Luis Marti read the game to perfection.

The team were organised and compact. As the game intensified, three visiting players were booked in the first 25 minutes and one of the ‘hard’ tackles led to a six man brawl, which in a league game would have probably ended up with two or three players being sent off.

After an entertaining first half, the rhythm of the second dropped slightly but that was hardly surprising with so many substitutions being made and

CD Tenerife recently unveiled their new first team kits

evening temperatures still hovering around the 30 degrees Celsius mark. Surprise package of the pre-season so far has been the 18-year-old Honduran, Darixon Vuelta. He was snapped up for only €12,000 and he may just be the bargain of the year!

Half-chances fell to both sides but with minutes to go, new winger Iñaki beat his man on the left flank and his inch perfect pass found Darixon, who

stabbed the ball into the net.

It was the icing on the cake for Tenerife after their ambitious and determined performance. This 1-0 victory for the blanquiazules on enemy territory will do their confidence no harm at all.

The second-leg will be played on August 10 in Santa Cruz and it promises to be a passionate affair. Yes, it is only a friendly, and we only have to cast our minds back to this

time last year when, after a superb pre-season, Tenerife won just one point from the first twelve, but the signs for the coming season so far are positive.

Other friendlies are on August 3, against UD Ibarra (El Fraile, South Tenerife), August 6 versus FUS Rabat (Orotava, North Tenerife), and following the Las Palmas return leg on August 10, the final pre-season contest will be on August 13

The recent draw for the second round of the King’s Cup once again threw up an away tie for the blanquiazules. The game on September 7 against CD Lugo will, incredibly, be Tenerife’s eighth successive away draw in the competition!

It will prove to be a marathon few days for the team at the start of September with over 4,000 km being clocked-up in travel. Maybe this year will be different and we will progress past the second round. What usually happens is that the whole squad travels and then fringe players are used in the cup, resulting in narrow defeats.

In the latest round of friendlies, Tenerife played a triangular tournament of 45 minute matches in La Palma. They beat Tenisca 1-0 with a goal

by Nano, and lost 1-0 to CD n Mensajero.

Nomads FC

Getting ready for the new season Sponsored by: Foreign Language News & www.windowsplus.co.uk Nomads FC in the south of Tenerife is looking for new players for the coming season.

Our new youth football club provides good fun, quality coaching and healthy exercise for your children.

Our existing under-8s, under10s, under-12s, and under14s teams have kids from Scotland, England, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Russia, and we are delighted that all our teams have players from so many different countries. Most of our training is given in English with some Spanish.

toured in Spain and the UK. These youngsters played at a number of professional training and stadium facilities as well as some very scenic and memorable locations. Many of these kids have signed up to do the trip again next summer.

Our objective for these visits is to introduce healthy sporting and travel experiences, as well as make some merry memories for all those involved.

Nomads FC recently visited Manchester’s Old Trafford stadium

The under-16s team needs more people as some of the players from the under-14s team last year are now moving up and we need some footballers born in 2002 and 2001 to form a new

Nomads FC recently played at Glasgow Rangers’ training facility against their academy team

side. If any kids are looking for a new club then please get in touch regarding our pre-season training schedule. For more information, please visit: www. nomadsfc.com.

Football tours Our youth teams have just completed three weeks on the road where we played and

Players needed The men’s 6-a-side league side is hoping for some new teams to join the league, so if you and your friends want fun and exercise playing football during the summer why not form a team

to play every week at our facilities in Los Cristianos?

A day in the life We are getting more requests to provide daytime football games for night workers, so if you and your friends want to use the pitch or organise a friendly game during the day, contact us as soon as possible.

Contact Nomads FC For more information visit: www.nomadsfc.com. Alternatively, email: info@premfs. com. Call/message: +34 654 200 470 or 650 090 737.

Also visit our general website: n www.premfs.com.

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PROMOTION

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