www.soltimes.com
SOLTIMES MAY 2013
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Declared ‘Timanfaya’ during the year of 1974, the protected national park located in the southwest region of the island of Lanzarote, is a purely mother-nature created sight. For some six years during the 18th century, this area of land experienced a series of violent volcanic eruptions, in which more than thirty massive explosions of molten lava shook the island, destroying up to eleven settlements. Although the air was filled with thick, black fumes, and entire villages were buried and destroyed under ash and volcanic gravel - known as picón - fortunately and miraculously there were no casualties. The people of these villages deserted their homes early enough to avoid any fatalities this natural disaster could have caused. It was one of these destroyed villages that the Timanfaya name was acquired from, which now - marked by its signature ‘El Diablo’ (The
Devil) entrance sign - flaunts its vast territory to the many tourists, outdoor explorers and geology lovers that visit,. Stretching from the Montañas del Fuego (Fire Mountains) out to sea, the park covers approximately 51 square kilometres of ground between the two municipalities of Yaiza and Tinajo. Unguided walking around the park is not permitted due to potential dangers of fragile rocks and unstable lava tubes. Visitors can explore the park by either a forty minute guided El Diablo bus tour, which departs every twenty minutes and offers recorded commentaries in three languages; or by foot
on a three hour walk guided by a park ranger. The walks are the most popular and only held four times a week, therefore pre-bookings are highly encouraged. There is also an option of camel rides through the park too, which departs from near the visitors centre near Mancha Blanca. The glass-walled El Diablo restaurant in the centre of Timanfaya Park hosts spectacular views over the volcanic landscape out towards the sea. Together with its impressive César Manrique-designed barbeque and cast-iron grill, which uses geothermal heat from the ground to cook food, visitors can enjoy a unique and rustic dining experience.
Candice Parsons is a writer and avid Spain and Spanish culture lover from Melbourne, Australia. ‘Like’ my Facebook page: www.facebook. com/pandemicrhapsody and follow me on Twitter @MiLlamoCandi
Credits for small companies in Spain may be provided by Germany
Germany may agree to provide ‘special credits’ to small and medium-sized businesses in Spain and Portugal to help them grow, and later to those in Greece. According to German national daily Der Spiegel, the central European country’s equivalent of Spain’s Official Credit Institute – the KfW – is considering investing up to 10 billion euros in small companies and sole traders’ enterprises in the southern EU nations, taking advantage of currently low interest rates. Finance minister for Germany Wolfgang Schäuble (pictured), in a letter to economy minister Philipp Rösler, compared the situation of Spain, Portugal and Greece vis à vis the rest of Europe with that of East and West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. According to Schäuble, many southern European countries are in a similar condition to East Germany – without the communism, but in terms of poverty and financial struggle – and that before the country was united, West Germany used to send aid to its counterparts behind the Iron Curtain. He said companies in crisis-torn European countries would benefit greatly from increased access to capital markets and would be able to create jobs or, at least, by staying afloat, not contribute to the jobless figures. The German finance minister said Spain, Portugal and Greece were ‘in danger of losing an entire generation’.
Non-drinking drivers get 20-euro petrol vouchers
Free petrol for young drivers in the early hours of the morning who can prove they have not drunk any alcohol is being given by Huelva city council in the south-west of Spain.
Numerous checkpoints have been set up around the city to breathalyse drivers and those who show a zero alcohol
reading will be given petrol vouchers.
To sign up to the scheme, they will be given a ‘points card’ upon registering at the city hall and showing their driving licences, and each breathalysing test they undertake which shows a reading of 0.0 will earn them one stamp. They will get a 20-euro Solred petrol
coupon once they have passed four tests with a 0.0 result, but if any readings are higher than these, their points card will be taken off them. This is part of a campaign by local authorities to convince young revellers to take it in turns among their friends to drive and not to drink
Jobseeker who ‘sang’ his CV on the metro taken on by national TV show
An unemployed graduate who ‘sang’ his CV whilst playing the Ukelele on the Barcelona metro has been given a job by Spain’s Channel 6, La Sexta. Enzo Vizcaíno’s performance on the train went viral on YouTube and hit national headlines, after he joked in song about his experience as a community manager – social network administrator for companies – and Ukelele-player. Vizcaíno has a degree in journalism, but has despaired of finding work after months on the dole following redundancy. As a result of the video
he made of himself singing his curriculum vitae, he has been taken on by the national TV station after La Sexta programme Así nos va (‘this is how it’s going for us’) called him to invite him onto the show to talk about the metro experience. Soon after this, the programme, which is presented by Florentino Fernández, employed him as a scriptwriter and contributor. He has now started work with the channel, having gone literally overnight from anonymity and propping up the giro queue in the job centre to being part of a national TV show and an internet sensation after his video clocked up more than half a million hits.
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THE SPAINIAC | Parque Nacional de Timanfaya | Candice Parsons