April-May 2017 El PeriĂłdico InglĂŠs de Gran Canaria The English Newspaper
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Dinner with the stars - May 6th Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria TheCanaryAwards.com
Wild Animals in Circuses
Tauro Beach Case Opens
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Million Euro Rolex Robbery
The Canary Awards 2017
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CRUELTY NOT ENTERTAINMENT Where are all the so-called animal protection charities now? Will they not join the protestors, ordinary men and women of Gran Canaria, who stand against this very visible cruelty? Where are your voices now? We at this publication stand opposed to the use of animals for any kind of entertainment, exhibition or performance where injury, pain or suffering is likely to be caused. We believe that animals used in performances must be treated with respect, and not objectified, or subjected to indignity or ridicule. In the specific case of circuses, we stand opposed to the continued use of non-domesticated (exotic) animals, such as lions and non-
human primates (monkeys), because the requirements of circus life are not compatible with the physiological, social and behavioural needs of these animals. Our view is based on ample and verified scientific evidence that no circus, no matter how well managed, can provide an appropriate environment for wild animals. Animals kept in travelling cages or cramped spaces have no place in a modern caring society.
Interpreting the News, Views & Sunshine from around Gran Canaria for English speakers of all nations
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Wild animals in circuses
The view of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The British RSPCA don't believe animals should be subjected to the conditions of circus life either. Regular transport, cramped and bare temporary housing, forced training and performance, loud noises and crowds of people are often unavoidable realities for the animals.
[cont’d]Animals kept for prolonged periods in close confinement, in artificial social groups and continually being transported between circus venues for the duration of their performing lives do not and cannot develop normally. All for the purpose of entertainment. The life of a circus animal leads to stress, boredom and often results in abnormal behaviours, such as repetitive pacing or swaying. Even when wild animals have been captive-bred for many generations they still retain their ‘wildness’ and should not be considered domesticated. Captive lions require regular stimulation and show severe signs of boredom and frustration when kept in the restricted environment of a circus pen. Unless there is strong and active discouragement from the local community, circuses will continue to breed and train wild animals for the sole purpose of performing. There is an increasing trend worldwide for a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, with more than 50 countries already having imposed national or local bans. Animal welfare is usually cited as the main reason. Many local councils have prohibited circuses with exotic animals and in some cases, circuses with any animals from performing on council lands. Supporting action to prevent circuses using wild animals from appearing on council land sends a clear message that this outmoded activity is no longer acceptable to modern 21st century society. While exotic animals remain in circuses, any improvement in their welfare, such as the adoption of national standards, is welcomed. However, such standards reflect minimum requirements and do not address the fundamental problems of keeping wild animals in circuses. Neither do the standards set a timetable for the phasing out of wild animals in circuses.
Travelling circus life is likely to have a harmful effect on animal welfare, as captive animals are unable to socialise, get enough exercise or exhibit natural behaviours. Many animals develop behavioural and/or health problems as a direct result of the captive life that they are forced to lead. A recent report commissioned by the Welsh Government concluded that ‘Life for wild animals in travelling circuses...does not appear to constitute either a ‘good life’ or a ‘life worth living’. The RSPCA has been campaigning for a complete ban of wild animals used in circuses, for many years now. Wild circus animals are usually captive bred but this does not mean that they are tame. It takes thousands of years for animals to become domesticated and the wild animals used to perform in circuses have the same needs as they would in the wild. These needs simply cannot be met in a travelling circus environment. When on tour, circus animals such as camels will spend their time in animal tents, in fenced off areas to graze, or tethered to graze. Should a circus choose to add big cats or other larger wild animals to their performance they would be confined to ‘beast wagons’ or chained within trucks. For a small percentage (approximately one percent) of the day they are asked to perform in front of a crowd before returning to their cramped living conditions. Travelling circuses are unable to meet the needs of a wild animal. The RSPCA have been campaigning for a complete ban but need your help. Many countries have already banned wild animals in circuses. European neighbours Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia as well as several countries further afield (Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Israel, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Serbia, Singapore) have all successfully banned the use of wild animals in circuses.
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On March 31 the conference “Use of Wild Animals in Circuses: Time for a Change” was co-hosted at the European Parliament by Marlène Mizzi MEP (Malta, S&D), the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, and Eurogroup for Animals, and sent a clear message to the EU: the public support for using wild animals in circus shows is long gone and the European Commission must act to ban
this outmoded and unethical entertainment across all Member States without exception. The European widespread public outcry about the use of animals in circuses’ performances highlights the need for introducing a European ban. More than half of the EU states have already adopted national legislations aimed at banning wild animals in circuses along with more than 50 States in the world.
acebook.com/StopCircosConAnimales
In 2015, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) published a position paper on the use of animals in travelling circuses stating the needs of non-domesticated, wild mammals cannot be met within a travelling circus. Nancy De Briyne, FVE Deputy Executive Director, says “wild animals have very specific needs given that their genetic makeup is the same as their counterparts in the wild and they have the same natural instinctive behaviours and needs. As such, FVE recommends European and National authorities to prohibit the use of wild mammals in travelling circuses”. * Public polls: UK YouGovPol 2013, Malta 2012 MaltaOnline, Spain 20minutos 2009, Germany Gfk
The FVE position on the use of animals in travelling circuses conservational, research or economic benefit derived from the use of wild mammals in travelling circuses that might justify their use. In addition to the welfare considerations, the use of wild mammals in circuses can represent serious animal health and public The use of wild mammals, health and safety risks. These especially elephants, big cats (lions wild mammals can cause physical and tigers) in travelling circuses injury to the public and their reflects a traditional, but outdated, keepers and zoonotic disease view of wild animals. These animals transmission. *Public polls show that have the same genetic makeup an overwhelming majority of the as their counterparts in the wild public backs a ban on wild animals and retain their natural instinctive performing in circuses. behavioural drives and needs. The Many European countries, such as needs of non-domesticated, wild Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, mammals cannot be met within Cyprus, Greece, Slovenia, Poland, a travelling circus; especially in terms of housing and being able to the Netherlands and Malta, have already prohibited the use of all express normal behaviours. (wild) animals in circuses. Other There is little or no educational, countries are currently examining a The use of any animal species (including birds, reptiles, and domesticated species) in any entertainment, travelling or otherwise, should be submitted to scientific and ethological consideration.
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prohibition (e.g. the UK), or have severely restricted the number of species permitted in travelling circuses, e.g. Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Portugal, Norway, Slovakia and Sweden. FVE, aiming to “promote animal health, animal welfare and public health across Europe” therefore recommends: all European and national competent authorities to prohibit the use of wild mammals in travelling circuses across Europe since there is by no means the possibility that their physiological, mental and social requirements can adequately be met. Suitable sunset provisions, rehousing opportunities and in some cases, as last resort, euthanasia need to be worked out with the circus owners.
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News brief
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Reviewing some of the stories we’ve covered over the last few weeks. Stay up to date at TheCanaryNews.com
New flights between Canaries & Madeira
Inter-island airline, Binter, has begun to fly a new route between the Canary Islands and Madeira on a regular basis to unite the two archipelagos twice a week, on Sundays and Thursdays. In a statement, Binter said that last Sunday, an ATR 72 aircraft departed Gran Canaria airport at 10.50 in the morning and landed in Funchal at 12.20, and that the company has now become the only airline to operate direct flights between both archipelagos throughout the year. The inaugural flight coincided with the twenty-eighth anniversary of Binter´s founding as a company, which began on March 26, 1989 to offer flights between the Canary Islands flying 36 connections per day, which now stands at 140 daily flights. Throughout the year, the airline will offer four weekly flights between the Canary Islands and Madeira, two outbound and two return. In addition, these connections will increase to daily during the months of July, August and September from Gran Canaria airport, and Binter will also fly between Tenerife and Madeira three times a week, with connections on Mondays and Fridays and, as of July 22, Saturdays as well. Binter offer resident discounts for flights between Spanish islands, with daily inter-island connections, as well as also servicing routes weekly between the archipelago and Madeira, the Azores, Morocco, Cape Verde and Portugal.
Gran Canaria airport, a leader this summer Spanish Airport Authority, AENA, have predicted that Gran Canaria Airport will generate the most air traffic in the Canary Islands this coming summer, with 8.3 million seats pre-scheduled by the companies flying here, showing a growth of 5.5% in relation to the Summer season of 2016. In total, 46 airlines have planned to operate 202 routes to and from the airport of Gran Canaria, which means an increase of 25 new connections compared to last summer. Gran Canaria recorded the best data in its history in 2016 with the arrival of 4.2 million tourists and a 12% increase compared to 2015. The German market returned to be most important for the island with 950,000 visitors, growing by 11%, while the Nordic market increased by 3% have transported a total of 938,000 tourists. The most notable increase was from the British market with 787,000 tourists and a 25% increase, followed very closely by the national domestic market, which rose by 17 % and represented 551,000 tourists flying in from mainland Spain. In terms of emerging markets, France reached 100,000 visitors, three times more than three years ago.
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65% of Gran Canaria dunes lost in just half a century, says study Gran Canaria has doubled its population over the last half century, and while it has ceased being an agrarian island to become a formidable force in tourism, the transformation has come at a high cost for the coasts, claims a new report saying that the island has lost 65% of its dunes over the last 50 years, along with 22% of its wetlands and 11% of its beaches. Three researchers from the Institute of Oceanography and Global Change, of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), last month published results in the digital edition of the Geomorphology Journal, from their work on how human development has affected the 256 kilometers of Gran Canaria’s coastline. The study has looked at maps and photographs, as a general reference, reflecting on how Gran Canaria was in the sixties, before the tourism boom of the south. The capital, Las Palmas, had already developed tourism much earlier, pushing back their moment of comparison, for assessment of impacts to the coast, all the way to 1900.
The three authors of the study, Nicolás Ferrer-Valero, Luis Hernández-Calvento and Antonio HernándezCordero, emphasised that this global assessment may not well illustrate the importance of the impacts, because, if one descends to closer detail, it is observed that the forms along the coast that have suffered the greatest destruction, are also precisely the ones that are most rare: the dunes and wetlands. In the case of the dunes, 65% of their original extensions have been completely lost (in places like San Agustín, El Hombre, San Borondón, Jinámar and Bañaderos), 32% have suffered significant deterioration (especially in Maspalomas) And only 2.6% have maintained optimal conditions (basically only the isolated beach of Güigüi).
Ancient paleo-dunes have suffered a similar fate: 32% have disappeared, 27% are semi-destroyed, 34% have been altered and only 6% can be considered “relatively intact”. The coastal wetlands too have not been much more fortunate: 22% no longer exist, 27% are partially The researchers emphasise that tourism has completely destroyed and 52% have been conserved, although with significant alterations and deteriorations. transformed Gran Canaria’s economy, from an island of 400,000 inhabitants in the 1960s, engaged The study shows that, in general, beaches have been primarily in agriculture on the northern slopes, to now well preserved, but with changes that also reflect having 850,000+ residents many newly in the thriving the tastes of the tourist, stony pebble beaches (three south that attracts four million avid visitors a year. times more naturally abundant on Gran Canaria) have suffered more destruction than their sandy Development led to the construction of roads, motorways, new homes, hotels, tourist complexes and counterparts. facilities, golf courses and even artificial beaches to According to the study, since the sixties, Gran Canaria cover what had once been pebble and stone with the has completely lost 13% of its rocky beaches and 11% sand so in demand by the average tourist. of sandy beaches. In the opposite extreme, 70% of The ULPGC team has evaluated the impact of all these the rocky beaches are preserved almost unchanged, while the same can only be said of 19% of the sand constructions throughout 570 enclaves representing beaches. the nine dominant geological forms found on the coasts of Gran Canaria: cliffs, tidal platforms, rocky As for cliffs, only 2% have been lost, but 43% have beaches, sandy beaches, dunes, wetlands, reefs and suffered alterations in one way or another, mainly due small islets, ancient cliffs and paleo-dunes. to constructions at their base, at their top or even on Global figures show that, in the last half century, 14% their faces. of the original forms along the coast of Gran Canaria “These results show that human activities, especially have been destroyed, 29% have been altered and urban and tourist development, cause a significant loss 57% retain their natural state (mainly on the west of geological diversity on the coast”, the authors point coast, the most inaccessible part of the island and out, particularly important losses have been recorded today protected as a Biosphere Reserve). “in dunes, paleo-dunes and wetlands”
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Fraudsters swindled over €400,000 from Gran Canaria tourists
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Gran Canaria train still in the works The Cabildo de Gran Canaria, it emerged last month, is still pushing forward with long talked of plans for connecting the capital, Las Palmas, with the south via a train line. at their hotel and transfer them to the store to have the goods delivered to them. At the time of collecting the product(s) they passed the card through several machines alleging that each failed one 12 detainees, who ran was suffering a malfunction, establishments dedicated to the sale of electronic products in tourist however the perpetrators carried areas, are accused of approaching out various charges, some much holiday-makers, usually elderly or higher than the price agreed with the customers, without them even of advanced years, and offering becoming aware of the fraud, until electronic devices at very low it was much too late. prices. Using POS payment terminal updates as an excuse, Having completed the scam, it is they told their victims they would deliver the products bought on the alleged that the detainees took the victims back to their hotels, where date they were due to fly back to some members of the organisation their home country, in the mean were positioned to watch, making time making several fraudulent charges on their credit card on the sure they were actually going to basis that they were unlikely to try the airport and leaving Spain. to claim back from outside Spain. If the client came to detect that they had being charged without This investigation began after their consent, they returned the a complaint from a company money and explained that it that detected anomalies in was an error, in order to avoid collections made through the POS’s (retail Point-Of-Sale system). being reported to the police and denounced. The group is thought The 12 detainees, all alleged to have successfully swindled to be members of a criminal €436,781 out of the €893,487 that organisation, ran electronic they had tried to defraud from their stores and chose foreign tourists targets. as victims, by offering devices at prices well below the market value, for example offering tablet The police surveillance operation culminated in the arrest of 12 computers worth of €300 for as people related to this organisation little as €60. When the customers and the registration of various entered these establishments premises where this activity had the perpetrators would indicate been carried out along with the that they had to make updates address of the principal people or modifications to the payment device and that they would deliver involved. Agents intervened, the purchased products to them on confiscating 8 POS’s, two of them the day the target was set to return hidden in vehicles, along with diverse jewels, watches and at to their own country. Sometimes they even offered to pick them up least €22,000 in cash. Policia Nacional have that they have dismantled an organisation that is alleged to have swindled more than €400,000 from foreign tourists in the south of Gran Canaria.
The technical project for the Gran Canaria train has reportedly entered its final planning phase with the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and the Canary Islands Government collaborating to begin implementation. A set schedule of technical meetings has been confirmed. The transport model that the Cabildo is driving forward forms part of a more global vision for transport in the Canary Islands. The Ministry of Territorial Policy has awarded, after a previous tender contest failed, partial revision to the train route layout between the Capital and the South focusing on the final seven kilometres. Plans for that stretch were suspended in 2015 to accommodate the El Veril Siam Park water park attraction, which is to be sited where the penultimate station had originally been planned. The approved train line corridor runs between Santa Catalina in the capital, Las Palmas, and Meloneras in the touristed south, and now includes 11 stations. The total cost of this project is estimated at €1.5 billion and most of the works projects have to be delivered by this summer to the company, set up for the project, Ferrocarriles de Gran Canaria. The Cabildo, together with the Government of the Canary Islands, has sought national and European funds to start construction by 2018 and intend to focus their initial efforts on the stretch between San Telmo and Playa del Inglés, which the train will eventually travel in around 25 minutes.
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Million-Euro Rolex robbery in the South of Gran Canaria
Two gunmen robbed a well known jewellery store in the heart of Maspalomas last month. Speed and professionalism were the main hallmarks of what is being called “the million-euro rolex robbery” carried out by two gunmen at the Oasis de Meloneras shopping centre, in the touristed municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana on the south of Gran Canaria. “It was like in a movie,” several witnesses reported. The robbers managed to grab a haul initially estimated to be worth more than €1 million, in little over four minutes, as part of a daring raid witnessed by several passers by. The thieves went straight to the high-end watches that had been on display only a week. Unusually, for such rare occurrences here on the island, they executed the operation with precision, in an assault that put Spanish Police and Security Forces, as well as tourism entrepreneurs, on high alert. Agents from the National Police Force looking at evidence of the smash and grab said early on that their investigation “was very advanced in a positive sense.”
broke glass cabinets containing watches using an iron lump hammer. One of the assailants stood at the door to prevent it from closing. Employees shouted and protested, but the assailants repeated warnings and threats, intimidating the workers into not trying to move.
The events took place at 20:20 on a Tuesday evening at the CC Oasis Shopping Centre. Two well-dressed individuals got off a motorcycle, parked at a nearby pharmacy, before confidently entering the jewellery shop.
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The doors of the establishment do not open automatically, and have to be activated by the security guard, who is at the entrance, or a worker, who can open the doors with a command, after observing the client who wants to enter.
A tourist managed to record a video of the robbery while it was being carried out. The two thieves wore gloves, and according to witnesses, they spoke Spanish with a foreign accent.
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Police Arrest suspected members of The Pink Panthers gang
Just one week later Guardia Civil and Policia Nacional arrested two men they say are members of the infamous international gang of thieves known as the ‘Pink Panthers’. The detainees stand accused of the robbery in Meloneras, one of the most prestigious tourist resorts in Maspalomas.
According to sources close to the investigation, one of the arrests was made at Gran Canaria airport, while the second took place in the tourist area of Playa del Inglés. Additionally, they searched a house in the area of El Tablero, not far from the scene in Maspalomas, in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, where several watches matching the ones stolen were seized. Investigators say, the leader of the group lived in this house, and was the one who planned the assault on the Saphir Jewellery store on March 14.
The two men, of foreign nationality, were arrested on Gran Canaria as one of them tried to catch a flight with some of the loot. The investigators suspect that the men are two robbers of Serbian nationality, and may be related to the Pink Panthers, who specialise in these types of heists. If this was the Pink Panthers, as is suspected, the security forces can now register their second success on Gran Canaria, in responding to this dangerous criminal gang. In November 2015, two members of the Serbian Pink Panthers were arrested by the Guardia Civil on Gran Canaria when they tried to leave the island with items stolen a month earlier in a jewellery shop in Morro Jable (south Fuerteventura): again luxury watches valued at one million euros. That operation was especially gratifying for the security forces because it was the first time they had arrested members of the Pink Panthers in Spain for a robbery within Spanish territory (in 2007 they had arrested a robber involved in a high profile heist committed in Dubai)
It is not yet clear why it is Police think the men arrested are part of the Pink Panther group, who are an infamous gang of thieves made famous for their audacious and precision timed raids on jewellery stores around the world. It is thought there could be more than sixty of ex-Yugoslav citizens, from Bosnia, Croatia, members to the gang operating internationally, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, and they have many of whom have eastern European military been credited with some of the most audacious backgrounds. Some estimates even suggest more heists in recent criminal history. than 100 members. They have been credited with thefts in Dubai, Japan, Committing jewellery thefts for more than two France, Spain, Luxembourg, Monaco, Switzerland, decades the core group is said to be made up Germany, Liechtenstein amongst many others.
The first acknowledged theft by the group was in 1993 when a half-million pound diamond was hidden in a jar of face cream, mimicking a scene from the popular Peter Sellers movie Return of The Pink Panther. The question is, will the Pink Panthers see Gran Canaria as a challenge, or to be best avoided...?
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Tauro Beach case prosecutor 1/2 seeks 3 years jail for exhead of Canary Islands Costas
departed from the legal framework established for the administrative concession to rehabilitate the beach. The original permit, which was granted by ministerial order on October 1, 2015, established a series of conditions prior to the beginning of the works, such as the incorporation into the public domain of land, for which Anfi Spanish language daily, La Group pledged to show ownership Provincia, reported that the Court or administrative rights of usage, of Instruction number 3 of San which would then be added to Bartolomé de Tirajana have been the demarcated Terrestrial Public investigating the former head of Domain. Anfi could not be allowed the Costas, (Coastal Demarcation to start work before showing that Authority) in the Canary Islands, they had the right to use this extra and had given the public prosecutor land. the case file indicting José María All coasts in Spain are Hernández de León, who was fired demarcated as Public Domain, as head of Costas last summer by which is why it is not legal to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, fence off coastal territory, except Food and Environment, after in unusual circumstances, as it is they detected irregularities in the meant for the enjoyment of all. permissions given to the Anfi Group It would be fair to ask, when will to occupy that strip of the coast of the fences be removed?- Ed Mogán. The court case against the former head of the Costas (Coastal Authority) opened last month, to hear evidence on whether or not crimes were committed in the granting of permissions to start work on the concession to “improve and expand” Tauro beach, on Gran Canaria southern Costa Mogán.
Judge Noemi Lázare has now been considering evidence against the civil servant accused of the crime of prevarication, that is to say lying, and another count of falsifications in official documents, according to an order issued last February 20, that instructs the progression of proceedings leading up to the trial, as requested by the Office of the Environment and Urbanism in Las Palmas, who are the official complainants having received certification from the Guardia Civil’s Nature Protection Service, Seprona. The judicial decision concludes that José Hernández “rudely”
The work along this 3,811 square meters of land behind the shoreline, described in the selected project, intended to widen the existing beach, was an improvement that allowed Anfi to win the tender, to the detriment of Miguel Cazorla, the primary concession operator at the nearby Amadores Beach. It was therefore very important that the Costas verify compliance with this contractual provision before allowing work to start, as it was this provision that would directly allow the company to occupy the remaining 11,200 square meters of land, behind Tauro shoreline, in
exchange for the newly widened beach, and only in this way could Anfi gain the rights included, to operate the concession for seasonal services, hammocks, kiosks etc. for the duration of the 50-year contract. Problems arose on February 4 of last year, 2016, when technician Ignacio López-San Vicente, an engineer at the Costas, refused to sign the document allowing the works area to be fenced and staked out, because he detected several “serious breaches” that “made it impossible to start the works”, according to the judicial order. These breaches included several failures to meet the conditions set out for the concession, in particular: the contractor had not delivered proper certification of ownership for the land that would be compromised and those plans that had been provided were “insufficient”, among various other reasons, because the space set out for the new strip of beach was interrupted by already inhabited dwellings. “Despite knowing the impediments exposed” by the technician and his “not having signed” the act for redesign of the works, Hernández “verbally” authorised the beginning of the works, namely the placement of 70,000 tons of sand brought from the Morocco-controlled, and disputed, territory of Western Sahara, by The Anfi Group, which at that time was made up of Santana Cazorla Group and the heirs to Anfi’s Norwegian founders, the Lyngs (The Lyng family
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subsequently sold their share of the business last September to Gran Canaria native hoteliers Lopesan). In this verbal authorisation, given despite the prior obligations still required to verify legal and physical realities of land promised to the Public Domain, the judge sees indications of administrative prevarication. In short the ex-head of the Canary Islands Costas is accused of lying, by dishonestly authorising works to begin. The other offence, of falsification, is related to a document signed by Hernandez, where he states that the “objections” made by the technician Lopez-San Vicente had been “solved immediately”. Several subsequent reports, however, point to the opposite conclusion. The work, in fact, had to be stopped and the beach was closed to the public, while Spanish State legal services analysed whether or not they needed to revoke the administrative concession for breaches by the promoter, who still had not produced registered documentation proving their ownership of the land directly behind the beach, with which they had been able to win the bid. The prosecution is now preparing its case according to the facts established by the investigating judge. In his letter to the Court of Instruction Number 3 of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, the Prosecutor’s Office noted that the
accused, José María Hernández, ignored a Ministerial Order and reports contrary to the criteria set out for the granting of permission to start works on the beach at Tauro and then “did not hesitate to falsify that reality in two Documents, the Stakeholder Act and the plan attached to the Act of Delivery and Reception for the lands to be contributed” by the promoter, Anfi. The promised contribution of 3,811 square meters of land, adjacent to Tauro beach, by the company Anfi Tauro, was the determining factor for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment back in 2015 when they decided to award the concession for occupation of the coastal enclave and its beach to the developer. However, the specifications that accompany this Ministerial Order determined the obligation to “delimit prior to the start of works” the reception of private land incorporated by the promoter in their project plans. According to the Office of the Prosecutor, the accused “departed rudely” from the legal framework and “disregarded the impediments exposed” by both the demarcation engineer and his superiors in Madrid with the “sole will to authorise the beginning of works” on the coast. After an inspection of Tauro Beach, now covered with 70,000 cubic meters of Saharan sand controversially purchased without the permission of the exiled Polisari government of Western Sahara,
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the engineer Ignacio López-San Vicente, refused to sign the act to replan the works because there were certain repairs and changes required in the project. Despite the warnings of the technician, Hernandez “verbally authorised” the works and “departed from the legal framework,” according to the official indictment. In addition, and “in order to establish that his action was covered by an apparent legal formality”, the former head of the Costas “did not hesitate to falsify” the content of the Statute of Record and the attached plan in the Record of Delivery and Reception of land to be contributed by Anfi Tauro. These documents “differ” from the reality reflected in the file for the ministerial concession, says the prosecutor, “since the concessionaire does not figure as the sole owner” of the lands and some of these lands are partially “occupied” by real estate. For this alleged crime, of documentary misrepresentation, the Office of the Prosecutor has requested a sentence of three and a half years in prison for the accused. In addition, has requested his special disqualification from the exercise of employment and public office for 10 years for allegedly having committed an administrative malfeasance. The case continues. Sources: La Provincia, La Opinion & various others
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Arriving and operational on Gran Canaria May 2017
Afrikat.com
In 2011 entrepreneurs Wendie and Potter chased their dreams, after moving from Australia to Gran Canaria, to buy the Afrikat from her South African skipper. They invested a lot of time and money refurbishing the catamaran to make her as good as she could be, resulting in a beautiful duel hulled pleasure boat and an excursion enterprise that has been growing ever since. On the stern of the Afrikat they painted the words Sigue tus Sueños "Follow your Dreams".
By 2015 they had the full 3D draft ready and started to look for boat builders around Europe, eventually finding one in Holland, having had meetings in Barcelona, Madrid, Dusseldorf and in Holland to get prices from the various boat yards. However the need to have the final vessel approved by the Spanish DGMM (DIRECION GENERAL DE MARINA MERCANTE) led them to look at boat yards in Spain because of Spanish Maritime Regulations and Import laws.
They found a big international bank who agreed to make them a business loan to fund the project, but who then By 2013 Potter & Wendie were feeling confident and wanting changed their decision at the very last minute. Having to fulfil a dream Potter had had for a long time, using his already spent so much money on naval architects, flights, previous years of experience in combination with Wendie's hotels etc. they knew they had to give it another shot, so knowledge of the tour operator world, he wanted to design tried their local LA CAIXA bank in Arguineguín. Potter was a catamaran exactly how they thought it should be, based surprised by quite how enthusiastic the local bank was to on feedback from previous clients. They found inspiration support their project "I just walked in asked for the director in an extraordinary sailing ship called the Tenacious, and told her our plan and she got us the loan within a month." decided to try and make the vessel as accessible as could be, wheelchair friendly and well thought through, so that Once it was arranged and confirmed, last year, they flew everybody, regardless of mobility, would be able to “enjoy a to Valencia to meet Jorge Molina the owner of FLASH day at sea, on a catamaran which looks like a super yacht, CATAMARANS VALENCIA. The day they arrived, in March, was offering an incredible experience not only for the customers, a local fiesta called Las Fallas but Jorge came and picked but also for the crew.” They decided they also wanted to them up anyway, with his lovely wife, and took them out incorporate as many green technologies as they could, to for dinner. "it was wonderful, they treated us like royalty!" help promote sustainability and the importance of a clean remembers Wendie "It was then we were able to truly say ocean. that we were going to build a boat, for the first time, and she would be known as the Afrikat62." Potter sat down with a French naval architect, his father, and his friend Nestor in Holland, after visiting the boat show in A couple of weeks later they got a phone call saying that the Dusseldorf, and told them what he had in his head so the boat needed to be a little bigger just to make sure everything architect could start making up the draft drawings. that they wanted to get out of the vessel would be possible. "So we agreed and the boat's length was increased to Wendie, started to make a business plan, they hired the become the Afrikat 69" architect to help them and started to look for banks who might be interested in helping them fund their project, From that day on they have flown every month to Valencia, designing a new catamaran, and the game was on. to follow their project and make sure everything was being
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put together how how they intended. By June 2016 the boat yard had finished the mold for the hull, which was a very big job because of the very specific aesthetic look Potter and Wendie had designed, with bow of the boat inverted and the sides rounded, this was a big job to get done, and all had to be calculated very precisely by a naval engineer, Juan Moreno. As the summer 2016 passed on Gran Canaria they returned regularly to see the finished hull coming out of the mould. "It was very interesting" gushes Potter with a broad smile "our baby being born." From here the whole boat had to be reinforced over multiple layers, with thousand of meters of fibre glass, each on top of the other, until the transversal bars were tested and approved by the professionals overseeing the construction of the vessel.
through, along with plumbing, fire fighting systems etc The custom made fire fighting system was made by hand using reinforced stainless steel. More than 2 kilometres of electrical cable had to be pull throughout the vessel for all the connections to the lights and various state of the art equipment. Then the salon was fitted and had to be reinforced so as to be exactly as designed for the windows ordered and so that the wheelchair friendly toilet could be built. Bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, hallways etc. all were interior designed by Wendie from scratch, with graphic designer Hector Trull, choosing colours, materials to ensure an elegant finish to the new boat's interior.
Two 370HP engines have been fitted along with 2 generators, 24 batteries and some of the latest technologies to help make the Afrikat not only the first of its kind, but also one of the safest and most advanced sea The company then hand made all the rest of the moulds going vessels in The Canary Islands. With capacity for and structures for the boat; everything including seats, 50 passengers and 5 crew Afrikat 69 is also the very first solariums, bar, fly bridge, doors for the engine room, eco-friendly, fully accessible commercial excursion boat in storage areas, walls, ceiling steps (welded in stainless Spain with wheelchair access and environmentally aware steel), railings, windows, the wheelhouse, tables and beds. design and function. This is a party boat, a leisure vessel All hand moulded. and an adventure unlike any other. The 9.35m wide and 21 meter long deck had to be done While Wendie has been running the business on her own in various stages and again fibre glassed on top of the with her crew on Gran Canaria and flying up and down superstructure. When this was almost finished they had to to Valencia over this last month, Potter has been based in make sure that the last bit of deck had to accommodate Gandia, mainland Spain, making sure the final launch will the link to the engine room exactly above the engine, be a success. With between 40 and 50 people working which was a feature of the design in case the engines ever 14 hours a day on the AFRIKAT 69, 6 days week to make had to be changed. Another innovation in the design was sure she is ready with all her certificates needed before for the back of the boat to store a custom easy access her maiden voyage on 29 April, bound for Gran Canaria. lifeboat system. After fitting hoses and pipes, which needed to be pulled throughout the structure, to let electricity cables run
The Afrikat 69 is scheduled to arrive before nightfall on May 6th 2017 in Puerto Rico's Puerto Base Harbour.
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You are invited to Dinner under the stars
-
Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria
Where we will announce the results of the public vote in a soulful evening of entertainment, fine food, and recognition for this year’s short-listed nominees
Dress to Impress! Dinner reservations start at 35 per person and are sold on a first come first served basis, So BOOK EARLY through the website or with a short-listed nominee Reservations: TheCanaryAwards@TheCanaryNews.com +34 928 987 952 - 626 641 537
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Canary Islands 2017 housing prices rose 1% in first quarter The price of second-hand housing in the Canaries has risen 1% in the first quarter of the year and to stand at €1,398.15/m2 in March, a figure that is 16% below the Spanish average, which in March stood at € 1,664.15/m2, according to data from the Real Estate Index fotocasa. “For the sixth consecutive month, the Fotocasa Index recorded a year-on-year rise in prices during March, reflecting the normalisation of housing costs after a very deep crisis. But this recovery is occurring in some areas, such as Madrid , Catalunya, the islands and points along the Mediterranean coast who are
recording price increases, [however] in many parts of the country the red numbers continue”, explained Beatriz Toribio, of fotocasa. The Canary Islands stand in sixth place in the ranking of Spain’s most economic autonomous communities in which to buy a house. The Canary Islands reached maximum historical average house prices in May 2007 when the average value stood at €2,155/m2. Compared to those heady days prices have remain 35.1% lower than the top of the boom times.
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Buying Property in The Canary Islands
Natalia Villendrup When first considering buying on Gran Canaria, the multitude of options available to clients looking to purchase property can at first seem overwhelming. The Canary Islands are one of the most enjoyable destinations in the world, consisting of seven islands each with their own distinct characteristics, types of housing stock, social demographics and cultural living style. Our expert Canary Islands property finders are able to skilfully advise clients looking for any guidance with a Canary Islands property search to help identify the most suitable locations whether it is an ideal family home, a property investment or a second home that is being sought. Our Canary Islands based property consultants are well versed in property search and can share with you their insight on those areas best suited to your needs. Leading independent Canary Islands property finders Villendrup claim a track record of success spanning years in the Gran Canaria property market and have teamed up with Real Gran Canaria to offer resources and guidance to English speakers. Committed to sourcing and acquiring the best property at the right price, on the most favourable terms, Villendrup ensure their clients remain fully informed every step of the way. Recognising that clients lead busy lives, Villendrup offer to oversee the entire home search and purchase process, liaising with estate agents, vendors, surveyors, mortgage companies and solicitors on their behalf, bringing efficiency to the process and offering an effective buying solution.
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Obtaining a residence permit in The Canary Islands by buying a house
If you come from a country within the EU, then moving to Spain is a fairly straight forward process. EU nationals have the right to live and work here, just like any Spanish born citizen. Of course Brexit may complicate things for British nationals in years to come, but for now it remains quite simple, there has never been a better time to consider property in Spain.
If you live outside the European Union and would you like to obtain a residence permit to live and work in Canary Islands, then the Spanish law called the ‘Ley de Apoyo a los Emprendedores y su Internacionalización’ may offer you a solution. The law ‘to support entrepreneurs and their internationalisation’ is commonly known as the Golden Visa and was introduced in Spain to attract investors from outside the European Union (for example from Morocco, India, Bangladesh, Angola, Kenya but also countries like the US, Canada and Russia). Residence permit in Canary Islands to live, work and travel Once you have a residence permit in The Canary Islands you can live and work in Spain during the validity of the permit. Additionally you can travel freely and without a visa to countries within the Schengen area. You can also get additional permits for your spouse and children, who can then go to a state school in Spain. This means you can not only stay in Spain – you can start a completely new life with your family. Residence permit in Spain by buying a house The first and most important step to obtain a residence permit is to buy a property worth €500,000 or more in Spain. This purchase may be made in person but it can also be arranged via real estate personal shopper services, like those offered by Villendrup. In theory you could therefore buy property without ever even visiting Spain. In order to apply for the residence permit, however, you do have to visit Spain. You can do this once the property has been acquired. The residence permit then lasts 2 years and is renewable indefinitely every 5 years. What kind of property? Any type of property investment is valid, meaning you can buy commercial property, residential property or land. You can rent it out if you wish and sell it again whenever you want but you do have to re-invest the €500,000 in another Spanish property if you want to keep your residence permit. We can help you apply for a residence permit in Canary Islands We can put you in contact with an expert lawyer who can tell you everything you need to know about obtaining a residence permit in Canary Islands by buying property. You can of course also read the articles we publish over coming months if you first want more information. Do you want to look for property? Then we can help you search for property in a price range from €500,000 and more.
If you need any assistance you can contact us directly on Property@RealGranCanaria.com
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Transport is never simply routine; because somehow each shipment or transport is unique. Concrete knowledge is required to successfully negotiate local legal provisions of the country you wish to send to, packing particular items and knowing how much effort is required, as well as what you have to pay and to which customs, the documents needed and which partners in the country of origin can be one hundred percent trusted to ensure that nothing is “lost�.
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For this reason Phoenix run their own warehouse. They never work with strangers, and so can guarantee quality, consistency and security. They deliver. They provide storage when needed, short term or long term, inexpensive & secure. Phoenix Trans speak 5 languages, and offer the very widest network of professional global transport contacts.
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TheCanaryNews.com
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Riu Palace Hotel Maspalomas & the dunes, courtesy of 45photos.com
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Gran Canaria wants to “Encourage” residents out of tourist zones
The Government of the Canary Islands is reportedly working with the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and the Southern tourist zone town hall of San Bartolomé de Tirajana to try and find ways to “encourage” citizens residing in tourist resorts to progressively “relocate” to other places on Gran Canaria, so as not to endanger “the jewel of the crown” of the island’s economy. Vice president of the Canary Islands’ autonomous community, Pedro Rodríguez , made this announcement in a forum organised by the Spanish language daily newspapers ” La Provincia” and “La Opinión de Tenerife” at the beginning of April, when asked by audience members about the problem of the gradual
conversion of tourist zones into residential areas. The authorities on Gran Canaria are said to believe that visitors and guests in these tourism designated properties do not want this type of coexistence and that the residential use of tourist beds causes a degradation of the destination overall. Rodríguez has acknowledged that he worries “enormously” about this problem and considers it to be one of the “most complex challenges to be faced” in the Canaries, although he has also pointed out that this is a situation that has long been going on and will require reconciling the rights of all those involved.
He pointed out that in cases when different sets of rights confront each other, such as property ownership, properties used by their owners and matters of the general interest, he has indicated that among all the administrations involved they will seek “attractive alternatives that allow the movement of these people who now reside in the tourist areas”. The vice-president has stressed that tourist areas are “the jewel in the crown” within the Canary Islands’ economy and should not be allowed to “put themselves at risk”, so “balance must be the key word” for the resolution of a conflict of interests that affects possibly up to 70,000 residents throughout the Canarian archipelago.
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Letters toEd-the-Ed There has been a storm brewing for some time. Thousands of primarily foreign residents could well be caught up in it, along with potentially tens of thousands of native Canarians. The whole issue revolves around accommodation that was either bought or built on specifically tourismdesignated land, or properties that were licenced specifically for short term rental.
This has been further exasperated by individuals who decide to break the law by quietly renting to tourists without a proper licence to do so, and without paying any taxes. When you consider the number of private residents who now live in accommodation originally meant for tourists, it is not difficult to see why more and more independent businesses struggle in once bustling resort towns like Puerto Rico. Though it is very easy to blame the rise of All Inclusive hotels, it is worth noting that the All Inclusive market is still only around 30% of total tourism, and hasn’t grown significantly in ten years. Much more of a problem is a lack of properly maintained tourist beds in the areas around the original resorts leading to new hotels being built away from those resorts, where the rise of All Inclusive seems more attractive to developers, hoteliers and tour operators alike. We received the following letter, recorded delivery, from one local reader who wishes to remain anonymous. Though not comfortable reading to many, the points made here are valid and important. What do you think? Ed-the-Ed. Editor@TheCanaryNews.com
An Open Letter to the editor: As a non-Spanish private resident in a tourist complex for 20 years in the Municipality of Mogán I read with interest the article in the February edition of The Canary News and a related article by PALT [the Plataforma de Afectados por La Ley Turística] While I will be negatively impacted, in terms of value and personal enjoyment of my investment, I commend what the Lady Mayoress, Onalia Bueno is seeking to achieve. I make the following comments in the interest of balance and reason: Every purchaser of a property on Gran Canaria, if they were dealing with a competent professional solicitor, with their clients’ long term best interests at heart, and an independently minded notario, would have been informed that they were buying a property on a tourism designated plot and been made fully aware of the obligations as to use of such tourist designated properties. In fairness some purchasers may have been expediently told by estate agents and lawyers, unprofessionally and selfishly focused on their own immediate benefits, that a “laisse faire” stance was being adopted by the government and a “blind eye” was being applied in relation to the enforcement of the law. However the law is the law and must be observed, even if some chose otherwise. Accordingly purchasers would or should have been fully aware that they were living on borrowed time. The global economic downturn left the Spanish Government short of cash which has served “to call time” on those borrowed and now numbered days. Tourist revenue is critically important to the Canary Islands. Some years ago tourism officials estimated the loss of taxes arising from “Private Owners” in tourist complexes renting out their apartments illegally to be over €400,000,000. A massive black economy, no longer tenable to a government strapped for cash. In one medium sized tourist complex in the Municipality of Mogán, the ratio of “Rental” to “Private Owners” has reduced to 50.3% and 49.7% respectively. With one less apartment in exploitation this complex must close [to tourists] under the existing 1995 Law, with disastrous consequences for all - owners, employees and Government. The actual Government take, in all taxes (Personal Income, Company Income, IGIC, Payroll Taxes etc.), from the 50.3% engaged in rental exploitation stood at 3.7, 4.5, 3.8 and 5.3 times greater than the tax contribution from the remaining 49.7% private owners over just one four year period. These figures relate only to property and payroll taxes and do not take into account the other benefits [to the tax man] from tourist expenditure in restaurants, bars, tourist attractions etc. on a recurring weekly/fortnightly
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Re: Mogán Seeking to Enforce Tourism Land Laws (February Edition) basis, versus the one-off [or occasional] spend by long stay private owners [residing at the complex]. Among the private owner cohort, one in six owners [were observed to] engage in systemic illegal letting, where no tax is paid on the rental income and apartment cleaning, airport transfers etc. are all undertaken within a black economy devoid of any contribution to central Government.
(Buyer Beware). We all knew what we were doing when buying properties in tourist complexes. We had no doubts that we were benefiting from the standards, amenities and quality living afforded in such tourist complexes and underpinned by the long-standing legislation. Many may have chosen, foolishly, to ignore or to selfishly abandon the obligations associated with their property’s location. Unfortunately legislation is not for cherry picking. Owners In a related article in the same edition of The Canary News affected may be better served turning their attention to PALT refers to “monitoring the actions of the Ayuntamiento their advisors who expediently ill advised them in the de Mogán ...so that your rights as owners are not violated”. first place, if indeed they were advised at all, rather than I believe this to be a very short sighted stance. In a separate devoting energy to frustrating and attempting to veto the article (translated by J Phillips) PALT claim that 70,000 implementation of well thought out laws that have served all private owners on tourist plots are affected. If PALT is of us, government, owners and workers, well. correct then the loss of income to the Governments of the Canary Islands is over four times what it [might otherwise] Finally, in the interest of balance it is an unfortunate fact that be if these properties were in legitimate rental as originally as a consequence of [a sometimes] very lax approach to intended and licensed. implementing the laws over the years we now have a mess. This was not solely created by those negatively impacted. Extrapolating from the complex referenced above, the total In many instances they were ably assisted by advisors loss of Government revenue based on PALT numbers, for abandoning their duty of care. government authorities must the last year alone [could be upwards] of €140,000,000. also carry culpability. Bad practice was allowed to grow The actual loss is probably a multiple of this figure as my unchecked over many years, creating the dilemmas now extrapolation is based on a two star complex and losses faced by many. However the answer does not lie in the relating to 3 and 4 star complexes would be significantly institutionalising of the bad practice that has emerged, and higher due to higher income per bed night. is in danger of becoming embedded. Such passivity would, in future, cast a very long, dark and costly shadow over Given the number of Tourist properties in the Municipality the long term health of the primary business of the Canary of Mogán the lady mayoress is quite astute to focus on the Islands. potential to recover some of this lost revenue. Accordingly, I am somewhat perplexed as to why PALT describe recent regulations designed to ensure implementation of existing laws as “unjust and abusive legislation.” It is time to take emotion and intemperate language out of the debate and deal in facts. A time to reflect on the inequities between compliant owners and noncompliant owners. PALT go on to further claim that as a consequence of the regulations “they (the noncompliant holiday property owners) won’t be able to reside in them as a primary residence, nor use them for either short or long term stay, nor be able to rent them to third parties.” Here I put an open question to PALT - Does it condone illegal letting and should it a lobbyist for those owners engaged in illegal letting?
A combination of apathy, indolence, insouciance and nonchalance combined with naked self-interest across many areas has allowed bad practice mutate and propagate over the decades, in a misguided belief, that if immediate consequences were not apparent, inevitable consequences could be avoided. Unfortunately life is not so simple. Accordingly, capable leadership predicated on wisdom and contemplative understanding at the highest levels is now necessary more than ever, so that sensitive rolling back of the slippage to a position of reasoned equilibrium can be achieved. The emotive language espoused by PALT is not conducive to invoking sensitivity and understanding.
I believe that if vested interest lobbying and confrontation can be parked and replaced with constructive engagement, The Tourist Laws of 1986 and 1995 were enacted for very good by all, focused on the factual impacts on all parties, a constructive and equitable resolution can be achieved to the reasons. To ensure order and structure on where we live as mutual satisfaction of all over a period of years. A problem residents or tourists - not a mishmash of both - so as to ensure adherence to high standards demanded by tour operators and incubated over 30 years plus, must be resolved over a similar time frame. their customers. When a tourist complex fails, standards drop dramatically, owner’s property values fall and the government’s What that sagacious leadership and constructive resolution stock of quality tourist accommodation diminishes with resultant might look like is better left to another day. loss of related employment and revenue. The basic tenet of all purchases is “Caveat Emptor”
SIGNED: A Concerned Responsible Private Owner
in Tourist Complex.
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“One of our top priorities for the negotiations is our citizens, and there will be no immediate changes to expat rights here in Spain in the interim” says British Ambassador to Spain Simon Manley “[On March 29th] the Prime Minister wrote to the European Council to trigger Article 50 and begin the process for the UK to leave the EU. From the meetings that our teams across Spain have had in recent months, we know that many British residents in Spain have questions about the future, ranging from residency rights to healthcare and pensions. One of our top priorities for negotiations is our citizens. As Prime Minister said in her letter to the European Council President, we should always put our citizens first, and we want an early agreement about their rights. We are ready to reach such an agreement right now if other countries agree. We want to give citizens as much certainty as possible, as early as possible. In the interim, there will be no immediate changes
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to expat rights here in Spain. Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all rights British Nationals enjoy in Spain remain in force. You can continue to live and work in Spain. You can continue to access Spanish schools, access your UK pension and your children. We encourage all British citizens residing in Spain to register on their local padron, so that you can fully exercise your rights to access local services in Spain and so we have the most complete possible picture of all the British citizens are living here. If you encounter any problems exercising your rights, get in touch with your nearest British consulate. Our teams across Spain and I will continue to keep you updated on the negotiations. Please follow GOV.UK for the most up to date and accurate information. “ Visit http://www.gov.uk/fco for British foreign policy news And travel advice and http://blogs.fco.gov.uk to read our blogs.
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Getting
to
Grips
with
Gran Canaria... Jardín Canario By Diego Mesa (Puerto Rico Language Centre)
As the weather gets warmer you might want to go and shade yourself from the heat of the south by taking a drive up to the Canarian countryside and visiting the flora and fauna at the Botanic Gardens or ‘Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo’ as it is called by the locals. Not far from Las Palmas, near the main university in Tafira, the Jardín Canario offers an unparalleled collection of the weird, the wonderful and the very every day native plant life of The Canary Islands, in an area of outstanding tranquility.
together a vast range of trees and plants and by joining forces with the engineers from El Cabildo de Gran Canaria, managed to get his dream project under way. He travelled the islands with great enthusiasm and brought specimens in high quantities from some of the remotest parts of the seven islands.
It is important to note that planning was one of his biggest hurdles, since he had to think forty years ahead when it came to arranging all the plants within the garden. This is how long it was going to take for all the flora and fauna within the garden to reach full size, according to his The garden are just off the GC-4, barely a ten minute drive away from calculations. He even thought about the directions of the pathways and the centre of Las Palmas, and its how the canals should look so that the wide friendly paths, peacefulness and breathtaking beauty, makes it water would passe through the right a must visit at any time of the year areas. but especially in the spring summer Sadly he died in 1973, in a road season. accident outside the gardens, but The idea was established by Swedish the centre continued to flourish, extending their research and botanist Eric Ragnor Svensson, who wanted to unite the botanical headed up since 1974 by a notable specialist in flora and biogeography wealth in the Canary Islands into from the universities of Reading one place. In 1952 he decided and Liverpool, named Dr. David where he was going to bring Bramwell, who having studied
under Svensson took charge of the gardens as director, as one of the very few, if not the only specialist in the ideal position to give the enterprise the qualitative push it deserved. Bramwell, probably the foremost authority on Canary Islands Flora in the world today, over the next forty years extended the facilities and the space with labs and state of the art equipment, establishing a library. Under his directorship the botanical gardens have been awarded various prestigious prizes such as the Sir Peter Scott Medal of Merit and the environment award by the daily local newspaper Canarias 7. Nowadays the gardens can be visited everyday from 9am up to 7:30pm, they have a wide range of projects going on, and it is free to walk around. Enjoy a morning surrounded by the most fantastic range of various types of Canary Island flora and fauna, all in one place and should you need more information you can call their customer service line Monday to Friday between 9am and 15:30pm on +34 928 219 580.
Here’s a couple of Canarian words for you to think on:
JardinCanario.org
Vacilar - To have a laugh Eg. Se pasaba todo el santo día vacilando – He’d spend the whole day having a laugh or To laugh at someone Eg. Cuando vió que se estaban vacilando de el se levantó de la mesa y se fue – When he saw that they were laughing at him, he got up from the table and left Fule – This word originates from the English to sound something like ‘Don’t fool us’. The locals use this word to refer to a con or deception. Eg. ¡Ten cuidado, es un fule! - Be careful, it’s a con!
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04.
The Perpetual Knife Sharpener
by Barrie Mahoney
I always admire people who get off their backsides and do something worthwhile with their lives. People, who have an idea, recognise a niche in the market and attempt to fill it with their own hard work, imagination and effort. Maybe their initiative will lead to something larger than they initially imagined, or maybe it will remain as a useful, but small business. The important thing is that they had a dream, and they succeeded in realising their dream. It had been haunting me for several years. The sound of panpipes when I was least expecting it finding its tuneful way through open windows or when I was quietly tending the garden. The problem was that I could not link the sound to anyone or anything. At first, I thought that maybe a neighbour’s child was practicing the flute, or a piccolo. Possibly, it was the early onset of insanity, or one too many, since I could not find anyone else who had actually heard it. Some considerable time later, I heard a similar sound in our neighbouring town, but that turned out to be a delivery of bottled gas. Anyway, it was not exactly the same sound, which I would recognise anywhere. A few days ago, I finally discovered the source of the sound. It comes from a travelling knife sharpener who uses the sound to warn and attract potential customers of his arrival. I caught him in the act one afternoon when I was pruning a tree. Our boisterous dog, Bella, suddenly heard the noise in the distance and was determined to rescue me from the creator of this strange sound. I stood in the road expectantly watching as the sound became louder and louder. Eventually, an ancient moped came into sight carrying quite a large elderly man. Sadly, he was not actually playing the panpipes that I had imagined, but the same sound was coming from somewhere at the back of his moped. I waved the man down, and he eventually came to
wobbly stop. I asked him what he was doing and where he had come from. It transpired that he was a knife sharpener who had travelled from Las Palmas to sharpen knives, scissors and all manner of cutting instruments that require his services from time to time. Do you play the panpipes, I asked? Sadly, he did not. He grinned and pointed to a button on his handlebars. He pressed a greasy, green button and the blissful angelic sounds of panpipes sounded from somewhere near the exhaust of his ancient moped. Alberto, the knife sharpener, travels all over the island, visiting towns and villages where he thinks people are in need of his services. As I had a pair of secateurs, as well as an ancient yet effective long armed trimmer that were both as blunt as a butter knives, I retrieved them and handed them to him. I wondered if they were too far gone to be rescued, but he smiled, nodded and started the small generator that was attached to his moped. The generator whirred as he ground, smoothed and manicured the rusty metal on the long-neglected secateurs, whilst I stood back and admired how well the moped had been converted. As well as a small generator, the moped had a grinding wheel and other gadgets added, all powered by the generator, to assist in the process of sharpening and grinding. Several minutes later the secateurs were completed. They looked shiny and felt as sharp as the day that I had bought them. Alberto then moved on to the long arm trimmer, which I had thought about replacing for some time. This was a much bigger job, and he skilfully ground, smoothed and sanded before he was satisfied with his work. He asked me for some oil, commenting sadly that a teenager had stolen his can of oil earlier that morning. I handed him a can of ‘Three-in-One’. Alberto nodded, as if approving of my choice, and lathered both tools generously with oil before handing them to me. He grinned a toothy smile as he collected the cash. I asked for his business card or mobile number just in case I wanted to contact him again, as I have several ancient tools in need of some care and restoration. Alberto had neither, but told me that he would be around again in a month or so. He covers most of the island on his moped with generator at the ready, so I guess it will be some time before we see him again. © Barrie Mahoney If you enjoyed this article, take a look at Barrie’s websites: http://barriemahoney.com and http://thecanaryislander.com or read his latest book, ‘Footprints in the Sand’ (ISBN: 9780995602717). Available in paperback, as well as Kindle editions. © Barrie Mahoney
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04.
Language Exchange GC -
Most adjectives - words that describes a thing or person – go after, not before the noun in Spanish. Think of the meaning of la Costa Brava, the wild coast, or ‘coast wild’ as the Spanish say. Another good example is Puerto Rico – rich port. Except that they say Port Rich.
SINGULAR OR PLURAL?
While English adjectives like big or small, lovely or awful are always singular, Spanish ones can change to plural to ‘agree’ with the word they´re describing. So, a big house is una casa grande, but two big houses would be dos casas grandes. An English man is un hombre inglés but ‘some English men’ would need ‘s’ added to everything so it all lines up: unos hombres ingleses (oo-noss om-bress in-gless-es). As you can see, it´s easy to make a plural – just add ‘s’ like in English, except for words ending in a consonant – then you need to add ‘es’ to keep it sounding Spanish. However, it´s not very important if you forget to add the ‘s’ on the end of your describers – people will understand you either way; in fact you will sound quite Canarian as local people often drop the last letter of words. For example Buenos Dias is often shortened here to Buen Dia – Good Day.
MASCULINE OR FEMININE?
The confusion doesn´t end there. Because Spanish adjectives can either be neutral, meaning they don´t change except from singular to plural, or masculine and feminine. As a general rule, if the describing word ends in ‘o’, this is the masculine form which should change to an ‘a’ to describe female things. Yes, every single object or thing in Spanish is either masculine or feminine. If you ever did French at school, that might ring a bell. And there´s no rhyme or reason to it. Just try to remember the golden rule:
O FOR A BOY, A FOR A GIRL.
So, un chico is a boy or a guy, while una chica is a girl. Un chico guapo is a good-looking guy, while una chica guapa is a good looking girl. A dress is un vestido –it ends in ‘o’ so it´s masculine. Weird, right? If you want to describe it, you also need your adjective to ‘agree’ with the word it´s describing: Un vestido largo – a long dress. But the word for skirt is ‘falda’ – it ends in an a so it´s female this time. Una falda corta – a short skirt (or skirt short, as they say). Fortunately, some adjectives don´t change because they don´t end in o. The ‘neutral’ ones include words like excelente, grande, interesante (excelente, big, interesting) – or cruel, legal, fatal (cruel, legal, awful) - a lot of them look similar to the English word, though you must pronounce every vowel separately in Spanish.
with
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Theresa Coe
IRRITATING OR IRRITATED?
Some adjectives are formed from verbs (actions). We do this too. Generally when ours end with ‘ed’, theirs end with –ado or -ido (so ‘busy’ is ocupado/a, like occupied). When ours end with –ing, their equivalente is –ante/-ente (so frustrating is frustrante). Take a look at this table: Verb adjective 1 (with estar) |adjective 2 (with ser) interesar interesado/a interesante to interest interested interesting relajar relajado/a relajante to relax relaxed relaxing irritar irritado/a irritante to irrítate irritated irritating When we talk about emotions or temporary states, we need to use the verb ‘estar’: Estoy cansado (I´m tired – for a man); estoy cansada ((I´m tired – for a woman). Mi amiga está emocionada – my (female) friend is excited. You can also say ‘excitada’ but I don´t recommend it as this word can have sexual overtones. When we talk about general descriptions or characteristics, we use ‘ser’: Soy inglesa/alta/rubia – I´m English/tall/blonde (from a woman – hence ‘a’ on the end of the descibers). La música es relajante (rela-hante) – the music is relaxing. La noticia es emocionante – the news is exciting. Sometimes an adjective has a totally different meaning depending on if you use ‘estar’ or ‘ser’, eg: Están aburridos – they are bored (temporary state) Son aburridos – they are boring (characteristic) Lessons 13 and 14 about adjectives are available on request by emailing me at theresacoe@gmail.com Practice online The fab website studyspanish.com has loads of examples and quizzes to help you practice your adjectives – this is the specific link: http://studyspanish.com/grammar/lessons/adj1
HEAR IT PRONOUNCED
A fab online Spanish-English dictionary and translator is www.spanishdict.com – press the speaker button to hear how to pronounce each word.
To receive previous lessons from this paper or for information about classes, email: theresacoe@gmail.com For details of all free language exchange and Spanish or English conversation clubs on the island, visit
www.LanguageExchangeGC.es
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April-May 2017 - [116]
TheCanaryNews.com
Mr India - Mango Chicken
04.
“Tomato is not the only fruit that is used in curries. Mangos make really delicious curries too. With the Canary Islands being Europe’s primary producer of several varieties of mango, finding this exotic delicacy on the sunny south of the island is as easy as can be. Here is a simplified version of our wonderful recipe for Mango Chicken Curry, best served with plain boiled rice or a peshwari naan.”
Vegetable oil 3 tbsp Large onion, chopped 1 Red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 Garlic cloves, minced 2 Fresh minced ginger 2 tbsp Yellow curry powder 2 tbsp Ground cumin 1/2 tsp Finely chopped chilli 1/2 tsp Ground coriander 1/2 tsp Mangoes peeled and diced 2 Cider vinegar 2 tbsp Water 1.25 cup Skinless, boneless thighs 750 gm Heavy cream 1/2 cup Salt and pepper to taste Coriander for garnishing Golden raisins 1/3 cup
Why not try the real deal?
Heat two tbsp oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add red bell pepper and another tbsp of oil, cook for 2 minutes. Add coriander, chilli and curry powder and cumin, cook for a few more minutes. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for one minute more. Add the vinegar, water and half of the chopped mango to the pan. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat. Scoop the sauce into a blender. Puree the sauce, pulsing until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan. Add chicken pieces and raisins. Return to a low simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes. Use a knife to cut open the largest piece to check. Add the remaining mango pieces to the pan. Stir in the cream. Let cook at a very low temperature for another minute or two, uncovered. Do not let it boil or the cream may curdle. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Lovin’ Food in Playa de Mogán
TheCanaryNews.com
April-May 2017 - [116] 04.
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Quinny’s Quiz
April-May 2017 - [116] 04.
TheCanaryNews.com
For A chance to WIN “Dinner for 2” Lovin’ Food in Playa de Mogán with Mr India Tandoori Restaurant Just Enter Quinny’s Quiz - >
April-May 2017 - [116]
TheCanaryNews.com
04.
31
1. Which company makes the Saxo car?
6. What is used to hit the balls in snooker and pool?
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2. Who sang the green green grass of home?
7. What type of chocolate is used to make Black Magic?
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3. Maris and Piper are types of which vegetable?
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4. The Kabin is a shop in which soap?
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8. A peeler was a early nickname for which profession?
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9. Which 2 soccer teams play in Bristol?
5. Nigel Kennedy plays which instrument?
................................. 10. Where on your body would you have a perm?
Individually tailored, fun and lively private
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tuition (South
Send your answers by May 1st to:
email: Quinny@TheCanaryNews.com or Drop them in to the Sunspot Bar, Puerto Rico or Text: 626 641 537 or call: 928 987 95 All correct answers will be collected together, independently drawn and announced in the May-June edition. Last edition’s winner is Marita Ruppertđ&#x;˜ who has won a trip for two on the Afrikat Gran Canaria - Call 928 987 952 to arrange availability.
Last Edition’s Answers: 1. Negro, 2. Everton, 3. Bay City Rollers, 4. Whiskey, 5. Trees, 6. Sylvester Stallone, 7. Barker and Corbett, 8. Spencer, 9. Hungary, 10. Vodka
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CLOSING April-May 2017 - [116]
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04.
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