Tenerife Magazine’s round up of some of the most interesting news stories of the week in Tenerife.
Once Upon a Time…
Manuel de Paz, Dean of the Geography and History faculty at the University of La Laguna has come up with an interesting proposal. He suggests the creation of a cultural route which takes in Tenerife’s historic Masonic structures. These include the Masonic Temple in Calle San Lucas in Santa Cruz, the imposing former Hotel Taoro in Puerto de la Cruz and the Quinta Roja mausoleum in La Orotava.
What’s even more interesting is the fourth structure he included on the list…the Pyramids of GüÃmar which the Dean says aren’t really pyramids, instead they were part of a Mason’s finca. It’s a theory put forward some years ago by a couple of the Dean’s colleagues at the university who claimed they’d only been in existence since about the 19th century (unsubstantiated outside of Tenerife)..
But here’s the thing that grates. Google Masonic architecture and you’ll find plenty of images of elaborately constructed temples. Both the Masonic Temple and the Mausoleum were built in the 19th century…the same period as the esteemed scholars at La Laguna claim the pyramids” stones were carved. So what’s wrong with this picture? The one thing you won’t find if you Google Masonic architecture are primitive looking structures. The question is why, when the Masons were constructing beautiful feats of architecture using the most expensive materials like the mausoleum in the photo, did they bother to construct something as basic as the Pyramids of GüÃmar? Over to you Dean.
You’re Nicked
Runner up for the TIT award this week is the young thief who made off with a gold chain worth €500 from a jewellery store in Santa Cruz…and left his identity card behind. Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘as thick as thieves”.
La Laguna’s Churches Bore Tourists
Tourists to Tenerife seem apparently completely disinterested in the island’s religious past according to findings in La Laguna. So much so that the Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Los Dolores and the Casas Capitulares are being removed from the guided tourist route due to a lack of interest in them. Oddly enough, the Iglesia de la Concepción was found to be a big draw for the 30,000 visitors who took the tour last year. It’s a bit of a mystery. People are either interested in visiting churches or they’re not…aren’t they?
The Little Princess
The Princess of Asturias, Letizia Ortiz visited Tenerife last week and looked stunning in a dress which showed that she hasn’t had a chip butty in a long, long time. The Princess handed out prizes at an awards ceremony in aid of cancer research at the Auditorium and visited the TEA in Santa Cruz, but some who turned up to get a glimpse were disappointed that her appearance was brief and that she didn’t spend any time talking to members of the public as she often does. When someone shouted out how pretty she was she replied with a simple thanks; the only words she uttered. To be fair she was probably concentrating more on staying upright on heels that were nearly as long as her legs.
The Cho Vito Saga Continues
Despite the meeting in Madrid which put a halt to the hunger strike by residents by postponing until November any further decision regarding the demolition of the remaining houses in Cho Vito, residents were sent letters informing them that the houses would be demolished on 1st December. The letters also stated that the residents had to have all their possessions out of the houses by the 30th November or they would also be destroyed. Officials say that this is simply a legality and doesn’t change what happened in Madrid last month. We shall see in December if the politicians speak with forked tongues or not. This Thursday sees the second anniversary of the ‘assault” on Cho Vito and residents are planning what they call a ‘unique’ event to commemorate it. Sounds intriguing.
Minority Report…But Only Just
Here’s an interesting little fact. Forty percent of the residents of San Miguel de Abona are foreigners. Out of a population of around 18,000 more than three thousand residents are British (and that’s only those who have registered), fifteen hundred are Italian and the other numbers are mainly made up of Venezuelans and Cubans. It would be interesting to see what the figures were in areas like Adeje and Arona which probably have a significantly bigger ex-pat population. If ex-pats were more political that really could put the gato amongst the palomas (that’s cat and pigeons for anyone who doesn’t speak Spanish) come the elections.
And finally the TIT (This Is Tenerife) of the week award goes to…A bummer of a situation in Santiago del Teide
It was always going to happen. A 21 year old hunter was airlifted by helicopter from Santiago del Teide on Sunday after being accidentally shot in the backside by his hunting partner. Thankfully the young hunter wasn’t seriously hurt. If you’re going to be shot, I suppose the buttocks are about as least life threatening a spot as there is. Guardia Civil officers think that crossing rough terrain may be the cause of the gun discharging. I disagree. Stupidity and carelessness are far more likely causes. This isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. Only last week a decomposing body of a man, also thought to be as a result of a hunting accident, was found in the Anaga Mountains. Take my advice and stay out of the hills on Thursdays and Sundays till the hunting season is over.
