News September 2009

You cannot separate a Spaniard from music, it is in their blood and the children grow up with the tradition that spans the generations. Where there is music playing both young and old will get up and dance in the street, in a café or at home – basically, where there is music there is a fiesta.

Friday 25th September - Heineken Campus Rock 2009
La Laguna – perhaps there will not be so many old folk at this annual rock festival held in La Laguna in the Plaza de Christo. With 5 hours of continuous music, a 300 metre stage, 250,000 watts of light, 100,000 of sound and giant TV screens, it will certainly be a blast.

The show will open with the award winning band from Madrid “El canto del loco”, and the duo “Nena Daconte” (Mai Meneses and Kim Fanlo), these two groups that have made a big impact on the world of Pop Rock over this last year. Add to that the latest tracks from “Taxi” (Dylan Ferro, Dani Fa and Danny Bugeja - the band reformed with members of the group from Gibraltar´s “Melon Diesel”), the psychedelic pop group from Barcelona “Sidone” (Marc Ros, Jesús Senra, and Axel Pi), and it should be an explosive event.

It is one of the Canaries most spectacular and popular rock festivals so get your tickets now. They are on sale now from ServiCaixca cash points - Dulcería López Echeto in La Laguna C/San Antonio,14 or C/La Carrera, 50.
Tickets are € 20 if bought in advance or € 24 on the night.
If you miss Campus Rock in Tenerife it will be in Gran Canaria on September 26th.

Souvenir Souvenir - tourist’s collections - Until October 4th 2009 at Casa Lercaro del Museo de Historia y Antropología de Tenerife (MHAT),
C/ San Agustín 20 38201 San Cristóbal De La Laguna (Tenerife), Spain.
Tel: +34 922 825940

Most people like to buy a souvenir of one sort or another to remind them of their holiday, but what happens to all these treasures? No doubt a lot end up in second hand shops or even in the rubbish bin and they are a reminder of the ephemeral nature of many consumer products.
Tourist learn about local people and the local people can learn about the tourists and perhaps what inspires them to buy a “memory” of their holiday.

This unusual exhibition is taking place simultaneously in Lanzarote in the Fundación César Manrique (FCM) de Taro de Tahíche (until 18th October). Despite being physically separated the two parts of the exhibition are linked visually through webcams, so that visitors can see their counterparts on another island.

La Orotava and the traditional Canarian Balconies
Just 6 km and a ten minute bus ride from Puerto de La Cruz, La Orotava is an interesting place for a day out. The town dates back to the 16thcentury and judging by some of the magnificent buildings you can see that at one time it was a very prosperous settlement, gaining its wealth from the farming the land in the lush Orotava Valley.

It has quite a different feel to the nearby tourist resort. The old town has been well preserved and restored and walking along the cobbled street you feel a real sense of history. If you go to the tourist information office in the Calle Calvario you can get a map which takes you on a walk past the twelve most striking Canarian style mansions – Las Doce Casas. Some of them are open to the public, mostly as souvenir shops but it give you an opportunity of peeping inside. The Casa de los Balcones had a small museum on the first floor which gives you and idea of how the Canarian people lived in the last century.

The entrance to the 19thC ornamental garden Jardín Victoria is in the main square, La Plaza de la Constitución. The gardens were created by the Ponte family and are laid out to take advantage of the views along the coast.

Time for Coffee? Just up the road from the plaza you can stop for coffee and homemade cakes or a light lunch at the famous little restaurant Casa Egon, Calle León 5 (tel: 922 330 087) ask anybody from the town and they will direct you there. Stepping through the narrow front door is like going back in time, walk to the right past the display of cakes and you go through into the restaurant and the outdoor patio area. It has the feel of a rustic bistro with its dark bent wood chairs and hanging plants. It was originally establish by a German called Egon Wende but now is distinctly Canarian. Closed on Mondays.

Traveller’s tip: wear some comfortable walking shoes as the streets can be steep.

Canarian Cookery Corner
For the more adventurous traveller trying the specialties of the region is one of the pleasures of going on holiday. This month you are going to learn about the Canarian’s special spicy sauce: Mojo picón. Every restaurant with typical Canarian cuisine will serve this, and it’s less fiery cousin, Mojo Verde, with small Papas Arrugadas – unpeeled “wrinkled” potatoes cooked in salted water. At the end of the cooking process the water is left to evaporate and the potato skin become wrinkled and well, yes, salty. The many varieties of potato are part of the culture in the Canary Islands but more of that another time…

Who knows who first thought up this recipe but in the past sauces were often invented to enhance the flavour of, perhaps, (how shall we put it delicately?)- less than tasty, meat. Whatever its origin it is still a popular sauce and every housewife adds their own particular ingredients to the dish and the recipe is passed down to the next generation. If you haven’t got exactly the right ingredients you can improvise and make it more or less spicy depending on how you like it.

Perhaps now is the right moment to tell you about a classic mistranslation, but first you have to know that El Papa is the Spanish for Pope. At a harbour side restaurant in San Marcos you can eat freshly caught fish served with Papas arrugadas - wrinkled popes. Mmm - tasty!

Mojo picón. Preparation time 15 minutes
1 Head of garlic - peeled
1 or 2 small red chili peppers
½ (Coffee) cup of vinegar
½ teaspoon of pepper
Approx 100 cc Olive oil
Cumin seeds - dessert spoonful
Pinch of Sea salt.

Method: In a mortar crush the garlic, chili peppers, cumin seeds, pepper and sea salt. Add the oil and vinegar slowly and keep mixing. For a smooth sauce you can mix all the ingredients in a liquidizer, adding the liquid gradually. This sauce is ideal to go with roast or grilled meat, sausages and or course don’t forget the wrinkled potatoes.