April brings heavy rain storms in Tenerife

Hamlet of Las Lagunetas (Buenavista del Norte, Tenerife)

Storm in 1901 caused eight deaths in Tenerife

The rain and wind, accompanied by a strong electrical storm, hit various towns in Tenerife between April 10 and 14, in 1901, causing eight deaths in the village of Las Lagunetas (Buenavista del Norte, Tenerife). In Gran Canaria, the intense and copious rains originated serious floods in the ravines in the north of the island that destroyed bridges and roads, causing the towns to remain isolated for a week. In the case of the Guiniguada ravine in the capital, the chronicles of the time speak of the great avenue that crossed the Palo Bridge and flooded part of the Triana and Vegueta neighbourhoods.

Memorable rainy season in 1977

An intense and memorable rainy season lasting several days, between 10 and 13 April 1977, in the Canary Islands brought precipitation of more than 350 l / m2 in the south west and of more than 220 l / m2 in the south east of Tenerife. San Cristóbal de La Laguna was partially incommunicado for several days. The powerful storm of Holy Week 1977 is one of the most important of the 20th century in the Canary Islands. It affected the entire western province and Gran Canaria, but was especially strong in Tenerife. The recorded rainfall in 24 hours: 358.9 mm in Vilaflor on 11 Apr; 260.3mm at Los Rodeos on 10 Apr. 

In El Escobonal (Güímar), also in Tenerife, more than 400 mm rain fell during this storm, when its annual average is around 380 mm. In Bajamar, in the Barranco de San Juan, the rains caused some sections of the highway that connects Bajamar with Punta del Hidalgo to be washed away. It caught everyone off guard, with their minds still on the recent Los Rodeos accident, the worst in civil aviation. 

Efemérides meteorológicas en Canarias del siglo XX y XXI Parte III 

Town Hall of Candelaria

Town Hall of Candelaria rene boulay, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Address: Av. de la Constitución, 7, 38530 Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Phone: +34 922 50 08 00

Official website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

Traditional Fiestas in Candelaria

Free route on the history of La Laguna

Casona Estévanez-Borges Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0

Notwithstanding that you would need to understand Spanish to get the best out of this, but if you're in Tenerife, the Department of Historical Heritage of the City of La Laguna has prepared a free route to publicise the history of the municipality beyond the centre of town. The tour will be offered between April 19 and September 29 and prior registration will be required to attend. The councillor responsible for the area, Elvira Jorge, stressed that the purpose of this initiative is "to expand the dissemination of the wealth of heritage that exists outside the area declared World Heritage by Unesco."

With the name In memoriam: La ruta de los Menceyes (In memoriam: the Menceyes route) (Menceyes were Guanche - the aboriginal people of Tenerife before the conquest - Kings or Chiefs), this itinerary includes several assets of cultural interest, starting from the Plaza de Santo Domingo, passing through the avenues of Torriani and Los Menceyes, and ending in the neighbourhood of Gracia, at the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Gracia and the Estévanez Borges house. During approximately two hours, the participants will be able to discover what happened during the Battle of Aguere, in which the Guanches and Castilians fought to conserve and conquer Tenerife, and other heritage landmarks.

Casa Borges-Estévanez: The Borges Estévanez House was built between 1733 and 1735 by a member of the Meade family, an illustrious lineage of Irish descent, one of whose most prominent members was José Murphy y Meade. With his efforts this prominent Tenerife politician achieved for the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the title of capital of all the Canary Islands. He spent long periods in this country residence. 

Elvira Jorge highlighted that this new route is “an attractive resource, easily accessible and safe, to attract local, national and international tourism, through a heritage that until now had not been valued or disseminated. At the same time, it seeks to encourage commercial activity and boost the restaurant sector, activities that are highly affected by the current health crisis.

This project, co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Canarian Employment Service through the NOE-COVID program (New Employment Opportunities for unemployed people as a result of the coronavirus crisis), enables the hiring of two people as tourist guides to accompany these routes, organized according to the norms and safety recommendations against the pandemic. 

People interested in these routes should register by calling 922 60 30 00, extension 13172 (from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.), or by email tbarrom@lalaguna.es. Other than any changes indicated by the health authorities, the tours will take place from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., except for Tuesdays, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. You just have to get yourself there, but the area has good public transport communication. 

In memoriam: La ruta de los Menceyes (Via)

Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Gracia (San Cristóbal de La Laguna)
Daniel García Asensio, CC BY-SA 3.0 ES, via Wikimedia Commons

Rally Sprint Tejina – Tegueste

Preparations are in place for the first Rally Sprint Tejina – Tegueste

Here's a new one: the Rallye Sprint Tejina-Tegueste, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday 10 April 2021. Apparently, the first edition of this event was previously planned for December last year, but had to be suspended because of the COVID-19 restrictions in place at that time. Now preparations are back on for this new fixture on the rally calendar. 

The video below drives part of the intended route for this new rally. We have to assume that the drivers in the actual trial will encounter *less* vans coming in the opposite direction. The condition of the road surface and number of potholes will make it interesting in some sections. And I know from personal experience that all those residents who live right alongside the road will probably hear of this the first time a noisy vehicle rushes past. Do they know they'll need to move their parked cars and plant pots?  Can you see this even being allowed in other locations? That's what makes it so typical of Tenerife.

Vídeo tramo Tejina-Tegueste del I Rallye Sprint Tejina-Tegueste

Vegetable stew with red beans from Ortigal

Vegetable stew with red beans from Ortigal

The best remedy against the cold - this recipe for vegetable stew with red beans - came from an elderly woman from the La Laguna neighbourhood of El Ortigal. 

Ingredients:

250 gr. of canned red kidney beans 

1 carrot

1 piece of pumpkin

1 bunch fresh spinach

250 gr. of green beans

2 medium potatoes

1 white onion

1/2 green pepper

1/2 red pepper

1 ripe tomato, grated

Olive oil, a bay leaf and salt

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 litre of vegetable stock

Method:

Start by making the sofrito, adding a good glug of olive oil, thinly sliced onion, the two types of peppers, finely chopped, and the grated tomato into a deep pan. Cook over medium heat so that the vegetables are poached.

Put the beans in a colander and rinse well, reserve. Cut the rest of the vegetables (potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, and beans) into pieces, then add them to the pan once the sofrito is well poached, season and add the sweet paprika, then cook the vegetables alone for a few minutes. Add the vegetable stock and enough water until the vegetables are covered and let it cook for about 8 minutes.

When the vegetables are almost cooked, add the red beans, stir and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Chop the spinach leaves and reserve.

Add the spinach near the end of the cooking time, correct the seasoning and cook for the last few minutes for all the ingredients and the stock to mix well and thicken a little. 

Potaje de verduras con judías rojas del Ortigal

Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival 1992

Carnival Queen in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1992, Patricia Rodríguez Pérez

Carnival Queen in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1992 was the 17 year old, Patricia Rodríguez Pérez with a costume entitled, ‘Catire Goayana’, designed by José Julio Rodríguez y Juan Fajardo and sponsored by the capital's CC Maya shopping centre.

The theme that year was 'Cinema': The stage in the Plaza de España evoked a Western movie set.

In 1992, the court was made up as follows:

1. 1st Maid of Honour: Laura Infante Castilla, with "Made in Canarias", representing McDonalds and designed by Leo Martínez.
2. 2nd Maid of Honour: Sole Yunta Domínguez, with a costume entitled "Montecarlo", representing Almacenes El Kilo and designed by Leo Martínez.
3. 3rd Maid of Honour: María del Mar Esteban Vargas, with a costume entitled "Máquina Total Dos" (Total Machine Two), representing Galerías Preciados and designed by Leo Martínez.
4. 4th Maid of Honour: Raquel Bedoya González, with a costume entitled "Y ahora vengo yo" (And now I come), representing Casinos de Juegos de Tenerife and designed by Carlos Marrero.

Here is coverage of the Comparsas in 1992, among them many names that still feature at carnival and a few that no longer do: Cariocas, Bahia Dorada, Joroperos, Brasileiros, Valleiros, Tabajaras, Corumba, Danzarines Canarios, Rio Orinoco, Rumberos.

Tenerife group "Salsarrica" released an album entitled, "Colón, Colón - Sabor Canario", which included the songs "Colón, Colón", dedicated to the 500th Anniversary of the Discovery of America (by Columbus) and also "El Carnaval lo hace el pueblo" (The People Make the Carnival), dedicated to the carnival of Santa Cruz of Tenerife. 

Reina del Carnaval de S/C de Tenerife 1992

The wind sculpture by César Manrique

The wind sculpture by César Manrique

This sculpture is located in the centre of the square in front of the Auditorio de Tenerife, the Castillo de San Juan and the Parque Marítimo César Manrique, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It was built in 2001 by Aquilino Dorta Pérez, although it was designed by César Manrique, whose sketches to make it were interpreted by Juan Amigó and José L. Olcina.

Manrique, in addition to being an architect and painter, designed several sculptures, always based on mobility, which he called "toys of the wind." They are generally metallic structures formed by a composition of geometric elements that rotate with the action of the wind, interacting with each other. The various sketches that he left after his death are being made and the mobile sculptures are being placed in different parts of the Canary Islands. 

Escultura Móvil de César Manrique

Tegueste to hold local Craft Fair in April

Tegueste Council, "in its commitment to supporting the handicraft sector", has organized a Local Craft Fair, which will take place on the weekend of April 10 and 11 at the Mercado del Agricultor de Tegueste Farmer's Market, from 9:00 a.m. at 2:00 p.m..

Mayor of Tegueste, Ana Rosa Mena, explained that the Fair, which had been postponed at Christmas due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will comply with the access restrictions and security measures dictated by the health authorities to avoid contagion. "Guaranteeing the safety of the participating artisans, as well as visitors is our priority," said Mena. Likewise, the Councillor for Crafts, Eladia López, announced that in total there will be 20 artisans who will participate in this fair and that they are specialized in ceramics, embroidery, jewellery and textile manufacturing, among other disciplines. “It is a great opportunity to show support for local artisans, especially this sector that has been so hit by the crisis generated by COVID-19, and that is part of the culture, traditions and lifestyle of the municipality”, said the councillor.

The handicraft guide

"The Tegueste Handicraft Fair joins other actions promoted by the council to highlight the work of professionals in the artisanal sector, such as the handicraft guide, prepared and distributed by the  council itself", explained a note to the press sent from the Council.

El municipio celebrará el próximo mes la Feria Local de Artesanía

Town Hall of Buenavista del Norte

Town Hall of Buenavista del Norte (left) in the Calle Alhóndiga

Address: Calle la Alhóndiga, 5, 38480 Buenavista del Nte., Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Phone: +34 922 12 90 30

Official website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

In addition, Buenavista del Norte has a Tourist Information office at the “Casa Matula”, Plaza de Los Remedios, 4. Phone: +34 922 12 80 80 and +34 922 12 90 30-Ext: 1071. Email: turismo@buenavistadelnorte.es and it's own Facebook: Turismo Buenavista del Norte

Traditional Fiestas in Buenavista del Norte

Via Crucis in the Historical Town of Adeje

Via Crucis in the Historical Town of Adeje

Good Friday and under normal circumstances, the Representación de la Pasión de Cristo (Representation of the Passion of Christ) - Passion of Jesus -  or Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) would be taking place in the historical town of Adeje. Usually more than 300 local amateur actors would take part and the event transmitted live on TV, as well as drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists to the area. This year, as with last, however, because of the pandemic, the Bishop has suspended all such Easter processions and events outside churches, so this will not be taking place today. 

Here, instead, is the TV coverage from the last time it was celebrated in 2019:

Representación de la Pasión Adeje 2019