Even with the start of the 'new normality' on 21 June 2020, popular fiestas and most large gatherings and events are still prohibited and social distancing guidelines still in force. Dates listed on this site, therefore, are still subject to cancellation or change and we will update, where we can, when any new information is made available.
Buñuelos (fritters), like many traditional desserts in Spain, these are of Jewish heritage. The Sephardic Jews made fried buns with wheat flour, which they called bimuelos as early as the 10th century to celebrate Hanukkah, they were not identical to those we know today, but very similar. Christians adopted this dessert for this date, November 1.
This recipe is for Buñuelos de almendra (Almond fritters), although there are many different varieties and fillings. In Spain the dessert recipes for All Saints, Carnival and Easter are among the best of the year, rivaling Christmas nougats and marzipan.
Ingredients:
½ natural yogurt
3 tablespoons of honey
1 egg yolk
60 grams of softened butter
80 grams of flour
50 grams of chopped almonds
icing sugar and olive oil
Method:
To prepare the dough, mix the butter with the beaten yolk, the yogurt and a teaspoon of honey, stir until you get a homogeneous paste.
Add 80 grams of sifted flour to this dough, little by little and knead with your hands. If the dough is still sticky, add a little more flour. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for about two hours at room temperature.
Now prepare the filling, mix the almonds with the rest of the honey, stirring until they are amalgamated.
Place the fritter dough on a floured work surface and roll it out thickly, cut out about twelve dough discs.
In each disc, place a small portion of the almond and honey mixture, then fold the edges over the filling, pressing carefully so that they are well sealed. Shape them into a ball with your hands and fry them in plenty of hot oil until evenly browned.
Place the fritters on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil and sprinkle a little icing sugar. Allow to cool completely and finish by sprinkling a little more icing sugar on them when you serve them.
Tourism is a recent phenomenon, but some parts of Spain had contact with foreigners long before the tourist boom. This is the case of the Canary Islands, whose strategic position in the Atlantic, between Europe, Africa and America, made it a mandatory refueling stop for ships for a long time. Among foreigners, the English stand out and the relationship has left its mark on the Spanish that Canarians speak every day, and there are several 'Canarianisms' whose English origin is still evident. English was not the "international language" that it is now, so is noticeable in its highly adapted phonetics to the local language.
Here some of the most curious words in the Spanish of the Canary Islands with an origin (sometimes surprising) in English.
Papas autodate, chinegua…
In the Canary Islands and Latin America potatoes are 'papas'. This word is not of English origin, but Quechua, and it was the peninsular Spaniards who changed the name of this tuber by crossing it with that of the batata (sweet potato) to become patatas (potatoes).
However, some varieties of Canarian potatoes do have names that derive from English. This is the case of autodate potatoes, a variety «white, elongated and highly esteemed to eat», according to the Dictionary of the Canary Academy of Language, and whose name comes from the English 'out of date', because that's what it said on the outside of the boxes!
Even more fun is the case of the quinegua potatoes or chinegua potatoes, which arrived in the Canary Islands from England during the reign of English King Edward VI. His name was deformed into the current one by it's pronunciation.
Cotufas y queques
When Canarians go to the cinema, they don't eat palomitas (popcorn). In the eastern islands (Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria) these are called roscas, possibly because of the rounded shapes that the corn acquires when exploding. However, in the western islands (Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro) they are called cotufas. The origin of this word is English: popcorn, before being cooked, is 'corn to fry'. (In the Canaries corn is known as millo (millet). This Canarianism is of Portuguese origin.)
Another Canarian food with an English name is the queque, a word used for all types of cakes in the Canary Islands and which derives from the English 'cake'. There is also the word bizcocho in Spanish. Don't ask for gateau, because that sounds like gato (cat)!
Foniles y naifes
The culinary is not the only semantic field with various Canarianisms coming from English. Curiously, one of the most typical elements of Canarian crafts is the naife, a knife with a characteristic shape and probable Spanish peninsular origin, but with an English name.
Another tool that gets its name from English is the fonil (funnel).
Chonis y cambulloneros
Just as in peninsular Spanish, foreign tourists are guiris. In Canarian Spanish a specific name appeared for English tourists: John, or Johnny, from which choni derives. Later this was applied to the rest of European tourists, especially Nordic ones, and increasingly, by extension, to people with a high economic level. This curiously contrasts with the peninsula, where choni is the name used for a female adolescent without manners (chav).
At the other end of the scale are those who had to make deals to earn a living. And what better way to do this than to buy the merchandise on the boats docked in the port, which, according to the accounts, were exempt from taxes and announced that "[you] can buy on [board]". Although the story may be embellished, this port marketing was called cambullón, which the Canarian Academy of Language defines as "merchandise traffic (...) in ships docked or anchored in the port" or "illegal trade carried out on land with products from the ship's pantry. ' The cambulloneros became a relatively important part of the coastal population of the islands, and were immortalized in their folklore.
Perder la guagua
However, if we think of the Spanish of the Canary Islands, one of the first things that comes to mind is the guagua, the well-known islanders' bus.
As a curiosity, this is not the only use of the word guagua in Spanish, as in several Latin-American countries, the word that refers to children or bread made in the shape of them.
While the origin of the Latin American guaguas is Quechua, the immediate origin of the Canarian guagua is in Cuba, although, according to the Real Academia Española, the initial origin is "disputed" (but they don't offer any further explanation). A well-known proposal, which nevertheless suffers from the lack of documentary evidence, is that guagua comes from the company Washington, Walton, and Company Incorporated, the first company that brought buses to Cuba and which was advertised as Wa & Wa Co. Inc.
One other hypothesis, collected by the great etymologist Coromines, is that guagua derives from the English word waggon (also the root of vagón), which was used for a «medium-sized car used for the free transport of a small number of people».
What I was told locally is that guagua comes from the sound of the claxon.
Panellets (literally 'little loaves') are another traditional sweet for All Saints Day, most typically of Catalonia, but they are more likely of Arab origin, given the ingredients used. This recipe has been shared by the Mercado Municipal De La Laguna (La Laguna Municipal Market) via La Laguna Ahora. The most popular are the panelletscovered with pine nuts, consisting of marzipan rolled in pine nuts and varnished with egg.
To make the first batch of Panellets:
The ingredients: ½ kilo of raw ground almonds, ½ kilo of sugar, 250 grams of stewed potatoes, grated rind of a lemon, 2 whole eggs and a yolk. For the varieties of panellets; 150 grams of pine nuts, 150 grams of chopped almonds and 125 grams of grated coconut.
Preparation
Cook the potato with its skin, peel it once cooked and let it cool. Mash it with a fork and mix it well with the sugar, then add the ground almonds, the lemon zest and mix well.
Separate the yolk of two eggs from the whites, reserve these and pour the yolks into the previous mixture, stirring so that all the ingredients are mixed. Put the chopped almond, pine nuts and a third of the coconut on small plates separately.
Start to make balls and reserve a third of the dough to mix it with the rest of the grated coconut. The rest, roll them first in the egg white and then one batch the pine nuts one and the other in the almonds. Put the panellets on the baking tray covered with greaseproof paper or foil and a little flour.
Preheat the oven to 170º C. Continue with the preparation of the panellets, form balls with the coconut dough and roll them in the grated coconut, also place them on the tray.
To finish, brush the surface of the pine nut and almond panellets with egg yolk and they are ready to bake for 10-12 minutes, check and remove them when they have browned.
Here are some more variations to try:
Hazelnut
The same mixture must be made as with the lemon panellet. Introduce 1 hazelnut in the center of each panellet. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC.
Almond
The same system is used as with the pine nut panellets, although the shape they are given is similar to that of a small croquette. Logically we must substitute the pine nuts for almonds in the paste. The cooking time is a little shorter.
Coffee
Starting with the basic marzipan, add ground coffee until it is brown. The intensity of the flavor depends on our taste, it is convenient to try the mixture until determining the correct measure. Soluble coffee can be substituted for coffee extract, although the flavor is better with ground coffee, it is also more natural and aromatic.
Make small portions in the form of croquette. It should be coated with a lot of powdered sugar, the more the better. Cook at a high temperature of 240 ºC.
Mushrooms
For the preparation of the mushrooms we use another marzipan mixture, which is called rough marzipan, since it is much harder, 50% almond, and does not contain water in the kneading. Form small round balls and then press the center with the cap on the neck of a glass bottle. This bottle must be well floured to prevent the piece from sticking.
After forming the mushroom, they should be left to rest for 24 hours. Brush only with egg yolk and give it them quick and strong bake, just enough to dry. Once baked and once cold, wet the tip of the mushroom with gelatin. Coat the tip with a chocolate chip.
Chocolate
Start with the base marzipan and add chocolate to the mixture until the color is similar to the coffee panellet. Make the same shape in the form of croquette, only in this case make a small groove in the dough, to later fill with chocolate coating.
Cook the panellets, sprinkle them with icing sugar abundantly, and as indicated above, fill the grooves with tempered chocolate.
Cherry
Make balls the size of pine nut panellets, and place 1 well-drained candied cherry in the center. The pieces are then coated in granulated sugar. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC.
Coconut
Starting from the base marzipan, add 300 gr. of desiccated coconut for each kilo of marzipan. The shape that is given to the coconut panellet is made by pinching the dough, approximately it should be about 30 grams. If possible, it is preferable to place the "pinches" on wafer paper cut to the appropriate diameter, if not, spread them on greaseproof paper.
Sprinkle with plenty of icing sugar before baking the pieces. Bake at a high temperature of 240 ºC.
Strawberry
A small piece of strawberry pulp is added to the base marzipan, plus a little coloring to reinforce the color. The process is exactly the same as the rose pink panellet.
Marron Glacé
Add Marron Glacé(candied chestnut) paste to a marzipan base (proportions to taste), to obtain a chestnut color in the mixture. Make small balls and roll them in granulated sugar. Before baking form a small hole. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC. After cooking and once the pieces are cold, fill the hole with more candied chestnut paste.
Quince
Add about 100 gr of ground almonds to each kilo of marzipan base. Form long bars as if they were churros. Slit down the length of the bars with a knife to access the interior and fill this center with candied quince. Close and stretch "the churro" again.
Coat with plenty of sugar and mark small incisions in each of the bars. Freeze the dough to be able to cut it and once cold, cut pieces of about 30 gr. each. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC.
Lemon
Lemon essential oil and zest should be added to the base marzipan, or just the extract. Rolled 30 gr pieces in plenty of sugar. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC.
Pine nuts
Add a little lemon zest or extract to the base marzipan. Form small balls of about 25 gr. Have a generous quantity of pine nuts, which should be soaked in a little water and an egg. Coat the marzipan base with abundant pine nuts, leaving no gap. Spread the panellets on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg yolk and bake at high temperature (240 ªC) until golden.
Rose
Pink panellets are made by adding pink coloring to the base marzipan plus a little rose water. Form round balls and coat with plenty of icing sugar. Bake at a high temperature, 240ºC.
Huesos de santo rellenos con yema (Saint's bones stuffed with egg yolk) Image: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Saints Bones are a typically Spanish sweet, often served as a dessert for the celebration of the Day of the Dead and All Saints Day and, which will appear in shop windows and showcases of pastry shops in the market, as much as they do in houses. This exquisite and traditional sweet is made with almond paste (marzipan) as the main ingredient. They are white, elongated and cylindrical in shape. The bone is in the shape of a tube, similar to that of a real bone with its marrow, which is then filled with sweet egg yolk or syrup.
Ingredients:
For the paste:
200 gr. raw ground almonds
100 gr. ground hazelnuts
200 gr. of icing sugar, anise and water.
For the sweet yolk:
100 gr. of sugar
4 yolks
500 ml. of water.
Method:
Start by preparing the paste: mix the ground almonds with the sugar. When well mixed add a tablespoon of water and another of anise. Knead the paste and add the hazelnuts. Knead well, form into a ball shape. Let it rest in the fridge, while we make the filling.
Place the water with the sugar in a saucepan. Beat the egg yolks in a bowl and gradually incorporate the syrup. Stir well and pour it back into the saucepan that, now, we will place into a bain-marie so that it thickens without boiling. Allow it cool.
Take the paste out of the fridge and roll it out. Sprinkle with icing sugar and cut into squares. Roll the squares around a 1 cm stick (use the handle of a wooden spoon), bake for 3 minutes at maximum temperature. Allow to cool, then using an icing bag fill with the yolk.
Transportes Interurbanos de Tenerife (Titsa), bus company, has announced the reduction of the minimum amount to recharge the Ten + cards at stations and interchanges, as well as in the network of more than 500 kiosks throughout the island to just two euros.
Vice president and councilor of Mobility of the Cabildo (Tenerife Island Corporation), Enrique Arriaga, explained that this measure is intended to make public transport more affordable and to promote public transport among the inhabitants of the island, especially among those who use it very occasionally. "With this measure, users will be able to recharge the amount they will need to travel, which encourages the use of the bus and decongests the island roads".
Manager of Titsa, José Alberto León, points out that this initiative aims to respond to the demands made by non-regular users, “who were not motivated to recharge the previous minimum of 5 euros, as they would only use part of that and the rest of the recharged amount remained on the card, which penalises them for use of the bus”.
In addition to the aforementioned points of sale, the company has machines for selling, recharging and checking the balance at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Laguna interchanges, as well as at the Costa Adeje and Puerto de la Cruz stations and at the preferred stops in Los Cristianos and San Isidro.
We could not resist!La Laguna Ahora, as every year, offers a series of recipes for the celebration of All Saints Day from the Mercado Municipal De La Laguna (La Laguna Market). This is for these delightful Huesos de merengue (Meringue bones), which, they say, are very easy to prepare, perfect to serve on Halloween or at children's celebrations.
Ingredients:
6 egg whites
300 g of icing sugar
a pinch of salt
juice of half a lemon
Method:
With a whisk, whip the whites until stiff together with the salt and lemon juice. Then add the sugar little by little, continuing to beat.
Place the meringue in a piping bag with a large nozzle.
Place baking paper on a tray and pipe the meringue, shaping it into a bone. Shape it in a single movement: start at one end of the bone, work through the elongated part, and finish at the other end. In this way, you will prevent them from breaking.
Bake in the preheated oven at 100ºC for approximately 1 hour, until the meringue is dry and dull. Allow to cool and serve.
Procession of the Virgen del Carmen in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council proposes that the day of the Virgen del Carmen, on July 16, replace Shrove Tuesday as a holiday within the city's calendar next year, the municipal corporation has reported. The council has also chosen Monday, May 3, Día de la Cruz (Day of the Cross), as another of the non-working days in the municipality.
"Our aim is to reinstate Shrove Tuesday as a holiday in 2022, but in the face of this atypical situation that we are currently experiencing, we believe that July 16 is the best possible alternative, also creating a long weekend at the beginning of the third quarter of the year", says a statement the Councilor for Parties, Alfonso Cabello. He explains that the festival of the Virgen del Carmen is one of the most deeply rooted celebrations in the city, as well as in other municipalities on the island. In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, this devotion dates from 1670. The proposal for making this day a holiday has a precedent in 1931, when the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife considered that the Virgen del Carmen was an official holiday, along with that of Santiago, Santa Cruz and Shrove Tuesday.
Buenavista' square dressed for fiestas some years ago
Buenavista del Norte is celebrating its festivities by adapting the format to the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. The Councilor for Culture and Festivities, Ángeles González (CC), points out that "for the municipality the month of October is for meeting, for enthusiasm and faith in our patron, the Virgin of Los Remedios, for this reason we wanted to develop a program that complies with the strictest health security protocols ".
The events, which began on the 15th, include exhibitions, concerts, religious events and festivals with limited capacity. This weekend the exhibition 'The memory of our fiestas' will open; a concert with Chago Melián will be held; there is eucaristía de vísperas (Evensong), and a fireworks display by the Toste Brothers. On Sunday 25, the big day, the bishop will officiate the Eucharist and, in addition, the Art Festival will be held.
The comparsa groups epitomise the spirit of carnival with all they impart in their 'colour, joy and rhythm [...] with exuberant costumes and sonorous drums.' Comparsa, Tropicana were in third place for interpretation at the Comparsas Contest in 2020.
Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez, has announced that Carnival Tuesday, which falls on February 16, 2021, will not be a holiday. The City Council is already considering different possibilities, which will have to be approved in plenary this month.
In an interview, José Manuel Bermúdez has admitted that having to suspend Carnival due to COVID-19 "does not feel good. It feels bad", and acknowledges that it has "hurt a lot" having to have made this decision, "but you could see it coming." The mayor emphasized that the data on infections have not improved and that the city is being affected by an obvious second wave: "Everything could get worse and there is nothing to indicate that mass events will be possible in February. We cannot guarantee the health security and, Carnival is not the same without being able to go out and make social contact of all kinds ".
He considers that next February there may be "nods" to Carnival, such as going to work in costume, but from his point of view, "holding events or private parties is irresponsible and we are going to be very vigilant," he warns.
Despite the suspension of the Carnival, José Manuel Bermúdez pointed out that Councilor for Fiestas, Alfonso Cabello, is working on a gala that can be televised nationally and internationally, with which "to keep the flame alive." "It seems that we were not so badly directed when the rest of the municipalities are suspending their carnivals too," he adds.
CHRISTMAS AND THE THREE KINGS
Regarding the Christmas and Three Kings campaign, the mayor announced that it will be different from other years, trying to comply with the COVID standards, although the streets will be lit and decorated as always "so that people can enjoy themselves, attract visitors, but respecting the COVID restrictions and in a more phased manner".
Bermúdez indicated that the City Council is already working on a program that they will present at the beginning of November and that it will begin with the traditional event of switching on the lights, but with a smaller format, added the mayor.
And as for January 5, he confirmed that the Three Wise Men will arrive in Santa Cruz: "Possibly by helicopter and we will look for a formula, discarding the traditional parade, so that they can greet some children, and of course we will hand them the keys to the city."
Hospital Universitario de Canarias Mataparda, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The study has focused on analyzing which genetic variants could be associated with the mortality of COVID-19 patients, has been coordinated by the Hospital Universitario de Canarias and six public hospitals in the Canary Islands have participated.
A study in the ICUs of Canarian hospitals has determined that some polymorphisms of the human leukocyte antigen HLA could be associated with the mortality of COVID-19 patients, as it plays a central role in the regulation of the immune response.
The work has been published in the scientific journal Medicina Intensiva and the Intensive Care Units of the HUC, Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital, Dr. Negrín University Hospital, Maternal-Infant Insular University Hospital Complex, José Molina Orosa Hospital of Lanzarote and General Hospital of La Palma.
The objective has been to determine if there is a relationship between HLA genetic polymorphisms and the susceptibility and mortality of patients with COVID-19, on the basis that genetic polymorphisms of human leukocyte antigens are associated with the risk and prognosis of immune and infectious diseases.
HLA plays a central role in antigen presentation and, therefore, different polymorphisms could be involved in susceptibility to infectious diseases. Different HLA genetic polymorphisms have been associated with the predisposition and evolution of different infectious diseases such as the hepatitis B virus, the hepatitis C virus or tuberculosis.
3,886 healthy people and 72 COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU were included in the study and these genetic HLA polymorphisms have been determined. The genetic analysis of the HLA of the patients has been carried out in the Clinical Immunology Laboratory of the HUC. Researchers have found a higher rate of certain alleles (alternative forms that the same gene can have) in COVID-19 patients than in healthy controls.
The results of this preliminary study with a small sample size suggest that certain HLA genetic polymorphisms could be associated with the mortality of COVID-19 patients. The intensivist and coordinator of the study, Leonardo Lorente, believes this multicenter study could help to optimize the use of healthcare resources, selecting the patients who could benefit the most from vaccination and certain treatments.
After a lot of work during the last 2 months (Project design, administrative procedures, dissemination of the project, appointments with the restaurateurs, photographing the tapas ...), the IX SABOREA SAN MIGUEL DE ABONA has begun. This year, 2020, being a totally different year to the past editions of the Project Taste San Miguel De Abona, with the sanitary restrictions that limit the celebration of any event, is why there were no activities or events in the first week of the Project (October 9-15), despite trying until the last minute.
Therefore, this year there is just the IX RUTA DE LA TAPA (Tapas Route), taking place between 16 October and 7 November. (Yes, the route already started on Friday, but we've only just come across the listing and didn't want you to miss it entirely.)
The NGO run by África Fuentes, in the García Escámez neighbourhood, of the Tenerife capital, attends to about 400 people who come in search of food every Friday.
It's half past ten in the morning. The queue goes around the Mercado de la Abejera. Hundreds of people wait patiently for the charity, over which presides, África Fuentes, in García Escámez, to begin the distribution of food that, every Friday, allows some 400 families to take some food home. The virus concerns them. They all wear a mask and try to keep their distance, often without success. But hunger worries them more.
Eggs, lentils, tuna, rice… These are just some of the products in the boxes. Today there is no milk, no gofio. "It's what we need most now, because with a cup of milk and a little gofio you can make a meal," says África, who, at 85, says she is not afraid of COVID-19, "either the virus kills me, or old age does ”. They begin the distribution. Worn shopping carts or simple grocery bags are used to collect food. Everyone waits patiently for their number that the volunteers have given them upon arrival depending on whether they have "papers" or not.
Juan Manuel Vega Fachi is the coordinator of the NGO. "We serve about 400 people a week, both those who are referred by social services and those who are not." They try to attend, at least, everyone with a referral from social services. “We're all interested in them coming with papers in order, because that means we can access more food”.
The coordinator details that they have tables where user data is collated. "If we see that they have been coming for several weeks without justification, we warn them that the next time we will not be able to help them." One of the volunteers voices it along the queue: "if you don't bring the appointment from the social worker, we can't give you more food." Many of those who are waiting look at each other without quite understanding what that means.
Fachi says that about 50 new people come every week. It is the effect of the pandemic. "We calculate that only we, every month, serve about 1,600 people, but if you multiply that figure by the members of each of the families we could be talking about more than 3,000."
To the question of what they need, the answer is obvious: food. “We ask large companies that if they have items that they are going to throw away, but that are still within date, then give it to us, we will distribute it. The food bank only supplies us with food on the first and third Thursday of each month, so the rest runs out quickly”. Thanks to companies like Jesumán, says Fachi, “we have dairy products such as yogurts or cheeses. But, for example, we also need baby food or milk for babies ”. Today they got a batch of cold meats and almost everyone can take home some ham.
As for the profile of those who attend, "they are people without work and many do not even have a house in which to cook some eggs," says the coordinator. “We have had to put some boxes in the surroundings - he continues - so that they can leave the food they do not want there, because we have detected that there are people who do not even have a house and if you give them something to cook, it is of no use to them ”.
África Fuentes adds that the majority of those who come without papers are Venezuelans or Cubans who have been in Tenerife for a few months, and have not yet been able to regularize their situation. "I can't tell those people to leave," she defends. "I do not give them food from the EU, because that is for those who have everything in order, but I give them food from the donations made to us." She adds that "I always have this fight with the administrations, and I always tell him the same thing, you don't need papers to eat."
The queue of those who do not yet have such derivation ratifies the words of Fuentes. Among them, a 68-year-old man, of Cuban origin and with Spanish nationality. He has been on the island for two years. “We are my wife and I. With the money that a niece from the United States sends me, and some work that my wife does, we are subsisting ”, he explains. He says he wants to go to live with his niece, "but everything is closed." Beside him, another man agrees with him.
Yet another woman (most of the queue are) is Spanish by birth and came from Venezuela a year ago. Her daughter studies thanks to a scholarship and she is looking for work. "My daughter has to train, to look for work." At 64, she is confident that she will get some work or that the minimum living income will improve the situation, but she also criticizes that the administrations are not responding as quickly as they should and points to the queue in front of her. She lives in El Rosario and gets to García Escámez as best she can.
That is precisely one of the requests of África Fuentes. "They are people without income, and if they have to buy a bus ticket on top of that, it is food that they take away, so we ask that they give more travel cards, which we do not always have. África says that the first thing she does in the morning is to see who to call and appreciates the response she receives, especially from la Caixa. She also thanks the City Council for all the help they give her.
It is almost noon now and the line continues. The volunteers themselves recognize that the Local Police will not take long to appear to remind them of compliance with anti-covid measures. África, at the head of the line, supervises the delivery of food and reminds the journalist not to forget to mention that they need donations "milk and gofio", she repeats.
Africa Fuentes has received a Gold Medal for Civil Merit and Favorite Daughter of Tenerife, for her work at the head of the García Escámez NGO. The first was received from the hands of the King and the second was delivered by the Cabildo. She keeps saying that she doesn't do anything special. "If it is in my power, no one would be left without eating." And that is one of the things that differentiates her, she attends equally to those who come with papers than to those who do not, because, as she repeats, "you don't need papers to eat."
Pinolere Artisan Fair and Canarian Cheese Fair 2020
As announced in July the Asociación Cultural Pinolere have, this year, fused the 35thPinolere Crafts Fair with the 10th Canary Islands Cheese Fair to hold a joint event on November 6, 7 and 8, 2020, which will take place both in person as well as online.
Under the masks there is life and the desire to move forward in a difficult time. This is what the image of this year's poster for the XXXV edition of the Pinolere Crafts Fair aims to reflect, which is not dedicated to any specific island or trade, but rather to the real protagonists; the artisans and cheesemakers with transparent masks to show that there is joy under them.
Under the title 'Pinolere: the hidden smile of crafts and cheese', the exhibition will take place on 6, 7 and 8 November in the ethnographic park with the participation of 180 artisans from all over the Canary Islands, a very high number given the number of applications submitted. And for the first time it will be held together with the X Canary Cheese Fair.
The fair will not be held in the same way as previous years, there will be no shop, activities or workshops but a "showcase" of artisans who will be able to interact with buyers in person and virtually, since one of the novelties of this year is that both modalities are combined.
These details were released by the manager of the Pinolere Cultural Association, Jesús García; the mayor of La Orotava, Francisco Linares; and the island councilor for Employment, Socio-economic Development and Foreign Action of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Carmen Luz Baso. The three agreed that it was the most complex, complicated and difficult edition ”but they valued the commitment to celebrate it to support the artisanal sector, one of the most affected by the economic crisis derived from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If in normal times it is difficult to make a living from crafts, it is even more so in current times, declared Linares, who described the holding of this event as“ absolute bravery ”. "The easy thing would have been to suspend it," he stressed.
The organization guarantees that it will be a safe and responsible meeting since it has passed "all the filters" and has an anti-contagion plan. Thus, there will be two schedules, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00, and tickets must be purchased online, choosing the slot in which they will attend to control the capacity.
The event will be held outdoors in a space of 10,000 square meters, with capacity control, safety distance, a single entrance and exit. In addition, a circuit will be established to be able to visit all the artisans' stands, the use of a mask will be mandatory and hydroalcoholic gel will be provided in each space.
After the delicacies of spring and the fruit and vegetable explosion of summer, autumn can seem like a sad season, in which the rain arrives and the good tomatoes disappear. However, the season heralds the return of a some fantastic products, ideal for the dishes you crave when it starts to get chilly. (Chilly, of course being a relative term in Tenerife!)
Ingredients:
100 gr chestnut mushrooms
100 gr shiitake mushrooms
100 gr oyster mushrooms
1 small can/jar of roasted red peppers (chopped)
1 chorizo
2 cups rice
4 cups meat or vegetable stock
garlic
parsley
saffron
salt
extra virgin olive oil
Method:
Put a little extra virgin olive oil in a pan and add some peeled and sliced garlic cloves, the chopped chorizo, roasted peppers and the cleaned and chopped mushrooms. Sauté. In a mortar, crush a little salt, a clove of garlic, a sprig of parsley, and a few threads of saffron.
When the mushrooms are softened, add two cups of rice, stir and add the four cups of stock. Add the mash from the mortar, stir and cook for twenty minutes. Turn off the heat, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for five minutes. Serve hot accompanied with a good wine.
After many decades of celebration, the pandemic forces the suspension the Santa Cruz Carnival, though the party has been able to deal with adversity since 1778
"It does not seem prudent to deprive them of this party to which they are accustomed," the then mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José María de Villa, ended up understanding in 1814, showing an unexpected tolerance on the part of someone who, 11 years before, had prohibited masks, both in public and in private homes.
Villa was not the first nor, of course, the last representative of the established powers in more than two centuries who sought to stop the people of Santa Cruz from celebrating their Carnival, that libertine escape valve that compensates them for a whole year. Despite the repression or calamity, the people knew how to preserve this festival that was already recorded in 1778 and that has become the watchword of the city throughout the world.
Now, a microscopic but fearsome enemy, the coronavirus, which has turned everything upside down, has forced the suspension of mass dances in the street next year and, therefore, the Carnival itself. Something that even the Franco dictatorship did not achieve, and that puts an end to 83 uninterrupted years, given that it is necessary to go back to the harsh reality of the interwar period, in 1937, to find the previous suspension.
From the hand of the official chronicler of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Ledesma, we know of those first dances that the town's bourgeoisie began to celebrate in their homes while the townspeople had fun in the street. It was at the end of the 18th century and, as now, they had their reason for being in creating occasions for men and women to relate to each other. “The women -covered-, covering their faces with the clouds of their veils, approached the gallants to pedir la feria (ask for the fair), that is, to request a gift, which led to the beginning of a conversation. While the men - cloaked -, hiding their identity by turning up the collar of their cloak and under the shadows of the brim of their hats, took advantage of this moment to show their gallantry to the ladies ”, relates Ledesma.
The then developing Santa Cruz festival soon ran up against the authorities and, as dressing up in Carnivals was not well seen by the civil authority and even less by the religious one, in 1792, to avoid and prevent scandals, groups began prohibit this practice, a repression that, to a greater or lesser extent, threatened the Carnival practically until it became official in 1961 under the name of Winter Festivities.
This was the case throughout the nineteenth century, with examples such as the aforementioned mayor who, upon arrival, wanted to end these diversions and ended up assuming the unwavering popular will to maintain this festival. If Villa understood that "the person who disguises himself has never caused disorder, since the docility and restraint of the neighborhood of this town is well known, which is why it does not seem prudent to deprive him of this party to which they are accustomed", others like him General Commander Carlos O´Donnell (father of the former President of the Spanish Government, Leopoldo O´Donnell), did not get into the saga. Thus, when another mayor, Nicolás González Sopranis, asked the military to prohibit carnivals, they replied that "this is a peaceful town and it will be enough for some patrols to guard and keep order." This form of repression lasted until 1838, the year in which sanctions were hardened, details the official chronicler.
"In the early years of the twentieth century, the prohibitions were still maintained, but with a policy of tolerance, more or less enforced, while costume balls continued to be celebrated in societies, albeit behind closed doors". It is in 1931, in the middle of the Second Spanish Republic, when the Carnivals were finally declared Official Holidays of Santa Cruz, with for the first time a commission of Carnival Festivities. Wars came, which led to the aforementioned suspension of 1937, and the dictatorship, so that from the following year Carnival had to be celebrated clandestinely.
The level of repression depended on the civil governor on duty, but, Ledesma clarifies, "most of them, after publishing the relevant prohibitions, left the city with the excuse of an unavoidable trip to the south of the island", to the joy of the carnival goers in the capital.
Finally, the union of forces between another civil governor, Manuel Ballesteros, Bishop Domingo Pérez Cáceres and the head of tourism, Opelio Rodríguez Peña, ended up overcoming Franco's suspicion with the so-called Winter Festivities, a step prior to the great transformation of Carnival, which, with democracy, grew to be the great international party that it is today, and which it will continue to be despite everything.
The Government and the Royal Household are finalizing the act of commemoration of the National Holiday on Monday the 12th, which for the first time in decades will not be celebrated with a great parade through the center of Madrid but will be replaced by an austere military act in the Plaza de la Armería of the Royal Palace.
Traditionally, the Fiesta Nacional de España on October 12 is celebrated with a great military parade through the streets of Madrid, with the participation of thousands of members of the Armed Forces, military vehicles and planes; It is followed by a reception in the Royal Palace attended by the powers of the State, former presidents of the Government and representatives of the economic, university and civil society world. However, this year all these events have been altered by the pandemic and the Government and the Royal House have been working for months on an alternative that complies with the health regulations imposed by Covid-19. The entire organization will be pending until the last minute on the evolution of the virus in Madrid and the measures adopted to prevent its spread.
The plan includes holding a military act in the courtyard of the Royal Palace - where the tribute to the victims of the coronavirus was held - presided over by the king and with the Government and the main authorities of the State, including regional presidents.
The event is expected to include a military endowment and a tribute to the flag. It is also expected that the Patrulla Águila, the acrobatic unit of the Spanish Air Force, will draw the colors of the flag in the sky of Madrid, according to the organization. It has also been contemplated that the Legion has some prominence, since 2020 is their centenary and the commemoration that it had planned has also been greatly altered by the coronavirus.
Whilst we would normally wait until after the 2021 carnival to list the dates of the 2022 carnival, now having learned that carnival won't be taking place in 2021, we could all probably do with something to look forward to. There are no guarantees, as we have no idea how long the current health situation will last, but if it's possible, we'll be ready.
Of course, we also have no idea if the previous normal schedule of events will be adhered to again in future, even if the carnival can go ahead then, but Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 2022, if it does go ahead on the 'normal' dates, would be as follows:
Inauguration on Fri 28 Jan 2022, then contests would run from the following Thu 3 Feb 2022, until their climax with the Election of the Carnival Queen on Wed 23 Feb 2022. Carnival may then take to the streets (if it can) from the Opening Parade on Fri 25 Feb 2022, with the Main Parade on Shrove Tue 1 Mar 2022, through to Sun 6 Mar 2022.
Make a potential space, but definitely only use pencil in your diary.
The vice president and insular councilor for Roads, Mobility and Innovation, Enrique Arriaga, announced on Tuesday the activation of a digital tool that will allow passengers to consult the level of occupation on the trams in Tenerife in real time.
This new service, which is already operational on the TranviaOnline website and on the Ten + mobile application, shows, through graphics and text, the percentage of passengers transported on each tram at the time of consultation. In the event that occupancy reaches the maximum sanitary capacity limit, currently set at 66 percent, the user will be recommended to wait for the next tram, explains the Tenerife corporation.
"With the implementation of this tool, we can provide tram users with useful information, and at the same time reinforce the safety and reliability of public transport," Arriaga pointed out.
Once the user accesses the application, they must choose the stop they want to consult, then the time remaining until the arrival of the next trams appears on the screen, as well as the level of passenger occupancy of each tram at that time. Additionally, the application also allows you to view, in real time, all the trams that are circulating on both lines, showing their exact location and the information of each one when clicking on any of them.
To publicise the initiative, the Cabildo will launch an information campaign on social networks and with posters in the coming days that will explain the operation of this tool.
Smoking is expressly prohibited while walking on public roads
The Governing Council in its session on Thursday, October 8, approved a Government Agreement that adapts some regulations related to the containment of COVID-19, which entered into force after its publication in the Boletín Oficial de Canarias (BOC) on Friday.
Among other points, it establishes the obligation to wear a hygienic or surgical mask when visiting health centers. The agreement also establishes the prohibition of smoking while traveling on public roads as it is not possible to guarantee the maintenance of the safety distance. [Obviously, this is because you need to remove the mask to smoke, which increases the risk of transmission]. The Boletin wording states:
2.1.12. (PDF) It is not permitted to smoke, use tobacco inhalation devices, water pipes, hookahs, shisha or similar on public roads and in outdoor spaces, always that [when?] it is not possible to guarantee the maintenance of an interpersonal safety distance of 2 meters.
Regarding events, the government agreement recalls that the celebration of the same will be conditioned by the epidemiological situation on the island on the scheduled date and that it is the event organizer who must consult the public information available.
Likewise, the Government recalls that events may not be held on islands that are classified as high transmission. For these purposes, islands with a high level of transmission will be considered those in which the cumulative incidence of cases diagnosed in the last 7 days, presents each and every one of the following criteria: 1) that the island exceeds 50 cases / 100,000 inhabitants ; 2) that any municipality on the island exceeds 100 cases / 100,000 inhabitants, has more than 2 sporadic cases and presents an increase equal to or greater than 10% compared to the average of the accumulated incidents of the previous two weeks.
The cumulative incidence of cases diagnosed in the last 7 days will be evaluated weekly by the General Directorate of Public Health and will be published on the website "Portal Covid" of the Government of the Canary Islands.
On islands with a high level of transmission, mass events in which more than 10 people participate will not be allowed or authorized, except those carried out in accordance with the strict security measures established in the Government Agreement and without prejudice to any possible modifications depending on epidemiological circumstances and the restaurants must close at 00:00 hours. Remember that ordinary scheduled public cultural activities and federated sports competitions held without the public are exempt from these restrictions.
NOTE: The news report suggests that smoking is expressly prohibited on public roads (i.e. outside in any public area) at all times and, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the way it gets interpreted, especially in urban areas. The wording of the official Boletin, however, reads more like smoking is prohibited on public roads only when you can't guarantee the 2 meter safety distance. In practice, of course, you never know when someone else might encroach into your 2 meter 'bubble' and render you to be in breach of the regulation. And for 'walking' or 'travelling', you can be sure they also mean 'standing' or just 'being'. In other words, the only places left where smoking is allowed are in your own home or garden.
Oh and don't shout at someone for smoking in public when they do have a 2 meter gap around them, because, strictly, that appears to be perfectly legal.
After months of uncertainty, announcements of potential alternative dates and various meetings to find out the feelings of its protagonists, finally, reality has imposed upon the wishes and Santa Cruz de Tenerife will not have Carnival in 2021. This was confirmed yesterday by mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, along with councilor for fiestas, Alfonso Cabello. Both, flustered, explained what everyone already knew: the sanitary conditions are not suitable to celebrate a massive carnival, outdoors and without social distancing.
It will be the first time in 60 years that the party has been suspended. "Since 1961, the party as we know it has been organised uninterruptedly," Bermúdez explained.
The suspension of Carnival in 2021 is bad news for Santa Cruz as the carnival is its main showcase. However, in these times of pandemic, few decisions will have as much support. Yesterday, the carnival groups agreed that, despite being a sad day, "health is above all."
Maxi Carvajal, director of murga, Diablos Locos, was one of the first to announce that his group would not take part, which is why he supports the decision to suspend carnival. Instead, they will continue with things like collecting food and masks, selling solidarity bracelets or collecting toys for the little ones at the end of the year. They are organising everything via WhatsApp, or in small groups, complying with the safety regulations.
From another of the leading groups, Los Cariocas, president, José Manuel González, recalled that the troupes were the first to renounce the contests. “It was clear from the beginning that there would be no carnival. It was something to be expected, but health comes first." The president of Los Cariocas proposes that 2021 is a kind of sabbatical year, in which "to gain strength" and thus, "in 2022 to come out with even more desire." .
Other leading groups in the carnival are the rondallas, and one of the most awarded, El Orfeón de La Paz, also supports the decision to suspend the party. "We cannot fight against the disease", affirms its president Esteban Afonso. “It is complicated, but we have no choice but to assume what the authorities tell us. We have to be patient, and we know that, in the event of some kind of celebration, we will have three months to prepare, just as Fiestas have promised ”, he adds. Like the rest, Afonso has words for all the people behind the groups. "There are a lot of people behind it, companies that have invested in fabrics or seamstresses, I don't know how they are going to fix it." In any case, "we will continue working within our possibilities and we will continue to assemble the repertoire."
In the group of designers, Santi Castro, admits that, although it is a sad and rare situation, “you have to put health and help people before Carnival. That is something that I have very clear ”. Castro draws attention to the fact that even if carnival was celebrated, "we depend on tourism and tourists don't come, so celebrating it isn't going to help us much either." As for his work as a designer, “like the rest, we are also very affected, perhaps more because we do not have any kind of help and we depend on commercial firms, firms that right now we do not know in what conditions they are, with ERTE or directly closed ”. He also believes that this will make, in 2022, "we go out with a tremendous desire to go crazy with Carnival."
María Díaz, of Marco y María, who directed the Carnival 2020 galas, also supports the suspension. “If festivals such as Fallas, the April Fair or San Fermines have been suspended, it was logical that our Carnival would also be suspended. It's a decision that had to be made out of responsibility, it's very sad, but the main thing is to overcome this health crisis”. As for whether the City Council has contacted the firm to address the announced Carnival tribute gala, Díaz admits that she has not had any news since the first meeting she had with the Councilor for Fiestas at the beginning of the summer. "I imagine that they will already have people who are working on it, but they have not spoken with us".
Another of the institutions that yesterday also expressed their regret for the suspension of the festival was the Aula Cultura del Carnaval. Its manager, Pedro Mengíbar, wanted to send a positive message. “It is news that seems logical and prudent to us, but because it is expected, doesn't exempts us from sadness. COVID-19 has, from today, the dubious honor, together with the Spanish Civil War, of being the only things that have managed to interrupt carnival throughout our history”.
Owing to the current rate of incidence of COVID-19 and that the islands remain on "red alert", the management of the Escudería Daute-Realejos has decided to adopt the following decisions, which directly affect the organization of the thirty-sixth edition of the Rallye Orvecame Norte-Cicar Trophy, scheduled for 10 October: Due to the impossibility of controlling the access of fans and their safe permanence in the usual monitoring points of the race, at the side of the road, and taking into account the regional measures that affect all multitudinous events in the islands, the 36th Rallye Orvecame Norte - Cicar Trophywill take place without the presence of the public in any of the stages.
This decision is of an extraordinary nature and is adopted in order to guarantee the viability of the rally, prioritizing the health of the people who make up the teams, the organization and the numerous fans that accompany us every year.
The organization of the 36th Rallye Orvecame Norte - Cicar Trophy greatly regrets this decision and appreciates the understanding of motor racing fans in the Canary Islands who, for years have come to support the event. However, it invites all those interested in following the rally live to connect with the wide network of media that will broadcast throughout the day on October 10 on television, radio, digital portals and social networks as it happens on the roads of Garachico, El Tanque, Icod de los Vinos, La Guancha and Los Realejos.
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