Tenerife Magazine’s round up of some of the most interesting news stories of the week in Tenerife.

Tenerife’s Eco-Friendly Tram
A survey commissioned by the Tenerife Government revealed that there are an estimated 3 million less car journeys a year due to the existence of the tram in the Metropolitan area. Many city dwellers had ditched their cars in favour of the tram because they felt using the tram was an efficient, safe and an easy way to get about. Having travelled on it plenty of times we’d have to agree, it’s a great way to get from La Laguna to Santa Cruz or vice versa whether you’re a commuter or a visitor wanting to explore the current and former capital.

A Cover Up on Tenerife This Summer
Tenerife’s naturists will have to make do with a limited choice of where to let it all hang out this summer. Following a meeting in Santa Cruz it was decided that the popular nudist beach at Las Gaviotas near Tenerife’s capital will remain closed to the public whilst an agreement to address the risk of falling rocks is reached. Don’t hold your breath on that happening. The same applies to Igueste beach further along the coast.

No Abortions on the Public Health in the Canary Islands
Sometimes a news report comes along that highlights the cultural differences of moving from countries such as the UK to other parts of Europe. Take for example the sensitive subject of abortions. A law decriminalising abortion in Spain was only passed last year. However, there is still nowhere on any of the Canary Islands where abortions are performed on the public health service. There are three clinics, all private, on Tenerife and Gran Canario. The procedures before an abortion is ‘approved’ are complicated enough, but for anyone living on one of the other islands there is the further impracticality of having to travel to one of the licensed clinics. The law might have been passed but the words lip, service and paying spring to mind.

And finally the TIT (This Is Tenerife) of the week award goes to…the defeat of Nelson in Santa Cruz
Possibly the proudest moment in Tenerife’s history is the defeat of Nelson on the 25th July 1797. Streets and avenues are named after the victory and each year the historic event is vigorously re-lived on the streets of Santa Cruz…every year except this one. Apart from a lack of boats and fireworks to celebrate the battle there was one particularly essential ingredient missing – British forces. Nelson and his boys were absent from the scene. The Santa Cruceros and friends might have defeated Nelson back in 1797, but it was that familiar old chestnut, ‘the economic crisis’, that did for him this year.

A comment in one Spanish newspaper suggested that Tenerife might have been a very different place if Nelson had won. It’s an interesting thought. Just imagine, Tenerife might have been full of British bars serving John Smiths, dishing up fish and chips and with British soaps on the telly…wait a minute.

1.    Admiral Nelson lost his right arm here. During a failed attempt by the British to capture Santa Cruz in 1797, Nelson took some shrapnel in his right elbow and the arm had to be amputated. After that, he was ‘armless enough (groan).
2.    The Spanish Civil War was plotted from Tenerife. When the Spanish Republican Government made Franco Governor General of the Canary Islands in 1936, they made a big mistake. From his base in Santa Cruz, he plotted and implemented plans to overthrow them. If they’d put his office in El Hierro history would have looked very different.
3.   Shakespeare liked a Tenerife tipple. William Shakespeare was given a barrel of Tenerife’s Malmsey wine every year as part of his salary. Well, if it worked for Shakespeare, for the sake of my writing I’m willing to re-introduce the practice here on TM…
4.    There are ancient pyramids. Before the Spanish conquered the island it was populated by primitive people known as Guanche who allegedly built pyramids to worship the sun. Clearly they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they’d just used the beaches like everyone else.
5.    Rafael Benitez used to manage CD Tenerife. At this moment in time, I bet there are a whole lot of Tenerife fans wishing he still did…and a sizeable percentage of Liverpool fans too.
6.    Tenerife is officially a surreal island. In 1935 Tenerife was officially declared a surrealist island by Andre Breton; he’d obviously seen the traditional costumes, Carnaval and Veronicas on a Saturday night.
7.   Hollywood has, hasn’t and may film again. Despite the die-hard tour rep assertions that Star Wars and Planet of the Apes were filmed in Teide National Park, they were not. But Raquel Welch did run around in a fur bikini up there in One Million Years BC and Clash of the Titans (release due 2010) was also partly filmed here. Rumour has it Hollywood is set to return, or is that just another Tall Tale?
8.   Tenerife has the same flag as Scotland, which is down to Saint Andrew who came to Tenerife to preach the gospel and clearly made a lasting impression. It’s also the ensign for CD Tenerife and their current performance is emulating Scotland too. Bummer.
9.    This was the starting point for voyages of discovery. The Magellan Straits, San Antonio in Texas (site of the Alamo) and Montevideo in Uruguay were all discovered on voyages that sailed from Tenerife. And today we honour that rich heritage with… Booze Cruises.
10.    Bet Lynch pronounced its name correctly. As the Spanish pronounce the ‘e’ at the end of a name, the island is actually pronounced Tener-ee-fay which is how Bet Lynch used to say it, well, mas o menos.