Looking to be in correlego in Feb for two weeks, what is the Weather like will I be able to be naked on the beach.

Radio Sintonia:

Deborah Edgington distinguished as a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

The former Councillor for Tourism of the municipality of Antigua, Deborah Edgington, has been distinguished as a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

The City Council of Antigua in a statement conveys the congratulations of the entire Municipal Corporation, to which she was a councillor and 'always companion on the road, for being recognized for her social and cooperative work with the British community in Caleta de Fuste and on the island, being decorated as a 2024 member of the Order of the British Empire, which is awarded to citizens for their effort and social commitment', says Mayor Matías Peña.

In the note, they recall that The Order of the British Empire is one of the highest decorations and one of the highest honors given by the British Royal House, with Deborah Edgington, being part of the thousand awards given this year in the MBE category.

The official British appointment mentions her work carried out especially during the COVID 19 pandemic, in which she served as a councillor of the Antigua City Council, collaborating closely with the British Consulate in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, informing, advising and supporting the assistance of the British community in the municipality.

For the mayor 'without a doubt, this recognition is deserved to comrade Deborah Edgington for the development of a social and personal work always committed and generous, says the municipal councilor'.

Diario:

The Sister of the Caribbean: 125 Years of the Loss of Cuba
Multiple historical ties unite Cuba with Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and the rest of the Canary Islands.

December 18 was International Migrants Day and, as in previous years, we must take advantage of this commemoration organized by the United Nations to remember some chapter of the long history of emigration in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. In this case, let's recap one of the traditional destinations, the so-called "Pearl of the Caribbean": Cuba

In December 1898, exactly 125 years ago, the Treaty of Paris was signed, by which Spain recognized the independence of Cuba, at the same time that it sold the territories of Puerto Rico and the Philippines to the United States.

For the Canary Islands, this defeat was a hard economic setback, Cuba was still, for example, a preferential market for onions from Lanzarote. However, political sentiments were somewhat mixed. On the one hand, Canarian soldiers fought in the Spanish army, supported by the island oligarchy as well, but, on the other hand, the incipient Canarian nationalism looked with great interest at the emancipation process of Cuba and there were Canarians prominent in the rebel sector.

Secundino Delgado (1867-1912), considered by many to be the father of the Canarian independence movement, emigrated to Cuba at a very young age, becoming involved in its emancipation and later acquiring Cuban nationality. The Cuban writer and politician José Martí (1853-1895), called the "apostle of Cuba's independence", was the son of Leonor Pérez Cabrera, a Canarian woman from Tenerife who had emigrated as a minor. Martí stated that "it is not uncommon for the son of the Canary Islands, badly governed by the Spaniard, to love and seek in the colonies of Spain the independence that, by reason of proximity, variety of origins and lack of sufficient purpose, he does not attempt in his own islands".

There are numerous testimonies of the suspicion of the Spanish authorities with the large Canarian colony in Cuba at the end of the nineteenth century. Unlike the rest of the Spaniards, the Canarians were quick to identify with the local population and even the U.S. ambassador went so far as to suggest in a famous report that the Canarians were a clear support for the Cuban rebels. To this we must add that 42 percent of the Spanish census in Cuba in 1861 was Canarian, being the main region by far.

Cuba's independence brought other political repercussions, as the so-called "disaster of '98" left a broad mark on the country's national consciousness, while in the Canary Islands the fear spread that the United States would also venture into the archipelago, given the ease of victory against Spain. In this context, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote were once again seen as the easiest to conquer, due to their poor defence and the landing facilities on their coast.

Cirilo Lopez, who returned from Cuba, was Morro Jable's first resident

In 1902, Antonio María Manrique, a key intellectual and writer of the time who was born in Fuerteventura but spent most of his career in Lanzarote, wrote an article eloquently entitled Waiting for the Enemy. This fear led the Spanish government to reinforce the defence of the Canary Islands, creating, among others, the military battery of the River in the Risco de Famara, while in 1904 it re-established the battalion suppressed in the eighties of the nineteenth century in Fuerteventura, which was one of the great demands of the Majorero newspaper La Aurora (1900-1905): "For the first time, for a long time now, a law has been voted in the Spanish Parliament that has benefited Fuerteventura (...)".

In spite of everything, Canarian emigration to Cuba did not suffer from independence. The flow varied according to the conditions prevailing on both sides of the Atlantic, so the crisis that caused the fall of the cochineal at the end of the nineteenth century, and the export problems during World War I, led to an increase in the number of Canarians going to the Great Antilles, which were in high demand especially for sugar farms. It was only after the crises of the 1920s, and especially after the crash of 1929, that Cuba ceased to be a preferred destination for Canarian immigrants.

In recent decades, this sort of Atlantic labour market has continued to advance according to the rhythms of hardship and growth experienced on both shores. As a result of the tourist boom, the flows have been reversed and now it is the Canary Islands that receive Cuban emigrants. In Lanzarote, the resident population with Cuban nationality in 2020 was 877 inhabitants.

Multiple Loops

Beyond sharing a very similar latitude on both shores of the same ocean, the close relations between Cuba and the Canary Islands have very direct historical explanations. To begin with, all these islands experienced almost parallel colonization processes. Although Fuerteventura and Lanzarote were conquered by Europeans from the beginning of the 15th century, the Canary Islands were not fully dominated until 1496, four years after Columbus' arrival in the Caribbean. Cuba began to be conquered very soon after, in the early 16th century.

Not only did the Canary Islands serve as the first proof of colonization for the Spanish Crown in the face of the experience in America, although on a much smaller scale, but our archipelago also became an almost obligatory stop on the route to the Indies.

The trade winds favoured the prominent role of the Canary Islands in relations with America. The ports of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Palma were the only ones, along with Seville, that could trade with the Indies. From this quality of way station on the Atlantic route, a multitude of connections emerged, such as the agricultural-gastronomic field: in the Canary Islands, the Asian sugar and banana plants had already been tested, which were taken from here to America, from where, in turn, came products that would soon become essential for the economy and cuisine of the Archipelago. such as potatoes or millet, among others.

After a first stage in which the sending of settlers from the Canary Islands to America was more limited by the exclusivity of Seville and by the interest of the Crown in populating the archipelago, the flow of Canarians increased from the end of the seventeenth century, when the "great family emigration" began, in the words of Manuel Hernández, professor of American History at the University of La Laguna (ULL) and a great specialist in relations with Cuba. It should also be remembered that in 1650 Cuba had only 20,000 inhabitants, compared to 100,000 in the Canary Islands.

Between 1678 and 1778 the so-called "Blood Tribute" was active, a royal order according to which the Canary Islands had to contribute 50 families to colonize the New World for every 1,000 tons of exports, in exchange for maintaining their privileged trade of their ports with America. Experts still debate today whether this measure was an imposition by the Crown or an advantage that the Canarian elites managed to get from the king.

In the nineteenth century, there were again significant increases in Canarian migrants to the Pearl of the Caribbean (there are estimates that speak of 60,000 Canarians), especially when the slave system was eliminated in Cuba in 1880, which increased the need for free laborers and laborers for the countryside. However, the conditions were not always ideal, as historians and university professors Manuel de Paz and Manuel Hernández recalled in a book significantly titled White Slavery. The anthropologist J. Alberto Galván Tudela also spoke of a specialization by islands, stating that "both majoreros (Fuerteventura) and conejeros (Lanzarote), as well as the people of La Gomera, were characterized by sharing a multiplicity of jobs. Most of them are illiterate, coming from islands with scarce resources, with periodic famines, some chose to emigrate on an adventure without extensive family networks, others through links in Cuba or some family network."

The Cuban War brought the fear of the possible invasion of the Canary Islands

Beyond the demographic, economic, political and gastronomic relations briefly mentioned, the link with Cuba permeates many cultural and social areas, starting with language. For example, the classic canarism of "guagua" has Cuban origins, while in the Great Antilles they use the word gofio normally or on both sides of the Atlantic the term bemba, with common African roots on both shores, is used to refer to the lips.

In music, the round trips have greatly influenced the folklore of the Canary Islands, with genres as classic as the habaneras and décimas, not to mention the strong implantation that all music with Caribbean roots has had in the Islands. Directly linked to emigration, there is also an enormous Canarian-Cuban journalistic legacy. At least a dozen and a half newspapers founded in Cuba by Canarians and aimed at the Canarian community have been located. In literature, Professor Paloma Jiménez del Campo published a study a few years ago in which she referred to more than 30 Canarian writers linked to Cuba.

Ocean, migrations and culture come together in two emblematic figures of the past of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote who have been remembered with sculptures. In the area of Puerto Naos, in Arrecife, the honoree is Gregorio Fuentes, an emigrant from Lanzarote who arrived in Cuba at a very young age, at the beginning of the 20th century. Fuentes dedicated himself to the sea, so that once fully settled on the island he became the skipper of the yacht of the famous American writer Ernest Hemingway, who wrote one of the most famous novels of the twentieth century, inspired by his fishing stories. In the old town of Morro Jable, a statue commemorates Cirilo López Umpiérrez, an emigrant who returned from Cuba and became the first permanent resident of this town at the end of the 19th century.

link to article for some really old pics

Happy New Year - Athbhliain faoí mhaise daoibh 🇮🇪

What are the Laws / Rules re the use of drones, yesterday we had a neighbouring rental using one and we are concerned about our privacy.

In the UK we used to live next to a hotel that did weddings and if the wedding wanted to use a drone for photography they had to tell us beforehand and to limit images to the hotel grounds.

Thanks in anticipation.

Noticias:

Lack of taxis at the airport creates anxiety for tourists.

The first impression of the island from those who visit us is the absolute lack of transport service


Once again, taxi queues at the airport become the talk of social networks at European level when tourists upload their experience to networks such as Facebook or X (Twitter).



In this case, a family uploads the following message: "Paid for private transfer in Fuerteventura and directed to the taxi queue with a voucher. Big deal. No taxis !!!", in a direct complaint to @jet2tweets that goes viral in no time.

There are no solutions when it comes to taxis at the Majorero airport, which leads to accusations of fraud against certain companies that sell a transport voucher, but the truth is that there are no taxis to provide the service due at El Matorral airport.

Radio Sintonia:

La Oliva demands that Telefónica remove telephone poles in the Dunes Natural Park.

In an ongoing effort to preserve the beauty and biodiversity of the Dunes Natural Park, the City Council of La Oliva has expressed its concern and demanded an immediate response from Telefónica regarding the dismantling of telephone poles that cross this valuable natural environment. This is what the institution says in a press release sent to Radio Sintonía.



In the note, Isaí Blanco expresses the municipality's concern about the lack of action on the part of the telecommunications company, pointing out that, despite a year and a half of requests, the response received has not been satisfactory. "We have transferred our concerns to the corresponding bodies, including the Ministry of the Island Council of Fuerteventura and the Ministry of Ecological Transition of the Government of the Canary Islands, but unfortunately, Telefónica has not taken measures to remove the poles," Blanco said.

For his part, the Councilor for New Technologies, Julio Santana, highlighted the visible and environmental damage caused by the laying of poles in the Natural Park. "We have observed pieces of wire and plastic scattered on the sand, affecting not only the aesthetics of the park, but also endangering the vegetation, such as rockers and Canarian palm trees," Santana said. In addition, it has been reported that damage has also been caused to a bus with tourists, thus increasing the severity of the consequences derived from these irresponsible actions."

The City Council of La Oliva has proposed a concrete solution to this problem: the burial of the cable parallel to the existing road between Corralejo and the hotels of Grandes Playas. This alternative would not only eliminate the visual impact, but would also contribute to the preservation of the natural environment and avoid the continuous pollution caused by the waste from the current power lines.

In the absence of an adequate response from Telefónica, Mayor Isaí Blanco concluded: "It is imperative that the company assumes its environmental responsibility and immediately proceeds with the removal of these poles. The preservation of our Natural Park is a priority for La Oliva, and we do not rule out taking additional measures to ensure its protection."

link to article for pic

Been to El Cotillo and in November was in Correlego looking to back again in February any suggestions of accommodation to use in Correlego as will be using the beaches by the blue flag and Riu hotels.

Click on the link

Feliz Navidad

Radio Sintonia:

Screens, cameras and charging for vehicles in the 11 smart tourist spots of Puerto del Rosario.

The City Council of Puerto del Rosario, through the Department of Tourism, transfers its commitment to the avant-garde of the application of technology in the tourism industry. In addition to the use of augmented reality technology for tourist information and signage, 11 smart points equipped with video cameras, information screens, a charging point for electric vehicles and sensors of various types will be installed in the near future, which will allow data to be collected for the management of the tourist destination, while offering information about the municipality to tourists visiting Puerto del Rosario.



With the aim of continuing to advance in the application of technology for the management of the Puerto del Rosario destination, the Councilor for Tourism, Juan Jiménez, has held a meeting with Nicolás Suárez, responsible for the technological developments of the company Atlantis Technology, belonging to the Binter group. The purpose was to learn about the latest technological advances applied to tourism, covering the development of software, data and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data center.

Atlantis Technology is included in the directory of solutions of the DTI Network (Smart Tourist Destinations), of which Puerto del Rosario is a member, being to date the only certified Smart Tourist Destination on the island of Fuerteventura.

The Mayor of Puerto del Rosario, David de Vera, explained that "this implementation of smart points represents a significant step towards more sustainable tourism and a more enriching experience for our visitors, while strengthening our position as an innovative and responsible destination."

For his part, the Councilor for Tourism, Juan Jiménez, showed special interest in the wando.life experience and information management platform, adding that "collaboration with leading technology companies such as Atlantis Technology allows us to stay at the forefront of tourism trends, taking advantage of innovative solutions to enrich the experience of those who visit us".

Wando.life is a platform for tourism intermediation of experiences and leisure activities in destinations with the aim that all the information generated on the platform, combined with that which can be obtained from other public and private sources, can value this knowledge through data analysis processes. It is also a marketing platform aimed at tourists, promoting multimedia communication.