Like David Banner at the end of  The Hulk or Cain at the end of Kung Fu, I feel compelled to walk into the distance and try new destinations, thankfully in my case without green fits or flattening the locals after announcing that I Come In Peace. Tenerife is perfect for my wandering spirit and the north has proved rich ground for some wonderful trips. For readers of  Tenerife Magazine it could all be slightly easier and a whole lot more comfortable with a weeks free half board holiday for two people at Hotel Las Aguilas in Puerto de la Cruz.

That’s the latest prize on offer for simply being a Facebook fan of Tenerife Magazine and getting pulled out of the draw on 2nd August. Then it’s up to you what you do, I’m not going to nag and tell you about all those wonderous places you ned to visit like the Drago tree at Icod de Los Vinos, the Garachico rock pools and volcanic mound of rock spat into the sea by a major eruption of Mount Teide, and the wine trail at La Orotava that will leave you struggling to walk in a straight line. Wild horses and even countless repeats of Friends couldn’t force me to divulge the location of all those lovely coffee and cake cafes and bizarre bars that I have encountered on my travels. It’s up to you to go and explore.

Mind you I can understand if you just want to relax by the two large swimming pools at Las Aquilas, or enjoy the four star luxury service and views. Maybe try out the tennis and padel courts or the three restaurants and show bar. The 10.000 square metres of gardens may well distract your interest and the modern spacious layout will give you time to chill. For some history and culture the easy way just hop on the regular free shuttle bus into Puerto de la Cruz and explore the rugged sea front and a myriad of back street shops and restaurants. Basically there is plenty to do during your stay.

You still have time to win a week’s half board holiday for two people. All you need to do is be a Facebook fan of Tenerife Magazine by the closing date of 31^st July. The draw will be made on 2^nd August, is not transferable and must be claimed within 2 weeks of the draw or it will be re-drawn. The prize voucher can be used until the end of 2010, not open to staff or relatives of Tochdocun or Grupo Gomasper.

If you want to know more about Hotel Las Aguilas try the website www.hotellasaguilas.com or give them a ring on  (0034) 922372806 or drop them an email reserves@hotellasaguilas.com

During my Tenerife sea swims I am often assaulted by many and various items of rubbish, one of the smallest and most annoying is the humble cigarette butt. I tend to see these more on the beach than in the water, mainly because they get easily swept out on the tides. I must admit I have never been a smoker so can’t say that I would clean up after me, but I like to think I would.

Arona council has just announced that they intend to bring in fines of up to 3,000 euros for dropping fag ends on their beaches. The councillor for the environment Antonio Sosa insists that it is time that people treated the beaches with more respect, and I’m all for that. Providing this plan doesn’t get scuppered like Arona’s unworkable plan to ban all smoking on it’s beaches, it wont come in until after this summer.

The council are proposing the measure to clean up the look of the beaches but there are other problems caused by ciggie butts. Years ago when at The Western Sun, I was shown some very unpleasant photos of an autopsy on a dolphin. The stomach was full of rubbish, mush of it cigarette butts that expand as they soak up water, the dolphin then swallows them and they fill its stomach preventing it from eating.

If this all sounds really heavy, it needn’t be, there is a very easy solution, just pick up your old cigarette butts. Many of the beach side Tourist Information Offices already give out free plastic cones for smokers, you embed the stem in the sand and have an instant ashtray and the butts just drop into the stem for emptying once you reach a bin. The council are prepared to make even more of these cones available free, so really there will be no excuse.

There I was just walking out of my apartment block the other morning and a large yellow plane skimmed overhead coming over Montaña Guaza. A bit of digging and I now know it was a hydroplane, just arrived to help fight any forest fiires we may have in the Canary Islands this summer.

The recent scorching temperatures are a timely reminder of the previous fires here in the north of Tenerife and more so over on the islands of  La Gomera and La Palma. Last year when fires broke out on La Gomera, every old fire engine possible was dragged into service in Tenerife and headed to the port for the ferry trip across to our near neighbour. These hydroplanes are a much more effective and fast solution when it comes to dousing the flames.

Two hydroplanes are now stationed at Los Rodeos airport in the north, on loan from Canadair, part of the 43 group. Originally they were loaned to Torrejon airport on the mainland but they will be looking after us until September. Each plane has the capacity to hold up to 13,500 litres of water to drop on any raging inferno. In football type emergencies they could probably transport large quantities of Dorada to fuel the Armada Sur.

Pink and glowing in the heat, well that was the bodies on Playa El Camison, but a few yards away the Hotel Sir Anthony was glowing with pride as the bright young things of Tenerife, the President Ricardo Melchior, leading dignitaries, and a party of well scrubbed journalists sampled the new improved five star hotel.

The Mare Nostrum Resort is a beacon of luxury in Playa de Las Americas and the sun was glinting off the high glass front as I arrived with John Beckley from Sorted Sites, just in time to catch the speeches among the dazzling array of frocks and high heels. The team of guides swept us into the super cooled lobby and up the spiral staircase to inspect some of the 70 rooms on offer. The refurbishment was completed last year but this was the official inauguration, current guests were invited to join the party downstairs but a few were relaxing on their sea facing balconies, thankfully they all refrained from cutting their toenails as the lead party passed through.

The rooms are compact and stylish, the drinks bar and television hidden within the storage cabinets, and of course those balcony views waft the sea breeze in as close as you could hope. Looking down I could see the party guests mingling in the leafy shade around the pool as a jazz group serenaded them so after a quick trip to the roof to see a  jacuzzi terrace, I made my way past the large airy Windsor Restaurant to the gardens.

Trying my best not to trip and fall in the pool, I circulated and snapped a few photos, not all leggy young ladies, and nibbled some of the scrummy food being offered round with some cool drinks. For the second part of the evening we were led to the Mare Nostrum auditorium, taking the beach promenade, looking like a very elegant crocodile. It was my first time in the auditorium, home to the big showpiece musicals like Alma, and I was impressed by the scale and decor of the place. After some publicity films and speeches, the main show began, a musical romp, Rock History, featuring the in house band and 60 of the resort staff.

They really pulled out all the stops as they whisked us through a full range of rock based music from The Rolling Stones, to AC DC, The Beatles, Queen and all stops between. It wasn’t just the stage being used, dancers appeared  at each side of the balcony and then took a firemans poll down to the stage, and clever use of minimal stage props meant the set was constantly changing. After 90 minutes they were done and as some of the company danced in the aisles, children clung to their star shaped red ballons recently gifted to them.

We poured out onto the communal plaza for the resorts hotels and were greeted by every variety of food and drink imaginable interspersed with stilt walking clown ladies, bucking bulls and a live band, the core of the stage show. There was even a cream pie stall where you could gunge your friends or enemies, phew I got away with that one. The holiday makers in the plaza, many of them with children, were spoilt for choice and hopefully will return to Tenerife again and again.

Moscow has rolling tanks carving up Red Square, Oxford has drunk students jumping in the river as dawn breaks, but here in Tenerife May Day is a much more colourful and sunny affair. I headed up to Santa Cruz early for football and work was well underway for this busy holiday weekend. May day is followed by Spains Mothers Day on Sunday and the Day of the Cross on Monday, white metal archways were being put up and decoreated with flowers at key points around the city centre.

Arriving at Plaza de España I was just in time to see the Intersindical Union parading down to the area between the lake and the Cabildo building. It was more a general flexing of the muscles than support for any current isue but independance and opposition to Spains leader Zapatero were mixed in among the banners. Cutting through to Plaza del Principe, I found the UGT Union leading their followers into the park for rallying speeches, TV Canarias workers took the opportunity to raise their own ongoing strike. Both marches were in a relaxed spirit with many bringing their families with them and once the speeches were over, most of the particiapants adjourned to local bars for a few beers, probably the most important item on the days agenda.

One of the main things I had come to see was a flowers, plants and crafts fair in Parque Garcia Sanabria, just a 5 minute stroll from the centre. This is a truly beautiful park at any time and is well used for events or just chilling with nature. At the main entrance childrens entertainment was holding a large crowd spellbound as they sat around the large flower clock, the cafe was buzzing and the sun was scorching. The park centres around a small pond with imposing statues, leafy walkways radiate off from there, and they were lined with stalls featuring some stunning garden displays, they even had Snow White and her dwarfs cottage. I could hear a voice shouting “Las Palmas are a great football team” nice to know that Dopey was at home.

It was good to see so many people proudly wearing their CD Tenerife shirts especially the kids, bring them up the right way. Turning onto one path I discovered small pens of chickens, goats and rabbits, another delight for the little uns. Star turn though was an inflatable cow complete with working udders, children were taking turns to sit under the cow and squeeze out the milky liquid, I decided that I was probably too old to join in.

Returning to Calle Castillo I pulled up a cold drink at a cafe by the stage in Plaza Candelaria and watched a group of dancers going through their paces  as they tested out the sound system. As luck would have it, the visiting Racing Santander team were staying nearby and went out to stretch their legs, they obligingly posed for me despite my CD Tenerife shirt and scarf making my allegiance clear. What a great way to start the day, and the football was still to come.

It had been simmering for weeks, the Policia Local of Arona have not been happy, stating their grievances as work conditions, equipment and lack of staff. Several demonstrations were arranged but each time the two sides reached enough of an agreement to cancel it. Today there was no more avoiding it and at Noon the Policia Local took to the streets of Los Cristianos, gathering at the cultural centre, just around the corner from their headquarters.

Maybe gathered is a strong word, the turnout was poor, maybe 60 or so, but bearing in mind they have to rely on their work colleagues when in a tight or dangerous spot, you could forgive them for being a little shy. The three cars parked next to each other outside hinted at solidarity between the forces, Policia Local, Policia National, and Guardia Civil motors couldn’t have been parked in closer formation.

For their part, the Policia Local had already got local backing, a meeting with the local neighbours association groups on Thursday had won their backing. Arona councillor Manual Reveron weighed in this morning in the local press describing the police grievances as all lies, he claimed their militancy was more to do with trying to get more money.

The “march” if you can call it that was led by the UGT Union and made its short journey to the church plaza where banners, some in English, were unfurled. Slogans were chanted including “more action, less corruption” but passing Guardia officers leant out of their car windows and swapped smiles and good natured banter. So now we wait and see what the next step is in this runing dispute.

Some mornings, purely by accident, I get caught by those day time Do Up The House programmes, they usually involve some death trap of a place riddled with rot but always “in an up and coming area”. They would say it was an up and coming area even if it was in Baghdad. Well yesterday was my chance to do some house hunting in much better circumstances, it was the official inauguration of 25 bioclimatic houses at ITER, the renewable energy centre in Granadilla.

The calima was at full pelt and the sun magnified through the dusty haze as I arrived with John Beckley from Sorted Sites. The visitors centre was packed with architects, scientists and the media, as well as the usual suits giving speeches there was Princess Alexia of Greece, she lives in Lanzarote most of the time. Thankfully the speeches came to an end and I was let loose to explore the houses, built over 14 years as the result of a world wide competition. So what is bioclimatic? basically it means the houses are designed to make the most of the elements, solar panels, wind turbines, recylcled building materials and desalinated sea water. They are totally self sufficient and produce no CO2 emmisions.

It was a bit of a scramble with hundreds of people touring the houses, most of them battling for good photos, I just dived in and trod on lots of toes. The designs were very ingenious, many of them sunk partly into the ground to maximise insulation and heat. The interiors were pretty stylish with good use of space and natural lighting. The furniture ranged from basic as in the recycled cardboard tables and chairs in Noche Y Dia, to the more elegant and spacious like El Bernegal (both below).

The whole inauguration was handled like a well drilled military operation (but without guns) and the press packs and hand outs must have wiped out the odd forest or two. The houses are spread over a large site with a winding pathway linking them and the weather was scorching, I heeded the pre launch advice not to wear high heels but some of the ladies were struggling in tight designer dresses and crippling stilletos, sometimes I’m glad that I’m a fashion slob. Help was at hand though, golf buggies and electric scooters were freely available to whisk the hot and sweaty around the route as required. I battled it out on foot and later recycled my sweat by bottling it and sending it to the people that make Pot Noodle.

There was a whole flock of smartly suited and very helpful young ladies steering the lost and bewildered from house to house and people were heading back to the visitors centre at their own pace as many others continued to swarm over the dwelllings. I rushed back and did a quick interview with an American architect, Madelaine Fava, and realised I hadn’t seen or photgraphed her creation, El Alisio. thankfully the golf buggies enabled me to quickly put that right even though her building wasn’t open and furnished yet.

All this rushing around meant I didn’t have time to sample the posh nosh and wine being handed around, mind you I’m more of a chocolate doughnut and bottle of Dorada sort of chap. Loaded up with goodie packs we headed back to Los Cristianos leaving most of the others to enjoy an afternoon environmental film show. The bioclimatic village was very impressive and will now provide loads of data as scientists and enthusiasts live in them as they are monitored closely. If you want to read more detailed and technical accounts of the site, you can find more of my reports at www.tenerifemagazine.com or www.canarygreen.net  and the official ITER site has all the background and specifications in several languages. Tours of the bioclimatic village run from Tuesday 23 March for a week, at other times you can go and see the rest of the fascinating ITER developments including those giant wind turbines at close quarters, all FREE. Call 922391000 and ask for Elsa.

Los Gigantes was my first home after moving to Tenerife some eight years ago, it’s a very beautiful and sedate part of the island, so I have particular pleasure in alerting you to the latest www.tenerifemagazine.com  competition. Thanks to our friends at WimPen Leisure Management we are offering the chance to win a weeks holiday at El Marques Resort, to go into the draw on 2nd April, you just have to be a Facebook fan of Tenerife Magazine.

Ooh hang on I’m getting flashbacks to the 4 years I spent living in Puerto Santiago, at the top of the road out of Los Gigantes, and just opposite El Marques. If I was still living there I would have invited the winner round for a cup of coffee, they might have to bring some coffee err and a cup, well I was never that domesticated. I still pop up the west coast on a regular basis to visit old friends and favourite bars, I worked in “the village” as the locals call Los Gigantes, for the first 3 years, The Western Sun office in Paseo Jacaranda is now a restaurant, see if you can find my old Mr Blobby pencil sharpener if you pop in there – I really miss it.

El Marques is up on the brow of the hill and gives you great views over the village and out to the towering cliffs that lend Los Gigantes its name. The marina is a bustling mix of commerce and leisure craft, the church plaza is a lovely place for a shady cafe stop as you people watch, and you are in easy reach of some great walks such as Masca. I shall end my stagger down memory lane there before I start digressing with detailed accounts of my old haunts.

Anyway, the prize is one week self catering in a one bedroom apartment, valid for a year, subject to availability, and there is no cash alternative. As I mentioned, the draw takes place on Friday 2 April so make sure you are a Tenerife Magazine Facebook fan, and keep popping in to the magazine site as we update regularly. Good luck.

I thought I was being stalked, I saw it the first time at the main junction in central Los Cristianos, then the next time, there it was on the corner of Avenida Sueccia near the port road. Could it be the new Dr Who, come to wind back time to the start of the football season to save CD Tenerife? Or maybe it was some sort of phallic symbol for the Carnaval season?

It seems there are  many of them scattered around Arona, no one else seemed to be bothered by them, but I’m a right botherer. I tried to find a door or at least a slot to insert some money, just in case it was a Superloo, but no joy.

At last though things are becoming clearer, the heading “Columna de Libre Expresion” would seem to confirm my more mundane thoughts. The “Columns of Free Expression” are there for people to stick bits of paper on. All those tatty fly postings about apartment rentals, get rich quick schemes and lost dogs can now be posted on these official columns saving the lamp posts and bus shelters as they were meant to look.  Mind you I could be wrong, if they start making a grating sound and start to vanish, get well out of the way.

Living on a volcanic rock in the middle of the Atlantic, leaves you little protection when nature kicks up rough. The storms were forecast, but just toyed with us on Sunday before unleashing their fury yesterday. I was back in Santa Cruz today in the company of 18 British students from Bucks New University, over for practical research into tourism, and airline and airport management.

Having arrived from the recent snows of High Wycombe, and seen much of yesterdays rain through a coach window, they took much of what they saw in their stride. The 90 kms per hour winds, and 187 litres of rain water per square metre, left 25,000 homes without power, officially the worst storm since the infamous killer of 31 March 2002 that claimed 8 lives. All 7 islands were hit, with 25,000 people having to manage without power, schools were closed and transport was severely disrupted.

Falling rocks on the main north to south motorway meant the students had a 4 hour journey back from Puerto de la Cruz yesterday, but emergency staff had done a great job, and we arrived in Santa Cruz in barely an hour from Playa de Las Americas. Travel was also helped by the fact that today was a holiday, and not many had to take to the roads. That meant we were greeted by a quiet Santa Cruz with road junctions bogged down with rocky sludge, but council workers were already busy with shovels and brooms.

As we split up in search of the few places open, I found a tram abandoned at the Teatro Leal stop, the whole system for both lines was still closed down. Barranco Santos (above)  that runs down past the Heliodoro stadium, was flowing well, it was a raging torrent yesterday, I can never understand why they have built new roads and paths in there. A few cafes and shops were open, well the young visitors were there to observe the layout and general impression of the city, so they at least got a good general idea. On the way back to the coach, by the port, I spotted an emergency helicopter hovering and lifting an injured person to safety, although the sea was surprisingly calm.

Back on the coach and off to La Laguna, as the sun poked its way through the clouds. I showed principal lecturer and Doctor of Geotourism, Tom Hose around the historic centre, as most of the party went on to Los Rodeos airport to get a feel of how the place works, leaving a few others to scatter and explore La Laguna in their own way. There was much more open in La Laguna, and a feast of photo opportunities for our keen photographer doctor. The rain seemd to have done little damage to the historic centre of La Laguna, so the students found plenty to feed their enquiring minds before we headed back south. Keep an eye on www.tenerifemagazine.com for a more in depth look at the University field trip, and as for the rain, I think we have had more than enough of that for a good while.