Lancelot 1 2 Lancelot Lancelot 3 4 Lancelot EDITORIAL CONTENTS “Treat the Earth well. It was not a Editorial ..................................................................5 Readers’ Letters ....................................................6-9 gift to you from your parents, it is Chichester University on Lanzarote ..................10-13 on loan to you from your children.” Lifelong Votes for British Expats ...........................14 Kenyan proverb Fiscal Advice Latest Regulations ............................16 Property Guide .....................................................17 Round the Island by Car ..................................18-23 Why Lanzarote is Different Founding of San Antonio, Texas .......................24-39 Greetings from the Canarian Government .............32 Welcome to Lanzarote and welcome to Lancelot, Greetings from the Lanzarote Cabildo ...................36 the island’s quality publication. Now in our 34th Greetings from the Mayor of Teguise ...................38 year we are the oldest English-language tourist ma- Greetings from the Mayor of Tías .......................42 gazine in Spain. Cabildo Tourist Centres ...................................44-45 Many first time visitors ask why Lanzarote is so Health – New Treatment for Epilepsy ....................48 different to most other tourist resorts. The two Guide to Dining Out on the Island ...................50-51 word response is César Manrique (1919-1992) Fitur International Tourism Fair .......................52-55 whose approach to nature was to create works of Lanzarote News Roundup ................................56-71 art, which were, and remain, in total harmony with Canarian Government Promotion Campaigns ..56-57 their natural surroundings. In creating the island’s Cabildo President .............................................58-59 tourist centres on behalf of the Cabildo Island Go- Spel Overseas Tourism Activities .......................60-61 vernment, Manrique placed a frame around nature Tias District – Puerto del Carmen .....................62-63 enabling us to appreciate their true beauty without Yaiza District and Playa Blanca .........................64-65 the addition of man-made enhancements. His crea- Arrecife the Island Capital ................................66-67 tions benefited from the vision of an artist who left Haria Countryside and Beaches ........................68-69 the environment as he found it without forcing his Teguise District and Costa Teguise ....................70-71 own imprint upon it. PhotoNews Reports .........................................72-75 Thanks to Manrique Carnival on Lanzarote ......................................76-78 the island is celebrating Tourist Information ...............................................79 its 25th year as a UN de- Bridge and Simple Crossword ...............................80 clared World Biosphere General Crossword – Local Organisations .............81 Reserve for having deve- Concerts and Cultural Events ................................82 loped a thriving tourist Chinijo Archipelago Lanzarote Geopark ................84 destination in tandem with conservation of the environment. The artist has been hailed by experts from all over the world for pioneering “Art in Public Spaces,” well before this phrase became part of our everyday vo- President: Antonio Coll cabulary. As we get closer to 2019, the 100th year Lancelot Medios General Manager: Javier Betancort of his birth, we can salute the man who spent his Director Lancelot TV: Jorge Coll life making Lanzarote different. Honorary Editor: Larry Yaskiel Having enjoyed your holiday you may wish to Advertising and Layout: Liz Yaskiel buy a holiday-com-retirement home on an Island Graphic Design: Betty Romero with 12 months sunshine a year only a few hours Photographer: Jesús Betancort away from Britain, Ireland and most of Europe. Avda. Mancomunidad s/n (Arrecife Gran Hotel) Have a great holiday and adios till 1 June. 35500 Arrecife - Lanzarote Tel: 928 51 20 26 e-mail: [email protected] Whilst every attempt is made to ensure that ar- Published quarterly: 1 March, 1 June, 1 September, ticles and advertisements are factually correct, the 1 December. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or publishers and printers cannot be held responsible broadcast without the written consent of the Publisher. for any errors or omissions. Intending purchasers Copyright LANCELOT. Depósito Legal GC 846-2014 must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise Distibution: Totaldis - Printed by Minerva, Lanzarote of each of their statements. No. 144, 2018 http://www.lancelot.es/prensa.php e-mail:[email protected] Lancelot 5 LETTERS TO LANCELOT anyone else’s and that future pictu- and varied opportunities it has to res will never be the same. offer and has offered to the hun- Dr Peter Bunyan dreds of Chichester students who Head of Adventure Education have experienced this wonderful re- sidential experience over the past 20 GUINEVERE Chichester Univer- years. Life is for making wonderful sity is celebrating 20 years of annual memories, long may it continue Chichester University courses for students of Adventure Jon Mills Dear Sir, Education on Lanzarote. We asked Senior Lecturer Every year that I visit brings me the head of the department and two closer to the heart of Lanzarote. other lecturers if they would kindly Chichester University Not the new tourist attachment but share their impressions of the island Dear Sir, the real lives and people that make with our readers. Kindly turn to the The past five trips to Lanzarote up the island. I suppose I’ve beco- feature on pages 12-14, 58, 69. have seen me develop from student, me a bit protective and even a litt- supporting role, learning the ropes le selfish wanting to keep the best Chichester University till finally becoming a fully-fledged of the island to myself. The island Dear Sir, member of the team. Since my first is full of contrast North/South, Being the newest member of the trip to Lanzarote I cannot spread New/Old, Traditional/Modern University team I consistently re- the word about the glorious island - perhaps it is this that attracts me mind myself how lucky I am to be enough. We are very fortunate to so much to the places and people. involved in this fantastic experien- experience the Island as the diverse, When you sit in the quiet amongst ce. The country is contrastingly beautiful and peaceful island that it the volcanoes you realise the insig- amazing and the people warm and is. Highlights from my years visiting nificance of your life, yet how im- friendly. Carlos Dizy, the director the island include paddling at Fama- portant you are in retaining what is of Pardelas Park at Orzola, and his ra beach, exploring inside volcanoes good, you realise that your snaps- family are outstanding ambassadors and watching students begin to hot of the world is not the same as for Lanzarote and all the fantastic question the environment around 6 Lancelot LETTERS TO LANCELOT them plus meeting passionate locals GUINEVERE The plant was na- vated both for ornamental purposes whom inspire and give so much to med for Charlotte de Mecklen- and as along-lasting cut fl ower. It is our experience. Lanzarote I thank burg-Strelitz, who by marriage to a slow-growing plant which requi- you! Here’s to the next 20 years. King George III, was the Queen of res seven years to fl ower from seed. Kirsty Lawie Great Britain and Ireland from her For commercial purposes it is usua- Senior Lecturer wedding in 1761 until the union lly reproduced by division of the of the two kingdoms in 1801, and rootstock. Strelizia Plant was also the grandmother of Queen A larger version known as the Bird of Paradise Victoria. She lived at Kew Gardens “great white strelitzia” grows up Dear Sir, and her landscape gardener Acton to four metres high and develops I noticed a photograph of the named the plant for her. The Bird a trunk. The banana-like leaves “strelizia, or “Bird of Paradise,” of Paradise nickname is simply be- grow in a single plane and the whi- plant in the Canarian Government cause the fl owers resemble birds’ te fl owers are very spectacular. The “Hello Canarias” webpage refe- heads. The strelizia originates from plant is grown from seed or by divi- rred to in your magazine in your the Cape of Good Hope in South sion and requires a sheltered humid magazine. The beautiful and uni- Africa, the source of many of the environment. que fl ower of this plant has always non- endemic plants and fl owers As you live in Windsor, if you fascinated me and I wonder about in the Canary Islands brought by need any more information why the origin of the name as strelizia British ships of the Union Castle not pop down the road and have a does not sound like a Spanish word. Line, which called at the Canaries chat with one of Queen Charlotte’s Does the plant originate in the Ca- on their return journey to the UK. descendents. nary Islands and why is it also refe- The seeds of the plant used to be rred to as “Bird of Paradise?” eaten by the Kaffi rs. Tobacco Planting Shirley Greenspan According to botanists David and Dear Sir, Claremont House Zoe Bramwell in their three volume On a visit to the island last Sept- Alma Road work on the plants of the Canary ember we payed a brief visit to the Windsor S14 3E2 UK Islands, the strelitzia is widely culti- St Patrick’s Festival 15 – 17 March Puerto del Carmen Beach Avenue and Harbour Live Music, Food, Fun from Midday Hurling on the beach and much more Come and enjoy the best St Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Europe outside of Ireland From 12 midday till “Set ‘em up Joe” time Lancelot 7 LETTERS TO LANCELOT can grow to a height of two metres GUINEVERE: Lucha Canaria is annual arts and crafts fair at Mancha and the closer to the sea it is planted, by far the most popular and thriving Blanca. We came across a stand the higher the nicotine content. native sport in the Canary Islands, where an artisan was rolling cigars The Canary Islands has a long according to ethnologist Mike and on the wall was a photograph history of cultivating tobacco and it Eddy.