Lancelot 1 2 Lancelot Lancelot 3 4 Lancelot EDITORIAL CONTENTS Editorial ...............................................................5 “Treat the Earth well. It was not a Readers’ Letters ...............................................6-10 gift to you from your parents, it is Brexit - Tourism and Aviation .......................12-13 on loan to you from your children.” Inheritance and Donation Tax ............................16 Kenyan proverb Property Guide ...................................................17 Round the Island by Car ...............................18-23 Notary Antonio Maria Manrique ...................24-29 The Birth of Costa Teguise ............................30-37 Tourism from the UK Geopark Lanzarote Eco-Tourism ....................38-45 Cabildo Tourist Centres .................................50-51 Continues to Rise Eating Out on the Island ...............................54-56 Preview of Lanzarote’s Top Hotels .................57-59 Welcome to Lanzarote and welcome to Distinguished Tourism Awards .....................60-61 Lancelot, the oldest English-language tourist World Travel Market London ........................62-63 magazine in Spain. In the thirty four years we Canary Government and the LSE ..................64-65 are on the market, the UK has been the source of News from the Lanzarote Cabildo .................66-71 more tourism to Lanzarote than any other country. Tias District – Puerto el Carmen ....................72-73 And the most remarkable statistic to emerge from Yaiza District – Playa Blanca ..........................74-75 the World Travel Market 2018 in London was - Arrecife César Manrique Route .....................76-77 despite the fear that the Brexit issue might cause Teguise Town – Costa Teguise ........................78-80 British tourists to change their holiday destinations Haria Town and Orzola Beach ............................81 - tourism from the UK to the island continued British Ambassador - Video Presentation .......84-86 to rise yet again last year. Not only that, but the Prime Minister Honours José Saramago .............87 major tour operators and airlines predict that the Miscellaneous Photo Reports .........................88-93 popularity of the Island among Brits will conti- Concerts Exhibitions and Carnival .....................94 nue to increase yearly until at least the year 2025! Tourist Information ............................................95 The connection between the two island groups Bridge and Small Crossword ..............................96 began in the 19th century when Anglo-Canarian General Crossword and Local Organisations ......97 pioneers built up a thriving export market to su- Gracias and Thank You for Support ....................98 pply fresh Canary Islands fruit and vegetables to Biosphere Reserve Anniversary .........................100 Britain during the winter. Eventually their car- go boats began carrying passengers and in 1903 they offered two week cruises to the Canaries for only 15 guineas! That is how it all began. Be- cause of the large volume of imports, a quay at London Docks was named Canary Wharf in President: Antonio Coll 1936 at the request of Fred. Olsen Shipping. Lancelot Medios General Manager: Javier Betancort If you enjoyed your stay on the island and are Director Lancelot TV: Jorge Coll thinking of purchasing a holiday home on Lanza- Honorary Editor: Larry Yaskiel rote, remember we are only a few hours by plane Advertising and Layout: Liz Yaskiel and the sunny weather on the Island lasts for 12 Graphic Design: Betty Romero months a year. Merry Christmas and Happy Ho- Photography: Jesús Betancort Avda. Mancomunidad s/n (Arrecife Gran Hotel) lidays. Our next edition is out on 1 March 2019. 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. 147, 2019 http://www.lancelot.es/prensa.php e-mail:[email protected] Lancelot 5 LETTERS TO LANCELOT writes about Malmsey in many of you tell us anything more about it? his works most notably in Love’s Helga and Manfred Schmidt Labour’s Lost and Henry IV but the Los Molinos Costa Teguise most famous reference to Malmsey in all literature can be found in Ri- GUINEVERE Dracaena draco, the chard III, when Richard orders the Canary Islands dragon tree, or dra- execution of his brother, the Duke go, is a subtropical species native to of Clarence. Richard’s two hired as- the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Malvasia Wine sassins decided to drown Clarence Madeira.When the bark or leaves Dear Sir, in a large butt (cask) of the brew. are cut they secrete a reddish resin, We have just returned from our When they arrive at the Tower of one of the sources of the substance first holiday on Lanzarote and London to carry out the task, the known as dragon’s blood was used brought back some wine as gifts for unsuspecting Clarence asks for a to stain wood, such as the Stradi- friends one of whom asked us the cup of wine. The “Second Murde- varius violin. The Guanche ancient meaning of the word Malvasia seen rer” offers this ghastly retort: “You inhabitants of the Canaries wors- on the label. shall soon have wine enough, my hipped a specimen in Tenerife and John Havestum lord.” hollowed its trunk into a small sanc- Hausmannsgate 7, tuary. 0186 Oslo, Norway Drago Tree The unique characteristic of the Dear Sir, drago is its slow growth. It increases GUINEVERE Malvasia is the name My wife and I are fascinated by in height in the same way as a palm of a grape brought to Lanzarote the regal-looking drago tree which does, by putting out new leaves in and other Canary Islands by the we first saw many years ago at the the heart of its tufted crown and Romans. It originated on the Greek Monumento Al Campesino. We dropping an equal amount of old island of Monembasia which trans- understand that it has an interes- ones. When a dragon tree once lates as Malvasia in Spanish and ting history and its sap was used as branches, it never grows higher but Malmsey in English. Shakespeare a healing remedy at one time. Can continues to spread in width. The 6 Lancelot LETTERS TO LANCELOT branching takes place only after it cers and open wounds to dry them what proved to be the outset of the blossoms and it generally does not out. Known as dragon’s blood, the conflict and how was it connected flower for fifteen or even thirty years resin only used to ooze from the to the Canary Islands? or even longer. bark in the heat of midsummer. Stella Abercombie Part of the mythology of these is- There used to be a custom in the 24, Commercial Road, lands, the famous drago tree at Icod Canary Islands to take any child su- Portsmouth PO11 HG on Tenerife is estimated to be over ffering from a hernia to a drago at 1,000 years old. The hollow trunk dawn on the feast day of San Juan. GUINEVERE Originally, historians was large enough for a good-sized Before sunrise, an incision was made believe that in 1936, when General room or cave-dwelling. When the in his foot which was immediately Franco was stationed as head of the original Guanche inhabitants of Te- followed by a cut by the same knife military in the Canary Islands, his nerife called an assembly to appoint in the bark of the tree. If as a result supporters hired a plane to fly from a new chief, the meeting took place of this, sap flowed from the bark, Croydon (London) to Las Palmas in the famous drago tree at Orota- it was taken as a sign that that the and then on to Morocco. On board va. According to German scientist hernia would heal. Medical experts the aircraft was another man and and explorer Alexander von Hum- are researching the use of the drago two girls, to give the appearance of boldt, at the beginning of the 19th as a cure for leukaemia. two couples en-route for a holiday century it measured 21 metres in weekend in North Africa. However, height with a circumference of 14 Spanish Civil War in recent years other reports have metres and estimated to be 6,000 Dear Sir, thrown light on what could point years old. I read a report in a newspaper to the covert involvement of the According to Canarian historian that at the start of the Spanish Civil British Government. The following Viera y Clavijo, the sap of the drago War General Franco flew to Moroc- is an extract from the BBC History was used for dyes and varnishes and co from the Canary Islands in a pla- Magazine by Michael Alpert, Eme- was in great demand in Europe as ne which had come from Croydon ritus Professor of Spanish History a cure for dysentery, haemorrhage, Airport, England, flown by a Bri- at the University of Westminster. and diarrhia and was placed on ul- tish pilot. What was Britain’s role in Lancelot 7 LETTERS TO LANCELOT One summer morning in 1936 a llowing day to raise support from seaboard of the United States from plane took off from Croydon airport, Spain’s African army. The generals New York to Miami as well as the piloted by Captain Cecil Bebb, with had thought that their coup would islands of the Carribean. a friend, Major Hugh Pollard as na- give them power within a couple of Are you aware of this and has vigator. A flight log showed that it days, but the Spanish people resis- there been any response by the au- was bound for the Canary Islands.