Letters from the Atlantic

It is true that less tourists return home alive than have set off for their holiday in the Canary Islands. This disturbing fact is not one that the tourist industry will thank me for highlighting, but it is time that the stark facts are raised once again and that holidaymakers are alerted to the potential risks of a holiday in the Canary Islands, and other popular tourist destinations.© Barrie Mahoney 2023Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoneyTo find out more about Barrie, his blogs, podcasts and books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

Here we go again, another Friday 13th. I really am fed up with reading what all the doom mongers have to say about the likelihood of disaster on this ‘unlucky’ day. It reminds me of an event a few weeks ago when a weird religious sect that takes the Book of Revelations literally, busily promoted the idea that the world was about to end on 21 September. How disappointed they must have been on 22 September. I just hope that they gave some serious thought to those unfortunate believers who committed suicide in order to avoid the big event, or those that had blown all their savings a few weeks before, as they couldn’t take their savings with them. Such foolish predictions are not only dangerous lies, but very cruel for many decent, trusting people.© Barrie Mahoney 2023Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoneyTo find out more about Barrie, his blogs, podcasts and books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

“Top 20 Caves to Rent in the Canary Islands” screams one advertisement, followed by “Hundreds of Cave Homes to Buy in the Canary Islands” shouts another. Well, I guess it all makes good copy, but is living in a cave just another symptom of ‘reverse one-upmanship’, and something to brag about to colleagues at work? “Oh, I’m just off to the cave for the weekend.”© Barrie Mahoney 2023Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoneyTo find out more about Barrie and his books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

One of my favourite cafe bars is called ‘La Tertulia’. It is not a particularly grand establishment and is completely unlike any of those overpriced and often pretentious coffee shops that are springing up in city centres all over the UK. Our ‘Tertulia’ is a friendly and welcoming safe space where good coffee and delicious snacks are served at a fair price. Customers are welcome to stay for as long as they wish; it is an oasis of calm in a busy world.© Barrie Mahoney 2023Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoneyTo find out more about Barrie and his books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

Since the World economic recession in 2008, and many would say long before that, builders and developers have been accused of holding onto land that has been agreed for development purposes in the hope that eventually it will increase in value. At that time, and only when the price of land and property shows a significant mark up, will building work be completed. © Barrie Mahoney 2023Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoneyTo find out more about Barrie and his books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

During the years that we have lived in the Canary Islands and the Costa Blanca, I often see groups of elderly men sitting together on the pavement, outside a cafe bar, playing dominoes. In most cases, this is not a genteel game played in silence, but quite an energetic activity that involves a lot of shouting and waving of arms. There is one particular group of players that I often see when I pass a cafe bar in our nearest town; it is usually the same group of elderly, and not so elderly men. The game seems to go on for hours.© Barrie Mahoney 2023Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoneyTo find out more about Barrie and his books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

Most of us take sand for granted. Many of us hope that when we go on holiday, we will be able to enjoy a clean beach, with lots of golden sand. If we have deeper pockets, maybe we can head to one of those picture postcard Caribbean resorts offering white sand, or possibly somewhere even closer to home. I know of several beautiful, white sandy beaches in Scotland’s Hebridean Islands, although it is usually far too cold to enjoy them to the full. Another option is Spain’s Canary Islands, of course, which offer natural white sandy beaches in Fuerteventura, for instance. However, environmentally aware tourists should know than some of the gleaming white sandy beaches in Gran Canaria are not natural, since vast quantities of white sand have been imported from elsewhere, with an accompanying negative cost to the environment. © Barrie Mahoney 2023Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoneyTo find out more about Barrie and his books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

It is often forgotten that when you speak about rum, you are talking about the Canary Islands; the two are intertwined. Many rum connoisseurs describe the Canary Islands as the ‘World Cradle of Rum’, where this beautiful spirit is made by combining a centuries old tradition with the superb quality of locally produced raw materials. White rum, banana rum, toffee rum, chocolate cream, coco-pineapple and coffee rum are just some of the many varieties available although, personally, I am rather fond of the banana variety!© Barrie Mahoney 2023Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoneyTo find out more about Barrie and his books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

The severe social and economic consequences of failing to provide sufficient housing for increasing populations is at last beginning to dawn upon national and local politicians in many countries although, as usual, UK politicians are slow to respond to the crisis. For far too long, governments of all political shades have ignored the issue of providing sufficient numbers of high-quality, low-cost housing for sale, as well as for rent. It is disturbing, inhumane and unacceptable to see people living on the streets in some of the most prosperous countries in the world. The Canary Islands and Spain are not immune from this issue, since increasing demand for both permanent, as well as holiday accommodation is a growing problem. A few interesting, as well as challenging ideas, are beginning to emerge that may help.© Barrie Mahoney 2023Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoneyTo find out more about Barrie and his books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

Some time ago, I visited a memorial sculpture to ten sincere and brave men, which was a very moving experience. These were ten Canarian men who were tortured and put to death for their beliefs during the Spanish Civil War. These ten men defied Franco’s fascist government and were put to death by being tied in sacks filled with heavy rocks and tossed alive into the Atlantic Ocean. Almost 80 years have passed since those dark days, but now, at the point where they were deliberately drowned, a sculpture has been placed, so that the memory of these ten men and the atrocities that took place during the Spanish Civil War are not lost. Their crime was treason against the state.© Barrie Mahoney 2023Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoneyTo find out more about Barrie and his books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

These invaders from the USA (Reticulitermes Flavipipes) were first reported in Tenerife in 2010. Commonly described as “an efficient and economic wood destroying insect” in the United States. These pests feed on all kinds of cellulose material, such as the wood used in buildings, paper, books and cotton. There can be as many as 20,000 to 5 million workers in a colony, with the queen laying 5,000 to 10,000 eggs each day.© Barrie Mahoney 2023To find out more about Barrie and his books, please click hereJoin me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoney

“It began with a dream…” was the opening sentence in the first chapter of my first book, which told the story of how my partner, David, and I found ourselves living and working in the Costa Blanca and the Canary Islands after careers as teachers in the UK. Like so many before us, we needed a change of pace and lifestyle and some sunshine; Spain was beckoning and had been for several years. © Barrie Mahoney 2023To find out more about Barrie and his books, please click here