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23.4.12

TANGO & TAPAS


TANGO in TENERIFE means the dance, not an orange drink, and last weekend you could have learned how to do it. Well, you might not have become proficient in just two days, but the course was only called Tango Encuentro – Meeting the Tango. It was in Adeje, our neighbouring Principality in which you will find Las Americas, and although I didn't go - my days of such energetic dancing are over - it is good to know it's still going strong.

Then, having worked up an appetite with the Tango, you and your dancing partner could have taken yourselves to a TAPAS BAR. One bar-restaurant in our town, El Candil de Abuela (Grandma’s Kitchen) serves tapas. In fact, every time you buy a drink, Pepe brings out a little dish with a TASTY TIDBIT – bread with TOMATO and jamon, or spicy sausage on a stick, or my favourite bocarrones (anchovies in olive oil and garlic).Don't eat too many if you're planning a meal there - the steaks Maria cooks are out of this world.
If you don’t want a full meal you can buy a tapa – that just means a small plate – which with a glass of wine and some bread makes a decent meal in itself. The delicacies on offer might include  albondigas (meatballs), pollo (chicken), pulpo (octopus), ensaladilla (like Russian salad with tuna), or carne con papas (Canarian stew with potatoes).  The range of tapas on the island is only limited by the imagination of the restauranteurs. Several towns run an annual Fiesta de Copas y Tapas, where you do the rounds of the participating bars and, for a ridiculously cheap set price, you have a glass of wine and a tapa of their latest invention.

TIGAIGA, TENEGUIA, TIMANFAYA. When this small TOWN was originally TAGGED onto the few houses that constituted the hamlet of Cho, the architect must have been drunk. He gave the blocks of apartments such similar names that it is difficult to tell them apart. There are 4 Tigaiga blocks, 2 Teneguia, and the Timanfaya ones have letters A to P. We’ve been here for twelve years - we live in Tigaiga 1 - and we still get it wrong – no wonder the mail goes astray.

TORO = BULL. Fortunately bull-fighting became illegal in the Canary Islands decades ago, but by the road from the motorway into our town there stands an old bull-ring. Before it was fenced off I explored the ruin. There were two bull-rings – tiny compared with the huge arenas one sees on Spanish TV – surrounded by concrete tables and benches covered with mosaic tiles. I found bars, and what was probably a kitchen, and toilets. Round the exterior of the building were the animal pens – dark cells with battered walls that still echoed with terrified bellows and stank of sweat and fear.

4 comments:

  1. T for Tapas - how inviting. I love Tapas - we even have an authentic Tapas bar in Exeter (our County City 12 miles away). We go there sometimes but it's not quite the same as being in Tenerife
    As for bull fighting I agree with you but I learned a long time ago to very careful about being judgemental about other countries pursuits & culture.
    I never could master the Tango but then again I wasn't a very good dancer in my younger days.

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  2. So pleased to hear that bull fighting is not allowed. I hope it's soon banned all over Spain.

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  3. The Tango always looks so amazing!

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  4. You already know how I feel about the tango from my own A to Z post...but writing about tapas was a lovely idea. I love the concept, so one of our favorite restaurants here in Northern Colorado is one that serves a variety of tapas along with wine "flights" -- small glasses of three different wines for sampling. Very nice.

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