We are only weeks away from The Tall Ships Challenge which I first posted about back in February but apparently according to The Royal Gazette there are still places on board for intrepid whipper-snappers:

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 still has trainee berths available for persons aged 15-30 wanting to take part in a historic 7,000 nautical mile journey across the North Atlantic.

I’m gob-smacked. I would have thought all the positions would have been snapped up ages ago. Desn’t it seem like a wild and romantic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity to you? Setting off across the Atlantic with the wind in your hair and your heart a-pumping. Sigh.

Kate Winslett would have had nothing on me 15 years ago let me tell you.

Should anyone feel the urge to throw caution to the wind and get to grips with some rigging, then Tall Ships Bermuda is the place to apply.

New owners Chris and Andy took over The Globe Bar (in Tre Bol, next to Mr. Booze Sports Bar) with a brilliant opening party. They started as they mean to go on with good food and drinks at good prices and something different going on every night.

Definitely worth a visit. Details below. All I want to know is what is a WII night?

Lager 1.00 euro a pint 1.50 a pint at all other times.
Local wine by the glass 1 euro
Reina Bottles 1.00 euro
Locan spirit and can 2.00 euros.

Sunday Karaoke 9pm
Monday Movie Mania 9pm
Tuesday Pool Night 9pm
Wednesday Quiz Night 9pm
Thursday Karaoke Night 9pm
Friday Disco Night 9pm
Saturday WII Night 9pm

Food available all day everyday!

Every dog lover must have his day and if you are within striking distance of Los Gigantes on Sunday then the Live Arico Fun Dog Show will make yours. Expect lots of fun and games and all in a very good cause.

You’d have to be barking not to go really. For more information you can call Eugenio on 649001907 for information or info@livearico.org.

Mago de Oz are the Celtic metal band responsible for the Costa Del Silencio song that had half the world turning up on Tenerife Tattle’s doorstep a while back. Wondering why all these lost souls landed on the blog from search engines using ‘Costa Del Silencio’ a search phrase that would bring them to information and articles and yet seemed to leave almost immediately afterwards, I found that in fact they were searching for the Mago de Oz song.

As part of their El Leyenda de la Mancha tour the band will be playing Tenerife (at Plaza Maritim in Santa Cruz and not in Costa Del Silencio sadly) on 23rd, Lanzarote on the 24th and Gran Canaria on the 25th of April.

The last release the band made is called ‘Ciudad de los Árboles’ which is intriguingly described as “.. un disco lleno de armonías ninfómanas…”. I can’t quite get my head round that one but nymphomaniacal or not, the music is brilliant.

If you are not familiar with the band or with Celtic metal for that matter, you can click on the Amazon wotsit below and see if the music tweaks your fiddle strings. The concert starts at 22:00, seats cost €18 and you can book tickets at General Tickets though you’ll have to search for the event once you get there because they make it stupidly difficult to link direct to particular events. (Or maybe it is difficult because I am stupid? No se. )

It costs over €2000 a month to support the dogs currently being cared for at Live Arico. You can help and all you’ve got to do is get yourself to the Live Arico Benefit Night at The Theatre Bar at Garden City, San Eugenio on April 20th from 21:00 hrs and be entertained by the likes of Tanya Tevaro, Nick Page and  Suzy Q.

Go along, have fun and give what you can towards a very good cause.

Other Live Arico News:

25th April : Car boot Puerto Santiago

26th April :  Fun Dog Show Los Gigantes

June 2009 : Live Arico Annual Fun Dog Show, Costa del Silencio.

Call Eugenio 649001907 for information or info@livearico.org

The Tenerife Tourist Board wants us all to know about Another Side of Tenerife.

The beautifully produced video features Peter Nunn as he investigates the island and talks to local guides and residents, including travel writer Joe Cawley who makes the point that indulging in Tenerife’s culture is as enjoyable as the typical sun, sand and sea tourist attractions.

The video includes footage of Teide, sun-bathing whales, various hotels, a wine-tasting visit to a bodega, the Tenerife Arts Museum and Tenerife Auditorium in Santa Cruz and more.

The campaign’s intention is to show how much more there is to Tenerife than its popular beach resorts. I’d say the video performs that function very well.

Jack and Andrea Montgomery have already produced one brilliant book for those visiting Tenerife. Quite honestly their Real Tenerife Island Drives is a must-have for anyone who decides to drop by and stay with me for a few weeks in the summer. (It’s never just popping in for the afternoon in Tenerife, is it?)

“Here”, I say, graciously, “You must have this fabulous book which gives detailed descriptions of how to get from every A to every B round the island. It’s also stuffed with funny stories and throwaway facts. Now hop in your hire car and drive off.”

I love it.

Now the pair of scribblers have come up with another great publication. Called Going Native in Tenerife it is every bit as good as the other. In fact it’s possibly even a smidgen better because … well, because I’m in it. Ha. If you place an order now you might just get the last copy from this print run.

Jack has set up a Going Native in Tenerife blog which describes the book in more detail and outlines part of the process that went in to the book’s publication. Going Native in Tenerife is already available at Amazon and Real Tenerife Island Drives is available from Jack and Andy’s Real Tenerife Island Drives website.

Go on, you know you want to.