destrucción de salón en Abaco

The beautiful salon, is the heart of Abaco, a 17th Canarian mansion house.

Ideal setting for concerts, audience in informal groups.

Disgust and horror, at a concert last night, OpenArt Ensemble, to find an ugly two foot high stage, occuppying around a third of the wooden floor, had been erected.

This ugly stage, now dominates the room, seperates players from the people.

It is totally out of keeping with the character of the room and the house.

And to make matters worse, modern lighting erected.

At a guess, for flamenco, which used ot be in the bar. I asked, and yes, was the case.

cena en El Maná

cappuccino

Following a concert with OpenArt Ensemble at Abaco, I was on my way to eat at Los Gemelos. They were full, as an extremely rude waiter informed me. Their loss, and my gain, I ate at El Maná.

El Maná has very limited menu, the specials chalked up above the open kitchen.

I chose pumpkin soup for starter. It was excellent, and even included soup art.

For main, tagellete. I am no great pasta fan, but it was all I fancied.

No olives please, I hate olives.

The chef came out and explained, it was not olives, it was an olive sauce, but I would still have the bitter olive taste, would I like pesto, as otherwise I may find a little boring?

The tagellete was excellent. The only time I have had pasta of this quality was in Bassano del Grappa  cooked by a chef who was president of a northern Italian food association.

To drink, water, though I noticed they had an interesting range of local craft beers.

A young blonde pursuaded me to have a coffee. I did not expect anything other than undrinkable coffee, always the way in restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised. She knew how to make coffee, freshly ground Colombian coffee. Maybe  a tad too hot, but it was excellent coffee.

I learnt, talking to the chef, who is also the owner, of a skilled barista in La Laguna.

El Maná, vegetarian, organic, located in Calle Mequinez.

• PHOTOS cena en El Maná

concierto música clásica en Abaco

OpenArt Ensemble:

• violin — Natalia Trushyna  — Russian
• piano — Sophia Unsworth — English
• contrabajo (double bass) — Alessandro Barattini

The first half (there was no interval) was the same tired old boring stuff, played by bored musicians to a bored audience, but oh what a difference the second half beginning with De Tal Palo by Frederico (introduced by Natalia as first time played in Tenerife), the musicians came to life, as did the audience.

Abaco need to give serious consideration to not having the same tired old boring musicians playing the same tired old boring stuff.  OpenArt Ensemble a rare exception.

But shock horror, the salon has been destroyed. An ugly two foot high stage has been erected, covering about a third of the lovely wooden floor, modern lghting in the ceiling. The audience, of informal groups, with the artists within their midst, now in seried ranks before a stage. It is a tragedy the saloon has been destroyed in this way.

I talked to the two girls. But why does no one recognise, long gone are the days, aloof musicians play, then vanish? They should remain and talk.

THis would be an excellnt venue for Jewelia, that is if they removed the ghastly stage.

desayuno con champán

desayuno con champán

Sunday, champagne for breakfast.

Art & Co

Art & Co

Much effort has been expended to create the ambience, tables, chairs, books, sofas, art, clothes, slow fashion, delicious looking cakes, though sadly no cookies

It could be Brighton. Only it is not, it is Puerto de la Cruz where no one knows anything about coffee (or at least would be hard pressed to find anyone who does).

But the heart of a coffee shop, has to be the coffee.

Horror, coffee in capsules! Lost before you start.

And  prepared far too hot.

No surprise then the coffee undrinkable.

But the customers like it, Italian customers like it.

All this shows is cannot rely upon customers to determine good coffee, and when has Italy been notable for good coffee?

What this highlights yet again, is the need for a quality coffee roaster in Tenerife, importing beans direct from estates in Latin America, and people who actually know something about coffee, opening and running the coffee bars.

And if they do not get their act together, the likes of Costa and tax-dodging Starbucks will have muscled in, and then the window of opportunity will be lost.

Could high alititude coffee be grown in Tenerife? At a guess yes.

• PHOTOS Art & Co

Sopa en Selma y Lovisa

mushroom soup

Excellent mushroom soup.

El Rastro en el Mercado

El Rastro en el Mercado

puppets

Todos los Sábados.

Every Saturday

Ground floor and top floor of Municpal Market.

Mainly junk, but you can find everything: books, clothes, antiques, jewelry, knives, watches, honey, clothes …

Most is cheap rubbish, but can find Rolex and Omega watches (and fakes), old cameras.

First floor is food, mainly fruit and vegetables, including organic, but also fish and meat.

Like last Saturday, raining, but unlike last Saturday, not heavy torrential rain. The rain meant not as busy, but still very busy. The food stalls, as always very busy.

I decided to have  a massage. Lower back, where I was in bad pain, could feel nothing. My shoulders, OMG, the pain. It was as though knives being stuck in me. I asked afterwards. She said problem around my shoulders and that may be causing the problem lower down.

If I have a massage, I can tell where the problem. Muscles are hard. But I have never experienced pain of today.

I am feeling a little better.

Next Saturday, the Anglican Church has a market. Not as good as this market, and they have the gall to charge 1 euro entrance.

• PHOTOS El Rastro en el Mercado

Sopa en Selma y Lovisa

pea soup

Pea soup in Selma y Lovisa.

It bore no resemblance to pea soup, nevertheless excellent. Served with a very doughy bread.

Selma y Lovisa is a Scandinavian restaurant located in a quiet pedestrianised street, lined with traditional houses and restaurants, near Agora, in the old part of Puerto de la Cruz.

Soups are excellent, everything home made. Coffee not recomended, undrinkable.

Café en El Secreto

cappuccini en El Secreto

Cappuccini in El Secreto.

This is typical cappuccinno served in Tenerife, topped with cream.

El Loto Azul

El Loto Azul window display

El Loto Azul, is a tea and coffee shop, that is sells tea and coffee, not serves. I assumed a tea shop.

I had seen a poster, it took me days to find. Today, I found, only to find a closing down sale, today the last day.

The woman in the shop, probably in her twenties, was unbelievably bloody rude. I am not surprised it is closing, with an owner this rude, it deserves to close.

At least 15 different types of coffee beans. When roasted, does not say?

To every question, rude female refused to answer, then ordered me to leave the shop.