Club Vista Serena

Recession or Depression?

2010-10-07T12:44:00.003+01:00

For those of you thinking that this is going to be an intellectual discussion on economics, I'm sorry, you've come to the wrong place :-)

I know we're all struggling right now, and believe me I know. Living and working in a country with more than 4 million people unemployed, life is not exactly a walk in the park right now, but do we all have to be so negative about things???

We've got to be realistic, don't get me wrong, and things have changed, but I always try to appreciate the things that we do have.

Ever since the crisis hit 2 or 3 years ago, the smiles have gone from our faces :-(
The topic of conversation on everyones lips is how bad things are. They are bad, I don't want you to misinterpret me, many of us are having a bad time, but when it starts affecting a person's personality and character, something has got to be going wrong.

I find myself doing the same sometimes. I start burying myself in doom and gloom, worrying about what is going to happen next. But do you know what, it stops there. I take a step back, look at the beautiful family I have, see the sun shining in the sky (I know not many of us have that), and I smile :-) I remember meeting my beautiful niece for the first time and the smile on her face, I remember the hugs from my mum when I've been down, I remember my brother's jokes that make me chuckle, I think of how my partner listens to my moans and groans without complaining, I remember how it makes me feel when my 2 year old son shouts 'MUM!', and it brings tears to my eyes when I think about the new life growing inside my friend's belly :-)
Perhaps I'm one of the lucky ones. I couldn't ask for much more.

Money doesn't mean happiness, it helps, I'm sure you'd all agree, but I wouldn't change what I've got for all the money in the world!!!

The bonfires of San Juan burning by the sea...

2010-06-21T09:50:00.010+01:00

The night of SAN JUAN!

In June, the celebration of San Juan is a big thing on the island of Gran Canaria. There are a lot of 'fiestas' in the summer-time, but without a doubt, this is one of the biggest.

When the night of San Juan arrives, the beaches become full of small bonfires and absolutley nobody stays indoors! Everyone wants to see how the city changes under the fire light.

In the Capital of the Island, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the night of San Juan really is something special. Las Canteras beach becomes the meeting point for groups of friends who meet up to see the fireworks. As soon as it starts going dark, people begin to arrive at the beach to see the bonfires and the fireworks.

The most superstitious throw fruit and flowers into the sea to ask for good luck. You can also wish for things be the side of the bonfires. It's a way of forgetting all the bead things that have happened, and looking forward to the future.

Without fail, you'll see parents, children, and even grandparents end the night by bathing in the sea.

This 'fiesta' isn't only held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Arucas and Telde also have special celebrations. If you're staying in the Maspalomas area, the Noche de San Juan will also be celebrated on the beach of Playa del Ingles from 9.30pm onwards.

So, after you've watched the England football team beat Slovenia on Wednesday :-), head towards the shopping centre Anexo I by the side of the Playa del Ingles beach.

HAVE FUN!!

XIX International Jazz Festival 9-18 July 2010!

2010-06-15T09:07:00.009+01:00

The Jazz Festival started in 1992 as a project confined just to the island of Gran Canaria and featuring musicians from the island. Over the years it has grown and grown with venues on all of the Canary Islands and featuring international artists.
Every summer, thousands of spectators get together to celebrate the jazz festivities that is now known as the "Festival Internacional Canarias Jazz & Mas Heineken".

Here's the schedule for Gran Canaria:

Friday 9th July
TELDE, PLAZA DE SAN JUAN
Frank Gambale G-Force Band
Cejudo Quintetus

Saturday 10th July
SANTA BRIGIDA, PARQUE CENTRO URBANO
Céu
Fermez Quartet

Sunday 11th July
SAN BARTOLOME DE TIRAJANA, PLAZA DE SAN FERNANDO
Sharrie Williams & the Wiseguys
Yul Ballesteros Quartet

Monday 12th July
ULPGC PARANINFO
Masterclass - Miguel Zenón Quart, Ari Hoenig Trio

Tuesday 13th July
LAS PALMAS DE GC, TEATRO CUYAS
Dee Dee Bridgewater - To Billie Holiday with love: A Celebration of 'Lady Day'

Wednesday 14th July
LAS PALMAS DE GC, PLAZA DE SANTA ANA
Christian Scott Quintet
Ricardo Curto Trio

Thursday 15th July
LAS PALMAS DE GC, PLAZA DE SANTA ANA
Noche África
Angelique Kidjo
Gerald Toto

Friday 16th July
LAS PALMAS DE GC, PLAZA DE SANTA ANA
Jacques Schwarz Bart Quartet
Jose Alberto Medina - J.A.M Trio

Saturday 17th July
LAS PALMAS DE GC, AUDITORIO ALFREDO KRAUS, SALA SINFONICA
Marcus Miller: Tutu Revisited

Sunday 18th July
LAS PALMAS DE GC, CICCA
Gonzalo Rubalcaba Quintet

Try something different...let's go surfing now...

2010-06-02T14:30:00.009+01:00

Let's go surfing now, everybody's learning now, come and surfari with me!

If you've got a trip booked to Gran Canaria and you're wondering what you can do, why not try a bit of SURFING!

There's no other feeling like standing up on a surfboard and gliding across the glassy water.

Here on the island, there's something for everyone and you can get customised courses for all levels, from beginners to advanced! You get the chance to explore the island by looking for the best waves.

You could even try a bit of Body Boarding, Sand Boarding, or Kite Surfing.

Why not give it a go?

Come and Stay with us and have fun surfing!

If you'd like more information about courses and prices, just get in touch!

VSADMIN@telefonica.net

We don't serve coffee on Sundays!

2010-05-04T13:54:00.012+01:00

Whatever happened to giving customers what they want?

Within reason, of course, but sometimes I'm left flabbergasted with customer service in some places!

Last weekend I got the chance to have a 'me' day. 4 hours all to myself without the family and doing what I wanted to do.

I decided to take my beach towel, my sun cream and a good book to Las Canteras Beach in Las Palmas. The time I spent on the beach was glorious. The sun was shining, just the right amount of cloud to give you a rest from the heat, and the sound of the waves was fantastic. I stayed around the surfing side of the beach, so the view wasn't bad either :-)

Those 4 hours flew by, and soon enough it was time to go back to my real everyday life.

I decided to have a quick cup of coffee before going back and I stepped into the last restaurant/bar before going into the car park to pick up my car.

I asked for a 'cortado' - a small milky coffee, and all I got in return was "No servimos café los domingos". I'm sure you have all figured out what that means!

Now, can someone tell me what that is all about?!?

OK, I can understand how the fact that some people ask for a coffee and then spend nearly an hour sipping it and chatting with friends can be a little annoying, because they're occupying a table that could be used for new business, but I wasn't occupying a table - I went to the bar. I would even have been satisfied with a take away coffee, but no! 'They don't serve coffee on Sundays!'

To be honest, I think I'm more upset with myself then with the restaurant, for not opening my gob and saying something. Instead I just said, "Oh", and walked off, without a coffee!

Perhaps this bar is giving their clients what they want, or what they deserve?

All I know is that you get what you give - and I won't be going back there again any day soon.

That's why I really liked an email that we received from a guest today who stayed on the resort with us a week ago. I hope they don't mind me using it. It goes something like this...

"Hello Anja, we just wanted to put on record our grateful appreciation and thanks to you, Carmen and the other staff who made our recent stay in your resort so pleasant. It was so refreshing to be greeted by the happy smiling faces and friendly conversation at the reception desk. Even the cleaning lady never passed by without greeting us with a smile and a kind word or two. We got the impression that you all really enjoy the work that you do and that you also take great pleasure in ensuring that your guests are comfortable and happy. You are the smallest RCI resort that we have visited in the past ten years but we are satisfied that you are one of the friendliest, happiest and most relaxed of all."

Club Vista Serena...it really is a wonderful place to be!

www.clubvistaserena.com

Gay Pride Maspalomas May 2010!

2010-04-27T15:03:00.015+01:00

From 3 to 9th May - GAY PRIDE MASPALOMAS 2010!

Events for the week:

MONDAY
STREET ENTERTAINMENT in the YUMBO CENTRE.
SAMBA SAMBA SAMBA
Samba Band, Acrobats and Dancers will be parading around from 9.30pm, performing circuit laps of the Yumbo. Sexy Costumes, Sexy entertainers, Sounds and Colour - get yourself down to a bar in the Yumbo and enjoy the View !!!

Lesbian Club Night by Jackies Bar
23.00 until 4am from Jackies Lesbian Bar - trip to Fun4All Nightclub.

TUESDAY
Lesbian Catamaran Trip 12.15

Fashion Fun Show - 12 midday to 6.00pm at LOS ALMENDROS Complex. A camp afternoon of songs, models, beats and splashing around. Live Entertainment from 1.30pm.

Pink Street Entertainment - PINK NIGHT in Yumbo. Oggle the sexy Acrobats in PINK. Make sure you pack something in PINK !!! 9.30pm to Midnight.

Pink Pop Tarts Disco - 1am - 6am

WEDNESDAY
Lesbian Catamaran Trip 12.15

Opening Pool Party - Las Walkirias Hotel. Doors open 12.45pm .... Pool party till late. Including the Mr Gay Gran Canaria Competition!

Opening Ball Disco - 1am - 6am

THURSDAY
Day Trip to the Mountains - 5 hour trip starting at 11.30am

Blue Adult Drag Show - Las Walkirias Hotel, 2pm - 7pm

Pride Maspalomas ACES HIV Fundraising Gala from 9pm

FRIDAY
Lesbian Pool Party - Las Walkirias Hotel. 1pm - 6pm. Including Ms Lesbian Gran Canaria

Drag Gala Night from 9pm in Yumbo Plaza

Lesbian Night Disco 1am - 6am

SATURDAY
Dragathon World Record Attempt - 3pm

Grand Gay Parade - Avenida de Tirajana. 3.30pm - 5pm

Free Show from 9pm in Yumbo

SUNDAY
Mixed Pool Party - Apartments Dorotea from 2pm

Closing Party - Yumbo Centre

If you're here for the event! ENJOY!!!

Ash Cloud Nightmare!

2010-04-20T10:54:00.004+01:00

Here at Club Vista Serena, everybody is asking the same thing...when will we be able to fly???

It's unbelieveable how everything has come to a stop, and how this is affecting everybody, but what's more unbelieveable are the crazy things that have been going on in the world this year:

Earthquake in Haiti

Floods in Maderia

Floods in Brazil

Earthquake in Western China

and now, volcano erupting in Iceland.

I don't know about you, but it looks like the world is being turned upside down!

What about the snowy Xmas we've had in the UK, how long did that last for? We've had crazy weather in the Canaries too at the beginning of the year. So much rainfall, that some of the beach at Maspalomas has disappeared. I went to Meloneras this weekend to have a walk along the promenade. It was a beautiful day, but when I passed the Faro and got to Maspalomas, a big chunk of the beach has gone! The sea comes right up to the bars and restaurants that are there on that strip of the beach. Many of the guests had told me about it, but until I saw it for myself, I couldn't quite imagine it.

It makes you think, doesn't it?

Escape the cold!

2010-01-08T13:47:00.004+01:00

Happy New Year to All from Everyone at Club Vista Serena!

Club Vista Serena www.clubvistaserena.com is back in 2010 with some great prices so you can escape from the cold and warm yourself up again after a snowy Christmas!

It's about 20 degrees here at the moment. So what are you waiting for?!? Drop us a line, and you could be soaking up the rays within a matter of hours :-) http://www.clubvistaserena.com/booking.aspx

Kick start the New Year, and have a great holiday along the way.

See you soon!

Join us at Club Vista Serena in 2010!

2009-12-18T17:26:00.003+01:00

Seasons Greetings to Everyone from All of Us at Club Vista Serena!

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and we hope that 2010 will be a year full of happiness, joy, laughter and lots of holidays!

Join us here at Club Vista Serena next year and get 2010 off to a great start - we're here to make your holiday one to remember!

Drop us an email http://www.clubvistaserena.com/contact.html, make and enquiry via our website http://www.clubvistaserena.com/booking.aspx, or talk to us on the phone 0034 928 762336. We're waiting to here from you!

FELIZ NAVIDAD Y PRÓSPERO AÑO NUEVO!

What do you think.....

2009-10-23T20:12:00.004+01:00

...about Club Vista Serena? www.clubvistaserena.com

From time to time, I have a look at the reviews about our resort available to everyone on the Internet, just to see what people really think about us. It's good to get feedback from real people, the bad as well as the good :-)

Here are few that I have found on one of the review sites. What do you think? Do you agree? Did you have a similar experience? How would you rate and review our resort?http://www.clubvistaserena.com/testimonials.html

Ian from Edinburgh: We have stayed in a number of different complexes in and around Maspalomas over the years and Club Vista Serena was the last we stayed at, around three years ago. We enjoyed it then so booked ourselves in for 8 days in January 2009 before moving on for a week in Tenerife in an appalling (and much more expensive) apartment at Cristian Sur at Los Cristianos. When you arrive at Club Vista Serena it doesn't look all that special (and neither do the other little complexes around it) but the difference is immediate. They are most welcoming and the feeling when reaching your accommodation is how clean and well maintained it is. Everything works which is more than I can say for many other similar accommodations in the area. There were many thoughtful touches and all the extras like an iron (with spray starch and water spray), fan, tv with some UK channels, microwave and a decent fridge, were all there with no hidden extra charges. To be honest, the pool area is quite small but then so is the actual complex. We didn't use it this time, preferring our balcony. Neither did we use the bar area much though we personally found it to be friendly when we did. The only problem I encountered was that their brand new wi-fi system didn't seem to work and even if it had, it only seemed to cover the bar area in bright sunlight which made it useless. I used the "coin in the slot" computer while there which proved a lot more expensive but I'm sure that they will put the above problem right. Location may not suit some in that it sits about half way between Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas beach which usually means a taxi to everywhere but they aren't that expensive and we were able to walk into Playa del Ingles quite easily. The problem you might have is that if you are by the beach at Maspalomas it's quite a distance to Playa del Ingles and if you are in Playa del Ingles, it's quite a distance to Maspalomas so for me personally I found the location a good compromise. The point is, would we go back? The answer is "definitely."

Jules, Southampton: We've stayed at Club Vista Serena twice and loved it both times. Apartments are well equipped and spacious and have either a balcony or terrace where you can sit out and enjoy the Canarian sunshine. Whole resort is very clean, pool area never feels overcrowded, all in all a relaxing place to stay. Resort is located near other self catering resorts about 5 minutes drive to Meloneras where there's a great selection of restaurants to choose from. Pool bar also serves wide selection of cheap food which they'll even deliver to your apartment for you to enjoy on your balcony. Staff are very friendly and welcoming and always happy to help.

Sarah, London: This was our 2nd visit and we came back to exactly the same apartment overlooking the pool. We have 2 young children under 4 and the resort offered us the perfect place to relax. Our apartment balcony overlooked the baby pool and made for really easy entertainment - sun loungers for us, splashing about for the kids. Staff are all lovely, the place is beautifully cared for and landscaped, renovations are constantly underway and it feels small, safe and easy. Certainly a cut above the surrounding apartment complexes. The small reception shop is open 24hrs a day and makes life very convenient.

Anonimous Guest, England: Having read the various reports and widely ranging views I did wonder what to expect when we arrived. We found a small, quiet, clean resort. The apartments are small but well equipped. Note that satellite TV consists only of Eurosport and Sky News, no Sky Sports channels. The pool bar seemed popular although we didn't eat there and drinks were reasonably priced. Faro II shopping centre, a short walk away, isn't fantastic for shops or Restaurants although we had a lovely meal at Michel Angelo Restaurant. Give the Mexican Restauant a miss - that was poor. Very good facilities on last day if you have a late flight - check out 11am, luggage roon and courtesy showers/towels. They work very hard at keeping you entertained - probably 3 star+

Let me know about your stay @ www.clubvistaserena.com

The Historic and Cultural Wealth of Gran Canaria

2009-10-20T09:57:00.006+01:00

A large part of the historic and cultural wealth of Gran Canaria is represented in the Island's museums, where a large part of the Island's heritage is preserved, researched and exhibited. The broad range of subject matters that are covered by the museums include everything from the native past of the Island right up to its most recent contemporary history. You can also find houses that are kept in remembrance of the most illustrious sons of the island who have gained renown in various social and cultural disciplines as well as those houses where the popular customs and traditions of the island are preserved. Most of these places are well worth a visit simply by reason of the buildings themselves. These buildings are of artistic and historic importance and exemplify the varied and rich urban and rural architecture that sprung up here in the Canaries.

If you're here with the family, why not try the 'Museo Elder de la Ciencia y la Tecnología'? It's a great place for the kids to learn about Science and Technology and have fun at the same time. Their motto is - 'FORBIDDEN NOT TO TOUCH'.

There are over twenty display areas devoted to the reconstruction and reproduction of mankind’s greatest scientific advances. The museum is housed in a building that has a surface area of close to seven thousand square metres, most of which is used as exhibition areas. Due to the interactive and didactic nature of most of the exhibits, the museum has become an indispensable resource for all students – as well as members of the public in general – who wish to learn more about the world of science. The museum also has a cinema projection room with a big screen.

It's open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 8pm.

Source: grancanaria.com

Pick up a bargain!

2009-10-14T13:23:00.005+01:00

Check out the Car Boot sale that is held every Sunday at the Faro 2 Shopping Centre in Maspalomas - Gran Canaria, in the carpark from 7 am to 3pm!

It's well worth a visit, and you never know you may pick up a bargain!!

If you're staying with us at Club Vista Serena - http://www.clubvistaserena.com/, you can easily get to the Faro 2 Shopping Centre. It's a 10 minute stroll away, and we can easily direct you on how to get there - all you have to do is ask!

Happy bargain hunting!

2 perspectives - something for everyone

2009-10-07T13:43:00.006+01:00

A child's perspective:

Every year my parents and I spend our holidays on an island called Gran Canaria. We stay in some apartments called Club Vista Serena. It's a really nice place and all of the people are really friendly.

The beach there is like a desert but next to the sea and you can swim all the time. It’s called Maspalomas.
We go to the beach a lot because the weather’s always good and my mum loves to sunbathe. My dad’s not really into sunbathing so he takes me off to loads of places. I love visiting water parks and going on the slides. This year I can use the big slide, which loops around. I’ve also been along the coast with my dad on a boat from the port of Puerto Rico. We saw dolphins from the boat. What I like best about my holidays in Gran Canaria this year was seeing dolphins so close. And mum missed it all just because she wants to be really brown when she goes home. I think that’s just silly, especially when you can do fun stuff like watching dolphins...

Mum's perspective:

I think I’ll go back to Gran Canaria again this year. There are miles of beach just for me, perfect for an evening stroll and then a quick dip in the sea before dinner.

My husband takes the kids all over the place, going out in a boat to watch the dolphins and goodness knows what else... So, they leave me to sunbathe in peace (just amazing after a whole year of running around and stress...).More to the point, when travelling with a gang like mine, I’d rather be safe than sorry. I don’t want to experiment. So I think I’ll go back to Gran Canaria this year...

source:grancanaria.com

Let the fun begin!

2009-10-02T14:45:00.003+01:00

Gran Canaria can offer you a thousand and one alternatives to make your holidays one long party. The Island is young and fun providing a whirl of colours and flavours at any time of day.
Gran Canaria lives outdoors all year round. If you just can’t sit still, make the most of the coast, the ravines and the fantastic climate. You can take part in sports such as climbing, trekking, windsurfing, surfing or scuba diving, among others. If you want, you can enjoy more than a hundred days of holiday in this miniature continent, trying outdoor and adventure sports.

Gran Canaria throws parties all year round including the smallest villages, particularly in the summer. Pilgrimages, shows and local festivals welcome thousands of people offering endless parties and grand traditions.

Extroverts can find passionate, hair-raising activities in Gran Canaria trying adventure sports such as windsurfing, climbing, surfing or scuba diving. Do you also fancy a night out?
The Island’s capital and tourist area in the south offer an attractive nightlife. You can party the night away until the early hours of the morning in busy bars, pubs and discos.

Terraces offer the other main focus on this Island where the privileged climate means you can socialise in the open air, all twelve months of the year. Gran Canaria nightlife combines partying, great weather and lots of fun.

souce: grancanaria.com

WOMAD is back!

2009-10-01T13:32:00.008+01:00

Together with Australia, Spain has become the most popular country outside the UK for WOMAD festivals; and since 1989 the festival has visited Caceres in Extremadura, Granada, Barcelona, Madrid, Pamplona, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands.
A country with an insatiable appetite for fiesta, and with a warm and welcoming climate, Spain is a natural choice for festivals.
The Canary Islands make an idyllic setting for the festival, with blue skies, sandy beaches and stunning natural scenery providing an Atlantic Ocean holiday backdrop for this hugely popular event.

The event is presented entirely free due to the generous support of local government and commercial sponsorship, and is widely attended both by Canarians and many international visitors to the islands.

WOMAD (WORLD OF MUSIC, ARTS, AND DANCE) returns to the Canary Islands this November for another weekend of music, arts and dance from around the globe - all in the beautiful beachside city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The venue, as in previous years, will be the Parque de Santa Catalina - a city square close to the centre of Las Palmas, and just 200 metres from the Playa de las Canteras, one of the island's longest and most spectacular beaches.
This year, WOMAD Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will feature performances by many artists from around the world eager to share their music with you, DJ sessions, workshops for adults and children alike, plus, a Global Market and the Children's Procession, which will take place on Sunday afternoon.

Yippee! All parts of the festival are free and open to the public.

ARTIST LIST:

· Bibi Tanga and The Selenites (Central African Rep./France) · Eliades Ochoa (Cuba) · Imelda May (United Kingdom) · Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara with Justin Adams (United Kingdom) & Juldeh Camara (Gambia)· Melingo (Argentina) · Oumou Sangaré (Mali) · Roy Ayers (United States) · Zenet (Spain) · Vieux Farka Touré (Mali) · Najma Akhtar & Gary Lucas with Najma Akhtar (United Kingdom) & Gary Lucas (United States)·

Chiwoniso (Zimbabwe) · Depedro (Spain) · Forro in the Dark (Brazil/United States) · Laura Vane and The Vipertones (United Kingdom) · Manel (Spain) · Márcio Local (Brazil) · Siyaya (Zimbabwe) · Snowboy (United Kingdom) · Spiro (United Kingdom) · The Black Swan Effect (United Kingdom) ·

Las Palmas is at the north of the island of Gran Canaria, around 20 minutes drive from Las Palmas airport.
The Parque de Santa Catalina is a city square in the centre of Las Palmas. It is approximately 200m from the city's main beach, Playa de Las Canteras.

There is no camping available near the festival site. However, there are many hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, bars and shops in Las Palmas and other parts of the Island.
Make sure that your accommodation is in the city of Las Palmas itself if you want to be within easy reach of the festival, but if you're looking for a bit of sun and relaxation aswell - come and stay with us at http://www.clubvistaserena.com/

Please Note: Although it is unlikely that the event will be cancelled, or change dates or location, please note that WOMAD will not be responsible for refunding travel or accommodation costs should this occur. Please ensure you have travel insurance to cover you in these circumstances.

Source: womad.org

Gran Canaria - an Island of Culture

2009-09-30T10:04:00.008+01:00

Music
In Gran Canaria you can enjoy concerts, recitals and festivals of all styles of music throughout the year. Music forms an integral part of island life, with music being heard in the various theatres and auditoriums, in the streets and squares and at the traditional festivals of the island.

Classical Music
Spain's first Philharmonic Society is in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and it was founded in 1845. The people of Gran Canaria evidently have an enormous love of classical music, as you can see from the continuous programme of classical music events, which includes the Canary Islands Classical Music Festival, the Alfredo Kraus Opera Festival (named after the Canarian-born tenor), the Philharmonic Orchestra of Gran Canaria season of concerts, the Zarzuela Festival, the Guitar Festival, among others.

Modern Music
Gran Canaria is one of the few places where the World of Music, Arts and Dance (Womad) is held, which is one of the most important world music festivals. Rock, jazz and celtic music festivals, as well as concerts and recitals that include everything from the most traditional to the must current sounds, complete an extensive programme of musical events that take place throughout the entire island.

Dance, Theatre and Cinema
The various theatres on the island have continuous programmes of events, including theatre and dance shows that feature the best companies and professional artists on the scene. This array of cultural events is supplemented by a variety of specialised festivals, such as Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Theatre and Dance Festival, Festival in the South -Drama from 3 Continents in Agüimes and the International Comedy Festival in Ingenio. As far as cinema is concerned, special mention must be made of the International Cinema Festival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: The best motion pictures from all over the world are entered in this festival, which is attended by celebrities of the “seventh art”.

Painting and Sculpture
Until the mid-19th century, the artists of Gran Canaria merely followed the various European schools of the time, without making any original contribution. However, from that time on, the island’s native artists put their own distinct stamp on the various universal artistic currents, such as modernism, expressionism, indigenism and abstract art. The artists that enjoy the greatest international recognition are Néstor de la Torre, Manuel Millares and Martín Chirino, names that have become part of the history of art.

Exhibition centres
In the various exhibition centres and museums on the island the visitor will find works of art that were produced on the island as well as works that were produced by exponents of more universal artistic currents. Some exhibition centres are the Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno (CAAM) modern art gallery, La Regenta Art Gallery, Christopher Columbus' House, Centro Insular de Cultura, the San Antonio Abad exhibition rooms and CICCA.

Source: grancanaria.com

Anybody fancy a bit of......

2009-09-25T14:16:00.004+01:00

ROPA VIEJA!!!

Gran Canaria is known worldwide for its excellent climate, its magnificent beaches and its astonishing landscapes.

However, in the inland it keeps some treasures yet undiscovered for the visitor and are related to their inhabitants, their culture and their way of life.
Among them, its gastronomy has been ellaborated along several centuries with excellent raw materials (meat, fish, fruits and vegetable) combined in original and tasty recipes.

If you've been to Gran Canaria, and you've tried some of the dishes, why not try and cook some of these dishes at home? The best idea would be to come over here www.clubvistaserena.com and try the authentic stuff...but give it a go!

"Ropa Vieja"

Ingredients: 1/2 Kg. of chickpeas, 1/2 Kg. of beef, 1/2 Kg. of chicken, 1 Kg. of potatoes, 3 garlic cloves, 1 pepper, 1 onion, 1 tomatoe, 1 small cup of white wine, 1 small cup of water or broth, paprika, black pepper, thyme, cloves, bay leaf, salt and oil.

Method:
1. Leave the chickpeas to soak overnight to tenderize them.

2. Wash them on the next day and place them in a pot along with the meat, salt to taste and water.

3. Once cooked, drain everything off and shred the meat. Next fry the meat and the chickpeas until they get crispy and set them aside.

4. Separately, make a frying base by first chopping up the onion, the pepper, the peeled tomato and the garlic cloves. Fry it all with the oil and add the black pepper and the cloves.

5. Once this base is ready, introduce the paprika, the wine, the thyme, the bay leaf and a small cup of water or broth.

6. Next, add the meat and the chickpeas and then leave it some minutes on the heat.

7. Finally, fry the diced potatoes and mix all the ingredients. You can also add to this dish certain vegetables like carrots or green beans.

souce: gran canaria.com

The jewel in the crown...

2009-09-24T12:02:00.008+01:00

...the 'Playa de las Canteras', the pearl the city does not hide. A long sand tongue that stretches for miles along the bay. A place of special charm, in the middle of the Island's Capital city Las Palmas.

Locals say that Las Canteras is one of the Nation’s best urban beaches, and they have every reason to believe it. This is a beach blessed with fine weather practically all year round. A type of beach-style Central Park, where sports can be practised any day of the week. Don’t forget your swimming attire and your surf board!

Furthermore, the island is a large marine life reserve. Its sea bottom is home to a thousand fish species. On firm ground, it shelters tourists, fisherpeople, and surfers, and it has a peculiar attribute, what locals know as “La Barra” - a long rock formation spreading not far from the sand. A singular line of volcanic rock that protects a large chunk of the beach from the tides, and which turns our bay in the best place this side of the globe where to swim and walk practically on the water in days of low tide.

When a stroll is the undisputed choice, we recommend the long walk along the sand, passing through coffee shops and ice-cream parlours. The first thing you will encounter are the Puntilla sidewalk cafés and the fresh-fish restaurants. At the other end of the beach, the surfing environment around the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, with more sidewalk cafés and bars by the sea.

Las Canteras is known by all as the Changing Beach. It will never be the place you saw a day before. This is one of its special traits.

So now you know, the treasure of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria lies hidden only 5 minutes from the Bus Station Santa Catalina.

If you're staying at Club Vista Serena http://www.clubvistaserena.com/, make sure you ask one of us about Las Canteras, and we can point you in the right direction.

Source: grancanaria.com

FORE!

2009-09-23T13:45:00.005+01:00

Gran Canaria brings you golf tourism in the perfect setting. The island has a clear advantage over other golf destinations: the great climate makes it possible to play 365 days a year.

Gran Canaria has a deep rooted golfing tradition. The island was a pioneer in Spain in this sport. The first golf course in the country was inaugurated in Gran Canaria in 1891. This course, used initially by British tourists and residents, was in the middle of the capital city, in the area which is now the central zone of Escaleritas. In 1957, the golf course moved to Bandama, a few minutes drive from the city, where it still bears the name of Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas.

The first members of the oldest club in Spain belonged to the significant English colony in Gran Canaria during this period, when European tourists first started visiting the Island.

However, not only tradition lies behind golf in Gran Canaria. Over the last few years, a complete infrastructure has been developed around this sport. The island offers a wide variety of courses, adapted to the tastes of the most demanding golfers.

Golfers can find nine courses on the island all within a 50 kilometre radius. Within a short distance, you can combine several courses in different settings. All of them have been developed by the most prestigious international designers and offer exceptional features for the game. This is why Gran Canaria has become the home of prestigious national and international tournaments over the last few years. It has also consolidated its reputation as an important golf destination among European players.

Gran Canaria’s exceptional geographical diversity, its splendid beaches, singular historical, cultural and gastronomic wealth and the wide hotel offer has made our island a favourite spot for holidaymakers looking for something a bit different, not too far from home, with all the advantages of an island which is part of the European Union and the daily incentive of feeding your senses with a whole new world of sensations.

Playing golf in Gran Canaria is more than just playing a sport – it’s an oasis of peace where you can calmly enjoy your game and the good climate.

Golf Courses in Gran Canaria:

Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas

El Cortijo Club de Campo

Oasis Golf

Maspalomas Golf

Salobre Golf and Resort

Anfi Tauro Golf and Anfi Tauro Golf Pitch and Putt

Meloneras Golf

Las Palmeras Golf

Source: grancanaria.com

Discover the natural treasures of Gran Canaria....

2009-09-22T13:41:00.019+01:00

....Trekking!

Gran Canaria is commonly known as the “miniature continent” on account of the natural environment that the island offers to its visitors. The mild weather conditions that reign throughout the year is an invitation to practise a large variety of sports right in the heart of nature.

Gran Canaria is a real paradise for nature lovers, especially for trekkers. This is undoubtedly the ideal way of discovering the natural and historic treasures hidden within the island’s 32 protected natural areas, trekking the extensive network of trails.

The island is almost circular in shape, with the highest point sited right in the middle of the island. This has led to its characteristic cone-shaped relief, criss-crossed by deep gorges fanning out from the centre, and large depressions caused by volcanic activity or erosion. Its legendary climate really is extremely mild and, depending on where you are and the altitude, you could experience any one of the different micro-climates that divide the island.

The island terrain is criss-crossed by an intricate network of foot paths ranging from easy forest paths and bridle paths to tracks and trails that are strictly for expert hikers.

The size of the island and its rugged relief, have created short, but very steep routes. Depending on their layout, these trails can go from “coast to highlands” with very gentle slopes and almost in a straight line when they run along a gorge, or concentric or transversal, which tend to be more circuitous and steeper, as they cross these features of the land.

For sports enthusiasts, there are inexhaustible opportunities to combine the practice of their favourite sport with the enjoyment of the verdant landscapes of the interior or the spectacular areas along the coast. (source: grancanaria.com)

Club Vista Serena....come and stay with us, it's the right place to be! www.clubvistaserena.com

Relax and take care of yourself....

2009-09-17T13:31:00.005+01:00

Health tourism is one of the oldest forms of tourism known in the world. The first tourists who came to Gran Canaria were Health Tourists. They had been attracted to the islands by the stories of miracle cures that were circulating throughout Europe, and even by the advice of the doctors themselves, who recommended the climate and mineral waters of Gran Canaria.

Today, a century and some decades later, Gran Canaria maintains its prestige as a health resort and a place to rest, having developed a wide range of services and facilities for consultations and the treatment of different disorders or just to pamper your body and relax as an alternative to conventional tourism.

On the island, you can find spas whose waters are rich in minerals and blended with sea water that are ideal for rehabilitation treatments. In these spas you can find all kind of techniques and services ranging from algae wrap, sea mud, hydrotherapy, salt bath, bandages with aromatherapy, mud bath to thalassotherapy, thermotherapy, pressotherapy or lymphatic drainage, reflexotherapy, chyromassage, specific massages, vichy shower, turkish bath, jacuzzi, sauna, swimming pool with jets, among many others

But Gran Canaria is a destination for health tourism for more reasons than just its specialised centres. The entire island is a paradise where you can forget about stress, exhaustion, the need to break away and all the ailments that are provoked by the daily hustle and bustle. All you need is a therapeutic walk on the golden sands of the island's expansive beaches, or a swim in its warm and crystal-clear waters, or to be oxygenated by some contact with nature, where you cannot help but relax.

Club Vista Serena is all about that too, carefree and relaxing holidays in the sun! http://www.clubvistaserena.com/

Source: www.grancanaria.com

Music Festival In Gran Canaria!

2009-09-16T13:54:00.006+01:00

It's here again...the Heineken Campus Rock Festival. On the 26th September 2009, the following acts will be performing in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria:

El Canto del Loco
Nena Daconte
Taxi
Sidonie

Campus Rock started way back in 1993 under the name UNIVERSIDAD ROCK '93 (University Rock). It was originally for students, teachers, and the university community. Almost 16 years later, Heineken Campus Rock is now a classic for the lovers of Spanish Pop-Rock.

If you're on the Island around the 26th, why not give it a go?

Join us on Facebook!

2009-09-15T14:47:00.004+01:00

Club Vista Serena now has a profile page on Facebook, so come and join us!

You can find me under the following name: Rachel Vistaserena

I have this photo set as my picture, so it's easy to find me:

Whether you want to make a reservation, have a question, or just want to chat....send me a request to attach you as a friend, and we'll keep in contact.

Gran Canaria is more than sun, sea, and sand

2009-08-18T14:04:00.009+01:00

I've just uploaded a load of pictures onto Vista Serena's Facebook Profile page of a day trip that I had to Roque Nublo, and I thought it would be nice to make a mention of it in our blog too.

Many tourists come to Gran Canaria in search of a bit of sun and fun. What many don't do is investigate what other things Gran Canaria has to offer.

This was my first visit to Roque Nublo, and it won't be the last. When you're walking 1500 metres above sea level, you can easily forget that you're in Gran Canaria. When you think of Gran Canaria, you think of the sea and sand, but Gran Canaria actually offers a variety of landscapes. All you've got to do is go out and find them! You'll find dramatic canyons, rugged rock formations, numerous lakes, vineyards, pine and laurel trees, volcano craters and small streams and waterfalls running all year round. Enough to take anyone's breath away!

One of the most emblematic symbols of Gran Canaria, and situated at its very geographical centre, is ROQUE NUBLO.

Be prepared to walk though, and climb a bit too. It's not a difficult walk. If I did it, then anyone can do it, but it is quite a way. You can park the car next to the road and start walking. It takes about an hour and a half to get to the rock, but you can't get lost. As it's a landmark here on the island, there's always someone there visiting, so just follow the crowd. Believe me, it's well worth a visit...just for the views! Take a look at the photos below. And when your visit is over, and you've made your way back to the car, buy something to eat and drink at the stall that is always there. They've usually got lots of typical Canarian food there for you to try, as well as the much needed Coca Cola :-)

Have your say!

2009-08-14T19:56:00.004+01:00

I've just found this review about Club Vista Serena on one of the many review sites on the Internet. I think it includes just about everything....have your say....what do you think?

"Swapped a week’s timeshare to stay at the Vista Serena in Maspalomas. Location may not suit many as it is a long way from Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas beach which unless you have a car would mean a taxi everywhere; however this was not a problem for us as we had taken our car across on the ferry. In fact we were in a really nice quiet part of town but as others have said those looking for a noisy, lively holiday location should look elsewhere. Upon arrival we were met in reception and given refreshments while they checked to see if our apartment was ready. It was and we were in 2B which was on the ground floor close to the bar area and the swimming pool. The complex is small and very tastefully decorated with all of the apartments painted in lovely pastel colours of blue, green and peach. The layout gives you privacy if you want it; however during the time we were there not all of the apartments were in use.The apartments were well equipped with irons, hairdryers, mircrowaves and should you want them free DVDs. There are also some UK TV channels, a book swap and free WIFI also you can have use of the hotel PC at a small extra cost. There is a tiny supermarket on site which stocked a small amount of most things to get you started.The pool area is quite small but there were plenty of sun beds to go around and nobody felt they had to book these with their towels, which can be a problem in some complexes. There is not much for children apart from the pool and a table tennis area. Although a short walk away is Holiday World which is a complex with fairground type rides, video and games machines and a couple of restaurants. We used the bar for a few drinks as we went out most of the time but the staff were friendly and the menu looked good. Food is served under a large canopy next to the bar with specials served each night. The bar closed early and most nights was not open beyond 11pm. As we went out every night we were given a key to let ourselves in the side entrance. Reception closes at 3.00am so we didn´t have a need for the key as we were back most nights by 1.30am. (Aguilas, Tenerife)

Travel quotes - some funny, others meaningful

2009-08-11T12:52:00.004+01:00

What does travel mean to you? Here's a few quotes that I've found that either made me smile, or made sense to me...

The average tourist wants to go to places where there are no tourists (Sam Ewing)

Anywhere is within walking distance, if you've got the time (Steven Wright)

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all of your money. Then, take half of the clothes and twice the money (Susan Heller)

However far your travels take you, you will never find the girl who smiles out at you from the travel brochure (unknown source) http://www.clubvistaserena.com/about-club-vista-serena.html

One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things (Henry Miller)

But why, oh why, do the wrong people travel, when the right people stay at home? (Noel Coward)

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home (James Michener)

and last, but not least...I'm sure that many of us can relate to this one...

If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel (Will Kommen)

Happy Holidaying!

Travel Tips for your holidays in Gran Canaria

2009-08-07T09:44:00.016+01:00

After working here at Vista Serena for 6 years now, I see things, sometimes on a daily basis, that our guests do, or forget to do when they come here on holiday, that if they hadn't done them or if they had remembered to do them, would have made their holidays a lot more care free.

Here's what I suggest....

First of all, if you have any special requests about the type of apartment you would like to stay in, the time to make those requests is when you make the booking. For example, many of our guests arrive, and they find out which apartment they have been allocated, and they're not entirely happy. If you have a preference, let us know about it. If you don't let us know, then we can't help you, and we will accommodate you in an apartment that we have available. My Dad for example, has stayed at Vista Serena a few times now, and when he makes a booking, he always requests an upstairs apartment looking onto the pool. 9 times out of 10, we can fulfil his wishes. We do the same for all of our guests. If you have small children, and you want to be able to keep an eye on them from the pool, you can request a downstairs apartment near the swimming pool. If you are in a wheelchair, and you need a downstairs apartment, let us know. One of our apartments has even been adapted to make it a little easier for a wheelchair user. If you want a South facing apartment, so you can get a little bit of sun in the afternoon on your balcony or patio, then tell us. That's what we're here for! On the enquiry form that you can fill in on the website, there's a space for 'Special Requests' - all you have to do is use it :-) http://www.clubvistaserena.com/booking.aspx

Second thing...clothes. Gran Canaria enjoys a tropical climate throughout the year. Don't pack too many warm clothes. You won't need any during the Summer months, you're better off packing more t-shirts and shorts. As it's a little hotter in the Summer, during the day, you might have to change your clothes a couple of times. I know I do, because I get a little sweaty ;-) In the Winter months, you probably won't need a jumper during the day, but more than likely, you'll need to wear a jacket or something if you go out at night. It can get chilly, but never as chilly as my home town of Sheffield. We don't need central heating and carpets over here you know!

Next, bring your driving license if you have one. You might not even be planning to hire a car, but if you bring it with you, at least you'll have the possibility once you are here. The island of Gran Canaria is relatively small, you can drive round the whole island in about 4 hours, but there's loads of beautiful places to see, and most of the time, if you don't want to pay loads of money out on organised excursions, you'll need a car to see it. By staying at Vista Serena, it's the perfect opportunity to get out and about and see a little of the island that you're visiting. You're not fastened down to any timetables here, so you can do what you want when you want. If you want the names of a few hire car companies, just get in touch with us, and we'll be able to help. www.clubvistaserena.com/contact.html

If you're staying here at Vista Serena, remember, you don't need to pack any books to read. That'll save a bit of weight on your luggage! We have a book corner at the complex, just under the Reception area, and you can borrow as many books as you want. All we ask is that you put them back after you've read them.

Next tip? Bring you're toiletries from home. I know they take up a bit of space and weight, but things like shampoo, conditioner, body lotions, sun cream, deodrants, etc... are all cheaper back at home. Well, back in England anyway. Whenever I get someone coming across from the UK, I always ask them to bring me a shampoo and a conditioner over because they're so expensive over here compared to the UK. Once we get a Wilkinsons over here, it'll be another story :-), but I doubt that it will ever happen. Once you're holiday is over, you can leave the left overs here, that means you'll have room to take another bottle of Vodka home with you :-)

Here at Vista Serena, you won't need to bring a travel kettle or a travel iron, or anything like that. All of the apartments are well kitted out, and if there's anything you think you need extra, we've got a list of items available that we can take to your room. All you have to do is ask.

And my last tip for the day...our check out time on your departure day is 11am. If you have a late flight, or you've got kids who'll need a 'siesta' during the day, you may want to stay on in your room. If there's no-one checking into your apartment, we might be able to help you for a small fee of 30 Euros, you could prolong your stay in the apartment. However! Don't leave it until the last day to enquire about it. Tell the Receptionist as soon as you get here, that means that we will have a week or 2 to sort something out. If it's not possible, we have a luggage room where you can leave your suitcases, and there's also a courtesy shower so that you can spend the day round the pool and clean yourselves up later before you go to the airport.

Hope this helps. Happy Holidays!

I hate 'All Inclusive' holidays!

2009-08-05T10:00:00.006+01:00

I don't know whether it's because I work on a self catering resort http://www.clubvistaserena.com/index.html, or because I'm too fussy, or if it's because I work in tourism, but I have to admit, I DON'T LIKE ALL INCLUSIVE RESORTS! I realise that in this day and age, they are probably the most economical option for a family holiday, and I'm not saying that I'll never do an ALL-IN, but it doesn't mean I have to like them.

My Mum, her partner and his daughter came out to Gran Canaria last month for 2 weeks. They stayed in an All-Inclusive resort near Amadores. Me and my partner paid to stay for a night at the same hotel, and I can tell you one night is enough.

I'm not saying that the staff were horrible (they all seemed to work really hard actually), or that the installations were bad (the pool was great, there was a small gym, a childrens club, etc) but it's just the whole set up that I don't like.

First of all...

My mum and her partner spent 2 weeks getting up at a ridiculous hour (on their HOLIDAYS!), just to make sure they got a sun-bed by the pool.
There's a huuuuuuge variety of food, but it's not the greatest.
You have to serve yourself. I know it doesn't sound too bad, but I don't know, when I think of being on holiday, I want someone to look after me.
As you've already paid the money, you don't want to miss out on anything. You can have all the self control in the world, but when things are put there on a platter for you, you think, why not! I've paid for it. The best part is, you're not even thirsty or hungry!
You don't see anything of the place where you're staying. As you've got everything included - why go outside of the complex and spend more money? You spend 2 weeks doing the same thing day in day out - eating, drinking, sunbathing and sleeping.
You go from one routine, right into another. Many of us complain about being at home and working. We get up in the morning, we go to work, we finish work, we go home, we go to bed, and we get up in the morning, and it starts all over again. Well, in all-inclusives, it's the same. You get up in the morning to put a towel on a sun bed. You have breakfast. You sunbathe, you have lunch. You sunbathe some more, time for tea and cakes. More sunbathing, time to get ready for dinner. You have dinner, then you go for a drink. You watch the entertainment provided by the hotel team, you drink some more, and then you go to bed. The next day, it starts all over again!
You have to stick to timetables - I know there's food and drink available all day, but there's a timetable for breakfast, one for lunch, and one for dinner.

I know all this sounds pretty negative, and I'm sure all-inclusives work for plenty of people, but I'm not one of them. I want to be able to do what I want to do when I want to, and I want to see things! If I go on holiday, I want to learn something about the place where I go. I want to eat where the locals eat, drink where the locals drink, appreciate the place where they live. http://www.clubvistaserena.com/self-catering-hotel-service.html

But then again, that's just me...perhaps others would disagree???

Could it have been any hotter in Maspalomas???

2009-08-04T10:30:00.003+01:00

The weather in Gran Canaria over the past few days would have been a sun worshipers dream come true!

The Canary Islands enjoy a worldwide fame as having one of the best climates in the whole world. Gran Canaria’s weather is mild, with pleasant temperatures, rarely too high and almost always constant. The average temperatures oscillate in the summer months between 26 ºC and 28 ºC (79 – 82 °F), often exceeding 30 °C (86 °F), and in the winter months between 22 ºC and 24 ºC.

But this weekend was something out of the ordinary!

I was working in the Reception on Saturday 1st August, and I can honestly say, if it wasn't for the air-conditioning that we have on the resort, we would all have melted :-) I have to give a mention here to the cleaning ladies that were working this day - Dunia and Nico. They did a tremendous job to work in that heat and they both deserve a medal. The temperature was well into the 40's and the warm breeze made it feel like 50 degrees!

There were a couple of guests staying on the resort from the exchange company RCI, who were due to leave on the Saturday to go to another resort. But, because they were going to a resort without air conditioning, they wanted to stay at Club Vista Serena for another week. Thankfully, I managed to organise something for them with RCI, and they left happy, but I must admit, putting air conditioning in all of the apartments was one of our better ideas :-)

In order to control the usage of the units, we do make a small charge of 3 Euros per day or 19 Euros for the week, but at times like this, it's worth it!

If you're coming over to Gran Canaria in the Summer months, then I recommend that you find a place with air-conditioning, so you can sleep easy at night zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

My Day Job at Club Vista Serena and Why I Love It!

2009-07-04T18:10:00.004+01:00

I've been working here at Club Vista Serena in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria for 6 years and do you know why I'm still here?

It may surprise some of you, but no, it's not because of the weather. I must admit, coming from Sheffield in England, the weather does make a difference, but it's not everything.

It's the people! The guests who stay on the resort who then become friends, but most of all, the people I work with.

If you've ever stayed at Vista Serena, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's just a great team, and it's a team who cares. From Carmen, Tony and Jose in the Reception, to Dunia and Nico in the cleaning team, to Luis who takes care of the resort maintenance, even us 3 girls in the office :-) (Rachel, Ruth and Anja). Everybody wants you to have a great holiday, and we try and do what we can to make that happen.

I don't know whether you've seen the reviews that past guests have written about Club Vista Serena that are floating about on the Internet? Or, if you've been to stay at the resort, whether you've see the Guest Book on Reception. If you have, you'll see what I mean: http://www.clubvistaserena.com/testimonials.html

"Friendliness of staff makes the holiday. Hope to see you again soon" Gus Millar and Isabel Rankin

"We would like to say a special thank you to all the receptionist ladies who were most helpful at all times" Maureen and Graham Stanley

"Thanks to all the staff once again, especially best wishes to Anja, Carmen, Rachel, Ruth, not forgetting Tony and the rest of the staff who make our stay here fantastic" Pat and Gary Green

"The warmest welcome we have experienced anywhere!" Sam, Eric, Edward, Grace and Anna Redfern

"The most friendly resort around! Linda and Bob Mullen

"We would just like to thank you all for making our stay at Vista Serena such a happy one, once again. We had a really lovely time, and it was so good to see you all again. You all do everything you can to make guests welcome" Gill and Ray Batchelor

And it really is like this, and not because we're paid to do it, it really is genuine. I think that's why our guests feel 'at home' when they stay with us, and that's why I feel good at work. My friends who I work with make all the difference! http://www.clubvistaserena.com/about-club-vista-serena.html

The credit crunch - how to get the most out of Gran Canaria without spending a fortune!

2009-07-02T14:38:00.007+01:00

For many of us, we've been forced to watch where we put our money and what we spend it on, but for a lot of us also, we're not prepared to give up our 2 weeks in the sun! We work hard all year round, so we deserve a little bit of pampering!

If you're on a budget, you can still have an enjoyable holiday! You might be surprised by what's on offer!

First things first, if you can avoid travelling during the school holidays, you'll save time, money and hassle. That's something many of us know already, so I'll not dwell on this.

At Club Vista Serena we offer home from home accommodation at really affordable prices - a weeks stay for 2 people in a beautiful apartment can cost as little as 266 Euros, that's 19 Euros per night per person!

If you're the type of traveller that looks for something different than a package deal, or an all-inclusive holiday, you've come to the right place! We can offer self catering, bed and breakfast, or half board - all you have to do is ask http://www.clubvistaserena.com/self-catering-hotel-service.html

The first thing to do if you're flexible on dates, is find a cheap flight. We always do our best here to accommodate our guests, so if you can get the cheap flight deal first, I'm sure we'll have the availability here on the resort to accommodate the dates of your flight. If you find a cheap flight, don't lose it!

To get the cheapest rental rate with us, pay for your accommodation upfront when you make the booking, you can get up to a 10% discount!

Many people then worry about how they can get to our complex from the airport and how much a taxi would cost. We work with a taxi transfer company, so we can offer you a set price of 36 Euros for upto 4 passengers - that works out at just 9 Euros each!

Now, for many people, the big cost of their holidays is their spending money. There's nothing to worry about here either, all you have to do is be wise and careful!

Work out a daily budget, and stick to it. There's nothing worse than getting towards the end of your holidays and not being able to totally enjoy it because you're worried about running out of money.

If you're from the UK, as I am, you'll have noticed that the currency conversion rate isn't that fantastic anymore, but there are ways of getting round it.

When the exchange rate was better, we didn't think twice about the price of things, but now that's changed, we have to be more aware.

Where does most of our money go when we are on holiday? Easy, food and drink.

So, you have several options...http://www.clubvistaserena.com/facilities.html#services

You could come and visit us on a half board basis. If you were planning to eat out every day anyway, eating with us at the Celebration Bar and Restaurant, could make things cheaper for you. For 17.50 Euros per person per day, you can enjoy breakfast and dinner, without worrying about where you have to go, or how much it is going to cost.

If you're not bothered about dinner, then just have breakfast - only 7 Euros per day per person.

If you prefer the self catering option, then be wise about where you buy things from. If you think you'll be making things in the apartment, then do a shop at a big supermarket. That's where all the locals buy their food from, so it's got to be cheaper! If you want to eat out while you are there, then look for less touristic areas. Our receptionists can help you out here as they are the ones that live here, and I can assure you, they (we) won't pay above the odds to eat out.

I know that watching what you spend isn't the greatest thing to do while you are away, but it's only a case of being more aware. If you're not prepared to pay for something in your home country when it seems to expensive to you, why should you do it while you are on holiday?

Once you become more aware, it will be like second nature to you, and then all that is left is to sit back, relax, soak up the sun, and ENJOY!

Self Catering versus All Inclusive

2008-06-06T11:25:00.011+01:00

It’s decision time again. You’ve chosen the destination and the dates, all that’s left it the accommodation. What do you go for? Self Catering are All-Inclusive?
Since I work on a self catering resort of apartments, and I’ve only ever been to an All-Inclusive hotel once in my life (it was a 2 night stay, and I didn’t particularly enjoy it very much), I think my view is a little biased so instead of using this as a marketing technique to try and convince you that the Club Vista Serena self catering apartments are the best, I’m going to try and be as neutral as I can and let you decide. However, if after reading this, you get the sudden urge to make a booking with us, just click on one of the links to the booking or enquiry page on our website http://www.clubvistaserena.com/, and get in touch LOL :-)

Self Catering PROS

Most flexible type of holiday, you can eat and sleep when you want and are not forced into leaving your accommodation at set times of the day.
A greater degree of freedom and control over your location, holiday type, accommodation and budget.
Self-catering generally gives you more space and privacy
Preparing your own food means that you can fit in with your family's likes and dislikes.
During a week’s holiday, dining in, rather than going to restaurants for every meal translates into a huge savings on food alone.
In addition to a fully equipped kitchen with microwave, refrigerator-freezer, dishwasher etc, the holiday property may have a washing machine and dryer.
A personal touch – in small, self catering resorts, you’re a person, rather than a room number

Self Catering CONS

Preparing your own food also means that you are unlikely to get a break from the cooking and washing-up
If you decide to eat out each evening, this may make things a little more expensive
If you are in a very rural location, you may find lack of facilities nearby hard to deal with

All Inclusive PROS

You don’t have to worry about the price of food and drink
If you have kids, an all-inclusive holiday may be the most economical solution
You don’t have the hassle of trying to find somewhere to eat each night
Once the holiday is paid for, that’s it, you need very little spending money

All Inclusive CONS

It can get a bit claustrophobic as you tend to stay on-site during all of your stay to “get your moneys worth”.
Restricted meal times. Even if you feel like a lay in, you can’t because you’ve got to get up for breakfast – you’ve paid for it after all!
You tend to stay in the holiday complex and not explore the area. Most of these complexes are owned by large companies, so little money goes out to the local economy.
If you go all-inclusive, you’ll miss out on Club Vista Serena :-)

The decision is yours!……….Click on the title of the blog to leave us a comment at the bottom of the page!

Canarian Festivity

2008-06-03T08:30:00.010+01:00

Buenos días a todos,
Last Friday 30th May, was bank holiday here in Gran Canarian. Why? Becuase it was the "Canarian Day" It is bank holiday in all of the seven Canarian islands. Each of them used to dress different, each of them has its own identity, but still they're just "one".

In this day there are a lot of things going on. We have "romerías" everywhere.

These are like parades where people dressed up in an old style, like Canarians used to do many many years ago.

The people who work in the agriculture bring their best things to offer to the Virgin.

Then there events going on.

Folk things are being represented everywhere. Different dance styles, live folk music, and old games from children.

It is a nice day, but.... to tell you the truth, this day it is just an excuse for people to get drunk and party all day and night long.

Here is Vista Serena, the staff also decided to live their own "Canarian Day" and they dressed up to work. Have a look to this picture.... don't they look cute? :-) hihihi

Why don't you book for next year and join us for the Canarian 30th of May 2009? We always have special offers for this time. Experience all the magic of going back in time and find more of our culture!

Have a good week. Hasta la vista.

Ruth

30 de Mayo, Día de Canarias

2008-05-28T15:58:00.002+01:00

Hola a tod@s,

Estoy de vuelta. Ya lo sé , hace muchisimo tiempo que no me he puesto en el blog. Pues yo estaba 3 semanas de baja (por dolores faciales y que sigo teniendo hasta que me arreglan toda mi boca).

El viernes libraré (un fin de semana larga). El 30 de mayo es el Día de Canarias, y también el día de San Fernando (el pueblo donde nació mi marido). Así que el viernes estaré en la fiesta vestida de canaria. Allí se celebrará el gran asadero popular de pescado, con gofio y papas arrugadas, amenizado por parrandas y la Banda de Agaete. Iré con mis amig@s, a nosotros no nos gusta hacer cola durante 2 horas para obtener un platito de pescado o una cerveza, así que nosotros llevamos nuestra propia comida (ensaladilla rusa, tortilla de papas, papas arrugadas y toda la bebida) y haremos nuestra barbacoa. El sábado pasado fue la Romería, eso si que era bonita, todas las carrozas con comida para entregar a la iglesia y la gente vestido típico de canarias. Entre cada carroza había un grupo de músicos. En la nuestra iba 200 personas, cantando, riéndose, bebiendo y comiendo. Después de la ofrenda seguimos la fiesta hasta las 3 de la mañana .....

Anja

Club Vista Serena MEMBER OFFER!!

2008-05-28T13:06:00.001+01:00

Are you a Member of Club Vista Serena?

Are you still undecided about where you'll be spending your Summer Holidays? If you are...why not COME AND STAY WITH US!

From July to September rent with us for MAINTENANCE FEE PRICE
JUST 399€ for one weeks accommodation

Places at this price are limited…so make your booking NOW!
Contact Ruth by email: VSERENA@telefonica.net

Or, give her a ring on 0034 928 762336

HOPE TO SEE YOU HERE WITH US AGAIN SOON!

Children Things

2008-05-27T09:11:00.003+01:00

Buenos días a todos,
Today I thought I would post some comments of children. This is how these little felows see the world... hope you enjoy.

"While driving my five-year-old daughter to school one morning there was a commercial on the radio for an area church. At the end they gave out their phone number and my daughter got all excited and shouted, "I didn't know Jesus had a number." She is now nine and I still get a big kick out of it."
"One morning, my three-year-old son, Christopher, got up very early while I was getting ready for work. My husband was still in bed as well as our three-month-old son. I kept telling Christopher to be quiet or he would wake them up. I reached into a cabinet to get his plate and glass, and accidentally dropped a plastic bowl on the counter. It made a very loud noise and Christopher said to me, "Is that being quiet?" I couldn't say anything for a minute because I was trying not to laugh, and he said it again!"
"When my cousin Joe was about three years old, he was with his mom at his Grandpa's house. His grandpa is an opera singer and was getting into his tux for a big event. Joe's mom said "When Grandpa comes out, tell him he looks smashing!" When his grandpa came out he looked at him and said, "Grandpa, you look all squashed up!" His mom burst out laughing while her dad sat there confused.
"My middle son, who was three and a half, was wrestling with Dada, my father. Dada was sitting on the floor against the couch while my son attacked him from the top of the couch. After a few minutes my son stopped and started looking at the back of Dada's head and asked, "Dada, did you get your hair cut?" My father was a little confused and answered, "Why do you ask?"My son looked up and declared, "Because Dada, they cut too much off. There is a lot of skin showing back here!"
"One day, my daughter and I were at a restaurant. She wanted her favorite food which was grilled cheese. As the waitress was leaving, my daughter turned to me and asked, "Mom, why do they only make 'girl' cheese? Why don't they make 'boy' cheese?" The waitress and I could not stop laughing.
"It was time to take medicine and as usual my daughter was against it. As I put the medicine to her lips, she covered her mouth with her arm and yelled, "No Mommy it's my mouth!" I was laughing too hard to give her the medicine after that."
"We are Canadian and my 20-month-old son loves to sing "Oh Canada" (the national anthem). One day he heard someone say, "Oh crap" and for some reason he must have thought the two were related, because for the rest of the day he sang, "Oh Can-A-Crap!"

Hasta la vista!

Ruth

I'm still in the mood for poems...

2008-05-17T16:25:00.003+01:00

Here's another poem...LIFE'S TOO SHORT

by Simon Hayes

Life's too short for arguments,
And playing silly games.
Complaining, swearing, cursing people,
Calling people names.

The world has no patience,
For insolent, arrogant fools.
Anyone who is disobedient,
Or doesn't play by the rules.

What goes around, comes around,
I'm sure that's how it goes.
Remember that when someone,
Is really getting up your nose.

'Cause life's too short for arguments,
And playing silly games.
There is no need to bicker,
And shoot everyone down in flames.

HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

A little poem...

2008-05-16T13:15:00.003+01:00

Just a little something to reflect my mood this week... :-)

Some folks are never happy,
They always have complaints,
I'm glad that I'm not one of them,
Although I'm not a saint.

I listen to them daily,
They ask for my advice,
I tell them once, the way it is,
And then they argue twice.

They have such negativity,
Or is it just a game,
To see if they can get to me,
And drive me quite insane?

It's like an epidemic,
That doesn't have a cure,
This sickness spreads like wildfire,
Of that you can be sure.

When one complains to someone else,
It sets them all on edge,
That person meets somebody else,
And this complaining spreads.

Now here I am, the guilty one,
Complaining in this rhyme,
I'm guilty of a greater charge,
Committing this same crime.

By David Ronald Bruce Pekrul

Raving Reviews!!!

2008-05-14T15:17:00.003+01:00

Take a look at just a few of our reviews that I've just found on the Internet:

"We've stayed at Club Vista Serena twice and loved it both times. Apartments are well equipped and spacious and have either a balcony or terrace where you can sit out and enjoy the Canarian sunshine. Whole resort is very clean, pool area never feels overcrowded, all in all a relaxing place to stay. Resort is located near other self catering resorts about 5 minutes drive to Meloneras where there's a great selection of restaurants to choose from. Pool bar also serves wide selection of cheap food which they'll even deliver to your apartment for you to enjoy on your balcony.Staff are very friendly and welcoming and always happy to help."

"The Club Vista Serena is a small but very friendly resort. The staff are extremely helpful and go out of their way to make your stay a pleasant one.The resort is small and quite intimate however it is set out in a way to still give you privacy if you want it.The pool is large enough to cope however there are plenty of loungers with shade umbrellas for everyone although some people still think it is the done thing to reserve loungers (wish these folk would just stay at home!).The rooms are of a good size and have everything you need. Not that you should cook much as there are some very good restaurants including the pool bar restaurant which served excellent food and at great prices.The Club Vista Serena is in a quiet location however well within walking distance of bars/restaurants and please make sure you use the local taxis as they are the cheapest I have ever known.All in all an excellent quiet friendly resort."
"This was our 2nd visit and we came back to exactly the same apartment overlooking the pool. We have 2 young children under 4 and the resort offered us the perfect place to relax. Our apartment balcony overlooked the baby pool and made for really easy entertainment - sun loungers for us, splashing about for the kids. Staff are all lovely, the place is beautifully cared for and landscaped, renovations are constantly underway and it feels small, safe and easy. Certainly a cut above the surrounding apartment complexes. The small reception shop is open 24hrs a day and makes life very convenient."
"We have just returned from this resort it was excellent clean and friendly. If you want kids entertainment then this is probably not the place for you. The pool bar offers good basic food but we had a car and went out and about. The apartment was well equipped and the only ones I would not go for are the ones behind the pool bar numbers 1-4. These have no view and get cooking smells I guess. The staff were on 24 hours and so the place felt secure. The cleaning was frequent and the apartments have plenty of storage and good sized balconies. We had an excellent holiday and I am surprised that the island has so much to offer as well as excellent weather."
"Having read the various reports and widely ranging views I did wonder what to expect when we arrived. We found a small, quiet, clean resort. The apartments are small but well equipped. Note that satellite TV consists only of Eurosport and Sky News, no Sky Sports channels. The pool bar seemed popular although we didn't eat there and drinks were reasonably priced. Faro II shopping centre, a short walk away, isn't fantastic for shops or Restaurants although we had a lovely meal at Michel Angelo Restaurant. Give the Mexican Restaurant a miss - that was poor. Very good facilities on last day if you have a late flight - check out 11am, luggage room and courtesy showers/towels. They work very hard at keeping you entertained - probably 3 star+."
"My partner and I spent an excellent week in this recently re-furbished resort. Though the resort is small, the apartments are superbly equipped and maintained to a high standard. The main pool is a good size for swimming and the children's pool perfect for them. Both of these and the surrounding area were thoroughly cleaned every day and this included removing all sun beds and washing down the area. (Plenty of sun beds - no need to 'towel nab'!) Small, friendly restaurant offering a good choice.The 'Faro 2' complex of shops and restaurants is only a short walk away, as is the new entertainment complex; lots of attractions nearby. Taxis are cheap for those who want to venture further a field, e.g. Playa del Ingles or Maspalomas. The little shop is "open all hours" - literally, being manned by the Reception staff - excellent if you arrive off a late flight. All staff are keen to please and any requests are dealt with quickly and cheerfully.Perfect resort if you'd like to be out of the buzz, but within striking distance of the busier areas. Peace, perfect peace at nights too!"
"Myself and my husband stayed at the Vista Serena this Christmas and it was excellent. The accommodation was well equipped and very clean. The service we received from the staff was friendly and efficient. We have already booked to go again next Christmas."
"Very nice friendly apartments, in excellent condition, very clean & well equipped. Heated pool that really was heated & plenty of sun loungers. These apartments are in a nice quiet area but with regular buses stopping nearby to take you to the resort centre; I rented a car & would recommend doing so for convenience if you are staying in Club Vista Serena. The reception & well stocked shop is open 24/7, prices in the shop are good & the reception is very friendly. A well stocked library of DVDs that can be selected in reception to be played in the rooms, along with a good few English channels on the TV. I would recommend these apartments & will be returning as soon as possible."

So...what are you waiting for...BOOK NOW :-)

We'll be here waiting to greet you!

Things aren't always what they seem

2008-05-12T14:41:00.002+01:00

Buenas tardes a todos,
I hope you had a good weekend; here the weather is getting warmer and warmer and people are enjoying their stay here.
Today I'm giving you a nice story to think about it. Hopoe you enjoy it as much as I did.

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied,'Things aren't always what they seem.'The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him, he accused.The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die. 'Things aren't always what they seem,' the older angel replied.'When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall.Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it.''Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead.Things aren't always what they seem.' Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every out come is always to your advantage. You just might not know it until some time later...

I think it is a nice story to begin the week with.

Ruth

Gay Pride Maspalomas 2008 05/05/08-11/05/08!

2008-05-07T13:29:00.002+01:00

For anyone who is interested here's a preliminary programme of events that will take place for the rest of the week:

Wednesday 7th May

1pm - 6.30pm: Pride Opening Pool Party at Club Mancha. International DJ's, Mr Gay Gran Canaria and surprise acts. Entrance Fee €15
9.30pm - 11.30pm: Interactive Film Show at Hard Rock Cafe. Rocky Horror Picture Show. Entrance €10
1am - 7am: Pride Opening Ball at Heaven. Entrance €10

Thursday 8th May

9pm - 11pm: HIV/AIDS Benefit Concert in aid of Amigos Contra el SIDA. Main stage in Yumbo. Entrance Free

Friday 9th May

9pm - 11pm: GLAY Gala Show. Spectacular show sponsored by GLAY members. Main stage, Yumbo. Entrance Free

Saturday 10th May

3.30pm - 4pm: Guiness Book of Records World Record attempt. Drag Chorus Line. Avendia de Tirajana
4pm - 6pm: Pride Street Parade finishing on the Avenida EE:UU above the Yumbo
6pm - 8.30pm: Dance Session on the Avenida EE:UU above the Yumbo. Entrance Free
9pm - 11.30pm: Pride GALA show. International stars and more on the main stage in Yumbo. Entrance Free. Artists: The Weather Girls, Pete Burns (Dead or Alive), The cast of the Spanish Fame Academy, Rafa Mendez, Bearforce 1 & Kym Mazelle

Sunday 11th May

5pm - 9pm: Pride closing party. Main Square Yumbo Centre. Entrance Free
7.30 - Late: Vegas Legends Dinner Show at the Black and Red Casino, Meloneras. Entrance €49.50 (you will need to be at the Casino no later than 7.15pm)

A Ticket Office will be located in the Yumbo, open mid afternoon to late evening.

FIRES IN THE CANARIES

2008-04-29T09:22:00.006+01:00

Good morning folks,
Today, unfortunately, I have to star this blog my giving a sad news; last Saturday a fire started in La Gomera, one of the seven canary islands. More than 500 people have been evacuated and around 700 hectares have been burnt since then. Firemen from different islands have gone to help in this huge fire also because it is very near to the "Garajonay National Park" one of the beauties of this island.
Here you have some official information I got from the net:

An Interior Ministry spokesman said the fires were burning at three points in the north of the Spanish island that lies off the northwest coast of Africa. The towns of Vallehermoso, Hermigua and Agulo have been affected and several people were treated for smoke inhalation. So far more than 500 hectares (1,236 acres) have burned and residents were evacuated from their homes Saturday night as a precaution, the spokesman told The Associated Press.
Firefighting aircraft have arrived from the Spanish mainland to try to protect Garajonay national park, just south of the fires, the spokesman said on condition of anonymity in keeping with government rules.
More than 120 army specialists have joined firefighters who are using planes, helicopters and fire trucks to combat the flames in hot, windy weather conditions, the spokesman said. The 3,986 hectare (9,850 acre) Garajonay park is protected because it is the last remaining Tertiary Period habitat to survive in Europe, the Environment Ministry says on its Web site.
Climate change during the Quaternary Period caused the disappearance of other similar ecosystems, the ministry said.
The Tertiary Period began 65 million years ago and lasted until 1.8 million years ago when the Quaternary, or present period began.
Spain announced aid and tax breaks for the islands last August following the worst fires there in 50 years.

53 year old man from Hermigua has been arrested accused of causing a forest fire that has destroyed around 800 hectares close to the Garajonay national park. The blaze, which is almost now under control, is alleged to have been started accidentally as the detained man was burning stubble on his farm in Ibo Alfaro.

Let's hope this will end soon and that will not go further to the park.

Ruth

For all women out there :-)

2008-04-25T13:33:00.002+01:00

Buenas tardes a todos,
This is something a very special person sent me and I thought I would share it with you.
Maybe it could help some men to understand us women :-)
Here it goes;

WHY WOMEN CRY

A little boy asked his mother, 'Why are you crying?'
'Because I'm a woman,' she told him.'I don't understand,' he said.
His Mom just hugged him and said, 'And you never will.'
Later the little boy asked his father, 'Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?'
'All women cry for no reason,' was all his dad could say.
The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.
Finally he put in a call to God.
When God got on the phone, he asked, 'God, why do women cry so easily?'
God said:'When I made the woman she had to be special.I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world,
Yet gentle enough to give comfortI gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.
I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue with out complaining.
I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.
I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.
I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.
And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed.'
'You see my son,' said God, 'the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides.'

Have a good weekend!

Ruth

2008-04-21T11:26:00.003+01:00

Hola a todos,
¿Qué tal va?
I'm sorry I haven't written for a while. Actually,when it is my turn to write I think; 'I'll do it now, I'll do it later? but then I have so many different things to do that I forget or do not have time enough, as Anja said in one of her posts, we do here a bit of everything and now that María is on holiday I have been busier.
When I began to work here, almost 5 years ago, I began in the reception and also doing reservations, I liked that department becuase you got to know the people and have a chat with them. The worth part was the schedule, had to work all weekends and never had a day off together with my husband. After a while I began to work in the office, where I still am. I do reserrvations, members service, I deal with the cashes in reception, also deal with the banks about the exchange of money, I do minimarket, like the shopping, new product etc, though here I have a wonderful help in María. But, María is gone on holiday now, so besides all my work, I'm covering reception a couple of days in the week, so as you see, I have too many things in my head and, MEA CULPA, forgot to write this blog :-)
I like my job, after being here so long I have gotten to meet a lot of clients, who, repeat every year, some of them has become friends and some of them have become more than that, like the Schofield family, I call them my second English family :-)(I also have my aunt in England and my cousin, his wife and children, though he is now in Afganistan).
As you see, this place is nice to work at, the collegues are very nice and we all help each other in what we can.
To sum up, let me tell you this is a wonderful place to be. You do not believe me?
Whay don't you come and experience it by yourself?

Ruth

Por fin

2008-04-18T16:18:00.004+01:00

Hola soy Anja del departamento de marketing. Vi que todos los blogs estan escritos en Ingles y pensé ¿Que pasa con nuestra clientela Española? Antes de todo quiero deciros que soy Belga y que mas de un fallo gramatical encontrarás en el texto. Yo aprendi a hablar y escribir el Español aqui en Gran Canaria con 23 años, sin tomar ningún cursillo. Ya se lo imaginarán, pues si, vine de vacaciones y me enamoré y desde entonces estoy aqui en la isla. Y para decir la verdad me gusta mucho el estilo de vida de aqui. Creo que no puedo adaptarme otra vez a la vida en Bélgica y sobre todo al clima. La última vez que fui a visitar mi familia, era en el mes de agosto y pasé frio. Lo que si echo de menos son los jardines y bosques. Aqui tener una casa con jardin cuesta bastante dinero. Pero tengo mi terraza en casa y durante casi el año disfruto de ella. Mi marido se llama Ramón y ya estamos 17 años juntos. Tenemos 3 hijos, los mellisos Emilia y Tomás de 14 años y el pequeño Iker de 4 años. De tanto decirle la gente "Iker Casillas" el esta muy confundido. En el colegio tenían que decir los niños sus appellidos y va Iker y dice: "Me llamo Iker Casillas Santana Vanderhoeven". Llevo trabajando 4 años en Vista Serena en el departamento de marketing y me gusta mucho. No hay tiempo para aburrirse, no solo es estar detras del ordenador y sacar estadísticas, pero también el contacto con los clientes. Pongo anuncios en internet, hago estudios sobre el mercado turístico, contesto a las peticiones de los interesados, hago las reservas de internet, mando las confirmaciones, intento de vistar a mis huéspedes, también ayudo en las reformas que hacemos, pedir presupuestos, hacer el pedido, control de los trabajos realizados, inventario, etc. Aqui hay que saber hacer de todo. A veces tengo que cubrir la recepción por un ratito, cobrar a la gente que compra en el minimercado, enseñar un apartamento a un interesado. Ya veis un trabajo con mucha variedad y lo más importante es que tengo unos colegas estupendos, nos llevamos muy bien.

La próxima semana os contaré mas cositas.

Buen fin de semana,

Anja

P.S. en la foto mi marido y yo (en chandal gris) en nuestra fiesta de cumpleaños

2008-04-14T15:36:00.004+01:00

I am happy because Rachel is back. No I have somebody to talk to. Our office is down the stairs and has no windows, no views at all. Without air conditioning in Summer it is impossible to work. I call the office my cave, although there is a difference with a real cave. Have you ever stayed in a cave? Friends have a cave in the north of the island, and we have been there with them several times. If you do not know the exact location of the cave, you will not find it. When I entered the first time I was really surprised. The cave has a sitting area, a kitchen, a bathroom and several bedrooms. Electricity, telephone and television. On entering in one room you had to pay attention to the ceiling, believe me it really hurts when you get a rocky ceiling on your head. When it is cold outside in the cave it is warm, and when it is warm outside in the cave it is cool. In Summer I like to sleep in the cave, I have to cover me with a blanket. You really get cold if you do not use a blanket and do not forget to wear shoes or socks, because the floor is really cold. My children like to go to the cave, because they can play hide and seek, also if they are noisy it doesn ´t matter because of the rocky walls. I think I am going to call my firends, to see when we can go again...

Did you miss me???

2008-04-09T10:17:00.013+01:00

I'm back from Ecuador!!! I arrived back on Monday around 2pm, after nearly 20 hours of travelling!

It was definitely an experience, and I'm glad that I went. Ecuador is a very small country compared to the other South American countries, but it has a bit of everything.

We spent the first week in the city of Guayaquil. Guayaquil is a built up city with lots of buildings, cars, people, and businesses.

There are some very nice parts to the city, such as the Malecón 2000. Malecón 2000 is the jewel in the crown of Guayaquil which is solely for pedestrians, and has been constructed over the Guayas River. Safe, protected and guarded by the police force, this waterfront is home to lots of cafés, bars, monuments and a string of shops including a shopping mall (Centro Comercial Malecon).

However, there are other things that this city holds that aren't so nice. Being from a developed country, I don't think I was quite as prepared as I thought I was to see such poverty. I'm not used to seeing kids selling whatever they can, whether it be chewing gum, bottles of water, or cigarettes, just to make a bit of money. I wasn't prepared for the feeling of insecurity whilst walking around in the town either, and the distribution of wealth over there seemed more unfair then ever. But the people I spent my time with were lovely. They really went out of their way to make sure that I had everything that I needed.

The second week we spent in the town of Riobamba. We caught a plane to the capital city of Quito, and then it was a 3 hour drive from Quito to Riobamba. Riobamba is the capital of Chimborazo Province in central Ecuador, which is located at the Chambo River Valley of the Andes. It is 200 km (125 miles) south of Ecuador's capital Quito and located at 9,000 feet (2,700 m) on the Avenue of the Volcanoes. The city is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, and while sitting at the foot of the volcano Chimborazo, you can get the world’s highest view from the center of the Earth. This town was definitely something different to Guayaquil. It had a more laid back air to it all, not as hectic as the city, and I seemed to be more at ease security wise. The surrounding mountains and volcanoes with their snowy tops were beautiful, and we were well taken care of during our stay there.

One thing that I couldn't get used to though during my stay in Ecuador was the food :-( I just couldn't stomach it. I can't quite explain why, but the taste just wasn't for me. The fruit that was available was amazing, and the fruit juices they prepare are lovely, but I'm afraid that was as about as far as I went. I tried a bit of everything, but I have to admit to you all, on the last 2 days I snook out and had a McDonalds (something I haven't eaten for years!), and I also found a TGI Fridays restaurant and pigged out on a huuuuge hamburger and chips. Sorry!

All in all, I had a good experience in Ecuador, but it made me realise how lucky we are to live where we do, afterall, could you survive earning just £100 a month???

The Celebration Bar

2008-04-01T13:57:00.004+01:00

I guess not a many of you know that the bar/restaurant here at the resort is called Celebration Bar. Today Miguel left after more than 4 years working here. Now the bar/restaurant is ran under the supervision of Ramón and waiter Diego. This morning it was a real chaos. The girls started at 7 o´clock in the morning to clean the bar and kitchen. Ramón came at 9 to see how to prepare everything, because they had to open at 12.00 hours. You can imagine it is a lot of work without having anything. All the providers had to come before 12, and at 11.45 the beverage provider had not come yet ... And as we want to deliver a good service we had announced that beverages from 12 till 20.00 hours are at half price. You can imaging the bar staff was nervous when at 12 there still was no beverage at all..... But lucky 15 minutes later the provider arrived. For the next couple of days the bar will be opened from 12 till 20.00 hours, until it is completely running as it should be. I am getting thirsty, I think I go to have a drink at the bar at HALF PRICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anja

Weekend plans

2008-03-28T17:41:00.004+01:00

Oeps ... I forgot it was my turn today. I still have 10 minutes left before I go home. If everything is in order I will take the children to play bowling tonight. Normally if I make plans something comes between it... Tomorrow noon I will have to go to La Garita, to my friends house. It is just before Las Palmas, next to the hypermarket Al Campo and DIY-shop Leroy Merlin a 30 minutes drive away. My friends father will celebrate his birthday, and will prepare Sancocho and goat meat (cabra). My friend called me this morning and I have to go (you see they never let me make plans). I did not make plans for Sunday, but I am sure that my friends will organize my day.....

Have a nice weekend.

Anja

My mini holidays and Sancocho

2008-03-25T13:01:00.005+01:00

Hello, I am back. It is me Anja. I was off during 4 days for the Easter Holidays. This time I was lucky, Ruth came on Saturday to work, so I could really relax. THANK YOU RUTH !!! I rented a bungalow in Playa del Ingles, and was there with my family. Watching my youngest son (Iker)running in the garden, and splashing in the swimming pool, made me happy. I not even took a dip in the pool because the water was cold, bbbrrr, not the same as the pool here at Vista Serena, which is heated. The twins (Emi & Thomas) who are 14 years now, were watching television, playing on the Nintendo and play station. They are in this age .... I had to oblige them to go to the swimming pool. On Thursday evening I had visit of my friends, and we had a bottle of wine on the terrace. Next day we went to eat the typically meal for Easter Friday at my freinds house. It is called Sancocho. To be honest my friend is a very good coocker and I had never eaten such a good Sancocho in my life. Now you will ask me: "What is Sancocho Canario?" This is salted fish with potatoes and sweet potatoes, to which you add mojo (green or red). The taste of the sweet and salted together is very special. We also eat with it "pella de gofio", thick paste made from corn flour mixed with water, sugar rum and bananas.

For people who like to try new tastes, here are the recipes:

SANCOCHO

Ingredients: 1 Kg. of salted fishes (preferably brown meagre or cherne), 1 Kg. of big potatoes, 1 Kg. of yam, olive oil, parsley and salt to taste.
Method:
1. Desalt the fish, leaving it to soak for 24 hours. It is convenient to change the water several times.
2. Introduce in a big pot the yams and potatoes without having peeled them but chopped in big dices, cover them with water and put the pot on to heat.
3. When the potatoes and yams are almost ready, introduce the fish already desalted, cut into big pieces and cook it for ten minutes maximum so it does not break up into pieces.
4. Once the ingredients are cooked, strain it all and serve it.
This dish is accompanied with red mojo and with pella de gofio.

PELLA DE GOFIO

Ingredients: 1/2 Kg. of gofio , 1/2 glass of water, 1/2 glass of oil, sugar and salt.
Method:
1. Knead the gofio with water, table salt, a little bit of sugar and oil until you get a thick paste. You can also add banana and rum to it (NOT TO MUCH RUM....).
2. Form a cylinder with it and cut into slices.

Friday evening I was at the bungalow, and I enjoyed watching a movie of Jackie Chan on television together with my children. Saturday morning I died my hair. Yes I am blond again. My friends came to enjoy the swimming pool and we had dinner on the terrace. I took a large siesta whilst my friend took the children to a birthday party at Holiday World. Sunday it was cloudy and rather cold, no day at all to enjoy the swimming pool. My little son was really upset he had to go home and he only stayed so little time in the bungalow... and he really did not want to go to school on Monday. We passed the afternoon in San Fernando with friends, at evening we went to get some stuff already from the bungalow at drove home to sleep. Yesterday morning I left my husband in the bungalow before I came to work. On my way back, at only 50 meters from where I left my husband was a terrible car accident. It just had happened. A car was upside down and a young man was trapped in it, and the fuel was running on the street. I was really shocked. Lucky all cars stopped and phoned the 112 and helped the man to get out of the car, except of one stupid man who was driving behind me, and insulted me because I had stopped, and he just passed the accidented car, although other people were telling him to stop to help. Well, I can tell you that I came at work really upset, but any way, I did have a nice mini holiday. After work I went back to Playa del Ingles to clean the bungalow, afterwards pick up the twins from sports, making dinner at home....I already need some new holidays!!!!!!!!!!

Easter is over

2008-03-24T09:42:00.005+01:00

Buenos días,

Well, Easter is gone, can you believe it? I do not know how you celebarte it in England or other countries. Let me tell you a bit what we do here.

Holy Thursday and Friday are bank holiday here, so, normally people have 4 days off(I had to work on Saturday)

Spain is a vey religious Catholic country, well, it used to be more, nowadays young people care less about church, so most of them take these four days to relax and maybe to travel. Most of the people go to the south of the island, that is, where Vista Serena is located. The people of Las Palmas city come to stay in an apartment and enjoy the pool and the good weather. Also a lot of people of different islands come to stay here. So, it is a very busy period.

However, there is still a lot of people interested in the religious part of the festivity. In Vegueta, the old part of Las Palmas city, there are a lot of streets closed to traffic and the churches take their saints out( the figures) and go through all the treets in a throne carried by different"costaleros" which are people dressed up who devote themselves to the saints. These statues are very heavy so the are a lot of men carrying it underneath.

The saints are venerated by the people in the streets, some of them even end up crying.

But, the really devoted people in Spain, who rteally take it seriously and have a lot of tradition are in the south of the mainlad; in cities like Sevilla, Granada, Málaga, Cádiz, etc.

These people who dressed up in purple are called "Hermandades" and prepare themselves the whole year around to these "Procesiones". Even if you are not religious, these parades are very impresive with the drums and the people and the devotion in Andalucía.

Hope you had your own nice , resting "Semana Santa" (Holy Week) and that next time we can meet here in Vista Serena :-)
¡Hasta la vista!

Ruth

I'm going on holiday!!!

2008-03-19T10:11:00.007+01:00

Yes! You've heard correctly...I'm going on holiday! Today is my last day at work, and I'll be back in the office on Tuesday 8th April! I'm leaving for the airport tonight at 12.30, and at 3am, I'll be on the plane on my way to Ecuador! It's going to be a long journey because we have to go via Madrid and we've got about 4 hours to hang around in Madrid airport waiting for the next plane, but I can't wait!
I'll be leaving you in the very capable hands of Anja and Ruth, and before I leave, I'm going to leave you a few jokes that got sent to me by email. They made me chuckle, so I hope you enjoy them too. See you in April!!!!

If Tommy Cooper Were Alive Today

I met this bloke with a didgeridoo and he was playing Dancing Queen on it. I thought, "That's Aboriginal."

This lorry full of tortoises collided with a van full of terrapins. It was a turtle disaster.

I told my girlfriend I had a job in a bowling alley. She said "Tenpin?" I said, "No, permanent."

I went in to a pet shop. I said, "Can I buy a goldfish?" The guy said,"Do you want an aquarium?" I said, "I don't care what star sign it is."

I went to the local video shop and I said "Can I borrow Batman Forever?" He said, "No, you'll have to bring it back tomorrow"

Batman came up to me and he hit me over the head with a vase and he went T'PAU! I said "Don't you mean KAPOW?? He said "No, I've got china in my hand."

I bought some Armageddon cheese today, and it said on the packet. 'Best Before End'

I went into a shop and I said, "Can someone sell me a kettle." The bloke said "Kenwood" I said, "Where is he then?"

I met the bloke who invented crosswords today. I can't remember his name, it's P something T something R.

I was reading this book today, The History Of Glue. I couldn't put it down.

I phoned the local ramblers club today, but the bloke who answered just went on and on.

I was in the jungle and there was this monkey with a tin opener. I said,"You don't need a tin opener to peel a banana." He said, "No, this is for the custard."

I fancied a game of darts with my mate. He said, "Nearest the bull goes first" He went "Baah" and I went "Moo" He said "You're closest"

I bought a train ticket to France and the ticket seller said "Eurostar"I said "Well I've been on telly but I'm no Robbie Williams.

I phoned the local gym and I asked if they could teach me how to do the splits. He said, "How flexible are you?" I said, "I can't make Tuesdaysor Thursdays."

Keep on laughin! Rachelxxx

Foggy Friday

2008-03-14T09:40:00.005+01:00

Buenos días,
Every morning I wake up at 6:30 take my baby to daycare and come to work. I live in Vecindario, thought I'm originally from Las Palmas, which is about 20 mints from Maspalomas by the motorway.Everyday the same routine, everyday the same traffic in the motorway. However today was something different. Near San Agustín, suddenly I saw from far away a lot of smoke, everybody was closing their car windows, everybody was driving really slow and consequently originating a traffic jam. We all were thinking that something was burning, I do not know if you know that we had a very bad fire last year. Anyway, after a while, I realised it was FOG, can you believe it? fog in Gran Canaria. For those of you who live in cold countries, this means nothing, but for us, I'm 35 and had never seen fog here. Maybe in the mountains sometime, but in the south near the coast.NEVER. You could not even see the beach or the hotels, I thought it was very weird.
Right now it is already 9 o'clock and the sun is shinning. It looks that it is going to be a beautiful day... again :-)
Wel, today I have a very busy day we have some meetings,good thing that it is Friday, so I will leave you for today, but for those of you who are waiting for some new Spanish phrases, here are some related with the weather...

¿Qué tiempo hace? = What's the weather like?
Hace(mucho) frio = it's (very) cold
Hace (mucho) calor = it's (very) hot

See you on Monday,

Ruth

Four lessons about the way we treat people

2008-03-13T10:33:00.006+01:00

Somebody sent me this by email today....thought I'd share it with you...

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: 'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?' Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. 'Absolutely,' said the professor. 'In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello.' I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2 - Second Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. 'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked. 'Fifty pence,' replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. 'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. 'Thirty-five pence,' she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. 'I'll have the plain ice cream,' he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were a ten pence coin and a five pence coin. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

3 - Third Important Lesson.

The obstacle in Our Path. In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the King's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson . Giving When it Counts.

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, 'Yes I'll do it if it will save her.' As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, 'Will I start to die right away'. Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

El Cortijo

2008-03-10T11:50:00.002+01:00

Buenos días,
Today I thought I would write about a very nice restaurant for those of you who like to try new things for a chance.
It is located in the golf court of "El Cortijo". If you stay in Club Vista Serena you will need to hire a car for this excursion.
Get the motorway direction to Las Palmas, and drive about 25mints until you see the exit sign to El Cortijo. If you like golf you should play there. If not, just go to its restaurant and have a nice plate of Spanish cured ham as a starter. I think it is the best ham I have ever tried.
Then you should try its meat. They prepare a nice sirloin with red wine which is incredible. The terrace of this restaurant overlooks the golf court and its service is absolutetly fabulous!
When you are there try your Spanish asking for the bill saying:
"La cuenta, por favor" :-)
Hasta la vista,

Ruth

These crazy languages ;-)

2008-03-07T15:10:00.004+01:00

Hola,
¿Qué tal?
Hi, What's up? Would you have liked to undrestand this phrase without my translation? Yes? ok, here it goes your today's lesson.

Lesson three: Greetings

Buenos días -> Good morning
Buenas tardes-> Good afternoon
Buenas noches-> Good evening/good night
As you probably have deducted, "bueno/a" is good.
A new tip here for you: all words in Spanish have gendre, that is, masculine or femenine words, there are no rules for that, but most of the words that end in "o" are masc. and in "a" femenine. Adjectives need to go in concordance with the words in gendre and number. So we have bueno/ buena, buenos/buenas.
Hola-> Hello
Adiós -> Good bye
Hasta luego-> See you later
Hasta la vista-> See you later or "see you when I see you"
Hasta pronto-> See you soon
Chao-> bye

Yes I know, all this seems a bit crazy, but, which language isn't?
Here it goes something I came through for you to giggle a bit.

Let's face it - English is a crazy language too;
There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick" ? :-)

Chao,

Ruth

Kalima

2008-03-06T17:24:00.003+01:00

Have you seen it? It is 22 degrees outside. From today you can check the temperature online!
I have the impression it is warmer than 22 degrees, today we have Kalima, also called Sirocco. This is hot wind coming from the sahara. Last night it was very windy and also this morning, but by noon the wind was not so strong anymore. This wind brings a lot of dust and sand with is, which is not very good for peoples health. We aren´t inhaling pure air today. I just washed my car this weekend, and will have to do it again when this kalima is gone, my car has blue color, but was brown last week of the sand that fell on it. Normally this kind of weather last for 2 or 3 days, and usually it rains (which cleans the air) after it. Now it is not so bad, but in Summer time temperature can go up till 48 degrees. You can imagine that you cannot do anything when it is so hot. Everybody will keep the windows shut, turn on the air conditioner (if they have) and drink a lot of water. I remember years ago when I was pregnant, we had such terrible sirocco and we didn ´t have air conditioner, I was sitting on the floor, crying, and putting wet towels on my body, I did not know what to do against this terrible heat. Luckely we do have air conditioner now. You see, against the cold and rain you can protect you, but against the heat there is not many you can do. During the last year we have had a lot of kalimas, the normal time for it is August and September, but now we have almost one every month.

See you all next week again,

Anja

Symtoms of being over 25....

2008-03-05T17:01:00.003+01:00

This year I'll be 30, and I'm already stressing about it! I think I'll either lock myself in a room and wait until the day is over, or I'll have a huuuge party and celebrate it as much as I can. I'm still not sure which one I'll be doing (the first one is sounding the most appealing at the moment), but for those of you out there who are worried about getting older too, here's something to have a giggle at, it might make the road a little easier....or not....hehehehe! Rachelxxx

SYMPTOMS OF BEING OVER 25
1. You leave clubs before the end to "beat the rush". (worst still you don't go to the clubs)
2. You get more excited about having a roast on a Sunday than going clubbing the night before.
3. You stop dreaming of becoming a professional footballer / basketballplayer and start dreaming of having a son who might instead.
4. Before throwing the local paper away, you look through the propertysection.
5. All of a sudden, middle aged people are not 46, they are only 46.
6. Before going out anywhere, you ask whether there is anywhere to park.
7. Rather than throw a knackered pair of trainers out, you keep them because they'll be alright for the DIY or in the garden.
8. You buy T-shirts without anything written on them.
9. Instead of laughing at the innovations catalogue that falls out of the newspaper, you suddenly see both the benefit and money saving properties of most of the things that are in it.
10. You start to worry about your parents' health.
11. You have more disposable income, but everything you want or need to buy costs between 200 and 500 quid.
12. You don't get funny looks when you buy a Disney video or a Wallace And Gromit bubble bath, as the sales assistant assumes they are for your children.
13. Pop music all starts to sound the same.
14. You opt for Pizza Express over Pizza Hut because they do a really nice half-bottle of house red.
15. You always have enough milk in.
16. To compensate for the fact that you have little desire to go clubbing, you instead frequent trendy bars and restaurants in the mistaken belief that you have not turned into your parents.
17. While flicking through the TV channels, you happen upon C4's TimeTeam with Tony Robinson. You get drawn in. Grand Designs also appeals.
18. The benefits of a pension scheme become clear.
19. You go out of your way to pick up a colour chart from B&Q.
20. You wish you had a shed.
21. You have a shed.
22. You actually find yourself saying "They don't make 'em like that anymore" and "I remember when there were only 4 TV channels" and "Not in my day...."
23. Radio 2 play more songs you know than Radio 1 - and Jeremy Vine has some really interesting guests on.
24. Instead of tutting at old people who take ages to get off the bus, you tut at rowdy school children.
25. When sitting outside a pub you admire their hanging baskets.
26. You find yourself saying "is it cold in here or is it just me

2008-03-04T09:33:00.009+01:00

The Purple Hat
Hola,
We are already in March, can you believe it? Time flies! I like this month, the weather seems nicer, (I know what you are thinking: What do you mean if you live in Gran Canaria?, Yes,it's tru, it's not as cold as England,but still, for us who live here the whole year, winter is winter and summer is summer :-) and even in the mountains, there are years when we can get some snow) As I said, I like this month, Spring begins, people seem in a better humour, it's Easter and it is my birthday!hahaha. The sea is not as cold as in winter time, you can already swim without freezing, but still days are not as hot as in the summer.
Today I thought I would leave you with some nice thoughts I came through, maybe it will help you to think about life and appreciate more what we have. It seems that we always worry for so many things which after a while seem not important at all, and we do not pay attention to those little things which make the difference, like a nice walk through the beach, an Italian ice-cream in a sunny aftertoon, or watching a red sunset when you come back from a boat excursion in the south of the island. You should try this one ;-)
IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER -
by Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.'
There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.'
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it . Live it and never give it back.
STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!
Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. Let's think about what God has blessed us with and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally.

Maybe we should all grab that purple hat earlier.... Don´t you think?
¡Adiós!

Ruth

For all those Mothers out there....

2008-03-01T14:39:00.011+01:00

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

Tomorrow, the 2nd March it's Mother's Day in the UK.
Over here in Spain, it's not until May, but since I'm British I think my Mum would get quite upset if I didn't celebrate it with her :-)
I'm lucky, I've got 2 Mums. My Mum, Beverley, is the best Mum in the whole wide world, and I've also got another Mum - Barbara. My Dad remarried last year, and she is a beautiful person too.

So this is for my 2 Mum's....I love you both....Happy Mother's Day!

A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary. Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. Unknown

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. Honore de Balzac, author

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. Tenneva Jordan

A mother understands what a child does not say. Jewish Proverb

Your arms were always open when I needed a hug. Your heart understood when I needed a friend. Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. Your strength and love has guided me and gave me wings to fly. Sarah Malin

The best advice my mother ever gave to me was: 'Strivers achieve what dreamers believe. If you put your mind to it, you can do it. Be careful what you wish for because you might get it. And, listen to me, I've been through it already.'Usher, singer. Mother: Jonnetta Patton

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back. William D. Tammeus

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. Charles R. Swindoll, The Strong Family

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,

Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,

Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,

But only one mother the wide world over. George Cooper

Mother's Love

Her love is like

an island in life's ocean,

vast and wide

A peaceful, quiet shelter

From the wind, the rain, the tide.

'Tis bound on the north by Hope,

By Patience on the West,

By tender Counsel on the South

And on the East by Rest.

Above it like a beacon light

Shine Faith, and Truth, and Prayer;

And thro' the changing scenes of life

I find a haven there.

Author Unknown

Mother... You filled my days with rainbow lights,

Fairytales and sweet dream nights,

A kiss to wipe away my tears,

Gingerbread to ease my fears.

You gave the gift of life to me

And then in love, you set me free.

I thank you for your tender care,

For deep warm hugs and being there.

I hope that when you think of me

A part of you

You'll always see.

Author Unknown

MUMISMS

Every mum has a favourite quote and a special tone to scold or teach a lesson to their kids. We might hate this mumism as a child but we all so much miss them when we grow up. This harsh sounding and yet so sweet advice from mothers is what makes our childhood so special. These motherly sayings go a long way in building us strong and making us a better person. Though we hate our mums for being so harsh in their statements, ironically we all use the same mumism that we received from our mothers on our kids.

Here is list of most common and popular mumisms.

Money does not grow on trees.

Don't make that face or it'll freeze in that position.

If I talked to my mother like you talk to me....

Always change your underwear; you never know when you'll have an accident.

Be careful or you'll put your eye out.

What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?

You have enough dirt behind those ears to grow potatoes!

Close that door! Were you born in a barn?

If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

Don't put that in your mouth; you don't know where it's been!

Be careful what you wish for, it might come true.

Because I'm your mother that's why.

If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times.

If you fall out of that tree and break you leg , don't come running to me.

Someday your face is going to stick like that.

Because I said so.

I've got eyes in the back of my head, that's how

Honestly... You'd lose your head if it wasn't screwed on!

2008-02-29T09:27:00.004+01:00

Hi there,
Missed me? :-) I told you I was writing again on Tuesday, but, I'm sorry, I wasn't at the office, my 5 months baby was sick and had to stay with him.It is difficult to be a working mum with no help.
Anyway, I'm here. Have you practice your phrases? humm, what are you saying? no? , can't believe you! Well, you are excused this time but you have to practice... and to help you do it, let me tell you some basic tips about the Spanish language comparing to English.
Spanish is not as difficult as you think. Yes, the grammar is much complicated than English, specially the verb forms (we will get there someday), but spelling and pronunciation is much easier than English. The way it's written, the way it's spoken. What I mean by this is that in English you have similar words, that are pronunce completly different, for example, 'put' and 'cut', did you now that English uses around seventeen vowel sound? Well, in Spanish are just five, the same than written. And here goes your Lesson 2: Vowel Sounds
a = English sound, like in "cat"
e= like in "pen"
i= like in "pizza"
o= like in "always" remember,it's not /ou/
u= like in "book"
Just remember these are aproximately sounds.
Hope you practice these sounds for Tuesday.
I'll see you then,
¡Adiós!

Ruth

LAST FEW DAYS...RENT WITH US FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER AND PAY JUST 350 EUROS!

2008-02-27T16:49:00.004+01:00

That’s right! You’ve heard correctly! One week for just 350 Euros! (approx. £260!)

You have until this Friday, 29th February 2008 to make your booking for any time during the months of April, May, June, July, August, or September, for a set price of 350 Euros per week, per apartment!

It’s an offer that you cannot miss! If there are 4 of you, it works out at just 87.50 Euros per person! That’s around £65 per person!

You can contact us by email at VSSERVICES@telefonica.net

or by phone 0034 928 769100.

Just let us know how you found out about this offer, and don’t forget!…it’s only valid until 29/02/08!

Ask for Anja or Rachel.

Good Canarian Restaurant

2008-02-26T18:29:00.001+01:00

Have you ever asked which kind of restaurants visit Canarian people? A very popular one is Bar Playa in El Pajar, this due to its´excellent food and prices. But do not visit it on a Sunday (opened from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. on Sundays), because you will have to wait around 2 hours before a table becomes available. This bar-restaurant is situated next to the cement factory with views on the sea. In the interior of the bar you will only find plastic tables and chairs, and do not expect you can choose a table, when it is your turn (you have to take a number upon arrival), you get the table which is available. At this place they have the best paella of the isle. The menu is written on the paper table cloth, but depending on what time it is, the available plates can reduce. Anyway the waiter will tell you what is available. I went there this Saturday with my family, my husband Ramón (Canarian), my 14 years old twins (Thomas & Emilie) and my youngest son Iker (4 years). We arrived at 13.00 hours and were lucky to get a table inmediately. Half hour later they started to give the numbers. We do not take a plate for each person, but order different plates and share. We had 2 paellas, fried octopus, 1 salat of the house, wrinkeled potatoes, choco (octopus in small parts fried with flour), fresh mackerels, 3 drinks for the children, 1 glas of white wine and 2 beers, 3 ice creams, and paid .... 38 Euros, which is approx. 26 GBP.

How you get there? Take the motorway (GC 1) to Arguineguin, take the exit of Arguineguin, afterwards you take the exit to El Pajar, after 500 meter you will come on a roundabout and you have to turn to the right, go straight ahead till you come on the cement factory. At the right handside is parking place.

If you wish to have a different Canarian experience, try this restaurant.

Anja

Short stories with big meanings...

2008-02-23T14:57:00.009+01:00

We're going to leave you with a few short stories so you can have a read over the weekend. They're short in length, but big in meaning...

JACK
(As told by Wayne Dyer)

A fifth grade teacher began her first day with a new class. All the students were neat and well‑behaved, except for Jack, a boy in the front row, who was slumped in his chair and seemed to need a bath. She felt annoyed by his lack of effort, and delighted in marking his papers all over with her red pen, giving him a big 'F'. But teachers in her school were required to read all their students' reports from earlier years. The first grade teacher wrote, "Jack is a smart and happy boy, full of promise." The second grade teacher wrote, "Jack seems worried about his mother's terminal illness." The third and fourth grade teachers wrote "Jack seems depressed about the loss of his mother." Now she understood.
From that day on she was more patient with Jack, focusing on what he did well instead of his shortcomings. For Christmas, all the children brought neatly wrapped gifts. Jack brought something wrapped clumsily in brown paper from a shopping bag. She opened it while the other children frowned and found a necklace with some missing rhinestones, and half a bottle of perfume. She wore the necklace and put on some of the perfume. After school, Jack told her with a bright smile, "Today you smell just like my Mom."

At the end of the year, Jack told her, "You were the best teacher I ever had." About every four years, she received a letter from Jack, saying what he was doing and adding, "You are still the best teacher I ever had." He became a medical doctor, and for his wedding, he asked his fifth grade teacher to take the place of his deceased mother. She wore the necklace and put on the perfume Jack had given her. Jack told her, "Thank you for being so patient and encouraging, without you I would never have made it." She said, "No, I must thank you, because you taught me how to teach."
A Chinese proverb says, "Don't curse the darkness, light a candle."

THE LEAKING POT

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on one end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a hole in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the leaking pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor leaking pot was ashamed of its imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want you to throw me away and replace me. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this hole in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaw, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts."
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That is because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you have watered them. For two years I have been able to pick some of these beautiful flowers to decorate our table, and many passersby have enjoyed them, too. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be any of these beautiful flowers."

We all have our own unique flaws, but it is these flaws that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. We simply ought to take each person for who and what they are, and look for the good in them. And we can take pride and pleasure in doing what we can without self-recrimination, because even leaking pots may serve a useful purpose such as nourishing beauty.

FATHER, SON AND DONKEY

A father and his son were bringing a donkey to the market. The father was riding on the donkey, and the son walked alongside. A passerby criticized the father, "How could you let your son walk while you are sitting comfortably on the donkey?" The father got down and let his son ride on the donkey. Soon another passerby said to the son, "You are young and strong, how could you sit on the donkey while your father is walking?" So the son got down, and they both walked with the donkey. Another passerby ridiculed them and said, "How silly for you to walk, you could ride on your donkey." So they both sat on the donkey. Soon someone exclaimed, "That poor animal, carrying two strong men!" So the father and son got down and carried the donkey to the market.--It is a good idea to listen to advice, but we must decide ourselves whether it is useful.

DOGS AS TEACHERS

If dogs were our teachers, we would learn: When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. No matter how often you are scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout, run right back and make friends. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

Love is like sunshine. If you turn towards it and accept it, you can feel its warmth. If you turn away from it, you feel cold and abandoned.

2008-02-22T12:00:00.005+01:00

Hi there... I'm back
What? ...excuse me ... what are you saying? that who am I? Well, by the ones who know me I'm Ruth in Reservations Department, by the ones who do not know me... let me introduce myself since I will be sharing some thoughts with you too, here at the blog.
As I said, my name is Ruth, Ruth Yánez, and yes, I'm Spanish, so you will have to excuse me if my English is not perfect :-)
I was born in Las Palmas, the "capital " of this beaautiful island. I lived there almost all my life, since I have studied, worked and lived for many years abroad. I'm actually, an English teacher I got my university degree in Granada, the south of Spain, and I have worked in Kentucky, United States, as a Spanish teacher for three years.
After coming back to settle down in the island, I was a bit lost here, but I found Club Vista Serena, where I have found a second home. The enviorement here is wonderful to work, What can I say about holidaying(I don't know if this word is correct or I just have made it up) here!
I invite you all to give it a try! We all here try to make your holidays a memorable one, from the first face you see at the reception to the cleaners who come through your room always with a smile in their faces.... I feel here like at home with friendly people all around me and we all do our best to make you feel the same way.
I'm not sure what kind of things I will be writing here, since my friends Rachel and Anja, already have gave you a lot of information, so I thought I could maybe give you some tips to move around the island... yes, I know, they have already told something, but have they told you in Spanish? hahaha, gotcha... I'll be giving you some small Spanish lessons. For those of you dare to try these small phrases, go ahead, I dare you hihihi.
Lesson 1:Phrases to begin your holidays with .When you get to the airport and you want to ask where the taxi or bus stop is you can say: ¿Dónde está la parada de taxis?
¿Dónde está la parada de guagua?
¿Dónde? = Where?
está= is
We will be using these words a lot, so, learn them ok?
As you see, some Spanish words have a like thing (´) on top, this is just an entonation mark, that is where the word has the strongest emphasis.
Well, homework for today:-) learn these two phrases,
I'll come back on Tuesday with some more, ok?

Ruth

Routes at Gran Canaria

2008-02-21T18:10:00.006+01:00

Hi,

I am Anja of the Marketing Department. Rachels´colleague. Rachel has so many things to do, so we (her colleagues) have decided to help her to write the blog. I am Dutch, and living already 16 years her at Gran Canaria, and I am working almost 4 years here at Club Vista Serena.

Today I took a look on the official website of Gran Canaria, which is http://www.grancanaria.com/ I would like to recommend some services they offer. People who like to visit the island, but do not want to go on a guided tour, can now download the information of the available routes and play off the info during the trip. Also maps are available, and they even made a tourist planner, a kind of calendar to organize the holidays day by day. They have information about several routes in Las Palmas, Maspalomas and Mogán & Telde. You can find almost anything you wish to know about the island on their page.

See you all next week!

Lessons in Life

2008-02-20T14:31:00.004+01:00

I received an email today, one of those forward things that are usually a pain in the bum, but a lot of it made sense and it made me think, so I thought I'd share it with you....hope it comes in useful :-)

Here's what Maya Angelou has learned from growing older (Maya Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman. Being a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, Dr. Angelou continues to travel the world making appearances, spreading her legendary wisdo).

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will get better tomorrow."
"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."
"I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same as making a life."
"I've learned that life sometime gives you a second chance".
"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back."
"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision".
"I've learned that even when I have pain, I don't have to be one."
"I've learned that each day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back."
"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

It's FFFFFFRIDAY!

2008-02-15T16:56:00.005+01:00

Ok, by now all of you should have that Friday feeling. At this precise moment it's 4pm here in Gran Canaria and the weekend is approaching! (I work Saturdays, but hey! I still get that Friday feeling.

Here's a few jokes to get the weekend off to a good start...have a giggle!

What's the difference between roast beef and pea soup? Anyone can roast beef.
I'll never forget the first time I saw my husband. He was standing on a hill, his hair blowing in the breeze, and he too proud to run after it.
A husband and wife walked up to view the body of his mother-in-law at the funeral. As he began to weep, his wife slapped him and said: “Why are you crying, you never liked my mother anyway!” The husband replied, “I know, I thought I saw her move!!”
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man. A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does. A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
After she woke up, a woman told her husband, "I just dreamed that you gave me a pearl necklace for Valentine's day. What do you think it means?""You'll know tonight." he said.That evening, the man came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it to find a book entitled "The Meaning of Dreams"
What do you call 10 rabbits walking backwards?... A receding hair line.
What sound does a grape make when an elephant steps on it? None. It just lets out a little wine.
A man entered a pet shop, wanting to buy a parrot. The shop owner pointed out three identical parrots on a perch and said, "The parrot to the left costs 500 dollars.""Why does that parrot cost so much?" the man wondered.The owner replied, "Well, it knows how to use a computer."The man asked about the next parrot on the perch."That one costs 1,000 dollars because it can do everything the other parrot can do, plus it knows how to use the UNIX operating system." Naturally, the startled customer asked about the third parrot."That one costs 2,000 dollars.""And what does that one do?" the man asked.The owner replied, "To be honest, I've never seen him do a thing, but the other two call him boss!"
Knock Knock. Who’s there? Police. Police who? Police let us in; it's cold out here!
If a man yells in the woods and no woman hears him, is he still wrong?

And last but not least....the quote of the day: "Hard work never hurt anyone, but why take the chance."

Have a great weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T12:09:00.003+01:00

For all of you out there who are in luuurve! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I know this day has been marketed to death, and the prices of everything go up, but I don't care what anybody says, I still like buying my Valentine a gift, and I definitely love receiving one! :-)

I was thinking about writing about the history of Valentine's Day, but then I got bored, and thought Valentines Day Quotes would be better...take a look and see what you think :-)

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies -Aristotle
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage -Lao Tzu
Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place -Zora Neale Hurston
Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it...It really is worth fighting for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more - Erica Jong
Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness - Oliver Wendell Holmes
Love stretches your heart and makes you big inside - Margaret Walker
Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired - Mark Twain
Love is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day - Nicholas Sparks
Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile - Elizabeth Browning
To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer. But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down - Woody Allen

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

RENT WITH US FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER!

2008-02-12T14:26:00.001+01:00

GREAT SPECIAL OFFER PRICES FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER AT CLUB VISTA SERENA!

We have prices starting as low as 250 Euros per apartment per week! That's just £175 for the week! If there are 4 of you sharing, that's about £45 each for one week!

So what are you waiting for...get in touch with us, and book your holiday!

These special offers are for a limited time only, so don't wait around! Send us an email to VSSERVICES@telefonica.net or give us a ring on 0034 928 769100 and we'll let you know what you have to do to make the booking.

When you contact us, just let us know that you have seen the offer through our Blog, and we can apply the discount!

Hope to be hearing from you soon!

Outdoor Markets in Gran Canaria

2008-02-08T12:09:00.000+01:00

For those of you planning to visit the Island, I thought I'd give you a run down of just some of the outdoor markets that you could visit during your stay. You never know, you could pick up a bargain, and at the same time, pay a visit to some of the other towns on the Island. Please remember...if you do go to a 'mercadillo' over here, you've got to barter! The stall holders are clever buggars and start off with high prices because they're used to tourists bringing them down - you could get something half the price it started off at! So don't be shy, barter away!

Town: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Day: Sundays 8-2
Place: Central Bus Station - San Telmo

Town: Maspalomas
Day: Wednesdays and Saturdays 8-2
Place: Maspalomas Market Hall

Town: Arguineguín
Day: Tuesdays and Thursdays 8-2
Place: Tuesdays in the Plaza Negra, and Thursdays in the Ancora Shopping Centre

Town: Puerto de Mogán
Day: Fridays 8-2
Place: Bus Station

Town: Teror
Day: Sundays 8-2
Place: The Basílica de Teror

Town: Gáldar
Day: Thursdays 8-2
Place: The Plaza de Santiago Apóstol

Town: Vecindario
Day: Mondays and Wednesdays 8-2
Place: Recinto Ferial

And for those of you that like a good car boot sale, every Sunday from 9-4 you can visit the one near the Faro II Shopping Centre in Maspalomas.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!

2008-02-07T13:22:00.000+01:00

It's the year of the rat! Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4706 begings today, the 7th February!

Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is the brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year...sounds good to me :-)

Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one of them. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those of you born in the rat years tend to be leaders, pioneers, and conquerors. You are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking.

In China, the New Year is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other's homes for visits and shared meals, most significantly a feast on New Year's Eve.

Chinese New Year ends with the lantern festival on the fifteenth day of the month. In may areas, the highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance, where a dragon made of silk, paper and bamboo is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the dragon through the streets.

Hope you have a happy ratty year!

It's carnaval time!

2008-01-09T15:30:00.000+01:00

This year, the Las Palmas carnaval runs from 18th January to 9th February. The Canarians like their carnavals! There's lots of stuff going on, with lots of fancy dress competitions, the Carnaval Queen competition, and not forgetting the Drag Queen Gala!

The carnaval arrives here in Maspalomas on Thursday 7th February with the Welcome Parade and runs right through until the 17th February.
Dates of interest:
08/02/08 - The Carnaval Queen Competition, starting at 9pm
14/02/08 - The Carnaval Drag Queen Competition, starting at 9pm
16/02/08 - The main Carnaval Parade followed by the big night party!

Nearly all of the events will be taking place in the Yumbo Centre, so if you're on holiday over here during these dates, make sure you pay a visit!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

2007-12-20T11:05:00.000+01:00

Club Vista Serena would like to wish a very Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!

We hope that 2008 brings you health, happiness, joy, and laughter and we hope all your dreams come true!

The joys of late night travel for Committe Members

2007-11-07T15:37:00.000+01:00

Here's a little tale from one of our committee members, Colin Shoveller on the joys of late night flights...

...Ross and I had the journey from hell!!! The plane was delayed due to operational problems. We should have taken off at 22:55, but we had to wait until 01:35. We were entertained at the airport by the worst kind of behaviour you would wish to see, where two sets of couples were verbally abusing each other - the language made me blush (and we kept our heads down). Landing at the furthest outpost at Gatwick, we dashed through miles of corridors, past passport control etc, to have to wait 5 minutes for the shuttle taking us from the north terminal to south terminal, and thence to the trains, only to find that Ross made his train with 2 minutes to spare and I didn't, so I had to wait another hour for the next one. It took me until 08:30 to arrive home. Almost 12 hours after leaving the resort, and a combined waiting time of 5 and a half hours! New committee members...please note it is not always fun and laughter! :)

Good one Colin! That'll really convince all those wannabe committee members! hehehehehe! ;)

Become a Member of the Club Vista Serena Committe!

2007-11-07T15:19:00.000+01:00

Are you a Member of Club Vista Serena? Would you like to become a member of the Club's Committee?

It's easy...all you have to do is submit your nomination in writing to the offices of the Club, together with a CV outlining any skills you may have which would be of benefit to the Club. All nominees must be seconded by another Member. This may be done in writing prior to the next AGM or at the meeting itself from the floor. All nominees must be present at the meeting.
It is preferable that you submit your nomination around February/March time next year, so it can be discussed in the Committee meeting before the AGM later in the year.

WE WANT YOU!

Rate and Review Club Vista Serena!

2007-11-02T13:48:00.001+01:00

This is for those of you that have been with us here on the resort...you've had a taste of Club Vista Serena, you've seen and experienced what we have to offer, so let others know about it!

Here you've got a photo of me and Lynda Scott. Lynda and her husband Norman are Members here at the Club, and they've been coming here for years. Here's what they have had to say about their last stay...
"Hi Rachel, sorry we didn't see you before we left. We had a great time as usual. Just 1 complaint...time goes too quickly! We would like to thank everyone...maintenance crew, cleaners (especially Nico), the bar staff - Diego, Joanna, Carlos, and of course Miguel, all the reception staff who are always so helpful, and all the girls in the office, especially YOU ! A special thank you to Tony (i told him i'd remember !). We hope to be back very soon, it's like our 2nd home. Take care, loads of love lynda and norman x x

Thanks Lyn and Norm for the comments! I'll continue practicing the pronunciation of the word 'microwave' in a Brummy accent! hehehehehe!

If you'd like to rate and review the resort, just go to the Contact Us page on our website and fill in the form!

The outside painting is completed!

2007-10-25T15:59:00.000+01:00

Just take a look at the resort now! It's taken a few months to get all the apartment blocks done, but we've finally got there, and I think it looks great! There were a few of you umming and arring about the new colours, but now we can see the final picture, I think you'll agree, it does look pretty spectacular!

I don't know why, but when I pull up to Vista Serena in the morning with the car, I get the feeling of being inbetween children's building blocks. It's a nice feeling though.

Hope you like the photos!

It's my birthday!!!

2007-10-19T13:22:00.000+01:00

Me and my mate Ruth (that's my Dad in the background too)

Well, another year older! 29 today. I must admit, I don't feel too bad at the moment about nearing 30, but I'm sure next year will be a very traumatic time for me! :-)

My day has been excellent so far. I've received tons of texts from friends and family, I've had 2 phone calls with someone singing happy birthday to me (one in English, another in Spanish), and the day isn't over yet!

I suppose there are good things and bad things about nearing your 30's. You're more mature, you know what you want, you don't take as much crap as you used to, and all you want to be is happy.

I sometimes get a bit depressed thinking that I'm nearly 30, haven't got a house, no steady bloke, no kids...but hey! Do you know what? I'm happy! I'm more confident now than I've ever been, I'm doing what I want to do, and I'm having a good time while I do it. So who cares if I'm not following the "normal" path. What's normal nowadays anyway? Not a lot. We're all different, with different ways of thinking. I think all anybody wants to be is happy, so that's my wish for this year....HAPINESS ALL ROUND!

The beer is on me....anyone fancy a pint????

My mates from Sheffield

2007-10-13T15:41:00.000+01:00

I think it's great when you can make friends at work. This is a photo of me and my mate Neil. You can just see the arm of his wife Debbie at the side of us...I hope she's not upset that she's not in the photo! Sorry Debs! Anja took the photo not me! You can have a bottle of rosé Torres on me the next time you're out! Hehehehehe!

I met Neil on the resort at Club Vista Serena way back in 2003, my first year here, when he came out with another couple of friends of his. Since that first time, he's now become a Member at Vista Serena, he's got married to Debbie and she's now a Member at Vista Serena, he's brought his brother Steve and his wife Sharon out and they're now Members at Vista Serena, and they've brought friends over with them to enjoy Vista Serena too. And do you want to know the best thing of it all....they're all from SHEFFIELD! No, not just that, they've become real mates! I love it when they're out, and we have chats on the phone when they're back at home.

It's what really makes my job worthwhile...Neil & Debs.....see you next year!!!

Walkers Salt and Vinegar Squares!

2007-10-12T15:56:00.000+01:00

It's been years since I've had any, and I mentioned it to a couple of friends on the resort (from my home town of Sheffield!), and guess what! They're out here at the moment, and they brought me 12 packets over! Fantastic!

After living here in Gran Canaria nearly 4 and a half years, you start to miss things from back home. Here's a list of what I miss as well as the Walkers Sqaures (most of it will probably be food!)

My Mum's Yorkshire Pudding with lashings of gravy!
Fish and Chips from Tony's chip shop (only those from Sheffield will know about Tonys)
Having a curry after a good night out
Having a lunch time lager on a Sunday
My brother
Turkish Delights
Battenburg cake
Chocolate raisen poppets (not so much now though, I've found a supplier...thanks Robert!)
English humour or perhaps Sheffield humour, who knows...
A proper English pub
Cherry Bakewells
An English Christmas

I could probably go on, but it'd take me all afternoon! Of course it goes without saying that I miss all my family and friends, but I've made a whole new bunch of friends over here, so I can't complain!

So now you know...the next time you're over...I'll put my order in. Not sure how you're going to bring over an English pub though.....

I'm back!

2007-09-21T14:12:00.001+01:00

I know, I know...I've been back since the 11th of September, and it's taken me this long to sort my desk out! Sorry!!

I had a fantastic holiday. Going to the gym in the morning, and the beach in the afternoon. Bliss! No stress, no rushing around, day time TV, walking with my dogs, the occasional date here and there. Couldn't have been better.

I've been back at work for nearly 2 weeks now and things have been quite busy. The big boss is here, and there's a committee meeting next week that I have to prepare for, so I've not been bored.

I've got Saturday and Sunday off work this week, so I'll be back again on Monday.

Tomorrow night I'm going out for a meal with a couple of Members who are staying at the resort, and on Monday my Dad and Step-Mum are coming over for a week! I can't wait to see them! I last saw them in April when they got married (it was a great day - take a look at the photo!), but I can't wait to see them again!

See you on Monday!

I'm on holiday!

2007-09-01T09:29:00.000+01:00

It's my last day at work today before I have a week off! As you can see, I won't be away for long, but it'll give me time to have a bit of a rest. Everything here at Club Vista Serena will go on as usual, so if need anything, you know where we are.

Here's a run down of the team here so you know who to contact:

Anja works in the Marketing Department and deals with all the rental bookings via the Internet. Her email is VSSERVICES@telefonica.net
Beatrice works in the Reservations Department, and is happy to help all the Club Vista Serena Members and RCI Members with their reservations or enquiries. Her email is VSERENA@telefonica.net
Carmen works in Reception but is also looking after the Maintenace Fee payments for our Members. Her email is VSBOOKINGS@telefonica.net
Maria & Tony also work in Reception, and are happy to help with any query you may have. The phone number for Reception is 0034 928 762336.

See you on the 11th September!!!

It's a boy!!!!!

2007-08-28T08:48:00.000+01:00

Joaquin was born today at 3.45 am, he weighed 8 1/2 pounds (3.850 Kgs), and him and his Mum are doing just fine!

For those of you wondering who Joaquin is...our Ruth who works in Member Reservations, has been carrying him around for the last 9 months! Ruth sent me a text message this morning at 6.45 to let me know that he had been born and that the 2 of them are doing just fine.

He was due on the 14th of this month, but he decided to stay in there a couple of weeks more, just to be on the safe side, and now he's here!

I was so excited that I just had to tell everyone! I hope those of you that know Ruth will join me in congratulating her and her husband Luis.

CONGRATULATIONS RUTH AND LUIS....AND A BIG WELCOME TO LITTLE JOAQUIN!

Life in Gran Canaria - things that I like

2007-08-16T13:51:00.000+01:00

I've just realised that I forgot to write a list of things that I do like about Gran Canaria! You probably thought that I did this on purpose, but no, honestly, I simply forgot.

A few weeks ago I had a proper moan about the things that annoyed me over here, so it's only fair that I make a point of the things that I really like. Before I do, I think it's about time I introduced myself - my name is Rachel, I'm from the fantabbydozy town of Sheffield in England, and I've been living in Gran Canaria since May 2003. I started working in Club Vista Serena in July 2003, and I've been here ever since.

OK, so here goes...my list of things that make me stay in Gran Canaria:

The weather - I think the weather is a determining factor for many of us that come over here on holiday or to make a life over here. I may complain a lot about the heat, but I don't really mean it! I paid a visit to Sheffield this March and my ears, nose and hands nearly dropped off walking to the local shopping centre, that's about 10 minutes away from my Mum's house!
The language - I love speaking Spanish, and I love the Canarian accent. It took me a while to master the accent when I first got here because it's a bit different to what they teach you at school, but now I've grown to love it. The Canarians use lots of colloquial words, and the pronunciation is different to that of mainland Spain, but I've got used to it now. Even I have a Canarian accent! There are still lots of Canarian words that I haven't learnt yet, I'm sure, but you never stop learning a language!
The food - how good is the food over here? Pan and ali-oli, papas con mojo, gofio, meat, fresh fish, salads, potaje, lentejas...it's great!
The laid back lifestyle - I spent a few days in London not so long ago, and it made me realise what I have here. London was all noise, traffic, streets full of people going nowhere, queues, metros, etc....what a nightmare! I really felt out of place there. I couldn't wait to get back to my little island in the sun!
The people - even though I did a lot of complaining before about manners and politeness, I must stress that not everyone is like that. If you're willing to adapt to the life over here, learn the language, take time getting to know people, then you can make great frienships over here.
Club Vista Serena - I love my job, my workplace, my work colleagues, and the guests that stay here. I never get up in the morning thinking 'Oh God! I've got to go to work!'. I look forward to it. I look forward to seeing everyone, talking to Esther, the House Keeper, having a chat and a chuckle with Carmen on Reception, sipping a coffee with Anja, and having contact with the guests on the resort. All I want is that the guests that come and visit us have a good time, and for that to happen, you have to have a good team of workers, and we've got the best!

The painting is coming along!

2007-08-15T14:33:00.000+01:00

For those of you that haven't seen the new colours of the outside buildings....here they are. I must admit, a lot of people were a bit dubious at the beginning, but the colours are really starting to grow on everybody now. I think the resort is coming along great. It really gives a different feel to the place. I hope you like the pictures!

Don't panic....we're OK!

2007-08-02T15:16:00.000+01:00

I don't know what they've been telling you over in the UK, but really, the panic is over! Everything is under control, you don't have to cancel your holidays!!!

I got an email this morning from a friend saying that the English newspapers were advising people not to travel to Gran Canaria. What is that all about? OK, these fires aren't normal, many people and their homes were affected, but we're talking about specific places on the island, the whole island wasn't up in flames.

Yesterday we got a bloke saying he wasn't going to book with us after all because a relative of his on the island was cutting their holidays short in Maspalomas because of all the smoke! I reckon he was just trying to find a decent excuse to cancel with us, but please, what have they been telling you all?

I can make jokes about it, but this could have an effect on our tourism to the island. Every year tourism decreases in the Canaries, add to that false advice, and we have a problem. I don't know whether it's just a coincidence, but this week the number of rental enquiries we've had really has decreased!

So please everyone, don't go making any uninformed decisions. It's quite safe to come and spend your holidays in Gran Canaria, and if you choose Club Vista Serena, they'll be even better!

Fires in Gran Canaria!

2007-07-31T15:39:00.000+01:00

I'm sure you've all seen it on the news by now, but living so close to it, makes it real.
The fires have affected 10,000 hectars of land, and thousands of people have been made to leave their homes. Imagine what that must feel like. All you have is your house, and now there's a chance that it will be taken from you!
The fires all started on Friday when a forest protection employee started the fire because his work contract was coming to an end! Can you believe that? He thought he'd be able to put the fire out, be a heroe, and get his contract renewed! It's quite ironic really. Now he's been arrested after admitting to starting the fire with matches.
All I can say, is that the Canarian people can't belive what is going on. This morning when I got to work, you could smell the fire, and you could see ash falling from the sky. It's that close.
I think we could do with a little bit of the rain that the UK has been having over the last few weeks.

My weekend in Gran Canaria

2007-07-11T16:08:00.000+01:00

Well, I said I'd get back to you straight after my 2 days off, but after a surprise visit from our boss yesterday, I never did get round to it.

Believe it or not, I actually did stuff this weekend, and I even got to the beach at Maspalomas!
Saturday night, I had a night in, rented a film, and not much else. On Sunday I went to a BBQ with friends and after to the beach, and on Monday I went to the beach at Amadores. A pretty full weekend! More than what I usually get up to anyhow. And now....I'm back at work!

I've been trying to invent new content for the website today with 'keyword rich' paragraphs. I've not had much luck, I keep getting stuck. I find all this SEO stuff baffling to be honest, and put that together with the fact that it's not one of my most favourite jobs to do, I feel as if I'm up the creek without a paddle! All I want is to start appearing in the search results without having to spend hundreds of Euros on Google's sponsered link programme, but it's just not happening. I'll have another stab at it tomorrow, but I'm no Internet genius, so I've got no idea whether what I'm doing is any good or not. It's like this Blog...is what I'm doing here really worthwhile? I've really got to study this more and look out for tips on Blogging on the Internet, but I just can't find the motivation.
I enjoy writing and expressing myself, but sometimes the words aren't there, or I don't know what to write about, and I start waffling - a bit like what I'm doing now...sorry!

I'm going to put this on my 'to do' list for tomorrow...find out about Blogs, and finish modifications with website content....I'll let you know how it goes....

Life in Gran Canaria - weekends

2007-07-07T15:30:00.000+01:00

I don't know about any of you that live over here in Gran Canaria, but at the weekends I just can't be bothered to do anything! You'd think that because I live over here I'd have a year round tan, go to the beach every day after work and at the weekend, and live a holiday life!
Well, it's just not true! I should be going off to the beach at Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles, Puerto Rico, Amadores, or Mogán, but instead I'm at home watching TV, taking the dogs for a walk, and pigging out!
I always have the intention of doing something, I just never get round to it. To be honest, I don't know why because the TV at the weekend is rubbish!
I've got the next 2 days off and I've no idea what to do. I don't fancy going shopping because it's sale time, and the shops are packed, I don't really fancy going to the beach, because it's July and the beaches will be over run by the people from Las Palmas...so what's left? Any ideas would be appreciated!
I'm back into work on Tuesday, so I'll give you a run down of what I get up to....probably just a few beers sat in front of the telly!

Life in Gran Canaria - things that get on my nerves

2007-07-06T16:28:00.000+01:00

There are lots of things that annoy me, but I can't blame it on the Island or the people, it's just that I'm from a different country, and I'm used to different things, so sometimes it's hard to adapt and accept.

I'm sure if you asked anyone who knows me they'd say that I have more or less adapted to the life here in Gran Canaria, which is true, but...that's because I keep my mouth shut a lot of the time.

Let's see...here's a list of the little things that annoy me:

Rudeness - there's not enough 'pleases' and 'thank yous' going on over here
The Service Sector - in many places customer services is pretty non-existent. I'm not asking for the over the top American 'have a nice day!' treatment, all I'm asking for is a bit of politeness and understanding.
Supermarkets - in particular the Hiperdino supermarket in front of my house. I shop there because it's convenient, but it drives me mad! Many of the employees are miserable, they can't even break a smile for you. What really annoys me though is that there are about 20 checkouts, and the maximum I've seen open at any one time is about 4. Now, you just don't get that at Sainsbury's or Morrison's do you??
Canarian holiday makers - A Canarian family reserve an apartment for 4 people, and 24 turn up on your doorstep loaded up with shopping bags full of food from Hiperdino, inflatable rubber rings, 3 dogs, and a BBQ. Nightmare!
No choice - although I like the fact that over here we're about 10 years behind everybody else (which means less crime, etc), there's no variety food wise, clothes wise, anything wise, really. I mean, these people would have a whale of a time in Meadowhall!!!
No respect - although I speak Spanish fluently, by looking at me, you know I'm not Spanish. Fair skin, blue eyes, light hair. What does this mean? Well, it means that sometimes that I get treated unfairly, the 'stupid tourist' kind of treatment, which really makes my blood boil!

I could probably go on a bit more, but I wouldn't want to offend! He! He! He! All in all I can't complain, things back in the UK aren't all smelling of roses either I suppose!

Tomorrow I'll make a list of the things that don't annoy me/I like....see if it's any longer than this one!

Life in Gran Canaria - Moving abroad

2007-06-29T13:31:00.000+01:00

I've been living here in Gran Canaria for just over 4 years now, and I've been working in Club Vista Serena just as long. I arrived back in May 2003 and 2 months later, through an advert in the newspaper, I got a job at Vista Serena.
I'm originally from Sheffield, England, so you may ask, why Gran Canaria?
As part of my university degree I did a year's work experience in the capital of the Island, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. A couple of years after finishing my degree, I came back.

For those of you considering moving abroad to settle down and create a life there, you've got to think things through. If you've got the money, and you don't have the necessity to work, I reckon things could be a little easier, but if you need to make a living, you've got to realise that life out here is not going to be a constant holiday.

It's true that life here is much easier, more laid back and relaxed, less stress, but the routines and responsibilities are the same. You've still got to get up in the morning to get to work on time, you've still got the rent/mortgage and bills to pay, and on top of this you've got to make a life for yourself, and all this in another language.
I originally came over with someone else, but now I'm here on my own, and depending on your personality and how easily you make friends, it'll take less time or more time for you to build your relationships.

To be honest, I'm not your typical English person abroad, I didn't come looking for sun, sea, and.....sand, I came because I wanted to speak Spanish. I've been learning Spanish now since I was 14 (I'm now 28), and my objective in life was to live and work in Spain using the language I had learnt. I've not surrounded myself with English people (other than the guests that I meet at work), and I've tried to adapt myself to life over here, and how things are done over here. I suppose I didn't want to go for the easy option (in my opinion!), of surrounding myself with all things English.
If you want to do the same, then you've got to learn the language. There are lots of Canarian people who speak English, and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to practise their English with you, but from my point of view, to be respectful, you've got to do the same. You're living in Spain, you've got to at least try and learn the language haven't you?

The process of adaptation has been long and hard, and I have to admit, things still get on my nerves, but this year, after going back to Sheffield for a quick holiday, I realised that Gran Canaria is my home now. I'm not saying it's going to be my home forever, but right now, it's the place I want to be......................

Firgas

2007-06-27T17:07:00.000+01:00

Firgas is about 28 Kms from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (around 78 Kms from Maspalomas), and is worth a visit to see the cultural and religious sites of the area. You can visit the Parish Church of San Roque, the Square 'Plaza de San Roque', which hosts the monument of the patron saint of Firgas, San Juan de Ortega.

The 'Casa de la Cultura' is probably the most emblematic building of the town. It used to be hotel and inn that provided accommodation for the visitors to the baths of Azuaje. It then housed the Town Hall, and now is houses the Public Library, Exhibition Room and Events Hall.

The Memorial Fountain, found near the 'Plaza de San Roque', commemorates the 500 years since the founding of Firgas.

The 'Molino del Conde', a sixteenth century gofio mill (gofio is a Canarian food produce), is located on the side of the road leading from Firgas to Valleseco. The mill opened once again after being closed for over 40 years, and now the miller grinds gofio and offers it to visitors to try.

For those of you interested in buying traditional objects from this town, Firgas is known for it's wooden crafts. Traditional musical instruments can be bought, as well as small models of Canarian balconies and furniture. Many of the craftspeople have their own workshops in the centre of the town and are happy to receive visits so their work can be admired and purchased.

Watercress stew is also one of the specialities of Firgas, as a lot of watercress is grown in the area.

Enjoy!

Santa Brígida

2007-06-26T13:33:00.000+01:00

Santa Brígida can be found inland, 14 Kms from Las Palmas (around 64 Kms from Maspalomas), and has a very natural and historical environment.

The cave 'Cueva de Los Frailes', a site made up of 37 natural caves discovered in 1933, reveals Santa Brígida's aboriginal past. In the northern wall of 'Caldera de Bandama' you'll find the 'Cueva de los Canarios', which was used as a grain store by the original Canary Islanders. Some of the pots found in the Canary Island Museum come from this site. Other places that also have interesting aboriginal remains are the Angostura Valley, and the Meleguinas. Here you'll find groups of caves dug into rocks, cliffs and crags. In fact, this district has been declared a Cultural Heritage Site

In the town you'll find the Santa Brígida Parish Church. The original chapel was founded in 1525, but after a fire, the Church was repaired and now has a Neo-Gothic exterior, and typical Canarian interior.

In the country side around Santa Brígida you can see the beautiful Dragon Tree of 'Barranco Alonso'. It's estimated that this tree is around 500 years old, and it grows from the edge of a crag.
In 'Monte Lentiscal', there are many different tree species like Canary Island strawberry trees, wild olive trees, mocan trees. This area is considerably smaller that what it used to be as it's been felled for building and planting grape vines.

Every Saturday and Sunday morning, there's a local handicraft market where you can buy local produce like cheeses, bread, jams, honeys, and pastries.
Most of the pottery work of the area is found in 'La Atalaya'. There are Pottery Houses there that promote the tradition and offer visitors an attractive cultural visit.
Many years ago, Santa Brígida was famous for it's stringed instruments - guitars, lutes, etc, made from a selection of woods like walnut or orange.
One of the most typical produce of Santa Brigida is its honey and jams made from local fruit and pastries, mainly made with honey and almonds. This can be washed down with the wines of the area (El Monte), and finished off with its famous sponge cakes and marzipan.

On-line Bookings

2007-06-23T10:23:00.000+01:00

It's taken us a while, but it's finally up and running! Club Vista Serena now has an on-line booking system! Can't find the right moment to call us on the phone? Can't be bothered to send us an email? Haven't got time to wait for the response from an enquiry? Then the on-line booking system is just what you need! The rental prices are updated on a daily basis, and you can make a booking with us whenever you like, you're not restricted to our working hours. Make a direct booking on-line, and receive the confirmation straight away! It 's that easy! It's a simple process and it helps you along the way. Give it a go!

Arucas

2007-06-23T10:01:00.000+01:00

The municipality of Arucas can be found on the north coast of the island of Gran Canaria, and it's around 12Kms from the Island's Capital, Las Palmas (that's around 62 Kms from Maspalomas).

The city centre of Arucas has been declared a site of historic/artistic interest. The leading architectural monument is the Parish Church of San Juan Bautista, dating back to 1909 and built entirely in Arucas stone by the local masons.
In the 'Plaza de la Constitución', the Town Hall can be found, and it's also the site of the local market - 2 great architectural works. The Cultural Centre is also something to be seen, a traditional 17th Century Canarian house that has an inner courtyard with balconies, and a great Dragon Tree.
The Arucas Museum and Tourism Office can be found in the Gourié House, built in the early 19th Century, surrounded by ornamental gardens.
One of the most historic buildings of the town is the Rum Museum and Factory, founded in 1884. Arucas has a long tradition of rum making in the town, and you can go and visit this Museum at any time.
A place not to be missed is the 'Cantera' Stone Quarry, located very close to the historic quarter, where you can buy craft souvenirs made from the famous blue stone of Arucas.

The main shopping streets in Arucas are the 'Calle Leon y Castillo' and 'Calle Francisco Gourie'.
If you are interested in typical local products, then the open air market takes place every Saturday morning in the car park at the entrance of the town. You can find there lots of different things like fruit, bread, cheese, etc.

The coast of Arucas is well known for it's fresh fish and seafood in the areas of 'El Puertillo' or 'Quintanilla' and 'San Andres'. Further inland, you can find bean, pumkin, sweet potato and corn stews due to the long farming tradition of Arucas. But, if you go, the one thing you must try or buy is the rum! From the traditional 'carta de oro' to the exquisite vintage rum!

The area of Teror

2007-06-22T14:12:00.000+01:00

Teror can be found in the Eastern/Central part of the island of Gran Canaria, and it's about 20 Kms from the island's capital Las Palmas (that's about 70 Kms from Maspalomas).

This town is a place of pilgirmage, as the statue of the 'Virgen del Pino' (the Patron of the Diocese in the Canary Islands), is held in its Basilica.
At the centre of the town is the 'Plaza de Teror'. From this square you can see the typical Canary Island balconies. As well as it being way of entry to the Basilica, it is also the central part of the historic centre of the town.

If you would like to see the natural areas of Teror, you should know that the town has several protected areas. These include 'Pino Santo', the Natural Park of Doramas (where the ravines of Azuaje and Moya are located), the 'Finca de Osorio' (where the Nature Education Centre is), the 'Caldera de Pino Santo (a volcanic crater), and the 'Parque de Sintes' (a small wooded area with a wide range of fauna).

Teror is also a great place to buy typical items of the Canarian craft work, and to try Canarian food. You can find both of these things every Sunday at the local market. Some of the most popular dishes are 'Ropa Vieja' (chickpeas with meat), 'Sancocho' (boiled and salted fish), and 'Chorizo de Teror' (a kind of sausage)

Give it a go!

Places to go!

2007-06-21T12:34:00.000+01:00

Each day, I'm going to post a different place to visit on the island of Gran Canaria. Today, 21st June 2007, it's Roque Nublo.

Roque Nublo is one of the highest points on the island of Gran Canaria, and is close to the village of Tejeda. It's a fantastic sightseeing spot where you can see some of the most picturesque villages of the island. 'El Roque Nublo' is an enormous balsalt rock, which has been a symbol of Gran Canaria for generations. At an altitude of nearly 2000 feet, it's an experience that's difficult to forget. On clear days, you can even enjoy the views of the some other islands that form part of the Canary Islands.

The painting has started!

2007-06-20T16:01:00.000+01:00

Wednesday 20th June 2007
The Reception Area was repainted last week, and now we've started on the exterior of the buildings/apartments. We've changed a couple of the colours from what we used to paint last time, so it should create a whole different effect once the whole resort is completed. The green colour remains, and now we've accompanied it with a blue, and an orangey peachy colour. Apartment blocks 21 to 23 are being painted at the moment, and it's coming along just great!

Come and stay with us...

2007-05-02T20:49:00.001+01:00

Club Vista Serena in Gran Canaria has been an International Award Resort for 12 consecutive years. Awarded for its outstanding services, hospitality, housekeeping, maintenance, and resort quality.

Situated in serene and stunning surroundings, Club Vista Serena at Maspalomas is a friendly and relaxed resort where you will feel at home the moment you walk through the doors. On leaving reception, take a stroll through the amazingly well kept gardens and walk ways past the heated swimming pools (for adults and children) for you to enjoy all year round -to your apartment. Designed to make your stay comfortable and carefree, the apartment has everything you need. One bedroom, with a double bed and air conditioning (its use is optional) and a pull out sofa in the living room, allows a cozy stay for up to four people.

How to book »