From La Puntilla, through the El Saturnino alley, I arrived here, where I am sitting. Looking at the sea. To the islet of the French, and to the San Gabriel castle. On a bench on Vargas street, looking at the sea, in front of the City Hall, ...
From La Puntilla, through the El Saturnino alley, I arrived here, where I am sitting. Looking at the sea. To the islet of the French, and to the San Gabriel castle.
On a bench on Vargas street, looking at the sea, in front of the City Hall, I reflect while it is 8 in the afternoon (I say in the afternoon because we still have sun and a good day) to attend the presentation of the book of the II Congress of the Order of the Canarian Puppy. An event to which its president in Lanzarote, my friend Marcial Morales, has invited me because I presented a communication, "Canarias is an archipelago", to the presentation on Canarian identity.
And, speaking of that, I decided to come to El Charco, because I love it and because, what is more genuine of the identity of Arrecife? But, what a disappointment! Our City Council moves the Book Fair to a place that, apparently, it considers more stately. And the identity? And the putting in value of our hallmarks?
For my taste, neither is justified the return to the "Old Park" of the Book Fair, with the supposed bonanza for the businesses of the area because, speaking with these, they have assured me that the location of the same in the Ramírez Cerdá does not contribute absolutely anything to them. The merchants consider, in any case, more commercially interesting that the Fair takes place between Calle Real, the Plazuela, Plaza de Las Palmas and La Recova.
And, days later, comes the inauguration of the XVII Arrecife Book Fair, this year dedicated to the Canarian writer Pedro García Cabrera. By the way, looking and looking again at the program of events, I have not seen absolutely anything dedicated to this gentleman. Not even a talk for someone to tell us who he was, what he did and some little things like that.
Well, that's it. Tuesday, May 8. Inauguration of the Book Fair, with a masterful, very interesting, let's say, very beautiful presentation of the book "The Guanche in Venice", by its author, the illustrious writer and thinker on Canarian nationalism, Juan Manuel García Ramos.
It was difficult for me to hear and understand well the very interesting words of García Ramos because, between the wind that lashed the tent set up as a hall, the noise of the cars that passed, in high quantity at that time, along La Marina avenue, the transit of people through the park and the poor quality of the sound, at least to me, did not allow me to listen with clarity and tranquility.
I remember that the year we did the Book Fair in the Charco de San Ginés, specifically in 2009, it could be heard very well, because the events were held in the auditorium of the House of Fear.
Well, that's it. That many people's mouths are filled when talking about the Charco de San Ginés, its beautiful views, its tranquility, its ethnographic value and many more beautiful things that the municipal and island authorities tell us about that incomparable space but, then, when it comes to acting, little or rather nothing.
It will be a matter of waiting for some of the "risen", who still persist in the Canary Islands after the conquest, or some descendant of the Guanche mencey that the conquerors took to the Court of Castile and then gave to the Duche of Venice, who according to García Ramos returned to the islands, to walk loose through these reefs and raise his arm and his voice so that our leaders take care, really, in putting in value that treasure of our island and the Port of Arrecife, in all orders, which is the Charco de San Ginés.
