This municipality is home to more than 1200 Andalusians “not giving up to keep alive their customs”. Therefore, the April Fair is a great opportunity for cultural exchange.

The Fairgrounds, located in the vicinity of the “Parque Urbano del Sur” will have a craft market area, another of attractions for children and the main area with booths and where they will held the equestrian events, flamenco performances exhibits and parades etc.

The Fair will start on April 28^th at 21ºº.

Source: http://www.maspalomasahora.com/2010/04/22/la-comunidad-andaluza-celebra-en-maspalomas-su-particular-feria-de-abril/

It so seldom rains in Gran Canaria that it is quite a happening for the locals and all those who live permanently here. The tourists seeking the sun will forgive us for rejoicing over every drop of rain that falls upon the thirsty ground, making the landscape greener and greener.

So on a Sunday some weeks ago after the last big rain, we did the same as many people and went in search of the water running downhill from the mountains. But we did not drive far on crowded roads. We chose the small and quite secluded valley behind Los Palmitos Park and the Tennis Hotel Helga Masthoff (presently still closed for repairs after the fire damaged part of it in July 2007).  We just walked down to and past the hotel and then up the barranco, first on a narrow path on the hillside and now and then through the reeds and jumping from one stone to another across the stream. It was fun and a real pleasure to see and to hear the clear water streaming down and forming tiny water falls and pools, where our dog Simba thoroughly enjoyed herself paddling in the water.

But hush! Do not tell anybody about it! We would not want that lovely secluded place to get over crowded during the weekends…

By Rolande Chagrin

Some two years ago, a friend of us (over 65) told us he had been attending Pilates lessons at the Maspalomas Golf Club, and he felt that his health and physical well-being had gained much by them.  We had already heard something about the method, so Antonio and I did go and started taking lessons twice a week at the Pilates Centre. That is probably one of the best decisions we ever took.

The Pilates method, named after his German born creator Joseph H. Pilates (1880-1967), consists of hundreds of exercises, with many variants, to be done on either a mat or one of the specially designed “machines”, called Reformers.  With the exercises, combined with deep conscious pectoral respiration, you do feel all muscles and ligaments stretching and an increasing flexibility and strength of the whole body, but all happens in a gentle, progressive and pain free way. One of the main objectives of the method is to strengthen the body’s centre – the “Powerhouse” as J. Pilates called it – located in the abdominal and lumbar area, and so protect the vertebral column, improving the body’s balance, the upright posture and – last but not least – the pectoral breathing capacity, amongst other benefits like concentration, coordination and precision of your movements.

Pilates is a wonderful method for anyone, but I daresay its benefits are greater still for people of our age, since it helps to fight stiffness of the limbs, osteoporosis, arthrosis or similar undesirable but unavoidable signs of decay…

Therefore I feel it is now my turn to recommend the Pilates Centre, within the beautiful setting of the Maspalomas Golf Club. It is well equipped with the latest reformers and run by a professional Pilates instructor, Mauricio Ambiado.  He makes you feel relaxed and entertained by constantly varying the exercises and keeps a smiling – though serious – eye on your doing them properly.  For information call: +34 675 844 934, http://www.pilatesmaspalomas.webs.com/

By Rolande Chagrin Chevènement