To mark the Agatha Christie Festival (organized by the CIT Puerto de la Cruz), which this week fills the streets of our city with mystery and culture, we want to share a small discovery that has transported us to the past of the Gran Hotel Taoro and, with it, to the early days of our family’s history in Tenerife.

The Scent of Time

When the 10th edition of the Agatha Christie Festival begins in Puerto de la Cruz, the air seems heavier, as if it carries with it the echoes of a bygone era. Among the palm trees in the Taoro gardens, the sound of footsteps from former guests mingles with the Atlantic breeze. It was there, in that majestic hotel overlooking the valley, that Agatha Christie found both tranquility and mystery. And it was also there, among the corridors of the Taoro, that a young German manager, Enrique Talg Schulz, worked, who would one day build his own dream on this very hill: the Hotel Tigaiga.

And it was in the area known as the Carolina Garden where the staff of the Grand Hotel changed before starting their shifts; their days passed there amidst the bustle of the service and the murmur of the guests. Today, that corner is silence and greenery, but it recently revealed a secret to us. When the soil was disturbed in recent years, old bottles appeared, covered by a patina of time, as if they had been waiting to be found. They are transparent bottles with the front embossed in the glass itself with molded letters in understated capitals, an Art Deco typeface: clean lines and regular spacing.

On one, you can still read the name Ed. Pinaud, the Parisian firm founded in 1830 that perfumed the Belle Époque with elegant colognes and lotions, used on ships and in luxury hotels around the world. Perhaps that bottle belonged to a chambermaid who dreamed of smelling of roses instead of soap, or to an English guest who wrote perfumed letters at dusk. Perhaps, who knows, one of them left its fragrance in the air as Agatha Christie walked through the lobby, observing with her novelist’s eye the human theater that so inspired her stories.

On another bottle, we discover the text in clear lettering of Crusellas y Cía., made in Havana. Its round shape and clear glass reveal that it was manufactured between 1910 and 1930, a time when the Crusellas house began producing more delicate bottles to highlight the color of the perfume. It contained one of its most popular fragrances: “A la Flora Cubana,” a floral cologne that crossed oceans carrying with it the exoticism of the Caribbean.

To think that these bottles rested in the surroundings of the old Taoro, where Agatha Christie breathed inspiration and Enrique Talg dreamed of his future hotel, fills us with wonder. Perhaps one of those essences perfumed a dressing table, a letter, or a moment lost to time.

Today, those bottles rest among us once more, silent witnesses to an era when luxury smelled of flowers, and elegance traveled in glass flasks. With each discovery, we feel the past return to perfume our present: a living memory nestled between the gardens of Taoro and the spirit of Tigaiga.

The 610-person operation (275 firefighters, 115 security guards, 40 logistics operatives, 20 coordination officers and 160 volunteers) and the 22 air-based resources are currently focusing their efforts on the most compromised areas: Valle de La Orotava and Cho Marcial in Guimar. As reported by the Canary Islands’ Government, the fire has already affected more than 10,000 hectares and is concentrated in the municipalities of Arafo, Candelaria, Güímar, El Rosario, La Orotava, Santa Úrsula, La Victoria, El Sauzal, Tacoronte and Los Realejos.

The accesses to the mountain continue to be closed, specifically, the roads that lead to the Teide National Park from the north and south of the island, and it is also requested that the population not approach the perimeter of the fires, in order to facilitate the efforts of those trying to extinguish the flames. The Government has reported that the air quality index is unfavourable in the municipalities closest to the fire, although this varies depending on the direction of the wind. It is therefore advisable to keep up-to-date with the latest recommendations issued by the authorities. In this sense, in those areas closest to the fire, to protect vulnerable people and groups most at risk, it is recommended to avoid going outside, to close doors and windows and to use FFP2 masks.

Meanwhile, in the Island’s main towns and cities, as in the popular tourist areas, life continues as normal. The local population and tourists are going about their daily business without incident, both in the Metropolitan Area, in which the island’s two main cities, Santa Cruz and La Laguna, are located, as well as in Arona and Adeje, along with Santiago del Teide, Guía de Isora, San Miguel de Abona and Puerto de la Cruz. The island therefore remains an entirely safe destination at the current time, both for residents and for those tourists visiting us or who are planning to do so. Likewise, operations are continuing as normal at Tenerife’s ports and airports, with no delays or cancellations registered as a result of the fires, while road travel around the island remains unaffected, except for the aforementioned closures of those routes leading up into the mountains

A special mention and thanks must go out to the exemplary behaviour of both the 931,626 local residents and the more than 130,000 tourists who are currently here visiting the island; all of whom have followed the instructions of the authorities at all times. Thanks to the efforts of the firefighting forces and the operation launched, no people have come to any harm. This is thanks to the dedicated efforts of the teams involved, along with precise coordination efforts between the Tenerife Island Council, the Canary Islands’ Regional Government and the Spanish Government. In this way, the safety of all people in Tenerife is guaranteed thanks to the strict safety plan set out by the authorities.

In any event, whilst this situation remains ongoing, we would ask everyone to show extreme caution, to follow all the safety recommendations and to keep themselves informed as to the development of the fires via the official communication channels of the Canary Islands’ Government and the Tenerife Island Council:
• Canarian Government news portal.
• 1-1-2 Canaries’ emergency services .
• Tenerife Island Council .
• Tenerife Island Council highways information centre.

A phone line has also been set up within the island’s Tourist Information Office Network to deal with visitor information requests in Spanish and English: (+34) 922 255433. The line is staffed from 9.00 am. to 8.30 pm. (local time). From the Tenerife Tourism Board, we would like to acknowledge and express our sincere gratitude for the remarkable efforts of the firefighting teams, as well as the exemplary behaviour of the population at this time.

• Safe and welcoming Spanish atmosphere
• One of the best climates in the World
• More than 3000 hrs sunlight
• Natural diversity
• Ideal place for digital nomads
• Sustainability
• Unforgettable experience

In this 8th edition of the festival, the city of Puerto de la Cruz will be filled with literature, history, culture, gastronomy, music, archaeology and a lot of mystery in different parts of the city, including TIGAIGA SUITES.

Download programme

Bookings: info@citpuerto.com

More information: www.agathachristiefestival.es

For more information: http://www.centrotaoro.com/

Spain is right now in the middle of the one-month contest period, which finished on May 31st.

If you wish to join with your lovely Tenerife holidays photos just click on the following link:

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anexo:Lugares_de_importancia_comunitaria_de_las_Islas_Canarias

Good luck!