New plans for Casa Maria yet again

I took the above photo of Casa Maria when it was first put up for sale a few years ago.

Legendary Casa Maria and its popular bar, restaurant and rustic guest house which has remained closed since it was put on the market a few years ago could finally be saved and given a new lease of life.

The building at the popular sunset meeting point sadly was deteriorating rapidly with parts of a balcony facing the sea collapsing onto the coast road and ugly security fencing protecting passers-by from crumbling masonry.

Various attempts to buy the building were made and there even were plans to turn the landmark into a McDonalds fast food outlet (see here...), but as often with any plans in La Gomera, none came to fruition.

Then in 2021 I reported that the authorities had decided to bring an additional police force, the Policia Canaria, to Valle Gran Rey to deal with all the homeless and hippies there and that Casa Maria would become their station. Well, the new police officers are there now, but not in Casa Maria.

Now it has transpired that the proliferation of police, not having much else to do in the small town, have created a large number of ''homeless'', i.e. hippies who have been evicted from the rocks and bushes under which they rest and sleep in a ''major clean-up operation''. Some of them don't have the means to travel onwards to a more welcoming place or to rent a place to stay in La Gomera. Prices for accommodation have risen considerably in recent years and with mostly full occupancy at peak times beds are hard to find even for many well-heeled tourists. Some hippies are not short of funds, though, but prefer to sleep under the stars by choice. I once met a raggedly looking 'cave-dweller' who was flashing his gold credit card around the shops, but giving all he bought away to his needy hippie friends. 

Most of the evicted hippies though have no other choice but to find another bush, rock, crevice or cave where to unroll their yoga mats and sleeping bags from whence the police will then eventually make them move on once again. Thus a vicious circle has developed which is dividing the community with some saying that the hippies do no harm and started all the tourism industry in La Gomera by adding to the island's special charm, while others see hippies as untidy and scaring off the increasingly posh and elderly tourists.

The local administration, the Ayuntamiento de Valle Gran Rey, has now been forced to come to the rescue of the homeless to defuse the situation, and will lease the Casa Maria building for an initial five years. The ayuntamiento will carry out emergency repairs first to make the building safe and will then carry out basic refurbishment to temporarily house homeless hippies.

This is a stroke of genius by the local politicians as Casa Maria and its bar and restaurant is exactly the place where hippies came to as the first tourists in the 1960s, when there was no proper road, no electricity, and no tourism at all. They were most welcome then, sitting outside Casa Maria playing their guitars and drums. If they needed food, running water and a bed, Maria offered it all to them for a few Pesetas that could easily be earned in a few hours busking.

The beach is just across the road where the same music still fills the air at sunset every day during the busy winter season since then, and long may it last...

As everything takes quite some time in La Gomera, the temporary ''homeless hippie hostel'' is not expected to be ready and filled with happy hippies once again until April 1st next year.

Sunset gathering at Playa Maria, named of course after Maria of Casa Maria

Upper Valle Gran Rey at sunset

New police station to be opened in former 'Bar Maria'

Canarian police in action near 'Bar Maria' on their recent stint in Valle Gran Rey (image: Ayuntamiento V.G.R.)

After several years on the property market, the legendary landmark hostelry 'Bar Maria', aka 'Bar Las Journadas' and 'Casa Maria', remains unsold (see previous post) and the building is beginning to deteriorate. For many years a popular meeting spot for locals and visitors with its bar, restaurant and basic tourist accommodation, the site occupies a strategic location on the beachfront in La Playa, Valle Gran Rey. 

Recently La Gomera's Spanish Guardia Civil police force received support from the Canarian police when ten officers of the latter were sent to Valle Gran Rey to help enforce the multitude of measures and restrictions imposed due to coronavirus fears. This police force had not been seen in the municipality previously, but their presence had been requested by the local administration (Ayuntamiento) recently.

However, these officers had to withdraw to their base in Tenerife after about a week due to insufficient space at the Guardia Civil station and lack of suitable accommodation. They are however returning for the Easter holidays, as tougher restrictions and nightly curfews are now in force. Last time they made their presence widely felt, controlling and checking such important matters as the wearing and correct fitting of face coverings by tourists and locals out for a stroll along the beachfront.

New police station 

It has just been confirmed that an agreement has been reached with the help of the Ayuntamiento between the owners of 'Bar Maria' and the Policia Canaria to house about a dozen officers for a longer period there. The Canarian police will  have use of the premises initially for a period of three years and will adapt the building to their needs.

The former dining room will become the main office where a counter with protective glass screens as well as a waiting area will be sectioned-off to accommodate interaction with the public. The separate bar area with its historic huge wooden fridge will become the ''officers mess and recreation area'' while the small commercial kitchen behind it will just need a clean-up. There is plenty of basic accommodation overhead suitable for police officers. Two of the smallest and most basic former guest rooms will be turned into temporary holding cells for apprehended offenders. Initially there is no major redevelopment planned and all alterations will be carried out so they can be changed back if and when the officers leave.

However, it has been disclosed that the Canarian government (under whose control the Policia Canaria is and who provide the funding) has secured an option to purchase the premises as ''the building's two levels of roof terraces (azoteas) offer sweeping views over wide areas of Valle Gran Rey and its coastline, making it ideal for police surveillance work and this may remain needed in the future''.

Art exhibition with live music

Due to the huge success last week artist Pero is repeating his art exhibition with live music in Tanya's shop in La Playa, Valle Gran Rey this Saturday from 6pm as part of the Noche en Blanco (see previous post).

Interesting cARTon exhibition

There's an interesting art exhibition in Valle Gran Rey tomorrow night from 6 pm. Pero, especially known for his art works fashioned from discarded cardboard packaging which he calls cARTon will exhibit his latest works in Tanya's shop (Taller de Tanya) in one of the backstreets of La Playa, near the main tourist office. There will also be live music by Jelila. Pero used to be seen regularly at sunset in front of 'Bar Maria' (see image below taken on a cold January evening in 2015) with his small mobile art stall. All are invited to tomorrow's free event.

Chipi-chipi rainbow

Looking north...

Last night around sunset time there was this beautiful rainbow over Valle Gran Rey, caused by a bit of chipi-chipi, which is what a soft and light drizzle is called in La Gomera. Everyone here is talking about the severe drought this year and the chipi-chipi is most welcome, even though it barely wet the ground. However, at the weather station near the highest point in the mountains a more generous 6,8 mm of precipitation was recorded yesterday while the rest of La Gomera's official weather stations didn't record any rain.

...and looking south last night

Despite the Calima...

...there was a beautiful sunset in Valle Gran Rey last night.

Bar Maria to become fast food outlet

Above is the architect's proposal for Casa Maria in La Playa (Image: Martin Hartmann)

Legendary Bar Maria, which has been a popular meeting point at the beach in La Playa in Valle Gran Rey since the 1960's, has finally been sold for an undisclosed sum. The bar and restaurant has been closed since Maria herself died two years ago and was put up for sale subsequently. It has now been revealed that it was acquired by the McDonald's chain of fast food restaurants, who spotted the obvious commercial potential of this landmark building. 

Maximiliano Carne-Deres, the spokesperson for McDonald's in the Canary Islands, has stated that his company was particularly impressed with the large number of revellers gathering at Casa Maria around sunset time and the large amount of hungry and thirsty hillwalkers and hikers arriving in the area every day from the mountains. Mr. Carne-Deres stressed that the proposed refurbishment will blend in well with the already existing  infrastructure across the road, which includes a steak-house. He added that the McDonald's colours of yellow and red would go well with the sunset at the beach in front of the building, which is known as 'Playa Maria'. Ronald McDonald, the chain's emblematic happy clown, once erected at the premises would also ''form a harmonious combination with the many drummers and fire-jugglers who perform there at sunset, whom we intend to support and sustain with food vouchers''.

However, the island's government have attached certain conditions to the new licence and planning permission, namely that the former small front bar at the premises shall be retained  and must continue to serve alcoholic beverages ''to maintain the jovial ambience for which the location has established a tradition'', and that the fast food outlet will have to include some local produce in the menu. 

In response to these conditions Mr. Carne-Deres has revealed that the bar will remain separate from the restaurant to be run as a joint venture with the Tenerife-based Dorada beer company and that this will form the first 'McBar' in the world. For the menu a new burger called 'McCabra' (sic) with goat (=cabra) meat and smoked goat's cheese will be available as a new up-market option of fresh local produce on the menu when the fast food restaurant opens its doors at the former Bar Maria on April 1st 2018. Aren't you just ''lovin' it'' ?

This is a link to a video showing some peoples' first reaction to the proposal (click).

Vueltas

Sunset with Vueltas church recently

Midwinter sunset sky 2016

Horizon on fire...

...or so it appeared at sunset in Valle Gran Rey earlier tonight. No colour enhancement used in this photo.

Sunset tonight

Tonight's sunset taken from the bus station in La Calera, Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera

Winter Solstice

Midwinter sunset seen from Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera towards El Hierro island

Bar Casa Maria still closed and for sale

For Sale: Casa Maria

Interested ? The numbers are: 659444653 (mobile)
and 922805955 (landline). Prefix for Spain: 0034

The landmark 'Casa Maria' bar and restaurant with rooms to let remains closed after Maria's death in April of this year. There had been rumours that it had been sold, but recently new 'Se Vende' (For Sale) signs appeared on the facade of the substantial building at the beach in La Playa in Valle Gran Rey, fondly called 'Playa Maria' in her honour by many.

The legendary meeting point also known as 'Bar Las Jornadas' always pulled in large crowds year after year since the 1960s when young Americans avoiding the Vietnam war, world-travellers, hippies, artists and intellectuals began to gather on La Gomera and met up to watch the sunset in Valle Gran Rey. It is hoped that Maria's large family who inherited her estate will soon agree on a plan of action that will lead to the reopening of this formerly thriving business one way or another, but some overdue refurbishment may cause further delays. Let's only hope they will keep the huge old wooden chilling cabinet that formed the centrepiece behind the bar, and that the nightly live music will return.

Beautiful sunset last night

Maria of Playa Maria

Yesterday I reported the death of Maria and I just found a very poignant obituary written by one of her grandchildren, Marcos Brito, who is a DJ and music producer living in London, on his Facebook page. He wrote the following:

Marcos Brito :  

Thank you for the tomato jam ♡ 

My grandmother, Maria, passed away Thursday evening, after being ill for sometime. Her life was well-lived and her choices and hard work have had such a massive impact on so many people over the course of her life, from the family she raised - my father, my aunt and uncle, to extended family and friends that you she touched, to the many many thousands of tourists that have stayed at her pension house or dined at her restaurant or even just enjoyed a beer at sunset from the bar over the past 50 years - as one of the first commercial buildings in the area, Casa Maria helped develop the existing tourism in Valle Gran Rey - one of the important sources of economy for the people of Valle Gran Rey. The beach where her home lay was named 'Playa Maria' after her. All she did was work, she was a true slave to the kitchen - which made her an excellent cook and she has made some great dishes in her time, including always making my favourite whenever I visited - tomato jam. She never went to the beach that was metres from her front door, the nearest she got was walking out to feed the seagulls the food leftovers at sunset. Even the seagulls loved her. She was as famous as they get on her island. Many people will miss her. I will miss her and all that she brought to this life. xxxxxxxxxx

I took this photo at Bar Maria just a few years ago after a lovely chat with her © lagomera1.blogspot.com

Maria deceased

Maria of the landmark bar and sunset meeting spot Bar Maria (aka Bar las Jornadas and Casa Maria) in La Playa has died on Thursday afternoon. For many years she was the host and cook in the most popular bar in Valle Gran Rey and was loved by all who ever had the pleasure of meeting her. 

The bar was run by her son Pepe in recent years, but was closed just a couple of days before her death as the lease had ended. The future is uncertain as several family members now have inherited  the property and have so far not come to an agreement whether to sell or keep it in the family.  Anyway, Maria will be missed by all. R.I.P.

Sunset at Playa de Santiago film set

…soon it will be all over and by Wednesday most will have moved on. We'll be missing you all.