The giant pout and the parties of Florida They are unique. Not only the residents of this neighborhood say it the orotavabut those of other municipalities and tourists who, for yet another year, did not want to miss an appointment yesterday that has become a hallmark of the Island.
Nor did the politicians want to do it, for whom this massive act has become the electoral prelude, a story that has been repeated every four years in the last decade and a half.
There they were all, of all political colors, representatives and candidates for the different institutions. Manuel Domínguez, head of the PP list for the Government of the Canary Islands, was accompanied by his counterpart at the Council of Tenerife, Lope Afonso, the spokesperson in the Town Hall of the Villa, Patricia Hernández; the councilor in Santa Úrsula, Eduardo Suárez, and the deputy Sebastián Ledesma, among others.
Canarian Coalition (CC) was not far behind. Fernando Clavijo, Rosa Dávila, Carlos Alonso, Diana Mora and even the mayor of El Sauzal, Mariano Pérez, made an appearance, in addition to all the members of the CC municipal government. One more year, Delia Escobar, delegate councilor and neighbor of the neighborhood, was working as one more, together with the members of the San Antonio Abad association, the association for the elderly, the Jeito youth group, and other groups in La Florida.
In the case of the Socialists, they had an advantage, since Pedro Martín, president of the Cabildo, repeats himself as a candidate. In his case, he attended with the councilors Javier Parrilla and Javier Rodríguez Medina, the head of the Presidency, Finance and Modernization, Berta Pérez; and the island directors of Agriculture and Mobility, Cayetano Silva and José Alberto León, respectively.
His government partners from Ciudadanos (Cs), the first vice president, Enrique Arriaga, and the insular director of Highways, Tomás Félix García, also attended the event that brought together thousands of people from early on with the 51st edition of the Livestock Fair , which was followed by the transfer in procession of the images of San Antonio Abad and the Virgen de la Esperanza.
After the celebration of the Eucharist, the public went to the square to enjoy the giant pot. There, from 11:00 a.m., people lined up to taste this dish of Canarian gastronomy, prepared with the vegetables that the inhabitants of the area sow and harvest, cooked over low heat in large cauldrons with dried broom from the National Park. del Teide, which is what gives it a “special touch”.
“It is the ideal day to eat a stew”, was the phrase that was heard the most among the public, while Chago Melián, the Agrupación Folclórica Añate and Jeita entertained the day.
In the surroundings, many families and groups of friends prepared their tables and began the celebration with a glass of wine, while in the nearby beach bars and guachinches, people waited their turn to enter.
For Manuel Domínguez, the most impressive thing about the La Florida stew is seeing that “row of cauldrons, that fire and the number of people who line up to eat a plate.”
Rosa Dávila had a hard time removing it. “You have to go to the gym,” she joked. She wrested a commitment from the party commission that in 2024 she will bring gluten-free gofio for many people who, like her, have celiac disease. “And in return I am going to put ten cauldrons next year when I am president,” she said.
Pedro Martín praised “the illusion of so many people to experience the festivities as before, because it is a hallmark not only of La Florida but also of La Orotav. There are people who do it voluntarily to offer themselves to others and that is the most beautiful sign of identity ”, he declared.
More than 5,000 people enjoyed some celebrations yesterday that returned to the streets. After a day of intense work, the residents of La Florida hope to culminate today the festivities in honor of San Antonio Abad and the Virgin of La Esperanza with the traditional pilgrimage.
