One of our neighbours, Noelia, called to see us a few days ago, and I was a little taken aback when she pounced upon the lavender growing vigorously in our garden. Noelia excitedly pointed at the plants and told me that she had tried growing lavender...

Its always good to hear of new visitors enjoying our wonderful island. However, I guess it is even better to learn about a resident that has been lurking on the island for thousands of years; not the same one, of course, but a family member.

No, I am not talking about some ancient drag queen, who is suddenly discovered in an embalmed condition in the cellar of a long forgotten show-bar in Playa del Ingles, but a new species of beetle.

Love them or hate them, beetles (not drag queens) are all part of the Canary Islands' package of experiences, alongside cockroaches, millipedes and spiders.

This new species of beetle is called Oromia thoracica, not the catchiest name I grant you, but the people who study such things can be a tad boring when it comes to catchy sounding names. It is a blind weevil that lives beneath the depths of the Agaete Valley, to the north-west of Gran Canaria.

This area has some of the oldest soil on the island, somewhere between 5 and 23 million years old, but it is hard to be accurate about such matters, which can be irritating for those who like detail.

This new beetle, now commonly known as Thor, popped into the radar in the subsoil in this fertile valley about six years ago.

Traps were duly laid, but Thor and his kind are canny creatures that deceived the investigators until recently when five of them fell into a trap following a heavy night out on the town. When they awoke two days later, it was too late, because the scientists had discovered them and, sadly, they were popped into a collecting jar.

Now this is the part where it all gets a little personal. What Thor lacks in size, since he is not a big boy at less that five millimetres long, he gains in his extremities that are longer and flatter than his cousins.

This is actually a very useful attribute, because it means that Thor and his family can adapt more easily to life in their underground environment and narrow cracks, where headspace is at a bit of a premium. Thor and his family are blind, but are all dressed in rather natty reddish-brown jackets, which is typical of subsoil insects.

The clever thing about Thor is his thorax, which extends over his head as a sort of heart shaped shield, perfect for the more romantically inclined mate, which makes him unique from other species, but his opening line of "Love me, love my thorax", can be a little daunting to a potential mate.

When it comes to fine dining, forget it, because Thor indulges in the rotting roots of bushes prevalent in the Agaete Valley, which makes him cheap, if not boring, to feed. Still, if you are looking for a cheap night out...

Apparently, the underground world of Gran Canaria is still a bit of a mystery, but there are many more surprises in store, to which I am sure many of our visitors will testify.

However, I am referring to biodiversity, since the island is considered to be a real hotspot for future discoveries. I am told that a new species is discovered on the island every six days or so, which is an amazing statistic. Meanwhile, I wish Thor and his family well, but he should warn the rest of his species to keep away from the traps that lie in wait in the Agaete Valley.

If you enjoyed this article, take a look at Barrie's websites: www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com or read his book, ‘Expat Voice' (ISBN: 9780992767174). Available in paperback, as well as Kindle.

iPhone/iPad and Android Apps: ExpatInfo, CanaryIsle and CanaryGay now available.

© Barrie Mahoney

Visitors to the Canary Island of Gran Canaria may be forgiven for thinking that it is a non-stop party island. The recent successful vote in Ireland for equal marriage, the Eurovision Song Contest and Maspalomas Pride have created an atmosphere of one ...

I received an invitation to visit the dentist today. Nothing unusual in that maybe, since I seem to have had a rapid succession of appointments with the dentist since that unfortunate incident with a peanut and excessive turbulence on an internal fligh...

I was chatting to a banana grower friend the other day. He was very concerned, because the banana growers of the Canary Islands have recently threatened industrial action. They feel undervalued and underpaid, and they are concerned that with cheaper i...

During the last week or so, one major news story has hit the headlines and dominated the airwaves in the Canary Islands. It has led to fiery exchanges between politicians and environmentalists, with some evidence that a 'massaged' account of events was...

Visitors often forget that there is much more to the island of Gran Canaria than sunshine and beautiful beaches. Brits, Germans and Scandinavians flock to the Canary Islands in search of the sunshine and warmth that they have been missing during the ...

I had an interesting email from Joyce, a newly arrived expat, this week. Although I am often asked about issues relating to living and working in Spain and the Canary Islands, this question was unusual in that it asked me about gardening. Joyce and h...

‘Letters from the Atlantic' - by Barrie Mahoney

Barrie Mahoney was a head teacher and school inspector in the UK, as well as a reporter in Spain, before moving to the Canary Islands to launch and edit a new English language newspaper. He enjoys life in the sun as a columnist and author, and continues to write a series of popular novels, books for expats, as well as designing mobile apps and websites to promote the Canary Islands.

Techie Toys for Expats: Stay Smart with DNS

As a newly arrived or intending expat, you will be given many pieces of advice; some will be useful, whilst it is best to ignore others. The best piece of advice is, of course, to learn the language, because by doing so you will add a new depth and valuable dimension to your new life in the sun. The second piece of advice that I often hear is to only watch TV and listen to radio in the language of your adopted country. In other words, forget 'Eastenders' and 'Strictly Come Dancing', in favour of some of the endless quiz and reality shows on Spanish television; I think not. I have come to the opinion that to remain in touch with the language and culture of birth is important, which helps to ease some of the lonelier and unsettling aspects of expat life, even if the sun is shining. So, in order to continue to enjoy watching 'Coronation Street' and 'Dr Who', and films in your home language, it is important to be able to watch television from your home country.

One of the most frequent questions that I am asked by both would be and newly arrived expats is "Will I still be able to watch British television?" Although not strictly legal, the answer is "Yes, of course you will, and things are getting better all the time." However, you do need to be a little tech savvy to ensure that you are getting the best connection, and that doesn't necessarily mean spending a great deal of money on monthly TV contracts.

When we first moved to Spain, the choice was either installing a large and expensive satellite dish, or having a baking tray kind of contraption strapped to the highest point of the building. Both systems worked, but were not always reliable, since providers and connections changed and, indeed, satellites moved to other positions, which required adjustments, upgrades and yet more expense. Over the last few years, things have moved on, and it is now perfectly possible to receive a good television signal from your Internet connection; indeed, it is now the preferred choice for many reasons.

Watching television through your Internet connection doesn't mean sitting in front of your laptop all evening. We now have the option of purchasing Internet ready TVs, although my own personal preference is using a computer (in my case a Mac Mini) linked specifically to our main television for only Internet television and film viewing.

Of course, television programmes from the UK and other countries are blocked, to prevent them from being watched in other countries. However, there are many ways around this. Until recently, my preferred option has been the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which basically tricks the television provider into thinking that you are in your home country. The signal is diverted to your home country and then forwarded back to the sender. Clearly, the downside of this process is that VPN reduces your signal by around 30 per cent, reducing picture quality or producing that maddening buffering, and spinning 'circle of death' that we all hate so much. In many parts of the Canary Islands where I live, and rural Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, Internet signals are very slow offering maybe only 3 to 10mbps. I am fortunate, since I now have a connection called VDSL (Very High Bit Rate DSL), which offers a speed of around 30mbps. Even so, I managed to get a decent signal on a speed of only 10mbps. It is important to shop around and obtain the highest speed possible. Try to request VDSL if a fibre optic connection is unavailable in your area; it is a little more expensive, but well worth it. Secondly, if you can afford it, dump the modem and router provided by your telecoms provider, since most are of the most basic quality and purchase the best, high-speed version modem/router that you can afford. It will be worth it in the long run, since speed is the key to success.

My much-preferred option now is Smart DNS, which is simply a case of changing the DNS numbers on your computer or router. It sounds complicated, but isn't and full details of how to do this are given by the company providing the service. Smart DNS has the advantage of maintaining the full strength of your signal, which in areas with low Internet signal strength is highly important, but has the disadvantage of not being secure in the same way as VPN. My best advice is to get both, and then you can use Smart DNS to receive television programmes, access films etc., whilst using VPN for security and to hide your presence if, for instance, you are using your laptop in an Internet cafe to access your bank account.

For space reasons, I cannot go into more details in this article, but you can find more information, as well as details about the companies and products that I use, on the Expat Survival section of my website.

If you enjoyed this article, take a look at Barrie's websites: http://www.barriemahoney.com and http://www.thecanaryislander.com or read his book, ‘Expat Voice' (ISBN: 9780992767174). Available in paperback, as well as Kindle, iBooks and Google Play editions.

iPhone/iPad and Android Apps: ExpatInfo, CanaryIsle and CanaryGay now available.

© Barrie Mahoney

It may seem an unlikely story, but the relatively recent popularity of wines from the Canary Islands came about as a result of 'Wine and Sex' parties organised by a local entrepreneur, who seemed to have an obsession, or fascination, with Tuppersex par...