3. This Week's Stories   
      
   Every week we post stories and comments from our readers. Send your story to   
   phil@Bignews.biz and I'll publish it in an upcoming newsletter. Did you know   
   that you don't have to have a facebook account to use the links to see the   
   various photos that we mention below?  Just copy and paste the link into your   
   browser.  However, if you do have a facebook account please "Like" us!   
      
   We have this little tidbit that we thought we would share with you. Sue, our   
   wonderful Customer Service Manager (who we couldn't live without!) received a   
   question from a customer who lives very far away.  The customer (Helen) who   
   sent in the question lives in a city called....Tias!!  It is in the Canary   
   Islands, on an island called Lanzarote.  We wrote to Helen and asked her if   
   she could tell us a little bit about Tias (the city). Helen was kind enough to   
   send us the following:   
      
   "Hi, good morning!!   
      
   Yes I'd love to give you a little information and please use whatever you   
   think maybe of interest.  Our location is in a small town more or less in the   
   centre of the beautiful volcanic island of Lanzarote, Isla de Canarias.  They   
   are situated in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Africa, 70 miles   
   from the Sahara Desert.  The island is approx.  30 by 12 miles.  The town   
   dates back to 1493, it is one of the oldest towns and overlooks the main   
   tourist centre of Puerto del Carmen.  The town was given the name "Tias" by   
   Alonso Farjado, the then Governor of Gran Canaria, after his two favourite   
   tias- (Aunts in Spanish!)   
      
   After the volcanic eruptions 1730-1736, which affected neighbouring areas,   
   many people made Tias their home.  During the 1970++s when the tourist boom   
   began, British and German ex-pats, not wanting to live amongst the tourists   
   chose Tias.  It is a beautiful town, white-washed villas and apartments.  Many   
   independent shops, a large Town Hall, lovely theatre etc.  Lanzarote is famous   
   for its temperate all year round climate and thanks to a local, but famous   
   architect, Cesar Manrique, no building, hotels, office blocks etc.  reach more   
   than three stories high.  (except for one hotel in the Capitol, Arrecife which   
   was built before his time!) so as not to blight the beautiful natural scenery   
   of the island.   
      
        We, like Spain, have been badly affected by the economic crisis, but   
   am pleased to say the there are signs of green shoots popping up, so having   
   lived here for 30 years, when my daughter and I decided to open a Shabby Chic   
   Vintage Home Decor shop called "Absolutely Fabuloso"- Tias was our natural   
   choice.  Once again, best wishes, Yours sincerely, Helen C."   
      
   Thank you, Helen, for telling us all about Tias, it sounds like an incredible   
   and beautiful place to live!   
      
   Editor's note:   
   We have been told that some of your emails have not been getting through to me   
   over the past few weeks.  If you have not heard back from us after sending an   
   email, please resend your email to phil@bignews.biz .   
      
   Also, check out our facebook page for some interesting updates. Here's the   
   link:   
      
   https://www.facebook.com/TIASAntiques   
      
   If you have photos of items you would like to share you can post them there as   
   well.   
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