Family's quest for a fresh start leads to tent life on Tenerife's coast
Family's quest for a fresh start leads to tent life on Tenerife's coast
Paola Nigro and her bartender son Joshua Castiglioni left their home near Milan for the Canary Islands three months ago in search of a fresh start amid family troubles
Joshua and Paola came to Tenerife three months ago
(Image: Tim Merry/Staff Photographer )
What began as a hopeful step toward to a new life in a foreign country, has taken a truly unexpected turn. Adjacent to a road on Tenerife's southern coast in El Médano, a mother and son have made a makeshift home in a green and blue tent. Joshua Castiglioni, 27, a former bartender from near Milan, and his mother Paola Nigro, 63, a former cleaner, sought a fresh start on the Spanish island three months ago due to family upheaval.
However, their new beginning has turned into something they never imagined.
Currently without their original work documents, they're awaiting replacements. If Joshua finds work, he plans to save up for a rental with solid walls and a roof.
Locals in Tenerife recently protested against excessive tourism in the capital, arguing it has made housing unaffordable. Initially trying to settle by a beach across a small highway bridge, the police intervened, forcing them to move.
"Here is a free zone," explained Joshua. He also noted: "It's good because the weather is good here, we have the sea. It's easier than Italy, for sure, but it's always complicated for some stuff because you don't have the light."
Life is more manageable than in Italy, though certain aspects remain challenging due to lack of amenities like electricity, according to the Express. They rely on public toilets and beg nearby restaurants for food, reports Yorkshire Live.
"We ask and they give us something," Joshua shared. "The food is never a problem here. They are so kind, everybody. You're free to be yourself, for sure. You have no rules. After the bridge there's all the rules."
In the area, others have fashioned their own makeshift abodes, connected by a path etched into the nearby sand and foliage.
One such home even features an al fresco toilet hut. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Another dwelling sports a front gate that appears to be made from the rear of a wooden dining chair, while some have utilised natural caverns. Joshua remarked: "A lot [of people] live here. We're like a family. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not good. It's normal.
"Here, it is quiet. The same on the beach, but the police come every time to say 'go away'". His mother, speaking through her son as an interpreter, shared: "I like it. It's like a holiday."
Paola aspires to one day own a house, yet she finds contentment in their present living conditions. She relishes the liberty and points out that in Italy, there are a "lot of problems, a lot of rules".
She also values the climate and the freedom to go to the sea at her leisure. Marco Gaudio, 51, another Italian native, moved to Tenerife for employment opportunities a year prior after quitting his job in a restaurant kitchen.
Roused from a siesta in a tent near Joshua and Paola, Marco chatted with the Express, laid-back and bare-chested.
"For the moment, it's ok," he stated. He mentioned that he has a child in Toulouse and is eager to secure employment to offer them a better life.
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When asked about fear, he confidently flexed his biceps and replied: "No problem."
Marco, when questioned on boredom, insisted he wasn't bored but expressed a desire to find work.
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