Chilling out in the Canaries 11/3/2022

 Round and round the rugged rock, this blog is the story of a driving trip all round the circumference of Gran Canaria. Rather than running ragged rascals, we drove our hired Renault Clio along what at times were pretty hairy roads. The road was being improved particularly in the north west quadrant. Nearly the all the west side is less developed and much more arrid as the pictures show. I'm afraid that this is going to be more of a picture gallery than a blog. This was El Risco, our first stop where we enjoyed a coffee and almond cake. 

A glimpse of the new tunnels under construction rather disappointingly removing the views, hairpins, danger and fun all in one fell excavation. 

And now the new view inside the recently finished tunnel. 

They have left some of the old road which gives access to this really remarkable viewpoint. It is called La Balcon and I don't need to explain why. In the foreground you can see ox-eyed daisies, which seem to survive anywhere. We are on the north coast here looking east towards a distant Las Palmas. 

Here we are looking straight down about 400 metres to the shoreline. 

This is the equally impressive view to the west. 

This picture is almost surreal. Arising out of the sea cloud is the mountain of Telde, remember, that third highest volcano in the world and also Spain's highest peak. It is over 40 kilometers away on the neighbouring island of Tenerife. 

Here you can see how this precipitous viewpoint is constructed using that wondrously adaptive material, plate glass. This picture also demonstrates that phenomenon I call the "Harry Worth" affect. You have really got to be over 60 to remember him and his shop window. 

Helen demonstrating her head for heights. Although it looks to me that her eyes are shut. 

I warned you that I would tell you some more about bananas, well here we go. Firstly that vast area of white is the polytunnel netting that I referred to in the first blog. It acts both as shade from the excessive sun and protection from the winds. The variety grown here is Dwarf Cavendish which grows only about 3 metres in height. The fruits are half the size of the Caribbean or South American varieties and they do pack more flavour and sugar. if you live in England, go to ASDA who stock them and try them for yourself. Besides the bananas notice how little other vegetation there is. 

You can just see the road in this shot but you are often left wondering where on earth the road goes next. I featured this picture with climbers in mind. The cliffs ahead look to provide some excellent routes, I wonder how many have actually been climbed. 

If I knew more about the geology of volcanic regions I would be able to write reams describing the rock formations below. As I don't, I won't. 

Here is one of the classic views on the island. Start with the sky and drop down, that's Teide again, the highest peak on Tenerife. Now it's more like 50 kilometres away. Then you see the sea cloud again. To the right is the town of Artenara. This is another centre of activity with the historic peoples of the island. We then look across the Crux de Tajeda with Pueblo Tajeda just visible in the bottom centre. 

Pueblo Tajeda has been described as Spain's prettiest village. It certainly has a very impressive setting. 

Here we are in the main street where we enjoyed melty but tasty ice cream. 

The little port of Puerto de Morgan is a delightful little resort with a parade of restaurants facing a sandy beach. There's a classy marina and a beautiful old collection of houses and narrow alleyways decorated with tropical flowering plants. 

The square with restaurants surrounding the bandstand. 

Turn around 180°and you are facing the marina. We liked this place so much that we returned to spend the day there later. 

You are looking at a golf course built in the middle of a desert. I hate to think how much was invested to create this oasis.  A slice or a pull will leave you trying to play golf in a quarry. 

Our only real view of the Dunas de Maspalomas. This 1000 acre site has been a nature reserve since 1987. We found this area around Maspalomas very user unfriendly.  The main problem was just trying to get out of the car. The difficulty was parking when every conceivable space was already occupied and there was a constant cruise of cars looking for that none existent place. So the dunes may well be a great visit but you will need ask someone who managed to get their feet sandy. 

We eventually managed to park near the shopping centre. After a walk round the shops and along the promenade I took a couple of shots in the fading light. 

As ever I like to try to finish with a sunset. This resort is on the south west quadrant so the sun is going down just around the corner. 

Chilling out in the Canaries 8/3/2022

 Our location in Playa del Hombre means we really have to have a car in order to get the best out of this holiday. In Gran Canaria there is really only two choices. You head to the hills or you head to the beaches. Today it's the former, indeed you can't get higher than the highest peak on the island Pico de las Nieves which stands at 1,949 metres. By coincidence this happens to be the same numbers as my birth year. 

Although relatively small (the circumference is 235 kms) the island displays a remarkable variety of landscapes. Ar  id larval desert that only supports stubborn socially isolated cacti and the odd lizard if your eyesight is quick enough to spot that tail-flicking movement, is juxtaposed with lush verdant slopes supporting a cornucopia of agriculture. Clearly the answer lies in the microclimate. Ironically the bananas seem to be grown in those really dry areas. Presumably these are the sunniest ie cloud free districts,but more of bananas later. Let's look at some hillside farming. Terracing is of course essential with slopes like these and many are decades if not centuries old,

Some handy clouds here to support my theory. Talking of cloud, we encountered these in abundance at the top of Pico de las Nieves. Unusually we could drive right to the top and the reason why is that the summit is shared with a military base hence the road was constructed. If you have ever wondered who is watching you, well it's everyone, but also someone on the top of this mountain. 

Seconds later the view becomes this. 

And in a few more seconds..........

And if you are interested in seeing the military base, look quickly as it's a restricted area. 

The next view point was also affected by cloud cover. This is the Caldera (crater) de los Marteles. It is 80 metres down to the bottom and 550 metres across. The landscape was created by an explosive phreatomagmatic eruption or for the layman when larva comes into contact with underground water. It occurred about a million years ago. The crater has a flat bottom and weather permitting you can see the geometric lines of ploughing showing that agriculture has been a traditional activity on this relatively flat land. In Wales it would have been a rugby stadium. 

We continued downwards heading for a ravine type valley which has been inhabited constantly since the first indigenous peoples arrived on the island. The location represents the greatest density of archaeological sites spread along both slopes of the ravine among which troglodyte habitats abound, under escarpment ledges and on hillsides. It is considered to be one of the most stunning cultural landscapes in Gran Canaria. This troglodytic lifestyle has persisted even up to the present day. 

The caves are clearly visible in the rock cliffs. As well as habitations the caves were used for storage and burial purposes. Access to many of the caves is very difficult and the remains of ancestors still remain undisturbed where they were first laid to rest many hundreds of years ago. 

This historic landscape has not however remained static. It has evolved and adapted to present day living. 

Meet our friend, the present day troglodyte and his humble abode. This is his washing up area which has running water..

The cave is also supplied with mains electricity for lighting and the television (He was watching Death in Paradise when we called.) Some of the homes ran on portable generators. He earned a few Euros each day showing people round his home. Below you can see his hallway, the green door leads through to the bedroom/living room. 

He had a few "museumy bits" to illustrate his story. 

Above is his double bed that he shared with his senhora until sadly she died of a brain haemorrhage. Now he shares a single bed,  cut from the rock face, with his little dog, if you see what I mean. We moved on to another place where life has stood still. 

Aguimes has become the best example of a Canarian hill town. The streets of the old town exude a gentle,  relaxed, timeless atmosphere and carefully positioned street statues and sculptures add a series of surprises to a visit to the old town. 

There had been a festival of sorts taking place earlier today. We encountered a group of women in the square who were still determined to enjoy themselves singing and dancing. 

Some of the surprises are bigger than others. Why the nude cellist? It brought to mind that famous quote by Sir Thomas Beecham "Madam you have between your legs an instrument that can give pleasure to thousands but all you can do is scratch it. "

Who can resist a camel ride when it's on offer for free? Certainly this beast was much easier to mount than Helen's last one in the Thar Desert in India. 

Chilling out in the Canaries 6/3/2022

 It must be five and a half years since we have seen my niece, Sarah and her now husband, Adrian. I know this because on last meeting we had discussed the outcome of that fateful day 23rd June 2016. Last week, as a matter of courtesy I phoned my brother to let him know that we would be out of the country for a couple of weeks in Gran Canaria. It was only then we learnt that Sarah and Adrian would be there at the same time. A get together in Las Palmas was called for and duly arranged. They were staying in Maspalomas whilst enjoying the rugged terrain by bike, so travelled up to Las Palmas on the bus. We, meanwhile had hired a car for the middle part of our holiday. 

Actually meeting up in the city could have been quite a problem but serendipitously their bus terminal and the car park we chose were almost adjacent. Here we are with the famous Las Canteras beach behind us. This beach has over 1000 metres of fine white sand and is protected by La Barra a rock and coral barrier that not only provides excellent scuba and snorkel diving but also keeps the sea pleasantly calm. 

We walked the length of the promenade taking in the sights. Wherever you go in Gran Canaria you encounter works of art,  many of them bronze sculptures and each with its own story to tell. This figure (not Sarah) is dedicated to shoe cleaners the world over.

Helen arm in arm with a famous dancing teacher but I'm not sure how much she learnt.

If you look carefully you will see three posts with wooden constructions on the top of them.  They look very primitive but I couldn't find any explanation of their meaning. Perhaps they represented some of the art of indigenous people. If anybody reading this knows, please use the comment facility to let me know. 

Another expansive view of the beach. 

Adrian tells me they add cement to the mix, it saves a lot of work the next day.  What an old cynic he is (but probably right). On first sight this appears to be a representation of a North American "Indian Chief". I'm rather hoping it is in fact a representation of the Canarii, those first inhabitants of the Canary Islands and the designs on each side are references to their troglodyte lifestyle. 

The city is built on a narrow peninsula with higher land at each end of it and sea at either side, a bit like Llandudno if you know it. The natural harbour at Las Palmas is defended by the Castillo de la Luz, built in 1494 on existing Castillian foundations, it had gun platforms for eleven canons. Today it is home to a permanent art exhibition devoted to the work of Martin Chirino. You may have encountered the excellent worldwide organisation called Strawberry Tours. They run free informative tours conducted by local people for the benefit of local charities. We are very grateful to Adrian, who for one day only set up his own "Raspberry Tour" for us. Not perhaps quite as informative as the originals but definitely more amusing. 

We can't leave without reference to the importance of Las Palmas as a port. Historically Spain valued the islands as a jumping off point to the New World. Christopher Columbus discovered the advantage of the trade winds that blow east to west, north of the equator. This was why they were so keen to possess them in the late C15. Today it is still busy importing and exporting goods, as a military base and as a port of call for cruise liners. Modern day windjammers do exist and here's the living proof. A special kind of cruise can be had on the Sea Cloud Spirit. Google it up if you want more information or fancy a cruise. There were two more of a similar size nearby. 

Chilling out in The Canaries 4/03/22

 I like the fact that the street we are staying on is named after Goya, that great Spanish artist. The community where we are living is called Playa del Hombre. It is quite a recent development that takes its name from the adjacent beach. Although there is plenty of residential building there is not as yet much commercial infrastructure by way of shops, bars and restaurants. Both to the north and south of us are the more mature developments of Melanara and La Grita. 

We walked over the headland south to Melenara. Being somewhat out of season we found most of the shops and bars shut. The views were however open, so I can share some of those with you. 

An inviting looking beach even at this early evening time. There is a wonderful coastal path, part of which you can see in the foreground of this picture. The path is a recent construction which is well but subtley lit and has frequent exercise points as well as artistic installations. The district comes under the authority of Telde, as can be seen in red. The whole path however is thanks to money from the EU. A benefit the citizens of the UK decided that they didn't want. The next shot shows our old friend Neptune arising from the waves. 

There is a well protected small port at Melenara which appears to be thriving commercially. Also, if you look carefully, you see that fatalistic connection between religion and dangerous occupations.

There is a shrine on the pavement below the mural and next to it a frame containing portraits of those unfortunate souls who lost their lives at sea. Lighthouses are of course designed to reduce that risk and here is the one marking the Melenara headland. Helen is also demonstrating her ability to feel braille, but not I think to read it. Around the corner you can see why the lighthouse is there. 

Around the corner you can see why the lighthouse is there. The Atlantic v granite match has been going on around here for millenia but as far as I can see it's still a score draw.

Let's see a bit more of this contest. 

Another half mile along the path we drop down into Playa del Hombre bay. This garden rather struck me. It's amazing what you can achieve with an old spare tin of terracotta paint especially when your garden consists of brown larva rock. 

As darkness drops it is time to walk the 200 metres up the hill to our apartment. I finish with two views of the beach. The first looking north to La Grita where the footpath is heading and the second looking back south from whence we came. 

If the sand looks somewhat dark, it's because it is. This is the brown larva variety as opposed to the classic seashell white stuff.