To begin to wrap up my photo travelogue, we sailed from Morocco out to the Canaries, about 60 miles west of Morocco. We visited Lanzerote, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, and Tenerife.
Have I mentioned that Mrs. BD has an affinity for islands?
A few Canary details: The name is from their Latin name - Dog Islands. Canary birds do live there. They sing like Canaries, but are not bright yellow. The islands are all volcanic. Some are dry and some get rain and have banana plantations. Americans rarely visit the Canaries which, from a tourist standpoint, function more like a Caribbean for northern Europeans. Beaches and booze for the Brits, Germans, and Scandinavians. We never went near a beach, though. The climate is subtropical - 70s year round with a sea breeze.
This is the volcanic soil of desert-like Lanzerote. Where it's not steep, they dig pits and plant wine grapes.
If you go below the fold, more pics including Columbus' house. The Canaries were a good stopping place for westbound Spanish galleons.
We rented a car and drove around, through some villages and then on a hair-raising drive up to the Mirador del Rio where we had a beer and a snack. Did I do that mountain drive, or did Mrs. BD drive? I don't know, because I had my eyes closed. I guess she must have driven. Many miradors in the Canaries.
Then we took a sail to Las Palmas (founded 1478) on Gran Canaria. A much less forbidding island. Still, we hired a cabbie to take us around for the day instead of renting a car.
Boat's fitness center. Such good panoramic views that you hate to leave it. Open 24 hrs/day. Yoga classes twice daily. Step out the door and you are in the salty breeze of the deck.
Towards Gran Canaria
Mrs. BD had her list of places to go on Gran Canaria. She showed it to the cabbie. We went to the big caldera:
and the rum factory where I sampled some very old rums.
We went out to the picturesque village of Teror. Strolled around. That is some altarpiece in Our Lady of the Pines. Silver from the Americas.
Then we went down from the mountains to spend some time walking around the old part of the city of Las Palmas.En route, cool volcanic geology:
Columbus' house there. Yes, really.
The cloister of the Basilica
The old square
Small streets
We grabbed an excellent early supper there: Fruit salad and broiled Dorado
Adios, Las Palmas. Onward to La Gomera and Tenerife in my next and final ocean travel post for 2015.
