Day 12 - Wednesday, 22 January - ETD 11:40

Since 11 January we have not set the alarm clock, but this morning is was on, merciless, at 6 am.

This photo is not related to an excursion.

 We are waiting in the VIP lounge at the Arrecife airport for departure at 11:50 - ten minutes late.

Day 11 - Tuesday, 21 January - last day

Unfortunately it is a bit too fresh and clouded with very little sunshine.  

The day will probably be limited to some minigolf, a quick walk on the beach and a card game.

Hopelessly cold and grey.

A lonely baby seagull - as cold as I am this morning.

Tonight we will have supper at the Indian "Mumbai masala" which tempts us with Lamb Bityani and Pilau Rice.

Tomorrow is early departure !

Day 10 - Monday, 20 January ... 2 days left

Today is grey and almost cold.    What can we do ?

We decide to catch local bus number 3 at 11:36 direction Playa Blanca.  A 20 minutes ride take us to to Puerto Calero.

The village is small with low, cubic, white houses.  This typical architecture, which is present all over the island, is due to artist Cesar Manrique, who influenced the government to defend buildings higher than 3 floors.

Manrique came back from New York in 1966 and settled definitively in Tahiche, 5 km north-east of Arrecife, where he had his house built on and inside a lava “river”.  1.800 m2 living area on two levels with gardens, pool and terraces.   It is now turned into a museum exposing Manrique’s own works together with Miró, Picasso and local artists like Juan Gopar and Geraldo Delgado.

 This Manrique sculpture called "something" with winds and is just a bit down the beach walk.

"El Róbalo" he called it.

This iron Delgado is also on the beach front - he was a local artist, contemporary to César Manrique.

Who inspired who ?

Isn't there some Robert Jacobsen in both of them.

After a stroll on the harbour in Puerto Calero we are lucky enough to catch the Lineas Romero Express Waterbus (glass bottom boat) bound for Puerto del Carmen at 12:15.

Sailing close to the shore, it becomes clear why Lanzarote is called « Isla del Vulcanos ».

Very little green in the lava black-black lava "fields".

The "book" says, that Lanzarote is the oldest of the Canary Islands - old of 23 mio years.
Since 1993 it is classified by Unesco.
The island took shape during the big eruptions in 1730 to 1736, when Timanfaya was active non stop.  The air seems to have been filled with black dust and the sun was not seen for 6 years !!!!

But the island gained 174 km2 of surface from the lava streaming into the ocean.

The last eruption took place in 1824 - since there has been no more volcanic activity.

Cold beer and white wine at the port before catching local bus n° 3.

"All that meat and no potatoes" ... waiting for the bus "home".

A last look at the curious plants in our hotel garden.

Ficus Benjamini - I have one in a pot in the Plasky living room ....

Bourgainvillea spectabilis - it certainly is "spectabilis".

Does anybody know the name of this one ?

Figue de Barberi - very aggressive thorns.

"Goodbye" supper at o’Horreo :  Baby squid, delicious pan fried Dorade, potatoes with Mojo verde et roja (for me), mixed salad (for Hans) + a strong Irish Whisky as desert.

Day 9 - Sunday, 19 January - still 3 days left

We are offered champagne for this Sunday breakfast.

Tomorrow is said to get clouded and  temperatures will drop from 21 to 17*C.

Rain is also announced, but not before Wednesday, when we are to leave.

From this mornings walk:

Echinocactus grusonii - Mexico

Ferrocactus cylindraceus - Mexico

Dracaena draco

As for this strange guy I don’t know his name nor origin.

Flowering tree called Beaucarnea recurvata - Central America

Hibiscus in various shades of red, yellow and orange

The soil of which there is not much is covered with a rather thick layer of vulcano gravel or even vulvano dust in order to preserve the mist of the morning or the very little rain, which might fall during the winter.

As for supper we decided to try Irishman Patrick’s Ribeye steak at "Paddys Paradise" accompanied by a baked potato, some insignificant salad and a good red wine.

The day and the meal was closed by an Irish coffee and the usual “Ron et miel” (On the House).

Day 8 - Saturday, 18 January ... still 4 days left

Last night we had the best supper till now - at o’Horreo.

“o’Horreo” is a barn where grain is stocked.

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Mini scallops in their own shell and Baby squids accompanied by an excellent Spanish white wine.

The owner said, he will land fresh fish on Monday.  We already booked a table and more scallops.

Saturday supper at the Italo-Spanish restaurant at ten minutes walk from the hotel:
2 tapas: grilled tuna and chese platter
followed by another two: fried peperoni and chicken wings.
The beaty is we can take half portions allowing us to taste twice as much as at home.
As usual we get a bottle of Spanish red, a coffee followed by pouce cafés “on the house”.

Day 7 - Friday, 17 January

Our day starts around 8:30 with a giant breakfast buffet.

Canned and fresh fruit 

Without mentioning fried and boiled eggs, omelet and freshly cut Iberian ham, all kinds of bread warm from the oven and 7 different jams

Lunch is usually a fresh fruit or a cup of tea leaving us with a good appetite for supper, the second - and last meal of the day.

Sometimes we have “ before dinner” drink before changing to go out - today it was Piña Colada.. 

And that was the end of a lovely day - tomorrow I will take you through the garden.

Day 6 - Wednesday, 16 Jan

A day like yesterday - with a long late-afternoon walk ...

... and sunset on the bay.

“Strange fruits hanging from the Poplar trees”

Five small bottles of beer plus tapas ...

But we are tempted by Irishman Patrick’s bar offering “Potato skins” and “Buffalo wings”  accompanied by a bottle of good Spanish red wine.

Our only regret is the temperature in the evening - indeed very fresh.

Day 5 - Tuesday, 15January

Yesterday we started celebrating Steen’s birthday at sunrise with a generous Fernet-Branca.

« Happy 60, to you, Steen ».

This trip was meant to be pure relaxation - just enjoying the sun and the good weather.  

It is not so easy to do nothing, but we do our best.

Lanzarote is the fourth biggest of the 7 Canary Islands - at the north-east “corner”.  

870 km2 to compare with for example (Danish) Bornholm’s 590 km2.

Puerto del Carmen, where we are, is a buzy tourist resort, but as we are almost at the end of the Esplanade we hardly notice it.

From our terrace we see Isla de Lobos (Wolf Island) 

and behind that Fuerteventura (Island of strong winds)

Days are passing at slow motion ..... a healthy breakfast, some reading on the terrace, a morning walk on the beach, a game of cards or 13 holes on mini golf course.

Day 3 - Monday 13 Jan

This morning we moved to the fourth floor from where the view is splendid ... ocean, village, garden, pool and mountains.

In this way we are far from the crowd, which is mainly composed of middle- and old aged (more or less volumeneous people) of which the majority seem to be German or British.

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Siesta time before the beach walk - lunch will be an apple or a small, sweet banana from the island.

A very tricky 13-hole minigolf course in the shade of giant Bourgainvillas.  It looked so easy, but there came quiet a few very bad words throughout the game.  

There is certainly a challenge there for tomorrow, if the weather allows. 

The midday sun is too strong and on the way to the seafront bar we both get a hat.

Supper at the seafront.  Lovely view - bad hamburgers.

Day 2 - Sunday, 12 January

Like in Brussels we were in for an early wake up.   

The airport is indeed close and the first plane came at something, that felt like 5:30.

 But who cares - a huge breakfast buffet is waiting.

I was caught by a bad cough and spontaneously our waiter rushes tea to me.
“Name Infusion Tomillo” he wrote on a paper.  
It was brewed on fresh thyme and helped right away.
“Thank you, Dottore Tomillo” - and he was all smiles.
The cactus at our doorstep announces Spring with its light green and, probably, juicy buds.

If you dare touch, your reward will be millions of  tiny thorns.

My hip is in a bad mood this morning so I chose to stay “home” instead of joining Hans for a walk.

Out of inspiration we return to the Chinese lady for a “3 starter” evening meal ....... the usual stuff plus fried sea weeds, which were new to both of us, sweet and delicious. 

Thursday 9 January 2020 - another 2 days to go ....

We had sunshine for a few days over New Year 2020, but now Brussels is grey, cold and rainy.

Another 2 days to go .... Saturday, 11 January at 8:35 we are to board TB1711 at Zaventem airport - destination Canary Islands, more precisely Lanzarote, where we have booked a bit more than 10 days at "Seaside Los Jamoes Playa", which should be at the southern and - hopefully - sunny side of the Island.  

More precisely at Puerto del Carmen - doesn't that sound promising ?

This is not precisely the kind of "blindfolded" travelling, that we prefer - but due to Bente being cought by a bad bug, we have to be back for follow-up at Clinique Saint Michel, in Brussels, by 24 January.