THE CANARY ISLANDS

It is an excellent forecast to sail to the Canary Islands. We are pleased to learn that the forecasts for the Atlantic are usually reliable, not unpredictable like in the Mediterranean.
We leave Safi in Morocco with a slight swell and sailing averaging 6.7kts. which is very pleasant. A large pod of dolphins join us for some distance.
We can sail through the night averaging about 7 kts. with the wind mostly on the beam and variable wind speeds. We had to reduce the headsail at one stage. The swell came up to a couple of metres but with wind on the beam it was comfortable.
The full moon came peeping through the previously overcast sky at mid-night to brighten up the sky and reflect over the sea.
The rest of the trip across to the Canary Islands to Puerto Calero at Lanzarote Island, is much the same, with periods of not enough wind to counteract the swell, but often enough on the beam to do so. There is not always enough wind to sail but we are able to for about 60% of the trip.
We are pleased to arrive here at 9.30am Monday morning. We both feel as though we have a triple doss of jet lag but after washing down the boat and a siesta after lunch ashore, we feel back to normal.

Canary Islands

This group of volcanic islands emerged up to 16 to 20 million years ago and are situated off the n.west coast of Africa. They are a province of Spain with some legislative autonomy.
In the middle ages they were believed to be the western limit of the world, and were visited by Arabs, Portuguese and French. Their indigenous inhabitants, the Guanche and Canario were gradually conquered during C15.
The islands became a stop on the usual route for Spanish trading vessels with the New World.

We arrive at Lazarote Island about 9.30am. We have been warned Arrecfe is not a pleasant port (thanks to Phil and Robbie) so we come directly into the new Puerto Calero which is a very attractive and welcoming place. The water here is clear, which is because it is 8-10m deep and and they have built openings in the exterior wall to allow a constant flow of fresh water.
Impulsive is soon gleaming again and we wander ashore for a late lunch at one of the many waterside restaurants. We really enjoy this light, fresh and healthy meal. Provisioning was impossible in Morocco because of the heat and the distance to the market and shops from the boat. Also the difficulty of disembarking and embarking meant I needed 2 men to help me, or strong people to put the gang plank across. Also the shore passes is always an issue which is frustrating.They won´t let a taxi driver in and it is still a long walk to Impulsive. We would like to have walked to the fresh fish stall but have all the same issues.
The promenade here is lined with palm trees and we immediately feel a holiday atmosphere about the place. Apparently it becomes very busy in October when the yachts start arriving to prepare for the ARC (the Atlantic Rally Crossing). Ross spoils me here with some lovely new clothes! It will be fun to wear them while Scott, Jeanette and the girls are with us.
We like this island which has been a Biosphere reserve since 1993.. We spend a full day exploring by car. All the towns seem to have white-washed houses all conforming to a similar cubic design. Some have attractive colours for their trims eg Lanzarote green shutters and doors. They make such a contrast to the black/blue volcanic rock and soil, the rock fences and the blue sea off the coastline. Many of the median strips are impressively lined with strelizia ( bird of paradise). We by-pass Arrecefe and enroute have wonderful views over the sea with the foreground of volcanic and barren flats and slopes.
There are two weather issues experienced here. Firstly the northern aspects of the islands are often under cloud which forms from the moisture condensing at the mountains Also because of the height of these mountains the north-east prevailing wind is often accelerated as it funnels in gusts between the islands, and without much warning. Secondly the red Sahara dust comes across with the easterly or n.easterly winds at least weekly and settles on everything, including boats!
Visiting Jameos del Agua is the beginning of our understanding of the great influence Cesar Manrique has had on Lazarote. His artistic works whether it is his paintings, urban planning, sculptures or public art is all to find an integration with the natural surroundings and to search for harmony for life itself. eg with town planning he encouraged the enforcement of only allowing buildings of a certain height to be built, and controlling development for tourism.

Jameos del Agua is an amazing site developed in a tunnel created by a volcanic eruption, and with its internal lake formed by sea water seeping in through the rock below sea level .There is an under ground auditorium and restaurant. His use of recycled wood from an old ship and the volcanic rock, along with the landscaping, give a unique setting.

Grotto at Jameos del Agua

Stool carved out of volcanic rock

Pool at the grotto

View looking back across typical village with white washed houses.

Foundacion Cesar Manrique is the house the artist built on the C18 lava flow, following his ideas of living in harmony with nature. He lived here for twenty years. Now it is used as a museum.

Cezar Maniques´Foundacion


A simple water fountain

A room designed in a bubble of the volcanic tunnel

Small bridge made out of volcanic rock over a small pool in a courtyard

Teguise, once the capital city, is further inland, and is a very attractive town to visit. It dates from the mid C15. We enjoy an amble through its main square and along some of its cobbled streets.

Main square at Teguise

Yaiza is a picturesque small town. It has some beautifully restored C19 houses in its tree -lined streets.

Our table at the restaurant at El Golfo

Lunch at El Golfo on the south west coast sitting at the water´s edge at the Bogavante restaurant which is built on volcanic rocks, is a lovely experience. It has great views of the rugged coastline here. A semi-precious green stone, olivine is found in this area.

Looking across Montanas del Fuego


Camel trekking - seen from the bus

Montanas del Fuego is north of here We take the bus trip to see some of the area affected by the volcanic eruptions in the C18 and in 1824. A quarter of the island is still buried by thick layers of lava and ash. Imagining the force of these eruptions and trying to visualize them is quite awesome. We saw some filming of volcanoes at the museum. The whole scene now looks like a moonscape.

Montanas del Fuego


A large crater

We continue on along the south west coast to Los Hervidero, which is very rugged , with its high cliffs and grotto, and then the south coast to Papagyo, an attractive coastal town. It is the southern most point of Lanzarote.

South-west coast (volcanic rock)

Grotto at Los Hervidero

Puerto Calero is one of the best marinas we have stayed at. Helpful, friendly staff, everything is clean, and workers are efficient and competent who come to the boat at the appointed time. The young woman in the office is a breath of fresh air. She picks up some new rubber stoppers for us when she drives into Arrecfe, organizes an electrician to fix the broken lead for the salt-water pump, and translates for Ross.
Provisioning isn´t looking very promising here but fresh supplies come into the marina supermarket mid-morning, including fresh bread.

It is a 12 n.mile motor-sail with quite a swell s.west across to El Puertito at Isla de Lobos . We anchor on the southern side in the lee of the land with a bit of protection from the swell. When the wind comes round 180 degrees to the north we hope it stays as it is counteracting the swell. We enjoy the peace of this tiny island and are the only boat here overnight. A walk ashore at sunset around the lagoon on this volcanic island is lovely. Slowly the other boats leave and the fishermen on the jetty retire to the cottages around the corner.

Anchored at Ilsa de Lobos (Fuerteventura Is. in the background)

Walking back to the dinghy


Moon rising over the lagoon

The water here is a beautiful turquoise and crystal clear to swim in. We have been missing our daily swims since we left the Mediterranean.
This island is off the n.east tip of Fuerteventura Island. This morning we leave to track along Fuerteventura´s southern coast. There are many beaches and resorts along here . We pass by bare hills and later with the backdrop of high mountains all covered by a haze. Another overcast day, and cool for sailing.
We have an early lunch because when we follow the coast and change course to a westerly direction, Ross is organized to fly the spinnaker which we are looking forward to. Unfortunately we think we strike an acceleration wind zone, even though it is not marked on the chart, and so are not able to do it. These areas are usually marked on the chart and show where increased wind speeds force large masses of air through the channels separating the islands. These accelerations occur without much warning and can increase the wind speed dramatically.

Instead we enjoy a lovely sail averaging 7.5 kts. with a reduced mainsail and headsail. The winds here are very unpredictable. Soon the wind drops and we can fly the spinnaker. Ross uses his new pulley system, to protect his back, and it is very successful although he hoped it would give him more mechanical advantage than it has.

Flying the spinnaker

Built up areas along the south coast

An incredible cloud formation as we track along the south coast


Barren cliffs further along the Fuerteventura coast

It has been a long day´s sail and we are looking forward to anchoring as we approach Morro Jable on the s.west tip of the island.

We have an incredible experience as we come in. There is a fish farm here and watching out closely for buoys I call Ross because there is a swimmer waving at us quite frantically. He is along way from the shore. We go over to him and he obviously is in trouble and is pleased to come aboard. His english is very limited but he explains something about his friend forgot him. Whatever the reason he was concerned about his survival, especially as it wasn´t long until dark. He had a wet suit, flippers and goggles so he had intended to swim.

The wind is quite strong now so it takes us some time to anchor securely. The young man decides we are close enough in for him to swim ashore. We let him go ahead as we don´t want to leave the boat in this wind, and using the dinghy would be difficult. We watch him with the binoculars until we see him walk up the fishing ramp. This is a tiny village but in no time there seem to be people lining the cliff top, a police car and coast guard van all surveying the scene. We did understand this fellow to live near by. Next a helicopter is flying low over the sea in the area so the alert must have gone out that he was missing.

Sometime later he came by in a flash run-about boat and thanked us again as he went on to the cove nearby where he lives.

Leaving Morro Jable

We have a settled night and set off at day break across the passage to Gran Canaria.. The wind is on the beam, averaging 10-16 kts. and we are able to sail most of the way with the headsail and reduced mainsail. As we approach an accelerated wind zone on the chart Ross reduces the headsail as well. It is another overcast day.
The swell is coming directly behind us , so is no problem. We are pleased not to experience any accelerated winds. Approaching the southern coast of Gran Canaria it is almost hidden in haze.

The cloud has lifted and the sea is a wonderful deep blue as we come into Puerto de Mogan nestled amongst very high, striated cliffs.

Approaching Puerto de Mogan


Coming into Puerto de Mogan

Now we can prepare for Scott, Jeanette, Augusta and Lily to arrive tomorrow.


Saturday, July 31st.
It is very exciting to hear voices we know so well arriving at the boat, and then to see those beautiful smiling faces.

Scott chose Puerto Mogan , on the s.west coast, to meet us as it it a small fishing village. It has kept its village atmosphere and is very attractive with its simple Mediterranean architecture and white-washed buildings. Shops and cafes surround the port´s waterfront. In the evening the apartments above the shops open their deck doors and this gives a lovely glow as they turn on their lights. They have flat roofs with colourful plants cascading over the edge. There are tropical plants in abundance throughout the town, including bougainvillea, oleandas and birds of paradise.Waterfront at Puerto Mogan - view from Impulsive

View from the stern of Impulsive

Tropical flower growing near Impulsive´s berth

This is a very quiet town, especially early in the morning. Nothing seems to happen here until 10.am. We enjoy this time of day because it is always cool and makes it easier to shop and work on the boat. It is extremely easy to feel in holiday mode here. Everyone seems relaxed and friendly. The streets near the waterfront are for pedestrians only.
The old town rises up behind the port, and looks as though it is cut into the volcanic rock.
The beach here is very attractive and well maintained. It becomes busier as the day gets hotter.
Scott an Jeanette´s apartment is near the far end of the beach amongst some modern buildings. It is only a 10 minute walk from Impulsive. These apartments have a swimming pool which is a great asset for Augusta and Lily during the heat of the day.

We have the most wonderful week enjoying short sails, swimming off the boat, dinghy exploits, the beach, snorkeling, swimming in the pool, and dining on Scott and Jeanette´s terrace or on Impulsive. This way the girls can go to bed when they are ready after sun drenched days filled with activities. We had some brunches out instead which is more successful. We only had dinner out once and Lily fell asleep even before our main course was served. Augusta and Lily stay on board with us for 2 nights, which is great fun.

Scott and Jeanette swimming off the back of Impulsive in a small cove


Augusta and Lily

Augusta concentrating at the helm


In the dinghy off Puerto Mogan beach

Jeanette and Augusta

Lily dancing with Farfar

Farfar flipping pancakes for breakfast on Impulsive

Augusta and Lily had a great time improving their swimming skills and having a relaxing time before they return to school and kinder next week.

For us it is lovely to have time with them all and catch up with their news in person instead of over the phone.

Scott, Jeanette and the girls arrive the weekend of the fishermen´s festival. This begins on Saturday morning with loud music and singing over at the fishermen´s wharf. At lunch time the boats decorated with flags start leaving the port, each with many people on them and sounding very festive still with their music and singing. It is all quite a spectacle.

Fishermen´s festival


Fishermen´s festival

Party boat coming in next to impulsive

Fishermen´s part boats rafted up near impulsive in the small cove

They all come back into the harbour later for a barb-e-que, and still continue with the music and singing. This is all to promote a good fishing season for the next year.
This culminates at mid-night with a fantastic fireworks display from the beach area and just outside the cove. It is quiet when we return to Impulsive but Scott and Jeanette tell us the partying continues for hours in the main square.
Sunday is a repeat day of yesterday. We venture out on Impulsive to a nearby cove for sailing, swimming and snorkeling and some of the party boats come here. This is a small, picturesque cove with magnificent water to swim in. A highlight here is to feed the masses of sardines with bread. They actually jump above the surface of the water. The climate is perfect here for this sort of holiday, with cool mornings, hot days for water activities and balmy warm evenings. With the hot winds coming across from the Sahara Desert there is a warm climate here all year round with the temperature averaging 18-24 degrees.
Every Friday there is a market of at least 100 stalls around the perimeter of the port. It is a great experience to go to the market with Jeanette who is always looking for new ideas for her label and business. She is pleased to find some beautifully made shawls from South America, which are leather pieces stitched together with crochet by hand. She is sure she can sell these in Denmark for a good price so tries to enter into some sort of business plan with the seller. Unfortunately he is not much of a business man so it will be interesting to see what the outcome is.

We have some fun buying clothes and accessories for Augusta and Lily, and for the grandchildren at home. Jeanette has a marvelous eye for these things, and she is good at bargaining.

The latest fashion in sunglasses, from the market!

We are always sad to farewell Scott, Jeanette, Augusta and Lily back to Denmark, but we have had the most wonderful time with them all, and all feel very relaxed. Fortunately we are visiting them for a few days on our way home to Australia in a few weeks.

favourite recipe this leg :
1 whole fresh salmon cleaned and filleted by the fish monger - he would only sell it whole so we freeze what we don´t need
Marinade with lime juice and sprinkle with herbs, including coriander, and spices
Then barb -e -que

Serve with barb -e -qued vegetables; eggplant , zucchini and pumpkin (finish off in the microwave if necessary). Sprinkle with fresh herbs
And a salad including mixed lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, goats cheese and avacado; dress with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and parsley.
Also serve with a small platter of asparagus.

Canary Islands (cont.)

Saturday 8th. August

We busy ourselves with boat maintainence, eg anti-rust and cleaning stainless steel. We plan to leave tomorrow morning with a very calm forecast so will spray the bolt rope on the mainsail with silicon spray as we put it up then. This keeps it supple to run through the runners as it goes up the mast. We are pleased to note the long life globes we were advised in Barcelona to put in all the light fittings are a great success. They make much less drainage on the battery power.

We have some interesting and helpful yachting neighbours here. Maxine is french and lives on her boat. She has been involved with boats for years and has a wealth of information. We are particularly grateful to hear she knows somewhere nearby where we can fill our Australian gas bottles. We thought we needed to bring a fitting from Australia.

Maxine helping with local knowledge

We have Polish and then Swedish neighbours on the other side. The Polish skipper has advice which proves very helpful. With the forecasts ensure you allow for the wind acceleration as well. If its 25kts. don´t leave, and double the given wind speed. Also we learn the wind here is stronger in the afternoon.

Tonight we enjoy one of the best dinners we have ever been presented with. It is in a small restaurant where you can dine outside Each table has a tall red rose and the settings are very chic and unusual. Everything is done with flare and originality by the young couple running this place.

Part of scallop entree set on a mirror


Scallops set to music!

The chef wants to share his passion for creative and delicious cuisine through his imaginative cooking and presentation.
Sitting on a nearby table we meet a couple, and their son from Belgium, who has recognized us from Impulsive and our Australian flag. The wife had stayed in Australia some years ago for over a year and is keen to speak with us. Her english is excellent They come back to have a night cap on Impulsive. They are hoping to sail to Australia one day, so hopefully we will see them again.

It is wonderful skyping the family this morning. We can actually show them where we are by walking around slowly with the computer. It is such a treat for us to see and speak with them.

It is very calm as forecast (i.e. winds from 5-8kts.) when we set off in good time in a n.west direction for Las Galletas on Tenerife Is. We are joined by some dolphins. Fortunately Ross closes all the hatches and portholes because without warning we are suddenly in a wind acceleration zone with winds up to 30kts. and water coming over the starboard beam of the boat, and Ross getting drenched.With half the mainsail and one third of the headsail up we are doing 8.2 kts. The trip takes about 5 hours and we are pleased to be tied up in the protection of Los Galletas port.

Watching the whipped up sea from inside Impulsive

This is an attractive small fishing harbour except for the modern box like apartments built around the water front . These are a contrast from the white washed buildings we have seen elsewhere as they are painted in other colours of rose, ochres and blues.The high mountains of the Teide national park are in the background.
We spend the next 2 days with a hire car exploring the island. The cruising options are limited particularly up the west coast where there are very few available facilities.
Apart from some of the built up and industrial areas near the coast the scenery is spectacular and varied.
We drive north up steep and winding roads to the Teide National Park. The landscape is extraordinary with its many volcanic formations. We take The Rouges de Garcia walking track which takes about one and a half hours.

Start of Rouges de Garcia

This area was formed by a huge tsunami years ago which sliced out massive pieces of land. Since then there has been more volcanic activity so it is a very interesting place to walk. There are many examples of the fascinating flora and fauna here that exist in this difficult subtropical -alpine climate. From here we see Teide, the active volcano, and El Roche Cinchado, a vast and interesting shape because it is wearing away faster at the bottom than the top.

El Roche Cinchado



Teide Bugloss
-an example of the flora (showing how it has adapted to the climate here)


Along the walk

It is uncommonly arid here

Volcanic formations

We hope we can obtain a pass to climb to the summit of Teide so we will return to take the cable car trip then. Also there is unusually poor visibility today caused by the Sahara dust so we are advised not to do it now.

Mt. Teide seen through the Sahara dust

Driving further north we come to La Orotava. This is a lovely well preserved town with its narrow, cobbled streets and C17 and C18 houses with their feature of carved wooden balconies. There are many beautiful gardens here, in full bloom. We have never seen such large heads on hydrangeas.

La Orotava


Private house built in 1928 and set in beautiful gardens, now a cultural centre

"Bird of Paradise" in this garden

Puerto de a Cruz is very touristy and we are lucky to find a park. Our stop here is brief just to take in the atmosphere of this very popular resort set on the seafront and rising up into the mountains behind.
After a full day of tiring driving for Ross we take the motor way back down the east coast to Impulsive.
Today we venture up the west coast. Looking up to the mountains they are still shrouded in cloud. There are palm trees and oleandas lining the roads. There are hundreds of banana plantations up this coastline and it is interesting that the majority of them are shaded. We often see signs for shops selling Tenerife pearls.

Driving up the steep, winding roads


Banana plantations

Los Gigantes is very touristy, in fact we are unable to park at 10.30am. It is a maze of apartments and hotels in narrow streets set below these huge black rocks whose cliff faces plunge 500m. into the ocean. We stop at a cafe up the top and the view over this and along the coastline is wonderful. Apparently whales and dolphins enjoy this stretch of warmer waters.

Los Gigantes


Fertile valley in n.east of Tenerife (where there is more rainfall in the north of the island)

The steep and winding drive down into Garachico is spectacular. It is an attractive town set in a semi-circle around the waterfront. There are only a few original buildings still here since an earthquake in 1706, but these are well preserved. Unfortunately the then busy port was ruined and the town no longer could trade as it did between America and the Canaries, and the port has never recovered its profitable trading.

Driving down into Garachio

Part of the old port and some of the natural pools

Looking up one of the main streets

Typical houses with the wooden balconies





Festival time - house of a marques rebuilt C17

Masca is a very small village set 600m. high up an incredibly winding narrow road. We wonder how it was built. It is an extremely difficult drive as 2 cars cannot always pass by each other and have to wait in lay-by areas to do so. The thought of the drops over the edge can be eerie.

Masca

Pirates used to come here by mule and used it as a hide-away. There are a small number of stone houses all with their lush gardens, palm trees and terraced gardens for crops and vegetables. Ross has a maize, garlic and onion tart for lunch which is very unusual but delicious. The views down through the gorge are breathtaking.

View from the road looking down the gorge


Narrow, winding roads

We continue on a scenic route back to the Teide national Park and walk the Route Samara. This walk is like walking on the moonscape, all on debris from the last volcano here. The Canarian pines grow here and are establishing themselves now the lichen and moss have.The different colours seen in the rocks are caused by oxidization. The view over La Gomera Is. (where we plan to sail to tomorrow) and La Palma , both enshrouded in low white cloud , is beautiful.

Route Samara
with Canarian Pines


View over La Gomera

Ross fastidiously checks 3 weather sites, especially with the variables with the accelerated wind zones. All sites forecast an average of 8-10 kts. n. to n.e. winds so even doubling this it should be a calm sail. We leave early at daybreak, because the forecast here at Los Galletas is benign in the morning but for higher winds in the afternoon. The days are noticeably shorter now, so it is dark until about 6.45am.

Leaving Los Galletas

We get out calmly and then have 20 kts. on the nose, with a short choppy sea and 2 m. high waves which is very uncomfortable.Suddenly out of nowhere we hit an accelerated wind zone with the apparent wind dial registering 42 kts. and Ross gets another drenching. We are making about 6 kts. We change course by 20 degrees to steady Impulsive and have less strain on all the gear. We take in the reduced headsail and have just over half the mainsail up and now average 7 kts. What a willing sail!
We are very pleased to be securely tied up at la Gomera Island at San Sebastian port.

Thursday 12th. august
La Gomera Island

San Sebastian marina

San Sebastian is very quiet until the ferries arrive each morning. This is the port where Christopher Columbus filled his water tanks and departed from for his great voyage and discovery of America. It is interesting to wonder what his thoughts were when he was kneeling to pray in the island´s main Church before he sailed away. Nearby is the well preserved house he stayed in here. The main square is shaded by laurel trees.

The well Christopher Columbus used


Replica of Christopher Columbus´ship

We plan to stay here for 2 days and in fact we need to with the unfavourable weather forecast. We may even have to stay an extra day. We are warned by locals of the strong winds which funnel down through the gullies from the mountains to the port each evening. Ross ties the boat up more securely to cope with this. We are grateful for all their local knowledge or we would have been very concerned when it first happened with no warning.
This small island is little affected by tourism and has wonderful and varied landscapes. It is very popular for hikers.

We are advised not to visit the National park today because it is an unusually hot day with very strong winds and threats of fire danger.

Church at Hermigua

We enjoy the day exploring by car, starting in a n.easterly direction up a steep and winding road to inland Hermigua, and then on to C17 Agulo high above the sea and surrounded by banana plantations. Throughout these areas are steep ravines, views of the coastline, banana plantations and terracing. There is a lot of mist and cloud particularly in the north of the island.

Vallehermoso

Vallehermoso is in a valley and has very fertile soil for the crops. We then drive s. west to the outskirts of the National Park and take a lovely shaded walk to Canades de Jorg down a steep descent into a gorge. It is much cooler here.

Canades de Jorg walk


Driving back to the marina
At the north of the island is very arid

View over Sans Sebastian marina
with accelerated wind zone showing on the sea

Driving back to San Sebastian we get glimpses of the accelerated wind zones and cannot imagine being out there. The hot and gusting winds are very strong now and we can see the masses of tall, white waves from afar.

The boats in the harbour are "rocking and rolling" in their pens. Impulsive seems very secure but the whistling wind howling through the marina is very disconcerting , as is hearing all the squeaking and knocking sounds of all the boats, so we decide to go to the Parador hotel on top of the hill to have some sleep. We have 2 nights in this replica of a Canarian mansion. It has a great advantage for us because we can look down and see Impulsive safely in her berth.

The Parador hotel courtyard

Today we walk in the National Park from Los Mimbregas to the peak of Garagonay, La Gomera´s highest mountain. The drive in is beautiful as is the walk with the shaded forest with some areas shrouded in mist. The mists are caused by the cool Atlantic trade winds meeting the warm breezes here and they provide dew and humidity providing the lush growth here. The peak itself is exposed and windy but the cloud has lifted and the views across to Teide on Tenerife Is., Palma Is. (our next destination). and El Hierro are spectacular.

Hiking up Alto Garagoney


View across to Mt. Teide

We do stay another day. We catch up on jobs on the boat including washing her down again after the strong winds as she is covered in fine, black volcanic dust.

Terracing near Valle Gran Rey

Later we drive west to Valle Gran Rey, again along a most scenic route and down a winding, steep descent, and through a fertile valley to this attractive town set by the Atlantic.

Boats in the small port here


Typical beach with black sands

Expensive new houses at Valle Gran Rey

Cesar Manrique sculpture at top of the ascent out of this town

Looking back down to Valle Gran Rey

With the weather forecast making it still inappropriate to leave we have another day

here relaxing on Impulsive reading, drawing and painting which is very relaxing.

We find one excellent restaurant here which has been cut into the rock and overlooks the Atlantic. It is small and cosy with interesting cuisine and lively service. Another place we enjoy is near the main square and has more traditional food , and lots of atmosphere with a constant flow of locals coming to dine there.

Lighthouse leaving La Gromera

Monday 16th. August
With a favourable forecast at last we leave early to sail 50 n.miles n.west to La Palma. We begin slowly with some tide against us and some swell. Later the wind comes round to east of north and we motor sail with the headsail up and just over half the mainsail, tracking at up to 8 kts.
We enjoy this crossing very much.

La Palma Island is another small island, well known for its many wonderful walking tracks and spectacular scenery. This is a quieter island without the heavy tourism seen elsewhere. In C16 it was considered the third most important port in Spain.
All the roads here are steep, narrow and winding, with wonderful views.
Traveling north up the east coast we come to the Los Tilos laurel forest.This is a misty evergreen rainforest. Also growing here are ferns, myrtles and lime trees. It is beautiful walking through here, now a biosphere reserve.
Somehow we take a wrong turn along the north coast, (we are finding the maps here hard to follow!), which gives Ross a particularly difficult, and sometimes hair-raising drive, but the scenery is magnificent. There are not many towns or restaurants in this area but one the tourist information man suggests is excellent, with local cuisine and in a lovely setting.
The archaeological site of La Zarza near La Mata, has rock carvings by the ancient inhabitants of the island. These are very simple , mostly of spirals and circles. The walk in to see these is again lush green, with laurel trees and a large diversity of bird life.
The scenery along the west coast is equally spectacular as the east and the north coasts. the greenery is due to the heavy rainfall in these areas and the warm climate.
Turning east we approach the southern boundary of the Caldera de Taburiente, near El Paso, which is quite a large town. We descend down to the bottom (another scary drive) where many walks lead off for exploring the park. Some campers are just returning from a long hike and are very pleased with themselves. We are very happy to just be looking today.
Ross is pleased to park the car near the marina and we walk along the waterfront boulevard with its attractive houses, cafes and bars to find a simple dinner. Many of these places have the wooden balconies and overhanging baskets with colourful flowers. Many of the houses on La Palma Island are painted in bright colours.
The following morning we stow the boat to prepare for an overnight sail tomorrow. The provisioning is much simpler here where we can buy fresh food regularly. i am just keeping 2 spare meals in the freezer in case.
Then we head up to Roque de los Muchachos to the National Park. The steep walls of the crater are a fantastic sight, some over 2,000m high. We are fortunate to have a clear day with breath-taking views.
There is an astronomical observatory up here. It is known world wide because with the clear skies at this site it is a perfect place for making these observations.
While we are still descending, we find lunch at a charming al fresco restaurant with its overhanging grape vines and views across the Atlantic , which is very pleasant.
This is excellent preparation for the 4 hour walk at La Galga up to Cuba de la Galga, on the east coast with its wonderful examples of deep ravines and vertical cliff faces. The forest here is lush green and very cool to walk through.
Tonight while we still have the hire car we drive 8 ks. out of Santa Cruz to a well known restaurant, Las Tres Chimeneas. It is a delicious dinner and a pleasant atmosphere. We also enjoy seeing another area of the island.
Today we enjoy a "home" day on the boat and have our delightful Swedish neighbours on board for a drink before dinner. They have no children or commitments at home, so have set off for 5 years to travel the world. We hope to see them after crossing the Atlantic next year, and they also hope to come to Australia.

Friday 20th. August
We leave La Palma about midday to time our overnight sail towards the east to arrive at Gran Canaria Island at 8 or 9 am. It is a pleasant afternoon out here motor sailing with the headsail and most of the mainsail up, averaging about 7 kts.
With a magnificent sunset we are tracking towards the n.east cape of Tenerefe past
the top of Teide just looming above the heavy cloud formation below it.The wind has come round slightly so we are motor sailing with 3/4 of the mainsail up. There is just a slight swell.
Ross asks many people how far off the n. east coast of Tenerefe the accelerated winds are likely to occur.( It is marked on the chart to be be very strong in this area) We are surprised when they are such a problem that no-one has the answer. Last night he visited the crew of a the large ferry and was told that about 3-5 n.miles off shore. We are very grateful for this knowledge and plan our course accordingly.
For sometime we enjoy the warm glow of the lights from Tenerefe, and later the
reflection across the water from the 3/4 moon.
Arriving this morning without having to experience any accelerated wind zones is a great relief. There is no pleasure sailing in these.

To avoid accelerated wind zones we decide not to return to Tenerefe to Santa Cruz marina. We are unable to make a booking for this time for a permit to the summit of Mt. Teide. We look at it on the internet and decide we don´t need to do this extra travel to go up the cable car, having now seen several volcanos and having been up to their summit.

Gran Canaria Island
Las Palmas
We spend several days here with a mixture of organizing Impulsive and exploring the more northern parts of this island
We walk about 4 ks. along the foreshore to explore the "Old town". It is all very quiet
and even though it is Sunday most places of interest are closed early afternoon.
The Santa Ana cathedral is huge with a neoclassical facade, set in the square of the same name, wit its bronze statues of dogs. Casa de Colon,or Columbus House, is the palace of the first governors, and where Columbus stayed. it is now a museum showing aspects of Columbus´great voyages eg. part of an interior of one of the ships. Nearby is a small church, San Antonio Abad where Columbus prayed. South of the cathedral is Plaza del Espiritu Santo which houses its monumnental fountain, a chapel and several typical historical houses.
Santa Catalina Hotel, built in the late C19 is near the marina , is very grand and is set in the Parque Doramus. These sub-tropical gardens with their water features have an impressive monument to the Guanches during their resistance to Spanish invaders.
One of these days we call our "Mr. Bean" day. I never thought I`d experience seeing Ross having a day like this. He has so much to think about and organize, and most things just seem to "go wrong". We all have these days but this one is just incredible. In the end we just laugh and imagine many worse things that could happen. The last straw is we walk a long way to a recommended excellent fresh seafood restaurant to find no lights on and that it is closed until Sept. !st for holidays!
We take a drive inland visiting several charming small and quiet towns.
Telde is unique with its green and white painted houses. It once held the seat of the local king of the Guanches.
Vega de San Mateo is an agricultural town set in a very fertile valley.
Santa Brigida is said to produce the best red wine of the island. There are views over the slopes where they grow these vines on the town´s slopes. The streets here are lined with eucalyptus trees.
Tafira Alta is in the hills near Las Palmas. There are lovely villas and gardens, and elegant hotels here.
We have some interesting dinners at Las Palmas at and near the marina.
We have thoroughly enjoyed the Canarian cuisine, including the famous small Canarian potatoes with Mojo sauce which is red( spicy) or green. The fresh seafood has been delicious too.
The wines have been interesting with full flavours. One we particularly enjoy is a red from the area of the towns above where we were told they grow the best reds on the island.
It has been overcast as expected during our time in the northern part of the island.
Apparently it is sunnier in September. We enjoy the cool especially when we are on the boat in the marina. Also it has been quiet every where but the busier season here will begin soon with boats arriving for the Atlantic rally crossing. Also tourism is at its peak here during December and January.
We frequent the "Sailors´s Bar" near Impulsive often for the WiFi connection. It´s always buzzing. This is one of several places we post a notice about sailing across the Atlantic in January enquiring if there if anyone may be interested to sail in radio contact with us. They would have to maintain a similar average speed to us.


Wednesday, 25th. August
We leave for our last sail of this season this morning to track down the e. coast of the island and then along the south coast to Pasito Blanco.
We start off motor sailing with both sails up and a large swell, with the wind behind us but varying. Now we round Punto de Ganda we have a starboard tack and blowing 30 kts. so we can sail. We are thrilled to enjoy a good final sail. Listening to Beethoven´s 9th.smphony adds to the atmosphere.