Blogs from Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain, Europe - page 9

Ahh the joys of travel. Bleep, bleep, bleep the strident screech of my alarm wakens me to a new day and I crawl out of bed and stumble around in the dark, its 4.30am and I wish I could just turn over and go back to sleep but its D Day again and I have to be at the station for 7am to catch the train. Now ok two and a half hours is a long time to get ready, even for me, but my friend Mike has kindly offered to give me a lift to the station on his way into work so rather than rely on a taxi that may or may not turn up like my last trip, I decide to take him up on his offer and as events will transpire its ... read more

Around Gran Canaria....more Fuente De Los Azulejos Fuente De Los Azulejos is about a 20 minute drive inland along the road from Mogan. Here you can see where the rocks have been coloured (blue, green, brown and orange) by mineral deposits. There is also a small cafe here serving excellent mixed fruit juices that will probably provide your 5-a-day requirement several times over for €4. Puerto De Mogan Puerto De Mogan was, I guess, originally a fishing village and a port for Mogan. The harbour is now mainly filled with yachts though. The original harbour area has survived with its small houses, and colourful, narrow streets with displays of bright flowers encouraging the tourist brochures to describe it as "Little Venice" - I didn't see any canals or gondolas, though. Cuevas De Bermajas The Cuevas De ... read more

Christmas in Gran Canaria One of the reasons for coming out to Gran Canaria each year, apart from getting away from the weather at home, is to also get away from the over-commercialisation and over-indulgence of Christmas at home. We still do lots of meals together as a family but without all the extra trimmings that would normally have to be added at home. In fact on Christmas Day we make a point of all going down to the beach with just a bag of butties. Christmas Day Christmas Day isn’t such a big event out here as it is at home. I don´t know if what I see happen here is unique to The Canaries or if the same happens in the rest of Spain. And, of course, because we are in a tourist area, ... read more

Gran Canaria I hadn’t originally intended to include anything on Gran Canaria in this blog. For a few years I’ve been spending Christmas and the New Year in the Maspalomas area of Gran Canaria with a group of family and friends but the only travelling I tend to do while I’m there is between the pool and the bar. In previous years the prospect of coming to Gran Canaria has kept me going through the winter months. Every year I seemed to resent more and more having to get out of bed when it was cold, wet, dark and miserable outside, having to drive to work in the dark and drive home in the dark, and often not having time during the day to see how grey it was outside. The thought that in a couple ... read more

Tooth able and travelling fit again. Left a drizzly, cold Manc to arrive in lovely warm Gran Canaria - exactly what I'd hoped to experience, a dose of December sunshine, away from the Christmas frenzy. Easy island to travel about on by public transport, well used to tourists too. Travelled up by local bus to capital city Las Palmas. Enjoyed great jeep 'safari' into the central island mountains for a day which included a typical Canarian food lunch. The saharan sand dunes at Maspalomas, where I stayed, are amazing. The pics say the rest ..... hope to one day return and investigate more of island by car.... read more