canary cruise

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Our Fred Olsen cruise ship Balmoral docked in Santa Cruz de La Palma, the capital of La Palma. The Island has a rugged, forested terrain with volcanoes. Santa Cruz is a port town with narrow cobbled streets and houses with wooden balconies. We had a good walk with Lorna and Kevin to Los Cancajos along the coast towards the airport. later in the day we had a stroll around Santa Cruz and some early evening drinks.

Next day we arrive in Tenerife the largest of Spain's Canary Islands. It is dominated by Mt.Teide a dormant volcano that is Spain's tallest peak. We put on our warmest clothing for our visit to Mt. Teide. A good job too because it is quite cold on top with a strong cool wind. The cable car queue is long at top and bottom. We only have time for a short walk from the cable car summit but the scenery is quite stunning. it is also an interesting drive to and from the Mountain along twisting mountain roads passing through the clouds.

Another day and another island. Gran Canaria is known for it's black lava and white sand beaches. The capital city Las Palmas is a major stop for cruise ships. The island's interior is rural and mountainous. Today is a walking day. First of all we stroll along the Canteras beach with nice coastal scenes. Then we pass through the Santa Catalina streets and along the other coastline to Vegueta. Our visit to the "Casa de Colon" or Columbus House is most interesting. This charming building has lots of artefacts and ship models relating to voyages made by the famous explorer. Next its time to visit the Cathedral de Santa Ana. The building began in 1497 and took 450 years to complete. A lift in the South tower gave us a super view of the town and harbour.

Our final day in the Canaries is on the Island of Lanzarote. The port of Arrrecife has a lot of Spanish character with white low level buildings overlooking the waterfront. We enjoy walking around the area of Charco de San Gines where there are numerous small fishing boats and attractive houses. We spend some time in the Iglesia de San Gines completed in 1665. today we enjoy a nice tapas lunch before returning to The Balmoral.

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Photos

Tenerife mountain scene 2