Turn Off the Lights

This adventure has come to an end. Not a problem though as we already have 2 more trips planned for the new year. Never mind that we are in the last half of our 60's, when we get old, our friends won't say "what a lovely old couple", the're going to say "what on earth are they up to now". There are still many more roads ahead for us.

When we left the Canary Islands just over a week ago, we flew to Basel, Switzerland to spend 5 glorious days with our oldest daughter Rachel and her partner Pascal. They are both excelling in their working roles (awards and speaking engagements for both) but they still use their spare time to enjoy life and travel when they can, so we spent half our time visiting places outside of Basel. During our first two days, while R&P were working, we re-acquainted ourselves with Basel walking around the beautiful city where the Rhine River runs through the centre of town, and checking out a few new sites. In the evenings, the 4 of us went to both Basel Christmas markets, Munsterplatz and Barfusserplatz, which had both just opened for the season. Gluhwein (mulled wine) kept our hands warm as the night time temperatures cooled so it became a constant companion through the evening. The pop-up stalls were busy and interesting to find our way through, and the city Christmas lights in the squares and pedestrian-friendly streets made for enchanting evenings. On another evening R&P treated us to a dinner river cruise where we enjoyed a tasty fondue meal while slowly moving up and down the Rhine.

Over the week-end we made two separate trips. The first was to Montreux on Lake Geneva which we reached via several trains passing through the Alps and many villages that flourished during the ski season. Montreux had also started their Christmas Market and it was situated along the lakeside promenade which made our walk to Chateau de Chillon (12^th century castle-fortress) that much more enjoyable. On Sunday, Pascal's mother and sister joined us for a short train ride to Colmar, France, to visit the number one Christmas market in Europe. It clearly outshone the others, with the market extending through a good portion of the city. The homes along the way (above the shops) did their part as well, decorating their windows and walls with colourful displays. The highlight of the day however was Pascal treating us all to a fantastic 8+ course feast at a Michelin rated restaurant (Restaurant Maison des Tetes), in honour of his lovely mother in celebration of her birthday. It was a meal we will remember for a long time, and a wonderful way to finish our visit with R&P.

The following day we exchanged farewell hugs and took the bus to the airport for our flight to Madrid and the finish of our fall adventure. We have been to Madrid several times before but mostly for very short stays so we used our final 3 days to explore the very walkable downtown area and visit their impressive art museums. The Prado (major art museum) was everything we had hoped it would be and we spent four full hours walking around the many rooms and floors with our audioguides providing all the necessary information about the famous European artists dating back to the 12th century, and their works. The Reina (Queen) Sofia contemporary art museum, featuring many works from Dali, Picasso, Miro and others, was also a hit with us, as was the Thyssen-Bornemisza impressionist art museum (Rembrandt, Renoir, Van Gogh, etc.). Walking through the 350 acre El Retiro park in the centre of the city was also a treat, along with the popular city squares which took on a different look and atmosphere in the evenings. We also took in a well orchestrated flamenco show one evening where the dance moves were beyond our capabilities but a lot of fun to watch. Our only disappointment was finding the Royal Palace temporarily closed for same 3 days we were there so we will have to try again in the future, in one of our favourite countries to visit.

We are now back home, although our internal clock is still many time zones away and likely will be for another day or two. Hope this finds all of our family and wonderful friends in good health and enjoying life. 

The Christmas Market at Munsterplatz square in Basel. It was the opening night so the evening started with a large choir singing Christmas hymns, and following a short speech by the city mayor / president (a female), the main Christmas tree was lit along with the other lights.

Our Rhine River dinner cruise vessel. The food and service were both excellent and we spent 3 hours slowly eating our meal and enjoying the views.

The Montreux promenade along Lake Geneva led us to the Chateau de Chillon 12th century castle - fortress. We spent a couple of hours inside walking around the interior which included a cellar, several courtyards and multiple floors. It was built on a rock island just off the shoreline and was connected to the mainline by a drawbridge.

One of our first stops in Colmar, France was at the Bar Carrousel, a former merry-go-round that still slowly rotated for 360 degree views. I suspect they made a lot more money selling gluhwein than from selling rides.

A view of the homes in Colmar which transformed into even more beautiful habitats at night when the Christmas lights were turned on. The Christmas Market here was voted number one in all of Europe.

Another view of the Colmar canal as dusk was beginning.

Our Christmas Market posse which included Pascal's mother and sister who both live in Switzerland. It was a pleasure to meet them and spend time with them.

A municipal building in Madrid's Plaza Mayor square. There were lovely murals all along the brick work.

The expansive El Retiro park had many nice walking paths and small creeks running through it. It was fun to walk around and many locals were using it for both exercise and family outings.

Madrid's central Post Office headquarters were located inside this glorious building. There were many similar architectural gems throughout the downtown area.

The Royal Palace which was unfortunately (for us) closed during our visit. We were looking forward to the internal tour which covered many of the rooms within the palace.

A rather unique way of decorating a home with colourful flower pots. Don't be in a hurry to throw out your old clothes, there may still be a future for them.

Hail Cesare

Our foray into the lovely Canary Islands has come to an end on one of our favourite islands, Lanzarote. All is not lost however, as we depart tomorrow for Basel, Switzerland for a 5 day visit with our oldest daughter, which will be a wonderful way to close out this adventure.

When we last left you we were departing the island of Gran Canaria for Fuerteventura where we spent 3 days. We settled in Corralejo at the north end of the small island which we used as our base. Having travelled already along the east coast we spent the following day driving around the mountainous interior........a common theme on all of the volcanic islands which rose from the ocean millions of years before I came to be. Highlights included Antigua and it's Museo del Queso Majorero....featuring the island's famous goat milk cheese, which we tasted and purchased.......the Mirador de Morro Velosa......which offered panoramic island views.....and the quaint town of La Oliva. Having covered most of the island we spent our final day relaxing by a pool below our tiny apartment. We choose the pool over the beach because it was protected from a strong wind by the 2 story buildings circling the pool area. We later found out that the island of Tenerife where we started our Canaries journey incurred significant damages on it's west coast as a result of 40 foot waves along the coastline.

We then took our final ferry to the most northern island of Lanzarote which turned out to be my favourite in the Canaries. Playa Blanca, at the south end of the island was our base (in a lovely villa with wonderful hosts who welcomed us and left us with treats), but once again it was only a one hour drive to the north end of the island, so it was easy to move around. Similar to Fuerteventura there wasn't a lot of vegetation on the island, this time due to a major eruption 300 years ago which covered a quarter of the island in lava. Our first full day, travelling to several spots at the north end of the island, was the best day on this entire trip so far. Local artist Cesar Manrique is a hero on this island and we quickly became a fan of his, visiting several of his creations and observing the environmental preservation work he has done to make this a special place. Our first stop was at the incredible Fundacion Cesar Manrique, a home he designed and lived in for 20 years (1968-1988). It is built into the lava rock and 5 of the rooms exist in natural lava bubbles. It was an amazing place to walk through. Our next stop was at Lagomar, another home built into the natural lava rock, and conceived by Cesar Manrique, that Omar Sharif fell in love with when he was in Lazarote, and purchased, only to lose it a short time later in a game of bridge, playing against another Bridge Master in a high stakes match. We then tripped over a busy Sunday market in Teguise that stretched through most of the streets in this small town. There, also, was a pirate museum which convinced us that pirates came from all countries and corners of the globe to steal wealth from everywhere, Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake included. Our next stop was at Cueva de los Verdes, the 'Green Cave' formed 500 years ago by an eruption and used as a hiding spot for locals when pirates frequently attacked in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the 1960's, Manrique and another local artist, Jesus Soto, transformed the natural volcanic sanctuary into an incredible space. A 1 km path extends into the lava tube and a guide provided detailed explanations along the way including a brief stop at a 'secret' spot that surprised our whole group. Our final stop for the day was at Jameos del Agua, which was at the seaside end of the same lava tube, and turned out to be another natural environment where Manrique used his genius talents to design a place for everyone to enjoy and appreciate what Mother Nature has given us. A short walk down led us to a covered lagoon with blind albino crabs (easy for us to see them in the clear water), a separate pool reserved only for the reigning King of Spain, and a cave amphitheatre where concerts were scheduled to showcase the facility and natural acoustic sound dynamics. During our many visits we learned much more about Cesar Manrique......his love for the island and pursuits to protect it from over-tourism (no billboards on the island, all homes and buildings painted white, no high rise buildings, and many charitable contributions. It became obvious from our experiences that he was a great human being and he became even more famous following his untimely death at 73 in a car accident.
We spent our next day on the west side of the island, starting with Timanfaya National Park which is in the path of the volcanoes that erupted 300 years ago and destroyed a lot of the island. The NP staff did an excellent job of handling the vehicles and crowds (number one island tourist stop), a lesson that should be taught to the people running the NP at Mount Teide on Tenerife. They used buses to transport visitors throughout the volcanic area to minimize traffic congestion, and had demonstrations to display the underground heat.......pouring water into vents, resulting in almost immediate geysers, placing dry brush into another vent quickly creating a fire, and grilling food over the natural barbeque pit. After seeing all of that we were glad to safely leave the volcanic peak ahead of it's next eruption. We then stopped at Los Hervideros on the coast to observe the large waves crashing against the lava rock and creating a massive splash zone. My (new) good buddy Manrique was involved in creating the short coastal pathway which took us to blowholes where the occasional wave splash rose 20 metres to soak the unsuspecting tourist. Our final stop for the day was at the seaside village of El Golfo where the fierce waves continued, creating a green lagoon when the sea water interacted with algea and photosynthesis did it's thing. On our final day we visited the La Geria wine region where the vines are planted in pits of volcanic ash (one vine per pit), with a half-circle rock ridge protecting the vines from the prevailing Atlantic trade winds. The stark contrast between the black landscape and the green vines was remarkable but it also brought attention the massive amount of manual work required to harvest a relatively small number of vines. The wines, mostly white and sweet, were fine to drink but in no danger of cracking the Wine Spectator Top 100 list.

Today we will spend some time in Playa del Carmen on the east coast before catching our flight to Basel. The temperature forecast is in the single digits in Basel which should help us prepare, but not necessarily look forward to, our return home in another week.

Costa Calma beach on the island of Fuerteventura. The dry, windy climate combined with lots of  sand and lava fields does not support much agriculture but the goats (more goats than people on the island) find enough to eat allowing the cheese industry to flourish.

Cuddling in my momma's arms (encouraged by the artist), hoping she will make my foot ouchie go away.

The marina in Corralejo taken from near the ferry dock. Along the seafront wall was a nice promenade that led to a beach at the opposite end of the cove.

The start of our fantastic day on the island of Lanzarote. This is one of the lava bubble rooms in the Fundacion Cesare Manrique where the artist lived for 20 years. Combining the natural landscape with his art and brilliant design work, it was a treat to walk around the home.

Lagomar, the short-lived home of Omar Sharif. Designed into a lava wall it was spread out with stairs connecting the different rooms in the house. It was another example of using what nature provided to create something even more special.

Taken inside the Cueva de los Verdes (Green Caves). The one kilometre guided walk through the lava tube was a unique experience with some amazing views.

The lava cave auditorium within Jameos del Agua. It would have been nice to have heard some 'live' music in this acoustic wonderland.

A view of Timanfaya National Park, including some of the bus route, taken from the demonstration area at the top of another crater. It was obvious that the major eruption 300 years ago had lava spilling out of many different peaks around the same time.

Los Hervideros and the crashing waves which continue to make inroads along the lava rock seashore.

The Green Lagoon near the seaside village of El Golfo. The black sand beach, broken up lava bits, was predominant in this area. We enjoyed a tasty seafood tapas lunch while we were there.

A typical vineyard in the La Geria wine region. the semi-circle rock wall helped protect the vines from the constant trade winds. With only one vine per pit it was obviously a very manually intensive effort to harvest the grapes, with lower yields than a traditional vineyard.

A seawater lagoon in Arrecife, the capital city of Lanzarote. It could only be accessed by smaller boats, so the larger fishing and sail boats were anchored in a separate marina that was also protected from the ocean waves.

You don't stop having fun when you get old, you get old when you stop having fun

We are really getting into this Canarian island life.........sandy beaches, smaller cities and towns, and scenic drives around the volcano formed islands. Gran Canaria seemed like a step up for us from Tenerife which we also enjoyed.  Our base for the 5 days was in Arinaga, a small seaside town on the south-east end of the island. From there the southern sandy seashore began leading to over 50 km's of different beaches that we could access by following a shoreline road with terrific views along the way, especially when the road we took left us clinging to the sides of cliffs.

Upon our Gran Canaria ferry arrival we made a short stop in Galdar to visit the historical Cueva Pintada ("Painted Cave") archaeological museum. The middle of the city site wasn't discovered until 1862 and only taken seriously in the mid-1900's. By then buildings had been erected on top of the former Guanches village. Excavation work is still underway and the museum does an excellent job (videos and guides) of explaining the history and lives of the islands' first inhabitants.

Our first full day was spent at Playa del Ingles (near the resort town of Maspalomas), a wide, long beach backed by sand dunes, with restaurants at the back of the beach. The ocean water was warm enough to enjoy after heating up in the sun on our beach loungers. The beach was filled with mostly Europeans seeking warmer temperatures, and consequently as you walked further along the beach away from the food and drink shops you started to realize that clothing was optional. I knew it was time to tun around when I reached the point where all clothing seemed unnecessary........tops and bottoms for both men and women.

Arinaga was also a handy spot for heading inland into the mountainous centre of the island. We started a circle tour but only ended up making it half way because we stopped too many times to admire the picturesque views and have short walks around pretty little towns. The old hillside colonial town of Teror was a hit with us and the most incredible viewpoint we stopped at was La Degollada de Becerra which featured views of both island rock pinnacle landmarks (Roque Nubla and Roque Bentayga) as well as the ocean in the distance. Once again the high elevation drive was much more relaxing and scenic for the navigator than it was for the driver who also had to watch out for hundreds of motorcycles who seemed to be out on some sort of a poker run and in a hurry to get to their next destination because they spent too much time drinking beer at their last stop. Some of their passes seemed very reckless.

We spent another day in Las Palmas, the capital city of Gran Canaria, and largest city in the Canaries with a population close to 400,000. It is located at the north end of the island and the peninsula top end allowed for an easy walk to both the east and west side shorelines where we could walk along a lovely promenade. There were many restored colonial buildings making for nice views along the way. A highlight was a visit to Casa Colon which hosted Christopher Columbus several times on his four voyages across the Atlantic to the Americas. The former small palace now houses a museum that did a wonderful job of detailing his 3 ships, his courses for each trip and the challenges he and his crew faced. From my school days I remembered that his original journey was intended to find a shorter route to the Orient and the Americas (South and North) were discovered by accident, but I should have been paying more attention to learn and remember about the rest of the incredible voyage details.

Today we took another ferry to the island of Fuerteventura where we will spend several more days.

After our ferry landing in Puerto de la Nieves on Gran Canaria, we walked around the small town and came across this tiny church. Being a fishing port (now) and a starting point for exploratory voyages in the past, take note of the ships on the walls and in the rafters where many prayers would have been offered in hope that everyone would return home safely.

Every time we are in a fishing village I am always on the lookout for one of my favourite meals......fresh, small fish., sardines in this particular case, while in Puerto de la Nieves.

The Cueva Pintada archaeological site in Galdar. The Painted Cave was underneath some of these former homes and is now closed off from the light to help preserve the art which had been fading over time. A museum guide opened the locked door to let us in and explain the history.

We spent most of the day at the beautiful Playa del Ingles beach in Maspalomas on the southern coast of the island.

The la Degollada de Becerra viewpoint where we stopped for a car snack during our drive around the mountainous interior. The Roque Bentagya pinnacle is on the left and the island of Tenerife in the distant background.

A view of Las Palmas, the largest city on the island. Our drive was filled with views like this all along the way.

The lovely town of Teror where we stopped into during our interior drive so that we could stretch our legs.

The interior of the Santa Ana Cathedral in Las Palmas. We were fortunate to find the organist practicing while we were there with the soft, melodic chords filling the entire Cathedral.

Behind the Cathedral we found the Casa Colon where Christopher Columbus spent time before his voyages to the Americas. As soon as his ships were loaded with months worth of supplies, and final repairs / alterations made to his ships then it was time to start the long voyage and pray that the earth really was round and not flat.

While walking along the Las Canteras beach promenade in Las Palmas we came across some detailed sand sculpting.

When Your Day Starts Out Brilliantly and then it Starts to Rain

Our Canary Islands adventure got off to a good start on the island of Tenerife. We spent the first full day walking around the capital city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the attached (original capital) city of La Laguna, where we decided to base our activities. There is a tram system between the two that works very well, and we used that to move around both places which were very walkable, although slightly slanted towards the water. The pedestrian-friendly La Laguna downtown area, with it's colonial charm was our favourite of the two.

The next day we drove around the island with our rental car. None of the Canary Islands are large, and we mixed in about 4 hours of driving with 5 different stops totaling the same. The hairpin turns at the south end of the island made for incredible cliff side views for the navigator, while the driver was consumed with the narrow road and oncoming traffic. Many viewpoint stops allowed both of us to relax and enjoy the vistas. Puerta de la Cruz, with it's seaside walls and picturesque streets was a fave, along with Playa de las Americas with it's lively waterfront promenade and spots to relax with a drink and enjoy the atmosphere.

We saved today for our drive to Mount Teide, the highest peak in all of Spain and the 3rd highest volcano peak in the world (behind Hawaii's two), near the south end of the island. The sky was totally blue and we envisioned views from the top of the crater that would allow us to see all seven of the Canary Islands. The road there was fabulous.........wide enough for two large vehicles to pass one another, nicely paved and with a gradual climb from the sea that did not involve switchbacks. The views were incredible along the way, with viewpoints showcasing shorelines on both sides of the island. Then the trouble started. We arrived at the cable car station.......I had discovered a day earlier that hiking up required a special permit.......to find a multitude of other vehicles all searching for a parking spot when the few scattered lots around were all full. Similar to our national parks they do not want to encroach on the land, which in this case is filled with lava rock. It took us an hour to find a parking spot until we tripped over a vehicle about to depart. It became obvious that they need to consider making a change like the NP does in Zion (Utah) and other popular places we have ventured to, where they create a large parking lot away from the precious land and then bus visitors in and out to avoid the mayhem. We then walked about a kilometre up a hill to the station, only to find out the cable car was sold out for the day.......before noon! It kind of reminded me of our Taj Mahal experience in India. Once again we made the best of a bad situation which was not hard to do with an incredible volcanic landscape around us. We drove a bit further along to Roques de Garcia where we were able to walk amongst lava pinnacles which had outlasted the terrain around them. The Visitor Centre had a descriptive video of the island's creation and volcano history (English headphones) which soothed our sad souls. The one hour drive back to La Laguna was just as enjoyable as the drive out.

Tomorrow we will leave Tenerife and take the 80 minute ferry to Gran Canaria where we re-start our engines.

My bride at the Museum of Modern Art in Santa Cruz de Tenerife trying to create her own wall masterpiece. Actually, it was a collection of old magazines, with scissors and glue available for visitors to create their own tiny, creative piece of art. it was interesting and fun to view how different people's minds worked.

Looking back at Plaza Europa in Santa Cruz while walking one of their pedestrian-friendly streets.

We fell in love with this building in La Laguna while walking around. Did you already notice the mustachioed face resemblance they have created?

While in La Laguna I had a tasty pulpo (octupus) dinner, almost as good as my Camino de Santiago meal a few years ago.

Our drive around the island of Tenerife began with this wonderful view of Mount Teide above the clouds.

The fascinating seafront of Puerto de la Cruz on the west side of the island. It was easy to walk around with many sights and left us wondering if we should have chosen this city as our base.

At the point where I decided that my driver needed a break from the narrow road hairpin turns at the south end of the island. This hill seems to be collapsing one small segment at a time. I would certainly be worried if I owned a property at the base of the hill.

Your greeting when you arrive at the ticket window for the cable car to the peak of Mount Teide. In whatever language you prefer, it is not the news you were hoping for.

The view a short distance from where we parked (bottom left) to get to the cable car. They really need to do something about the access since interest in Mt. Teide is growing almost as fast as the frustration level of the visitors. I can envision another eruption happening soon, but this time at the base of the cable car station.

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Roques de Garcia - the lava pinnacle on the right is called The Cathedral. A smaller volcano once existed on this site and the pinnacle is the hardened lava which emerged from the centre of the volcano and outlasted the surrounding terrain around it.

From One Extreme to Another

We recently moved from Marrakech......the wildest medina in Morocco......to Essaouira where there is a laid back atmosphere in a beach and fishing village on the Atlantic coast. It is quite a contrast, and one that we don't have a problem with as we finish off our 3 weeks of travel in this country. Marrakech is famous for it's Jemaa el Fna main square where during the day you will see snake charmers with their cobras and captive monkeys for your entertainment.......if you see it that way. In the evening the performers change to musicians, dancers (male) and story tellers, with the square becoming even more crowded. At least a hundred food stalls with seating appear out of nowhere into the centre of the square and a party atmosphere emerges (without any alcohol). It is quite a spectacle. The souks (market areas) within the medina are also crazy busy with every vendor letting you know they have the best prices on their wares. It was fun for a few days but it was also a nice change to arrive in Essaouira with it's long and wide sandy beach, fishermen going about their daily routine, and a smaller medina where the shopkeepers were not nearly as aggressive (relatively speaking). The temperature has been lovely here.....mid-20's and sunny but it has also been windy so we haven't spent any time lounging on the beach with the blowing sand. Our riad however has a lovely terrace outside of our room with walls blocking the wind and a nice place to retreat to. Our biggest stress point here has been to make it in time to a fabulous restaurant we have discovered......Restaurant Adwak, second only to Cafe Corner in Marrakech.....where a line-up begins before the restaurant opens at 7 pm and the patrons at the back of the line-up do not get into the small restaurant until late in the evening. Since this is basically our last stop in Morocco we have made a few purchases to bring back home. The main item was a Moroccan carpet (runner) which required time in many shops and a great deal of bargaining before arriving at a price that was acceptable to both parties (a national spot in this country).

Before Marrakech and Essaouira, we spent 3 days in Casablanca......home of the famous Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman movie.........which was entirely filmed in Hollywood! We did have a nice lunch at Rick's Cafe, an upscale restaurant featured in the movie.......and built years after the movie became famous! There were two main highlights for us. The first was having our Swiss daughter and her partner join us for 4 days, and our tour of the Hassan II Mosque, one of only 2 mosques in Morocco that non-Muslims are able to enter. It was a treat to find out what goes on inside the walls and a group guide did a good job of explaining both the magnificent mosque and the religious rituals. The other oddity that occurred while were in Casablanca was that the Moroccan government made a snap decision 48 hours before the clocks were scheduled to be turned back, to not observe Daylight Savings Time, after doing so in previous years. It led to all kinds of confusion on the actual time when pre-programmed time changes happened anyways (including Google) and airlines had to send out messages about flight changes to reflect the proper time. There would have been many people, especially travellers that missed the news, who got messed up with their bus, train and airplane schedules.

Tomorrow we will take a bus from Essaouira further south along the coast to Agadir where we will spend a single night before flying from there to the Canary Islands. Time to start practicing our Spanish again.........and how to consume alcohol!

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. It doesn't appear to have many visitors but there were more than 200 hundred of us waiting for prayers to finish so that our 3 pm tour was allowed to start.

The purification area in the basement where worshipers cleans themselves before going upstairs to pray. The fountains were turned off for the gringo tour.

The courtyard of the Dar Si Saad Museum in Marrakech which featured Moroccan artistry especially their mosaics and carpets.

View of a spice shop from a terrace in the medina.

Intricate design inside the Saadian Tombs where a famous Sultan and some of his elite friends were buried.

The El Baddi Palace which is still in remarkable shape having been built in the late 1500's.

A corner of the active Jamaa el Fna square in Marrakech which undergoes an amazing transformation at night.

A pleased haggler who bargained for a long time to get her tassles down to $19 from a starting point of $100.

The Ramparts in Essaouira. The only thing they are protecting right now is the lovely sand beach on the opposite side of the point from the strong Atlantic waves coming in.

The multitude of fishing boats at the harbour, with the serious ocean boats grouped at the far end of the port.