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BonVivant

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  1. These last days on Amami were relaxing. Today we took a mini bus to a village and walked from there, for at least an hour, uphill and in the moist heat to Ohama beach. The trail down to the beach was well shaded and easy but I was afraid of snakes. These nasty creatures could attack you from a tree branch, a place you don't usually pay attention to. These bulbs look a bit like onions, don't they. We snacked on some assorted pastries purchased from a village shop before the walk to the beach. Full of Japanese tourists in the summer but in October we had it to ourselves. Golden hour back in Naze (Amami's biggest town). This car park and its parking system. A new use for old tins. Taco rice kits. I tried taco rice on an island in Okinawa. Couldn't stand the smell of the jarred salsa. A fishmonger in the neighbourhood. We bought dinner from them a few times on the way back from the beer bar. In a restaurant you get a few slices of big clam sashimi. Strawberry conch Islanders eat kimchi but this version without chillies is also an option. Just wanted to try it for a change. Next time get kimchi again. Squid sashimi 2 rounds of beer at the bar earlier. And back in the room later. They called this pineapple beer sour ale but I think it's a very nice New England IPA.
  2. BonVivant

    Lunch 2024

    (3 different meals) Squash cooked in dashi Tofu with seaweed (drenched in soy sauce) Roe that's been marinated in dashi. (From Japanese supermarket in Germany) And the rest: raw Sauerkraut, "king trumpet" mushrooms, natto, seaweed soup. Squash/pumpkin used in the dashi braise --- I like these noodles. Soft tofu, whelks in a duck yolk sauce. ----- Pumpernickel with Gruyere A different type of pumpernickel with Mett (a pork product)
  3. BonVivant

    Lunch 2024

    Amami grain miso (survived the long trip home) Once the food is cooked and whilst still warm, add the grain miso and bonito flakes. Mix well but not too long or the "miso" would turn pasty. Cooking instructions from the guesthouse owner-cook. Soft tofu-ginger soup with aosa seaweed from Amami/Kikaijima. -------- Meal 2: Soft tofu, grated duck yolks. To be stirred into the sauce. Barley ------------- Meal 3: Fish without chips. 3 fat cloves of garlic in the yoghurt-caper sauce. And a salad
  4. (Firstly, finally done uploading all the photos from this trip to a new image hosting site. I got a surprise last week when I was about to resume posting to this topic. Imgur photo storage site has changed owners and is now no longer supports albums, plus other new annoyances. So, here I am, starting all over again.) ------------------------------- We had wanted to visit the ethno museum but it was either not open so early or closed that day. We had fun checking out the stilt-houses outside. They are part of the museum exhibits. I regretted so much we never made it back to the museum. The guesthouse where we stayed in the first week of the holiday whose owner/cook used to be a science teacher, he is adamant that the first people who came to Amami were tribal Indonesians. And that some styles of stilt-house are similar to those somewhere in Indonesia. However, officially, it's still unclear from where the first arrivals came. This is a storehouse on stilts. For storing grains and food. High up away from rodents and the elements. Flow of air also prevents moisture accumulation thus excellent for storing foodstuffs. No nails are used in the construction of this type of stilt-house. They can be disassembled quickly in case of a fire or natural disaster. And of course, they must be able to withstand the frequent typhoons. That's the floor with an entrance. A ladder is removed so you can't climb up. This stilt-house is quite spacious consisting of multiple connecting rooms. The kitchen The interior There was a bus stop nearby so we decided to go to a beach village a little farther up the coast. We killed a few minutes checking out this vegetable shop only steps from the bus stop. The owner wasn't there, if you bought something you just put the coins in a little piggy bank. Meanwhile, the supermarket self-checkouts here at home stealing is becoming a big problem. I do like winged beans. Should eat them more often. After riding the "bus" for 20 minutes or so we reached Yamato village. It's small but has a few important cultural events. There's that stilt-house again, on every cover in the village. Quiet village life My quick snack. Shaved ice with green tea and adzuki bean paste. The young owner couldn't stop laughing! She had never seen tourists from "the West" here. Pulled out her phone wanting to make a photo of us (but we politely declined). We chatted for a long time using a translation app. Encounters with friendly, warm islanders were one of the highlights of the trip. Yamato village has a beach and just 1 place to eat. The informal beach shack is run by a friendly English speaking Japanese (bohemian) pair. The menu is very short and most simple. Chicken with home-made curry (only found out it was "curry" when the food was brought to us). Chicken is the only meat they cook and curry is the only spice they make themselves. Unfortunately, my system can't process curry and the spices in it (also no coconut milk/cream) so I had to scrape it all off (and eventually stopped eating, the partner ate my leftovers). The shack has no door, rustic (very uncomfortable) furniture. The open kitchen They have many chickens. The problem is they crap everywhere and there's a smell. We took the bus so this is where we got/on off. (Photos of beach another time.) Back in Naze centre later. Many beers at the craft beer bar before heading back for dinner. Pineapple NEIPA ("New England IPA) was more like an alcoholic juice rather than beer. Excellent. IIRC, they didn't charge me for this second or third glass of the NEIPA because it was too foamy. So thick I was invited to look round the tiny brewery just on the other side of the glass wall. One of the employees acted as a translator. Actually, they had no idea about NEIPA until I mentioned the pineapple beer tasted like it. Asked if they had bottles but the beer was just ready to be tapped when I got to the bar. They filled 2 bottles directly from the tank for me to take away! Dinner at a local restaurant again. Tuna sashimi. Garlicky, spicy prawns. Gyoza Stir-fried pork (more onions, though). We enjoyed eating on these southern islands. Sometimes you forget that you are not somewhere in SE Asia because some of the dishes are similar. (FYI, Japan's southern islands had traded and had contact with China and other cultures in the region. The culture and food here is a blend of all of that.) Found a restaurant supply shop in my neighbourhood. Very simple, the stuff sold there is not of very high quality or known brands. Spotted very few of these smoking establishments on this trip. Smoking inside is one of the top reasons Japan is only my unofficial number one favourite country (to visit). Happy to say we didn't have any problem with indoor smoking on this trip. Japan is suddenly getting much, much closer to the number one spot on my list! (Maybe next trip it will be official...) This clamp on the steering bar is probably for holding an umbrella. About 98% of bikes on Kikaijima are unlocked. Here on Amami it's probably 50%. And elsewhere in Japan 0%.
  5. BonVivant

    Lunch 2024

    (Using a new image hosting site today. Imgur has changed hands and it's so messed up/unusable now so I had to look for another site. Let's see if it's working... OK, it works but less efficient. Oh well, the good old days are gone.) Hong Kong(-style) flat noodles with duck yolk sauce. Hard to see the sauce on yellow noodles, though. Meal 2: Savoury broth fondue. Iberico pork neck. Very rich, a little goes a long way. Mixed seaweed and kimchi to cleanse the palate. Pumpkin dumplings Meal 3: snacking bits Burrata and cooked beetroot Pumpkin Mini croquettes (with various fillings) Silverskin onions, spicy Turkish peppers, Turkish mixed pickles, and preserved tomatoes. I've been eating these pumpkins/squashes. The first and second used to be light and deep green. Not sure if the name is correct. Still have 6 pumpkins/squashes to go!
  6. A caldera you can take a bus to. Caldera de Bandama (middle) The way down. Tiny lava rocks roll and you slip easily. Looks like a nice, easy walk but it's not without walking poles (I didn't bring mine). The way up, to "pico" for the views. The path is super narrow, exceedingly treacherous and steep. You would need a machete to hack your way through. Not a popular path for a reason. I got slashed by razor sharp aloe and branches. Thorns got stuck in my hands and skin. The big rocks rolled under every step. The path doesn't zigzag, it goes straight up, that's why it's steep. Quite scary. The views up here. Just before I lost all interest in photography... The bottom of Caldera Bandama Took the car road on the way down. Much easier than risking my life again using the steep path. I was just up there. Ingenious idea. Old bike as a plant hanging thing. The official name of the capital More Gran Canarian beer and wine ---------- Las Palmas is an ugly concrete jungle. The buildings are so high the sun can't reach the pavement. It's dark. This tree leans in the direction of the sun. Photo taken early in the morning when few people were about. Concrete canyons A minimum amount for 2 After 3 days the employees recognised us and knew what we would be ordering. Film photography is back. I'm happy with my digital cameras and can recreate looks of film stocks so not going back to film. Always watching Surfing is a thing here. The waves are worthless right now but that doesn't stop tourists from taking surf lessons. One of the lunch specials: Cuban-style rice. FYI, there are a lot of Cubans, Venezuelans etc on Canary islands. And Canarians speak South American Spanish. If you know the difference then it's very easy to spot the mainland Spaniard. Slow-cooked goat meat. Soft and wobbly flan Last of the Canarian beer This one is industrial IPA (Damm is based in Barcelona) ----- The last day. The last churros and omelette bread rolls. Churros are fried in this big vessel. The batter drops from the cylinder with a handle. Browsing the market one last time after the coffee and churros session. This butcher has all the typical Iberico cuts. This long squash... Couldn't find Spanish Maggi sauce anywhere. Did check all the shops and supermarkets. This one is actually French, which I can get at home. Finally found it, at El Corte Ingles. Expensive. I got it anyway. Glad I bought 4 or 5 Bovril on La Palma. Expensive at El Corte Ingles! Bovril is my favourite. Marmite if there's no option, and don't want vegemite. I don't watch this food programme. They have this product I saw for the first time at El Corte Ingles. These Lay's crisps/chips are also sold at El Corte Ingles. Didn't see them in other supermarkets. "Truffle, egg, and crema de patata". "Calf's tenderloin with caramelised shallots" (flavour) Found in a Chinese shop Last meal. Chicken soup (too simple and too little!) and fried fish (muuuuch better). And of course the last papas arrugadas con mojo rojo. Some of the alcohol we drank... Also bought 4 big bread filled with pata asada (big brown chunk on the worktop) for the wait at the airport. Goodbye and thank you! It's going to take years to walk the trails on these islands. Looking forward to returning in a near future! Hope you have found/learnt something interesting about this part of the world. I've learnt a lot and enjoyed visiting La Palma and Gran Canaria (despite the ear infection and how much Las Palmas irked me). And of course, putting this together (photography is a big part of my holiday). Many thanks, everyone!
  7. As previously mentioned, I had a bad middle-ear infection in both ears and it not only made me miserable but also unable to eat much (ear-jaw-throat, all connected and thus painful at the same time). Not much happened in the second half of the holiday due to the intense pain. I'm combining the photos in 2 separate posts, that should speed things up. ----- Every morning. (Notice the fruits don't look pretty like displayed at the stall. You don't touch the fruit when buying. They ask when you want to eat it, then they feel the fruit and that's the one you are getting.) We did try to do some walking in the mountain an hour away but half way to the mountain village (by bus) it started raining hard and didn't stop. We caught the bus back to the capital again, where it was cloudy and threatened to rain but didn't. Back to the churros bar... Interesting colour combination. FYI, fire hydrants have a colour scheme, or code. Violet is non potable. Pata asada is a Canarian thing. There are a few specialists in town. They have a big leg or 2 in view and you (almost immediately) want to order a bread roll filled with slices of roasted pork leg. A bakery advertised their 3 King cake. Looks like they used to make it like that, but now... We checked out the "gourmet" section. Some fancy stuff and prices to match. Found a local restaurant 2 streets from my lodging. First take a number and wait to be seated. It's completely full at peak meal times, every day. There was a queue round the corner when we left. Pata asada (roasted pig's leg). Squid a la plancha. At other touristy restaurants you probably get 2 squid and more chips/fries and pay more, too. The cut is "entrecot". In Spain it's very thin so just forget about getting the doneness you prefer. Day specials in middle ------------------ (Next day) Took the bus all the way south to do a sand dune walk. It quickly became clear that the entire municipality was turned into holiday "resorts", big hotels, endless holiday flats, hardly any islanders (besides those who work in hospitality), 99% tourists on package. So terrible. Mass tourism done wrong here. Other smaller islands like to point finger at Tenerife and Gran Canaria saying they have destroyed the environment and their bottomless greed. Now I understand. When Spain realised other smaller Canary islands didn't earn them much money they quickly put all their resources into Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Now these 2 big islands are most developed, most populous and most touristy/terrible. We will come back but only for the walks in the mountains and nothing more. Anyhow, boat people sell knock-offs along the beach, they also walk up and down the beach all day long with all kinds of knock-offs. The tourists keep these people in business. FYI, apparently, 2/3 of illegal migrants enter the EU via Canary Islands. Golden sand, black lava. The waves can be high, but not today. I would have liked to see that. Behind the poles and rope is off-limit, but tourists don't care. Many entered and exited off-limit areas all along the route we walked. Pretending we are in the Sahara in an off-limit area. It's a 6km walking route, (deep) sand all the way. Some parts had an awful smell as people also go to toilet along the way. Restaurants in the entire area cater to package tourists with money to burn. But I found a simple place where the tourists didn't want to go. We ate simply and drank icy cold beer in peace. Omelette with mushrooms, and Schnitzel. Back in Las Palmas later and got pata asada stuffed bread to go so we could drink our own beer. The first 2 were from El Corte Ingles' "Gourmet Experience" shop. Gran Canaria's own IPA
  8. BonVivant

    Lunch 2024

    Was thinking if I should post these or the rest of the Gran Canaria pix. This one is a lot shorter... These were several meals. Simple winter burrata. Riesling I brought back from Traben-Trabach (a while back). ------------- Late last year I got 3 packages of duck yolks and have been using them as a rich sauce in a bunch of things. This time it's fried tofu puffs. And octopus tentacles. --------------------------- Spicy whelks with samphire and dill. The duck yolks posted previously @blue_dolphinI'm skipping the tacos this year and missing them so much already. Next year I shall eat twice as much (fish) tacos to make up for it! Scallop tacos (*groan*) Roadside fish and prawn tacos. Many things I ate in Mexico were by the roadside or on pavement...
  9. Every. morning. Some dairy and multiple types of fruit. Then I have to go out looking for new fruits. Visited another market today. They know you want to take it home. Vacuum sealing the cheese is possible. Gran Canaria produces some cow's milk cheeses, and some are mixed (cow's and goat's milk). Tiles are rare here, unlike in Spain. This is a Portuguese shop. Searching for fruits again. One of my favourites (soursop that is). Avocados the size of pomelo. (Also common in Chile) I had hoped to find this fruit in Mexico but still haven't seen it after 3 trips. Finally... AKA "egg fruit". Tiny avocados. A variety that can be eaten young. You know you are on a (sub)tropical island when... Colourful cross-sections Ate it all on a bench. Being a fruit monster I have exceeded my limit. Didn't have room for anything else hours later. The egg fruit, my god, what an intense and rich fruit I've eve eaten. Had to pause half way. Very aromatic, impossibly rich. But, if I had to choose between canistel and mamey it would be mamey. Went to this beer bar a bit later. Industrial beers on tap and some international beers in bottles. Back in our neighbourhood, we noticed a bar with a row of taps! And some craft beer bottles in 2 fridges A hah! They do have real craft beers here. Finally, proper (NE)IPAs! Drank 2 rounds of double IPA and NEIPA. Had to make up for the lost time. A car dealership has a few cars inside a traditional building (across the street from my lodging). No big car parks full of cars like in some countries. Golden hour walk The adverts and tourist brochures only show you the nice (photoshopped) places and things. But in reality the capital is a concrete jungle, dirty, crowded, polluted, many dogs and their crap, and is also "multicultural". Nothing nice to photograph, have to keep an eye on our things at all times. After La Palma it's like a punch in the face. Next time we go direct to a mountain village and stay there. We have seen a bunch of places that sell takeaway food only so we decided to try some. Seafood paella, octopus salad, and abondigas. A fruity Gran Canarian wine. Unfortunately after this day I could hardly eat due to the middle ear pain which also affected my jaw and swallowing. Plus a 24/7pounding headache and fevers.
  10. I'm finally coming round from a middle ear infection. Half way into my stay on Gran Canaria I came down with an acute infection in one ear, then the following day the other ear! Painkillers didn't help anything and the flight home made it worse. Even with doctor's prescription eardrop the skull piercing pain rendered me unable to function for a whole week. I'm not out of the woods yet but at least the pain is gone and am now able to do everything again. ---------------- When in a warm country or place I go on the "hunt" for tropical fruits, and here in Las Palmas there are a couple of markets. The markets are small but there are enough of a little of many (typical) things. Always fun and educational to check out the stalls and ingredients. 2 most popular things you will notice are fruits and cheeses. The same 2 things I'm crazy about. Canarian islands not only produce avocados but also big consumers. They eat 8+ more avocados than mainland Spain. Avocados are piled high, price is more or less the same at every stall/shop/supermarket. I didn't try any of these "Antillean" avocados. They are less creamy, less fatty, and tastes milder. Why bother. Aaguacate Michoacano (avocados from Michoacan, Mexico) and aguacate Palmero (La Palma grown) are of such a high calibre that it's hard to accept anything less, especially when the good stuff is readily available. The 3 most common varieties grown on these islands are Hass, Anayen (massive) and Antillean ("bottle neck"). The big Haas ones are my favourite, comparable to Michoacano in intensity of buttery mouthfeel and flavour. One of the meat shops. Pretty sure these are standard cuts here but way better than in (food) hell where I live (and butchers' shops are not common anymore at home). (Sub)tropical islands that grow and consume potatoes in large quantities. Love it! (Sub)tropical islands that produce many types of cheese? Si! If I ever wanted to move to a warm place it would be one that had a cheese culture. Otherwise I would not consider it. Many wonderful cheeses from all the Canary islands, plus some from mainland Spain. Best food in the world! I could buy some roe but the "kitchen" we had was only good for boiling water. Percebes! Round these parts they come from nearby Morocco. I usually buy some when I see them but not this time. The price... I draw the line at 50,00. (In Tavira, Portugal, photo below) Also from Morocco (photo in Madeira, Portuguese overseas territory). Have eaten perceves many times in Portugal for a lot less than anywhere in Spain. I ate lapas every day in Madeira, where they are a common starter. Canarians eat lapas, too, but probably more at home. Didn't see them on menus here. A new shrimp to me. Camaron Mogan. Probably come from the port town Puerto de Mogan in Gran Canaria but I could find no info. Small shrimp, bright red, have a specific pattern on the shell. Next time I need to find a lodging with a real kitchen so I could cook/eat the seafood from market. There's a busy churreria-bar serving alcohol, good coffee, simple/light meals and of course churros. It was full so we waited a bit. Some locals were in the process of paying and getting ready to leave motioned to us to come over. They saved the table for us. Very nice of them. We ordered only 3, not knowing what to expect. Well, guess what. 3 disappeared in no time. We looked round the place, even lone customers ordered a plate of 3. Parties of just 2 had a little mountain of churros between them. Whilst waiting for the next batch of churros (it takes time and the place is full). Second batch. After today we came back every morning for a big plate and bread with eggs. The friendly (and efficient) employees recognised us every time. The big city Las Palmas irks us a little but the locals are chill and nice. 2 German cruise ships in the harbour. The "Mein Schiff" line goes to most islands in this part of the world. Saw the same ships in Madeira. Middle of winter... The sky in the middle of winter... (Temperature was about 25C, the sign got hot from direct sun) "Mercado del Puerto" is fake food market. It's a short walk from the cruise ship dock. They have some time to walk round the area and "discover" this "food market" where they eat tapas. The food stalls are set up for the cruise ship tourists. Prices are higher, of course. Late lunch (almost dinner for us). A restaurant that had Viva beer on tap. Viva craft beer brewery is about an hour from the capital. Does not tastes like "pale ale" but we are not in a real craft beer town so. Not sure if the spelling is intentional. Papas arrugadas with mojo rojo (Canarian red sauce). So it's true. Palmeran mojos are way better. Now I can say Palmerans have the right to boast about their mojos. Waxy potatoes are cooked with a big pinch of coarse sea salt. Though not salty but if you avoid salt then maybe these are not for you. I forgot to ask what the "salsa" was. Quite a lot of pepper sauce in this "entrecot en salsa". I would have liked none. Fish a la plancha with garlic. More chance of getting a parrotfish on Lanzarote than here. Back in the flat later. Cider from Asturia for a change, not sure when we'll make it to Asturia. Finally found it! Fried egg flavoured crisps. This flavour is common in parts of Andalucia, not so common here. The only one we found.
  11. Second half of the trip... -------------- Some of the alcohol we have had during our stay in south La Palma. The partner has brought the first 3 days worth of beer and wine bottles to the glass container due to ant problem (everyone has it on all these islands, can't get rid of ants, they say). The wonderful departure/arrival split-flap displays. I like them but it's rare to see them nowadays. On the train platforms, too. All gone, just like all the things I've ever liked. The 3 languages on most signs in the Canary Islands. Not in any particular order but probably half of Germany's population is in Greece, Spain and these islands (and Madeira) at any given time. All the airports I've been through since 2021 still have these stickers. Too much trouble to remove them. Or they think something else will happen next... From me, no matter what and at all times. What a great and beautiful island and chill, friendly Palmerans. A new favourite. Will return and base in another part of the island in the future. Until next time, La Palma! We have flown out of Tenerife Sur and again, this connecting flight via Tenerife Norte. Just like in the south, the northern part is also very built-up and crowded. Nearly every possible surface is covered with farms, houses, flats and huge hotels with multiple pools. Those rocks would be covered too, if it was possible. Just terrible. Waiting for one of our rucksacks. Like Tenerife, Gran Canaria is also super crowded with both tourists and local inhabitants. Next time we'll flee straight to the mountains and base there to do walks. First sunset on Gran Canaria. Soooooooo many people everywhere, noises, pollution and problems just like any big cities. So stressful. What a shock for the senses after 2 weeks on green and serene La Palma. How cool is this! A travel agency with split-flap display font and bar coded baggage tags, boarding gate just like the real thing! Oh no, tuna in salad again! I have to remember "sin atun, por favor.". (Notice my "Gran Canaria" card with the same split-flap font!) Cuttlefish "in sauce" 2 of the dishes we order from today's specials board. We walk a few streets back from the beach and by chance find this place full of locals. It becomes apparent that these places are not so common here and the reason is the sheer numbers of foreign tourists who mostly hang round at the beach and eat there for much of the duration of their holidays. Even though this is a local restaurant, my jaw drops when I see the bill. Ouch. It hits you in the wallet. I miss La Palma already. Add flan to the bill.. Finally can rest back in the flat. The last time I drink "Tostada". Spanish-style dark lager. Lager is fine, dark is a bit sweet. This beer comes from Tenerife. Gran Canaria's craft beer from a small town about an hour from the capital Las Palmas. Much better than "Tostada". Afraid to face the world tomorrow. So many people, noises, dogs, crap, rubbish, and more!
  12. It's the final walk and we decide to take the road (the main road in this part of the island that links cities and towns). Nice that they have added a new path for walkers and bikers, though it disappears in some parts and not nice to be walking soooo close to cars. Photos taken along the road on this walk. Land of wine between the volcanoes. A tree as a roundabout. At home they would never have it. They take pleasure in getting rid of trees. Contrasting colours Some people don't make a big effort to have a quaint garden. I always notice this border colour, it's the same colour as the roof tiles and windows. Tomato seeds for sale in various languages. So many carrion crows in a graceful dance. One of the reasons is socialising and exchanging information. Petrol prices. Still cheaper than at home (almost E. 2,10/L) The clouds rise from below much of the way. The most "atmospheric" walk so far. Stop sign at a junction. We are engulfed in clouds. But not this lone house. Back at the goat's cheese farm where we take a break to eat our packed lunch. Too bad it's their rest day so no cheese purchase for us. Nice of them to have a bus stop near a trail start/finish point or a junction. You can always take the bus back and walk the second part on another day. Jenny the donkey comes running again, and making very loud noises at the same time. She doesn't know it's the last time we see each other. As Weinoo says, donkeys are intelligent and gentle. They are also social creatures. Stay gold, Jenny. Thanks for your kindness and gentleness. Back in our base village. The last look at Volcan Antonio, pine trees and vineyards we see on our walks every day. We have the greatest luck with the weather. The sun god smiles on us most days here on La Palma. Everything has to be eaten and finished today. We will make it to the north of the island in the future, but for now we are curious about this type of wine that is typical there (in the north). Nothing to do with "tea", though. The wine has been aged in Canarian pine barrels which impart a specific taste. It tastes very piney! Medicinal, even. A bit of an acquired taste for us. And speaking of pine, its needles, birch sap etc that also find their way into craft beers. I don't like those beers but this wine is not that bad. Last of queso fresco I mix with avocado and raw minced garlic. Beef steaks Information and cooking instructions on back of the package. Wish I had this picture of steak doneness when I was travelling in big meat eating countries where they only do "well done" Next time I will. We move on to another place next (the second part of the trip).
  13. Another easy walk but the last part is only suitable for mules or ponies. On this street that leads to the start of a few trails you might notice these signs on the foot path, some are deliberately painted a little on the side so you can see them from the other side of the street. And some are painted completely on the kerb like this. Easy to spot. The terrain changes all the time. This is a big mass of lava, a big chunk of it has been removed so you don't have to climb over to the other side of the trail. Many people have this pretty, bee-attracting plant in their gardens. They are also everywhere in the wild. Almost near the end now. I put the camera away and give all my attention to the walking. Tiny, rough trail completely covered in pine needles. The needles are slippery underfoot, especially when going down. Using my walking stick I can brush some needles aside to find a firm rock to land on. It goes pretty much like this all the way down. And across the street from the bus stop... A cheese maker with own goats. Unfortunately, I can't risk missing the bus back to the village, which comes in a couple of minutes. Back in Los Canarios village. The town hall. The main street. Traditional balconies are all made of wood, and wood ceilings inside the house. The 2 main construction materials that are readily available are lava and woods. Across the street from my lodging. The owners' traditional Palmeran home. The little roof with tiles is actually the air vent directly above the cook top in my kitchen. I see that pine tree every waking hour in the house. A cat comes round every morning. She likes to hold a staring contest with me. She comes running and meowing when I go outside. Likes to press her head against my hand. Not sure if it's a sign of affection or just spreading scent. The only sparkling wines here are Codorniu and Freixinet... Linguine with chickpeas and chorizo @TdeV, I'm also afraid of height, but guess not as much as you. I've enjoyed jumping out of a plane a few times, strapped to a professional, of course. (Thanks!)
  14. We have done all the possible walks in the area, but this one takes the biscuit. Would not recommend it to anyone. Starts out easy and nice, going down and down most of the time. Then the part where we have to leave the easy path and hit a rough trail it all goes to hell from there. A hamlet on lava rocks Near vertical vineyards Lots of new vineyards in this area. (Might want to zoom in to read the texts) That long line that looks like a path through the vineyards is actually an irrigation channel. I've seen photos online of idiots walking on top of it. It's not a walking path! I don't like landscape photography, unless it's some kind of magnificent isolation, without a human face in it. A road through the bad land ("Malpais"). Native to Canary Islands. I buy some other sub species of daisy in the summer, here they grow everywhere like a weed. A big hawk moth warming up its wings before taking flight. No neighbours La Gomera island is visible on the horizon. It's between Tenerife and El Hierro, both are also visible. My favourite photo on this walk. Miminalist landscape is my style. (Or minimalist anything, really.) Considering turning back at this point. It gets exceedingly precipitous and rugged with each step. I keep thinking maybe after this point the path will be less dangerous. Vertiginous slope below. Nope, wrong. That's where the route ends, the black lava way down there. Trail becomes very small and perilous. The wind picks up fast, and no shade anywhere, nothing to grip or hang on to. We start to doubt if it's even an official walking route as there's hardly any marking, at least very minimal, or they are faded/hidden from view. Finally, the trail marking. It's an official route after all. All the while seeing no other walker. It's not a popular walk and now we know why. I abandon all interest in photography here. Put the camera away and concentrate on where I have to put my feet. It's not worth risking one's life walking this route. We walk 5 hours non stop in the baking sun. But guess what, the worst thing is not the way down, it's that you have to walk all the way back up. No option but to back track as there's no road and no transport. Luckily we remember seeing a path with tyre tracks on it somewhere along the way. We take this path and walk all the way back to the nearest sealed road. Turns out, farmers use this path to reach their farms or where they have beehive boxes. It takes longer than the steep, dangerous trail but we can walk faster without fear. After what seems like a long time we finally see a house. The area is sparsely populated. Later we tell the lodging owners about the walk they know it's horrible, too. They are avid walkers themselves and won't walk this route again. Good to have some wine and food to calm our nerves. Leftover octopus and prawns in mojo picante (spicy sauce). Pickled beetroots/carrots. Watching the glorious sun go down
  15. A new walking route today and it's an easy one to El Charco village. The village life round these parts. Along our daily route. Takes half an hour just to reach this point because it's so steep (by car only 5 minutes or less). After this it's another 15 minute climb to the next village's centre. To walk on the rim of Volcan Antonio's crater it costs E.8,00. Another half an hour walk steeply uphill to the mirador and you can see the crater from there. Jenny the donkey comes running again. She looks at me directly and observes me for a long time every time. Never aggressive in any way. Sweet creature. There should be a law that you must keep at least 2 animals so that they can be friends and have someone to interact with! Also along my daily route. Too bad we are unable to eat anything here. Looks like they are closed for the holidays, or only open in high season. Lanzarote has strict regulations regarding the styles of architecture, height of buildings/houses and colours you can use. La Palma apparently doesn't. New houses and flats can be in any style and have any colours, so I notice. In this case I support those restrictions imposed by the government of Lanzarote. I find it more beautiful there to photograph the houses. Stark white, traditional-style lava stone houses. It's like going back in time there. Yes, it's a vineyard on La Palma. Another vineyard in the area. The photo does not convey the steepness of the slope. Now seen from the side Taking a break after almost 3 hours of walking, to eat these biscuits (almonds and raisins, from the little bakery in town. Everything looks home-baked, small-scale productions). Farther along the route on the way down, at this point one can see Los Llanos and the town before it and the black lava flow path. After reaching the end of the route we don't want to wait 1 and a half hours for the next bus so we walk all the way back, taking the new and safe path next to the road. The partner's phone records 30 thousand steps from start to finish (from the time of leaving and returning to the house). Apparently, that is about 22km/13,6mi. And as soon as we get back.... beer. "Dunkel Bock" (dark bock style beer) "Ungrafted bush vines. Vocanic sand, silt, and clay." Dinner is a big pot of lentils with mince and vegetables. Thank you, Shelby and TdeV! (I have the next day photos ready, for tomorrow.)
  16. Partner wants to visit the craft beer brewery in a village a little farther up on the west coast. But first we need to catch the same bus to Los Llanos like the other day. Have 2 hours to kill before taking another bus to the brewery so we buy some lunch stuff and eat on a bench. My favourite, and I don't like sweets. Make an exception for flan (in Spain only, Mexican flan is too firm, probably won't break if you drop it). Spread avocado on bread just like butter. Corn bread is bright yellow on the inside. Some pastries, too. Brioche, ham & cheese, chicken empanada. The bus to El Jesus village is horrible. Up and down, round and round. Why don't they build a bridge somewhere on the lower level, though. But the views are nice. If there's a suitable surface they will surely turn it into a banana plantation. From this side you can also see the smouldering crater and the lava flow path. It's a tiny, teeny brewery housed inside this former small house. Finally, craft beers on taps. The "trappist"-style glasses are not of good quality. Very light and each one is not exactly the same. Looks like lens distortion but it's the glass. 5 glasses of craft beer from taps cost me E.10. Gobsmacked again. The beers we try. None "great" tasting but not totally crap, either. Wouldn't take a nauseous bus ride here to drink the beer again, though. The island wines are far more superior. But glad we give it a go, so now we know. Small bakery (we buy their Pan de Jamon and other baked goods). Reminds me of Mexico. Hand-painted everything. Jenny the donkey and her eye lashes. Food back at the lodging later.
  17. The walk today is to Volcan Martin. Nice walk in the cool Canarian pine forest, away from the sun. Going up and up and up much of the route.The start is right in the small town (in another municipality) from where we catch the bus to other places. I've mentioned before, La Palma appreciates the tourists who have come to walk. Thank you for choosing La Palma. Thank you for preserving this natural beauty so we can enjoy. (A feral cat already gets a head start.) It's cool and quiet in the pine forest. But make no mistake, the terrain changes all the time. Also, the long Canarian pine needles can be slippery underfoot so you must be careful. Almost every pine tree has a scorched trunk. As if there has been a fierce fire. Fierce enough that the char reveals how thick the barks are. Some trunks have turned into coals completely, like the kind you use for bbq'ing. Chatted with a young Vietnamese-French outside a supermarket on a previous day about his cycling tour. He left his home town Paris in October and has been biking through Spain, Portugal, Tenerife and now La Palma. He will return to Tenerife soon and somehow must make it to Morocco. Ran into him again twice on the trail. He thought the path would be OK to bike on. Big mistake. He had to push his bike all the way. I said to him "it's the best time of your life right now. Being on own, no wife, no school, no worries. Enjoy!" People who bike on La Palma are hardcore. It's windy and crazy steep. Walking and taking the bus is enough of a challenge for us. Volcan Martin... Back in town now. I like to check out what kind of seeds are for sale, wherever I go. Just looked this up. Don't think I would enjoy eating this giant pumpkin. Traditional wine press. Still being used on this island. Too bad about the many fruit trees in abandoned gardens. Dark blue, light blue, and white. This donkey always comes running every time I pass by. I make a clicking sound with my tongue and she remembers. She makes a very loud sound whilst running towards me. Why is that? She's very sweet, lets me stroke her thick fur and then I must be on my way again. She's warm (as in temperature). I enjoy our brief encounter every day on the way to the trail or the town. 2 new craft beer from La Isla Verde brewery. Tomato sauce with prawns and hake with pasta for golden hour dinner. Thanks, @TdeV. Happy new year to you and eG members!
  18. We take one day break from walking to rest and to have a look at another town. Los Llanos is the most populous city on La Palma and only 45 minutes by bus (but first we will have to walk sharply uphill for 45 minutes to catch that bus). The mountain road is in good condition but the young driver drives much too fast. Vertiginous, plunging ravines and the bus going right through lava from an eruption 2 years ago are the "fun" stuff on this bus ride. Heavy duty construction vehicles are still hard at work 2 years on. They managed to clear the main road and repaved it like new, plus a lot of new lava has been removed. Local and intercity traffic was back to normal only months ago. I was told it took so long because the lava was still hot to do anything. Some photos I've seen the lava and ashes reached the top of the front doors of houses. Photos taken from the bus. It's about twice the height of the bus! All the black stuff is new lava. The crater is still smouldering. The surface area of new lava is 3km wide and 5km long (iirc). The bus ticketing system is efficient. Taking the bus is cheap but departures are not every (half an) hour. Infrastructure is good. 45min ride costs E.2,60. Los Llanos is a nice city with good (food) shopping options (but still, just keep in mind that this is a small island). Single benches I enjoy finding new and interesting plants in a new place. A tree with big, dense flowers that hang upside down. The bloom clusters look a lot like hortensia. Very pretty, especially in pastel pink. Not as common as the usual green/yellow kind. Returned 2 days later to buy them but they were all gone. For roasting chestnuts. This one has a very long handle. There's another one with a short handle. Some beer before catching the bus back. Gobsmacked when it's time to pay the bill. E1,50 a beer. At home you can't get anything for 1,50 in a sit-down cafe with service. Maybe you can have some hot water but no tea for 1,50. I didn't bring any cooking equipment on this trip ((a mistake, also decided to leave the sous vide stick at home at the last minute). Well, I'm using these now. Every. day. It's middle of winter and miserable at home. Malvasia aromatica from a local bodega. They don't send wines in these non-standard bottles to the supermarkets. They all cost over E20 so are considered "expensive". Poached tuna, spicy mixed vegetables and wrinkled potatoes. Los Llanos, my base village and the capital Santa Cruz. Red area is the lava flow path. (Photos found online) The map of La Palma has changed. People and businesses that were affected are still suffering 2 years on. They are living in temporary housing. They have lost everything. There are foreigners who live here (including German transplants or long-termers) who have also lots everything. Danger in paradise is never far away. So eerie La Palma is full of volcanoes and is the most seismically active of all the Canary islands.
  19. Doing some local walks today to 2 villages in opposite directions. Streets are so crazy steep everywhere in the villages it's not really a good idea but we still want to do it. We can see more by walking. You don't usually see villagers walking up and down these steep streets to exercise or for fun. They all drive or being driven. DIY wheel choke. I can imagine you also need regular brake maintenance here. A steep drop behind the palm trees. There's a house behind the big tree, no neighbours. There are a few abandoned houses/vineyards/vehicles around. A rusty classic Rand Rover. A quick search tells me Santana was around in the 80's. It's quite OK that garden plants lean into the walking paths or road here. In some countries you might be told by your neighbours or the municipality to do something about it. This interesting tree and its flowers or seeds. Growing fruits and vegs like bananas and squashes in own gardens is normal on these islands. I just never can tell the types of squashes. Some houses are far away from the street. You don't see the houses anywhere nearby but you see letterboxes. It's a long way down and steep. You are looking at banana plantations (some have covers) and a huge hotel complex with multiple outdoor pools. If comes down to fruits and flowers then Madeira wins big time. But then again, it's not for nothing Madeira is known as "flower island" or "flower garden in the ocean". But, I don't remember seeing these eye-catching aloe blooms on Madeira. Like most big flowers here, this is buzzing with bees. A few steps from my lodging Back at mi casita for a break and lunch. Pan de jamon, filled with smoked ham, olives, raisins and cheese. Available in the last week of December only. After a rest and lunch we walk to another village but most of the photos in the second set are taken in my base village en route. Bird of paradise are super common on Madeira, here they are a bit rare. Firm exterior and unopen, like a capsule, you can see moisture inside. Volcanic Malvasia grapes. This part of the island grows the most Malvasia. However, it's the first time seeing them still on the vines here so far. As if the harvester had left them behind on purpose. Another uncommon sight: vertical rows of vines. It does exist after all, on my street no less. La Palma (LP) motorway number/code and vertical rows of vines. (Also on my street.) Big La Palma style houses amongst the vineyards. We walk to the next village using this volcano route. No new photos as we have done a walk to this volcano the other day. On Lanzarote every municipality has its own style of bus stop. On La Palma they are all the same. Volcanic rock construction with La Palma style tile roof. Check out this genius' own vineyard on his/her shed roof(s). Seen from the side. All white house, unoccupied. I couldn't have picked a better island (to walk), a better village, and a better lodging. Some locals stick their hand out the car window to give us a thumb up as we walk slowly up these steep streets. This is the kind of steep streets we walk up and down every day. You only see the sea from some distance away because the incline is stupid steep. A simple dinner when we are back at the lodging. Beef with potatoes and roasted vegetables.
  20. Another nice walk today to Volcan Teneguia. A hairy, velvety succulent that grows like a huge dandelion. (There's also giant dandelion that grows as big as a tree, btw, but that's something else.) Beehive boxes surrounded by vineyards. This whole area is full of vineyards as far as the eye can see. The ash path is between the vineyards (visible on the right) and the vines on the ground are next to the walking path. Because of the strong winds they don't use vertical shoot positioned trellis systems like in many other places. We are happiest when in nature, alone. Volcan Teneguia. Last eruption was in 1971. Standing next to the rim of the crater. A smaller crater nearby but not really visible from the lower walking path. The wonders of nature. Back in the village, always going uphill. Does not look so steep in the photo but it is. Wild flowers on the road. Wine from Bodega Teneguia a few kilometres from here. There's nothing on the front label. Palmeran-style spicy chilli paste. We like it more than the red mojo on Lanzarote (not spicy enough). The chillies grown on La Palma are one of the factors that makes the mojos taste good. Fish (merluza/hake) Weinoo, wine is cheap here. Must be ridiculously cheap for you New Yorkers (sorry, yes the markup probably is huge. Ouch). Small-scale productions, high quality, manual work. Shouldn't be this cheap. We are enjoying the wine verymuch. Never see it again at home. I forgot, there's a slice of onion buried underneath it all. But it's not sweet onion, I limit myself to 1 single ring.
  21. First real walk today and it's to the southern tip of the island where a lighthouse and the salinas are located. It's one of the most popular walks. Rightly so. It's a beautiful walk. Nice that we can start walking directly from the front door. Takes 2 hours walking leisurely and me taking my time making photos. Vineyards in my village, on the way to the start of the walk. Notice the vines are very low-laying hanging over a support frame with wires. But not all vines are grown like this. Also common is having no support at all. They all lie on the ground and spreading in all over. On Santorini they bend the vines as they grow into the form of a round "basket". I don't see that here. More about wine production in this part of the island. And FYI, Malvasia ("Malmsey") was brought to many islands from Crete. La Palma is a walker's paradise. The first of the Canary Islands to implement standard European system for signposting and waymarking routes. Always good to see these markings, confirms that you are on course. The island realised there's a large number of tourists arriving here on walking holidays so they set out to clear, improve and signpost many routes. This is how you attracts the walkers. Indeed. Now they come in droves to walk, and the reason we are here. Many routes are centuries old, they link villages that islanders used to use. I like this one. On a chunk of lava rock. Has been here since 1677. This looks like a pile of... Finally, the lighthouse and the salinas (saltworks). La Palma produces its own salt. A family business, the work is all manual. This is the last stage, crystallisation pools. Right next to the wild Atlantic The island produces a lot more white wines. This local winery currently has a shortage of red wine due to the volcanic eruption that devastated not only banana plantations but also some vineyards. We eat left over pasta with this lightly smoked young cheese given by the owners of our lodging. Firm like hard tofu and a little squeaky. And new 2 beers. Finally, an IPA. Piripi is a "tripel", strong dark ale. This morning, seen from my balcony.
  22. We are leaving the capital Santa Cruz and moving on to the southern part of the island. Santa Cruz (photo found online) We are now in a village (population just a little over 200) in the mountain. It's a dizzying, steep ride to reach the village from the capital Santa Cruz. The village has one restaurant (not sure it's even open, and even then surely not for lunch) and no shop here so we need to take the first walk to the next town called Fuencaliente. All doubts about La Palma being the steepest island in the world are instantly vanished as soon as we start walking. The climb starts literally across the street from our lodging and it doesn't stop until we reach our destination. My favourite exercise in the gym in the stair machine and it's clear it's absolutely no match for this! I enjoy walking on inclines but this is just brutal. Our base village, basking in Canarian sunny splendour. One will quickly notice the common/popular plants in people's gardens. One of them is these heavy flower heads, sweet smelling and thus attracting lots of bees. Fuencaliente is a small town, it has 2 supermarkets, 2 cafes and 2 pizzarias. A roundabout is this tree in the middle of the intersection. Big bags of Palmeran chillies for making mojo rojo (not spicy kind) sold at a butcher's shop. One of the things we pick up is potatoes. For papas arrugadas you use this variety only. It's either half waxy or very waxy (at least in my experience). Most Canarian islands grow their own potatoes but Tenerife is the biggest producer and their potatoes are most commonly found in supermarkets. We also make a quick visit to a local winery to pick up a few bottles. I get to taste a few wines, too. Malvasia is mainly produced in this southern part of the island. I also have a taste of the sweet wine (background, in the middle) but not sure if I want to buy it. Mayby KennethT would, though. Want to buy this one but it's not possible. They harvested the grapes during the most recent volcanic eruption, enough to make about 1 thousands bottles, which were sold out quickly. This is the last bottle just for show. Looks like a giant tin Wineries here are small, nothing on a massive industrial scale like in some countries. Lunch at a bar-cafe that also serves simple home-style (Canarian) dishes. For the first plate, I have "Bratwurst" in mind when I see "salchichas", but what's in front of me is actually something a lot like hot dog. (I don't recognise names or some dishes here, makes it a quite a bit harder to order). Anyhow, I try one piece just to make sure. Yep, it's hot dog. The partner has to eat it all. So now I know when it says "ensalada mixta" it's this. Lettuce, sweetcorn, pickled carrots and pickled beetroots. At least it's not doused in a mayo based dressing (I would not touch it in that case). Vinegar and olive oil on the side if needed. Very nice braised beef. The meat shreds like threads, how we like it. The beef has a strong beefy smell. Beef at home they make sure it doesn't smell. Many people have citrus trees in the garden and they are full of fruit right now. That's the bus stop steps from my lodging. Someone's little garden is next to it. I see a citrus tree, squash/pumpkin plants, peppers (capsicum) and other vegetables. On left with white walls is lodging owners' house (right across from my place). Very typical La Palma style. Mine is also Palmeran in style. It's small and cozy. We like it. The photos show you what a little house on La Palma looks like inside and out. The kitchen looks OK but can't really cook anything other than simple 1-pot meals. First wine from the winery a few kilometres from here that we visited earlier. I have 2 pots at my disposal, only 1 has a lid. You'll see something simple like this pasta with red sauce for the rest of my time here so don't have high expectations. Golden hour pasta and a local wine. So that's my first home-cooked meal since I got here. How happy we are to be here on La Palma!
  23. Back to the market because I need more cheese and fruits. I notice many cheeses are lightly smoked, also the young kind. Cheeses produced on other Canary Islands are common on La Palma, especially from Gran Canaria, and some from Lanzarote that I recognise. Good looking island grown beans New potatoes (La Palma grown). There are specks of rosé on the peel. Winter tomatoes A tight passage to some houses. The front doors are half the size of our doors at home. A few hundred years ago many things were small, people included. Stones on a footpath are meticulously arranged in a certain pattern. I'm glad I have no one to think sweetly of. One of many typical steep streets in the capital. The best beach is an empty one. Every morning I eat half a papaya and 1 big avocado (plus other things). Then another avocado sometime in the afternoon. This island produces a few fruits such as papaya, avocado, banana (most important), mango, guava, citrus, loquat, fig, prickly pear, apples, pear, cherry and many more!). But let me tell you about the avocados grown on this island... it's literally like eating a block of butter. So creamy, so dense, so rich you need to take a pause half way. On par with high quality Mexican avocados that I enjoy eating so much there. Also, islanders want you to know they eat lots of avocados, long before the hipsters. Chileans told me the same. They even put avocado in fast food in Chile. I'm taking some La Palma avocados home. Originally I had planned to bring goat cheeses back but now also avocados. 2 new goat's cheeses. Left is strong and hard, right is rich and creamy (firm). The middle sardine is huge. All 3 have roe. Another golden ale, from island's own craft brewery La Isla Verde. This other island craft brewery hardly says anything about their beer. Very little information is provided, even on their website. The last beer and in the background are all the beers we drink thus far. Moving on to a small village in the mountain in the south of the island the next day.
  24. You see this cover every few steps. There are really a lot of these in the capital. Drivers here are skilled at negotiating the many narrow stone roads. I must step to the side when a car approaches, the width of the road is barely wider than the car. Also, if not used to walking on stones (and going uphill at the same time) your feet will be sore at the end of the day. The many small stairs and passages that link the steep roads. Elderly people and everyone else just get on with it. Knocker Lunch in the rain. Just want a simple salad but order the "loaded" one by mistake. Papas arrugadas (potatoes cooked in sea salt and left to dry out a little). Always eaten with a sauce ("mojo"). Very typical Canarian. Very nice spicy sauce. Another Canarian classic is morena frito (deep fried moray eel, with bones and skin). I don't make rice at home, the partner has to order rice elsewhere... We eat some of the paella and take the rest back for the next day. There's a beeeeautiful classic BMW parked steps from my building. Rare to see such a beauty. Cool windscreen wipers. Thanks, Jo!
  25. Didn't see that book when I was in Sicily but I got 2 good ones. I actually wanted to go to Sicily (again) for this holiday but we had waited for La Palma to open again after the spectacular volcanic eruption a couple of years back. So that's why we are here right now. An employee at at winery in my new area in the mountain has just told me they were finally done clearing the roads and things got back to normal 4 months ago! We will return to Sicily sooner or later BUT.... we are so glad to be here on La Palma.
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