The Other Spain: La Palma & Gran Canaria - Mucho Volcanes y Mucho Sol!

[BonVivant]

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).

 

Edited January 10 by BonVivant (log)

[rotuts]

Thank you for taking us along on your trip.

 

enjoyed it all 

[TdeV]

Thanks again, @BonVivant, for your enticing journeys.

 

Many years ago, in Switzerland, there was honey from pine trees. At the time, I thought it was very piney. Curiously I have yearned for that pine honey ever since.

 

I hope you enjoyed your piney wine.

 

[KennethT]

15 hours ago, BonVivant said:

We move on to another place next (the second part of the trip).

 

This means that this is not the end of this trip, no?  I hope not - I always enjoy reading about your trips.  Thanks for putting in the effort to document them so well!

[BonVivant]

Second half of the trip...

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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!

 

Edited January 13 by BonVivant (log)

[weinoo]

Lemme know when you wanna come to NYC.  I'll show you Times Square. And Coney Island in the summer!

[gfweb]

1 minute ago, weinoo said:

Lemme know when you wanna come to NYC.  I'll show you Times Square. And Coney Island in the summer!

 

And some fine Long Island wine!

 

[BonVivant]

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.

 

 

Edited January 21 by BonVivant (log)

[BonVivant]

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.

[KennethT]

22 minutes ago, BonVivant said:

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.

I'm sorry to hear about your ear infection troubles... I find that amoxicilin works very well and quickly.

[Shelby]

So awful to be sick and triple so while on vacation  I'm sorry.  Glad you're feeling better now.

[TdeV]

Thanks for the postings @BonVivant. I'm glad you're feeling a bit better.

 

[BonVivant]

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.

 

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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

 

 

[BonVivant]

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

 

 

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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)

 

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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!

 

 

Edited February 4 by BonVivant (log)

[TdeV]

Thanks again, @BonVivant, your journeys are always fascinating. Glad you survived the infection!

[KennethT]

@BonVivantThanks so much for taking us along - I always enjoy the photos and your discussion of your trips.  I'm sorry to hear about your ear infection.  When we travel, we always bring tons of medication with us - several types of antibiotics, nausea, diarrhea, sinus, congestion, etc. - basically we're a traveling pharmacy.  Ear infections are usually easily treated (especially if caught early) with an antibiotic called amoxicillin. Many upper respiratory infections are easily handled with azithromycin - which, coincidentally - is the drug of choice in SE Asia for most food poisoning bacteria.

[rotuts]

@BonVivant

 

thank you for sharing another wonderful trip .