The Rain in Spain Stayed Mainly in the Plain

Visit to Spain with Kaki and David Hutchinson. Spent time in Madrid and on one of the five islands that comprise the Canary Islands, Lanzarote.  People everywhere talk about the "crisis" (26% unemployed and 56% of those under 30 unemployed) A good example was the number of men on the streets of Madrid ready to take gold for cash however, we never felt vulnerable. Sunny, temps in the low 70s and very relaxing!

Enjoy the scenes below.  We did!

To the left, workers preparing a protest march. To the right is self explanatory.

Wonderful parks, gracious trees and statues

Tapas, anyone?

Peter was in Clavelle heaven to see "his" street. Clavel means carnation in Spanish.

We were there on a holy week and these 24 men were lifting this structure with cement weights on top. Penance?

A day trip to Toledo, the capital of Spain until the beginning of the 20th century

 

Then on to the Canaries.... These are photos of the remarkable place that we rented for a week

Outdoor eating area

Views to the left of our villa toward the town of Puerto del Carmen

View to the right from our villa toward the 6 km walking paths along the coast

Moonscapes as we hiked and drove the island...

This was the volcanic crater that we hiked to and around the rim. Ask Peter how much fun he had!

Although dark, this is how they grow their grapes for wine. The bushes are sunken in the ground with a partial stonewall for the protection from the wind

The Beaches were yellow sand, pounding surf and lava rocks out into that surf

Adding depth to the island experience was this artist/architect, Cesar Manrique who in 1968 returned to his island of Lanzarote and proceeded to both design his home (now a museum), restaurants, cactus garden and a lookout to the north.

Cesar used the natural elements of his island, black for lava rock, white sand beaches, green of cactus etc. Nature was incorporated into all the living spaces

His basement pool with the living rooms below on either side

This is a symbol he created and it adorns most of the condos, villas and houses on the island

Courtyard at his home

This Cactus garden is set in a natural crater, with all the elements of nature used in door knobs, seats & steps

This is hard to capture. It is part of an area where the volcanic flow met the water 300 years ago. Cesar saw this grotto cave and made a restaurant. This is a pool that only the King of Spain is allowed to enter...whenever that will happen!

And finally some scenes of the quiet towns that we drove through, stopped and bought smoked goat cheese or smoked salmon

A wonderful vacation at this time of the year!   And now, back to work.