GRAN CANARIA

Day1 Monday 10th February 2025

It had been a long, cold, and grey, summer for much of 2024. Accordingly, we had decided to have a winter break - not something we usually do, but we might from now on. It was as well we did that, because the winter was beginning to show every sign of being cold and grey as well. Of course, for a winter break, you need a pretty secure prospect of warmth and sunshine. Our choice was the south of Gran Canaria and a place called Playa del Cura. This translates from Spanish to the Priest's beach. There must be a story there, but I cannot find it. In our walks around the area, we found nothing old! It is as if the whole settlement was built within the last 50 years. At most!

This newness, did not mar our enjoyment and the smallness of the village, makes it a great deal more attractive than many of the surrounding, larger hotel agglomerations. Having had to get to Playa del Cura after passing through some of these places, we were beginning to question our choice, but we were reassured quite quickly that we had been right.

We stayed at The Idyll Suites, an adults only complex, with only 49 suites, all overlooking the bay and beach. We were met by Bea, who was very helpful and soon showed us to our suite. We dumped the bags quickly and headed out into the late afternoon sun, after taking a moment to enjoy the view form our balcony.

There is a short little promenade along the back of the beach, which we strolled along, enjoying the blue sky and the sunshine. Just what we needed. 

What we also needed was a cold drink. We went into the Ocean Beach Club, which was basically a smartish, all inclusive family hotel. We enjoyed a beer and a cava sitting in the sun, thinking that everything was alright with the world.

Suitably happy, we went back to our hotel and sat on the balcony for a while before our dinner at the Delicias Restaurant, which forms part of the hotel. We were joined on the balcony by our own pet collared dove.

We were not looking for a big meal and settled for a selection of tapas in the hotel. They were really very good and just what we needed.

We had a very fresh tomato bruschetta, vitello tonnato, Canarian potatoes with mojo sauce and, frankly, the best prawns in garlic and chilli oil we have ever eaten. A mix of tapas due mainly to the restaurant really being an Italian place, rather than Spanish,  but the idea was good, and the food and service were excellent.

It was no distance to our suite and we watched the moon before going to sleep pretty quickly and soundly after a long day of travelling.

A very promising start to our break.

Day2 Tuesday 11th February 2025

After a great sleep, we woke to a beautiful sunny and very warm day. We had a nice breakfast and then decided we should do some walking along the coast. Off we went in a southerly direction. We took a fairly circuitous route to begin with, but it did afford a view back towards our hotel, which was the block in the centre of the photo with the dark brown sunscreens.

 

Eventually we came to Playa de Tauro - the beach of Taurus. Had we but known, we could have got here a lot easier and quicker by cutting through the gap between the rock and the headland in the middle of the picture.

 This is the sort of sandy beach that everyone dreams of as children. However, not all is as it seems. In 2016, thousands of tonnes of sand were imported form the Sahara Desert to make the existing beach more touristy. Tonnes of rock and stones were removed form the beach. This turns out to have been a big mistake. Changes to the beach resulted in local residents being flooded every time there was a high tide. Over and above the damage caused, the works were never properly permitted and documentation appears to have been falsified. Several public officials were jailed and fined. The fall out from this continues to this day.

We knew nothing of this and the beach is very popular, especially at the weekends. It looked perfect as beaches go.

We walked along the length of the beach and then climbed away from the sea a little to carry on round the coast. There was a lovely view back to where we had come from.

We strolled along a nice promenade and round the corner we found the blue bay of Amadores Beach - the Lovers' Beach. 

This was a different kettle of fish! Not really the sort of place we find ourselves in very often.

At the shore side of the beach is a long array of shops and restaurants. The choice was overwhelming, but surely we would find somewhere nice for a spot of lunch.

Of course, we did!

Time for more tapas, because that is the way we prefer to eat, especially in the sun!

Garlic and chilli prawns, Crispy chicken and aioli, Canarian potatoes and Mojo sauce, Padron peppers and Manchego cheese. Perfect.

After a leisurely lunch, we wandered back past the yellow sandy beach, strewn with yellow and blue parasols, the blue sea and the paler blue sky - a crowded symphony of blue and yellow.

Eventually, we retrace our steps to our hotel and have a bit of shade on the balcony and discuss what we should do for dinner later in the evening.

We decided that we might go out for a cocktail at the Cave Bar and then decide if we would eat there. Google quotes the owner - " Join us at the friendly Cave Bar and experience a unique blend of premium drinks and homemade food in a welcoming atmosphere. Although the bar is within a closed apartment complex, just say you are there for the bar and enjoy an after-sun drink with friends and savour a bite from our selected food menu where everything is cooked fresh from the best local produce."

Who wouldn't go for that?

Access was definitely a bit of an issue. You can see the three tall towers on the middle of the photo. These are actually lifts. You have to first of all find your way through the gates, which we did when we met up with a guy who lived within and, apparently, plays tennis with the chef. Then you have to go up each of the three lifts in turn, pass the tennis courts and pool and find your way into what was apparently a real cave, that has been converted into a restaurant/bar, although most of the seating is outside under umbrellas and surrounded by tasteful plastic walls.

We got there and sat down to order drinks. There were two tables already occupied by groups. One of 4 or 5 people was only there for drinks and another of 6 were there, apparently waiting for food. The barmaid, who was very pleasant, was fairly new at the job as well as being the chef's niece. She had to prevail on the chef to make my Bloody Mary - a sign that this might not be exactly what we were expecting from the description. Nonetheless, the Bloody Mary was very good, almost certainly, helped by the fact that he used a timed method of pouring in the vodka - 5 seconds in this case, which is quite a lot of vodka! Stephanie made Sharon's Strawberry Daiquiri, which she enjoyed.

This all took a bit of time. Time the food table clearly thought should have been devoted to making their dinner. They did complain, quite loudly in Spanish, to Stephanie and the Chef. Eventually, the lady at the head of the table, got up, went into the kitchen and berated the chef. It was almost as if she was his mother, giving him a hard time. He certainly wasn't of the customer is always right school of hospitality and was happy to argue back. This wasn't acrimonious, but it was a bit loud and comical at times. Eventually, he pacified his mum (if that's what she was) with an 8 second pour of brandy. Stephanie poured another pint of beer for another of the old ladies at the table. The chef did a lot of muttering in the kitchen.

Stephanie suggested that if we wanted food, we might order and it would come, perhaps in a little over an hour. Given we wanted steak and peppers, that was a bit of a wait, but then we weren't hungry after our lunch. The on site entertainment was also fascinating, so we said we were in no rush and whenever suited would be fine.

There was another table booked for 8 people and they started to arrive. This merely added to the chef's stress and pressure. The phone rang and he claimed it was a call for Fawlty Towers. His English was faultless and he could easily curse his mother's table in English if he felt like it. They got some soup eventually and they seemed to really enjoy it. Indeed, one of them licked the bowl clean. Mum had another 8 second brandy. Then most of them left. 

By now the chef was plying the new table with drinks and had started to make tapas for them. Stephanie had warned us that he would be showing off to the group by making lots of little dishes for them to enjoy - hence the likely delay in our meals!

After a while, two more couples came in for dinner. Chef came to our table and explained that he wouldn't be making our chosen dish and would we be happy with a selection of tapas, which he would do for a discounted price? We were enjoying ourselves so much that we immediately agreed, much to his relief and gratitude. He then said he would go and give the same speech to the two new couples as his rehearsal with us had gone so well! They agreed!

And, so the tapas arrived.

Padron peppers.

Home marinaded olives.

Russian salad.

Serrano ham, cheese and membrillo.

Tortilla and aioli.

By now we were thinking we might have bitten off more than we could chew, so we said we had had enough. This was met with disbelief by Stephanie. Then we heard the other tables getting garlic and chilli prawns, so we capitulated and asked for more, which delighted the chef. The prawns soon arrived.

Finally, chef brought us some fenugreek tasting chicken and some exceptional chips, which Stephanie had previously warned us were deliciously addictive.

By now were well and truly done. The bill for 2 cocktails, 5 or 6 unmeasured glasses of wine and all of the food came to less than 50 Euros! The entertainment was apparently free.

What a great night we had had.

The cave looked better lit up in the dark than it had in the daylight when we arrived.

The views down to the village and the beach from the lifts were amazing.

A fabulous end to a really good day.

Day 3 Wednesday 12th February 2025

It was another very fine day, which was just as well as we had booked an e-bike sunset tour, so we were going to be outside no matter what! The tour was in a place called Maspalomas and we had to take the bus there, so we thought we would make the whole day of it. We took the bus through and set off in search of the bike tour company. We soon found them, but to our disappointment, they were not located somewhere we could have spent time exploring and having lunch before the tour was due to start at 3pm. We were going to have to spend a very long time doing next to nothing.

Luckily, the tour company advised that we were the only people booked in and we could go as soon as we liked, if we didn't mind missing the sunset.

So off we went, with our guide Lorenzo, and here is Sharon and the three bikes at our first stop - the Mirador de las Dunas. 

The Maspalomas Dunes are one of the wonders of Gran Canaria. The dune system covers more than 4 square kilometres and is home to a variety of plants and animals. The system is constantly moving and changing. If you were to take a photo from the same place a year apart, it would not look the same. The dunes are moving east to west at a rate of between 2 and 5 metres a year. It used to be thought that the sand had originated in the Sahara desert, which is not an enormous distance away.

The truth is that the sand was washed up from the ocean bottom as waters retreated at the end of the last Ice Age. The exposed sand was windblown to the island and continues to migrate across the land today. It does look like a desert, to be fair.

Here is Bob looking deserted.

The dunes are pretty spectacular, I would have to say.

You really feel that this is what it must look like to be lost in the Sahara.

However, we were not riding on a horse with no name, we had our e-bikes, and Lorenzo!

We were soon on our way to another viewpoint, which showed us how some of the dune area had been reduced by continuing development.

Our next stop was the small Botanical Gardens. I suspect this was Lorenzo's favourite spot. He was hugely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the plants on display.

Proper Coconut palms, but they are not native to Gran Canaria. However, they illustrate the tropical nature of the island, which allows a huge range of plants to thrive.

This is the purple flower of Datura metel. Datura is very poisonous and highly phsyco-active plant. Many civilisations have used it to help them commune with the gods, but intemperate use is likely to cause delirium, terrors and ultimately death. We left it well alone.

I'm ashamed to say, I can't remember what this flower is called, but it was only whilst looking through the photos at home, that I realised I had captured a wasp or hornet as well as the blooms.

This is the local banana plant - smaller than most commercial varieties .

Sharon smelling the sap of Aloe Vera, which is an important crop on the Island. I can see her getting younger by the minute.

Cotton, which is very recognisable once it has gone to seed. The seed is protected by the ball of cotton, that is harvested and turned into the clothes we all wear.

But, who knew the flower was so attractive?

We spent a little time in this seldom visited oasis, before we headed off towards a more literal oasis. To get there, we cycled along the side of what the map, quite grandly, labels as the Maspalomas Ravine Canal. It was very dry, which was no surprise, given it had not rained here for three years!

What was a surprise was that the plaque commemorated the fact that Columbus set sail from this point on his final voyage in 1502. He was going to the New Islands of the Canarian Indies, or, America as we know it these days. I had never known that Columbus had been here.

The canal might have been dry, but it was not devoid of life. Lorenzo told us to quietly look over the wall, where to our surprise sat an Iguana!

More wildlife nearby, at the Charca de Maspalomas - Maspalomas pond. This is home to resident and migratory birds. We could have spent hours there, but that wasn't really the plan.

We did see a Spoonbill.

And a Glossy Ibis.

You don't see them every day at home.

It really was a fabulous location, a real oasis.

I almost had to drag Sharon away to a nearby shop, where Lorenzo had arranged for us to get a nice cold drink.

Our next stop was something completely different - Faro de Maspalomas.

Hi-vis Lorenzo went in to arrange our visit. However, it was not to be as unscheduled maintenance was taking place and we could not go inside, which was a real shame.

We could, however, walk around the outside of the building, which went into service in 1890 and it still operates to this day. It really is very impressive.

As you might expect for a lighthouse, it was right next to the coast, which was also impressive.

As was someone's sand castle!

Along the coast from the lighthouse, after we had passed by a strip of upmarket hotels and restaurants, we came upon an ancient round house built by the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands, the Guanches. These people were thought to have come to the archipelago in the first millennium. They were finally conquered by the Spanish in the late 15th Century.

Round houses built by the coast are relatively common. although many have been lost to development. This one is now home to iguanas.

We left the coast and followed a network of cycle lanes back to the start of our adventure. We really had enjoyed ourselves and found out a great deal from Lorenzo. As we had missed lunch, Lorenzo suggested we have a few tapas from Les Porches nearby. It is well liked by the locals and we certainly enjoyed our few nibbles of cheese and ham, garlic and chilli prawns and some bread and aioli. It was no distance from there to the bus stop, once we had finished.

We were not hungry enough to go out to dinner late that evening, so we had a few nibbles in our suite and then an early night after all our exertions of the day.

Day 4 Thursday 13th February 2025

Another fine day. We went north west by bus to Puerto de Mogan, a picturesque resort, giving the impression of an old unspoilt fishing village. In truth, Puerto de Mogan as it appears today, is a product of the 1980's! There was a harbour here, but that was built a lot longer ago to service the village of Mogan and its hinterland. The wider area was important for growing bananas, coconuts, avocado and pineapples. However, this is a remote part of Gran Canaria, not well connected to Las Palmas or, indeed, the world. Hence the Puerto was built to make that connection, mainly for trading.

The harbour and the apartments are built around a new fishing harbour and marina and it is heavily used by passing yachts and as a ferry terminal.

The ferry had just arrived when we were there, so rather than be swamped by day trippers and an astonishing number of lycra-encased cyclists, we decided to be a bit more romantic. 

As an aside, the beach in the background is entirely artificial and is made from imported Saharan sand.

Near to the beach is a reminder of the history of the place. This is the Piedra Picua, which was sited at the original harbour and was used by fishermen to gauge the state of the tide when they were unloading their catch.

These are some of the 1980's apartments lining the harbour front. Many of these have shops or restaurants on the ground floor. There are great little bars to sit in and watch the world go by with a glass of something cold to hand.

The streets are narrow.

There are flowers everywhere.

There are little bridges over waterways that have led to the nickname of Little Venice. How many of these are there in the world?

Down by the harbour, there were lots of crabs crawling about the rocks. The shellfish just made me think of eating lunch. Luckily we had seen a nice looking place earlier and had booked Cositas Mediterraneo. 

It was just as well appearances did not deceive - the restaurant was fabulous.

I could not resist the starter of 2 enormous gambas, crumbed and fried whole, with avocado, black garlic and salad.

Goodness, but they were utterly delicious.

 You could tell that Sharon really liked her coconut crusted halloumi, chilli and berry compote, which looked like this before she demolished it.

We both had the special of sea bream, king prawns, a ratatouille of grilled vegetables and a squash puree. Just as magnificent as the first course. The whole meal was a delight and the service was outstanding. I would stay in the village just to eat there every day.

After that rather enjoyable meal, we had a walk around before taking the bus back home.

We had a lie in the sun on our balcony and a rest before going out for our dinner. This involve a 20 metre walk across the road to a little Italian restaurant. We were lucky to get in without a booking, but the chef's niece was very helpful and had perfect English, having lived in Reading as a teenager!

Her uncle, the chef, did all the cooking and she did everything else. The place was small, but very busy. The bruschetta was remarkably fresh and tasty and, I thought, set off perfectly with a dose of the chef's own chilli oil!

All the pasta was made by the chef and he was happy to alter things slightly to accommodate our wishes. Sharon had pasta filled with lamb and artichoke.

I had been going to have ravioli filled with ragout and served with a gorgonzola sauce, but that was finished (always a good sign), so I asked for pasta hearts filled with Parma ham and served with pistachios and honey. Our hostess said that might be a but on the sweet side for me, why not have the Parma ham pasta,  but with the gorgonzola sauce. Perfect said I, and perfect is how it turned out.

The food may not have been the best presented, but it really was very tasty, the atmosphere was brilliant and the service really good. We booked again for our last dinner on the island.

So, after a free glass of their home-made Limoncello, we were on our way.

However, Sharon felt the need to walk off at least some of our fabulous dinner, so we went for a stroll. We happened to hear some live music and were seduced into a seat in the 19th tee bar to listen to quite a good guy singing lots of music from our youth. He was soon joined in the singing by a very mellow Sharon!

She really did enjoy her day!

Day 5 Friday 14th February 2025

Valentine's Day! Of course, every day is a day of romance for us! The Chief of Clan Cameron once told me that my wife would always be happy as Romance was and anagram of Cameron! So there were no cards and flowers for us.

We had a bus trip instead! We were off to the mountains in a minibus with a collection of Europeans and a Canarian guide. It took us a while to pick everyone up from their hotels, and then to get our guide, but then we were off north from the coast and into some pretty wild countryside. A complete change form the seaside we had been used to.

First stop was a viewpoint of geological history.

We had been driving for some little while on this road into the mountains and the scenery was pretty spectacular. However, once we stopped at this viewpoint, it became even better. There is considerable archaeological interest here, but there is a much older geology to look at as well. It is all dating back at least 5 million years and to significant volcanic activity. The peaks you can see are amongst the highest on the island, but they were once twice as high. When they were destroyed by volcanic eruption, the huge valley was formed and the closer hills were left standing through lava flows and millions of years of erosion.

The remaining peaks were isolated from the valley floor and the local indigenous peoples used them as places of refuge and dwelling. The huge numbers of caves hereabouts were used for living in, sheltering animals and storing food.

It was here that the local people retreated to during the conquest of the island by the Spanish.

The nearest hill is known as the Fortaleza and we were to get much closer to it after lunch!

Before we had any lunch we travelled up to the pretty little town of Santa Lucia, where we had a little time to have a look about. It really is very peaceful and very attractive, with lots of palm trees, Dragon trees and whitewashed houses.

We had stopped in the pleasant little central square.

A very helpful girl from Munich on our bus took our photo so that viewers wouldn't think Sharon had come here on her own.

The houses were very interesting, with very tall doors and dinky little balconies. Houses here were in huge demand when the tourist boom hit the south of the island in the 1960'2 as prices were very much lower than on the coast. Now, Santa Lucia has many of these fine houses which have been renovated, but still people work on the coast, but live here in the hills. I expect he prices have gone up a bit.

Every  village has a church, and here is the one in Santa Lucia.

The church was built in 1898 on the site of former 17th Century chapel. I'm not sure of the bells were from the older building.

We left the square behind and went to a little local shop for a taste of local goodies. The fruit was fabulous, especially the oranges.

We also got to taste and buy some other local produce like olives, mojo sauce, olive oil and honey rum. It was all very good and we did end up buying a few bits and pieces to bring home.

Having had a wee taste of hard liquor, we were ready to meet the next challenge - a visit to the Fortaleza Grande. If you see the large cave to the right of centre of the massif, that's where were going! This cave is hundreds of metres above the valley floor.

We actually approached from the other side, which was a good deal less precipitous, but it was a little bit of a climb. Happily, the cave was open to both sides of the mountain. We didn't have to go over the top or anything remotely hazardous!  The cave is actually a lava tube. The lava from an erupting volcano flows along channels that can sometimes crust over, forming a roof. This usually happens if the lava is very viscous. If the lava then drains out of the tube, it leaves behind a "cave".

It is thought that this cave was particularly important to the indigenous Guanches people over many centuries. It is said that this was the cave where they decided to surrender to the Spanish. They had resisted for 5 years, but no matter how many Spaniards they killed more would take their place, whilst their own numbers dwindled over time. Resistance was, indeed, futile. Apparently, the chiefs gave their princess to the Spaniards, as they were a matrilineal society and power rested with women. The chiefs then saw no future for themselves and threw themselves from the top of a nearby white coloured mountain!

Angelica, our wonderful guide told us this story while we all sat at the mouth of the cave overlooking the valley below.

She also demonstrated how the cave people could shout and sound would carry over huge distances, meaning that they could warn of the presence of the Spaniards well in advance. They had developed a type of whistling language that still survives in remnants in some parts of the Canaries.

She asked us how long it would take the Guanches to get from the top of the rocks to the floor of the valley? Alive! The astonishing answer is minutes. They had a system of descent using long poles. This system is still used by shepherds and goat herds today.

We didn't try it out.

It was at this point that things got a little intimidating. Angelica said we should now step out of the front of the cave and start to wend our way around the face of the cliff to get back to the bus! Aye right, thought I. However, she was serious, so rather than appear as a quivering wreck I followed on meekly.

It actually wasn't that bad. The path was at least a couple of metres wide, so off we all trooped!

We stopped to look at another cave, which was thought to have been a shelter for people and animals.

The cave contained a triangular symbol, painted on to the stone. It was said to be thousands of years old. Angelica pointed out the different coloured rocks on the other side of the valley that were thought to have provided the pigments for the paintings. Amazing.

From our viewpoint we could also see the smaller castle rock. The caves here were apparently used for the disposal of dead bodies.

See how fearless I was walking round the narrow path!

Round the corner, away from any real prospect of breaking the speed record from top top bottom of the hill, Angelica pointed out recent excavations of more recognisable round houses built into the slope. These were like the house Lorenzo had shown us at the beach and, for me they were reminiscent of Bronze Age roundhouses, or even Skara Brae on Orkney.

Round houses seem to have been a thing in the past and across cultures. Why did we start rectangular buildings? Was it just because it was easier once we had learned to fashion square stones and bricks? Round has always seemed a bit more organic to me.

By now we were needing our lunch, so it was back into the bus and back to Santa Lucia, where lunch had been organised.

We sat outside and Angelica brought us plates of delicious food. You could pay extra for a beer, so I did!

We ate good bread, Canarian potatoes and mojo sauce, a tender pork stew, fish croquettes, chips, aioli. We enjoyed it and then went to sit in the sun for a few minutes.

Then we were off in the bus to the the Red Canyon.

Angelica had another Health and Safety talk for us. There is no real parking at the canyon, so it will be leaping out of the bus when we stop and then walking along the roadside, louping the crash barrier and going down a steepish, slippy slope. We were lined up like parachutists when the bus stopped! I exaggerate a little.

I didn't take any photos of that, but when we got to the bottom, this is what we saw. Despite appearances, there is actually a path through this jumble of rocks and under the road.

We weren't the only ones visiting the canyon today!

It was not a very long walk, but it was a bit like going into the land that time forgot.

As we got deeper into the canyon, its composition became more apparent. The sides are made of layer upon layer of volcanic  tuff. This is basically volcanic ash that is the result of countless numbers and types of eruption. Some eruptions will give rise to larger or smaller particles of ash and they are laid down over millennia. As they have been deposited on top of each other, the younger ash is at the surface and the older are much deeper. The various ash layers can be dated.

As you might expect, ash layers are fairly soft and tuff has been used as a building material all over the world for many centuries. This softness also renders it susceptible to erosion by wind and water. Water is the biggest culprit here. At the far end of the canyon (which is not very long) was a waterfall that carried huge volumes of water and large boulders, gradually wearing the rock into a slot canyon. The layers are easy to see in the canyon walls.

The water may have been the primary agent of erosion, but the stones and boulders carried by the torrents also rolled around the canyon and wore out holes in the sides, as Angelica pointed out to us all.

A lot of the rocks still litter the floor of the canyon.

There is one huge rock, where everyone has their photo taken. So our party did just that.

Then Angelica took photos of us all individually.

This was the waterfall that did the damage and created all the amazing sights that we saw. Well, at least, it was where the waterfall once was.

There were other people there and the location is very popular. However, one of the most amazing things about it is that it was unknown to the outside world until within the last decade. Only climbers ever visited and that was because they were on their way somewhere else. That explains the lack of parking and gift shops! Long may that continue, but social media is destined to make this place like the overrun Isle of Skye!

Once we were back on the bus, we headed for the coast. We passed this statue which illustrates the way the local shepherds can get down hills quickly using a big pole.

Our final stop was the seaside town of Arinaga. We had a little while to swim in the sea or walk along the front and get an ice cream. Guess what we did?

Very good it was too!

After that it was back on the coach and return to our various hotels. We were a little tired after our exertions and sat on the balcony for a while in the sun, before hunger drove us out to the local steak house. We were actually lucky to get in, but it did the job.

Sharon had a steak in peppercorn sauce, which was good.

I asked for steak with onions. They took me at my word!

The food was not startling, but it wasn't bad either. It was really just what we needed after a very long, but really interesting day.

Day 6 Saturday 15th February 2025

We had already determined that we should have a quiet day today, and so it turned out. After breakfast, we walked along the coast to the north west, wondering how far we might get. The answer was, not very far at all! So, we sat on the rocks and watched the sea for a while.

Then we went back to the hotel for a lie around the pool for a while. This is not something we would normally do, at least not every day. However, it was rather nice for once.

Sharon's are the toes that are painted.

We even went into the pool. Although there are no pictures of me in the water, you will just have to believe me that I did go in.

There is, however, only so long that you can laze about for. We had a wee picnic lunch on our balcony and went for another walk down to our local beach. We sat there for a while watching the world go by, before going back to our hotel for a cold drink.

By then, it was a little cool in the shade and Sharon had resorted to a fleece.

Then it was upstairs to get ready for dinner, which was in the hotel Delicias Restaurant, home of the best garlic and chilli prawns in the world!

Which we ordered as a starter, with some good pumpkin bread.

Sharon had gnocchi in a creamy tomato sauce.

I was overjoyed with my local recipe rabbit.

 It really was good and sweet revenge for the damage wrought to our garden by Thumper.

A quiet day, but very relaxing.

Day 7 Sunday 16th February 2025.

Another quiet day, our last full day. It was very sunny again and we walked around to Tauro beach again, this time with all we needed. We spread our towels and lay down hoping to get so warm that we would jump into the waves.

However, there was a bit of an onshore breeze, so, despite my promise to grandson Robbie, I chickened out and stayed dry. The beach started to get really busy with locals. Obviously, Sunday is the day for the beach on Spain.

It really was time we left the beach and got on with the tedious job of packing up our stuff for leaving tomorrow. That involved the tricky return through the tidal gap, which we managed, before it was too late.

After the packing, we could afford a little lunch time on the balcony. Sharon had inadvertently come away from breakfast with a couple of boiled eggs to add to our fridge raid! 

The rest of the day was spent relaxing before it was time for our last supper. We were going back to the little Italian across the road. Another inspired choice.

We started with the bruschetta, which had been really good last time. They had run out of fresh mozarella, so added Parma ham and grated parmesan. Excellent. Clearly people come in and eat all the good stuff. When it is gone, it is gone. The ham and parmesan were superb on really fresh, tasty tomatoes.

I had a really fabulous spaghetti Amatriciana - one of the best I've ever had.

Sharon had spaghetti Bolognaise which they had run out of on our last visit. Apparently the chef had made it two days ago and it was going to be perfect. She certainly ate it all!

We shared a chocolate fondant tart, which was really good.

Then came the obligatory home made Limoncello.

By then we were the last customers in the place and the door was locked. The chef and some of his family or mates were watching Inter play Juventus on the telly. He asked if he could turn up the sound as they were getting quite animated with the game sitting at nil nil and time running out for Inter to win. Go ahead we said, saying we were hoping for Juve to score! No sooner was the sound up than Juve actually did get a goal! That turned out to be the final score. The chef was distraught, but everyone had a good laugh.

What a fine end to our last day in Gran Canaria. We really did enjoy it all.

Cheers!

Day 8 Monday 17th February 2025

Our last few hours and still the sun was shining.

So, after breakfast, we had a leisurely stroll and sit down by the beach.

Then back to the balcony for a final selfie, before catching our transfer back to the airport and then home. After the holiday had gone so well, it was strange that the bus was late and we were starting to get a little anxious about getting to the airport on time. However, all was well in the end and we got home almost exactly at midnight that day!