Growth – despite everything…
WPC: Growth
Growth – despite everything…
Travel
Wordless Wednesday
Vega de San Mateo – A Colourful Market
Fond memories from Gran Canaria include the colourful farmers’ market in the village Vega de San Mateo. Every Sunday the farmers come in to sell their crops, art and craft.
I still enjoy looking at the many colourful people, spices, fruits and vegetables, sitting here this grey winter in Skåne.
And the Band! They played gorgeous classical music, jazz and popular music – and they were many and Very Good. I wish we could have stayed longer.
THURSDAY’S SPECIAL: YOUR BEST PHOTO IN 2017
So, we are asked by Paula at Lost in Translation, to post again – our best shot from 2017. My choice are the few shots of Elliot’s Storm Petrel that I managed to catch from our boat in the Galapagos Islands. Long waiting and hundreds of shots – made for these two dancers. One photo in the shadow of the boat and the other on the sunny side. No perfection…but I treasure them very much.
Wishings for The New Year
We say goodbye to the Christmas of 2017, and to the year gone by. My deepest gratitude to all readers, followers and friends for your good company and fantastic support! We meet here, we exchange thoughts and comments, maybe even pass by each other on the street without knowing it… It is a small world, and blogging makes it even smaller. We learn so many things from each other, and I hope you will hang on for another year – I plan to…
We are grateful for 2017, even if this year maybe did not bring as much good to the world as we had hoped for.
Let us hope for a better year to come – and set sails for 2018 – see you at dawn!
On Contemplating
This is maybe many people’s dream of a relaxing vacation – but luckily we are all different. We are all sailors on this vast ocean – but we are all different vessels and we all sail according to what we have learned, so far.
Also I dream of light and warm winds – especially during the Swedish winter. But I can more relate to these guys, who seek a space of their own with enough room and silence to let their thoughts run free. Reading a book…
…fishing the blue waves…
…or just contemplating life, sitting at the edge of the ocean.
All different vessels, but sailing together. Let us take good care of each other while we are here – Life is a wonderful gift.
Thursday’s Special: Darkness and Light
“They say there is no light without dark, no good without evil, no male without female, no right without wrong. That nothing can exist if it’s direct opposite does not also exist.”
Laurell K. Hamilton, Incubus Dreams
For Paula, an early morning, driving up the mountains of Gran Canaria.
What I Came to This Island For
Roque Nublo (Clouded Rock, Rock in the Clouds) is the famous volcanic rock on Gran Canaria. It is 80 m (262 ft) tall, and its top is 1,813 m (5,948 ft) above sea level. It is the second highest peak of the island after Pico de las Nieves, and a famous landmark.
This is a glorious hiking area (as you could see from earlier posts, we made a couple of walks here), and several years ago we did the main trail up to the peak. I totally fell in love with the nature here, so we saved this hike for the last day.
Pico de las Nieves in the faraway clouds, and the pinnacle in the middle is called Roque del Fraile (monk)
The pictures speak for themselves – but we took the car very early in the morning, before sunrise, because the narrow, winding roads will have you driving for a couple of hours to get to the starting point.
We were among the first to start walking, and that was the idea. Later in the day there will be more people coming. And…what do you think they do, the first thing… when they have reached the top…?
The island in the ocean behind is Tenerife with the majestic volcano Teide on display.
This year we made the trek around Roque Nublo as well – to see its beauty from every direction. Look closely at the first pictures, and you will see a person in red standing in the sun below the peak.
Is he not beautiful! Worth visiting – and returning to.
Canary Pearls
Montaña de Arucas on the north coast of Gran Canaria boasts a view of the town as well as almost the whole island. An early morning view from up there is not bad. The church (Not a cathedral!) San Juan is a real beauty. From the narrow streets its spires look almost unreal.
We continued our roadtrip to some northern pearls, Teror and Firgas.
Teror is the religious heart of the island, and every year, September 8, pilgrims come here from the whole of Gran Canaria. They all come because of Nuestra Señora del Pino, their patron saint.
The church, with the same name, was built in the 18th century in Moorish and baroque style. Very special.
Some of the 16th century houses along the street. Many famous for their skillfully carved balconies.
At the end of the street you can also see one of the great pines growing outside the church
Gargoyles on the west side
The altar and the Virgen of Snow and Pine
After a slow and meditative walk through Teror, we headed for Firgas. Mineral water con gas, was my first thought – but the small town is also known for Paseo de Gran Canaria with its cascading water and tiled benches decorated with landscapes and historical symbols of Gran Canaria. On the walls – city arms.
A closer look at the cascades in the header!
If you walk further up the stone steps, above Plaza de San Roque, you will find tiled maps of the largest 7 islands in the archipelago. A geography lesson well worth a visit!
Lost – and Found
On our way in the early morning for another mountain hike – we suddenly came upon this strange settlement. A set of caves with real doors and windows. Dogs barking and people up and on the move.
Guanches? Strictly speaking, the Guanches were the indigenous peoples of Tenerife, but the name came to be applied to the indigenous populations of all the seven Canary Islands, those of Tenerife being the most important or powerful.
Guanches refer to the aboriginal Berber inhabitants of the Canary Islands, and it is believed that they migrated to the archipelago around 1000 BC or perhaps earlier.
The population probably lived in relative isolation up to the 14th century, but after the Spanish conquest of the Canaries they were (almost totally) ethnically and culturally absorbed by Spanish settlers.
A bit touristy this settlement…and yes, soon a bus arrived with camera people swarming out…But, on the other side of the road, people were, for real, living in caves. Nobody looked that way…And if you look closely at the header picture, you will find the dog standing there – the one I used for Abandoned or Alone in Cee’s B&W challenge.
Well, when we continued driving towards the mountains, we realized we were lost – this was a dead end road – and not at all the road leading to our planned hike….But, instead we had found these interesting caves!
They day was turning into evening, so we had to return to our apartment. Again passing this strange wind mill. Why do you build one right in the factory- and shopping ghetto?
Leya 
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