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The Mysterious Easter Island

Indigenous name: Rapa Nui; Spanish name: Isla de Pascua

Landscape of Easter Island dotted with extinct volanoes

Typical scenery on Easter Island, looking out to the sea

A bit of history:  Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, is a volcanic Polynesian island in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 3,510 km west of Chile. It is located at the most southeastern point of the Polynesian Triangle (other vertices are New Zealand to the West and Hawaii to the North) and is one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands with an area space of only 63.1 square miles. Members of its indigenous community are referred to as Rapa Nui. The original settlers of Rapa Nui were of South-east Polynesian descent, most likely from either the Gambier Islands(1,600 miles way) or the Marquesas Islands (2,000 miles away), settling the Easter Island sometime around 800 to 1,200 AD; there is still a lot of debate about the exact date. Easter Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Many wild horses roaming free on the Easter Island

Indigenous Easter Islanders’ oral tradition regarding the original settlers state that a Polynesian chief, Hotu Matu’a, arrived on the island in large canoes with his wife and extended family. The actual name, Easter Island, originated with the European explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who first saw the island on Easter Sunday, 1722.Easter Island is on a lot of travellers’ wish list and for good reason. The enigmatic statues, called Moia, are nothing short of astounding. Who made them? How did they transport these huge statues weighing tons? What is their significance?

Moia at Anakena Beach, some with hats

I will try to answer some of these compelling questions as we explore the Easter Island together. With the exception of Moia at Ahu Akivi, all of them stand with their backs to the sea, looking inward to the land, watching and perhaps even guarding over the communities that existed at that time. Most archaeologists believe that the Moia represent the spirits of ancestors, chiefs, or high-ranking males who had passed away.

Ahu Tongariki site with 15 Moia, notice they have backs to the sea and look inwards to where the community would have been.

Ahu Tongariki with distinct Ahu or platform below the statues.

They were placed on rectangular stone platforms called Ahu, some of which are tombs for the people that the statues represented.  The Moia were constructed most likely starting around 1,200 AD and continuing into the 17^th century. All the Moia we see today were reconstructed and refurbished on their Ahu platforms (about 50). The Easter Island experienced upheaval and conflict starting in the 17^th century which led to the “Huri Moai” phase, or toppling of the Moai. By the mid-nineteenth century, all Moai had fallen either due to earthquakes or deliberate toppling by warring.

On average, the statues are 13 feet (4 meters) tall and weigh 14 tons, but the largest erected statue called “Paro” is located at Ahu Te Pito Kura and is 9.8 metres high and weighs 74 metric tons; the largest statue remains at the quarry Rano Raraku, “El Gigante” is 21 metres high and weighs an estimated 170 metirc tons. They must have figured he would have been just to heavy to move!

Rano Raraku Quarry where most statues on the Easter Island came from

My favourite statue at Rano Raraku Quarry

Practically all statues were carved from the quarry at Rano Raraku, an extinct volcanic crater, from tuff (a compressed volcanic ash), then they were transported to various locations around the island. It is believed that carving of the Moai started around 1,200 AD and continued until about 1,680 AD. The head, three-eighths the size of the whole statue, is characterized by a long snubbed nose, deeply inset eyes, prominent cheekbones, fine lips, a prominent chin and large ears. Some wear a cylinder-like hat made of red stone. It is estimated by archeologists that there are between 887 and 1,000 Moai on the Easter Island with over 300 still remaining at Rano Raraku, 230 were moved to other parts of the Easter Island and others lay broken or buried. They were most likely moved to their final destination by using a combination of a sled and/or rollers.

Type of stone used to carve the Moai

The building of the Moai, associated with the Ancestor Cult, ended sometime in the 17^th century. This Ancestor Cult, a political system, centred around a King and his sons, hereditary leaders, who inherited power and who would then lead the various tribes or “Mata” of the island. This chiefly kinship system was very common in Polynesia.

It is difficult to say if the Ancestor Cult was replaced or ran alongside the “Tangata Manu” or the birdman ritual until the arrival of the Catholic missionaries in 1864. What is known is that the building of Moia significantly fell away in the 17^th century.

The offshore islet of Motu Nui where the egg of the sooty tern was collected.

Rano Kau Volcano; the competitor would have to scale the sea-side cliff of Rano Kau with the egg from Motu Nui

The birdman ritual was a competition based in the village of Orongo situated near the cliffs of the volcano Rano Kau, once the nesting place of the “manutara” bird, or sooty tern. During the birdman competition the objective was to obtain the first egg of the season from the offshore islet Motu Nui. A representative from each tribe of the island would descend the sheer cliff at Orongo, swim to Motu Nui, find the first egg, swim back, and scale the cliff of Rano Kau. The first one to bring back an egg would win the title of “tangata-manu” or birdman of the year for his chieftain thus winning great privileges for themselves and their tribe. With the introduction of Christianity, the Birdman cult ended. Did the Birdman cult co-exist with the Moia-based system, or did it replace it? No one knows for sure.

Anakena Beach

The Easter Island is an absolutely fascinating place to visit and I recommend it highly not only for its enigmatic Moia statues and fascinating and mysterious history, but for its interesting geography of extinct volcanic craters that dot the landscape, its roaming wild horses, lovely Anakena Beach, its often rough and rocky coastline, excellent seafood restaurants, beautiful sunsets, Polynesian shows and also sense of tranquility that pervades the island, one of the most remote in the world referred to by some as the “Te pito o te henua” or “the Navel of the World.”

Looking down on part of Hanga Roa from nearby Rano Kau volcano

The Capital City of Easter Island: Hanga Roa located in the south-western part of the island is the main town and capital of Easter Island. It is a small town (you’d never get lost walking around it and everything is accessible within walking distance) with a population of just over three thousand, most residents of the Easter Island live in Hanga Roa.

 

Polynesian show at KariKari in Hanga Roa

Horseback riding on the street in Hanga Roa

If you go to the Easter Island, staying in Hanga Roa will allow access to many fine seafood restaurants, car and bike rental places, tourist and artisan shops, guided tours of the island and Polynesian shows. If you stay outside the town, you’d better pick up a rental car once you arrive in Hanga Roa! The airport is a short, five-minute drive into town, and I would say without exception all hotels, inns and B&Bs offer the courtesy of a pick-up from the airport and drive you back to it when you leave.

Important tip: When you arrive at the airport on the Easter Island, you must buy an entry to the National Park. Many of the sites you’ll want to visit are within the National Park.

Moia just outside Hanga Roa

Not-to-miss sites: Anakena Beach, Rano Raraku (the quarry), Ahu Tongariki, Orongo Ceremonial Centre where you also find the Rano Kau Volcano. As my brother says, everything else is icing on the cake. There are several Moia just outside the town of Hanga Roa within walking distance and also a very good museum, again just outside Hanga Roa, (with English translations) worth visiting to get a grasp on the history of Easter Island, its culture and Moia.

Stone houses at Orongo, just on the other side is the steep cliff looking out over the islet of Motu Nui where the birdman competition took place.

A Challenging Day Getting to Piriapolis

The day seemed to start out well enough, warm and sunny with a piercing blue sky. My plan was to rent a car to travel to three nearby places: elegant, high-class Jose Ignacio, the Lussich Arboretum and nearby Piriapolis, which is west from Punta del Este. The rental company brought the car to the Hotel Atlantico, where I was staying while in Punta del Este. I was all set to go except the older model Garmin GPS was not working well, most likely as a result of older software technology. I have a friend who has a Garmin and hers is also tricky to use.

I often use my cell phone back home as a GPS device, so I know how easy a GPS can be to work with, and the Garmin was not approaching this level of efficiency. Why didn’t I purchase a local SIM card for my cell phone while in Punta del Este? For my purposes, it really wasn’t necessary. I finally cancelled the rental car. Driving in unfamiliar territory without a working GPS, for someone like myself who can be directionally challenged didn’t seem like a good idea. If my daughters are reading this, I can almost hear them giving a collective sigh of relief that I didn’t rent the car!

Well no problem, I chose to take a bus to Piriapolis, at least I’d see one destination on the wish list. Luckily I arrived at the bus terminal just in time to purchase a ticket for the 12:00 noon bus.

The first thing I saw as I walked into Piriapolis, the massive Argentino Hotel on the waterfront

About fifty minutes later I arrived in Piriapolis and walked into town looking for tourist information.  Tuesday is the only day they are closed! Oh well, the town is fairly compact, so I found my way to the main street that runs parallel to a boardwalk along the beachfront.  On the other side of town there’s a lovely marina and close to it is a gondola that takes you up the side of the hill. It’s something I had read about and was looking forward to. The top of the hill would give me an aerial view of Piariapolis, the local countryside and an opportunity for some nice photos. Only problem was that the gondola was closed for maintenance! Not my lucky day.

On the way back to the beachfront I passed the Hotel Colon, with an interesting mix of architectural styles.

 

Beautiful beach at Piriapolis

It was a short distance back to the central part of town, so this time I took a relaxing stroll along the beach with the whitest sand I’ve ever seen, had a bite to eat, discovered some tourist shops and purchased a few items. For me, it was a relaxing day with just enough time to get back to bus terminal for my return trip to Punta del Este.

 

Looking back towards the Piriapolis Marina and the hill where the gondola usually operates

A bit about Piriapolis: It is a summer resort town, and was founded in 1890 by Francisco Piria, thus the name Piriapolis. He built a castle as his personal residence and from 1920-1930 he constructed the Argentino Hotel one of the biggest hotels in South America at that time.

Back at the Piriapolis bus terminal awaiting the bus back to Punta del Este, still smiling.

A Stay in Punta del Este, Uruguay

 

This is the Atlantic, or rough side, note that this side of the peninsula is lined with high rises, just like on the Rio de la Plata side

The peninsula of Punta del Este stretches out like a long, narrow finger into the ocean with a purpose, at the end of the peninsula and at its most southerly point is the place that marks, more or less, the divide between the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean on the east side of the peninsula, and the end of the Rio de la Plata River on the west side. The Atlantic side is much rougher, and it’s where you’ll see surfers riding the waves, it is called the Brava side which in Spanish means fierce.

This is the Rio de la Plata side, which is calmer

The west side is defined as the Rio de la Plata side is called the Mansa side, the Spanish word for tame. To be precise, there is no absolute boundary that marks the end of the Rio de la Plata River and the beginning of the South Atlantic Ocean, and in fact the two waters mix at certain points.

 

 

Lovely Mansa Beach

Boardwalk on the Mansa side

Golden sand on Mansa side

At the beginning of the 16^th century, the Spanish were the first Europeans to set foot in Punta del Este. Today it has become a beach resort for Argentineans, other South Americans and even those from Europe. And for good reason, its beaches with lovely golden sand stretch for miles on either side of the peninsula. Activities include sailing, surfing windsurfing and snorkeling. At the end of the peninsula is the famous landmark lighthouse, Faro de Punta del Este. Like the rest of Uruguay, the season is reversed with the Canadian one. In Uruguay, the hottest month is February and the coldest month is July. When I was in Punta del Este from November 23 for six days, temperatures were mostly in the mid-80s F.

Los Dedos de Punta del Este

Punta del Este’s most famous sculpture are the fingers reaching up from the sand on the Atlantic side, called La Mano (the hand)de Punta del Este or Los Dedos (the fingers). Chilean artist, Mario Irarrazabal, created the sculpture in 1982. It is said that the hand represents a warning to swimmers on this Atlantic side of the peninsula where the waters are rougher.  He later made similar sculptures for the city of Madrid, in the Atacama Desert in Chile and in Venice.

Casapueblo at Punta Ballena, built by artist Carlos Paez Vilaro

A high point of my visit to Punta del Este was taking a half-day tour with Novo Turismo (wwwnovaturismor.com.uy). With this tour we visited several points within the city limits of Punta del Este, the last stop was a little up the coast to Punta Ballena to Casapueblo, a house built by Uruguayan painter and sculptor, Carlos Paez Vilaro. He worked on the house for over 36 years starting in 1958. It is a testament to the artist who wanted to share this beautiful spot with visitors.

The author at Casapueblo

When I first saw it, it reminded me of the architecture of the famous Spanish architect, Gaudi whose many buildings are seen in Barcelona. Here, on display, are Vilaro’s works of art including paintings, sculptures and ceramics. The high point of the visit here is to see the sunset. As the sun goes down, there is a recording of Vilaro’s voice talking about life and the beauty of nature. Even though it was in Spanish, one could almost feel what he was describing. His son was one of the survivors of the plane that crashed into the Andes in 1972.

Sunset at Casapueblo

Leonel Viera Bridge

Punta del Este is joined to the La Barra area by a famous “rolling” bridge that rises and falls like a roller coaster or the waves of the ocean, designed by engineer Leonel Viera. I’ve never had so much fun going over a bridge! This bridge is defined as a “stressed ribbon bridge” and was built between 1963-1965.

 

Touristy Shop in La Barra for hippies too..

The La Barra area has many shops, pubs and discos – a great place for the younger set to hang out.

But no marijuana for sale!

 

Some of the great staff at Atlantico Hotel in Punta del Este

While in Punta del Este I stayed at the Atlantico Hotel. And I have to say I had a very pleasant stay there. The hotel has the nicest staff! They are all so helpful, cheerful and offered suggestions of what to see. If there is a problem they fix it very quickly. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone who is planning to visit Punta del Este.

 

Reception area at Atlantico Hotel

It is situated almost at the end of the peninsula, so is in a quiet area, a stone throw’s away from the famous lighthouse, and a ten-minute walk to the beaches or main street for shopping. The harbour and several  restaurants are a few minutes walk away. It’s about a fifteen minute walk to the central bus station; it was from there that I took a bus to go to Piriapolis.

 

I can’t leave out some experiences with food, as humble as they are. I’ll be honest, I did not find great cuisine at Punta del Este. I ordered a tuna salad on one occasion and got big chunks of raw tuna. I ordered a steak on one occasion, and I got what looked like a mini roast, a bit much for my small appetite. Perhaps the summer season wasn’t in full swing yet, so they were still gearing up for the summer crowd. or it just might be that the cuisine in Punta del Este is more traditional

I did however find a great ice cream shop: Gelateria Artecchino

Owners of Cilantro, Santiago and Juan Martin Gomes

A newly opened place for lunch called Cilantro had great sandwiches and quiches. When I arrived at Cilantro they had only been open a couple of days, but the sandwich I ordered was delicious, so I wish them the best of luck. It’s run by two brothers, and I think they are trying to get away from a meat-oriented menu to something that has more choices in the salad and vegetarian department. Based on what I tried, and the nice and friendly service that went along with it, I believe they’re going to be successful.

And there’s nothing more South American than the Empanada. This fellow was selling them on the street — delicious cheese and spinach Empanada.

Chivito Sandwich

I will finish the cuisine section with an Uruguayan delicacy, the famous Chivito sandwich. One sees this sandwich on offer at many restaurants in Uruguay, and it’s one that I just couldn’t bring myself to test out. I just wasn’t up to the challenge! It contains thick slices of beef, and added in are ham, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried egg, onion, mayo and olives. A real heart attack on a plate! There is even a Canadian version, a “Chivito Canadiense” that adds in crispy bacon and then there is the “Chivito al Plato” which has all the ingredients, but without the bun.

Let’s end with a beach scene..

A Day Trip to Relaxing Colonia de Sacramento

 

Gateway to the old town of Colonia

A street in Colonia

I decided to revisit Colonia, a charming, colonial town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was originally settled by the Portuguese in 1680) as I had very fond memories of having visited it in 2005 from Buenos Aires. Back then myself and a friend, Diane, took a hydrofoil across the Rio de la Plata River from Buenos Aires which took about one hour. This time I took a bus tour from Montevideo, about 160 kilometre trip.

Looking down the street to the harbour

Why is Colonia so charming? It simply exudes its old colonial history with cobble stone streets and old colonial style buildings, no hustle and bustle here. The feel of the town is very laid back where no one is in rush, so I automatically slowed my pace to take in the sites and soak up the history. Because of its UNESCO status, its historic part is maintained as such. You can rent a golf cart to get around the town if you wish!

 

 

 

 

Lots of restaurants and coffee shops in Colonia

Bougainvillea in bloom in Colonia

Colonia has earned its right to a relaxing atmosphere as its past is anything but peaceful. It held a very strategic location as a vital trade route both as a port city on the Rio de la Plata and with close access to the Uruguay River, thus offering easy entry to the interior of the country and Brazil. Colonia often became a disputed territory between Portugal and Spain, where possession of it went back and forth between them many times, accounting for a very tumultuous history.

Can you tell I loved the Bougainvillea?

I remember this old Ford from my visit to Colonia in 2005!

And because of this one sees both Portuguese and Spanish influence in the architecture and roadways of Colonia. Portugal built with stone and Spain built with brick, some buildings have an interesting combination of both stone and brick.

The author with a cappuccino, relaxing

It’s an easy town to see in an afternoon, as its historic centre is quite small, with many shops, coffee shops, lovely restaurants and several museums. There is a lighthouse that you can climb up to get a view of the town and surrounding area. I heard that it was worth at least one stay overnight because of the lovely atmosphere created by the old fashioned street lamps that come on at night. There are many small hotels and hostels to accommodate guests.

It appears that fish drive cars in Colonia!

Main actor and director of the film taking a break

The day I was in Colonia a film was being made of an English General, complete with an old fashioned carriage and horses and costumes. What a thrill to observe a film being made! I even shared a few words with the main actor and wished him well with the film

 

 

Main actor on horseback

More actors in the film, waiting for their part

Old lamps and cobblestone streets of Colonia…

The Great Escape in Montevideo

Every city has its underbelly, its dark secrets, its intrigue. But the story I’m about to tell you is about a daring prison escape through Montevideo’s underground tunnels. I learned about it by joining another walking tour by http://www.curiosofreetour.com.uy, led by George its CEO.

Photo of the entrance to the jail in 1971

 

Back in 1971, in the Punta Carretas area of Montevideo, the Punta Carretas jail held 106 political prisoners which were about to be liberated.

 

 

 

Entrance to Punta Carretas Shopping Centre today

 

Today, the same space the jail occupied has been transformed into the classy Punta Carretas Shopping Centre. The arched entranceway to the Shopping Centre is exactly the same one that led to the prison.

 

 

 

 

 

Serrana Auliso and her house in the background. The room on the right is the one where the prisoners emerged.

Photo taken by Serrana of the hole in her living room floor.

These political prisoners or left –wing revolutionaries, called themselves the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement. They escaped through a tunnel that led underground from the prison to a nearby house owned by Serrana Auliso that she still occupies today.

 

 

Included in that group of prisoners was Jose Mujica, who became the president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 . The operation was known as “the Escape” or “The Abuse”, and is one of the biggest ever prison escapes.

Attention was diverted away from the prison escape when Tupamaros organized riots in the same area of the prison, distracting the attention of police. Most of those who had escaped were recaptured and put back in jail during the 12 years of military rule. Mujica himself spent a total of 13 years in prison, mostly during the military dictatorship of Uruguay from 1973 to 1985.

Serrana talking to our tour group

I found this story fascinating, but even more interesting was meeting Serrana Auliso, a gracious and charming individual, who is close to 90 years of age. Our walking tour leader stopped in front of her house and explained that this was the very place where the tunnel came out. Serrana came out to meet our group and show us photos of the hole in her floor from which 106 prisoners emerged into her living room.

Serrana showing us newspaper clippings 

 

She also had newspaper clippings dating about the 1971 episode. One couldn’t get a better history lesson than one like this, truly an example of “living history.” I was told by the tour leader that Serrana comes out regularly to meet the walking tours, hopefully she enjoys sharing her stories as much as we enjoyed listening to them.

Some Favourite Cafes and Restaurants of Montevideo

 

I am always open to culinary experiences and no matter what country you’re visiting it’s always fascinating to explore the local cuisine from the traditional to how it is evolving into more contemporary style eating. And this was certainly the case in Montevideo. I’ve already covered the Mercado del Puerto a huge not-to-be-missed tourist attraction where the “asado” (barbecue) is king. So now I’m going to show you a pictorial of my favourite cafes and restaurants.

Let’s start with my favourite cafes

My cappuccino and crossant at Brasilero

The vintage Cafe Brasilero opened its doors in 1877 in the Old Town of Montevideo. I stopped by one day mid-morning for a cappuccino and a croissant, both were very good. Here, they serve the cappuccino in the traditional way, in a glass see through cup (with handle) and when you get it, you can see the distinct line between the coffee and milk.

 

Cafe Brasilero

Within this cafe you’ll find old style wooden tables and chairs, framed photos on the walls, and a dark wood counter at the back with a giant mirror above – very atmospheric.

 

 

 

The well known Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano frequented this cafe — there is a photo of him at the front of the cafe. He wrote the famous book Open Veins of Latin America published in 1971. In the book he analyses the history of South America, describing the effects of European and US exploitation. It’s a book I look forward to reading.

The waiters were very friendly and very patriotic!

Club Brasileiro

Club Brasileiro is located right next door to the Gaucho and Money Museum on 18 de Julio Avenue, one of the most busy, bustling streets of Montevideo, lined with shops, restaurants and hotels. It is along this street that I observed a good variety of the old style architecture of Montevideo.

Club Brasiliero

To get to Brasileiro on the second floor you have to take a cage elevator, I just knew when I stepped into it that I was going to encounter another atmospheric cafe on the second floor – I wasn’t disappointed.

Montevideo Restaurants

I’ve tried several restaurants for supper and found an interesting mix of styles from Sin Pretensiones (without pretension)which offers Vegan and Vegetarian options, it’s a restaurant that reminded me of the Wild Oat in Ottawa, a restaurant with a laid back atmosphere, very welcoming and featuring an eclectic mix of old style vintage tables and chairs, it’s a restaurant with atmosphere plus. The food is what I would describe as “from scratch” prepared on site as it is ordered with a home-made feel. They offer breakfast, and lunch and early dinners of pizzas, quiche, pastas risotto and fish meat dishes as well. It is located in the Old City, where many of my choices of eateries are found.

Another amazing restaurant not far from my hotel in the Old city was La Petite Cuisine. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera with me the evening I ate there, and I wish I had. The service was excellent and attentive, and the risotto that I had as my main course with vegetables was superb. They offered home-made bread as an appetizer with herbed butter and a choice of olive oil. When I passed on dessert (the meal was very substantial), they offered me a small dish of their homemade ice cream.

Bar Tabare

Interior of Bar Tabare

Bar Tabare is what I would call a more traditional restaurant that is found in the Punta Carretas area of Montevideo. This restaurant is located quite a distance from my Hotel Axsur in the Old City and the reason I chose it is because I had just finished a walking tour of the area with http://www.curiosofreetour.com.uy and decided to try a restaurant in the area since I was already there, and it had also been recommended by the friendly waiters at Brasilero (who happened to work at Tabare!).

Bar Tabare

No wonder this restaurant has atmosphere. It was opened in 1919 by Alfredo Gonzalez, and was a typical mix of businesses of that era — a bar, but also a storeroom and meeting place for fishermen. It recreated itself in 1993 as a bar and restaurant and was named one of the top 100 bars in the world. Many artifacts from its past remain as part of the restaurant so it felt like a museum as I wandered around taking many photos before sitting down for dinner.

My dinner at Bar Tabare, grilled salmon and salad

Let’s not forget dessert, flan with Dulce de Leche, very typical for South America

Museums I Visited in Montevideo

A tour of some Montevideo museums

To take you through a tour of Montevideo museums, I thought it would be a neat idea to show you them through photos with little text. After all museums are a visual experience, and these particular ones were a highlight for me. They come with a short description. I experienced a rainy day in Montevideo and what better way to spend this kind of a day than exploring inside venues and learning more history? All museum were within walking distance of each other.

Me at the Museo de los Andes

Sergio Catalan, centre, helps two survivors who had hiked out from the crash site

The Museo de los Andes tells the story of the 1972 Andean plane crash en route from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile. When it crashed, there were 45 people on board, including the Uruguayan Rugby Team. Sixteen people survived 72 days in the most profoundly extreme conditions of the Andean mountains, many had been severely injured, there was little food, little shelter from the elements and little clothing to protect the survivors from the extreme cold.

Newspaper article showing the rescue of survivors

Creator of the museum, Jorg Thomsen, knew many of the family members of those who had been on the plane. He wanted to keep the story alive not only to honour those who had lost their lives and those who had survived, but to pay tribute to the vitality of the human spirit.

I personally met Mr. Thomsen when I was there, and I could feel his commitment and passion for the project.

 

 

 

Letter thrown to Sergio Catalan by survivor of plane crash after 71 days

For someone who was new to the creation of a museum, he has created a most profound experience for anyone who visits it, with its artifacts from the crash site, videos, timeline posters and moving letters. Visitors are compelled to look at their own lives and reflect on what is important in life. I think I got more wordy on this museum than I intended, but it shows the impact that this museum had on me.

A display at the Gaucho Museum showing the hospitality of the gaucho

Typical tack and saddle used by the gaucho

Museo del Gaucho is a small museum dedicated to the gaucho, the equivalent of our Western Canadian cowboy. Gauchos worked on the huge expanses of ranches, herding cattle, training horses and living very frugally, and probably drinking lots of Mate. Unfortunately there was no translation into English regarding the displays, but the sense one got from the museum, and one which I had read about was concerning the temperament of the gaucho, who lived close to the land and who could always be counted on by others.

Very interesting artifacts of tack for the horses, clothing and gourds for mate. The museum is housed in the Palacio Heber constructed at the end of the 19^th century in the French and Italian style; it is in itself worth seeing.

Palacio Heber houses both the gaucho and money museums

I wonder if I could print some Uruguayan money with my face on it??

The Money Museum has artefacts from the National Bank of Uruguay.

A room in the Taranco Palace, the Museum of Decorative Arts

The Museum of Decorative Arts was in  fact the private residence of the Ortiz de Taranco family and is called the Taranco Palace, (construction of the building began in 1908). This private residence was purchased by the state on condition that all the works of art, paintings, sculptures and ornaments would be donated to create a collection of decorative arts. This museum is the result.

Central building is the Palacio Salvo Building

The Palacio Salvo building was finished in 1928 and designed by architect Mario Palanti and stands 100 metres high. It was originally meant to be a hotel but that didn’t work out so it was converted into business offices and apartments. Apparently there are a few apartments in the building that can be rented to tourists related to AirBnB.

Independence Plaza from the top of Palacio Salvo

I took a tour of the building and went to the very top where there were great views of Montevideo. On the way back down we stopped at a floor where our guide told us about a resident ghost.

Montevideo: Alive with Music and Dance

A bit of history of the Tango

Inside the Museum of Tango in Montevideo 

Tango is the most well known South American dance. It’s a dance full of passion, rhythmic movement and sensuality, a dance that also involves much skill. It is said here in Uruguay that the Tango began in both in Uruguay and Argentina at the same time, starting in the working class neighbourhoods near the ports, amongst European immigrants, many of whom were of Italian and Spanish origin, in about the mid to late 1800s. Another early influence on the Tango were the candombe rhythms of Africa and the musical beats of milonga.

Photo from tango museum showing only men at the dance hall

In the early days of the Tango, men danced with men, in bars and dance halls, places where it wasn’t considered “respectful” for women to be attendance. Men practised how to dance with other men so when the opportunity arose, he might impress a sweetheart with his dancing skills and possibly win her heart.

 

 

La Cumparsita

The tango was at first held with much disdain amongst the upper echelons of society and considered to be a dance associated with the “seedy” areas of the city near the brothels. But that changed. The Tango eventually gained popularity with them and spread to Paris, London and New York by 1913 and worldwide in the 1920s and 30s. A very famous classic Tango piece “La Cumparsita” was written by an Uruguayan,  Matos Rodriguez in 1916.  The Tango Museum of Montevideo offers the inside scoop on how the Tango evolved in the dock areas, bars and dance halls of Montevideo. The museum is located in the ground floor of the Salvo Palace, just off Independence Plaza.

The El Milongon Cabaret Experience

The Tango at El Milongon

Candombe at El Milongon

I attended the El Milongon Cabaret show. It was a great show that brought together many of the dance forms of Uruguay from the African candombe, which began 200 years ago when black slaves were brought  to Uruguay from Africa. The candombe rhythm is created with three types of drums with different pitches: piano, chico and repique. It is considered the most representative expression of the Afro-Uruguayan culture.

Included in the show were the folkloric dances of the gaucho.

Dancing on the Streets of Montevideo

If you’re lucky you’ll run into candombe being performed on the streets of Montevideo. This group was performing their music and dance near the Mercado del Puerto. You know you’re near this market when you see the haze of smoke arising from the numerous “asados”—the grilling of steaks, sausages and chicken. Around the exterior of this market are booths of artisan products.

Museo del Carnaval

Carnival costume from Carnival Museum

Close to the Mercado del Puerto is the Museo del Carnaval.  Here, you get a real sense of the colour, vibrancy and music of the Montevideo Carnival, a carnival that runs every year, starts in January and runs into February and lasts about 40 days. After experiencing only in small part the dance and music of Montevideo over my week’s stay I can imagine the carnival to be a mind blowing and exceptional experience!

More on Montevideo

Getting into Montevideo from the airport

When arriving at the Carrasco Montevideo International Airport I highly recommend  B&B Remises Airport Transfers (www.bybremises.com).  For $36 American they will take you into Montevideo, about 17 kilometres to the city centre. Not only did B&B Remises answer all my questions in advance of arriving at the airport, they sent me, by email, a photo of my driver, who was waiting for me with a big smile and holding a sign with my name on it, absolutely no confusion there. If you’re a woman travelling solo, this kind of service offers a real sense of security when you’re arriving at a city you’ve never been to before.

Staying at Axsur Hotel while in Montevideo

Axsur Hotel

When planning a trip, I often go to Trip Advisor for recommendations. It’s noteworthy that Axsur Hotel is highly recommended by both Trip Advisor and Booking.com. It’s located in the “Old City”, where many of the sites, plazas, markets, shopping, restaurants, cafes and museums are located within easy walking distance. However, if you need to get a taxi to go further afield, as I did today to a music festival being held at Park Rodo, all taxis are metered and very reasonable. Looking out from my room I have a lovely view of the Rio de la Plata River. Breakfast is buffet style and offers a huge range of about every food group you could think of, and most important, the coffee is good and in unlimited supply.

View of the Rio de la Plata River from my window

The friendly and helpful receptionist at Axsur Hotel

Sunset from my window

A great blog on Uruguay

Before leaving Ottawa I came upon a wonderful blog written by Karen Higgs, who now lives in Montevideo. The blog has comprehensive information on all of Uruguay and you can find it at www.guruguay.com/blog/. I highly recommend it. Out of the blog she has evolved a book entitled the Guru’guay Guide to Montevideo, available on Amazon.com.  The author calls Uruguay one of South America’s off-the-radar destinations, but I believe it will quickly grow in popularity, as it appears to have much to offer in terms of history, cuisine, artisan products, plus much for the outdoor enthusiast. And by the time I leave, I will have only scratched the surface as my stay in Uruguay centres around Montevideo and Punta del Este. It looks like I’ll have to come back to go further afield to explore the countryside.

More on Mate

Vegan restaurant

While exploring Montevideo today I came upon a Vegan restaurant. My daughter Amanda would be happy to hear about it! The Vegan diet certainly appears to be one that is gaining popularity around the world, and even if it’s just starting to gain ground in Uruguay that’s an accomplishment!

 

Here’s why. The population of Uruguay is 3.3 million and it also has 12 million cattle. Much of the meat is for export, but Uruguayans are reputed to be the leading consumers of beef per capita. In a book entitled “Uruguay”, a travel guide by Tim Burford, he quotes a 2010 survey where it was reported that Uruguayans eat about 58.2 kg of beef per year.

A lesson in preparing mate

Back to the Mate. While having a bite to eat in the Vegan restaurant, I struck up a conversation with Ivana, sitting at the same communal table and drinking Mate. I got a bit of a lesson on the preparation of Mate: first the gourd is completely filled with Mate (no tea bags here), then a small indentation is made so water can be poured into the gourd. The water must not be boiling hot, but hot enough to create an infusion with the Mate. The hot water is kept in and poured from a thermos. The steeped mate is drunk with a metal straw that filters out the mate leaves, when that is done, more water is poured into the gourd. Part of the ritual, for some people, is to share their Mate, so it’s often passed around. But Ivana says she prefers to keep her Mate to herself, and not worry about the spread of germs! There is no question that Uruguayans love their Mate, one hand holds the gourd, and a thermos of hot water to replenish it is never far away.

Did you know that Marijuana is legal in Uruguay?

Music Festival at Rodo Park

The music was for adults, but it was interesting to see a huge number of activities for children including workshops on how to make a drum and many others on using recycled materials for all ages of children. It appeared to be a real family affair. Plus there were many booths offering artisanal products and many varieties of homemade foods. And then there were the clowns…

 

 

Colourful Montevideo

I took this photo from the plane, coming into Montevideo

Arriving by plane at night to Montevideo, I was already charmed by its expanse of sparkling city lights, the large port and the street lamps of La Rambla, like a beautiful necklace, lighting up a promenade that is 22 kilometres and runs alongside the Rio de Plata River. It is supposedly the longest continuous sidewalk in the world!

Plaza Independencia with statue of Artigas

One of the first things I like to do is when arriving somewhere new is take a walking tour of the city. This is a great way to get oriented to a place and start to feel comfortable knowing the core of the city. I joined “Curioso Free Tour” or Montevideo by foot (www.curiosofreetour.com.uy). This tour started at Plaza Independencia at 3:30 pm and I was lucky to be the only one taking the tour at that time.

Plaza Independencia is where the famous statue of Artigas dominates the plaza. Jose Gervasio Artigas is the national hero of Uruguay and is called the father of Uruguayan nationhood.

My guide Santiago and me

The guide mentioned that on the same day in the morning he had 20 people on the tour. The idea behind the tour is that it is free, but at the end of the tour you offer a “tip” as payment in the amount you want to pay. It turned out that my guide for the day was Santiago, a local history teacher who, like me, has a great passion for history. Through one of these tours one learns some of the history of Uruguay and the main points of interest in the historical part of Montevideo.

So let’s go and get an intro to Montevideo!

 

Teatro Solis

Teatro Solis, for Jazz, Opera, orchestra, and screening performances through satellite from New York and Moscow

Mercado del Puerto

Mercado del Puerto, Experience the “Asado” or the typical Uruguay barbecue of all kinds of meats:  beef steaks, sausage, chicken. As you walk through the market, smoke arises from the many grills, people seated at the bar or at the many tables are truly enjoying the experience and their meal. It’s a hub of  activity and if you’re vegetarian you won’t find much to eat here, but you’ll always find a great glass of wine! There are many very good wineries in Uruguay.

All kinds of meat grilling at Mercado del Puerto

Musician at Mercado del Puerto

Drinking Mate

Drinking Mate. Mate is the national drink of Uruguay and Argentina. Mate comes from the plant “Yerba Mate”.  Often you see people drinking their mate from a gourd with a metal straw; they pour the mate into the gourd from a flask that carries the prepared mate.

 

 

 

 

Walking along La Rambla in the early evening.

Casablanca

Casablanca, made famous by the film by the same name certainly has a romantic ring to it, but does not have much in the way of a tourist destination. Casablanca is Morocco’s chief port, on the Atlantic Ocean, and one of the largest financial centers on the continent, and is considered the economic and business centre of Morocco with main industrial facilities located here. It has a population of about 4 million.

A big focal point, and something I visited, in Casablanca is the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is the third largest mosque in the world, accommodating 25,000 people on the inside and another 80,000 in the outside courtyard. Its minaret is 690 feet tall, the tallest in the world and faces Mecca. It was an amazing place to visit. One very interesting feature was a sliding roof that opened up to the sky above.

Hassan II mosque in Casablanca

Marrakech Medina

A highlight of the tour in Morocco was visiting the famed Marrakech, another city that has a romantic ring to it. It is a city with a great amount of hustle and bustle, horse-drawn carriages mixing with regular traffic, mosques, gardens and a very interesting medina.  It is the fourth largest city in Morocco after Casablanca, Fes and Tangiers. The highlight of visiting Marrakech was a visit to its Medina, with its vendors, terrace-topped restaurants, souks lined along narrow walkways and snake charmers in an area outside the maze-like area.

Magnificent Morocco

Our G Adventures Group left Spain behind to go on to spend a week in Morocco. First stop was Tangiers, after crossing the strait of Gibraltar, a narrow strait that separates Spain from Morocco. Once in Tangiers our group had a guided tour through the local Medina. I really enjoyed this tour, as the medina centres on the life of the community, there are several “essentials” in a Medina, a school, a Mosque, a well supplying water, shops and places to buy food. I think I remembered everything!

Ubiquitous pita bread in the Tangier market

From Tangiers we drove to Chefchaouen, founded in 1471 and located in the northwest of Morocco in the Rif mountains. The name of this town refers to the surrounding mountaintops that resemble the two horns of a goat (“Chef Chaouen” comes from the Berber word for horns). It was a festive day in Chefchaouen, as it was school holiday time and many families were taking time off to visit this site with its mountainside mosque.

Sunset over Chefchaouen

As our group climbed the towards the mosque, the sun was slowly dipping down below the horizon, spreading a lovely faint glow over the town of Chefchaouen, and just above, at the top of the hill at the mosque, I could see the silhouettes of people, captured in the sun’s diminishing light. It was a lovely site to behold, calm yet joyful as I observed the daylight slowly fade on this beautiful scene and encountered many people on this narrow, rocky pathway soaking up the tranquility and enjoyment of the moment.

From Chefchaouen, we went on to Fes in Northeaster Morocco, where we stayed two nights. The drive between Chfchaouen and Fes was full of green fields, in fact, I was surprised to see how green Morocco was at this time of year. The countryside was coming alive with the spring and the crops were coming up.

Fes is often referred to as the country’s cultural capital and particularly known for its Medina of Fes, Fes El Bali, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, surrounded by a wall and founded in the 9th century, it is home to the oldest university in the world, the University of Al-Karaouine. It is reputed to have 9,000 streets and believed to be the largest car-free urban area in the world—we were cautioned not to venture in the medina ourselves, as we were sure to become lost, however, I believe in getting lost, so if I had been on my own, I probably would have ventured in, perhaps part of the time with a guide.

View of Fez’s famous medina from a local hilltop

Fez Medina

It is brimming with medieval architecture, souks of every kind offering clothing, leather goods, wooden products, food stuff of every kind from dates nuts and pastries, to meat products., in fact various sections of the medina carry various wares such as the food area, leather, clothing. It is a hub of activity that I found totally amazing.

From Fes we took a train to Casablanca where we visited an incredible mosque. Although Casablanca has a romantic ring to it, it’s not that interesting as a tourist destination. It is a seaside city, so one can walk along the boardwalk, along the sea, but the mosque there is a site to behold. It has a sliding roof that opens up the mosque to the sky above. is the largest city in Morocco, located in the central-western part of the country bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It is the largest city in the Maghreb, as well as one of the largest and most important cities in Africa, both economically and demographically.

Casablanca, made famous by the film by the same name certainly has a romantic ring to it, but does not have much in the way of a tourist destination. Casablanca is Morocco’s chief port, on the Atlantic Ocean, and one of the largest financial centers on the continent, and is considered the economic and business centre of Morocco with main industrial facilities located here. It has a population of about 4 million.

A big focal point, and something I visited, in Casablanca is the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is the third largest mosque in the world, accommodating 25,000 people on the inside and another 80,000 in the outside courtyard. Its minaret is 690 feet tall, the tallest in the world and faces Mecca. It was an amazing place to visit. One very interesting feature was a sliding roof that opened up to the sky above.

Hassan II mosque in Casablanca

Marrakech Medina

A highlight of the tour in Morocco was visiting the famed Marrakech, another city that has a romantic ring to it. It is a city with a great amount of hustle and bustle, horse-drawn carriages mixing with regular traffic, mosques, gardens and a very interesting medina.  It is the fourth largest city in Morocco after Casablanca, Fes and Tangiers. The highlight of visiting Marrakech was a visit to its Medina, with its vendors, terrace-topped restaurants, souks lined along narrow walkways and snake charmers in an area outside the maze-like area.

Charming Granada

A Bit About Granada

Local architecture with cathedral roof in the background with both Gothic and Baroque  influences

Granada is the capital city of the province of Granada and located at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It has a much smaller population than Madrid and Barcelona(half a million which includes the urban population) and for this reason it made an interesting contrast after having visited two of Spain’s largest cities.

Where We Stayed and Local Sites

Albaicin Neighbourhood

 

Our hotel in Granada, the Hotel Pilar, located on Plaza Nueva, was very centrally located and close to the Moorish neighborhood of Albaicin (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), cafes,  restaurants, the cathedral, the Old Arab Market, shops and banks and the many winding pedestrian walkways which are so interesting to explore. My philosophy is to not be afraid of getting lost in this labyrinth of small streets, as you’re bound to make some interesting discoveries along the way, and you’re never far from the main thoroughfare in the core of the historic area.

 

One morning I got up early to wander through the Albaicin neighbourhood. It was an interesting experience to see the area come alive with people walking their dogs, school kids going to school, the sound of classical piano music being practised. Experiencing this makes you feel part of the community. A friendly “Buenos Dias” doesn’t hurt either…

Arab Market at Night

A Section of the Alhambra Complex of Palaces

Another part of the Alhambra Complex

Granada is particularly known for its architecture that dates back to the Moorish occupation, especially of the Alhambra, which our group had a guided tour of. I was mesmerized by the detailed and beautiful work of the Alhambra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is a palace and fortress complex.

More of the Alhambra Complex

It was originally constructed in 889 AD as a fortress, then rebuilt in the 13th century by Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar, who built the current palace and walls. It later became the court for  Ferdinand and Isabella, and where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition. The Alhambra is described as having the most important and significant Islamic architecture in Spain.

The Tapas Experience in Granada

Raucous Tapas Bar

Tapas bars are raucous and lively places to visit. One evening in Granada our group did a “Tapas Pub Crawl”. I certainly had an education on how to order in a Tapas Bar, first, make eye contact, and yell out what you want, then to get some free tapas that come with your drink, again, make sure you’re making eye contact with the waiter serving your section, and indicate through finger pointing or whatever means works what kind of tapas you want, then if you want to order more from the menu, step up to the bar and be seen and be heard! It’s no place to be a shrinking violet!

Scenes Around Granada

The famous Seville oranges you see growing along the streets of Granada

Typical pots with plants on balconies.

Some members of the G Adventures Group with the Alhambra in the background..we’re a happy bunch!

After several members of our group walked through the Albaicin area, we reached the Mirador San Nicolas lookout point and got a tremendous view of the Alhambra as the sun was starting to set. A big crowd was there to see the view, plus we had flamenco music being played by several guitarists.

Plaza Nueva at night…the Hotel Pilar is not far from here

Preparing to get on the fast-speed train going from Madrid to Granada

 

Marvellous Madrid

A Bit About Madrid

Royal Palace

Madrid is Spain’s central capital and a very large city (metropolitan area population is 6.5 million), but its historical core is very easy to get around and quite compact in terms of seeing the major sites, including the Royal Palace, Prado Art Gallery, Plaza Mayor, the Sofyia National Art Gallery and the Almudena Cathedral.

 

 

What I saw and did in Madrid.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace is the official residence of the royal family, but it is only used for state functions. It was originally built by Muhammad I between 1860 and 1880, but came under Castilian control in the 11th century when the moors were driven out.

Plaza de Espana with statue of Don Quixote and side kick Sancho

While in Madrid, our group stayed at the Europa Hotel on Plaza Sol, and from that location, everything was within walking distance to the major sites mentioned above.

 

 

 

 

Pedestrian walkway with flowering trees

As well, near the hotel there were many lovely pedestrian walkways for shopping, for example, the well known brand Desigual, had a shop not far away. I love much of the clothing, particularly their jeans, which often have some bold design on them.

 

 

 

Our G Adventures Guide, Viviana

I joined the G Adventures tour group (a group of 14 travellers) in Barcelona on Sunday, March 19th. From Barcelona the group took the high-speed train to Madrid, which travelled at the speed of about 270 kilometres per hour a good part of the time. Once in Madrid, we got onto the Metro from the train station, and was pleasantly surprised when we emerged from the metro, the Hotel Europa was only steps away. A good thing, when you’ve spent a good part of the day travelling!

Our G Adventures guide, Viviana, gave us all maps for the local area, highlighting the major sites, and gave us a short orientation of Madrid and how to get around.

 

Enjoying tapas with members of the G Adventures Group

We started our adventure in Madrid by going to a local restaurant for a meal of “tapas.” How does one define tapas? They can be a variety of small plates consisting of  a whole range of different items including vegetables, olives, meatballs, cheeses, fish or marinated items, and that’s just scratching the surface! The most fun is sharing tapas, commenting on the various taste sensations, enjoying a drink along with them whether it be wine, beer, vermouth, water, or a soft drink. And most important is enjoying the camaraderie of this lovely group of travellers who I will be travelling with for the next two weeks.

 

Hot Chocolate and Churros

A not-to-be-missed treat in Spain is churros and a thick hot chocolate. The delicious chocolate is so thick you can dip the churros into it! The melding of flavours is delicious…

 

 

 

 

Local Mounted Patrol

A very large and central square, Plaza Mayor

Plaza de la Ville, one of the oldest plazas in the city, dating back to the Middle Ages.

Vibrant Barcelona

Arriving in Barcelona

Although I’ve been to Barcelona several years ago, it’s the first time I’ve arrived by plane. As we flew into Barcelona, it seemed we were making a direct approach over the city to the airport, then quite suddenly the plane veered off over the ocean, and started to descend, actually, very close to the water, so close in fact, I was wondering if there was a problem and we had to make an emergency landing into the ocean. Nothing was out of the ordinary, we landed on the runway, on land. The first of many surprises in Barcelona.

About Barcelona

Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf

Barcelona is a very large city, 1.7 million in the administrative limits, but if you include the urban area it jumps to 4.6 million, making it the 6th most populous urban area in the European Union. More than 5 million people live in the metropolitan area, the largest on the Mediterranean Sea. Enough about population size, I just wanted to make a point about how large the city is, but how friendly its inhabitants are in spite of the size of the population, that is, from my experience. Interestingly, the first day I was here I had people approaching me for directions! I must have been starting to blend into the local milieu.

Pedestrian walkway at Arc de Triomf

Here’s just one experience I had the first day. I went into a shop near the “Palau de la Musica Catalana” situated near the quaint Born district of old Barcelona, an area full of narrow, winding pedestrian walkways, small shops and boutiques, cafes and restaurants. As I was browsing in the boutique I got talking to the salesperson who was so friendly and who ended up giving me all kinds of tourist tips, where to eat, where to find a good flamenco show, be ready to go early to the major sites to avoid the long line-ups, in short some of the best advice I received during my stay in Barcelona. And it was given in such an exuberant and friendly manner. So my impression of Barcelona began with that encounter and it didn’t change for over three days of visiting.

Where I stayed

While in Barcelona, for my first three nights, I stayed at Lodging Apartments City Centre on Arago Avenue. Accommodation was a small apartment, very modern, very clean, with a kitchen and living room/eating area. Staff occupied an office on the ground floor and were there to greet me when I arrived. They are there from 9:30 am until 8:00 pm during the week, and 10:00 am till 2:00 pm on weekends. As a single, senior traveller I felt very secure in the building. The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, so I can recommend Lodging Apartments. These apartments are also very close to some of the major sites such as Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, Picasso Museum, Palau de la Musica Catalana, Barcelona Cathedral and Parc de la Ciutadella. I would say no more than a 20-minute walk to any of these places, but I’m a pretty fast walker!

Where I ate: Cafe Buho, at 84 Saint Joan

One delicious meal at Cafe Buho–chicken with artichokes

And how lucky I was to find a lovely restaurant just a few minutes walk from my apartment, called Cafe Buho, at 84 Saint Joan. The first time I ate there was on my second day for lunch when I had a mushroom soup and hummus with toasted bread, and even though this was a simple meal, it was delicious, and I was hooked. Interestingly I had made a connection with one of the waiters the night before as I was coming back to my apartment, I wasn’t sure where I was, it’s interesting how things can look quite different at night, compared to daytime, after all it was my first day here. The waiter took the time to show me where I was and how to get to my apartment. It turns out I was only a few minutes away. But it was the courtesy of that waiter that compelled me to go back for my first lunch there, one more example of the kindness of the local people.

My two suppers there included a chicken dish with both roasted and pureed artichoke hearts, with salad greens, and a risotto with eggplant and apple puree. As well as an extensive menu of entrees (smoked salmon, vegetarian burger, beef and other choices) they have several appetizers to choose from including a nice selection of cheeses. They also offer delicious fruit drinks, for example a “Virgin Mojito” with mint and apple juice or strawberry drink with various other juices. I enjoyed every dish I tried. My sense is that their menu selections have a creative and fresh “twist” and are geared towards healthy but delicious taste sensations.

What did I visit in Barcelona?

Sagrada Familia

Exterior of Sagrada Familia

Interior of Sagrada Familia

This is Antoni Gaudi’s church still in the making. Antoni Gaudi is Barcelona’s most famous architect and his work is seen throughout Barcelona. Gaudi spent 40 years of his life as the main architect of the this building. It is the 8th wonder of the world in the making as evidenced by the cranes and the workmen one sees tied by safety ropes and working on the exterior of the church. It is estimated the work will be finished in 2026, the 100th anniversary of the death of Gaudi. Of the 18 spires originally planned only eight have been built. Their completion will make this church the tallest church building in the world.

 

Gaudi used a revolutionary art form called “trencadis” tiling which consisted of smashing up ceramics and making mosaic patterns out of them. Examples of this type of work on the spires at Sagrada Familia, at Parc Guell and on some of the chimneys at La Pedrera.

La Pedrera (The Stone Quarry)

Exterior of La Pedrera

Roof-top chimneys at La Pedrera

Another of Gaudi’s works, this unique building was completed in 1912, an apartment block so imaginative and fanciful, that truly shows his creative genius. On the rooftop are chimneys resembling warrior helmets and marshmallow-like ventilator ducts. The front of the building has a wave-like design and a flow to the wrought iron balconies, everything he did was so unique in design. The building holds the offices of a centre dedicated to Gaudi and apartments.

Roof-top chimneys at La Pedrera

Palau de la Musica Catalana

Concert Hall of Palau de la Musica Catalana

It is a concert hall designed by architect Lluis Domenech Montaner and built between 1905 and 1908, a miracle really when one sees the building. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The guide who led us through the building said that there are over 300 concerts per year. The concert hall was designed so that natural light comes through the numerous stained glass windows on the sides, and in the ceiling is a magnificent stained glass skylight that allows sunlight to permeate the entire hall. One feels joyful and uplifted with the tremendous light coming in in all directions.

Balcony with mosaic pillars at Palau de la Musica Catalana

Another highlight of the building is the front balcony with its stained glass windows and rows of brightly coloured mosaic pillars.

Parc de la Ciutadella

Cascading Fountain in Parc de la Ciutadella

Built in the 1860s, this park is a place of calm against the hustle and bustle of urban Barcelona. Highlights of the park include a man-made lake where you can rent a row boat, and an intriguing Baroque-style cascading fountain with cherubs, winged lions and nymph-like statues throughout.

Walking through this park, I felt that I had time-travelled back to the 1960s and the hippie days. Many individuals strumming guitars and other instruments, and some people juggling or walking a tight rope. Oh, the good old days.

Other Sites

La Rambla

 

Other sites I experienced:La Rambla is a one-kilometre pedestrian walk-way starting near the port at the statue of Christopher Columbus. It’s lined with restaurants, souvenir shops, flower shops, caricaturists and buskers.

 

 

Barcelona Cathedral

I also visited Barcelona’s Gothic Cathedral and a highlight for me was Picasso Museum which traces Picasso’s life as an artist. It boasts the most extensive collection of his earlier work, some painted at the early age of 10. It was fascinating to learn the stages of his life’s work as an artist, what influenced him and how this impacted on his work.

I’m planning to visit Parc Guell tomorrow, another example of Gaudi’s influential and whimsical work. Tomorrow in the evening I meet up with my group tour with G Adventures. And tomorrow at 9:30 pm I have the great honour of attending a flamenco performance in Palau de la Musica Catalana.

Roof-top of Palau de la Musica Catalana

 

Spa Day at Eugenia Victoria Hotel

My Last Day at Playa del Ingles

One of the pools at the Wellness Centre

What better way to prepare for more travelling than to take a spa day? Today is my last day at Eugenia Victoria Hotel and Playa del Ingles. What I particularly love about this hotel is the Vital Wellness Centre where you will find several hot pools with jets, a Dead Sea Pool, Whirlpools, and two saunas, one steam or Roman style and one dry, or Finnish style.

 

 

Relaxation room before or after treatments

 

Here at the Wellness Centre you will also find all kinds of treatments from exfoliation, facial treatments, to body treatments such as chocolate or red wine therapy! I didn’t ask about those particular ones, but they sound yummy if you’re a chocolate or wine lover!

 

 

Graciela giving me massage, Photo Credit, Stefanie

Graciela is the person at the Wellness Centre who does the massage therapy. I was very impressed to learn that she has well over 30 years experience doing massage. She also does Reicki. While staying at Eugenia Victoria I had several massages with her and was very pleased with the outcome. As well as offering a “Classic” massage, she also offers specialized ones that target the back and shoulders or tired legs, or for anti-stress (in my mind all massages are anti-stress!), hot stone massage, chocolate massage, foot reflexology, a Hammam massage with oil and some others to boot.

Also, they have body wraps such as seaweed or mud applications or a Cleopatra Bath. Now there’s an intriguing treatment.

The Cleopatra Bath! Photo credit  Stefanie

I had scheduled a “classic” massage today with Graciela and I was considering a skin treatment, something that would add a bit of a glow to my skin which had seen a lot of the sun and tends to be dry. Graciela recommended the Cleopatra bath as the best option for me. Now I had heard that Cleopatra liked to take milk baths, so I was intrigued to find out what was involved in the one offered at the Wellness Centre.

Relaxed and happy with the Cleopatra Bath, Photo Credit, Stefanie

 

It turns out that you get “wrapped” in a cloth with milk and almond oil, two known things to nourish the skin. You are then further “wrapped” to allow the milk and almond oil to penetrate the skin and work their magic. The lights are dimmed and soft music wafts through the air. I went into a state of complete relaxation, which didn’t take much after the massage.

 

Massage room for Hammam style massage

It has been a very pleasant stay at the hotel. The staff here are very friendly and kind. They truly contributed to making my stay here a very enjoyable one. I recommend the hotel to anyone who is looking for a comfortable hotel with good, satisfying meals, a ten-minute walk to the beach and many services close by, including shopping and food market. The hotel offer a shuttle bus to the beach if you’re wanting the service.

 

Flamenco at the hotel

Here at Eugenia Victoria Hotel, nightly entertainment includes many different types of shows, including flamenco, acrobatics, impersonations, singing and even bingo on some evenings. Outdoors, around the pool area, there is a singer every night. There is a large lounge area, an indoor bar and several outside bars around the pool area.

Tomorrow, I must awake at 3:30 am to take a taxi at 4:00 am to the Las Palmas airport. My flight to Barcelona is at 7:00 am. I’m hoping that Cafe de Paris will have some of my favourite danishes left, so I can bring one on the flight. The next time you hear from me I will be in Barcelona, refreshed from my spa day and ready to explore this interesting city.

 

 

 

Sioux City in Gran Canaria

A Western Town in the Canaries?

Sioux City Street

Who would have thought I’d find a town in the Canaries styled on a typical Western town that one would find in the Canadian or American frontier going back to the 1800’s? Well, it exists on Gran Canaria in Playa del Ingles and a very good replica it is. When you walk the boardwalk sidewalks of this town, it feels like you’ve been thrown back to another era, and one that you’d definitely find outside the Canaries!

 

Sioux City Street

I know that a lot of German people love the Western lifestyle and even travel all the way to Western Canada to live it, by going horseback riding on the prairies, staying at ranches, joining cattle drives and also taking part in the Native lifestyle. Maybe the Canarians had this in mind when they created Sioux City, as there are many Germans that visit the Canaries.

As well as Germans there are many Dutch, Scandinavians, French, Belgians and people from the UK and Ireland. For them, it has become their “Caribbean”.

My Western Roots

Countryside around Sioux City

There is something tantalizing about the Western lifestyle, perhaps there is a perception of freedom, a place that is still “wild” and for sure it has the wide, open spaces. Now just a bit about me and why I was intrigued and interested in going to Sioux City. Those aforementioned qualities certainly appealed to me when I learned, at the age of six, that my family was moving out “West” to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. After having been a big fan of The Lone Ranger (a  TV program about a masked cowboy and his Native sidekick Tonto) and also a horse lover, nothing could be better. I was totally enthralled with what I was hoping to find out West, lots of horses, cowboys, dirt streets, saloons, hitching posts, wooden sidewalks and even a few showdowns to liven things up!

Some History about the Canadian West

I was quite disappointed, I found paved roads and cement sidewalks, just like there were back East. Many years later, however, I found the real “West” by joining rides across the prairies that traced the trail taken by the Boundary Commission (who established the 49th parallel between Canada and the US) and later the same trail was taken by the Northwest Mounted Police, a force that became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s force with the red tunics and the Musical Ride that is known throughout the world. This force was to establish law and order in the West.

How Could They Possibly Make a Genuine Western Town in Gran Canaria?

Sign as you enter Sioux City

When I first learned of Sioux City, I have to say that I was a bit dubious. How could the Canary Islands come up with a genuine Western Town? I was very much mistaken, this town was set up in a very authentic way. Whoever did the planning must have done their homework. It was, in fact, just like a town I had been hoping for when I moved out West to Saskatchewan at the age of six! So my cowgirl hat is off to the city planners of Sioux City.

About the Visit to Sioux City

Even Indians at Sioux City

 

First off, there was a free shuttle bus that took you to Sioux City, it was about a 15-minute drive from Playa del Ingles. Upon arrival, you had the chance to wonder around, take in the sights, and visit the several recreated buildings, from the general store, saloon, farrier, barber shop, stables, bank, sheriff’s office and jail, church and even Boot Hill. And of course there were dirt streets and boardwalks with hitching posts for the horses.

 

 

Horse in “long reins” doing dressage moves–beautiful!

Taking a bow.

 

A Horse Whisperer offered several demonstrations with his amazing horses, one beautiful horse demonstrated exquisite dressage moves, another horse, more a pony did some cute tricks. This presentation was followed by lasso techniques.

 

 

A herd of long-horned cattle stampeded up the main street, followed by a herd of horses — what excitement!

 

 

Stampede of wild horses up the main street of Sioux City

Bandits preparing to rob the bank

An exciting “Wild West Show” outdoors on the streets of Sioux City featured bandits riding on horseback into town to rob the local bank, followed by gun battles, the local drunk getting involved, and a feisty purse swinging local lady who thought she could bring some order to the situation. The whole event was very entertaining and just up my alley.

 

What’s a Wild West Show without the town drunk?

Lasso Show at indoor theatre

 

The entertainment came indoors to the theatre adjoining the saloon for a lasso and “flying knives” show. In the saloon who better to appear than Dolly Parton and Mexican banditos having disagreements and a shootout, of course with audience involvement.

 

A beautiful Andalusian horse at Sioux City.

What an exciting day in Sioux City!

Carnival Time at Playa del Ingles

A Week of Celebrations, March 3rd to the 12th

After a week of celebrations in Playa del Ingles including election of the carnival queen, senior queen and drag queen; carnival for children; many performances; parties and an interesting event called “The Reading of the Sardines’ Last Will,” the carnival is over!

A huge event was the Carnival Parade on Saturday that involved over 100 floats– it started at 5:00 pm and went on to at least 10:00 pm. What a raucous, fun, music filled and colouful parade it was. The main theme for costumes this year were related to the “Hippie” era of the 1960s and “Pirates”.

I attended this parade that seemed to go on forever, and luckily it passed right in front of my hotel, The Eugenia Victoria.

Flower Power!

So here are a bunch of photos to give you insight into this most colourful and fun-filled event. The Spanish love to dress up, dance and generally have a good time. Of course there were many visitors as well taking part in the festivities.

 

 

 

More Flower Power!

Peace and love.

I did mention pirates!

Pirates getting ready for the parade

Eskimo in the Canaries?

How does he walk on those shoes??

Would you like this rose?

Lots of happy faces.

Castro in the Canaries?

I had fun too!!

Out and About in Playa del Ingles

A Pictorial of Playa del Ingles

This entry is a focus on photos taken around the resort area of Playa de Ingles which falls within a larger area called Maspalomas. Maspalomas is defined as stretching to Bahia Feliz in the east, and to Meloneras in the west. It is a hot +31C today. The locals say it is actually hotter than the norm which would be about +22 to 26C.

Man holding onto motorbike

 

This photo was taken at Faro de Maspalomas, near the lighthouse, about a five kilometre walk from Playa del Ingles. This is a real person holding on to the rear of a motorbike. How does he do it??

 

 

Floating on air?

There are many people like this dressed up in costume and standing stock-still. When you pass by them, they might wink, or gesture with their hand, apart from that they don’t move. Some are in very heavy costumes so I don’t know how they stand it in the heat! They have certainly earned the few coins that people give them.

 

 

 

 

As I was walking away from the Yumbo Shopping Centre one day, I came upon this mannequin dressed in hockey gear. No, I said to myself,they can’t possibly be selling hockey gear in the Canaries. I had to investigate.This model of a hockey player was advertising hockey games that were being shown at The Red Cow and Shenanigans Sports Bar in Playa del Ingles. From what I understood of the advertisement, it was hockey from the Scandinavian countries. Hope there were no “shenanigans” going on!

 

Dancing at the Kasbah

One of the things I love going to in the evenings is the Kasbah, about a five-minute walk from the Eugenia Victoria Hotel. The Kasbah is a complex of shops and restaurants, but at its centre is an open-area square where people can dance. There’s music there every night, sometimes live.I went there last year and this year, I notice some of the same people up on the dance floor and some putting on quite a show. There’s one couple who mimicks a bull and matador, quite entertaining, and the crowd loves it.

Beach umbrellas at Playa del Ingles

One of my favourite views from the upper boardwalk looking down at Playa del Ingles and the dunes beyond.

Let’s not forget my favourite treat at Cafe de Paris. After a long walk on the beach or something for a mid-morning snack, there is nothing that beats a Danish and cappuccino at Cafe de Paris, a great place too for people watching.

 

Carnival Time in Maspalomas

The Maspalomas Carnival takes place from March 3rd to the 12th, and this year it is called The Euro Carnival.Many of the carnival evening activities take place onstage at the Yumbo Centre in Playa del Ingles. It is a raucous and colourful event with singing, bands, children’s performances and  dancing. The costumes are colourful, glitzy and flamboyant, and the participants are exuberant and theatrical.

Main stage for the performances of the 2017 Maspalomas Euro Carnival

Senior Queen in costume

 

There are also a selection of queens within various categories. For example, there is the main Carnival Queen, but also a “Senior Queen” and a Drag Queen. I attended the “Senior Queen” selection last night. It was interesting to attend an event where there were older participants vying for the prize. What a wonderful way to get everyone involved and where age is not a barrier. Tonight is the selection for the Drag Queen.

 

 

Three other Senior Queens with singers

 

Reflections on Ham and Cheese… and Travel

My Inspiration and Passion for Travel

My Reflection on the beach of Playa del Ingles

Back in 1972 when I was 23 years old, I decided like so many other young people at the time to travel Europe with a knapsack on my back. I worked for a year, saved up, and I was off for three months exploring most of Europe.

Many of us were inspired by a book out entitled Europe On Five Dollars A Day, I believe the book was later updated to Europe on Ten Dollars a Day! It certainly served as an inspiration for a whole generation of young Canadians and Americans, many who had finished at least one university degree, to cross the Atlantic and explore Europe.

Many, like myself, did it on the cheap. I recall sometimes taking an overnight train so we could save on a hotel! Back then I travelled with friend, I wasn’t quite ready to go it alone. These days I often travel on my own, arrange my own itineraries, hotels and flights. When I reflect on this, I figure that I wouldn’t have visited half the places I’ve been to if I had waited for someone to accompany me. As I travel, I’ve also written for several publications as well as creating Armchair Travel Programs for senior residences in Ottawa.

I had the travel bug at a young age, maybe it came from growing up in Saskatchewan, where the prairies in the south part of the province, in wheat growing country, are truly flat as a pancake. Perhaps having this long view…and of wanting to see over the next horizon was the inspiration to “look beyond,” or to explore. My brother, who is a year older, is very much like me, he loves to travel, discover new places, and is quite the adventurer in the way he travels.

The Spanish Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich

When I was travelling back in 1972 in Spain, one could find at almost cafe or restaurant a “Ham and Cheese Sandwich,” it was everywhere.And that was a good thing, based on my budget back then.It became quite a staple food item while travelling through Spain, it was cheap, easily digested and contained protein. It was even easy to say in Spanish, “Sandwich de Jamon y Queso por favor.”

 

Cheese and Tomato Sandwich

There are many variations to this simple sandwich: you can have it grilled or not with just ham;just cheese;cheese and tomato; cheese, ham and tomato; or, the last version with more vegetables, one version like this on a menu was called “Sandwich Americano.” So it seems the original sandwich has evolved somewhat. Yet, it’s interesting how some culinary traditions stay the same. As I travel around Gran Canaria, and order a Ham and Cheese Sandwich, I reflect back to that time of travelling with a knapsack on my back.

Spain, in general, is a meat eating society, here in Playa del Ingles one finds  many steak restaurants, or where meat is the main dish. So it was a surprise to run into a Vegan restaurant in Las Palmas, called Zoe Food. I remember the words in the restaurant: “Please be patient, your meal is being prepared with love,” or something to that effect, words, certainly that reflect a certain philosophy about food and how it is served. Notice also on the sign, vegetarian, organic, and choices without gluten.

 

More Reflections on Travel and Meeting Other Travellers

As an independent traveller it’s nice to decide your own agenda, but it’s also great to meet other travellers to share experiences with, exchange ideas and generally enjoy each other’s company. There are many opportunities for this, chance meetings in restaurants or travelling on a local bus and not quite knowing how to get to your destination with a bus driver that doesn’t speak much English. I was on my way to Aguimes on a local bus trying to figure out where I had to transfer,and which other bus to get to go to Aguimes.

Visiting Pasito Blanco with Daniel and Sylviane

It happened there were two couples on the bus with the same perplexed and anxious look as myself, when we thought the bus ride was taking longer than it should as it meandered through a town, seemingly like taking the slow boat to China. Problem was resolved however, when the bus driver let us all off at just the right location to catch the connecting bus to Aguimes, and just in the nick of time as it was just coming around the corner on the other side of the road. We all scrambled to flag him down. I ended up spending the rest of the day with a lovely couple from Normandy, Daniel and Sylvaine. Together we explored the Guayadeque Ravine, had a meal together in a cave converted to a restaurant and shared a taxi back to Playa del Ingles, rather than risking another bus ride back with connections that are fewer between, and by that time it had also started to rain. We spent other days sight seeing together, and since they were French speaking, I had the opportunity to practice my French.

Another travel experience I had meeting another traveller was quite unique. I had taken the VIP Tour that I describe in my blog entry “A Tour of Gran Canaria” which took a group on a tour up to the mountains in central Gran Canaria and then further north on the island. When I got talking to a fellow traveller on the same bus, it turns out that his uncle was a Deacon in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in the same town where I grew up in and lived from the mid-1950s to 1967. My father, who was Anglican, went to St. John’s Anglican church, the same church where this traveller’s uncle was the Deacon. Who would have thought in the mountains of Gran Canaria that two travellers would share a link to the same town in Saskatchewan, Moose Jaw!

Adelina Manuel Lopes and bike

There are travellers and there are travellers. I met Adelina Manuel Lopes the other day while walking the boardwalk near the beach of Playa del Ingles. Adelina has travelled over 85,000 by bike over several journeys on the European coastline. He has actually made it into the Guinness Book Of Records for his accomplishments. I noticed he has his own blog on WordPress, if you want to see more about his travels.

 

Kim’s Bar with author

When I arrived at Eugenia Victoria Hotel and started to write my blog, I had difficulty downloading my photos into the blog site, so I had to find a location that had a higher internet speed. A local guide told me about Kim’s Bar, just a few minutes from the hotel. It’s an English-style bar with TVs that broadcast live English soccer matches with patrons who get very excited about the game, even wearing jerseys related to their team. It caters to English patrons, serving English-style food, lots of beer on tap, and where the waiters and waitresses call you “love.” It has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and where if you order a bag of chips, it’s a bag of “crisps.” Oh, and if you want you can get a grilled “Ham and Cheese!”

Las Palmas, Capital of Gran Canaria

The History of Las Palmas

View of Las Palmas from the top of the Cathedral

The city was founded in 1478 by Juan Rejon, who invaded the island and engaged in war with the local indigenous people. He established a fort, Real de las Palmas, becoming the first foundation of Las Palmas. In 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived in Las Palmas, and it was from here that he launched his first trip to the Americas. The Canary archipelago had many advantages to facilitate navigation to the West. As well as the beneficial trade and ocean currents, it was also a place to stock up on supplies for the Atlantic crossing. Thus, the canaries became a huge centre for trade and a departure point for exploration and emigration of the West. Interestingly, San Antonio, Texas, was founded in 1718 by about 25 Canary islanders and continues to be be a sister city to Las Palmas.

Typical street in Las Palmas

The Casa de Colon, Columbus House

This museum, located in the historic district of Vegueta in Las Palmas, is called Columbus House because it is thought that on a stopover here, due to a repair required on his ship, La Pinta, in 1492, he stayed in this building, which was back then the residence of the first governors of the island.

Casa de Colon

This building is recognized as one of the most attractive in Las Palmas, with its lovely typical balconies, interior courtyards and beautifully carved wooden ceilings. The museum attracts visitors fascinated with the exploits of Christopher Columbus.

Columbus’s three ships

On display, in its thirteen exhibition rooms, are intriguing items related to his exploration of the Americas, from a replica of Columbus’s cabin on one of his ships, La Nina, to  navigation instruments, nautical maps and charts, models of his three ships and letters written by Columbus to Queen Isabella of Spain. What I found particularly interesting was a video screen that traced each of his four journeys across the Atlantic to the Americas, from the Canary Islands. Through this representation, the history of his voyage comes alive

El Museo Canario, the Canary Museum

This museum is also located in the historic district of Vegueta, of Las Palmas. The collection in this museum is vast and represents the indigenous people, or the first settlers, of Gran Canaria called Canarios. Previously I have referred to the indigenous people of Canaria as Guanches, but this term translated actually means “first settlers of Tenerife,” and Tenerife is another island in the Canarian archipelago. So I stand corrected. The indigenous people who settled on Gran Canaria, like those on Tenerife, were from North Africa of Berber origin, and occupied the islands until the 15th century when the Spanish (Castilians) conquered the indigenous people and colonized the islands.

Example of cave home

This museum has a large collection of many artifacts related to the Canarios: stone implements used as tools, and mills and mortars to grind grain; the types of grains used; items made from animal skins such as clothing and items made from vegetable fibre such as mats. Part of the complex social structure of the Canarios was the use of seals. Specific groups within this island culture were able to be distinguished from other groups by markings on their body which were applied by a seal that had a particular design; different groups were defined by different designs.

A fascinating part of the museum is related to a focus on funeral rites, where the Canarios “mummified” their dead. They had funeral chambers in caves and buried the bodies using funerary rites, such as burying items with the dead for the after life.

Many designs used by the Canarios

Their ceramic collection is comprehensive in that it has examples of pottery from all the other islands of the archipelago, as well as from Gran Canaria. It shows the most representative pieces from every island focusing on the various shapes, decorative motifs and their purpose whether they were for practical uses such as for storage of food or cooking, for a ritual function or simply decorative use.

The Cathedral of Santa Ana

The Cathedral  is the seat of the Dioceses of the Canaries in the Roman Catholic Church. Building started in 1500 and didn’t finish until the 18th century, so it has lots of styles included in it structure, from renaissance Gothic from its original design to neoclassical exterior that was continued in the second half of the 18th century. For one and half Euros, you can take a lift to the roof of this church and from there, you have a wonderful view of Las Palmas and the harbour front.

Shopping in Las Palmas

Trianna shopping area

A bus ride from Playa del Ingles to Las Palmas takes about 50 minutes and costs just over five Euros.What would a trip to Las Palmas be without a bit of shopping involved? One of the main shopping areas, which I really enjoy, was walking along Trianna, a pedestrian walkway lined with small shops, name brand stories and restaurants. If you look up the side streets that run off of Trianna, there are many more small cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating and umbrellas for protection against the sun.

Based on directions from the Information Kiosk, I walked up one these side streets in order to get to the post office to mail a package home to Ottawa. Not only did I find the Post Office, but did quite well in my faltering Spanish to explain what I wanted to do. It went pretty well, but I had rehearsed! As I walked up the side street, I found many people seated at various cafes enjoying a breakfast or coffee with friends or co-workers. Along the way I stopped for a Cappuccino and noticed that the cafe I had selected was also Vegan, one of the only ones I’ve encountered to date on Gran Canaria. My daughter and son-in-law would be pleased!

Flamenco

Back at the hotel, Eugenia Victoria, I was pleased to see that the entertainment for the evening was Flamenco!

 

 

A Tour of Gran Canaria

From Play del Ingles, in the south, to San Bartolome de Tirajana

View of Fataga Valley

This “VIP Tour” was organized by Viajes Tara, with tour guide extraordinaire, Gary. First stop was at a lookout called Degollada de las Yeguas. And what a view it was. From the south side, one can see cars winding up the road to the lookout from Playa del Ingles. Looking North, the Fataga Valley stretches out for several kilometres, leading to the small village of Fataga. Here the landscape is semi-arid.

 

Another View of the Fataga Valley

In the middle of this photo you see the hightest peak on Gran Canaria, Pico de las Nieves

 

Another stop along this tour was to try to catch a glimpse of the highest peak on Gran Canaria, Pico de las Nieves, at a height of 1,949 metres above sea level. And we were lucky! High above the clouds, we were able to get a glimpse of it. Close to this peak is a military base.We stopped at Villa de San Bartolome de Tirajana, or for short Tuntes, to get this photo. There are many cyclists biking to within a short distance of Pico de las Nieves. Many, I believe are getting in shape for the Tour de France. I can’t imagine myself biking up these steep roads with their hairpin turns. Our tour guide pointed out that he hasn’t seen one cyclist with a smile, and no wonder, considering the effort they must expend in reaching their destination. My hat is off to them!

On to Tejeda, Teror and an Aloe Vera Plantation

Rugged valley and peaks

We headed north-west towards Tejeda, a village that sits on the eastern side of a volcanic crater. Along the way to Tejeda, we stopped to take photos, and I was lucky to get this one that captures the rugged nature of the area with its peaks and valleys.

Tejeda is located almost at the centre of Gran Canaria, in a very mountainous area. By the way, we traveled in small mini-buses, carrying eight people plus driver. I was very glad of a smaller vehicle, when I think of the narrow roads and hair-pin turns, it must be a challenge for the larger tour buses.

The photo above is taken from Tejeda and shows sharp peaks and deep valleys, evidence of volcanic action. In the upper right-hand corner of the photo is Rock Bentayga, located inside the volcanic caldera of Tejeda. Near this rock were ancient aboriginal settlements of the Guanches, the indigenous people of the island.

Taken from Tejeda as the clouds drifted in

Blaconies of Teror

Going further north-west from Tejeda, we made a few more stops, one to the charming town of Teror with its Canarian-style pine balconies; it is under monument protection. The town became particularly well known after shepherds witnessed an apparition of the Virgin in 1481; it then became the most important pilgrimage place in the Canaries.

 

Aloe vera at Fincas Canarias

Last stop on the tour was to see an aloe vera plantation, a product the Canaries are famous for. At Fincas Canarias, we not only got to see the aloe vera growing in green houses( they have around 30,000 plants that are between 10 to 30 years old) but a explanation of its properties and benefits for the skin. Fincas Canarias is a family business dedicated to the ecological  cultivation of aloe vera.

Eugenia Victoria Hotel at Playa del Ingles

Eugenia Victoria Hotel on Gran Canaria Ave. and Cafe de Paris

Pool area at Eugenia Victoria Hotel

Through this pictorial focus on Eugenia Victoria Hotel, readers will get an impression of what a stay here is like and the hotel’s services and facilities. I’m staying here almost five weeks while visiting the island of Gran Canaria. One of the first things I wrote about upon my arrival here in Playa del Ingles was the Vital Wellness Centre here at Eugenia Victoria. The reason being that after a long flight from Canada, I was certainly in need of rest and relaxation. You can read about this by going to my blog entry entitled Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands in the February archive. When you’re staying this length of time in any location, a big priority is the quality of the food. If the food’s not up to par, there’s sure to be a mutiny! I opted for the half-board option at Eugenia Victoria which means that you have your breakfast and supper included in your hotel stay.

Cafe de Paris

It was a good decision because when lunch time rolls around, I often found myself away from the hotel, visiting other towns, walking on the beach or otherwise out and about.When out and about you also have the option of trying different restaurants for a quick bite, thus getting to know some of the local eating establishments. This is how I got to know Cafe de Paris, not far from Eugenia Victoria.

Selections at Cafe de Paris

 

Cafe de Paris is a chain with several locations throughout Playa del Ingles and it is very popular and for good reason. The quality of their offerings is excellent and fresh, from their various sandwich selections to delightful cakes, ice cream, and donuts, to one of my favourites, their Danish Pastries, which are tasty, flaky and not overly sweet.

Fresh oranges at Eugenia Victoria

 

I digress, back to Eugenia Victoria Hotel. The options for breakfast are huge and buffet style. From freshly squeezed orange juice, dried fruit, fruit salad, cereal, eggs, yogurt, bacon, ham, sausages, pancakes, crepes and more. Everyday there is a selection of fresh oranges, apples, watermelon, cantaloupe and bananas, with the same fruits available for suppertime as well.

Suppertime at Eugenia Victoria

 

And the supper time menu? It is vast and delicious. Eugenia Victoria can be assured there will be no mutiny associated with their food service. Supper is buffet style, so you are free to choose what you want and in the quantities that you want and even experiment a bit by going back to sample other dishes. The menu changes from day-to-day with many selections for every taste.

 

 

 

My salad selection at Eugenia Victoria

A salad bar offers a variety of fresh options. In general I would describe the choices, whether for breakfast or supper a Mediterranean- type diet. This type of diet is characterized by an abundance of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

Cook grilling at Eugenia Victoria

 

The supper menu often features freshly grilled fish and poultry, and other choices of meat such as beef, lamb and pork, sometimes in special sauces, and often with local culinary influence. Since this hotel is children friendly, I often see several pasta options and pizza, two items you can never go wrong with for children.

 

 

 

Dessert selection at Eugenia Victoria

There is also a wide choice for dessert. If you like ice cream, you won’t go wrong here, there are about a dozen flavours to choose from. Cakes are another option, as well as fresh fruit. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are available for both breakfast and suppertime. You can even get a shot glass of rum at suppertime. Wine or beer is extra.

Kiddy Pool at Eugenia Victoria

 

Children are welcome at Eugenia Victoria, evidenced by the organized activity programs for them and the outdoor facilities such as a kiddy pool, climbing structure, playhouse and mini-golf.

 

 

Poolside bar at Eugenia Victoria

For adults there is an indoor gym, shuffle board, outdoor whirlpools, a large swimming pool, the indoor wellness centre and several outdoor bars for lunch or a drink. There is live singing every night near the pool area, and indoors in the evening there are different kinds of entertainment from flamenco to singing, karaoke, to various other types of performances.

Inside Lounge area at Eugenia Victoria

Excursions around the island can be organized either by local hotel staff or by various tour companies that come into the hotel to explain their offerings. The beach is about a ten-minute walk away, or a hotel shuttle bus will take you there. Hotel staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful and deal with any concerns in a professional and polite manner. The guest list at Eugenia Victoria is a veritable list of the united nations, I have met people from Germany, Holland, Sweden,  England and Belgium.

Exploring Puerto Mogan, Venice of the Canaries

A bit of background on Puerto Mogan

Canal and bridge in Puerto Mogan

A network of canals link the marina to the harbour, thus the nickname “Little Venice” or “Venice of the Canaries.” This beautiful little resort town, located on the Western coast has several hotels, apartment rentals and up-market places for tourists to stay. It is also a fishing village with a lovely marina. A bylaw restricts any new building to be no higher than two stories, guarding against buildings which would restrict the view of the waterfront.

My day in Puerto Mogan

Today, Friday, is market day in Puerto Mogan and it attracts tourists from all over the island. I caught a bus from Playa del Ingles for just over four Euros and it was packed! I was lucky to get a seat as the ride there was about 30 minutes.

Ricami Veronica Shop

 

As well as the huge market, there are many shops spread throughout Puerto Mogan selling all manner of goods from clothing, hats, beach wear, baskets, high-end name brand clothing and souvenirs.  An interesting local speciality shop, Ricami Veronica, personalizes items such as towels, aprons and baby clothes either with a name or a phrase, and you can watch as your item is being embroidered.

 

 

Author with Sandy, owner of The Irish Tavern

Facing the marina you’ll find a large number of restaurants, many of them offering up fresh, delicious seafood. Puerto Mogan is reputed for its seafood. But you’ll also find many types of restaurants along this stretch including one called The Irish Tavern, where the owner, Sandy, offers up a varied menu including Irish stew, lasagna, home-made soups and what I love, her homemade desserts, some with an Irish twist.

Fruit Crumble at Irish Tavern

 

I knew this restaurant from having visited it last year and knew I’d get something, light, homemade and tasty. I had a hearty chicken soup with noodles and for dessert, a scrumptious fruit crumble with ice cream.

 

 

Beautiful Bougainvillea

 

What I love about Puerto Mogan is the upbeat yet relaxed feeling as one explores this little town with it colourful bougainvillea covering archways and climbing over white stucco buildings offering a vivid contrast.

 

An intriguing “find” in Puerto Mogan was a wall of relief artwork that captured the day-to-day life of local people called “El Paseo de Mis Padres” that translates to “The Passage of my Parents” that I found so charming. I’ve reproduced photos that I took of that relief work here.

I returned to Playa del Ingles on the 2:45 pm bus which was also crowded. It seems that for most people, four hours was just right to shop at the market, have a bit of lunch and walk around this scenic town