Cadiz was a new stop for me on the Med circuit and I loved it. There were lots of alleys filled with shops and restaurants and markets. My favorite was the central market that sold fresh vegetables, fish, meat and prepared foods. We were lucky to find several market restaurants selling Tapas and we made a picnic amongst the locals. It was cheap, filling and a genuine non tourist type experience.
Lanzarote – Moon Landscape Anyone?
This is a landscape that must truly be seen to be believed. It is quite desolate but despite the desolation the locals try to raise wine. The wines are protected from the wind with volcanic walls and every precious drop of water is saved in the volcanic sand. The big volcano erupted from 1724 -1730 and then again in 1820’s but the earth is still quite hot. They provided several demos in the crater where they dug just a few inches and the stones were so warm you couldn’t hold them. A whole 5 feel deep meant plants spontaneously combusted and if you add water it creates geysers.
The Canary Islands were quite different with hotels and beaches and plenty of tourist attractions. We decided to take a catamaran for a whale watching trip. It was a gorgeous day with sunshine and we did see Pilot Whales. To be honest, once you’ve seen a Humpback Whale, the Pilot Whales seemed a lot less exciting. They really seem like large dolphins. I’ve had the fortune of two “Trips of a Lifetime” out of Cape Cod, Provincetown. The first was like a Sea World entertainment show in the wild and the second we saw 90 whales bubble net fishing. One got so close I could smell his bad breath. I guess I have been spoiled, but I did enjoy getting out on the water before the 5 sea days of our transatlantic crossing. Fortunately we don’t have a huge storm in the Atlantic chasing us this year and all seems pretty calm.
WanderlustandWhimSea 