Gran Canaria

DAY 1 Mon 20th Oct

Arrived a 6pm.
Lovely little casita in the mountains
Here are a couple of views from the roof terrace as it got dark.

roque nublo

rocks and aerials

DAY 2 Tues 21st Oct

Spent the day sleeping, eating, sunbathing, shopping and enjoying the very warm weather (30 degrees+).

Sarah with a G and T and the main part of Tejeda village behind

DAY 3 Weds 22nd Oct

Went to visit Roger and Eileen who write the walking guidbooks for Gran Canaria.
Then went for an afternoon walk in the barranco (ravine) neat El Juntal. Typical walk with dizzyingly high cliffs, cave houses and good paths. Both rather hot and pink at the end.

what's this? a mad Canarian house.

Near the start of the El Juntal walk

Note the potato patch between cliffs at least 1km from the nearest house or road

DAY 4 Thurs 23rd Oct

Today we drove up to Cruz de Tejeda, where we stayed last year and decided to do a short walk along the ridge, but Sarah had an especially keen moment and we ended up doing 5h 30mins to Artenara and back. Fantastic views, lots of shade in the pine forests and a lovely bar in Artenara.

Graham surveys the view over Tejeda valley

Views to the south of Artenara/Tejeda ridge

DAY 5 Friday 24th Oct

We spent today exploring the paths in and around the village of Tejeda. There are lots of new signposts and so new official routes but some are rather overgrown so a macheté would at times have been handy.

Weather still very hot so afternoon routine has involved returning to our terrace for a spot of sunbathing, in fact shadebathing would be more truthful.

The spotty house in the middle with the roof terrace above is ours

These little shrines to local or national saints are everywhere.
In the background is the "barrio" of La degollada where we are staying. It means "the beheaded"!?

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Sometimes the rubbish can be really ugly but this pile reminds me of the Tate gallery.

DAY 6 Sat 25th October

Today we went to the nearest town of any size, San Mateo, to have a look round the shops and pick up a few supplies that the Spar shop in Tejeda doesn't have.

Bought a rabbit, ready dissected and marinaded, and cooked it for dinner.

San Mateo "farmer's market"

DAY 7 Sunday 26th October

As the weather continues hot we are trying to find walks that are high in the mountains, but shaded by the pine forests, so today is a trip to Tamadaba which is one of my favourite parts of the island.

Tamadaba forest

Sarah at highest point of Tamahaba

Looking across the Ocean to a misty Tenerife

Panarama looking east and including Sarah's nose

The new moon just after sunset

DAY 8 Monday 27th October

Another day in the high mountains, avoiding the hot valleys. West of Picos de Nieve.

Where am I? On the moon?

Christmas in the desert?

Invading martians?

Another alien!!?

DAY 10 Tues 28th October

Today we went out with the Tuesday walking group, a good chance to catch up with old aquanainces and to meet some new faces. Cooler today some cloud and RAIN!!!(but not much) Strange thing was that we had just finished and found a very convenient bar.

Look carefully to see a rare stream with running water

Woops! Graham taking a tumble while being nosy and trying to read a sign in Spanish.

This is the Tuesday walking group
The picture tells the story!

Day 11