Volcanic Lanzarote

Cobblestone like asphalt

This month we made our own long weekend and took a short trip to Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. Cross another comunidad autónoma off my list. This archipelago is located off the coast of Africa, a 2.5 hour flight from Galicia. Why this is still Spanish territory is beyond me. The perpetually decent weather makes it a hot spot for tourism year round.

Each island has its own personality, and Lanzarote's is largely based on it being volcanic. The scenery was out of this world! Black, black everywhere. I was especially fascinated by the old buildings or cobblestones being charcoal gray. It makes sense, because you use the stones you have. But it was so striking compared to light-colored buildings and roads I'm used to seeing in Galicia and beyond.

Black and grey, everywhere

 

As a volcanic island, it's not exactly fertile. Nothing to do with green Galicia. There is little to no grass or soil on the island; just rocks, pebbles, and sand. It is not completely without vegetation, though. Cacti and palm trees are abundant in this arid land, even if the trees have to be watered with irrigation systems. And the most unexpected plant on Lanzarote is... grapes. In fact, the island has its own variety called malvasía volcánica and a certificate of origin for its wines. The way they grow the grapes is especially eye-catching: they dig and then build half-circles of dark, volcanic rock to protect the plants from the wind. Apparently the black crushed rocks (for lack of soil) do a good job of retaining the moisture from dew. The result is an extraterrestrial backdrop of rows of dark grey structures on a black surface with green flecks in between. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit a winery, but that would have been awesome. At least we got to take some pictures and try this unique wine one night at dinner. 

 

Rows of Lanzarote grapes being protected. Out of this world!

Lava just froze

The main attraction in Lanzarote was a visit to Timanfaya National Park. (Pronounced like ¨team on fire.¨ Fits with the volcanic backdrop!) Once you enter the park grounds, all around is black hardened lava. It's like the volcano just exploded a few years ago. From the very organized parking lot, you board a bus which takes you around a curvy road carved into these rough black rocks. The 45-minute visit has recordings describing the history of the eruptions in Timanfaya in three languages, complete with apocalyptic music. The most recent eruptions took place at the end of the 19th century. It wasn't just one big mountain-like volcano. Instead, the earth opened all around and magma gushed out. Based on the expansiveness of the park, it had to be massive and terrifying. After all, it lasted six years!

Following the bus tour, park rangers show you a series of quick experiments to demonstrate just how hot it remains under the surface. First there is a a well-like hole a few meters deep. They have a pole not even 10 feet long that they use to push some dry vegetation down into the hole. Seconds later, it's up in flames! On your way to the next demonstration, someone hands out a few reddish pebbles, warning ¨hot! caliente! heiß!¨ And they really are. The next experiment involves some much smaller holes and a bucket of water. Pour down the bucket, wait a few seconds, and it comes whooshing up like a geyser. Lastly you can head into the gift shop or restaurant. It's not an experiment, but they have another well-like hole in the ground with a grate on top. There, a few dozen chicken breasts and thighs are cooking over the subterranean heat. 

 

Chicken roasting on an underground fire🎵

 

The national park isn't the only volcanic wonder on Lanzarote. Another remnant of the island's volcanic past is a cave-- or rather volcanic tunnel-- called Cueva de los Verdes. (For all you Spanish buffs, unfortunately there is nothing green about this cave. Its name comes from the ¨discoverers¨ last name.) As it's a tunnel, it's pretty straight, and is almost 5 miles long. It was formed when a nearby volcano erupted 4000 years ago and essentially filled the valley with lava. The cooling process created this neat formation. So no stalagmites or stalactites here.

Canary concert in los Jameos del Agua

This same volcanic tunnel continues quite a distance to a different location called the Jameos del Agua. More subterranean wonder. While the cave was only worked on to have a lighting system, the Jameos del Agua got a full makeover, including plants, a restaurant on one side, and a bar on the other. And we actually got the privilege of going for dinner! On Friday nights they open late for a special occasion: dinner and a concert. It was absolutely breathtaking, dining in this decorated cave. From the table, we could gaze at a long natural pool, home to a species of tiny blind crab found only in the Jameos. After dinner, we were free to roam the premises while waiting for the concert. The other side of the pool has a little dance floor, and then up through rocks the other side is open-air. Tables and a bar are scattered along the way up. Once you reach ground level, there is an artificial blue pool that looks lovely contrasting the white painting and dark shades of the rocks. When it came time for the concert, we perched ourselves at a table at the upper bar. The music was Canarian-- upbeat and fun. The whole evening was an unforgettable experience.  

 

Would love to take a dip in the Jameos del Agua

Imagine calling this place home!

Lanzarote's volcanic visits don't end there. Before catching the plane back to Galicia we stopped at the artist César Manrique's house. This local artist was behind the décor for the aforementioned volcanic tunnels and as a whole, was perhaps the island's biggest advocate in terms of preserving its natural splendor. Nowadays, you can visit both of his houses. We opted for the Casa del Volcán. I didn't expect much while visiting this artist's abode, but that was pretty silly of me. It was so simple but so unique! Mother Nature did most of the work, though. He built his house on land (that is, rock) that just so happened to have several volcanic ¨bubbles.¨ That means that the underground rooms naturally carved out of the rock got some sunlight from a hole in the surface. He painted white over most of the rock flooring and about halfway up the walls. He decked out the basement rooms with couches, and even added a small pool in the open area. The result was a totally far-out pad (it was the 70s, after all)!

Pool area at César Manrique's volcanic house

Llanes in Low Season

What to do when your best friend lives in Basque Country and you in Galicia? Meet up in the middle in good old Asturies. In April we met up in Llanes, despite the fact that all of us in our group had already been there before. It's a nice town with lots of charming architecture and just enough nightlife to keep you entertained. We did notice that the place has tons of bars, assumedly in the summer it is swarmed with tourists coming to visit nearby beaches. 

A lot of the architecture in Llanes is in the indiano style, typical of northern Galicia too. These ornate houses were built by returned emigrants who had made a fortune abroad. The well-preserved specimen below was right next to a completely dilapidated house. Should have taken its picture too for comparison. It wouldn't be an indiano house without a palm tree to pay homage to the land where said fortune was made-- in South or Central America.

As we only stayed one night, we didn't do a whole lot aside from walk around. Luckily it was great weather, so we were glad to be able to have coffees and drinks outside. When in Asturies, one must drink sidra, so that we did. I'm really never sure about the protocol, as you are supposed to share cups, but maybe not everyone in the group is keen to. Plus I've been told that it's rude to pour it yourself, as it suggests that the waiter/waitress pouring sidra is not attentive enough to your table's thirst. They generally come around asking if you'd like some more every 5-10 minutes. And it would appear that not all servers are equally skilled at sidra pouring. No surprise there, as you have to lift the bottle over your head and hold your hand with the glass at waist-level. Other sidrerías have graduated to giving out small pouring machines with your bottle of sidra. They aerate the sidra just as well or even better than if it were poured from up high, but it's just not the same. More convenient though, that's for sure. And no awkwardness of ¨Should I ask for a pour or just do it myself?¨either.

European charm

The next morning we went to nearby village and beach Celoriu. Coincidentally enough, we had both already been there, too. I had gone camping there in one of my first summers living in Galicia. But apparently it didn't make it to the blog back then. The reason for going this time around was for the menfolk to go fishing off the dock. We checked in on them shortly after they had settled in and that's when one of our companions caught his first ever fish! Too small to keep though. After a few hours, they fished something decent and we were able to have salpicón (a seafood cocktail of fish,  diced raw onions, carrots and peppers dressed with oil and vinegar) for dinner once home, not even 36 hours after we had first set off. 

 

Gusty day for fishing