Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Arico Nuevo, and old village up in the mountains

@brittarnhild

 

We have to admit it, it is winter in Tenerife, even though all days have temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius and we are just outside Africa somewhere. The clouds continue to come. And I don't mind, there is so much to explore and I love it when Terje folds out the big map after breakfast and starts to make suggestions for what to do during the day.

 

Today we drove up in the mountains. Had our morning cappuccino in a small café we discovered many years ago, a place we calm back to again and again. Not because of its view, but because of the very good home made pastries.

Then we continued, along hairpin bended roads, to Arico Nuevo, a small village which has its history back to the 1700th century when springs were found here.

Today the village has some kind of status as Historical Site, UNESCOs World heritage List or I am not sure.....

 

One long street down, down, down, all the houses freshly white painted with olive green shutters, and in a corner of the small market place in front of the church, we find the only restaurant in the village, Alcandora.

Though the rest of the island has stored Christmas away by now, it is still to be found up here.

 

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Blogs with new posts:

Fløy en liten blåfugl, my birding journal

Med bøker på menyen, my reading journal

Britt Arnhilds dagboksblader, my journal

maskerade - my knitting journal

Akeleiehagen, my garden journal

Blåklokkeveien

 

Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife

@brittarnhild

Another cloudy morning means another day of exploring. Our goal today is Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife, north east on the island. We have been there before, but know that there is still a lot to explore. We park the car close to the Opera House, and start the day with cappuccino in the outdoor café there.      

Then we walk, and walk and walk, and walk some more. We ask locals for a place to have lunch and have to walk even more, up the hills to Taberna Ramón, a small, local restaurant with a few wooden tables, chairs without backs, a waiter who can't speak English but is all smiling and helpful, and great food.

 

On the way back to the car we discover that the outdoor swimming pool area near the Opera House is open and the sun is out. Can you imagine a better place for sun bathing and swimming :-)

 

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Blogs with new posts:

Fløy en liten blåfugl, my birding journal

Med bøker på menyen, my reading journal

Britt Arnhilds dagboksblader, my journal

maskerade - my knitting journal

Akeleiehagen, my garden journal

Blåklokkeveien

 

Afternoon coffee in Los Abrigos

@brittarnhild

 

The first whole day is almost over. This is our 8th visit to the islands, and for the first time we sill stay not only one week, but two. And because of this we feel we have all the time in the world :-) We had a long morning sun bathing near the pool at our hotel, and then went for a long walk in Los Cristianos, where we stay.

Then, in the afternoon, we decided to drive somewhere out of tron for a coffee. Ended up in Los Abrigos, one of the fishing villages not too far away, where we had cappuccino and a home made lemen pie. Today is a red kalender day, to mark the arrival of the Magi, and while we were sitting outside the café, a smal chapel on the across the street opened its doors and a service started.

Darkness comes fast here, and shower us with moments of beauty.

 

 

We arrived together with The Magi

@brittarnhild

 

Up even before the wee hours of the morning, in the taxi to the airport wondering "have I remembered the passport?", 6 hours on the plane and then I can look out the window to see beautiful Teide.

Our 8th time now,

and it kind of feels like coming home :-)

Some arrive by plane, others by camels.

From my facebook page:
It has been a long travel. But now The Magi has arrived with gifts for baby Jesus  for all Spanish children and even some greedy adults. And the camels can have their rest.......

 

Los Cristianos, like all other Spanish cities, towns and villages I believe, have their epiphany parade. The one in Los Cristianos is a kind of combination between a 17th of May parade in Norway, and a Disney parade. Hard to belive it has something to do with christianity, but then, at long last, the three wise men, the three kings, come, riding their dromadars, throwing out sweets.

 

The next morning the parks are filled with waste sweet papers, like tiny little new sprung flowers.

 

 

 

"I think this is a nudist beach"

@brittarnhild

"Look at that old lady. I can´t say she is shy, can I? I was looking over Terje´s shoulder, smiling. "Well, may be not, but have you seen where we are?" Terje replied back to me. It was only then that I looked around and discovered that the beautiful beach we had found was a nudist beach. For seniors!

Well, we kept our swimsuits on and stayed, sunbathing and swimming. And in the end I even loosened the straps of my swimsuit to let my shoulders get some sun. No, I am not stuffy. Not at all :-)

 

A collection of paradise bird flowers

@brittarnhild

They are impossible to grow in Norway, but you can´t stop me from photograph them when I am in Tenerife :-)

 

 

 

Can´t stop hiking

@brittarnhild

Another hike today. This time longer and highter.
If this continues, I will be fit as a fiddle :-)

Montana Roja, a volcanic mountain not far from the soutern airport. The start of the walk was through a desert, and I read on an information board that despite of the fry, hot climate, more than 100 different species grew there.

Yes, you got it. My camera had a busy time :-)

Back to where we met Tenerife the first time

@brittarnhild

We have a rented car for the rest of the week, and today we took a tour down Memory Lane, visiting places we have been and enjoyed before.

The terracce in the middle of this picture is the place of a fish restaurant with some of the best fresh fish I have ever tasted. It was not open yet when we walked by this morning, but it didn´t matter. I will always bring with me the memories of the meals we have eaten there.

A pilgrimage up to a holy shrine and a statue of the Lady of Lourdes. I have no idea what this has to do with Tenerife, but we have walked these tracks before and will probably do it again. Today there was a young man un in the tiny little chapel, watering the flowers. Ha knew only a few English words and was not much interested in talking, but we learned from him that there was a sacred well up there.Ha was watering the plants.

Finding new places. Discovering where we have already been.
Oh, I love travelling. Simply LOVE it.

The first travel tales, both in Norwegian and English are sent out. I hope you got yours.

Yellow, the colour of the sun

@brittarnhild

 Yellow has never been my colour. I have always looked upon it as the colour of danger.
But not tonight. Tonight it turned out to be the colour of comfort, of warmth, of love.

We sat at a table with bright yellow tablecloths, yellow napkins. The sun had just set and painted the sky deep yellow. WE drank sangria made on white wine, we ate paella.

Comfort, warmth, love.

 

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Wow, I got a lot of emails yesterday. I have added you all to my travel tale list :-)

 

First travel of the year

@brittarnhild

We are ready for our first travel of the year. I plan to blog, but inspired by our dear friends in California, Jane and Lanny, I also plan to write travel letters and send them out by email. I am working on an address list now. If you want to receive my travel tales, please let me know at [email protected] and I will add your address.

I hope to write two editions of the tales, one in Norwegian, one in English.

This first travel goes to Tenerife.