Nomen est Omen

We smirked a bit at this one, (thinking Turismo de Gran Canarias  had probably come up with it)-
Gran Canaria- Continente en Miniatura. Quite a grandios label to live up to we felt.
But to our surprise, we really did find a big world- folded 3D into a small island:
Mellow spring landscapes

rugged valleys

and glittering lakes-

a fascinating array of spiky survival specialists

and an ever-changing medley of perfectly adjusted plantlife

all bordered by the ever-present Atlantic ocean.

We’d wander across sand dunes

clamber up arid slopes,

meander across sunny meadows (only Mother Nature can rock neon yellow!)

and along paths lined with swaying grasses like elegant brushstrokes, waiting to be plucked

We’d climb through scented forests of deceptively feathery, ultra-tough Pinus Canariensis

and somehow end up at the beach- all in a single day!

So what didn’t we find here? Our dream “homebase”- in spite of a time-consuming but entertaining, (and sometimes disappointing), search….

And we didn’t find- *sotto voce*- food we’d actually look forward to ordering again. Yup, there’s a conspicuous absence of food pictures in M’s folders. We rarely post them anyway, but this time there was only one to start with- which says about as much about the food as I want to say*… (*Disclaimer: Vegetarian bias included).
We also, rather disappointingly, didn’t get to share in the lives of people here, except in the most casual way. I guess getting connected would need a lot more effort, in a lot more ways….

Now about Las Palmas’ second byname, the one I mentioned here. It’s Ciudad de la Cultura. Again, nomen really is omen: By the time we’d been here a month we’d been to two classical concerts, hallelujaed with a gospel choir straight from Georgia, USA

applauded a handful of folklore groups, a heavy metal band and an impressive line-up of Sunday afternoon buskers, (not to mention the museums, art galleries, churches- and ice cream parlours- we went to). There’s a veritable daisy-chain of cultura divertida on offer here- and many events are free. But this all pales before the bigger, the priceless treat we’ll be in for in a couple of days, when our boyz arrive for a two week holiday!!

After that- we’ll be heaving up anchor for sure….