January 9. 2020: The Fish, The Salt. The Dunes.

The pirate in the foreground. The Faro Toston in the background. This lighthouse houses a fishing museum of Fuertaventura and the site of our first stop today.

“A poor fisherman who knows the beauties of the misty mornings is much richer than a wealthy man who sleeps till noon in his palace!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

We have made several visits to the nearby lighthouse to see the sunset and noted on our last one that it houses a museum of fishing in Fuertaventura. So today, we made it our first stop. We learned so much! First of all, although you would think any island in the Atlantic would be a primo fishing spot, in the Canaries, Fuertaventura is closest to the high yield Sahara Banks and is the only island where fishing has been commercially successful. Although it wasn't always a good way to make a living. There is ample archeological evidence that the native Berbers were fishermen and used a variety of techniques to catch fish including native plants into the tide pools that paralyzed the catch. They also used bone hooks, traps and nets. Modern fisherman used similar techniques and a few more. Although the island has always been cultivated for grain since the arrival of the Spanish, fish have been used to supplement the diet and even prevent starvation in years when harvests failed.

Women of the island appear to be integral to the fishing trade. They collected all the bait and were also the ones who sold the fish.

Fishing in the Canaries uses many methods including various forms of netting, hook and line, and traps. It is a very hard working profession.

Fishing village children

One thing the museum emphasized is that the decision to fish off these islands is made on a daily basis. Behind Paul you might see that big surf coming in. There are days when it is much safer to stay ashore.

Fishing was a life of near poverty in most eras. Children were schooled at sea. They were often to required to start helping the family by age 10 and could be indentured to a fishing boat by age 12.

Children had no school and in fishing communities were expected to begin working in the industry by age 10.

The fishing museum was very interesting and we learned a lot about fishing not only in Fuerteventura but about the other islands as well. We also learned about current efforts at conservation and about avoidance of ocean plastics and plastics in general. Amazingly, we were the only people in the museum during the hour we spent there.

From here, we decided to go to the salt museum. Fishing and salt, used in the past as a preservative for fish and other foods, seemed to go hand in hand. El Cotillo where we have been staying and the Fishing Museum exists, is on the wild west side of the island where the unopposed Atlantic can crash into the shore. The salt museum is in the tamer east side. So off we went to Salinas del Carmen.

Tools of the salt trade

The island of Fuertaventura was ruled by lords. This gentleman, Don Manuel Velasquez Cabrera petitioned for the right to start mining salt from the sea. 

Mining salt from the sea is a pretty complicated and ingenius process. This salt production technique is to use a "blow hole" to collect sea foam (supposedly the part of seawater highest in quality sodium chloride) and channel that into a series of ponds that allow a gradual heating process. The ponds eventually become quite shallow where water can evaporate. In the Canaries, the months between April and October are ideal for this process and are the "salt season." The remaining months are used to maintain the ponds. In this particular salt production site we visited, up to 700 tons of salt per year are produced. 

The "blowhole." In this method, only "seafoam" is collected to produce the highest quality salt.

The seawater follow this channel to a series of ponds. 

After passing through larger ponds where the water gradually heats naturally, these smaller evaporation ponds are where the action is. The ponds are stirred twice daily manually. The salt extracted is dried on the sides of the ponds and then collected for packaging and distribution.

An incidental whale skeleton in the middle of the salt factory.

The pirate stands in front of a pile o salt next to the storage and packaging facility.

Again, this was a fascinating museum and an active salt plant as well. We learned a lot and worked up an appetite...

We also had ravioli but since it is still January, we thought we would show the healthy part of the meal.

On the way back to El Cotillo, we wanted to see the Parque Natural de Corralejo which is home to some mighty big sand dunes. Not quite as big as Mas Palomas on Gran Canaria, they are definitely noticeable and a big contrast to the raw volcanic rock fields of malpais strewn over the island.

Pirate on a dune.

These dunes are a stark contrast to the rest of the island.

Limpet seen in the water near the dunes.

From the dune seashore, we saw Isla de los Lobos, the mountain in the foreground and Lanzarote, the mountains in the background.

We finished our hiking in the dunes just in time to get back to the lighthouse for sunset.

Waves were pretty violent today. There were red flags out on all beaches on both sides of Fuertaventura. We came here by ferry and were glad we were NOT on one today.

A sunset that never disappoints.

We celebrated our last night in the Canary Island before returning home with the quintessential Canarian meal: Grilled fish, potatoes arrugados (boiled in salt until the salt crystallizes outside on the skin) and salad. 

A simple and delicious meal. We picked out our own fish from today's fresh catch.

It's been an amazing trip planned by my local Knoxville pirate and although I am fine with going home, I will definitely carry home some incredible memories of this trip.

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Paul's Ponderings:  Last night of a great trip.   We've enjoyed both islands, but Fuerteventura is pretty great.   We spent today catching up on some loose ends of a sort, which made it pretty varied overall.   The waves at the lighthouse in both morning and evening were incredible.   Tomorrow it is back to Madrid for a night, then home.   We hope to be back in 2021, itinerary to be determined.   

January 8, 2020. Scenic Drive and a Hike

The interior of Fuertaventura includes volcanic malpais,  mountainous terrain, and outstanding views of the Atlantic ocean, sometimes in multiple directions.

A dream is the reality of a future that exists in a person's imagination. — Sunday Adelaja

So on Wednesday, we dreamed of seeing the scenery of Fuertaventura a little better and headed off in the car to make it happen. Paul wanted to explore the city of Betancuria, the old capital, and that determined our direction.

The landscape of Fuertaventura is pretty varied, but all arid. There is volcanic rubble "malpais," volcanic mountains, sand, and nary a river or stream amongst it. And all the way around it, the Atlantic.  There are 300+ sunny days per year and almost no rainfall. It took very hearty people to live here and harvest the land and waters amidst near drought conditions nearly constantly.

The original inhabitants (human ones) were Berbers from Africa. No one knows how they arrived (since they didn't bother to find out before they slaughtered them), but presumably by boat and definitely DNA wise from North Africa.

One of our first stops honored two native kings who banded together to try to stem the influx of Europeans. Morro Velosa viewpoint, located at about 2000 ft above sea level,  was designed by our artist/architect friend from Lanzarote, Cesar Manrique. Statues sized about 4 meters in height, represent Ayoze and Guize, the ancient guanaches kings of Fuerteventura, that were dominating the island before Spanish conquerors attack. Guanaches is the name of the native population of Canary islands, whose history and details are still not fully known. The two kings were dominating half-island each, in a North-South separation. Even if the statues look  friendly, their separation made weakness from the technologically more advanced Norman conquerors.

Ayoze and Guize stand guard above Fuertaventura

This the beautiful view all the way to the Atlantic you get from Morro Velosa

This was a worthwhile scenic stop on our way to Betancuria, the original capital of Fuertaventura. Population in those days tended to live INLAND to escape the raids of pirates.  That said, the town was razed by pirates anyway in 1593. Those pirates were a crafty lot! 

Betancuria is named after Jean de Béthencourt, who founded the town in 1404.  It was the original capital of the Kingdom of the Canary Islands, and later capital of Fuerteventura. It remained capital until 1834 when that honor was bestowed (briefly) on Antigua.  

In modern day, it is a quaint, clean and historic city with a lovely cathedral filled with "sacred art" for which you pay 3 euros to enjoy. 

Nobody puts baby in a corner, but apparently, it is a good spot for Madonna in Betancuria church.

To me, the most amazing thing in this cathedral besides that it has been standing since 1691 is this absolutely amazing painted wood ceiling. Truly magnificent.

This 1691 door also didn't suck

St James on his caballo. Vintage XVII century wood carving. 

Not exactly sure what this saint is telling us in this mural above his head. Probably something about hell considering the demonic figures in the lower section of the painting.  Or maybe he is the patron saint of plastic surgeons since all the ladies, despite being condemned to eternal damnation seem to have perfect mammary glands.

1691 Jesus amazingly like 2020 Jesus. This carving has survived centuries!

The altar area. Look far right. Although Paul isn't a regular churchgoer, he  has been attending daily in the Canaries. Is his head bowed in reverence or is he looking at his cell phone? I leave you to decide.

External view of the cathedral with shadow palm in the Betancuria Plaza.

Cobbled streets of Betancuria

The pirate shows off in front of the flowers. They kept the town in great visual condition.

From here, we were headed to the southeast coast of the island, Costa Calma. They very end of the island is a thin isthmus but apparently houses the best beaches. And a lot of Germans escaping the cold!

This is one of about 2 traffic signals we have seen here. In general, traffic is very light and well managed by roundabouts instead.

The beach at Costa Calma on the thin lower peninsula of the island. We enjoyed a hike along this windy coast.

A look down the coast which ends at the lighthouse in Jandia. There is no paved road to the end, just a dirt track. Next time!

The island of Fuertaventura is the second largest in the Canaries. It has a length of about 80 miles and we realized we were not going to make it to the end of the isthmus by dark. So we decided to enjoy sunset and our perpetual quest for the green flash at our "home" beach of El Cotillo. 

No green flash but you have to admit it didn't suck!

This little beach is about two blocks from our apartment and contains the remains of a windmill.

We ended the day with a pasta AGAIN at Romeo and Juliet restaurant. After all, it is an anniversary trip :). 

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

― Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds

Paul's Ponderings:   Wow, what an interesting island.   It's a postcard on every turn.   This was our FINAL Canarian island after several years and it's a great way to finish up....for the short term, not forever mind you.   Plans already being laid to come back in 2021 to spend more time.   I keep saying "why isn't everybody here" and I stand by that, putting airfares aside.   

We keep saying, "what was your favorite island" and it seems to be "they are all great, just in a different way".    But it's all a fabulous part of the world.    Despite being small, it's a very complex area.....people who lived here 30-50 years ago would find amazing that this place exists now.

Hopefully the photos here give a flavor of what's up here.....anyone reading our blog, visit if you can.

January 7, 2020: La Oliva to Antigua. Say Cheese!

Nuestra Senora de Candelaria all decked out for Los Tres Reyes

“The Church is a perpetually defeated thing that always outlives her conquerers.”
― Hilaire Belloc

Paul and I started the day with great ambition to visit four cities, three of which had political importance in years past,  and a series of interesting caves on the coastline. Instead we saw one city and some cheese! Better to live in the moment than make plans. Our first stop that took up most of the day was the city of La Oliva, only about 14 miles from our base in the surfer town of El Cotillo.

This is a relatively sleepy town, but it was once the capital of Fuertaventura in the 18th century and before that, the seat of the Guanche king, Guixe. 

There is a "tourist route" starting at the cathedral in the town square. So that's where we started as well.  Nuestra Senora de Candelaria is a 17th century church with a volcanic stone bell tower. The interior is simple but interesting. I am always impressed by the Canarian wood ceilings.

The crucifixion scene as you enter

Note the vaulted wood ceiling, a feature of many buildings of these islands.

I went to the grotto to say a prayer for some sick friends, but had to stand outside it so as not to disturb this guy sleeping on the bench.

The baptismal font is centuries old.

From here, the guidebook directed us to the Museo de Grano La Sila. This was a grain storage building during the period of the Spanish lords and colonels.  Note the similarity to our word silo, although this building was not tall and thin. 

A low Canarian stone building served as a storage area for local grains: wheat, millet, corn and beans.

It housed grain that was taken as a tax to the church and the military command. This wasn't on our plan for the day, but it ended up being a happy accident. Grain was essential here to survival in the hot desert climate. We got a real feel for how hard these folks worked to grow, water, harvest, and store the crops. 

This wooden tiller  has implanted sharp volcanic rock

The local farmers used oxen, donkeys and yes, camels to plough fields. Camels were the preferred beast of burden as they are drought resistant and can carry a heavier load than a donkey.

Besides growing the grains, the farmers had to harvest it (not on a windy day, which is a feat on these islands) and separate grain and shaft. Here are some devices used for the latter task.

I gained a great appreciation for the ingenuity and sheer stamina of these folks who grew so much in this harsh environment. Harsh years lead to famine and poverty.

From here, we walked down the road to the Casa Manes. This was a favorite of mine-- an art museum featuring ONLY Canarian artists. There was also a nice cactus garden and restaurant on the property which was once a military colonel's home, then a doctor's vacation residence, and is now nicely restored for cultural purposes. They had several temporary installations as well as permanent collection and a tienda. 

This painting and the one below were done by the same artist. This one was in the permanent collection.

The temporary collection piece by the same artist as the painting above. These pieces were more on the lines of erotica...although if you LOVE surfing, I guess the first one seems erotic too. The temporary exhibit appeared to mostly feature women artists of the Canaries.

Sculpture garden

The artist Melian has a beautiful textured technique that depicts the local landscape of Fuertaventura very well.

There was a large cactus garden. Paul liked this one because it looked like it had a tail.

The pirate hanging out in the sculpture garden.

The permanent collection was housed in this lovely subterranean area with skylights and another of their lovely wooden ceilings.

I totally fell in love with this artist, Nuria del Pino, who depicts mixed media scenes. I love the stick people at the bottom.

From here we made our way to the "big feature" of La Oliva, which once served as a capital city. The Spanish military positioned colonels here, giving them a lordship. They oversaw the grain collection, some civil affairs and protected the citizens from foreign invasion and piracy, which was rampant in the 18th and some of the 19th century. There is a record in the residence of a British ship landing with 55 men whom the Spanish military slaughtered (losing only 5 men themselves.) They divided the 155 guns, 50 rifles and various other wares, including a trumpet amongst the soldiers who fought the battle. 

Casa de los Coroneles. Much favored for its symmetry and beautiful balconies. It's big!

Interior view of Casa de Coroneles.

The courtyard

The dining room. There is an interesting record preserved of an Englishman who visited one of the last Colonels in about 1901. He states the only people in the house were a very old man, his 45 year old son and a very feeble woman servant. His description of the evening is quite comical. He was a friend of friend of a "Marquesa" but they seemed to believe he was much closer to her than he was--an error he chose not correct. He says the elderly lady worked hard to be sure his mouth was never empty. In fact, she worked so hard, he started keeping a biscuit in his pocket so that if she ever passed him, he would pull it out and take a nibble to be sure he was always eating and thereby avoid an onslaught of  food.

After seeing all these historical sites, and hearing about other people being fed at Casa de Coroneles, the pirate was inspired to find Casa de Pizza. The pizzeria we found was not much to look at, but the pizza itself was thin-crusted and wood-fired and deemed "pirate worthy."

It almost made him smile. 

Doesn't look like much but highly recommended. Across the street from the church.

From this point, we ventured to the next city of Antigua which served as the capital of Fuertaventura from 1834-5. We didn't get there in time to see the inside of the local church which is one of the oldest in the Canaries. But we did see the Cheese Museum which is set up at the site of a local windmills. Like Mallorca, grain was incredibly important in the Canaries and windmills are around every curve.

Molina de Antigua. You can go inside and see the grinding stone. 

And since this is a cheese museum, you can get a sampler. Goat cheese in this region is highly regulated and comes in three forms: Young or fresco (aged less than 20 days), semi-curado (aged 20-60 days) and curado or mature (aged >60 days). It all tasted good to me.

Cheese in this region pretty much all comes from goats. The Majorera goats come in all sizes and colors. You can see my shadow taking a picture of this "splain board." 

The unique features of this goat are pointed out. The one I note is that this goat type is the Dolly Parton of udders. There was even an exhibit that showed that the father goat testicle shape and size determines the tit size of the female goat. Then they had a game where you match the testicles to the teats...and this game was interactive for children. Oh Lord. That wouldn't fly in K town.

The Canarian sheep dog which weighs about 80-90 lbs is an integral part of any goat herd.

I learned a heck of a lot about goats, testicles, teats, milking, sheperding, cheese making process, rennet, curds, labelling---you name it. Very interesting and complicated process. But the cheese will make you smile. YUM!

By this time, the sun was low in the sky, so we headed back to El Cotillo. On the way, we visited the local lighthouse and watched the sun go down on the ocean.

El Cotillo Land of the Awesome Sunset.

The pirate in the foreground on rocky beach. Faro de Toston in the background.

We didn't walk 10 miles today, but we did get "our steps" easily. So this worked up an appetite for a stop at Cafe Romeo and Juliette. That didn't suck either. What's not to like about pasta and tiramisu?

Wild boar tagiatelle. Pirate, pizza, pasta---there seems to be a theme.

I had pasta mediterranean--tomatoes, capers and olives. A winning combo.

We have plenty more to see on Fuertaventura tomorrow--which by the way was settled by the French!

"Whilst all of the Canary Islands are stunning, it is Fuerteventura that is renowned for having the most pristine beaches. Just 50 miles from the west African coast, the entire island is a Biosphere Reserve which ensures the natural surroundings (including volcanoes, scared mountains and sand dunes) are looked after effectively.

Not only is Fuerteventura nature’s paradise, it is also rich with cultural attractions, historical monuments and religious architecture. "--------Expat News

Paul's Ponderings:  What a great low key day out on the Canaries.....after some super vigorous hiking on Lanzarote, we have a fabulous warm day of culture out on Fuerteventura.   I think we both learned a lot about the island, both about the history of the oversight of church and military as dominant institutions, but general culture as well.  What an impressive island with a rich history this island has...like a large part of Canaries, it has a long and complex history dating back to the Berbers, but dominated by an agricultural society that worked extremely hard to barely survive at times.   

Likewise, after some pretty intense hiking over the pas week, we were pretty glad to just sort of sight-see today.   

Once again, if you get a chance to visit here, take advantage of it......you won't regret it.