Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Years ago we had gone to the Canary Islands, the island of Fuerteventura to be precise.  It was a beach vacation, and I can’t say I remember any more than that, so I was not expecting much from our stop at Tenerife.  Wrong!  

A view from our coach as he headed to Anaya.

We docked in Santa Cruz, the island’s capital, but soon were on our way to the northern corner of the island and the Anaya Rural Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.  The drive was spectacular, both for the views of the coastline below and for the lush greenery of the rainforest.  Most notable was the so called “candelabra cactus” which is not a cactus at all but which has upright arms that spring from its base and can reach a height of ten feet or more.  (Sorry, neither Vann nor I got a good photo, but you can Google it.)   The area has a microclimate that favors the growing of a variety of vegetables and fruits to include grapes for wine.  Our tour made a wine stop (no cork and no label, but it wasn’t bad.)

The town of  San Cristobal de La Laguna is a jewel!  Once the capital city of the Canary Islands, this UNESCO World Heritage site features colonial architecture, ornate churches (and a convent of cloistered nuns), rich history, and a vibrant university and cultural life.  On the day we visited, folks were gearing up for their annual book festival to be held the following day.

Given a bit of time to explore on our own, we took our guide’s advice and slipped into a nearby cafe for the locals’ favorite drink, a barraquito.

To make one, slowly pour the following into a juice glass, in order, trying  to keep them in layers:  (Pouring over the back of a spoon might help.)

A Tablespoon of condensed milk

One ounce of liquor  (They use Licor 43, but Tia Maria or Cointreau are alternatives)

Two ounces hot espresso coffee

1.5 ounces whole milk, frothed

A dusting of cinnamon powder

A zest of lemon peel, yellow part only

Serve immediately with a spoon to stir before drinking, mixing the layers for a balanced flavor of sweet, creamy, citrusy, and coffee notes.  Muy buono!

Cape Verde (Praia and Mindelo) West Africa

Not every port of call knocks your socks off, but without exception there is always a take-away worth remembering.  Here’s what I’ll remember from our visit to Cape Verde.

This is Cape Verde’s flag, and it is rich with symbolism.  The blue represents the sky above and the Atlantic Ocean that surrounds the island.  The red and white stripes symbolize the road toward building the nation, white stands for peace while red represents the effort and determination of the people.  The ten yellow stars, arranged in a circle, are symbolic of the unity among the ten islands that make up the archipelago.  (Our guide, however, said that since one of the islands is uninhabited, the tenth star represents the Verdeans who live abroad.  There is a large population of Cape Verdeans, estimates as high as 265,000, who live in the US, mostly in the New England states.  Owing to hardships at home and seeking greater opportunities, Verdeans initially found work on whaling ships and were prized for their hard work and reliability.  Our guide told us that the “Verdean Dream” is to emigrate to America, make lots of money, and return and build a house in the islands.)

The “Verde” part was a surprise, as I was expecting to see some green.  Truth is, we are still in Africa with its desert climate and very low rainfall.  Our excursion took us to the summit of  Pico de Antonia where, at  an elevation of over 4000-feet, clouds provide some shade and rainfall.  I will remember the terracing that has been established to hold soil and moisture.  Every stone placed by hand, the terraces give evidence to the ingenuity and persistence of generations of local farmers.

One other story will stay with me.  As we walked down the narrow pedestrian street in center Praia, we found leafy bowers formed by trees that make an archway over the road.  Countless strands of white mini-lights had been added.  Our guide told us that at Christmastime the locals dress all in white and go for an evening stroll…their version of a “White Christmas.”

Null Island

This was a hoot!  If you have been following this blog, then you know that Viking never misses the chance to throw a party.  Null Island provided just that opportunity.

The point where the Equator and the Prime Meridian meet; that is, zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude, is a “place” called Null Island.  No land, not even a marker buoy, just a place on the map.  But it has taken on a life of its own.  

VRBO lists vacation rentals there.  Null Island restaurants accept reservations.  It has its own website.

Viking Sky reached those coordinates at 7am on a recent morning.  The Explorers’ Lounge was full.  Mimosas and Bloody Marys flowed.  Trays of doughnuts were passed.  The onboard lecturers gave their spiels.  Anyone who didn’t know about Null Island before knows about it now.

Here’s a photo of null Island.

Dinner in the Dunes

It was all very hush-hush.  We were told only to dress warmly and be ready to board a coach at 6pm.  

Turns out that about 700 of us answered the call and were scooped up by awaiting buses.  Off we went for parts unknown, traveling across the desert, often off-road.  After 45 minutes we arrived amid the tallest of Namibia’s dunes, where an enterprising cadre of cooks, entertainers, and servers greeted us for an unforgettable Dinner Under the Desert Sky.

As the evening wound down, we were led back to our buses along a path of luminaria under a starry sky.  Back at the ship, the awaiting staff greeted us in two lines at the foot of the gangway.  Onboard, the culinary team had prepared an extravaganza of all things chocolate, ending our evening on the sweetest of notes.

Walvis Bay, Namibia

 Walvis Bay was all about the dunes.  Period.  

We docked at about noon and immediately set out on an excursion to see flamingos, pelicans, and Namibia’s famous sand dunes.  Flamingos and pelicans were off breeding, but the dunes showed up in force!  I was soon off to climb the highest one.

I’m one of those specks on the dune:  at the bottom, left of center.

Victory!

Luderitz, Namibia

Once a prosperous diamond mining town, Luderitz stands as a reminder of its glory days.  Founded by German merchant Franz Adolf Luderitz in 1883, the town is now appreciated for its colorful German colonial architecture.  Perched atop Diamond Hill is the lovely Evangelical Lutheran church with stained glass windows donated by Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Cape Town, South Africa

Sometimes Vann and I grow a bit weary of group tours, so in Cape Town we had arranged to have a private driver take us around to the “must sees” and “must dos” of that area.  Good call; we had a great day with Bradley at the wheel!

Top on our list was a drive to Cape Point, with its view of the Cape of Good Hope, which I had thought was the southernmost point on the African Continent.  Turns out that honor goes to Cape Agulhas, about 90 miles away as the crow flies.  But Cape Point still provided a good photo op:

The drive around Cape Town was spectacular, mostly for its natural beauty.  Great stretches of white sand were around every corner it seemed…and not a high rise in sight to spoil the view.

Having a driver also allowed us to pass through harbor towns and fishing villages with roads so narrow that a motor coach could never have squeezed through.  Turns out Bradley was a pretty good scout, too, spotting this pair of ostriches out for a walk on the beach.

Our next stop was at Boulders Beach, home to a colony of African penguins.

We also wanted to do some wine tasting in the Stellenbosch area of South Africa, and Bradley’s choice of Spier Wine Farm did not disappoint.  We started out with a lovely al fresco lunch under the trees before making our way to the tasting area, where we opted to try three whites and three reds.  Our wine tab came to less than $7.00!

Would happily return to Cape Town.