One day in the sun...

The sun is shining, the water is warm (after you actually get into it heheh) and the temperature is near +30 degrees Celcius. No one is rushing to get around, people are sitting in the shade sipping their drinks and chatting. We take a bus to the old town of Las Palmas. On the way we pass a park, with lots of trees and some grass patches, and there are multiple tables full of mainly OAP's. And they are playing chess and cards and other games, just passing time under the parasols and the trees. The bus passes in front of the Teatro Perez Galdos, a theater named after the famous Canarian author. 

Cathedral Santa Ana

Meditation break on
Plaza de Santa Ana

The old town area has two smaller areas, Triana and Vegueta. First we go to Vegueta, and we sit down at a small cafe/restaurant to have lunch. Our local friend and guide orders us some tapas: we get the Canarian potatoes, beef with garlic, croquettes Canarian style, Canarian cheese... It's all lovely and in the end all three of us are full, but not too full to keep walking and sightseeing! We take off to see the big old cathedral of Santa Ana along with Plaza de Santa Ana that is right in front of it. We pass the Columbus museum and spot two parrots from the doorway, climbing on the vegetation of the pillars of the patio. We walk along in the sun (well, we stay in the sun, our friend in the shadow) and cross over to Triana. We go to a little park to see the statue of Columbus and then we set off to find some ice cream for dessert and to take the bus back to our side of Las Palmas. On the way we come across another park with the army assembled in it, playing music and letting kids and adults alike to sit in their vehicles and take pictures. We don't take pictures though, we just sit down, again in the shade, to finish our ice creams (mango sorbet NOM NOM!). There is no rush to the bus, no timetables to follow.. It's all so easy going, and we just love it! 

La Seafood Paella ;)

In the evening we get a craving for seafood paella. I know, if you'd asked me two years ago to eat a seafood paella I probably would've laughed and said "No way Jose! I don't eat squirmy things with eyes still attached!". Now however, I'm craving one (even as I'm writing this, I want it again...). We ask for recommendation for a restaurant from the hotel receptionist, a very nice girl called Marta and she directs us to La Marinera, at the seaside and only about 100m from the hotel. It's a fancy looking seafood restaurant where you can choose your fish from the cold, or have the waiter bring the cold fish to your table so you can look at it and disapprovingly shake your head, just to make the waitress run back and forth a couple of times. This didn't happen to us, as we got the paella with EVERYTHING in it! It was really tasty, but I have to admit I left one octopus tentacle untouched, it was just too... tentacle like. We get another taste of the restaurants grade as when he tries to take seconds, a waiter rushes over saying "No, no no!" and grabs the fork and spoon and his old plate, just to fill a clean plate with the rest of the paella from the pan. 

Our table is located next to the window, from which the sea is only about 3 meter away. With out tummies full and the sounds of the sea making us sleepy, we pay the bill and walk the short distance back to the hotel to have a good nights rest before hitting the sun again the next day ;) 

-S-