Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

We fly to London, then Madrid, connecting to a flight to Tenerife for a cruise around the Canary Islands.  The Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, the southernmost autonomous community of Spain, located about 100 km (62 miles) off the northwest coast of Africa.  The seven main islands are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro and, due to their location, they are considered a major link between Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  The Canaries are part of Macronesia the collective name given to the five chains of islands that are situated in the east central area of the North Atlantic:  Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Cape Verde, and the Canary Islands.

Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Island group and is located slightly north of the Tropic of Cancer in the middle of the archipelago.  The island is 786 square miles (2,035 sq. km) and its highest peak is Mount Teide at 12,198 feet (3,718 meters).  The islands were formed by volcanic activity over millions of years and the last eruption on Tenerife was in 1909, lasting three months (on this trip, we'll also visit an island where the last eruption was four years ago).

We arrive in the evening and wander around the old town area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, admiring the sights of this city.

Evening stroll in Santa Cruz

In the morning, we rise and take a longer walk around the town.

Staring our wander in Santa Cruz

We stroll by the port and note that a few big ships (and our small one with 300 or so guests) are dropping off passengers, preparing to load up again in the afternoon.

Large ships (and our small one with sails)

We wander back into the city and head toward the park at Plaza Weyler.

Military museum

Views of the city streets

Plaza Weyler, build in 1893, is a popular meeting place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, located near the pedestrian shopping area Calle del Castillo.  The fountain in the middle and the planting surrounding it  are incredible and we wander.

Plaza Weyler

From the plaza, it's a short walk to Calle del Castillo, the main pedestrian shopping artery in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.  These blocks are packed with shops, cafes, and historic buildings, stretching between Plaza Weyler and Plaza de la Candelaria by the harbor.

Calle del Castillo

It's getting toward afternoon and we head back to our hotel to check out and walk over to the ship.

View from our hotel room

The large cruise ships are still in the harbor and we walk to our [smaller] ship located between them, check in, and watch the activity in the harbor, particularly the ferries which travel between the islands with passengers, cars, trucks, and freight.

Inter-island ferries

Soon, it's our turn to depart and we leave the harbor, looking back at Santa Cruz de Tenerife as the sun sets.

Looking back at the city

We're off for a ten-day exploration of the Canary Islands, with a short stop in Madiera (part of Portugual) in the middle of the cruise.

Spaghetti With Tomato and Basil

This recipe is a variation of a dish we have enjoyed at Scarpetta, a fabulous Italian restaurant on Madison Avenue in New York City.  We're inspired by the tomatoes on our backyard vines (arriving late in the year as we planted late in the spring).

Backyard tomatoes

We start by making tomato sauce:  core the tomatoes with a knife and carve an "X" into the bottom of each.  Boil the tomatoes in water for 15 seconds, transfer to an ice bath to cool, peel, slice lengthwise, and remove the seeds.  For variety, we add some additional canned San Marzano tomatoes with the seeds removed.  We then heat olive oil in a pot, transfer the tomatoes to the pot, add a pinch of salt and chili flakes, and cook for 30 to 45 minutes using a potato masher to help break down the tomatoes.

While the tomatoes are cooking, we prepare basil-garlic oil over low heat with 1/4 cup of olive oil, whole garlic cloves, two stems of basil with the leaves, and a pinch of red chili flakes.  We removed this mixture from the heat when the garlic is lightly browned (about 25 minutes), strain the oil, and combine it with the tomato mixture.

Tomato sauce

We cook spaghetti to just shy of al dente, add the pasta to the sauce along with a bit of pasta water, and finish cooking, with the sauce lightly coating the pasta.  We then remove the pot from the heat and add chiffonade-cut basil, grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, unsalted butter, and a drizzle of olive oil.  We plate and serve.

Pasta and sauce

Plated

Served for everyone (with salad and wine)

Hiking the Indian Beach Trail in Oregon

Indian Beach Trail, part of the Oregon Coast Trail, is located near Cannon Beach, Oregon, and stretches from Ecola Point (just north of Cannon Beach) to Indian Beach, several miles up the coast and one of the two beaches in Ecola Point State Park.  We initially drive to and explore Indian Beach and then follow the trail south to Ecola Point and return.  The tide is out when we arrive and Indian Beach offers exposed sand for great walking and exploration.

Indian Beach

Indian Beach demonstrates  the rugged grandeur of the Oregon Coast, a place where old-growth conifer forests cover wave-buffeted cliffs.  The beach is bow-shaped, sitting in a notch carved from Tillamook Head and a chain of sea stacks dot the shoreline, rising from the ocean and delighting us as we walk along the exposed sand (the tide is out).

We spot the trailhead marker just above the beach and start up toward Ecola Point.

Starting up the trail

Glimpses back at Indian Beach

Continuing up

The trail leaves the coast and loops through the forest around the back side of the hills, returning to the coast as we approach Ecola Point.

Passing through the forest

Along the trail, not bothered by us at all

We start to descend to the water and are offered glimpses of the ocean and the beaches near Ecola Point.

Returning to the ocean

Looking back at Indian Beach

The path continues descending to Ecola Point and we walk out to find more beautiful views up and down the coast.

Views from Ecola Point

We return to the trail and head back to Indian Beach to find that the tide has come in and the beach is much smaller.

Hiking back through the forest

Returning to Indian Beach

At the trailhead, a board tells us of some of the films shot nearby, including Point Break, Twilight, the Goonies, and Kindergarten Cop.

Filming here

This has been another great Oregon Coast stop and we need to explore more on another day.