Tahiche

At the town of San Bartolomé I found a decent pizza for lunch, although the "crab" was really seafood extender.

You must be tired of reading about César Manrique by now. He was born in Arrecife in 1919, trained in Tenerife and Madrid and became an internationally successful artist.

After he returned to Lanzarote in 1968, he undertook to build structures that harmonised with the unique landscape of his home island. As a painter, sculptor, artist, architect, and landscape planner he's left his mark everywhere on Lanzarote.

Sadly he died in a car accident in 1992, but the Fundación César Manrique that was set up in his former home and studio in Tahiche to this day lobbies for sympathetic development. One of the results is relatively few high-rise developments on Lanzarote.

Taro de Tahiche is set in the lava fields from the volcanic eruptions. The rooms are actually huge air bubbles left behind by the solidification of the lava.

It is a beautiful and peaceful house.

I had a lovely time walking through the rooms.

Even though it was mid-afternoon, I sat and enjoyed cool breezes in the shade outside the house.

There is a small garden too.

His huge wind sculptures are instantly recognisable Lanzarote landmarks.

Note from the future: This wind sculpture, Fobos, was an important story element in the 2009 Pedro Almodóvar film Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces).

Malpaís de la Corona

Despite my worries, there was no parking ticket on the car in the morning, so I was parked in a legal space. I was kept awake till late by a couple in a nearby room yakking away into the early hours.

The Matiz was bright red in colour and very economical. I estimated that it was consuming between 5 and 6 litres per 100 km. This photo was actually taken at the end of the hire, at the airport. But one drawback was that it had small tyres so I couldn't drive on roads where the depressions were too deep or I would scrape the bottom of the car.

I headed north again, but this time up the mountains towards the area named Malpaís de la Corona (Badlands of the Crown). This is inhospitable and sparsely populated terrain as the name suggests. At Haría, the town of the eponymous municipality, nothing was open as it was too early. So I pressed on to Mirador del Rio, which is on an escarpment facing northwest. Near the destination were these windmills. Like Tenerife, Lanzarote is also trying to tap wind energy.

The elevation of about 475m provides views of the Atlantic Ocean.

The mirador used to be a fort from which passing ships could be observed. The rio is not really a river but a channel separating Lanzarote from the island of La Graciosa. The clear skies and brilliant sunshine provided these stunning views.

Second of the panoramic view.

Third of the panoramic view.

Last of the panoramic view.

The lookout was designed by César Manrique in 1974. This is the roof of the spiral staircase leading to the viewing platform.

And this is the interior of the cafe and souvenir shop.

This hazy telephoto shot plainly shows the volcanic origins of La Graciosa. Access to the island, which is part of a national park, is via a ferry from Órzola. I drove down there. There was a ferry ready to depart, but I decided against taking the crossing to explore the island. According to the schedule, the return trip was at 1620. I saw the driver of the tour bus sitting at one of the several restaurants. Nothing for him to do until late afternoon; what a life. I wasn't hungry yet, so I pushed on. Follow me to the next post in the blog.