22 November 2013: at anchor, Papagayo beach, Lanzarote

28:51.2N

13:47.7W

Tomorrow is the big day!  We left Lanzarote Marina this morning and motored 20 miles down to the bottom of the Island in preparation for departing tomorrow. 

Roger has scrubbed his bottom; Bryan has inspected the quality of work by swimming under the boat – brave, given water temperatures of 21.7C!  Here is the natural history picture of the day.

Yesterday, we did tourist things.  After a breakfast of porridge, expertly cheffed by Lucy (5kgs+ to erode!) we set off for the volcanic Parque Nacional de Timinfaya.  What we didn’t know was that 5 cruise ships were in town disgorging 7000 people onto the island – many of whom wanted to visit this very spot.  We queued over an hour to get in – but once we arrived we forgot this inconvenience.  The first task was lunch in a panoramic restaurant looking over the park.  We all ate food cooked over the heat from the volcano.

Then we took an escorted bus ride through the park, which lasted about 45 minutes, the views were spectacular.  The lava fields and craters showed clearly the size, colours and types of lava showed the power of the eruptions in the mid 1700s.

From there we went on to the Cesar Manrique foundation near Arreicife – a house built by the great man exploiting the natural features of the lava field, including living rooms formed out of the lava bubbles.  There was an exhibition of Manriques pictures and designs, and also his private collection of modern pictures including Picasso, Miro, etc.  It was very tranquil and peaceful.

Living aboard is cosy for four people.  Bryan is sharing the forecabin with the overflow from the veg locker.  The veg are separated from him by what he calls a loin cloth!  He’s had a new experience in that he has never before slept with two hairy, prickly pineapples.  As of tonight, after a supper of steak and barbequed steak followed by pineapple, it’s only one!  He’s not a vegetable yet…