Amy & Ludo, the singing duo at the Star Bar on the Star Breeze, injected "Hotel California into almost every performance, but I am not sure they were ever able to complete it due to some interruption on the ship. It almost became a joke. Vangelis' 1492 Conquest of Paradise frequently interrupted them, heralding each sail away party, guests seemingly bewitched as, faces cast upward, they watched the Windstar colors being raised as the ship made her way out of port. There was so much drama accompanying each departure that we were always expecting fireworks. But raised glasses of champagne & Vangelis were all we got.
May 1 - 5:
San Sebastián de la Gomera
First stop of the cruise and time for some hopping through town and up into the hills for a panoramic view of the very picturesque town and port. Stop for some local wine, Cuban Internet cafe, & back to the ship. Sore paws & tootsies from all the walking on cobblestone streets, but one very happy Fitbit for all the steps.
Las Palmas
Another volcanic island in the Canary chain with noteworthy serpentine roads up to the volcano. We opted instead for a bus trip into the old town. A street performer's Romanian fiddle music was a memory worth capturing. The seaside town was charming but otherwise unremarkable for a port of call.
Lanzarote
This is the northernmost of the Canary Islands, just 70 miles off the coast of Africa, 4 degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer. 270 years ago it was the scene of the world's longest ever volcanic eruption, lasting more than 6 years. Due to the dry climate & lack of erosion, the volcanic landscape appears much as it did just after the eruptions, having a lunar or Martian quality which provided the perfect location for the 1970's production of Planet of the Apes.
We met the "Man" today, a fellow cruise passenger who boasted he was uniquely well traveled and because he was pretty fluent in Spanish would negotiate with a taxi driver for the best deal for a 4-hour tour. He arrogantly, but ineffectually, "negotiated " (in Spanglish) a taxi for 4 of us to go into the old capital and to La Cueva de Los Verdes (the caves). "Three hours? I thought you said you were negotiating for 4 hours? What about the fortress on the hill? "Well, um, the driver just wouldn't go for that. Heh-heh." Thankfully, we had our own secret weapon who actually successfully re-negotiated the agreement entirely in Spanish, adding the UNESCO fortress on the hill & Jameos del Agua (the baths), and up to four hours. Obviously the best man for the job is a woman.
Teguise is a quaint, 600 year old town of whitewashed buildings with sun-bleached tile roofs, crosses decorated with paper flowers, and small shop keepers. A museum tour with a variety of ancient crucifixes, an ornate altarpiece, and a beautifully carved wooden ceiling, was the sum & total of our Teguise experience & we were off to the fortress on the hill: the Pirates museum. The panoramic view from the fort revealed a stark reddish-brown mountainous landscape. I don't recall seeing even one tree on the slopes.
Next we were off to caves, created by lava flows and various temperatures in the cooling process. La Cueva de Los Verdes is just one part of the world's longest lava cave, the Atlantida Tunnel. It 's an escorted tour approximately 1km in length, interesting for its size and the natural formations.
We had just enough time for a brief stop at Rita Hayworth's haunt which she described as the 8th wonder of the world - Jameos del Agua, a tourist attraction of azurine water flowing in from the sea into the grottos, with restaurant, swimming area, and gift shop. We only used the bathroom and had to head back to the ship; the 8th wonder of the world remains a mystery to us.
May 1 - 5:
San Sebastián de la Gomera
First stop of the cruise and time for some hopping through town and up into the hills for a panoramic view of the very picturesque town and port. Stop for some local wine, Cuban Internet cafe, & back to the ship. Sore paws & tootsies from all the walking on cobblestone streets, but one very happy Fitbit for all the steps.
Las Palmas
Another volcanic island in the Canary chain with noteworthy serpentine roads up to the volcano. We opted instead for a bus trip into the old town. A street performer's Romanian fiddle music was a memory worth capturing. The seaside town was charming but otherwise unremarkable for a port of call.
Lanzarote
This is the northernmost of the Canary Islands, just 70 miles off the coast of Africa, 4 degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer. 270 years ago it was the scene of the world's longest ever volcanic eruption, lasting more than 6 years. Due to the dry climate & lack of erosion, the volcanic landscape appears much as it did just after the eruptions, having a lunar or Martian quality which provided the perfect location for the 1970's production of Planet of the Apes.
We met the "Man" today, a fellow cruise passenger who boasted he was uniquely well traveled and because he was pretty fluent in Spanish would negotiate with a taxi driver for the best deal for a 4-hour tour. He arrogantly, but ineffectually, "negotiated " (in Spanglish) a taxi for 4 of us to go into the old capital and to La Cueva de Los Verdes (the caves). "Three hours? I thought you said you were negotiating for 4 hours? What about the fortress on the hill? "Well, um, the driver just wouldn't go for that. Heh-heh." Thankfully, we had our own secret weapon who actually successfully re-negotiated the agreement entirely in Spanish, adding the UNESCO fortress on the hill & Jameos del Agua (the baths), and up to four hours. Obviously the best man for the job is a woman.
Teguise is a quaint, 600 year old town of whitewashed buildings with sun-bleached tile roofs, crosses decorated with paper flowers, and small shop keepers. A museum tour with a variety of ancient crucifixes, an ornate altarpiece, and a beautifully carved wooden ceiling, was the sum & total of our Teguise experience & we were off to the fortress on the hill: the Pirates museum. The panoramic view from the fort revealed a stark reddish-brown mountainous landscape. I don't recall seeing even one tree on the slopes.
Next we were off to caves, created by lava flows and various temperatures in the cooling process. La Cueva de Los Verdes is just one part of the world's longest lava cave, the Atlantida Tunnel. It 's an escorted tour approximately 1km in length, interesting for its size and the natural formations.
We had just enough time for a brief stop at Rita Hayworth's haunt which she described as the 8th wonder of the world - Jameos del Agua, a tourist attraction of azurine water flowing in from the sea into the grottos, with restaurant, swimming area, and gift shop. We only used the bathroom and had to head back to the ship; the 8th wonder of the world remains a mystery to us.
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