Tenerife - World Heritage Site and Carnival

 Our first stop after leaving Grand Canaria was Tenerife where we arrived Wednesday.  There were a number of excursions available but many were longer than 7 hours and, from experience, I know those are very tiring and I avoid them unless they involve something I am desperate.  I chose an excursion called La Laguna and Tasting at Bodegas Alvaro.  The main reason is that La Laguna is a designated World Heritage Site. 

The tour left at 10 am and our guide, Guillermo, was excellent.   We began with a walking tour of La Laguna, a World Heritage site.  It received this designation because San Cristóbal de La Laguna is the first example of an unfortified town with a grid model that was the direct precursor of the settlements in the Americas under Spanish rule during colonial times.  The Castilians founded 8 such grid-plan towns on the Canary Islands.  They were founded "ex novo", i.e. on un-built ground, and the town was a political means for the colonization and appropriation of the territory. It is that very philosophy that was transferred to the Americas.

I was struck by the wide pedestrian streets and all the trees, mostly different types of palms but also pine, throughout the town.  We stopped at several historic buildings and some had courtyards similar to the ones I’d seen in Las Palmas.  One of the last stops was the mercado (market) and it always interesting to what they are like in different countries.  The final stop in the town was a small church with an amazing amount of silver in it, including the lectern.  






A Dragon Tree











From there, we were bused to nearby Bodegas Alvaro for a wine tasting.  There were four wines to taste: white, rose, red and a muscatel.  The last one was particularly good but they were all lovely.  We were served bread, salami and Manchego cheese along with the wine.  All in all, it was a very interesting tour and just the right length as we were back on the ship by 1 pm.  








The Opera House where we went to an event later that day

On Azamara cruises longer than 9 or 10 days, the company hosts a cultural experiences for passengers called "Azamazing Evenings".  These can be held either on or off the ship.  Of the 4 cruises I have done, two have been onshore and they were significantly more impressive than the two I have seen aboard.  The Azamazing Evening on this cruise was held in Tenerife and was intended to replicate some of the ambiance, music and spectacle of Carnival.  The Santa Cruz de Tenerife annual 15-day Carnival is the most Brazilian of all the Spanish carnivals, and it is famous all over the world for its fabulous flavour.  Once the Carnival Queen has been crowned, thousands of merrymakers hit the streets for the festival filled with joie de vivre.  The climax of the Carnival is “el Coso”, a spectacular parade that fills onlookers with amazement and awe.  The festivities then take a sombre tone with the Burial of the Sardine, the symbolic spirit of the Carnival, where it is carried through the streets on a funeral bier, and then set on fire and consumed by the flames.  There is one final swan song weekend of shows, dancing and parades the “Pinata Chica”.

We were bused to the Opera House which we’d seen leaving the harbour in the morning.  The Carnival theme did not disappoint from the moment we arrived at the venue.  The long ramp to the entrance to the auditorium entrance was lined with costumed dancers and throbbing drums.  That continued when we were seated inside.  We were also given wine – pretty much as much as we wanted!  The show was all about the dancing and music and I loved it.  However, as we looked around, some of the older people (mostly men) had their fingers in their ears.  I guess they found it too loud.  The costumes were amazing and the dancers great – and very energetic!  Unfortunately, it was a bit difficult to get photos of the performances but, hopefully, these will give you a sense of what it was like.



















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