Just a sight and a touch of the Heliodoro Stadium in Santa Cruz brought memories flooding back. It was 15 months since fans were allowed in to worship CD Tenerife, and for the final game of the 2020-2021 season, a small group of Armada Sur members popped up to make a couple of pre match presentations.We had hoped at least some fans would be let in the ground for the final game but that hope was dashed.

Captain Suso Santana was the focus of much speculation and attention in what could be his final game wearing the shirt with boundless pride. The 36 year old local born forwards contract expires in June 2021 and no news of a years extension has come from the club. Either way we wanted to mark his superb service, Suso is loved by the fans and plays his heart out for CD Tenerife. The commemorative plaque summed it up. “Heroes are never forgotten and legends never die.” Over 100 fans turned up outside the teams pre game hotel, across from the ground, to praise and support Suso – and to give a gentle nudge to the club management. There was also the Armada Sur player of the season award to bestow on USA international Shaq Moore. The right sided player from Powder Springs, Georgia has made a big impact in defence and supporting the attack from the wing.

Real Oviedo were the visitors, neither side had anything to play for, guaranteed a safe mid table position. The ref decided he would be the star of the game by showcasing the weaknesses of VAR. Oviedo took a 6th minute lead after a Dani Hernandez punch out wasnt cleared away, leaving Sanchez to score. The second half opened with Vada being floored by an Oviedo player, it took the ref an age to consult VAR and give the blatantly obvious penalty that Fran Sol finished with ease.

The script writer, or rather coach Ramis, set up a dream scenario when Suso came off the subs bench just after the hour. Just 15 minutes later English forward, Samuel Shashoua was pushed to the floor and there was only one man who could take the penalty on such a day. Suso looked as cool as ever to beat thr goalie and give Tenerife the lead.In the current climate, dreams dont always´thrive, with six minutes of time added on, Oviedo pushed forward and Blanco bundled in the leveller for a 2-2 draw.

Coach Ramis is another CD Tenerife employee who´s contract is about to expire, there´s a lot of discussions ahead for the club. At least we got a glimpse of the future, Jorge Padilla came on as a late sub, and Felix, another young gem got a few minutes towards the end. Whatever happens, the fans will be ready to return next season and will once again pump passion and emotion into the grand old stadium.

Threading delicate strands of cotton to make an artistic roseta is a Canarian art form. So it was fitting that it was featured on a series of large murals that greeted me on my arrival at La Escalona, just 6 kms below Vilaflor.

Walking down through La Hondura, an even bigger mosaic of natures making  spread out below with ancient tracks almost touching before heading down to Valle San Lorenzo, Arona town, and the south coast of Tenerife beyond. How does nature pack it all in? Between neat terraces and the peaks of the Ifonche walk, the  modern road that brought me to the higher ground, skirting along the lip of the deep barranco (ravine).

It was a seroiusly hot day but I passed a full reservoir complete with a memorial stone on its side. Further down there was a more unusual road side tribute A bag of Canarian potatos added a few more wrinkles from the heat, normally salt gives them the distinctive look and delicious flavour. The sweep of the valley below stretched as far as the rising road to the La Centinela viewing point to my left as well as showing familiar land marks from Arona town, a little further adrift than anticipated to my right.  A nifty cut back took me to Camino Altavista and swung me back on course for the village of Tunez.

I keep on seeing abandoned farm buildings on my travels, stripped of their past glories by the ravages of time and weather. Altavista showed showed some that had been kept in tip top condition and looked magnificent and functional, Other dwellings have found a new lease of life as rural tourism holiday retreats. One new recruit just below my path included a clear perspex bubble in the courtyard for observing the uncluttered night time skies that attract many astronomers to Tenerife.

In between the two extremes, there is always plenty of scope for good old muscle stretching on challenging paths that link villages and trade routes. I could see the distinctive white tower of Tunez church far below but it wasn´t going to come without some effort. Plenty of twists and turn over large awkward and uneven stones dominated the slowly descending route. Eventually it opened out to a flat exit at the entry to Tunez and a water break in the shade of the church plaza. Tunez commands a wonderful position looking out over the valley bowl of Valle San Lorenzo and an easier descent towards the town.

Barranco de Chijas dominates the valley as it carves irs way down from the hills. An old stone viaduct was always a popular diversion. It´s now sealed off but still worth the hour extra to head up to imagine rain water powering down through the tall bridges when the rare heavy rains arrive. There are more precarious view points to survey the valley but I had my eyes fixed on the circular terrero (Canarian Wrestling hall) and the football ground beside it. Once past that its an easy exit back to the main street of the busy and popular town.

Like a huge orange tongue that Gene Simmons of KISS would be envious of, the  protective boom was rolled out across Los Cristianos port to start a Monday morning contamination simulation excercise. A drone hovered over one of the small fishing boats in attendance as a sprinkling of sun bathers settled on the old beach just yards away.

Los Cristianos is a busy port and recent strengthening of the harbour wall showed the ongoing commitment to safety. This was still a working day, the Armas Taburiente ferry slowly glided in just beyond the port building and disgorged its foot and car passengers from the nearest of the Canary Islands. The local TV outlets gathered on the roof of the building but I settled on the terrace of the El Teatro cafe with my coffee.

As the boom spooled out to encircle a large section of the docking area, it left a large yellow cotton reel empty on the dock. The boom was pulled out into position to protect what would be a safety zone. Thankfully there was no danger involved, even the stacked boxes of crisps made it uncrunched onto the Armas ferry. OK it wasn´t exactly Thunderbirds but, practice now will help to ensure perfect arrangements in the unlikely event of a real spill.

The main operation took nearly an hour but I couldn´t help wondering how long it would take to rewind that tongue back onto the spool. It was a different way for me to spend a leisurely hour, but as a regular sea swimmer, it was reassuring to see that all was ship shape.

It could have been dawn breaking as sun filtered through leaves, casting eerie shadows. Noon was a more accurate time check, and I was just ten minutes into Erjos in the north west corner of Tenerife. The large green wedge of laurisilva forest marched across Teno rural park as a robin flitted away from a wooden gate. It was an inspiring welcome after I had stepped off my Titsa bus from Los Cristianos, after it had passed through the 20 degree sun of Santiago del Teide.

It was an easy transition from the blue skies and bursts of flowers as I trailed family groups strolling up the gentle grass rise. As the foliage closed in, moisture hung in the air, and moss clung to branches, it summoned thoughts of myths amd legends. Views from the mirador, about 30 minutes in, added to the contrasts and marked the point where most people retraced their steps to the plaza and church.

Others pushed on through the stark contrast of  the cool  tunnel created by tree branches entwined overhead. Twisted roots and dribbles of water made it all seem alive, I wouldn´t have been surprised to see strange eyes  glowing in the undergrowth, birds singing lightened the tone and sharp bends offered a realm of possibilities with each step.

Erjos offers a range of well signed walks, more choices cme up after two hours, I was doing the full 11.7 kms to Los Silos so took a tight dipping path marked for Monte de Aqua and Los Marados on the way down to the finish point. It was like opening a door on another dimension as fertile valleys plunged into the barrancos (ravines) as trees and plants hugged the hill sides. The roof was off and the sun sneaked through to spotlight a circular trail down the mountain.

Every branch and leaf was a conduit for moisture that eeked out of the clouds and into the thirsty soil. Rocky fingers protruded from the high sides as if reaching out to grab their share of natures bounty. There were only a few other walkers on this stretch, and they were coming up from the coast that appeared in the distance between the peaks. Los Maradas farm dwellings bore witness to the lure of this area, plentiful water being a must for cattle grazers and farmers.

The final 30 minutes trek was another tight path to the left of the derelict dwellings and linked up to a wider water modern channel that emerged just oposite the urban centre of Los Silos. I wasn´t too impressed by the seven adventure cyclists who poured down behind me, despite signs at two points forbidding their access. Lycra clad and in helmets they must have felt secure, but I didn´t fancy tyre marks up my legs. The good news was the walk emerged just by the Titsa bus stop to Garachico and Icod.

It was a very rewarding four hour walk in this rich corner of Tenerife,Erjos in the inland key to a range of walks of varying lengths. Coming up from the south, the first bus stop is Puerto de Erjos for the black caves, or in my case, two stops later was the busier Erjos with the plaza and a few cafe bars. There is limited parking near both bus stops to unlock a choice of options. !Quite a green heaven.

Rugged beauty draws sun worshippers to Playa El Callao beach just below the rising ridge of Guaza mountain in Los Cristianos. Not everyone takes their rubbish away with them, that´s why Keep It Clean Tenerife leapt into action armed with rubbish sacks, gloves, and bags of enthusiasm.

As a baking hot Sunday morning hit its stride, 58 volunteers covering a wide age range, left no stone unturned to capture  an impressive haul of assorted leftovers, they normally scoop up around 100 kilos each event. British  founder Tim was chalking up the groups 10 th clean up. “It started  just over a year ago when I picked up some rubbish when walking my dog, and its grown from there. We target the coast and have included Abades, La Caleta, El Medano, El Puertito, and Los Abrigos on a roughly monthly basis.”

The key is in the preparation, they set up base camp and welcomed their diverse team including Brits, Spanish, and Dutch. The long handles grabs were useful for the less fragrant deposits, but they didn´t hesitate to delve in along the craggy sides of the rock pool at the Las Tarajales entrance to the beach. The pool showed the diversity of the bathers from scuba fans to swimmers, and there were also  a few cans and plastic glasses from social gatherings perched on rocky ledges.

Large plastic water bottles were a perfect home for discarded cigarette ends. Tim explained that they could be recycled by a company in Holland. If that sounds unusual, a haul of old rusty nails and screws was an even bigger surprise. Tims guess was they were from wooden doors and pallets burnt on the beaches during the annual Night of San Juan (23 June)  when mid summer bonfires attract large groups to all Spanish beaches.

Two hours of combing the beach significantly reduced thethreat of more rubbish finding its way down into the sea. There are plenty more clean ups planned around the coast, including a big spruce up of the nearby Playa Las Vistas. Volunters are sure of a warm welcome, keep an eye on the Keep It Clean facebook page for full details.

Seemingly totally opposed aspects of Japanese culture, but this exhibition at the Caja Canarias Cultural Foundation in Santa Cruz showed many similarities between the subservient Geisha and the warrior Samurai. Both require a tight discipline, dedication to detail, and a flair of expression. Some 200 exhibits showed how both lifestyles had paid such a big part in the history and development of Japan.

From the spiritual through theatre, flowers, and mystic icons like Mount Fuji, sketches, documents, and paintings explored the growing process of people and country over centuries. Textiles, like the fine fabrics for kimonos, and hand carved ornate fans showed the amount of preparation behind everyday life. Split over two floors of the building, the exhibits grew in size and stature as I toured the rooms as gentle oriental music played in the background.

Geisha tradition has a strong sexual element, a warning sign made that clear before visiting the section of explicit drawings explaining the Geisha role in society. The costumes are the big showpiece stars and appear in the later sections. The delicate, flowing nature of the Geisha costumes contrasted well with the robust fighting armour of the Samurai. I was surprised to see how intricate the Samurai robes were, but their lances and other combat weapons looked suitable savage.

The exhibition is on at the Espacio Cultural of Caja Canarias in Plaza del Patriotismo, about 5 minutes up from the port area, until 24 July 2021. Opening times are Monday to Friday from 10 am to 1.30 pm, and 5.30 pm to 8 pm. Saturdays times are from 10 am to 1 .30 pm only, and closed Sundays and fiesta days. Entry is FREE on Mondays, and 5 euros all other times.

How nice when old friends turn up for a special birthday. Santa Cruz welcomed back the flower crosses for the 527 th anniversary of the founding of the Tenerife capital. La Rambla missed the colourful event in 2020 due to Covid restrictions but 16 crosses took pride of place to raise the tradition back to its former heights.

I arrived early from Los Cristianos on the Monday morning, swapping the Titsa bus for the tram. Getting off at La Paz, I could see the display had extended across into Avenida La Asuncion to the left, and a family were still adding fine touches to their entry. Dia de la Cruz (Day of the Cross) is always popular but bigger gaps this year allowed more freedom of movement and a chance to appreciate the blooms from all angles. La Rambla is the perfect host with its wide pedestrianised walkway through the heart of the city.

Many of the local groups that had created the works of art, had ties with the health sector, very appropriate after their sterling efforts to keep us all healthy. As it was a public holiday in Santa Cruz, many families enjoyed a stroll under the shade of the spreading Indian Laurel trees, thes all year round  inhabitants and the dazzling violet blooms mixing in made it a natural green house of beauty.

The mood is infectious, several surrounding homes had added small crosses on their balconies, and I noticed an old peoples home was having an outside tea party in their grounds, based around a small home grown cross with a guitar playing singer adding a gentle vibe to the big day. La Rambla is a treasure trove of historical interest, the old abandoned bull ring harked back to Tenerife´s past, and at the far end of the walk, the Parque Garcis Sanabria made a nice entry point back down into the  shopping centre of the city and the port.

The crosses were sturdier and more restrained this time, but as pleasing on the eye as ever. With less wild strands , and strong wooden frames at their heart, the crosses have more chance of staying in top condition until the end of the Tres de Mayo celebrations on 9 May. The Parque usually has a big flower and crafts exhibition in tandem with the crosses but this year it was moved indoors to the Recinto Ferial at the entry to the city from the south. I called in there later and there were over 50 stalls faeturing  cakes, sine, basket making, wine, and chocolates. The Flower and Artesans  show is FREE to enter and finishes on 9 May. Opening times are 4 to 8 pm until 6 May, and then 10 am to 8 pm.