Grinding and laboured, the only attractive part of this 1-0 home victory for CD Tenerife was the ceremonial kick off by the Carnaval Queen. It brought some much needed breathing space to the under fire home players and the coach but some of the choices made by Garitano left seeds of doubt simmering for the 13th placed Santa Cruz side.

Jose Leon was the hero with a superb 10th minute header from a Mellot deep dipping cross, the most creative move of the game. Eldense arrived with a reputation for picking up points away from home, that and the desire to hang on for a first victory in 70 days  seemed never far from Tenerifes minds. Aitor Sanz reigned in his more adventurous tackles and played the  tight game of a born leader. Just a minute after the goal, Eldense spurned a chance to level as they watched the ball flash across the goal mouth as desperate boots failed to add the smallest of touches.

Leon tried to double his return by racing in to a tempting cross, the visiting keeper was alert and pushed the ball to safety. Rahmani was caught between power and placement when a loose bvall came his way, so the first half closed with the lead intact. Three away defenders scrambled an early second half raid out of the direction of an oncoming home player as Tenerife lacked potent choices in front of goal. Garitano rang the changes and squeezed the play down, many of the 12,733 crowd were hoping to see one or both of the two 21 year old strikers, promoted to the first team bench from the B team, but they never got a look in. That made the decision to bring on Teto even more baffling, as much as the supporters want to see the home grown forward suceed, he hasn´t got the size or tricks to unlock a steady rearguard. The three points were very welcome but Tenerife will face much tougher challenges in the run down to the end of season.

Bursting with colour, and complimented with tasty tapas, the annual almendras en flor (almonds in flower) walk from Santiago del Teide to Arguayo, is weaving its spell again and showing that the Santa Cruz Carnaval in Tenerife´s capital city is not the only must see attraction of the spring.

The official programme covers 29 January to 2 March but there´s a big overlapping season of buds, new growth, and bough straining almonds waiting to be harvested. On my latest pilgramage, the mid week procession of visitors allowed plenty of free space for those ooh and aah moments at the turn of each track and the cresting of each hill. This year 19 bars and restaurants in the main street of Santiago del Teide were serving almond influenced snacks and meals, I just had time for a tasty almond tart with my coffee (hot chocolate is another drink option) at Bar Soto, opposite the tourist information office, and the striking white church.

Lower down at the southern entrance to Santiago del Teide, long term traffic works had left the Fuente de La Viren short walk up to a small religious shrine, isolated, but the blossom created a respectful arch over the old walkway. Pink and white banners fluttered along the main street of the town, and there was a healthy selection of walkers congregating at various food and drink outlets. The relative chill of the morning complemented the clear blue sky and the joy of dipping into natures treasure trove of colours and textures.

The sheer scale of the blossom is a wonder to behold, at their peak, they look enchanting but the young buds are always jostling for their upcoming time on the centre stage. On this visit there was a good balance of the fully grown and those waiting in the wings. Organised groups and tours are available during the main stretch of the season, see elcardon.com , or you can go alone, just take the usual precautions of good clothing and stout shoes. At the full stretch, it´s a good four hours from start to finish. The top end of the walk in Arguayo includes a tricky, steep, walk down over small shifting granules of rock, and the 461 Titsa bus back down to Santiago del Teide is not always reliable – cue a steep main road walk upwards before dipping down in a tight spiral to the main road into Santiago del Teide. There are a couple of bars in Arguayo and they can whistle up a taxi for you – otherwise it´s an extra chunk of walking, back down to the south entrance of Santiago.

In between the two extremes of the walk, there are many easier choices to be made, you can retrace your steps back to the church square, take a signed detour to Chinyero, the site of the 1909 earhquake, or crunch your way along the spine of the now solid lava flow. Don´t forget that up in Santiago del Teide it´s usually a lot cooler than the coastal regions, so come prepared. Even when the blossom has melted away, it´s a good walk in any season – allow a good four hours for a leisurely pace and snack stops.