Concrete canvases have been converted into spectacular flower carpets all over Tenerife for the Corpus Christi celebrations. The daddy of them all is in La Orotava in the north of the island, where it all started in 1647. The vast courtyard outside the Ayuntamiento building (town hall) is buzzing each year as sand, salt, and volcanic soil are added to the mix, which spreads out into the tight old streets. The big procession is on 6th June this year and must be almost heart breaking as a swarm of devotees walk the route around town as the patterns are slowly eroded.

Similar art outbreaks showed the their own pride and dedication. Santa Cruz left shoppers spellbound as school children and scouts laboured over their own versions spreading out from the Iglesia (church) de la Concepcion and across the main shopping street of Calle Castillo. Passing on the skills is very important to keep history alive, the young workers were surrounded by endless supplies of materials, including enough salt to flavour a banquet.

Back in the south, a lone carpet greeted Sunday morning church goers in Los Cristianos, but many smaller outposts around the island had produced their own versions large and small.