If I had been a bee, I would have been in a buzzing frenzy. Even so the fragrant flowers that made the mighty crosses in La Rambla gave my senses a real treat on May 3rd, the Day of the Cross, the celebration of the founding of Tenerife capital Santa Cruz in 1494. There was plenty to see as I hopped off the tram at La Paz, the first part of the wide central pedestrian walkway featured 18 crosses made from recycled materials by local schools and colleges.

It was a great way to teach a history lesson to the younger generation, many of the works were influenced by very modern characters from cartoons and computer games but the hard work put into the colourful creations was reflected in parental pride as they were snapped in front of their art. I’m sure Sir Henry Moore of Manchester would have approved of the joyful character just in front of his reclining sculpture, Warrior of Goslar. La Rambla is full of history, from the street art exhibition of 1974 to the paint peeling bull ring that has been abandoned for decades.

Onto the main event as the sun burst through on the stretch just in front of Parque Garcia Sanabria. The orange and green cross with its suspended orchids in glass baubles set the standard high and the quality was continued through all 16 offerings. Some residents in the flats at the side of the road had planted there own smaller works on their balconies, and the violet blooms from the avenue and parks trees complimented the show nicely. It all reached a crescendo with the biggest piece, boasting apples and blooms.

I took the chance to catch up with a few favourite places around the capital, and spotted a poster for another celebration. Almáciga on the north east corner of Tenerife had its own history to mark. The Virgen of Begoña refers to an event 70 years ago when a group of pilgrims travelling from Bilbao to Santiago del Compostella dropped a bottle in the ocean containing five small portraits of the Virgen of Begoña. It washed up in Almáciga and a shrine was set up to mark the event.

I was looking for omens of a more personal celebration as it was the day before the Canarian football derby between CD Tenerife and UD Las Palmas. The Chicharro statue in the heart of the shopping district looked confident and it seemed appropriate that it was surrounded by more vibrant flowers. It turned out to be a good pointer for a victory.