Santas little helpers are furloughed and Papa Noel has put the elves on ERTE. As 2020 sneaks out the back door, it´s giving us all more indigestion than the turkey, but young eyes are sparkling with hope, and the halls are being decked with bells and holly. The streets of Tenerife had been defiantly decked out too.

My latest wanderings were back in the north of Tenerife starting at El Tanque and their tree trunk reindeer outside the town hall. On a chilly day with drizzle in the air, it coaxed a smile out of passers by. Icod chipped in with a shadow nativity in the church plaza, bold but brooding, the mood was lightened by outbreaks of poinsetia all over town. I was used to seeing the red and even yellow versions but was pleasantly surprised by the pink blooms.If your looking for positive signs, the Mariposario(butterfly house) below the plaza,is open again after years of planning arguments. Long may their wings flap.

Dropping down to Garachico, the nativity in the Plaza de La Libertad was very traditional and bursting with cuteness. Was that a yard of ale contest I could see over by the Castillo San Miguel? No, just wishful thinking on my pary morphing the musical herald. A cage like red heart nearby was hardly needed but added a bit more variety to the scene. Across the cove, another more basic nativity was a magic link to the wild sea and spray.

Back down in Los Cristianos, tradition had another stronghold. The scaled down statue of the Virgen del Carmen is lovingly tended daily with flowers but at this time of year that is augmented by a few christmas toys and baubles. It´s an appropriate nod to the Virgen´s role as protector and guide to the local fishing families.  A short hop away, the church plaza benches were getting the benefit of a painting makeover from the team that did such an uplifting job on the beach promenade seats. Hope and renewal will be on many wish lists as this year fades away -we will take any encouragement we can find.

No land in sight, meagre food and water rations, and towering waves crashing around them. These are the prospects for the 21 crews in the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge rowing race. Mark Slats, along with Kai Weidmer are the Dutch crew of Row4Cancer. Mark, a carpenter from Scheveningen near Amsterdam, looked relaxed as he escorted their trailer loaded boat through Los Cristianos port in Tenerife for the short ferry crossing to neighbouring Canary Island La Gomera. Ahead of them was a 22nd December departure for a 3,000 nautical mile slog to the Caribbean island of Antigua.

Mark, a carpenter, is an accomplished adventurer, having set a solo record of just under 31 days for the crossing in 2017, That was inspired by his mothers fight against cancer, and also propelled him to compete in the 30,000 mile Golden Globe yacht race a year later. An Atlantic rowing competition was stablished in 1997 from Tenerife to Barbados based on the experience of Chay Blyth and  John Ridgway who pioneered ocen rowing in 1966. Talisker took over in 2011 and made it into an annual event, this is the eighth under their leadership.

Mark´s mother lost her fight against cancer in March 2020, he had already applied nearly a yesr before for the 2020 race and her loss made his resolve stronger. Covid intervened to disrupt the 2020 race planning. “After the Golden Globe race I was looking for another test. “Rowers have to raise 100,000 euros just to enter the Talisker Atlantic Challenge, to cover running costs, support services, equipment, and food before even starting on sponsorship for your chosen charity. Some companies backed off after Covid, especially those related to travel and hotels. We were lucky as we found many through building companies. There was another surprising help for us as less traffic on the roads reduced travel to our training sessions by about two hours each time. We had been putting in 25 hours a week on the water.”

The 21 crews for the 2020 race all use the same size boats, either new or second hand but the crews are always varied. For 2020 they are split into eight singles, two pairs, a female trio, and 10 fours, they come from several countries, 15 from the UK, with South Africa, Holland, and Spain also represented. Many crews are a mix of male and female, the one thing they all share is a burning ambition to finish the race and help their charities. Sleeping and shelter are catered for at each end of the boat, planning on and off splits for through the night watches is just another skill they have to master.

A logistics company shiops most of the boats to La Gomera, for instance the UK based craft are taken to the south of England, ferried over to France, down through Europe to Cadiz port at the tip of Spain, ferry to Santa Cruz in Tenerife, south to another ferry and out to La Gomera. Row4Cancer had an easier route. “We saved about 5,000 euros on shipping, I brought it through on the trailer to Cadiz and onward. There are always doubts as we approach the race but we look forward and keep focused on what we need to do. ”

There´s still time to sponsor Row4Cancer at their website and follow them at their website. To keep an eye on the race there´s the official Talisker Whisky website. Just think of them all ploughing through the ocean, experiencing christmas and new year in near isolation, and keeping bodies and minds ticking over. Fair winds to them all.

Like walking through pages from a bible, my senses wallowed in the biggest nativity layout in Tenerife.Some 300 animals, people, stalls, and scenery filled the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, famed as the June epicentre of the Corpus Christi sand and flower carpets.

The Ruta de Belenes is no one day wonder, nearly five weeks and carefully managed access will allow a steady and safe flow of awe struck visitors for the free spectacle. The Bazar La Sidrona is the setting for layout but there are lots of references to Canarian culture among the busy artesans. Basket weavers, wine making, and chestnut roasting are all part of the local calendar in the fertile valley of La Orotava.

The 19th century town hall building is a perfect canvas for the historic epic, and as it was built on the site of a former convent, it has a suitable religious heritage. The steps up to the grand entrance are the focal point for the manger, and no film director could ever wish for a better location. Families were enjoying the big production on several lavels, even the cloudy conditions couldn´t diminish the visul impact.

The Ruta de Belenes is open from 1st December to  5th January, excluding 25 December and 1st January. Hours are 9.30 am to 1pm and 4pm to 8pm. It´s just over an hours drive up from the south coast of Tenerife, or nearly double that if you take a Titsa bus from Los Cristianos, with a change at the Puerto de la Cruz bus station for the final 20 minutes into the natural wonders of La Orotava. Check times before travelling .

There was no need to fire the canon outside Casa Fuerte to signal the early December awakening of festive anticipation, A deluge of rain from tropical storm clemente, the previous day, had given way to bursts of colour all through Adeje town. A hang glider cut through the blue sky and swirled low over the crumbling walls of the fortress that once protected the town just above the south Tenerife coast.

Sleighs found parking spaces on apartment balconies as Roque del Condes table top looked down on shadow toned fields in the rocks above Barranco del Infierno and Calle Grande where people enjoyed restful breaks in cafes and bars. It was good to see the cultural centre open after limited Covid access, info on upcoming events covered the walls and the nearby Plaza de España geared up to host music and dance nights in december.

Two large tiered car parks have opened up the town centre and rather than treat them as modern intruders, they have become miradors with plants and flora encouraging people to enjoy the panoramic views. A nod of mutual appreciation from the modern Los Olivos church showed how to blend tradition and style. I felt my feet being lured towards the roundabout where some festive visitors were settling in, A plump snowmanmay have eaten all the mince pies, I couldn´t see any crumbs on his rather smart red scarf.

Fountains danced in the background and reindeer had just been settled into grazing positions. A spray of colour was added by  the Adeje School Of Music as Beethoven peeked through the foliage. It´s going to be a tough festive season for many people this year, so lets not be shy of enjoying the simple pleasures that make us smile.

Vilaflor could make the shortest ever edition of Through The Keyh9le. The highest village in Spain doesn´t hide its pride in its favourite son, Hermano Pedro. From street names, statues, ceramic tiles, and even a modern infants school, there´s no forgetting that the Canary Islands only saint was born here. That would be enough to make Vilaflor well worth the one hour bus ride up from Los Cristianos, but I knew there were many more reasons to treat myself to a ride up through the vineyards to taste the history.

It was still reassuring to be greeted by the statue of Pedro at the entrance to Vilaflor. The air was crisp and fresh as small busy clouds formed an ever changing jigsaw against the radiant blue sky.I took the lower right hand road and was soon gazing up at the corona forest pines and the outskirts of Mount Teide National Park. Many houses displayed their allegiance to the famous former goat herder, on the tiles that told of his devotion to the needy. Sculpted hearts outside the small library drew my attention to adverts for talks about old rural skills and the desire to nurture the cultural past.

My upward stroll brought me to the vast main plaza with its water flows dropping down the green bloomed terraces. Pride of place at the top went to the church of Pedro Apostel, shining like a stunning white beacon. Inside the contrast was of dark tones and a vaulted, carved wood ceiling, and a lavish altar caught in the sunlight streaming through a high window. For a relatively small village, the church echoed with stature and nobility from the gallery of religious statues to the small touches like the dove of peace above the pulpit. Next door, a newer dark stone church occupied the site of Hermano Pedros´s former home.

Religion has always sustained the locals but water has been the life blood of day to day living. Los Lavadores  at the top of the village marks the point where springs converged at a fountain. Not only did it serve as a gathering point to sustain livestock, but also the rocks were perfect places to wash and dry clothes in the sun. In recent times the site has been lovingly restored, although the water now passes further down to the modern Fuentealta bottling plant.

Veering down into the village, water also served another purpose, powering two mills where gofio, a staple part of the island diet,  was ground into grain. The white arches guided the water to the mill stones and are still standing proudly. A peak into the mill house is like a peak into the past. More up to date pursuits bring visitors through the village these days. The steep TF51 road that leads up to Teide is a popular climb for cyclists, and walkers endulge in the near four hour circular walk that sweeps around the village and down to the entrance crossroads. The modern concrete mirador and cross look out over the south of Tenerife as far as El medano on the coast close to Hermano Pedros cave and shrine.

Several bodegas offer wine for tasting and sale, there are also a few hostels and the more luxurious Hotel Villalba high above the village. The touch of tourism has been light, leaving the charm and character of Vilaflor as clear as the air and the spring water.

Sometimes it´s the buildings, sometimes the beckoning side streets, and sometimes just an overall comfortable feeling. Santa Ursula imressed me on a couple of recent days out. Walking the 2 kms from the Humboldt Mirador, and just 6 kms from Puerto de la Cruz, I was taken by the range and choice of multi national restaurants (Thai and Indian – yummy) nestling alongside the traditionalCanarian tascas and coffee bars. The amount of people enjoying mid morning pavement snacks and drinks would have made many of the southern tourist stops feel a little envious.

The split point of the higher and lower roads in the centre of Santa Ursula was a natural focal point. Christmas lights wrapped themselves aroud the trunks of palm trees in the church garden as white cardboard silhouettes of women faced the purple flags across the road outside the Ayuntamiento building in support of the anti gender violence campaign. Maybe there should be a collective name for the admiration of council HQ enthusiasts, this one mixed stone and wooden balconies and gave off an old world reliabilty with a trace of modern flexibility.

Top of the bill for me was La Casona cultural space, boasting a wooden decked amphitheatre  lurking under shadey palms below street level, surrounded by a leafy sea. It looked inspiring and protective at the same time. Among the plants a silver frog leapt through the air like a lilly pad olympian. Titled “besame”(kiss me) the princely pond dweller was created by Julio Nieto whose bigger works had illuminated previous days out before. A tinkling piano rung out from a rehearsal room in the pink main building. Posters at the street level entrance gate advertised several live shows and requested volunteers for pre christmas Covid compliant shows.

The incline to my bus stop seemed less challenging after this cultural boost, and just a week later, Felix Alonso, a product of the Santa Ursula football club, made his senior squad debut on the bench for CD Tenerife. There is definately something good in the air of Santa Ursula. A few more pleasing buildings demanded a photo and I eas happy to oblige. Changing buses back in La Orotava, I bagged a church and the guanche Princesa Dacil. All in all, another satisfying day out in Tenerife.

Was that a hint of sadness in the eyes of legendary German naturalist, Alexander Von Humboldt? Sat astride the wall of the mirador that bears his name, the beauty of the La Orotava valley spread out behind him. Sadly the recently reopened north Tenerife viewing point looked rather sparse. From December 2010 to 2014 visitors enjoyed the cafe bar, and restaurant while learning nore about the man who invented geo botany and shared his fascination of Tenerife´s plant and animal life with the world.

A large artistic lizard sprawled across the top of the boarded up cafe and toilets. A second tier of the stark concrete outpost was also sealed off. The late november weather was glorious as the La Orotava valley below raced down to meet the atlantic ocean, and Puerto de la Cruz was ringed with breaking surf in the distance.  Around 10 people popped in for a quick photo during my short stay. It´s a cifficult place to find parking although my 101 Titsa bus from La Orotava station dropped me outside in a small layby. It´s a busy road with a tight, narrow bend, a small strip close to the front of the mirador could accomodate a coach drop off but it would need strict supervision.

Another basic viewing point a few strides down the road only offered a shaded picnic table but almost identical sight lines. The Humboldy has scope to offer more but will need to generate income if it is to avoid another closure. Humboldt is an important figure in Tenerife history, the flora and fauna he so loved is picked out in the iron work of the railings and gates, a good starting point to engage hungry minds. Mount teide loomed up above on the horizon, and what better place to observe the volcanic peak when the winter weather adds a white cloak of snow.

The mirador is free to enter and worth a visit, even in its current bare bones form. The sculpture of the great man with his stone journals at his side, is a wonderful work by Lilia Martin. Evolution was the key to Humboldts teachings, lets hope that the Mirador can learn that lesson.

Illegal bottle parties, and unlawful gatherings of more than six people, mainly young, have thrust Tenerife and specifically La Laguna and Santa Cruz, into the Covid spotlight. As I write, Tenerife has 80 per cent of yesterdays new infections across the seven Canary Islands, that´s 108 out of 139 new cases yesterday. Overall the Canary Island figures are some of the best in Spain but the pressure is on to squeeze a little tighter in the hot spots.

Christmas build up and Black Friday splurging into a week long event don´t help. I made a Saturday afternoon visit to the university town, and the capital city to see for myself. La Laguna´s main shopping area is centred on two main strets, Calle Herredores, and Calle Obispo Rey Redondo, a few policia local officers walked through the pedestrianised area, and a patrol car drove slowly through the link roads. This grid layout was marked to direct walkers in set directions to avoid close contact. It semed to work well without impeding the outdoor cafe table trade where masks, hand gel, and the six person group limit were the order of the day.

I made a call at the Museum of History and Anthropology and followed a small tour at a distance, There was plenty of space to avoid each other and browse, the staff even let me into a sealed storage area to see two ancient carriages, one with a London pedigree. I will return for a longer browse and do a post for here. It´s important that in these stressed times, that business´s and attractions continue to give good service – and they excelled.

After dark has been the main problem with Covid security but the current 11pm closing time for bars has helped as has the lock down of parks and plazas. Taking the tram down to Santa cruz, I turned my attention to Parque Garcia Sanabria, a delightful and popular park in the centre of the busy city. Large multi pathed and with many entrance points, I could see that barriers were already on standby for the 7pm sealing. Not robust enough to make entry impossible, but they represent another warning and probably and increase on the standard 100 euro fines. Video camaras near the flower clock would also play a part. Only time will tell if this measure will just move the problem or snuff it out,

My return trip to Los Cristianos was covered on my residents monthly payment card, cash seems unlikely to make a return to the bus drivers lives. Titsa have increased their payment options with tourist payment cards for a day or a week, and have increased the outlets where they can be bought, ncluding the airports and major bus stations. The whole rigmarol of Covid protection and measures is a monumental pain – but I´d rather stay alive!

As the island of La Palma shimmered in the distance, it was all systems go for a coastal walk from Playa San Juan to Alcala in Tenerife´s west coast municipality of Guia De Isora. There were plenty of hints at choices to come from a small excercise park, to the anglers and rock pool explorers getting up close to nature. The well defined entry to the short walk had added a few new tweaks since I had last plodded forth.

A petanca court, and even a pet park offered distractions but the sea had an over whelming armoury  of counter claims. Rock cathedrals and foamy breakers with their soundtrack roar from the drag of pebbles had the most refrshing options. The stately march of palm trees lay ahead until a three option decision came just before the modern desalination plant. A new smooth elevated path, some old steps down and a scramble at the seas edge, or an inland detour through Fonsalia. The detour is worth taking, the small hamlet has just one main street but it has a strong sense of style, from the chair outside La Barrera bar-restaurant to the decorative house front diagonally opposite, and the small but sturdy Ermita Santa Lucia.

Threading back between the banana plantations to the coast, I had a pleasant encounter with a fallen pardela chick. A member of the SEO Sealife charity was overlooking the completion of its journey from mountain top egg to its natural Atlantic home. The helper said around 1,200 of the duck like birds had fallen on Tenerife this hatching season, confused by artificial lights and neon signs. Perched on a ledge, overlooking the sea, its instincts kicked in and a waddle and shakey take off soon turned into a controlled glide onto the waves. It would be unlikely to touch land again for at leadt four years. It was an inspiring sight and made my day.

As coves unfolded ahead of me, I could see the distant cliffs of Los Gigantes as Alcala loomed near. The long stone stairways down to the collection of shingle beaches where rocks reached out into the sea were a favourite sight from my days based in Alcala when working for The Western Sun newspaper. The compact Plaza del Llano was sedate and welcoming, and the bars cheap and cheery.  It´s not all mellow and traditional in Alcala these days, The new 1.9 million euro church was nearing completion, and its peaks peaked up above the edges of the plaza. Prince Charles may have been moved to call it a “concrete carbunkle” hopefully once open it will find some character to fit in with the old west coast ways.

Shooting practice will be on the menu for CD Marino after sharing a 0-0 draw with visitors Tamaraceite in Tenerife. Resolute defending and a packed midfield limited chances but the home side should have capitalized on their superior first half showing, especially Borja Llarena who had two golden chances.

Boosted by a bumper 700 plus crowd, the blues set off at a good pace with Nami flashing a shot wide of the Gran Canaria teams post. Aythami could only reply with a wild, deep, hopefull ball trying to find Quintero, their main striker. Pablo Santana prompted from the home midfield, setting Borja onto his through ball, but his shot found an alert defender. A delicate touch  from Nami  set up another go for Borja but he rushed the shot and missed the target. It took 30 minutes for the reds to threaten as Quintero put a header over the bar. A free kick just before half time was easily blocked by the Marino wall.

Maybe the reds sensed they had weathered the storm. Just after the restart Baez shot wide when Angel Galvan missed a high ball. The keeper was back on top form to snuff out afurther attack as Quintero thundered in. A rush from deep in the visitors half fizzled out as both teams struggled to grab hold of the game.Cristo came on for Pablo to pep up the Marino attacking options. It was still important to ensure that Tamaraceite didn´t break free, and there was danger as Padron beat Pedro Aleman before firing straight at Galvan.

Fede pushing up down the right offered some encouragement to his Marino team mates. A double change with 15 minutes left brought Moussa and Samuel onto the pitch. Moussa and Fede both had late  half chances but it was a frustrating finish for the single point.