Santa Cruz, Tenerife
This is the capital city of Tenerife and although I have been there many times, I had never stayed there. It has many pedestrianised streets which makes walking a treat. I enjoyed being in the city and the new Metro which links it to the ancient university city of La Lagnua is an added bonus.
The green information centre
In Plaza Espana near my hotel is one of great sights of the city .. the tourist information centre in the plaza is covered with plants .. fascinating and really original. There are also some interesting buildings nearby. The square leads into the main pedestrian street, so the Hotel Plaza gets good marks for location (otherwise nothing exceptional).
Sanabria Parque
Nice sunny day (to start), so I took myself off walking to Parque Garcia Sanabria, the large park in the northeast part of the city. The neighbourhoods en route (while not slums) are not as salubrious as those near the ocean. Fortunately the park is a delight. Large, it has not only large mature trees, but interesting pathways featuring bamboo (a surprise .. I keep thinking it requires lots and lots of rainfall), cycads and at every critical junction, tulip trees .. getting to be my favourite tree. Not sure what it’s like during the week, but on Sunday this is the place to be .. families, old people and lots and lots of dogs with owners attached. The few buildings are well designed (only one bit of wear and tear on a terrace which might have once been a cafe). The layout is such that the place is hard to take in at a glance .. even after studying it .. the focal point is 'off centre' and the paths are both straight and curved, making the place seem much larger than it is. Isn't it odd - the sight of a butterfly always cheers me up?
http://www.todotenerife.es/index.php?sectionID=61&s=7&lang=2&ID=1130
Rainbow Mountain
The weather was mixed while I was in Santa Cruz and showers or fine mist seemed to be a daily occurrence. I was walking to the bus station after one of these wet mornings when I saw this delightful sight. While it is not the best photograph, I hope it provides some idea of what a spectacular thing this was - a mountain that seemed to be emitting a rainbow.
Photo Gallery
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The fine print
Date of travel : January + February 2009
Country information : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife