EL HIERRO.
It is the first time Fred.Olsen had visited this island and it may be the last! With only 5 taxis on the whole island and over 1,000 passengers on deck, a lot of people were either stranded or left to walk, which would have been fine if it wasn't all uphill and if there was actually somewhere to walk TO.
But while everyone else was wondering how to fill a day here, Husb and I were OFF in Zaffy Zafira, our next hire car. I say "OFF".... we had ten minutes trying to work out the handbrake before we could actually get anywhere.
Some people chose to walk up this hill... it was a 10 km walk to the main "town" of the island, Valverde, but it was, in fact, no bigger that Christleton.
We had a super day. Stopping at random places, and enjoying the scenery. El Hierro is much greener than Lanzarote and Tenerife. The scenery was stunning and the water a gorgeous turquoise.
We thought it looked interesting down here, the island being our oyster and all that...
...and we could see the tunnel where we would come out...
...so Zaffy took us down...
...and we couldn't believe what we had stumbled upon.
On the left of this seething, churning mass of froth stands a hotel.
It had been the SMALLEST HOTEL IN THE WORLD until 2009
We enjoyed ten minutes just watching the waves come crashing in around the hotel.
Whoever is in charge of the marketing department of the famous Giant Lizards Recuperation Centre has done a great job!
We were expecting to see more than TWO lizards and they were no bigger really than a large carrot.
But they WERE 27 years old and they ARE one of the most endangered species in Europe, thought to be extinct until 1974. The centre included a look around the EcoMuseum of Guinea showing houses from the 17th century so it was a nice hour and the lovely lady gave me a sweet...
...and then it was back through the tunnel in the mountain...
...through such GREEN GREEN not-a -bare-bit-of rock GREEN hillside...
..arriving quite randomly at a tiny church which turned out to be a glorious suntrap for an hour...
...followed by ten minutes in Valverde, the largest town with 2,000 inhabitants, but absolutely nothing to do...
and back on Braemar for Formal Night and the Captain's Farewell Party. (I had a dry martini this time. Heck that took me back to my days at Stoke Park School)
OUR MAGNIFICENT TABLE!
We had a great time with such good company, and Tim really DID think £42 for 8 venison legs was too dear. =) =) =) Both times we have sailed on Braemar, we have had a superb table.
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| Tina, Gary, Husb, Aliholli, Mary, Tim. |
I didn't take any photos of La Gomera because we had been there before
and we had a lazy day... just a quick look around and a gloriously sunny afternoon on deck.
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