Islands have a whopping amount of coastline. And seaviews: on any elevation on Lanza you could see the sea at least in two different directions. It was comforting as well. You were never far away from whatever place you wanted to visit next - the sign posts didn't give more than 35 km. distance - at most!
On our way to the north west we drove through San Bartolome, a quiet, small Spanish town where we suddenly spotted the Museo Etnografica Tani. When your significant other is an anthropologist this is a must see of course.
It was one of the most interesting museums I've ever seen.
We entered one of the largest houses on the island. First we saw how they dealt with the lack of water: five cisterns, three of them still in use!
Then you enter a centuries old house, filled to the brim with everything (like in: everything) the Lanzarote people used in the old days trying to scrape a living from this barren land.
The whole place was stacked with utensils. The floors, the walls, the stairs, even the ceilings hung full of unknown objects, some of them we could figure out what they were used for - and some very smart things too - and others we just gaped in awe, clueless as to what they were meant for. We weren't allowed to take pics, but before we were told that I made some (and didn't delete them, sorry, museum) so check out for yourself.
Whenever you go to Lanza, go to this museum. It's amazing.
After that we headed for the north western part of the island where the ocean thundered onto the land, where we all of a sudden we found ourselves on a road like you'd expect in Bahrein or Dubai. Think desert and a brand new six lane highway. Adorned with fancy palm trees - remember, the island is originally treeless, every tree is imported - and lots of parking spaces. Ehh?
Definitely EU-money.
And some smart developers taking their chance.
They, the smart developers, had started to built a marina. It was half finished, and now used as a swimmingpool. The buildings next to it (designed to become fancy apartments) were mere concrete skeletons. Greyish blocks with inactive cranes above them. It all screamed crisis.
And next to that - an immense, white, multi-floored, five starred hotel. La Santa Sport. Swimmingpools, lush gardens, terraces and all. A complex built for sportsmen, we found out later. Inside training rooms, spas, the works.
Please note: from this massive and no doubt very expensive complex you couldn't see the ocean.
The hotel was in fact built with it's back towards the glorious ocean view.
And this ocean was one of the most impressive views we've ever seen.
We rounded the huge complex and got onto a small peninsula. This tiny, weedy patch of land was clearly to be developed later: the roads were already there. Nothing else though, apart from a view to the ocean I'll never forget. We stood gaping at it, battered by the winds, for I think at least half an hour. This was nature at it's best.
On our way to the north west we drove through San Bartolome, a quiet, small Spanish town where we suddenly spotted the Museo Etnografica Tani. When your significant other is an anthropologist this is a must see of course.
It was one of the most interesting museums I've ever seen.
We entered one of the largest houses on the island. First we saw how they dealt with the lack of water: five cisterns, three of them still in use!
Then you enter a centuries old house, filled to the brim with everything (like in: everything) the Lanzarote people used in the old days trying to scrape a living from this barren land.
The whole place was stacked with utensils. The floors, the walls, the stairs, even the ceilings hung full of unknown objects, some of them we could figure out what they were used for - and some very smart things too - and others we just gaped in awe, clueless as to what they were meant for. We weren't allowed to take pics, but before we were told that I made some (and didn't delete them, sorry, museum) so check out for yourself.
Whenever you go to Lanza, go to this museum. It's amazing.
After that we headed for the north western part of the island where the ocean thundered onto the land, where we all of a sudden we found ourselves on a road like you'd expect in Bahrein or Dubai. Think desert and a brand new six lane highway. Adorned with fancy palm trees - remember, the island is originally treeless, every tree is imported - and lots of parking spaces. Ehh?
Definitely EU-money.
And some smart developers taking their chance.
They, the smart developers, had started to built a marina. It was half finished, and now used as a swimmingpool. The buildings next to it (designed to become fancy apartments) were mere concrete skeletons. Greyish blocks with inactive cranes above them. It all screamed crisis.
And next to that - an immense, white, multi-floored, five starred hotel. La Santa Sport. Swimmingpools, lush gardens, terraces and all. A complex built for sportsmen, we found out later. Inside training rooms, spas, the works.
Please note: from this massive and no doubt very expensive complex you couldn't see the ocean.
The hotel was in fact built with it's back towards the glorious ocean view.
And this ocean was one of the most impressive views we've ever seen.
We rounded the huge complex and got onto a small peninsula. This tiny, weedy patch of land was clearly to be developed later: the roads were already there. Nothing else though, apart from a view to the ocean I'll never forget. We stood gaping at it, battered by the winds, for I think at least half an hour. This was nature at it's best.
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