Day 5 Friday 8/3/24
It was a lovely sunny day in Las Palmas today, and a great day for a dental crisis! Julie’s gold filling came off, after well over 40 years of excellent mastication service. Dental problems are never welcome, especially at a time when consuming food is an important part of the holiday.
After a brief flirtation with getting treated in Las Palmas, Julie spoke to the dentist at home and decided she would be alright for another few days until we are home. So no toffees, steaks, bubble gum or peanut brittle for a while, I don’t think she will starve.
Crisis averted, we met Jo and Dave and walked down to Vagueta to see the Cathedral of Santa Ana. Having seen cathedrals in Italy and Andalucia, it is considerably plainer. Las Plamas didn’t have the vast wealth of South American silver and gold like Seville, or the rich bankers and merchants of Tuscany. It is a lovely building, but is not covered in gold and marble.
Part of the deal in the Cathedral was to ascend the tower and enjoy the view over Vagueta and the sea. You can see that the city is squeezed between mountains and the sea.
There was some unusual stuff in the Cathedral. In a little case there was Jesus dressed in one of Barbie’s skirts, it doesn’t suit him. There was a dead Bishop who was mummified and had his face literally painted pink to give him a rosy glow. There was a collection box to pay for him to be made into a saint, sadly I had no change to contribute. My favourite picture is my good buddy Jo looking quite holy.
In the afternoon we visited Casa Colon. I know it sounds like an establishment for.. deep cleaning, but is in fact a museum to Christopher Columbus’s brief visit to Las Palmas. He wasn’t on holiday, he was on his way to destroy cultures and enrich himself in America. It is a lovely little museum, full of maps of his various journeys and a couple of squawking macaws. I especially liked the model of Las Palmas in the 18th century, when it was just Vaguetta and Triana. The Guineguada river is now covered over by a big road between the two barrios.
Here’s Julie looking fascinated by the many maps of Colonic journeys across the Atlantic. Lots of Canarians followed him to settle in South America, where the prospects were better than the Canaries.
In the evening we dined out at Gallo Negro, a Mexican restaurant in Calle Perdoma. I had Enchilladas washed down with an Aperol Spritz, proper holiday food.
timharnesstravels 