Gran Canaria Christmas Part 1

Nothing better than Christmas in the warm sunshine and blue skies of the Canaries. Our first  time in Gran Canaria and it won't be the last for sure. Total escapism from the awful commercialism and pressure to spend, spend spend. No endless rounds of the same songs repeated year after year. No hype, no fuss just people going about their day in a chilled out and relaxed way. Just perfect !    

It's a four hour flight to Gran Canaria off the Northwestern tip of Africa.

A decent flight helped by a stint in the lounge at the airport and a few settling Whisky and Gingers.As well as the odd Guinness of course.

The second most populous of the Canary Islands with a population of 846,717 and third largest in size terms.

We are in the south of the island , traditionally better weather but less green than the north. The journey from the airport late afternoon didn't look too encouraging.. Lots of wind farm activity and very barren. Thankfully the hotel was far more inviting. Up on the eighth floor ith fantastic views looking across the beach and up the coast towards Las Palomas and Playa del Ingles.

An open plan room which felt a bit strange to start with but we soon got used to it. The mini bar was handy  and it was soon time to test out the San Miguel.  It passed with flying colours I'm pleased to say!

A cracking hotel, gym, health suite, lovely swimming pool, and a private terrace with the large sunbeds. The food was a buffet style service and plenty of it with lots of choice.   

I did wake up with a bang though on the first night ... the leg fell off the bed!

Beautiful balcony views

Looking down from our balcony

Gran Canaria Christmas Part 2

 Every morning we were treated to a glorious sunrise. The early morning joggers were out and a few Germans had already laid out their towels and bagged their sunbeds for the day.

I did manage to get down into the sea a couple of times before breakfast. But being the Atlantic it was pretty cold until you got acclimatised to it.     

Something very special about  hearing the sea and the waves crashing. A very mindful experience. Laying in bed at night and just relaxing to the backdrop of the sea.  

Plenty of choices at breakfast I must say. I liked to balance the Pink Prosecco with  a smoothie each morning . Although the Prosecco generally won in the end.
Tempting as it was to hit the sunbed terrace I tried to get a good walk in after breakfast. There is a beautiful promenade in both directions.

Sand Dunes at Las Palomas

We tended to do a mixture of beach and promenade. It was a good walk to get right to the tip of the coast past the sand dunes. Lots of kite surfers in the water too .

Maspalomas

Maspalomas is a busy resort about 15 minutes walk away.  It’s known for its vast expanse of coastal dunes. These encompass the Maspalomas Dunes nature reserve.

The dunes are stunning, and it's not hard to let the mind wander a bit and imagine that you are in the deserts sands of Arabia or alike. There is also the Maspalomas Lighthouse, a romantic and historic landmark of the area. Strange though because I never actually saw the Lighthouse. You would expect it to be quite prominent now wouldn't you ?

I was never quite sure where Maspalomas ended and Playa Del Ingles (Englishmans Beach)began to be honest?   I do know that there was a lot of nudity around the sand dunes area (mostly males) and have since found out that there is also a gay beach too. I was oblivious to it all of course , happy just to take in the sea air and feel the sun on my back.

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Something else that seemed very popular was the sand carvings. The photos don't really do them justice.  At night time they were lit up with those little tea lights which created a nice effect.

A lot of effort goes into creating  such sculptures and it's good that people treat them with respect.

I'm not sure sure the same thing would happen in Margate or Clacton ??

Gran Canaria - Puerto de Mogán

Puerto de Mogán

Just a shortish bus ride from outside our hotel to the beautiful resort and fishing harbour of Puerto de Mogán.

Set at the mouth of a steep-sided valley on the south-west coast of the island. The canals and bridges of its seawater inlet have earned it the nickname "Little Venice."

Along the marina, you'll find an assortment of restaurants and bars, while the old town area is full of quaint, Mediterranean homes and cottages climbing up the hillside. Puerto de Mogan is a major stop for ocean yachts travelling from the Atlantic to the Caribbean.


When we arrived around 10:15 the sheltered sandy crescent shaped beach  was virtually empty. An hour or so later and it had become quite busy with sunseekers and bathers in the calm waters.


There are so many little alleyways to explore  and it is a most glorious location.

I had spotted a viewing platform high in the hills and made a mental note to try and find a way up after some light refreshment. Given the slightly upmarket location I was quite surprised to pick up a pint of ice cold beer for only 2 Euros. It went down very well with a few chips and a toasted sandwich.







This is the ideal place to chill out and just watch the world go by. If it wasn't for a few table decorations you would never know  that it was the festive season.






Some very pretty houses and plenty of Bougainvillea make a welcome  contrast to the heat of the beach front.

Bougainvillea

Perhaps climbing the 200 steps to the viewpoint after a couple of pints and some lunch wasn't the best idea? However once I got started there was no turning back. Amazing to see the houses that the locals live in being so incredibly steep. How they cart shopping up and down I have no idea???

It was a struggle but worth a little effort as always for the stunning views. The ocean seemed to be sparkling as though sprinkled with diamonds . 

Boats in the harbour

Christmas Day in the Canaries

Turned out nice again !

Woken up in the very early hours of Christmas morning, not by Father Christmas but a late night reveller unable to find his room.  Security were soon on the case and all was resolved fairly quickly.
It would have been rude not to have gone for a pre-breakfast dip in the sea. Very bracing indeed but OK once you get your shoulders wet.

Christmas Sands

The strange thing was it actually felt more like Christmas than it does at home . With the clear night skies the stars are shining brightly. With the sand and Palm trees there is a real nativity feel to the whole setting. Unfortunately it clouded over a bit in the afternoon so some time spent in the gym and hydro pool.

The hotel really pushed the boat out for a smashing gala dinner. Even the seasonal red table cloths got an outing.

A sushi bar had been set up and we were greeted with complimentary champagne on arrival (several glasses actually....).

There were some amazing Christmas themed fruit carvings to add to the occasion. The drinks continued to flow and by now I had moved on to San Miguel.

Entertainment as always was laid on in the bar area to round of a wonderful day. Such a contrast to the ones I have been used to in the past !

Waddesdon Manor - Christmas

A very welcome return visit to Waddesdon Manor near Aylesbury in Bucks. Unlike two years ago the weather is much better today. So much so that we snub the courtesy bus and walk the inclined footpath to the House.

It's a relief to see blue skies and sunshine after the rain and mist of the previous visit. Judging by the number of visitors swarming in it is going to be very busy today. Entry to the House was already sold out when I booked the tickets some time back. At least the 'Christmas Fair' with close to 100 traders in their wooden chalets, selling all sorts of crafts, food, drink and decorations fully open. 

Entry to the House itself would have been nice but will keep for another time. Plenty so see and do particularly when the weather is decent.
I've written about the history of Waddesdon Manor in a previous entry so won't repeat it all over again. I'm sure if anyone is interested enough they will track it down.

It's good fun checking out all the traders plying their wares. Lots of tempting free samples on offer too. Always good to support independent artisan traders into the bargain.

One of the many arts and crafts stalls

Once darkness begins to fall the beauty of the lights become evident. We had already completed the woodland trail with it's array of brightly coloured Chinese lanterns made by local schools.

I like it that you can wander pretty much unrestricted . There are places to get a 'Hot Chocolate' or other beverages if you prefer. There is an adventure playground for the Children so something for everyone really.

Light In Motion

 The old Stables area and The old Coach House is where you find the 'Light in Motion' display. Its basically a sequence of dancing lights that move and change colour to the tune of 'Carol of the Bells'. 



It's strangely hypnotic and very watchable .So much so that we stay for three showings of the spectacular!
This wasn't here last time we came but certainly a welcome addition.

Iluminated trees

Once dark has descended we are presented with an enchanted forest. The varying styles of lighting is accompanied by symphonic music. Keep an eye out for hidden glitter balls in the trees as the grounds take on a whole new life.

Waddesdon Manor all lit up