We covered the sea to mountains on Gran Canaria this week. Our visit started at a semi-inclusive resort with sparkling pools and buffets. If you know the Finks, you know we love a good buffet! We thought they were sadly a thing of the past due to COVID, but it turns out you can host one if every dish is plated separately and under a Plexi bubble with a small hole to reach in and grab your plate! We find a little comfort in knowing that every visitor on this island had to show a negative COVID test certificate before arrival. Also, masks are mandatory everywhere except for when eating, drinking and swimming. Our fellow companions were from England, Germany and Scandanavia. One of the staff told us he has only seen one American here in the three years he has been an employee!
The weather hovered around 70 degrees, which was great for swimming when the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. Clint was in his happy place surrounded by water every day.
Kate and I had endless giggles taking the few classes offered at the resort—water aerobics, Zumba and Pilates. My rhythmless dance moves provided much entertainment for passersby as the classes took place on an outdoor stage in the middle of the resort. Luckily, there weren't many resort guests!
Austin loved playing basketball in the jungle-themed basketball court a couple of times until the general manager came and closed it for good. It was a bummer because basketball courts are far and few between and this one was always empty. Austin has toted a basketball around with him through three countries! Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.
Two days ago, we set out to discover what's behind the resort's walls besides the nudist beach! The only way to really see the island is by car, so with Clint's confidence up after testing out international driving in Portugal, he had no hesitation renting one here. We all love the feeling of freedom we have rediscovered with having our own bubble on wheels. We had no itinerary, just reservations at the best place we could find on the island that wasn't in resort row. The beach towns here are very commercialized and lack charm, so we decided to go inland to seek some local, country living.
A modern, wide freeway outlines the island's perimeter, but it's a different story in the interior. Narrow one-and-a-half-lane roads zig-zag up and down steep valleys and mountain ridges. The hairpin turns are so tight they require a honk at every bend. Halfway to our destination, we stretched our legs and calmed our nerves in the cute mountain town of Teror. We immediately knew how the town got its name after the drive!!
Our B&B is in the middle of the island, nestled high up in the mountains. A sweet older woman who only speaks Spanish runs the hidden sanctuary with her dog, Frida. The unpretentious property is unmanicured and that's why I like it. It's a damp 55 degrees outside and too dangerous to go for walks on these mountain roads (which surprisingly have a lot more traffic than you'd think). Everything is closed for two days for a holiday, so we ate whatever we had stashed in the car from our road trip for lunch and dinner last night in our room—four pieces of bread, peanut butter, a few squares of chocolate, a hunk of cheese we bought in Teror, a yogurt, kiwi and an apple. We don't mind hunkering down here for a few days doing school and having extra device time. The kids never complain about that!! I feel like we are the Ingalls family living in an episode of Little House and the Prairie snuggled in our warm, homey room. The coziness helps with the mild homesickness I'm having on this island.
Many "queen" or "double" beds are really two twins pushed together in Europe.
Continental breakfast at our B&B
Our room with our Christmas tree
Our B&B
There was one short walk by our B&B that avoided the dangerous roads.
View from our walk. The ocean is out there on the horizon.
Cute, mountain town of Teror.
The ornate wooden balconies in Teror were beautiful.