Getting Close to Africa
One of the unique things that spending an entire semester abroad compared to spending a shorter duration indicates that there is more time allotted for additional exploring and travel. The Canary Islands were not a place I anticipated on traveling before our semester in Spain began, but when a cheap airfare opportunity arose we capitalized.
Last weekend we spent 3 nights in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, which is the second largest island in the Canaries. For those unaware exactly where the Canary Islands are located, it is a Spanish island but much closer to Western Sahara sitting 93 miles off the coast of Africa. It is a common vacation destination for Germans, Brits, and Nordics. With that being said, although Spanish is the national language, English was quite common.
We used the Canary Islands as an opportunity to take a little bit of time off from site seeing and spending some time enjoying the beach and perfect weather. Sitting around 80 degrees Fahrenheit nearly the entire time we were there, this was incredible, as most of the other places we’ve been lately are getting quite cold, including Barcelona requiring pants and a jacket on a daily basis at this point.
There’s really not much else to say, as we really spent most of our time just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful beach. We walked around the island quite a bit and found our favorite spot up by the large black volcanic rocks at the northern end of the beach. Abby had the opportunity to do Yoga one morning over-looking the water. And our group (Abby, Aleks, Charlie and myself) all had our first experience at a fish foot spa. This was quite a different experience, that I recommend everyone trying if they ever have the opportunity.
The Canary Islands are beautiful. You can really feel a little bit of the African culture rubbed off on the island as just walking around to the eye, it doesn’t quite feel like Spain. It is unlike anywhere we’ve ever been, and definitely a unique experience far different than the rest of Europe.
