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Island hopping with P and O cruises: La Palma

April 27, 2018 2 Comments Filed Under: Travel, Uncategorized

Britannia, P and O cruise, docking at Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover

Simply put, geographically, the Canary Islands consist of volcanic bumps poking above sea level. La Palma has a geological phenomenon called ‘La caldera’, the cauldron: in the centre of the spearhead shaped island is the pit of the volcano. I read a whole Wikipedia article on how there is a big split in the middle of La Palma and if it cracks and drops into the sea, it will cause a massive Transatlantic tsunami that will kill everyone in the Canary Islands and probably the East coast of America too. Fun!

Today I woke up at Santa Cruz de La Palma. (I do love waking up to a different port every day.) If you think of the Canaries as a mass market cheap holiday place you are wrong about La Palma, which is chic, elegant and stylish. Dating from the 15th century, it has a colonial vibe with pastel buildings, narrow pedestrianised streets, ornate wooden balconies and fabulous shops. Straight off the boat I bought some pink ballet flats for 8 euros. Hooray. 

Cruises are like a mini-variety pack of breakfast cereal. You can try a place, just a little, without too much commitment, see if you like it, make a note to come back (or not) then move on. Cruises seem naff but actually, in principal, they can be cool. Plus places like the Canary Islands really need the business, they depend on tourism. 

Again, as I didn’t have much time, I headed towards the central market, then fanned out from there.

Food and Drink

They crush sugar cane with slices of lemon to make a refreshing sweet/sour juice or a cocktail.

almond cake/cheese at the market place, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover

This fluted almond cake is called an almond cheese. Almond trees are plentiful in La Palma so many desserts are almond-based. There is one known as ‘bienmesabe’, which translates to ‘it tastes good to me’. 

award winning goats cheese,  at the market place, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
La Palma has an award winning smoked goats’ cheese. It won the Great Taste Award.
Mojo sauces, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
Mojo, a red pepper sauce, comes in mild, spicy or green. Absolutely delicious. It’s served with everything but especially papas arrugadas, wrinkly potatoes.

A bar next to the market

Mussels being grilled, market place bar, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
Mussels , market place bar, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
tapas,  market place bar, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
I do not know if I can adequately express how wonderful this tapas bar was. I was ordering tortilla then I spied green-lipped mussels steaming over the coals behind the bar. My sister ordered some, their plump little orange bodies came thickly drizzled with parsley and garlic. 

The Gastronomic Society 

tapas, sociedad gastronomica, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
tapas, sociedad gastronomica, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover

The sign over this small bar down a side street to the sea front, said ‘Sociedad Gastronomica’ but possibly the name is La Rapadura. Not sure. But we were welcomed into this cool sombre cafe, which contained a tableful of fat Canarian men who were serious about their raciones and their tapas.

We ordered some La Palma wine then were presented with a free plateful of cheese, ensalada Russia and tuna filled boiled eggs. That’s how tapas used to be in Spain before they became trendy.

Views of Santa Cruz

 Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
 Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
 Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
 Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
 Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
 Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands Pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover

 I was invited as a guest of P and O cruises to Madeira and the Canary Islands.

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Comments

  1. Cate Lawrence

    May 17, 2018 at 7:47 am

    Curious if any of the island shops do plus sized clothing?

    Reply
    • Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmiteLover

      May 17, 2018 at 3:35 pm

      Hi Cate,
      as a plus sized but short person, yes they did. a lot of it were thin linen and not too tight. Really lovely shops.

      Reply

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

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Supper club dishes from Saturday: pickled beetroot Supper club dishes from Saturday: pickled beetroot eggs, cheeseboard, stracciatella & cucumber, tomato/strawberry/peashoot salad with real balsamic & spruce oil, home cured dill gravlax, smoked salmon, homemade sourdough crisp bread, potato salad with wild fennel & lots more! #supperclub #midsummer #eattherainbow (miss you @linnsoederstroem)
Last nights supper club. My first supper club in 2 Last nights supper club. My first supper club in 2 years was great fun. I’m pleased with my food, the guests were lovely, it looked magical in the garden. But the weather! I even had to bring my duvets from the bedroom out. They looked like refugees. But this brought even more laughter! Next event September
My first supperclub in two years will take place t My first supperclub in two years will take place this Saturday 18th June starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are £50 byo you can book here: https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsommar-supper-club there are still a few places left. Pescetarian menu. Scandi and botanical influences. #gettingbackonmyfeet #postpandemic #smallbusinesses #supperclub #london
I recently completed the 3 day @heathostile train I recently completed the 3 day  @heathostile training course. On the last day I was kidnapped by ex-special forces for a few hours & learnt how to deal with compliance training & a hostile environment. It was one of the most interesting experiences of my life. 3 intense days of combat first aid, navigation & how to survive in a war zone. I handled short, long guns, mortars, grenades, bullets, and tourniquet & bandaged an amputee. I learnt where to sit in a car, where to hide from a bullet, where to protect myself if in a car. It was brilliant. Highly recommended for any journalists, photographers, cameramen, charity workers, paramedics going into any difficult environment say a disaster or war. The stories from the tutors & the other participants were so interesting. My piece on it out soon. Book a course: https://hostile-environment.co.uk/  They also do jungle & desert training. I’d love to join the Antarctic expedition. Anyway that’s me hooded in the front. #adventures #het #hostileenvironmenttraining #experiences #travel
Bundoran beach, Donegal. I spent a week knocking o Bundoran beach, Donegal. I spent a week knocking on doors, going to libraries, searching through graveyards for my Irish forebears. It’s really hard to find information prior to 1850. I found this in last years trip to Arbroath in Scotland. Headstones wear out, records are lost or burnt in a fire, everybody has the same name and are known by nicknames, successive children have the same first name, that usually means they died and the next one is called by the same thing. Women did have children out of wedlock, and people remarried more often than you’d think, plus families fall out & never see each other again. I learnt that my Irish great grandfather michael went to Glasgow & met a woman who came from a similar place: somewhere wild & beautiful by the sea. Then they and their children came to london. Chasing the work & the money always. Politics and economics matter for they push people around from rural to city. And now we rodgers are Londoners. #ireland #scotland #family #travel #roots
How some of us celebrate the Queen’s jubilee! My How some of us celebrate the Queen’s jubilee! My sister & a random Irishman come for the Rory Gallagher festival in ballyshannon. Sis has pulled already!  #getyourcoat #sexpistols #ballyshannon #rorygallagherfestival #ireland
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I’ve taken down the previous post as it’s poor I’ve taken down the previous post as it’s poor timing considering what’s happened over the last 24 hours. Being British I’ve not grown up around guns. It’s interesting to be on this course and find out more about the reality of them, although my focus is learning the ‘golden triangle’ of first aid, communications and navigation. But at the same time It’s depressing how in America nothing will ever change regarding gun law. RIP.
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