Travel Were the Canaries named after yellow birds? On Gran Canaria, we joined a Variety Cruises’ tour of Las Palmas. “Don’t assume that the Canaries were named after yellow songbirds,” said our guide Nina as we admired several bronze dog sculptures in the Old Town. Legend claims that when the Spaniards conquered the islands in 1483, they called them “land of thecani” (Latin for dog) after encountering the original inhabitants with large dogs. Over the centuries, the name evolved to Canary. “This is a myth,” said Nina. “The name actually came from the Canarii people of North Africa who settled here. These dog sculptures depict European breeds, not Canary Islands’ dogs.” We walked along cobblestone streets bordered by old mansions with hand-carved pine balconies. The Old Town looks much like it did when Christopher Columbus stopped in Las Palmas on his way to the New World. Columbus House, the residence of the first governors, is now a museum about the explorer. Street signs point to other attractions, including the cathedral, town hall, theatre and Hermitage San Antonio Abad. According to legend, Columbus prayed at this bell-topped shrine before his voyage to America. Our February arrival in Las Palmas coincided with the final day of Carnival (the third-largest in the world after the Carnivals in Rio and Santa Cruz de Tenerife). We previewed one of the elaborate costumes when a participant visited the Old Town with a photographer. Garbed in a sequined dress with a flowing blue feather cape, she wore a towering hat and blue eye makeup enhanced with rhinestones. Before leaving the historical quarter, we viewed dazzling displays of fresh fruit, vegetables and bags of spices in the indoor market. A vendor offered us samples of the sweetest oranges that we’ve ever tasted. Our tour continued by bus to Teror, home to the Our Lady of the Pines Basilica. We strolled along Royal Street, also called Balcony Street, because its pink, yellow, green and blue homes feature carved pine balconies. Nina explained that Canarian architecture was a mix of Spanish, Portuguese andMoorish styles because the owners hired foreign architects. Before returning to Las Palmas, we stopped in Santa Brigida. At its market, we shopped for local wines and sampled Canary Islands’ cheeses and pastries before our cruise continued to Los Cristianos in South Tenerife. Harmony V docked the next morning near a marina filled with yachts and fishing boats. Vasileios Panagiotou, our ship’s affable captain, gave us walking directions through the resort area. 1. Hermitage San Antonio Abad where Columbus prayed in 1492 2. Columbus House, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 3. Flower stand in Santa Brigida market 4. Fruit and vegetable shop in Old Town indoor market 5. Carnival costume 6. Balcony Street or Royal Street with coloured buildings and balconies in Teror Bronze dogs sculptures in the Old Town 1 2 3 6 4 5 CSANews | SUMMER 2016 | 19
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