title The Volcanoes of Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain - 27th October 2021 intro We arrange to take a bus tour of the Timanfaya volcanic National Park in the heart of Lanzarote, to see some of the 109 volcanoes close up. As part of the tour, the bus takes us over to the west coast to look at a green lagoon, then into the centre of the park for a demonstration of hot rocks, geysers and cooking over direct volcanic heat. Then we stop off for lunch at a canteen in Macha Blanca which can only be described as "industrial" in the way it's set up to take entire bus-loads on a regular basis. The next day, Isobel and Fred are booked in to a diving experience course, where they are given an introduction to actual Scuba gear and let loose in the pleasant bay of Playa Chica for a couple of long dives. After that, on the Friday, we head home after our final breakfast in the Costa Mar Aparthotel's canteen. imgp0107 The sun rises over the sea imgp0111 Fred heads off up the beach imgp0116 Nosher casts a long shadow imgp0117 A collared dove trots around imgp0120 The excitement of doing the laundry imgp0246 The gang on the beach imgp0286 Isobel and Fred in the restaurant imgp0287 Fred's minifigures collection imgp0288 Fred lines up some Lego figures imgp0301 The Restaurante Maurismo imgp0305 An abandoned Link scooter imgp0313 Fred builds a big Lego stack at Sol y Mar imgp0316 There's music at Sol y Mar bar imgp0322 We get some more Piña Coladas imgp0329 Guitar and Djembes imgp0338 We walk back past the Spar imgp0341 Our "fully equipped" kitchen imgp0342 The boys bounce around in their room imgp0343 Another morning view from the apartment imgp0345 Fred stands next to a cactus imgp0565 Harry gets some breakfast imgp0568 The Spar cat hangs around imgp0569 The Spar cat gets breakfast imgp0570 Isobel scopes out the fruit section imgp0571 We pick up some emergency picnic stuff imgp0573 Harry strokes the Spar cat imgp0575 Harry tries to climb into his shopping basket imgp0583 The volcanoes of Lanzarote imgp0123 A church and its bell imgp0586 Our insectoid tour bus imgp0588 Layers and layers of ash deposition imgp0589 Our tour group looks out over the crater imgp0591 Green water in the volcano crater imgp0601 Isobel checks her watch against the bus schedule imgp0602 A volcanic bay with a bunch of boats imgp0607 Fred and Harry by the tour bus imgp0610 El Golfo, on the west coast imgp0620 Harry's on a camel imgp0623 Another camel group comes in imgp0170 Harry, Nosher and Isobel, taken by Fred imgp0185 Isobel and Nosher on a dromedary imgp0624 Fred and Harry's camel launches itself up imgp0631 A view of Fred and Harry imgp0637 Fred takes a close-up photo imgp0188 Fred's close-up of a camel imgp0642 Another camel train heads down the volcano imgp0653 Some rare green foliage imgp0660 A family photo imgp0678 Harry gets handed some hot rocks imgp0684 A bundle of hay gets stuck in a lava tube imgp0687 After a while, the bundle of hay ignites imgp0694 The artificial geyser goes off violently imgp0705 Food cooks over actual volcanic hot rocks imgp0708 The madness of lava flows imgp0711 Some kind of volcanic structure imgp0739 A view out over the national park imgp0746 A volcanic crater with its top blown off imgp0755 Isobel and Harry in the canteen imgp0758 The crowded canteen of Mancha Blanca imgp0760 Another view of the packed canteen imgp0762 The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows, Mancha Blanca imgp0765 The church of Our Lady of Sorrows imgp0775 The "I Love You" bus has been haunting us imgp0777 A playground is an oasis of green imgp0782 Bottles of water on a wall imgp0785 We stop off at the Vinos del Campesino imgp0789 Semi-circle walls where vines are grown imgp0790 A big prickly pear cactus imgp0796 The boys look at something imgp0804 A derelict warehouse imgp0806 We're back at the apartment imgp0257 Fred's diving gang get rugged up imgp0258 Harry interacts with the resident grey cat imgp0260 Fred and Isobel get some instruction imgp0262 Fred and Isobel are flippered up imgp0268 The divers head off into the sea imgp0272 The dive group bobs around at the surface i2016_0101_005028_002 Isobel and Fred i2016_0101_015401_001 Fred floats around under water i2016_0101_021318_001 Fred pokes at the sea bed i2020_1215_213154_011 Fred and Isobel wave imgp0278 Playa Chica and the pier imgp0279 We hire some sunbeds for an hour or so imgp0282 The sunbeds are out for the first time, post Covid imgp0348 Fred and Harry wait for the taxi imgp0349 Waiting around outside Costa Mar Aparthotel imgp0351 Fred takes a last look at volanoes imgp0354 A derelict building on the way to the airport imgp0356 Harry tries to duck out at the airport imgp0357 We head off to the gate imgp0358 At Arecife airport imgp0360 It's a rare treat as we actually get an air bridge imgp0810 A Dash-8 in Binter livery at Arrecife imgp0813 Fred plays on his phone imgp0818 The control tower at Arrecife airport imgp0821 The wibbly-wobbly runway of Arrecife imgp0824 Volcanoes behind the airport imgp0830 A view of the city of Arrecife imgp0836 A cool view of a volcano crater imgp0851 London and Battersea Power Station imgp0859 A JAL plane flies past below imgp0862 Somewhere near Stansted imgp0868 Maintenance in the Diamond Hangar imgp0869 An aircraft of the defunct Lauda Ryanair subsidiary imgp0872 The scrum on board after the plane parks up imgp0873 It's lashing it down at Stansted imgp0874 There's a double rainbow over the airport imgp0876 Isobel walks around in the rain imgp0877 An optimistic rainbow over the gloom of Ryanair imgp0878 Isobel on a travelator imgp0880 On an escalator in Stansted airport imgp0882 We're back in the short-stay car park imgp0361 Back home, it's pumpkin-carving season