Mike's sister Judith arrived at 2130 hrs 10 October by Easyjet - flight was amazingly 30 minutes early.
Rented a car from Hertz and have been revisiting some of the places we enjoyed when we were here in 2007.
The volcanic island of Lanzarote appears at first to be completely barren. However crops are grown here using special techniques such as the vines enclosed in shallow basalt walls.
One of our favourite places to visit is the former home of artist/ architect Cesar Manrique, born in Arrecife in 1919, died in a tragic car accident in 1992.
Similar to the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer who designed much of Brazilia, Cesar had played an important role in the development of Lanzarote. His former home created in the middle of a lava field just north of Arrecife, is a delight to wander around.
From the outside, the house is not particularly interesting, what makes it so special is that he has connected several large "gas bubbles" which existed under and around his house by stairways and tunnels in the rock creating magical living spaces.
The bubbles under the house are connected to bubbles outside the house where a luscious garden with pool has been created.
In the rooms above ground level he has made picture windows overlooking the lava,
indeed in one room the lave seems to be flowing into the room under the glass.
Around the island there are various Manrique artworks along the road.
After this visit we drove to the north of the island on the way stopping for lunch at the old palm dotted town of Haria, the town where Cesar Manrique spent his last years.
Our objective was the Mirador del Rio, an old defence bunker carved into the top of the high cliffs with a spectacular view over the straits to the laidback island of Graciosa.
Once one enters the old bunker, one is in no doubt about who created the conversion, yes, Cesar Manrique.
On the way back to the boat we stopped off at a centre for Aloe Vero, the plant which some consider a panacea for many ailments.
