One of the joys of travel is learning about and experiencing things that are new to us. This morning the sky was a hazy sepia color. The pictures below show the hazyness but did not pick up the brownish tint we could see with the naked-eye. This is the “Calima”, which is derived from an Arabic word “Qal’i-mat” which simply means the dusty wind that blows from the Sahara desert. What was causing the sepia effect were the billions and billions of small particles (much smaller than sand grains) that are lifted off of the Saharan desert and suspended in the westerly winds all the way to the Canary Islands and beyond. While exciting to us, the Canarians find it a nuisance as they breathe, eat and clean up these tiny desert particles. This Calima seems to be a very insignificant one as it seemed to be subsiding by the end of the day. They can last for three to five days. This was my first time seeing the Saharan Desert, unique in that it came to me instead of vice versa.
Every Monday the Villas have an Al Fresco poolside Barbecue. Sandy and I had signed up for this and were warned that we may have to move inside because of the Calima. Sandy and I have always been very lucky travelers and again our good fortune held out, the dining was under the stars. This was not the typical barbecue like I would have on our patio back in Ohio. It started with Cava (the Spanish bubbly wine) followed by an appetizer of tomato soup. Tomatoes are one thing that can be grown, with proper care, on the very thin topsoil of this volcanic island and the Canarians are justifiably proud of them. The rest of the meal was just a festival of protein and NOT a vegan affair. The wait staff kept coming around with new cuts of meat, interesting vegetables, and fresh pours of wine. I couldn’t say “no”. And then, when I was so full that I could not possibly eat another bite, they showed up with dessert. Oh, what the hell I ate that too! It was a wonderful night.
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