Botannical Gardens

Just another warm n sunny day in paradise - or at least that's how it felt to me after the gloom of an english winter. Today we had decided to head towards the Botannical Gardens in Puerto de la Cruz where we were staying and so start off by takeing a leisurely stroll along the sea front and up the cliff top for a view of both the seas and the town at our feet.

A reviving coffee for Isabel and I and an obligatory cake (apfel strudel would you believe ?!) for dad and we head off again. The cafe was owned by a German couple which exlains the strudel in Tenerife of all places!!

The gardens themselves are quite compact but are jam packed with the most amazing plantlife. The paths are well maintained and all the trees, flowers and cactii are in wonderful condition. The general ambience was of a luxuriance that was tropical in its lushness. All the plants were enormous and the blossoms quite incredible, both in terms of colours, size and intricacy of shape. Not like wiltshire at all !!

 All 3 of us could hardly put our cameras down as there was so much we wanted to remember - goodness knows how many snaps we took that day.

We spent a happy few hours there and then decided we'd hunt out lunch. As it happens there was a cafe opposite the entrance to the garden and it was full of spanish enjoying their meals so we joined them.

  The food was very interesting and not at all like what we were getting at the hotel (very german style) so we tucked into to a selection of delicious and interesting tapas with gusto.


Back at the hotel there was a bit of a festival feel - unlike the british, most people on the continent celebrate on Xmas eve, so we joined in. Cava on the terrace anyone ?