Bookworm Press

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I went to visit my niece and her husband in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands west of North Africa. One of the highpoints of my stay was a trip to the Teide mountain, a 3,715 meter (12,188 feet) high volcano. We drove the scenic road about half-way to the top. There is also a gondola to the very top but we stayed at the halfway point. The view from there was spectacular. Here are a few pictures.

You can see the volcanic structure and the rocks. Reminds me somwhat of a lunar landscape.

There were quite a few people watching the sunset above the sea of fog and you can see why. The view was breathtaking.

Now, something more sinister. My nephew told me that a few days or weeks ago, two bodies were found at the bottom of the volcano. At the time, it wasn’t known who the people were or how they ended up at the bottom of the cliff. An accident or foul play? This must have been a terrible and shocking experience for everyone involved. And yet it is a mystery that triggers my writer’s imagination. My next mystery novel could indeed take place on Tenerife. We’ll see.

Enjoy the pictures!

My niece and her husband moved from Switzerland to Tenerife, Spain. Tenerife is one of the Canary Islands, a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 kilometers west of Morocco. I went to visit them and fell in love with the island. It may become the location for one of my next novels!

View from my niece’s home. Across is La Gomera, another island of the Canary Islands.

Every evening, we were able to watch another amazing sunset. Here are a few more!

My niece and her husband lived in Switzerland but had been visiting Tenerife for many years and loved it so much they decided to eventually live here permanently. They sold their business (a vegan restaurant and store) and apartment in Switzerland and bought property here. Now, they harvest olives and produce olive oil. It was a bold retirement step, but they enjoy it very much and so far, it’s worked out for them. Here are a few pictures of their home and property.

The olive harvest was plentiful. In fact, they didn’t have enough pickers yet. Family, friends, and colleagues helped but a few of the olives were left on the trees. I’m sure some critters enjoyed them!

In December, it was still warm enough for a swim in the ocean.

And for breakfast outside, a nice change from cold Switzerland!

Stay tuned for more. Tenerife sports a famous volcano, El Teide. With its 3,715 meters (12,188 feet), in height, it is also the highest point in Spain.

Day 7 of the Scenic/Landscape Challenge. I conclude it with the stunning scenery of Peru:

El Beso, famous sculpture in Lima by Victor Delfin

Artisans in Cuzco creating native handicraft

Cathedral at the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco

Plaza de Armas in Cuzco

Desert near Arequipa with carvings from a pre-Inca tribe

Tunupa or Wiracocha, the legendary Pilgrim Preacher of Knowledge above Ollantaytambo

Sixteenth Century Convent Santa Catalina in Arequipa

And, of course, Machu Picchu

This is the end of the Scenic/Landscape challenge. I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a comment, if you wish!

Day 6 of the Scenic/Landscape challenge: Thinking of a wonderful trip through Maine I took with my friend, Diane Busch. And here are some pictures of that gorgeous landscape.

Just to summarize: I was invited to take part in the Scenic/Landscape challenge by Darlene Foster. Here are the pictures of Day 4. (I actually mixed up Day 3 and Day 4, but it doesn’t really matter).

So here we go. Day 4 or 3 of the Scenic/Landscape challenge: Germany meets California: A sculpture of Goethe and Schiller, two German literary greats, in the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco!

Day 5: More pictures from the beautiful Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The Japanese Garden is one of its many scenic spots.

And more to come!

Day 3: Castello di Pavone in Ivrea, Italy (Piedmont). This is unique castle dates back to Medieval times. It is now a hotel/restaurant, where we celebrated an important birthday of my nephew a couple of years ago. The castle is privately owned by a family who lovingly renovated it while leaving the original intact as much as possible. Wonderful place! Find out more here: http://www.castellodipavone.com/en

To be continued.