We drove across some very windy peaks and stopped at a specific lookout point that quite literally took my breath away.El Mirador is high up and hacked out of the sea facing side of a volcano. That is a given really, on Lanzarote. It was so windy on the balcony that it made us stagger. It was so high that it made us both wobble. All my photos are long shots; braver souls were leaning over the balcony to get shots of the sheer drop, but that’s not in this wonky balanced woman anymore.
Look at that for a view, and the beautiful clear sky. So beautiful. That far land is an island called La Graciosa, only achievable by ferry and that millpond looking water is deceiving from this height, let me tell you! In the foreground you see (another) lava field sweeping down to the sea. And the lagoon-ish looking area is a salt lake, for the cultivation of the farm on the left of it...a salt farm, waiting to be flooded. Believe me, if the wind can accelerate the evaporation at all, it’ll be producing in half the time. Perhaps that’s why they bothered to remove I don’t know how many tonnes of the sharp, slightly smelly, misshapen lava rocks. I was expecting it all to be smooth, as if the molten lava cooled in its round, rolling form. Not all the time, apparently.
We went to the Cueva de las Verdes too. Now that is a magic place to show off the way lava behaves. It’s actually a tunnel, about 6 kilometres I think they said in the tour. Formed along a valley running from the foot of a volcano to the sea. 2000 years ago, the Corona volcano erupted, molten lava filled the valley and flowed into the sea. The top most surface cooled faster than the moving lava inside the valley and so created a long tunnel like cavern. It is extraordinary. You can only take a tour of the tunnel, at the land end it’s about a 1 kilometre walk through some wide tunnels and massive caverns. It was eerie, beautiful, sensational. At some points there were narrow steps to climb, quite low ‘ceilings’ and uneven floors. They were flat and easy to walk, man made in the name of tourism, but sloping in all directions sometimes.
Of course, it was dark down there (artfully lit, actually) and really rather warmer than I thought it would be. There’s no water, they aren’t the dripping or stalactite forming caves...the lava was too hot to allow even remnants of moisture. Although there are areas where there are clear drips of lava that have cooled before splashing off the ceiling. Fascinating.
There’s a grand chamber where the floor has been polished and chairs set up. They use it for concerts, mostly classical. I don’t know if it’s clear from the photo, the lighting may be artful but we weren’t allowed to use flash photography. The tour was really good, and ended sensationally, I recommend you visit if you’re ever on Lanzarote. Although being in the dark on sloping surfaces is a huge challenge for my balance, it was well worth it...’specially as Mr Dunnit held my hand or had his arm round my waist nearly all the way; we must have looked like honeymooners! We were keen to go to the seaside end of the tunnel and take the tour there too, but time got away from us. That right there is a statement of intent to return. One last thing.. green caves. There was very little green about them, certainly not in terms of rock colour or sediment, although there were some very large leaves in the cool shade at the tunnel entrance! The caves are named Verdes after the farming family that discovered them whilst herding their sheep on what turned out to be a 2000 year old tunnel roof. I love that they are to be forever remembered in the story.
This was Saturday afternoon, so there were another 6 or so to add, but we all got packing and sorting and didn’t want to lay them all out again! So, to unpack and actually get on with stuff. Erm, maybe I’ll visit your desks first - pleasant procrastination always a good thing! Inspire me to get on with it, please!
I’ve been sorting photos and papers. The idea is to at least prevent having to take a foot high stack of papers by pulling out papers that work with particular photos. The pile with the pale yellow is the pile I’m taking. Then I just have to take my huge file of scraps, (all) the smaller paper pads I have and my two pads of plain coloured card stock. Of course, it’s a given that I will take black and white too. It sounds masses. It is masses, but it’s not as much masses as it could be if I didn’t do this bit first. Still with me?!! But....just in case you think all this involves leaving a tidy desk. Oh it doesn’t. Well not at bedtime on Tuesday, anyway!
I will pick bits from it and make neat piles before I leave, but that’s about all. I won’t be here to see it and Mr Dunnit won’t even notice! So, I’m not sure how the internet will be in our wild retreat, so please be patient with me over visits. Meanwhile though, feel free to share your desktops please!
I took this at the best angle I could get to show the shimmer paints. Some of the colours are actually Shimmer Paints, others are Pixie Powders. All used as paint with a water brush. It didn’t take hours to paint, and it was a nice thing to do sitting quietly for however long, but I won’t be making a stack of them. I like it almost as much just as a line drawing on a card. An exercise in embossing, for sure!
This is a 10 x 7 card, and with the swirls and flowers (which are separate stamps in the set), it makes a really nice statement card doesn’t it. If a chameleon can make a statement. 
It really is temporary. One reason will be to avoid the wearing of a path from desk to workroom to get stuff. Just about every time I sit down I realise there’s something else I need....ink pad, water, particular paint, sunglasses...you know! It’s a glorious pic isn’t it, the sun was so great yesterday that I just had to show you. Mind you, there’s to be no change this morning...real life is imposing, of course. I’m using Sparkle Paints and a water brush to colour this Pink Ink image. I seem to be making a collection of useful pots to put things in. That’s Zsazus’s fault. During Marit’s Dutch Summer, Zsazsu had a spot on decorating these useful pots and I intend to try. So far my intention has been diverted by theIr usefulness! There’s not much else of interest to be honest...quite a lot of rubbish to be dealt with; I moved the desk so suddenly that I hadn’t really sorted it, so the unsorted piles came too! Wanna see in context:
You have to find the cream painted desk legs to avoid the optical illusion that it may just be a floating surface! The pile of MFC pieces on the floor are actually shelves for the new kitchen cupboards. (The build is still in progress; one of the reasons why I don’t feel too bad about adding my desk to this room for now!) Anyway, that’s enough, we all need to get on and visit more interesting places.
You sure can tell that I was finishing and moving on can’t you...no hint of a background at all. Hmm, may have to rectify that. I like the die cut text. I layered the orange on top of the original that cut from the kraft card so it stands a little proud in the aperture.
Scrapbooking stuff from the crop before I went on holiday still in the wheeled box whose handle is very much in the centre of the photo getting all the attention! That lot just slides onto shelves and the box folds down. It was a gift that thing, from our Christine, Bishopsmate. I dread to think how long ago...it feels like last summer, but I know that’s wrong because when she gave it to me, they were awaiting the birth of the grandchild that has become known as the Little Soldier. I know he’s not 18 or anything ridiculous like that, but I would put money on him being much older than I want him to be! The upside down donkey is still much in evidence. I shall move him this morning, to the box of cards that I keep for use. Then he might actually be used! There’s a striped wallet thing on the surface...that’s got Sunday’s output in it. Ive been cutting and marking up templates for some concertina albums for the ladies who want to make one at the village Craft Bee. On top of that is my lovely patchwork and embroidered cover notebook that Annie gave me. I use it a lot. To make notes. Which is why it’s with the album wallet, I’ve actually got so organised that I’ve made a list of things to take to the next Craft Bee to facilitate the easy making of these albums. The brown bag contains souvenirs and tickets from Lanzarote.