Mull and Manrique

Yes, we went to Mull. Yes, it has a micro climate. Yes, it rained. And rained and rained and rained. I believe that you should never ever go back to somewhere you've enjoyed because it is NEVER the same the second time around. Never.

I was adamant that I was going to do some writing and guess what. I didn't. I was BORED. I'm never bored. I believe fervently that only boring people get bored; interesting people can always find something interesting to do. My children know this mantra. They never complain of being bored. So there you are. It rained and I got bored.

I think I must be a bit of a jinx on holiday. Last month I went with a group of friends to Lanzarote for Denise's 40th birthday (Thanks, Ant!) and, while it didn't rain, the weather was dreadful. I learned two new Spanish phrases, which we heard every where we went: "Hace mal tiempo" - It's bad weather, and "Hace mucho viento" - it's very windy. Mucho viento? I should coco! We spent one afternoon on a beach and had a full body exfoliation from the sheets of sand which stripped us of comfort and skin. I think we managed to pretend we were enjoying ourselves for about an hour and a half before we gave in a headed for the bar for a refreshing beer.

But because it wasn't really hanging around the pool weather we went all around the island in search of culture and volcanoes. What an amazing place!

The twin influences on Lanzarote, each of which has left an indelible mark oin the place, are the volcano and an artist, a contemporary of Picasso and Miro, a man called Cesar Manrique.



The island is volcanic. In the eighteenth century the volcano erupted...for six years, wiping out everything, every man, woman, child, every tree, every blade of grass. We were told this in a matter of fact way as we were touring the volcanic craters in a tour bus. I looked out over this desolate lunar landscape and tried to imagine what that actually meant, what it actually looked like at the time. Can you imagine such an awful event - the volcano belching forth fire as you were working in the fields? Worrying about your children, not far away in the house which was in moments to be enveloped forever. Appalling.

The agriculture of Lanzarote has been coaxed out of the lava which coats everything like a thick mud pack. Farming here is hard, what with the unforgiving lava beneath and the harsh wind above ground. So vines and other plants are sheltered in small dips in ythe lava, surrounded by the shelter of dry stone walls in three quarter circles, the earth weighted with a sprinkling of lava stones. Even walking across this terain is exhausting; to farm it must be backbreaking.

Take a look at this:

Then there is Cesar Manrique. Artist and architect, it can be rarely that a man has left so vast a mark on his native land. Manrique worked with the landscape and the climate, harnessed it to make strange and wonderful things - buildings which use the difficulties of the locale and turned them to his advantage. His house was built out of a series of volcanic bubbles in the ground. By clever use of paint and mosaic and cutting just the right apertures in the stony walls he created beautiful rooms bathed in astonishing natural light. I could barely tear myself away.

He also built the Mirador, a point at the extreme end of Lanzarote looking over the bloest sea. He designed and built the Vistors' Centre in the volcanic park, and the curious, but compelling cactus park. Even if you hate cacti, which I really REALLY do, you find yourself giving in to this place. Stand one one of the raised levels and look over the planting and you have surrealist art. Extraordinary. Andon many of the millions of roundabouts all over Lanzarote are huge and colourful wind sculptures designed by... yes, Manrique. I'm not sure we saw any art by anyone else. To be honest, I'm not sure there's room for anyone else.

I loved being in Lanzarote, not least because of the company. Away from the family for a week, I did miss them, but in a good way, and they had time to miss me, and be pleased when I got back. But being with such a diverse group of fantastic women was a real joy. We drank far too much, we talked even more. We cooperated and had an amazing time.

All in all, fabulous. And to the beautiful and ridiculously youthful Denise, cheers!