Gran Canaria tomatoes at the market
As anyone with young kids knows, whether you are living in Gran Canaria or in Timbuktu, leaving the house for a day trip is a mission: Remembering everything you need to take, plus dealing with last minute tantrums (normally the toddler’s), before you leave makes even a short excursion feel like an expedition.
With all the goodwill in the World, getting an early start on a Sunday has never been one of our strong points. This Sunday, as usual, we didn’t manage to leave the house until 11, giving us a couple of hours to cram in a morning’s worth of activity before getting back for Ben’s siesta!
On the agenda for this particular Gran Canaria Sunday, San Lorenzo Market. San Lorenzo is a pretty village about a 15-minute drive from Las Palmas. On Sundays, local farmers sell their goods in the market square next to the Church. All the products on sale in the market are grown on the island; seasonal fruit and veg, cheese, olive oil and local olives in a spicy mojo sauce. You can even buy “pan de la milagrosa”, some of the best bread I have ever tasted. Fresh, crusty bread rolls made with wild fennel seeds. Mmmm!
When we finally got to the market about 11.30, it was already in fell swing so we wasted no time in filling up our shopping bags. Fresh figs, sweet peppers, smoked cheese, and of course my favourite bread were just of few of the items we bought for our lunch that afternoon. After a thoroughly enjoyable hour or so, we headed over to the main square next to the church for cortado largo coffees while Ben ran riot in the square!
After getting back home and persuading Ben to have his afternoon nap, we ate our fresh local food for lunch, smug in the knowledge that the same stuff costs twice as much in the shops and tastes half as food.
That afternoon, as we do most summer weekends, we headed to Las Canteras beach to cool down in the sea. Due to a heat wave in the Canaries last weekend, temperatures reached over 40 degrees so the swim was a welcome relief from the heat. Being mid August and a Sunday, the beach was packed and we were lucky to find a spot next to the shore
Walking home on the beach front promenade after a relaxing afternoon spent mostly in the water, we decided to stop for a cold beer. Reluctant for the day to be over we enjoyed our beers while watching the sunset on the horizon. I felt extremely lucky to be living in Gran Canaria.