The islands of eternal spring

The Canary Islands are also often called "The Islands of Eternal Spring", this is due to the fact that the temperatures are consistently between 20°C and 25°C. In the south of the islands it is usually warmer and also the sunshine hours are higher. So you can't always and everywhere speak of spring in the Canary Islands. Nevertheless, the climate and the weather change only little to not at all, the northeast trade wind changes perhaps once on north or northwest, rarely only, there is also times a south weather situation. Therefore eternal. 

Cactus flower

Not a trace of climate change in sight. Here, an internal combustion engine is quickly converted into a diesel generator when you're in the car, in the parking lot, playing around on your cell phone and the temperature inside the vehicle rises to an unbearable 28°C. In the rental vehicles, the "stop and go" function, which is annoying to Spaniards, is usually turned off, and so the engines runs in front of the red lights, cooling the interior down to the aforementioned spring temperatures. With an e-car, that would limit the range of motion, probably significantly, and even on such a small island like this, would no longer be every place, without recharging, accessible. The anticipatory actionism, as it is spreading in Germany by the green clientele, to oppose climate change with all its harshness, is completely absent here. Although the "e-scooters" are growing like mushrooms from the ground. But does this really help to give climate change the necessary impetus to turn around? It may be that this is because the Spaniard is not as familiar with the turnaround as we Germans are. After all, we have already made a number of turns in our German history, and the fact that one or the other German politician can be called a turncoat is not because he is descended from the Strigidae family. 

Jewel of a combustion engine

The whole thing with a CO2 tax to come here would only the, already, gaping wound between rich and poor, even larger. Not that I am now misunderstood, those who want to do that anyway, I also see the need to take urgent action globally for a better climate, but I also see the need to take the people into the boat and not just to hang on the outside and then go out to sea. Here it is necessary above all to create confidence and clearing-up, not from a Fridays for future groupe, which is instrumentalized by self-proclaimed climatic experts, but from people whose commitment cannot be estimated highly enough and who are able to visualize the climatic changes and their effects to a broad population layer. By the way, this would also be a sensible use for the broadcasting fee, which everyone in Germany has to pay and whose content, for which it is currently used, raises at least some questions. One example is the temperature animation, which impressively shows the rapid rise in temperature in the Baltic Sea and has been circulating on the net for several days (source: ocean.dmi.dk). The fact that the policy failed completely with the structure of this confidence and that there also no improvement is in view, shows the recently publicized interpretations of a Vita, which, in order to express it times cautiously, more appearance than being, to the day puts. Such an approach does more harm to the initiation of climate change than a motorist playing on his cell phone, in the parking lot, with the engine running. Maybe a simple excuse is enough to take over government responsibility, but it is certainly not enough for climate change.

Landscape around Fataga, Gran Canaria

In anticipatory obedience, Gaby and I, at least, try to pollute our climate as little as possible, walk long distances, take the bike (without e-motor) to go shopping, take public transport and sail around the world. We generate our electricity with solar panels and wind generator. We don't buy frozen food or airplane mangoes, but instead supply ourselves as much as possible at the market and eat wrinkled apples. Nevertheless, we also burden our climate and leave our CO2 footprint in which we also eat meat, start our diesel, for safety reasons, when leaving the port or when we are too homesick and want to feel German climate policy once again, not only from afar, even have to. We don't need an SUV to drive us to school from Monday to Thursday, not even in an electric version, and in the meantime we're also out of the short-haul range when flying. In short, we pollute the climate far less than many an environmental activist or Green politician who quickly changes vehicles before his next appointment in order to switch from convenient to environmentally effective advertising.

Plaza de San José Fataga, Gran Canaria

But until the time comes that we visit Germany again, we continue to explore the islands of eternal spring and go this week to Fataga, a small tranquil town not far from the Parque Natural de Pilancones. Nearby is a reservoir that we hike. The barren landscape is greened on the valley floor and resembles an oasis. In fact, following the valley, we pass a caravanserai that reinforces the feeling of being in a desert. In the stony, little shady landscape, the temperatures quickly rise above 30°C. The reservoir is almost dry and hardly accessible. On single terraces, fruit plantations are put on, which are watered complexly. I wonder if the water will be enough until the harvest. Under a palm tree we find some shade and eat our wrinkled apples. Gaby unpacks a mashed banana, which has suffered quite a bit in the heat, just like us. Countless grasshoppers jump around us and I imagine Fridays for Future activist Luisa Neubauer eating deep-fried grasshoppers for lunch. No, I'd rather have a banana.

Fataga, Gran Canarias

The village of Fataga stands on a rocky outcrop above the valley and is practically car-free with its narrow streets. The houses are nicely decorated and you notice the proximity to Maspalomas, because many signs and signposts are also available in German. However, there is still a lack of tourists and so we find only one bar, on the thoroughfare, which is open. Since it has the monopoly, the bar charges horrendous prices. So we pay for two beers, a Coca Cola, fried peppers and calamari, just under 40€. In Las Palmas you get something like that for just under half. Well, maybe the calamari are flown in from Japan.

Lunch in Fataga a luxury

We take the next bus and on the way back I wonder if eternal is also somehow limited in time and if the islands will someday be called something other than the Islands of Eternal Spring.

Serenity does not always work, but more and more often

Next week we'll write a little about our plans, which have changed a bit due to Corona, and when we're leaving eternity here. All this as always on our blog in www.glenswelt.com. Until then, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.