La Palma? No, I don’t mean La Palma de Majorca or Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, but a little known island paradise, which is one of the seven islands (or maybe it is 8, depending upon your definition of an island, and political persuasions) that together make up the Canarian archipelago. The island is the …more

I’m off to the Canarian island of La Palma, which is also known as ‘The Beautiful Island’, again next week. Although I live on the island of Gran Canaria, all of the seven main islands that make up this fascinating archipelago are very different to each other. I try to visit each island from time …more

So what do you think about democracy and your right to vote? Sorry, but I can see you yawning already, but that cross in the box is important and many have struggled for years, and continue to give their lives, for the right to put a cross on the ballot paper every four or five …more

A recent proposal by Spain’s Rationalisation of Timetables Association has led the Spanish government in Madrid to debate whether the clocks should be put back an hour to increase productivity and sleeping hours. This suggestion has really put the cat among the Canarians. The President of the Canarian Government, Paulino Rivero, is very concerned that …more

I am often asked why I love the Canary Islands, and Gran Canaria, in particular, so much and what prompted me to make this small Atlantic island our home. Well, I could move into lyrical mode about the wonderful climate, beautiful beaches, spectacular mountain scenery, the unhurried pace of life and the friendly unassuming nature …more

Recent emails from correspondents in France and Portugal, as well as Spain, have made me question how friendly expats really are towards each other? Personally and very fortunately, I have experienced nothing but help and support from other expats during my time living and working in Spain and the Canary Islands. Our British and Irish …more

I have recently taken to travelling more frequently by bus on the island, particularly if I wish to visit our capital center, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. I dislike negotiating the ever changing one-way streets in the city, which we often forget is the seventh largest city in Spain, or trying to find a car …more

It is fascinating to look at the origins of expats moving to the Canary Islands over the last two centuries or so. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries it was the British who stamped an almost colonial footprint on the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the north of the island. We can …more

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